The Ye Clan
Just as Ling Yi and Chen Xin were chatting, several figures walked out of a building not far away and hurried towards this side. ★★
Looking up, there were seven people in total, three men and four women. The person in the middle was a beautiful woman in black. The three on the left were all women. Ye Hanchan was standing on the far side.
Of the three men on the right, the one closest to the woman in the lead is Xu Qinghuan, the foreign affairs manager of the Ye Family (Nine Heart Begonia), whom Ling Yi had met a few times before.
"Master Ling! I was unaware of Master Ling arrival and have failed to greet you properly. Master Ling forgive me—"
Before she even arrived, Xu Qinghuan's clear, apologetic voice came from more than twenty meters away.
In response, Ling Yi stepped forward to greet him, smiling as he went, "Brother Ling Yi, you're too kind. It was my sudden arrival that startled you all. I should be the Ling Yi apologizing—"
Upon seeing this, Ling Yi quickly returned the greeting politely. "Junior Ling Yi greets the old lady."
"This is the eldest elder of my Ye Family branch." Xu Qinghuan turned her hand to the old woman to Ye Jiaxin's left.
Because there can only be two "Nine Heart Begonia" Martial Soul Awakening in the world at the same time, the direct line of the Ye Family has always consisted of only a handful of people. Apart from the two Soul Master who have awakened their Martial Soul, the others are ordinary people who have not experienced Martial Soul Awakening and exist as bloodline continuators.
Furthermore, for those whose Martial Soul is not "Nine Heart Begonia" or "Blue-throated Hummingbird," the Ye Family does not force their children to change their surname to Ye; they can follow their parents' other surnames.
In Ling Yi's perception, this person's personality, in terms of his previous life, was that of someone with a social anxiety disorder. Most of the time, he lived in his own world and resisted contact with the outside world. Even now, when he had to greet him and Chen Xin, two truly distinguished guests, he still couldn't help but occasionally be absent-minded and lost in thought, not even knowing what he was thinking.
Furthermore, when Xu Qinghuan was still in Heaven Dou City some time ago, she had a brief encounter with Chen Xin from afar when she and Ling Yi agreed to visit Hundred Flowers Valley. They could be considered to have gotten to know each other.
Ling Yi picked up the third "crabapple" but didn't rush to taste it. His gaze swept over everyone present, eventually meeting Ye Juhong and Xu Qinghuan's eyes, easily noticing the slight tension in their eyes.
Therefore, she didn't actually feel anything about Ling Yi's words.
Upon hearing this, Ye Juhong, who had been observing Ling Yi, narrowed her eyes slightly, a glint of light flashing in them, completely unlike the cloudiness that often accompanies people over eighty years old.
Speaking of this, we must mention that although the Ye Family of the Nine Heart Begonia is mainly composed of the direct line, the direct line actually doesn't really get involved. Most of the time, their role is actually that of a Ji Xiang.
The members of the Ye Family branch are basically all based on the "Blue-throated Hummingbird" Martial Soul, which can be considered as inheriting the bloodline of the husband of the Ye Family ancestor.
Of course, no one can be 100% certain that the newly added direct descendant will awaken the "Nine Heart Begonia" Martial Soul.
Imagine a being capable of group healing with effects far surpassing any known Martial Soul in the Douluo Continent. Who wouldn't want to possess it and use it for their own purposes?
With Soul Master possessing the "Nine Heart Begonia" Martial Soul as a teammate, one's own side's Life can be greatly guaranteed. Before this teammate's Soul Power is exhausted, one's own side is practically invincible. No matter how strong the enemy is, unless the difference in strength is so great that they can be killed in one blow, they can wear down the opponent by fighting to the death.
As they were talking, the distance between them quickly shortened as they rushed towards each other from both sides. As soon as Ling Yi finished speaking, the two of them came together.
Ye Juhong, the cousin of the Ye Family Ye Qihong, the previous head of the Ye family, is over eighty years old and is more than ten years older than Chen Xin.
As she spoke, Xu Qinghuan gestured to the woman in black beside her and said, "This is the head of my Ye Family."
Since that's the case, Ling Yi chose to do the opposite!
Bringing Chen Xin, a Titled Douluo, was also to intimidate him with force first, demonstrating their absolute advantage.
Afterwards, when the female coach spoke to Ling Yi, who had a well-defined physique, she was not only calm and composed but also very accommodating. She would lift him up when asked to lift him up, and bend backwards when asked to bend backwards. She would also do other things like standing splits and handstands...
They wanted to resist, but were powerless to do so. Facing a Titled Douluo Titled Douluo, and one who was extremely skilled in combat, with a Healing System Seven-Ring Soul Sage by his side, the Ye Family simply had no strength to fight back.
Ling Yi returned the smile with a bright smile, and without any hesitation, picked up a bright red fruit that looked like an apple but was only the size of a baby's fist, and took a small bite.
"Hehehe—" Upon hearing this, Old Madam Ye Juhong burst into laughter, her wrinkles smoothing out. "As long as it suits City Lord Ling's taste, that's good. My Ye Family is small and lacks resources, so this is all the fruit we can offer. If City Lord Ling likes it, I'm relieved—"
Although in terms of quality, the "Blue-throated Hummingbird" is not as good as the "Nine Heart Begonia," it is only slightly inferior. Although the Martial Soul Awakening follows the rule of keeping the strong and eliminating the weak, there are always cases of Martial Soul Mutation and the possibility of bloodline concentration becoming stronger or weaker.
Xu Qinghuan thanked them, lowered her hands, stood up straight, and slightly turned to the side, saying to Ling Yi and Chen Xin, "Master Ling, Your Majesty, let me introduce you two..."
There were other forces that wanted to recruit the Ye Family of Nine Heart Begonia, but at most, they would only send Soul Douluo- level experts. Titled Douluo were not common. Moreover, whether it was hundreds of years ago or in the last hundred years, Titled Douluo- level experts were basically members of various forces, and they were mutually restrained. The Ye Family maintained neutrality by playing both sides.
As he spoke, Ling Yi smacked his lips again and continued, "After eating it, there's even a sweet aftertaste of crabapple blossoms in my mouth. It's truly a wonderful fruit. Ling Yi is in for a treat!"
In his previous life, Ling Yi once told his personal trainer at the gym that his purpose in exercising was to make others speak to him calmly.
"Master Ling," Xu Qinghuan greeted Ling Yi with a nod, then turned her gaze to Chen Xin beside Ling Yi, crossed her arms over her shoulders, and bowed respectfully. "I am Xu Qinghuan, my Martial Soul ' Snow Jade Pear Blossom Sword,' a level 79 Agility Attack System seven-ring Battle Soul Saint. I pay my respects to Your Sword Douluo!"
"No need for formalities," Chen Xin replied casually, waving his hand dismissively.
Knowing when to stop, Ling Yi smiled, popped the bright red fruit into his mouth, and slowly chewed and savored it.
However, the smiles on Ye Juhong and Xu Qinghuan's faces suddenly became somewhat forced.
Of course, this is not surprising. Not to mention Ling Yi, even in the entire Douluo Continent, how many people can ignore the "Nine Heart Begonia", which is known as the "miracle among Martial Soul"?
In the Ye Family's reception hall, Old Madam Ye Juhong's gaze swept over Chen Xin, who was holding the "crabapple fruit" that Ling Yi had just handed him. This gave her the feeling that her family was being manipulated by him.
Only Ye Juhong, Ye Jiaxin, and Xu Qinghuan had smiles on their faces, but they were slightly different from the others.
Xu Qinghuan's ancestors joined the Ye Family in this way. By Xu Qinghuan's generation, due to his own strength and ability, he took the position of manager of all external affairs of the Ye Family.
Getting back to the main point, after getting to know another member of the branch family besides Ye Juhong and Ye Hanchan, as well as two other "in-laws" like Xu Qinghuan, Ling Yi and Chen Xin were led into the Ye family territory by Ye Juhong and Ye Jiaxin, the two heads of the Ye Family Ye Family.
If a current or previous generation of "Nine Heart Begonia" awakener dies unexpectedly, one of these direct descendants will choose to Martial Soul Awakening and fill the vacancy again.
Even though Ling Yi's image as a gentleman is widely recognized and deeply ingrained in people's hearts on the Douluo Continent, this still cannot dispel the doubts and various negative suspicions of power leaders like Ye Juhong.
Despite the existence of a no-kill pact on the battlefield in Ling Yi's previous life, when playing games, everyone will subconsciously kill the enemy's healer first.
"Thank you, Your Majesty~"
Everyone has a different personality; some are cheerful, some are cautious, some are simple, and some are suspicious. Only by understanding them can we find the right solution.
When their gazes turned to Ling Yi, he was savoring the "Ling Yi" in his mouth. The old lady felt as if what was being eaten was their own family, which had been passed down for thousands of years.
The former is over eighty years old and has been the eldest elder of the branch family for nearly sixty years. The latter is the head of external affairs for the Ye Family of the Nine Heart Begonia, and is in charge of handling all external affairs of the Ye Family. The two have seen more people and encountered more things than most people in the Douluo Continent. Therefore, in terms of knowledge and wisdom, they far surpass the other Ye Family members in the hall.
Regardless of Ling Yi's mindset or true purpose in coming here, this old lady would likely view him through a lens of skepticism.
Unlike the others, these two sensed a hint of covetousness towards the Ye Family and the "Nine Heart Begonia" from Ling Yi's words.
"You're too modest, Madam." Ling Yi didn't pay attention to the underlying meaning in Madam Ye Juhong's words. He reached out and picked up another "crabapple fruit," casually handing it to Chen Xin beside him. His gaze swept over Ye Jiaxin, Xu Qinghuan, Ye Hanchan, and the others, and he said with a smile, "The Ye Family has outstanding women like the Ye Family head and Madam Ye, pillars of society like Brother Xu, and excellent juniors like Miss Ling Yi. This shows how profound their foundation is. If I hadn't been fortunate enough to have the help of several seniors and close friends to manage Lingyun City, I would probably have wanted to seek an opportunity to join the Ye Family and become a part of it..."
As soon as the words fell, the woman in black stepped forward, bowed to Ling Yi and Chen Xin, and said softly:
"[Nine Heart Begonia - Ye Family], Ye Jiaxin, Martial Soul" Nine Heart Begonia ", Level 75 Healing System Seven-Ring Soul Sage, Greetings to Master Ling, Greetings to His Majesty Chen Xin."
Ling Yi devoured the small fruit in a few bites, leaving only a tiny pit between his fingers. His gaze met that of the smiling Madam Ye Juhong, and he sincerely praised, "A perfect balance of sweet and sour, with a crisp and refreshing texture—a wonderful fruit!"
In the spacious hall, everyone took their seats, and the maids who had been prepared served various fruits and tea snacks.
Ye Juhong glanced at Ye Jiaxin first, and seeing that the other party did not intend to speak, she did not press the matter. Instead, she smiled kindly at Ling Yi and invited, "Master Ling has come from afar, would you like to try our Ye Family's 'Crabapple'?"
In this situation, if the selected candidate's awakened Martial Soul is not "Nine Heart Begonia," then the next candidate will naturally take their place. This continues until a new "Nine Heart Begonia" Martial Soul is awakened and possessed.
The direct line is easy to understand; it mainly uses the "Nine Heart Begonia" Martial Soul.
"Good."
Upon entering the manor, Ling Yi's expression shifted slightly, revealing a hint of surprise.
Ling Yi returned the greeting with a cupped-fist salute, and said with an elegant air, "Ling Yi of Lingyun City, Martial Soul 'Azure Wood Blue Silver Emperor,' Level 72 Healing System Seven-Ring Soul Sage, greets Ye Family ~"
The old woman stepped forward to greet her, "Ye Juhong, Martial Soul ' Blue-throated Hummingbird,' Level 88 Agility Attack System Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, greets City Lord Ling, greets His Chen Xin."
As the foreign affairs manager of the Ye Family of the Nine Heart Begonia, Xu Qinghuan has some knowledge of many members of various forces on the Douluo Continent, as well as powerful independent individuals from all sides.
As the Ye Family has been passed down through generations, there has always been the involvement of outside bloodlines, especially the "Blue-throated Hummingbird" Martial Soul of the branch family, which is a bloodline that has been passed down from the husband of the first ancestor of the Ye Family.
It was only because of the Ye Family's inherent strength, coupled with the "Nine Heart Begonia" inheritance's demanding nature, which was almost like a curse, that the Ye Family was able to pass on its heritage peacefully to this day.
Based on the intelligence gathered over the years, Ling Yi knows that the Ye Family of the Nine Heart Begonia can be roughly divided into three parts: the direct line of the Ye Family, the branch family, and the offspring of those who married into the family and their families.
Ahem! I've digressed. Let's get back to the main point.
Suddenly, a sweet and slightly sour taste burst in Ling Yi's mouth, making Ling Yi taste buds, which had been tested by all kinds of delicacies, light up.
This wasn't a deliberate expression he made when he first entered the manor; it was a genuine change from the heart.
As for newly promoted Titled Douluo like Chen Xin, he was among the top people on his list of people to pay attention to.
As for the outsiders who married into the Ye family, the main reason is that the Ye Family cannot rely solely on intermarriage within the clan. After all, even in the Douluo Continent, people here know that incestuous marriage is wrong.
In this respect, it is the exact opposite of the ancestors of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The one who made the decisions was the ancestor of the Ning Family, while the wives of the ancestor of the Ning Family played more of a fighting role in protecting him.
As the true head of the Ye Family, Old Madam Ye's personality was clearly cautious and suspicious.
Ye Jiaxin, the head of the Ye Family, showed no emotional fluctuations from beginning to end. Whether it was when they first met, when Ling Yi praised the "crabapple fruit", or now when he was praising the Ye Family and herself, her face always had that Cheng Xu of polite smile that was not affected by external gains or losses.
Even so, over the past thousand years, the Ye Family has not been without coercion, forced to serve others. But in most cases, it was the direct descendants who died in battle while serving outside the family.
Upon hearing Ling Yi's words, the Ye Family members in the hall, including the young girl Ye Hanchan, all wore expressions of pride and couldn't help but reveal their smug smiles.
The one who truly manages the Ye Family is actually the one who spearheaded the branch family: the Grand Elder!
Or rather, since the time of the Ye Family's ancestor, the person who has been in charge of the decision-making for the vast majority of the Ye Family's affairs has been the husband of that ancestor.
In the Douluo Continent, the game worldview is closer to that of Ling Yi's previous life. The first priority after the battle begins is to deal with the opponent's Healing System, Support System, and Control System.
As a famous healing martial Martial Soul in the Douluo Continent, the "Nine Heart Begonia Nine Heart Begonia" makes the Ye Family members the first targets of enemy attacks after an adversarial relationship is established. Even though they have the best healing ability in the continent, they will inevitably lose their position if they hold out for too long, and death is unavoidable.