With her breakthrough to Qi Condensation, Ye Xia's perception of the world shifted from high-definition to a new, hyper-realistic spectrum. She could now sense the subtle energy signatures of everyone around her. Liam's Frostfire Pulse was a beautiful, intricate dance of blue and orange flames. The Yun guards had steady, earthy glows. It was a overwhelming but empowering sensation.
She decided to test her new [Qi Perception] at the next Yun family council meeting. As the elders debated financial strategies, she quietly observed their auras. Most were faint, indicating little to no cultivation. Yun Zhong had a aggressive, spiky red aura, confirming his warrior nature. But when she turned her senses to Yun Ming, she recoiled internally.
His aura wasn't just weak from sickness. It was… corrupted. A sickly, invasive grey energy was intertwined with his own life force, slowly draining it. It was the same corrosive energy she had purified from the well, but more refined, more deeply embedded. Her uncle wasn't just ill; he was being poisoned. And the source of the poison was likely the same person who had sabotaged the well—someone with ongoing access to him.
The realization was a cold knife in her gut. The traitor was still active, and they were targeting the family's leadership.
After the meeting, she requested a private audience with Yun Ming in his chambers.
"Uncle," she began, choosing her words carefully. "My cultivation has recently advanced. It has given me… clearer sight. The illness that afflicts you… I believe it is not natural."
Yun Ming's weary eyes sharpened. "What are you saying?"
"I sense a foreign energy within you. A corrosive one. It's the same type that was in the well." She didn't need to say more.
Yun Ming closed his eyes, a look of profound sadness on his face. "I have suspected for some time. The doctors find nothing. I feared it was so." He opened his eyes, and they were filled with a grim resolve. "You must be discreet. The enemy is within these walls. If they know you are aware, they may act more boldly."
The game had just become a deadly hunt. Ye Xia had to find the poisoner before they decided Yun Ming's slow death was too slow.