A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Two middle-aged men sat at the head of the main hall. The one on the left wore deep blue robes, a jade belt cinched at his waist. His features were sharp and masculine—this was Ye Feng’s father, Ye Tianying, an early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator.

At the moment, however, he wore a fawning smile.

Standing quietly behind him was a girl in a flowing light blue dress—Ye Qing’er. Her beautiful, delicate features were streaked with tears, her phoenix-like eyes lowered to the floor.

Ye Tianying raised a wine cup and smiled. “Brother Zeng, it’s not that we’re unwilling to deliver the goods. It’s just... I don’t know what happened with my suppliers. They’ve suddenly failed to deliver on time. Given how many years we’ve known each other, I ask for just two more days.”

The slightly plump man beside him appeared utterly at ease. He wore blue robes embroidered with a golden dragon. His nose was fat and garlic-shaped, his lips thick, and his eyes showed a scheming glint. He lounged with one leg crossed over the other, idly spinning a wine cup on the table without ever lifting it up.

This was Zeng Shuheng, patriarch of the Zeng family and head of a major medicinal herb business. He was a powerful cultivator at the mid Golden Core Realm.

“Old Ye... it’s not that I refuse to give you extra time... It’s that this batch of goods was supposed to be given to a major sect. You know how difficult it is to do business with sects. They only care about the results. I wouldn’t have agreed to the hundredfold penalty clause if I hadn’t taken this order seriously.

“And let’s not forget, this is a massive deal. If we weren’t on good terms, I wouldn’t have even asked you to take on half the supply. You know how much we stand to gain if this goes through.”

Zeng Shuheng paused there.

Cold sweat formed on Ye Tianying’s forehead. Of course, he knew the value of this order, but he didn’t have the inventory to fulfill it. And if he broke the contract and faced the penalty clause... the Ye family’s coffers would be emptied, and other business partners would follow suit, seeking to tear up their contracts. The Ye family would fall to rock bottom overnight.

Before Ye Tianying could reply, Zeng Shuheng continued, “Three days are left before the shipment’s due. My half is ready. As for your half, Old Ye, what should I do?”

Ye Tianying frowned. He had already lowered himself to beg Zheng Shuheng many times. However, Zeng Shuheng remained stubborn and even brought up the contract.

Suddenly, he saw someone rushing toward them from outside. Ye Tianying furrowed his brow. He looked at Ye Feng and asked, “When did you come back...? Wait! You’ve reached the Foundation Building Realm?”

There was a subtle flash of happiness in Ye Tianying’s eyes. He waved Ye Feng over. “Come and sit here.”

Ye Feng hesitated. His relationship with Ye Tianying had always been cold. In gatherings like this, he’d usually be left standing at the edge of the room. Yet, now, despite the tense atmosphere, his father was inviting him to sit beside him.

Li Guanqi appeared at the doorway.

Ye Feng said, “This is my friend.”

Ye Tianying nodded slightly and gestured for Li Guanqi to sit down. Ye Feng frowned but did not speak. They sat down, and Ye Feng gave Ye Qing’er a reassuring nod.

Zeng Shuheng’s eyes flashed viciously. “I can’t believe your third son has reached the Foundation Building Realm. Congratulations.”

Then, Zeng Shuheng got up and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, Ye Tianying slammed and shattered the wine cup on the table. The ingratiating look on his face had disappeared. He merely had a calm expression.

Zeng Shuheng turned around slowly and smirked coldly. “Smashing my cup? What do you mean by this?”

Ye Tianying also stood up and stared at Zeng Shuheng, then he burst into laughter. “You’ve made up your mind already. Why keep up the act? Zeng Shuheng, just say what you came here for. I’ve played the part of a groveling beggar long enough. Out with it—what does the Zeng family want?”

Zeng Shuheng’s cheek twitched. He glanced at the young girl behind Ye Feng and smiled. “Old Ye, why are you so angry? It’s just a small penalty fee. It’s easy to settle.”

Ye Tianying’s chest tightened. He knew Zeng Shuheng was up to no good.

As he expected, Zeng Shuheng smiled and said, “Qing’er will be turning fourteen this year, isn’t she? She’s all grown up now. She’ll suit my son Zeng Yuan well. Why don’t we arrange a marriage? A minor matter like this will become nothing once our families are united.”

Ye Tianying felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the smile on Zeng Shuheng’s face.

Ye Feng surged to his feet, his face flushed with fury. “In your dreams! Let me make this clear. Anyone can marry my sister—anyone but Zeng Yuan!”

His chest heaved as he struggled to contain his rage. He knew all too well what kind of person Zeng Yuan was. He was a spoiled, vicious degenerate who’d never accomplished a thing. Protected by his family name, he had raped peasant girls more than once. Few girls who entered the Zeng residence left it alive, and the ones who did were usually silenced with hush money.

So when the Daxia Sword Sect executed one of their outer sect disciples for raping a peasant girl, Ye Feng had rejoiced.

He had known Zeng Yuan since he was young. He knew that Zeng Yuan was a cold-blooded person with many perverted fetishes regarding women.

Zeng Shuheng let out a cold snort. A crushing wave of pressure descended on Ye Feng.

Boom!

The chair beneath Ye Feng exploded. He collapsed to the floor, pinned by an invisible force and unable to move.

Zeng Shuheng glared at him, grinning with malice. “How dare a mere Foundation Building kid yell at me? Ye Tianying, it seems you’ve failed to discipline your son. Shall I do it for you?”

Li Guanqi drew his sword. Vital force surged through his body, and there was a glint of killing intent in his eyes. All the muscles in his body tensed up, and the stone tile under his feet exploded.

He made several hand seals with his left hand and held his sword with his right hand.

Suddenly, the wind howled, and dark clouds swirled over the Ye residence. Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance.

Boom!

Another powerful presence flared. Ye Tianying stepped between them and raised a hand to stop Li Guanqi. Then he drew the sword at his waist and pointed it straight at Zeng Shuheng’s face.

With a smirk, he said, “Go ahead, try it. I call you ‘Brother Zeng’ out of courtesy, but now you think you’re the shit? You only broke through to the Golden Core Realm out of luck. Then, you received a thousand-year-old Liujia Purple Ginseng that boosted you to the mid Golden Core Realm. Without it, the Zeng family wouldn’t even be a major clan. To me, you’re nothing more than new money.”

Zeng Shuheng’s cheek twitched. He despised that label, “new money.” His eyes gleamed coldly.

“I’ve already laid out your options. In three days, either hand over the goods or pay the penalty, which I doubt the Ye family will ever recover from. Hmph!”

With a dramatic flick of his sleeve, Zeng Shuheng stormed out.

Li Guanqi put down his sword and helped Ye Feng up.

Ye Tianying took a long look at Li Guanqi. He turned to Ye Feng. “Feng’er, take Qing’er back and show your friend around the place. After that, come to my study.”

Ye Tianying gave Li Guanqi a faint smile. “Relax and make yourself at home.”

Li Guanqi gave a polite bow, but inwardly, he was surprised. This wasn’t the father Ye Feng had described. That killing intent when he drew his sword... Ye Tianying cared deeply for both Ye Feng and Ye Qing’er.

Ye Feng was also surprised. The man standing there was completely different from the father he remembered.