Ye Qian descended slowly through the air above the palace, his robes settling around him as his feet touched stone.
He had fully mastered his strength now—truly stepped into the Early Holy Induction Realm.
With the Void-Slaughtering Sword in hand, the Supreme Demon Eyes awakened, and the Ancient Demon Scripture as his foundation, he wielded power that far eclipsed his cultivation stage.
He could challenge anyone at the Peak of the Holy Induction Realm and walk away intact. Victory might still elude him against such an opponent, but defeat was equally unlikely.
By cultivating both the Immortal and Demonic paths in tandem, Ye Qian's arsenal ran far deeper than appearances alone would suggest.
He circulated the spiritual Qi within his meridians, let it settle, then spoke into the silence.
"Pass down the order: when the person named Yue Qingshan comes, let him through.
Direct him to Cloud‑Soaring Mountain. I will wait for him at the summit."
His voice rippled outward, a thread of intent woven through the palace grounds.
Every guard stationed throughout the compound recognized their Young Master's command instantly.
They understood what needed to be done, though none could fathom why their Young Master would grant this Yue Qingshan an audience. That ignorance suited them perfectly—the Young Master's affairs were not theirs to know.
Once the order dispersed, Ye Qian did not depart for Cloud‑Soaring Mountain alone.
He turned instead toward one of the many halls in his palace, where Yue Ming sat hunched over scrolls and manuals.
The girl studied with visible diligence, though impatience flickered beneath the surface.
The moment Ye Qian's shadow fell across her desk, however, that restlessness vanished. Her posture straightened, her expression smoothed into perfect composure.
Two days of careful instruction had raised Yue Ming's Loyalty to sixty points—a remarkably swift climb.
At this threshold, active betrayal became unlikely unless circumstances turned dire. She would not turn against him lightly now.
"Young Master."
Xia He, Qiu Lan, and Yue Ming chorused the greeting in unison, bowing low in a perfectly coordinated display worthy of the most disciplined servants.
Ye Qian studied Yue Ming's respectful demeanor and allowed himself a small nod of satisfaction. The training had finally borne fruit.
He raised one hand, finger extended toward Yue Ming, and spoke softly.
"Yue Ming, come with me. I need you to accompany me outside on a small errand."
Yue Ming blinked in surprise.
She had assumed Ye Qian had come for Xia He or Qiu Lan, but apparently not. Still, if he sought her out specifically, there must be a genuine reason.
"Yes, Young Master."
She glanced sideways at Xia He and Qiu Lan. Neither woman so much as frowned, and relief coursed through her.
If this outing had somehow offended the two senior maids, Yue Ming would have had to pay the price later.
These past two days had clarified her status—she occupied the same position as Xia He and the others. A maidservant.
The Yue Family's most outstanding genius, reduced to servitude.
Indignation smoldered in her chest, but she swallowed it. She had no control over her circumstances, no power to resist.
At that moment, Xia He stepped forward, anticipation coloring her tone.
"Young Master, do you need Qiu Lan and me to accompany you as well?"
Ye Qian caught the anxiety beneath Xia He's question—she feared Yue Ming might displace them.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. He reached out, his palm cupping Xia He's cheek in a gentle caress.
"There is indeed a matter requiring my attention—but you two need not follow this time.
Don't worry. This is the Ye Family estate. No one foolish enough would dare lay a hand on me."
He paused, adding a silent addendum in his mind.
Except for that idiot Yue Qingshan.
Given the current state of affairs, he and Yue Qingshan stood on opposite sides of an unbridgeable chasm.
That blockhead might actually possess the audacity to strike at him.
Even so, regardless of Yue Qingshan's talent or whatever breakthroughs he had clawed his way toward in recent days, catching up to Ye Qian would prove no easy feat.
Breakthroughs and genuine power required time, accumulation, tempering. No amount of desperation could compress that process into days or weeks.
Seeing that Ye Qian did not require their presence, Xia He and Qiu Lan nodded obediently. They would never contradict his command.
"Come, Yue Ming. Ride with me to the summit of Cloud‑Soaring Mountain. Someone will arrive soon."
Ye Qian turned and strode out of the backyard.
Yue Ming had no time to parse his meaning. She hurried after him, her thoughts clouded with uncertainty.
Once Ye Qian and Yue Ming vanished beyond the palace gates, only Xia He and Qiu Lan remained.
Qiu Lan pouted, her voice sharpened by displeasure.
"Xia He, Yue Ming has only been here two days. Why is the Young Master taking her out on an errand already?"
Xia He's expression darkened instantly. She rounded on Qiu Lan with a sharp glare.
"Qiu Lan, some words may be spoken… and others cannot.
From this moment onward, you are absolutely forbidden from questioning the Young Master's judgment.
If I hear such words again, I will confine you to isolation."
The reprimand landed like a hard slap.
Qiu Lan's eyes reddened immediately, and she nodded, small and chastened. Realization crashed over her—what she had just said, and the danger it carried.
Fortunately, the Young Master had already left. If he had overheard and taken offense, the consequences would have been severe.
Though reprimanded, Qiu Lan harbored no resentment toward Xia He.
Her personality tended toward carelessness, and Xia He had always been the one to rein her in and correct those flaws. Deep down, she knew that.
"Xia He, I know I was wrong," Qiu Lan said, her voice low and earnest.
"I swear on my life, this will never happen again."
She raised three fingers toward the sky in solemn oath, her hands trembling slightly under the weight of the promise. A tight knot of worry pressed against her chest—she could not afford to slip again.
She had only felt dissatisfied because Yue Ming received special attention from Ye Qian. Nothing more, nothing else.
But even that sliver of discontent felt like a dangerous crack in her loyalty, and the thought of it made her stomach twist.
Xia He reached out and rested a hand on Qiu Lan's shoulder, firm yet calm.
"It's fine. Just remember—don't resent me for being strict.
the Young Master's personal maids, we carry his name with us.
Every word we speak, every thought we voice, must be fit for one who serves him."
"Of course, Xia He. I understand," Qiu Lan said softly.
She nodded quickly, swallowing any reply, as if the mere weight of that title had pressed the disobedience out of her.
…
Meanwhile, Ye Qian led Yue Ming onto his qilin carriage.
It was Yue Ming's first time sitting inside such a vehicle, and excitement surged through her chest despite her attempts to suppress it.
A qilin carriage!
The beasts pulling it were genuine qilin—creatures of terrifying strength and keen intelligence.
To ride in such luxury for the first time left her cautious, almost afraid to touch anything for fear of damaging some priceless artifact.
She watched through the window as immortal mountains and drifting cloudscapes streamed past in a blur.
This is the Young Master's life, she thought.
Simply driving this qilin carriage through the world commanded awe.
Anyone who glimpsed the four-attribute qilin harnessed to the front would hesitate to approach, cowed by the sheer presence radiating from the beasts.
"Young Master," Yue Ming ventured, her curiosity too sharp to hold back, "aren't these four-attribute qilin Immortal Beasts of extraordinary talent and immense cultivation?
Why would you use such rare beings simply to pull a carriage?"
The extravagance of the wealthy was beyond her comprehension.