Chapter 103

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Chapter 103: Accidentally Getting Close

Today, Ye Shubai decided to accompany Wen Yun for a fun day of shopping and eating. She happily took the day off and the two strolled along the bustling night market in Cloud Sea City.

As they walked further into the city, more and more people filled the streets, accompanied by various loud noises. Suddenly, the two passed by a very remote tavern, and a name coming from inside caught Wen Yun’s attention.

"Bet on Shang Wuyang! He’s now at the peak of the Ascension Realm, he might even reach the fifth level directly, it’s a sure win!"

"Hey, there are too many people betting on him already, won’t earn much, better bet on an underdog…"

The noisy and lively atmosphere clearly indicated that this wasn’t a regular tavern, but a gambling den specifically for betting on the winners and losers challenging the Cloud Sea Tower. It’s unclear how they knew the rankings inside, and yet they still used it for betting.

Even more surprisingly, the popular choice for betting now is Shang Wuyang, didn’t he just arrive?

Wen Yun stopped in her tracks, astonished, "There’s actually a place like this in Cloud Sea City?"

As she began to speak, the charming landlady standing at the entrance covered her lips and chuckled lightly, "Are you a newcomer, dear? There are plenty of interesting places in our Cloud Sea City, would you like to take a look inside?"

Before Wen Yun could respond, the landlady’s gaze shifted to Ye Shubai, naturally moving closer to him, ready to explain further.

However, before she could approach, Ye Shubai quickly stepped back, clearly avoiding her.

Frowning, his tone was harsh and cold, "No need."

After speaking, Ye Shubai grabbed excited Wen Yun and marched forward. The boss lady behind them felt embarrassed and muttered "hypocrite" under her breath.

Ye Shubai didn’t care, but Wen Yun couldn’t hold back and retorted, "Look closely, he’s genuine!"

The boss lady huffed, rolled her eyes, pulled down the tavern door curtain to block the view and couldn’t be bothered to argue with her.

Wen Yun was still unhappy inside; she always defended Ye Shubai and couldn’t stand others speaking ill of him, especially calling him a hypocrite. Was that word even related to Ye Shubai?

If it had to be used, it should be used on her instead!

Like right now.

The whole street seemed full of small gambling houses like this one, with enticingly dressed beautiful women beckoning customers at the entrance.

Or like the one Wen Yun was standing in front of, where a fair-skinned young man from the rabbit tribe with long dainty ears hanging down slightly stood at the door. With his gem-like eyes gazing at her affectionately, he softly asked, "Pretty lady, would you like to come in and have a seat?"

Wen Yun, who couldn’t recognize faces but was particular about appearances, suddenly hesitated and asked Ye Shubai tentatively, "Should we go in and sit?"

Ye Shubai’s face was colder than before, frowning as he quietly looked at Wen Yun.

Even though he didn’t say a word, his eyes made Wen Yun feel uneasy. She had to steel herself and reject the boy with rabbit ears, "Forget it."

Finally, Ye Shubai took Wen Yun to another tavern. A plain-looking old man greeted guests at the door, and there was no need to worry about them being jealous of each other.

Upon entering, they discovered a hidden gem. The seemingly run-down tavern was not as narrow as imagined. Instead, it was set up like an arena with hundreds of tables and chairs. Various monks with different styles were densely seated inside, occasionally erupting in cheers and curses. The intense atmosphere seemed to be lifting the roof off.

Wen Yun and Ye Shubai chose the most secluded spot to sit. Following the gaze of the crowd, they discovered more than ten mirror screens hanging in front of them. The images on them were all different, but the backgrounds were familiar.

That was the arena inside Cloud Sea Tower!

Wen Yun hesitated for a moment, then quickly realized what these were. In disbelief, she said, "Someone actually brought the Camera Stone into Cloud Sea Tower?!"

The Camera Stone was still a new thing she had learned about while shopping with Ye Shubai earlier. It was said to project the scene in front of oneself onto a mirror at the other end. However, this device was incredibly expensive, priced at nearly a million Origin Crystals. Most were used by major sects for probing military intelligence and other special situations.

But there were more than ten mirror screens here, which meant… there were more than ten Camera Stones?

Wen Yun thought about how many Origin Crystals she needed, then took a deep breath. These Origin Crystals would be enough to make swords for all the disciples of the Qingliu Sword Sect!

The maid pouring tea for her giggled lightly and explained, "Miss, is this your first time here? It’s always allowed to bring Camera Stones into the Cloud Sea Tower. The challengers send the images to us at the gambling house for people to watch. We give them a share of the profits. If they’re lucky, they can earn back the money for the Camera Stone in a month. If they’re unlucky, they can sell the Camera Stone to break even."

Wen Yun was puzzled, "Aren’t they afraid that others will see their moves and figure them out?"

Ye Shubai also nodded seriously, seemingly agreeing with her concern.

"Only the opponents of the Camera Stone holders can be seen in the mirror," the maid handed them a plate of snacks with a cheerful smile and patiently explained to the two visitors, "And it’s a huge profit. On one hand, they can earn from the gambling house, and on the other hand, they can build their reputation."

"For example, some powerful cultivators have a powerful force behind them that provides cultivation resources for them to challenge the Cloud Sea Tower. This not only earns reputation for their sects or families, attracting others to join, but also helps independent cultivators gain fame, attracting major forces to recruit them. In short, it’s good for everyone."

It’s just not good for the onlookers who are gambling.

Wen Yun saw a cultivator nearby suddenly erupt, smashing the table full of cups and screaming frantically, "Impossible! How could Dalishan possibly lose! He’s fixing the match! I bet my entire fortune on him winning, how could he lose!"

"If you lose a bet, accept it. You placed the wrong bet. What’s the use of causing a scene here? Get him out of here!"

The man with red eyes was shouting in a crazy way, saying he didn’t lose. But the people at the gambling house didn’t care. They coldly took off all his clothes and belongings, then dragged him out. The others inside just watched without any emotion, as if they were used to seeing this kind of scene.

The girl’s smile didn’t fade at all. She didn’t pay any attention to the misery there, and just smiled as she looked at Wen Yun, "Sister, do you want to place a bet? Who knows, you might make a fortune after you leave today."

She had been here talking all this time just to get Wen Yun and Ye Shubai to place a bet.

Wen Yun looked at Ye Shubai and asked tentatively, "How about placing a bet?"

It’s not that she was afraid he would disagree. After all, she controlled the hundreds of thousands of Origin Crystals dug out from Immortal Su Yuan’s courtyard. Spending money was no problem for her.

She asked carefully, not wanting Ye Shubai to think she was a greedy gambler, which would damage her aloof image.

She didn’t realize she had lost her dignity in front of him a long time ago.

This time, Ye Shubai didn’t scold her like an old-fashioned person, he just nodded in agreement, "If you want to play, give it a try."

Even though they said they were playing, Wen Yun and Ye Shubai, who were both stingy, didn’t plan on losing money here. They placed a few random bets, pretending to guess, but in reality, they were quickly communicating in the sea of divine sense.

"I’ve also met this person’s opponent before, not very skilled, betting on the win!"

"I met this person just last month, he was badly injured, definitely cannot win."

Wen Yun and Ye Shubai both came from humble beginnings. They recognized many people at first glance and were very familiar with their abilities. Moreover, they had a keen eye for battles, often able to determine the outcome of a fight after just a few moves. They were almost always correct in their predictions.

Of course, cautious Wen Yun wouldn’t show off like this. She intentionally made two wrong bets, losing a few Origin Crystals. Compared to the ones she won back, it was as good as nothing.

The young girl handed Wen Yun a space bag filled with Origin Crystals and said with a smile, "You two are so lucky on your first visit! You bet on eight out of ten matches correctly. Your intuition and luck are exceptional."

She encouraged Wen Yun to make a bigger bet, but Wen Yun was only at the tavern to inquire about Shang Wuyang’s situation, not to gamble. After all, such activities were considered unconventional and not the right path to take.

After a moment of contemplation, Wen Yun felt a slight urge, realizing it was the perfect time to inquire.

She casually asked, "I passed by the nearby gambling den earlier, and it seemed like someone was betting on Shang Wuyang. He seems quite formidable. Can you place bets on him here?"

She asked in a subtle manner, not directly inquiring about the availability of Shang Wuyang’s Camera Stone.

The little girl paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Of course! Since Shang Wuyang arrived at Cloud Sea Tower, people from Dongxuan Sect have been sending Camera Stones. It’s quite impressive, almost every gambling house has one."

This is indeed a big move, it seems that the people from Dongxuan Sect are not just after profits like most people, but to enhance the reputation of Dongxuan Sect.

Shang Wuyang has never shown himself before, only people from Dongxuan Sect have been praising him. Outsiders have always been skeptical of him, thinking that there are many other talented people stronger than him. Now, his stunning appearance has amazed everyone. Dongxuan Sect must be very proud now.

"You can bet on Shang Wuyang and almost always win. He has defeated fifteen opponents in a row… Oh, look! Shang Wuyang’s light mirror is shining!"

After the little girl’s exclamation, everyone stood up and eagerly stared at the central light mirror, which had become the focal point of the entire gambling house.

After a short rest, Shang Wuyang surprisingly began to challenge again.

When the light mirror lit up, Shang Wuyang’s sight was drawn into the mirror.

What he saw was a simple fighting arena inside Cloud Sea Tower, surrounded by dull grey colors. In the center stood a muscular man in a blood-stained red robe, looking fierce and scary.

He seemed to not recognize Shang Wuyang, which is understandable since no one knows what Shang Wuyang looks like. This man has been in Cloud Sea Tower and would not be aware of the fate of the more than ten challengers who fell behind Shang Wuyang.

The magic mirror showed a silent scene, the muscular man frowned and seemed to say something, then the scene started moving.

Almost in the blink of an eye, only caught a glimpse of a sword light passing by, incredibly fast, after stabbing with a sword, the scene stopped, and Shang Wuyang didn’t move again.

The man’s face changed drastically, realizing that his opponent was extraordinary, he tried to escape, but just as he rushed to the edge of the arena, with one foot out, his eyes suddenly widened, staring at Shang Wuyang in shock and confusion.

A red spot slowly appeared on his forehead, then blood gushed out frantically.

Everything happened so fast, almost within ten breaths.

The noisy atmosphere in the gambling house suddenly fell silent, everyone was stunned and silent for a while, until the magic mirror went out again, the sound gradually returned.

"It’s exactly the same as before, sigh." The little girl frowned at the magic mirror, shook her head and sighed softly.

Wen Yun keenly picked up on the keyword, "Before?"

"Yes, he passed through fifteen levels before, each level was this fast, each level he killed his opponent with just one sword. Although I’ve been in the gambling house for so long and seen all kinds of challengers, it’s the first time I’ve seen someone with such intense killing intent, after all, it’s just a challenge, not a matter of life and death, it’s a bit too ruthless."

After saying this, she looked like she realized she said something wrong, quickly covered her mouth, nervously glanced at Wen Yun and Ye Shubai, and hurriedly said, "Don’t spread what I just said."

Wen Yun shook her head and comforted, "It’s okay, we are not members of Dongxuan Sect."

To reassure the little girl, she sincerely said, "Shang Wuyang is truly ruthless."

If everyone talks bad about Shang Wuyang, then it should be fine, right?

When the little girl stopped talking, Wen Yun and Ye Shubai looked at each other and whispered, "What do you think?"

Ye Shubai’s face has not been good since he saw the image in the light mirror. When he heard Wen Yun’s question, he looked down at her and gently shook his head.

Wen Yun realized in disappointment, "He can’t do it?"

Ye Shubai looked at Wen Yun in resignation and explained quietly, "It’s not that he can’t do it, but he focuses too much on killing. His cultivation path seems to be centered around killing to elevate his realm."

"Shang Wuyang probably isn’t here to investigate the deaths of those few people. Senior mentioned earlier that he seemed about to advance. I reckon he’s here at Cloud Sea Tower to break through the bottleneck of Ascension Realm through killing."

Wen Yun whispered her guess, and Ye Shubai agreed with her, nodding, "I’m afraid you’re right."

There are many ways to practice, even though everyone practices on their own and doesn’t interfere with each other. But when there is too much killing, Wen Yun starts to feel uncomfortable. It’s no wonder Immortal Su Yuan always frowns and refuses to say much when mentioning this person, and never praises them.

Curious, she suddenly asked, "How good is his swordsmanship really? Is it as extraordinary as the elders say?"

Ye Shubai’s voice was cold and objective as he said, "The elders saw the young man Shang Wuyang two thousand years ago. Perhaps his swordsmanship was lacking at first, but now, it is almost perfect."

Shang Wuyang’s swordsmanship is indeed impressive. The speed at which he can kill with one strike has become well-known in Cloud Sea City.

However, Ye Shubai himself is a sword cultivator at the pinnacle of his skill. Even Immortal Su Yuan often remarks that Ye Shubai is a master swordsman.

Due to his recent retraining, Ye Shubai’s cultivation is temporarily not as high as Shang Wuyang’s. But in terms of sword technique, he is not inferior. He has slain many cultivators of the same level with a single strike, and while others may not see clearly the path of Shang Wuyang’s sword, Ye Shubai can see it clearly.

The difference is that Ye Shubai only kills those with whom he has a grudge, never indiscriminately. Shang Wuyang, on the other hand, kills just for the sake of killing.

Ye Shubai used to not care about these things, but Shang Wuyang seems to be eager to kill, striving to reach the fourth level. If one day Wen Yun faces him…

When Ye Shubai thought about it, he felt heavy-hearted.

Wen Yun looked up and met his eyes. She quickly understood his worry and smiled, tugging on his sleeve, saying, "Don’t worry about me. I may not be as good at killing as him, but no one can match my skill at escaping."

After all, she had control over the laws of time and space. While others could only escape outside the arena, if she was pushed to the limit, she could tear open space and escape beyond the boundaries.

No one could escape faster and farther than her!

This time, she won a lot of Origin Crystals, recovering the twenty thousand Origin Crystals that Immortal Su Yuan had wasted. She also roughly uncovered the truth about Shang Wuyang’s arrival in this realm. She figured as long as she waited for the other party to break through and leave, there was no need to worry too much.

The atmosphere in the gambling den was noisy and oppressive, making Wen Yun uncomfortable. She pulled Ye Shubai with her, preparing to leave.

Just as she was about to get up, Ye Shubai’s expression suddenly changed, and he quickly reached out and held her back.

Due to the urgency of the situation, Ye Shubai pulled her with force, catching Wen Yun off guard. She stumbled and lost her balance, falling backwards.

Wen Yun immediately tried to use her body art to regain her balance, but Ye Shubai was faster. He instinctively reached out and pulled her into his arms…

So Wen Yun, who was about to fall to the ground, sat steadily in his arms.

Her lips narrowly brushed against Ye Shubai’s slightly cool cheeks, leaving a faint ambiguous trace of the light pink lipstick she had just bought at the night market.

The man sitting stiffened his body, his hands holding a posture of embrace but not daring to touch her body, maintaining a restrained and polite half-inch distance.

After a moment of silence, he struggled to control his erratic breathing and managed to speak with a dry throat, "I’m sorry for being rude."

Standing too close to each other, Ye Shubai dared not look down or move, afraid that his trembling voice would give him away. He couldn’t even speak after uttering that sentence, fearing his shaky voice would reveal him, so he had to communicate with Wen Yun through the soul contract in their divine sense.

"The person who was following us earlier has come in. They are now sitting not far behind you. I panicked and got flustered earlier, I’m sorry."

He apologized twice in a row but, due to being too nervous, forgot to release his grip.

Wen Yun felt dizzy in her head.

Not because of the news Ye Shubai just shared, but due to the ambiguous posture they were in, pressed close together.

She snuggled in his arms and forgot to break free, but instead lifted her head to look at him in a daze.

From Wen Yun’s point of view, the silently rolling Adam’s apple landed in front of her eyes, and higher up she could see his exquisite and gentle jawline, tightly pursed lips, and looking up further…

You could see the faint blush on his fair and clear cheeks.

Due to the closeness, she could faintly smell the familiar sweet scent coming from above.

When Wen Yun realized what it was, a thousand curses exploded in her mind.

Ye Shubai tried to remain calm and made his voice sound casual, "Let’s pause for a moment, they might be from the Dongxuan Sect…"

Before he could finish speaking, a trembling finger gently touched his face, and frivolously brushed across his cheek.

He looked down in astonishment, locking eyes with the equally embarrassed Wen Yun.

She stiffly twitched her lips, to show that she wasn’t teasing Ye Shubai, and reached out her index finger to show him, to prove her innocence, "I accidentally kissed you just now… let me clean it for you."

Kiss.

When that word was spoken, Ye Shubai, who had been pretending to be calm, could no longer control himself.

A blush suddenly appeared on the man’s fair face, turning it a light pink from his neck to his earlobes.

He took a deep breath, awkwardly turned his face away, avoiding Wen Yun’s gaze.

"It’s okay, I… I can clean it myself."