C4 Unfair Treatment

Ye Manor.

Fresh from his return to the Ye family after a stint with the Heavenly Pill Alliance, Ye Tian was promptly summoned by a servant to attend a family meeting.

Upon Ye Tian's arrival at the grand council hall, he found the Ye family members already assembled. Presiding over the gathering was a gaunt elder with piercing eyes—none other than Ye Tian's grandfather, Ye Shouzheng.

Flanking Ye Shouzheng were Ye Tian's uncles, seated in order of seniority. In stark contrast, Ye Tian's father, Ye Chengfeng, the third eldest son of the family, sat secluded in a corner. Half-reclining in his chair, his face occasionally contorted with pain.

"Greetings, Grandfather. Father," Ye Tian offered with a respectful bow.

His eyes lingered on his father, Ye Chengfeng, stirring a sense of emotion within him. Once the undisputed top martial artist of Luoshui City, Ye Chengfeng's glory days had faded after an injury that damaged his profound veins. Now, even the slightest use of spiritual energy would aggravate his wounds, causing unbearable pain.

But times had changed...

Ye Tian was no longer the ineffective youth he once was. Armed with knowledge of various medicinal pills capable of healing profound veins, he had the means to aid his father's recovery. The only limitation was his current level of cultivation, which fell short of producing such high-grade medicinal pills.

"Ah, Seventh Brother, always so preoccupied. The whole family waits on your account. But look at you—your vitality is unmistakable. It won't be long before you advance to Level Three of the Qi Profound Stage," remarked a young man in a white robe, fanning himself idly. This was Ye Zonglei, Ye Tian's eldest brother and the esteemed direct heir of the Ye family.

"Ye Tian is already seventeen. It's high time for his breakthrough. I recall Zonglei had reached the seventh level of the Qi Profound Stage by that age," Ye Zonglei's father, Ye Chengyun, chimed in, his voice dripping with pride.

"Brother Zonglei is a rare genius, truly one in a million. To compare Ye Tian to him would be to overstate the case," added Ye Zongsheng, the third brother, with a sycophantic grin.

The chatter among the crowd was a cacophony of voices.

Ye Tian's fists were balled up in silence. The sting of ridicule was unbearable, made worse by the sight of his father, Ye Chengfeng, with a pained expression, struggling to speak yet holding back. This only steeled Ye Tian's resolve to grow stronger without delay.

"Enough, everyone quiet down. Today's meeting is primarily for the distribution of the monthly provisions," Grandfather Ye Shouzheng commanded, and the room fell silent.

Servants brought out the long-prepared items, including medicinal pills and primal stones, and handed them out to the members of the Ye family.

Ye Tian gave them a brief look and inwardly shook his head. The Ye family's resources were meager; even the medicinal pills they doled out were the lowest of the low, like the Marrow Cleansing Pills – something he wouldn't deign to consume even if they were free.

Upon examining the items, Ye Chengfeng's face turned ashen. Breaking his usual silence, he blurted out, "Father, why hasn't Tian been given the Marrow Cleansing Pill this month?"

The Marrow Cleansing Pill was crucial for clearing the profound veins, aiding in cultivation – particularly beneficial for someone like Ye Tian, whose veins were naturally obstructed.

Glancing around, Ye Chengfeng's face darkened even more. He noticed that everyone had received Marrow Cleansing Pills except for Ye Tian.

And there was Ye Zonglei, with a surplus of the pills – more than a dozen.

The injustice was glaring.

Ye Shouzheng, anticipating the question, responded with unruffled composure, "Chengfeng, you raise a valid point. I have some excellent news to share today. This afternoon, Zonglei successfully concocted a level one medicinal pill. As you all know, this signifies a major achievement!"

Creating a level one medicinal pill meant attaining the status of a level one alchemist.

The room erupted with a flurry of changed expressions and congratulatory exclamations.

"Congratulations to Brother Zonglei for his ascension to alchemist, for bringing prestige to our Ye family, and for setting an example for us all. Unlike some, who have only brought shame upon our name," Ye Zongsheng chimed in, inwardly relieved that his efforts to ingratiate himself with Ye Zonglei would likely pay off in the future.

As the conversation flowed among those gathered, a servant presented a jade bottle. Inside was a pill, pockmarked and mottled with various hues, which was shown to each person for a moment.

"Behold the pill crafted by Zonglei. Please, feel free to admire it," Ye Shouzheng announced with evident pride.

Ye Tian caught sight of the unsightly pill and nearly burst into laughter.

Could this even be considered a medicinal pill?

Not even a dog would touch it...

Ye Zonglei stood tall and proclaimed, "Your praise is too generous. I've merely scratched the surface of pill refining; I have a long way to go before I can call myself an alchemist."

His words carried a veneer of modesty, yet they couldn't hide his underlying pride.

Ye Shouzheng stroked his beard, smiling. "In a few days, the esteemed Master Zuo of the Heavenly Pill Alliance will grace the Spirit Feather Academy with his presence to impart the art of pill refining to our disciples. Seizing this chance, Zonglei intends to become Master Zuo's apprentice."

A wave of astonishment rippled through the crowd.

They were well-acquainted with Master Zuo's reputation—Luoshui City's premier alchemist, wielding vast influence as the head of the city's Heavenly Pill Alliance branch.

To become his apprentice would be a meteoric rise to greatness!

"Zonglei must dedicate himself to mastering pill refining in the coming days. His cultivation practice may suffer, but he must not fall behind. Thus, I will allocate some non-essential Marrow Cleansing Pills to Zonglei, and I expect no objections," Ye Shouzheng declared, his gaze sweeping over the assembly.

Ye Chengfeng's complexion turned a livid shade of green, his anger reigniting old wounds, sending waves of pain coursing through him.

Insignificant?

Was this the patriarch's opinion of Ye Tian?

It was an outrage!

"Tian, assist me in returning to my quarters to rest," Ye Chengfeng instructed after a deep breath, feeling as if any more time spent here would make his blood boil.

Ye Tian rose, supporting the injured Ye Chengfeng as they departed.

Meanwhile, the Ye family's remaining members lingered in the hall, their laughter and accolades for Ye Zonglei echoing in the air.

The chill of the night air was piercing.

As Ye Chengfeng walked, he suddenly spoke, his voice heavy with guilt, "Tian, I've failed you. I'm nothing but a cripple now, unable to secure even the simplest Marrow Cleansing Pill for you..."

Had he not been rendered powerless, as the preeminent master of Luoshui City, not only would the Marrow-Cleansing Pill be within easy reach, but even more potent elixirs could have been acquired to aid Ye Tian in unlocking his Profound Veins.

"Father, there's no need for self-reproach. In my eyes, you remain Luoshui City's unrivaled master, a towering hero! I'm convinced that one day, you'll regain your health and your strength will soar even higher!"

Ye Tian's words were meant to console. The tender care Ye Chengfeng had shown over the last seventeen years had forged a deep bond in Ye Tian's heart.

He was resolute in his decision to enhance his own power quickly and craft a high-grade medicinal pill to restore Ye Chengfeng's vitality.

"Recover?"

Ye Chengfeng whispered, though a shadow of sorrow crossed his eyes.

Attempting to mobilize the Spiritual Qi within his body, he was met with stabbing pains throughout his limbs, drenching him in sweat and wracking him with agony. Despair had taken root deep within his soul.

He had lost all faith in himself.

The title of Luoshui City's finest... it seemed destined to fade into the recesses of memory. With a resigned sigh and a shake of his head, Ye Chengfeng accepted his fate.

After ensuring Ye Chengfeng was settled, Ye Tian retreated to his own quarters.

Seated in meditation, he produced a Purple Flame Pill and ingested it.

The pill dissolved instantly, transforming into a fierce, scorching current that surged into Ye Tian's Profound Veins with unbridled ferocity.

With focused intent, Ye Tian directed the pill's power to batter the obstructions in his Profound Veins.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With each successive strike, the blockage in his veins yielded slightly, though the process was excruciating, as if his heart were being torn asunder.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Ye Tian was drenched in a sheen of cold sweat.