Chapter 6: Undercurrents, the Secrets of the Ye Family
The turmoil at the registration office for the family competition was like a stone thrown into a calm lake. Although it did not cause huge waves, it created ripples that could not be ignored in the deep water of the Ye family.
Ye Li's name was no longer simply associated with the word "waste." Now, words like "spiritual awakening," "contradictory to the steward," and "suspected of concealing her incompetence" began to quietly become associated with her, circulating among the whispers of young men and servants.
Naturally, these rumors also reached the ears of the Ye family's top management.
In the Ye family's meeting room, the scent of sandalwood curled up.
Patriarch Ye Tian sat at the head of the table, his fingers tapping gently on the armrests of his rosewood chair. His expression was calm, his emotions unremarkable. Below him, several elders sat on either side.
"You've all heard about that girl from the side branch, Ye Li, right?" Ye Tian spoke slowly in a low voice.
An elder with a ruddy complexion and a slightly plump figure sneered and spoke first. It was the third elder Ye Lang, who had always been at odds with the eldest elder who was in charge of family punishments and had a strict style. His own cultivation was not top-notch, but he was good at scheming: "I heard some gossip. It's just that he had some shit luck and reached the Qi Ling Realm by chance. He doesn't know his place and is just trying to attract attention at the registration office. A mere initial stage of the Qi Ling Realm, what does it mean to the younger generation of my Ye family? It's not worth making a fuss about." His words were full of disdain, and it was obvious that he did not take Ye Li seriously.
The other elder, with a haggard face and eagle-like eyes, was Ye Xiao, the great elder who oversaw the family's discipline. He snorted coldly, his voice hoarse yet commanding. "Whether she's just trying to attract attention remains to be seen. But it's a fact that this woman has been acting erratically lately. She's assaulted a servant, contradicted the steward... I heard that a few days ago, two of Ye Lang's collateral relatives harassed her in the market and suffered inexplicable consequences. Rules cannot be abandoned." His words were filled with scrutiny, his focus more on whether Ye Li's behavior violated the family rules.
Fourth elder Ye Yun was the only female elder and was quite thoughtful. She pondered for a moment and said, "This girl's parents died early, and her aptitude...was indeed surprisingly poor in the past. Now she has made sudden progress, which is indeed a bit strange. Could it be that she has encountered some kind of opportunity? Or was the previous test wrong? We can pay a little attention to her. If she is really a promising talent, it will be a blessing for our Ye family." Her attitude was relatively neutral, with a hint of curiosity.
Ye Tian listened to the discussion, his eyes penetrating. As the head of the family, he naturally considered more. Back then, Ye Li's parents... were a pair of great people, but unfortunately... He paused, then said calmly, "The competition is coming soon. We'll know if she's a good match or not. Give orders to pay a little attention to her during the competition. If she's truly capable, the family will certainly not bury her. If she's just bluffing... hmph, the Ye family doesn't keep useless people."
Though the words were bland, they set the tone—wait and see. While the higher-ups wouldn't intervene for now, their gazes were already riveted.
Ye Li, at the center of this vortex, was unaware of all this, and even if she did, she wouldn't have cared. The attitude of the higher-ups was nothing more than a gentle breeze to her. Her goals had never been limited to the small Ye family.
At this moment, she was using the last bit of free time before the competition began to do another important thing - investigating the mystery of the disappearance of the original owner's parents.
This wasn't just a matter of karma that needed to be resolved by occupying this body, but also because, deep within the original owner's shattered memories, the fragments of his parents' disappearance held an unusual aura. It couldn't be explained by a simple accident or mission failure.
Ye family library, first floor.
Most of the items stored here are family history, local records, basic martial arts techniques, and some old volumes. Few people come here on weekdays, and only a few old servants are responsible for cleaning.
Ye Li changed into a more inconspicuous grey, worn-down outfit, lowered her head, and quietly slipped in, disguised as a handyman sorting books. She didn't dare search for confidential files on higher levels, as that would easily expose her. She could only search these most basic, inconspicuous records for clues that might have been overlooked.
Dust danced in the shaft of light filtering through the window. She quickly and quietly flipped through the yellowed pages of the record books. They contained mostly personnel transfer records from over a decade ago, mission dossiers, and some mundane documents from within the family.
Her reading speed was astonishing, and her powerful spiritual power allowed her to remember everything she read and quickly extract key information. Soon, a large amount of information was gathered and sorted in her mind.
The original owner's father, Ye Feng, was once a renowned genius within the collateral lineage, having reached the high level of the True Essence Realm at a young age. His mother, Su Wan, came from a small, long-declined family and was gentle and virtuous. While their union wasn't considered a perfect match, they were once an enviable couple.
About twelve years ago, Ye Feng and his wife took on a family mission: escort a batch of important medicinal herbs to the nearby Blackwater City and hand them over to their trading partner there. The mission itself wasn't particularly difficult, and with Ye Feng's strength at the time, he was more than capable of handling the usual risks.
However, they never came back after they left.
The family later concluded that they were attacked by powerful bandits on the way and all of them were killed. Their bodies were never recovered, and only a cenotaph was built.
This conclusion seemed reasonable, but Ye Li sensed something different from some subtle details.
First, the list of herbs. In a nondescript backup of the incoming records, she found a detailed list of the herbs transported on that mission. Several of the main herbs, while valuable, were not rare treasures. However, in another record of the family's internal resource consumption from the same period, she discovered that shortly after Ye Feng and his wife set out, the family secretly mobilized a small group of elite guards, led by an elder who had reached the Spiritual Sea Realm. Under the pretext of "hunting high-level demonic beasts," they left the family, seemingly heading west.
The timing is too coincidental.
Secondly, there were the rumors of "bandits." While the family's trade route to Blackwater City wasn't entirely peaceful during those years, there were no reports of powerful bandits capable of absorbing a high-level True Yuan Realm leader. Afterward, the family didn't organize a large-scale effort to eliminate the so-called "bandits," seemingly accepting the loss.
Finally, there's a seemingly unrelated record of a dispute over the distribution of family resources. This occurred shortly after the disappearance of Ye Feng and his wife. The record is vague, stating only that Third Elder Ye Lang and the deceased elder in charge of external affairs at the time engaged in a heated argument over the distribution of several mineral and medicinal plots. Ultimately, most of the previously disputed resource sites were reassigned to the Third Elder's faction.
Ye Li's fingers gently slid across the lines of words, her eyes slightly fixed.
Third Elder Ye Lang…he left her with the impression of being greedy and adept at managing his own faction. The original owner's parents didn't seem to have a direct conflict of interest with him…but what about the resources and manpower freed up by their disappearance?
And what about that elite force that was secretly mobilized? What was their purpose? Were they really going to hunt monsters? Or... was there something else going on?
She felt as if she were touching an invisible web. Her parents' disappearance was probably more than an accident. It was likely linked to a power struggle within the family, or even... perhaps a connection to a certain faction within Blackwater City?
Just as she was lost in thought, there were light footsteps and low voices of conversation coming from the stairs of the library.
Ye Li immediately became alert and quietly hid behind a row of tall bookshelves like a civet cat, holding her breath.
The two people who came were two managers in charge of daily inspections. They were chatting in low voices while checking whether the bookshelves were damp.
"...After the resource distribution of this competition, I heard that the Third Elder secured quite a few benefits. I'm afraid the boys in his family will be able to get a lot of pills this time."
"Well, who says it isn't true? Those of us without support can't even get a sip of soup. I heard that the mines to the west have been producing poorly recently, and two miners have died. Their pensions have been significantly deducted..."
"Shh! Keep your voice down! How can you talk nonsense about this? I heard that the mine seems to be somewhat involved with the 'Poison Scorpion Gang' in Blackwater City. It's unclear. Last time..."
The voice gradually faded away, and the following words could not be heard clearly.
But the words "Blackwater City" and "Poison Scorpion Gang" fell clearly into Ye Li's ears!
The Scorpion Gang... The original owner had a vague impression of it in his memory. It seemed to be an underground gang with a bad reputation in Blackwater City, and their methods were ruthless.
The mine in the west... Blackwater City... The Scorpion Gang... The destination of the mission where my parents are missing is also Blackwater City!
A faint line seems to be connecting them together!
Ye Li's heartbeat quickened slightly. She felt like she might have found a key breakthrough. Her parents' disappearance was most likely related to the exchange of interests among certain individuals within the family, as well as collusion with external forces (such as the Poison Scorpion Gang).
She carefully walked out from behind the bookshelf, and after confirming that no one was there, she quickly restored the books she had read to their original state and left the library like a ghost.
After returning to the secluded place under the stone wall at the back of the mountain, Ye Li's mood was not completely calm.
The investigation had some preliminary direction, but it also made her realize the dangers involved. With family elders and even external gangs involved, with her current strength, the slightest misstep could lead to disaster.
But she had to end this causal connection. This was not only for the original owner, but also perhaps it could become a fulcrum for her to pry open the Ye family in the future.
She suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and her eyes became calm and sharp again.
The most important thing at the moment was still the upcoming clan competition. She needed to legitimately acquire resources on that stage, earn qualifications, and improve her strength!
Only when you are strong enough, you are qualified to explore the truth, resolve cause and effect, and settle grudges!
She sat cross-legged, immersed in her cultivation once again. Spiritual energy slowly flowed through her body, carrying with it a subtle hint of cold murderous intent.
The storm was brewing. The Ye family seemed to be stirring with undercurrents because of her return.
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