This person was none other than Qin Yan's daughter, Qin Yuting, the girl who had once been so willful and petulant that she’d wanted him dead merely for a few mocking words... Yet, the current her was stripped of that former arrogance and vivacity. She was still clad in a flowing, pale cyan gown, appearing elegantly detached.

Her raven hair cascaded down her back, but her pear-blossom face was etched with exhaustion, like one who had endured countless tribulations... From the moment she entered, her gaze had been fixed solely upon him. There was no hatred there, no anger, only profound longing and endless worry.

Was this truly the Qin Yuting he once knew? Ye Jingyu felt a deep confusion in his heart. Any person seeing such a woman would be moved to pity; she bore no resemblance to the Qin Yuting he had imagined...

Little did he know the immense devastation the events at White Cloud Villa had inflicted upon her. The realization that her own father was a traitor to the Villa cut her to the quick. And then, discovering that Qin Yunxiao was her biological elder brother—that staggering shift nearly shattered her composure...

It could be said that Qin Yuting had never encountered such upheaval in her life. Though wild and sometimes unreasonable, she had always held the image of a chivalrous heroine in her heart, firmly believing her sect and her father were paragons of honor. Who could have foreseen such a downfall...

The ruin of the home she had known since childhood, the deaths of the elders who had cared for her—and the primary culprit was her own father. This left her with no right even to seek revenge... In these recent days, she had moved like a walking corpse, only the hated countenance flashing occasionally in her mind...

Especially that memory from the Heavenly Dipper Mountain Range, facing the Sky Luan White Ape: his selfless rescue of her. That embrace—it hadn't seemed like much then, but as time dragged on, she came to see it as the warmest, the most sincere embrace in the world. It seemed he was the only one in this world who would never deceive her...

Emotions are the most marvelous things, capable of completely altering one’s view of another because of a single event. And when the person you hold in your heart is not by your side, the longing only intensifies... Initially, Qin Yuting thought of Ye Jingyu only occasionally.

But as loneliness deepened, as the rift with her father grew, and as isolation settled in her heart, her yearning for him became stronger. Especially recalling the slight impropriety he had shown her that day, Ye Jingyu had, without her realizing it, left an indelible mark upon her spirit... When she heard that her father intended for her elder brother to strike down Ye Jingyu (For full novel reading, visit .1.(1.m.

literature network), a wave of anxiety washed over her. But now, despite her esteemed position as the daughter of the Marquis of White Cloud, she couldn't even leave the Marquis's manor without her father's permission; informing Ye Jingyu was utterly impossible... Towards Qin Yunxiao, she was filled with conflicting emotions.

He had once been the idol she revered most, the man she dreamed of. But knowing he was her full brother, and seeing how completely he yielded to her father's enticements, a faint disgust had begun to surface for him... Though subtle, it was undeniably present, a fact she found incredible herself...

Now, her elder brother was about to duel Ye Jingyu. Knowing the terrifying power her brother possessed, she truly didn't know what she could do... Although she hadn't personally attended the matches these past few days, she knew Ye Jingyu's advance to the semi-finals was almost entirely due to luck.

Aside from his decent archery skills, his martial techniques were mediocre—how could he possibly stand against her brother? Gazing at Ye Jingyu's boyish face, the face she had once despised and later deeply missed, the worry in her eyes intensified... Watching Qin Yuting's deeply anxious gaze, Ye Jingyu suddenly felt a string within him snap.

An unfamiliar sensation arose, different from the affection he felt for Luo Ling'er, the kinship for Jiu Feng, or the desire for Hu Yanmeng. This feeling was tinged with a bittersweet ache, a sense of helplessness, and most of all, a profound mystery... "Your subordinate greets the Young Master..." At this moment, Xiao Geng's voice drew both Ye Jingyu and Qin Yuting back to reality...

"Heh heh, General Xiao is too polite..." Young Master Luo Haitian also smiled broadly. He could ignore almost anyone, but he absolutely could not slight this young general before him... "I have long admired General Xiao's reputation; it is a pleasure to meet you today..." Qin Yunxiao immediately stepped forward with a welcoming smile.

Though the son of a Marquis, he held no title. Even if Qin Yan himself were present, he would have to greet Xiao Geng respectfully first. After all, the latter commanded military authority as a Martial Earl, while Qin Yunxiao was merely a leisure Marquis devoid of power—how could they compare...

"Young Master, this way please..." Xiao Geng abruptly interrupted Qin Yunxiao, not even glancing his way, merely gesturing a polite invitation toward Luo Haitian... Qin Yunxiao's expression immediately darkened. To be so openly slighted by Xiao Geng in front of so many people—even with the latent patience inherited from Qin Yan, he couldn't suppress his temper.

Just as he was about to flare up, Luo Haitian gently patted his arm, calming the rage within Qin Yunxiao. His face instantly resumed its veneer of fawning smiles... As for Qin Yuting, she followed quietly behind the two men to another set of seats.

Luo Ruofeng also rose to pay his respects to his elder brother... Although both held the title of Young Master, there was a clear hierarchy... What was meant to happen was unfolding, and what shouldn't have mattered was now irrelevant.

Xiao Geng dispensed with pleasantries. Despite his disdain for both Ye Jingyu and Qin Yunxiao, he performed his duty as chief examiner... "It is nearly noon.

Gentlemen, please proceed..." Xiao Geng delivered the instruction from his seat in a chillingly indifferent tone... Ye Jingyu and Qin Yunxiao exchanged a glance, then flashed towards the arena simultaneously... "Brother Jing, be careful..." Seeing Ye Jingyu leap onto the stage, Luo Ling'er, beside the Third Young Master, immediately cried out...

Ye Jingyu paused, looked back at Luo Ling'er, and gazed into her wide eyes. A wave of sweetness washed over him, and he nodded slightly... This exchange did not escape Xiao Geng’s notice.

A flicker of surprise crossed his usually cold face, and following that surprise, a fierce intent to kill ignited in his eyes... Not far away, Qin Yuting opened her mouth, seeming to want to speak, but no words escaped her lips... "Junior Brother, we meet again..." On the stage, Qin Yunxiao displayed a faint smile, all traces of his earlier anger toward Xiao Geng vanished without a trace...

"Yes, and this will be our last meeting, Senior Brother Qin Yunxiao..." The last few words nearly exploded from Ye Jingyu’s mouth... "Heh heh, it seems you have accepted death. In that case, as your Senior Brother, I shall ensure your end is swift and painless..." Hearing Ye Jingyu’s words, Qin Yunxiao chuckled lightly, his eyes brimming with disdain...

"Of course, I certainly won't feel pain when you die," Ye Jingyu countered coldly... "Heh heh, Junior Brother is quite witty. Do you truly believe you can slay me?" Qin Yunxiao smiled faintly, his gaze still filled with scorn.

He was the senior disciple of the White Cloud Villa, the most outstanding genius among the younger generation. Even established experts like Bie Li and Yue Youqun were no match for him. He commanded the respect of his peers, let alone a fellow who had studied martial arts for less than a year?

Though aware Ye Jingyu was not simple, Qin Yunxiao was utterly convinced that killing him would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken... "What do you think?" Ye Jingyu sneered, his figure suddenly vanishing from where he stood. He reappeared instantly before Qin Yunxiao, a piece of pitch-black, broken iron now in his hand.

It whistled through the air as he brought it down with brutal force toward Qin Yunxiao—it was the Absolute Saber Breaking the Void from the technique Thundering Splitting Slash... Its speed was incomprehensibly swift... Qin Yunxiao's smiling face instantly changed.

Before he could recover, the blade was upon him. Although the weapon looked battered, he did not believe his skull could withstand the force of that strike... He retreated rapidly, circulating his innate True Qi throughout his body.

In the blink of an eye, an invisible shield of Qi formed before him. Ye Jingyu’s strike crashed directly onto this seemingly solid barrier... But what shocked Qin Yunxiao even more was that the Qi shield offered no resistance; it didn't even visibly crack, yet it utterly failed to stop Ye Jingyu's seemingly simple blow...

Fortunately, he had already retreated, and a long sword had appeared in his hand from who knows where. He instantly blocked Ye Jingyu’s path, executing a slight sword flourish to intercept the terrifyingly fast strike... However, the immense force transmitted from Ye Jingyu caused his body to stumble backward dozens of steps...

"Good, good, good... I did not expect that after these days apart, Junior Brother's cultivation has reached such a level. It seems that as your senior brother, I must exert myself somewhat to do you justice..." Having narrowly avoided Ye Jingyu’s fatal blow, Qin Yunxiao spoke three words of approval.

Immediately, his aura shifted, and a terrifying pressure radiated from his body...