The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"I'm sorry. Because of me, you've had to sever ties with your mother."

Inside the carriage, Yun Yantian carefully tended to Bai Li Xue, whose injuries had yet to fully heal. His face was etched with guilt.

Earlier, in the side hall, the heated argument between Bai Li Xue and the Eastern Palace Empress had played out before his eyes. He could only imagine how distressed Xue must feel.

"It doesn't matter," Bai Li Xue replied, shaking her head gently. Her pale face carried a trace of melancholy.

"For years, my relationship with my mother has been strained. To her, I've always been just a bargaining chip—a tool to secure the best possible benefits for herself.

She's never cared about my feelings or my happiness. All that matters to her is leveraging me to strengthen her family's position and secure her influence in the palace."

Her tone was calm, but her words revealed years of bottled-up resentment.

Reflecting on her relationship with her mother, Bai Li Xue realized that there had been little warmth between them. Cutting ties might not be such a bad thing after all.

"Don't worry," Yun Yantian said firmly. "Once you're at my Yun family estate, I'll take care of you for the rest of my life. I won't let you suffer any grievances, and neither will my family."

Hearing how Bai Li Xue had been treated—reduced to nothing more than a tool for exploitation—Yun Yantian felt a pang of sorrow. He could only imagine how difficult her life in the palace must have been.

Bai Li Xue's cheeks flushed a faint pink at his words, a sweet warmth spreading in her heart.

"Kill Cousin Xue?"

Hiding in the shadows with ten cultivators loyal to his family, Xia Changqing frowned upon hearing the report from one of his subordinates.

"Yes, word just came from the Eastern Palace Empress."

"Why?"

Xia Changqing couldn't understand. Bai Li Xue was his aunt's biological daughter. Why would she resort to such a cruel act?

"The Empress doesn't want the Seventh Princess marrying into the Yun family. She fears that such a marriage would elevate Yun Cang Yun to royal status, allowing the Emperor to secretly support their rise.

Rather than risk the Yun family becoming a future threat to the Xia clan, she's decided to kill both Yun Yantian and Bai Li Xue, turning them into a pair of tragic lovers and disrupting the Emperor's plans."

"But the patriarch's dying wish was to kill Yun Yantian, not Cousin Xue.

We were supposed to kill Yun Yantian and then marry Cousin Xue into the Yu Lin Wang clan, securing an alliance to elevate them to royal status.

Doesn't this go against the patriarch's wishes?" Xia Changqing's frown deepened.

While he understood that his aunt's actions were aimed at securing the family's future, her extreme approach troubled him, especially since it contradicted the patriarch's final directive.

"The Empress stated that even if Yun Yantian were killed, the Seventh Princess's bond with him is too strong.

She might choose to remain loyal to him, even living as a widow in his memory.

Thus, she sees no value in keeping her alive. Killing both of them is the only way to ensure stability.

As for an alliance with the Wang clan, the Empress has other plans to achieve that goal."

The middle-aged cultivator who had delivered the message spoke with grave seriousness.

Xia Changqing fell silent for a long moment, lost in thought.

Finally, he sighed and said, "So be it. If this is what my aunt has decided, we'll follow her wishes."

"Yes, sir."

"Master Changqing, I have news."

"What is it? Is the Emperor sending anyone to escort Yun Yunyang and the others back to their clan?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

"Only Li Qing."

"Li Qing…" Xia Changqing's expression hardened.

Li Qing's cultivation was at the peak of the Qi Refinement Third Stage, not an opponent to be underestimated.

"We'll need to lure Li Qing away before we make our move."

"Leave it to me, Master Changqing," the subordinate assured.

"Good. Once Li Qing is out of the way, the rest of you will strike immediately. Kill Yun Yantian and Bai Li Xue—no, just Bai Li Xue. Afterward, retreat without delay."

"Yes, sir."

Xia Changqing decisively issued his orders, and the accompanying cultivators disappeared into the shadows.

Seated at the front of the carriage, Yun Yunyang and Li Qing continued their quiet conversation.

"This time, after returning to the palace, the Emperor is likely to take action against the Three Families and Seven Clans who have infiltrated the court, right?" Yun Yunyang asked thoughtfully.

"Exactly," Li Qing replied with a faint smile, holding the reins lightly.

"With the patriarchs of the Three Families and Seven Clans now gone, they no longer pose a significant threat to the Emperor or the royal family.

In the past, the Emperor had to exercise caution in dealing with those they had planted within the court. But now, the situation is entirely different."

"Let us hope everything goes smoothly for His Majesty," Yun Yunyang remarked with a nod.

"His Majesty won't miss such an opportunity. This is a rare chance to suppress the Three Families and Seven Clans and consolidate royal authority.

He has been preparing for this moment for far too long and has exercised immense patience."

"With the fall of their patriarchs, the Yulin Wang Clan's aspirations to become the fourth great family of Yue Kingdom…"

"Are nothing but pipe dreams now," Li Qing interrupted, smiling knowingly.

"Not only will the Yulin Wang Clan fail to ascend, but the Canglan Ye, Wangyue Lin, and Chuanyin Lu Clans will also lose their titles as the top three families. They'll be demoted to the ranks of the Ten Clans, greatly curtailing their future development.

His Majesty mentioned earlier that the fall of these patriarchs benefits not only the royal family but also your Yun Cang Yun Clan and other cultivation families across the kingdom.

Many families who have long suffered under the oppression of the Three Families and Seven Clans will see this as an opportunity to quietly develop and grow stronger."

Yun Yunyang, however, remained cautious. "Even so, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. While losing their patriarchs is a severe blow, the Three Families and Seven Clans still have deep foundations.

For other cultivation families to rise above them easily will remain a challenge."

"That depends on whether the leaders of these families can seize this rare opportunity," Li Qing said with a faint smile.

"If they fail to act now to strengthen their families, they will remain oppressed forever, with no hope of surpassing the Three Families and Seven Clans."

"You're right, Li Immortal Master. Your wisdom is appreciated," Yun Yunyang responded respectfully.

Li Qing glanced at him and smiled faintly, silently hoping that the Yun Cang Yun Clan could rise to prominence one day—preferably within his lifetime.

His heart grew heavy as he considered his own limited lifespan. Stuck at the peak of the Qi Refinement Third Stage, unable to break through, his days were numbered.

Suddenly, a series of deafening roars echoed from the mountains flanking the road.

Beastly auras surged like a storm, their oppressive presence washing over them.

Moments later, the ground trembled violently.

Massive trees toppled one after another, kicking up clouds of dust as chaos erupted from the dense forests.

"What's going on?" Yun Yunyang, being a mortal, was perplexed by the sudden shaking earth and falling trees.

"The roars are too terrifying to be from ordinary mountain beasts," he added nervously.

"It's a beast tide!" Li Qing exclaimed, his expression serious.

"A beast tide?" Yun Yunyang asked, bewildered.

"The forests on both sides of the road are teeming with monsters, and they're charging straight at us," Li Qing explained grimly.

Pulling back the curtain of the carriage, Li Qing turned to warn Yun Yantian and the others.

"Get ready. This isn't a coincidence; someone's deliberately targeting us!"

Hearing the term "beast tide" from Li Qing, Yun Yantian and Yun Yanshuang quickly grasped the situation.

"Yantian," Li Qing ordered, "take the reins and get your uncle and the princess to safety. I'll hold them off."

"Understood!" Yun Yantian immediately climbed to the driver's seat, urging the carriage forward.

As he cracked the whip and the horses surged ahead, Li Qing leaped to the ground, drawing his sword with calm resolve.

The stampede of monsters thundered closer, their glowing eyes gleaming like malevolent stars in the shadows of the forest.

"I'll handle them," Li Qing murmured, his grip tightening on his blade as he prepared for the imminent clash.