18: I'll let you live a few more days.

Inside the deliberation hall, the Ye Family Patriarch's words, filled with concern and guilt, slowly fell.

Ye Feiyan listened quietly, her cold and beautiful face showing no ripples of emotion.

But in her heart, a sneer had already risen.

The other two major powers?

What a high-sounding, perfect excuse.

In her previous life, as an Empress, she commanded billions of living beings; what conspiracies, what human treachery had she not seen? How could she not see the truth hidden beneath these words?

Perhaps, the Clan Chief's 'protective heart' towards her was genuine.

But his judgment was incredibly wrong!

The root of that so-called 'accident' back then was not external at all, but internal to the Ye Family! The culprit was precisely the Grand Elder, who had just lost his only son and Spirit Beast, and who appeared to be grief-stricken!

Previously, her, Ye Feiyan's, talent was too dazzling, shining brightly, directly suppressing everyone of her generation, including the Grand Elder's so-called 'Genius son', Ye Tian, making them unable to raise their heads.

In order to pave the way for his son to become the successor, that Old fellow would stop at nothing, secretly setting up a vicious plot to cripple her!

However, she had no need, nor any interest, in explaining these dirty and private matters hidden beneath the Family's glamorous exterior to anyone.

Now, she only trusted herself.

All debts of revenge, she would personally repay!

"Feiyan understands, thank you Clan Chief for your painstaking efforts all these years." Ye Feiyan nodded slightly, perfectly displaying a touch of emotion and relief, flawlessly playing the role of a junior who had been painstakingly protected by the Family and whose injustice had finally been cleared.

Seeing that she 'understood' his difficulties, the Ye Family Patriarch's face showed a relieved smile.

"Good child, it's good that you understand." He said in a deep voice, "However, the matter of your Spiritual Root's repair is of great importance and must not be easily publicized.

From today onwards, I will publicly announce that you merely fortunately found a Spirit Medicine, and your condition has slightly improved, but full recovery will still take time.

I will secretly provide you with the best Cultivation resources; you only need to Cultivate with peace of mind and quickly increase your strength!"

"Yes, Feiyan obeys." Ye Feiyan nodded in agreement once more.

This was exactly what she wanted.

Hiding in the shadows allowed her to better accumulate strength and deliver the most fatal blow to her enemies.

After the discussion, she bid farewell to the Clan Chief and left with Mysterious Ink.

The moment they turned to leave the deliberation hall, Mysterious Ink, who had been quietly coiled, keenly sensed a cold gaze filled with resentment, scrutiny, and suspicion, firmly locking onto him from behind a nearby corridor.

Mysterious Ink subtly raised his eyelids, meeting the gaze of its owner—the Grand Elder, who had just left—for a fleeting moment in mid-air.

Immediately after, he nonchalantly followed Ye Feiyan, disappearing into the depths of the courtyard... Returning to her secluded small courtyard, the moment the gate closed, Ye Feiyan's face, which had originally shown a hint of 'emotion,' instantly reverted to its icy coldness.

She turned around, looking at Mysterious Ink with an extremely solemn expression, and communicated via Divine Thought: "We must be more careful."

"Ye Tian came to assassinate me with the Crimson Flame Tiger, and both died in the mountain range. Although the Clan Chief believed my explanation, the Grand Elder is not so easily fooled."

"He has now lost his only son, and with his vengeful nature, he will definitely place all this deep-seated hatred on me! From today onwards, he will surely be like a mad dog, trying every possible means to kill us!"

Facing Ye Feiyan's solemn warning, Mysterious Ink merely nodded calmly, but a flash of cold killing intent, identical to hers, flickered in his deep snake eyes.

Mad dog?

Mysterious Ink sneered in his heart.

I'll let you live a few more days.

Once I Breakthrough to Middle Stage Second-Rank, you'll see who kills whom! Your precious son's today will be your tomorrow!

As if having made a certain decision, Ye Feiyan took a deep breath and continued, "Therefore, I've decided to change the plan.

Starting tomorrow, I need to enter the Luoyun Mountain Range more frequently, hunt Yao Beasts, and raise my strength at all costs. But I'm still worried about Father and Mother's safety..."

She looked at Mysterious Ink, a hint of discussion and request in her eyes.

"So, I want to ask you to protect the safety of The Two Elders at home from now on. I will go out to hunt for Cultivation resources, and everything I gain, we will split evenly; I'll bring half back for you."

These words completely placed Mysterious Ink in a position of an equal partner, someone she could entrust her back to.

Upon hearing this, Mysterious Ink wagged his tail with an 'indifferent' expression and readily agreed.

Cultivation resources?

With an experience points bar that automatically grows every second, it doesn't need Cultivation resources at all.

However, it still nodded in agreement, as it would eventually need to reasonably display its Realm.

If Ye Feiyan gave it Cultivation resources, it could claim that they were for its Cultivation, preventing her from asking too many questions... That evening at the dinner table, Ye Feiyan informed her parents of this decision.

"What? Yaner, you're going into the mountain range alone again? How dangerous is that!" Mother Ye immediately showed a worried expression.

"Yes, daughter, why don't you still..." Father Ye also wanted to dissuade her.

"Father, Mother, don't worry." Ye Feiyan interrupted them, pointed to Mysterious Ink beside her, and smiled, "Now with Xiao Xuanmo staying at home to protect you, your safety is even more secure than if you were with me. And

only by putting my mind at ease can I become stronger faster, and truly protect this Family."

Hearing this, The Two Elders exchanged glances. They looked at the large, calm, and reassuring Mysterious Ink beside them, and finally nodded.

"Then... alright." Mother Ye finally compromised. She turned her head and said with a smile to Mysterious Ink, "Xiao Xuanmo, then Father and Mother will entrust their protection to you from now on!"

The Two Elders readily agreed, full of one hundred percent trust in Mysterious Ink... Night, all was silent.

After everyone had fallen asleep, Mysterious Ink coiled alone in the courtyard and once again immersed his mind into the System.

host: Mysterious Ink

Race: Black Water Profound Python (profound grade)

Realm: Early Second-Rank

experience points required to Breakthrough to Middle Stage Second-Rank: 0 / 100000

experience points automatically gained per second: 1 point

Current experience points: 21540

Looking at the full one hundred thousand experience points required to Breakthrough to Middle Stage Second-Rank, Mysterious Ink couldn't help but click his tongue.

This number, if it were in the past, would have been enough to let him soar from a dying piece of trash all the way to Peak First-Rank.

But now, it was only enough for a small Realm advancement.

"Fortunately, one experience point per second is still sufficient; one hundred thousand experience points is only a little over a day's time."

Mysterious Ink calculated in his heart, not feeling rushed.

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly penetrating the wall, looking towards the beautiful figure in the adjacent room who was cultivating in meditation, a hint of anticipation flashing in his snake eyes.

"The experience acquisition speed of the Qi Refining Realm is barely enough to cope with Second-Rank Cultivation. But what if I want to Breakthrough to Third-Rank or Fourth-Rank in the future? The experience points required will undoubtedly be even more terrifying astronomical figures."

"It seems I need to find a way to make this Empress Breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Realm as soon as possible."

Only when Ye Feiyan Breaks through a major Realm can his experience earnings as the 'behind-the-scenes boss' rise accordingly.

This investment must be intensified!