Chapter 198: Chapter 17: Ye Family Elders’ Meeting
"What did you say?"
Madam Ye’s expression changed. Fury surged across her dignified and beautiful face as she stared at the newcomer and snapped.
Fang Cheng and Ye Yan also put down their teacups, looking curiously at the Ye Family Elder.
The man gave a bitter smile. "It’s the absolute truth. I’ve already been to the Ye Family’s ancestral hall to see for myself. Yu Shuang’s Soul Lamp... has indeed been extinguished."
Ye Yushuang was an important figure in Madam Ye’s branch of the family. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been sent by Madam Ye to oversee the newly discovered Spirit Stone Mine on the Demon Beast Wilderness Island.
Madam Ye was silent for a moment before she slowly said, "It seems someone has their eyes on that Spirit Stone Mine. There aren’t many powers in the Abyssal Marsh who would dare to offend the Ye Family like this. Go and investigate first, then report back."
The man bowed his head. "Yes, Elder. I’ll go at once."
Madam Ye instructed, "Don’t put yourself in danger. Just find out who did it. In any case, the Spirit Stone Mine is right there; it’s not going anywhere."
The man accepted his orders and departed.
Seeing her mother’s foul mood, Ye Yan asked, "Mother, is there a problem with the Spirit Stone Mine that was discovered recently?"
Madam Ye nodded.
That Spirit Stone Mine had been discovered by a Disciple from her branch of the Ye Family, making it a pleasant surprise.
Although all future profits from the entire Spiritual Ore deposit were to go to the Ye Family, how could there be no benefits for Madam Ye’s people, who were stationed there to manage it?
For her branch of the family, it was undoubtedly a significant bargaining chip that would elevate her influence within the Ye Family to a new level.
However, today, something had gone wrong.
Ye Yan comforted her, "Mother, please don’t be angry. Since it has already happened, we must remain calm and not fall into someone else’s trap."
Madam Ye nodded lightly. "Yu Shuang was with me for many years. To think she’s gone because of this... It’s truly detestable. If I can’t avenge her, I won’t be able to live with myself."
Fang Cheng drank his tea in silence, not interjecting.
Finally, Madam Ye glanced at Fang Cheng and said, "I plan to propose a meeting of the Clan Elders Council in the coming days. If you two have nothing else to do, you might as well come and observe."
Ye Yan reached out and took Fang Cheng’s hand. She looked at him with her beautiful eyes and said softly, "Husband, how about you stay with me on Cangwu Mountain for a few more days?"
How could Fang Cheng not guess Madam Ye’s intentions? He knew she wanted to borrow his current reputation to support her and boost her standing at the Ye Family Elders’ Meeting. He replied gently to Ye Yan, "If you’re not on Demon Lion Peak, it’ll be quite lonely for me when I go back."
Ye Yan smiled sweetly, the joy and happiness on her beautiful, delicate face plain to see.
Having been silently fed a dose of public affection, Madam Ye couldn’t help but clear her throat. "Yan’Er, you two should head back to Cyan Demon Cliff for now. I still have matters to attend to."
Ye Yan nodded obediently, then took Fang Cheng’s hand and they took their leave.
Not long after, Madam Ye also flew off Star-picking Platform, heading toward a certain direction on Xiaocang Island.
...
After returning to Cyan Demon Cliff, Fang Cheng and Ye Yan soon put the matter of Ye Yushuang behind them.
Fang Cheng held nothing back, imparting the entirety of the *Supreme Yin Yang Xuanyuan Treasure Scripture* to Ye Yan.
Among all his women, only Ye Yan had received this honor.
Whether it was the Yin Yang Harmony Technique for enhancing their intimacy, or the life-saving Xuanyuan Illusion Body Technique and Yin Yang Heaven Escape Technique, all of them were of extraordinary value to Ye Yan.
A Life Talisman grants a lifespan of three hundred years, while a Life Soul grants nine hundred.
Among his many Female Cultivators, it seemed that only Wen Qianqian, Ye Yan, and Feng Ling would be able to accompany Fang Cheng to the very end.
Of course, whether Ye Yan and Feng Ling could break through to the Life Soul Realm was still an unknown.
It could only be said that their chances were far, far greater than those of other Life Talisman Cultivators.
The couple spent three idle days at the Cyan Demon Cliff Jade Tower before receiving a message from Madam Ye.
Hand in hand, the two of them went to Star-picking Platform and met Madam Ye.
Today, Madam Ye was dressed in a magnificent palace gown, with ribbons trailing from her arms and long sleeves that swept the floor. She wore a dangling hairpin and jade earrings. Her aura was one of graceful nobility, and beneath her beauty lay a commanding presence.
She had a full, voluptuous figure and a tall stature. Dressed this way, she was the very picture of elegance. The plum blossom mark on her forehead, in particular, added to her refined air.
When she saw the two of them approach, she smiled faintly and said, "Let’s go."
With that, she led her daughter and son-in-law in flight toward the center of Xiaocang Island.
Xiaocang Island was covered with mountains, but the family’s highest seat of power—the meeting place for the Clan Elders Council—was situated atop a seemingly ordinary mountain in the center of the island.
It was said that this was the place where the Ye Family’s ancestor achieved enlightenment, and that the family’s fortunes had risen from here. Thus, for generations, the Ye Family had established this as the meeting place for the Clan Elders Council.
At the peak of the small mountain stood a majestic, three-story circular hall with double eaves, standing proud and magnificent.
This was Fang Cheng’s first time here. He saw that the hall was built with a gilded roof, blue tiles, and red pillars. It was splendidly brilliant, grand, and imposing—an utterly magnificent sight.
A massive plaque hung above the hall’s entrance, inscribed with the name "Cangshan Hall." The characters were written with sharp, piercing strokes that radiated a chilling Sword Intent.
From the calligraphy, Fang Cheng knew that the Sword Technique of the person who wrote them was astonishingly high, absolutely no less than his own.
The three of them landed their Escape Lights before the hall and walked inside.
Inside, a circle of magnificent chairs was arranged in the center of the hall, each one spaced three feet apart.
The chair at the head of the circle was gilded and inlaid with jade, making it stand out, while all the other chairs were identical.
Over a dozen men and women were already gathered in the hall, chatting and laughing in small groups.
They all exuded the aura of Life Talisman Cultivators, each one dressed in fine robes with an extraordinary bearing.
When they saw Madam Ye enter, everyone came forward to greet her and exchange a few pleasantries.
They were especially curious to see that Madam Ye had brought Fang Cheng and Ye Yan with her this time.
This was particularly true for Fang Cheng. As a True Disciple and the personal Disciple of the Demon Lion Peak Master, in many people’s eyes, he represented far more than just being Madam Ye’s son-in-law.
