Chapter 159 Discovering a Peculiar Estate

Ye Sheng himself had no idea that he was the reincarnation of the primordial patriarch of the Ye family.

He possessed no memories of his past life whatsoever.

He merely assumed that his father simply favored him greatly, which was why the position of the future clan head had been reserved for him so early on.

Hearing Ye Sheng ask such a question, Ye Hanyou was instantly struck by a conflicting sense of being lectured by both his own ancestor and his own son.

With his brows furrowed in a tangled knot, he glanced briefly at Ye Sheng.

Then, turning back to the Feng family members, he said, "This quantity is indeed out of the question. According to the ancestral precepts of the Ye family, no more than ten grade-five bloodline pills may be refined in a single year, let alone grade-eight bloodline pills. Feng Yougeng, there is truly no need for us to continue this discussion."

"Is your Ye family truly uninterested in the Shennong Cauldron? It was through sheer difficulty that I managed to acquire this clue."

Feng Yougeng was merely a collateral branch member of the Feng family in the ethereal Profound Realm, holding virtually no status there a thousand years ago.

Later on, having encountered some fortuitous opportunity, he began to consistently unearth intelligence that proved immensely useful to the various major clans.

By now, he had risen to become a prominent and influential figure within the ethereal Profound Realm.

Living quite a prosperous and successful life.

Hearing Feng Yougeng mention the Shennong Cauldron, Ye Hanyou was indeed swayed.

To an alchemist, the temptation of the Shennong Cauldron was simply too overwhelming.

That cauldron originated from the dawn of primordial times, having condensed the spiritual medicinal essence of tens of millions of years. It could be used to refine peerless miraculous medicines that ordinary people could never hope to create, and it was rumored to conceal a powerful artifact spirit capable of overawing all things within creation.

"Do you... truly possess news regarding the Shennong Cauldron?" Ye Hanyou finally hesitated.

On one side was the immensely tempting Shennong Cauldron, while on the other was the ancestral precept that must not be violated.

Feng Yougeng smiled triumphantly, seeing from Ye Hanyou's expression that he had largely taken the bait.

"Among the useful intelligence I have provided to the various major clans over all these years, has any single piece ever proven false?"

Ye Hanyou glanced at Ye Qian, who clearly also appeared somewhat stirred.

Clenching his fists, he seemed to be enduring something with great restraint.

Ye Sheng frowned in perplexity. Could his own father be so utterly devoid of principles?

It was merely an item of legend.

"Doesn't legend say that the Shennong Cauldron refuses to acknowledge masters and cannot be moved? Even if we know where it is, it wouldn't be of any use, right?"

With a single sentence, Ye Sheng shattered the hopes and expectations of both Ye Hanyou and Ye Qian.

"..."

Once again, Ye Hanyou cast a complex look at Ye Sheng.

This felt precisely like the primordial patriarch dropping hints for him: could one truly violate the ancestral precepts merely for the sake of the Shennong Cauldron?

Shaking his head, Ye Hanyou's expression underwent a complete transformation.

All anticipation and excitement vanished, leaving behind only resolute indifference and coldness.

"Our Ye family is powerless to assist. Apologies, but Ye Wen, show our guests out."

Ye Wen, the chief steward of the Ye family who had originally been standing behind Ye Hanyou, bowed respectfully upon hearing the command and stepped before Feng Yougeng, making a polite gesture of guidance.

"Hmph." Feng Yougeng rose to his feet with a displeased look. "You'll regret missing this opportunity, as this shop closes its doors once passed. I only hope the Clan Head will not live to regret this."

Ye Sheng rolled his eyes in secret, muttering under his breath, "His bloodline isn't much to speak of, yet his airs are certainly grand."

Though muttered quietly, who among those present possessed anything less than sharp ears and clear eyes?

Naturally, these words were heard clearly by Feng Yougeng just as he stepped across the threshold of the main hall.

Feng Yougeng whipped his head around and glared fiercely at Ye Sheng.

His complexion turned even more unsightly.

Wearing a sinister expression, he strode swiftly out of the Ye estate.

Ye Hanyou looked helplessly at Ye Sheng.

"Sheng'er, have I perhaps spoiled you far too much?"

Ye Sheng spread his hands with an indifferent shrug. "I merely spoke the truth."

Gazing at Ye Sheng with doting affection, Ye Qian also smiled helplessly.

Looking out in the direction where Feng Yougeng had departed, Ye Sheng dangled his short legs and lapsed into a daze.

As if suddenly recalling something, he leaped down from his chair and bolted outside without even a word of farewell.

"..."

Before Ye Hanyou could even react, Ye Sheng had already darted out through the main gates of the Ye residence.

"Look at him, rushing about in such a fluster. He grows more and more devoid of propriety."

Offering a perfunctory smile, Ye Qian steered the conversation elsewhere.

"If we could truly locate that Shennong Cauldron, we could refine the Netherfire Soul-Returning Pill and gather back Mother's dispersed soul fragments."

Ye Hanyou sighed. "Yet we cannot breach the ancestral precepts. The ancestral precepts are not merely rules set down to restrict us; they are also meant for our own protection. Refining those bloodline pills requires the alchemist's very heart's blood as a catalytic guide. The higher the grade of the pill, the greater the quantity of blood required. To refine too many would deplete one's own vitality, and besides, the two of us are the only ones capable of crafting those bloodline pills."

"I know..."

Ye Qian's gaze dimmed, filled with a deep, lingering unwillingness.

Meanwhile, Ye Sheng, having bolted out of the Ye residence, was currently scouring the bustling streets for a glimpse of Feng Yougeng.

"This old fellow sure has nimble legs. He vanished in the blink of an eye??"

Unfurling his spiritual sense, Ye Sheng began to search meticulously.

At long last, he detected Feng Yougeng's figure near the corner of a narrow alleyway.

Hastily retracting his spiritual sense, Ye Sheng gave chase.

Casting a wary glance behind him, Feng Yougeng cautiously unlocked the heavy doors of a dilapidated, abandoned courtyard.

A weathered, rotting plaque hung crookedly above the entrance, looking as though it might come crashing down at any moment.

Inside the compound, weeds grew in wild, overgrown abundance.

Some of the brush had grown so tall that it spilled out over the outer walls.

The longer Ye Sheng looked, the more suspicious he became. "Coming to a rundown place like this, he's definitely not up to any good."

Yet he dared not push forward to follow too closely; after all, given Feng Yougeng's advanced age and genuine cultivation base, it would be all too easy for him to be discovered.

Fortunately, Feng Yougeng did not linger inside for long, emerging again after barely a quarter of an hour.

With great caution, he latched the heavy gates securely before finally departing.

Once Feng Yougeng had gone a safe distance away, Ye Sheng cautiously slipped into the abandoned courtyard.

Stepping inside, he was met with a considerable surprise.

Though dilapidated and neglected, the courtyard was extraordinarily vast.

It was almost comparable in scale to his own family's estate.

After wandering around the grounds for quite some time.

Ye Sheng failed to spot anything particularly unusual.

Instead, he ended up thoroughly exhausted.

Because the courtyard was protected by a restrictive array, it was entirely impossible to channel spiritual energy.

With his short limbs and small frame, walking the entire perimeter of the massive estate had proved to be rather taxing.

Finally dragging himself back to the front entrance, he hastily pushed the doors open and stepped outside.

"What kind of ghost place is this? Why seal it off with such a powerful barrier? There isn't a single soul here—isn't that a terrible waste?"

Muttering to himself, Ye Sheng hurried away from the compound.

Being able to circulate spiritual energy once more felt wonderfully refreshing.

Yet, upon returning to the Ye residence, the more Ye Sheng pondered that courtyard, the stranger it felt to him.

He suspected that his earlier frustration over being unable to use spiritual energy had caused him to overlook many details within the place.

Clearly, Feng Yougeng would not have entered a rundown, abandoned courtyard for no reason and stayed there for a full fifteen minutes.

Surely it wasn't because he simply couldn't hold his bladder?

After all, his family hadn't fed Feng Yougeng anything strange.

Before he had even settled comfortably into his seat at home, Ye Sheng sprang up abruptly and bolted out once more.

This left Ye Hanyou, who had just learned of Ye Sheng's return and walked over to discuss a matter with him, completely bewildered.

All he saw was a wisp of dust kicked up in the boy's wake.

"What kind of habit is this?"

With his brows furrowed deeply, Ye Hanyou had no choice but to turn back and leave.

Following the path he remembered, Ye Sheng hurried back toward the eerie courtyard.

To his profound shock, no matter how frantically he searched, the compound was nowhere to be found.

"How can this be?"