271: Chapter 271 Attacked on the Way

A few wintersweet plum trees had been newly planted in the east courtyard of the Shuangxue Residence. Their cold fragrance was refreshing, and unmelted frost still clung to their branches.

As Ye Yisong stepped out of the courtyard gate, he saw two figures standing under the veranda. One was dressed in plain white clothes that outshone the snow, with gentle features—this was his fiancée, Zhao Qingxue; the other, wearing a crimson dress with a hint of petulance in her eyes, was naturally Zhao Qingyi.

"Oh, isn't this our busy Young Master Ye? Finally willing to come out of your secret chamber?" Zhao Qingyi's voice rang out first, carrying undisguised sarcasm. "A few days ago, my cousin and I came specifically to see you, but you—you just shut the door and put on airs. Do you think the two of us aren't worthy of seeing a 'big shot who returned from the Secret Realm'?"

Ye Yisong paused in his steps, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Qingyi's slightly indignant face before turning to look at Zhao Qingxue beside her.

There was no resentment in her eyes; instead, there was a hint of understanding. Seeing him look over, she nodded slightly. "Young Master Ye, you were Cultivating in seclusion, which is a proper matter. Qingyi has a straightforward temperament and speaks without tact; please do not take it to heart."

"Cousin, you are just too easygoing!" Zhao Qingyi stamped her foot, her almond-shaped eyes widening. "He comes from Cangjiang Prefecture; being able to latch onto our Zhao Family is already climbing high. Now that he's just picked up some scraps from the Secret Realm, he dares to put on airs and hide from us? I think he's just feeling guilty, afraid of revealing his incompetence and letting us know that he actually has no real ability!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Yisong did not get angry. He knew that Zhao Qingyi was not bad by nature; she had simply been pampered since childhood and looked down on his background as a "poor boy from a lower prefecture." Her sharp words were merely a result of her Heart-Nature.

He spoke calmly, his tone devoid of ripples. "I have neglected you, Young Miss Qingxue. My previous seclusion was because I encountered danger in the Secret Realm. My internal organs and Dantian were damaged, and I needed to use the medicinal power of a thousand-year-old snow ginseng to recover. It was not an intentional slight."

"Damaged? You look rosy-cheeked, and your aura is much stronger than before. It looks like your cultivation has advanced significantly; you don't look damaged at all!" Zhao Qingyi clearly didn't believe him. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "I'm afraid you're just using the excuse of healing to freeload a few more precious herbs from our Zhao Family, aren't you?"

"Qingyi!" Zhao Qingxue scolded her lightly, her gaze filled with apology when she looked at Ye Yisong. "Young Master Ye, please don't be angry with her. A Martial Artist should be focused when Cultivating. It is truly not easy that you were able to turn danger into safety in the Secret Realm and even advance your cultivation. I heard from Grandpa Zhao that you are returning to Cangjiang Prefecture?"

Ye Yisong nodded. Ignoring Zhao Qingyi's mockery, he inwardly praised Zhao Qingxue's perceptiveness. "That is correct. I have been away from home for a long time; it is time to return."

"Hmph, finally willing to leave. I thought you were going to keep clinging to the Zhao Family and refuse to go back!" Zhao Qingyi pouted, but she didn't continue to criticize him, though her eyes still held a hint of disdain.

This little girl's attitude toward him was becoming increasingly hostile, and she found fault with him at every turn.

However, Ye Yisong did not argue. He knew that verbal disputes were useless; strength was the best proof.

Zhao Qingyi's disdainful attitude toward him was merely a microcosm of how a portion of the Zhao Family viewed him. Time would prove everything.

Once he reached the realm of Martial King, or even Martial Emperor, the people of the Zhao Family would naturally change their views of him.

He bowed slightly to Zhao Qingxue. "Thank you for your understanding, Young Miss Qingxue. For this return journey, I have already discussed it with Grandpa Zhao, and I will be departing with the Zhao Family's merchant ship. I intended to visit you today to bid farewell, but I did not expect to trouble you to come over personally."

"Let's go, I will see you off," Zhao Qingxue said gracefully, smoothing her clothes.

"Thank you," Ye Yisong replied with a polite bow.

The three of them boarded the carriage transformed from Ye Yisong's Green Lotus and flew toward the location of the Zhao Family's merchant ship—Yunshui Lake.

...

Zhao Qingxue watched the figure of Ye Yisong as he departed, a flash of complexity in her eyes.

She could feel the steady and restrained aura on Ye Yisong, as if he were a different person from when they first met, which was quite consistent with his diligent Cultivation.

Grandpa said that he was only one step away from the realm of Martial King. This step might be a chasm, or it might come naturally; no one could say for sure.

Which situation would Ye Yisong fall into?

Would he advance further, or...?

...

Ye Yisong looked at the Storage Pouch in his hand, the corners of his mouth curling upward. Zhao Qingxue—judging from their few interactions, the Old Ancestor had indeed chosen a good young lady for him.

The Zhao Family's merchant ship, the "Wave-Breaker," was like a giant whale, cleaving through the shimmering waves of the vast waters.

Deep within the ship's cabin, Ye Yisong resided in the most secluded room. Since the day he boarded the ship, the door had not been opened easily.

A faint mist of Spiritual Qi swirled around him, and his breathing and exhalation aligned with the rise and fall of the ship; he was clearly in the midst of critical Cultivation.

He had chosen to take the Zhao Family's merchant ship back to Cangjiang Prefecture out of security considerations, to avoid a rough journey and any unexpected accidents.

After this trip to the Secret Realm, Ye Yisong could be considered to have entered the sights of certain people. He was afraid that some forces hostile to the Zhao Family might secretly make a move against him.

He also intended to use this voyage to stabilize his cultivation, so he lived a secluded life. Apart from necessary meals and daily routines, he was almost completely isolated. Because of his relationship with Elder Zhao Fenghua, none of the Zhao Family Disciples dared to disturb him easily.

The tranquility came to an abrupt end on the afternoon of the seventh day.

First, there was a slight tremor, as if the merchant ship had run over an underwater reef. But before the crew could react, a violent jolt suddenly struck.

The entire "Wave-Breaker" seemed to be gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand. The cargo on the deck collapsed with a crash, and the crew cried out, stumbling about.

Inside his room, Ye Yisong's eyes snapped open. A flash of spiritual light shone in the depths of his eyes, and his protective Spiritual Qi surged instantly, securely shielding the table in front of him.

He could clearly perceive an overwhelmingly powerful impact force crazily striking the ship's protective Formation. It was a 5th-grade defensive Formation that the Zhao Family had spent a great deal of money to build, which even ordinary Martial King experts would find difficult to break through in a short time.

But this time, the Formation's light barrier only held for a mere three breaths.

Three beams of energy, as dazzling as the scorching sun, suddenly rose from the depths of the water. They formed a triangular Formation and slammed fiercely into the core nodes of the ship's protective Formation.

With a crisp "crack," the Formation's light barrier, which contained runic power, was instantly covered in cracks like shattered glass, and then completely disintegrated amidst a deafening roar.

Ye Yisong's pupils constricted. He spread out his Divine Sense and clearly captured three figures stepping across the waves toward them, the Martial King pressure radiating from their bodies as heavy as mountains.

Three Martial Kings launching a joint surprise attack?

"Who is so bold as to dare to attack the Zhao Family's merchant ship?" Ye Yisong wondered in his heart.

"Zhao Zuoqiu, come out!" an old man in black, leaning on a cane, stood in front of the shattered merchant ship and said in a deep voice.

"Hmph, what kind of petty scoundrels dare to attack my Zhao Family?" Zhao Zuoqiu walked with the stride of a dragon and the pace of a tiger, stepping through the Void Realm. He stared at the three figures in front of him, his heart sinking slightly.

"Cut the crap. Hand over that 5th-grade barrier-breaking pill, or don't blame this old man for being ruthless." The other old man in blue had a rather eerie look in his eyes, which glinted with a greenish, ghostly light.

As for the remaining Martial King expert, he remained silent, his eyes darting around, not daring to meet Zhao Zuoqiu's gaze, as if afraid of being recognized.