Chapter 199: Ye Qingxian Escapes Death by a Hair's Breadth and Begs Mr. Ning for Refuge!

"What?"

*Swish! * Liu Qingmei was instantly astonished, a thick trace of joy flowing through her eyes as she stood up in a flash, staring at An Xiaoxi in disbelief.

"Are you certain it is Ye Qingxian of the Ye Family from Cangjian Villa?"

"Where is she?"

"How did she find this place?"

Suddenly.

Liu Qingmei was filled with pleasant surprise, asking several questions in a row.

But soon, she realized something, and a trace of regret and pity could not help but flash across her eyes.

Ye Qingxian was a member of the Ye Family.

Yet she had come to the door at such a time; one could imagine that some major event must have occurred within the Ye Family.

"Replying to Madam, Qigu is currently at the stronghold gate, and she appears to have suffered heavy injuries," An Xiaoxi replied.

She did not answer Liu Qingmei's questions one by one.

But this single sentence answered them all.

Hesitating for a moment, An Xiaoxi looked at Ning Mu with a bit of trepidation in her eyes, then continued: "Qigu said she was unsure if Madam would welcome her, so she is waiting at the gate; if, if... she will leave after a quarter of an hour."

An Xiaoxi was once a Disciple of Cangjian Villa, though she was more loyal to Liu Qingmei.

But seeing a member of the Ye Family appear here now, she naturally felt a sense of kinship.

This had nothing to do with her loyalty to Ning Mu.

Human emotions are, after all, multi-threaded and complex.

To be completely single-threaded would not be human, but a puppet.

Ye Qingxian's implication was clearly that she worried her rash arrival would affect the relationship between Liu Qingmei and Ning Mu.

She was even worried that Ning Mu would not tolerate her.

That was why she had reached the gate but stopped, only letting An Xiaoxi come to report, and setting a limit of a quarter of an hour.

She was once a heaven-gifted talent of the Ye Family, the trump card hidden beneath the surface of Cangjian Villa.

She naturally possessed her own pride.

Hearing the words relayed by An Xiaoxi, Liu Qingmei was startled, then immediately understood the reason, and hesitated as she cast her gaze toward Ning Mu.

She knew what Ye Qingxian was worried about.

She also understood that since she had followed Ning Mu, even if Ning Mu had once come from the Ye Family, he now had irreconcilable conflicts with them.

Ye Qingxian was, after all, a member of the Ye Family; it was hard to guarantee that Ning Mu would not have some resentment.

Therefore, despite her heart being joyful at Ye Qingxian's initiative to visit.

She still waited for Ning Mu to make the decision.

After all, while Ye Qingxian's arrival was indeed a joy.

Her husband's situation and safety were even more important!

If she had to make a choice between the two, Liu Qingmei would choose her husband without hesitation, draw a clear line with Ye Qingxian, and would not even regret becoming enemies.

"Let's go, guests are guests; Xiao Xi, lead the way."

Ning Mu immediately instructed An Xiaoxi.

"Yes, Stronghold Master!"

An Xiaoxi's expression instantly turned joyful; after cupping her hands in a salute, she turned and left in high spirits.

Once An Xiaoxi had left.

Ning Mu finally pulled himself away from Ning Xiaoxiu's mouth.

"Husband, thank you!"

Liu Qingmei's expression flowed with gratitude and relief, her eyes filled with tenderness and affection.

She personally helped Ning Mu dress.

"Why say such things between us?" Ning Mu laughed.

Liu Qingmei pursed her lips, then smiled beautifully.

She understood her husband's heart.

That was enough.

There was no need to say too much.

Soon.

Ning Mu led a group including Liu Qingmei, Tong Yuyue, and Liuli Shitai to the main stronghold gate.

Inside the vestibule under the gate.

Two guards were holding torches, their eyes filled with curiosity as they secretly sized up this uninvited guest who was as beautiful as a fairy.

The Stronghold Master is truly too amazing! He has so many beautiful, flower-like madams and maids treasured in the back courtyard, and now another peerless beauty has come to the door to offer her service.

"Stronghold Master!"

Just as they were thinking this, the arrival of Ning Mu's group immediately made the two guards' expressions solemn, and they straightened their backs significantly.

"Qigu!"

Meeting again, Liu Qingmei called out directly.

Ye Qingxian, who had been sitting quietly under the vestibule waiting, looking as refined and otherworldly as a fairy, turned her gaze to look at Ning Mu's group.

Hearing Liu Qingmei's call, a rare trace of color drifted into her deathly still eyes.

But immediately after, she nodded slightly and then looked at Ning Mu.

Rising and walking forward slowly, she stood before Ning Mu, bowed slightly in a light salute, and then said in an ethereal voice: "Mr. Ning, the entire Ye Family has been wiped out, and I, Qingxian, have escaped death by a hair's breadth; I have come specifically to seek refuge, and I beg Mr. Ning to take me in."

An ethereal yet hoarse voice calmly uttered a shocking statement.

It instantly left everyone present looking horrified.

Aside from Liuli Shitai, those who came to welcome Ye Qingxian all had, to a greater or lesser extent, significant ties to Cangjian Villa.

Especially Liu Qingmei.

Yet her expression was very calm, as if she had long anticipated that this day would come.

She glanced at Ning Mu, then slowly walked toward Ye Qingxian, pressed her hand on her shoulder, and was about to speak.

But Ye Qingxian's brows furrowed imperceptibly, her cold and glamorous face turned a shade paler, and a touch of sorrow caused by pain rose within her dead, tranquil eyes.

Liu Qingmei hurriedly let go and asked with concern, "Qigu, are you injured?"

"A minor injury, it is of no consequence."

Ye Qingxian nodded calmly, looking at Liu Qingmei, her dead eyes finally filled with a hint of grief.

"Since you have come, then stay; my husband is not a petty person."

Liu Qingmei took Ye Qingxian's hand, looked back at Ning Mu, her eyes filled with intense attachment.

Hearing these words, Ye Qingxian could not help but feel a bitter smile and sorrow rise in her heart.

She actually called him husband.

This form of address used to belong only to her own brother.

Now, however, it had been replaced by this man who was nearly twenty years her junior.

Sigh.

Ridiculous and pathetic.

Only, what was ridiculous and pathetic was not Liu Qingmei, but the Ye Family for bringing this upon themselves.

"Many thanks!"

Ye Qingxian nodded lightly, revealing a very stiff trace of gratitude, her expression remaining as dead as before.

Clearly.

The destruction of the Ye Family was undoubtedly a massive blow to her.

"Why say such things? It's too formal. Let's go eat first, then tend to your wounds. Sister Xiangling, I'll trouble you to take a look at Qigu's injuries later."

Liu Qingmei said with a smile, then turned her head to look at Liuli Shitai standing to the side.

In front of outsiders, Liu Qingmei still gave Liuli enough respect by using her secular name.

Liuli nodded and said, "Very well."

The group headed toward the back courtyard of the main hall and ate a hasty meal.

Liu Qingmei then settled Ye Qingxian in the back courtyard, finding a room for her.

Liuli also entered to take her pulse and diagnose her.

It would have been fine if she hadn't taken the pulse, but the moment she touched her wrist, Liuli's expression changed violently.

"Benefactor Ye has great endurance; to have held on until now with such severe injuries!"

Liuli could not help but remark.

"What is it?" Liu Qingmei asked hurriedly.

Ning Mu, standing at the doorway, was also startled upon hearing this.

If even Liuli Shitai said it was serious, then Ye Qingxian's injuries must truly be grave!

"Very heavy. Only a few strands of internal energy remain, and almost all of her internal organs are damaged. She is relying entirely on that last bit of Original Qi to sustain herself. If not for this breath, I fear Benefactor Ye would have already passed away."

Liuli let go of Ye Qingxian's hand and settled her on the couch.

"Husband, please turn around; I will check her external injuries!"

Ning Mu immediately turned his back, but still urged, "Shitai, you must find a way; preserving her life is the priority!"

"No! Many thanks to Stronghold Master Ning and the Divine Nun for your kindness, but Qingxian cannot lose her Cultivation Points. Qingxian bears a blood feud; if I cannot exact revenge, a body without its roots living in this world is no different from a living corpse!"

Ye Qingxian, who had just lain down, suddenly had her expression change drastically. She hurriedly forced herself to sit up, and a rare trace of pleading appeared in the eyes she turned toward Liuli.

Martial artists are their own doctors.

Ye Qingxian understood how severe her injuries were; she was bound to lose her cultivation.

Therefore, she could only request someone with even greater medical skills to stabilize her injuries and preserve her cultivation.

She had originally intended to go to Wanhua Valley alone to beg the Wanhua Valley Master, Dongfang Wenting, for help. Wanhua Valley was a major medical sect, and it was rumored that the Valley Master Dongfang Wenting could reattach severed limbs and recreate the heavens and earth.

But Wanhua Valley was located in the heart of the Zhou Kingdom, and with her heavy injuries, she could not reach it.

She could only first seek refuge at Ningyang Stronghold.

After all, there was still a Divine Nun at Ningyang Stronghold, and although the Divine Nun's medical skills were not as good as the Wanhua Valley Master's, she still had a great reputation in the Jianghu.

"Rest assured!"

Liuli hurriedly reached out, signaling for Ye Qingxian to lie down.

If it were the Liuli of the past, facing Ye Qingxian's injuries, it might have been tricky to both preserve her life and ensure her cultivation was not lost.

But now, she wouldn't say she had a hundred percent certainty, but she had over ninety percent certainty that she could achieve the goal.

Seeing the stability and composure in Liuli's eyes, Ye Qingxian finally felt a little more at ease and complied by lying down.

And Ning Mu, standing at the doorway, felt a stir in his heart.

He immediately issued a task to Liuli.

【Task Two: Save Ye Qingxian.】

【Task Details: Spend 800 Heroic Couple Points to purchase one 'Bodhi Huiyuan Pill' from the System Black Market's medicinal category to treat Ye Qingxian's injuries. Note: The effect of this pill is extremely powerful and can even reshape one's foundation. It must be dissolved and cooked with the medicinal catalyst 'Black Jade Broken-Bone Powder', and taken in small amounts over multiple doses. If taken all at once, it may cause a massive accumulation of Original Qi, leading to stagnant cultivation or even death by explosion!】

【Task Completion: Reward 2000 Cultivation Points, 200 Heroic Couple Points, and the additional title of 'Medical Saint'!】

【Medical Saint: After using this title, you can become the person with the most profound medical skills under the constraints of heaven and earth in this world.】

Ye Qingxian's external injuries were also not to be underestimated.

Her shoulder had been pierced through by a sword, and she also had wounds on her lower abdomen, thighs, and back.

With both internal and external injuries, being able to hold on until now was simply a miracle.

Liuli could not help but sigh.

When she saw the system mission appear, she could not help but feel a slight joy.

Immediately.

She spent 800 Xia Lu points in the Black Market without hesitation to purchase the Bodhi Huiyuan Pill.

"She will recover after a month of quiet recuperation; I will go boil the medicine."

Liuli said this, then got up and went out the door.

Black Jade Broken-Bone Powder was common, as it was a standard medicine for injuries in the martial arts world, and the Mountain Stronghold's medicine storehouse had a reserve, so it was not difficult to obtain.

After Liuli left, Liu Qingmei immediately sat on the edge of the couch and asked with concern: "Qigu, what exactly happened? How did it come to this?"

"Sister-in-law... Sister Liu, don't call me Qigu anymore; the Ye Family is gone."

Ye Qingxian could not help but reveal a bitter smile.

The term "sister-in-law" had slipped out subconsciously, but she immediately realized that Liu Qingmei was no longer her sister-in-law, but Ning Mu's wife.

This horse-tending servant... she did not know what kind of ability he had.

To actually be able to build up such a large family business, making so many stunning beauties flock to him and willingly submit to him.

Ye Qingxian glanced at Ning Mu with a bit of a guilty conscience.

Afterwards, she and Liu Qingmei laid out the Ye Family's encounter in full.

As it turned out.

Ever since the day Liu Qingmei and Ning Mu had illicit relations in Ye Bufan's room.

Ye Bufan, who was already suffering from unhealed severe injuries, woke up, but he had completely lost his vitality; after forcing himself to hold on for several days, he passed away.

And at that time, Ye Qingxian was also severely injured.

Without Liu Qingmei, the Ye Family was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, only able to let the Fengmo Sword Sect and Lieyang Sect continuously erode them.

The decline of the Ye Family was visible to the naked eye, like water flowing east, never to return.

Until six or seven days ago.

The Lieyang Sect and Fengmo Sword Sect took advantage of the night to launch a sneak attack, slaughtering the entire Ye Family, not even sparing the livestock.

And the disciples of Cangjian Villa had also long since been divided and disintegrated by the Fengmo Sword Sect and Lieyang Sect through various means during that past period.

By the time of that man-made disaster a few days ago, there were only a dozen or so disciples left at Cangjian Villa.

All of them died under the butcher knives of the Lieyang Sect and Fengmo Sword Sect.

Several Clan Elders died in a pool of blood in order to protect their clansmen.

A large number of Ye Family members, like stray dogs, had their heads chopped off one by one by the butcher knives of the Lieyang Sect and Fengmo Sword Sect.

Ye Qingxian fought with all her might, but the situation was already lost; facing the joint siege of the Fengmo Sword Sect's master and disciple, Li Qingxiao and Li Yuzhao, with the Lieyang Sect Grandmaster martial artist Liang Zhengang watching from the sidelines, she was ultimately unable to fight off so many opponents and could only escape alone.

The entire Ye Family manor fell into a deathly silence.

A large number of crows, wild beasts, and flies circled above the Ye Family manor, feeding when they were hungry.

She did not even have the chance to collect the bodies.

And the entire Jinshui Town also declined significantly during this disaster.

A large number of people related to the Ye Family were all wiped out.

The once-flourishing Cangjian Villa and the renowned Ye Family now had no living souls left, except for Ye Qingxian.

It was as if they had never appeared in this world at all.

Ye Qingxian recounted all of this with a calm expression.

There was not the slightest ripple in her eyes; they remained deathly still, just like the deathly silence she saw when she hid in a corner of the Ye Family manor the day after she escaped.

Although her face was pale, she did not have many emotions.

Clearly.

She was not cold and heartless, but had suppressed this bone-deep hatred in the bottom of her heart.

Until the day of revenge, it was impossible for her to let go of this breath.

And once this breath was released, she might become like withered grass and trees, instantly losing her spirit and vitality.

The entire clan was wiped out.

This kind of deep hatred was not something an ordinary person could bear.

Ning Mu could not help but let out a deep breath, gazing sympathetically at the expressionless Ye Qingxian.

If it were himself, he feared he would not be able to bear it either.

Yet Ye Qingxian had managed to do it.

This woman was remarkable!

A sense of cherishing could not help but rise in Ning Mu's heart.

(End of this chapter)