Chapter 743: Aunt Ye Ling

When the coarse-robed swordsman spoke, Nalan Jia tightly held Ye Guan's hand and smiled. Ye Guan felt a bit speechless, realizing his mistake. As the two before him had pointed out, faith could indeed be a powerful motivator. Used well, it was a driving force; used poorly, it could lead one astray.

It was great that these swordsmen came here to train. After all, they revered the Sword Master, and this place had once been his residence. Only true believers could understand that feeling.

At that moment, the gates of the Ye Residence swung open, and the nearby swordsmen quickly stepped back. The Ye Clan now held a high status and significant power within Guanxuan Academy.

Soon, an elder emerged from within. Seeing Ye Guan stunned him, but he eventually knelt.

"Greetings, Academy Master!" he exclaimed.

The scene shocked everyone present. Why was a member of the Ye Clan kneeling?

Ye Guan was just as surprised. "Do you know me?"

The elder, his voice trembling, replied, "Years ago, when you visited the Ye Residence, I had the honor of seeing you."

"I see. Please rise."

With a gentle lift of Ye Guan's right hand, a soft Sword Intent helped the elder to his feet. The elder then hurriedly ran back inside. Shortly after, Ye Lin, the current head of the Ye Clan, led a group of clan members out to greet them.

At the entrance, Ye Lin and the others knelt.

"Welcome, Academy Master," they said in unison.

In the distance, the swordsmen at the gate looked dumbfounded. Academy Master? The man before them was Ye Guan, the current headmaster of Guanjian Academy?

The white-robed and coarse-robed swordsmen, who were beside Ye Guan, looked even more stunned.

He's Academy Master Ye Guan? No way!

Ye Guan smiled. "No need for such formalities. Let's go inside and talk."

He noticed that more and more people were gathering outside.

"Please, come in," Ye Lin quickly responded.

Ye Guan nodded, then led Nalan Jia into the Ye Residence. Once Ye Guan, Nalan Jia, and the Ye Clan members had gone inside, the white-robed swordsman trembled. "That... that was the Academy Mater..."

The coarse-robed swordsman, still in a daze, nodded. The white-robed swordsman plopped to the ground, cold sweat pouring down his face. "We actually met the Academy Master of Guanxuan Academy..."

The coarse-robed swordsman also found it unreal. Ye Guan was legendary to them! Not only had they met him, but they even spoke with him. This was a story they could boast about for a lifetime...

...

Inside the Ye Residence.

Ye Guan and Nalan Jia occupied the main seats. Afterward, Ye Guan invited Ye Lin to sit, but Ye Lin refused, leaving him with no choice but to let him stay standing. After taking a sip of tea, Ye Guan asked, "Is Zhuxin not around?"

"She's currently in the Xiaoguan Universe," Ye Lin replied with a smile.

"At the main academy?"

"Yes."

"Why haven’t I seen her there?"

Nalan Jia rolled her eyes at him. "You barely stay a moment whenever you return. How could you possibly see her?"

Ye Guan laughed awkwardly. It was true; each time he returned, it was only for a brief visit. He hardly had any time with Nalan Jia, let alone others.

Ye Guan looked at Ye Lin and smiled. He opened his hand and sent a storage ring toward Ye Lin.

"Academy Master, this..." Ye Lin trailed off.

"The Ye Clan once gifted me swords and helped me greatly. I haven't forgotten about that. Consider that a small token of my appreciation. Please don’t refuse my goodwill."

After hesitating for a moment, Ye Lin finally accepted the ring. "Thank you, Academy Master."

"I’d like to visit the courtyard where my father used to live."

"I’ll take you there!" Ye Lin promptly responded.

Ye Guan nodded. He and Nalan Jia stood up and followed Ye Lin.

"About those swordsmen outside..." Ye Guan inquired.

Ye Lin sighed. "We tried to persuade them kindly at first, but it didn’t work. Eventually, we realized we had no choice but to let them be. Many swordsmen want to enter the courtyard where the Sword Master once lived, but we’ve been denying them entry."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. He glanced back, then opened his hand, causing a wisp of Sword Intent to appear on the street in front of the Ye Residence. At the same time, his voice echoed through the street. "That is my Sword Intent. I hope it benefits you."

Ye Guan understood why they were doing this. Without the opportunity to join the Guanxuan Academy, there were very few paths for swordsmen to improve their skills. Meeting them today, he felt compelled to leave them with a gift.

As his Sword Intent manifested, the swordsmen at the gate became ecstatic. They knew that he had just given them an invaluable opportunity.

Inside the Ye Residence, Ye Lin sighed and smiled. With Ye Guan’s gesture, more swordsmen would surely flock to Qingcheng, but this was also a good thing. Qingcheng had thrived over the years, largely due to the legacy of the Sword Master. Its development had been astonishing, surpassing even some cities in the Xiaoguan Universe in terms of prosperity. As a result, many talented individuals emerged from Qingcheng.

Upon reaching the courtyard where the Sword Master once lived, Ye Lin quietly stepped back. Ye Guan and Nalan Jia then entered the courtyard. Ye Guan’s expression filled with complex emotions as he looked around.

His talk with Little Pagoda previously had taught him much about his father’s life. He knew that his father had been poorly treated by the Ye Clan, almost losing his life because of them. Nevertheless, his father did not seek revenge on them. On the contrary, he no longer had any feelings left for them—not even love or hatred.

Ye Guan and Nalan Jia walked into a room, where he found two small clay figurines he had seen before—one of his father, and the other of Aunt Ye Ling.

Just as Ye Guan reached out to touch the figurines, a voice suddenly called out to them.

"Hey!"

Turning around, he found Ye Ling standing behind him.

Ye Guan smiled. "Aunt Ye Ling!"

Ye Ling smiled back. "You don’t blame me for not revealing your true identity to you last time, do you?"

Ye Guan shook his head with a smile. "How could I?"

Ye Ling smiled and then looked at Nalan Jia. "You have a very beautiful wife."

Nalan Jia smiled softly. "Thank you."

"What brings you here?" Ye Ling asked.

"We came to visit my father and to see you, Auntie."

Ye Ling sat down and smiled. "Your father doesn't like coming back here much, but I still love this place. We spent over ten years here together, and all our best memories are from here."

"Are you still waiting for him?"

Ye Ling blinked. "Didn't he tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"If he hasn't said anything, then it's not my place to tell."

Ye Guan looked confused.

"You'll find out in time." Ye Ling chuckled. Afterward, she walked over to Nalan Jia and gently touched her belly. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Nalan Jia whispered something in Ye Ling's ear, making her laugh.

Ye Guan was speechless. He could easily find out the baby's gender himself but had chosen not to. After all, he would love the baby no matter the gender.

Ye Ling looked at Ye Guan. "I heard you want to establish a new order?"

"That's right."

"Your father had the same idea once, but he realized he wasn't suited for it, so he passed the task on to you..." She sighed softly. "Creating a new order is no easy feat."

Ye Guan nodded. "I've come to learn that. Still, I'll do my best."

"Good luck."

"Where are you living now?"

The Ye Ling before him was just a projection; he couldn't discern her true location, which surprised him. With his current strength, he should have been able to see through such things.

"I’m in a place far, far from here," replied Ye Ling. Before Ye Guan could ask her about the specifics, she added, "Anyway, I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I must go."

She handed a box to Nalan Jia. "This is for your baby. I'll visit you again when I have time."

Right after, Ye Ling vanished.

Ye Guan shook his head and smiled. "Aunt Ling is much more cheerful than before."

Curious, Nalan Jia opened the box. As soon as she did, a pleasant melody played, and a small figure danced gracefully inside. It was enchanting.

Seeing this, Ye Guan and Nalan Jia exchanged smiles.

The couple spent a bit more time in the room before leaving. As they exited, Ye Guan glanced back at the courtyard and murmured, "I wonder if Father will ever come back to visit..."

...