Rong Wang followed behind Ye Huaiyao. After circulating his cultivation to digest the demonic energy within his body, his strength had recovered somewhat. He then found Ye Huaiyao and informed him that the people from Xuantian Tower had arrived on the mountain.
Seeing the scene of their reunion, Rong Wang lowered his eyes and smiled. Without making his presence felt, he stepped aside and left the space open for them.
He knew he was superfluous and should probably leave, yet he simply couldn’t bear to give up the chance to spend time with Ye Huaiyao like this. After hesitating several times, he ultimately stayed.
When Ye Huaiyao was grabbed by Zhan Yu, he was momentarily caught off guard. Although he had already learned that the people from Xuantian Tower had arrived on the mountain, the manner in which they had met was so abrupt that it felt almost like a dream.
Ye Huaiyao had originally wanted to express how much he had missed them, but Zhan Yu’s grip was simply too strong. Before he could even put on a suitably emotional expression, he couldn’t help baring his teeth in pain.
Seeing Zhan Yu looking as though he were about to cry, Ye Huaiyao couldn’t bring himself to push him away. He placed his hand over the back of Zhan Yu’s and gave a dry laugh. “I said, Shidi, your shixiong is still young. Could you squeeze a little more gently?”
Zhan Yu hurriedly loosened his grip, but he still didn’t let go of Ye Huaiyao’s arm.
He Zhanyang, who had been raging and shouting about finding his shixiong just moments ago, froze when Ye Huaiyao truly appeared alive before him. He simply stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to bring himself to approach.
Then Ye Huaiyao spoke, and He Zhanyang trembled all over. He suddenly jumped up and cried: “Shixiong! You’re really my shixiong!”
Half angry and half amused, he exclaimed, “Why didn’t you tell us all these years?!”
Though his words were full of reproach, his eyes were overflowing with delight. He rushed forward and raised his hand, intending to punch Ye Huaiyao, only to be stopped halfway by several urgent cries of, “Hey, hey, hey!”
Yan Chen had grabbed his arm. “Zhanyang, don’t fool around. A-Yao is injured.”
Although Yan Chen was speaking to He Zhanyang, his gaze never left Ye Huaiyao. His deep, narrow eyes were slightly reddened, with tears glimmering within them.
Yan Chen had always been a man of few words. A thousand things seemed to be caught in his throat, but in the end, they became nothing more than a faint smile and eyes brimming with tears. He stepped forward, pulled Ye Huaiyao into his arms, stroked his head, and held him tightly, like an elder brother embracing a child who had suffered grievances outside.
Ye Huaiyao pressed his lips together and rested his forehead against Yan Chen’s shoulder for a moment. “Shixiong…”
“Mhm.” Yan Chen’s voice was hoarse. “It’s good that you’re back.”
Watching them from the side, He Zhanyang couldn’t help stomping his foot in frustration.
The First-shixiong really knows how to care for people. Seventh-shixiong finally came back, and I rushed over intending to punch him. I’m such a terrible person! I should’ve done what First-shixiong did.
He edged closer, but couldn’t quite reach Ye Huaiyao. Anxious, he paced around them before lightly poking Ye Huaiyao’s arm. “Shixiong, First-shixiong said you’re injured. Where are you hurt? Is it serious? Can I take a look?”
Ye Huaiyao laughed, released Yan Chen, and pulled He Zhanyang into a hug as well, vigorously patting him on the back. “I can still beat you up, can’t I? You tell me, does that sound serious?”
The other shixiongs and shidis gathered around him as well, every face filled with joy. Their reactions finally extinguished the last trace of hope in the hearts of the Chensu Sect members, Yan Jin, and Ji Lanying.
In truth, the Law Sage’s visit to the Chensu Sect had originally had nothing to do with Yan Jin or Ji Lanying. For some inexplicable reason, the two of them had followed along as though sleepwalking, remaining completely out of the loop until this moment.
—They had never imagined that Ye Huaiyao really was the Illustrious Sage.
The person they feared, hated, and envied from beginning to end had always been the very same man.
Ji Lanying had no idea what Yan Jin was thinking at that moment, but his own emotions were extraordinarily complicated. From the moment Ye Huaiyao had failed to appear, the concern and anxiety of his friends and fellow disciples had already been obvious for all to see. Even Yuan Xian had become distracted and uneasy because of it.
Ji Lanying had been born a favoured child of heaven, surrounded by admiration and showered with countless forms of affection. It had been this way eighteen years ago, and it remained unchanged eighteen years later, as though glory and love had been things Ye Huaiyao had been born possessing.
Yet they were things Ji Lanying could never obtain, no matter how desperately he pursued them or how carefully he tried to please others. Someone could casually utter a single sentence, and he might be mocked for centuries because of it.
Could all of this truly be fate?
Ji Lanying knew perfectly well that he couldn’t blame Ye Huaiyao. The man was extraordinarily handsome and possessed an exceptional bearing. Even Ji Lanying himself sometimes found his gaze lingering involuntarily on that face, let alone everyone else.
But despite knowing this, he still couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable. And beyond that discomfort, there was fear.
He hadn’t really offended Ye Huaiyao himself, but there was still Yan Jin. The people from Xuantian Tower… would definitely settle accounts with Yan Jin. What would happen then?
And once Ji Lanying thought of it, he knew there was no way the people of Xuantian Tower would let this matter pass.
Earlier, while holding Ye Huaiyao, Yan Chen had already noticed that his shidi seemed to be little more than bones beneath his clothes. He was considerably thinner than before.
He didn’t dwell on the fact that Ye Huaiyao had once appeared to be a young man of twenty-two or twenty-three, whereas he was now only eighteen, and that his height would naturally be different. He simply felt that he had failed in his duty as a shixiong.
When He Zhanyang mentioned Ye Huaiyao’s injuries, Yan Chen’s brows furrowed slightly, and he placed two fingers against Ye Huaiyao’s wrist to feel his pulse.
He Zhanyang anxiously leaned in as well. Ye Huaiyao casually pinched his cheek before turning back to Yan Chen. “The injuries from before aren’t anything serious anymore. I was poisoned afterward, but I just need to force the poison out.”
That sounded miserable enough. Zhan Yu immediately became furious. “How did you end up both injured and poisoned? What kind of damnable place is this?!”
He was standing on someone else’s mountain and cursing the place to its face, yet not a single person from the Chensu Sect dared to say a word.
Moments ago, they had been overwhelmed by the shock and joy of finding Ye Huaiyao alive. Their longing, resentment, and anxieties had all been forgotten in the happiness of being reunited.
Now that someone had reminded them, they finally remembered that there was still a score to settle with the Chensu Sect.
They had already heard Lin Xiu’s account of what had happened, but there were still details that remained unclear.
Yan Chen asked Ye Huaiyao, “What exactly happened between you and Cheng Yuan?”
Ye Huaiyao replied, “Shixiong, you arrived at just the right time. I already explained it in the main hall. Young Master Yan was there and witnessed everything. Since this involves the dispute between Xuantian Tower and the Chensu Sect, anything I say is only one side of the story. We should let everyone see what he witnessed. That’s the real evidence.”
After anxiously waiting for so long, Ji Lanying finally heard Ye Huaiyao mention “Young Master Yan.” He couldn’t help turning his head toward Yan Jin.
Yan Jin’s expression remained composed, as though he were desperately trying to preserve his usual pride and arrogance. Yet his face was deathly pale, and a fine layer of cold sweat covered his forehead.
He usually acted so arrogant and reckless when dealing with the weak. But when faced with someone stronger than himself, he was still capable of fear.
A strange and subtle emotion passed through Ji Lanying’s heart.
Yan Chen gave a cold snort. Without anyone seeing exactly how he moved, his figure blurred, and in an instant he appeared behind Yan Jin. He drove his foot into the back of Yan Jin’s knee.
Yan Jin was forced down onto his knees, utterly unable to resist.
Yan Chen had always been taciturn and had no desire to waste words on someone like him. After forcibly subduing Yan Jin, he pressed a finger heavily against the centre of Yan Jin’s brow. The technique was exactly the same as Yuan Xian’s, but several times faster, and the force behind it was far greater.
Yan Jin felt an unbearable pain explode inside his skull, as though a sharp blade had suddenly been thrust into his head and viciously twisted around. He couldn’t help crying out in agony.
At the same time, the things Cheng Yuan had done earlier appeared with perfect clarity before everyone’s eyes.
Yan Chen’s expression turned ashen. With a wave of his hand, the images disappeared from everyone’s sight. But Cheng Yuan’s intentions and actions had already been made completely clear.
Yan Chen could only regret that Cheng Yuan was already dead. Otherwise, even if he were cut into a thousand pieces, it still wouldn’t be enough to vent his fury. And the Chensu Sect actually still had the audacity to pursue Ye Huaiyao for killing Cheng Yuan?
Cheng Yuan had discovered Ye Huaiyao’s true identity and then devised such a scheme. His audacity had been utterly outrageous. Naturally, he hadn’t told anyone about it. Even his closest guards had known nothing of the actual details.
Some members of the Chensu Sect knew that Cheng Yuan had feelings for Ye Huaiyao and had formed their own suspicions. Others had been completely unaware. Now that they had witnessed everything, they were all horrified. They cursed Cheng Yuan inwardly for his madness and for dragging his fellow disciples into the mess, scarcely daring to look at the expressions of the people from Xuantian Tower.
It was true that the Chensu Sect had originally taken Ye Huaiyao in and raised him. After the death of the Taixuan Peak Master, the disciples of that branch had been treated coldly, but they had not exactly been abused. That much could not be denied.
But this was how every sect operated. Only by accepting a large number of disciples could a sect ensure the continuation and prosperity of its lineage. The disciples devoted themselves to the sect, and in return, the sect should provide protection for those beneath its wing.
Master Jingyin, however, had never cared much about ordinary disciples. His sole concern had been how to curry favour with more powerful and influential clans.
When Yan Jin made his demand, he had cooperated without hesitation, sending Ye Huaiyao toward certain death. That, in turn, had allowed Cheng Yuan, who had already harboured wicked intentions, to exploit the opportunity and attempt to force himself upon Ye Huaiyao. Every part of it was infuriating.
The Chensu Sect could not escape responsibility, and Yan Jin, the one who had started it all, certainly couldn’t escape either.
Even before learning the full truth, Zhan Yu had already developed murderous intent toward Yan Jin and unleashed a killing blow. It had only been stopped when Ye Huaiyao happened to arrive and casually deflected it.
But now that he thought about it, perhaps that had been a good thing. Dying so easily would have been letting Yan Jin off far too cheaply.
At last, Zhan Yu had been reunited with his shixiong. His immense joy had extinguished half of his anger, but there was no way he could simply let the matter go.
So he continued to stare coldly at Yan Jin, waiting for Yan Chen to decide what would happen to him.
