"Hatred can change a person." Ming Hao drained his glass and squinted. "He lay low abroad for ten years, and on his first day back, he eliminated Huang Xinming…"
"Eliminated Huang Xinming?" Ming Yue gasped. "What happened?"
Ming Hao immediately recounted what Huang Xinming had told him.
Ming Yue was completely stunned after hearing it. "The Ghost Doctor is Ye Xiu's apprentice?"
"Impressive, right?" Ming Hao said with a bitter smile. "It's one thing for a person to be powerful, but to train someone to be just as formidable as yourself, that's what's truly impressive."
Ming Yue's expression finally turned grave. She said in a deep voice, "The Ghost Doctor has an extensive network. With his help, it will be very difficult for us to openly take down Ye Xiu."
"Moreover, Ye Xiu was able to send Huang Tao to the City of Asura. This shows he has amassed a power abroad over the past ten years that should not be underestimated."
"The fact that he dared to return and conspire with the Ghost Doctor to publicly ruin Huang Xinming shows he has also laid groundwork in the country. That's why he acts without fear."
Ming Hao listened quietly to Ming Yue's words before speaking.
"Ye Xiu is a venomous snake that has been lying in wait for ten years. No one knows what kind of insane moves he'll make."
"He could have forced Huang Xinming to clear his name, but he didn't. This shows he no longer cares about his reputation. A man like that is terrifying."
Ming Yue asked, "Did Huang Xinming expose the Ming Family?"
"No," Ming Hao shook his head. "Huang Xinming said he would rather die than disclose the mastermind who framed Ye Xiu back then. That's why Ye Xiu sent Huang Tao to the City of Asura."
This was indeed what Huang Xinming had told Ming Hao. He hadn't told the truth, nor had he revealed that Ye Xiu already had a list of all the masterminds and perpetrators from that year.
Huang Xinming did this to use the secret of the masterminds as leverage, hoping to blackmail the Ming Family into eliminating Ye Xiu quickly to rescue Huang Tao.
However, it was precisely because of his deception and cunning that Ming Hao and Ming Yue completely misjudged the situation.
"Since Huang Xinming hasn't sold us out, Ye Xiu probably doesn't know we were the ones manipulating everything behind the scenes. Perhaps he thinks Huang Xinming acted alone," Ming Yue said.
"We can't afford any wishful thinking!" Ming Hao retorted. "Ye Xiu just got back, so he'll definitely go to pay respects to his mother and maternal grandparents. You should go and sound him out first. After that, we'll formulate a plan to eliminate him."
"Okay!" Ming Yue nodded. "Also, our family wasn't the only one involved back then. We shouldn't have to bear Ye Xiu's wrath alone. We need to get the other families to contribute."
"Don't worry," Ming Hao said with a sinister laugh. "I'll contact the other families. Everyone will chip in to set up a 'Kill Ye Xiu Fund.' We absolutely cannot let him escape like he did ten years ago."
「...」
Ten years ago, when Ye Xiu was being hunted, he was trapped with no escape. He hadn't personally attended to the bodies of his mother and maternal grandparents, nor had he participated in their cremation or the burial of their ashes.
Qin Qing had done all of that.
Qin Qing had thought that when Ye Xiu came to pay respects for the first time, he would kneel before their tombstone and weep uncontrollably. She thought he would speak of his experiences abroad over the last ten years and how much he missed them. She thought he would feel immense guilt for having caused their deaths.
But Qin Qing guessed wrong.
Ye Xiu stood before the tombstone. He didn't kneel or cry; his expression was completely calm.
"Where are the offerings you asked the Ghost Doctor to prepare?"
Qin Qing thought he hadn't knelt and wept because the offerings hadn't arrived yet.
"Look to your right," Ye Xiu said.
Qin Qing turned her head doubtfully. When she saw Ming Yue approaching with a bouquet of flowers, she exclaimed in shock, "You're planning to use a living person as an offering?"
"Are you scared?" Ye Xiu asked.
"She deserves to die!" Qin Qing said coldly.
At that moment, Qin Qing thought that if Ye Xiu didn't make his enemies suffer a thousand cuts, he would be unworthy of being a son. Now, seeing that Ye Xiu planned to use his enemies as offerings to his mother and maternal grandparents, she was deeply gratified!
"Ming Yue isn't the offering. It's not time to kill her yet," Ye Xiu said. "The real offering is someone else. They'll be here soon."
"I don't care who it is. Everyone from that year, from the masterminds to the perpetrators, deserves to die," Qin Qing said.
Ye Xiu caressed Qin Qing's face. "Don't worry. Once I've had my fun, I'll let you watch them die by my blade with your own eyes."
Qin Qing nodded, reassured by his words.
"Qin Qing?"
At that moment, Ming Yue walked over, acting surprised to see her. "Why are you here?"
Ye Xiu and Qin Qing smirked inwardly. Ming Yue's acting was truly masterful.
Qin Qing said, "I'm here to pay my respects to my mother-in-law and her parents. But what are you doing here?"
"Your love for Ye Xiu hasn't changed at all over time," Ming Yue sighed. "I'm also here to pay respects to Ye Xiu's mother and maternal grandparents. Since Ye Xiu isn't here, as his friend, it's only right for me to pay tribute for him. I've been coming here often over the years!"
Ye Xiu and Qin Qing were speechless. It was rare to encounter someone so utterly shameless.
"And this is?" Ming Yue asked, pretending she had just noticed Ye Xiu and didn't recognize him.
In truth, if she hadn't already known he was back, she really wouldn't have recognized him, given how drastically he had changed over the past ten years.
"Take a good look at his face. Are you sure you don't recognize him?" Qin Qing asked.
Ming Yue feigned curiosity and walked up to Ye Xiu, staring at his face with a puzzled expression. After a long moment, she gasped, "Ye Xiu? You're Ye Xiu?"
Her acting was Oscar-worthy.
"It's me." Ye Xiu nodded, his eyes lecherously scanning Ming Yue's delicate face as he teased, "Ten years, and you've only gotten more beautiful."
With that, he slapped her on the rear.
"AH!"
Ming Yue shrieked, utterly unprepared for the dramatic change in Ye Xiu's personality. The man who was once as timid as a lamb had now become such a scoundrel. He dared to act like such a hooligan in front of his own mother's and maternal grandparents' graves.
But now, Ming Yue was almost certain. Ye Xiu had no idea that the Ming Family was one of the main conspirators back then.
So, she blushed and reproached flirtatiously, "You're so naughty, Brother Ye. And Qin Qing is right here."
"I don't mind," Qin Qing said, desperately holding back her laughter. She knew Ye Xiu was deliberately trying to disgust Ming Yue.
"You mean, if Qin Qing wasn't here, we could..." Ye Xiu said with a suggestive wink.
Ming Yue was at a loss for words. How had the innocent young man from the past turned into this? It was like he had a completely different personality now.
She adopted a serious tone. "Stop joking. It's disrespectful to the deceased."
"Alright!" Ye Xiu shrugged. "Since you're here, you should kowtow three times to my mom and maternal grandparents. They would surely be pleased to know I have such a good friend as you."
She had only been making a polite gesture by saying she came to pay respects. She couldn't believe Ye Xiu had taken her seriously and was even demanding she kowtow. However, now that she'd said it, she found it difficult to refuse.