Go Find Ye Yu

Contrary to what the two had expected, Cangyun's mouth twitched. He glanced at them, then his spiritual power surged and he whisked them away.

Nangong Wushe watched from the side and said nothing. That was Cangyun—he couldn't afford to provoke him.

Not everyone was as brainless as Ye Qingwan.

The others from the various dynasties secretly marveled at the scene. The situation was clear now: Ye Yu was definitely connected to that mysterious seventh-rank alchemist.

Otherwise, Cangyun wouldn't have acted this way.

With that thought, they each sent word back. Ye Yu's value was now immeasurable; they needed to confirm what price their own dynasty could pay to win him over.

"You all should leave too." Ye Yu glanced at them and spoke.

Before the imperial princes and princesses could reply, several Nascent Soul Realm Guardians hurriedly dragged them away.

The reason was simple: Ye Yu gave them a dangerously oppressive feeling. As for recruiting him, it didn't have to be now—especially with Situ Guang present.

Seeing the inn finally quiet down, Ye Yu exchanged a few words with Situ Guang and went back to his room to rest. Tomorrow, he still had to go to Liu Manor.

Cangyun brought the two back to the palace and dumped them directly in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Ye Qingshuang looked at them in surprise and stepped forward to ask what had happened. Cangyun gave her a deep look, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Once Cangyun was gone, the spiritual power that had been restraining Ye Qingwan and Ye Xuan dissipated. Ye Qingwan immediately stood up from the ground and glared viciously at Nangong Wushe. "Protector Nangong, this is the second time!"

Nangong Wushe sighed at her words. He didn't want to say anything more and turned to head back to the Protector Hall.

"Eldest Sister, what exactly happened?" Ye Qingshuang asked. Having been by Cangyun's side for years, she knew his temper well. His earlier behavior showed he was furious.

"Third Sister, this isn't Eldest Sister's fault. It's mine. I didn't expect Imperial Brother to hate me so much that he'd slander me to Master Cangyun. I just wasn't good enough." Ye Xuan lowered his head pitifully and sighed.

Ye Qingwan's heart ached at the sight. She then said coldly, "That bastard! He's already been expelled from the imperial family, yet he still goes around using the title of Great Yan Imperial Prince to swindle people!"

In Ye Qingwan's view, Ye Yu had offended Cangyun so gravely, yet Cangyun had done nothing to him—clearly out of respect for the Great Yan Royal Family.

In the end, he had taken them away only to preserve the royal family's face, not wanting to cause a scene in front of that seventh-rank alchemist and lose dignity.

"Qingshuang, go back and tell your master that Ye Yu is no longer a member of the Great Yan Royal Family. Next time, there's no need to save face for us! Tomorrow, call your Second Sister and the other honored elders. We're going to Liu Manor together. This time, I want that bastard dead!" Ye Qingwan ground her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.

Ye Qingshuang said nothing more. At this moment, anything she said to Ye Qingwan would be useless. Having grown up together, she knew her eldest sister well. That waste was truly finished this time.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingxuan was cultivating in her bedchamber, but for some reason, she felt restless.

Her mind was full of the image of Ye Yu protecting Qin Ruoxian.

Her thoughts in chaos, the spiritual power inside her began to grow turbulent. A faint trace of bloodlight flickered through her dantian, nearly causing her to go into qi deviation. Fortunately, Ye Qingxuan noticed in time and immediately stopped cultivating.

"He even drew the attention of the Human Dao Sage... Did he really cultivate the demonic path?" Ye Qingxuan sighed and murmured to herself.

Then she turned her gaze to the Memory Stone in the Eastern Palace. After a moment's hesitation, she took a deep breath and sent a thread of spiritual power from within her, slowly merging into it.

Immediately, the images within the Memory Stone appeared in her mind.

In the scene, Ye Yu returned to the Eastern Palace covered in wounds. But before he could catch his breath, eunuchs and palace maids filed in and, without a word, began carrying things out of the Eastern Palace.

Ye Yu stood by the side the whole time, watching silently. He didn't stop them, but his eyes were full of disappointment.

Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan felt an inexplicable pang in her heart. As a child, Ye Yu had been innocent and lively, and very clingy to her. Even after he became Crown Prince and took charge of state affairs, busy beyond measure, he still came to chat with her every day. Back then, when Ye Yu looked at her, his eyes sparkled with stars, as if he admired her greatly.

But now, he was like a stranger—no, worse, an enemy.

Ye Qingxuan had been obsessed with cultivation since childhood, so she wasn't particularly close to the other princesses. Back then, Ye Yu had filled the void in her heart.

But at some point, Ye Qingxuan had begun to loathe Ye Yu.

Just as she was thinking this, her brows suddenly furrowed. In the image, though faint, she still caught a glimpse of bloodlight.

As a cultivator at the Golden Core Stage, Ye Qingxuan could naturally recognize it—that was demonic qi!

"He... really did cultivate Demonic Arts?!" Ye Qingxuan murmured, her gaze turning pained. The spiritual power within her body instantly went berserk, as if trying to tear her apart.

Suddenly, Ye Qingxuan spat out a mouthful of blood. Her whole body curled up in agony on the ground, trembling uncontrollably as she let out a piercing scream.

Ye Qingshuang, who was outside the door, heard the sound and her face changed drastically. She rushed in and saw Ye Qingxuan writhing on the floor, her face as pale as paper, her spiritual power rampaging wildly.

Without time to think, Ye Qingshuang immediately carried Ye Qingxuan on her back and ran to Cangyun's residence.

Though Cangyun utterly despised Ye Qingwan and Ye Xuan, Ye Qingshuang was still his disciple—she had formally performed the apprenticeship rites. Seeing her carrying Ye Qingxuan, he didn't refuse and immediately reached out to examine her.

After a long while, Cangyun frowned. He took out a pill and fed it to Ye Qingxuan, who finally drifted off to sleep.

"Master, what's wrong with my Second Sister?" Ye Qingshuang asked anxiously.

Cangyun shook his head with a frown. "She's been poisoned."

"Poisoned? How could my Second Sister be poisoned?!" Ye Qingshuang was stunned.

"This poison is extremely insidious. It was aimed at Ye Qingxuan's cultivation foundation. You brought her here quickly enough, so she's temporarily safe, but she absolutely cannot use any spiritual power from now on," Cangyun said flatly.

Hearing this, Ye Qingshuang's face turned pale. Her Second Sister lived for cultivation. Telling her she could never use spiritual power again would be worse than killing her. She immediately asked, "Master, can't you even cure this poison?"

"I've never seen this poison before. I can't cure it, but someone else can." Cangyun's expression was strange as he spoke.

"Who?! Master, tell me, and I'll go find him!" Ye Qingshuang's eyes lit up as she pressed urgently.

Cangyun looked at the anxious Ye Qingshuang. After a long pause, he sighed and said, "Aren't you going to Liu Manor tomorrow? Go find Ye Yu and try your luck. See if he's willing to help you."