Chapter 2042: Chapter 2043: No Matter the Occasion

Ye Qing of the Anbei family smiled very naturally, her face gentle and harmless as a lamb.

But what was hidden behind that smile, probably no one knew besides Ye Qing herself.

Even though Ye Qing’s smile was very mild, Ye Xunhuan didn’t let his guard down because of it.

Are poppies pretty?

Very pretty—but they carry a fatal allure and aura.

Right now Ye Qing of the Anbei family was just like that incomparably gorgeous poppy: dazzling and beautiful, yet carrying a deadly danger.

The Anbei family in Fusang was top-tier nobility, and Ise Grand Shrine and the Anbei family were intertwined in countless ways. Back then when Ye Qing wanted to find him, Ye Xunhuan, it definitely wasn’t to have afternoon tea; eight or nine times out of ten she wanted to make a move on him.

But they missed each other. Now running into each other here could really be called enemies meeting on a narrow road.

After all, the trouble Ye Xunhuan stirred up in Fusang wasn’t small—he made Ise Grand Shrine lose all face. Even the Palace Master of Ise Grand Shrine had disappeared, and at the same time the shrine’s Yata no Kagami was also missing!

Ye Qing of the Anbei family didn’t know that Kazama Shousi’s disappearance was Ke Qinghong’s doing, so naturally she put this debt on Ye Xunhuan’s head.

"If I’d known Miss Anbei was looking for me back then, I would’ve stayed a couple more days," Ye Xunhuan said with a smile. "Of course, dropping by the Anbei family’s place wouldn’t have been out of the question either!"

"If Mr. Ye were willing to come, that would really bring glory to the humble Anbei house," Ye Qing said with a smile. "I’m just afraid Mr. Ye wouldn’t dare come over."

"Just for that sentence, I’ll definitely come if I get the chance," Ye Xunhuan said coolly. "Blood Phoenix and the Demon King are both pretty curious about your family; we’ll form a party one of these days."

The smile on Ye Qing’s face stiffened slightly.

If the three overlords all went over, no matter how badass the Anbei family was, they’d be in for a hell of a time.

"If that’s the case, all the better. You can help introduce me to them," Ye Qing said after a brief moment of distraction. "But right now there’s something I’d like to ask Mr. Ye."

Were they getting to the main topic now?

Ye Xunhuan nodded slightly. "Go ahead."

"Mr. Ye, you’re the king of the underground world, an overlord. Now that you have the Taiji Seal, there’s no need to still be holding on to our Fusang Ise Grand Shrine’s sacred treasure, the Yata no Kagami, is there?" Ye Qing said mildly. "If Mr. Ye is willing to let me take the Yata no Kagami back to Fusang, then I imagine you’ll have a lot fewer troubles in the future."

"The Yata no Kagami?" Ye Xunhuan was taken aback.

"What, is Mr. Ye going to play dumb?" Ye Qing said coolly. "Kazama Shousi being killed by you can only be chalked up to his skills being inferior. But the Yata no Kagami is Ise Grand Shrine’s sacred treasure. If Mr. Ye insists on holding onto it, then our Anbei family and the entire Ise Grand Shrine will not let it slide."

With one sentence, Ye Qing laid everything bare.

If you, Ye Xunhuan, don’t hand the Yata no Kagami back, then we won’t let you off.

"You really know how to joke," Ye Xunhuan said with a smile. "I didn’t kill Kazama Shousi. He was taken away by your people at the time. Saying the Yata no Kagami is on me is pure nonsense."

"And taking ten thousand steps back—even if I did kill Kazama Shousi, what would I want your Yata no Kagami for, just to have you people covet it the whole time?"

"I’m not that bored, am I?"

"Who doesn’t want to possess a good thing? Even knowing it’s useless to them, they still want it in their own hands," Ye Qing didn’t believe a word he said. "Human nature is greedy, isn’t it?"

"So what you’re saying is, you’ve decided the Yata no Kagami is on me?"

"Could it possibly be anyone else?" Ye Qing countered. "In all of Fusang, no one would dare lay a hand on Kazama Shousi. But you fought him, and it seems you even hurt him. Meaning, you have the strength to deal with him."

"Naturally you’d also be capable of taking the Yata no Kagami."

Ye Xunhuan slowly exhaled a heavy breath from his mouth. "Even though I’m very inclined to see Kazama Shousi dead, I’ll say it again: this has nothing to do with me."

"Of course, if your Anbei family and Ise Grand Shrine insist on believing I did it, I couldn’t care less," Ye Xunhuan said with complete indifference. "If you want to make a move, go right ahead. But I should remind you: when it comes to enemies, I have never been soft-hearted."

"Me neither." Ye Qing smiled faintly. "Miss Qiu looks quite good, very pretty. You’d better keep a close eye on her; otherwise, if she falls into my hands, you’ll have no choice but to trade the Yata no Kagami for her."

A provocation, a naked provocation!

Ye Xunhuan’s eyes narrowed at once, a cold light flashing out from within. His expression turned extremely grim. "Do you know what I hate most?"

"Threats," Ye Qing said directly, as if she understood him well.

"Then you should know what happens to anyone who threatens me."

"Of course." Ye Qing nodded. "When the Marshal gets angry, blood flows in rivers. But I don’t think Mr. Ye will make a move on me here."

"There are so many people here, all of them rich or powerful. No matter who dies here, it’ll be hard to explain away." The smile on Ye Qing’s face grew ever thicker, as if she had Ye Xunhuan completely figured out. "What’s more, this summit doesn’t seem so simple. Up to now, the real host still hasn’t appeared."

"Mr. Ye would never be willing to become someone else’s chess piece, nor be used by others."

"You’re very smart," Ye Xunhuan admitted directly, not denying what she said. "But you’ve overlooked one thing."

"And what’s that?"

"Anyone who uses my wife to threaten me—no matter the occasion—will never meet a good end."

When Ye Qing heard this, her heart suddenly sank. The next instant, Ye Xunhuan’s right hand shot out, grabbing straight for her slender, pale neck.

Ye Qing felt a chill in her heart. She kicked off with both legs, her whole body like a leaf, immediately drifting back with the wind, dodging with an elegant, floating motion.

When he saw Ye Qing evade, a trace of surprise rose in Ye Xunhuan’s heart. This woman was fast—could it be that, like Kazama Shousi, she was also someone who pursued ultimate speed?

After leaving Ye Xunhuan and Qiu Ruoxi’s side, Jin Zhengru had been watching him the whole time. When she saw this scene, a thick smile immediately appeared at the corner of her lips.

"You two finally made a move," Jin Zhengru murmured. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Standing beside her, Pu Junxi vaguely heard Jin Zhengru’s words, but didn’t quite catch them. He couldn’t help asking, "Xiao Ru, what did you just say?"

Jin Zhengru glanced at Pu Junxi, then let her gaze fall back on Ye Xunhuan. "Just watch and you’ll see."