Chapter 167 - 166: Night Rose Left

Ye Xuan first used the long whip in his hand to cripple the remaining men before facing Situ Kong once again.

Seeing that Ye Xuan had only sustained minor injuries, Situ Kong’s heart sank to the pit of his stomach. It seemed he was going to meet his end here today.

"Ye Xuan! Let’s fight to the death!"

Gritting his teeth, Situ Kong let out a loud shout and charged forward.

The two traded punches and kicks for nearly fifty exchanges. Situ Kong began to struggle under the pressure. Ye Xuan’s relentless strikes forced him to retreat again and again.

Suddenly, a piercing pain erupted in Situ Kong’s chest. The intense agony caused his body to sway.

Although Situ Kong masked the pain on his face as quickly as possible, the sharp-eyed Ye Xuan still noticed it. His eyes narrowed as he struck out swiftly. A punch slammed into Situ Kong’s lower abdomen. Situ Kong let out a muffled groan, clutching his stomach as he slowly crouched to the ground.

Ye Xuan wanted to land a few more blows but was stopped by Night Rose.

"Ye Xuan, let it go. For the sake of our past master-and-disciple relationship, let’s spare him this once." Night Rose looked at the half-kneeling Situ Kong with a complex expression, her eyes filled with sorrow. This was the man she had once viewed as a father.

Knowing the relationship between Night Rose and Situ Kong, Ye Xuan hesitated for a moment before finally lowering his hands.

"Situ Kong, take a message to Di Shiyang for me. I will personally collect the debt he owes me from all those years ago."

Although Ye Xuan had spared his life, to Situ Kong, this was nothing short of humiliation. Members of the Celestial Ranking had their own pride; they would only fight to the death, never beg for mercy. He would rather Ye Xuan strike him dead with a single palm than be spared for Night Rose’s sake.

Slumping to the ground, he coughed violently, his face still etched with arrogance.

"You can deliver that message to him yourself."

With that, Situ Kong raised his hand and slammed his palm onto the crown of his own head.

"No! Master!"

Night Rose cried out and lunged forward to stop him, but she was too late.

Blood seeped from Situ Kong’s eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His limp body collapsed onto the ground, the life completely gone from his eyes.

Ye Xuan was slightly shocked. He hadn’t expected Situ Kong to be so proud that he would rather commit suicide than live in disgrace.

Looking at Situ Kong’s lifeless eyes and his gradually cooling body on the ground, Night Rose burst into tears.

"Let’s go. This was his final shred of dignity." Ye Xuan cast a glance of admiration at Situ Kong before patting Night Rose on the shoulder to comfort her.

Night Rose lowered her eyes, her thoughts unreadable. Then, she took a crystal-clear jade ring from her pocket, crouched down, and placed it in Situ Kong’s palm.

Situ Kong had given her this jade ring on her eighteenth birthday. Carved on the back were the words, "Beloved Daughter, Situ Jing’er."

Now, it was time to return it. From this day forward, she, Night Rose, would completely break ties with the Celestial Ranking.

Since Lin Aoxue’s villa had been compromised, it was no longer safe for Night Rose to hide here. Ye Xuan had to find her a new place to stay.

"Night Rose, come back to Yunju Mountain Villa with me for the night," he suggested. "The estate has plenty of rooms. You can sneak in when Yang Bingyu isn’t paying attention. Just don’t let her spot you."

Ye Xuan had thought about it for a long time but couldn’t come up with a better solution. Left with no other choice, he could only bring Night Rose back to Yunju Mountain Villa with him first. As long as she didn’t cross paths with Yang Bingyu, everything should be fine.

"There’s no need. You saved my life tonight, so we’re even. From now on, we’ll go our separate ways. It’s best if we don’t cross paths again," she replied.

To his surprise, Night Rose rejected Ye Xuan’s goodwill, bluntly declaring that they should part ways. Ye Xuan furrowed his brows and grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving.

"Do you know what you’re saying? Leaving now is undoubtedly a death sentence.

"No matter how skilled of a fighter you are, you can’t go up against the Celestial Ranking alone. Just listen to me and stick by my side.

"Don’t worry. As long as I’m around, I absolutely won’t let you die."

Ye Xuan’s words deeply moved Night Rose, significantly lifting the heavy burden in her heart. However, she still wanted to leave, not wishing to bring any more trouble to him.

"Forget it. You already have enough people to protect. I won’t add to your burden," Night Rose said in a joking tone, shaking her head gently.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan was somewhat at a loss for words. It was true. He had too many people to protect: Lin Aoxue, Yang Bingyu, and the unborn child in Yang Bingyu’s womb. He had to ensure the safety of those three above all else.

"Then how about this: you go to Jingcheng, and I’ll have Vermilion Bird make arrangements for you," Ye Xuan suggested after thinking for a moment, finally coming up with an alternative.

Night Rose could no longer stay in Jianghai City, and the only person capable of providing her with refuge was Vermilion Bird, far away in Jingcheng. Since Yu Ling had come over here, Night Rose could even help share some of Vermilion Bird’s burden once she arrived.

Seeing that Ye Xuan was determined to find her a place to settle down no matter what, Night Rose finally compromised and bought an overnight train ticket.

"Be careful on your journey, and call me if anything happens," Ye Xuan said with a look of concern as he handed Night Rose a shopping bag filled with snacks and instant noodles for the trip.

Night Rose took the bag and nodded with a smile.

"Once you arrive in Jingcheng, have Vermilion Bird take a look at your arm. It’s only been bandaged simply right now and hasn’t been treated properly. Look out for yourself and stay safe."

Looking at Night Rose’s bandaged arm, Ye Xuan still felt somewhat worried.

To evade her enemies’ pursuit, Night Rose hadn’t dared to buy a flight or a high-speed rail ticket. Instead, she had opted for a traditional slow train, meaning she would be rocking and bumping along for the entire journey. It took a full day and night to travel from Jianghai City to Jingcheng by train. No one could guess what might happen on board during those twenty-four hours. Therefore, it was best for her to keep her wits about her and be extra cautious.

"Alright, I know all of this. Hurry up and go back," Night Rose said lightly with a soft smile.

It wasn’t until Night Rose entered the station and boarded the train that Ye Xuan’s anxious heart finally settled back into his chest.

Tonight had been far too close of a call. If Night Rose hadn’t phoned him, he would never have rushed over. If he had arrived even a few minutes later, she would have died at the hands of her own master.

By the time Ye Xuan returned to Yunju Mountain Villa, it was already four in the morning. Although Yang Bingyu had already gone to bed, she had still left a small light on for him in the living room.

This brought a trace of warmth to Ye Xuan’s exhausted heart. He stripped off his bloodstained clothes and threw them into the trash can.

He then took a thorough shower, scrubbing away the thick metallic scent of blood from his body. Yang Bingyu was pregnant right now, and the smell of blood would definitely make her nauseous.