After a long time, Ye Xunhuan finally slowly came back to his senses. "Senior, were you very close with my mother?"

"Average," Ming Yue said softly. "In front of your mother, I really didn't amount to much."

As he spoke, Ming Yue let out a faint sigh.

If Qin Fenghuang had harbored any ambition, or wanted to glorify the Qin family, then the stories circulating in this world today wouldn't only be about the Evil Lord; there would be another name—Qin Fenghuang.

And Qin Fenghuang's legend would definitely be more brilliant than the Evil Lord's, even more worthy of admiration.

After all, Qin Fenghuang was just someone from a wealthy clan. How could she possibly possess such heaven-defying skills? Who taught her?

If you say Qin Fenghuang had no one guiding her, that's absolutely impossible!

But there was no such person in the Qin family at all, so it could only have been an outsider. Yet who in the world could teach a monstrous disciple like Qin Fenghuang?

"Senior, I…"

"I know you've got a lot of doubts in your heart, but your mother and I really weren't that close." Ming Yue directly cut Ye Xunhuan off. "And I'm just as curious about your mother's skills—who was it that taught her Qimen Dunjia and the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams, and even let the final Taiji Seal fall into her hands once?"

"Back then I once suspected that behind your mother stood an extremely terrifying power, and your mother should've been a leading figure in that power. Even if she wasn't the one leading it, she was definitely a young master of it."

"But I didn't dare touch it, didn't dare investigate. The more you know, the faster you die. At the same time your mother was very low‑key. Aside from those at the Heaven–Man Realm and Half‑Step Heaven–Man, and a few at the Extreme Heaven Realm back then who knew of her existence, basically no one knew."

"It's possible that in the entire Qin family, few if any knew what your mother was truly capable of."

"If you want to know, there's only one person you can ask."

"Who?"

"The people your mother left behind to protect you, the ones who received her favor. They definitely know," Ming Yue speculated boldly.

"Senior, I have met two experts at the Step‑into‑Void Realm, but they were both wearing masks, I…"

"Don't ask me, I don't know who you're talking about either." Ming Yue directly cut Ye Xunhuan off, and said softly, "Why don't you go home and carefully look through your mother's belongings. Maybe something you once overlooked holds what you want to know, maybe even information on the Two Instruments Sword."

"If there really is information on the Two Instruments Sword, then you might very well one day stand above all under heaven."

As he spoke, a look of yearning flashed across Ming Yue's face.

If one day Ye Xunhuan truly managed to stand above all under heaven, then no matter what, he could say he had taught Ye Xunhuan once, pointed him toward the Two Instruments Sword. Just saying it out loud would be something to brag about for a lifetime!

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior. I understand."

"Alright, I've taught you everything I should." Ming Yue said faintly, "Let me give you one last sentence."

"Please speak, Senior."

"The Two Instruments can dissolve into formlessness; to kill, you must lean on qi, not the sword. The sword must be ever‑changing."

Ye Xunhuan's brows immediately knit together. What the hell is that supposed to mean!

Right as Ye Xunhuan was about to open his mouth to ask, Ming Yue said, "Once you truly comprehend it, you'll naturally know, and only then will you have fully understood what the Two Instruments Sword really is."

"Senior, there's something I've always wanted to ask you, but…"

"It's fine, go ahead."

"The Two Instruments Sword—how do you know about it?"

"Find the answer yourself."

With that, Ming Yue drifted away. "Ye Xunhuan, next time we meet, I hope you can truly open my eyes. I'll be watching your performance."

"Use your sword to tell the world this: though the Evil Lord is dead and the Phoenix has fallen, you, Ye Xunhuan, shall stand. This world will be yours."

Ming Yue left, and no one knew where he went.

But Ye Xunhuan knew Ming Yue hadn't gone back to the welfare home; he'd probably really left.

Because earlier Ming Yue had already hinted to Ye Xunhuan that he was going to leave this place.

After Ming Yue left, Ye Xunhuan didn't stay there either and left as well. He had originally wanted to go check on the welfare home, but then he thought of how the old director wasn't very fond of him, so in the end Ye Xunhuan chose to leave.

Just after Ye Xunhuan left, the Supreme One and Ming Yue appeared again.

"You talked a bit too much," the Supreme One said mildly as he watched Ye Xunhuan's departing back.

"I only told him what I knew, the things he was curious about, that's all."

"But do you realize how many people this could implicate?"

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Ming Yue said, completely unconcerned. "He is destined to stand."

"I don't need you to tell me that." The Supreme One snorted coldly. "Qin Fenghuang's son must be a dragon among men."

"Alright, I've done everything I was supposed to do. I hope you'll keep your promise."

"Don't worry, I won't make things hard for you, and I won't press you with questions," the Supreme One said blandly. "But this time I hope you can hide far away—and make sure you don't die. As for the Marquis enigma, you're probably the last person left who knows."

"You might find out as well."

With those words, Ming Yue left for good this time.

Watching Ming Yue's departing back, the Supreme One let out a muffled breath. "I really want to test your Two Instruments Sword, see what it's like."

Ye Xunhuan had no idea that after he left, the Supreme One and Ming Yue appeared again. Otherwise, Ye Xunhuan would definitely have turned back on the spot.

After leaving that place, Ye Xunhuan didn't return to the villa, but went straight to the company. At this hour, Qiu Ruoxi was definitely already at the office.

For Qiu Ruoxi, whether it was windy or rainy, as long as she was in Jiangzhong City, she had to work. Even on days off, Qiu Ruoxi would bury herself in work—a textbook strong career woman.

Maybe because he'd grasped the Two Instruments Sword, Ye Xunhuan was in a pretty good mood. As for matters concerning Qin Fenghuang, he didn't bother thinking too much about them.

Or rather, now Ye Xunhuan had figured it out: when he was meant to know, he would naturally know. When he wasn't meant to know, asking others was useless anyway.

Besides, the truth about Qin Fenghuang was slowly surfacing bit by bit. Ye Xunhuan believed that sooner or later, he would get to the bottom of it all.

It had to be said, Ye Xunhuan was absolutely a carefree optimist. Anyone else in his shoes would probably be weighed down with worry!

When Ye Xunhuan arrived at Huangtu Group, he didn't go to his own office, but went straight to look for Qiu Ruoxi.

On the way, Ye Xunhuan ran into quite a few people. They all greeted him one after another, and Ye Xunhuan simply nodded in response, which counted as greeting them back.

When Ye Xunhuan pushed the door open from outside and walked in, he froze on the spot. His face filled with disbelief—he'd never imagined, not even in his dreams, that he would run into this man in Qiu Ruoxi's office.

It was a man, a middle‑aged man, his figure straight as a pine. He had a square, resolute face, stern even when not angry, giving off an extremely imposing air. Just one look at him made people feel a natural sense of awe!