Am I Someone You Can Irritate?!

Yin was very, very unhappy.

She wanted to fight, ah! She wanted to smash and beat up those annoying people!

Especially that white-clothed man who threatened to cut off her limb. Li Xiao Yang? More like Li Xiao Hou(1)!

Such a despicable monkey bullying a little girl in order to ingratiate himself to these colorful fancy-robed parrots, if she were a normal little girl, would she not have burst into tears in fright?

If this little monkey did not deserve to be beaten up black and blue, then who deserved a beating?!

However, with Ye Mo's appearance, she simply could no longer make a move. After all, now, everyone knew that she has Ye Mo as a backer. Her actions would reflect and implicate not only him, but Ye Hua and Wu Xuan'er as well.

Ugh!

This meant, she could no longer deal with things high and aboveboard. Despite her strength, she had to be sneaky and underhanded in dealing with every problem cropping up in the future.

'Really, dumb fogey!' Yin could not help but roar inwardly, 'Why did you have to make an entrance at this time? Do you really not understand how to scheme? Do you never look at the greater picture? Could you not have hidden your self for a few more seconds?!'

Ye Mo, of course, knew that Yin had a strong cultivation and in fact, did not really need protection. However, as a pure sword cultivator, he had to be true to his dao heart and step up. The other party was someone he also disliked, so for him, it was only natural that he interfered.

Yin could understand this too, because she was one smart lady. However, she was still angry at him. And since he was carrying her, she grabbed a handful of his long hair and furiously yanked them once more.

Overprotective dumb fogey!

"Aiyo!" Ye Mo could not help but curse in his heart. Yin had actually used her cultivation base when she yanked! He almost cried out loud in pain.

When he turned his accusing glare at her, she welcomed him with a pitiful-looking dumpling face.

"Little Yin is wrong to play!" she sobbed with fat tears staining her tender cheeks. "Little Yin did not want anyone to be hurt by her stick wu wu… do not hate Little Yin…"

Ye Mo could actually turn a blind eye at her splendid performance because he had already known her true self – a devilish brat who liked to see the world burn. However, the crowd surrounding them did not know.

"Ah, Protector Li made the little girl cry."

"What happened? What is this commotion about?"

"This girl in Tenth Elder's arm seemed to be playing earlier when she sent a stick flying towards the guests."

"Protector Li then wanted to punish her by cutting off her arm. One of the guards was about to catch her. Good thing the Tenth Elder arrived at the nick of time."

"What?!"

By now, not only the crowd was upset with Li Xiao Yang, even the guards and disciples with him were targeted by the mob's tongue lashing.

"What heartless people!"

"It was obvious that it was an accident! And look, even those guests from the Qing Blessed Lands weren't saying anything."

One actually pointed at the taciturn old man and the frail boy in golden robes.

"Yes, they were not even asking for an explanation. After all, it would be losing too much face to bully a little girl."

"Alas, Protector Li is actually bullying her."

"Protector Li is too harsh. At most, an apology would have sufficed since no one was actually hurt."

Seeing the people actually pitying this little brat and gossiping against Li Xiao Yang, Ye Mo… actually felt pleased. A smile could be seen on the edges of his lips.

However, on the other hand, Li Xiao Yang was shaking like a leaf. His face was deep purple in anger.

"Li Xiao Yang," Ye Mo sneered, unafraid to kick someone who was already down, "you are still not bowing down before this elder? Are you disrespecting the rules of the sect?"

"T-This protector greets the T-Tenth elder," Li Xiao Yang finally admitted defeat and bowed down. However, killing intent could be seen in his eyes.

Ye Mo and Li Xiao Yang actually belonged to the same generation, and he was actually three years older than Ye Mo. However, despite Ye Mo's lineage dwindling in the power struggle within the sect, his talent had fast surpassed his peers, allowing him to become a revered elder at the age of thirty-one.

Li Xiao Yang was the first son of the Li Clan Patriarch, Ye Sect's Second Elder, and he too was a genius cultivator of the younger generation, already at the peak of the Foundational Spirit Realm, gaining him the title of Protector.

However, his achievements were always covered by Ye Mo's dazzling performance again and again.

This time, he was actually happy to be entertaining the respected guests from the Qing Blessed Lands. This role should have been Ye Mo's, but as luck would have it, Ye Mo refused to go back and stayed in the Ming Yue Sect for personal affairs.

With a little help from his father, the role landed on Li Xiao Yang's plate and he had taken this as an opportunity to rise.

He knew that despite the guards calling the little boy in golden robes 'Young Master', the boy was actually a direct descendant of the Qing Imperial Family.

The Qing Imperial Family! These are the rulers of the Qing Blessed Lands!

If he could form a friendship with him, he would be like a carp that has leaped through the dragon's gate! (2)

Li Xiao Yang hated that he was being forced to lower himself in front of his great enemy. However, he knew that if he did not cooperate, the respected guests from Qing Blessed Lands would have had a bad impression on him for not respecting seniority and hierarchy.

Ye Mo nodded as he accepted this bow. At least on the surface, Li Xiao Yang was a member of the Ye Sect. He is family. Family can hate each other, but family cannot let outsiders badmouth them for even half a syllable.

He carefully put Yin down on the ground and faced the little boy in golden robes.

"The tenth elder of the Ye Sect greets the respected guests from the Qing Blessed Lands. For failure to come and welcome you into the city, please accept this bow of apology. Also, this little girl is my responsibility, and if she has offended the Young Master, let this lowly one accept the punishment in her stead."

Actually, Ye Mo felt apprehensive. A mortal emperor and his family could kill their subjects for no reason at all, what more a powerful hegemon of the world of cultivation. The Qing Blessed Lands controlled each and every life within their territory. If they wanted to punish Little Yin…

For the first time, the little boy in golden robes spoke.

"Is this the orphan girl with the Spiritual Body?"

The weak and thin boy spoke slowly, calmly, with a tone that spoke highly of his royal upbringing. His curious black eyes that seemed too mature for a six- or seven- year old.

Ye Mo was not surprised that they knew about Little Yin's circumstances. After all, the Ye Sect would have given a proper explanation to these guests for Ye Mo's failure to appear when they entered the city.

"Answering the young master, yes, she owns a Spiritual Body." A hand dotingly rubbed Yin's head. "Little Yin, greet the guests."

Yin had long stopped crying, but her large eyes were still a little red-rimmed. Her eyes did not move from Li Xiao Yang, like she was memorizing every bit of his person. Truth be told, she was calculating different ways of punishing this monkey.

In fact, she never gave fart on the pleasantries around her and only listened half-heartedly to the things that happened.

Only, she clutched Ye Mo's robe near his thighs like any normal little girl who was shy around strangers. On the outside, people would never pick up anything wrong with her. Only Ye Mo could feel that she resisted, despised even, the idea of being civil around people she did not like.

Yin was never, ever polite with anyone, and she was someone whose status never allowed her to give the first greeting. Even though she was in a body of a toddler, Yin was still a proud deity in her bones.

As such, she did not dare open her mouth. Her pink lips only pouted, like a miserably wronged little wife.

"Little Yin?" Ye Mo prodded. Helplessly, he sighed, "I apologize, guests, but she seems terrified by what happened. I hope you do not put her behavior to heart. This is Little Yin, and she is not an orphan. A senior of hers actually visited the Ming Yue Sect of this city, before leaving her to temporarily reside with me as an appointed guardian."

This was the lie that Yin cooked up to protect both her and the Ye Sect. With Third Princess Zhi Ruo's help, this 'truth' would be a talisman enough to last her for a while.

The old servant carrying the little boy finally spoke up in a harsh, garrulous voice. "Frog at the bottom of the well, had no understanding of how high the sky or how wide it was, even if this girl is shy, even if she is crippled, even if she is mute, she has to show sincerity and respect! Is this what the tiny Ye Sect's attitude towards the overlords of this land?"

Yin finally moved her eyes towards the old servant, a glint flashing before she said in a sweet, twinkling voice, "Lowly servant, daring to put up airs in front of your young master. He has not even shown discontent, yet here you are farting through your mouth. Do you actually think I am someone you can irritate, ah?!"

--

(1) Xiao Hou, Little Monkey

(2) The carp leaped through the dragon's gate, 鲤鱼跳龙门, means transformation, to change one's fate, achieving success after hard work