The encounter with Evangeline de Winter left a bitter taste in Ye Xia's mouth. She threw herself into her cultivation with renewed ferocity, the system-generated Kai burning through her meridians as she pushed herself to the absolute limit. She needed to be stronger, faster, untouchable.
A few days later, a formal invitation arrived, not from Yun Ming, but from Yun Zhi, the Patriarch himself. It requested her presence at the family's city residence for a "family discussion." The tone was neutral, but the summons was undeniable.
The residence was less opulent than the Singapore compound but radiated a similar aura of ancient power. Ye Xia was led to a study where Yun Zhi sat, looking frail but sharp-eyed. Standing beside him was Yun Zhong, his face a thundercloud of suppressed fury. And seated in a wheelchair by the window was Yun Ming, a blanket over his lap, a faint, knowing smile on his lips.
"Granddaughter," Yun Zhi began, using the familial term for the first time. "Your handling of the Jin situation was... effective. It has given us breathing room."
Yun Zhong snorted. "It was reckless! It will only provoke the Leng further!"
"Quiet, Zhong," the Patriarch said, his voice soft but firm. He turned back to Ye Xia. "Your uncle," he gestured to Yun Ming, "has spoken highly of your potential. He believes you wish for an alliance, not subjugation."
"I do," Ye Xia said, her voice clear. "I want my freedom, and the Yun name to secure it. In return, I offer my strength and my resources."
Yun Zhi nodded slowly. "A fair proposal. But the family is divided. Your... methods are unorthodox. Your power source is a mystery. To grant you full recognition, you must prove your loyalty beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"How?" Ye Xia asked.
It was Yun Ming who answered, his voice a reedy whisper. "There is a matter of internal family security. A... sickness. Not of the body, but of the spirit. Several of our junior disciples, those training in the family's cultivation arts, have recently suffered Qi deviations. Their meridians have been corrupted, their progress halted."
Ye Xia's interest was piqued. Qi deviation was a known risk in cultivation, a result of flawed techniques or impure energy.
"We believe it is not an accident," Yun Ming continued. "We suspect sabotage. The techniques are sound. The energy source is pure. Someone is poisoning our future."
Yun Zhong glared at his brother. "This is conjecture! It is poor training, nothing more!"
"The pattern suggests otherwise," Yun Ming insisted, a cough wracking his frail body. "Ye Xia, your progress is unnatural. Your understanding of Kai is unique. You can move among the junior disciples without suspicion. I want you to investigate. Find the source of this corruption. Heal our disciples if you can. Prove that your power can be used to nurture the family, not just to destroy its enemies."
The request was a masterstroke from Yun Ming. It was a test that played directly to her unique abilities. It was also incredibly dangerous. The saboteur was likely a powerful cultivator within the family itself.
Ye Xia looked from the anxious Patriarch to the furious Yun Zhong, and finally to her uncle, Yun Ming, whose eyes held a desperate hope. This was her chance to secure a true alliance, to gain a family, however dysfunctional.
"I will do it," she said.
She had entered the lion's den. Now, she had to find the snake hiding within it.