Villains Aren't Stepping Stones!

Ye Palace Hall.

A vast, brightly lit room with hundreds of lanterns that hung from the carved wooden beams above.

The floor was paved with polished stone that reflected the light, and long banquet tables lined both sides of the hall, filled with dishes of hot meat, bowls of fresh fruit, and tall pitchers of fragrant wine.

Music played softly in the background as servants walked back and forth, filling empty cups and setting down platters of roasted duck, spiced pork, and sweet cakes.

Ye Liuman stood near the center of the hall, holding a jade cup in his hand.

He wore a rich robe of deep green silk, lined with gold thread along the collar and sleeves.

On his face was a proud, booming smile, though behind his eyes, a flicker of nervous irritation lurked.

Around him stood seven or eight elders from the branch houses and allied clans.

They crowded close, leaning in, their faces eager and hungry.

”Brother Liuman,” an old man with a grey beard said, patting Ye Liuman’s shoulder with a familiar grin. ”We heard the news! The young master of the Shen Clan arrived with your eldest daughter! That is a true dragon from the highest heavens! When will you bring him out to greet us?”

”Yes, Patriarch Ye,” another elder with a round, flushed face chimed in, holding out his cup. ”We brought gifts meant specifically for him! I even took out my ancestor’s ten thousand year old snow ginseng from the northern ridges! We just wish to exchange a single greeting with him. To share a cup of wine with the heir of the Shen Clan would bring glory to our entire family for generations!”

”Where is he resting right now?” a third elder asked, craning his neck to look toward the side doors. ”Is he in the inner garden? Surely he will sit at the head table tonight, won’t he? You must introduce us, Brother Liuman! Do not keep such a grand guest hidden all to yourself!”

Ye Liuman chuckled loudly, masking his unease with a hearty wave of his hand. ”Patience, brothers, patience! Young Master Shen has traveled a long way from the academy. My daughter is showing him around the estate. You all know how young people are. They will join us when the time is right. Drink, drink! We have plenty of wine tonight!”

Even as he laughed and clinked cups with them, his eyes kept darting toward the arched entryways, his jaw tightened under his beard.

Where had that girl taken him? Why hadn’t they come to the main hall yet? If he couldn’t show off the Shen Clan’s heir to these old vultures, half the glory of this celebration would be lost.

Just then, a loud, clear voice rang out from the front entrance, cutting cleanly through the hum of chatter and music.

”The Matriarch, Lady Yan Renhua, arrives to celebrate her eleventh cycle!”

The entire hall fell quiet.

The elders stopped talking, the musicians lowered their flutes, and everyone stared at the door as Yan Renhua walks in.

She stepped over the wooden threshold with slow, graceful steps.

She wore a long, flowing dress of deep purple silk, adorned with subtle silver embroidery that caught the lantern light like falling snow.

Her white hair was pinned up neatly with a carved jade comb, leaving her slender neck bare.

She did not wear heavy make-up nor thick powder, but her skin was smooth and fair, glowing with a soft, natural radiance.

There was a calm, gentle dignity in the way she carried herself, her gaze lowered slightly, polite and serene, without the haughty arrogance so common among the clan’s high ladies.

Several younger clan leaders and visiting merchants froze with their cups halfway to their mouths.

A few older men swallowed hard, their eyes lingering on her slender waist and the gentle curve of her jaw.

Murmurs broke out in low, envious whispers near the back tables.

”Look at her... after eleven hundred years, she still looks like a maiden in her twenties.”

”Ye Liuman truly has heaven’s luck. To have a wife of such grace, and a daughter who reached the heights of the Imperial Academy...”

”If I had a woman like that waiting in my inner chambers, I wouldn’t leave my courtyard for ten years.”

Ye Liuman saw the hungry, envious looks from the men around him, and his chest puffed up with pride.

He straightened his robes, smoothed his hair, and stepped forward to greet her as she reached the center of the hall.

”Congratulations on your 11th Cycle, Wife.” He offered his hand.

Yan Renhua smiled and took his hand, ”Thank you, dear husband.”

With that, Ye Liuman lead her as she sat down on her seat.

Instantly, the elders and guests surged forward, forming an orderly line before the raised dais where the grand chairs were placed.

”Lady Yan, congratulations on your eleventh cycle!” an elder from the eastern branch stepped forward first, presenting a polished wooden chest lined with yellow velvet.

Inside lay a pair of white jade bracelets that gave off a faint, soothing warmth.

”May your health remain as firm as the eastern mountains, and your beauty endure like the morning sun!”

”This is a box of TenbThousand Flower Nectar from the southern valleys,” a wealthy merchant bowed low, handing over a sealed porcelain jar wrapped in red ribbons. ”Taking a spoonful every new moon will keep your skin supple and your spirit clear!”

”A cloak made from the fur of a silver tailed fox from the cold peaks!” another guest called out, having his servant hold up a soft, shimmering mantle that looked like spun moonlight.

Gift after gift was brought forward.

Boxes of rare tea leaves, bottles of nourishing pills, carved stone ornaments, bundles of dried spirit herbs, and bolts of rare embroidered silk piled up on the side tables until they formed small mountains of treasure.

Yan Renhua smiled politely, nodding her head to each guest and offering soft words of thanks.

Her voice was gentle and quiet, accepting their wishes with modest grace, though her eyes remained distant, unattached to the piles of gold and jewels before her.

Meanwhile, Ye Liuman was looking for his daughter and Haoran.

He stood beside the seat, his eyes scanning the crowd over and over.

He checked the side corridors, nothing.

He checked the entrance doors, nothing.

He looked behind the pillars, nothing.

There was no sign of that pink haired woman and that golden haired youth in black robes.

His brow furrowed into deep, ugly lines as his heart began to sink with a bad feeling.

He leaned down slightly, turning towards Yan Renhua, who was also looking at him.

Their eyes met. Ye Liuman’s gaze was sharp, questioning, and filled with urgent demand. Where are they? Did they not come with you?

Yan Renhua looked back at him with calm, unblinking eyes, and she shook her head, a single, slow movement from left to right.

Ye Liuman immediately understood.

Those two definitely left.

The realization hit his chest like a heavy iron hammer.

They were gone.

Ye Hongyan had brought the most important young master in the entire realm all the way to their front door, only to take him to her mother’s small garden for a cup of tea, and then walk away into the sky without ever stepping foot into this banquet hall!

She hadn’t given him face.

She hadn’t allowed him to use Haoran’s name to scare the other clans.

She had completely disregarded his authority as the patriarch, treating his grand feast like a pile of worthless trash!

His blood boiled in his veins, his throat tight with pure, blistering fury.

He wanted to smash his jade cup onto the stone floor, roar at the servants, and demand that the flying mounts be sent to drag his unfilial daughter back by her hair!

But in the end, he just sighed.

A long, heavy breath escaped his nose as he forced his clenched fists to loosen inside his wide sleeves.

He couldn’t rage. Not here. Not in front of hundreds of guests who were watching his every move.

If he threw a tantrum now, everyone would know that his own daughter looked down on him, and that the young master of the Shen Clan hadn’t even bothered to look at his face.

He had to swallow his anger, choke down the bitter taste in his mouth, and put on a show of hollow cheer.

He stood there like a statue, watching as the guests present their gifts one by one

Finally, as the gifts were all given, Ye Liuman immediately lifted a tall, golden goblet high into the air, forcing a broad, generous smile onto his face as his voice boomed across the rafters.

”Brothers! Friends! Honored guests!” Ye Liuman shouted, his voice filled with false warmth. ”Today is a day of joy for our Ye Family! My wife has completed her eleventh cycle in peace and health! We thank each and every one of you for crossing mountains and rivers to share this feast with us! Tonight, there are no outside matters, no clan rivalries, and no business talk! Eat your fill, drink until the jars are dry, and celebrate with us! Cheers!”

”Cheers to the Patriarch! Cheers to Lady Yan!” the crowd roared back in unison, raising their cups, bowls, and flasks high into the lantern light.

The hall erupted into lively celebration.

The musicians picked up their instruments with renewed vigor.

Long wooden zithers began to strum a fast, cheerful tune, accompanied by the bright, piping notes of bamboo flutes and the steady, rhythmic thump of small hand drums.

Down on the open floor between the rows of tables, a troupe of dancer girls dressed in thin, fluttering yellow silks stepped out, spinning and leaping like autumn leaves caught in a warm breeze, their silver ankle bells jingling in time with the music.

The guests threw themselves into the feast.

Servers brought out huge brass cauldrons filled with rich, boiling bone broth that had simmered for three days, releasing thick clouds of savory steam that made mouths water.

Plates piled high with roasted boar ribs, tender venison glazed in wild honey, and steamed river fish covered in ginger and scallions were passed from hand to hand.

Men laughed loudly, leaning across the wooden tables to slap each other on the back, clinking their heavy ceramic cups together until wine splashed onto the tablecloths.

”Drink, Brother Wang! If you leave this table on two feet, you are insulting Patriarch Ye’s hospitality!”

”Look at this wine! It’s clear as spring water, but it burns like liquid fire! Truly, the Ye Family keeps only the finest vintage in their cellars!”

”Have some of this roasted pheasant, elder brother! The meat melts right on your tongue!”

Friends toasted friends, old grudges were laughed off over shared cups of liquor, and merchant leaders whispered quiet trade deals behind the cover of the loud music.

The air grew warm and thick with the smell of rich food, sweet alcohol, burning candle wax, and roasted spices.

Servants bustled through the aisles, carrying empty platters away and bringing fresh jars of wine, while guests called out for more meat, completely absorbed in the merry atmosphere.

Sitting on the high dais, Yan Renhua took a small sip from her cup, keeping her face calm, though her fingers toyed lightly with the edge of her napkin.

Beside her, Ye Liuman drank deeply, draining one cup after another to wash away the bitter frustration in his chest.

But, at that moment....

CRASH!

Near the middle tables, a young warrior from a branch family suddenly pitched forward.

His face slammed hard into a large porcelain bowl of steaming soup, splashing hot broth across the table, his arms hanging limp over the sides of his wooden chair.

His heavy cup tumbled from his fingers, shattering into jagged pieces against the stone floor.

The laughter nearby died down, and the music faltered.

”Hey, Xiao Chen,” a man sitting beside him laughed nervously, reaching out to shake the young warrior’s shoulder. ”Did you drink too fast? Stand up, you fool, you’re embarrassing the family in front of—”

The man’s voice stopped mid-sentence, his eyes went wide, his jaw slacking, and before he could pull his hand back, his own knees gave out beneath him.

THUD.

He fell heavily onto his side, knocking over his wooden bench, his body twitching once before going completely limp on the cold floor.

Then, one by one, dozens, hundreds of guests collapsed!

It was like a scythe cutting through tall wheat!

Crash! Bang! Clatter!

Across the entire hall, dishes smashed, wine jars tumbled from limp fingers, and bodies dropped like sacks of wet grain!

A middle-aged merchant who had just stood up to offer a toast crumpled to the ground, his eyes rolling back into his head!

Two elders leaning together to whisper suddenly slumped against each other, sliding off their chairs and piling onto the floor!

The dancer girls in yellow silks stumbled mid-spin, their legs turning to water as they fell into tangled heaps across the floorboards!

Panic flared for a brief, terrifying second, but before anyone could even scream, the weakness spread like an invisible, suffocating wave.

Dozens became fifty.

Fifty became a hundred.

Within three breaths, over three hundred guests, elders, and servants were sprawled across the floor, groaning in weak, raspy voices, their limbs completely paralyzed, unable to lift a single finger!

”W-What!?” Ye Liuman also felt his entire body go weak as he stumbled.

He tried to push himself up from his carved chair, his knuckles gripping the armrests, but a sudden, icy numbness rushed up from his stomach straight to his chest!

His spiritual energy, usually a raging river of power inside his dantian, froze solid like a mountain stream in the dead of winter.

His knees buckled, his boots slipping against the dais, and he crashed down onto one knee, knocking his golden goblet to the floor.

”Ugh... what... what is this?!” Ye Liuman choked out, his breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps, his vision swimming with dark, spinning spots.

Meanwhile, Yan Renhua also collapsed, breathing heavily.

Her porcelain cup slipped from her fingers, shattering on the stone as she slumped sideways against the table, her lavender robes catching on the wooden corner.

Her chest heaved frantically, her face pale as snow, her fingers clawing weakly at the tablecloth as she fought for air, her body completely robbed of all strength.

Ye Liuman saw this, his teeth grinding together as he forced his heavy head up.

”Poison...?” he gasped, his heart seizing with cold terror. ”The wine... the food... it was poisoned!”

”Attack!”

Those words resounded, cutting through the heavy, groaning silence like a thunderclap!

The front doors of the hall were kicked open with a deafening BOOM!

Chaos erupted!

Hundreds of masked figures wearing dark leather armor, their faces covered in black cloth, burst into the hall with drawn blades.

Iron sabers gleamed with cold, murderous light under the lanterns, and the terrified shrieks of helpless, paralyzed guests filled the air as the smell of fresh blood instantly replaced the scent of wine!