"If this subordinate of mine startled you, you could simply look away. Was it necessary to make such a loud scene and draw everyone's attention to yourself?" Ye Lanshan looked at this greasy, ugly man shouting noisily and really wanted to burn him to a crisp with a fire.
"I came here to enjoy myself, to look however I want, do whatever I want, and I like looking over here. What are you going to do about it? Let me tell you, my big brother is the boss around here. If you know what's good for you, get the hell away from me, or I'll make you regret it." Wang Dachuan pointed arrogantly at Ye Lanshan's nose.
Ye Lanshan's gaze suddenly turned cold. Having been suppressed for days, the anger within her had reached its peak, and his words were like a needle popping a balloon—in an instant, her fury erupted completely.
But as a cultivator, her reason still held somewhat, so even in her anger, there was a sense of clarity. Ye Lanshan walked over, grabbed him by the collar, and tossed him straight out the door.
With a loud thud, his entire body kissed the ground intimately, drawing even more eyes their way.
Qingdai, who was arranging things, noticed the commotion. She hurried over and respectfully addressed Ye Lanshan as "Young Master."
"So this is how Dream Red Pavilion treats its guests? Just you wait—I'll go back and tell my big brother to wipe you out!" Wang Dachuan had just struggled to his feet when he saw the brothel's manager being so deferential to Ye Lanshan, and his anger flared even more.
"Young Master, who is he?" Qingdai, unaware of what had happened, was somewhat confused.
"Never mind, just a clown making a fool of himself." Ye Lanshan paid Wang Dachuan no mind.
Upstairs, Qingdai said respectfully, "Young Master, the room is ready for you. Is there anything else you need?"
"No, you may go about your business." Ye Lanshan led Qushui into the room.
"Who exactly are you?" As soon as they entered the room, Ye Lanshan's demeanor shifted, her gaze sharp. If one had to describe her at that moment, it would be "unyielding and untouchable."
Qushui smiled bitterly. "Who else could I be? Just someone struggling to survive in the slums."
"People who know formations are rare on this continent. How could someone from the slums ever come into contact with such things?" Ye Lanshan didn't believe a single word he said.
"So what if I do? It's all in the past now." Qushui's eyes were desolate, and buried within that desolation was a bone-deep hatred.
Ye Lanshan naturally noticed the hatred in his eyes. "You want revenge. I won't stop you—I'll even help you. But you need to understand one thing: since you've joined my organization, it's best not to harbor even a shred of disloyalty, or don't blame me for being ruthless."
Qushui's eyes flickered with hesitation. He had come here for revenge, originally planning to use them and then walk away. But now that Ye Lanshan had seen through his intentions, that path was no longer viable. Was he really willing to sacrifice his freedom for revenge?
Qushui wavered. As he struggled between freedom and hatred, Ye Lanshan spoke: "You can't have your cake and eat it too. Think about it—who else would help you get revenge? If you had another choice, would you have come here?"
In the end, Qushui's gaze shifted from hesitation to resolve. He knelt on one knee before Ye Lanshan and said, "If my lord can help me get revenge, I will faithfully follow you for all eternity."
Ye Lanshan curled her lips into a smile. She knew Qushui had been won over. Barring any surprises, he would harbor no more disloyalty.
"Alright, get up. Qushui, I ask you—how much do you know about formations?" Ye Lanshan felt that when she had used her formation, he had seen through it at a glance, suggesting a deep understanding.
"Just the basics. I don't know many formations, but when it comes to breaking them, there's hardly one I can't crack." Qushui's eyes lit up when talking about formations, showing his deep fascination.
"I have a few books on formations here. If I let you pick some talented children to teach, what do you think?" Ye Lanshan's mind raced. The Ye family had once been powerful solely because of formations, and now she could create a force as strong as the former Ye family—no, even stronger—to stand against the Holy Land.
"Formation books?" Qushui murmured, as if lost in memory. Back then, his family had been wiped out because of a formation book. Though he had escaped, his voice and face had been ruined.
"I will give my all to teach them everything I know." Now, despite his ugly appearance, his heart had grown strong from his experiences, and even recalling the darkest moments of his life wouldn't trap him.
"Young Master, Young Master Mu is here." Qingdai pushed the door open and ushered Mu Ziming in.
As soon as Mu Ziming entered, he was startled by Qushui. Qushui's face was covered in scars, with not a single patch of good skin, making him look terrifying.
"Don't worry, he's one of mine. Just say what you need to." Ye Lanshan noticed Mu Ziming's hesitation and reassured him.
"I came to ask you to tell Miss Ye that the Sun family isn't the mastermind. Someone else is behind the rebellion, and they have ties to the Spirit Sect." Mu Ziming genuinely meant well for Ye Lanshan, though he had no choice—they were already in the same boat.
The Spirit Sect? Wasn't that Liu Jing's sect? Tsk, so many people had it out for Yue Hongjing.
"And what do you suggest?" Ye Lanshan had gotten involved only because the royal family could check the Holy Land, but now another faction had surfaced, making things more complicated.
"Reel in the big fish with a long line." Mu Ziming's eyes gleamed with calculation, embodying the essence of a merchant.
"I'll pass that on to Miss Ye. If there's nothing else, Young Master Mu, please take your leave." Ye Lanshan felt it was time to reconsider her partnership with Mu Ziming.
"My lord, I know some secrets about the royal family. I'm not sure if they'd be useful to you." Qushui, having overheard their conversation, had roughly guessed Ye Lanshan's intentions.
"Oh? What secrets? Let's hear them." Ye Lanshan had been in the capital for a while but had never heard any royal secrets.
"The throne wasn't always the Yue family's—it belonged to the Li family. Later, the Yue family rebelled, and the Li family mysteriously vanished, allowing the Yue family to take power." Qushui knew that piece of history well.
After all, his own family had been loyalists of the former dynasty. Though the former dynasty was gone and his family had long been wiped out, he still knew everything about it.
"And then?" Ye Lanshan had never imagined that the Yue Kingdom itself had been seized through rebellion. Was the Sun family's uprising just history repeating itself?