Your Mother Left Early, And I Couldn’T Help It Either

At the sight of the Elder from Yaowang Valley making a sudden move, Yuan Zuozong and the others were stunned.

"How dare you!"

"Bold!"

"Quick! Protect the Lord!"

The shouts rang out as everyone scrambled to act. Though the elder's target was Yao Qianming, accidents could happen—what if Orion were injured in the chaos?

Xu Chu, who was closest to Orion, was the first to react. A flash of cold determination crossed his face as he drew his blade.

Boom!

The sword light exploded, and a powerful slash cut through the air, blocking the elder's attack effortlessly. At the peak of his Semi-Saint power, Xu Chu neutralized the elder's strike and continued, his attack unrelenting, slicing the elder apart.

The elder, filled with scarlet rage and hatred, collapsed lifeless in a pool of blood.

"Dragoons!" Yuan Zuozong roared.

Swish, swish, swish…

The Dragoons unsheathed their weapons, glaring at the remaining elders with murderous intent. Xu San, brimming with fury, brandished his blade and pointed it at them.

"You insolent fools! You're prisoners, and you dare make a move?"

"Wait! Please, don't act rashly!"

"We are innocent!"

"Yes, we had nothing to do with this! We swear!"

Faced with the lethal gaze of the Dragoons, the remaining elders turned pale, trembling in fear.

This was a disaster.

They cursed the elder who had acted recklessly and, of course, Yao Qianming. If it weren't for his disgraceful behavior, none of them would be in this mess.

Orion stepped forward, smiling calmly. "No need for violence. Put away your weapons, men. We don't want to harm our talented alchemists, do we?"

The elders of Yaowang Valley still had their uses, after all. If not, Orion would have had them killed long ago.

With a collective sigh, Orion's men sheathed their swords, though their expressions were full of resentment. For safety, Yuan Zuozong placed cultivation restraints on all the remaining elders, and security was tightened even further. Xu Chu stood watch, ready to strike at any sign of trouble.

Orion approached Yao Qianming, who was still shaken by his near-death experience. "Well, Master Yaogu, once again my men have saved your life. How will you repay me for that?"

Yao Qianming was gasping for air, his body trembling from the close call. For a moment, he had believed death was inevitable. But when he glanced toward Yao Xi'er, his daughter, his heart sank even further.

She was staring at him, eyes filled with disbelief.

Boom!

Yao Qianming's mind went blank. He might have preferred to die.

"Daddy…" Yao Xi'er stammered, her voice trembling, "How could you…?"

Her eyes were full of disappointment. Yao Xi'er had never imagined that her father, the esteemed Master of Yaowang Valley, could be involved in such disgraceful acts.

Yao Qianming, overwhelmed with shame, hung his head. "Xi'er… your mother left early, and I… I couldn't control myself…"

In the world of cultivation, it wasn't uncommon for powerful men to have multiple wives, but this was far beyond that. The thousands of image stones represented thousands of women.

Worse still, many of those women belonged to influential families and sects across the Eastern Continent. If these stones were ever revealed, it would cause chaos. No matter how powerful Yaowang Valley was, it couldn't survive the wrath of so many betrayed husbands.

Yao Xi'er opened her mouth to speak but couldn't find the words. The way she looked at her father had changed—now there was only disappointment and disgust.

Seeing his daughter's reaction, Yao Qianming felt a sharp pain in his chest. In a fit of rage, he turned to Orion, his face twisted with hatred.

"Orion!!! Even if I become a ghost, I'll never forgive you!!!"

Consumed by fury, Yao Qianming wanted nothing more than to tear Orion apart.

"Master Yaogu, this isn't my fault. You indulged in these pleasures on your own, didn't you?" Orion taunted, a smirk on his face.

"Die, die, die!" Yao Qianming roared, his mind clouded by madness. His cultivation was sealed, and he could do nothing but hurl curses.

Orion, however, was losing patience. "I gave you a chance, Master Yaogu," he said coldly. "But don't test my generosity. Will you prepare the thirty healing elixirs I asked for, or not?"

There was a hint of menace in Orion's eyes. His patience was wearing thin, and he wasn't about to let Yao Qianming get away with more defiance.

Yao Qianming snarled, ready to spew more insults, but Orion interrupted with a chilling threat.

"You might not care for your own life, but what about your precious daughter? My men, as you can see, have been hungry for a long time… What do you think would happen if I gifted them your daughter?"

Xu San let out a lewd laugh at the perfect moment, while Yuan Zuozong, standing nearby, looked on with a mixture of pity and amusement. He had seen enough in his years to know how this would likely end.

"Don't you dare!" Yao Qianming's face twisted in rage.