Throughout the journey, Ye Feng’s face was clouded with gloom, his brows tightly furrowed.

Li Guanqi didn’t dare to ask too much, and the two of them took to the skies under the cover of night, heading towards his home.

The Great Xia Sword Sect.

All Peak Masters and Elders were discussing matters in the Sect’s grand hall.

Eventually, the Peak Masters and Elders dispersed one after another.

Only Meng Linhai hurried towards Tu Kui’s secluded cultivation spot.

It wasn’t until the first light of dawn that Li Guanqi and his companion finally arrived above a range of mountains, picturesque in their beauty.

Gliding beneath the clouds, the rising sun cast its light upon the land.

The morning mountains were occasionally pierced by the crisp chirping of birds, with clouds entwining the peaks and the sound of streams tinkling as they flowed down the mountainsides.

Li Guanqi took a deep breath and whispered, “The spiritual energy in these mountains is quite abundant.”

A forced smile appeared on Ye Feng’s face as he replied softly, “We’re almost there.”

Before arriving, they had passed a vast city, but Li Guanqi hadn’t expected Ye Feng’s home to be in the mountains.

Soon, Li Guanqi noticed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth growing even richer.

After circling several high peaks, they came upon a sprawling estate that covered thousands of feet.

Li Guanqi laughed, “I never imagined you came from such a well-off family.”

Ye Feng merely smiled in response, his voice tinged with bitterness, “Apart from my mother and sister, all this home brings me is a bit of wealth.”

“Come on, it’s my first time bringing a friend home.”

The two descended from their swords and approached the main gate.

The servant at the gate, seeing Ye Feng arriving by sword, hurriedly bowed and said, “Young Master Feng has returned? Please, come inside.”

Li Guanqi looked up at the plaque above, which read ‘Qiongtai Villa.’

With a slight nod, Ye Feng led Li Guanqi inside.

Crossing the threshold, the air within the villa was filled with the fragrance of spiritual plants and medicinal herbs.

Ye Feng led Li Guanqi straight to the back of the villa, with many servants and maids pausing to bow as they saw him pass.

“My family deals in medicinal herbs, supplying spiritual plants to various pill refining shops,” Ye Feng explained.

“I’m the third son in my family, with two older brothers.”

Li Guanqi chuckled, “Isn’t that a good thing? What’s there to be gloomy about?”

Ye Feng’s voice dropped as he murmured, “I’m born out of wedlock.”

Li Guanqi paused slightly, saying nothing more, but he could guess that Ye Feng’s past might not have been easy.

Soon, they passed through numerous pavilions and towers to the back of the estate.

When they reached a quiet courtyard, the usually somber Ye Feng finally showed a gentle smile.

The sunlight fell just right on his face, making him look lively and spirited.

Ye Feng quickened his pace and called out softly, “Mother~ I’m back.”

A middle-aged woman with an apron tied around her waist soon emerged from the kitchen.

Despite the passage of time, her face bore few wrinkles.

Dressed in a light green gown, the woman had a gentle demeanor, not strikingly beautiful but exuding a very mild and tender temperament.

Her almond eyes lit up upon seeing Ye Feng, and she quickly wiped her hands on her apron before walking briskly towards him.

Li Guanqi paused in his steps, watching the scene with a touch of envy.

“Feng’er, why have you come back?”

The woman soon noticed Li Guanqi entering and asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

“Is this… your friend?”

Scratching his head, Ye Feng said softly, “His name is Li Guanqi, a new friend I made in the Sect. He’s very righteous and has been good to me.”

Then, turning to Li Guanqi, he introduced, “This is my mother, Su Xi.”

Li Guanqi bowed slightly and greeted, “Aunt Su.”

Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes as she quickly helped Li Guanqi up, saying softly, “Good, good, come inside and have a seat.”

“Our Feng’er can be difficult, please be patient with him as his friend.”

“Have you not eaten yet? I’ll have it ready soon, just wait a moment.”

“Why are you both so thin?”

Without further ado, she ushered them into the house.

Watching his mother secretly wipe away tears, Ye Feng said softly, “I have no friends in this family.”

Li Guanqi asked with a smile, “Why?”

Ye Feng shrugged and replied, “Others look down on me, and I can’t be bothered to chase after their approval.”

After saying this, he raised his eyebrows at Li Guanqi and added, “Wait till you see my sister, Ye Qing’er, a beauty that could topple cities!”

“Just a warning, buddy, you’ll have to get past me if you want to be my brother-in-law.”

Li Guanqi really wanted to roll his eyes and retorted, “Who shows off how pretty their sister is right when someone visits?”

Ye Feng stood up and said, “I’ll go help out. You’ll soon taste my mother’s cooking—it’s unmatched!”

“There are snacks and fruits on the table, make yourself at home and don’t be shy.”

Watching Ye Feng enter the kitchen, Li Guanqi couldn’t help feeling a bit downhearted.

However, even after the meal had been on the table for quite some time, Ye Feng’s sister had not returned.

A trace of concern showed on their mother’s face, which Ye Feng noticed and asked softly, “Mother, where’s Qing’er?”

The woman pursed her lips, her throat moving slightly, and she looked away as she said, “She should be… out playing, let’s wait a bit longer.”

Seeing his mother’s evasion, Ye Feng said gravely, “Mother, I’ve now entered the immortal path and achieved Foundation Establishment!”

“I’ve grown up, not everything has to be borne by you alone.”

“Since I’ve come back, I haven’t asked what happened to the family, because I wanted to have a meal with my friend and our family.”

“Tell me the truth.”

Su Xi touched Ye Feng’s forehead, her eyes reddening as she said softly, “You have grown up.”

She sighed and added quietly, “Qing’er is probably with your father, go and see for yourself.”

With a creak, Ye Feng stood up abruptly, and Su Xi quickly said, “Don’t argue with your father, he’s not what you think!”

“He’s been very busy lately, talk things out nicely~!”

Before she could finish, Ye Feng had already rushed out the door!

Li Guanqi praised after tasting the food, “Aunt Su’s cooking is delicious.”

Standing up, Li Guanqi comforted her softly, “Don’t worry, Aunt Su, I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Su Xi nodded slightly, tears streaming down her face as if a long-held grievance had suddenly burst forth.

Li Guanqi stepped out of the courtyard, and using his Divine Sense, he sensed Ye Feng rushing towards the front courtyard’s hall at an extremely fast pace.

Just as he was about to hasten his steps, his ears twitched, and he abruptly stopped!

Dozens of yards away, beyond several buildings, Li Guanqi suddenly heard a man’s voice.

“Heh, this time we’ve really backed the Ye family into a corner.”

“Ye Qing’er is mine!”

“Haha, I knew our young master would have good fortune, and it turns out the Ye family’s daughter is just right!”

Li Guanqi’s eyes narrowed as he stealthily approached a luxurious courtyard, pressing himself against its wall.

His mind raced as he caught only a snippet of the conversation before the speaker entered a room.

Li Guanqi murmured softly, “Who is speaking?”

“What’s happened to the Ye family?”