Colluding with the Profiteer, the Young Masters of the Qin Clan

A few days later.

"Young Master! I can see!" Under Qin Wangchuan's guidance, Ye Jianwei had finally mastered the basics of the zither, allowing her to perceive everything around her through the reverberations of the music.

She sat before the zither with her eyes closed, her long, slender eyelashes fluttering gently. As she spoke, she cautiously reached out, her fingertips tracing something in the empty air.

Having changed into new clothes, the girl was like an ugly duckling undergoing a transformation; though still young and immature, her beauty was already beginning to emerge.

Quite a sight to behold.

However, her blindness was not due to injury or illness, but a defect inscribed into the very origin of her life.

Even things like Divine Sense were unusable for her.

It was an imperfection at the level of the Great Dao's rules.

In other words, her current state of blindness was, in fact, "perfection."

Even with the immense resources of the Qin Clan, one could not cure a person who was not actually sick.

"There are only outlines, and no colors... Is the world in Young Master's eyes like this too?"

Her voice carried the novelty and excitement of a child.

Qin Wangchuan watched her quietly, a depth inconsistent with his five-year-old appearance flashing through his eyes.

He shook his head slowly. "No, the world is much more brilliant than that."

He reached out to press her trembling wrist, guiding her fingertips back to the strings.

"Take your time." Qin Wangchuan's voice was soft, yet carried a reassuring strength. "This is just the beginning. You will be able to see much more in the future."

Ye Jianwei tilted her head up and suddenly grabbed Qin Wangchuan's sleeve, a faint glimmer appearing in her hollow eyes:

"Does that mean that one day, I will be able to see Young Master's face?"

In her eyes, she could only perceive the outline of her Young Master, and even that was only by utilizing the echoes of the zither.

If the music faded, the outline would quickly vanish as well.

She did not like that.

Qin Wangchuan gave her a definite answer: "You will."

Having received her reply, Ye Jianwei nodded vigorously. After a soft "mhm," she continued to practice the zither.

Originally, Ye Jianwei had been pushed forward by countless setbacks and hardships. At first, Qin Wangchuan had worried that bringing her back to the Qin Clan would hinder her growth.

But now, it seemed those worries were unnecessary.

The first step of cultivation requires drawing Qi into the body to temper the hands, feet, mouth, nose, and eyes.

However, in just six days, she had already cultivated to the "eyes." She only needed to break through the limits of the eyes to soon step into the first stage, the Five Extremes Realm.

Of course, the Divine Seed given by the Old Ancestor played a significant role in this. After it was planted in the courtyard, the spiritual energy throughout Wangchuan Pavilion became several times denser than anywhere else.

But it also showed her comprehension and potential.

Not bad.

He was quite satisfied.

It was just that the second stage would be difficult. Laying a foundation requires using heavenly treasures and spending time; this is something no one can escape.

Of course, that excludes those with heaven-defying constitutions.

"Then, the next step is the sword formula."

Ye Jianwei was practicing the zither nearby, and Qin Wangchuan was certainly not idle; he was also pondering the sword formula.

With tenfold comprehension, he had already thoroughly grasped the book.

He closed his eyes, and the six-character sword formula appeared in his mind—"Li, Slash, Suspend, Meteor, Defend, Execute."

These six characters followed the principle of Law Follows Words; each character contained supreme Sword Intent.

It was laughable to say, but not only had he mastered the zither technique.

He had already comprehended this sword formula five days ago, yet a question had constantly lingered in his heart.

"The power of this sword formula is average. The first two characters and the middle two characters can each create a synergy—a Li and a Slash, a Suspend and a Meteor. The 'Defend' character is for defense, and the 'Execute' character is for precision kills. Although it can be used for both offense and defense, does it truly have anything to do with the Sword Seal?"

Qin Wangchuan frowned slightly. "Besides, what exactly is the Sword Seal..."

That's right. Possessing heaven-defying comprehension, simply understanding the sword formula could not satisfy him.

Whether he could further comprehend the Li Clan's Sword Seal was the fundamental issue.

He suddenly opened his eyes, and a one-inch-long sword Qi condensed at the fingertips of the five-year-old child. The sword Qi swirled in his palm, at times transforming into the character "Li," and at other times changing into the character "Slash." As the six characters rotated, there was even a faint echo of the Great Dao.

"Young Master?" Ye Jianwei sensed something unusual, and the zither music came to an abrupt halt.

Although she could not see, she could feel the sharp Sword Intent in the air.

Qin Wangchuan did not answer, merely staring at the sword Qi in his palm.

The next moment, the sword Qi dissipated.

"It seems I've reached the end." He lowered his head and sighed. "The sword formula is merely a technique for executing sword skills. In essence, it has nothing to do with the sword itself, so how could I ever comprehend it?"

"Perhaps I have taken the wrong path."

"It seems I must find someone who truly understands the sword."

Aside from the Old Ancestor, the person with the highest attainments in the Way of the Sword within the Qin Clan was not one of the elders, but the Fifth Young Master, Qin Qingzheng.

She was obsessed with swordsmanship. An Emperor Sword had manifested alongside her at birth, and she spent her years in seclusion, contemplating the sword, rarely showing herself.

If he could obtain her guidance, perhaps he could catch a glimpse of the secret behind the Sword Seal.

"I am going out for a while." He stood up and glanced at Ye Jianwei. "Continue practicing the zither; there is no need to follow."

"Yes."

Ye Jianwei nodded in acknowledgment. Her fingertips plucked the strings once more, and the zither music flowed like water, harmonizing with the spiritual energy in the courtyard.

Qin Wangchuan had only walked a few steps away with his guards when, as he passed the Martial Arts Arena, a dainty figure flashed out from the corner of the corridor, blocking his path.

"Oh my, isn't this our Ninth Brother?"

The newcomer wore a goose-yellow gauze dress, jade pendants clinking at her waist. She held an abacus in her hand, the beads clicking as her fingers flicked them.

Her eyes were curved into crescents, and her smile was sweet, yet it carried a fox-like cunning.

She was the wealthiest member of the Qin Clan, the Seventh Young Master, to whom even the elders had to go to borrow money—Qin Miaoyan.

Her personality was completely different from that of Qin Zhaoer.

Qin Wangchuan paused, his expression blank. "Is there something you need, Seventh Sister?"

"Of course there is!" Qin Miaoyan leaned in, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "Ninth Brother, I have a great way to make money here. Want to join in?"

"Not interested." Qin Wangchuan bypassed her and started to walk away.

If it were anyone else, he would have at least inquired about it, but the person before him was Qin Miaoyan!

To sum her up in two words: profiteer!

She had once swindled a rival family out of a Spirit Mine under the guise of an "investment," and even made them grateful for it.

It was the same last time; at his five-year-old banquet, she had come to him claiming she would buy back some of the useless congratulatory gifts he had received at a high price.

He had given her a Golden Lotus Pearl, which could enhance one's beauty, for a thousand bottles of spirit marrow.

He only found out later that the thing was worth at least fifty thousand bottles of spirit marrow!

There were quite a few similar examples.

Although I had managed to extract some compensation from her after exposing the truth, I had no desire to discuss any further cooperation with this unscrupulous merchant.

It was exactly as the saying went: she pits strangers for half, but cleans out acquaintances for the grand slam!

"Hey, hey, hey, don't be in such a rush to leave!" Qin Miaoyan grabbed his sleeve, smiling brightly. "This matter actually concerns you!"

"?"

"Quite a few people are offering high prices to buy information about you." She blinked. "For example, what you like to eat, your favorite color, where you usually go... in short, there are people willing to pay a hefty sum for any intelligence regarding you."

Qin Wangchuan frowned. "What do you mean?"

"What else could it mean?" Qin Miaoyan spread her hands. "With your engagement imminent, every family wants to figure out your preferences in advance so they can cater to your tastes."

"Engagement?" Qin Wangchuan's eyes widened instantly. "Whose engagement?"

"Yours."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

The two stared at each other, and the air seemed to freeze.

Qin Wangchuan was silent for a moment before speaking slowly: "...How come I don't know that I'm getting engaged?"