Chapter 228: Visiting Lord Lei, Meeting the Third Young Master of the Star Palace

Ye Luo Jianmu asked, “When does the young master plan to set off?”
Liu Yi glanced at the three of them and said, “Now. The sooner, the better.”
Ye Luo Jianmu looked at Ye Luo Baihua, then nodded and said, “Mm… Alright then.” After that, he turned to Ye Luo Ming and said, “Brother Ming, go prepare those two ‘Wind-Chasing Horses’ as mounts for Young Master Liu and the princess.” Ye Luo Ming nodded and headed outside.
Ye Luo Baihua stepped forward and said, “Thank you, Uncle Jian, for the ‘Wind-Chasing Horses’.”
Liu Yi could easily tell that these ‘Wind-Chasing Horses’ were no ordinary beasts. Otherwise, given Ye Luo Baihua and Ye Luo Jianmu’s relationship, she wouldn’t have needed to express gratitude. They must be precious possessions of Ye Luo Jianmu.
Ye Luo Jianmu smiled and nodded, looking at Ye Luo Baihua. “Princess, this world is full of dangers. Be careful. Uncle Jian doesn’t have much to give you, so consider those two ‘Wind-Chasing Horses’ as a farewell gift.”
Ye Luo Baihua nodded. Only then did she feel the pain of separation. Her eyes seemed blurred as she said, “Uncle Jian, it’s not like we can’t see each other. I’m just going out to gain more experience. You surely don’t want me to stay in this palace forever.”
Hearing Ye Luo Baihua’s words, Ye Luo Jianmu nodded kindly. “Yes, the princess has grown up and should go out and see the world.” Then he turned to Liu Yi and said, “Young Master Liu, Princess Baihua has grown up in Tearsless City and has never gone out in public before. I hope you’ll take good care of her during this journey.”
Although Ye Luo Jianmu only said a few words, Liu Yi could still sense their pain of separation. Once, he had experienced such pain too—only that it was a separation without a chance to reunite, a separation between two worlds, with loved ones and partners parting from him at that moment. Now, the scene before him reminded Liu Yi of the past.
Hearing Ye Luo Jianmu’s words, Liu Yi smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, Elder Jian. We’re just going out to find someone. The princess will be back before long.”
Ye Luo Jianmu nodded. “Since the young master guarantees it, I won’t say more. Time is of the essence. Let’s set off now.”
Just as Liu Yi was about to speak, a black shadow quickly appeared behind Ye Luo Jianmu. With a jump, it landed on Liu Yi’s shoulder. It had to be Tie Shi—the monkey. Tie Shi’s belly was as round as a watermelon as it lazily leaned on Liu Yi’s shoulder. “Hurrying off like this? I haven’t eaten enough yet.”
Liu Yi looked at Tie Shi’s ridiculous appearance and gently tapped his round belly with his left hand. “You still want to eat? If you keep eating, your belly might burst soon.”
Ye Luo Baihua couldn’t help but laugh at Tie Shi’s funny look. Liu Yi glanced at Ye Luo Jianmu and said, “Well, Elder Jian, it’s time to say goodbye. Don’t be too sad. This brief separation is just a preparation for being apart in the future. You should be happy that the princess can break free from these constraints.”

Ye Luo Jianmu nodded and said, “Yes, I should be happy. Oh… By the way, young master, be careful on your way to the Thunder Sun Star Palace. After all, that Thunder Lord is quite powerful.”
Liu Yi looked at the talkative old man, knowing he was trying to comfort Ye Luo Baihua out of concern. Since he couldn’t fulfill his promise, the old man must be worried sick. After he finished speaking, Liu Yi nodded and said, “Senior Jian, rest assured. I promise that unless I die, no one will harm Ye Luo Baihua in the slightest.” Liu Yi said this merely to ease Ye Luo Jianmu’s worries, but he didn’t realize that the same words could mean different things to different people. Perhaps many misunderstandings stem from this.
Ye Luo Jianmu finally smiled, seemingly relieved. “If it’s young master Liu who says so, I guess I can’t keep talking on. Let me see you off.”
Liu Yi nodded and said, “Senior Jian, you’re too kind.” With that, he turned and walked ahead. Ye Luo Baihua wasn’t sure whether to be happy or sad. Though it was just a brief separation, she had spent over twenty years with Ye Luo Jianmu, Ye Luo Ming, and Wu Lei City, so she really felt reluctant to part.
After leaving the hall and entering the corridor, they turned right twice after leaving the room and stopped in a very large house. Ye Luo Jianmu turned to Liu Yi and said, “This is where I rest. When I was young, I caught two young ‘Wind Chasing Horses’ and have been raising them ever since. I never had the chance to use them before, but today is the perfect time.”
Liu Yi nodded. Though he didn’t know what a ‘Wind Chasing Horse’ was, it must be a fast and strong animal, otherwise Ye Luo Jianmu wouldn’t have valued it so much. As they went inside, two tall and handsome horses appeared in the courtyard—black and white, looking extremely beautiful.
Ye Luo Ming saw the two of them approaching and said, “The ‘Wind Chasing Horses’ are ready. Here’s some money for your journey. Please take it.” He handed over a bag. Seeing the bag, Liu Yi remembered using money from here when he entered the Netherworld. He didn’t know when the money had disappeared, but since he could sustain his strength with the power of chaos, Ye Luo Baihua couldn’t, so he didn’t refuse and took the bag.
Liu Yi looked at their so-called ‘Wind Chasing Horses.’ They resembled ordinary horses, but these two were extremely large and strong, even twice the size of regular horses, with long, thick limbs. Their black and white brown fur shone in the sunlight. Though similar to horses, Liu Yi knew these ‘Wind Chasing Horses’ were a hundred times stronger.
Liu Yi nodded and said, “Well, it’s time to part. Let’s say goodbye here.” Then, he stepped on the ground beside the black ‘Wind Chasing Horse’s’ right foot and lightly jumped onto it. As he sat down, the mischievous Tie Shi climbed onto the horse’s head and sat there.
Ye Luo Baihua looked at Ye Luo Jianmu and the other man and said, “Take care, uncles.” Then, she also lightly stepped onto her horse.
Ye Luo Jianmu watched the two of them leave and said, “Be careful on your way.” Though he said he wouldn’t talk much, he still couldn’t control himself.

Liu Yi smiled helplessly, squeezed his legs together, and the Wind-Chasing Horse stepped forward gently and steadily. Though it was walking, its speed was quite fast. As they left the courtyard and entered the stone path, the Wind-Chasing Horse accelerated, starting to trot and heading straight out of the city gates.

Ye Luo Baihua glanced back one last time at Ye Luo Jianmu before turning and leaving quickly. Perhaps she knew in her heart that if she looked back, the pain of separation would be even deeper…

The two left Wulue City. By now, the Wind-Chasing Horse was running at full speed, its velocity astonishing. The wind whipped past their faces. Strangely enough, there was no sense of jolting on the horse’s back, which amazed Liu Yi even more.

Ye Luo Baihua walked alongside Liu Yi and said, “The Thunder-Sun Star Palace is in the south. At our current speed, we should reach it in about two days.”

Liu Yi nodded and said, “Mm, that means we’ll be able to find out news about July soon.”

Seeing Liu Yi’s furrowed brows relax, Ye Luo Baihua said, “Look how happy you are. We still need to find Yu Chenxing later.”

Liu Yi looked at her and asked, “Am I happy?”

Ye Luo Baihua looked ahead, smiling as she said, “You know whether you are or not! Maybe you haven’t realized it yourself.”

Liu Yi wanted to argue, but after thinking for a while, he thought to himself, “Maybe I really haven’t noticed.”

Along the way, Ye Luo Baihua and Liu Yi talked a lot about the Lan family and the Ye Luo family, and even mentioned something about the mysterious Mingyue family. Time passed unnoticed as they talked. As the sun set, the two had entered the territory controlled by the Ye Luo and Lan families. It was already late. Although Liu Yi wanted to keep going, he knew well that Ye Luo Baihua needed rest and food—after all, she was just an ordinary person.

Liu Yi glanced at the sky and then at the desolate surroundings, saying, “Princess, it’s getting late. Let’s find a place to rest.”

Ye Luo Baihua didn’t respond to Liu Yi’s words. Instead, she brought up another topic, saying, “Don’t call me princess from now on. I don’t want people to know I’m a princess of the Ye Luo family. How about… you help me come up with a new name? It would be easier that way.”

Liu Yi thought for a moment. Indeed, if he continued to call her princess, there would be many troubles. It would be better to help her change her name now for future convenience. But after some thought, he said, “I can’t do that. I can’t think of one.”

Seeing Liu Yi’s troubled expression, Ye Luo Baihua said, “Just think of any name. A man’s name will do too.”

While observing the terrain around them for a place to rest, Liu Yi replied, “A man’s name? Then how about Ye Luo Nan?”

Ye Luo Baihua listened and said, “Ye Luo Nan? Ye Luo Nan? Ye Luo Nan? Okay, shall we use that name?”

Hearing this, Liu Yi immediately stopped looking around and asked, “Your name is Ye Luo Nan?”

Ye Luo Baihua replied, “It’s Nan—Nan with the wood radical, not the ‘man’ radical. From now on, you don’t need to use my surname either. Just call me A Nan, okay?”

Liu Yi quickly said, “That won’t do.”

Ye Luo Baihua replied, “Why not? Do you want to keep calling me by my full name? That’s so troublesome. Just call me A Nan.”

Liu Yi was about to retort when Ye Luobaihua said, “By the way, what were you saying just now? You wanted to find a place to rest?” It was only then that Liu Yi realized Ye Luobaihua wasn’t that stupid, so he casually replied, “Look, it’s getting late; of course we need to rest.” Ye Luobaihua said, “There should be a place to rest not far ahead. At the intersections of these lands, many people run inns and restaurants.” Liu Yi nodded and said, “Okay, let’s go then.” The two didn’t talk much. Although Liu Yi didn’t feel tired, he still had to take care of Ye Luobaihua—a mortal who surely couldn’t endure constant travel. Sure enough, after traveling a short distance on the Wind-Chasing Horse, Liu Yi saw four two-story buildings connected together ahead, looking quite substantial. Some trees were planted beside them, adding to the scenery in this desolate area. By now, it was already dark, but the buildings were brightly lit, casting the surroundings as bright as day. Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua walked side by side and Liu Yi asked, “How about we eat something and rest here tonight? Are you hungry?” Initially, Ye Luobaihua had felt a bit lost after leaving the city, but the fast pace of travel had blown away her unhappiness. She was too busy talking to Liu Yi and answering his questions to feel tired. But now, upon hearing Liu Yi’s question, she said, “I am indeed a bit hungry. Now that you mention it, I feel my stomach is empty and I have no strength at all.” Liu Yi nodded and said, “Then eat more later. I promised Senior Jian that I’d take good care of you. Otherwise, how could you guide me?” At that moment, the waiter from the restaurant saw the two approaching and noticed that they were riding Wind-Chasing Horses. Most people in this Netherworld knew about such spiritual beasts, let alone the experienced waiters here. Seeing such important customers, the waiter immediately ran out, nodded, and took hold of the two Wind-Chasing Horses, saying, “Welcome, guests. Thank you for your journey.” Liu Yi lightly jumped off, and Ye Luobaihua also dismounted from her white Wind-Chasing Horse. Liu Yi casually took out a silver coin from his purse and said, “Take care of our mounts.” The waiter’s eyes widened as he quickly took it and nodded in agreement. Then Liu Yi and Ye Luobaihua walked into the main restaurant. Suddenly, Ye Luobaihua said, “Oh no, I forgot to bring my face mask.” Liu Yi turned to look at her face, and at that moment, Ye Luobaihua also looked at him. Their eyes met, and her face turned slightly red. Liu Yi said, “You’re not that ugly. Why do you need a face mask? Do you plan to never see anyone?” Ye Luobaihua replied, “It’s not that I’m ugly, it’s just… I’ve never had to hide my face before. Aren’t you human?” Hearing this, Liu Yi wasn’t sure how to feel. Her words were vague, but they gave him a strange feeling. He said, “It’s okay, there won’t be any trouble. Let’s go in and eat something.” Liu Yi naturally understood that she was worried her appearance might cause trouble. She wasn’t ugly at all—she was even impeccably beautiful. Wearing a face mask was just to avoid trouble.

Entering the shop, he felt a sense of quietness. Twelve tables were neatly arranged inside, giving the place a spacious appearance, but there weren’t many customers—only three tables, including one person drinking in the corner. Liu Yi found a seat by the window and said, “Let’s sit here.”
Ye Luobai nodded and sat down. At that moment, the waiter rushed over and asked, “Sir, what would you like to eat?”
Liu Yi checked the time; it was getting late, and Ye Luobai seemed very tired. He casually said, “Just some delicious dishes. And bring me a pound of wine. Oh, and… prepare two rooms for us.”
The waiter nodded and left.
Through the window, Liu Yi saw the bright moon hanging high, which reminded him of July. Where could she be now? He would meet Lord Lei the next day, and then he would know where July was. At that moment, Liu Yi felt time passing too slowly. If it weren’t for Ye Luobai, he might have reached Leiri Star Palace by tonight.
Before long, the waiter brought over four small dishes and a pot of wine, along with a portion of grilled meat. Liu Yi didn’t pay much attention to these until Ye Luobai pulled him out of his thoughts, making him realize he had been lost in thought for a while. While eating, Ye Luobai asked, “Are you thinking about July?”
Liu Yi picked up a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp. “Yeah. I’ll meet Lord Lei tomorrow. I wonder how July is doing now.”
As Liu Yi spoke, the man in green at the corner’s table instinctively glanced over, but it was dark there and the distance was far. Preoccupied as he was, Liu Yi didn’t notice the man’s gaze.
Just as Ye Luobai was about to speak, a monkey entered through the window. It was Tie Shi. Tie Shi picked up the pot of wine and started drinking heavily, saying to Liu Yi, “Worrying won’t help. Results take time, and anxiety won’t solve anything.” Then he drank again.
Fortunately, the people nearby were far away, otherwise seeing a monkey on the table talking would have scared them. But all of this was witnessed by one person—a young man in green in the corner. In the dim light, his sharp eyes kept staring at Liu Yi.
While eating, Ye Luobai handed Liu Yi a piece of food and said, “Eat something. The monkey is right; worrying is useless.”
Hearing this, Tie Shi, who was drinking, put down the large wine pot and snapped, “I said I’m not a monkey!”
Liu Yi couldn’t help but laugh at Tie Shi’s funny reaction. It seemed Tie Shi had a grudge against monkeys—every time someone called him a monkey, he reacted so strongly. It was his own appearance that made him look like a monkey.
Liu Yi picked up his chopsticks and slowly ate his food. Just then, the door opened, and a young man in white along with two servants in gray entered…
Liu Yi found this person somewhat familiar and took another look. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind. “It’s him,” he thought. The man was none other than Lan Laojun from Ye Luobai’s selection contest. He wondered how he appeared here—seemingly also on his way somewhere. Liu Yi said to Ye Luobai, “Look, your suitor has arrived.”

Ye Luobaihua couldn’t help but turn to look. Upon seeing who it was, she immediately turned back and said, “How is it him?” Naturally, Ye Luobaihua also remembered it was Lan Luojun—a real hassle. Lan Luojun was indeed a fool, but the person behind him was extremely powerful. In the Flaming Star Palace, Emperor Yan was even more difficult to deal with than Emperor Lei, because villains are always harder to handle than gentlemen.

As soon as Lan Luojun entered, he scanned the surroundings, his gaze finally falling on Liu Yi, then on Ye Luobaihua’s back. At that moment, a servant behind Lan Luojun said, “Everyone here, listen up! Our young master has reserved this restaurant—get out all of you!”

As soon as those words were spoken, Lan Luojun immediately retorted, “Shut up! This is public property. If you drive them away, where will they eat and stay?” While speaking, he kept his eyes on Ye Luobaihua’s back. With his years of experience, he could tell from her back alone that this woman in white must be a beauty. How could such a despicable man resist trying to take advantage of her?

Lan Luojun found a seat behind Liu Yi and slowly sat down. As he poured tea, he kept glancing at Ye Luobaihua. Ye Luobaihua, of course, sensed this and lowered her head, pretending to eat to avoid trouble. But Lan Luojun was already stunned just by seeing her eyes; he didn’t even realize the tea had spilled all over him.

Although Lan Luojun had attended Ye Luobaihua’s selection ceremony, he hadn’t seen her true face back then, and he had also been seriously injured later on. How could he possibly think now that the woman before him was the Princess Baihua of the Ye family? Unnoticed, an entire pot of tea had spilled all over his clothes…