Chapter 121: The Era of Ye Xin

It took nearly an hour for Ye Suifeng to recount the full sequence of events to Ye Xin. Ye Guanhai, though upright in character, had been no fool; he would never have acted out of impulsive hot-headedness to challenge the sect. Every action had its cause and consequence, and Ye Guanhai’s decision had been the culmination of his deep understanding of the sect, layered with the steady accumulation of intelligence.

"Do you understand now?" Ye Suifeng asked softly.

"I think so." Ye Xin nodded. With this, almost all the questions in his mind had been answered. In truth, Ye Guanhai had left behind too many contradictions. Take Ye Xin himself: given Ye Guanhai’s pride, how could he have stood by and watched his only child become a wastrel? And if Ye Xin were truly unable to condense Yuan power, Ye Guanhai should have exhausted every method to help him. Yet, Ye Guanhai’s behavior had seemed completely indifferent.

Now, Ye Xin had grasped the logic behind Ye Guanhai’s plan: as long as one held influence within the sect, all problems could be solved. If Ye Xin could not condense Yuan power, he could mobilize the entire Luoxia Mountain to find a solution; if Luoxia Mountain failed, he could seek out other sects, or even exchange vast resources for a cure. As for Ye Xin’s growing reputation as a wastrel, Ye Guanhai’s plan was to force him into Luoxia Mountain, forbidding him from leaving, so that a few years of discipline would naturally correct his character.

The core issue was whether the plan could succeed. Ye Guanhai and Tan Xinhui had focused all their attention on Luoxia Mountain, never suspecting that the Qingyun Sect would suddenly strike. Betrayal had come from within their own ranks of renowned generals; Zong Bieli was a scoundrel through and through.

Ye Guanhai had assumed that these formidable generals, in a sense, were all outcasts. He believed that in order to break free from the shackles of the sect, they were like-minded allies who could work together. However, some people did not think that way.

"It is time for us to leave," Ye Suifeng said.

The uncle and nephew mounted their Unbounded Sky Wolves and headed toward Feng City. After only half a day, they caught up with the cavalry troop and arrived at Feng City without incident.

Ye Xin had Ye Suifeng and Qiu Jiecha approach the retired veterans of the Sky Wolf Legion. Upon hearing that the legion was to be reorganized and that they were being invited to serve as instructors, the veterans were incredibly stirred. However, the industries in Feng City still required people to guard them. After much debate, a hundred or so veterans were selected to return to Nine Tripod City with the cavalry, while the others remained behind.

Ye Xin’s goal for this trip had been to kill two birds with one stone: lure Zong Bieli out to slay him, and then retrieve the Flower of Misfortune. That would have been perfect. However, Zong Bieli was just as stoic as he had expected, which left him feeling a bit regretful.

After sighing to himself for a moment, Ye Xin put Zong Bieli aside. To be a good hunter, one must be more patient than the prey.

When the cavalry returned to Nine Tripod City with the veterans, eight days had passed. Ye Xin now possessed great wealth and a growing force; even if there were ten or a hundred times more veterans, he could easily afford to support them.

After settling the veterans and leaving Qiu Jiecha and the others behind, Ye Xin returned to the Ye residence with Xue Baiqi and his men.

Hardly had he sat down when Wen Rong, Shao Xue, and Shen Miao arrived together. The Sky Wolf cavalry were indeed imposing, but they were also far too conspicuous to hide their movements. The news had spread the moment they entered the city gates.

"Brother Xin, where did you go? Why didn't you call us?" Shao Xue asked bluntly. "Don't forget, the three of us are part of the Wolf Cavalry too!"

"You had just returned to the city, and I wanted to give you time to spend with your families." Ye Xin looked at Shao Xue, hesitating slightly. "Shao Xue, has there been any change in your family?"

"Why do you ask that?" Shao Xue replied, puzzled.

"The Blood Mountain Legion ransacked eight sub-tripods. This year’s Yuan stone harvest has suffered a massive shortfall," Ye Xin said. "I fear the Sovereign will put pressure on the various noble families, and your Shao family will likely be the first on the list. Otherwise, the Sovereign won't be able to get past this crisis."

Shao Xue watched him quietly for a moment, then smiled. "It seems calling you 'Brother Xin' was worth it!"

"Haha..." Ye Xin laughed as well. "So, your Shao family has already made plans?"

"If this had happened a dozen years ago when my grandfather was in charge, we would probably be in a state of panic," Shao Xue said. "But my father and my grandfather have different philosophies. My father insists that there are two types of money: money converted into goods and circulating throughout the land is 'alive,' while money converted into assets or sitting in a treasury is 'dead.'"

"Oh? That is quite insightful." Ye Xin looked surprised; after all, with his modern knowledge, he understood the true essence of economics.

"If the Sovereign truly wants to make things difficult for our Shao family, there will be losses, of course, but they won't be significant," Shao Xue said. "Our current assets are like a series of pipelines. Some are coming in, others are leaving the Great Wei Kingdom. The moment the Sovereign pulls on one thread, the others will retract and retreat far away from the Great Wei Kingdom. The Sovereign’s gains will be very limited."

"Flowing water never grows stagnant—that is the principle, isn't it?" Ye Xin said. "I would really like to meet your father sometime and broaden my horizons."

"Sure, my father is very interested in you, too," Shao Xue said.

"Wen Rong," Ye Xin shifted his gaze to her. "Have you encountered some good fortune?"

"Me?" Wen Rong was stunned, then gave a bitter smile. "Am I that transparent? Can I not even hide that much?"

"Master Wen has already returned to the Wen family, and that is also thanks to Brother Xin," Shen Miao said with a grin. "I heard Master Wen has been re-entered into the family genealogy? Hehehe... what is your old man playing at? He changed his tune so quickly. Wen Rong, don't overthink it, I didn't mean anything else, I just felt..."

"Regardless, this is a good thing," Wen Rong glanced at Shen Miao. "At least my mother has seen a smile on her face, and my father isn't so despondent anymore."

"Do you not resent Old Master Wen?" Ye Xin asked, then realized his question might have been too abrupt. "We are all friends, just speaking casually. If you don't want to say, I won't ask."

"Why would I resent him?" Wen Rong’s expression was natural. "Grandfather has it hard, too. He has to consider the safety and survival of the entire family."

Ye Xin sighed softly. Regarding the previous farce, he had only been surprised that Wen Hongren had supported the Ye family. As for Wen Yuanren kicking Wen Hongren out of the house, it was reasonable and expected; there was nothing to be surprised about.

Ye Xin’s greatest wisdom was that he never stubbornly held onto a single position in his thinking; he could shift freely to fathom the psychology of others. From another perspective, if he were old and his descendants were few, with only one granddaughter showing promise, would he betroth her to a worthless youth who loved to cause trouble and was hated by the Sovereign?

Absolutely not! Since he wouldn't do it himself, what reason did he have to demand it of others?

"Oh my, have you forgotten why we came here?" Shen Miao clapped her hands. "We’ve strayed too far!"

"What? You have other business?" Ye Xin asked.

"Brother Xin, your era has arrived! You must work hard!" Shen Miao waved her small fist at Ye Xin.

Ye Xin nearly spat out the water he had just drunk, barely suppressing his cough. "What is this? My era?"

"You didn't know? The Academy Grand Competition officially starts the day after tomorrow!" Shen Miao said with a smile. "I heard the Sovereign himself will come to cheer us on! My family's gambling dens are all prepared; we can open the betting at any time. By the way, Brother Xin, I heard your Ye family is very close to the Righteous Alliance? Tell them not to come and cause trouble at our gambling dens anymore, or we won't be polite!"

"The Great Pavilion Master often visits gambling dens?" Ye Xin found it unbelievable.

"Not at all," Shen Miao laughed. "It’s Shao Xue’s and my business. She manages it, and I handle all the trouble."

"What need is there for you?" Shao Xue said. "The Third Prince and Wang Meng have shares too. They naturally step in when there is trouble. I don't know how you have the nerve to say that! It’s been nearly three years; have you ever managed anything? You only know how to hold out your hand for money!"

"Alright, alright, we’ve strayed off-topic again," Shen Miao said, feeling a bit embarrassed, and quickly changed the subject. "Compared to previous years, there is a wealth of talent this time: Tie Shudeng, Wang Meng, Zong Yunjin, Zong Yunxiu, Wei Qingfan, Tie Huizhen, Deng Duojie... tsk tsk, they are all so formidable!"

"What use is that?" Ye Ling said haughtily. As long as Ye Xin made a move, they were indeed useless.

"The winner of the session before last was Tie Guantian, who went to the Qingyun Sect. The winner of the last session was Deng Duoyao, but unfortunately, he died in battle in the Great Zhao Kingdom two years ago," Shao Xue said. "This time it should be Brother Xin. Ling, you know your brother's strength, but others don't, so as long as our gambling den operates properly, we can make a fortune."

"Then you must count me in," Ye Ling’s eyes darted around. "I mean in the gambling den!"

"That... that might not be appropriate! When we acquired the gambling den, the shares were already divided: Shao Xue and I hold thirty percent each, and the Third Prince and Wang Meng hold twenty percent each. Who do you expect to give up their share?" Shao Xue said, troubled.

"That's not my problem," Ye Ling said. "If I don't have a share, I will beg my brother to lose the competition halfway through and make you lose everything!"

"Ling, are we still friends..." Shen Miao sighed.

"Even close siblings should keep clear accounts," Ye Ling shook her head.

"I think Ling is right," Ye Xin naturally supported Ye Ling. "We are contributing talent as our investment, understand? Besides, the initiative is in my hands. I can lose if I want to, and win if I want to. If you don't make the two of us happy, you will be very, very, very miserable!"

"I told you we shouldn't have come!" Shen Miao stomped her foot. "Look, we’ve been schemed against!"

"When did you say we shouldn't come? You were the most excited one, weren't you?" Shao Xue said.

The girls’ chatter grew louder and louder. They saw nothing wrong with Ye Xin’s arrogant words; it was as if everyone felt it was only natural.