My Secret Cultivator Spouse Is the Demon Lord - Chapter 5

Xu Xianqing didn’t struggle. She knew she’d be captured by the Ye family sooner or later, so she had already thought everything through on her way back.

What she hadn’t anticipated was He Fuhui’s death. At most, her out of control spiritual energy had forced him back with her flimsy level of cultivation, how could she have possibly killed him?

Was he truly dead?

Xu Xianqing had no idea, but she had no way to defend herself either. Today, Ye Qingfeng ruled the Ye family with an iron fist; even if she tried to explain, what good would it do?

She just hadn’t expected Miss Ye to step up and speak on her behalf.

“Miss Ye!” Xu Xianqing called out in a panic, terrified that Ye Ming would push Ye Qingfeng too far.

They were already in dire straits. Ye Ming couldn’t afford any more trouble.

Seeing Xu Xianqing’s anxious expression, Ye Qingfeng grinned with amused interest. He turned back to Ye Ming and chuckled. “Well, dear niece, I must say…I didn’t expect you to keep such a devoted soul by your side.”

“Uncle,” Ye Ming said evenly. “Release her. What you want… I will give it to you.”

The moment those words left her mouth, the smile vanished from Ye Qingfeng’s face. He snapped his hand, motioning for everyone to clear out. Xu Xianqing was dragged away with the rest.

Once they were alone, Ye Qingfeng stepped up to Ye Ming’s bedside, all pretense of affability gone.

He stared down at her. “The Ye Family Genealogy and the Ancient Compendium of Pharmacology… they really are in your hands.”

Ye Ming let out a soft, faint laugh. “When my father was still alive, I was the designated heir to the Ye family. Is it so surprising that these two treasures were given to me?”

“Hand them over! Now!” Ye Qingfeng demanded, his voice tight.

For as long as he could remember, he had hated his father’s blatant favoritism. He was the eldest son, yet his father showered his younger brother with every premium cultivation resource available. If Ye Qingfeng hadn’t accumulated so much pill-toxin in his body during his youth, would he still be stuck at the late Golden Core stage today?

And to add insult to injury, his younger brother’s only daughter was already catching up to him in cultivation. How was he supposed to command respect as an elder in the Ye family?

Who didn’t harbor ambition? Who didn’t dream of reaching the pinnacle? No matter how high a cultivator climbed, they all shared the same deep craving to become the absolute strongest. Especially in a world where power dictated everything.

“I can give them to you,” Ye Ming said quietly. “After all, holding onto them now is useless to me. But Uncle, isn’t your impatience getting the better of you? Even if I’m nursed with the finest care, I have at most three to five years left to live. Why push me into a corner like this? At the end of the day, we still share the same blood.”

Ye Qingfeng’s heart stirred slightly. What she said was true. He had laid low for so many years; waiting a little longer wouldn’t hurt. Yet, the Heavens were fickle, and circumstances could change in a heartbeat. Who knew if Ye Ming might stumble upon some unexpected miracle and make a comeback?

Besides, that was only part of the reason. The bigger issue was that he had waited far too long so long that his own physical condition was hardly better than hers.

“It’s been nearly three hundred years! I can’t wait any longer!”

Ye Qingfeng was only at the late Golden Core stage. The maximum lifespan for a Golden Core cultivator was three hundred years, though heavily relying on longevity pills could stretch it to around five hundred.

However, he had consumed so many pills over the years that toxic residues had saturated his body. He couldn’t take any more without risking immediate backfires. If he kept waiting, it was a toss-up as to who would bite the dust first… him or Ye Ming.

“Don’t lose your temper, Uncle. I never said I wouldn’t give them to you.” Ye Ming leaned back against her headboard and drew out the Ye Family Genealogy.

Ye Qingfeng lunged forward and snatched it greedily. As he frantically flipped through the pages, he barked, “Now give me the Ancient Compendium of Pharmacology!”

“The genealogy comes first,” Ye Ming said slowly. “With this, your succession as the patriarch will be legitimate. You can secure the backing of the two Nascent Soul Elders and gain access to the Ye family’s forbidden grounds. The spiritual grounds there can cleanse the pill-toxins in your body, opening the path for you to charge toward the Nascent Soul realm.”

That was precisely Ye Qingfeng’s ultimate goal. Otherwise, why would he bother exiling the legitimate heiress of the Ye family to a desolate dump like this? He had simply wanted to crush her spirit and force her to face harsh reality.

“And the Compendium?” Ye Qingfeng stashed the genealogy into his robes. “Hand it over!”

“I will,” Ye Ming replied. “On three conditions.”

Before she could finish, a violent coughing fit wracked her body.

Ye Qingfeng quickly poured a cup of water and shoved it toward her. “Speak, speak! As long as you hand over the compendium, forget three…thirty or three hundred conditions wouldn’t be a problem! When all is said and done, we are both of the Ye clan. Now that you are… incapacitated, someone has to inherit the family. I am your uncle by blood; I would never bring harm upon the Ye family.”

“Indeed,” Ye Ming murmured softly. “And I no longer have any other leverage to rely on.”

Her blunt remark made Ye Qingfeng’s face twitch. He opened his mouth, ready to spin a web of sweet lies to coax the girl, but the words caught in his throat.

“You need not say anything more, Uncle,” Ye Ming said, taking a small sip of water. “My three requests are quite simple. First: Xu Xianqing bound her soul to mine and has shown me great kindness. When I pass, I ask that you allow her to leave safely.”

“I only targeted her earlier to break your pride,” Ye Qingfeng shrugged off easily. “If you really pass away, the Ye family can certainly afford to feed an extra mouth.”

Ye Ming shook her head gently. There were things she didn’t care to explain, nor was there any need to. She simply pressed on with absolute resolve: “I need your word, Uncle.”

“Fine. I agree. What are the other two?”

Ye Ming paused to catch her breath. Watching her struggle, Ye Qingfeng grew restless and urged her again.

“Second,” Ye Ming continued, “the Ye family is currently facing a shortage of rising talent, and our guest elders’ terms are almost up…they will leave by next month. By then, only the Ancestor will be left to safeguard our clan. With new talents rising all across Solitary City, I ask that you strictly restrain our younger disciples in the future and keep a low profile.”

In the past, the Ye family had only one Grandmaster at the Soul Formation stage. Yet a single Soul Formation cultivator was worth a dozen Nascent Soul powerhouses, which was why the Ye family held an unshakable status in Solitary City despite having few Nascent Soul elders.

Now, her father had fallen. The Ye family was surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves, waiting for a chance to strike. Exposing themselves now would be foolish; the only wise move was to lay low and nurture the younger generation.

Yet, knowing her uncle’s temperament, she doubted he would listen. He was desperate to make a grand splash…how could a man like him understand the wisdom of patience and restraint?

“The Ye family is the premier clan in Solitary City! Cowering like dogs…what kind of image would that project?” Ye Qingfeng sneered, clearly displeased. He was already planning to lead the young disciples to the Solitary City Rising Stars Tournament right after the internal family trials. Once the Ye youth swept the top spots, the clan’s glory would be instantly restored.

Seeing his expression, Ye Ming refrained from pressing the matter. Advice was wasted on a man like him. She could only pray that the clan wouldn’t fall into ruin under his watch.

Noticing Ye Ming’s unwavering stare, Ye Qingfeng gave a vague nod. “Fine, fine, I promise. What is the third condition?”

“Third…” Ye Ming took another shuddering breath. “After I die, give me a grand, dignified burial. Be sure to invite my father’s close friends from his lifetime.”

She broke into another violent coughing spell. This time, she tried to cover her mouth with a silk handkerchief, but blood soaked through it instantly, staining her pale fingers crimson.

A momentary pang of pity flickered in Ye Qingfeng’s heart, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

“Alright, say no more! I grant them all! Now, give me the Compendium!”

Ye Ming shook her head slowly. “I am willing to give it to you because you carry Ye blood. But I do not trust your word. You must swear an Oath of the Inner Demon. If you break even one of these conditions, you will be plagued by heart-demons, and your cultivation will never advance another inch.”

Ye Qingfeng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“What?” Ye Ming looked at him coldly. “Can you not do it? Or were all your promises just empty words to deceive me?”

Ye Qingfeng frowned, carefully mulling it over in his mind. Swearing to those three conditions didn’t actually seem too terrible.

The first condition was easy enough. The Ye family had no reason to waste effort tormenting a mere lingering in-law, let alone simply letting her walk away.

The third condition was something he would have done anyway. Ye Ming was, after all, the true eldest daughter of the direct lineage. Though her cultivation was broken, she had once brought immense glory to the clan. Out of respect, duty, and public image, a grand funeral was expected.

As for the second condition… restricting the disciples was tricky, but he could work around it. He asked, “You mentioned restraining the disciples…how strict are we talking?”

Suddenly, Ye Ming reached out and grabbed his wrist. Her grip was terrifyingly strong…hardly that of a dying woman.

An involuntary chill ran down Ye Qingfeng’s spine.

Ye Ming fixed her gaze on him, speaking word by word: “The Ye clan shall strictly uphold the ancestral rules. Any violator… shall be severely punished. Any favoritism… shall be met with death.”

She coughed again, her chest heaving. “Can you… agree to this?”

Ye Qingfeng had lived for nearly three hundred years and considered himself a seasoned veteran who had weathered countless storms. He never imagined he would be intimidated by a dying young girl.

Yet, the piercing look in her eyes was the spitting image of his late brother’s.

Ye Qingfeng swallowed hard and nodded. “If I become the patriarch, I will uphold the family rules. This, I can promise you.”

“Good.”

All the strength drained from Ye Ming’s body at once. She slumped back against the bed, closing her eyes as she felt her life force slipping away at an alarming rate.

Ye Qingfeng immediately sat cross-legged on the floor, raising his hands to invoke the Heavens. As he uttered the solemn words of the oath, storm clouds gathered overhead, followed by the deep rumble of thunder and flashes of lightning.

“The Oath of the Inner Demon is sealed!” Ye Qingfeng stood up, extending an eager hand toward her. “Can you give it to me now?”

Ye Ming produced an ancient manuscript from her robes.

Ye Qingfeng snatched it, eagerly flipping through the pages, but his brow instantly furrowed into a tight knot. “Why is there only half? Where is the other half?!”

“I only have this half,” Ye Ming whispered faintly. “This half contains the ancestral poison formulas. The other half contains the medical remedies. My father carried the remedy half with him when he went searching for a cure for me…”

“You truly don’t have it?”

“Uncle… a dying person has no reason to speak false words. Besides, you have already bound yourself to an Inner Demon Oath…why would I risk deceiving you?”

Her breathing grew shallow, her chest barely rising.

“I only ask for one last kindness, Uncle…” Ye Ming rasped softly. “Send my wife back to my side to wait with me. That way… she can watch me take my last breath… and find peace… in her heart.”

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