After the Qi Deviation episode, Ye Qian now looked perfectly healthy, his aura calm and his spirit bright.
But if you made a mistake, you had to admit it. If you suffered a blow, you had to stand firm. The Yue Family and Yue Ming would pay the price for their poor judgment.
I wonder what fate my son will choose for her? A slave, a maid, or a corpse?
Ye Changkong felt no concern about their compliance. If they dared to refuse, then extermination would follow.
After all, the Yue Family was merely a minor branch beneath the Ye Family's shadow. Such clans were expendable—destroying them would hardly stir the surface of their affairs. And if he truly had to act, he would do so not out of rage, but with righteous justification.
"Qian'er, just wait patiently. Within three days, they will know their place. No matter what, your pride will be fully restored."
With a gentle pat on Ye Qian's shoulder, Ye Changkong's expression radiated unwavering confidence. That confidence was born from his overwhelming strength and the unshakable might of the Ye Family.
Ye Qian nodded, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.
This feeling of playing the villain is simply too exhilarating. It doesn't seem so bad after all.
What was so special about a Child of Destiny? He could strip away their Luck, and when the moment came, slaying them would yield treasure chests.
What kind of protagonists were they, really? Merely stepping stones on his path.
At that moment, Ye Qian's mindset shifted ever so subtly.
…
Back at the Yue Family, inside Yue Ming's room, she had already learned the verdict.
Within three days, the family would send her to Ye Qian's residence. The decision was absolute, unchangeable. Even Yue Ming's father, the Family Head himself, had no power to alter it.
"Someone! Let me out! I don't want to be sent to that man, Ye Qian! Father! Help me! Father…!"
Yue Ming pounded on the door, desperation clawing at her voice. Her cultivation had been sealed, stripping her of strength. She was reduced to a powerless woman, unable even to open the door.
She felt like a fish on a chopping block, utterly at the mercy of fate.
She cried out, but the two guards outside remained unmoved, their silence heavy with pity. Though their hearts ached for her, they knew she had provoked a force far beyond her reach.
Now that retribution had come, no matter how cruel, she had no choice but to endure.
Then, in an instant, a shadow flickered past. The two guards collapsed, struck down without warning.
Yue Ming, inside, heard the sudden commotion. Moments later, a slightly familiar figure appeared before her, silhouetted in the dim light.
"Qingshan?!"
Yue Ming's heart skipped a beat. What could Yue Qingshan possibly want, coming for her at such a time? And he'd already knocked down two guards—was he really planning to take her away?
"Yue Ming! I've come to save you! Let's leave here together, escape, wander the world, and become immortal Dao companions!"
Yue Qingshan's voice brimmed with fervent hope, his mind alight with dreams. He believed that if he could rescue her, they would walk the path of cultivation side by side, their fates intertwined.
Yet Yue Qingshan didn't realize that Yue Ming's feelings for him were nothing like his own. To her, he was merely a rising star—someone she admired, perhaps, but nothing more.
Still, if she wanted to escape, she had no choice but to rely on him. Her cultivation was sealed; she couldn't even leave this room, let alone flee the family grounds.
But a deeper dilemma gnawed at her. If she left the Yue Family, where would she go?
The world was vast, and she had no destination in mind. Though her family was declining, she was still a favored Daughter of Heaven, her future bright with boundless potential.
If I just run away like this, what resources will I use to cultivate in the future?
Within the family, because of her talent, all cultivation resources were tilted toward her. But outside? Outside, she would be nothing.
The moment this thought crossed her mind, Yue Ming, who had just been crying and shouting to leave, suddenly hesitated before Yue Qingshan. The fire in her eyes dimmed, and she found herself unable to take another step.
Yue Ming lowered her head slightly, silent.
This sudden change left Yue Qingshan, who had just been lost in endless fantasies, feeling strangely awkward.
Gazing tenderly at Yue Ming through the doorway, Yue Qingshan spoke with deep emotion, "Yue Ming, come with me. I will protect you with my life, and love you with all my heart."
He truly cared for her and dreamed of wandering the world together.
But that was only his dream. Yue Ming had no such feelings at all.
Meeting his earnest gaze, she remained indifferent, her heart untouched.
"No need... I can't go."
Yue Ming lowered her head, shaking it slightly.
She understood all too well that she couldn't leave. If she did, and the Ye Family turned its wrath upon the Yue Family, could her clan survive?
All her relatives were here. To slip away without permission would almost certainly bring death upon them all. She couldn't bear to make such a cruel and selfish choice.
Despite her deep reluctance, Yue Ming recognized the gravity of the situation.
Yue Qingshan, who had arrived full of hope, froze at her reply.
He stared at her in disbelief, his voice trembling as he asked, "Yue Ming, do you even know what you're saying? I risked everything for this chance. If you don't leave with me now, there won't be another."
His tone sharpened, charged with desperation. He had braved life and death to come for her.
Yet Yue Ming remained unmoved by his sacrifice.
Though she had wept at the door earlier, her thoughts had never turned to escape.
One person's fate, one person's burden. She refused to drag her entire family into ruin for a single reckless decision. If her parents and kin were to die because of her, she would never forgive herself.
With quiet resolve, Yue Ming spoke her truth, gently but firmly rejecting Yue Qingshan.
"Qingshan, you should leave quickly. I'll pretend you never came. Let's never speak of this again. I will absolutely not leave the Yue Family."
Suddenly rejected, Yue Qingshan clutched his chest, his heart twisting with pain. He had believed this time he could finally take Yue Ming away, but now it was clear—his hopes had been nothing but a fleeting dream.
"You…! Yue Ming, I beg you, come with me now. If we don't go, there truly won't be another chance."
Yue Qingshan still tried to persuade her, but Yue Ming stubbornly shook her head.
"Go. If you don't leave soon, someone will discover you here, and then you won't be able to escape."
After speaking, Yue Ming turned and walked back into the room. She had already given up struggling. To fight any longer would only bring more humiliation. Silence, she decided, was the only dignity she had left.