"Master, I am about to leave. Please take care of yourself."
Jiangnan Province, Longtan Prison.
Ye Chu respectfully bowed to a shabby old man, his eyes filled with deep reluctance.
The old man nodded slightly, cautioning, "Do not forget the task I entrusted to you. Once you leave, quickly resolve the dragon's resentment within you. If the resentment seeps into your heart veins, calamity will surely follow."
Ye Chu solemnly nodded, "Master, I understand."
Three years ago, he had taken the place of his older brother in prison.
At the time, he was only fifteen, often bullied by others.
It was only thanks to the old man's intervention that he became his disciple and was taught numerous skills.
The old man had told him that he bore the blood of the True Dragon, but for reasons unknown, his True Dragon bone had been taken, giving rise to the Resentful Dragon Qi. This Qi continued to erode his body, and unless something changed, he would not live past eighteen.
Thankfully, the old man had imparted martial arts to him, improving his blood and constitution, which allowed him to suppress the Resentful Dragon Qi, though this was only a temporary solution.
To truly rid himself of the Resentful Dragon Qi, there were two ways.
One was to find a woman with a special constitution. Dragons were by nature lustful, and the Resentful Dragon Qi, being a form of dragon energy, could be balanced through dual cultivation with such a woman, especially one with the True Phoenix or True Dragon body.
The other method was to recover the lost True Dragon bone. The Resentful Dragon Qi had been caused by its removal, and its return would make the Qi dissipate.
The old man waved his hand, "Go now. Remember, do not disgrace your master's name." Ye Chu knelt and kowtowed three times before rising and leaving the prison.
No sooner had he left than the entire Longtan Prison erupted in excitement.
"Hahaha, Lord Chu has finally left!"
"Wonderful! Today is a good day! Time to celebrate!"
In the Ye Family Mansion, one of Jiangdu's four great noble families, Ye Tiancheng and his wife sat with furrowed brows.
"What should we do? Only three days left, and if we don't come up with a solution, my tenure as family head will be over," Ye Tiancheng said, his face clouded with worry.
Xie Yushan replied angrily, "The old man is clearly doing this on purpose!"
Ye Tiancheng sighed, "I know… Father is indirectly forcing me to step down from the position of family head."
Xie Yushan was flustered, "Then what do we do?" Ye Tiancheng gritted his teeth, "If nothing else works, we'll have to sacrifice Yifei."
Xie Yushan's face changed, "Will Yifei agree? That Miss Jiang is a vegetable now, and I heard her face was disfigured."
The Jiang family's eldest daughter had been in a car accident over a year ago, leaving her in a vegetative state. After countless failed attempts to heal her, the Jiang family was now looking to marry her off to a son-in-law for good fortune.
For the sake of wealth, the Ye family had volunteered.
Ye Tiancheng's father immediately convened a family meeting. After some discussion, he placed the responsibility on Ye Tiancheng's shoulders.
As the two of them sat in distress, the Ye family butler entered.
"Master, Young Master Chu has returned."
Xie Yushan frowned, "Which Young Master Chu?"
Ye Tiancheng also knitted his brows, but then seemed to remember something.
The butler explained, "Master, it's Young Master Ye Chu, who was imprisoned three years ago."
Both Ye Tiancheng and Xie Yushan's faces lit up as they recalled who Ye Chu was.
After more than three years of absence, they had almost forgotten about this son.
Their expressions brightened, and Xie Yushan smiled, "Tiancheng, we can have Ye Chu marry into the Jiang family."
Ye Tiancheng nodded in agreement, "Not bad, a convict with a vegetable; it's a match made in heaven."
Xie Yushan's concern remained, "But Ye Chu is a bastard child, and he's been to prison. Do you think the Jiang family will accept him?"
Ye Tiancheng pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll make a call and ask."
He immediately pulled out his phone and contacted the Jiang family.
When he hung up, Xie Yushan eagerly asked, "Well, what did they say?"
Ye Tiancheng replied, "The Jiang family said they'll consider it." Just then, the butler entered, leading Ye Chu.
Seeing his washed-out clothes and pants, the couple's eyes flashed with disdain.
But recalling the idea of him marrying into the Jiang family, they forced smiles onto their faces.
Ye Tiancheng quickly approached and, grabbing Ye Chu's hand, said warmly, "Little Chu, these past three years must have been hard on you."
Xie Yushan added, "Little Chu, wait here. I'll go cook for you."
She got up and headed to the kitchen.
Ye Tiancheng continued to chat with Ye Chu, asking about his three years in prison and explaining how he had been too busy with the family business to visit him.
Ye Chu did not correct him but silently listened, his heart filled with cold amusement.
He was no longer the person he was three years ago, and no matter how grandly they spoke, he believed not a word of it.
At home, Ye Chu had no position of importance and was often subjected to beatings and scoldings.
Three years ago, Ye Tiancheng had even forced him to take the blame for his older brother, Ye Yichen.
He was told that, being underage, his sentence would be lighter.
Ye Tiancheng had promised him that once he was out of prison, he would be granted a life of wealth and glory.
But what was the reality? Since entering prison, no one from the Ye family had visited him.
Back then, Ye Chu was young and had no means of fighting back, so he had no choice but to agree.
He had originally planned not to return to the Ye family after being released.
But upon learning from his master that he possessed the bloodline of the True Dragon, he realized something.
His parents, Ye Tiancheng and his late mother, were ordinary people who could not possibly pass on such a lineage.
There could only be one explanation: either they were not his biological parents, or at least one of them wasn't.
He had returned to uncover the truth about his origins.
Although he didn't understand why Ye Tiancheng was so enthusiastic, he knew that abnormal behavior often hid ulterior motives.
Now, he was determined to see what new trick they were trying to play.
More than an hour passed, and Ye Tiancheng was still prattling on. At last, Ye Chu could not bear it any longer and coldly said:
"Stop with the act. Speak plainly, what exactly do you want?"
Ye Tiancheng was momentarily stunned but then smiled, "Little Chu, what are you talking about? Can't I simply be concerned about you?"
Ye Chu remained silent, merely staring at Ye Tiancheng.
Ye Tiancheng, slightly embarrassed, was saved by the sound of his phone ringing.
He picked it up and, after a few words, hung up with a pleased expression.
He looked at Ye Chu with a fatherly smile, "Little Chu, here's the thing: to make up for the sacrifices you've made these past three years, I've arranged a marriage for you."
Ye Chu's heart stirred, knowing the real reason had come.
"The bride is the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. If you marry her, you will never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of your life."
Ye Chu sneered inwardly. Though he had suspected it, he had not anticipated such shamelessness.
The Jiang family's eldest daughter, whom he had heard about from a fellow inmate, had once been their jewel but had tragically become a vegetable after an accident.
And now, just after being released from prison, he was being asked to marry a vegetable.
What a good father!
Ye Tiancheng went on, "Little Chu, the Jiang family is a prominent family in Jiangdu, even wealthier and more powerful than the Ye family. You must not miss this opportunity."
Ye Chu sneered, "If it's such a great opportunity, why don't you let second brother or eldest brother marry her?"