At the same time, on the thirteenth spiritual peak of Profound Feather Peak…
“How… how could this happen?!” A low, hoarse voice filled with rage suddenly echoed.
In the depths of the cave dwelling, Ye Qingyun’s eyes were bloodshot, completely flooded with crimson lines of fury.
He had been immersed in cultivation, absorbing the Sun-Moon Divine Grass to advance his cultivation level. But moments ago, he received devastating news… his family—the Cangfeng Ye Clan—was gone!
All his uncles who raised him since childhood were massacred. Only two of his younger cousins, who used to play with him as kids, barely escaped with their lives.
What frightened him wasn’t just the clan’s sudden annihilation without warning… but the fact that he didn’t even know who was behind it.
What enraged him even more was how the enemy acted like they bore some deep-seated blood feud with the Ye Clan. Not only did they slaughter every person with Ye blood in their veins, they even scattered all the egg yolks in the household, dug three meters into the ground, and sliced the worms in half. It was a level of cruelty beyond imagination.
“Old Bai! Are you sure the avatar you left behind couldn’t identify the attackers who destroyed the Cangfeng Ye Clan?!” Ye Qingyun’s voice trembled with fury.
As his words fell, spatial ripples began to ripple through the cave. Threads of golden light emerged, weaving into the form of an old man with white eyebrows, radiating terrifying power despite his illusory soul-body state.
This was Old Bai—a mysterious soul he had encountered as a child when he accidentally fell into a hidden cave while herding sheep. Though now only a soul remnant, Old Bai’s strength remained unfathomable. He had protected Ye Qingyun multiple times and provided invaluable cultivation guidance over the years.
Old Bai sighed and said, “Those attackers were extremely powerful and even used special artifacts to conceal their presence.”
“Given how urgent the situation was, I could only rescue your cousins and didn’t have time to investigate their identities…”
Ye Qingyun clenched his fists tightly. His body trembled as the fury in his eyes burned even hotter.
“No… I have to go down the mountain and return to my clan…”
“Qingyun, don’t be reckless!” Old Bai’s tone grew anxious. “Those mysterious enemies were clearly well-prepared. If you return now, you’re just walking straight into their trap!”
“A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years. With your talent, you will one day become a powerhouse able to stand on your own. Once you’re strong enough, it won’t be too late to get revenge!”
Old Bai kept persuading him, sincerely worried. He had watched Ye Qingyun grow up. Not only did this boy possess the unique Golden Dragon Qi of the ages, but his bloodline and identity were also extraordinary. He harbored many secrets unknown to the world. In the future, he would surely become an invincible legend.
Old Bai also hoped to help Ye Qingyun become powerful, and eventually, use that bond of gratitude to rebuild his own physical body.
But this sudden extermination of Ye Qingyun’s clan was too strange—it was almost certainly targeting Ye Qingyun himself. To protect both of them, Old Bai had to stop him from going down the mountain recklessly.
Under Old Bai’s persuasion, Ye Qingyun slowly calmed down. Though still seething with anger, some reason returned to his eyes.
“Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west…” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“I don’t care who you are…”
“Once I uncover the truth… I’ll make you pay a hundredfold.”
…
[Ding! Detected that due to the host’s indirect actions, the protagonist Ye Qingyun’s Dao Heart has suffered partial damage. Congratulations, host. Gained 1,500 Villain Points!]
Flying on his sword, Gu Han suddenly heard the system’s notification and paused slightly.
Then, as if understanding something, the corners of his lips curled into a smile. “Looks like Ye Qingyun’s sources are pretty quick. He already knows his clan has been wiped out?”
He actually hoped Ye Qingyun would rush down the mountain in a rage to investigate. That would play perfectly into his plan.
Even if the people from Feixian Pavilion didn’t kill him outright, they would force Ye Qingyun to reveal some of his hidden trump cards.
But unfortunately, Ye Qingyun wasn’t that stupid. And with the protagonist halo buff on him, he probably wouldn’t fall into such a simple trap.
Still, it didn’t matter.
After all, his cousin and sister had escaped into the Northern Wilderness Mountains, hadn’t they?
Once the people from Feixian Pavilion found them, Gu Han would use them as bait. There was no way Ye Qingyun wouldn’t bite.
As selfish as Ye Qingyun might be, he deeply cared about his family.
That… was a weakness he could exploit.
…
The incident from the other day had caused a major stir.
So as Gu Han flew out of the sect on his sword, he could feel several hidden gazes sweeping over him along the way.
Several sect elders even came forward to speak with him. On the surface, they seemed to be expressing concern about his recent state.
Even though Gu Han repeatedly emphasized that he was leaving for important reasons and couldn’t reveal the details, he could still feel those lingering, suspicious eyes following him.
“Senior Brother… where are you going this time?”
“Can I come with you?”
A soft and tentative voice suddenly came from behind him.
It was Luo Baizhi.
Gu Han had a clear impression of this little junior sister.
She had immense talent in the way of the sword, possessing the legendary and rare Transparent Sword Heart physique.
In the future, she would rely on her powerful cultivation and mastery of swordsmanship to become a famed Sword Immortal of the land.
In a past life, he had poured his heart into nurturing her.
To craft the most perfect sword for her, he spent months without rest in the Weapon Refining Pavilion, grinding away tirelessly to make the ideal companion blade for her.
For a sword cultivator, cultivating the heart was as important as cultivating the sword. Traveling the world was essential for such growth.
Back then, when Luo Baizhi was still weak, every time she left the mountain for trials, he would secretly follow behind, quietly resolving countless problems for her.
And in the end?
Luo Baizhi, who was supposed to possess a Transparent Sword Heart capable of seeing through the truth, had, after that incident, chosen without hesitation to believe Ye Qingyun and Liu Ruyan.
She made him—her devoted Senior Brother—look like nothing more than a clown.
Of course, that wasn’t the only thing that made him give up on her.
The mess from the previous life… he didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
With his hands behind his back, Gu Han didn’t even turn around. His voice was carried away coldly by the wind.
“Where I go… what’s it got to do with you?”
“No.”