"Shh—" Before Yue Yinuo could finish speaking, Ye Lanshan pressed a fan against her lips. Even though flames of fury blazed in her eyes, she was frozen in place, unable to move.
The Great Xuan General. Yue Yinuo stared at her blankly, as if she hadn't expected her to be this strong. In truth, her strength wasn't overwhelming, but it was enough to surpass Yue Yinuo's.
"The family head token is in my hands. Your claim to the title is illegitimate—truly a fake through and through." Ye Lanshan caught her stunned expression, swiftly pulled a token from her bosom, and turned her back to her, displaying it for all the Ye disciples in the hall to see.
"You—" Yue Yinuo's voice trembled with panic, her eyes vicious as she lunged at her, leaving almost no time to dodge. Unfortunately for her, she struck only a phantom. Ye Lanshan had already descended below, smiling at her with amusement.
"Have you all seen this? The former family head was killed by her, and even Ye Lanshan's defection was part of her scheme. Do you still want her as your family head? Don't forget, she doesn't bear the Ye surname."
The hall held few disciples, but hesitation flickered in their eyes. Finally, the Ye disciple she had saved spoke up.
"Even if we don't want her as our family head, there's no choice. All the elders have agreed to let her serve as acting family head until the young master grows up, then step aside."
"Elders, how admirable. It seems it's time to clean out the rot in the Ye estate." Ye Lanshan laughed in anger. She had thought Yue Yinuo alone betrayed the Ye family, but now even the elders had been won over.
"At this moment, this is Ye family business—what right does an outsider have to interfere?" Just then, Ye Duanliu rushed over in a fluster.
This Ye Duanliu was one of the ten elders of the Ye family. Originally, he wasn't an elder, but due to the family's lack of talent and his own cleverness, he had been promoted beyond the norm.
"What right? The right of possessing the family head token." Ye Lanshan was done with idle talk, directly brandishing the token.
"Who knows if that token is fake? Maybe you killed the former family head and the current one to steal it?" Ye Duanliu remained unmoved at the sight of the token.
"Even with all my skill, I couldn't defeat Ye Lanshan, so how could I have killed her to take the token? She hastily shoved it into my hands when she went to Chaoyang City, asking me to help the Ye family. She said enemies were hunting her and she couldn't show her face, so she entrusted the family to me."
"Why should I believe you?" Ye Duanliu still struggled, refusing to accept it.
"That's simple..."
After Ye Lanshan revealed a few secrets unknown to the Ye family, Ye Duanliu finally stepped back, pale-faced, utterly shocked that Ye Lanshan had kept aces up her sleeve.
In the following days, Ye Lanshan used swift, decisive measures to purge all the parasites from the Ye family. The family still seemed as decrepit as ever, but only the Ye disciples knew that if they weathered this harsh winter, spring would soon arrive.
This large-scale operation eventually caught Yue Jinghong's attention. Yet Ye Lanshan didn't care what tricks Yue Jinghong might try next—she had long awaited this battle.
But before Yue Jinghong could make a move, the Lü family couldn't hold back. They first provoked the Ye disciples, then crippled their meridians—utterly arrogant.
Unbearable. Ye Lanshan, with fierce authority, kicked down the Lü family's main gate and strode in.
"Who are you, daring to storm the Lü estate? Tired of living, are you?" In moments, guards surrounded her.
But Ye Lanshan paid them no mind. In no time, all the guards lay on the ground, clutching legs or arms, groaning in pain.
"Sir, has our Lü family offended you in any way? What is the meaning of this?" Lü Qingse walked out slowly, still the beautiful yet scheming woman of the inner court.
"Oh? You say you've never offended me? I'm afraid that's not quite right." Ye Lanshan opened her fan and gently waved it, as if the people on the ground weren't injured by her at all.
"What do you mean, sir?" Lü Qingse studied Ye Lanshan carefully but found no memory of her.
"Entrusted by Ye Lanshan, I'm here to help revive the Ye family. Your disciples not only insulted and cursed the Ye disciples but also severed their meridians. Do you think the Ye family is a pushover?"
Ye Lanshan spoke slowly, but with each word, the chill in her aura grew.
"As far as I know, you don't bear the Ye surname, do you?" Lü Qingse replied coolly.
"True, I don't bear the Ye surname. But so what? I hold the Ye family token." Ye Lanshan knew what she would say next and cut her off.
"Then what is your relationship with Ye Lanshan?" Lü Qingse's expression remained unchanged, though her hand gripping her handkerchief tightened.
"She gave me her most precious possession. What do you think our relationship is?"
"Is that so? Do you know that Ye Lanshan was once jilted?"
A smile returned to Lü Qingse's face. So, he was Ye Lanshan's lover. That made things much easier.
Ye Lanshan innocently noted that she hadn't claimed to be her own lover.
"Of course I know. But what does that matter?" Ye Lanshan gently fanned herself, a hint of deep affection flickering in her eyes.
"Considering this is your first offense, I'll let it slide. You'd better leave quickly. If my father comes, escaping won't be so easy."
Lü Qingse thought to herself that stealing him from Ye Lanshan and watching her suffer wouldn't be a bad thing.
Unfortunately, she didn't know that the person before her was Ye Lanshan herself. How could she ever be stolen from herself?
"Miss, I came here to seek justice for the Ye disciples. I'm already being lenient by not starting trouble with you." Ye Lanshan looked at Lü Qingse in exasperation, unsure what she was thinking.
"Don't be ungrateful. The Ye family has long declined. If not for the emperor sparing them for their military merits, do you think they'd still exist today?" Lü Qingse's face turned cold again.
"Why hasn't the troublemaker been brought in yet?" A stern voice came from inside the house.
Hearing this, Ye Lanshan ignored Lü Qingse's expression and strode in, announcing loudly, "I came today to seek justice for the Ye family, not to cause trouble."
"You must be the new family head who took over the Ye family with such swift force." Lü Xin took a sip of tea, his gaze showing no disdain for her.
Ye Lanshan entered, still waving her fan, showing no respect for him. "That's right, it's me."