Chapter 41: Luo Wan’er’s Life Hangs by a Thread, Ye Yang’s Killing Intent

“So that’s how it is.”

A few minutes later, Ye Yang used his divine sense to cast a soul-reading technique on Zhao Ling’er, accessing her memories and uncovering the reason she exchanged for the Rejuvenation Pill. The pill was intended for Luo Wan’er.

Indeed, this Luo Wan’er was the same person Ye Yang had recently learned possessed a top-tier special physique, the Heavenly Charm Body. Perhaps due to some mysterious affinity among those with top-tier physiques, Luo Wan’er, Zhao Ling’er, and Sheng Minglan—three individuals with top-tier physiques in the entertainment industry—were extremely close friends. The fact that Zhao Ling’er was willing to spend Kunlun Points to exchange for a Rejuvenation Pill for Luo Wan’er demonstrated the depth of their bond.

As Ye Yang delved further, he quickly discovered why Luo Wan’er needed the Rejuvenation Pill. Upon learning the reason, his eyes darkened, and a trace of menace flashed across his face.

Luo Wan’er was currently in critical condition, on the verge of death, beyond the help of both traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The person responsible for her dire state was a man named Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan came from a family with a millennia-long legacy, much like the Yao family. While the Yao family was renowned for its medical expertise, the Zhou family was known for its scholarly tradition. Before the world’s background shifted, the Zhou family’s status was second only to the imperial family in Great Xia. Scholars across the land revered the Zhou family’s ancestor, Zhou Zi, as a sage.

Nearly all officials in Great Xia regarded the Zhou family as the orthodox embodiment of Confucian principles. In the eyes of some staunch scholars, the Zhou family’s words carried more weight than the imperial family’s decrees.

However, after Great Xia entered the technological era, everything underwent a revival. The imperial family spearheaded a literacy campaign, implementing nine years of compulsory education to ensure everyone had access to learning. To prevent new generations of scholars from blindly venerating the Zhou family, this campaign was directly led by the imperial family. As a result, the Zhou family’s status was no longer what it once was.

Nevertheless, a lean camel was still bigger than a horse. The most elite scholars in the world still benefited from the Zhou family’s influence. Since the pinnacle of scholarly achievement often led to official positions, many officials maintained good relations with the Zhou family. Of course, this “good relation” was just that—cordial ties. If both the imperial family and the Zhou family issued orders, only a small minority of officials would remain loyal to the Zhou family, while the majority would obey the imperial family. Even so, this small group of loyalists ensured the Zhou family’s continued prominence. Among the top-tier prominent families, the Zhou family still ranked in the top five, wielding immense power.

Zhou Yan was the only son of the current Zhou family head, Zhou Hongyu, and the heir to the family. Luo Wan’er’s life-threatening condition was a result of Zhou Yan’s coercion. For a long time, Zhou Yan had coveted Luo Wan’er’s beauty, desiring to take her as his wife or concubine. However, because Luo Wan’er was close friends with Zhao Ling’er and Sheng Minglan, both from top-tier prominent families, Zhou Yan didn’t dare to force her too aggressively. Instead, he resorted to persistent pursuit, relentlessly pestering her.

Even on Earth, where spiritual energy was scarce, those with top-tier special physiques were proud and ambitious, refusing to compromise for anyone they didn’t like. Luo Wan’er felt nothing but disgust for Zhou Yan’s relentless advances, completely unmoved by his efforts.

Previously, Zhou Yan had restrained himself to avoid offending Zhao Ling’er and Sheng Minglan’s families. But recently, Zhou Hongyu, the Zhou family head, fell critically ill for unknown reasons. Though he was eventually saved, his days were numbered. He urgently summoned Zhou Yan back to begin transferring power to ensure a smooth transition to the family head position before his death.

With the transfer of power, Zhou Yan’s authority grew significantly, bolstering his confidence. In the past, he had been cautious due to Zhao Ling’er and Sheng Minglan’s backgrounds. But now, wielding immense power and soon to become the head of the Zhou family, he no longer feared offending them. After all, Zhao Ling’er and Sheng Minglan were merely members of their families. As women, they were unlikely to inherit leadership roles, unlike Zhou Yan, who would soon control the entire Zhou family. In his eyes, their status was no longer on the same level.

Emboldened, Zhou Yan began using his family’s influence to pressure Luo Wan’er into becoming his woman. For an ordinary person, such pressure might have led to submission, especially since Zhou Yan promised her the status of a legitimate wife. But Luo Wan’er, with her top-tier special physique and lofty aspirations, refused to yield. In the end, she chose to break rather than bend.

She consumed a special poison from the Yao family, turning herself into poison carrier. Anyone who touched her skin would be infected with the toxin. Because of this, Zhou Yan eventually backed off. However, the poison had seeped into her bones, and she grew weaker by the day. Now, the toxin was on the verge of reaching her heart. Once it did, she would die instantly.

Zhao Ling’er exchanged for the Rejuvenation Pill after receiving a call from Sheng Minglan, who had rushed to Luo Wan’er’s side. Sheng Minglan informed her of Luo Wan’er’s situation, and to save her friend’s life, Zhao Ling’er exchanged for the pill capable of curing all ailments.

“The Zhou family? Zhou Yan?”

After learning the full story, a cold glint flashed in Ye Yang’s eyes. In his mind, ever since he decided to cultivate the Heaven and Earth Yin-Yang Record, those with special physiques on Earth were already considered his women. Anyone who dared to touch them was stealing from him. And stealing his women had only one outcome: death.

If this had happened when he first obtained the Kunlun Mirror, Ye Yang might not have been so ruthless. After years as a law-abiding citizen, killing was a distant concept. But after entering the cultivation world, his hands were stained with blood. Earning his apprenticeship in the Tianhuang Sect wasn’t a peaceful journey—it was paved with bloodshed. With his experiences in the cultivation world, killing was no longer a significant matter to him.

“Hm?”

As Ye Yang contemplated how to deal with Zhou Yan, he noticed through his divine sense that Zhao Ling’er received another call. It was from Sheng Minglan again. Hearing the contents of the call, Ye Yang’s killing intent intensified.

Sheng Minglan had learned that Zhou Yan had somehow acquired a drug that rendered him immune to the toxin in Luo Wan’er’s body. He was now on his way to continue what he hadn’t finished, determined to fulfill his long-held desire to claim Luo Wan’er, even if she was poisoned.