The sudden scene left everyone frozen in place. The Clan Chief had backstabbed the Third Elder! No one saw it coming. Even Ye Qingchen's eyes widened in shock.
The Third Elder looked down at the longsword that had pierced his heart, a look of astonishment and unwillingness flashing across his aged face. With difficulty, he turned to look at Ye Changyun behind him. "Ye Changyun, why? Why..."
"Grandfather!" Ye Quan rushed to support the tottering Third Elder, his face filled with outrage. "Clan Chief, my grandfather devoted himself to the Ye Family, giving so much. Why did you do this?"
Ye Changyun looked coldly at the Third Elder. "Why? Because you are a spy sent by the Li Family. Isn't that reason enough for me to kill you?"
So the Clan Chief knew all along that the Third Elder was a spy from the Li Family. He simply feigned ignorance to mislead him, waiting for the right moment to deliver a fatal blow! All this time, I thought Ye Changyun was just a martial fanatic obsessed with his training, someone who rarely concerned himself with family matters. However, today's events have changed my perception of him considerably.
"Cough, cough... so you suspected me all along..." A trace of blood spilled from the corner of the Third Elder's mouth.
"It was just a suspicion before, but your eagerness to kill Ye Qingchen finally confirmed your identity!" Ye Changyun explained patiently, then suddenly withdrew the longsword.
SQUELCH!
The longsword brought with it a spray of blood mist, and the Third Elder collapsed to the ground, dead.
"Grandfather!" Ye Quan's eyes turned blood-red. After screaming for a while and seeing no response from the Third Elder, he suddenly whirled around to face Ye Changyun. "Ye Changyun, I'll fight you to the death!"
Ye Quan drew a dagger with his left hand and stabbed fiercely toward Ye Changyun. However, before his dagger could even touch the hem of Ye Changyun's robes, he was struck on the head by the latter's palm, killing him instantly.
"Young Master!" Xiao Xiao, witnessing so many people killed for the first time, hid in Ye Qingchen's embrace, trembling with fear.
"Alai, clean up the scene!" Ye Changyun ordered his attendant before beckoning to Ye Qingchen. "Ye Qingchen, come with me into the room."
Having said that, Ye Changyun took the lead and walked into Ye Qingchen's room. Ye Qingchen was momentarily stunned before following closely behind.
Inside the room, Ye Qingchen clasped his hands and gave Ye Changyun a grateful smile. "Thank you, Clan Chief, for saving my life!"
The Clan Chief has saved my life twice in two days! That's something I wouldn't have dared to imagine before!
Ye Changyun gave a slight nod. "To defeat Ye Quan, your cultivation has improved a lot! It seems the issue that was troubling your Martial Soul has been resolved?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingchen's heart skipped a beat! Everyone else thought his stagnation in cultivation was because he was helping Li Susu! But that wasn't the case at all! The real reason was his latent Dual Pupil Martial Soul! That was what had prevented his cultivation realm from advancing. Apart from himself, no one knew of this! How did the Clan Chief guess? Could it be that Ye Changyun, like me, also possesses the Dual Pupil Martial Soul?
Seeing Ye Qingchen stunned, Ye Changyun couldn't help but smile. "It seems I guessed right! Don't worry. Besides yourself, only your father and I know about your unique Martial Soul. No one else knows!"
Ye Qingchen was increasingly shocked, but he still deliberately wore a puzzled expression. "Clan Chief, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
Ye Changyun just smiled, somewhat speechless. "You kid, still putting on an act? You're being overly cautious. Well, at this point, there are some things you ought to know."
Here, Ye Changyun paused. His eyes drifted toward the window as he began to recall past events.
"Ten years ago, when you awakened the Seven-Star Willow Wood Martial Soul, your father and I discovered that a powerful force hidden within your sea of consciousness was severely restricting your Martial Soul's growth.
"To help you solve this problem, your father ventured deep into the Qingyun Mountain Range in search of the fourth-grade celestial treasure, the Ironwood Soul Flower.
"Alas, your father didn't find the Ironwood Soul Flower, and he unfortunately perished in the Qingyun Mountain Range.
"Back then, I promised your father I would protect you. So for the past ten years, I've also been searching for the Ironwood Soul Flower, but sadly, I never found it! However, to my relief, you have now solved the problem with your Soul Power through your own efforts!
"Brother Ye Changfeng must be so pleased in the afterlife!"
As he spoke, Ye Changyun's chest heaved, and tears shimmered in his eyes, showing his considerable emotion.
If he knew that I not only resolved my previous issue but also awakened Dual Martial Spirits, he would surely be even more excited!
Ye Qingchen quietly activated his Dual Pupil Martial Soul, fixing his gaze on Ye Changyun's eyes, hoping to hear his true inner thoughts. But to his disappointment, he "heard" nothing.
Frowning, Ye Qingchen questioned, "Clan Chief, you protected me? These past ten years have been extremely difficult for me. The cultivation resources I received from the family were scarce, and even when other juniors in the clan bullied me, you never appeared once! Over these years, you've shown me almost no concern, so where does this talk of protection come from?"
After all, Ye Qingchen was only seventeen. The more he spoke, the angrier he became, pouring out all the resentment that had built up in his heart.
Ye Changyun smiled. "My feigned indifference was the only way to truly protect you! Just think, your cultivation was stuck at the first level of Martial Apprentice. If I had showered you with resources, wouldn't the other clan members have become jealous? Couldn't their jealousy have led them to do something irrational? Outsiders might have grown suspicious, investigated your body, and discovered the secret of your Martial Soul."
Ye Qingchen thought about it and realized what Ye Changyun said made some sense.
Ye Changyun continued, "Moreover, I haven't ignored you completely! I've always had people protecting you in the dark. Aside from minor squabbles among the younger generation, whenever any of the Ye Family elders wanted to cause trouble for you, I had my people quietly resolve the conflict!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Qingchen's expression was one of sudden understanding.
No wonder in these ten years, aside from today, no elder has ever troubled me! Even after I beat up their children, their parents never came looking for me! Things seemed calm on the surface, but someone was quietly working behind the scenes!
Ye Changyun added, "This includes the Li Family's unwavering support for you. I knew there had to be a problem, and I've been investigating the cause! Yesterday, when Li Zhe wanted to take you away, my initial agreement was a chance to investigate a matter that has weighed on my mind for a very long time!"
"What matter?" Ye Qingchen asked, his curiosity piqued now that Ye Changyun had brought up yesterday's events.
Ye Changyun fell silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "From various clues, I suspect your father's death is inextricably linked to Li Zhe, the Family Head of the Li Family!"
"What! My father's death is related to Li Zhe?"
Ye Qingchen's whole body shook, and his eyes suddenly widened in utter shock.