Chapter 271 Tell the Truth
“Miss Yanshuang, these are some of the spiritual wines and fruits that our Ye family produces.
They are highly beneficial for cultivators and taste quite delightful. Please, have a try!”
Ye Xiaohu entered the private box with a group of auction house attendants, all carrying trays
laden with spiritual fruits, desserts, and wine.
While he spoke, the attendants placed the platters neatly on the table beside Yun Yanshui and
his companions.
“Brother Xiaohu, such generosity is truly overwhelming,” Yun Yanshuang said politely, glancing
at the table full of delicacies.
“Your Yun family and our Ye family are both among the Eight Clans of Yue Country. In the future,
fostering closer ties will benefit us both and help our clans prosper together.
These are merely some refreshments; there’s no need to feel distant,” Ye Xiaohu replied with a
warm smile as he took a seat beside Yun Yanshuang.
Meanwhile, Yun Wenzhan couldn’t resist the tempting aroma of the spiritual fruits. He grabbed
one and began munching on it eagerly.
“Brother Xiaohu, I couldn’t agree more. Cooperation between our clans is undoubtedly the best
way forward,” Yun Yanshuang said, nodding in agreement.
“Miss Yanshuang, forgive me if I’m being too forward, but I must ask you something,” Ye Xiaohu
said, pouring spiritual wine for all three of them and downing his own cup in one go.
“Brother Xiaohu, feel free to speak your mind.”
“I want to know… how did my cousin Ye Xiaolin die?”
Ye Xiaohu’s eyes locked onto Yun Yanshuang, his tone growing serious.
The question startled Yun Yanshuang, and while she hesitated, Yun Yanshui, who was cradling
Yun Wenzhan, seemed unfazed. He casually handed the boy a dessert made from spiritual fruit
but was clearly paying close attention to the conversation.
“It was all because of Wu Country…”
After a long pause, Yun Yanshuang finally spoke, her voice tinged with sorrow.
“I’ve heard bits and pieces about what happened during the Five-Nation Summit,” Ye Xiaohu
said.
“Nearly all the spiritual root cultivators from each country perished in that battle. The only
survivors were the three from your Yun Cang Yun clan and North Country’s prince, Beiyuan.
From what our family’s elders recounted, most of the cultivators were devoured by the
monstrous creature in Tianqing Mountain, their bodies left unrecognizable.
But my cousin Xiaolin wasn’t one of them.
He was killed—murdered by someone.
The same goes for Lu Shanglin from the Lu family and Lin Yifeng from the Lin family. None of
them fell victim to that monster. They were all slain by human hands!”
Ye Xiaohu spoke slowly, his voice laced with pain. The scene of his cousin’s gruesome death
was seared into his memory.
As he recounted these details, he closely observed Yun Yanshuang’s expression, trying to
gauge whether she knew more than she let on—or if, perhaps, Ye Xiaolin, Lu Shanglin, and Lin
Yifeng had died by her hand.
“To be honest, your cousin Xiaolin and the others didn’t die at the hands of the creature in
Tianqing Mountain.
They were killed by cultivators from Wu Country’s royal family,” Yun Yanshuang admitted, her
tone solemn.
Though she hadn’t interacted much with Ye Xiaohu, she could tell he was meticulous and sharp.
Any attempt to deceive him would likely backfire, so she decided to tell the truth about what she
knew.
“Wu Country’s royal family?” Ye Xiaohu murmured, deep in thought.
“They intended to eliminate spiritual root cultivators from all other nations. Surely, Brother
Xiaohu, you’ve heard of this?”
“Yes, our family’s returning elders did mention it. For example, Lu Shangsheng was said to have
been deliberately fed to that monstrous creature by Wu Country’s schemes,” Ye Xiaohu
admitted.
He didn’t doubt Yun Yanshuang’s account, as the tragic deaths of cultivators in Tianqing
Mountain were well-documented facts. The subsequent alliance of the North, South, and Chu
nations to wage war against Wu Country further corroborated the truth.
“That monster was incredibly powerful, a half-step Foundation Establishment cultivator who
failed to break through.
When the spiritual root cultivators and other cultivators entered the mountain, none of them
were a match for it.
The casualties were devastating!”
“Your cousin Xiaolin knew that continuing the fight was futile, so he proposed teaming up with
our Yun Cang Yun clan, along with Lu Shanglin and Lin Yifeng, to try to locate the Wu royal
family’s rogue cultivators in the mountain and seize their escape tokens.
That battle, however, cost your cousin Xiaolin, Lu Shanglin, and Lin Yifeng their lives. I was also
injured during the fight.
In the end, the only reason I survived was thanks to the joint efforts of your cousin Xiaolin and
the others.
It’s a pity that I couldn’t escape with them.”
Yun Yanshuang’s words were a mix of truth and fabrication, her calm demeanor giving away no
trace of deceit.
Even Ye Xiaohu, someone known for his shrewdness, couldn’t detect any flaws in her account.
“Alas! It seems it was simply my cousin Xiaolin’s fate,” Ye Xiaohu sighed heavily after a long
pause.
“It’s such a pity that His Majesty refuses to get involved. Otherwise, if the eight clans joined
forces to attack Wu Country, we could avenge your cousin Xiaolin,” Yun Yanshuang added,
shaking her head regretfully.
“His Majesty has his own considerations, which are beyond our interference,” Ye Xiaohu said
with a bitter smile.
“My apologies for bringing up such matters. Still, I appreciate Miss Yanshuang being so
forthcoming with the truth.”
“There’s no need to thank me. I simply wanted your family to understand the real circumstances
behind Brother Xiaolin’s death.
If anything, I feel guilty for not being able to save him and the others,” Yun Yanshuang said,
lowering her gaze.
“Miss Yanshuang, you shouldn’t blame yourself!” Ye Xiaohu quickly reassured her.
“The auction is about to begin.
The Linglong Grass you’re looking for will be the thirty-eighth item up for bidding.
According to the auction’s rules, the starting price is 2,000 lower-grade spirit stones, with each
bid increment no less than 500,” Ye Xiaohu informed them, understanding Yun Yanshuang’s
main purpose for attending.
“Thank you, Brother Xiaohu,” Yun Yanshuang said with a polite nod.
“It’s nothing, truly,” Ye Xiaohu replied with a smile.
“Miss Yanshuang, Brother Yanshui, I need to oversee the auction proceedings now. Please
make yourselves comfortable,” he said, rising to his feet and bowing slightly before leaving the
private box.
“Brother, my explanation just now didn’t seem off, did it?”
After Ye Xiaohu left, Yun Yanshuang sipped her spiritual wine and sent a telepathic message to
her elder brother.
“Not at all. You told him a version of the truth.
Even if they investigate later, they won’t find any discrepancies. Don’t worry about it,” Yun
Yanshui replied while holding Yun Wenzhan in his arms.
“That’s a relief,” Yun Yanshuang sighed quietly, finally feeling at ease.
As the siblings exchanged thoughts, the auction began smoothly.
One by one, the items were bid on and sold.
Each item fetched prices several times, if not dozens of times, higher than their market value.
“No wonder so many marketplaces organize auctions. Just one event like this must bring the Ye
family an unimaginable fortune in spirit stones,” Yun Yanshui remarked, marveling at the fierce
competition in the auction hall.
Dozens of spiritual root cultivators and rogue cultivators argued and bid against one another,
driving up prices for the Ye family’s auction items to astonishing levels.
“In the future, our Yun family could consider holding similar auctions,” Yun Yanshuang
suggested with a light smile.
“Ling’er probably already has such plans in mind. However, our family’s current foundation is still
shallow compared to a large clan like the Ye family.
Organizing an auction of this scale isn’t something we can achieve just yet,” Yun Yanshui
replied.
Though the Yun family had grown rapidly in recent years, he knew they were still far behind the
Ye family in terms of resources and influence.
Without a strong enough foundation, hosting an auction to attract spiritual root cultivators and
rogue cultivators would be an uphill battle.
“Everything will fall into place with time. As long as we’re here, as long as the family stands
strong, we’ll surpass the Ye family one day,” Yun Yanshuang said confidently.
“Next, we present the thirty-eighth item up for auction: a Grade One Profound Spiritual
Herb—Linglong Grass!
There’s no need for me to elaborate on its rarity and value,” the auctioneer, a stunning woman
holding a small box, announced with a radiant smile as her gaze swept across the crowd.
“The starting bid is 2,000 lower-grade spirit stones, with increments of no less than 500 spirit
stones!”
As soon as she finished speaking, numerous spiritual root cultivators and rogue cultivators
began placing bids in rapid succession, vying fiercely for the rare herb.