It was long heard that City Lord Ye Ao had a foul temper and was as stubborn as a rock. Yet, no one expected that when the Yang family members arrived today, before their seats had even warmed, Ye Ao would speak up to drive the guests away.
These words shocked everyone in the hall. The Yang family members' expressions changed drastically. For them to be swept out the door immediately upon arrival—if word got out, the Yang family would inevitably lose all reputation and face.
However, before the Yang family could speak, an elder of the Ye family spoke first. "Ye Ao, although you are the patriarch of our Ye family, you must understand that the Ye family is not ruled by you alone. There are also us elders. Moreover, the Yang family members are honored guests. If word spreads that we drive guests out like this, what will become of our Ye family's dignity?"
Looking at this white-haired, white-bearded elder angrily shouting with cold eyes, Ye Chen knew this was the Ye family's Grand Elder. His status and authority were very high, second only to the family head.
Hearing this, Ye Ao snorted coldly. "Hmph, Ye Wei, you should know the Yang family has quite the nerve. They lured my son into stealing the Clear Spirit Pill to give to this girl, causing him to be imprisoned for half a month and nearly driving him to suicide. Now they dare show up at our door. Aren't they just here to watch the joke?"
One of the black-robed elders who came with the Yang family was a family elder with significant authority. Upon hearing this, he immediately cupped his hands and chuckled. "City Lord Ye, you misunderstand. This is merely a mistake between youngsters. Children are ignorant and stirred up such trouble; we feel very sorry about it. Didn't I bring Yi'er here to apologize as soon as I learned of the matter? Yi'er, hurry up and apologize to the City Lord."
Yang Yi stepped forward and performed a flawless curtsy, her etiquette impeccable. "Uncle Ye, all of this was Yi'er's own doing, unrelated to the family. I hope Uncle Ye can forgive Yi'er. Yi'er is willing to make amends and apologize."
"Make amends and apologize?" Ye Ao suddenly laughed heartily, but his eyes were icy cold. "Little niece Yang Yi, can you return the Clear Spirit Pill?"
Ye Ao was extremely angry at Yang Yi. In his heart, she was a scheming girl. Knowing full well that Ye Chen couldn't cultivate and was ostracized by everyone, she deliberately approached him, got close to him, made him let down his guard, thereby gaining his trust, and finally tricked Ye Chen into stealing the Ye family's Clear Spirit Pill. She even drove Ye Chen to attempt suicide over it, nearly sending him to his death.
Such a scheming girl, no matter how beautiful or polite, filled Ye Ao with rage. If not for his status as an elder, he would have taught her a lesson long ago.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Ye. Yi'er has already taken the Clear Spirit Pill. However, Yi'er can compensate with something else." Yang Yi presented an exquisite white jade bottle. A servant immediately stepped forward, took the bottle, and delivered it to Ye Ao.
Ye Ao took it, opened it, and a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out, refreshing and invigorating to the mind. It was clearly an extraordinary item. Inside the jade bottle lay five pills, green in color with specks of green spots, enticing to the spirit.
"This is... Foundation Establishment Pills!?"
Ye Ao was astonished. Foundation Establishment Pills were spirit pills for solidifying one's Dao foundation, refined from rare medicinal herbs. They were highly effective for foundation establishment.
The Dao foundation was extremely important for any cultivator. The more solid the foundation, while not necessarily guaranteeing future achievements, at least ensured the future cultivation path would be less rugged and relatively much smoother.
However, to refine such pills, one needed an alchemist. Alchemists were practitioners of an ancient profession with a long heritage, rare in the present world. Because the pills they refined held great benefits for cultivators' realm breakthroughs, healing Dao injuries, and extending lifespan, alchemists were highly revered by people everywhere.
The Foundation Establishment Pills in the jade bottle were indeed refined by an alchemist.
Each Foundation Establishment Pill sold for a hefty price, and in Luo Feng City, they were scarce commodities that could cause a sensation.
Just this one jade bottle contained as many as five Foundation Establishment Pills, which could be considered a huge fortune, not quite priceless but not far from it.
Ye Ao looked at the Yang family members with surprise and suspicion, never expecting them to present such precious Foundation Establishment Pills.
Such a gesture would even make the Ye family wince in pain, let alone the Yang family. How could they suddenly produce such a generous gift?
Probably to reconcile the relationship between the two families and also understanding the importance of the Clear Spirit Pill, they took out five Foundation Establishment Pills as compensation.
Yang Yi smiled sweetly, her pure yet charming smile possessing a beauty that could captivate the world, drawing the gazes of many young Ye family disciples. "Uncle Ye, these five Foundation Establishment Pills are our Yang family's apology gift to the Ye family. Please accept them."
Beside them, several other elders of the family had shining eyes. With these Foundation Establishment Pills, their grandchildren could benefit greatly, allowing them to re-establish their foundations for higher future achievements.
Moreover, there were five of them. For them, this was far better than just one Clear Spirit Pill, as more people, especially their grandchildren, could undergo foundation establishment.
Ye Ao frowned slightly. Although he very much wanted to avenge his son, he was also the family head and clan patriarch, and had to consider the family's interests. The value of five Foundation Establishment Pills was undoubtedly significant.
But were these five Foundation Establishment Pills really just for making amends and apologizing? Was it that simple?
Just as he hesitated, Ye Chen pushed the door open and entered.
"Father, Mother, your son has come in." Ye Chen bowed toward his father and mother on the main seat, then slowly walked into the hall with Huan'er. A servant had already brought a chair next to Xia Wei, and he sat down calmly.
The gazes of everyone present fell on this uninvited guest—contempt, suspicion, mockery, surprise—almost every emotion was there. But Ye Chen appeared very calm as he sat beside his mother.
Upon seeing Ye Chen's arrival, the Yang family members' expressions changed slightly. The rather handsome young man with a mole near the corner of his right eye was named Yang Jun, also an outstanding descendant of this generation of the Yang family. His gaze held disdain and contempt, looking down from above, not taking Ye Chen seriously at all.
In contrast, when Yang Yi saw Ye Chen appear, a flicker of disgust flashed deep within her autumn-water-like eyes before being quickly concealed, returning to calmness. Her small face, pure with a hint of charm, suddenly showed sorrow, filled with self-blame. "I'm sorry, Ye Chen. I didn't mean to. For hurting you, please forgive me. Give me another chance."
With such a pitiable appearance, who could remain unmoved? The former Ye Chen had fallen for it too many times.
Ye Chen smiled nonchalantly. "It's fine. I didn't take it to heart."
But in others' eyes, Ye Chen had simply fallen under Yang Yi's spell once again. A junior disciple of the Ye family couldn't help but sneer coldly. "What's wrong, Ye Chen? Do you want to pursue Miss Yang Yi again? Didn't you have enough humiliation before?"
Ye Chen's suicide over love had long become a huge joke throughout the Ye family. Now, whenever it was mentioned, people mocked Ye Chen.
The other Ye family elders and high-ranking members watched coldly from the sidelines. They looked down on Ye Chen the most for his suicide over love, especially since he was a cripple. If not for being the family head's son, he would have been driven out long ago.
Ye Ao was furious, his fists clenched tightly. But as the family head, he couldn't say much. Ye Chen's mother and Huan'er, bound by rules, also dared not speak up. Ye Chen remained silent, which others mistakenly took as admission and evasion.
Because every time the former Ye Chen was insulted and called a cripple by others, he would also remain silent like this, evading like this.
The current scene was exactly the same as in the past.
Therefore, the look Yang Jun gave Ye Chen contained even thicker disdain and contempt.
A cold sneer flashed deep within Yang Yi's eyes. She also believed this youth who had once attempted suicide for her was enchanted again. But when she looked at Ye Chen's facial expression, it remained calm and unperturbed from beginning to end, without the usual timidity and cowardice. It seemed more like... indifference!
Was this real? Yang Yi was slightly surprised. She felt this youth before her was different from before. He wasn't evading, but more truly indifferent, which drew a bit of her attention.
Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged, his eyes deep and unruffled. He smiled toward Ye Ao on the main seat. "Father, may I take a look at the Foundation Establishment Pills?"
Before Ye Ao could speak, three elders spoke up, reprimanding him. "Ye Chen, don't cause trouble. These Foundation Establishment Pills the Yang family compensated our Ye family are each very important. What if you damage them?"
"Ye Chen, you cripple who can't cultivate, don't look and touch randomly. If you break them, it won't be just half a month of imprisonment. Even your father won't be able to cover for you."
Other junior Ye family disciples jeered and mocked, completely disregarding that the Yang family guests were still present.
His mother Xia Wei and Huan'er beside him very much wanted to speak up for Ye Chen, but facing the three overbearing Grand Elders, they ultimately moved their lips but dared not speak.
BANG—
Suddenly, a loud slapping sound erupted from the table, startling everyone.
They saw the figure of the youth who had fallen from the altar of genius, always appearing weak and self-abasing, now with eyes sharp as lightning sweeping over the three elders, coldly shouting, "How dare you! Is the Ye family now ruled by you three old men or my father? He hasn't spoken yet, and you dare interrupt? You truly have nerve, defying your superiors, committing great impiety, disregarding family rules. Do you want to rebel?"
At this moment, the youth rarely displayed a kingly, domineering side, directly reprimanding the elders, shocking the entire hall.