Chapter 277 Ye Family’s Background
“Ye Wusheng.”
Inside the carriage, Li Nanting’s ghostly form drifted silently as his gaze rested on Yun
Yanshuang. At last, he spoke the name of the one behind his mission.
“We were all trained over the years by Ye Wusheng in secret, death warriors tasked with
handling various dangerous and difficult tasks for him.
This time, our mission was to kill you and Yun Yanshui while capturing Yun Wenzhan alive.
As for anything else behind the scenes, I know nothing more.”
“What else do you know about Ye family’s operations and resources?”
Yun Yanshuang’s icy gaze bore into Li Nanting as she questioned him further.
Since the Ye family had shown clear malicious intent toward her Yun Cang Yun clan, she
needed as much information as possible about their strength. Only then could she prepare
herself for whatever lay ahead.
“The Ye family currently has fifty-two cultivators, all direct descendants of the family. Their
cultivation ranges from the sixth level of the Embryo Breath Stage to the sixth level of the Qi
Refinement Stage.
Among them, the family patriarch Ye Wanwu is on the verge of breaking into the seventh level of
Qi Refinement. The clan leader, Ye Wuwei, is at the sixth level, while Ye Wusheng himself is at
the peak of the fifth level of Qi Refinement.
They also have nearly a hundred spiritual-rooted offspring.
After Ye Xiaolin died during the Five Nations Summit, several remaining offspring possess
exceptional talent.
First, there’s Ye Xiaohu.
Second, there’s Ye Xiaoyu. She’s Ye Wusheng’s daughter and has not left the Ye family’s
ancestral grounds for years.
To my knowledge, she has been in closed-door cultivation all this time. I’m not sure of her
current cultivation level, but with her natural talent and the abundant resources provided by the
Ye family, her strength likely surpasses the deceased Ye Xiaolin.
Additionally, the Ye family has recruited many rogue cultivators, numbering around two hundred.
To avoid suppression from the imperial court, the Ye family has secretly spent vast sums to win
over skilled and capable rogue cultivators to serve them.
We, the death warriors under Ye Wusheng, are just a small portion of the rogue cultivators loyal
to the Ye family.”
Li Nanting recounted everything he knew in meticulous detail. However, his knowledge was
limited to what was publicly known about the Ye family’s strength.
As for the deeper secrets and hidden cards of the Ye family, those were beyond his reach as a
death warrior. Families like the Ye clan would never reveal their trump cards, not even to trusted
retainers like him.
“As expected of the once-dominant clan of the Three Families. The Ye family’s foundation is
indeed terrifyingly strong,” Yun Yanshui said, his tone filled with awe after listening to Li
Nanting’s explanation.
“They’ve developed at an astonishing pace over the years.”
His instincts told him that the Canglan Ye clan would be far harder to deal with than the Yulin
Wang clan.
“There’s one more thing I should mention,” Li Nanting said, his expression turning serious as he
looked at Yun Yanshuang.
“What is it?” she asked immediately.
“This is merely a suspicion of mine, and I can’t guarantee its accuracy.
Rumor has it that the Ye family has a mysterious elder in the shadows who is close to breaking
into the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Ye Wanwu is just a figurehead, a public face meant to hold the family together.”
“This mysterious elder remains highly secretive, and it seems the Ye family deliberately hides
their existence to avoid the imperial court’s notice. They fear that if word gets out, it might
provoke investigation or even assassination attempts from the court.
After all, the court strictly forbids clans like the Canglan Ye family from producing Foundation
Establishment cultivators again, lest they become uncontrollable in the future.”
“I see,” Yun Yanshuang said, nodding. She had no reason to doubt Li Nanting’s words at this
point.
She opened the black gourd at her waist and swiftly absorbed both Li Nanting’s ghost and the
white-clad ghost into it.
“Aunt Shuang, why spare this man? You should’ve let his soul scatter! Why keep him around as
a ghost?” Yun Wenzhan said, his tone filled with indignation.
“Your Aunt Shuang always has her reasons. Why are you, a brat, questioning her decisions?”
Yun Yanshui said, scolding his nephew with a flick to the forehead.
The little boy clutched his head, wincing in pain as he muttered complaints.
Most people might not understand Yun Yanshuang’s temperament, but Yun Yanshui knew his
sister well.
She was kind-hearted.
Though her hands were stained with the blood of countless cultivators since stepping into the
world of cultivation, she had never once harmed ordinary mortals.
As for why Yun Yanshuang spared Li Nanting’s soul instead of destroying it outright:
First, in life, Li Nanting had been a fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivator. Even in death, his
remaining soul could be nurtured and cultivated into a formidable ghost cultivator, potentially
becoming a valuable asset.
Second, seeing the deep bond between Li Nanting and the white-clad ghost, Yun Yanshuang
couldn’t bear to separate the siblings for eternity. Allowing Li Nanting’s soul to remain and stay
by his sister’s side was an act of compassion on her part.
“I saw how close he was to the white-clad ghost, how deeply the siblings cared for each other.
Their lives were filled with hardship, and I just couldn’t bring myself to tear them apart again.
Watching them reminds me of my own elder brother, of the brothers, sisters, and people of our
clan,” Yun Yanshuang said softly.
“This man was sent to kill us and to harm Zhan’er. By all rights, I should have destroyed him
completely, obliterating even his soul.
But… I just couldn’t do it.
I’m sorry, big brother,” she said, lowering her gaze.
“You don’t need to apologize. You made your choice, and it wasn’t wrong,” Yun Yanshui said, his
tone reassuring.
“But I can’t help wondering if this act of mercy will one day lead to disaster,” Yun Yanshuang
said with a faint sigh.
Her thoughts turned to her second uncle. Years ago, he had shown mercy and spared the lives
of some old and young members of the Su family.
Yet years later, those very children grew up seeking vengeance, indirectly causing the death of
her cousin Yan Tian.
Although Yan Tian had miraculously survived, Yun Yanshuang knew all too well that in this cruel
world, excessive mercy was often a weakness.
“This man is nothing more than a fragment of a soul now. Even if he becomes powerful one day,
he’ll still be under your control.
There’s no need to overthink it,” Yun Yanshui said, smiling as he patiently reassured his sister.
“You’re right, big brother. I hope he can one day become a useful ally and a significant help to
me.
After all, as the soul of a fifth-level Qi Refinement cultivator, his future potential should not be
underestimated,” Yun Yanshuang said with a slight nod.
“As for the Ye family…”
“There’s no need to act rashly for now. For now, our clan’s development is the priority,” Yun
Yanshui replied.
“Li Nanting mentioned that the Ye family is far from weak. Over the years, these powerful
families have been secretly amassing resources and strength while appearing submissive to the
imperial court.
To act against the Ye family without a solid plan would be unwise.
We need to take things one step at a time, especially considering the rumor of the elder on the
verge of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. We must confirm whether this
information is true.”
After hearing Li Nanting’s detailed account of the Ye family’s resources and current situation,
Yun Yanshui, always cautious, was unwilling to rush into direct conflict with such a formidable
family.
The Ye family must fall, but it had to be done methodically.
Only by eliminating their overt forces and key players one by one would the time be right to
strike the Ye family with full force.
“I understand,” Yun Yanshuang said solemnly, nodding.
“Remember, only when our clan is strong enough will we have the confidence to contend with a
family as powerful as the Canglan Ye clan.
The Ye family is nothing like the Wang family we dealt with before,” Yun Yanshui warned.
“I never imagined that Uncle Yanshui, who seems so laid-back, could think so strategically! If the
clan were led by you one day, it might thrive even more than under Grandpa Yunyang’s
leadership!” Yun Wenzhan chimed in, raising a thumb in admiration.
“You little brat! Your Grandpa Yunyang has brought our clan this far—he’s far better than your
Uncle Yanshui!” Yun Yanshui said with a chuckle, flicking his nephew on the forehead.
“Ouch!” Yun Wenzhan yelped, clutching his head.
“Oh, by the way, big brother, about the possibility of the Ye family having an elder about to break
into the Foundation Establishment stage—perhaps we should inform His Majesty.
If the court is made aware of the situation, they might take precautions privately. This way, our
clan won’t need to shoulder the burden alone,” Yun Yanshuang suggested.
“You’re right. Once we return to the clan, we’ll inform our eldest uncle of this matter and have
him send word to His Majesty,” Yun Yanshui agreed, nodding thoughtfully.