"Xinlan, take me to my room. What happens next is your family's internal matter," Ye Feng said casually.
"Yes, Mr. Ye."
Ye Xinlan bowed respectfully, then turned to her father to say goodbye before leading Ye Feng to a quiet villa within the manor.
---
"Xinlan, your family is… disappointingly weak," Ye Feng remarked as they walked.
Ye Xinlan froze for a moment but said nothing. She didn't feel offended; after all, Ye Feng was not wrong. A family that couldn't even produce a single Dou Zun was beneath his notice.
"Two one-star Dou Zongs, one three-star Dou Zong, and one six-star Dou Zong," Ye Feng continued, his tone indifferent. "Even the so-called guardian watching us from the back mountain is merely a nine-star Dou Zong."
At that, Ye Feng glanced toward the back mountain with obvious disdain.
The Nine-Star Dou Zong guardian, who had been quietly observing with his soul perception since Ye Feng arrived, stiffened. Sensing Ye Feng's displeasure, he quickly retracted his probing and said awkwardly, his voice carrying across the courtyard:
"Ahem… little brother, thank you for uncovering so many Cao Family spies. If they had acted openly, the consequences would have been disastrous. Xinlan, you must serve this little brother well, understand?"
"Yes, Great-Grandfather."
Ye Xinlan bowed respectfully toward the back mountain.
The old man withdrew his soul perception immediately, clearly wary of provoking Ye Feng any further.
---
"In recent years, our family has declined," Ye Xinlan explained softly, perhaps feeling the need to justify her family's weakness. "We've lost our best alchemists. Without high-grade elixirs, our influence dwindled. And… our Medicine Pavilion was robbed. Since then, we've had only four Dou Zong experts."
"Your Medicine Pavilion was robbed?" Ye Feng asked.
"Mm."
"Who was responsible?"
"We don't know. Based on the clues, it might have been—"
"Forget it." Ye Feng cut her off. "I'm not interested in your family's grudges."
Ye Xinlan fell silent, lowering her head. She wanted to ask Ye Feng to help restore the Ye Family's former glory, but she stopped herself. Ye Feng had already promised to help her family keep their seat among the top five families—and only for Zi Yan's sake. Asking for more would only embarrass her.
Ye Feng's ambitions were far beyond this small stage. He sought to dominate the world. The Ye Family, in comparison, only wished to cling to its dwindling status. They were simply from two different worlds.
---
"Do you have anything else to say?" Ye Feng asked, noticing her hesitation.
"Master Ye…" Ye Xinlan suddenly dropped to one knee, her tone firm and sincere. "Please… take me as your disciple. Teach me alchemy."
Ye Feng's gaze was cold. "Stand up. Your talent is far too mediocre to be worth my time."
Ye Xinlan bit her lip and rose, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had expected this answer. Still, she felt no resentment. A man of Ye Feng's level would not casually accept disciples.
But then—
"…However." Ye Feng paused, his expression thoughtful.
Xinlan's heart skipped a beat. "But what?"
"I can give your Ye Family alchemy methods for eighth-grade and below."
"R-Really?" Her voice trembled with excitement.
Ye Feng raised his hand, extending a single finger toward her brow. A gray light shot out, piercing between her eyebrows.
In Xinlan's mind, countless texts and diagrams unfolded like a flood. The knowledge flowed directly into her soul.
"S-so many…" she whispered, her lips curling unconsciously into a smile of genuine joy. The usually composed young lady now looked strikingly beautiful, her natural charm magnified by the rare happiness in her eyes.
Ye Feng's gaze lingered briefly before he said, "With these pill recipes, your Ye Family can nurture an eighth-grade alchemist. That will be enough to secure your seat among the top five families—and perhaps even challenge Central's three great giants."
Xinlan's eyes widened in awe. The three giants of Central region were not only Dou Zun experts but also eighth-grade alchemists. Even Yao Chen was one. An eighth-grade alchemist was a rare treasure in Zhongzhou, enough to shake the balance of power.
"Master Ye…" Xinlan's voice softened, her blue eyes shimmering with emotion. She couldn't hide the gratitude in her heart. Some of the formulas Ye Feng gave her overlapped with her family's ancestral recipes, but his versions were far more detailed. And among them were thirty-six entirely new eighth-grade formulas—a priceless gift.
"What's wrong?" Ye Feng asked.
"You've done so much for me… I don't know how to repay you."
"You don't need to. Zi Yan is my mount. You're her friend. Helping you is the same as helping her."
"Is it… just because of her?" A faint disappointment flickered in Xinlan's eyes.
"Yes." Ye Feng nodded, turning away. "I want to rest."
"…Understood."
Xinlan bowed slightly before leaving the courtyard, her steps soft and hesitant.
---
Later That Afternoon
The quiet of the courtyard was soon broken by the arrival of a group led by Zi Yan, Nalan Yanran, Ya Fei, and the two purple crystal-winged lion kings. Mu Qingluan and Feng Zunzhe followed behind them, accompanied by several core elders of Xingyun Pavilion—people who had a history of consuming Yao Chen's elixirs.
Feng Zunzhe and Mu Qingluan had brought them here for one purpose: to let Ye Feng examine them. If not for Mu Qingluan, Ye Feng wouldn't have bothered.
As expected, some elders had been tampered with. Dark-white silk threads, hidden within their bodies, writhed like cursed worms when pulled out. The elders screamed as their bodies convulsed, and several exploded into clouds of blood.
"Damn you, Yao Chen!" one elder roared, his face twisted in rage. "I treated you as a brother, and you plotted against me like this! I swear I'll have my revenge!"
Several elders, unable to endure the humiliation, resigned from their positions, choosing to live in seclusion rather than remain in Xingyun Pavilion.
---
"Master Ye…"
Ye Xinlan stepped into the courtyard again, her tone respectful but tinged with nervousness. "Some members of my family are waiting outside. They wish to speak with you about an important matter."
"Oh? Let them in."
Ye Feng's voice was calm, but inwardly, his brows furrowed slightly.
He remembered the original storyline. Xiao Yan had once promised to help Ye Xinlan, which had led to them being bound in name as a couple. Now, seeing Xinlan's slightly flushed face, he understood what this was about.
The Ye Family wanted him… to become their son-in-law.
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