Yang Zhenshan's Private Affairs

Night had fallen, and it was already the hour of midnight.

Yang Zhenshan still stood quietly at the entrance to the main hall, watching the busy servants outside as they cleaned up the battlefield.

When Yang Yueshan had come seeking the truth, he had thrown several Spirit Blast Stones into the manor.

The Spirit Blast Stones had been remarkably effective, blasting the front courtyard into ruins.

All the remaining servants in the manor had been mobilized, doing their utmost to clear the wreckage.

At that moment, Yang Yuanshan sat behind Yang Zhenshan in one of the main hall's guest seats, his face blank and lifeless.

He still could not emerge from the shock of his second brother killing their eldest brother.

His vacant eyes remained fixed on Yang Zhenshan.

One stood in front while the other sat behind, and the two had remained motionless in the main hall for nearly an hour.

After a long while.

Yang Yuanshan gradually came back to himself. "S-Second Brother."

Yang Yuanshan's words pulled Yang Zhenshan from his memories.

He turned his head and looked at Yang Yuanshan.

"Why? Wasn't it... just an act?" At that point, Yang Yuanshan was overcome with pain and clutched his head in both hands.

Yang Zhenshan did not look at him again. He said flatly, "The only way to reclaim the mine now is through intimidation, but intimidation..."

"Not that! Why did you kill Eldest Brother?!" Yang Yuanshan angrily cut him off midway, roaring loudly.

"Eldest Brother..." Yang Zhenshan paused slightly. "Eldest Brother wanted too much!"

"Ten years ago, during the struggle for the family headship..." Yang Zhenshan sank into his memories.

"Eldest Brother refused to accept me, but Father appointed me as the Yang Family's head. In truth, everyone knew I was more suited to lead the family. Eldest Brother was overbearing and tyrannical, unable to keep things buried in his heart. His strength was insufficient too; he was always one step slower than me in cultivation. But..."

Yang Zhenshan said mournfully, "But he did not know himself! Back then, our Yang Family was weak. Even the Li Family could press us down by a head. With Eldest Brother's wits, he simply could not contend with those old foxes from the other families."

"Eldest Brother insisted on challenging me at my ceremony to assume the position of family head. He even angered Father until he fell seriously ill, and within a few years, Father passed away."

"After I defeated him, not only did he refuse to heed my earnest advice, he even took Third Brother and seized the Spirit Medicine Hall, then an extremely important source of income for the family."

"For the past ten years, he gave the family only scraps of income every year. Three years later, he even took away the family's brokerage house as well."

"I endured all of that!"

"But of all things, he should never have set his sights on Blackstone Mine!"

"I took that Blackstone Mine in Lin'an City with my own fists, one blow at a time! Back then, those three families did not even think our Yang Family worthy of a glance. They would not spare us so much as a hair. It was me—Yang Zhenshan! I risked wounds grave enough to be beyond cure, leaving my dantian severely injured and trapping myself at eighth-layer Qi Refining for seven years, yet I forcibly snatched this piece of meat from the mouths of those three families!" By this point, Yang Zhenshan was overcome with emotion. He slapped his chest and cried out hoarsely.

"Now, our Yang Family is gradually gaining momentum. I broke through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement with the Blood-and-Flesh Pill, and with the resources that person gave us, my chances of reaching Foundation Establishment in the future are great. Added to that, we have twenty percent of the Blackstone Mine from each of the great families. The Yang Family will develop even better."

"But Yang Yueshan is a stumbling block on the Yang Family's path to growth!"

"I cannot let him continue as he pleases, much less allow him to keep sucking the Yang Family's blood."

"After he dies, I will reclaim the Spirit Medicine Hall. Third Brother is incapable of achieving anything, so the brokerage house will be taken back as well."

"I did all of this for the Yang Family!"

Yang Zhenshan spoke at great length in one breath. By the end, his voice had grown softer, and his final sentence was nearly inaudible, though his body remained straight and upright.

Yang Yuanshan sat blankly not far from Yang Zhenshan, looking at that back which had remained straight for the Lineage for ten years. Moonlight flashed across it, revealing hair streaked gray amid the black.

"Oh, so Second Brother... is already over fifty." He muttered.

The hall fell silent.

A quarter of an hour later, Yang Zhenshan's voice suddenly sounded again. "It's late. Go back and rest. I'll go speak with that person and explain the situation."

Yang Yuanshan silently rose and left the main hall.

Yang Zhenshan watched Yang Yuanshan's retreating back grow farther and farther away. His back, which had remained straight all this time, bent slightly.

City Lord's Manor.

Yao Qing sat in the reception room, holding a teapot and pouring water over several tea pets.

Knock, knock, knock!

The wooden door of the reception room was knocked upon.

"Come in!" Yao Qing's voice rang out.

Yang Zhenshan pushed open the door, glanced at Yao Qing, and sat directly across from him.

"You're here, Zhenshan."

"Mm."

The two spoke briefly, like old friends who saw each other often.

"What... happened today?"

Yao Qing poured Yang Zhenshan some tea, but he could not hold back from asking in the end.

Yang Zhenshan lifted the tea and drained it in one gulp. Sorrow filled his face. After thinking for a while, he said, "I only intended for him to put on an act, but..."

"He went too far..."

Yang Zhenshan selectively repeated what he had just told Yang Yuanshan.

Yao Qing fell silent after hearing it.

The two had known each other for ten years.

Ten years ago, Yao Qing had been transferred from Yongjing to Lin'an as the city lord overseeing one region, while Yang Zhenshan had just assumed the position of Yang Family head.

From harboring their own designs at the start, to helping each other later, to now, with you in me and me in you.

Yes, truly and literally: with you in me and me in you.

Yao Qing was the second son of a powerful court minister. He had been frail and sickly since childhood. His father disciplined him with extreme strictness, readily hanging him up to beat and scold him. Outside, he was constantly bullied and mocked by the other sons of officials his age, which had left him with a personality starved of affection.

His appointment to Lin'an City had been arranged by his father. When his father discovered that Yao Qing had no interest in women and only favored men, he flew into a rage and transferred him to distant Lin'an City, out of sight and out of mind. Yet Yao Qing was still his son, so before sending him away, his father had him marry and have children, then brought them along to Lin'an City.

By now, Yao Qing's wife had been a living widow for more than ten years.

As for Yang Zhenshan, he stood eight feet tall, mighty and powerful without being reckless. He carried responsibility in his heart and possessed an imposing presence. Brave and resourceful, his shoulders could bear burdens, and his heart could endure them.

As the two went back and forth, Yang Zhenshan discovered what Yao Qing desired.

Yang Zhenshan was, after all, a formidable man who could endure what ordinary people could not. Though he had no taste for men and even particularly enjoyed women, for the Yang Family's development, he still resolutely rolled into bed with Yao Qing.

At this point, the story was already clear.

"How is your Foundation Establishment... progressing?" Yang Zhenshan asked after the room had been silent for a while.

Upon hearing this, Yao Qing set down his teacup.

His body trembled, and an imposing aura burst forth. The pressure of Foundation Establishment filled the cramped reception room.

Shock flashed through Yang Zhenshan's eyes as the aura forced him two steps back.

Seeing this, Yao Qing hurriedly withdrew his aura, and calm returned to the room.

"It has succeeded, Zhenshan. That Blood-and-Flesh Pill for breaking through to a higher realm truly works."

Excitement was impossible to hide on Yao Qing's handsome face.

Yang Zhenshan was initially greatly startled, but his face soon filled with joy. "A-Qing, your method really worked!"

"Then that means I have hope of reaching Foundation Establishment too!"

"Yes, Zhenshan. Foundation Establishment grants as much as one hundred and sixty years of lifespan. We can stay together longer." A flush rose to Yao Qing's face.

A Blood-and-Flesh Pill, as its name implied, was a pill refined from human flesh and blood.

It had been mentioned in earlier chapters that the pill Yang Mingyuan gave Zhou Qi was a Blood-and-Flesh Pill, though it was only one for breaking through an initial-stage realm.

Moreover, Blood-and-Flesh Pills had side effects. Most damaged one's foundation and bred inner demons.

But their ability was obvious: they broke through realms.

As everyone knew, every three minor realms in the Qi Refinement Realm formed one tier, divided into the initial stage, middle stage, and high stage.

There was a bottleneck when breaking through each tier. The bottleneck differed according to each person's talent. Some could pass it easily, while others remained stuck for a lifetime, unable to advance.

As for going from the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement to Foundation Establishment, in ordinary people's eyes, the difficulty of crossing that threshold was like a heavenly chasm.

Yet the Blood-and-Flesh Pill overcame it all. Yao Qing had heard in Yongjing from some sons of Embroidered Uniform Guard officials that certain wicked sects in the martial world refined Blood-and-Flesh Pills to break through realms.

Yang Zhenshan had damaged his foundation and been trapped at eighth-layer Qi Refining for seven years, yet it was precisely through a Blood-and-Flesh Pill that he broke through to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.

Now, even Foundation Establishment was within reach, greatly easing Yang Zhenshan's originally pained and miserable mood.

Yang Zhenshan slowly calmed himself and reached out to stroke Yao Qing's handsome face.

Yao Qing was short, and the two stood very close. He kept looking up at Yang Zhenshan, his gaze gradually becoming tender and clinging, while even his body grew slightly limp and numb.

"A-Qing."

"Zhenshan, don't speak. Hold me."

For a moment, the scene was overflowing with passion between men.