The tense atmosphere turned subtle.
In the time it took to relieve himself, the two of them—one chasing, one fleeing—returned to the banquet hall in a standoff. How had Mr. Yun, who was nowhere to be seen moments ago, suddenly started fawning over Lord Ji?
The Sea-Severing Alliance cultivators passing by upstairs were even more puzzled. Not long ago, the two were at each other’s throats. Could Lord Ji’s sister really be so breathtakingly beautiful that it made the Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master so infatuated?
“Big Brother-in-Law, wait for me! We’re all family, what’s there to be shy about?”
“Shut up! Don’t talk nonsense. If people hear that, they’ll think I… they’ll think Mr. Yun is some kind of demon sorcerer. If you dare lay a hand on Shiyu, I’ll… I’ll kill you!”
Yun Liu lowered his voice and warned with a red face.
‘Damned girl, you’ve lost all face for your father. If word gets out, it’ll only confirm the rumors of my daughter obsession. Let her keep this up a few more days, and I won’t be able to show my face anywhere!’
“Mhm mhm, I understand the rules of the road. Parents’ command, matchmaker’s words. I have a devoted heart for Shiyu, and I absolutely will not overstep before that.”
Ji Shiyu swore to heaven with a serious expression, as if she were saying it more to herself.
‘That’s right—Master can uphold the teacher-disciple etiquette, but I don’t have to. I’ve got thick skin.’
“That’s not what I meant… Oh heavens!”
The confession-by-substitute only made Yun Liu more flustered, his mind going blank. He couldn’t even bring himself to mention the plan of collaboration from within and without.
‘Guilty conscience.’
The father and daughter each had their own schemes.
Ao Tian swayed his head, his joy turning to sorrow. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Earlier it was hard to recognize each other; now it was impossible. The young man Yun clearly hoped the silly girl would come to her senses in time, pretend nothing happened, and continue to accompany her as both teacher and father while she grew up.
But Shiyu could never go back!
He had obviously underestimated Shiyu’s determination. She would dive headfirst into a pig basket without hesitation, determined to anger Senior Sister Qin to death.
Based on past experience, such self-smart moves often backfired. The more one resisted, the stronger the pull. Fate had ultimately led them to this point, inextricably intertwined.
Yun Liu returned to his seat, still shaken, his heart pounding wildly.
Compared to sneaking a peek at his daughter’s ambitious diary of climbing the ranks, Ji Shiyu’s straight ball now was far more direct, beating his fatherly self to a pulp.
Yinglian didn’t see Little Yellow Chicken, so she covered her head and tugged at the young man’s sleeve, speaking weakly:
“What’s wrong with Big Senior Brother?”
“N-nothing.”
Even with two silly girls added, the plan to divert the disaster remained unchanged. Now they could only hope for “Ao Di.”
“Have you figured out the true identity of that fake?”
Yan Bingling yawned lazily.
“Who else could it be? Ji Shiyu and Canghai’s disciple, Liu Su. Somehow she escaped from Penglai Island and sneaked in here, messing up all my plans.”
Yun Liu sighed, very troubled. By now, Senior Sister Qin was probably crying in anxiety.
Ge Lan was stunned for a moment, then said in surprise:
“Ha, I figured. Two little brats sure have guts. At the Foundation Establishment stage, they dared to run wild in the Howling Fjord.”
The few of them communicated secretly via sound transmission. Hong Xiufang, who was watching the commotion, was also confused and asked bluntly:
“Little brother Shiyu, why did that kid call you Big Brother-in-Law?”
Fang Ya sneered in response:
“Do you even need to ask? It’s because of Junior Sister Shiyu’s beauty. That man is fickle and unfaithful. Not only did he seduce senior senior sisters in the sect, but he also ruined the Junior Fellow Princess. He’s just a gigolo who lives off women—everyone in Divine Splendor Cloud Estate knows it!”
“Oh? He’s that popular with girls? I couldn’t tell—”
Big Sister Hong glanced at the silly-smiling youth from Wu Family Fort and still thought her Brother Ji was more tempting.
“Brother Ji, be extremely careful. From the very start, Yun Liu broke off his engagement with Miss Xiao from the Xiao Family just to curry favor with the Palace of the Heavenly Pivot Star. Having such a despicable scum in our sect is truly unfortunate. We must not let Sister Shiyu be deceived by this villain again!”
Yan Bingling’s killing intent skyrocketed as she coldly swept her gaze over Fang Ya.
‘Still stirring up trouble! It’s clearly those fox spirits seducing my son, and that cow adding fuel to the fire.’
‘Is there no end to this?’
Yun Liu cursed inwardly as well.
‘I played along with the act, and you still keep cursing? I’ll send you a Dragon Breath Gift Pack later.’
‘What’s wrong with living off a woman? It’s delicious! Yun here can’t wait to stay in East Pole Province, retire as the Empress’s consort.’
He had just escaped the clutches of the Madam, only to fall into the hands of a rebellious daughter. He was completely surrounded by female Jis. But don’t think anyone can touch the golden rice bowl of the Yellow Hair family—bad stomachs can kill.
“Heh heh, what they said isn’t wrong. You really need to reflect on your Male Virtue.”
Ge Lan laughed so hard she swayed, winking at her Shared Dao Partner.
But those little girls had all come willingly, so she, the culprit, was reaping what she sowed.
“When have I ever been unfaithful? The only time I actively tried to keep you, you rejected me.”
Yun Liu glared at Niu Yulan. Whether it was Xiao Siran or Ji Shiyu, he had never had designs on the female lead from the start.
“Ahem, don’t change the subject. They’re calling you Big Brother-in-Law. That’s some daring. Such a clever, naive disciple delivered to your doorstep—you dare say you never had feelings?”
Ge Lan stared hard at him.
Yan Bingling and Yu Shenlian stirred their divine senses and joined the group chat to eavesdrop.
“No! I didn’t!”
At least not before.
Yun Liu sat up straight, afraid that Aunt Master would lose it on the spot and take down Little Yellow Hair.
Ge Lan pursed her lips, observing Ji Shiyu’s strange behavior. Suddenly she leaned into Yun Liu’s ear, a playful smile on her face.
“Then why are you smiling?”
“I… smiled?”
Yun Liu’s face stiffened. He hadn’t even noticed it himself. It seemed he wasn’t as averse to Shiyu as he thought.
He even found her… more and more adorable.
Damn it!
At some point, another person had joined the banquet, seated high between the two village lords. This man had a middle-aged face, a full divine soul, and a spirited look—probably Fortress Master Wu.
The cultivators of the Sea-Severing Alliance all followed Big Brother Wu’s lead, waiting for the anomaly to appear before heading out to sea in search of treasure.
Yun Liu, however, didn’t dare stay long. He made an excuse to take leave of Fang Ya and slipped away with Big Sister Hong, completely uninterested in the opening cutscene of the second volume’s main quest.
“Lord Ji?”
Fang Ya frowned in confusion. The main act was just beginning—hadn’t he come for Wulou City?
Ji Shiyu was also watching the back of her Big Brother-in-Law, her eyes shining as she wanted to chase after him, but Liu Su held her back tightly.
Yun Liu’s hints were all in vain, but they actually enlightened Ji Shiyu, and she started working hard to undermine his defenses.
‘This is a heaven-sent opportunity! Why didn’t I think of it before?’
‘There’s so much I can do by pretending to be Master!’
She had been worried earlier. Her mother and Aunt Xueya had some prejudice against men. What if they opposed her being with Master?
Now there was no need to worry. Self-reliance leads to abundance.
Fortresses were always breached from the inside. Ji Shiyu decided to start with her brother, gradually win over her mother, and help Master improve his standing with her family.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Little Yellow Hair kept grinning foolishly, leaving Liu Su speechless.
It wasn’t just a slip—it was a total collapse of her facade.
She had none of the demeanor of a Heavenly Dao Alchemy Master. She was just taking advantage of these local bumpkins who had never seen the real Mr. Yun.