Chapter 187: Is This Enough?

"Soldiers of the Dingyuan Army also gossip behind people's backs, huh? Is the Dingyuan Army always like this, or truly not as it was in the past?"

The voice, like a lotus weeping dew, was also cold as frost; pleasant yet pressuring.

The crowd followed the sound and saw a figure in white, who at some point had stood before the Yingbi (Shadow Wall) (Shadow Wall) (Shadow Wall) of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, and from afar offered them a faint smile.

When they saw the newcomer's appearance, Ye Huanhuan's complexion instantly darkened, a trace of ferocity flashing in her eyes. The soldiers of the Old Dingyuan Units each wore expressions of surprise.

As for Zhou Meng and Li Qing, their gazes were startled and inquisitive.

"Who are you?!"

Zhou Meng was stunned for a few seconds, then couldn't help to question.

Ye Qingran gave no reply, her steps light as a lotus, and walked toward the center of the open Training Ground.

As she approached, her stunning visage became ever clearer, dazzling. Her dignified aura left all the soldiers gaping.

"I am the Ye Qingran you have been gossiping about."

With those words, every soldier of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was shocked.

The woman before them, more radiant than Ye Huanhuan, is that useless daughter of General Yun, Ye Qingran?

Is this for real?!

Something flashed quickly in Li Qing's eyes.

Zhou Meng's expression changed.

Ye Qingran stood firm before the crowd, her gaze wandering over the soldiers of the Old Dingyuan Units.

"Ye Qingran, what are you doing here?" Zhou Meng's eyes on Ye Qingran were full of hostility.

"As long as you are soldiers of the Dingyuan Army, I, Ye Qingran, am your young master, am I right?"

Her tone was leisurely, neither humble nor arrogant, bearing a general's bearing, truly leaving the nearly two hundred Old Dingyuan Units soldiers stunned on the spot.

After a while, Li Qing calmly replied, "Indeed, as long as the Dingyuan Army exists for a day, you are our young master."

If it were a regular army, Ye Qingran would not have such a status. But the Dingyuan Army is different; the former emperor granted them special privileges. Therefore, as the Dingyuan General's Daughter, Ye Qingran is unquestionably the young master of the Dingyuan Army.

Ye Qingran lightly nodded, then shifted her gaze to Zhou Meng, eyes flashing like lightning, and said, "Then, Zhou Meng, what did you just call me?"

Zhou Meng, a bit at a loss, met her gaze; for a moment he felt his heart startled.

But thinking of the woman before him as merely a beautiful but useless waste, he instantly felt contempt.

"Apologies, young master, I called you incorrectly earlier." Zhou Meng didn't lower his head, and his tone gave no hint of admitting fault, as if he didn't even regard Ye Qingran, the young master of the Dingyuan Army, at all.

"One miscall and you try to cover up your flagrant disregard for law? As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower will be bent; with a commander like you in the Dingyuan Army, its demise is not far off."

Ye Qingran said lightly, seemingly unaware that her words instantly ignited the anger of the Old Dingyuan Units' soldiers.

The soldiers, displeased, looked at her one after another.

"Ye Qingran, what right do you have to say that?!" Zhou Meng roared angrily, his tone full of anger and deep contempt.

A waste, how dare you look down on our illustrious Dingyuan Army?

"Just because I am your Dingyuan Army's young master, is that enough?"

"Young master? Ye Qingran, you insignificant waste, still daring to claim to be our Dingyuan Army's young master? If not for General Yun's face, would we call you young master? Let me tell you, to us you are nothing!"

"Is that so? Based on what you just said, I have the right to execute you."

Zhou Meng was extremely disdainful.

Indeed a flower grown in a greenhouse, naive and laughable; how could such a talentless waste even think of executing Zhou Meng?

Foolish!

Ye Huanhuan observed Ye Qingran's recent words and actions, thinking her utterly foolish. The Dingyuan Army already harbored resentment toward her, yet she absurdly uttered those thoughtless words, offending every Dingyuan Army soldier!

"Sister, please spare Commander Zhou this time! These years he hasn't had it easy. They originally held hope for you, but… I believe his words were just a momentary outburst; his heart isn't truly like that. So, sister, could you, for my sake, let Commander Zhou off this once?"

Ye Huanhuan bit her lower lip, eyes pleading.

Commander Zhou looked at Ye Huanhuan, his heart moved. He thought that Ye Huanhuan not only possessed outstanding ability but also cared for subordinates; such a person is worthy to become a new commander of their Dingyuan Army!

Looking again at Ye Qingran, her lofty, power‑wielding demeanor filled him with extreme disgust.

"Miss Ye, you need not plead for me; just because of her, you want to execute me? She doesn't even look at what she is!"

"Commander Zhou, you are overstepping!"

A shout of anger rang from outside the main gate, and before the sound faded, a clear figure appeared before everyone.

The person had a handsome face, sword‑like eyebrows, starry eyes, a firm jawline, an extraordinary bearing. Dressed in white brighter than snow, he wore the familiar attire of a Xuan Yuan Sword Sect disciple.

"Young Master Ye?!" Li Qing was the first to recognize Ye Li, a rare excited joy flashing on his face.

As Yun Sui Feng's adopted son, Ye Li left a deep impression on the Dingyuan Army. This general's adopted son, gifted and clever, taught by the War God since childhood, his temperament bears a hint of iron‑blood; years of marching forged his resilient character.

If it weren't because he is not the general's biological son and stubbornly refuses to become the Dingyuan Army's leader, today's dispute would not have arisen.

Ye Li?

Ye Qingran raised an eyebrow.

"A Ran, sorry, I'm late!"

Ye Li ignored everyone, walked straight to Ye Qingran, his eyes flowing with deep tenderness.

"Young Master Ye, you speak heavily," Ye Qingran said, neither salty nor bland, neither cold nor affectionate. She felt little for this older brother, even though he had previously helped her.

Ye Li's body tensed, a flash of loss crossing his eyes.

Although he had long anticipated that her attitude toward him wouldn't be good, when he met those cold eyes and heard her indifferent words, his heart involuntarily ached.

"Young Master Ye, listen, is this her attitude toward you?"