Chapter Thirty-Six: The Mysterious Master

“What? You actually killed three experts at the eighth level of the Body Refinement Realm? Hahaha, excellent, excellent! You’ve done well—truly a worthy son of the Ye family!” Ye Yunlong laughed heartily, his delight clear. For the Ye clan, anyone above the seventh level was already considered a high-ranking combatant.

Such experts were rare even among the family’s upper echelons. Not only had the Lu and Mu families lost a head of house this time, but two elders at the Spirit Gathering Realm had also perished—news that was deeply gratifying.

In small clans like the Ye family, a cultivator at the ninth level of the Body Refinement Realm was qualified to become an elder; anyone who broke through to the Spirit Gathering Realm would be considered a clan elder. For Ye Tian, so young and already at the level of an elder, his future achievements would surely be remarkable. The people in the hall all nodded quietly in approval.

Ye Qing’s smile grew even brighter after hearing Ye Tian declare his cultivation. With the swagger of a sycophant, he lifted his chin and fixed a provocative gaze on Ye Wuyá.

Ye Wuyá paid him no heed, not sparing him a single glance. When a dog barks at you, what need is there to bark back?

“Husband, Ye Tian is our second uncle’s son. He’s always trained diligently and has cared for us—an upright and honorable man. He broke through to the eighth level of the Body Refinement Realm at just eighteen, making him the foremost of the Ye family’s younger generation. I never imagined he would reach the ninth level at only nineteen!” Ruyue whispered in Ye Wuyá’s ear.

Ye Wuyá nodded. He could see that Ye Tian was nothing like Ye Qing—he was far more reserved, not one to seek attention. People like him often survived longest.

Ye Yunlong suddenly changed his tone. “Tian’er, though your talent is the best among the younger generation of our family, you mustn’t become arrogant. Remember that there is always someone better. Do you know why Ye Wuyá sits among us today?” He swept his gaze across the hall, finally fixing his eyes on Ye Tian.

Ye Tian had been secretly watching his father’s expression, hoping to find some sign of approval. After all, to defeat three opponents of equal cultivation was a feat that should make any father proud.

Yet, after all that time, he saw nothing of what he hoped for. His father, Ye Yunjie, remained cold and indifferent, unmoved by his son’s accomplishment.

Perceiving this uncharacteristic reaction from his father, Ye Tian was no fool. He thought to himself, “Could there be some secret behind all this?

Ye Wuyá? Why have I never heard of him? I know all the young talents of Ling City—could he be from elsewhere, or does he have a powerful background?” Ye Tian recalled his third uncle’s behavior—he seemed particularly afraid to offend this brother-in-law. Except for the eldest uncle, both his own father and uncle greeted Ye Wuyá warmly, enjoying his company.

With his mind racing, Ye Tian gradually calmed himself and respectfully asked, “Please, uncle, enlighten me.”

Ye Yunlong was very pleased with Ye Tian’s composure and nodded approvingly. “Do you know who killed the head of the Mu family?”

The people below exchanged puzzled glances, none knowing the answer. Why did Ye Yunlong bring this up so suddenly? Wasn’t discussion of this matter strictly forbidden?

Only Ye Tian’s eyes flickered with sharp understanding as he looked at the calm-faced Ye Wuyá. Inwardly, he thought: Could it be him? The Mu family head was a master of the Spirit Gathering Realm, holding the family’s finances and having mastered all their secret techniques. If it were truly him, how terrifying! He must at least be at the third level of the Spirit Gathering Realm.

More astonishing still, the man looked only eighteen or nineteen—about Ye Tian’s own age—yet his cultivation was already a full major realm higher.

Ye Yunlong rose and surveyed the hall. In a loud voice, he declared, “The one who slew Mu Qing, the head of the Mu family, was him—Ye Wuyá!” He pointed straight at Ye Wuyá.

“What? That mysterious expert was him?” Ye Qing stared at Ye Wuyá, utterly bewildered, his face burning with humiliation. Just moments ago, he’d been boasting about Ye Tian killing three experts from the Lu and Mu families at the eighth level, yet now, this man had killed a clan head.

Who was Mu Qing? The Mu family’s leader, Ye Yunlong’s equal, one of the five great experts of Ling City. To have slain such a figure—what right did Ye Qing have to question this man’s place in the hall?

“It’s over, it’s over. He won’t hold a grudge, will he?” Ye Qing muttered to himself, glancing nervously at Ye Wuyá seated above.

“Ahem.” Ye Yunlong cleared his throat, his gaze turning stern as he pointed at Ye Wuyá. “Ye Wuyá is my son-in-law—the husband of Yue’er and Xue’er!”

“What!” Another bombshell exploded in the crowd. Disbelief, shock, and awe all played across their faces, each reaction keenly observed by Ye Wuyá.

Ye Yunlong had truly married both his daughters to the same man. If he had merely said so before, few in the Ye family would have believed him. He had only ever married one woman in his life, and though she had been gone for over a decade, he had never remarried—a testament to his devotion.

To slay Mu Qing—such a feat alone qualified Ye Wuyá to sit at the family’s highest table. The crowd’s opinions began to shift.

The hall gradually fell silent.

Ye Yunlong stood up, his voice commanding as it filled the space: “This time, under the pretense of an alliance through marriage, the Lu and Mu families joined forces to attack our Ye family, hoping to wipe us out and claim Ling City for themselves. Fortunately, Ye Wuyá arrived in time and averted the crisis. This is a great debt we owe him.”

Ye Wuyá, who had begun to rise, caught Ye Yunlong’s discreet signal and sat down again.

Ye Wuyá understood exactly why Ye Yunlong had spoken as he did. By proclaiming Ye Wuyá as the family’s benefactor, he granted him equal standing with the Ye family’s senior ranks and soothed any discontent among the younger generation, while also affirming his status as son-in-law.

Ye Yunlong then addressed several other matters concerning the Ye family. Through this, Ye Wuyá learned that the clan’s current situation was far from optimistic—the losses had been severe, particularly among those at the top. Half of their twenty masters at the ninth level of Body Refinement had fallen, and sixty percent of the fifty experts at the eighth level had perished. The outlook was grim.

If not for Ye Wuyá and his two wives eliminating three Spirit Gathering Realm experts from the Lu and Mu families and tipping the balance of power at the highest tier, the Ye family would have been doomed.

“I have received word that the Lu and Mu families have spent a fortune to hire powerful experts against us,” Ye Yunlong said darkly.