Ba Jie—who had focused on 'Miao Yi' and ignored everyone else the entire time—was suddenly thunderstruck, as if he had been stabbed with a needle. He slowly turned his head to look at Yue Yao, his mouth widening as he carefully lifted a finger to point at her. "Y-y-you..."
He was in utter disbelief, stuttering as he simply mumbled the words 'you' to no end.
Like the sweet chimes of silver bells, Yue Yao changed her tone. With a truly captivating voice, she asked in a cautious, yet excited manner, "Second Bro?"
Ba Jie took deep, heavy breaths. His expression twisted, he stuttered out, "Y-y-you're Ol' Third?"
Ordinary outsiders wouldn't know how the three siblings addressed one another. And in that one moment, both Miao Yi and Yue Yao were able to confirm Ba Jie's identity.
Yue Yao's eyes immediately reddened, tears streaming down her cheeks like pearls as she nodded repeatedly and said, "I am Ol' Third! Are you really Second Bro?"
Ba Jie started crying as well, his voice choking as he said, "You're lying! How can that snot-nosed brat Ol' Third become such a beautiful lady? Stop trying to cheat this monk with your blasphemous words! This monk's all-seeing eye is like a candle in the dark. Nothing can be concealed under my transcendent gaze!"
"I like being this beautiful. Like it's any of your business!" Yue Yao wiped her tears and replied with a voice as muffled as Ba Jie's, "Second Bro, you're the one who shouldn't lie to me. You used to be so fat. How did you become so thin?"
"It's because I was forced to live on a vegetarian diet every day. Had I not cherished my own body, and ate meat to replenish myself every now and again, I might have ended up even thinner…" Ba Jie spread his arms, and Yue Yao immediately dove into his embrace. As the two hugged it out, they made stifled, soft cries, afraid that other people would hear them if they cried too loud.
Even though she was already in Ba Jie's embrace, and even though she had already confirmed that he was her Second Bro, Yue Yao still felt as though she was dreaming. She was afraid of believing that she managed to bump into her long-lost Second Bro under such circumstances. Crying on Ba Jie's shoulder, she asked, "How can you prove that you're really my Second Bro?"
"Of course I can prove it. I have a method that not only proves I'm your Second Bro, it can also prove if you're my Ol' Third," Ba Jie said while crying, "My Ol' Third has a red birthmark on her butt. You just need to take off your pants and show me. Then all will be revealed."
As soon as he heard this, Miao Yi tightly clenched his lips. His eyes reddened as well.
Yan Beihong couldn't believe that he could listen in on something so private and hurriedly raised his head to the sky, pretending that he hadn't heard anything. But in his mind, he was thinking about what an exquisite sight a red birthmark on Fairy Yue Yao's buttocks must be…
"Ouch!" Ba Jie screamed, his leg having been furiously stepped on by Yue Yao. As the latter hurriedly pushed him away, he wiped away his tears and widened his eyes at her and said, "Ol' Third, why did you step on me? Can't you see that your Second Bro is pitiful enough already, being forced to be a monk since childhood? How can you bear to hurt me still?"
"Shameless!" Yue Yao said furiously. How could he reveal such a private thing in front of outsiders? She was still a woman. What would become of her dignity then?
That said, she jumped back into Ba Jie's embrace the next moment, crying as she said, "Second Bro, it really is you! But how did you become a monk?"
Even though Ba Jie had revealed her private information, but precisely because it was information most personal to her that she could confirm that he really was her Second Bro.
"You think I wanted to be a monk?! Back then in Changfeng City, that old baldy Qi Jie used some kind of great art to beguile our senses. And after he kidnapped me, that was when I found out he was a monk. After that, he took me straight to the Realm of High Paradise. I couldn't resist even if I wanted to! Every time I tried to escape, I would be caught and brought back. It was truly a life filled with suffering…" Ba Jie explained his sorrowful past.
"Second Bro, I've missed you and Eldest Bro terribly!"
"I've missed you too! Ol' Third, how did a snot-nosed brat like you become so beautiful? How about I renounce my faith and take you in as my wife? That way we won't have to be separated ever again!"
"Shameless!" Yue Yao pushed him away again. Her tears turned to laughter, and she pointed at Ba Jie—who was still trying to hug her—and said, "Get away from me. And don't touch me!"
It was only now that Yue Yao realized how inappropriate it was for men and women to be touching each other so much. She was even a little suspicious whether Ba Jie was intentionally trying to take advantage of her just now. But then again, that did fit her Second Bro's personality indeed. When they were kids, she knew that her Second Bro would always go and spy on the neighboring widow in the bath. He would even try to sneak inside the brothels with a few of his friends as well. Yue Yao felt like she'd suffered a terrible loss by letting him hug her like that just now.
Wiping his tears away, Ba Jie made a hearty chuckle, then abruptly turned towards Yan Beihong and said, "You haven't answered my question!"
Yue Yao was staring at Yan Beihong as well.
Yan Beihong snuck a glance at Miao Yi. Smiling bitterly, he then shrugged and said, "I think you have the wrong guy? I really have no idea what you're talking about. I'm about a hundred years of age, and I originally hailed from the Fourth Earthly Branch's Mulberry Earth City. My original name is called Yan Debiao. I used to be a military commander in Mulberry Earth City, but after I killed the City Lord's mistress, I became a fugitive. It was also then that I changed my name to 'Miao Yi' and started to pursue the path of cultivation. If you don't believe me, you can ask around Mulberry Earth City. Perhaps you can still find my wanted poster."
Yan Beihong wasn't lying. His original name was indeed called Yan Debiao. It was just that while he was still on the run, he had caught sight of a rainbow on the northern sky, and being completely wowed by it, he decided to change his name to Yan Beihong out of self-assertion. Even if there was someone still alive in Mulberry Earth City who knew about him, they couldn't possibly know that he had already changed his name to Yan Beihong. Thus, if Ba Jie and Yue Yao were to investigate, they wouldn't be able to find anything substantial. All they would find was 'history'.
Yue Yao and Ba Jie exchanged glances. Could it really just be a coincidence that he was called 'Miao Yi' as well?
'But why of all names did he choose to change his name to Miao Yi? Isn't this too much of a coincidence?' Ba Jie asked suspiciously, "Why did you change your name to Miao Yi?"
Yan Beihong laughed bitterly and said, "While I was still a mortal, there was a time when I was on the verge of giving up from the hardship of constantly being on the run. That was when I coincidentally noticed the tiny grass by the side of the road. Weak and fragile they were, but still, they cling to life. This struck a chord with me, and thus, I changed my name to 'Miao Yi' as a form of self-encouragement. There isn't any other meaning behind it."
Since the other party had explained his backstory to them so clearly, he obviously wasn't afraid that they would look it up! Yue Yao and Ba Jie were immediately disappointed. 'So that's why. No wonder they look nothing alike.'
But could it really be such a coincidence? In contrast to Ba Jie and Yue Yao, Fairy Hong Chen would cast a glance from time to time at Miao Yi, who had been standing at the side throughout the conversation.
Perhaps the onlooker was the one who saw it best after all! Yue Yao and Ba Jie had completely forgotten that Miao Yi was standing right next to them, but Fairy Hong Chen had watched the entire conversation play out. She noticed how Yan Beihong would secretly look at Miao Yi from time to time as he spoke, and the latter's tightly clenched fists and reddened eyes as he struggled to keep his emotions in check made her even more suspicious! It was a reunion between Yue Yao and her Second Bro. Why was this person so agitated?
'Dowry!' Fairy Hong Chen suddenly remembered Yue Yao's story about 'Yan Beihong' giving her her dowry. Hong Chen then took out the storage bangle and fiddled with it in the palm of her hands.
Why would a normal person tell Yue Yao something like giving her her dowry? Fairy Hong Chen's eyes shimmered, having seemingly figured something out.
Having pretty much confirmed that this Miao Yi was not the one they were looking for, Ba Jie spread his arms towards Yue Yao once more and said, "Ol' Third, your Second Bro has missed you dearly. Come and give me another hug!"
"Go to hell!" Yue Yao clenched her teeth and launched a kick at his stomach.
Rubbing his stomach, Ba Jie forced a smile and said, "Ol' Third, I've already seen you naked before. What's wrong with a little hug?"
"Stop talking already! You perverted monk!" Yue Yao was fuming with rage.
She was no longer the same little girl she was before. As a full-grown woman, how could someone just casually talk about taking off her pants and showing off her butt, or seeing her completely naked? She was already feeling incredibly embarrassed. How could she possibly continue crying? Flushed with anger and embarrassment, she hastily launched a crescent moon from her fingertips and dangled it right above Ba Jie's bald head.
Ba Jie stared cross-eyed at the razor-sharp edge. Tucking his neck in, he laughed drily and said, "It was just a joke. Just a joke! Can't you tell that I was praising your beauty? Why are you so testy? I'm a monk, for crying out loud. How can I possibly be perverted? Even if you're any prettier, in my eyes, it's all nothing but a beautiful bag of flesh surrounding a skeleton!"
"Okay, that's enough. Someone's coming. You two, come with me. I have something to discuss with you," Fairy Hong Chen said.
"Ol' Third, this should be your senior sister, Fairy Hong Chen, right?" Ba Jie immediately walked over. With a sanctimonious tone, he clapped his hands in prayer and said, "I have long heard stories of the famous fairy—"
Yue Yao saw him getting close to Fairy Hong Chen and hurriedly cut his words off before he could finish, yelling, "Get away from my senior sister!"
However, Fairy Hong Chen didn't need Yue Yao's reminder; she was already instinctively backing away. She had just seen how shameless this monk could be, so how could she not be wary of him?
Then, Yue Yao abruptly turned towards Miao Yi and Yan Beihong and said, "I hope the two of you will pretend this entire conversation never happened. I believe you should know the consequences if word of this spreads out!"
Yan Beihong cast a sideways glance at Miao Yi, and the both of them acknowledged the order.
Before she left, Yue Yao turned around to take another look at Miao Yi. She suddenly remembered something, 'This guy only had two Geotranscendence Bangles, including the one on that dead woman's wrist. Don't tell me he gave me all his other Geotranscendence Bangles?'
Miao Yi silently watched as Yue Yao and the others departed.
Beside him, Yan Beihong sighed and shook his head. Deep down, he was absolutely astonished to find out that both Miao Yi's younger brother and sister had such powerful backgrounds now. As their big brother, how could Miao Yi feel good about that? After all, this little brother of his was not the type who liked to live off of other people!
Outside the moon gate, Gu Sanzheng had just returned. Zhao Fei and the others rushed over as well; all of them had also felt worried when he was taken away.
Miao Yi regained his composure, then walked over to Gu Sanzheng and asked, "What did that Minister of the Left call you over for?"
Gu Sanzheng shook his head and said, "It was so random. In the end, it was about that time all those Yao cultivators were chasing after me, and how all of them kept on insisting I was this 'Niu Youde' character. I only just found out that this Niu Youde was actually the culprit behind a terrible massacre at Brass Gong Fort in the Western Star Sea many years ago. That Hei Langjun really caused me a great deal of trouble!"
Zhao Fei and Sikong Wuwei exchanged glances and secretly looked at Miao Yi. The two of them couldn't help laughing deep down. However, Gu Sanzheng had been their enemy at the time. Back then, nothing they did would have been too much.
Miao Yi couldn't help feeling a little guilty. That said, this wasn't exactly the perfect place to explain himself. Figuring he should just tell Gu Sanzheng the whole story in the future, Miao Yi asked, "Then did they do anything to you?"
"It's quite the coincidence actually. Right when Brass Gong Fort was struck by that catastrophe, a Yao General from the Western Star Sea was visiting my Sword Deviate Sect as a guest. He stayed for quite some time, and back then, the school had arranged for me to be his guard. I even talked to him as well, so I clearly remember him. I never thought he would end up becoming a key witness in proving my alibi. I'm sure the people from the Western Constellations Palace will call him in for questioning afterward. Then my innocence will surely be proven!" Gu Sanzheng sighed in relief. Truth be told, he was quite frightened during the questioning just now. That Minister of the Left was simply too terrifying. The guy could easily blast him to smithereens with a flick of his fingers.
"That's great then!" Miao Yi was just as relieved as he was. It was great that everything was fine. He was in the middle of contemplating whether or not he should step out and confess if Gu Sanzheng was in trouble, but from the looks of things, it seemed he didn't need to worry about it any longer.
Sikong Wuwei couldn't help asking Gu Sanzheng what it was like in the deeper sections of the Western Constellations Palace.
Everyone then talked for a bit before going their own ways. After which, Miao Yi's thoughts were quickly brought back to his little brother and sister, and he couldn't help feeling a little dispirited inside. Then, with leaden steps, he proceeded out the Western Constellations Palace to take a walk.
Upon the boundless ocean, atop the jagged cliff, a lone pavilion rested along the side of the precipice. Shaking his head and sighing, Yan Beihong followed the despondent Miao Yi into said pavilion. However, unbeknownst to the two of them, a figure in a red dress had flown over as well, slowly and elegantly descending upon the roof of the pavilion like a fairy.