Chapter 57: Ye Qing is Missing?

### Chapter 57: Ye Qing is Missing?

On this particular day, Lu Changsheng was enjoying some wine and small dishes prepared by Ye Qiubai. Beside him sat Qin Tiannan.

"Uncle Qin, why are you here again?" Lu Changsheng asked, a look of helplessness on his face.

Qin Tiannan, looking exasperated, snapped, "You brat, what kind of question is that? I finally finished handling the affairs of the academy and came here for a drink. Is that so wrong?"

"Don't worry, I'm not here to push another disciple on you."

Lu Changsheng mumbled a few complaints, then looked over at Hong Ying, who was still in the Heavenly Human State near the cliff.

"Why hasn't she finished yet? Suddenly, I want some fish soup. Hong Ying's soup is tastier than Qiubai's. Should I wake her up?"

Yun Ming, standing nearby, almost fainted and quickly interjected, "Senior, please don't. Forcing someone out of the Heavenly Human State can have serious repercussions, and it might even cause a backlash."

Over the past few days, Yun Ming had come to believe in Lu Changsheng's abilities. However, he couldn't help but feel that Lu Changsheng was clueless about many basic cultivation principles.

Qin Tiannan, on the other hand, just rolled his eyes. He was used to Lu Changsheng's carefree and somewhat clueless demeanor.

At that moment, Ye Qiubai returned.

As one of the top forces in the Southern Territory, the Cangdao Academy naturally possessed some unique cultivation facilities. For example, the Sword Hall had a place for sword cultivation, where one could temper their body with sword energy. Ye Qiubai had been training there recently, further purifying his inner sword energy.

"Qiubai, you're back?" Qin Tiannan called out as he noticed Ye Qiubai's return.

Lu Changsheng had a feeling that Qiubai's return meant there was something afoot.

Ye Qiubai approached, first bowing respectfully to Lu Changsheng before turning to Qin Tiannan. "Dean, is there something you need?"

Qin Tiannan smiled and said, "It's not a big deal, really. You remember you secured first place for our Cangdao Academy in the recent exchange competition, right?"

Ye Qiubai nodded.

Qin Tiannan continued, "After each exchange, the academies from the four territories are allowed to send one person to the main academy for a period of cultivation. This individual is usually the one who made the most significant contribution during the competition."

"The main academy's resources far surpass ours. Training there for a while would greatly benefit your swordsmanship."

The main academy of Cangdao Academy was located in the Central Region, the most prosperous area for martial arts on the continent. Strictly speaking, the Central Region wasn't considered one of the four territories. It was a place where the four territories converged, filled with numerous sects and clans, making it the heart of martial arts on the continent.

Ye Qiubai was intrigued. What he needed now wasn't resources but more actual combat experience to validate his insights.

He looked at Lu Changsheng, clearly seeking his opinion.

Reclining on a bamboo chair, Lu Changsheng said casually, "If you want to go, then go."

Ye Qiubai nodded in agreement.

Qin Tiannan, seeing this, smiled and stood up. "Alright then, come find me in three days. You should take care of any personal matters first."

With that, Qin Tiannan left, taking a few bottles of Lu Changsheng's wine with him.

Lu Changsheng was speechless.

Ye Qiubai, pondering Qin Tiannan's words, frowned slightly.

Personal matters?

Could it be that something had happened with the Ye family?

With this in mind, Ye Qiubai bid farewell to Lu Changsheng and headed towards Tianyuan City.

It seemed that Hong Ying had instructed him, as Yun Ming also vanished from his hidden observation spot after Ye Qiubai left.

...

At that moment, Tianyuan City was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere.

The streets, usually bustling with vendors and shops, now lay covered with fallen leaves.

As Ye Qiubai walked through the streets, his heart sank at the sight. An ominous feeling grew within him, prompting him to quicken his pace.

Before he even reached the Ye family residence, he saw numerous imperial guards stationed at the entrance. His expression darkened as he activated his cultivation technique and stealthily slipped inside.

Inside the conference hall, the Ye family patriarch sat at the head of the room. The first elder voiced his concern, "Patriarch, where on earth has Ye Qing gone?"

The third elder echoed, "Now, the Tianyuan Dynasty is pressuring us to hand over Ye Qing. If we don't comply, the imperial guards will raze our family to the ground."

"If that happens, the Ye family will be finished!"

The patriarch remained silent, his face stern as he pondered the situation.

Suddenly, he looked towards the back of the hall and shouted, "Who's there?!"

Before he could strike, Ye Qiubai revealed himself and asked, "Where is my father?"

Seeing Ye Qiubai, the patriarch lowered his hand and frowned, "Ye Qiubai? You're quite bold. Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

Ye Qiubai replied calmly, "You can't kill me."

The patriarch hesitated. Indeed, previously, Ye Qiubai had escaped with a sword of unknown grade and terrifying aura. Now, with his cultivation even higher, it wouldn't be difficult for him to escape the patriarch's grasp.

The patriarch took a deep breath and addressed the elders, "Leave us."

The elders exchanged glances. Ye Qiubai noticed a venomous look in the first elder's eyes as he departed, but he ignored it.

Turning to the patriarch, Ye Qiubai asked, "Where is my father?"

The patriarch sipped his tea and replied, "He's in the Deserted City."

"The Deserted City?"

The patriarch nodded, "I sent him there."

Ye Qiubai was slightly surprised. Given the patriarch's previous stance, even if he didn't kill Ye Qing, he wouldn't have protected him like this.

Seeing Ye Qiubai's surprise, the patriarch added, "Don't think I did it out of kindness. Your talent made me reconsider."

Previously, the patriarch wanted to kill Ye Qiubai to eliminate future threats. However, failing to capture Ye Qiubai entirely meant he couldn't take extreme measures against Ye Qing. Instead, he stripped Ye Qing of his position as head of the family.

Recently, news of Ye Qiubai's exploits had reached the patriarch.

In the Northern Territory, Ye Qiubai had defeated Jian Chao across realms.

His sword intent had matured, making him a grand sword master!

Ye Qiubai's sudden rise was undoubtedly due to his mysterious master.

These factors led the patriarch to reconsider his stance. He decided not to provoke Ye Qiubai, fearing the Ye family couldn't withstand his wrath if he grew stronger.

Ye Qiubai understood these reasons and asked, "Why does the Tianyuan Dynasty want my father?"

Before the patriarch could respond, powerful auras descended outside.

"Ye Qiubai, we intended to use your father to lure you out, but here you are. Saves us the trouble."

Ye Qiubai stepped outside and saw several familiar faces among the Tianyuan Dynasty's experts.

Among them were the envoys from the Luoyang Dynasty he had encountered in the Northern Territory.