Ye Qingchen’s expression didn’t seem like he was joking.
Shen Ying grew intrigued and asked, “Senior Brother Ye, are you serious?”
Ye Qingchen replied, “I don’t seem like the type who enjoys jokes, do I?”
Shen Ying nodded. “So you’re really planning to go. But what’s your motive for taking such a risk in the competition?”
“Is it to steal your senior brother’s prize, chase the thrill of danger, or slap your old man in the face with this stunt?”
Ye Qingchen thought for a moment. “A bit of everything, I suppose. If my heart desires it, there’s no need to overthink it.”
Shen Ying chuckled. “Senior Brother Ye is far more decisive than my senior brother. He agonized for ages before finally sending me out to deal with you.”
“And as you can see, even after I made progress, he’s still wavering.”
“But you, Senior Brother Ye—when it comes to reckless acts, you’re swift and resolute.”
A faint smile touched Ye Qingchen’s lips. “That’s why I’m the elder brother.”
Shen Ying couldn’t be bothered to decipher the meaning behind his words and got straight to the point. “I don’t mind helping, but how do you plan to get in?”
Ye Qingchen looked at her. “This time, I’ll need your assistance, Junior Sister.”
Shen Ying sifted through her memories. The rules of the Demonic Path’s competition were nothing like the righteous sects’ orderly and honorable matches.
In the righteous sects, everything took place on a single stage, under the watchful eyes of the elders.
No matter how one behaved in private, on a stage where reputation and competition held equal weight, one had to at least pretend to uphold some gentlemanly conduct.
After all, the righteous sects valued their reputations. If someone resorted to underhanded tactics in a duel, it would hinder their future interactions.
The Demonic Path, however, was different. Their competition actively encouraged disciples to use any means necessary to eliminate their opponents—no holds barred.
Moreover, the entire event took place without the elders’ supervision, allowing free rein, with life and death left to fate.
This was why the Demon Lord, despite his confidence in Ji Liantan’s abilities, still insisted on having Shen Ying as backup.
With unpredictability lurking at every turn, precautions were necessary.
Given these circumstances, Ye Qingchen’s plan to infiltrate the competition wasn’t particularly difficult.
Without hesitation, Shen Ying assured him, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother Ye. I’ll get you in.”
“But let’s make one thing clear—if you obtain any treasures inside, I get half.”
Ye Qingchen had little interest in the Demonic Path’s treasures, as most clashed with his cultivation techniques and were useless to him.
So he replied bluntly, “Aside from the Demon Ancestor’s True Blood, anything I obtain is yours.”
Shen Ying stared at him, impressed. “Senior Brother Ye, when you rebel, you really go all out.”
This guy usually seemed so mature, but now that his mother was in seclusion, he was causing chaos with full force?
Ye Qingchen merely smiled without confirming or denying it.
Since Ji Liantan had already left, Shen Ying and Ye Qingchen saw no reason to stay the night.
After sitting for a while longer, they settled the bill and departed.
Their return to the Xuanji Sect went largely unnoticed.
But once the sect’s mundane affairs managers caught wind of Ye Qingchen’s visit to a pleasure house, the news would likely spread like wildfire.
Not that Ye Qingchen cared about such things.
Back in her room, Shen Ying took out the dragon-tooth hairpin Ji Liantan had given her, studying how to use it.
To be fair, as the Demon Lord’s personal disciple, Shen Ying’s cultivation resources were abundant—she lacked for nothing.
But compared to the Demon Lord’s actual son? There was no contest. For instance, while her current magical artifacts were top-tier among peers of her cultivation level,
they were mere trash next to an ancient dragon king’s fang casually worn as a hair ornament.
Among her peers, fewer than five could reliably defeat Shen Ying in combat.
Yet that alone didn’t give her a sense of security.
The dragon fang, however, bore the Demon Lord’s restrictions. After studying it for a while, Shen Ying discerned some of the array’s logic.
Unfortunately, her current cultivation was too weak—knowing the principles didn’t mean she could break the Demon Lord’s seals.
So the next day, she went straight to her nominal master, placing the dragon fang before him—
“Master, Senior Brother Ye and I went to a pleasure house yesterday to investigate and accidentally stumbled upon a Demonic Path spy. Though he escaped, we managed to seize this.”
“Could you take a look at it for me?”
Lian Ying, who had been calmly sipping tea, nearly choked.
“You and Ye Qingchen went to a pleasure house? He took you there?”
Shen Ying shook her head. “I wanted to see what it was like.”
Lian Ying’s frown deepened. “You’re a female cultivator. Why would you go to such a place?”
“Though we cultivators possess greater self-defense than ordinary people, you must understand—the filth and darkness of the mortal world far exceed your imagination.”
“Don’t be fooled by the surface glamour; it’s no paradise.”
Shen Ying, amused, decided to tease him. With an innocent expression, she said, “Huh? But it looked really fun yesterday.”
“The ladies were beautiful and lively, the music elegant, and the courtesan’s dance was as graceful as a celestial maiden’s.”
Lian Ying scowled. “Then I suppose you didn’t miss the lecherous stares directed your way.”
Shen Ying feigned surprise. “Oh? How did you know, Master?”
Lian Ying: “Because I—”
He abruptly cut himself off, realizing what he’d almost revealed, his face flushing.
Shen Ying dropped the act and leaned across the desk with a mischievous grin.
“Master, don’t tell me you’ve experienced the same thing?”
“That doesn’t make sense. You’re a grown man with an imposing presence—who’d dare leer at you?”
“Even if you’re handsome enough to turn heads, no one would be so bold.”
“Unless… you weren’t in your usual form when you visited?”
Lian Ying’s face reddened further, his expression shifting to embarrassment and irritation.
“You wretched disciple, have you even finished yesterday’s assignments? Slacking off like this.”
Shen Ying pouted. “Master, that’s no fun. You can’t just change the topic like that.”
“If you’d done it smoothly, I might’ve been distracted. But this is so clumsy—who are you trying to fool? It’s the same flaw in your writing.”
She pressed on relentlessly. “So, Master, how did you end up getting leered at?”
“Don’t tell me you disguised yourself as a courtesan for research?”
Lian Ying stiffened, glaring at her with fury.
How do you know everything?
Shen Ying’s eyes sparkled with delight. “It’s true?! So, Master, did you play a male or female courtesan?”
“Given how worried you are about me, it must’ve been female, right? I don’t doubt your transformation skills, but how did you mimic the mannerisms, the gaze, the charm?”
“Master, I want to see! Don’t glare at me—understanding your range helps me tailor roles for you.”
“Besides, with such strong mimicry skills, you’ve got wide acting potential. That’s a good thing!”
Lian Ying, thoroughly exposed, finally snapped, “I was studying because I didn’t understand women’s mannerisms and charm!”
Shen Ying: “Ooooh~”
“Master, with that attitude and dedication, you’re truly a role model for us all.”
Seeing he was truly about to explode, Shen Ying quickly said, "Actually, I was also there to gather material. Don’t worry, Master. I specifically asked Senior Brother Ye to accompany me to avoid any trouble."
"But after learning about your experiences, Master, a story idea popped into my head."
"I’ll have it written in a couple of days."
Only then did Lian Ying’s expression soften slightly. "Since you’ve thought it through, I’ll let it slide this time."
Shen Ying hadn’t forgotten the main matter at hand. "Oh, Master, this object has remarkable material, but there’s a restriction placed on it. Do you think you could remove it for me and refine it into a handy spiritual tool?"
"I prefer using a sword."
Lian Ying picked up the dragon-tooth hair ornament Shen Ying had placed before him, his expression shifting to surprise.
He looked at Shen Ying and said, "You’ve got quite the luck."
"Fine, I’ll have it ready for you in half a month."
Shen Ying smiled. "Thank you, Master. Coincidentally, Senior Brother Ye and I plan to travel down the mountain soon."
Lian Ying nodded, gave a few words of caution, and waved his hand to dismiss this troublesome disciple.
Shen Ying left Lian Rou Peak in high spirits. The junior disciples around couldn’t help but whisper—what had their senior sister concocted about their master this time?
Lian Ying’s favoritism toward Shen Ying was blatant. Not only did the younger generation notice, but even the elders in the sect who had their reservations could do nothing about it.
Returning to Youyun Peak, Shen Ying spotted Ye Qingchen emerging and worried she might forget important matters amid her recent busy schedule.
So, she took out the Blood Jade Talisman and sent a message to Ji Liantan, instructing him to prepare two entry tokens for the Demonic Path Tournament.
With these tokens, one could bypass territorial restrictions and enter the competition grounds directly.
Ji Liantan frowned. [You’re not coming back with me to enter together?]
Shen Ying replied, [After some thought, taking too long would inevitably draw attention.]
Ji Liantan asked, [Then why two? Do you want me to teleport there with you from here?]
Shen Ying answered, [No, the other one is for Senior Brother Ye. I’ll do everything I can to trick him into entering the tournament grounds.]
[Senior Brother, aren’t you looking forward to it? A righteous sword cultivator like him, surrounded by demonic cultivators in such a perilous place.]
The moment Ji Liantan heard this, his interest was immediately piqued. [Good, I’ll get them for you.]
