Ye Mo, with Ye Mei in his arms, bursted through the window of a nearby inn.
"Stay here tonight. You can head back to the Ye Mansion tomorrow morning," said Ye Mo.
"Are you Ye Mo?" Ye Mei blinked in surprise.
"Whether I am Ye Mo or not is unimportant. Ye Changsheng's Conjoint Training is considered a perverse technique, commonly practiced by those in cults. Although it can bring enormous power, it's bound to have some serious repercussions. I can't believe the lengths he is willing to go to just to become stronger. Ye Clan needs to be careful of his hunger for power," Ye Mo said, leaving the inn.
"That must have been Ye Mo, but I can't believe how strong he has become now!" said Ye Mei with a hint of a smile.
With his Formation-Breaking Spear back at his side, Ye Mo no longer cared if anyone recognized him. The only thing that worried him was Ye Changsheng's method of training.
Conjoint Training was, in other words, a form of training that involved the physical union of a man and a woman. This technique was allegedly created and extensively used by certain unorthodox cults, harboring enormous power but also some serious flaws.
"Argh, I'll worry about this later! Now that I have the Formation-Breaking Spear, I must head to the Spirit Valley with Qi Ying!"
In preparation for his journey, Ye Mo stayed up all night practicing Formation-Breaking Spear techniques. The following morning, Ye Mo made haste to the Hundred Treasure Pavilion. A relieved smile graced his face when he spotted Xiao Cao.
Xiao Cao was no longer dressed in servant robes but rather, was dressed in spring green robes. She had on soft makeup that accentuated her features that made her look like as beautiful as a water lily breaking out of the water.
She rushed towards Ye Mo and exclaimed, "Young master Ye Mo! Thank goodness you are alright."
"Xiao Cao, I promised I would give you a better life. Who's going to look after you if I'm not around anymore?" said Ye Mo, patting Xiao Cao's head gently.
"Young master Ye Mo, you're going to look after me?" Xiao Cao asked in surprise. As a servant, she had always put others before her and had never had anyone promise to look after her as Ye Mo did.
"You're like a sister to me. Of course I will look after you. From now on, I am your brother, not your 'young master,'" Ye Mo said warmly.
"Yes, brother!" Xiao Cao nodded excitedly.
"Brother? How adorable," said Qi Ying as she approached them.
"Miss Qi Ying, thank you so much!", Ye Mo said.
"Qi Clan is a notable family. However, since we are not allowed to meddle in the affairs between other clans, my only option was to send Xiao Clan to your aid. But look at you! You definitely look like you've improved again," said Qi Ying, with a barely noticeable curl of her sweet seductive lips, like a rose in bloom.
If Xiao Cao was a lily, then Qi Ying was a rose. Qi Ying may look beautiful, but beware of her thorns!
"It's actually all thanks to you that I've made a new friend," said Ye Mo, thinking about Xiao Yue.
Qi Ying smiled. "Innocent people like you are rare nowadays. Anyways, we need to make haste for the Spirit Valley."
Ye Mo nodded, bid Xiao Cao goodbye, and left the Hundred Treasure Pavilion with Qi Ying. There were True Energy Realm Masters residing at the pavilion, so Ye Mo felt that Xiao Cao was in safe hands.
Although Tianwu Kingdom was a small kingdom within the Zone of Desolation, it was the home to many rough terrains, and Spirit Valley was one of them. The Three Major Alliance would often assign missions in the Spirit Valley.
The cacophony of birds and beasts added a lively note to the lush green forest. These creatures were normal animals rather than their savage, monstrous counterparts.
The shadows of a man and a woman darted rapidly between the trees, flitting about between the foliage like arrows.
Ye Mo was dressed in all black. As for Qi Ying, rather than her usual Chinese gown, she was also dressed in black. The form-fitting garb further accentuated her curves, increasing her allure.
Qi Ying slowed down her pace. As she was in Energy Shaping Seventh Realm, if she ran at full throttle, Ye Mo would not be able to keep up.
Glancing at Qi Ying, Ye Mo was surprised that she had already reached Energy Shaping Seventh Realm at the young age of 18.
Reaching that stage at 18 was a stunning feat. For most martial artists, having reached Spirit Cultivating Realm at 14 would already set them apart as a prodigy or genius. To have reached Energy Shaping Realm at 18 was rarely seen, yet Qi Ying had reached the Energy Shaping Seventh Realm by the time she was 18.
Ye Mo knew full well that the Qi Clan was the largest merchant family in Tianwu Kingdom. The wealth they possessed could amass great armies and even topple a small kingdom. Evidently, they were extremely powerful.
For someone as talented as Qi Ying, what could possibly have attracted her to Limestone City, a relatively rural area, to work as the manager of a small store?
Ye Mo shook his head in disbelief, staring at Qi Ying's beautiful face. He was burning with curiosity.
Suddenly, Ye Mo and Qi Ying both landed in a clearing. A moment later, they vanished as they landed on the ground, causing a small pile of fallen leaves to swirl in the breeze.
Swoosh!
Not a moment after they disappeared, a group of ten or so people arrived at the scene. There were seven seven-foot tall, burly men, all very tan, with fierce expressions on their face.s.
The other three were of average stature. One of them was female. These three were in fact the people Ye Mo bumped into the other day at the Hundred Treasure Pavilion: Mo Feng, Mo Chihu, and Mo Xiaohu.
The remaining seven people were warriors of the Barbarians, and needless to say, Man Tai was present as well. Among them was a warrior who looked older than the rest but had the body of a Greek god with muscles chiseled and hard as rock.
"Man Tai, Ye Mo was the one who disguised as the elderly man in the black robes at the auction," said Mo Feng.
"We'll follow them closely. With my uncle around, we don't have to worry about Qi Ying. She's just a woman," said Man Tai, who only just discovered that Qi Ying was already in the Energy Shaping Seventh Realm.
In order to target Qi Ying, Man Tai had hired a strong warrior in his clan specifically for this mission who had already reached Energy Shaping Eighth Realm, perfect for subduing her.
"Ye Mo pissed me off the last time we crossed paths. I forgave him then, but now he's really foiled our plans! We must take him down!" said Mo Feng, who licked his lips in anticipation.