C3 Black Bead Pattern

Sunlight streamed through the opening, illuminating Yun Ruoshuang's cheeks. She stirred awake, easing the stiffness in her sore neck as she opened her eyes to the haunting surroundings. A sharp pain shot through her head, and she clutched it tightly with both hands.

As she lifted her hands, the coat Ye Bufan had draped over her fell to the ground. Yun Ruoshuang's gaze shifted from the coat to Ye Bufan, who lay in a fetal position, fast asleep.

"He covered me with it? It's all an act! He's surely feigning concern to avoid my father's wrath!" A voice inside Yun Ruoshuang's head kept screaming.

She picked up the heavy sword lying nearby and approached the slumbering Ye Bufan with deliberate steps. Kill him, then end her own life—it would all be over.

Standing over Ye Bufan, Yun Ruoshuang hoisted the sword high. One swift strike, and the agony would fade away.

Just then, a blur of green darted through the opening, and Yun Ruoshuang felt the weight in her hands vanish. She focused her eyes on the newcomer, who was glaring at her furiously. "Ye..." Her thoughts turned to Ye Bufan's actions, but the name 'Uncle Ye' remained unspoken as tears began to swirl in her eyes once more.

It was Ye Bufan's father, Ye Jian.

Ye Bufan had not come home the previous night, and with the Lin family stirring, Ye Jian had grown uneasy. He had led his men to search for his son, checking the usual haunts and keeping a close watch on the Lin family's activities.

His arrival was timely; a moment later, and Ye Bufan might have paid with his life for the troubles of others.

"Father!" Ye Bufan exclaimed upon seeing Ye Jian, the word escaping without thought—perhaps a lingering instinct from his body's former self.

Ye Jian's gaze swept over his son with a severe intensity. He huffed but remained silent. Observing Yun Ruoshuang, he could surmise the events that had transpired. Then, another figure entered through the cave mouth—a middle-aged man whom Ye Bufan recognized from fragmented memories as the Lord of Cloud Peak City, Yun Tianao, and also Yun Ruoshuang's father.

Gazing into the cave, Yun Tianao's expression turned icy. Even Ye Bufan, who stood behind Ye Jian, could sense waves of cold emanating from him.

"Ye Jian, I demand an explanation for today's events," Yun Tianao finally managed to say, his words forced through clenched teeth.

"Brother Yun, this isn't the right place to resolve this issue. Let's discuss everything once we're back in the city, shall we?" Ye Jian, fully aware of his own fault, spoke with a noticeable lack of his usual confidence.

"Fine, but I'm taking the boy with me!" Yun Tianao's gaze, filled with frost, bore into Ye Bufan.

"That's out of the question!" Ye Jian responded with unwavering resolve.

Yun Tianao's anger turned to bitter laughter. "You're well aware of his actions. I'm taking him with me today, and if you try to stop me, don't expect me to consider the Ye and Yun families' ties!"

Ye Bufan, witnessing Yun Tianao's unyielding stance, grew concerned for Ye Jian. Although Ye Jian was the head of the Ye family, his strength was not the greatest within the clan, especially compared to Yun Tianao.

As Ye Jian stood before Yun Tianao, still shielding him, Ye Bufan felt an unfamiliar warmth in his heart. "Is this what fatherly love is? Knowing full well that I'm in the wrong, yet he still protects me without a second thought."

"I will certainly provide Duke Yun with an explanation for today's incident, but I must take this disobedient son home," Ye Jian stated, unaware of Ye Bufan's inner reflections.

"Very well, excellent!" Yun Tianao, looking at his daughter, felt his rage consume any previous sense of reason. "Then today, I shall witness Mr. Ye's prowess for myself!"

"Uncle Yun, may I speak first?" Ye Bufan had no desire to see Ye Jian and Yun Tianao come to blows.

"Do you have anything worthwhile to say?" Yun Tianao glared at Ye Bufan with a ferocity that suggested he could devour him whole.

Ye Bufan proceeded to recount the events of the previous night to Yun Tianao, albeit with some judicious alterations.

He vividly detailed Lin Feiyang's every action, and naturally, he embellished the situation involving Yun Ruoshuang, all in an effort to first defuse Yun Tianao's temper.

The Ye and Yun families, with their considerable influence, were certainly aware of the Lin family's unusual activities the previous night. However, Yun Tianao, in a fit of rage upon seeing his daughter's condition, didn't give it much thought at the time. It took Ye Bufan's pointed observation to bring the scent of conspiracy to light.

"You're not getting off the hook that easily, and given your reputation, your words alone won't suffice to appease me," Yun Tianao stated, his stance unyielding. Yet, his gaze upon Ye Bufan had thawed slightly from its previous icy demeanor.

Damn it! After all that talk, he still insists on taking me with him. Whether I'll survive the ordeal is another matter entirely. Ye Bufan spoke up once more, "If Uncle Yun remains skeptical, he's welcome to accompany me to where I rescued Miss Yun, and see for himself."

He had to buy time, no matter what. If the Ye family arrived promptly, he'd be in the clear. If the Yun family got there first, it would only put him at a slight disadvantage, nothing more.

Ye Jian held his tongue, not interrupting Ye Bufan, though he was inwardly perplexed. His son had always been reticent in his presence, yet now he spoke with such clarity and composure.

"Don't even think about stalling for time! Once I've taken you into custody, I'll send people to verify your story," Yun Tianao declared, not fooled by Ye Bufan's ploy.

"If you don't believe me, ask Miss Yun yourself!" Ye Bufan said, a note of desperation in his voice. He could only hope she wouldn't fabricate a story out of spite.

Yun Ruoshuang, feeling the weight of their stares, spoke softly without lifting her gaze, "Father, let's return home."

Her lack of denial implied that Ye Bufan hadn't lied, which left Yun Tianao without leverage to escalate the situation. With the Lin family lurking with intent, he conceded, "The Ye family owes me an explanation for this incident!" With that, he whisked Yun Ruoshuang away, vanishing into the forest.

Ye Jian, who had been prepared for a fight to the death, was astonished to see Ye Bufan persuade an irate Yun Tianao to depart. He inquired, "Was everything you just said the truth?"

"Yes, I have been unfilial, causing my father undue worry!" To save his own skin, he clung tightly to Yun Aotian's leg. Besides, Ye Bufan seemed to relish the sensation of Ye Jian's protection, a testament to fatherly love!

The ancestral temple of the Ye family doubled as the meeting room for its senior members.

Present were Ye Jian, Ye Long (the Great Elder of the Ye family), Ye Hu (the Second Elder), Ye Bao (the Third Elder), Ye Kuang, Ye Jin, Ye Ling, and of course, the man of the hour, Ye Bufan.

On this planet, women held a lower status and were excluded from participating in family councils. Naturally, Ye Bufan lacked the standing to attend as well, but since he was the catalyst for today's issues, the family elders needed to question him directly.

The three elders were Ye Jian's uncles and the pillars of the Ye family's martial strength in Cloud Peak City. The other three were his brothers.

Ye Bufan recounted the incident once more, carefully not omitting any detail that required alteration.

Within the Ye family ancestral temple, brows were furrowed in thought. After a moment of silence, Ye Jin spoke up first, "Bufan, you've been too impulsive with this situation. How could you involve Miss Yun... If the Yun family decides to hold us accountable, it's going to be troublesome."

Ye Jian's expression shifted subtly. This brother had always clashed with him, and now he was seizing the opportunity to criticize Ye Bufan. He interjected, "Bufan has already claimed he was set up. Dwelling on that is pointless now. We need to focus on resolving the current issue."

Ye Jin pressed on, "Ultimately, we owe the Yun family an explanation. Here's what we'll do: I'll accompany Bufan to the Yun family shortly, clarify the facts, and then address the issue with the Lin family."

"Go with you to the Yun family? I doubt I'd make it back," Ye Bufan thought with a sneer, unimpressed by such a transparently self-serving scheme.

As expected, Ye Jian responded, "Bufan has already laid out the situation to Yun Tianao. Regarding the Yun family's stance... we'll assess their reaction before proceeding." Ye Jian had only one son, Ye Bufan, and he'd stand by him against Yun Tianao if needed, let alone now.

Bufan's visit to the Yun family is merely a gesture of the Ye family's stance. If we turn a blind eye now, we'll undoubtedly push the Yun family into the arms of the Lin family. Should they ally, we'd be no match for them!" Ye Jin argued with conviction.

"Enough!" The three great elders, who had kept their eyes closed throughout the discussion, now showed signs of impatience. The Great Elder, clearly fed up with the debate, declared, "I'll take Bufan to the Yun family and clarify this issue."

Ye Jian, despite being the head of the Ye family, knew that the real authority lay with the three great elders. He didn't dare contradict the Great Elder, especially since he trusted that the elder could smoothly extract Ye Bufan from the City Lord's Mansion. "Don't just stand there; thank your great-grandfather," he urged. "Go freshen up, change your clothes, and come back quickly."

Trusting the Great Elder, Ye Jian still needed time to prepare for any potential fallout. It would be a real headache if Yun Tianao, in a moment of rage, decided to detain Ye Bufan.

Ye Bufan, relieved to be excused from the ancestral temple and the weighty presence of the elders, made his way back to his room. The servant had already drawn a bath for him. He slipped into the tub with a sigh of relief.

"Ah, this is perfect!" The water was just the right temperature, and petals scattered across the surface released a light, soothing fragrance that eased away his weariness.

As Ye Bufan settled in, he began to inspect his newly acquired body. But as he glanced down, something caught his eye and left him frozen in shock. Just below his navel, nestled in his dantian, was an odd pattern—a black bead adorned with chaotic stripes. Ye Bufan was certain this mark hadn't been on this body originally, for he recognized the pattern.

Back in the Cultivation World, Ye Bufan had once selflessly aided a fellow cultivator in distress. As a token of thanks, that cultivator had given him a mysterious black bead. At the time, Ye Bufan found the bead peculiar but didn't discern its true nature. After storing it in his ring, he never took it out again, and over time, the bead's existence faded from his memory.

At that moment, the design etched above his Dantian mirrored the pattern on the bead perfectly, suggesting that the black light shield safeguarding him had been conjured by the bead itself...