Ye Tiancheng had originally intended to warn Hou Mingzhu, but she looked at him with innocent eyes, as if filled with light, "I'm not afraid, aren't you here to protect me, Brother Ye? You're so powerful, no one can bully me."
Seeing the worship-filled gaze in Hou Mingzhu's eyes, as if Ye Tiancheng was the most powerful man in the world, capable of solving all her problems, Ye Tiancheng suddenly found himself speechless. Perhaps it was his male ego at play.
It felt as though if Ye Tiancheng admitted his inadequacy in front of Hou Mingzhu, it would be a great loss of face, so he could only brace himself and shoulder the responsibility.
"Alright, I understand. I know you depend on me, but you also need to protect yourself. I can't be by your side forever, and I worry about you being threatened. If you encounter danger and I can't arrive in time, you'll get hurt."
Ye Tiancheng hated being long-winded, yet here he was, becoming that person. By the time he realized it, it was too late. Hou Mingzhu suddenly hugged Ye Tiancheng's waist, leaning half of her body against his chest obediently.
"I believe in you, Brother Ye. As long as you're here, no one can harm me. I know you'll always protect me."
A wave of emotion surged through Ye Tiancheng. Although the memory-loss-stricken Hou Mingzhu hadn't become more virtuous or gentle, her dependence made it impossible for Ye Tiancheng to let her down.
"Alright, why are you being so motherly? It's unbearable. Hou Mingzhu, I will protect you. I'll do my best to protect you, but sometimes, in extreme danger, I can't guarantee it. I'm not an immortal, so you must also be careful. I promised your father I would take good care of you, and I don't want to break my word."
"Yes, but I hope you protect me not because of my father, but because of me. Then I'll be even more grateful."
Watching Hou Mingzhu earnestly debate a trivial matter with him, Ye Tiancheng suddenly found her current demeanor incredibly cute. He reached out and pinched the tip of her nose.
"I know, I understand everything."
"Alright, it's getting late. Shouldn't we go back to sleep?"
Ye Tiancheng had wanted to bring up the matter of the ancestral hall, but realizing how late it was, he decided it was best to sleep first and then set off again.
The main reason was that he couldn't bring himself to say it now. The issue of using Hou Mingzhu would have to wait a little longer, even if it was just until tomorrow.
"Okay, let's go back to sleep. Be good, and let's not cause any trouble. I have something to ask of you tomorrow, so I'm giving you a heads-up."
"What are you talking about, Brother Ye? You're so powerful, how could you possibly need to ask me for anything?"
Hou Mingzhu was clearly curious and hoped Ye Tiancheng would reveal what he needed her for right away. However, Ye Tiancheng ultimately decided to keep her in suspense.
"Let's talk about it tomorrow."
Hou Mingzhu didn't ask any further questions, and they each returned to their rooms to sleep. Not long after falling asleep, lightning and thunder suddenly struck, and a heavy rain began to pour.
Ye Tiancheng was a little worried that Hou Mingzhu might be scared. As soon as he opened his door, he saw Hou Mingzhu pacing back and forth at the doorway, clutching a pillow, her face pale with fright. She must have been terrified by the thunder.
"Are you here to find me? Why didn't you knock? What's with pacing around the doorway? Are you a wandering ghost?"
"Brother Ye, I am indeed here to find you, but I felt too embarrassed to approach you. I feel so ashamed." Hou Mingzhu, fearing Ye Tiancheng wouldn't understand, added an explanation, "I'm already this old, and I'm still afraid of thunder. It's so embarrassing to admit. Brother Ye, you won't laugh at me, will you?"
"Of course, I won't laugh at you. It's normal. Many girls are afraid of thunder. Girls are naturally timid."
Although Ye Tiancheng said he wouldn't laugh, the expression on his face was already uncontrollable. His mouth had split into a grin, and he appeared rather peculiar.
"But Brother Ye, you are clearly laughing at me. I can see it."
"What time is it? Why aren't you sleeping yet? Go to sleep quickly."
Ye Tiancheng felt a bit awkward, having been discovered in his playful teasing. He quickly changed the subject, hoping Hou Mingzhu wouldn't dwell on it.
"Brother Ye, it's still thundering outside. I don't dare to go back to sleep. How about I just stand outside your door? At least I'll feel a bit safer."
Ye Tiancheng was exasperated, "Honestly, if you keep pacing outside my door, I won't be able to sleep either. So please, spare me. Why don't you come inside and sleep?"
"But is that okay? Will it disturb you?"
Looking at the sparkle in Hou Mingzhu's eyes, Ye Tiancheng found it impossible to refuse her. He couldn't resist her pure innocence, which made it impossible for him to say anything hurtful.
"It won't disturb me. You can sleep next to me. We won't bother each other; we'll just sleep in our own beds."
Once Ye Tiancheng made up his mind, Hou Mingzhu beamed with joy. Clutching her pillow, she even jumped up, "That's great! Brother Ye is too good to me. I don't have to sleep alone anymore. I was so scared. Thank you, Brother Ye."
"Alright, Hou Mingzhu, stop jumping. I said there's no one living around us, but you're still disturbing the peace a bit. Go to sleep quickly."
Hou Mingzhu was very obedient. Realizing her behavior was too childish, she quickly composed herself, then lay down next to Ye Tiancheng with her pillow and obediently closed her eyes to sleep.
It had been a long time since a woman had slept beside Ye Tiancheng. Previously, it was Hou Qing'er who always accompanied him, and now it was Hou Mingzhu. He was suddenly reminded of that familiar feeling.
Hou Mingzhu fell asleep remarkably quickly, while Ye Tiancheng found himself somewhat sleepless. Gazing at Hou Mingzhu's fair, delicate face, he suddenly realized why people called her a peerless beauty. Her features were indeed exquisite, but due to past grievances, Ye Tiancheng had never paid attention to Hou Mingzhu's appearance, his heart filled with resentment.
"Hou Mingzhu, I hope you have a peaceful and happy life. Don't encounter people like me again. Meeting me brought you no good fortune."
After saying this, Ye Tiancheng also fell asleep. They slept through the night like that. The next morning, when Ye Tiancheng opened his eyes, he found that Hou Mingzhu had somehow ended up in his arms.
Perhaps after experiencing so much, Ye Tiancheng no longer found this intimacy as abrupt or difficult to accept. He just felt that the timing was wrong; they weren't at that stage yet. So, Ye Tiancheng gently pushed Hou Mingzhu away.
Then, Ye Tiancheng got up to make breakfast: bread, fried eggs, and milk. When Hou Mingzhu woke up, she could eat breakfast directly.
In fact, Ye Tiancheng was in a hurry. He had come for the Fuxi Qin fragments and had already gone through too many twists and turns. He couldn't afford any more delays. So, while Hou Mingzhu was still eating breakfast, Ye Tiancheng brought up his treasure-hunting mission.
"Hou Mingzhu, the reason I got engaged to you was to come to your ancestral hall. There's something I want in your ancestral hall. The reason I haven't obtained it yet is that I still need your help. You need to accompany me to the secret chamber of the ancestral hall."
"Okay, that sounds like fun! I didn't know the ancestral hall had a secret chamber. Brother Ye, hurry up and take me there."
Ye Tiancheng was completely stunned. It seemed Hou Mingzhu's intelligence was indeed greatly compromised.
If any other woman heard Ye Tiancheng's confession, she would likely be furious. No woman who felt used would consider that man a good person; they would all think he was a scumbag and a liar.
Using a woman's emotions to achieve one's goals was indeed a despicable tactic. Ye Tiancheng had prepared himself to be scolded, but to his surprise, Hou Mingzhu wasn't angry; instead, she seemed quite happy.
"Hou Mingzhu, you probably don't know, but this trip is actually risky. There are many mechanisms in that secret chamber, which is why I'm specifically telling you. You need to consider it carefully. If you go, you might face many dangers, and I can't guarantee your safety."
"I'm not worried at all. As long as Brother Ye is here, I won't be in danger. Wherever Brother Ye tells me to go, I'll go. If you ask for my help, I will never refuse because we are engaged."
Ye Tiancheng seriously suspected that Hou Mingzhu had no idea what being engaged meant, likely thinking it was just a game. The more she acted like this, the more Ye Tiancheng felt it necessary to remind her of the seriousness of the matter.
"Are you really not afraid of getting hurt or in pain?"
"As long as I'm with Brother Ye, I'm not afraid of anything."
Ye Tiancheng was once again taken aback. Faced with such a devoted woman, who always looked at him with that innocent gaze, how could Ye Tiancheng not be moved?
As Ye Tiancheng stood there in a daze, Hou Mingzhu said with a mischievous smile, "Brother Ye, are you very moved? Don't fall in love with me."
Hearing Hou Mingzhu say that, he knew she was joking, but Ye Tiancheng still felt a bit embarrassed. He said with a strange expression, "Alright, stop talking nonsense. Get ready to go out."
"I know, Brother Ye. Let's leave quickly."
The two soon arrived at the Hou family's ancestral hall and quickly proceeded along yesterday's path. Ye Tiancheng told Nuwa Stone and the big green snake to prioritize protecting Hou Mingzhu if danger arose, as he himself was tough and possessed cultivation, so he wouldn't be in major trouble.
With the plan set, Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu quickly reached the final door.
"This red dot needs the blood of your Hou family to activate, so you need to bite your finger."
Hou Mingzhu took out a small needle and pricked her finger. The moment she pricked it, she winced in pain but still managed to drip her blood onto the red dot.
With a loud rumble, the small door opened, and a tiger's roar emanated from within.
Ye Tiancheng knew that the Hou family was the foremost of the four great families, with a very long history. It was rumored that these four families were protected by guardian beasts to ensure the safety of their families, and the Hou family's guardian was a great tiger.
"Hou Mingzhu, wait outside obediently. I'm going to get something. Absolutely do not come in; it's very dangerous."
"I understand, Brother Ye. I won't hold you back."
After Ye Tiancheng entered the final small door, he indeed saw a large tiger, but this tiger was formed from true qi and was not a physical entity. The so-called guardian beast was merely an immortal of the Hou family.