Chapter 6

The Gu Family and the Lin Family are both Tier 1 families in Jinling City, capable of practically covering the sky with one hand. To people like them, ordinary folk like Ye Chen are nothing; they could slaughter dozens of them on a whim without batting an eye. She truly could not imagine how Ye Chen could have found a way to escape back here. At the thought of this, Xia Qingyue could not help but let her tears flow freely... "Ye Chen!" "Do you hear what our daughter said!?" "She was so afraid you wouldn't return that she didn't even eat her favorite chicken drumstick!" "Even though her wounds clearly hurt, she pretended they didn't, just to wait for you to come back!!" "Ye Chen, you must come back, you must come back safely!!"

"Daddy!" "It’s Daddy back!" Just as Xia Qingyue was praying incessantly, Little Ningning suddenly shouted with immense joy. The next moment, Xia Qingyue saw Ye Chen walking toward the bedside step by step. His eyes were a complex mix of emotions—doting, surprise, guilt, and heartache... all intertwined.

"Daddy... are you my Daddy?" Little Ningning asked, tilting her head and looking up with anticipation. "I am!" In an instant, Ye Chen felt a sting in his nose and nearly wept along with her: "Ningning, I am Daddy, I am Daddy!" "Daddy... Daddy!" Little Ningning called out loudly. Completely ignoring the pain of her wounds, she reached out her arms, crying out excitedly: "Daddy, Ningning finally saw you! Ningning finally saw you!!" "Daddy... did you beat the bad guys away?" "Daddy... are you hurt, are you hungry?" Little Ningning asked impatiently, her bright, watery eyes full of concern. "Daddy... there’s so much good food here. Mom and I saved the best chicken drumstick for you!"

*Thump.* Listening to these words from his daughter, Ye Chen could no longer hold it back; the hot tears in his eyes began to fall. This was his daughter!! This was Ye Chen’s daughter!! Even though she was severely injured... Even though she was weak and hungry... She still insisted on waiting for her father to return and saved the best thing for him...

"Ningning!!" "My daughter!!" Looking at such a sensible little Ningning, Ye Chen broke down in tears, pulling her into his arms and saying over and over: "The bad guys have already been beaten away!! Daddy won't get hurt!! From today on, Daddy will protect Ningning forever... and never, never let Ningning be hurt again!!"

"Really?" Little Ningning held Ye Chen tightly and said, "Daddy, you won't leave Mom and me again, will you? You’ll always protect Mom and me, right?" "Right! Daddy won't leave again..." Ye Chen rubbed Little Ningning’s soft hair, his tone unprecedentedly gentle. "Daddy will always be with you and Mom, and will never let you two be harmed again!!"

"Okay." Little Ningning nodded earnestly. "Daddy protects me and Mom, our family of three will always be together!! Daddy, you must never go away, otherwise Mom will be scared and will cry secretly at night..."

Hearing this, Ye Chen’s body shuddered violently. What had they gone through all these years, mother and daughter alike!! Ye Chen’s heart ached, and a scene immediately flashed before his eyes: In the dead of night, Xia Qingyue lying on the bed, crying secretly... and the sight of Little Ningning being so sensible.

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**Chapter 14: Xia Qingyue’s Past**

"Don't say any more, just eat... she insisted on waiting for you to get back before she would eat." Xia Qingyue, afraid that Little Ningning’s childlike candor would reveal more, quickly changed the subject. "Her stomach has growled several times already." "I haven't, Ningning isn't hungry... in a moment I'll give the chicken drumstick to Daddy..." "Grrr~" Before she could finish, Little Ningning’s stomach growled again. Seeing such a sensible daughter, Ye Chen’s nose stung, and he picked up the chicken drumstick, finishing it in a few bites. Xia Qingyue watched in a daze. Little Ningning clearly loved chicken drumsticks; how could Ye Chen not have noticed? Just as she was about to hint at something, she saw Ye Chen had already peeled a shrimp and said, "Ningning’s constitution is too weak; her stomach might not handle greasy, meaty food well, so it’s better to start with fish and shrimp." While explaining, Ye Chen held the shrimp to Little Ningning’s lips and said softly, "The chicken drumstick was delicious, Daddy is full now. Now, Daddy will feed Ningning some shrimp." "Ah!" Little Ningning obediently opened her mouth. Xia Qingyue realized what was happening, and she quickly finished the chicken drumstick she was holding, then joined Ye Chen in feeding Ningning from both sides. "Delicious... Ningning likes it like this, with Daddy and Mom both by my side!" Little Ningning said with a happy, milky voice.

Because Little Ningning’s body was very weak, Ye Chen did not dare let her eat too much. After she was about sixty percent full, Ye Chen played with her for a while and then coaxed her to rest. Xia Qingyue watched quietly from the side, and only after Little Ningning was sound asleep did she ask: "You... the Gu Family and the Lin Family, they didn't do anything to you, did they?" "No." Ye Chen shook his head and said, "Gu Tianhao and Lin Yuanhong likely provoked someone important and were killed by the War Department and the Ministry of War!" "What?!" Xia Qingyue was stunned. Wasn't that too sudden, too coincidental? "Moreover, the War Department and the Ministry of War have issued orders to arrest everyone in the Gu and Lin families! From now on, you and Ningning never have to be afraid again!" Ye Chen added. "Mm!" Xia Qingyue nodded forcefully, then fell silent. She didn't know how to face Ye Chen... Back then, Xia Qingyue had saved Ye Chen’s life. But when they had relations, Ye Chen had been poisoned and his consciousness was blurred. Furthermore, Ye Chen and Xia Qingyue had never established a relationship; they weren't lovers, let alone husband and wife. *In this situation, she insisted on giving birth to the child!... And she did it without Ye Chen's consent!!* At the thought of this, Xia Qingyue clenched her fists. After a long while, she spoke: "Ye Chen, although you are Ningning’s father... I don't want to use the child to tie you down. Because that night, you weren't conscious..." "I gave birth to Ningning without consulting you, it was completely my own doing! So, you don't need to worry about me!" "And you certainly don't need to feel guilty and say things about taking responsibility!!" By the last word, Xia Qingyue’s eyes were filled with tears. She was a proud woman; she didn't want to rely on Little Ningning to bind or burden Ye Chen!

"Do you think I rushed back out of guilt?" Ye Chen gave a bitter smile and slowly pulled a ring from his pocket. "Qingyue, I can distinguish between love and guilt... I bought this ring at a street stall five years ago!!" "At that time, I imagined countless scenes of proposing to you... but I didn't dare!! Because I was seriously injured, being hunted, and had no tomorrow, I didn't dare to drag you down!!" "Now I am back... regardless of whether Little Ningning exists or not, I was always going to propose to you!!"

Finishing his sentence, Ye Chen knelt on one knee and displayed the ring in his hand to Xia Qingyue. "This ring isn't valuable because at that time, I only had five yuan to my name... are you... willing to wear this five-yuan ring?" Ye Chen held the ring with both hands, waiting quietly for Xia Qingyue’s answer. "Wooo..." Looking at Ye Chen kneeling on one knee, his face full of sincerity, the tears in Qingyue’s beautiful eyes could no longer be contained; they broke like a dam in an instant! After sobbing, she hurriedly covered her mouth with her jade-like hand... after a while, she steadied her emotions and nodded frantically: "I do, I do!!" Seeing Xia Qingyue agree, Ye Chen finally smiled. He then gently slid the five-yuan ring onto Xia Qingyue’s ring finger. "From now on... you are my wife!" Ye Chen smiled and stood up, gently wrapping his arm around Xia Qingyue’s slender waist, his eyes full of doting. "Mm!" Xia Qingyue nodded hard, her tear-stained, beautiful face flushing with shyness. As Ye Chen looked at her, his heart ached!! Five years ago, Xia Qingyue was young and beautiful, with a tall, graceful figure, exquisite features, and sparkling eyes... back then, she was known as the First Goddess of Jinling City. But now? Five years later, Xia Qingyue seemed more mature and feminine. But she had suffered so much torment; she had become so thin, and even... there were bruises and contusions on the backs of her hands, her wrists, and even her neck!! Those sparkling eyes were no longer there!!

When Ye Chen returned from the mountain villa, he had already had everything regarding Xia Qingyue and the Xia Family investigated. The Xia Family, a Tier 2 family in Jinling City. To climb the social ladder, the Xia Family had arranged a marriage with the Jiang Family, a Tier 1 family in Jinling, planning to marry Xia Qingyue off to the second young master of the Jiang Family. Xia Qingyue refused to the death, and as a result, the Elder Xia locked her in a room and berated her fiercely: "You won't agree even if you die? Fine, then when you're dead, I'll send your corpse to the Jiang Family!" After that, Xia Qingyue was locked in that dark, sunless room for three full months. It wasn't until the day before the wedding that the Elder Xia released her. By that time, Xia Qingyue’s belly was already rounded... Little Ningning was six months along!! Seeing this, the Elder Xia was furious and immediately ordered Xia Qingyue to be expelled from the family. He then personally went to the Jiang residence to apologize, and the wedding was called off!! From that day on, Xia Qingyue became a drifter. She had to find ways to survive while trying to figure out how to provide a warm home for the child in her belly!! Four months later, Little Ningning was born. At that moment, Xia Qingyue thought all the suffering was finally behind her... In the end, the appearance of Gu Nanfei pushed her into hell once again!! After that, Little Ningning became a mobile blood bank for Gu Nanfei’s son. He also warned Xia Qingyue that she was not allowed to take Little Ningning out of Jinling. Otherwise, he would strangle Little Ningning with his own hands and feed her corpse to the dogs!! If it hadn't been for the thought of Little Ningning, Xia Qingyue would likely have committed suicide countless times!!

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**Chapter 15: Mentor**

*Five years!* *How did you manage to survive these five years!* Thinking of this, Ye Chen felt his nose sting again, and he pulled Xia Qingyue into his arms, saying word by word: "Qingyue, you have suffered all these years!" "Tomorrow, I will go with you to the Xia Family! I want to marry you... I want to marry you with eight palanquins and a formal wedding!! I want to tell everyone that you are Ye Chen’s wife!!" "A formal wedding..." Hearing these resounding vows, Xia Qingyue’s eyes teared up again. She hadn't waited in vain for these five years! Xia Qingyue hugged Ye Chen tightly. After crying, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. She hadn't rested well for days, and the events of last night especially had kept her from closing her eyes. Now, seeing Ye Chen and Little Ningning safe and sound, and watching Little Ningning’s breathing become more steady and her small face, smooth as suet jade, become more rosy, Xia Qingyue finally felt at ease. With Ye Chen by her side, Xia Qingyue finally let go of all her tension. Before long, she fell asleep. A moment later, Ye Chen looked down and saw Xia Qingyue’s brows furrowed tightly; even in her sleep, she looked so heartbreaking! Ye Chen’s heart ached again, and he reached out to gently smooth her brows. He then carefully laid Xia Qingyue down on the soft bed. Xia Qingyue and Little Ningning were both sleeping soundly. Ye Chen stared at them for a long, long time... before reluctantly turning his gaze away and stepping outside.

"Teacher!" Outside the door, the God of War Chen Junlin, the God of Slaughter Nie Wuji, the Medical Saint Hua Yuntian, and the richest man Ma Huayun all bowed in unison. "Mm." Facing these giants who could easily cause global upheaval, Ye Chen only nodded slightly and asked, "How did the matter I asked you to investigate go?" The God of Slaughter Nie Wuji replied with a cold tone: "Reporting to Teacher, I have recorded every one of the people who hunted you down back then. With a single word from you, they will lose their heads." "Good!" Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed. Since he was back, the grudges of the past should be settled!

"Teacher." The richest man, Ma Huayun, said hesitantly: "Reporting to Teacher, I have found the best feng shui cemetery in Jinling City... It's just that, while the remains of your foster father are still in the old Nanshan tomb, the remains of your foster sister are gone!" The foster father and foster sister he spoke of were Ye Chen’s benefactor and his foster sister. Five years ago, when Ye Chen was being hunted by enemies, his foster father, Su Tianyang, and foster sister, Su Mumu, were implicated and harmed by villains!! "Mumu’s grave is empty!?" Hearing this, Ye Chen’s eyes shuddered violently, and he said sternly: "Investigate!! Go and find out what happened, you must find the whereabouts of my sister!" "Yes!" Seeing Ye Chen’s anger, dozens of disciples knelt in unison. These disciples, whether they were regional overlords or possessed wealth that could rival nations, acted with extreme caution in front of Ye Chen. These disciples had all been to the peak of the Kunlun Mountains and knew of Ye Chen’s immense power. The young man before them had one hundred thousand outer-sect disciples spread across the world, not just in the Great Xia Country... every nation on this planet had his disciples. Beyond these outer-sect disciples, Ye Chen had one hundred thousand inner-sect Kunlun disciples! And Ye Chen himself was known as a martial saint, titled "Ye Kunlun"!

"Teacher, we will do everything in our power to recover your foster sister's remains." At this, the richest man Ma Huayun bowed and said: "Before that, I have already purchased a villa and a supercar for you. Once the little junior sister’s injuries are stable, you and the teacher's wife can move in." "Mm... you've been thoughtful." Ye Chen nodded and was about to give instructions when his expression suddenly changed. He had returned in such a rush that he hadn't brought anything... Those priceless antiques and treasures, the wealth that could buy nations, the Dragon-Headed Black Gold Card symbolizing identity and power... all of these things had been left at the peak of the Kunlun Mountains. If he were to go back now, he feared he would miss the chance to go home with Xia Qingyue and arrange the wedding!!

Seeing Ye Chen frown, the disciples asked one after another: "Teacher, what is wrong...?" "I want to host an unparalleled wedding for Qingyue, but I rushed back and didn't bring anything!" Ye Chen said, slightly speechless. "This..." After a few seconds of hesitation, the God of War Chen Junlin spoke first: "If Teacher doesn't mind, I have a Cullinan diamond, which was a trophy after the fall of a foreign nation!" The Cullinan diamond was heavy, pure, transparent, and carried a light blue hue; it was the size of a grown man's fist and was the highest grade of diamond. This diamond had once been used by several kings to inlay into their scepters and crowns, symbolizing supreme value and power!!!

"Teacher!" The God of Slaughter Nie Wuji also spoke: "I also have a diamond, the Sancy Diamond! This diamond originally belonged to a royal duke of a certain nation. After I assassinated him, I brought this diamond back." The Sancy Diamond was one of the ten most famous diamonds in the world. It was pale yellow and clearly originated from India; it was said to be the first large diamond to be cut with symmetrical facets. Its value was in no way inferior to the Cullinan diamond held by Chen Junlin.

"Teacher!" The Medical Saint Hua Yuntian also hurried to say: "I spent ten years of effort, gathering medicine for three years in a land of extreme cold, three years in a land of extreme heat, and refining hundreds of famous herbs to finally create three Rejuvenation Pills. After taking one, a woman can retain her youth for ten years!! I would like to offer these pills to the teacher’s wife..."

"Teacher!" The richest man Ma Huayun competed to say: "My Tengli Group has been established for decades, and its influence is decent... I know several world-renowned designers! So, leave the teacher’s wife’s wedding dress to me!! I guarantee that I will customize a one-of-a-kind, noble wedding dress for her, along with a one-of-a-kind wedding venue!!"

"Teacher!" Another disciple scrambled to say: "I am useless and lack great skills... but I have thousands of jewelry and jade shops in the Great Xia Country! Let me take care of the betrothal gifts for your wedding day!!"

"Teacher!" Yet another disciple spoke up: "I am useless, but I usually enjoy collecting cars, and I have collected hundreds of limited-edition luxury cars... let me take care of the wedding motorcade!!"

"Teacher..." "Teacher..." "Teacher..." Listening to his disciples eagerly speaking up one after another, Ye Chen’s head began to throb. At this rate, didn't he have nothing left to do? All he had to do was honestly be the groom! Everything else could be handled by his disciples. "This..." Ye Chen frowned slightly and couldn't help but rub his forehead. His own wedding was causing his disciples such effort and expenditure!? This was not his style!!

"Teacher, please do not hesitate..." "If it weren't for your guidance, how would I have reached such enlightenment!!" "Yes, Teacher... if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today!!" "So, let us handle your wedding!!" "Yes, Teacher, please give us an opportunity; consider it us fulfilling our filial duty to you!!"

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**Chapter 16: Contact**

The disciples were filled with sincere intentions. Ultimately, Ye Chen could only agree to their request. Although the Cullinan diamond, the Sancy Diamond, and the Rejuvenation Pills were luxury items worth hundreds of millions... None of Ye Chen’s disciples were lacking in assets worth hundreds of billions! As for Ye Chen himself, a few hundred million was hardly worth mentioning!! One must know that the one hundred thousand disciples of the Kunlun Sect, in addition to their training, would descend the mountain to carry out missions, and the rewards for these missions were extremely generous! Beyond that, the Kunlun Sect had thousands of years of foundations and had already accumulated an unknown number of priceless natural treasures.