"The An Clan!" The three brothers were taken aback.
Whatever crossed Ye Nan's mind caused the smile on his face to gradually vanish.
Ye Tianming accepted the invitation, glanced over it, and then looked at the elderly man. "I will be there on time."
The elder gave a curt nod and, without another word, turned and departed.
Ye Nan suddenly looked at the youngest among them. "Ye Zong, go focus on your cultivation."
Understanding that the two older brothers had matters to discuss, Ye Zong immediately replied, "Understood."
Once the boy was gone, Ye Nan turned to Ye Tianming. "To your study."
The two brothers entered Ye Tianming's study, which was densely packed with books. Since childhood, the Tower Ancestor had drilled a single truth into his mind: a cultivator who only sharpens his blade and neglects his mind is nothing but a powerful fool.
After they took their seats, Ye Nan spoke in a heavy tone. "Tianming, I have never interfered with the matters between you and Lady An Qi. However, there is one truth you must recognize... The gap between our Ye Clan and the An Clan is vast. This is a disparity in class, an insurmountable chasm we cannot bridge as we are now."
In the Guanxuan Universe, since an era long forgotten, aristocratic families and sects had been stratified into nine tiers. Though An Qi's family was merely a branch of the Martial God An Clan—a First-Tier powerhouse of Qingzhou—they still possessed the standing of a Fourth-Tier family. They were lightyears beyond the Ye Clan. The Ye Clan resided at the very bottom, unranked and unrated.
Ye Nan continued, "You once saved An Qi's life. To the An Clan, this is a debt of gratitude. But that is exactly what worries me most. More often than not, old debts brought back to light breed enmity. Whether they view you with gratitude or hostility depends entirely on a single whim of theirs."
Ye Tianming gave a slight nod. "I will know once I arrive."
Ye Nan said, "I know you understand the stakes. Let's put that aside. Tell me your thoughts regarding the Zhao Clan."
Ye Tianming said nothing. Instead, he drew a blank sheet of paper and a brush toward himself and began to write.
Seeing this, Ye Nan picked up his own brush and did the same.
When both brothers finished, they pushed their respective papers to the center of the desk. Upon both sheets, written in bold, aggressive strokes, was a single character:
Kill.
Ye Nan let out a low chuckle.
Ye Tianming spoke with absolute seriousness. "Eldest Brother, since it is a blood feud, either our Ye Clan eradicates their Zhao Clan, or they eradicate us. I believe we must strike first to gain the upper hand. If you have no objections, I will head out shortly and quietly take Zhao Xiu's head."
Ye Nan slowly rose to his feet. "My thoughts mirror yours. However, there are two glaring issues. First, Zhao Xiu represents more than just the Zhao Clan; he represents the Immortal Treasure Pavilion. Slaying him is a public declaration of war against the Pavilion. Doing so would likely bring apocalyptic ruin upon our clan. Second, Zhao Xiu is blatantly violating laws by seizing our ancestral grounds for a mere eight hundred spirit crystals. Is this truly the will of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, or is Zhao Xiu merely using their name to line his own pockets? If it is the Pavilion's true intention, then killing him is utterly meaningless, for the rot lies within the Pavilion itself."
Ye Tianming stared at Ye Nan. "There is a third possibility. It is both the will of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion and the will of Zhao Xiu."
Ye Nan fell silent, his expression gradually darkening.
Ye Tianming continued, "The Immortal Treasure Pavilion is pushing forward with urban redevelopment across the Myriad Provinces. The hidden profits behind such a colossal endeavor are beyond our imagination. The major aristocratic clans and sects of Qingzhou cannot possibly resist taking a slice of the pie. And to maximize their profits, they must bleed the common populace dry. Our Ye Clan may not just be facing the Zhao Clan and the Pavilion. We might be standing against a massive conglomerate of elite factions, all sinking their teeth into this scheme..."
Ye Nan said softly, "Whether it is truly the will of the Immortal Treasure Pavilion, I will find out once I visit the Overseer's Court. Stay your hand for now. Await my word. And go—don't keep the An Clan waiting."
Ye Tianming stood. Just as he was about to leave, Ye Nan suddenly called out, "Wait."
Ye Tianming paused and turned back. Ye Nan pointed to a chair nearby. "Those are the new robes your sister-in-law wove for you. Try them on when you have the time. If the fit isn't right, bring them back and she will adjust them."
Ye Tianming smiled warmly. "Nothing sister-in-law weaves ever fits poorly."
With that, he picked up the robes and departed. Exiting the Ye Manor, he headed straight for the An Clan estate.
Within the grand hall of the An Manor.
Seated at the head was an elderly man draped in opulent robes, his gaze deep and inscrutable. This man was An Xiao.
Standing near a window to the right was a beautiful young woman—An Qi. Today, she wore a pale blue dress that accentuated her serene elegance and an otherworldly aura.
Not far from her, reclining on a chaise lounge, was a young man in brocade robes. He held an ancient text in his hands, completely engrossed in its contents. This was An Yan, An Qi's younger brother.
An Xiao suddenly broke the silence. "The Nanli Clan has agreed to let Little Qi and Nanli Yun become acquainted. In other words, this marriage alliance is practically set in stone."
A delighted smile spread across his face. Their family was merely a remote branch of the overarching An Clan, barely qualifying as a Fourth-Tier family. The Nanli Clan, on the other hand, was a Second-Tier powerhouse. Furthermore, in an era past, the Nanli Clan had shared a slight connection with the Sword Lord of Guanxuan. For this arrangement to happen, it was a heaven-sent stroke of unimaginable fortune.
Hearing An Xiao's words, An Qi withdrew her gaze from the window. She lowered her head slightly, remaining silent.
An Xiao glanced at her. Seeing her quiet compliance, he continued, "I have already sent for Ye Tianming. The ties between the two of you must be severed cleanly. You must understand, no matter how magnanimous a man might appear, he will inevitably care about his fiancée's past. Therefore, this matter with Ye Tianming must be decisively concluded. Above all, we must prevent him from spouting nonsense to outsiders regarding his past connection with you. If loose rumors spread, it will severely tarnish your reputation."
An Qi slowly raised her head, looking out toward the distant horizon. In that fleeting moment, memories of her time with Ye Tianming surfaced. Undoubtedly, those days had been joyful. She had always harbored affection for the young man. But just as quickly, the image of Ye Tianming desperately, yet futilely, trying to grasp the Grand Dao Providence flashed through her mind.
After a moment, she closed her eyes. "Afford him some dignity. Do not make things difficult for him."
"Naturally!" Seeing An Qi's decisiveness, a flash of approval appeared in An Xiao's eyes. "Though our An Clan is no paramount powerhouse, we are above resorting to utterly despicable measures. We disdain such things. Of course, this is under the premise that he knows his place. As long as he is sensible, we will afford him his dignity. But if he chooses to be a stubborn nuisance and clings on..."
"Father." Suddenly, An Yan, who had been silent all this time, spoke up. "I believe doing this is wrong."
An Xiao looked at An Yan. The young man slowly stood up, his expression dead serious. "Tianming and my sister have been close since childhood. He even saved her life. I am not suggesting she must pledge her life to him in return, but such grace should at least be engraved in our hearts and never forgotten. Now, merely out of fear that the Nanli Clan might misunderstand, we summon him here to forcefully draw a line between him and my sister. Doing so is profoundly immoral."
An Xiao's face darkened. "Do you not understand? Your sister is already betrothed to the Nanli Clan. If they discover her childhood history with him, or if Ye Tianming spreads reckless rumors that ruin her virtue..."
An Yan shook his head slightly, cutting his father off once more. "Father, that line of thinking is still flawed. Why must our An Clan grovel to please the Nanli Clan? Those apex aristocratic factions will never respect us simply because we fawn over them. On the contrary, the more we flatter them, the more they will look down on us. If we belong to different worlds, there is absolutely no need to force a connection..."
He paused, then added, "Furthermore, my sister and Tianming's relationship has always been innocent. If this Nanli Yun harbors resentment just because they were childhood friends, then would my sister even be happy marrying such a narrow-minded man?"
An Xiao's expression grew exceedingly ugly.
An Yan turned to An Qi, his tone solemn. "Sister, even if you truly hold no romantic feelings for Tianming, you should tell him plainly. Matters between men and women are sometimes not that complicated. If there is love, be together. If not, remain friends. That is only natural. But right now, trying to completely sever ties with him just because you fear Nanli Yun's misunderstandings... you are insulting him. We should not treat him this way. As human beings, we should have more integrity."
With those words, he turned and left the hall.
An Xiao did not voice a rebuttal. He turned back to An Qi. Ultimately, the final decision rested in her hands.
An Qi gazed out the window. A moment later, she whispered, "Even without Nanli Yun, any possibility between him and me is already gone."
An Xiao understood perfectly.
When Ye Tianming arrived at the gates of the An estate, he ran into An Yan walking out. Spotting him, An Yan smiled and waved. "Tianming."
Ye Tianming walked over. An Yan chuckled, "I was actually planning to go find you to say goodbye. Didn't expect to run into you here."
Ye Tianming was slightly taken aback. "You're leaving?"
An Yan nodded. "I am heading to the Main Campus of the Guanxuan Academy to participate in the Guanxuan Civil Examination, hosted personally by Young Master Yang Jia. It is obvious that our Young Master intends to enact real change. I am going there to assist him. I want to thoroughly reform the Guanxuan Universe and purge the deep-rooted corruption of the sects and aristocratic families from within. Tianming, we've discussed this before. This world needs new ideals—even new laws. These archaic, bloated aristocratic factions will be eradicated eventually. That day is not far off."
Ye Tianming looked at him seriously. "An Yan, we are still far too weak. It is fine to harbor such ambitions, but we do not yet possess the power..."
"I know!" An Yan interjected. "But I cannot wait any longer. Tianming, do you know? The Young Master bestowed over thirty thousand streams of Grand Dao Providence to the realm. Qingzhou was allocated twelve. Yet, the moment those twelve streams arrived, they were hijacked by the elite powers of this province. Not a single stream made its way to the commoners! Sigh. No matter how benevolent the decrees from above are, by the time they reach the bottom, they are utterly corrupted. For those at the lowest rungs to actually reap the benefits is simply too difficult."
As he finished, he let out a deep, heavy sigh—one filled with a potent mix of helplessness and righteous fury.
Hearing that the Grand Dao Providence had been monopolized by the elite sects and clans, Ye Tianming was not entirely surprised. Since ancient times, when had truly peerless treasures ever been allowed to fall into the hands of the common folk?
Ye Tianming replied with a hint of resignation, "That is simply the way of this world."
An Yan let out another low sigh. "Right now, our Guanxuan Universe is overrun with elite factions. They intermarry, form impenetrable alliances, and their roots twist together. Bound by mutual favors and shared interests, they hoard almost all the cultivation resources in the universe. The amount of utterly dark, sunless corruption hidden within their ranks is unimaginable. Tianming, let me tell you this. The people at the bottom have been stripped of opportunities to rise. The amount of resentment and rage festering down there is staggering. Sooner or later, there will be a revolution... My journey to the Guanxuan Realm is exactly for that. To ignite a revolution."
Ye Tianming half-joked, "An Yan, you are also a scion of an aristocratic family."
An Yan met his gaze, his eyes burning with unwavering conviction. "Then I will turn the revolution upon myself."
Ye Tianming fell silent. He knew his good brother was dead serious. After all, this had once been a shared dream between the two of them.
An Yan suddenly said, "Tianming, I am leaving."
Ye Tianming nodded. "Safe travels."
With that, he began walking toward the An Manor. After taking just two steps, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and walked back up to An Yan. His tone was dead serious. "An Yan. To sever a man's source of wealth and power is akin to murdering his parents. Look through all the annals of history—reformers have never met good ends. The great aristocratic factions are an intricate, deep-rooted web of immense power. The waters they swim in are infinitely deeper than you or I can currently perceive. Let alone enacting a revolution, just harboring the thought could doom you to eternal damnation. As you embark on this path, you must exercise extreme caution. Do not easily expose your true motives."
An Yan smiled. "I understand. Rest assured, Tianming, I am no mere bookworm."
Ye Tianming clapped him on the shoulder. "Take care."
With that, he turned and resumed his walk toward the An Manor.
An Yan called out suddenly, "Tianming, if my father and sister do anything to offend you today, please, do not take it to heart."
Ye Tianming glanced back. An Yan was watching him steadily. "There are some problems I cannot solve right now. Like this deeply entrenched ideology of class divide... I am going to find Young Master Yang Jia. He will surely have a solution."
With those final words, An Yan turned and walked away into the distance.