CHAPTER 276: CHAPTER 271: HEROINE AND DEMONESS

"Ye Qiu, my dear sister." Yin Shaochen was also surprised to see Ye Qiu. He had not expected that the little junior sister who had been aloof and quite spoiled back then had turned into such a beautiful young lady by now. However, he already had Zhaoyue, so all he could do was apologize to sister Ye Qiu.

"Brother Yin." Ye Qiu nodded to Yin Shaochen calmly, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

Seeing this, Yin Shaochen let out a sigh of relief. It was good that junior sister Ye Qiu didn’t like him, otherwise, he really wouldn’t know what to do.

"Junior sister Ye Qiu, let me introduce you, this is Zhaoyue, she is a bit older than you, just call her sister Zhaoyue." Yin Shaochen said smilingly to Ye Qiu, and then turned to Leng Zhaoyue, "Zhaoyue, this is the junior sister Ye Qiu I’ve told you about."

"Nice to meet you." Ye Qiu once again nodded to Leng Zhaoyue calmly, as if she hadn’t noticed the murderous intent just before.

With many people around and murmuring, Yin Shaochen had to hold back, and naturally Leng Zhaoyue couldn’t seek revenge on Ye Qiu. She replied indifferently as well: "Nice to meet you."

Yin Shaochen felt that something was not quite right, but couldn’t pinpoint what the problem was, so he stepped in between them and said with a smile, "Now that we have picked up junior sister Ye Qiu, let’s head back to the manor!"

"Is she the one you love?" As the three walked on the street, Ye Qiu suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Yin Shaochen quickly glanced at the cold-faced Leng Zhaoyue and, seeing that her expression hadn’t changed at all, he then apologized to Ye Qiu, "I’m sorry, junior sister Ye Qiu, I know it was wrong of me to invite you to Chongjian Manor, but the one I love is Zhaoyue, I cannot delay you."

"So, Chongjian Manor wrote to us to break off the engagement?" Ye Qiu’s face turned cold.

Yin Shaochen was greatly startled; could junior sister Ye Qiu really like him? Otherwise, why would her reaction be so strong?

Meanwhile, the coldness from Leng Zhaoyue became even more intense. Although she had intentionally approached Yin Shaochen and didn’t particularly like him, she still didn’t want something that was hers to become someone else’s, especially when that someone else was an enemy of their Holy Sect!

"Junior sister Ye Qiu, I know it’s wrong for me to have a betrothal and fall in love with Zhaoyue, but when we were engaged as children, we were both very young, and we’ve only met once over these many years, so it’s hardly to say there was any real emotion between us. Emotion can’t be forced, junior sister. I love Zhaoyue, so about the two of us..." Yin Shaochen hesitated, fearing both a misunderstanding from Leng Zhaoyue and hurting Ye Qiu’s feelings.

"Who said I was forcing you? Yin Shaochen, don’t you think you’re being a bit too conceited?" Ye Qiu said disdainfully, finding even a glance at him hurt her eyes.

"But your expression just now... junior sister Ye Qiu, since you agree to break off the engagement, then that’s great." Yin Shaochen breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes full of gratitude as he looked at Ye Qiu, and then he exchanged a passionate look with Leng Zhaoyue. In this way, no one could stop them from being together.

"I will make things clear when I see Uncle Yin and Aunt Lin." Ye Qiu regained her expressionless facade, looking unapproachable. Of course, she would make things clear, asking them how Chongjian Manor could be so presumptuous? How could they, having broken a promise, still require the other party to visit? They were truly not taking Medicine Valley seriously.

This was Ye Qiu’s second visit to Chongjian Manor. Its gate looked even more grand than it had eight years ago. Yin Tianhe was nowhere to be seen, but Lin Shuanghua was waiting at the entrance.

She first joyfully took Ye Qiu’s hand, expressing her feelings of longing, then inquired about the wellbeing of Ye Chongtian and Ye Lingxian over the years, without giving Yin Shaochen a single glance. After confirming that everything was fine, she then looked at Ye Qiu with an apologetic expression.

And Ye Qiu finally saw Yin Tianhe sitting upright in the hall, waiting. He still looked very majestic, the very image of a martial arts expert who was also upright and honorable.

"Hello, Uncle Yin." Even though her heart was filled with rage, Ye Qiu maintained perfect etiquette on the surface.

Yin Tianhe nodded in satisfaction. This was the daughter-in-law he approved of, from a family with a strong background, and she was also polite and sensible. She was leagues better than the orphan girl his son fancied.

Standing beside them, Leng Zhao Yue sneered inwardly at the sight. Contempt for her background? Her Holy Sect was far more powerful than these sanctimonious warriors of the Central Plains Martial World! Once their Holy Sect became the supreme ruler of the Central Plains, these people would know how formidable she was!

"Please take a seat, Ye Qiu," Lin Shuanghua said with a smile, then turned to a couple standing at the side and said, "You two, please sit as well."

Uncle Yin addressed Ye Qiu, "The reason we asked you to come is due to..." He trailed off, unable to continue in the face of Ye Qiu’s pure and untainted gaze. Sighing helplessly and with shame, he then turned his angry glare toward Yin Shaochen.

Who was this performance for? Ye Qiu sneered inwardly, her expression unchanged and unengaged.

The words stuck in Yin Tianhe’s throat, and he couldn’t say them out loud. He scowled, although it was unclear for whom.

With no other choice, Lin Shuanghua had to continue, "Qiu’er, it is we at Chongjian Manor who have wronged you. Shaochen...," She paused and then forced herself to say, "Shaochen has already taken a liking to someone else, Miss Leng Zhao Yue here. Qiu’er, Aunt Lin is here to apologize to you. The marriage between you and Shaochen likely has to be annulled."

"I already know." Ye Qiu looked at Yin Tianhe and Lin Shuanghua with composure, "Although Brother Shaochen and I were betrothed, we didn’t grow up together. It’s normal for Brother Shaochen to like someone else. To be honest, I don’t have much affection for Brother Shaochen either."

Relief washed over everyone in the room upon hearing what Ye Qiu said.

However, Ye Qiu continued, "What I don’t understand is, since it was Brother Shaochen who fell for someone else first, since it is Chongjian Manor that wants to call off the engagement, why didn’t you go to Medicine Valley to explain clearly to my parents? Why make me come all the way to Yunzhou City?"

In the breathless silence of the room, Ye Qiu interrogated sharply, "Uncle Yin, Aunt Lin, am I, Ye Qiu, not deserving of your respect? Do you not hold my Medicine Valley in any regard? If you had made it clear that you wanted me to come here to discuss the annulment of the engagement, I would not have come and embarrassed myself."

"Qiu’er, it’s not like that," Lin Shuanghua said anxiously, "That’s not what we meant. Your father and Uncle Yin are sworn brothers. How could we not respect you?"

"But your actions have already trampled the dignity of Medicine Valley underfoot," said Ye Qiu, her face cold with anger as she looked at the family.

"It’s all because of your damned stupidity!" Yin Tianhe suddenly burst out, striking Yin Shaochen with his palm and knocking him to the ground. Yin Shaochen’s face turned pale, and he spit out a mouthful of blood, as if he had suffered a serious internal injury.

"Today, I will kill you, this scourge!" Yin Tianhe’s face flushed red with rage, as if determined to make Yin Shaochen pay with his life.