The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

The blind Daoist had always given Yun Yunshan a sense of mystery.

He couldn't be sure just how powerful the old Daoist truly was, or whether he could contend with the likes of the Wang family's patriarch—a nearly Foundation Establishment-level cultivator.

Yet deep down, there was a voice that kept reminding him: The Daoist can handle this. Only he can resolve the current crisis facing the family.

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Yun Yanshuang turned to see her elder brother, Yun Yanshui, packing his things as if preparing to head out.

"Hunting!" Yun Yanshui replied with a mischievous grin.

"The sun is nearly setting, and you're going hunting now?"

"That's exactly when the prey is easier to catch," Yun Yanshui said with a chuckle. He adjusted his dark-green war bow, made sure the Golden-Eyed Beast was secure at home, donned a cloak, and left the Yun estate without further explanation.

"Father, aren't you going to stop him? It's so late—what kind of hunting could he possibly be doing?"

"Let him go," Yun Yunshan replied with a faint smile, sipping his tea leisurely.

He understood his son's intentions well. Undoubtedly, the visit from Wang Chongyue earlier that day, with the heavy-handed betrothal proposal, had infuriated him.

If his son was going out to deliver a subtle warning to the Yulin Wang clan, then so be it. Letting off a little steam wasn't a bad thing.

After all, the Wang family would never trace it back to the Yun Cang Yun family.

The night blanketed the land, and the moon hung high.

Its silvery glow illuminated the official road stretching between Yunzhang and Yulin counties.

In a clearing beside the road, Wang Chongyue and his entourage sat around a blazing campfire, feasting and drinking with abandon.@@novelbin@@

"Ha! That old fool Yun Yunyang—his face must've turned green with anger today!"

"And that bunch of wimps in the Yun Cang Yun Clan—they were so angry but didn't dare to utter a single word of protest.

Knowing full well that our Wang family is forcing this marriage, they still didn't dare say a thing. How satisfying! Absolutely satisfying!"

The Wang family guards roared with laughter as they ate and drank, recalling the day's events when they delivered the betrothal proposal.

"Once Young Master Liyuan marries their spirit-root daughter, the Yun Cang Yun Clan will surely suffer a blow to their vitality.

By then, they'll be nothing more than a breeding ground for our Wang family's next prodigy!"

"Exactly! You have to admit, Young Master Liyuan has a sharp eye."

"I noticed Yun Yunyang didn't seem too pleased about it today."

"So what? He can only swallow his grievances. Provoking our Wang family is nothing short of courting death!"

"Young Master Liyuan taking a liking to their daughter and marrying the Yun family's direct descendant is like their ancestral tomb emitting green smoke—a blessing from heaven!

Other families would be falling over themselves to marry off their daughters to our Wang family in hopes of forging an alliance."

"By the way, Brother Chongyue, is it true that the family will give a free shop to the Yun clan after the marriage?" one of the guards asked, glancing at Wang Chongyue, who was quietly poking the fire with a stick.

"Empty words, nothing more! Why take it seriously?" Wang Chongyue sneered.

"Once their daughter is safely married into our Wang family, everything that follows will be at our family's discretion."

"Ha! Brilliant, truly brilliant!"

"Today's betrothal gifts are just the offerings the Yun Cang Yun Clan brought to our family in the past.

And as for the shop, it's nothing but a verbal promise.

In essence, our Wang family is gaining their most prized spirit-root descendant without spending a single coin.

No one can even accuse us of being dishonorable—after all, we did deliver a proper betrothal gift. It can't be called coercion."

"Brother Zhongtian's plan is truly shrewd!" one of the guards said admiringly, giving a thumbs-up to their clan leader's cunning.

"Enough about that," Wang Chongyue said with a smile.

"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, we have a long journey back to the clan to report."

"You too, Brother Chongyue. Take it easy. Today must've been exhausting with all the negotiating over the marriage," one of the guards said with a smile.

Wang Chongyue nodded and began to rise, intending to return to his carriage for the night.

Suddenly, the stillness of the night was broken by the sharp whistling of arrows cutting through the air.

Streams of glowing projectiles streaked through the darkness like a rain of death.

In an instant, the arrows flew past Wang Chongyue with deadly precision, piercing the heads of the Wang family guards gathered around the campfire.

Thwack! Thwack!

Dozens of Wang family soldiers fell into pools of their own blood under the onslaught of the glowing arrows. Their lifeless eyes stared wide in terror and confusion, as though unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"A cultivator…?"

Wang Chongyue snapped out of his shock, fear surging through him as he looked at the fallen bodies of his soldiers. The swift and ruthless attack left no doubt in his mind—it was the work of a cultivator.

As his thoughts scrambled to guess whether the assailant might be from one of the Three Great Clans, a figure cloaked in black suddenly materialized from the shadows, appearing right before him like a ghost.

Before Wang Chongyue could react, the figure's hand shot out and clamped around his neck, lifting him off the ground as effortlessly as if he were a chicken.

A crushing sense of suffocation overwhelmed him, and his face turned a deep purple. He thrashed desperately, but the iron grip on his throat was unyielding—far beyond the strength of any mortal man.

"Who... who are you? Do you not fear my Wang family's retribution for this?" Wang Chongyue croaked, gasping for air, his voice hoarse with both pain and defiance.

"The Wang family... So formidable, are they?"

Yun Yanshui slowly removed the hood of his cloak, allowing the moonlight to illuminate his face.

"You're...!"

Staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar face, Wang Chongyue struggled to place where he had seen him before.

"Today, your Wang family strutted into my Yun estate, shamelessly attempting to force my sister into marriage.

Behind our backs, you ridiculed my uncle, insulted my family, and spat on the honor of my Yun clan."

Yun Yanshui's icy gaze locked onto Wang Chongyue's panic-stricken face as his grip tightened further. His voice was as cold and biting as the chill of midwinter, cutting through to the bone.

"You're... a member of the Yun family? No... no, that can't be! The Yun clan only has two known spirit-root cultivators, Yun Yanshuang and Yun Yantian.

The remaining three, the Wen siblings, are just children under six years old.

You—there's no way you're one of their disciples!"

Wang Chongyue's eyes widened in disbelief.

The Wang family had thoroughly investigated the Yun clan's capabilities, confirming they had only five spirit-root cultivators. The young man standing before him wasn't among them—this had to be some kind of ruse!

As the realization dawned, Wang Chongyue's thoughts drifted to the events of the previous day. He recalled a quiet young man standing silently among the Yun family's elders during the betrothal discussions.

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Slowly, the image of that young man merged with the face of the person strangling him.

Terror surged through Wang Chongyue like a tidal wave. "Yun Yanshui... Yun Yanshuang's elder brother! You're not a mortal? You're a cultivator?

So that's how it is. The Yun family has been hiding their strength all along—they have six spirit-root cultivators, and you've been kept a secret!"

Wang Chongyue's words were met with indifference.

Yun Yanshui didn't bother to explain. Instead, a flicker of dark blue flame ignited in his palm and engulfed Wang Chongyue's body in an instant.

It was the Infernal Soulfire, a unique ability of the Golden-Eyed Beast.

"Ahhh!"

Wang Chongyue let out a blood-curdling scream as the searing flames consumed him. His body disintegrated into ash within moments, and even his soul was obliterated by the soulfire.

With a flick of his wrist, Yun Yanshui released more of the blue flames, casting them onto the corpses of the fallen Wang family soldiers. The bodies were incinerated, leaving behind only smoldering embers and charred earth.

Once his task was complete, Yun Yanshui vanished silently into the shadows of the night.

The Next Morning.

"Master."

Yun Yanshuang arrived early beneath the willow tree, bowing respectfully to the blind Daoist.

"You've heard about the Wang family's betrothal proposal?" the Daoist asked with a faint smile.

"Yes."

Yun Yanshuang nodded, her face clouded with frustration. She had barely slept the previous night, troubled by the news.

"Do you wish to marry?"

The Daoist dropped his usual playful demeanor, his unseeing eyes turning toward her with a seriousness she had never seen before.

"No, I don't. But if I refuse, the Wang family will surely..."

"Enough."

The Daoist raised a hand, cutting her off.

"If my disciple does not wish to marry, then she shall not marry. On this matter, I will make the decision for you."