"You... you... how are you here?" Ye Jingyu was almost petrified, for standing before him was none other than Qin Yuting, the Qin Yuting who had once been secretly sent away by Luo Ruofeng—the daughter of Qin Yan... Qin Yuting...

One could say that no matter where she appeared, Ye Jingyu wouldn't be surprised, but for her to be here, in the Gu Hua Continent, a place where ordinary people couldn't possibly arrive? Unless... unless she had some connection to the people here!

"Heh heh, it seems Brother Ye and Miss Yuting indeed know each other. However, Brother Ye, Miss Yuting has another identity here. She is the young mistress of the Feng family patriarch, Feng Yan. Brother Ye must know of the Feng family, right?" Fang Zhuguo said with a smile from the side.

Know? How could Ye Jingyu not know? Having accepted Fang Jiuyou's memories, he was acutely aware that the Feng family was one of the Nine Great Families of the Gu Hua Continent. But how was Qin Yuting connected to the Feng family?

Seeing the confusion filling Ye Jingyu’s eyes, Fang Zhuguo smiled, but these questions were not easy for him to answer. Meanwhile, Qin Yuting’s eyes were entirely fixed on Ye Jingyu, filled with a complex mixture of expressions: love, hatred, longing, anticipation, and a faint trace of worry...

Naturally, she was in no mood to address the doubts churning in Ye Jingyu’s heart...

"Because Qin Yan is merely my clone. Since you accepted Fang Jiuyou's memories, you should know what a clone is, right?" Just then, a low voice drifted from behind Qin Yuting, resolving the confusion in Ye Jingyu's mind...

A clone? Qin Yan was just a clone? Could it be that he was the clone of the Feng Family Patriarch? Then, genetically speaking, Qin Yuting could be considered his daughter too. It was unimaginable—so many years had passed, and cloning had truly become reality...

His gaze swept past Qin Yuting’s form and landed on the man who had spoken. The face was strikingly similar to Qin Yan’s, yet unlike Qin Yan, there was no gloominess etched there. Instead, a faint smile played on his lips—a gentle, warm smile. Even if this man were the mortal enemy who killed his father, seeing that smile made it impossible to harbor hatred...

He wore a simple, cyan-colored long robe. It lacked the opulence of a great family head or the solemnity of a patriarch; it was incredibly plain. The overall impression he gave was that of an elegant, refined scholar detached from the mundane world. It was difficult to feel aversion toward such a figure. Even though this face belonged to one of the people Ye Jingyu had once most despised, upon seeing him now, Ye Jingyu could not muster a trace of hatred...

Of course, this might also be linked to the fact that the real Qin Yan was already dead, and the personal grievance had dissipated...

"Feng Family Patriarch, Feng Yan..." Fang Zhuguo added with another slight smile as he introduced him to Ye Jingyu...

"Heh heh, I truly didn't expect to have such luck as to be granted an audience with the Feng Family Patriarch. May I ask why Mr. Feng has come this time? To snatch treasures?" Ye Jingyu sneered, his lips curling coldly. Since he was the Feng Family Patriarch, he must have been involved that day, only to be interrupted by Xuanyuan Jue’s single sword strike...

The moment Feng Yan appeared, every nerve in Ye Jingyu’s body tensed. He was confident he could leave Feng Zhuguo’s encirclement calmly, but he had no confidence he could escape someone of Feng Yan’s caliber...

"Heh heh, perhaps there were some misunderstandings between us before. But now that I am here, I believe we should be friends. You are an intelligent young man, full of potential. I enjoy making friends with promising youth!" Feeling the wariness in Ye Jingyu’s eyes, Feng Yan smiled faintly...

"Heh heh, Brother Ye, there is no need for vigilance. We have all considered this. Rather than possessing a dead object that might never be used in a lifetime, it is better to have a promising ally like you. Mr. Feng and I have always cooperated. A large part of the strength I possess today is thanks to Mr. Feng. He is a very benevolent elder!" A faint smile appeared on Fang Zhuguo’s typically grim face. Ye Jingyu could tell it was a genuine smile radiating from within...

It seemed that in his eyes, he truly regarded Feng Yan as an elder...

Although Ye Jingyu couldn't fathom how a dignified family patriarch could possess such common human affection, regardless, the fact that the son of his adversary could develop such dependence on him made Ye Jingyu admire his character...

A person like this was either an utterly wicked schemer or truly possessed some commendable qualities. Looking at Qin Yuting’s expression, she didn’t seem to harbor much revulsion towards this man who was not her father, which involuntarily instilled a degree of trust in Ye Jingyu towards him...

"Certainly, my clone might have had some grudges with you, but for the sake of the plan, all his consciousness was independent. He was killed by you, so I propose we consider all past grievances settled. What do you think?" Feng Yan spoke with a smile, his tone exceedingly cordial, much like an elder admitting fault to a child...

Looking at Feng Yan's (kind/intimate) demeanor and then at Qin Yuting’s face, delicate as a pear blossom, Ye Jingyu sighed heavily in his heart...

"That is correct. He is your clone, and he possessed independent consciousness. His actions, logically, have nothing to do with you. But if it weren't for your plan, he would never have gone to the Dou Hun Continent. If he hadn't gone there, my clansmen would not have died tragically. Even though he is dead, you—the one who caused all this cause and effect—stand here unharmed, telling me everything is wiped clean. Do you think that is possible?" Ye Jingyu took a deep breath and spoke loudly...

Originally, both Feng Yan and Fang Zhuguo assumed Ye Jingyu would agree to their terms. After all, for him at this moment, having the powerful aid of Feng Yan was far better than fighting alone. Especially under these circumstances, if he refused, would he not risk Feng Yan flying into a rage and silencing him?

"That’s right, regardless, I caused all of this. But this time, I have come with genuine sincerity. Young friend, if you feel any dissatisfaction, just state it directly. Whatever it is, I will satisfy it!" Feng Yan, however, was utterly unconcerned by Ye Jingyu’s attitude and spoke with deep sincerity...

"Really?" Ye Jingyu raised an eyebrow...

"Really!" Feng Yan nodded heavily. He understood clearly that Ye Jingyu possessed the Starlight Body and carried a super artifact capable of shattering the Fang Tian Pagoda. This meant limitless potential. If he could resolve their enmity and win him over, no price would be too high to pay...

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