Chapter 277: He Ange, You Heartless Ingrate!

The matter of the Fox Clan’s secret realm had always been a complicated one for Qin Shiyan.

Back then, Qin Shiyan hadn’t been in the main world—she had accompanied the Empress to the Upper Realm to handle political affairs. It was during that time that she suddenly received news that the Fox Clan Saintess, Xia Zhiyue, had her origin core plundered, leaving her crippled with no cultivation left.

Because of this, Qin Shiyan, as Xia Zhiyue’s master, hadn’t been able to rush to the Fox Clan’s aid in time.

However, given her years of deep affection for Xia Zhiyue, she couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing.

The moment she learned about the Ghost Controlling Sect’s invasion of the Fox Clan, Qin Shiyan immediately reported the matter to the Empress and dispatched a first-rank Dragon General—one of her former disciples—along with numerous Immortal Attendants to reinforce the Fox Clan.

She trusted that Dragon General’s character.

And indeed, at first, that general had done an excellent job commanding the counteroffensive, swiftly reclaiming much of the territory lost to the Ghost Controlling Sect.

But the problem arose when—just as the Fox Clan’s situation was shifting from defense to offense—Ye Qingchuan appeared in the Fox Clan’s secret realm.

He had arrived with four Void God Realm protectors from the Azure Dragon Clan and was himself a legitimate descendant of the Azure Dragon bloodline. With such authority, even a first-rank Dragon General had no choice but to step aside and defer to him.

During that period, Ye Qingchuan used various means of coercion and bribery to gradually take control, stripping the general of his military authority.

Later, under Ye Qingchuan’s leadership, the Dragon Dynasty’s Immortal Attendants began a defensive strategy, waging a war of attrition with the Ghost Controlling Sect, systematically draining the Fox Clan’s resources and using them as leverage to force the now-crippled Fox Clan Saintess to marry him.

The general, who had once been Qin Shiyan’s disciple, naturally saw all this. Knowing that letting Ye Qingcharu continue would be disastrous, he secretly wrote a letter attempting to report Ye Qingchuan’s actions to the Empress.

Unfortunately, Ye Qingchuan had already anticipated this disobedience and stationed several Void God Realm Azure Dragon protectors to monitor him.

In the end, the general’s letter was intercepted, and he ended up in a battle against the Azure Dragon protectors.

Outnumbered, he ultimately lost.

Fearful for his life, he surrendered.

But after superficially gaining Ye Qingchuan’s trust, the general used a secret communication method linked directly to his master, Qin Shiyan, to expose all of Ye Qingchuan’s misdeeds.

When Qin Shiyan received the intelligence, she was furious—but as merely an advisor to the Empress, she had no authority to command the young master of the Azure Dragon Clan. So she could only report Ye Qingchuan’s actions to the Empress.

Which was why the Empress, upon learning of Ye Qingchuan’s treachery, angrily sent Chen Sheng with direct orders to execute him.

Chen Sheng might have been a rebellious teenager and somewhat unreliable, but she was still of the True Dragon bloodline. Whether in strength or status, she outranked Ye Qingchuan. Thus, sending her to kill him was the most appropriate choice—True Dragons punishing Azure Dragons was like fathers disciplining sons, so there was no need to fear retaliation from the Azure Dragon Clan afterward.

But…

Even though Ye Qingchuan was dead, the scars he left on the Fox Clan remained.

This time, Qin Shiyan’s trip to the Fox Clan’s secret realm wasn’t just about aiding its reconstruction and revival—she also intended to visit the Fox Clan Saintess, Xia Zhiyue.

Over the years, Qin Shiyan had been exhausted, carrying immense pressure on her shoulders every day.

First, He Ange faked his death and defected to the demonic sects. Then, An Luo Yi fell into crisis, and in the end, she too was abducted by He Ange into the Spirit Phoenix Sect…

And now, even Xia Zhiyue had suffered at the hands of the demonic sects, her spiritual veins ripped out, leaving her crippled.

He Ange, An Luo Yi, Xia Zhiyue…

They had all once been Qin Shiyan’s disciples. In her heart, she had nurtured them like her own children.

And what was the result?

Dead, crippled, or fallen.

Sometimes, Qin Shiyan wondered if she was cursed—how else could all the obedient disciples around her have been pushed into the abyss by some unseen force in just a year?

If she had to pinpoint it, this eerie trend had started with He Ange.

The mere thought of He Ange made Qin Shiyan’s mood even more melancholic.

The more she thought about it, the more her stomach ached. Ultimately, she turned her gaze to the filial and sweet green-robed girl by her side.

Xu Xin—what a good girl…

At least Xu Xin gave her peace of mind.

She might not be as cunning as He Ange, nor as terrifyingly blessed by fate as An Luo Yi, but Xu Xin was diligent and hardworking! She didn’t bother Qin Shiyan all day, didn’t flirt around the sect, spending her time either training with the sword or eating in the communal dining hall—truly easy to raise!

And ever since He Ange and An Luo Yi left, Qin Shiyan had poured all her resources into Xu Xin. Xu Xin, in turn, was a girl who strove to make her master proud. After nearly half a year of effort, she had risen from the Core Formation Realm to the early stages of the Deity Transformation Realm.

Not only that, through Qin Shiyan’s connections, Xu Xin had also received guidance from one of the dynasty’s revered Sword Immortals.

Under the Sword Immortal’s enlightenment, Xu Xin’s Green Lotus Sword Bone had been awakened, sending her cultivation soaring. Her destiny flourished, her fortune surged so much that sometimes, just walking down the street, some old lady would hand her a mysterious cultivation manual—and she’d have a breakthrough overnight after studying it…

Now, Xu Xin even bore a resemblance to the Chosen One, An Luo Yi, from back in the day.

Qin Shiyan was very satisfied with her beloved disciple.

Every time Xu Xin achieved a breakthrough, Qin Shiyan couldn’t help but bring up He Ange—the rebellious disciple—as a cautionary tale, warning Xu Xin never to follow his path into darkness.

It wasn’t that Qin Shiyan held a grudge against He Ange—she was just afraid! Truly afraid!

One He Ange, one An Luo Yi, one Xia Ran Yue…

Though Xia Ran Yue wasn’t her disciple, the fact that He Ange alone had stolen away two of the Holy Sword Sect’s prized female disciples was enough to make any elder panic!

And Xu Xin had once been very close to He Ange.

Who could guarantee that she wouldn’t walk the same path?

Fortunately, Xu Xin had always been a determined girl. She could sense her master’s worries, and every time Qin Shiyan mentioned He Ange, Xu Xin would solemnly declare that she would grow stronger, then go to the Spirit Phoenix Sect to drag He Ange back to the Dragon Dynasty, forcing him to kneel before Qin Shiyan and apologize for breaking her heart all those years ago!

These words warmed Qin Shiyan’s heart, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but worry.

Every time Xu Xin vowed to capture He Ange, Qin Shiyan would warn the foolish girl not to act recklessly. After all, when she brought up He Ange’s past misdeeds, it was only to caution Xu Xin against following in his footsteps—not to encourage her to fight him.

Because the last woman who had sworn to capture He Ange had ended up being openly carried home by him right under the Empress’s nose…

Qin Shiyan knew exactly how cunning He Ange was. From the moment he had schemed against the demonic sect’s Holy Son, Ye Chen, she had glimpsed just how terrifying his methods could be.

A simple girl like Xu Xin would likely be tricked into submission before the fight even began.

Xu Xin was Qin Shiyan’s only obedient disciple left. If He Ange stole her away too, Qin Shiyan might genuinely lose her temper and go after him herself.

…Wait a minute.

Why did this plot sound familiar?

Just as the black-robed fairy’s thoughts wandered, not far away on the city wall, a young man in moon-white sacred robes had already turned—alerted by Xu Xin’s shout—and spotted the familiar faces at the border.

These master and disciple, He Ange knew them all too well!

From initial disbelief to a bright, beaming smile, it took He Ange only three seconds.

“Ah, if it isn’t Master Qin Shiyan and Junior Sister Xu Xin!”

Boom—!

In an instant, the sacred-robed youth descended like a divine comet, hands clasped behind his back, appearing right beside the black-robed fairy and the green-robed girl.

Seeing He Ange up close, Qin Shiyan’s mind blanked for a moment.

This encounter was too sudden—she hadn’t even figured out what expression to wear.

But He Ange acted as though there was no awkwardness between them.

Like a local host welcoming honored guests, he stood tall and poised, his smile warm. Under Xu Xin’s stunned gaze, he reached out and patted her head.

“…Huh?!”

Xu Xin stiffened as He Ange’s hand landed on her. Her cheeks flushed instinctively, but she wasn’t sure if she should react negatively.

She wanted to resist, but considering the life-and-death bond they had once shared, it felt wrong to slap away He Ange’s hand when he was being friendly.

So, helpless, she could only glance at Qin Shiyan for guidance.

But Qin Shiyan was just as dumbfounded.

Why was He Ange, a Holy Son of the demonic sects, here?

And stranger still—hadn’t he just been directing the Fox Clan’s people in constructing defensive works on the border?

What kind of bizarre scene was this?!

Seeing her master hesitate, Xu Xin finally gathered her courage and stepped back, slapping He Ange’s hand away fiercely—

“He Ange, you traitor! Don’t you dare act familiar with me!”

Xu Xin puffed her cheeks, biting her lip, her bright eyes shining with hostility. The shimmering aura of the Sword Bone enveloped her, lending her delicate features an air of heroic determination.

After An Luo Yi’s departure, much of the orthodox world’s destiny and fortune had flowed to Xu Xin.

Now, Xu Xin was a true Chosen One in her own right!

Not only had her cultivation reached the Deity Transformation Realm, but she had also unlocked the Six Meridians of the Sword Immortal and the Green Lotus Sword Bone. Coupled with the Chosen One’s innate ability to erupt in power at the brink of death…

Xu Xin was no longer the pitiful junior sister who had toiled in obscurity while He Ange surpassed her effortlessly.

“He Ange, you heartless ingrate! How dare you show your face in front of Master again! Do you have any idea how much she suffered after you disappeared without a word?!”

Xu Xin’s voice trembled with rage, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

She drew the awakened Green Lotus Holy Sword, and behind her, the phantom of the Six Meridians Sword Immortal materialized—a reincarnation inheritance on par with ancient divine legacies, second only to the True Dragon and Phoenix bloodlines!

Her blade was leveled at He Ange, her killing intent palpable, ready to defend her master and teach this despicable traitor a lesson.

But then—

He Ange shifted his gaze to the black-robed fairy, whose eyes were soft, caught between words.

Right in front of Qin Shiyan, he clasped his fists and bowed deeply, even dropping to one knee in apology.

“Master… it’s been a long time.”

“In the past, this unworthy disciple caused you and Junior Sister Xu Xin grief. I submit myself to your punishment.”