At the head of the hall.
An old man in gray robes sat with a face as cold as frost.
He turned his gaze toward the middle-aged man seated to the side.
"Family Head, in your opinion, how should we handle this matter?"
Hearing the Great Elder's words, the man in the side seat replied in a low, indifferent voice:
"I leave it entirely to the Great Elder's decision."
With that, he closed his eyes to rest, as though everything happening in the Ye family had absolutely nothing to do with him.
The Great Elder seated at the head nodded slightly, then looked down at the others in the hall and instructed calmly:
"You few, go and summon every Ye family disciple back immediately—whether they're out training, handling family business, or anywhere else."
"Yes, Family Head—Great Elder!"
The Ye family elders responded in unison, still not quite used to the new form of address.
They rose one after another and filed out of the hall.
At that moment, a Ye family guard rushed in breathlessly and reported:
"Reporting to the Great Elder—the Wang family's Great Elder has come to pay a visit…"
"What? The Wang family's Great Elder is here?"
The elders who had been about to leave froze the instant they heard the name. Their expressions turned grave, as though facing a mortal enemy. All eyes turned toward the Great Elder at the head of the hall.
The Great Elder stood up, walked over to the family head, and said in a flat tone:
"Family Head, please take that seat."
The family head glanced at the Great Elder but said nothing. He rose silently and moved to the head position.
"Whether it's fortune or disaster, disaster cannot be avoided…"
"Let him in."
Facing the looks from everyone present, the Ye family head spoke calmly, as though he had already accepted his fate.
After all, on Qingcheng Mountain, the Wang family stood supreme. Even the powerful city lord's mansion had to give them some face—let alone the Ye family. What capital did they have to oppose the Wangs?
It would be like an egg smashing itself against a rock.
"Yes, Family Head!"
Not far away, the guard bowed and hurried off toward the main gate.
Watching the guard disappear into the distance, the Great Elder spoke again:
"Since the Wang family has sent their Great Elder personally, we'll hold our ground for now and see exactly what medicine they're selling in that gourd of theirs…"
As his voice fell, an old man in his sixties slowly walked in from outside.
If Ye Chen were here, he would recognize the man at once: none other than the Wang family's Great Elder.
Seeing the visitor enter, the Ye family head greeted him with forced courtesy:
"May I ask what brings Elder Wang here today?"
For so many years, thanks to Ye Chen's existence, the Ye family had clashed repeatedly with the Wang family.
Now that Ye Chen had just become a cripple, the Wangs had immediately sent their Great Elder over.
Wasn't this the classic case of a weasel coming to wish the chicken a happy new year—with no good intentions?
The Wang family Great Elder replied unhurriedly:
"Nothing major. It's simply that our Second Young Master has taken a liking to your Ye family's Ye Lin. I trust I don't need to explain what should be done next?"
Hearing this, the Ye family head's expression darkened at once.
"Elder Wang, I'm afraid I must decline that request…"
Everyone on Qingcheng Mountain knew exactly what kind of person the Wang family's Second Young Master was.
If they handed Ye Lin over, whether she would even survive was anyone's guess.
The Wang Great Elder raised an eyebrow, his tone dropping low and dangerous:
"Family Head Ye, I advise you to be sensible. Otherwise, I don't mind if Qingcheng Mountain has one less family in it."
With those words, he turned and walked out.
As he left, he added casually:
"Family Head Ye, I'll give you three days. After that, I'm afraid there will be no need for the Ye family to continue existing on Qingcheng Mountain."
Faced with such naked threats, the Ye family members could only swallow their rage and grind their teeth in silence.
Who could they blame? The Wang family's strength was simply overwhelming.
After the Wang Great Elder departed, the Ye family head—now seated at the head—slammed his hand down in fury:
"This Wang family has gone too far!"
"Even a clay Buddha has three parts fire. Do they really think the Ye family is made of mud and can be kneaded however they please?"
He turned to the others and ordered:
"Go at once and gather every disciple of our Ye family. Since the Wang family refuses to let us live, then we'll fight them to the death!"
At those words, the elders all lowered their heads in silence.
At their age, nothing mattered more than staying alive.
Better to live poorly than die honorably.
To go to war with the Wang family over one girl named Ye Lin?
None of them were willing.
Finally, the Ye family Great Elder couldn't hold back any longer:
"Family Head, please don't act on impulse. With our current strength, starting a war with the Wang family would be walking straight into our own graves."
"Moreover, Ye Chen is crippled now. Gambling the entire Ye family's future for the sake of one Ye Lin… it's simply not worth it!"
As soon as the Great Elder finished speaking, the other elders quickly chimed in:
"That's right, Family Head. The Great Elder speaks sense."
"In the past, with Ye Chen around, we could ally with the Lin family and at least stand against the Wangs. But now that Ye Chen is useless, throwing the whole family away for one girl would be utterly foolish."
Seeing the elders' obvious fear of death, the family head felt a surge of bitter disappointment.
"For all these years, it's precisely because of your cowardice that the Ye family has stagnated. If every member of our family had Ye Chen's courage—if we were willing to face death for the clan—how could the Ye family possibly fail to rise?"
Faced with the family head's furious rebuke, the Great Elder remained expressionless.
"Family Head, no matter what, we are thinking of the Ye family and the greater good. Besides… haven't you said rather a lot today?"
At those words, the family head's face instantly calmed.
He gave a bitter laugh, his voice tinged with loneliness.
"You're right. I've spoken too much. From now on, everything will be as the Great Elder decides."
Ye Zhao nodded, then glanced at the other elders.
The next moment, all the elders in the hall rose and bowed toward the family head in unison:
"Family Head, we are doing this for the Ye family. Please do not blame us."
"You… you people… are beyond saving…"
Looking at the elders clustered around Ye Zhao, the family head roared in helpless fury. Then, exhausted in both body and spirit, he slumped back into his chair and said not another word.
The Ye family head could never have imagined that, without him noticing, the elders had already been quietly gathered under Ye Zhao's banner.
On the surface, he was still the family head.
But in truth, when it came to major decisions, Ye Zhao was the one who held the real power.
He himself had become nothing more than a figurehead.
Not far away, Ye Zhao cast a glance toward the family head at the head seat, then signaled to the other elders. He stepped outside and spoke to the two Ye family disciples standing guard at the door:
"You two, go to Ye Tian's place. Tell him to bring Ye Lin back to me as quickly as possible. Understand?"
"Yes, Great Elder!"
The two disciples responded at once and hurried off toward Ye Tian's residence.
Not long after, the two disciples delivered Ye Zhao's order to Ye Tian.
The corners of Ye Tian's mouth curled into a playful, sinister smile.
He immediately summoned a few of his underlings and gave the order:
"While Ye Lin is still running around Qingcheng Mountain trying to find doctors for that cripple Ye Chen, capture her and bring her back—before they leave the mountain."
The underlings nodded and set off at once.