"What secret?" Yun Fan asked curiously.
He looked at Yun Fan and said, "You'll be interested!"
"This secret is about the hidden details of your mother's assassination!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan knew what he had to do. So, he said, "Whether I can agree to you is the Heavenly Emperor's matter. I am only responsible for telling him and seeing if he will grant your wish."
"I know. He will definitely grant me my wish!" Zhan Qingcang said to Yun Fan, "Your mother was indeed assassinated by people sent by the Left Alliance Leader back then, but her strength was immense, even stronger than Ye Ji's now!"
"What?" Yun Fan was stunned. He had always thought his mother was just beautiful, as the title of the most beautiful woman in the world was not for nothing. He never expected her strength to be so formidable, far exceeding his imagination.
"So, did the Left Alliance Leader personally make a move?" Yun Fan pressed.
"It wasn't him, but two people he sent!" Zhan Qingcang said, "Since I wasn't a core member, I don't know many hidden details, but I do know who the two assassins were!"
"Who?"
"One was the current Sect Master of the Sword Sect, and the other was someone from the Shui family, but there are various opinions as to who exactly." He said to Yun Fan, "However, back then, your mother's strength was superior to these two, so even if they joined forces, they might not have succeeded!"
Yun Fan frowned upon hearing this.
"That's right, you guessed correctly. The most straightforward explanation is that the person from the Shui family among the two must have been related to your mother, and perhaps she let her guard down!" At this moment, Yun Fan's heart burned with anger. He would avenge this hatred himself. But he couldn't help but ask, "Was the Left Alliance Leader truly such a narrow-minded person?"
Zhan Qingcang chuckled. "If he weren't narrow-minded, the two Alliance Leaders wouldn't have been so utterly defeated by the Old Heavenly Master of Guigu!" "Let me tell you, the hidden sects, though seemingly superior, were incredibly vile and treacherous before they were driven out of the secular world!"
"Did that include you?" Yun Fan asked him.
Zhan Qingcang smiled weakly. "If I had their strength and status, perhaps I would be that kind of person. But for a second-rate family like mine, even if we wanted to be vile, we wouldn't have the ability or power. Do you understand?"
Yun Fan nodded. "That's why the Old Heavenly Master of Guigu had to intervene personally. Otherwise, if Guigu had remained low-key for a hundred years, its emergence would have marked the doom of the hidden sects!"
Yun Fan then asked him, "Why didn't my master deal with them all at once back then?" This had always troubled Yun Fan. After all, with his master's power, even though the hidden sects were numerous, he could have wiped them out in one go.
Zhan Qingcang said, "It wasn't as simple as you imagine. Do you think Guigu and the hidden sects were the strongest? No, don't forget about those ancient families with thousands of years of history!" He didn't explain further, but Yun Fan understood.
At this moment, he gathered his remaining strength and looked in the direction of Jinling. "Rong'er, I'm coming. This time, we will be together for eternity!" With that, he closed his eyes peacefully, as if he had been waiting for this day for a very long time.
At this time, Yun Fan made a phone call, asking someone to come and handle the situation, and then he left. However, on the way back, Yun Fan's heart suddenly jolted as a powerful killing intent locked onto him.
"Clang!"
The collision of two swords was like a flash of lightning. Yun Fan looked coldly at the approaching figure. Indeed, it was Jason, the King of Assassins. Then, both of them simultaneously retracted their swords, retreating several steps.
"He wasn't wrong. You truly are a genuine peak Xiantian expert!" Jason said playfully, looking at Yun Fan.
Yun Fan's heart remained calm. "Who are you?"
"The King of Assassins!"
"Why are you trying to assassinate me?" Yun Fan looked at him coldly. These world-renowned powerhouses rarely set foot in China, as China was their forbidden ground. The fact that Jason had suddenly intruded into China to assassinate him likely meant someone had paid a hefty sum.
"A killer's rule is that they never reveal the employer to the target!" he said to Yun Fan. "Perhaps I'll tell you after you're dead!" With that, he attacked Yun Fan again. He was an assassin, so every move he made was deadly. A slight mistake could lead to instant death.
At this moment, Yun Fan raised his Han Guang to passively defend against his killing moves. Why passive? Because he was in a state of extreme weakness. To call his current state active would be a stretch; he could only passively defend.
Jason said grimly, "Give up resisting! All your efforts are futile in my presence!"
"Hmph!" Yun Fan snorted coldly. "If I were at my peak, killing you wouldn't be difficult!" Although Jason was also at peak Xiantian, Yun Fan could tell that his strength was not as great as his own at full power. Unfortunately, he only had a third of his strength left, making him feel somewhat powerless.
"As the King of Assassins, I often strike when my target is at their weakest!" Jason's bizarre moves struck at Yun Fan again. Exhausted from expending so much energy, Yun Fan was wounded by his sword.
At this moment, Yun Fan did not choose to escape. He knew that escaping now would be futile. Therefore, he could only fight to the death. Moreover, he had prepared to use a forbidden technique. However, at this very moment, two leaves flew past, narrowly missing Jason. Jason was startled and quickly retreated, looking warily at the newcomers. The newcomers were Ye Ji and Zhao Lingyue.
"Yun Fan, are you alright?" Zhao Lingyue quickly supported Yun Fan.
"I'm mostly fine!" Yun Fan replied. At this moment, Ye Ji said coldly to Jason, "A mere white dog dares to run rampant in my China!" With that, she attacked Jason directly.
Jason felt Ye Ji's immense power. Even he, a cold-blooded assassin, had no courage to resist her. So, he turned and fled. Someone had told him before that no matter how high the price, he should never accept assassination missions targeting Chinese individuals. At the time, he didn't believe China was that formidable, so he dismissed it. This time, entering China, he wanted to elevate his fame to its peak. He never expected that before even successfully assassinating his target, an even more powerful expert would appear. This time, he believed his friend's words without reservation. China would always be their forbidden ground.
Unfortunately, Ye Ji was faster. Before he could escape the scene, she had already reached him. "Die!" With nowhere left to run, Jason immediately attacked Ye Ji. But at this moment, Ye Ji suddenly struck out with a palm. Before Jason could even reach her, he was shattered by her palm. The King of Assassins met his end just like that, and a rather tragic one at that.
At this moment, Ye Ji retracted her hand. But at this very instant, she felt a wave of dizziness, almost collapsing. "Is my injury acting up prematurely?" Ye Ji murmured to herself. It seemed it had finally reached an uncontrollable stage.
"Sister, are you alright?" Yun Fan, who was not far away, asked with concern upon seeing Ye Ji frozen in place.
Ye Ji quickly replied, "I'm fine, it's all handled!" Yun Fan didn't probe further. Although he had sensed something unusual, he wasn't sure. In the past, Ye Ji's appearances were always accompanied by her teasing him. But this time, Ye Ji hadn't, not even with words. Instead, there was a sense of tension and mystery. However, the current situation didn't allow him to dwell on it. He needed to recover from his injuries and consolidate his understanding of the unity of man and sword.
...
Two days later, Yun Fan found the Heavenly Emperor and conveyed Zhan Qingcang's request. The Heavenly Emperor agreed without hesitation. After all, his daughter was safe, and this potential son-in-law was also fine. For him, it was a happy outcome, and Zhan Qingcang's request was insignificant. He had never favored Ronghua, so he had no psychological burden. He was not a vindictive person, or he wouldn't have reached his current position. Since the outcome was already a happy one, those minor matters could be completely disregarded.
Then, he said to Yun Fan, "For such a small matter, you didn't need to come to me in person; a phone call would have sufficed."
"Well, I have another matter I need your help with." Yun Fan smiled awkwardly.
"What is it?" the Heavenly Emperor asked curiously. He didn't expect Yun Fan to need his help. If Yun Fan had asked to marry his daughter, he would have agreed immediately. After all, he could see that his daughter was very fond of Yun Fan, even if she was still somewhat resistant towards him, her father.
"I need your intelligence team to investigate who hired Jason to assassinate me!" Yun Fan stated his purpose.
The Heavenly Emperor was immediately disappointed. So, Yun Fan wasn't asking for his daughter's hand. He was speechless. Did this kid truly have the potential to be a scumbag? So, he said to Yun Fan, "Don't worry, I'm already investigating. I want to see which ignorant fool dares to violate China's forbidden zone!"
Mentioning this matter made the Heavenly Emperor furious. He realized that in the recent series of incidents, from Commander Yu to Zhan Qingcang, it seemed as though he, the Heavenly Emperor, was merely a figurehead, of little use. This had cost him a lot of face. Therefore, the day after Jason's death, he had ordered an investigation, but the results were not ideal, as they had found no leads so far.
Then, he asked Yun Fan, "Do you have anyone in mind?"
"Not yet."
Afterward, they chatted for a long time. Yun Fan felt tired, so he bade farewell to the Heavenly Emperor and returned home. However, upon returning home, he found that Ye Qingcheng had also arrived. This made Yun Fan quite exasperated. He thought, "If you're going into seclusion, just stay in seclusion. Why do you keep coming to my place every few days? Could it be that she's taken a liking to a mere acquaintance?"
Then, he asked Ye Qingcheng irritably, "Miss Ye, what are you doing here? Are you missing me?"
"Can't I visit if I have nothing to do?" Ye Qingcheng said, "I've come this time for something important."
"Important?" Ye Qingcheng nodded. "Yes, it's important. Whether you agree or not is up to you."
"Just say it!" Yun Fan was a little exasperated. When did Ye Qingcheng become so hesitant?
Ye Qingcheng said, "I have some bad news for you. My mother's injuries have flared up, and she may not last much longer."
"What?" Yun Fan was stunned. After all, Ye Ji had told him earlier that she could last for another month. How could only a few days have passed? Therefore, at this moment, Yun Fan knew what Ye Qingcheng was implying.
"Although I dislike her for casually ruining my happiness for her own selfish gain, and I've always resisted her!" "But seeing her critically ill, I can't bear to watch her suffer. That's why I've come to find you!" Ye Qingcheng said solemnly. "After all, only you can save her now!"
Yun Fan felt a mixture of emotions in his heart, unsure of what to say.
"Do you think I should help?" he asked Ye Qingcheng.
"Although I don't want you to help, I also don't want her to die like this. In fact, you already have the answer in your heart, don't you?" she asked Yun Fan.
Yun Fan nodded in response. That's right, he already had the answer in his heart. He would definitely help, but he couldn't shake off the lingering resentment. At this moment, Ye Qingcheng said, "Since you've already made up your mind, why are you asking me? It's redundant!"
Yun Fan said, "Enough. The situation is critical. Lead the way!" In fact, Zhao Lingyue hadn't returned yet, and it was a perfect opportunity to leave. If Zhao Lingyue returned, there was no way she wouldn't stop him. Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Lingyue came down from upstairs. It was obvious she had heard their entire conversation.
"You..." Yun Fan was about to accuse Zhao Lingyue of not fighting fair when Zhao Lingyue said, "I'm the same as her. Although I don't want to support you, you have to go." Because during this time, she had already heard about Yun Fan and Ye Ji's affairs. Let alone their hidden intentions, it was impossible for there to be no ambiguity between them. Even if there was no affection, there was still a debt of gratitude to repay, right? So, she was quite open-minded about this. As long as she kept her sister in the dark, it should be fine.
Yun Fan smiled upon hearing this. Although the two women seemed unreasonable, in reality, they were very clear-headed. So, he turned and left. It was already an hour later when Yun Fan arrived at the back mountain of the Ye family. Ye Ji was currently in the hot spring. Even though the water temperature was high, she was still shivering from the cold. Seeing this scene, Yun Fan's heart ached. It seemed that if he hadn't come, Ye Ji might not have lasted for two more days. Ye Ji's condition was too poor right now.
"You leave!" When Ye Ji saw Yun Fan arrive, she quickly turned away, not wanting to see Yun Fan, or rather, she didn't want Yun Fan to see her in such a distressed state.
"Then I'll really leave!"
"Come back!" Ye Ji was no longer the charming and beautiful woman she usually was, but rather a delicate and somewhat willful little girl. At this moment, she asked Yun Fan, "How did you know?"
"She told me!" Hearing this, Ye Ji understood what had happened. Even she hadn't expected that this would be an opportunity for Ye Qingcheng to replace her. She hadn't expected that at this critical moment, Ye Qingcheng would choose to actively help her; it was truly unexpected. At this moment, she asked Yun Fan, "What is your attitude?"
"Even if she hadn't told me, I would still help you!" Yun Fan said directly. The reason he hadn't actively helped before was simply that he wanted some buffer time. But now the situation was urgent, so he couldn't afford to think too much about it. Ye Ji then asked again, "Are you purely wanting to help?"