Volume One: The Young Demon Lord, Chapter 38: The Zhen Family Arrives

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the door. The butler, accompanied by two servants of the Ye family, came stumbling in.

The butler said anxiously, "Head of the family, the head of the Zhen family has forced his way in with his men, claiming he is here to seek out his enemies!"

Ye Yuan’s face changed slightly. "What? The Zhen family is truly acting lawlessly!"

Qi Yu immediately understood that this was a disaster he had brought upon the Ye family. He stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Master Ye, since that is the case, I should take my leave. Third Elder, Xue'er, you two stay here!"

Unexpectedly, Ye Lan blocked Qi Yu with a cold expression. "You’ve brought such great trouble to our Ye family, and now you want to just walk away?"

Seeing this, Ye Yuan said urgently, "Ye Lan, do not be rude!"

Liu Rouxue stepped forward and grabbed Qi Yu’s arm. "Brother Qi Yu, I will go wherever you go. Don't even think about leaving me behind!"

Ye Lan grew impatient. "Do you still have the leisure to be lovey-dovey here? The Zhen family has already come knocking. You killed their direct grandson; how could they possibly let you off?"

Qi Yu replied calmly, "I am the one who killed him, and I will resolve it myself!"

Ye Lan said scornfully, "You resolve it? What ability do you have to resolve this?"

At that moment, Zhang Wendian walked over to Qi Yu’s side and sighed, "Sigh, what must come will come. Qi Yu, given my friendship with your father, I will do everything in my power to help you!"

"Hmph, my Ye family is not to be trifled with either. Third Elder, rest assured, the Ye family will protect you!" With that, Ye Yuan strode toward the exit.

"Father..."

Ye Lan turned and snorted coldly at Qi Yu before following closely behind.

"We cannot let the Master of the Ye family come to harm!"

The three of them arrived at the main hall together.

Sitting in the seat of honor was Zhen Hui, the head of the Zhen family. Behind him stood two old men in black robes, along with several armored guards.

Lying on the floor were several Ye family disciples who had been beaten by the Zhen family’s men. The Zhen family had shown no restraint; some of the disciples had even had their limbs broken.

Ye Yuan’s face darkened as he said coldly, "Zhen Hui, you come to my Ye family and strike down my disciples. Do you really take the Ye family for a soft target?"

Zhen Hui said indifferently, "I already told you, I am here to capture the enemies of the Zhen family. These gatekeeping dogs blocked my way, and fearing that the enemies might seize the chance to escape, I injured them in my haste."

What? Gatekeeping dogs!

Zhen Hui’s words were a clear insult to the entire Ye family. Ye Lan, who had a fiery temper, stepped forward and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw.

Ye Yuan reached out to stop her, saying in a deep voice, "Zhen Hui, the Ye family has no such enemies of the Zhen family as you claim. Regarding your injury of my disciples today, I will surely demand justice in the future. You had best leave now!"

Zhen Hui scoffed. "Ye Yuan, don't think I don't know. My eyes and ears have been watching you. Three people from the Tiangang Sword Sect arrived today. You had better hand them over immediately, or don't blame me for leveling your Ye family!"

Ye Yuan was incensed. "Level my Ye family? You have a lot of nerve!"

Zhen Hui said slowly, "Ye Yuan, do you still think you are the same Ye family as before? Your ancestor perished long ago!"

"Not only will I level your Ye family, but I will also swallow everything you possess! From now on, your Ye family will be nothing but a dog for the Zhen family!"

"Insolent!"

Ye Yuan was suddenly enraged and struck a palm toward Zhen Hui!

However, facing this sudden strike, Zhen Hui sneered in contempt. He gathered his spiritual power into his palm and struck back!

Boom!

A powerful aura erupted. Ye Yuan was sent staggering back several steps, his face pale as he looked at Zhen Hui in disbelief.

"Father!"

Ye Lan immediately stepped forward to steady him.

Ye Yuan clutched his chest as a trail of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. "You... you have reached the fifth stage of the Profound Venerable Realm!"

Zhen Hui stood up and chuckled. "Just a few days ago I was at the fourth stage, but fortunately, I received guidance from a senior and managed to break through one stage."

There was a large bruise on one side of Zhen Hui's face, suggesting the "guidance" had been quite rough.

Ye Yuan's expression was grave. Zhen Hui’s cultivation was now above his own, and since the Zhen family’s ancestor was still alive, the Ye family's strength was significantly inferior.

"Submission is your only way out!" Zhen Hui walked over to Ye Yuan, his tone flippant. "I will give you one day to consider. Either you hand over those three, or... extinction!"

Zhen Hui’s voice was not loud, yet everyone could hear him clearly.

"Extinction! Haha, Zhen Hui, you have a lot of audacity!"

Just then, a beautiful figure emerged, her exquisite face devoid of any emotion.

"Zhen Hui, try moving against the Ye family and see what happens. You don't really think I spent all these years at the Qingyun Sect just idling away, do you? Unless, of course, you intend to make an enemy of the Qingyun Sect!"

As she spoke, Ye Lan waved her hand, and a sword floated in the air. It was the same sword that had been at her waist. When Zhen Hui saw it, his previously confident expression turned somber.

This sword was a spiritual artifact. Though its grade was not high—merely a low-tier Yellow grade—engraved on the hilt were two characters: *Qingyun*.

This was the first sword of the Qingyun Sect Master!

Could it be that Ye Lan had already gained the recognition of the Sect Master?

One had to know that only those recognized by the Sect Master would be bestowed with the Master's sword and trained as a personal disciple. Once designated as a personal disciple, barring any accidents, one would naturally succeed as the new Sect Master when the incumbent retired.

If Ye Lan were to become the Sect Master of Qingyun, what hope would the Zhen family have after persecuting the Ye family?

Zhen Hui’s face darkened, his fingertips trembling. If Ye Lan were merely an ordinary inner-sect disciple, even if the Zhen family killed her, the Qingyun Sect would not necessarily do much. But if she were a personal disciple, the Qingyun Sect would surely pursue them to the end!

"Heh, Ye Yuan, your daughter is quite promising! Let’s go!" Zhen Hui fell silent for a moment before saying through gritted teeth.

As he led his men out of the hall, he suddenly turned back to look at Ye Lan. "Daughter of the Ye family, you returned to the royal capital to participate in the Sect Grand Competition, didn't you?"

"And what if I did?" Ye Lan replied flatly.

Zhen Hui sneered. "Then you had better be careful. Make sure you don't die in the competition, otherwise, your Ye family will suffer greatly!"

After the Zhen family members left the estate, Ye Yuan sat in a chair, clutching his chest and frowning deeply. He looked at Ye Lan angrily. "Ye Lan, did you steal the Sect Master's sword?"

Ye Lan frowned. "Father, am I really that incompetent in your eyes? I truly am a personal disciple of the Qingyun Sect Master now!"

Ye Yuan was stunned for a moment, then his face beamed with joy. "Really?"

Ye Lan nodded. "Yes, but I have no desire to be the Sect Master. I still wish to pursue a higher realm."

Ye Yuan helplessly tapped her forehead. "You girl."

He then called for the butler. "Go and invite the Third Elder of the Sword Sect out."

The butler hesitated. "Master, the Third Elder and his two young friends have already left."

Ye Yuan was taken aback. "Left?"

He immediately understood the Third Elder's intention: he did not want to drag the Ye family into the fray.

Hearing this, Ye Lan looked toward the direction of the Ye family hall, her eyes dazed. She asked softly, "Father, is that Qi Yu... my brother?"

Ye Yuan’s expression stiffened. He sighed softly, "Yes."

Ye Lan gave a bitter smile. "No wonder you were so partial to him. His eyes... they haven't changed since we were children. I recognized him at once."

"Yet, he didn't even recognize me!"

Ye Lan fell into memories. When she was young, she wasn't as beautiful; she had been a bit chubby and was often bullied. At that time, Qi Zhenming had brought Qi Yu to the Ye family as a guest. Whenever Qi Yu saw Ye Lan being bullied, he would always be the first to stand up and protect her, never complaining even when he was beaten black and blue.

During that time, Ye Lan would always follow behind Qi Yu, calling him "brother," and Qi Yu had doted on her endlessly.

But then one day, Qi Yu and his father left. That night, little Ye Lan had cried her eyes out. From then on, she had buried her emotions deep within her heart, never expressing them to anyone, which was why she always appeared so cold.

She had never imagined she would meet Qi Yu again.