His voice was so gentle.
In its coolness, there lingered a hint of seduction.
If every utterance were like a celestial chant, why not caress and kiss the neck?
Such a melodious voice—one might almost imagine that a pair of hands were tracing the ear, caressing the neck, kissing the cheek…
His voice was your obsession.
But Yao was no ordinary woman. She had no natural fantasies about this man or his voice. All she felt was a chilling sensation.
A touch of cold.
Shing!
The afterimage fluttered like snowflakes. As she flipped mid-air, she felt a hand grasp the back collar of her cloak with pinpoint precision.
Riiip!
The outer robe tore with a crisp snap, and as it shredded, suspended in the air, Yao glimpsed below, where Xie Qingyan's body shifted, his robes morphing into a close-fitting form, releasing icy mist. He transformed into a gigantic, ice-clad serpent, spitting frost.
Yao felt the air around her suddenly turn freezing. She was trapped in a frostbite state, her movements slowing. In the instant she was ensnared, a frozen, serpentine creature coiled around her body, squeezing with such force that it threatened to snap her bones.
Boom!
Upon crashing to the ground, Yao was entangled in the serpent's unyielding grip, the crushing power nearly breaking her spine. Despite the intimate-looking embrace, it was deathly cold, as if she were at the very precipice of annihilation.
Xie Qingyan was far more powerful than anyone had anticipated.
Blue Xuan Yu? He was hardly his match.
Terrifying. Was this mimicry, or some genetic talent?
At that moment, a pair of figures stood, cold-eyed, watching from above and below. Neither intervened, but the one in the front lifted his foot, pressing it down on Xie An's head.
Kill Xie An, or let Xie Qingyan kill her?
Perhaps, in the blink of an eye, both lives would meet their respective fates.
Yet, Yao, choking on her blood, still managed to speak.
"Before I came, I made a new public announcement combining your genetic report with Dad's. It's set to auto-send to the media if I don't live long enough to enter the password. It will declare to the world that the eldest son of the Xie family isn't even of their bloodline."
"Either the Xie family will perish, or a new clan leader will arise, one worthy of leading the family's legacy. After all, the election of our Xie clan's lesser sect requires votes from the branch heads, and even the lowest branch gets one vote, doesn't it?"
"Dad's dying soon, and one of us will have to be clan leader. Are you happy now?"
In an instant, the cold, constricting serpent's power faltered, then intensified, threatening to end her life in a single squeeze.
Killing her, even if the news leaked, was a risk worth taking to protect that vote.
If they spared her, they risked being abandoned.
But Yao's body suddenly radiated a golden light, blocking the deadly grip.
The one who intervened was the red-robed figure. He raised a hand, and a golden light flickered from his fingertips, pulling Yao's life force back from the brink.
"Stop, wait."
He was a man of few words, and Xie Qingyan, ever the restrained one, did not dare to overstep.
She had won.
Yao, lying on the ground, tried to rise but was suddenly pressed back down by Xie Qingyan, who seized her wrist with brutal force.
She had never been so controlled by a man in her life, and the sensation was deeply uncomfortable, making her frown involuntarily.
"Don't move, my dear A'li."
"Brother is not happy right now."
Who could have imagined that the cool and elegant Xie Qingyan, like a gentleman, could harbor such cold venom in his words? Even his tone remained gentle, but the murderous intent was palpable.
Yao stared into his eyes and smiled. "Then you should look at Dad. He's crying, moved by the fact that we are half-brothers. Doesn't that make you happy, brother?"
Xie Qingyan turned to glance at Xie An, who, though weakened, was still hanging on to life. Upon learning the truth, his eyes were wide with shock, disbelief, and rage, but his injuries caused blood to spill from his eyelids.
It certainly looked like he was crying.
"Indeed… Father, don't just cry. Don't you have something to say?"
Xie An, not having his mouth covered, seethed with hatred. "Bastard, your mother betrayed me. I never expected… she would dare…"
Before he could utter another word, Xie Qingyan smiled softly. "She did once say, though, that while my birth father was only a minor guard, he was handsome, brave, and kind. But she never compared him to you, because how could she compare someone she loved with a dog?"
"You!!" Xie An spat blood in fury.
Yao added quietly, "No wonder you think brother and I don't look alike. I've been shortchanged."
Xie An spit more blood.
The two siblings' exchange was enough to drive Xie An to the brink of death, but his heart was a deep well of schemes. He soon regained his composure and coldly said, "Don't forget, I have people behind me. I was forced all those years ago. Tell Si Yi…"
He didn't get to finish before the red-robed man returned, raising a sharp fork that instantly pierced through Xie An's face, from left to right, impaling his tongue.
It was brutal and bloody.
Yao flinched, her gaze avoiding the gruesome scene, but Xie Qingyan remained impassive, staring quietly at the red-robed man.
The latter, holding a communicator, remained silent, but his gaze shifted to them both.
Yes, to both of them.
But his hand slowly lifted.
At that moment, Yao's palms grew clammy, and Xie Qingyan narrowed his eyes… he smiled faintly and pinched Yao's cheek. "Good brother, I'll make sure to repay today's kindness later."
Then, in an instant, he disappeared into the earth.
He fled.
The red-robed man calmly said, "Chase."
Two red-robed figures vanished into the ground, pursuing him swiftly.
Yao lost control but did not rise. Instead, she lay there, catching her breath, until the leader of the red-robed figures approached.
Looking down at her, he spoke coolly, "Still not leaving? Are you waiting to miss the exam?"
Yao immediately rolled over and sprang to her feet, not daring to look back as she ran.
As for Xie An, calling after her, she didn't even spare him a glance. Soon after, a flying vehicle took off from the forest, accelerating at full speed toward the city.
Xie An, seeing his most useful son leave without a word, felt a pain he had never known.
It wasn't because of their estrangement, nor was it regret over his treatment of his son. He was only regretful that he hadn't killed the two wretched bastards, skinning them alive when he had the chance!
But he didn't know then, and now it was too late.
The red-robed figures surrounded him, one softly speaking, "The master misses you, old brother."
Xie An froze, terror seeping deep into his soul. Determined, he tried to self-destruct, but… the light descended, and he was completely controlled.
The gates of hell were opening before him.
Meanwhile, on the airship, Yao's hand trembled as cold sweat dotted her forehead.
She had gambled correctly.
Knowing that Zhou Miao had the ability for revenge after learning the truth, but refraining from taking action and instead choosing to trap Xie An and his men in a copyworld trap, she realized that Zhou Miao had no intention of exposing the internal strife of the Xie family to the public.
But why?
The life of her brother, the fate of their bloodline, and her own honor and shame—this was a profound enmity, one that could only be healed by the ruin of the mastermind behind this plot.
Only by exposing his ugly face to the world could she truly heal her wounds.
Yet Zhou Miao had not done so.
Eighteen years… Anyone who could endure like this would have an extraordinary temperament. Such a person would either act with valor to right the wrongs once and for all, or they would bide their time and aim for something greater.
Lesser sect leader?
No, it wasn't just that.
Yao had always believed that Xie An alone couldn't have orchestrated the event that led to Xie Yao's death. There was someone else involved—a side branch member who had close ties to Xie Yao.
That person had likely received significant resources, thanks to Xie Yao's protection. Yet when Xie Yao died, he was left alone to face the world.
Any such heavy loss within the Xie family would warrant scrutiny. Even if Xie An tried to hide it,
the incident would lead to the downfall of a small side branch member.
The culprit behind Xie Yao's death had to be someone from the main branch—someone who had threatened the election for the clan leader. They had to die.
Killing Xie An and eradicating Xie Qingyan was not true revenge. It was only the first step. To truly avenge her brother, she would need a higher position.
To overthrow the higher-ups, one would need a greater position to crush the enemy.
Once she became the lesser sect leader, no one in the Xie family could stop her.
But why had the mastermind left Xie An alive?
A power-hungry ruler would always kill to cover up their secrets.
Yet, Xie An was left alive—because his line had the vote.
Yao checked the data, and sure enough, the Xie family had a rule for voting in the election for clan leader. Many ancient aristocratic families had similar systems.
A bloodline that could vote, connected by generations.
Since Xie An still had value, his life was spared. But his position could not be wasted. They needed to place someone new in his stead.
Xie Qingyan had once been Zhou Miao's chosen candidate.
Yao had to make her move now, or else she might end up like Xie An.
She had only one chance to strike.
If she didn't, even if she fled, it would be too late.
Xie An didn't fear death—he was simply calculating his odds of survival.
As for her… she was in nearly the same position.
In the end, Yao made her fateful decision.