The Young Sect Master had actually come here — now that was a rare visitor. He hadn't shown up in years. A decade ago, he used to drop by every now and then, arriving in high spirits each time but leaving in a foul mood, and eventually he'd stopped appearing altogether. So why show up today?
And what was more… he'd even brought two Elders along.
The steward disciple looked visibly suspicious but didn't dare show any negligence. He bowed and greeted the two Elders.
"You're dismissed. Get out," Han Qiancheng waved his hand dismissively.
The steward disciple lowered his head and quickly departed.
Han Qiancheng took several steps forward and stopped about a dozen paces from the white-robed woman. His eyes burned like freshly mined Fire Cloud ore, his gaze searing as it clung to that graceful, slender figure. After all these years without seeing her, she was still as intoxicating as ever.
A flicker of regret passed through him — he should have visited more often. Perhaps with enough sincerity, even metal and stone could be pried open. But he quickly tossed that thought aside. As the Young Sect Master of the Yunxia Sect, what woman couldn't he have? Yet this wretched woman treated him with nothing but cold rejection. If not for the Yunxia Sect, how could she have advanced to the Dao Source Realm? She probably would have been devoured down to the bone by countless powerful figures the moment she first set foot in the Ancestral Land.
And when he recalled what that young man had said earlier today, Han Qiancheng grew even more agitated. He had believed this woman to be pure and immaculate, only to learn she had already been wed. The thought that he hadn't been the first to taste that prize filled him with fury.
"Junior Sister Su, I trust you've been well," Han Qiancheng said with a smile, his eyes fixed on Su Yan. Though her cultivation exceeded his by an entire realm, he was the Young Sect Master of the Yunxia Sect — why would he address her as Senior Sister like everyone else?
"Young Sect Master." Su Yan gazed ahead with a calm expression, rose slowly, and offered a slight bow of greeting. "Greetings to the two Elders."
The two Yunxia Sect Elders stood silent and motionless behind Han Qiancheng like wooden posts. The cavern was dimly lit, and they seemed to lurk within the shadows, their expressions unreadable.
"May I ask what brings the Young Sect Master here?"
Han Qiancheng offered a slight smile. "I missed you, so I came to see you. It's been quite a few years since we last met, hasn't it?"
Su Yan's expression remained unchanged. "Eight years."
"Eight whole years — how time flies," Han Qiancheng sighed with an air of nostalgia. "It really does slip by. It reminds me of when you first joined the Yunxia Sect. You weren't quite so cold toward this Senior Brother back then."
Su Yan replied, "Su Yan does not deliberately cold-shoulder anyone. If Senior Brother feels uncomfortable, I ask for your understanding."
Han Qiancheng let out a hearty laugh. "Think nothing of it. Your temperament is what it is — how could this Senior Brother possibly hold it against you?" He leaned forward slightly, like a leopard ready to pounce, radiating aggression. "Eight years have passed. Has Junior Sister given any serious thought to my proposal from back then?"
Su Yan said, "Which matter is Senior Brother referring to?"
Han Qiancheng pointed at her with a grin. "Why bother playing dumb, Junior Sister? You know perfectly well what I desire."
"Su Yan has no interest in romantic entanglements."
Han Qiancheng smiled with hidden meaning. "Is that so?" He held one hand up before his eyes, idly rubbing his fingers. "I don't think it's that you have no interest, Junior Sister. Rather, your heart already belongs to someone else, doesn't it?"
Su Yan replied, "Since the Young Sect Master already knows, there's no need to waste words."
Wretched woman! Han Qiancheng seethed inwardly. I am the Young Sect Master of the Yunxia Sect — how could I possibly fall short of some backwater bumpkin? Even after all these years apart, she still pines for him. Just you wait — I'll make sure you learn the consequences of defying me. I'll break you down until even stray dogs wouldn't bother with your stinking flesh, and then I'll throw you aside.
"His name is Yang Kai?"
The perpetually serene expression on Su Yan's face finally showed a subtle shift. "How does the Young Sect Master know that name?"
She had only ever mentioned it to Ruan Biting and had never spoken of Yang Kai's existence to anyone outside. Her first thought was that Ruan Biting had let it slip, but that seemed unlikely — Ruan Biting was her master within the Yunxia Sect. Though they were master and disciple, their bond was closer to sisters, and Ruan Biting had always treated her wonderfully. Why would she bring it up without reason?
"Of course I know," Han Qiancheng chuckled. For the first time, something had genuinely caught Su Yan's attention — yet rather than any sense of accomplishment, he felt a sting of defeat, all because he'd uttered the name of a common bumpkin. He put on a carefree air. "And I might as well tell you, Junior Sister — that Yang Kai is currently in the Yunxia Sect."
"What?" Su Yan cried out involuntarily. "What did you say?"
She could hardly believe her ears. Forcing herself to regain composure, she said, "The Young Sect Master mustn't joke."
"Whether I'm joking or not, why not ask the two Elders yourself?"
Su Yan's expectant gaze immediately turned to the two Elders behind him.
One of them nodded. "What the Young Sect Master says is correct. Today, a young man came to the Sect claiming to be Yang Kai, looking for you. He even said…"
"Said what?"
"That he is your husband."
Su Yan stumbled, all doubt vanishing from her heart. Yang Kai was truly in the Yunxia Sect! He had come to find her? Could it be that he really had been in the Ancestral Land all these years? On her perpetually icy face, a smile bloomed that she could not suppress — and in that instant, it was as though the entire world had lost its luster, leaving only the radiance of that gentle smile.
Han Qiancheng stared, his eyes practically bulging from their sockets. He wanted nothing more than to wrap this woman in his arms right now and have his way with her. An iceberg beauty like this — breaking her would surely feel nothing like any woman he'd had before.
"Seems he really is your husband after all," Han Qiancheng said, jealousy churning inside him like a raging fire, and let out a cold snort.