Chapter 245: Chapter 245: The Disturbance Subsides

Chairman Dongfang Yanyu’s words struck like a thunderclap, echoing through the hall and leaving everyone’s ears ringing, their hearts pounding with shock.

In all their time at the Soul Master Tower, they had never seen the typically mild-mannered Chairman Dongfang Yanyu so furious.

"What? Is no one going to step forward?"

SWOOSH!

Instantly, nearly every gaze in the room fell upon He Xuting.

"Chairman Dongfang Yanyu, I..." He Xuting’s heart leaped into his throat. His mouth hung open, words failing him. He could only cast a pleading glance toward his father, He Zhen.

Dongfang Yanyu turned to He Zhen as well, his tone softening. "Vice Chairman He, he is your son. Perhaps you should be the one to question him."

Vice Chairman He Zhen’s expression had also been cold, but upon seeing it was He Xuting, a complex look flickered in his eyes. "Xuting," he asked, "did you really say that?"

"Father, it’s not like that." He Xuting finally collected himself and began to explain. "Father, this Ye Xuan has only been a First Grade Soul Refiner for a little over a year, yet he received a spot in the competition. Many Peak of First Grade Soul Refiners in our Soul Master Tower didn’t get that chance, so there’s bound to be some resentment. I was just curious, so I wanted to spar with him to get a sense of his strength. Who knew he’d be so disrespectful and spout such nonsense? That’s the only reason my tone became a little harsh. It’s not that I doubt the Chairman’s or your decisions. Please, sirs, don’t misunderstand."

"Misunderstanding? What is there to misunderstand? Apologize now!" He Zhen snapped, startling He Xuting.

Seeing his father’s severe gaze, He Xuting, who had always feared him, reluctantly turned to Ye Xuan. "Ye Xuan," he said, "I was being presumptuous. Given the Chairman’s judgment, there must be a reason they chose you for the team. Please don’t take it to heart. I was only thinking of the group as a whole. After all, as the Soul Master Tower’s number one genius and the strongest on the team, I have a duty to be familiar with every member’s capabilities."

As he spoke, a faint smile touched his lips, and his composure and confidence returned.

’Chairman Dongfang Yanyu’s tone was harsh at first, but it softened the moment he realized it was me. Clearly, I hold a special place in the Chairman’s eyes. He’d never punish me over something so trivial.’

’It made sense. I am the Soul Master Tower’s number one genius, after all, and my father is the Vice Chairman. They were only polite to Ye Xuan out of respect for His Majesty. Their anger just now was because my actions undermined their authority. A few pleasantries, and this will all blow over.’

’Father’s stern act was obviously just to give everyone a graceful way out of this. Now that I’ve said my piece, he won’t be angry anymore, and we can all save face in front of the other Soul Refiners.’

"You beast! Even now, you still don’t see the error of your ways."

But to He Xuting’s utter shock, his father, who had always doted on him, roared in fury at his words. A hand swung from behind—SMACK!—and the resounding slap sent He Xuting flying. He crashed heavily to the floor, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Father, you... I..."

He Xuting clutched his face, staring wide-eyed at his father in utter disbelief, his mind completely reeling.

"You worthless bastard! How dare you question Master Ye Xuan’s abilities? And you have the nerve to call yourself the Soul Master Tower’s number one genius? Hmph! How did I end up with such a blind, insolent whelp for a son?"

He Zhen erupted in a stream of curses, his face crimson with rage. He strode forward and unleashed a vicious flurry of blows on He Xuting. The sheer brutality of the beating would make anyone’s skin crawl and body tremble. It was obvious to even an idiot that Vice Chairman He Zhen was genuinely furious—he was holding nothing back and this was no act.

Everyone present was dumbfounded. They knew He Zhen well. Though he was always stern and demanding, he doted on his son, He Xuting, treasuring him as if he were the most fragile thing in the world.

He Xuting’s rise to a Peak of Second Grade Soul Refiner by the age of twenty-four was largely due to the vast resources Vice Chairman He Zhen had poured into his training. No one could have imagined that the Vice Chairman would break character so drastically and lay such a heavy hand on his own son.

For a moment, all eyes turned to Ye Xuan. ’Just who is this Ye Xuan?’ they wondered silently, ’to make Vice Chairman He Zhen act like this?’ 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

But the most stunned person of all was He Xuting himself. In all his years, he had never been punished so severely by his father.

"Father, I... I..."

After the beating from He Zhen, He Xuting was completely bewildered. His face was swollen like a pig’s, he’d lost several teeth, blood was pouring from his mouth, and his eyes were swollen shut.

"’You what?’ He Zhen roared. ’If you don’t give Master Ye Xuan a proper apology today, I’ll disown you!’ In the next instant, his severe expression vanished, replaced by a smile as he turned to Ye Xuan. ’Master Ye Xuan, my son is young and foolish. I have already taught him a harsh lesson. Please, Master, I hope you can forgive his ignorance.’"

His deferential attitude toward Ye Xuan left everyone wondering what on earth was happening.

He Zhen was mentally cursing his ruinous son a thousand deaths. Although he was the Vice Chairman of the Soul Master Tower, his actual skill was no different from Elder Kuchun’s before his breakthrough—he was merely a Peak of Third Grade Soul Refiner. The only reason he held his position was his strict demeanor and his talent for administration, which had led Dongfang Yanyu to promote him.

His actual Soul Refining level was on par with Kuchun’s before his breakthrough; he was one of those who seemed permanently stuck, unable to reach Fourth Grade.

But to his surprise, after a period of seclusion, Kuchen had suddenly broken through to Fourth Grade and been appointed a Vice Chairman of the Soul Master Tower by His Majesty.

As a fellow Peak of Third Grade Soul Refiner, this news galvanized He Zhen. He immediately launched a thorough investigation into the circumstances of Kuchun’s breakthrough and eventually zeroed in on Ye Xuan. He learned that Kuchun’s success was inextricably linked to the young man. However, upon digging deeper, he discovered that Ye Xuan’s contribution had merely been to help perfect an Array. At this, He Zhen’s hopes plummeted.

But then came the news that Ye Xuan had cured His Majesty Zhao Jing, which rekindled He Zhen’s curiosity. After another investigation, He Zhen made a shocking discovery. Although Kuchun’s breakthrough had been thanks to an Array, every interaction with Ye Xuan had granted him astonishing insights and advancements in the art of Soul Refining. In less than a year, Kuchun’s proficiency in Soul Refining had soared, nearly reaching the level of Chairman Dongfang Yanyu, and in some areas, even surpassing him.

He Zhen knew in his heart that Ye Xuan was the key to it all. So, during the months Ye Xuan had been away, he had been desperately trying to find a way to connect with him. He hoped to receive some guidance himself, enough to finally break through the Peak of Third Grade and step into the realm of the Fourth Grade.

But to his dismay, before he’d had a chance to build that bridge to Ye Xuan, his own son had gone and burned it down. The rage that filled He Zhen’s heart was what led to the scene that had just unfolded.

"Master Ye Xuan, my son is a fool, so please, tell me what must be done. However you wish to punish him, I, He Zhen, will not so much as blink an eye, or I don’t deserve to be standing here," He Zhen declared, punctuating his words with another kick to He Xuting. "Are you still not going to apologize to Master Ye Xuan?!"

Seeing that his father was genuinely furious, He Xuting ignored the pain. He scrambled to his feet, gritted his teeth, and forced out the words, "Master Ye Xuan, I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please, forgive me this one time."

After forcing out those words, He Xuting wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. His face burned with shame, though thankfully, it was already so swollen and bruised that no one could tell.

’As the number one genius of the Soul Master Tower, when had I ever suffered such a public humiliation?’

"You little bastard! Louder! I can’t hear you!" Seeing that He Xuting was still trying to preserve his pride, He Zhen couldn’t resist landing another vicious kick.

Filled with frustration, He Xuting shouted his apology again. His wretched state left the surrounding Soul Refiners utterly flabbergasted. The He Xuting they knew was always the elegant, handsome, and suave number one genius of the Soul Master Tower. But now, he was a pathetic wreck. If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they never would have believed it.

"Master Ye Xuan, my foolish son has apologized. What are your thoughts on the matter? If you are not satisfied, please, do not hesitate to say so," He Zhen said earnestly.

Ye Xuan glanced at He Xuting and said coolly, "Since he’s apologized, let’s leave it at that. If not for your sake, Vice Chairman He, I would not have let this go so easily."

It was a trivial matter to begin with, and Ye Xuan hadn’t taken it to heart. He couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words on He Xuting.

"Then I thank you, Master Ye Xuan," He Zhen said quickly, breathing a sigh of relief that Ye Xuan wasn’t pressing the issue. His greatest fear was that Ye Xuan would have He Xuting disqualified, costing him his chance to participate in the Floating Light Assembly. As for the beating, it was severe, but as long as his son wasn’t dead, it was no great matter.

And just like that, the storm subsided.

「Soon, the team assembled and began to depart.」

A grand procession of several dozen Soul Refiners departed from the Soul Master Tower.

When they reached the city gates, His Majesty Zhao Jing’s retinue was already waiting. Upon seeing Ye Xuan’s group, they immediately came forward with a warm welcome.

Of all the people there, the first person Zhao Jing engaged in conversation was not the Soul Master Tower’s Chairman Dongfang Yanyu, but Ye Xuan. This sight sent another wave of shock through the other Soul Refiners. Not a single one of them dared to harbor the slightest doubt or dissatisfaction about Ye Xuan’s place on the team ever again.