Seven o’clock in the evening.
Ye Qiu, carrying a suitcase, walked out of Longmen headquarters, a smile on his lips.
“Cao Qingcheng, trying to compete with me? Hmph, I’ll have you begging for mercy in no time.”
At that moment, a large Hongqi car pulled up at the entrance.
The driver was Ye Wudi.
“Get in!” Ye Wudi shouted.
Ye Qiu slid into the passenger seat, settled in, and said, “No wonder it’s a Hongqi, so comfortable.”
“No kidding, this is the old man’s car, only a few in the country,” Ye Wudi said, annoyed. “The whole family’s waiting for you, why are you only coming out now?”
Ye Qiu replied, “Just handled some important business.”
Ye Wudi didn’t press further, started the car, and drove off with Ye Qiu.
Twenty minutes later.
The car entered Chang’an Street, passing by the Forbidden City’s entrance.
Ye Qiu glanced at the weathered, towering city walls, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, thick with killing intent.
Sensing the murderous aura, Ye Wudi said, “Stay calm, we’ll take them down tomorrow night.”
“Mm,” Ye Qiu responded.
The car made a few turns, eventually entering a quiet alley, stopping in front of a traditional courtyard house.
At the entrance stood a pair of stone lions, with a red gate and green tiles, resembling an ancient prince’s mansion.
Above the gate hung a horizontal plaque with two words:
Ye Residence!
Ye Qiu got out, looked up at the words “Ye Residence,” his gaze lingering.
“I never thought my first time coming home would involve a life-or-death situation.”
Ye Qiu’s heart was filled with complex emotions.
Ye Wudi patted his shoulder and said, “What are you standing there for? Go inside!”
As they were about to enter, Ye Wuwei and Shadow walked out.
“Ye Qiu, welcome home.”
Ye Wuwei smiled broadly, stepping forward to hug Ye Qiu.
Uncomfortable with such closeness from a man, Ye Qiu gently pushed Ye Wuwei away, called him “Second Uncle,” then turned to Shadow. “Senior, how’s your health?”
Shadow grinned. “Eating well, sleeping soundly, doing great.”
Ye Qiu smiled. “Good to hear.”
Shadow said, “Come inside, everyone’s waiting.”
Ye Qiu nodded slightly and followed Shadow in.
The Ye family mansion wasn’t extravagant, but it was serene, elegantly laid out, like a Jiangnan garden.
Entering the living room.
It was empty.
“Where’s the old man?” Ye Qiu asked, surprised.
“In the dining room,” Ye Wuwei said, leading Ye Qiu through a small door behind the living room to the dining area.
As Ye Qiu entered, several pairs of eyes landed on his face.
Ye Qiu remained calm, scanning the room and spotting familiar faces.
The War God.
Master Duer.
Tang Fei.
Long Ye!
There was also a middle-aged woman in a qipao, around her forties, with fair skin and a well-maintained appearance, resembling Ye Dabao. Ye Qiu guessed she was Ye Dabao’s mother.
Finally, his gaze settled on an elderly man next to the War God.
The old man had a lean face and a kind expression.
Ye Qiu instantly recognised him as his grandfather, once a powerful figure, second only to one, above thousands.
As Ye Qiu observed his grandfather, the old man was also studying him.
After a moment.
Ye Qiu bowed and greeted, “Hello, sir.”
A flicker of disappointment passed through the old man’s eyes, clearly because Ye Qiu hadn’t called him “Grandfather.”
But the disappointment quickly faded.
“Ye Qiu, you’re finally back, good, very good,” the old man said, pointing to the seat beside him. “Sit.”
Ye Qiu sat down, nodding slightly to the War God in greeting.
The War God smiled warmly.
Ye Wudi and Ye Wuwei sat down as well.
“Ye Qiu, let me introduce you. This is your Second Aunt,” Ye Wuwei said, pointing to the middle-aged woman.
The woman smiled. “Little Ye, welcome home.”
“Hello, Second Aunt,” Ye Qiu said with a smile.
Ye Qiu then asked Ye Wudi, “Third Uncle, where’s Third Aunt?”
Ye Wudi cursed. “That woman, no idea where she’s gone, been out of touch lately.”
“Damn it, I’m practically on my deathbed, and she doesn’t even show up.”
“Hmph, I’ll divorce her soon.”
Ye Qiu laughed. “Third Uncle, you dare divorce Third Aunt? Aren’t you afraid she’ll beat you up?”
Ye Wudi’s face turned red.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Ye Qiu turned to Master Duer. “Master, when did you arrive in the capital?”
“This afternoon,” Master Duer said. “Donor Ye, I see the divine light in your eyes is restrained, your cultivation has improved quite a bit, hasn’t it?”
Ye Qiu replied, “Just a little.”
“Dad, since Ye Qiu’s here, let’s eat!” Ye Wudi said. “I’m starving.”
“Hold on,” the old man said. “One more person hasn’t arrived.”
“Who?” Ye Wudi asked.
“Third Uncle, it’s me,” a timid voice said.
Ye Qiu turned to see Ye Dabao standing at the dining room entrance.
It had been a while, and the kid’s skin was much darker, likely from tough training at the Hades Hall.
When Ye Dabao saw Ye Qiu, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes. He greeted everyone, keeping his distance when he got to Ye Qiu, saying, “Brother!”
It was clear the kid was scared of Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu smiled and asked, “Enjoying your time at the Hades Hall devil training camp?”
Ye Dabao’s mouth twitched.
“Dabao, sit!” the old man said.
Ye Dabao nodded and took a seat.
The old man said, “This dinner is mainly to welcome Ye Qiu home.”
“Everyone’s here, let’s eat!”
The old man picked up a pig’s trotter and placed it in Ye Qiu’s bowl, saying kindly, “Don’t be shy at home.”
“Mm,” Ye Qiu responded softly.
After dinner.
Ye Dabao’s mother and the servants quickly cleared the table, brought out fruit platters, some nuts and candies, brewed a pot of tea, and left the dining room.
Now, it was time to talk business.
The old man said, “Tomorrow night is the decisive battle. Since everyone’s here, let’s discuss strategy.”
“From the current situation, things aren’t in our favour.”
“But we can’t just be lambs to the slaughter.”
“According to intelligence, our strongest enemies tomorrow night will be Long Yi and Long Er.”
“But there’s another person we can’t overlook, Long Yi’s disciple, the former head of the Shuzhong Sword Pavilion, Zhuge Yun.”
“Wushuang destroyed the Sword Pavilion and killed Zhuge Qing, so Zhuge Yun will hold that grudge against us.”
“Wudi, your thoughts.”
Ye Wudi took over. “Long Yi’s strength is unfathomable, I suspect he’s already stepped into the realm of immortality.”
“Long Er might have cultivated nine, or even ten, strands of true qi.”
“As for Zhuge Yun, his strength is unknown, but conservatively, he’s cultivated at least six strands of true qi, maybe more.”
“In a free-for-all, we have no chance of winning.”
“So, I think our best option is one-on-one duels!”
