Chapter 74: Shadows and Schemes
The moon hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the Su family estate like grasping fingers. The night air carried the heavy scent of incense mixed with something darker—a faint hint of malice that seemed to seep from the very stones beneath the courtyard.
The crickets had fallen silent, as if nature itself held its breath. The only sound was the soft rustling of leaves in the wind, like whispers shared among conspirators.
In the shadows far from the Su family's watchful gaze, two figures emerged from the darkness beyond the estate walls. Their once-fine robes hung in torn tatters on their battered frames. Disheveled hair fell across deathly pale faces twisted with a complex mixture of emotions—pain, hatred, burning anger, and impotent frustration.
Ye Shiming and Ye Bao Kang. Their usual dignified composure replaced entirely by the ravages of their recent humiliation.
"Damnit!" Ye Shiming cursed through audibly grinding teeth, his voice like gravel scraping stone.
"First Elder, are we really just going to let this go?" Ye Bao Kang asked, barely containing the rage that made his entire body tremble.
"Let it go? As if!" Ye Shiming sneered, his weathered face contorting with malice. "Although we cannot move against the Su family directly for the time being—that Su Tianhao will definitely pay for this humiliation!"
Even if he desperately wanted revenge against the entire Su family immediately, there was no way the Ye family would agree to such reckless action. After all, the Ye family was not as united as outsiders believed. He led the faction that opposed his younger brother, Patriarch Ye Zhenwu.
How could that brother of his possibly agree to help with what would appear to be petty personal revenge? Ye Zhenwu would more likely use this incident to further undermine his position within the clan.
"You're absolutely right, First Elder! It's all that brat's fault!" Ye Bao Kang gnashed his teeth in fury, conjuring Su Tianhao's infuriating face in his mind. "If it wasn't for that bastard, our spatial rings wouldn't have been confiscated! Half my life's fortune—gone!"
Hmph.
Ye Shiming snorted, his voice dripping with venom. "He might think he's won today, but it would be a miracle if he survives until the Qingyun Sect examination."
As a top political figure in Oakwood City, he naturally knew about the upcoming Qingyun Sect recruitment exam that would attract numerous young talents from across the region. The Su family always participated, and with the talent Su Tianhao had displayed, it would be trivially easy for him to pass and become an outer court disciple.
When that happened, revenge would become nearly impossible. Not only would Su Tianhao have the protection of the powerful Qingyun Sect, he would also be beyond physical reach—making any assassination attempt exponentially more difficult and dangerous.
Ye Shiming absolutely could not allow that to happen. He resolved to eliminate Su Tianhao before the boy could grasp that opportunity—before he transformed from a mere annoyance into a genuine existential threat.
"Excellent thinking, First Elder," Ye Bao Kang said, his piggy eyes gleaming with understanding. "That Su Tianhao must be stopped before the Qingyun Sect exam takes place. No matter what it costs!"
"Indeed, Su Tianhao must not be allowed to live," Ye Shiming agreed, his eyes flashing with cruel light. "I'll make sure he regrets ever crossing paths with the Ye family... make him wish he'd died back in the streets where he belonged."
"Let's go." With those final words, Ye Shiming vanished into the night like a ghost, only the stirring wind marking his passage.
Ye Bao Kang trailed behind him like a loyal shadow, his footsteps utterly silent despite his bulk.
---
With explosive bursts of speed, Ye Shiming and Ye Bao Kang activated their movement techniques—advanced skills befitting Martial Masters. They traversed several kilometers in mere minutes, the landscape blurring behind them. They moved like phantoms gliding across the land—silent, unseen, and utterly deadly.
Martial Masters and Martial Soul Realm experts were exceedingly rare in Oakwood City. Such powerhouses could only be found among the three great clans and within prestigious organizations like the Thousand Beast Pavilion. By moving at such velocities under cover of darkness, Ye Shiming and Ye Bao Kang avoided the mortifying humiliation of being seen in their disheveled state by common folk—protecting not only their personal dignity but also the reputation of the Ye family itself.
Several minutes later, the imposing silhouette of the Ye family estate came into view. The massive compound was illuminated by dozens of wall-mounted lanterns that cast pools of golden light across the courtyards. Guards moved in coordinated patterns on their night patrol routes.
Ye Shiming and Ye Bao Kang halted just a few dozen meters from the outer wall. The two exchanged knowing glances, conveying complex information through years of practiced understanding without speaking a single word.
Then, without any verbal signal, they suddenly separated—each darting in different directions before dashing into the estate with explosive speed that left afterimages in their wake.
Their figures flashed past multiple patrol guards yet remained completely unnoticed—a testament to the sophisticated movement techniques they had cultivated over decades. Although these guards were only Martial Adepts with a handful at the Martial Core Realm, they were still experienced and alert sentries.
If it were an ordinary Martial Master attempting infiltration, even if the guards couldn't follow the intruder's movements directly, they would still notice the sudden intrusion through disturbed wind currents or the tiny ripples in spiritual energy that typically accompanied high-speed movement.
But Ye Shiming and Ye Bao Kang were far from ordinary.
After successfully bypassing the outer patrols, Ye Shiming continued deeper into the estate with swift, practiced movements honed by decades of familiarity with every courtyard and pathway. Even safely within Ye family territory, he still didn't want to be spotted by wandering disciples or guards active at this late hour.
Being seen in his current state would deal a devastating blow to his carefully cultivated reputation.
Ye Shiming finally came to a halt in an elegant private courtyard nestled deep within the heart of the Ye family estate. The space was illuminated by dozens of paper lanterns arranged in orderly fashion, their soft light creating an almost dreamlike atmosphere.
The heavy, sweet scent of night-blooming flowers filled the air. A soft, melodious sound accompanied the gentle wind—pleasant chimes hanging from the branches of a massive peach tree that dominated the courtyard's center, its blossoms glowing pale in the moonlight.
A sense of relief washed over Ye Shiming as he stepped into this familiar sanctuary—his personal courtyard where he could finally let his guard down.
However, that fragile calm shattered instantly when an unexpected voice resonated through the air—calm, precise, and utterly unwelcome.
"Father..."
"W-What?!" Ye Shiming jumped backward like a startled rabbit, completely taken off-guard.
His heart hammered in his chest as he quickly turned toward the source of the voice.
There, seated casually beneath the star-filled night sky on a stone bench, was a young man with charming features. He wore expensive robes of green and gold. His distinctive slanted eyes gazed upward at the stars with unsettling intensity, not sparing his father even a single glance.
Ye Wenjie.
"Jie'er!" Ye Shiming exclaimed, genuine shock coloring his voice.
"What are you doing in my courtyard at this time of night? Do you need something?" He asked with a wry smile, his brows furrowing with worry.
His son normally spent his evenings in his own luxurious quarters enjoying the company of personal attendants and admirers. Ye Wenjie rarely visited his father's courtyard—and certainly never at such a late hour.
Ye Shiming could tell instantly that something was wrong.
Ye Wenjie continued staring at the stars with that same unsettling intensity, completely ignoring his father's question. Instead, he responded with one of his own, his voice eerily calm.
"Where are you coming from, Father?"
Ye Shiming's expression darkened as his son's simple question forced him to recall the humiliating ordeal at the Su family estate. The memories crashed over him like a wave—the mocking guards, Su Tianhao's cutting words, Su Huiqing's overwhelming power, the confiscation of his spatial ring.
However, without waiting for any response, Ye Wenjie continued speaking, his voice carrying absolute certainty.
"You went to the Su family estate tonight, didn't you?"
It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact.
Ye Shiming's eyes widened in shock. He looked like a guilty child caught stealing sweets—completely exposed despite his desperate hopes of keeping the incident secret.
"Jie'er, I-I couldn't face you until I helped you get revenge from that bastard! That's why I left without saying anything—I wanted to return victorious, to make you proud..." Ye Shiming said hurriedly, desperately afraid of upsetting his son.
Ye Wenjie was his only son—someone he loved and cherished above all else. With his exceptional six-star talent, the boy would one day succeed as Patriarch of the Ye family, overthrowing Ye Zhenwu's less talented sons.
That would be Ye Shiming's ultimate revenge against his younger brother for stealing what should have been his rightful position—the position that belonged to the eldest son by normal tradition.
He couldn't afford any misunderstandings to poison his relationship with his precious son.
Hearing Ye Shiming's hurried explanation, Ye Wenjie remained utterly indifferent. His expression was completely unreadable—like a mask carved from jade.
He had become an entirely different person from the charming, always smiling Ye Wenjie who captivated crowds in public. This version was cold, calculating, and far more dangerous.
"So... how was it?" Ye Wenjie asked calmly, deliberately placing heavier emphasis on his next words. "Did you successfully help me get this revenge you speak of?"
Cold sweat broke out across Ye Shiming's back despite the pleasant evening temperature. Although Ye Wenjie tried to conceal his emotions behind that perfect mask, Ye Shiming could still sense the hidden disappointment lurking beneath the surface—meaning his son had already deduced that the mission had failed spectacularly.
Who was Ye Shiming? He was a 4th level Martial Master—a political veteran with decades of experience reading people's intentions. Not many could hide their true thoughts from him, especially not his own son who was still only a 4th level Martial Disciple with limited life experience.
After sensing Ye Wenjie's carefully suppressed disappointment, Ye Shiming could only steel himself to speak the bitter truth aloud.
"It's all that damned Su Huiqing's fault!" Ye Shiming said through clenched fists, frustration and genuine regret thick in his voice. "I was so close to killing that brat! Just one more second and his throat would have been torn open!"
His hands trembled with the memory of how tantalizingly close he'd come.
"If only I had been just a few heartbeats faster..." he muttered under his breath.
"So it was useless, then." Ye Wenjie's voice turned noticeably colder, like winter frost creeping across glass. "Your little excursion to the Su family estate... it accomplished absolutely nothing."
He suddenly turned to face Ye Shiming directly for the first time, and the look in his slanted eyes made even his father want to take a step backward.
"I'm sorry, son," Ye Shiming said, lowering his head in genuine shame. "This father of yours is incompetent. I've failed you."
Before his son, he showed none of the dignity befitting a Martial Master, none of the arrogance expected of a clan elder. He was simply a father who felt the guilt of disappointing his child.
Hmph.
"If you had come to me first before rushing off, none of this humiliation would have happened!" Ye Wenjie snorted with obvious displeasure, his tone sharp enough to cut steel.
"Look at yourself..." Ye Wenjie continued, his slanted eyes narrowing as they traveled up and down his father's wretched form with undisguised contempt. "Look how badly you've been beaten and humiliated. How can a dignified elder of the Ye family be reduced to such a pathetic state?"
Ye Shiming remained silent like a criminal facing judgment at tribunal. Prominent veins bulged across his arms and neck as his hatred for Su Tianhao and the entire Su family surged to previously unimaginable heights.
The humiliation burned hotter than any physical wound.
Ye Wenjie's lips curled upward into a smile upon seeing the pure, undiluted hatred blazing in his father's eyes. "I see you've met him personally now. Isn't that Su Tianhao absolutely infuriating?"
"That's right! That arrogant little bastard is beyond frustrating!" Ye Shiming agreed venomously. "I'll make sure he dies without even a burial—his corpse will feed wild dogs in some forgotten ditch!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
Ye Wenjie suddenly burst into genuine laughter, the sound echoing across the courtyard like bells—or perhaps like the cackling of a predator who'd just spotted prey stumbling into its trap.
"As expected of my father! Truly vicious! I knew I could count on you to share my vision!"
Ye Shiming's expression turned serious as he spoke, recognizing this was the moment to defer to his son's superior strategic mind. "Jie'er, I apologize again for not consulting you before taking action. Do you already have a plan in mind?"
"Hehe..." Ye Wenjie chuckled darkly, the sound raising goosebumps on his father's arms. His laughter ended just as abruptly as it had started, cut off like a knife through silk.
His slanted eyes flashed with unmistakable cruelty. His normally charming face twisted into something unsettlingly sinister—a glimpse of the monster hiding beneath the beautiful mask.
"I naturally have a plan already in motion," Ye Wenjie said with disturbing calmness, each word measured and deliberate. "And I assure you, Father—it's something Su Tianhao can never crawl back from. When I'm finished with him, he'll wish that you had succeeded in killing him tonight. Death would be a mercy compared to what's coming."
His smile widened.
"That arrogant fool has no idea what he's unleashed."