His best friend since childhood had met such a cruel fate.
All of it traced back to Ye Qian.
If that bastard hadn't tried to claim Yue Ming, Yue Qingshan wouldn't have challenged him. He wouldn't have been expelled from the family.
And his best friend—his brother in all but blood—wouldn't have been crippled, his cultivation shattered, his status reduced to that of a common servant.
Every humiliation, every loss, every drop of spilled blood led back to that evil Young Master.
"Ye Qian! Damn you!"
Yue Qingshan's eyes burned crimson as the hoarse roar tore from his throat.
His decision crystallized in that moment of rage. He had to return, no matter the cost.
For Yue Ming. For his crippled friend. For justice itself, he would go back.
In the adjacent room, Yun Lan naturally heard everything Yue Qingshan said, and this was precisely the outcome she had orchestrated.
Yue Qingshan was nothing but a minor cultivator—someone she could crush with a casual flick of her wrist. Yet the Young Master had expressly forbidden her from eliminating him.
As his servant, Yun Lan would never dare defy Ye Qian's commands, no matter how much she questioned them.
She couldn't fathom why the Young Master insisted on keeping Yue Qingshan alive.
True, the boy's cultivation stood out among his peers, and he'd even stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter. But 'good' remained his ceiling.
Compared to the Young Master himself, the gulf separating them spanned heaven and earth.
Yun Lan genuinely couldn't understand why her Young Master exercised such caution toward this person.
Still, confusion didn't matter. Understanding wasn't her duty. She existed solely to execute Ye Qian's orders with absolute faithfulness.
In the adjacent room, fury still blazed through Yue Qingshan, but he hadn't lost his rationality entirely.
His brow furrowed as he considered the situation.
Who had been following him?
Why would this anonymous figure reveal such devastating information?
Merely to ignite his anger?
Clearly not. His rage brought the other party no tangible benefit.
So why deliver such news? To lure him back?
Yue Qingshan wasn't stupid—the conjecture struck him with sudden clarity.
If the other party intended to draw him back, this method would certainly achieve that goal.
But his strength had only just broken through to the Enlightenment Realm. Why would anyone go to such elaborate lengths to manipulate his return?
This question eluded him completely.
Of course, he had no idea he was a Child of Destiny. Even less did he know that Ye Qian had been secretly siphoning his Luck Value all along.
If he'd known these truths, the revelation would've made him cough blood from sheer fury.
After long deliberation, Yue Qingshan resolved to go back regardless.
However, he wouldn't return openly. Stealth would serve him better.
He would slip into Ye territory unnoticed and verify everything himself.
Whether his friend truly had his cultivation crippled and status reduced to servant. Whether he'd genuinely been expelled from the family. And whether Yue Ming had truly endured such profound humiliation.
Yue Qingshan's mind churned too violently for sleep. With his thoughts in complete turmoil, he decided to depart immediately.
Delay bred complications. His heart already raged like a tempest—rest would prove impossible anyway.
Under night's shroud, he mounted his Cloud-Swallowing Roc and departed Ashen Orchid City, wings cutting through darkness.
Yun Lan, relying on her formidable stealth techniques, shadowed him at remarkably close range.
Yue Qingshan remained utterly oblivious to the tracker practically breathing down his neck.
…
Early the next morning, Ye Qian opened his eyes to the sensation of something plump, warm, and silken pressing against his body.
Without even glancing down, he knew exactly what—or rather, who—it was.
Ye Qian's hand roamed across the supple curves, caressing the enticing contours of her naked figure with leisurely appreciation.
His fingers traced paths along skin still flushed from the previous night's exertions.
"Qiu Lan, stop loafing around. It's time to get up."
After a night of arduous 'training', Qiu Lan felt as though her entire body had been thoroughly dismantled, every muscle saturated with exhaustion.
The call penetrated her drowsy haze. She groggily cracked her eyes open and immediately found Ye Qian's face mere inches from her own.
Memory crashed back—everything that had transpired between them last night flooded her awareness in vivid detail.
Her face flushed crimson instantly as she jerked upright.
The sudden movement pulled at her torn flesh. Sharp pain from her deflowering lanced through her core, making Qiu Lan's delicate eyebrows knit together involuntarily.
She hadn't anticipated the pain would linger this intensely. It seemed today's activities would prove exceedingly difficult to manage.
Observing Qiu Lan's subtle wince, Ye Qian smiled. He reached over and gave her cheek a light, teasing pinch.
"If it hurts, lie back down and rest properly.
Xia He and Yue Ming can handle the trivial matters. Tend to your body first.
I like my playthings whole and spirited, not fragile and spent."
Labeled a plaything so openly, Qiu Lan's face burned even hotter, the flush spreading all the way to her earlobes.
Wave after wave of mortification crashed over her as she pressed her face into her own chest.
"Yes… Young Master…"
Her voice emerged barely above a whisper.
If Ye Qian's cultivation hadn't sharpened his hearing to supernatural levels, he would've struggled to catch it even at such proximity.
Her voice emerged barely above a whisper. If Ye Qian's cultivation hadn't sharpened his hearing to supernatural levels, he would have struggled to catch it even at such close range.
Ye Qian's smile turned possessive.
He cupped her chin firmly yet tenderly, tilting her flushed face up to his, and claimed her lips in a deep, lingering kiss—marking her as his own in a way that made her melt against him.
Creak!
At that moment, Xia He stepped through the door and naturally took in the scene—Ye Qian and Qiu Lan together on the bed, the implications obvious.
Her face arranged itself into a warm smile, devoid of any jealousy whatsoever.
She understood her status with perfect clarity.
Becoming Ye Qian's wife remained an impossibility. Since that door was forever closed, she needed to position herself correctly within the hierarchy he'd established.
In Xia He's view, being permitted to remain at Ye Qian's side already constituted a tremendous honor beyond her station.
She wouldn't reach for more than she deserved. She only hoped this life could continue forever, undisturbed.
If she could stay beside Ye Qian alongside Qiu Lan in the years ahead, nothing else mattered.
"Good morning, Young Master. I've come to help you dress."
She moved swiftly to the clothing rack, selected several fine garments, and approached.
Seeing Ye Qian's exposed, perfectly sculpted physique, Xia He couldn't suppress the blush rising to her cheeks despite having witnessed it before.
Of course, they'd already shared that kind of intimacy, which calmed Xia He somewhat.
She efficiently helped Ye Qian into his clothes, then stepped aside, face still delicately flushed.
She lowered her gaze, not daring to meet Ye Qian's eyes directly, and stole a furtive glance toward the bed.
Qiu Lan had already pulled the quilt up to cover herself completely.
The two sisters probably had womanly matters to discuss in private, and Ye Qian planned to seek out Yun Xi anyway. He didn't require their attendance for now.
Before departing, Ye Qian issued specific instructions to Xia He.
"Xia He, you don't need to follow me today. Take proper care of Qiu Lan.
She probably won't manage to leave that bed today."
Hearing this, Xia He's face blazed even more intensely.
"Yes, Young Master, I... I understand."
Xia He's words came out stuttered and unsteady, her composure thoroughly shattered.
Noting how Xia He refused to meet his gaze, Ye Qian crossed the distance between them and gently lifted her smooth chin with his index finger.
He gazed directly into Xia He's eyes and kissed her cherry lips—not with ravishing hunger, but with unexpected tenderness.
Xia He froze completely.
Qiu Lan lay right there beside them, yet the Young Master acted so shamelessly bold.
But Xia He would never resist Ye Qian's advances.
Though shyness flooded every corner of her heart, she didn't push him away. Instead, she silently closed her eyes and surrendered to the moment.
A heartbeat later, Ye Qian released Xia He and departed the room, a contented smile playing across his features.
Xia He slowly opened her eyes, her gaze like autumn water reflecting moonlight. Her fingertips drifted up to stroke her lips where his warmth still lingered.