"Wang'er, are you telling the truth?!"
When Jiang Xundao heard what his son said, his first reaction wasn't joy — it was disbelief.
Jiang Wang could only force a bitter smile at his father's doubt. He wasn't surprised — after all, he had spoiled Li Qingxuan rotten. Whatever she wanted, whether a rare medicine or a magical weapon, he always found a way to get it for her. Among the things he'd given her, the Nine Yang Mysterious Herb was only a mid-level treasure.
He had clashed with the clan elders and even defied his father over her. He had let Li Qingxuan order his clansmen — especially cousins from other branches — around like servants. It was those very people, the ones he'd favored and let be mistreated, who helped him escape and recover his immortal bones when the Jiang clan was destroyed.
Thinking of that betrayal made him want to slap himself. Why had he been so blind?
He drew a deep breath and said in a firm, loud voice, "Father, rest easy. I won't give you cause for worry again. I'm breaking off the engagement with the Li family."
"Not right away," he added.
At those words, Jiang Xundao's joy at the first sentence curdled to concern at the second. He did not press or scold; instead he asked calmly, "Wang'er — tell me why."
"Father, Li Qingxuan took advantage of my favor and stole countless treasures from the Jiang family. Isn't canceling the engagement enough punishment? I'll force her, Li Qingxuan, and the Li family to return everything they took from the Jiang clan."
At that moment Jiang Wang radiated an invincible aura, as if he looked down upon the whole fairyland. Jiang Xundao was stunned — his son reminded him more and more of his late wife: slender, but carrying that same overwhelming presence.
He regarded Jiang Wang with pride. "Since my son has a plan, let him carry it out. As the son of an immortal god, the entire Jiang family stands behind you."
"Thank you, Father."
… Meanwhile, Li Qingxuan had no idea what was happening. Even if she did, she would likely only sneer — she still believed Jiang Wang adored her. She returned to her Immortal Palace, ornate and exquisitely decorated, no less splendid than Jiang Wang's — everything in it a gift from him. In truth, every comfort she enjoyed had come from Jiang Wang, but she had never stopped to notice.
She burst into the palace in a fury. Ye Fan rushed up to greet her. Seeing her angry expression, he immediately assumed she'd had trouble with Jiang Wang. He rolled his eyes but put on a worried, concerned look.
"Sister Qingxuan, did Jiang Wang anger you again?"
Li Qingxuan's chest rose and fell with emotion. Ye Fan's solicitude soothed her a little, and she confessed, somewhat embarrassed, "Brother Ye Fan, I couldn't get the Nine Yang Mysterious Herb for you."
She told him what had happened: how that insolent boy had disobeyed her orders. When she finished she added, "Brother Ye Fan, don't worry. I have an agreement with him. You and he can compete — if you win, you get whatever you want."
"With your strength, Brother Ye Fan, you'll easily suppress him. Then he'll hand over the Nine Yang Mysterious Herb without complaint."
Ye Fan's face changed. He wanted to refuse — he knew perfectly well how far beneath Jiang Wang he ranked in ability — but he swallowed his refusal. He still relied on Li Qingxuan's favors for cultivation resources and couldn't afford to offend her.
So he forced a smile. "Sister Qingxuan, you're too considerate. It's not worth it to injure Jiang Wang over one herb. I don't want the Nine Yang Mysterious Herb."
Li Qingxuan was touched. She looked at Ye Fan with admiration. "Brother Ye Fan is so considerate. That bootlicker refused a single herb — how despicable! He needs a good lesson to learn obedience."
"You said that if I beat him, the Jiang family's resources will be ours and he'll keep quiet?" Ye Fan asked in surprise.
Li Qingxuan nodded, smiling faintly. Her answer lit a greedy spark in Ye Fan's mind. The Jiang family's resources were legendary; if he could control them, with his talent and physique he could rise to emperor-level cultivation. He imagined subduing the era and making goddesses of all races serve him. If he had to, he could forcibly activate the Supreme Immortal Bone and crush Jiang Wang with thunderpower — and afterwards use the Jiang clan's medicines to patch up whatever damage he'd caused.
A smile crept across his face.
"I'll teach him a lesson," he said softly. "I'll help you curb his temper."
They discussed the details, then Ye Fan and Li Qingxuan set off toward Jiang Wang's Immortal Mansion. From a distance they saw the Jiang elders gathered outside. Facing Jiang Wang, the elders restrained their auras; but toward Ye Fan and Li Qingxuan, they showed no such restraint — each elder exuded crushing pressure that made Ye Fan's soul tremble.
Li Qingxuan nevertheless approached Jiang Xundao and greeted him respectfully. She dared not be presumptuous before him — she relied on Jiang Wang's affection to strut among the influential.
Jiang Xundao thought of Jiang Wang's earlier words and met Li Qingxuan with an icy calm he hadn't shown before. Li Qingxuan, confused, tried to tell Jiang Xundao about the proposed contest, hoping he would forbid it. But when she said the terms — that the winner would gain control of the Jiang clan's resources — Jiang Xundao's expression shifted. He turned and looked at Jiang Wang, who gave a slight nod.
Seeing that, Jiang Xundao said nothing further.
Jiang Wang then looked at Li Qingxuan, and at Ye Fan, who had gone pale with unease, and chuckled softly. "I won't break my word," he said. "But I'd like to ask you, Ye Fan — do you dare to fight me?"