Medical and Martial God

”What do you all think?” Ye Tianming asked the other members of the Ye Family.

Ye Xiu’s strategies were too formidable; he genuinely couldn’t determine if the news Ye Lin’er brought back was one of his traps.

”I don’t think it’s very credible,” Ye Zhong analyzed with narrowed eyes. ”The reason is simple. Ye Xiu is a sword hanging over our heads, one that could fall and annihilate the Ye Family at any moment. He has no reason to tell us who killed Zheng Yiwen.”

”I think it’s completely unreliable,” Ye Xuan added. ”Ye Xiu is just playing with us. He deliberately used Ye Lin’er to spread this information, trying to drive a wedge between the Ye and Long Families!”

”He just wants to sit back and laugh as we and the Long Family slaughter each other. His intentions are utterly malicious,” Ye Wenxuan said.

The Ye Family members all voiced their opinions, agreeing that the news Ye Lin’er brought back was not credible. This infuriated Ye Lin’er; their prejudice against her big brother ran too deep.

”I think...” Ye Liuyun began to offer his opinion.

”Shut up!” Ye Tianming cut him off, his voice dripping with disgust. ”You, a useless illegitimate child worthless in both scholarly and martial pursuits, have no right to speak. Just go back to tending the fire.”

Ye Liuyun was speechless.

”That’s enough!” Ye Lin’er roared like a furious lioness. ”You’re twisting right and wrong! You don’t care at all who killed Mom! The lives of everyone in the Ye Family are in Big Brother’s hands now. What reason would he have to lie to you? Are you even worthy of being lied to by him?”

”Insolent brat!” Ye Tianming bellowed, his slap sending Ye Lin’er sprawling to the floor. ”Listen to me, Ye Lin’er! If you dare call that bastard ’Big Brother’ one more time, I’ll kill you.”

Ye Lin’er burst into tears, which streamed down her face as if a dam had burst. She scrambled to her feet and bravely met Ye Tianming’s gaze, saying stubbornly, ”Ye Xiu is my big brother! He’s a great man, and he has never done anything to wrong the Ye Family. It’s the Ye Family that has wronged him! The Ye Family owes him! What right do you have to keep calling him a bastard...?”

BANG!

Ye Tianming’s kick sent her flying five meters. He gasped for breath, seething with fury. ”Rebellion! This is rebellion! How dare you speak to me with that tone? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

Ye Lin’er landed hard on the ground, her limbs splayed. She spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching her stomach as she convulsed in pain.

Ye Tianming was a Second Realm War God. A seventeen-year-old ordinary girl like Ye Lin’er could not possibly withstand a kick delivered in a fit of rage.

But she remained stubborn. Clutching her abdomen, she fought through the pain and shakily got to her feet. Crying, she stammered, ”Grandpa... Grandpa, you... you’re so cruel...

”I only came back with Big Brother’s message to warn you about the Long Family and to avenge Mom. I never imagined that none of you would care who killed her. You’re all just fixated on the fact that I called Ye Xiu ’Big Brother.’ For that, you slapped me and kicked me... you hit me so hard.”

At this, her voice rose to a roar. ”I’m your own granddaughter! How could you bring yourself to do it?”

As they listened to Ye Lin’er’s tragic outcry, all the members of the Ye Family, except for Ye Liuyun, remained unmoved.

Ye Tianming pointed a trembling finger at her. ”You... you... you still dare call that bastard ’Big Brother’? I’ll beat you to death!”

He started towards her, but Ye Liuyun quickly ran to block his path.

”Grandfather, you can’t hit Ling’er again! She’s already severely injured from your kick. She’s just a child, without a martial artist’s physique. If you hit her again, you’ll kill her!”

”She deserves to die! I’ve wanted to be rid of her for a long time!” Ye Tianming snarled through clenched teeth. ”If it wasn’t for the trouble that bitch of a mother, Zheng Yiwen, caused, would Ye Xiu hate the Ye Family? Would we be in this situation today? Ye Liuyun, get out of my way, or I’ll hit you too!”

For the first time in his life, Ye Liuyun disobeyed Ye Tianming. He stood his ground in front of Ye Lin’er. ”If you want to hit Ling’er,” he said stubbornly, ”you’ll have to kill me first.”

”Fourth Brother, get out of the way!” Ye Lin’er shoved Ye Liuyun aside and glared at Ye Tianming. ”Let him hit me! He has never treated me like a granddaughter anyway. He might as well just kill me and get it over with.”

”Ling’er, be quiet!” Ye Liuyun pulled her behind him again. ”Grandfather, I’m begging you. Please, spare Ling’er this once.”

”Tsk, tsk. Ye Liuyun is being quite the man today,” Ye Xuan sneered, looking at Ye Wenxuan. ”Third Uncle, who would have thought? The man with the most guts in the Ye Family is your illegitimate son. Are you trying to use him to anger Grandfather to death so you can inherit the family fortune?”

Ye Tianming had three sons: Ye Zhong, Ye Shaokang, and Ye Wenxuan. The three brothers constantly schemed, openly and covertly, for the inheritance, so Ye Xuan never passed up an opportunity to attack Ye Wenxuan.

”First Cousin’s mouth is much nimbler than his legs now, isn’t it?” said Ye Wenxuan’s second son, Ye Qiu, his tone dripping with sarcasm. ”What’s wrong? After Ye Xiu crippled you, did you give up on martial arts and take up running your mouth instead?”

”You don’t get it, Ye Qiu,” Ye Wenxuan said with a laugh. ”Ye Xuan’s legs were crippled, so his mind has become twisted and warped. Just let him say a few things to feel better. His mouth is all he has left now.”

”Alright,” Ye Qiu nodded.

”You... you people...” Ye Xuan’s face contorted with rage.

A dark look passed over Ye Zhong’s face. The fact that both father and son were cripples was a scar that could never heal.

”Ye Lin’er, are you trying to get me and my father killed? Get over here, kneel, and apologize to Grandfather!” Ye Xuan shouted at her, venting his own unspent fury.

Ye Lin’er’s heart went cold. She had been slapped and kicked, yet her own father and brother didn’t even try to speak up for her. Instead, they were yelling at her.

”Liuyun, step aside. Let your grandfather teach Ye Lin’er a proper lesson,” Ye Wenxuan said to Ye Liuyun with a smile. He even shot a provocative glance at Ye Zhong and Ye Xuan, as if to say, ”My son listens with just one word, but your daughter ignores you.”

”I said, if Grandfather wants to hit Ling’er, he’ll have to kill me first,” Ye Liuyun repeated stubbornly.

The smile on Ye Wenxuan’s face froze.

”Hahahaha!” Ye Xuan roared with laughter. ”Third Uncle, how does it feel to have your own son slap you in the face?”

Ye Zhong also laughed. ”Ye Liuyun is your illegitimate son, Third Brother. They say a whore was his mother. He was born rebellious.”

The back-and-forth taunting from the father and son nearly drove Ye Wenxuan mad with rage. He stood up angrily. ”Ye Liuyun, get out of the way, or don’t blame me for getting rough!”

”Sigh. It seems you’re all determined to hit Ling’er.” Ye Liuyun still didn’t move. He sighed, then turned to Ye Lin’er. ”Ling’er, let’s go. We’ll find Big Brother. This cold, heartless family isn’t worth staying for.”