It was unclear how long they had been walking on the mountain path, a truly arduous undertaking. Climbing down was difficult enough, and for Hou Mingzhu, a pampered young lady accustomed to luxury, she was already struggling halfway up.
Her pace grew slower and slower, but seeing everyone else pushing forward with determination, she didn't want to be a burden to Ye Tiancheng, so she didn't speak, merely striving to keep up.
It was Ye Tiancheng who noticed Hou Mingzhu's flagging strength and stopped, taking her hand.
Hou Mingzhu looked at Ye Tiancheng with a hint of confusion. "Why have we stopped? They're all ahead, and if we don't hurry, we'll fall behind. We should catch up quickly."
Ye Tiancheng replied, "I know."
As he spoke, Ye Tiancheng suddenly crouched down in front of Hou Mingzhu, revealing his broad shoulders.
Hou Mingzhu blinked, then stammered, "What are you doing?"
Ye Tiancheng smiled. "Get on. I'll carry you. Aren't you tired?"
This task didn't require worrying about Ye Qingcheng. On the way up, Fatty had proudly volunteered for this, and with Fatty's stamina, being a cultivator and a grown man, carrying Ye Qingcheng all the way up the mountain was no problem for him.
Since his daughter was taken care of, it was only natural to dote on his wife.
After a moment of no movement from Hou Mingzhu, Ye Tiancheng urged, "What are you doing? Get on quickly. If we don't hurry, we'll truly be left behind."
"Oh, oh, okay." Hou Mingzhu was still a bit dazed and quickly scrambled onto Ye Tiancheng's back, using her hands and feet.
Ye Tiancheng felt for a moment, confirming Hou Mingzhu was ready, and asked again to ensure there were no misunderstandings. He then firmly hoisted her onto his back, and once he was sure she was secure, he set off again.
Hou Mingzhu lay on Ye Tiancheng's back, her arms tightly around his neck, her face flushed.
Everyone else had walked up honestly, and she was the only one being carried.
Although she felt a little embarrassed, Hou Mingzhu couldn't help but curve her lips. Ye Tiancheng's shoulders were broad and warm, providing a great sense of security. Moreover, Ye Tiancheng had proactively noticed her discomfort and offered to carry her, without making her feel like a burden.
Hou Mingzhu's heart felt as if it were filled with honey, so sweet it was almost overflowing.
After their brief delay at the back, those walking ahead suddenly realized the people behind them were falling behind. Fatty noticed the absence of any sound from Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu for a long time.
Because he was carrying Ye Qingcheng and walking on a mountain path, for safety, Fatty couldn't turn his head around carelessly. He asked Xiao Huli, who was walking beside him, "Xiao Huli, go see where Brother Ye and Sister-in-law are. Why don't I hear them? Could they have gotten lost?"
Hearing Fatty's words, Helian Yi also quickly turned to look.
Xiao Huli glanced in the direction of Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu and saw Ye Tiancheng carrying Hou Mingzhu, quite a distance behind. He then told Fatty, "It's fine, no need to worry."
"Sister-in-law might be tired, so Brother stopped to carry her. They'll probably catch up soon."
Seeing that Ye Tiancheng was still some distance away, Helian Yi stopped. "Then let's wait. We don't want them to get lost."
However, Helian Yi couldn't have imagined that after Ye Tiancheng started carrying Hou Mingzhu, his speed increased by an unknown amount. Within a few breaths, he quickly caught up, his face not flushed, his breathing not labored, and he hadn't even broken a sweat.
Seeing that they had stopped, Ye Tiancheng asked curiously, "Why did you stop? Have we arrived?"
"..." Helian Yi paused. "No, not yet. There's still some distance."
Hou Mingzhu immediately reacted and became extremely shy. She lightly patted Ye Tiancheng's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Perhaps they saw us falling behind and are waiting for us."
However, Helian Yi didn't understand Ye Tiancheng and didn't realize that Ye Tiancheng had caught up so quickly without much effort, appearing so relaxed.
Ye Tiancheng said to Helian Yi, "Oh, sorry. We were delayed a bit behind. But you can rest assured and keep going. I can keep up."
Helian Yi didn't know what else to say, so he just nodded and then continued to lead the way for Ye Tiancheng and the others.
However, simply following the paths trodden on the mountain was not enough to find their final destination. After all, the Helian family wouldn't be completely unprepared. Even if they were confident in their family's security, they wouldn't fail to take precautions and make some disguises.
The mountain paths on the mountain were not straight, nor were they without forks. There were many messy junctions. If someone unfamiliar with the terrain went up the mountain, they wouldn't be able to discern the true path at a glance.
Even judging by the number and frequency of footprints on the mountain paths, it was impossible to tell.
For the sake of safety, the Helian family arranged for people to walk on the mountain every day, on every path, to ensure there were fresh footprints.
Therefore, the footprints on every mountain path were numerous and complex, and all of them were new, making them unusable as a basis for judgment. One still had to rely on knowing the way.
It was evident that the Helian family had indeed been very thoughtful and cautious.
It took several hours to ascend the mountain. After walking such a long stretch of mountain path, by the end, Helian Yi was starting to falter. It truly made one marvel at how strict the Helian family was in this regard, to the point where even the family head had to endure hardship.
Helian Yi was sweating profusely and panting. When he looked back, he saw that Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng, the two women, were enjoying the ride and didn't have to walk at all. Ye Tiancheng and his two brothers, unlike him, weren't suffering so much.
Xiao Huli and Fatty, on the other hand, looked like normal people, showing signs of fatigue and a light sheen of sweat.
Ye Tiancheng, however, had walked the entire way and then carried an adult like Hou Mingzhu. Even though women were not light, Ye Tiancheng seemed completely at ease, showing no signs of fatigue, as if he were merely out for a stroll on the mountain.
Helian Yi couldn't help but exclaim, "Nephew Ye is truly strong and vigorous. It's enviable."
Because Helian Yi had maintained a sufficiently humble posture and a consistently good attitude, their relationship with Ye Tiancheng had finally eased somewhat, allowing him to address them more familiarly without being rebuffed.
Helian Yi was certainly more committed to getting closer to Ye Tiancheng. If he had the opportunity, he would definitely seize it.
Hearing Helian Yi's words, Ye Tiancheng merely smiled. "It's just regular exercise. Nothing special. I'm just used to it, so I don't feel tired. The Helian family is too kind."
After this exchange of polite compliments and mutual flattery, they turned their gaze towards their final destination.
Looking at the luxuriously decorated mountain villa, which clearly indicated superior conditions, Ye Tiancheng and the others were almost speechless.
The elder they had heard Helian Yi and the others introduce seemed like a recluse living deep in the mountains, but it turned out he was living a life of luxury in a mountain villa. Judging by the exterior of the villa, the interior wouldn't be any less extravagant. What kind of reclusion was this?
So, what kind of matters could this wealthy family possibly have to ask Ye Tiancheng for?
Ye Tiancheng couldn't fathom why he would be specially invited. If they couldn't solve the problems themselves, why did they believe he could?
If it were related to the cultivation world, their own family wasn't without cultivators.
The closer they got, the more certain Ye Tiancheng became.
The cultivator within the Helian family was likely the elder they spoke of, making it truly perplexing.
Seeing that they had arrived, Hou Mingzhu quietly asked Ye Tiancheng to put her down.
It wouldn't be appropriate to have Ye Tiancheng carry her when meeting someone, especially another elder of transcendent status in the family. For Hou Mingzhu, it was important to show some courtesy and not be too impolite, lest she embarrass the Hou family.
Ye Tiancheng obliged and set Hou Mingzhu down.
Upon reaching the villa's main entrance, Helian Yi didn't go in directly. Instead, he rang the doorbell and stood before the display screen by the gate. "Requesting an audience with the elder. Ye Tiancheng has been invited. Reporting back to the elder."
After a moment of waiting, an image of a middle-aged man appeared on the display screen. The man had a well-proportioned face, a square jaw, and looked very serious and earnest. His eyes twinkled with a subtle sharpness, and he appeared very energetic. He was the kind of person who would stand out in any crowd, never blending in.
At first glance, one could tell that this was absolutely not an ordinary person.
The middle-aged man on the screen said to Helian Yi, "Bring them in."
Helian Yi respectfully replied, "Yes."
As soon as he finished speaking, the villa's main door quietly swung open, awaiting the guests.
Led by Helian Yi, Ye Tiancheng and the others entered the villa. After everyone had entered, the villa's main door closed behind them. Helian Yi led Ye Tiancheng and the others for a considerable distance, as the villa was extremely large.
It took about half an hour before they reached their destination.
Ye Tiancheng playfully teased Hou Mingzhu, "Knowing there was still such a long way to go, do you regret asking me to put you down?"
Hou Mingzhu shot him a glare. "No. Are you talking nonsense again?"
Ye Tiancheng obediently shut his mouth and made a zipping motion across his lips. Ye Qingcheng was still unconscious. As for the others who were single or whose partners were not present, they simply pretended not to see their affectionate banter, to avoid being "fed dog food."
Helian Yi led Ye Tiancheng and the others to the reception hall. The middle-aged man who had appeared on the screen was already seated on the reception hall's sofa, quietly awaiting Ye Tiancheng's arrival.
When Ye Tiancheng and the others arrived, the middle-aged man's gaze swept over the group before finally settling on Ye Tiancheng. "You must be Ye Tiancheng. We finally meet."
His expression was relatively amiable, but considering his identity, it was difficult to believe the sincerity of the amiability on his face. However, for people of their status, having their own facade was normal, and not at all strange.
Ye Tiancheng smiled slightly. In front of fellow cultivators, while needing to protect those around him, he couldn't be too arrogant, but he also couldn't be overly polite.
"I am Ye Tiancheng. It certainly wasn't easy for us to meet like this."
Upon hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, everyone except the middle-aged man couldn't help but glance at Ye Tiancheng.
It was likely that Ye Tiancheng had put in considerable effort to ensure that when he said these words, they didn't sound overly sarcastic, but his dissatisfaction was clearly evident. Ye Tiancheng didn't feel intimidated at all.