Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 274 – Escape

The white porcelain cup that You Xiuxiu held was smashed into the ground. Her breathing was rapid as her face darkened. After a long time she slowly asked, “Why me?”

The woman across from her hid her fear. She carefully said, “I heard this was You Qi’s intent. Under the order of the Patriarch, she was given all powers to handle Qin Yu’s situation.” She paused a moment and continued, “Don’t you and You Qi have a poor relationship? Why would she choose you?”

You Xiuxiu took a deep breath. After several breaths of time, a faint smile lifted her lips. “So it was Big Sister You Qi. Mother, please reply that I will agree.”

The woman’s eyelids trembled. She had a good understanding of her daughter. If she was acting so indifferent and carefree, then she was likely deeply enraged. Without saying anything, she nodded and left.

“You Qi, I really hate you more and more. There are many days ahead of us. I’ll settle this score with you slowly.”

The next day, another visitor finally came to Qin Yu’s dwelling. You Xiuxiu arrived, her face flushed red. She only said that she had come here to search for her disobedient little pet, but anyone could see that there was something wrong with her feeble reason. Her tense and stammering appearance only made her seem more alluring.

A light flashed deep in Qin Yu’s eyes. But, he kept his expression dull and placid. He stared at her, his face full of gratitude.

“Miss Xiuxiu, please, come in quickly!”

You Xiuxiu shyly nodded. After finding her little beast, she actually wasn’t in a hurry to leave. She warmly conversed with Qin Yu for a while before standing up to go.

Even when she was gone, Qin Yu still stood by the doorway with a reluctant expression, his face flushed red with happiness.

This scene was recorded by the spies of the You Family and quickly sent to their high level figures. Their lips curled in mocking disdain.

Everyone thought back to the day when the Patriarch had offered Qin Yu women who were far more skilled in the art of seduction, but now with things having changed, it seemed that he had been intentionally holding himself back. Now that his cover had been blown and his true skills revealed, there was nothing for him to rely on. In this state of panic, it was unsurprising for him to try and latch onto a young miss from the You Family to ensure his own safety.

It seemed that You Qi’s strategy was right. As long as they could comfort Qin Yu and make sure he stayed quiet for several more days as the family finished their preparations, then he could only obediently offer up his Demon Body.

For the next few days, You Xiuxiu kept visiting, staying longer and longer each time. She chatted happily with Qin Yu, often blushing as she spoke.

Qin Yu was overjoyed, and it looked as if he were trying hard to contain his excitement. You Xiuxiu’s heart was icy cold and she loathed him even more, but she didn’t reveal any of her thoughts.

“Qin Yu, I need to leave now. I’ll come and talk with you again next time.”

Qin Yu had an unwilling expression. “Leaving so soon…?” He hesitated and then said, “Xiuxiu, I’ve never walked through the Southern Overwatch Pass before. Everything I know about the Land of Divinity and Demons, I learned through the handphone. If you have time tomorrow, can you accompany me for a stroll?”

You Xiuxiu’s face stiffened. “This…” She hesitated, but as she noticed Qin Yu’s anxious look, her pulse quickened and she said, “Alright, I’ll bring you out for a walk tomorrow. Although the Southern Overwatch Pass isn’t considered too popular, there are still many fun places to visit.”

Qin Yu was ecstatic. “Xiuxiu, you’re too wonderful!”

After several more words, You Xiuxiu gently bid her farewells. When she left the courtyard her smile vanished, replaced by a gloomy frown.

“You Xiuxiu, why did you agree to allow Qin Yu to leave the mansion tomorrow? Do you know what sort of critical moment this is?” You Qi said coldly. Her expression was just right, revealing a hint of smug satisfaction.

This smug satisfaction caused You Xiuxiu to gnash her teeth, but she maintained a calm expression. “Qin Yu asked me to go out as a test. If I refused, he would inevitably develop doubts and that would affect the family’s plans. Could you handle that fallout from that?”

You Qi’s smile stiffened, causing You Xiuxiu to feel much better about herself. She smiled and said, “Qin Yu is just a mere Nascent Soul. What sort of storms can he raise within my You Family?”

You Qi clenched her teeth. “If there are any accidents…”

You Xiuxiu lightly said, “I am only responsible for making sure Qin Yu stays here. As for preventing him from escaping, that is big sister’s job. The Patriarch has already given big sister the responsibility of handling this matter. You must be extra careful with this, otherwise if something were to happen, I fear you would find it hard to explain yourself.”

You Qi was so mad that her face flushed red. However, You Xixuxiu didn’t give her any chance to respond. Carrying herself with a posture as if she had obtained total victory, she turned and left.

However, she never realized that once she disappeared, You Qi’s angry expression and anxiousness slowly faded away to reveal a faintly happy look.

This fellow Qin Yu, he was actually quite smart. If he didn’t leave the You Family, how could he escape? With things having come this far, he could be considered as being halfway to success. As for how things ended, it would depend on her.

After tidying up her thoughts, she put on an annoyed and angry expression once more and hurried to complain to the high level figures of the family. “You Xiuxiu arbitrarily agreed to allow Qin Yu to go out into the Southern Overwatch Pass and play. I fear that problems will inevitably crop up from this. This disciple is firmly opposed to this decision and asks fellow Elders for a resolution!”

As soon as the incident happened, the high level figures of the You Family were aware. They even knew of the spat between her and You Xiuxiu, so they weren’t surprised to see her arrive.

An Elder’s eyes flashed. “You Xiuxiu is usually a bit rash in her actions, but her suspicions are correct. If she can avoid Qin Yu developing any doubts, then agreeing to this isn’t a problem.” action

“Tomorrow, the family will send masters to secretly block off the surrounding area. You will be in charge of directing them; it’s fine to be a bit more cautious.” Another Elder chimed in.

You Qi had a helpless expression. She could only nod her head and leave with heavy steps.

After she left, someone spoke up. “Qin Yu’s actions, could it be that he’s realized something is wrong?”

Everyone had already thought of this possibility. They frowned, falling silent.

“The family’s preparations are almost complete. Things will be ready the day after tomorrow. We cannot allow any flaws in the final moments, otherwise if Qin Yu refuses to cooperate, things will really become troublesome.”

“I agree. I have observed Qin Yu and he has already fallen into our trap. Perhaps he is making one final test out of caution.”

“Tomorrow, assign extra manpower that isn’t commanded by You Qi. That should ensure there aren’t any problems.”

“He’s unfamiliar with the place and the people. Even if he tries something there is nothing he can do!”

With that, things were settled.

Qin Yu finally left the You Family household. As he stepped out, there was a bit of happiness and a bit of relaxation on his face. This caused You Xiuxiu who was standing to his side to sneer inwardly. She thought, how could such thoughts contend with my You Family? Just wait until tomorrow, and then your death will come!

A speed car was parked outside the door. This was the strange rein-less carriage that Qin Yu had first taken to the You Family. He heard that this thing used to be called a ‘spirit car’ short for spiritual carriage, because it moved through the actuation of spiritual strength. It was a simple and straightforward name. But for some reason afterwards, the name was changed. Luckily, speed car was still appropriate and everyone slowly came to accept this new term.

Qin Yu clumsily opened the door and gestured in invitation. You Xiuxiu smiled and bent down to enter. Qin Yu followed in and closed the door behind them.

The space was narrow and small, and the atmosphere seemed a bit warmer. You Xiuxiu’s face was flushed red as she asked in a soft voice, “Qin Yu, where would you like to go and play?”

Qin Yu stared at her in a daze, as if he were mesmerized by her. “Anywhere is fine…”

You Xiuxiu relaxed. If an accident happened then while You Qi would be the first to be punished, she would also be implicated. If Qin Yu was willing to listen to her arrangements, that would make everything easier.

She thought and then clapped her hands, smiling. “I know.” She pressed a button and a screen appeared in front of them. She looked down and pressed several more buttons, and then the smooth voice of a woman said, “Set up, complete. Destination: Eastern Suburb. Estimated time to arrival, two hours. Please sit still.”

Hum –

The car trembled and began to accelerate. Soon, it converged into a stream of other cars and vanished from sight.

The Eastern Suburb wasn’t actually a suburb. Rather, it was an eastern section of the Southern Overwatch Pass, a garden of land that had yet to be developed. The advantage of having such an overwhelmingly large city was that it could even accommodate this mountain-sized area.

For instance, the Eastern Suburb Mountains. It had extremely beautiful scenery that attracted many tourists.

As the cheerful woman’s voice said, “You have arrived at your destination. I wish you a happy trip,” the speed car came to a stop. Qin Yu pushed open the door and then hurried over to the other side to help You Xiuxiu step out.

“There are many fun attractions here. Let’s walk around.” You Xiuxiu smiled and said. She glanced about and saw many subordinates of her family stationed nearby.

Qin Yu smiled and nodded. The two of them walked up the mountain, side by side.

On the stone path, they occasionally encountered some cultivators that were enjoying themselves. But compared to the far more lively Southern Overwatch Pass, this place was much more quiet and peaceful.

The fewer people there were, the easier it was to control the situation.

At the base of the mountain, several You Family cultivators revealed relaxed expressions. They were well aware of what plans the family had for Qin Yu. If there was an accident, none of them would emerge unscathed.

You Qi had a light expression, but she was a bit tense. She knew that since Qin Yu had come this far, he would definitely do something. Although she had resolved herself to help him, in a situation where she couldn’t communicate with him at all, it was unknown whether or not she would be able to coordinate properly with him.

Qin Yu laughed and smiled. While it looked like he was enjoying himself with You Xiuxiu, his heart was filled with anxiousness. Although he didn’t know what plans the You Family had for him, he knew that today might be his last chance to escape.

But the more perilous it was, the calmer he became. At this time, a happy voice sounded out nearby. “Xiuxiu, didn’t you say that you were in seclusion recently? How come you came to the Eastern Suburbs?”

Several young men and women appeared. One of them was dressed in white robes and had an elated expression, but as he saw Qin Yu his face immediately darkened.

You Xiuxiu frowned inwardly. She never thought she would encounter Yun Yuepeng here. At any other time, she wouldn’t mind using some of her skills to capture this boy in her grasp, but she couldn’t allow herself to make any mistake today. She took a deep breath and steadied her thoughts. She faintly smiled, “Greetings, Brother Yun. Today I am accompanying a family guest to take a stroll around. If I have a chance in the future, I would love to see Brother Yun again.”

After she finished speaking, she grabbed Qin Yu and tried to walk away.

She originally wanted to withdraw as soon as possible, but she never imagined that when Yun Yuepeng saw her grab onto Qin Yu, his expression would suddenly darken and his eyes would become fierce. “Hold on!” He coldly sneered, “Xiuxiu, how come I hadn’t heard that the You Family had such an honored guest visiting?”

You Xiuxiu smiled. “Brother Yun, please don’t make things difficult for me.”

Yun Yuepeng stiffened and he couldn’t help but reveal a hint of hesitation.

Qin Yu cursed this fellow for being a soft-hearted coward. With the sudden appearance of a ‘love rival’, how could he let things end like this? He coughed and glared at Yun Yuepeng. “I am taking a walk with Miss Xiuxiu. Do you have a problem with that?”

This caused Yun Yuepeng to truly be enraged. This was especially so with people watching him from behind. If he were to draw back like this, he wouldn’t have the face to see any of these people again. He coldly said, “Brat, and what if I do have a problem with that?”

Seeing him take the bait, Qin Yu simply didn’t give You Xiuxiu a chance to meddle. He slapped out his hand.

Pa –

A dark red handprint was left on Yun Yuepeng’s face.

No one thought that Qin Yu would actually do anything. Yun Yuepeng was stunned, the young men and women behind him were stunned, and You Xiuxiu was also stunned.

Forget about harsh words and verbal sparring, this was a straight-to-violence attack!

Yun Yuepeng’s eyes immediately turned blood red. He lifted his hand and thrust out a red bolt of light. It struck Qin Yu like a waterfall, sending him flying away.

Puff –

Qin Yu spat out a mouthful of blood and fell into the dense forest on the side of the road. Yun Yuepeng clenched his teeth and chased ahead. “Brat, I will kill you!” A violent aura exuded from his body. He trampled through the weeds and grass, but no matter how much he looked around he couldn’t find Qin Yu.

“You bastard, where are you!? Come out and prepare to die!”

Bang –

Bang –

Fist after fist was struck out. The surrounding forest suffered a great calamity as loud explosions filled the air.

“Bastard, hurry and come out! Come out!”

You Xiuxiu was dumbfounded, but soon enough she regained her composure. She ran over to Yun Yuepeng and grabbed him. She squeezed out a smile. “Qin Yu, don’t worry, I will hold down Brother Yun. He won’t attack you again. Hurry and come out!”

Yun Yuepeng wanted to say something but You Xiuxiu turned her head and her icy cold glare caused his heart to shrink.

The surroundings remained silent. There was only the sound of falling pieces of wood and leaves hitting the ground, as if it were some sort of mocking laugh.

You Xiuxiu paled. She screeched out loud, “Hurry and find him!”

Whoosh –

Whoosh –

With the sound of piercing air, numerous grim-faced You Family cultivators rushed out from all over!