To Dou Jingtong, Yi Shui was like ears and eyes—without him, he would be a blind and deaf cripple. Moreover, their bond wasn't merely that of master and servant; Yi Shui's father was his master, making them something akin to fellow disciples. Most importantly, in this world, only Yi Shui understood him, trusted him, and aided him.
Dou Jingtong opened his reddened eyes, forcing back the tears. In silence, he placed Yi Shui's ashes into a box, his heart now harboring hatred even for Sun Chenbo.
...
Ye Lanshan felt something was off after returning, a restless unease gnawing at her. Could something have happened to Ye Yu? The thought made her unable to sit still, and she hurried toward Ye Yu's courtyard.
As she approached the yard, a thick, cloying scent of blood hit her. What had happened? Why was the smell of blood so strong? Without time to think further, she pushed the door open and was stunned by the sight before her.
The yard was littered with corpses, all mangled beyond recognition, impossible to tell who was who. "Ye Yu, Ye Yu," Ye Lanshan called out in a trembling voice, unable to believe Ye Yu could be dead.
"Miss, why are you here?" A voice tinged with surprise and concern came from the west. Ye Lanshan turned to see Ye Yu approaching, drenched in blood.
"What happened here?" Ye Lanshan gazed at the devastated yard, as if she had never imagined such a day would come.
"The people from the Holy Land came," Ye Yu said, a hint of sorrow flashing in his eyes. I'm so useless—I couldn't even protect the power Miss wanted to build.
"And Futian? Where is he now? Is Fufeng still alive?" Ye Lanshan had no time to dwell on it, only wanting to know Futian's whereabouts and whether Fufeng was safe.
Ye Yu quickly replied, "He lured the Holy Land's people away on his own, but we don't know where. As for Fufeng, rest assured—when the Holy Land first arrived, we kept him securely inside. He's perfectly fine now."
Ye Lanshan let out a breath, murmuring, "That's good, that's good."
"But of those children, only one remains," Ye Yu added after a pause. "And Sikong Kuang and Yun Di are injured."
Ye Lanshan immediately pulled out the few pills she had from her space and tossed them to Ye Yu. "Take these to heal them. I'm going to find Futian now."
"I'll go with you," Ye Yu said, but by the time the words left his mouth, Ye Lanshan had already vanished.
Left with no choice, Ye Yu worriedly carried the pills to the only somewhat intact house they had left.
"What exactly happened? How did you provoke the Holy Land?" In truth, both Yun Di and Sikong Kuang were baffled. Though they disliked the Holy Land's ways, they never dared to clash with them openly. They hadn't expected Ye Lanshan to be so bold as to oppose the Holy Land.
"We didn't provoke them; the Holy Land has been targeting us," Ye Yu said, his hatred for the Holy Land bone-deep. If not for them, how would the Ye family have fallen so far? How would Miss have endured so much suffering? And even now, they wouldn't let her go.
"Not many people can be targeted by the Holy Land. Sure, they like to put on airs, but they don't go after anyone for no reason, do they?" Sikong Kuang wasn't buying Ye Yu's explanation.
Ye Yu sighed softly and said, "Have you ever heard a rumor about the Holy Land being destroyed?"
A flicker of confusion passed through Yun Di's eyes. "No."
Sikong Kuang, however, seemed thoughtful. After a moment, he said, "Are you talking about that rumor from twenty years ago—that someone from the Ye family would destroy the Holy Land?"
Ye Yu nodded. "Yes, that's the one."
"That doesn't add up. I recall that the Ye family in question was the continent's only premier formation masters. Even if they've gone quiet in recent years due to the Holy Land's attacks, they shouldn't be completely clueless about formations, right?" Sikong Kuang doubted that this Ye family was the same legendary formation masters.
Ye Yu wanted to retort: Who told you our Ye family doesn't know formations? We just choose not to use them now. But instead, he merely pursed his lips and said, "Miss's father is Ye Feng."
At that, Sikong Kuang fell silent. Then, in the oppressive atmosphere, he suddenly laughed. "Looks like I've just escaped one hardship and jumped straight onto a pirate ship."
Yun Di protested, "Uncle, Ye Lanshan is very loyal, and she's incredibly clever and strong. How can you call it a pirate ship?"
...
"Give it up, Futian. You can't escape. And Fufeng won't escape either. Did you really think we only sent that many people?" Yun Qingfeng stepped out from the shadows, opening his fan and fanning himself with an air of refined elegance.
Futian's voice was hoarse. "Whether I can escape or not, we'll only know after trying. Don't be so sure of yourself."
Yun Qingfeng replied nonchalantly, "Is that so? Then let's see how you slip away right under my nose."
Though Futian was gravely wounded, he was still a formidable expert, and his strength was not to be underestimated. As members of the Holy Land fell one by one, Yun Qingfeng showed no panic, merely watching the fight with amusement.
"Tsk, tsk. Ganging up on one—I really can't approve of the Holy Land's methods," Ye Lanshan said as she aimlessly searched for Futian, grateful for her sharp instincts that led her here.
"Miss Ye, this doesn't concern you. I'd advise you to mind your own business. Don't forget, you still have your own mess to deal with," Yun Qingfeng said, his gaze darkening as he heard her voice. He signaled with his eyes for them to finish off Futian quickly.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I'm determined to meddle in this," Ye Lanshan said, licking her lips as she launched an attack at Yun Qingfeng.
"Meteor Firefall."
Facing the meteor-like flames, Yun Qingfeng showed no tension, calmly forming a mystic technique. "Light Shield."
No matter what technique Ye Lanshan used, she couldn't harm Yun Qingfeng. He smiled elegantly. "My turn now. Sacred Light Bird."
Ye Lanshan frowned, inwardly grumbling: Why this move again? Does the Holy Land have no other tricks? Despite her thoughts, her hands moved swiftly. "Six-Sided Fire Shield."
Seeing the Sacred Light Bird completely blocked, Ye Lanshan quickly unleashed another technique, "Volcanic Inferno."
"Hmph." Yun Qingfeng retreated, once again deploying "Light Shield."
Seizing the moment, Ye Lanshan formed another technique, "Flying Fire Meteor," but this time, her target wasn't Yun Qingfeng—it was those fighting Futian.
"You... Since you refuse to play by the rules, don't blame me for being ruthless." Yun Qingfeng's eyes grew deep, and his tone turned dangerously cold.