Sixty-one feathers

Outside the gate of the West City Villa, the vermilion lacquer gate has been well-maintained and looks like new, but the threshold stone has been dented by the years. The blue brick wall is covered with large patches of ivy. The villa is surrounded by mist all year round. If you look from a distance, the entire building is looming, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

Outside the red gate, Qu Yaoguang knelt in front of the door, wearing a black windbreaker and standing straight. The morning light outlined the contours of his taut body. Even though he was kneeling on his knees, he exuded an unyielding pride.

The guard at the door looked helpless and reluctant. He was so annoyed that he had no choice but to try to persuade him again.

"Sir, please don't embarrass us. The clan leader has already issued an order that you will never be allowed to set foot in this house again. If you keep kneeling here and get hurt, it will be a waste of time."

They had no hatred or grudge against Qu Yaoguang originally, but on the day when the young lady died, the clan leader was furious and expelled Qu Yaoguang from the house and issued a death order that he would never be allowed to come back. They had no choice but to obey.

Unlike his usual composure, when he looked up, Qu Yaoguang's eyes were red, "I really have something important to tell you..."

Maybe he had been outside for too long and caught a cold, so his voice was a little hoarse.

"But..." The guard hesitated for a long time and wanted to try to persuade the man to leave, but was interrupted by the other party.

"It's about the young master."

Qu Yaoguang didn't want to say it originally because he was not completely sure, and this matter was too serious to let so many people know. But it was not a solution to keep deadlocking here. After thinking about it, the only way to get in now was to try to mention the topic that had been banned for a long time.

"Young... Young Master?" The guard's eyes lit up a little, but he was also a little skeptical, suspecting that Qu Yaoguang had deliberately made up a lie in order to get in.

"Well, please report this to the clan leader."

The two guards looked at each other. After all, the disappearance of the young master had always been a concern for the clan leader over the years. Qu Yaoguang would not dare to joke about this matter. The two did not dare to delay, so one of the guards went back to inform the clan leader of the matter.

A moment later, the guard who went to report came back breathlessly, and took Qu Yaoguang into the garden again. They walked through the layers of small courtyards and came to the door of the Blood Hunter Chief's study.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar environment around him along the way, his heart was filled with infinite emotion. He had not lived here for a long time, and now he has not been back for twenty years.

"The patriarch is inside, please come in."

"Okay, thank you." Qu Yaoguang nodded slightly, then knocked on the door and walked in.

An old man sat behind the desk, motionless as a pine tree, with a head full of white hair and decades of wind and frost between his brows. Even if he didn't speak, just sitting there, one could feel the majesty and solemnity emanating from him.

"Chief."

Qu Yaoguang knelt in front of the old man and lowered his head. Such a proud man could not help but be cautious when facing the clan leader and did not dare to breathe.

Even though he was related to his daughter, Qu Yaoguang never called the powerful old man "father" because he was a foreigner.

The clan leader lowered his eyes and looked at the man in front of him, his eyebrows twitching, and his hands on the table clenched tightly. He was very concerned about what the other party said about the whereabouts of his only blood heir, but as someone who had been in a high position for a long time, it was not convenient for him to show too much emotion, so he had to suppress it secretly.

"You said that you found any clues about Ling Qiu?" Even though he tried hard to restrain himself, the slight tremor in his voice still betrayed his nervousness.

He originally had no prejudice against Qu Yaoguang, but his marriage to his daughter was against the rules, so he was dissatisfied. However, Ye Lingqiu was the child born to his favorite daughter, and he loved the child as well. However, because there were too many things that were beyond his control, he had no way to find the other party.

But he couldn't get Qu Yaoguang out of his mind because of his daughter's death, so this thorn remained buried deep in his heart and could never be dissolved.

The clan leader looked at Qu Yaoguang, recalling his appearance when he was young, which overlapped with the woolen sweater of his deceased daughter in his memory, as if he could see what Ye Lingqiu would look like when he grew up.

Qu Yaoguang took out a list and a glass tube filled with a small amount of red liquid from his pocket.

He took a few steps on his knees, wanting to hand it to the patriarch.

"Get up." Although she hated the man in front of her, she still softened her heart at this moment.

"Yes." Qu Yaoguang said in a low voice, then stood up. Because he had been kneeling for too long, his knees could not bear the pressure. He staggered when he stood up and barely managed to keep his balance.

Looking at the test report handed over by the other party, the patriarch narrowed his eyes.

Qu Yaoguang took the opportunity to explain, "Ling Qiu has changed his name to Ling Han. It was given by the people who adopted him."

For the time being, he didn't dare tell the clan leader the identity of the person who adopted Ye Linghan. After all, this kind of thing had to be done step by step. He was afraid that if he told everything at once, the clan leader would not be able to bear it.

After all, the old man is quite old.

"Ling Han..." the clan leader repeated.

"Yes, it is - taken from a few plum branches in the corner of the wall, blooming alone in the cold." Qu Yaoguang explained for the patriarch.

Upon hearing this, the clan leader just nodded silently without saying anything. No matter which name it was, it seemed a little unfamiliar to him. Even though he had silently repeated the word "Ling Qiu" in his mind countless times, it became more and more unfamiliar each time. As for Ling Han, he felt even more unfamiliar.

"The glass tube in your hand contains Ling Qiu's blood. I brought it back. You can send someone else to do the test. I'm afraid of mistakes and I'm not completely sure yet."

After all, this matter is of great importance, and Qu Yaoguang did not dare to be 100% sure. Moreover, it has been twenty years, making it even more difficult to be sure.

He carefully observed the other person's words and expressions so that he could stop in time if he said something wrong.

But the patriarch had an expressionless face and was difficult to read, making it impossible for Qu Yaoguang to see through his thoughts.

"Hmm." The patriarch hummed lightly.

The two of them froze for a moment before Qu Yaoguang spoke again, "Also... I found Ah Li..."

Before he finished speaking, he seemed to realize that he seemed to have touched the old man's sore spot. Suddenly, he met the patriarch's cold eyes and stopped what he was about to say.

Because that name means nothing when spoken by others, but when it comes out of your own mouth, it becomes like a taboo that cannot be spoken.

But this time the patriarch did not get angry, he just said calmly: "Go on."

"Yes." After receiving the promise, Qu Yaoguang continued, "I may know where Mingyuan is, but I need you to give me some time to verify it."

The clan leader's expression was rarely touched. He nodded and sighed, "In that case, go ahead. I hope you can bring Ah Li's body back and bring her back intact, because her family is waiting for her."

"I will." Qu Yaoguang, who always speaks softly, answered with a resounding voice.

The hatred in his heart had been buried for too long. When he thought of the opportunity to vent it, he didn't know how to start. He urgently hoped that the culprit behind it would pay the price.

After saying goodbye to the clan leader, Qu Yaoguang walked out of the study, but ran into Su Mo and Yao Qingluan who had been ordered to rush back.

"Brother, why is he here?" Yao Qingluan was surprised when she saw Qu Yaoguang and asked Su Mo in a low voice.

Su Mo on the side shook his head and expressed his confusion. He never thought that Qu Yaoguang would know the clan leader and be able to enter the Blood Hunter's territory.

"Why are you here?" Su Mo asked.

Qu Yaoguang didn't want more people to know about this, so he just spread his hands and shrugged without saying a word, and then passed by the two people.

What does he mean by this...

Looking at the other person's departing back, Su Mo felt more and more confused and out of control.

But he was concerned about the comfort of his fellow tribe members, so he couldn't think too much and went into the tribe leader's study with Yao Qingluan.

- -

The silver-gray Bentley sped all the way to the vampire clan's old house.

"If I follow you, in what capacity?"

Ye Linghan, who was sitting in the back row with Yin Chen, looked a little nervous, his fingers clenched unconsciously, and his breathing became a little rapid, but when he looked at Yin Chen's calm face, he seemed to feel reassured.

"The one I love."

As soon as these four words came out, Ye Linghan's heart skipped a beat.

"This..." Although he was moved in his heart, Ye Linghan was still anxious. After all, there was a huge gap in their status, and he still cared about people gossiping.

Yin Chen tilted his head, noticing the other person's anxiety. He reached out and took Ye Linghan's hand in his, squeezing it gently. "Don't worry, leave everything to me. With me here, they won't dare to be rude to you."

Ye Linghan leaned on Yin Chen's shoulder, feeling his warmth, and made up his mind that since he had a stronger person behind him, he had to become stronger so as not to hold the other party back.

"Why don't you like Yinster?" Ye Linghan thought that he seemed to have never asked Yin Chen these things, but since they could not avoid dealing with each other, from their daily interactions, it seemed that the two of them were secretly competing with each other, so he thought of asking in advance.

"Because I don't like my father." Yin Chen said lightly.

Because he knew very well that, to be precise, his father favored his youngest son more, and that he was the son born to another woman.

"Between you two..." Ye Linghan raised his head and looked at the other person's stern profile.

It’s unexpected that some people yearn for family affection, while others are bound by it.

"He allowed that woman to kill my mother."

When Yin Chen mentioned his mother, his tone was obviously softer. He didn't care what kind of person his father was or what kind of woman he brought back. He only cared about his biological mother.

His mother was indirectly killed by his father, and he could never forgive him in his life. This was a thorn in his heart, and even if it was pulled out, it would leave a hole that could not be healed.

"I know this might be unfair to Yinster. He shouldn't bear the hatred of the previous generation, but there's nothing I can do. This is his fate. As long as he's that woman's child, we're destined to be different. Surfaced for the sake of the family, I'm helping him. This is already the greatest tolerance I can show him. Anything else is off the table."

Ye Linghan looked at him with eyes full of heartache. Yin Chen had shouldered too much, and he couldn't fully empathize with him, so for a moment he didn't know what to say to comfort him.

But he knew that the other party needed him.

"Let's go see mom together sometime."

Because he knew Yin Chen's character, he could feel that his mother must be a very good person, so Ye Linghan didn't think much about it and said it subconsciously.

When Yin Chen beside him heard this, his eyes flickered and he lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms. His expression showed a hint of surprise, and then a hint of meaning.

"So you agree to be my wife?"

"It depends on your performance."

Realizing that his words were too ambiguous, Ye Linghan turned his face away somewhat embarrassedly.

This person is really awful. He can say such shameless words in such a serious situation...