Ye Feifei shot Ye Tian a look. "A man saw a woman's body. How are you going to explain that? You have to at least make it right!"
Ye Tian's heart leaped into his throat. 'This is real trouble. Make it right? What does she mean, make it right? Don't tell me I have to marry her, do I?'
'Even if I wanted to marry her, the Ye Family Patriarch would never agree. Besides, after what happened with Ye Shixue, I'm still wary of women.'
It wasn't that Ye Tian disliked Ye Feifei. Her beauty was in no way inferior to Ye Shixue's. Although he had never seen her true face, her reputation as one of Lisha City's greatest beauties couldn't be an exaggeration.
"Ye Feifei, I was thirsty after my Cultivation yesterday, so I went to the deep pool for a drink," Ye Tian said, his heart pounding. "Before I could even get to the water, I saw someone bathing. The whole area was shrouded in mist, so I couldn't see anything clearly. How about we just... let this go?"
"Heh, not clearly?" Ye Feifei was starting to get angry, her words turning sharp. "How clear a look did you want? Would you like to take another one?"
Ye Tian was at a complete loss. He'd heard of Ye Feifei's infamous reputation as a "tigress," but he'd never seen that side of her himself. For all he knew, she had been deliberately hiding her true nature this whole time.
"Fine, we won't let it go," Ye Tian said with a sigh of resignation. "What kind of answer do you want from me? In terms of status or strength, I'm not worthy. If you truly believe your honor has been compromised, then just kill me!"
Ye Feifei hadn't expected him to say something like that. The very fact she was standing here talking to him was already a huge show of respect.
If it had been anyone else, she would have attacked them by now. Was a girl's body something just anyone could look at?
"You really think I wouldn't dare kill you?" Ye Feifei gritted her teeth, completely infuriated by this dense blockhead. In a fit of anger, she couldn't stop herself from drawing her sword.
Ye Tian closed his eyes. He knew Ye Feifei wouldn't actually kill him; she was just doing this to save face. Still, he closed his eyes.
After a glance at Ye Tian, Ye Feifei cried out in exasperation, "Ye Tian, you're the biggest fool in the entire world!"
With that, Ye Feifei couldn't help but turn and run. Ye Tian could faintly hear her choked sobs; the proud young miss of the Ye Family was clearly crying.
In a flash, Ye Tian executed the Second Form of the Flowing Cloud Step and appeared before Ye Feifei. "Ye Feifei, I understand what you're trying to say. Can you calm down and just let me finish speaking?"
Ye Feifei was startled when Ye Tian suddenly appeared in front of her. She hadn't expected his speed to be so incredible, and she couldn't help but stop in her tracks.
"What do you want to say?" she asked, her bright, beautiful eyes brimming with tears. She looked so tragically lovely it would make anyone want to cherish and protect her.
"Ye Feifei, you've heard of Ye Shixue, right?" Ye Tian said slowly, a look of helplessness and pain on his face.
"I know of her," Ye Feifei said, looking at him. "She was close to Ye Feng, but now it seems she's with Ye Hu. She was your woman, wasn't she? You still can't forget her, can you?"
"Ye Shixue and I grew up together. We were true childhood sweethearts. We swore eternal vows to each other, and I promised I would take care of her for the rest of my life. I just never thought she would change so quickly.
"It would be a lie to say I've forgotten her completely. Right now, I can only say that my hatred for her is greater than my love. My heart is a mess, and I really can't promise you anything right now," Ye Tian said.
'He knew his words would hurt her. He couldn't understand it. They had spent so little time together, how could she have developed feelings for him? Could this be the legendary love at first sight?'
'But I'm hardly some amazing guy. In terms of strength, I'm just an ant in her eyes.'
To his surprise, Ye Feifei wasn't as hurt as he'd expected. Instead, she smiled through her tears. "Ye Tian, I knew I wasn't wrong about you. If you had immediately promised to marry me, I think I would have looked down on you.
"I know you're wondering why I'm so good to you. It's not without reason. Do you want to know why?"
"I do!" Ye Tian said. "That's what I'm most curious about. Thank you, Ye Feifei. Thank you for understanding!"
"I'll tell you when you've finally made a name for yourself!" Ye Feifei said. "But when that day comes, I expect you to give me a proper answer! Also, from now on, I want you to call me Feifei or Fei'er!"
Ye Tian knew that he and Ye Feifei were now destined to be entangled. "If that day ever comes, I'll give you an answer you're satisfied with. The sky is getting light; we should probably head back."
"Go back? What about this Gale Wolf? We haven't dealt with it yet. It looks like a Tier Three Demon Beast... it's incredible that you managed to kill it! Oh, and you're covered in blood. You must be badly hurt, right?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Ye Tian knew she might really lose her temper if he didn't start humoring her. "Feifei, I'm fine, really! They're just flesh wounds. They'll heal in a few days!"
Ye Feifei hurriedly pulled out a small red porcelain bottle. "This is high-grade Golden Sore Medicine. Quick, take off your clothes so I can apply it for you!"
Ye Tian glanced at Ye Feifei. "Take off my clothes? I don't think that's necessary! I'm really fine!"
"What, are you shy now?" Ye Feifei said angrily. "You've already seen my whole body. Are you saying you're the one at a disadvantage if I see yours? I don't have a problem with it, so what's there to object to?"
Not wanting to upset Ye Feifei, Ye Tian reluctantly removed his blood-soaked clothes.
The moonlight was still bright, making the condition of his body clearly visible. As Ye Feifei looked at him, her expression shifted rapidly, until finally she couldn't help but ask, "Your wounds... they've healed? How is that possible?"
"I told you I was fine, but you didn't believe me," Ye Tian said. "Whenever I'm seriously injured, a mysterious power inside me heals my wounds. So, I don't need your Golden Sore Medicine."
'He wouldn't dare tell Ye Feifei that he had obtained the War Dragon Pearl. If word got out, countless people would flock to seize it. They would undoubtedly tear open his chest to get the Dragon Pearl, and all hell would break loose.'
"That's incredible," Ye Feifei said with a laugh. "Ye Tian, you might really become a true powerhouse one day!"
Suddenly, she noticed a change in Ye Tian's aura. It was the distinct presence of someone who had broken through to the Fifth Layer. That meant Ye Tian had advanced again in just a few short days, a fact even more shocking than his rapid healing.
Seeing Ye Feifei staring at him strangely, Ye Tian smiled. "You've probably noticed I've broken through to the Fifth Layer, haven't you? It's a secret, so you have to help me hide it until the tournament. I have a way to conceal my true strength. If I want to get into the Inner Sect, I need the element of surprise!"
Ye Tian had given Ye Feifei one shock after another today. His wounds healed almost instantly, and he'd advanced from the Second Layer to the Fifth Layer in less than a week. You would be hard-pressed to find even a handful of people with that kind of cultivation speed in all of Lisha City, let alone in a Level 1 City or even the Imperial City!
In her heart, she was now certain that Ye Tian would one day become a true powerhouse. At the same time, she made a resolution: she would make Ye Tian accept her, and one day, love her...