Beiming Mountain Day 144-147 Part 7 People change from the smallest to the biggest incidents

"Haa, should have agreed to Lei Hong's terms earlier." Xia Yuning sighed. Something she was finding herself doing more and more lately. She was also becoming aware of her interactions with others not being that great. 'The status of the North Lord's Mansion daughter is starting to become a hindrance. Status only matters in a time of peace and we are defintely heading to chaos!'

"Hehe, it is better we solve things ourselves at times." Ye Xinghe chuckled a little embarrassed. They were after all on the outside the same as the others trying to figure out a way inside the place. "I just wonder if we should trust what Lin Yin said?"

"Lin Yin... oh yeah." Xia Yuning's face scrunched up a little. Something just didn't seem right about the other female. Not only the way she carried herself but the way the Lin clan itself acted in Blue Carp Town lately. 'Not only did she warn Ye Xinghe heavily not to get involved with Lin Hong still but she pushed hard for the Azure Feather Clan to move away to a new area. Is she worried they will be attacked by other forces like the Imperial Army?'

Xia Yuning didn't know when but she started thinking of herself as just a friend to the Azure Feather Clan. Instead of a girl determined to get what she wanted by having Ye Xinghe as her man. The trip to the Eternal Heaven Family after herself and Ye Xinghe did the cultivation method to boost their power by cultivating their energies togethor in the bath and touching backs opened her ideas more than before.

'He did all that for An Xueyun.. not his family. He was so against doing it. I liked that about the way he acted so shy at first.' Xia Yuning was confused and started to become frustrated on the matter. Her hormones influenced by everything that took place during that time just remembering. As well as the excitement the treasure search was bringing currently. 'I was so confused then but I wanted to get stronger. He needed to get stronger for his family but hesitated and I had to convince him so adamantly. Even saying stuff I didn't believe. Soon as I mention how this would help An Xueyaun in the future, his demeanor changed and he was ready to go!'

"I know you think we should move.. but Blue Carp Town is our home." Ye Xinghe walked up to her front side. "Not to late for you to return to the North Lord's Mansion... if you are worried."

"I might go for a visit. After all.. trouble is brewing and you will need the help." Xia Yuning then spotted someone she didn't want to meet in the area. "That nutjob Ling Yu.. ugh such a bother." Ye Xinghe had a lost look on his face so she decided to help him out some more. "You really need to learn more about the power structures in the Empire as well as its allies and enemies."

"Never needed to know it before." Ye Xinghe gave a shrug not taking it to heart. "Have to much to worry about at home to concern myself with those kinds of matters. Why is everyone paying attention to that guy?"

"Because he is Ling Yu, a genius swordsman of the Great Zhou Empire, and is known as the number one expert amongst the younger generation in the capital. Also, one of the former candidates to be my fiance." Xia Yuning's face scrunched up at the thought. 'If I would have ended up with him, things would have been awful. I just have a feeling he is really unhinged somehow.'

"That is a future problem." He shrugged focusing closer on the movements of Ling Yu. Watching him work on the barrier. Rubbing his chin, Xia Yuning's voice was drowned out a little while he focused.

"You are the Patriarch of the Azure Feather Clan, no longer can you think so small like that." Xia Yuning was tired of having this conversation with him as well. "How will you save An Xueyun if you do not know more about the man who claims her?"

"She is not one to be claimed." Ye Xinghe's face was pensive as he looked to her. "You could show more concern for your friend!"

"If you knew what I knew dumbass, you might understand things more!" Xia Yuning did not like his tone at all. Coupled with him not listening and seeing Ling Yu was enough to make her want to break something in anger. "Thankfully An Xuenyan is safe. The lengths she will go to as well as what she will do if something happens to her is scary."

"You speak as if she will die if her sister dies." Doubt plastered Ye Xinghe's face. He cared for his family greatly but he could not comprehend fully the relationship between the two sisters and what they meant to one another. "Looks like they may have come up with a plan to get in."

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Inside-

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Lei Hong explained the changes took deeper in the empire as requested. His clan members that came with finally loosened up enough to trust Liang Yu some more. Especially with him not taking anything in the place they found so far.

What made it easier is that Liang Yu did not ask about the Lei Clan itself but those who caused them problems.

"So the little girl Zhuo Yan is worth saving as well as the two from the Gu clan?" Liang Yu didn't think much of the three. But memory served the two Gu members die during this time and would make great contributions to him since they are Star Cultivators. But to think the family Zhuo Yan belongs to, the Zhenyan Family had some importance. "Makes sense on why Ling Yu brought them along. Trying to foster more connections. His looks and status already has the Gu girls wrapped around his finger. Zhuo Yan is a little girl and impressionable, very easy to bring her to his side. Only children that had something terrible happen to them generally have the strength to see through these types of things."

"Surely he wouldn't risk their lives to further his status?" Lei Hong was hopeful that was not the case. But he could see that happening with some of the rumors about Ling Yu were true. After Liang Yu shared some things with him. "The two guys that were with them, Huyan Zhuo and Han Feng shouldn't be in on it. Huyan Zhuo is an idiot on the surface but pretty smart in reading a change in a situation. As for Han Feng... well he is a typical fool."

"That is promising." Liang Yu watched the Lei clan members clear out one of the rooms that he never made it to before. It was the second one they cleared at that. Ye Yue mostly kept watch of the situation and cultivated. "If we can help them, I suppose we will. This should help increase your status and give you some connections in your clan for certain things in the future. I think that will work best. If not, I will make use of them instead for my own goals."

"I understand." Lei Hong was grateful they would at least try to help. His suspicions about the person under the disguise were more or less confirmed base on the talks about lighting-based techniques. Plus a few answers that his uncle only shared with Liang Yu before and himself. "Will we be able to come out of this unscathed since this is a trap?"

*Woosh!* A few qi waves swirled around Liang Yu and Lei Hong. When coming back, Liang Yu snatched more of the

"We should." Liang Yu beckoned Ye Yue over. His understanding of cultivation changed enough for him to give her something better than what she currently had. And the Wolf statue he took from the place previously was gonna help. "Hold still and do not resist."

"Ehhm!" Ye Yue nodded. The two clasped hands and touched foreheads. The "Connection" caused by him being a Champion flared up. The statue of the Wolf left out of his Internal Space and entered her Dantian. "Heavy!"

*Fwoosh!* The clear flame lit up around her body before vanishing. Lei Hong stared with open eyes in wonder. A quick look showed his clan members were to engrossed in looting to pay attention.

Under the guidance of Liang Yu's Flame Vortex Core, the wolf statue that he could not use himself or refine for power, fused with Ye Yue's dantian creating a combination of Flame Martial Arts and Demonic Beast Martial Arts?

"A success." Liang Yu thought it would give her some strength but it did the same as if he did it for himself. 'Either she is special or the Flame Vortex Core is just crazy.' Ye Yue went into a trance as she diligently cultivated to rain in the changes taking place. "Well... gonna have to tuck her away for later."

*Woosh!* Liang Yu pulled her into his Internal Space. With the Flame Vortex Core spinning to grind down the bodies gathered from before, she would have enough energy to supplement her if needed. Hopefully, that would not be the case at all.

"Such amazing methods. Who are you really?" Lei Hong couldn't help but ask.

"A friend to you that should matter most. As well as a fledgling Dragon Martial Artist." Liang Yu still didn't want to reveal himself just yet. Especially with the rebels trap not having sprung just yet. "Lot's of things to still do. Should move on once your people are finished." He flexed his hands showing some dragon scales to help sell it. The dark blue scales almost looked black. 'This should keep him wondering who I am.'

"Right." Lei Hong gave a small nod as the two went to the others. 'Dragon technique, maybe? The qi feels different than I remember. So maybe he is not Liang Yu.'

After finishing in the room and only obtaining a few rewards, the group moved back from the room into the major corridor. The various clans had made it in and searched started searching the place as well.

Lei Hong spotted the people of recent discussion and made his mind up to help with building a better relationship for the future.

"Hey there Xia Yuning, and company." He decided to address the highest one that he knew. Ling Yu was not someone he spoke with a lot before. "Lovely ladies from the Gu clan and little Zhuo Yan, staying out of trouble?"

"Who you calling little lighting brows?" Zhuo Yan like most children seemed to take offense to people pointing out the obvious.

"Hello Lei Hong, have really talked since the family gatherings. Things were to intense during the Lin family gathering." Xia Yuning got along well enough with him to keep it cordial. Speaking of the Lin clan brought her memory of Lin Yin again. "By the way, Lin Yin is..."

"No need to give me an update. I am very aware I do not have a place in her heart." Lei Hong stopped her before she went into it. "Received quite an earful about my actions once I brought it up when I got home. The good news, my family is no longer trying to connect us. The bad news, they are trying to find someone else. One of the reasons I came here."

Supringsly enough, the Gu sisters chatted along with Zhuo Yan that kept asking questions about who Liang Yu was. The only one who didn't join in was Ling Yu and Ye Xinghe. Which the two became aware and fun a little odd.

As if they were not really included in the conversation as time passed.

"If you are all done wasting time, we should proceed on." Ling Yu said. His tone even but still ticked everyone off a bit. "Just saying.. if we do not want to miss the chance."

"These tunnels are all so long that the end can't be seen from here." Gu Yunlan said. Her eyes containing a small bit of anger in them. "Do you have a way to go already are you just rushing us for nothing?"

"I do not, but we should think of something instead of just talking about useless things." Ling Yu said back. "With over a dozen tunnels, it's impossible to tell which is the correct Path. We can only pick one and take a look inside and retreat only when it's impossible to continue further."

Ling Yu looked around slightly frustrated. Not only was he not the main focus and couldn't find a chance to talk and get on Xia Yuning's good side but Lei Hong showed more character than he expected. Unlike Huyan Zhuo and Han Feng who still showed respect, the others looked somewhat spiteful.

"Ye Xinghe, do you have an idea where we should go?" Xia Yuning turned to ask. But Ye Xinghe was looking at White Fang who was staring at Liang Yu. The wolf was torn between growling at him and wanting to bow to him. "What is going on?"

"I don't know." Ye Xinghe felt odd since White Fang never acted like this before. "You don't know him do you?"

"Grr!" White Fang shook no.

"If it attacks me... I will kill it. Just putting it out there." Liang Yu figured it was reacting to the change of qi as well as Ye Yue's changed scent. 'Forgot about animals smelling capabilities. But it was only a few minutes, shouldn't have mattered. Killing this wolf would give me a lot as well as upgrade Ye Yue further. Not to mention the wolves that it summons later. Need to be careful about that happening in a few weeks. Might be able to take a few of them with my understanding of the Beast Technique. Or Ye Yue might be able to communicate with them.'

"White Fang will not attack unwarranted!" Ye Xinghe said defensively.