"My father... is dead?"

  Ye Chen, a transmigrator, held no real affection for the Ye family. Such a small family, rife with filth and intrigue, where even teaching family members alchemy was tainted by personal agendas and sabotage.

  For a family like this, Ye Chen could not summon any fondness. Yet, for his predecessor's father, Ye Tianhe, Ye Chen still felt some degree of respect.

  The man had truly loved his son. Even after Ye Chen had crossed over, he had received favors from him.

  Originally, Ye Chen had hoped that once he grew stronger, he could pull his biological father up as well. But now... he was gone?

  Having inherited his predecessor's memories, Ye Chen couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.

  "Seventh Young Master, please accept my condolences. I will inform the Elders at once. I'm sure they will be very happy to hear that you have returned!"

  With that, the servant hastily fled.

  Behind Ye Chen, Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er exchanged looks, both startled by the heavy silence from him. They hadn't expected such tragic news upon arriving at the Ye family.

  Lu Jing, the first to react, rushed to comfort Ye Chen, embracing him to offer her condolences.

  Lin Ke'er, however, hesitated. To her, Ye Chen's rise to this point had been inseparable from his father's influence. Now that Ye Tianhe had passed away, could Ye Chen continue to receive the same support?

  On the journey to Green Cloud City, Lin Ke'er had even made up her mind to find a chance to win Ye Chen's favor, competing with Lu Jing for his affection. Yet, now, her thoughts had quietly shifted. She decided to wait and see how things unfolded.

  At that moment, a troubled-looking Sun Ye appeared from the roadside. Having searched far and wide for someone to help with his daughter's matters, he had found no luck. But when his gaze fell on Ye Chen standing before the Ye family gates, his eyes widened in disbelief.

  Ye Chen was still alive?

  He knew the details of the Silver Moon Market incident. Tens of thousands of cultivators had perished, either slain by demonic beasts or rogue cultivators. That Ye Chen had survived such a massacre was truly beyond belief.

  After the initial shock, however, Sun Ye's eyes brightened. With Ye Chen's return, could his daughter's chance at joining the Green Cloud Sect be revived?

  Sun Ye had intended to call out to Ye Chen immediately, but remembering the incident with the flying boat, he hesitated, worried that Ye Chen might resent him. Perhaps it was better for his daughter to find a way to resolve things herself. Ye Chen was so devoted despite the past misunderstandings. If his daughter sincerely apologized, perhaps he would forgive her.

  With that in mind, Sun Ye turned and made his way back to his residence in Green Cloud City. He had good news to share with his daughter.

  Ye Chen, being a junior, was clearly not someone worthy of a personal reception by the elders. However, with his father's recent death and the Silver Moon Market disaster, everyone had assumed that Ye Chen was also dead. Now that he had returned, both out of courtesy and reason, it was expected that someone would go out to welcome him. Even the patriarch, who had just broken through to Foundation Establishment, was informed and wished to meet with Ye Chen.

  Soon, Ye Chen was escorted by the Ye family servants to the main hall. The entire Ye family, over a hundred clan members, were gathered there.

  As for Lu Jing and Lin Ke'er, they had been led to Ye Chen's quarters by other servants. Through the explanations of the family, Ye Chen soon understood the cause of his father's death.

  A month ago, a Ye family store at a market had acquired a treasure at a low price. After securing the treasure, they immediately notified the family. The clan had then dispatched his father to collect the goods.

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  However, on the return journey, his father was ambushed. He died, and both the treasure and the wealth were stolen. The Ye family quickly realized that the cultivator who had sold the treasure was most likely one of the robbers. It had been a trap from the start.

  Such things were common in the cultivation world. Even with the patriarch having reached Foundation Establishment, there was little they could do without identifying the culprits.

  Ye Chen sighed inwardly after hearing this. While not overwhelmed with grief, he could not help but feel a sense of loss. Yet, he swore silently to himself that one day, when he reached immortality through the system, he would resurrect Ye Tianhe.

  "Ye Chen, we are aware of the events at Silver Moon Market. How did you manage to survive? Where is Manager Zhang? Why didn't he return with you?"

  Ye Chen's second uncle had been full of questions since his return. Unable to hold back, he asked.

  Ye Chen had anticipated these questions. The flying boat had been incredibly fast, reaching Green Cloud City in a day. But Ye Chen had deliberately taken five days, all for the sake of this very moment.

  "At Silver Moon Market, demonic beasts suddenly appeared, and rogue cultivators caused chaos. One of the shop attendants colluded with the rogues, ambushing and overpowering Manager Zhang while he was preparing to leave with the goods….

  “Manager Zhang was very brave. He fought fiercely with the enemy, urging me to escape first. I seized the opportunity and fled, heading in the direction of Green Cloud City. Along the way, I faced numerous trials, but in the end, I managed to return."

  Ye Chen briefly recounted his experiences, causing the family members to marvel at his sheer luck. To survive such a calamity... even the patriarch, seated at the head of the hall, nodded in approval.

  However, Ye Chen's second uncle, seeing the patriarch's approval, felt an increasing sense of dread. He was the one who least wanted Ye Chen to return.

  The Ye family had only received two slots for the Green Cloud Sect, which had just been delivered two days prior. The eldest branch would surely take one of the spots, as their son had impressive talent. With a seven-grade spiritual root, he already considered exceptional.

  Due to an earlier mishap, they had missed the Green Cloud Sect's recruitment window. Now that they had a slot, it was only natural to offer it to the eldest son.

  After that, the remaining spots would go to the children of the other branches, with the last one being contested between Ye Chen and the third branch.

  Had Ye Chen died, there would have been no contest. But the problem was that Ye Chen had returned, and had even broken through to the sixth level of Qi Refining; the same cultivation level as his most talented son.

  With a scrutinizing gaze, Ye Chen's second uncle, Ye Tianhai, eyed him carefully. "It seems that the pill shop was robbed by the rogue cultivators? But Nephew, you've managed to break through from the third to the sixth level of Qi Refining in under two years. That's quite a fortunate turn of events!"

  Upon hearing this, the Ye family members exchanged thoughtful glances.

  Ye Chen's aptitude had always been considered mediocre, with only a third-grade spiritual root, a fact known to everyone. For someone with such a spiritual root to break through three levels in under two years was... unsettling.

  Whispers began to spread among the clan, with some wondering if Ye Chen had secretly obtained resources and kept them hidden. In any family, public matters were to be dealt with openly, while private matters were to remain separate. Greed for the family's resources was a grave taboo.

  Ye Chen, of course, could not tolerate such suspicions. The Green Cloud Sect's slot was his for the taking.

  Feigning a look of grievance, Ye Chen turned to his second uncle and asked, "Second Uncle, do you suspect that I've embezzled the family's resources?"

  Ye Tianhai froze, taken aback by Ye Chen's words. The Ye Chen he knew had always been rather timid, but now he seemed... different. Why was he so bold all of a sudden?

  Flustered, Ye Tianhai quickly tried to explain himself, but before he could, Ye Chen lifted his robes, revealing numerous storage pouches tightly bound to his body beneath his garments. As Ye Chen carefully removed the storage pouches, his eyes reddened, as if he were deeply aggrieved.

  "Manager Zhang held off the enemy, giving me the chance to escape, and he entrusted me with bringing these things back to the family. For the sake of these items, I couldn't even close my eyes once during the journey. Whenever I encountered cultivators stronger than me, I trembled in fear, afraid they would take everything. I've returned after enduring countless hardships and near-death experiences, and yet, Second Uncle, you doubt me?

  “Here, take a look for yourself. Inside are the store's ledgers. Second Uncle, verify if everything checks out. If anything is missing, I will immediately take my own life to accompany my father. My father gave his all for the family; he was even willing to die. How could I, Ye Chen, bring shame to him?"

  Ye Chen's reaction was so intense. He even brought up his father. But most crucially, Ye Chen had truly returned with the store's goods.

  At that moment, the family members were all full of approval, some even feeling sorry for Ye Chen, believing he had been wronged. Only Ye Tianhai, his second uncle, wore an especially awkward expression.

  Yet Ye Chen's face remained unchanged, still showing the same sorrowful demeanor. What was rightfully his would be his. The Green Cloud Sect slot was his to claim!