Chapter 164: Destiny's Mandate
============================================================
That cry served no purpose other than to declare his weakness and helplessness.
Yet through it, Ye Qinghan learned the identity of the man whose life had been spared.
Only then did Ye Qinghan realize that the figure pinned to the center of the hall by Xu Zhanfeng was a woman.
Yet she felt no pity for this matricide. She longed to tear that woman apart with her bare hands!
But she wasn't in a hurry. She knew Xu Zhanfeng would handle everything. This steward had always been dependable.
Except for the nauseating way he kept addressing her as "First Lady" and "Second Lady"…
Ye Qinghan couldn't even fathom how Xu Zhanfeng had identified this woman's family members, yet he had managed it.
At this moment, the entire Sacred Domain, including its ruler, numbered only fifteen souls.
The entire Sacred Domain had been nearly slaughtered clean before the carnage paused—and even then, it wasn't over!
At that moment, Xu Zhanfeng spoke.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Xu Zhanfeng, steward of the Lingxian Hall."
Xu Zhanfeng yanked the woman's hair, forcing her head up like an object, compelling her to look at Ye Qinghan.
"The one over there is my eldest mistress."
"I have no grudge against the Lingxian Hall…"
"Shut your mouth!" A thunderous roar erupted as Xu Zhanfeng grabbed the head and slammed it violently onto the ground!
Xu Zhanfeng was furious. Dammit, I was just about to introduce my First Lady!
How dare you interrupt me! You don't want to live anymore!
If it weren't for the Grand Elder's orders to make your death as agonizing as possible, do you think you'd still be alive?
"I come here on the orders of the Lingxian Hall's Grandmaster, specifically to collect a debt."
The long-haired woman glanced at Ye Qinghan and instantly understood—this debt dated back several years.
"Misfortune shouldn't befall family. The debt I incurred myself—could it be…"
Ye Qinghan opened his mouth to speak, but the steward today was quick to cut him off.
"Impossible. The Grand Elder's orders are clear: not a single one shall be spared. You must die last."
With that, Xu Zhanfeng thrust his blade through the son who had just saved his mother, impaling him before the woman's eyes. Listening to her heart-wrenching screams was Xu Zhanfeng's job.
Ye Qinghan turned away. For reasons unknown, emotions that should not have surfaced welled up once more.
His master's words still rang in his ears: If that man were given time, he would wield the sword of vengeance against his master and Shi Yao. By then, regret would be too late.
Ye Qinghan had always believed herself cold-blooded and ruthless enough.
She had walked this path, claiming countless lives, earning the nickname Ye Yanwang.
Now it seemed clear that in her master's eyes, she had always been a child—and perhaps that was understandable.
To harbor such childish thoughts unrelated to that child—truthfully, she despised herself for it!
Following his usual procedure, Xu Zhanfeng said no more. He simply worked meticulously, employing every means possible to make this reckless woman taste utter despair.
The wails pierced the grand hall, seemingly echoing to the heavens—though most originated from that woman.
Ye Qinghan had intended to wait outside until Xu Zhanfeng had finished everything and called for her.
But then she thought: Wasn't this also part of her cultivation?
Shi Yao possessed a pure and kind nature, perfectly suited to live carefree and innocent, a little fool.
Ye Qinghan had no objection to this. It was what she and her master had always hoped for her—to eat her fill and play to her heart's content every day.
Whether she cultivated or not didn't matter—as long as she was happy every day.
The "Joy Plan" her master devised for Li Shiyu only required her to be happy—nothing more.
Though the master only wished for Ye Qinghan's safety, Ye Qinghan herself was not content with that.
Her master's Lingxian Hall would inevitably grow in strength and fame, attracting countless disciples.
As the First Disciple of Lingxian Hall, how could she be merely a figurehead?
She yearned to be indispensable—the fox Master would call upon first when needed, not the one pushed aside.
While this was also a form of her master's affection, she yearned to stand on her own two feet, refusing to remain a child forever.
It was childish, but such were Ye Qinghan's thoughts at that moment—the naive yet sincere thoughts of a sixteen-year-old.
Watching Xu Zhanfeng dismember them one by one before that woman's eyes, even the woman hailed as a great Demon Clan power and ruler of the Sacred Realm shed tears.
Ye Qinghan didn't know if this counted as regret, but she had no intention of forgiving her. That would be a betrayal of her mother.
"Your Highness, I beg you, spare my daughter!"
At that moment, aside from her…
In the vast Sacred Realm, only her daughter remained. All others had been utterly annihilated by Xu Zhanfeng.
Ye Qinghan exhaled deeply, then waved her hand, signaling Xu Zhanfeng to stop.
Xu Zhanfeng looked at Ye Qinghan with a hint of surprise and spoke up.
"Madam, this is the master's…"
Ye Qinghan merely motioned for him to step aside before stepping forward to speak with the woman.
Xu Zhanfeng said no more. He fetched a chair for Ye Qinghan, helped her settle into it, and then stood by her side.
Though he doubted this woman still possessed the strength to ambush his First Lady, one must guard against many things.
Xu Zhanfeng could discern that though these individuals were all at the Spirit Transformation stage, their strength was comparable to that of cultivators at the Fusion stage.
If they launched a full-power strike, even with the First Lady's cultivation, she might not escape unscathed…
This was peculiar, but the matter required reporting to the Grand Master before a decision could be made. He himself couldn't be certain.
"Why are you crying? Are you afraid?" Ye Qinghan's pity vanished in that moment. Staring at that face, she recalled her mother's fate, and rage mingled with her demonic nature drowned out what little kindness remained.
"Your Highness, I know my crimes are unforgivable. I beg you, please spare my daughter! I implore you!"
Her blood-stained, pallid face bore a broken nose and a left eye that could no longer open, yet she still pleaded with Ye Qinghan to spare her child, her expression bordering on madness.
Ye Qinghan tilted her head, studying the child who appeared to be six or seven years old—roughly the same age she had been when she fled the Northern Realm.
But with that pampered, spoiled-brat look? Revenge? Yeah, right.
She showed no will to live, no hatred toward Ye Qinghan—she was utterly petrified.
She sat blankly on the ground, staring at the red-robed steward in the distance.
"Truth be told, her eyes were quite something."
Ye Qinghan smiled faintly, tinged with scorn. Compared to herself, this girl was nowhere near her level!
Even with that face, the woman still threw herself desperately onto the ground. Knowing death was inevitable, her pleas were solely for the sake of her remaining flesh and blood.
As a mother, this was the only thing she could do now.
"Please! Whatever you want to know about what happened back then—anything I know, I'll tell you! Please!"
Ye Qinghan looked at the woman before her with a hint of contempt. She didn't particularly care about the other's name; it held no meaning.
"Let me guess—you never imagined that little fox who escaped would dare return, did you?"
"Your Highness…"
"No need for such formalities. You destroyed the Demon Capital with your own hands and killed my mother. Where was your concern for a princess back then?"
Ye Qinghan finished speaking, then let out a self-mocking chuckle. "No, I misspoke. You didn't forget that one princess got away."
"You hunted me down relentlessly. Even the family who sheltered me—you slaughtered every last one of them."
Log in to permanently save your bookshelf data across devices. We recommend logging in for use.
============================================================