With three supreme masters, they were invincible upon descending the mountain.

Following the address given by Third Master Lin, Ye Yaocheng arrived at one of the Lin family's manors.

It has to be said that the Lin family truly deserves to be called the local tyrants who have dominated Linjiang for hundreds of years. Just this one manor alone covers a vast area.

Ye Yaocheng stood in front of the iron fence surrounding the manor and looked up.

It is indeed magnificent, with a continuous stretch of Chinese-style buildings with blue bricks and gray tiles, deep courtyards, and lush trees. The main gate alone is eight meters wide, with two majestic stone lions.

Four security guards were standing at the entrance.

These are no ordinary security guards in a residential community. They all have sharp eyes and stand tall, clearly martial artists in the Qi Refining stage.

The fact that a Qi Refining stage martial artist could guard their gate shows that the Lin family truly deserves the title of "Linjiang's Local Tyrant."

Ye Yaocheng stroked his chin and decided that he shouldn't go in through the main entrance.

Otherwise, it might cause conflict, which would be very troublesome.

Master Lin entrusted him with the care of Lin Qingxue, so he needed to figure out the situation first.

It's always a good thing to keep a low profile.

Ye Yaocheng walked along the manor wall for several dozen meters and found a blind spot in the surveillance cameras.

The wall is three meters high, and there is an electric fence on top.

But for Ye Yaocheng, this was no different from crossing a threshold.

He looked around to make sure no one was there, then lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure floated up like a falling leaf, silently crossing the wall and landing on the lawn inside the manor.

It landed silently.

Ye Yaocheng crouched down and observed his surroundings.

The interior of the manor is larger than the exterior, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and flowing water, all laid out in a sophisticated manner, clearly designed by a master.

He recalled the location map that Third Master Lin had given him.

Lin Qingxue's residence should be in the "Qinghe Courtyard" on the west side.

Ye Yaocheng got up and moved through the garden like a ghost.

Avoiding patrolling security guards and bypassing several inhabited courtyards, he stopped in front of an exquisite two-story building ten minutes later.

A plaque hangs in front of the building: Qinghe Courtyard.

Just as Ye Yaocheng was about to push open the door, he heard voices coming from inside the room.

He paused, then slipped to the side and moved to the window.

Inside the room, Lin Qingxue sat in front of the dressing table, her back to the door.

She wore a plain white dress today, her long hair was simply tied up, she had no makeup on, and her eyes were a little red, obviously she had been crying.

Standing in front of her was an old woman with white hair.

The old woman was wearing a dark gray cheongsam, her hair was neatly combed, and she was leaning on a sandalwood cane. Her face was deeply wrinkled, but her eyes were bright, and she looked at people with a condescending scrutiny.

"Miss, what's your decision?"

The old woman spoke, her voice hoarse, "Master is pressing you hard, and this old servant has no choice. Besides, that gentleman misses you dearly, so please don't let his good intentions go to waste."

She paused, then said in a seemingly sincere tone, "This way, it's better for everyone."

Lin Qingxue didn't turn around. She stared at her pale face in the mirror, her eyes filled with coldness.

"Go back and tell Lin Ruhai." She spoke each word slowly and deliberately, her voice calm but filled with hatred: "Make him give up on that idea. I will not marry him."

Lin Ruhai is Lin Qingxue's father and the current head of the Lin family.

The old woman sighed and shook her head, saying, "Miss, why bother? The patriarch is critically ill, and the chances of him being cured are slim. Under these circumstances, no one in the family is willing to bear the wrath of the patriarch."

She spoke earnestly, as if advising a naive child: "Give up the resistance. If things get out of control, you'll be the one who suffers."

The old woman lowered her head, and a hint of disdain flashed in her eyes.

The look in his eyes was subtle, but Lin Qingxue still caught it.

She whirled around, staring at the old woman: "Are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare." The old woman bowed slightly, her posture respectful, but her tone was barbed.

"Just a reminder, Miss, you know the master better than this old servant. You should know what he will do. Don't blame this old servant for not reminding you in advance when the time comes."

She straightened up and lowered her voice: "The patriarch said that all of this is for the sake of the family."

"As long as we can get on the good side of that person and gain his support, even if the Lin family goes to the provincial capital, we can still rise to the top!"

"For the sake of the family... it's all worth it."

Lin Qingxue clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

She fought back tears, her voice trembling, "Did he ever think about me?"

"You want me to marry him as a concubine?!"

"Is this something a father would do?!"

The last sentence was almost shouted out.

The old woman was expressionless. She looked at Lin Qingxue with the same gaze she would give a commodity waiting to be sold.

"Miss, this is your fate."

She turned around, walked to the door, put her hand on the doorknob, and looked back one last time.

Lin Qingxue remained standing in the same spot, her back ramrod straight, but her shoulders were trembling slightly.

"Miss, some things are beyond our control."

The old woman said calmly, "Everything is preordained, it was all in the dark, there's no escaping it."

After saying that, she opened the door and went out.

The door closed.

The room was deathly silent.

"Bang!!!"

Lin Qingxue grabbed a vase from the dressing table and smashed it hard on the ground!

Porcelain shards scattered everywhere.

Still not satisfied, she grabbed the rouge box, jewelry box, mirror... and smashed everything she could!

The crackling and popping sound continued for several minutes.

She only stopped when the room was a complete mess, her chest heaving violently.

Then, she slowly squatted down and curled up in the corner.

He buried his head in his knees, and his shoulders began to tremble.

Suppressed sobs escaped from her throat.

It started out small, then slowly grew bigger, and finally turned into a desperate sob.

She cried very hard, as if she wanted to cry out all her grievances, resentment, and anger.

At this moment, Qinghe Courtyard felt like an isolated island, and she felt so helpless and powerless.

I cried for who knows how long, until my tears ran dry, my voice became hoarse, and all that was left was sobbing.

Lin Qingxue raised her head, looking at the mess on the ground, her eyes vacant.

Just then, a male voice suddenly came from the direction of the window.

"Miss Lin, calm down. It won't look good if you keep crying."

Lin Qingxue froze!

She turned her head sharply and looked out the window.

The curtains swayed slightly.

The next second, the window was pushed open from the outside.

A figure lightly leaped in.

It landed silently.

Ye Yaocheng straightened up, patted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, then looked up and gave Lin Qingxue a gentle smile.

Lin Qingxue's eyes widened, her face still streaked with tears.

"You...Young Master Ye?!"

Ye Yaocheng walked up to her, squatted down, and lowered himself to her eye level.

"I heard everything you just said."

His voice was soft, and his smile was warm. "So...Miss Lin, would you like my help?"

Lin Qingxue stared at him blankly.

It took her several seconds to react. She hurriedly wiped away her tears and tried to stand up, but her legs went weak.

"Be careful." Ye Yaocheng reached out to support her.

His hands were steady, and warmth emanated from his sleeves.

Lin Qingxue blushed, quickly steadied herself, took a step back, and created some distance.

"Young Master Ye, what...how did you get here? And...how did you get in?"

"Climb over the wall," Ye Yaocheng said matter-of-factly. "The main gate is too troublesome. As for why we came here..."

He took out a small jade bottle from his pocket and handed it over: "The youth-preserving pill I promised you is ready. While you're at it, come and see how the person Third Master Lin asked me to take care of is doing."

Lin Qingxue took the jade bottle, her fingers trembling slightly.

She uncorked the bottle.

A refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted out, making one feel comfortable all over. At the bottom of the bottle, a bright green pill lay quietly, with three golden lines flowing on its surface.

Premium anti-aging pill.

It's really done!

"Thanks……"

Her voice was low, and her eyes were red again.

But this time it wasn't feeling wronged, it was feeling moved.

In all her life, besides her grandfather, he was only the second man to care about her so much.

Ye Yaocheng looked at her and sighed.

"Who is this 'that esteemed person' that the old woman just mentioned?"

Lin Qingxue's body trembled.

She bit her lip and remained silent for a long while before speaking in a low voice: "The provincial capital, the Zhao family."

"Zhao Tianlin".

She closed her eyes, her voice bitter: "The third young master of the Zhao family, thirty years old, mid-Foundation Establishment stage, already has three concubines, and I am... the fourth."

Ye Yaocheng's eyes turned cold.

Force his own daughter to become someone's fourth concubine?

This Lin Ruhai is truly a "good father".

"What are the specifics of your grandfather's illness?" He changed the subject.

"I don't know..."

Lin Qingxue shook her head, tears falling again: "She suddenly fell into a coma half a month ago. We consulted many famous doctors, but none of them could find the cause. Now she's just hanging on by a thread."

She grabbed Ye Yaocheng's sleeve as if it were a lifeline: "Young Master Ye, can...can you save my grandfather?"

"I've heard your medical skills are amazing. If you can cure Grandpa, Father won't force me to marry, and those people in the family won't either..."

She didn't finish speaking, but Ye Yaocheng understood.

Old Master Lin was the pillar of the Lin family. When he fell, the internal balance of the Lin family was broken, and Lin Qingxue, a direct descendant with "average talent", naturally became the sacrifice.

"Take me to see it."

Ye Yaocheng stood up: "Whether it can be cured or not, we'll have to see for ourselves."