If Zhou Qingyue hadn't been so suicidally reckless as to provoke Ye Chen, the Cold Wind Sect might not have reached this breaking point with him!
Now that Zhou Qingyue had brought a cataclysm upon the sect, it was no wonder Shen Yanyue had struck so viciously and without mercy!
To prevent the Cold Wind Sect from suffering the same fate as the Luoyun Sect, she had to do everything in her power to appease Ye Chen!
The disciples and Elders all fell silent, not daring to speak.
A Saintess of her generation, struck dead on the spot by her own Sect Leader. How utterly lamentable!
"Saint Heir Ye, are you satisfied with this outcome?"
The middle-aged beauty, dressed elegantly in palace attire, groveled before the threat of death. She was like a stray dog, wagging its tail and begging, doing everything she could to win Ye Chen's favor.
Ye Chen stood with his hands behind his back, his expression impassive.
'Her apology seems sincere enough.'
He had no deep-seated grudge against the Cold Wind Sect. Since they were willing to hand over their treasury, things couldn't be better.
Ye Chen pondered for a moment. As Shen Yanyue waited, so tense she could barely breathe, he slowly nodded. "Fine. I won't pursue this matter with you."
He turned his head to look at Mu Shanhong.
Mu Shanhong felt as if his scalp was about to explode. The moment Ye Chen's gaze met his, his heart seized violently, nearly stopping altogether.
"And you? Aren't you going to give me some satisfaction?" Ye Chen asked coolly.
Mu Shanhong's expression flickered uncertainly.
'Ye Chen isn't even afraid of the Lei Province government. If I really have a falling out with him, he'll probably tear me in two on the spot!'
At this thought, Mu Shanhong's grim gaze suddenly shifted to Yang Yin, who was standing to the side.
Yang Yin was scared out of his wits. Zhou Qingyue's fate was right before his eyes. He hastily begged for mercy, "Elder Mu, are you really going to kill me just to please this guy?"
"My father is the Sect Leader of the Nine Nether Sect! You'd better think this through!"
Even in his terror, Yang Yin didn't forget to utter a threat.
Mu Shanhong was so furious his beard bristled and his eyes bulged. "If you hadn't insisted on provoking Ye Chen just to suck up to that bitch, how would we have gotten dragged into this mess?"
His face was ashen. He thought it over and over, but he still couldn't bring himself to do it.
'No matter what, Yang Yin is the son of the Nine Nether Sect's Sect Leader.'
'He's not like Zhou Qingyue. I'm just an Elder.'
'If I really kill Yang Yin, and the Sect Leader finds out, I'll be hunted relentlessly!'
"How about we let this matter drop? I don't want to be involved any further. I'll leave Yang Yin for you to deal with, Saint Heir Ye?"
Mu Shanhong chose his words carefully.
"Old dog Mu, you dare sell me out?!" Yang Yin's voice was sharp and his face was twisted with rage.
'Even if Mu Shanhong doesn't act, if I fall into Ye Chen's hands, death is still inevitable!'
Mu Shanhong's face was ashen. He ignored Yang Yin, waiting only for Ye Chen to speak.
Ye Chen smiled. "What? Trying to wash your hands of this so quickly?"
"That's fine. I can do it myself. But if I do, you won't be leaving here today either."
Hearing this, Mu Shanhong seemed to age several decades in an instant. His face haggard, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Sigh... I admit defeat."
"Old dog, you dare—!" Before he could finish, Mu Shanhong, under Yang Yin's disbelieving gaze, struck decisively, killing Yang Yin on the spot.
"Saint Heir Ye, surely you're satisfied now?"
Mu Shanhong wore a bitter smile.
Ye Chen nodded, then suddenly asked Shen Yanyue, "Sect Leader Shen, your sect should have Recording Stones placed around, right?"
"Of course we do. What do you have in mind, Saint Heir Ye?" Shen Yanyue asked, a little surprised.
"Give me a copy of the recording from this square." Ye Chen said, glancing coolly at Mu Shanhong.
"No problem." Shen Yanyue agreed immediately.
Mu Shanhong's expression immediately turned bitter.
'I was hoping that if I suppressed the news of what happened here, I could pin Yang Yin's death entirely on Ye Chen after returning to the sect.'
'That way, I wouldn't have to face the Sect Leader's wrath.'
'But Ye Chen isn't giving me any chance at all.'
'I killed Yang Yin in public with so many people watching, and a Recording Stone captured the whole thing.'
'The evidence is ironclad!'
'As long as Ye Chen has the recording from this square, he'll have leverage over me!'
After dealing with everything, Ye Chen finally walked toward the distant figure who had remained serene and detached, as if unconcerned with worldly affairs.
It seemed Luoxia Fairy had been waiting for this moment.
From beneath her thin veil, a pair of eyes as clear as mountain springs stared unblinkingly at Ye Chen.
"You should explain now. What exactly is going on with Tongtong?"
Ye Chen came to stand before Luoxia Fairy, his expression calm, showing none of the respectful humility others displayed.
Luoxia Fairy wasn't annoyed. Her voice was as pleasant as silver bells. "You killed men from the Lei Province government without a second thought. Are you the type of person who only considers the present, with no regard for the future?"
"Do you realize that from now on, you'll find it difficult to take even a single step in Lei Province?"
Ye Chen frowned. "How I act is none of your business."
"I didn't come here to be lectured by you."
Hearing this, Luoxia Fairy gave Ye Chen a deep look.
She cut to the chase and said directly, "Her constitution is very likely an Innate Spirit Body."
"Innate Spirit Body?" Ye Chen was taken aback. It was the first time he had ever heard of such a constitution.
"Correct." Luoxia Fairy gave a slight nod. "For some unknown reason, her constitution has been sealed for many years. If Xu Yingwu hadn't brought her to me, I fear no one would have discovered how special she is."
"And as it happens, my sect's Secret Technique has a tremendously beneficial effect on the Innate Spirit Body! Taking her back to my sect to fully awaken it is the best choice."
"Moreover, her Innate Spirit Body is on the verge of awakening! If we don't return quickly and it awakens out here, it will likely attract the attention of powerful experts, or even cause some kind of incident. That would be beyond my ability to prevent."
Hearing this, Ye Chen fell silent.
He could feel that Luoxia Fairy was not lying.
The Spiritual Qi from her body was constantly nourishing Qin Ruotong's small, delicate frame.
If Luoxia Fairy weren't deliberately suppressing Qin Ruotong's Innate Spirit Body, her constitution would likely awaken at any moment.
Once that surging power erupted like a volcano, the entire mountain peak of the Cold Wind Sect would probably be razed to the ground!
Such an astonishing disturbance might truly, as Luoxia Fairy had said, lead to some unpredictable consequences.
"If you take her away, where will I find you?"
Ye Chen said in a low voice, "She's my only family in this world. I will be reunited with her one day."
However, Luoxia Fairy remained silent for a long time.
Ye Chen felt that her gaze upon him now held a trace of pity!