Hearing Ye Kun’s words, Ye Xiao exploded with rage. “Ye Kun, do you truly intend to push this to the absolute limit and leave no room whatsoever?”
Ye Kun’s face remained impassive. “The path of martial arts is one of contending against others and against the heavens themselves. Why should my grandson not fight for it? Fight we shall, and we fight today!”
Ye Xiao’s expression turned extremely ugly.
At that moment Ye Kun turned to Ye Mian. “Kill him!”
At Ye Kun’s command, Ye Mian charged straight at Ye Guan. His speed was incredible. In the blink of an eye he was already in front of Ye Guan, throwing a punch straight at Ye Guan’s throat!
A killing move!
As the fist flew, a stream of energy actually swirled around it!
Innate energy!
He had reached the Innate Realm!
All the elders present were shocked!
The very next instant, under everyone’s gaze, Ye Guan’s right hand directly caught Ye Mian’s deadly punch. Before anyone could react, he twisted viciously!
Crack!
A crisp sound of bone snapping rang out through the hall!
Then Ye Guan surged forward and slammed a fist into Ye Mian’s abdomen.
Boom!
Ye Mian’s entire body flew backwards. The moment he hit the ground, a foot stomped down onto his stomach.
Everyone in the hall stood frozen like wooden statues!
He had not lost his cultivation!
Ye Guan had never lost his cultivation!
The first to recover was Great Elder Ye Kun. He hurriedly called out, “Ye Guan…”
Ye Guan turned his head toward the Great Elder and smiled. “What is it?”
Ye Kun’s voice trembled. “We are all family. Please show mer…”
Ye Guan blinked. “Who is family with you? I am an adopted son! Adopted son!”
With that, he stamped down hard on Ye Mian’s throat.
Crack!
Ye Kun’s eyes bulged wide as blood sprayed continuously from his mouth.
“Ahhh!”
The Great Elder went completely mad and charged at Ye Guan, but in the next instant Ye Xiao appeared before him and threw a single punch.
Boom!
With a dull thud, Ye Kun staggered back several zhang!
Ye Xiao stared coldly at the frenzied Great Elder. “It was a fair duel!”
Ye Kun’s face was hideous. He shot Ye Guan a venomous glare, then turned and left without another word!
Just then, a blur flashed across the hall.
Ye Kun’s expression changed dramatically. He spun around, but the next moment a fist smashed directly into his throat!
Crack!
Ye Kun’s eyes bulged once more before he collapsed straight to the ground!
All the elders in the hall froze, then stared in shock at Ye Guan, the one who had struck!
Ye Guan glanced at Ye Kun’s corpse and said calmly, “If I did not kill him, he would seek revenge and harm the unity of the clan!”
Silence fell across the hall.
Though it was somewhat excessive, at this moment no one dared oppose Ye Guan!
The overall situation was settled!
Ye Xiao suddenly ordered, “Carry away the bodies of Ye Kun and Ye Mian!”
At his command, two men hurried forward and lifted the corpses out.
Ye Xiao looked at Ye Guan with complicated emotions. “Little Guan, your cultivation…”
Ye Guan smiled slightly. “Clan Leader, I was not deliberately pretending. My body truly did have a problem before, but that problem has now been resolved!”
Ye Xiao laughed. “Resolved is good!”
At those words, smiles broke out across the faces of all the elders present!
Only the Third Elder and Sixth Elder turned deathly pale!
They were finished!
At that moment a guard suddenly entered. He bowed deeply to Ye Xiao and reported, “Clan Leader, the Nalan clan leader invites the Young Patriarch to visit the Nalan clan!”
The Nalan clan!
Ye Xiao frowned. “Did he say why?”
The guard shook his head. “No!”
Ye Xiao turned to Ye Guan. The youth smiled. “I will go!”
Ye Xiao said gravely, “I will accompany you!”
Ye Guan laughed. “Clan Leader, there is no need!”
Ye Xiao considered for a moment, then nodded. “Be careful!”
Ye Guan inclined his head. He glanced once at the Third Elder and Sixth Elder, then walked out.
After Ye Guan left, the Second Elder suddenly sighed softly. “Fortunately the Clan Leader had foresight. If you had not firmly blocked them, I fear Little Guan would have killed his way right out of the Ye clan today. Then not only would we have lost a supreme genius, we would have gained a supreme enemy! Clan Leader, your wisdom is truly saintly!”
The other elders hurriedly nodded in agreement.
Ye Xiao swept his gaze across them and shook his head. “This child values loyalty. If the Ye clan treats him well, he will surely treat the Ye clan well in return!”
He sighed softly. “Even if his cultivation truly had been lost forever, the Great Elder should never have pushed things so far. After all, this child has risked his life for our Ye clan so many times and shed blood so often. No matter what, he should never have ended up in such a miserable state!”
The Second Elder nodded. “This time the Great Elder went too far! He… deserved what he got!”
The remaining elders quickly nodded again in agreement.
Ye Xiao suddenly said, “Third Elder, Sixth Elder, you are both seventy-five this year, are you not?”
The two froze. Their faces instantly turned extremely ugly.
Seventy-five!
In the Ye clan, that was retirement age, and they were only sixty!
At that moment the Third and Sixth Elders seemed to age decades in an instant!
Ye Xiao glanced at them once more, then added, “See that the Great Elder and Ye Mian are properly buried. After all, he did render service to the clan once. Alas…”
With that, he turned and departed.
All the elders in the hall let out huge sighs of relief!
Thank the heavens they had not joined the Great Elder in kicking Ye Guan while he was down, otherwise…
…
After leaving the ancestral shrine, Ye Guan turned his head. Not far away stood a hunchbacked man.
It was the very same hunchback who had earlier run excitedly to report to the Great Elder!
Back then the fellow had been positively gleeful.
Seeing Ye Guan look over, the hunchback’s face turned ashen. He immediately dropped to his knees. “Young Patriarch…”
The moment he saw Ye Kun and his grandson’s corpses being carried out, he knew he was done for!
Ye Guan gave a slight smile, ignored him completely, and walked away.
Not long after Ye Guan left, a black-robed elder appeared before the hunchback. He stared coldly down at the man without a word.
The hunchback’s face turned the colour of dead ash. He collapsed limply to the ground.
Just as Ye Guan was about to step through the main gate, he encountered Ye Qing!
Ye Qing smiled. “Brother Ye Guan, congratulations!”
Ye Guan laughed. “Brother Ye Qing, you must have reached the Innate Realm as well by now, right?”
Ye Qing nodded. “Yes!”
Ye Guan inclined his head. “I have gained some insights regarding realms. If you ever have questions, feel free to come ask me anytime!”
Ye Qing immediately bowed slightly. “Many thanks, Brother Ye Guan!”
Ye Guan walked up to him and clapped his shoulder. “We are brothers. Why so polite?”
With that, he strode out through the Ye clan gates.
Ye Qing watched Ye Guan’s retreating back and smiled helplessly. “To be in the same clan as such a genius is the Ye clan’s fortune, but my misfortune!”
Then he turned and left.
…
Ye Guan arrived at the Nalan clan. The moment he reached the entrance, an elder came out to greet him!
The elder bowed slightly to Ye Guan. “Young Master Ye, this way please!”
Ye Guan nodded. “Thank you for the trouble!”
The elder smiled. “Not at all!”
With that, he led Ye Guan deeper into the Nalan clan grounds.
Along the way, every maid they passed could not help stealing glances at Ye Guan!
Ye Guan wore a profound black robe, his posture ramrod straight, his features sharp and handsome. He walked with calm composure and extraordinary bearing.
When it came to looks, Ye Guan was absolutely top-tier!
The elder brought Ye Guan to the front of a grand hall, bowed slightly, and said, “Young Master Ye, please enter!”
Ye Guan smiled. “Very well!”
He stepped inside.
Once within the hall, Ye Guan saw the Nalan clan leader, Nalan Ming, seated at the head.
Nalan Ming appeared to be in his forties and was slightly plump.
Nalan Ming looked at Ye Guan. “Sit!”
Ye Guan nodded and took a seat to the side.
Nalan Ming studied Ye Guan, a trace of regret flashing through his eyes.
What a fine young man, yet his cultivation had vanished!
Nalan Ming sighed inwardly, then said, “Little Guan, you must already have guessed why I asked you here, correct?”
Ye Guan nodded. “Uncle must be concerned about the marriage between Little Jia and me.”
Nalan Ming looked at him. “Back when the betrothal was arranged, why did you not refuse?”
Ye Guan laughed. “Why would I refuse?”
Nalan Ming frowned slightly.
Ye Guan smiled faintly. “Lady Nalan Jia is very beautiful. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. To have such a lady as my wife would be my, Ye Guan’s, greatest honour!”
In a corner of the hall, Nalan Jia, who had been reading an ancient book, felt the corners of her mouth lift slightly. She glanced toward Ye Guan seated in the distance, then returned to her book.
Nalan Ming stared at Ye Guan. After a moment he sighed softly. “Little Guan, forgive my directness. Back then I did not oppose the marriage for two reasons. First, your character is excellent. Though you are the Ye clan’s young master, you have no bad habits whatsoever. Second, your talent was extraordinary, your future limitless, and you were a guaranteed-admission student of Guanxuan Academy! But…”
He paused, then continued, “You know things are different now!”
Ye Guan nodded. “I know!”
A complicated look crossed Nalan Ming’s eyes. “Little Guan, I have to think further ahead! Little Jia has now become Tutor Fei’s personal disciple and possesses a special physique. Her future is boundless. Whereas you… forgive my bluntness, if you stay together, the gap between you will only grow wider and wider. In the end both of you will suffer.”
Ye Guan smiled slightly. “I understand. Uncle wishes me to dissolve the engagement with Little Jia. I completely understand.”
“You are wrong!”
Nalan Ming suddenly shook his head. “You have misunderstood!”
Ye Guan was taken aback.
Nalan Ming fixed his gaze upon Ye Guan. “I, Nalan Ming, am not a man who goes back on his word. I am telling you all this not to make you back down, but to make you clearly see your current situation! A man must have strength. Only with strength does he gain confidence, and only then does he have the capital to fight for what he wants!”
Ye Guan fell silent, rather surprised.
Nalan Ming continued, “Little Guan, you are now at the lowest point in your life. I will not kick you while you are down. However, everything that follows must be resolved by you yourself! I will be frank. Little Jia faces enormous pressure, and so do I. Tutor Fei from the academy has always opposed her being with you. Moreover, Little Jia has many suitors at Guanxuan Academy, and some of them are not only monstrously talented themselves but backed by enormous powers.”
He stared straight at Ye Guan. “All of this you must resolve on your own!”
Ye Guan nodded slightly. “Understood!”
With that, he rose and walked toward Nalan Jia.
Nalan Ming said nothing.
Ye Guan stopped before Nalan Jia. She gave him a small smile.
Ye Guan smiled back. “Do you like me?”
Nalan Jia shook her head. “I would not say like, but I do not dislike you!”
Ye Guan laughed lightly. “Back then, why did you agree to the betrothal?”
Nalan Jia looked at him. “You are very handsome!”
Ye Guan laughed. “The matter of marriage between you and me concerns only the two of us! I may dissolve the engagement, and you may dissolve the engagement, but no outsider may do so.”
Nalan Jia blinked. “My master will arrive tomorrow. She is coming specifically for you. Her temper is extremely bad. She kills people!”
Ye Guan blinked back. “I am a reasonable person!”
With that, he took out the Primordial Chaos Pill and said earnestly, “Thank you for your pill. Regardless of whether we become husband and wife in future, I, Ye Guan, will remember this kindness for the rest of my life!”
Then he turned and walked away. When he reached the hall entrance, he bowed slightly to Nalan Ming. “Uncle, I take my leave!”
With that, he departed.
Nalan Ming watched him go, then walked over to Nalan Jia and said softly, “This boy remains completely composed. Such bearing is rare among the current younger generation!”
Nalan Jia suddenly said, “He kept looking straight at me the whole time!”
Nalan Ming turned to her. Nalan Jia smiled slightly. “He is very confident. A man’s confidence comes from two things: strength or background. Father, what do you think his confidence stems from?”
Nalan Ming froze.
Nalan Jia gazed at the ancient book in her hands and laughed. “I am starting to like him a little!”
Nalan Ming stared at her. Nalan Jia smiled again. “I like his confidence, his self-possession, his lack of hypocrisy… And of course, I still like his looks! He really is extraordinarily handsome!”
Nalan Ming’s expression stiffened.
