Chapter 201
Ignoring the Old Ancestor's protests, they pushed the door open and dashed inside.
Ye Qingchen followed closely behind, and the two entered Ji Liantan's room, greeted by a breathtaking bamboo grove.
A gentle breeze carried the refreshing scent of bamboo, accompanied by the soothing rustle of bamboo stalks lightly colliding.
Beside the grove lay a crystal-clear pond teeming with plump, vividly colored fish.
Deep within the bamboo grove, by the pond, stood an elegant residence—modest in size. A child sat on the veranda, barefoot, staring blankly at the fish in the water.
It was Ji Liantan as a boy.
At the sight of this scene, Ye Qingchen's expression flickered momentarily before he quickly masked it.
He scoffed. "As I thought—this place."
Though it didn’t exist in Shen Ying’s memories, it wasn’t hard to guess.
"So," he asked, "this is where Shizun and the Ye Peak Master took you to live in seclusion?"
Ye Qingchen gave a faint nod.
As they approached, voices drifted from inside the house—a man and a woman, unmistakably Ji Yu and the Ye Peak Master.
"Take Liantan with you. Qingchen will return to Xuanji Sect with me."
"Are you truly so heartless?"
"What choice do I have? Can you let me take both, or can I let you take both? Since we must compromise, we must cut ties cleanly."
"Have you never considered taking Liantan instead?"
"Liantan is too sensitive. Xuanji Sect is no place for him."
"And Qingchen is suited for it?"
"Qingchen... will manage better."
This was the scene of dividing assets—and children. Shen Ying overheard and could understand the Ye Peak Master’s choice.
As a member of Xuanji Sect, she knew all too well how treacherous the waters ran beneath the surface of this so-called righteous leader of sects.
The demonic path, at least, respected strength—with a Demon Lord father to shield him, one needn’t bow to anyone.
But the righteous path was different. Ye Qingchen’s flawed origins and the suffocating web of unspoken rules weren’t something a sensitive soul could endure.
The claim that Ye Qingchen was "better suited" really meant he could withstand the relentless, intangible pressures.
But to young Ji Liantan’s ears, it sounded very different.
Sure enough, as the words reached him, Ji Liantan’s eyes reddened, his small frame trembling as he fought back tears.
Inside, the conversation looped again, replaying the same painful scene.
Ye Qingchen glanced at the young Ji Liantan sitting there, his lips curling into a mocking smile.
"How pitiful. You’re still trapped in this moment?"
Ji Liantan seemed to hear him. He looked up, and for a fleeting moment, his eyes widened in shock at the sight of the grown Ye Qingchen.
But the next second, his gaze dulled, as if resigned to despair, and he lowered his head again.
Ye Qingchen sighed and turned to Shen Ying. "He doesn’t seem willing to acknowledge us."
Shen Ying shot him a look. "You never intended to help him, did you?"
Ye Qingchen feigned innocence.
"Stop pretending," Shen Ying retorted. "Someone as experienced with inner demons as you can’t see how strange he’s acting?"
When Ji Liantan had looked up, his eyes had been clear and startled—only to lapse into indifference. While grief could explain it, the shift wasn’t seamless.
Ji Liantan wasn’t himself right now. Whether lost in childhood trauma or present consciousness, he shouldn’t have reacted so apathetically to Ye Qingchen’s presence.
Shen Ying strode to the child and whispered in his ear, "Shixiong, Ye Qingchen has obtained the True Blood."
The boy’s eyes instantly blazed with fury.
Shen Ying pressed on. "Has the Old Ancestor invaded your soul?"
"Don’t even think about devouring him. Kick him out before his idiacy rubs off on you."
Disgust flickered across the child’s face, followed by indignant rage—clearly conflicting emotions.
Shen Ying’s last doubt vanished. She knew exactly what was happening.
She added fuel to the fire. "Ye Qingchen’s laughing at you."
Glancing at Ye Qingchen, she urged, "Yes, Shixiong, keep that expression—perfect."
Little Ji Liantan looked up and, in an instant, aged a dozen years in sheer fury.
With a poof, he reverted to his adult form, the volcanic rage and spiritual force within him expelling the Old Ancestor’s invading consciousness.
He lunged at Ye Qingchen with a palm strike. "What right do you have to mock me?!"
Ye Qingchen parried with his sword, sneering. "I wouldn’t bother if you didn’t make it so easy."
The brothers clashed violently while Shen Ying, quick as lightning, whipped out a spirit-trapping pouch and ensnared the Old Ancestor.
"Mmgh! Let me go! Have you no respect for your elders?!" the Old Ancestor thrashed inside.
But his soul, already drained from the battle for dominance, was too weak to break free.
Shen Ying gave the pouch a shake and grinned. "Count yourself lucky, Old Ancestor. If I hadn’t stepped in, would you even exist right now?"
"Don’t mistake my shixiong’s sensitivity for weakness. I saw how your tug-of-war was going. What were your odds of winning?"
The Old Ancestor fell silent. Even he couldn’t deny his miscalculation.
He’d assumed the young Demon Lord’s fragility would make him easy prey in a mental illusion. Instead, he’d nearly been consumed himself.
Defeated, the Old Ancestor muttered, "Fine. Consider this a trial for the younger generation."
"Since he passed, he’s worthy of the Demon Lord’s mantle. My duty is done."
"Release me. I’ll return to the Netherworld and report to the others."
Shen Ying’s smile turned razor-sharp. "Dream on. After all your scheming, you think pretty words will save you? How do we explain to the families of the elites you got killed?"
The Old Ancestor panicked. "Wait—this was their own rivalry! How is it my fault?"
Shen Ying countered, "Without the attempted possession, they might’ve believed that. But now? Do you think they’ll tolerate you after so many deaths?"
Desperate, the Old Ancestor bargained. "Alright, alright! Take all the treasures in this realm!"
"Outside, chaos already reigns. Even if you hand me over, who would dare defy their ancestors?"
Shen Ying snorted. "The most powerful ones wouldn’t dare—but you?"
"Clearly, your name alone isn’t enough to intimidate anyone."
With that, she sealed him into a jade pendant and ignored his protests.
By now, the brothers’ fight had drawn blood. Shen Ying wisely kept her distance.
From a distance, someone shouted, "Stop fighting! The Old Ancestor has already been subdued, and there are no more obstacles ahead. If you keep this up, someone else will snatch the prize right from under your noses."
But the two were too consumed by their battle to care.
Shen Ying, growing impatient, snapped, "What’s the point of this? Even the Demon Lord knows Ye Qingchen has entered. No matter how hard you fight, you can’t kill each other today."
"Why rush things now?"