Chapter 199: Ice Heart Grass, the War Within the Ye Luo Clan

As Ye Luo Baihua walked forward with light steps, Liu Yi’s mind was in turmoil. Though he didn’t know Yu Chenxing’s identity, if she truly was from the Lan family’s royal lineage as Ye Luo Baihua claimed, then… July would surely be in trouble. Liu Yi had never had a good impression of the Lan family, not to mention Yu Chenxing having taken July away this time.

Ye Luo Baihua slowed down as she walked ahead and said, “Sir, your steps seem restless, and your expression is grave. I suppose you’re thinking of your friend?”
Liu Yi replied while walking, “Yes. I need to find a way to save her.”
Ye Luo Baihua continued, “But… the Lan family is extremely powerful, with many skilled warriors. No matter how advanced your cultivation may be, it would be nearly impossible to rescue your friend alone. Moreover, with no news of Yu Chenxing at all, where can you search in this vast world?”

Hearing Ye Luo Baihua’s words, Liu Yi became even more troubled. She was right—given the Lan family’s vast influence and his own inability to see, there were too many obstacles. This caused him great distress. Yet he had no other choice. He must find July; otherwise, he would feel guilty.

They fell silent for a while, both lost in thought. The only sound was their footsteps. After walking for a while, Ye Luo Baihua asked softly, “What’s that girl’s name?” Her voice was gentle and pleasant, but her question was unexpected.
Liu Yi replied, “July.”
Ye Luo Baihua pondered for a moment before saying, “July… what a beautiful name. I’m asking an impolite question—are you and July really just friends?”
Hearing this, Liu Yi countered, “Then what do you think our relationship is, Princess?”
Ye Luo Baihua paused briefly before continuing to walk, seemingly deep in thought. “Well… I can’t answer that. It’s just a feeling. The fact that Miss July was willing to shield you from Lei Jun’s blade shows the depth of her feelings for you.”

Listening to her words, Liu Yi seemed moved. He shook his head gently, sighed deeply, and remained silent instead of answering. They fell quiet again, but soon they reached the entrance to the Ice Heart Palace. A cold breeze emanated from inside, giving off the feel of a snowy December day.

Ye Luo Baihua stopped and said, “Inside the Ice Heart Palace grows a kind of ice essence, one of our Ye Luo clan’s treasures. This Ice Heart Grass can help you seal that powerful vital energy. As long as you don’t raise your vital energy to its highest level, the grass can protect you for a long time.”
Liu Yi nodded and said, “Thank you, Princess, for your help.”
Ye Luo Baihua replied, “You’re too kind. We had a bet beforehand. Since you won, I must keep my promise. Come with me.” With that, she headed inside the cave.

Liu Yi nodded and followed the sound into the cave. The familiar cold still reigned, and in Liu Yi’s dark world, blue-white light continued to float around. From his perspective, the entire cave was like a paradise, extremely beautiful.

The two walked for a long time—at least longer than it had taken Liu Yi to get out earlier. The echoes in the cave gradually grew louder, and Liu Yi could clearly sense that the surroundings were becoming more spacious. As Ye Luo Baihua’s footsteps stopped, that pleasant voice spoke again, “Sir, please wait here. Baihua will be back in a moment.”

Although Liu Yi couldn’t see anything, he could tell from the sound reflections around him that this must be a very large space, with a wide range of blue-white light. Occasionally, clear dripping sounds could be heard—drip, drip!—in a rhythmic pattern. The entire ice cave was unnaturally quiet.

As time passed, after the dripping sounds, light footsteps appeared—very soft and slow. Then, amidst the cold air, the fragrance of lilies mixed in. A pleasant voice said, “Sir, what Baihua holds in her hand now is the ‘Ice Heart Grass.’ This grass grows in the extremely cold and dark places of the Ice Heart Palace; it is the essence of ice. It can temporarily help you suppress that powerful true energy. However… please be cautious and don’t use too much true energy, otherwise, even freezing won’t work.”

Liu Yi understood well what Ye Luo Baihua meant. For now, he could only rely on this grass to suppress the power of his Level 13 cultivation technique. As long as he didn’t use too much true energy from that level, he would be fine for now. But… Liu Yi had been trying to find a solution to this problem. It was extremely difficult, and if there had been a good way to solve it, he wouldn’t have made this bet with Ye Luo Baihua.

Liu Yi politely replied, “Thank you, Princess, for your guidance.”

Ye Luo Baihua didn’t say much. Instead, she stepped forward a few times. As she got closer to Liu Yi, she used two fingers of her right hand to pick up the ‘Ice Heart Grass’ and quickly point it at his chest. As her fingers touched his body, Liu Yi felt a cool sensation in his chest. Then, that coolness spread throughout his body, rapidly recondensing. A flash of white light appeared before his eyes, and he felt Ye Luo Baihua’s fingers leave his chest. By gently activating his true energy, he confirmed that he couldn’t reach Level 13.

Although the true energy that powered his strongest cultivation technique was temporarily sealed, it was still better than falling into the path of darkness. Liu Yi politely said again, “Thank you, Princess Baihua, for your help.”

Ye Luo Baihua replied, “The bet between you and Baihua is purely voluntary; you’re being too polite.”

Liu Yi smiled slightly and said, “If that’s the case, I should take my leave now.”

Ye Luo Baihua stopped, seemingly thinking. After a while, she said, “Sir, you still haven’t told me who you are.”

Liu Yi thought for a moment and replied, “I am Liu Yi. As for where I come from, I’m not sure either.”

Ye Luo Baihua nodded gently and said, “Young Master Liu is blind. Searching outside for your friend’s whereabouts is like looking for a needle in a haystack. With the world being so vast, how can you find them?”

Liu Yi shook his head and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Princess… But even if the world were in chaos and finding a needle in the ocean were impossible, I must still find her. Otherwise, it will be a regret for life.”
After hearing this, Ye Luo Baihua seemed to be thinking about something, but quickly replied, “Originally, Baihua could help Lord Liu search for Miss July, but… recently, there has been unrest within our clan, with rebels rising, so we can’t spare anyone to assist you.”
Liu Yi smiled slightly upon hearing this and said, “I am already extremely grateful for your help, Princess. It’s actually me who feels indebted.”
Ye Luo Baihua looked at Liu Yi’s serious face, seemed to smile, but made no sound. She then said, “Lord Liu, you’re overthinking it. Since you’re worried about Miss July’s safety, Baihua will give you a fast horse to help you find her sooner.”
Liu Yi politely thanked her again.
Ye Luo Baihua said, “Lord Liu, please follow me.” With that, she headed in another direction.
Liu Yi followed her footsteps. After about fifteen minutes, they emerged outside. As soon as he left the cave entrance, he felt the sunlight shining directly on him, allowing him to conclude that this was not the entrance he had used earlier. It seemed that the Ice Heart Cave was connected in every direction.
In Liu Yi’s world, yellow energy filled both sides around him, neatly arranged. He could clearly tell that these were all highly trained experts. As Ye Luo Baihua spoke, her pleasant voice reached his ears again: “Lord Liu, this is the central area of our Tearless City. All political matters are discussed here. Please follow me.” With that, she led the way forward.
After walking for about the time it takes to drink tea, some animal cries could be heard. Ye Luo Baihua came back again, and her pleasant voice continued, “Lord Liu, this beast is called ‘Blood Hoof.’ It has the best endurance and fastest speed among all beasts. Once you ride it, you can leave Tearless City. After that, it’s up to you where to go.”
Liu Yi gently stroked it, feeling its appearance—it seemed like a horse from the human world, except it had horns on its head and an exceptionally strong body. He didn’t know why it was called ‘Blood Hoof,’ but he wasn’t interested in it either. He had two urgent matters to attend to, so he lightly jumped onto Blood Hoof’s back, took a breath of the surrounding air, and said to Ye Luo Baihua, “Princess, I take my leave.” With just those four words, he expressed his urgency.
With a light neigh from Blood Hoof, they quickly left Tearless City along the path and gradually disappeared into the distance…
Watching Liu Yi’s figure fade away, Ye Luo Baihua’s right hand trembled, and a scroll appeared in her hands. It was a simple painting of a flower, done in black and white ink, without much embellishment. A black figure stood on the cliff—black hair symbolizing loneliness, a long sword representing sorrow. The figure of someone being missed was blurred at times, clear at others. That voice echoed in Ye Luo Baihua’s ears…

At the moment her beautiful figure turned away, a tear fell. A pleasant voice murmured, “He brought a story—a story of sorrow. Even in the City Without Tears, there are tears.”

Liu Yi continued moving forward from the City Without Tears without stopping or slowing down. The strong wind blew around him, and the scent of sand filled the air. Though he couldn’t see anything, Liu Yi could clearly sense the desolation of the place. Occasionally, the cries of beasts could be heard. The sunlight was scorching hot. It seemed as though there was only Liu Yi and the figure of “Blood Hooves” running through the land. Time passed unnoticed, and he didn’t know how far he had run, but he was sure he had left that desolate area, as he could now smell the damp air and the scent of plants—clearly, he had entered a forest.

Liu Yi stopped for a moment. His mind was in turmoil. Only now did he realize that being unable to see was a problem—he couldn’t tell direction or know where he was or where to go. But since there was no fixed location to find the Nine Tears and July, Liu Yi slowed down and kept running forward.

In the forest, he dared not go too fast, otherwise, the thorny vines would catch up with him. With his speed reduced, he didn’t force himself and followed “Blood Hooves” slowly, though his mind was filled with complexity. He seemed even more worried about July now. After all, the Lan family represented the true power of the Netherworld. What would happen to July if they got their hands on her?

As Liu Yi was lost in thought, suddenly, birds and beasts started screaming, and the sound of wings flapping filled the air. Instantly alert, Liu Yi jumped off “Blood Hooves” and moved into the nearby woods. His intuition told him that there was someone ahead, and they weren’t honest people. The startled birds and fleeing beasts were the best proof.

Liu Yi and “Blood Hooves” gradually hid behind some tall plants. Then, two yellow lights appeared in his sight. Two people were riding their mounts and heading in another direction. One of them said, “This time, the City Without Tears will definitely not be able to hold out. Elder Xiong has gathered enough men. We must get Ye Luo Baihua to step down.”

Another voice replied from afar, “All we need to do is wait here. Once the men gather tomorrow, those ungrateful wretches…” The voices gradually faded away until Liu Yi could no longer hear them.

Liu Yi thought to himself, “This is bad. It seems the rebels mentioned by Ye Luo Baihua have already started acting. Should I tell her? If I return to the City Without Tears, what will happen to July? After careful consideration, Liu Yi realized that Ye Luo Baihua had been very kind to him. It was time to repay her.” With that thought, he quickly condensed a mass of true energy in his right hand and embedded it in the tree. In the darkness, this true energy would serve as Liu Yi’s marker, allowing him to find his mount when he returned.

Without further thought, he tied his mount and picked up his long sword. With a few leaps, he chased in the direction the two had disappeared. Soon, the sound of the mount reached his ears again. To track them better, Liu Yi hid in the forest and moved swiftly through leaps. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the sound of the mount stopped. Liu Yi leaped upward abruptly, grabbing a large leaf to shield himself. By rough estimation, he was at the top of some huge tree.

Liu Yi slowly moved the leaf aside and was shocked to see countless yellow dots before him. Of course, according to Liu Yi’s observation, these yellow dots represented people with cultivation skills—there must be thousands of them. If this was just a temporary group, more would follow. If these two groups joined forces, it would be difficult for Tearsless City to hold its ground.

At that moment, a voice came from below, asking, “Are everyone ready?”

Liu Yi looked down and saw that people were talking beneath the trees. He listened carefully. Another voice replied, “My lord, the men led by Elder Xiong will arrive before sunset tomorrow, bringing siege weapons. Everything is ready.”

Another voice laughed heartily, then footsteps moved a few times before continuing, “Ye Luo Baihua, you were so arrogant. It seems today is your day, haha, haha…” More laughter followed.

Thousands of dots gathered in a circular formation, clearly using this place as a base to wait for the rest of their men before rebelling against Tearsless City and Ye Luo Baihua.

Time was running out. If people gathered here by tomorrow, the war for Tearsless City would begin. He had to inform Ye Luo Baihua immediately to take precautions. With this in mind, Liu Yi raised his mental energy to 120%. He knew he needed to act fast so that no one would notice him.

As a gentle breeze blew, a black shadow vanished from the area in an instant…

While the patrol soldiers around sensed something was wrong and searched repeatedly, they concluded it was just the wind! Meanwhile, Liu Yi kept his true energy at level 12, rushing back the same way. After a few leaps, he saw the true energy he had left behind. He mounted ‘Blood Hooves,’ spurred it forward, and quickly headed back toward Tearsless City.

As he moved swiftly, he thought to himself that although he hadn’t seen the strength of Tearsless City, if they were confident enough to attack, they must be well-prepared. Even if he informed Ye Luo Baihua, what good would it do? Besides, there was only one day left. No matter how well they defended, it wouldn’t be enough. Troubles piled up one after another, leaving Liu Yi quite troubled…

The wind carried him backward at high speed, with the scent of yellow soil filling the air. His speed was much faster now than when he left. In just a short while, Liu Yi saw four yellow dots side by side. He knew those were the city gates, and those yellow dots were the soldiers guarding them.

At the city gates, the sound of weapons clashing clearly blocked Liu Yi’s path. A voice shouted, “Who goes there?”

Liu Yi lightly jumped down and said, “Please convey to Princess Baihua that Liu Yi has urgent business to discuss with her.”
The guard at the door glanced at Liu Yi and replied, “Please wait a moment.” Then he rushed inside the city.
Waiting was the longest part. Though it was less than fifteen minutes, it felt like hundreds of millions of years had passed. Suddenly, footsteps came from inside the door. Liu Yi clearly heard the footsteps of two people. If he wasn’t mistaken, the one behind should be Ye Luo Baihua.
Sure enough, as the scent of lilies filled the air, a pleasant voice said, “Young Master Liu has returned. What urgent matter brings you?” He didn’t expect Ye Luo Baihua to come out personally to greet him.
Liu Yi continued, “It’s bad news. Thirty miles outside the city, in a forest, a large number of rebels have gathered. They plan to join forces with another group at sunset tomorrow to attack Wulei City…” As soon as he spoke, not only did the four guards around them react, but Ye Luo Baihua also exclaimed, “So fast.”
Ye Luo Baihua then asked, “Where did Young Master Liu get this information? Is it accurate?”
Liu Yi replied, “I experienced it firsthand. I was passing by that forest when I encountered them. I sneaked in and unexpectedly discovered their stronghold. I also overheard some of their conversations, so I came here to inform the princess.”
Ye Luo Baihua paused for a moment, seemingly thinking of something, then quickly said, “I wonder if I may take up Young Master Liu’s time. Please come with me, and I’ll explain everything slowly to the uncles.”
Without hesitation, Liu Yi replied, “Princess, please.”