Back in the dormitory, Ouyang Ye's forced calm immediately shattered. He burst into tears, cradling the broken Wind Sword in two pieces. Hunched on the ground, his nose red, tears welling in his eyes, he was as vulnerable as a child. He had been constantly reminded by Young Master Qi's words. These two swords were more than just weapons; they were part of him. Losing one was tantamount to losing a part of his life. That sorrow and anger were even more unbearable than the death of a comrade.
Li Yu couldn't calm him down, so he looked hopefully at Young Master Qi.
"Stop crying, it can be fixed." Qi Ze walked over and gave him a few kicks, his face filled with impatience. "Go to the basement and stoke the smelting furnace. Also, get me a bowl of blood. I've always said that when a sword is blunted, it's time for remolding. This is destiny. Although the sword is broken, its spirit has coalesced. This is their first trial, which is actually a good thing."
Upon hearing this, Ouyang Ye immediately stopped crying, hastily wiping away his tears and hurriedly rushing to the basement to light the furnace. He sliced open his wrist, pouring out blood liberally as he murmured, "Pour more, let them have their fill."
Qi Ze was both amused and moved by Ouyang Ye's pure-hearted zeal. If Wind Forest and Fire Sea had been given the chance to choose their masters, they might have recognized Ouyang Ye as well?
"Alright, you can go back and soak in the restorative liquid." Qi Ze habitually removed his outer coat and undershirt, wearing only long trousers. As he cleaned his tools, he reminded him, "When you wake up, I'll return to you a completely new Wind Forest and Fire Sea. I bet on you winning, so perform well the day after tomorrow, don't let me lose money."
"I won't lose." Ouyang Ye's confidence was steadily building. He shook his head. "I want to keep Wind Forest and Fire Sea company. You do your work, I won't make a sound, I'll just sit here and watch."
Qi Ze didn't mind someone watching him forge. He shrugged and let him stay. He put the swords into the smelting furnace, melting them into liquid. He took out two sparkling crystals, explaining, "These are Fire and Wind Elemental Crystals, condensed from the purest Wind and Fire elemental energies in nature. They belong to the category of heaven-born treasures. By the way, the elemental force here is called 'spirit energy' in our world. After fusing with these Wind and Fire Elemental Crystals, Wind Forest and Fire Sea can draw more spirit energy from the surroundings for your use. The extent to which they can do so depends entirely on your personal capacity. As I've always said, it's either heaven or hell. Using Wind Forest and Fire Sea, you will face the test of life and death every day. Think it through."
He didn't mind revealing a bit about his origins; it would only make people uncertain about his background, thus giving them more reason to be wary.
Ouyang Ye nodded without hesitation. "I've already thought it through. Ouyang Duanhua was right, weak species have no right to live. I'd rather die gloriously than live like a stray dog. Thank you, Young Master Qi." He blinked quickly, suppressing the imminent tears. Meeting Young Master Qi must have exhausted the luck he had accumulated over several lifetimes.
"Not a problem." Qi Ze continued, "Helping you is helping myself. In the process of continuously forging Wind Forest and Fire Sea, I'm pursuing my own path of forging. We actually benefit each other. In our world, spirit weapons with spatial attributes have the greatest potential to evolve into divine weapons. Almost every divine weapon will give birth to a cave abode, and cultivators rely on these cave abodes to preserve their legacies. Honestly, when I forged Wind Forest and Fire Sea, I did so with a strong ambition, but I couldn't be sure if you could fulfill it. So, you see, my attitude towards you is more about utilization."
Ouyang Ye smiled without any resentment. "I know, but I'm willing to be used by you. As I said, thank you Young Master Qi. Without you, there wouldn't be the me of today." As for what legacies, cave abodes, and cultivators were, he didn't dare to ask more, fearing it might offend Young Master Qi.
Qi Ze fell silent, leading two distinct streams of liquid out of the smelting furnace. Slowly, he shaped them into sword embryos, then meticulously carved them. Finally, he poured fresh blood over them and threw them back into the furnace to be remelted. The second forging was much more complex than the first, with more intricate arrays and spirit inscriptions, almost layer upon layer, interlocking, dense, and star-like. As they gradually formed a whole and gradually lit up, Ouyang Ye clearly felt the air around him become heavy.
In mid-air, an invisible vortex radiated out from the two swords, greedily absorbing elemental energy. Ouyang Ye had to stick closely to the wall to avoid being sucked in by the vortex.
It was the first time he witnessed the entire process of Young Master Qi forging a weapon, and it was also the first time he truly understood what a miracle was. No wonder Wind Forest and Fire Sea were so imbued with spirit. They weren't inanimate objects, but lives condensed from elemental energy. When the sacrifice was completely over and all the violent power was swept away by Wind Forest and Fire Sea, the basement became quiet again. The swords were still the same swords, ordinary, their glory hidden, being wiped in Qi Ze's hands.
Ouyang Ye finally dared to speak, saying with certainty, "Young Master Qi, in your homeland, you must be an extremely talented artificer, right?"
Qi Ze smiled faintly. "An unparalleled genius, that's me."
Ouyang Ye, "..." He didn't know how to respond to that. He had planned to wait for Qi Ze to be humble, so he could flatter him, but never expected Qi Ze to be even bolder. But this was the true Young Master Qi, very arrogant, very real, he liked it.
"Go practice with it," Qi Ze threw the sword over, reminding him, "After practice, celebrate with a few of your friends, go to a lively place, preferably everywhere with surveillance cameras."
"What are you going to do, Young Master Qi?" Ouyang Ye caught the sword in a fluster, stroking it lovingly.
"I'm going to avenge myself, I'll be back soon." He took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his body, simultaneously calling Li Yu. "How's the investigation going?"
Li Yu sounded very respectful. "Found it, at the first hospital on Neptune, in the VIP ward on the sixteenth floor. I heard Ouyang Tao just invited an eighth-level peak mental physician to heal him. If properly cared for, his body can recover, but his psychic realm will stagnate."
"A sixth-level psychic isn't weak on Neptune." Qi Ze smiled ambiguously, also reminding him, "You should now find a crowded place to play, preferably leaving evidence."
Li Yu agreed without further questions. Ouyang Ye vaguely sensed something, just as he was about to speak, he was startled to find Young Master Qi had vanished, without any warning.
Qi Ze hadn't disappeared but had put on a magical robe that had stealth capabilities. He walked openly onto a public hover bus and came to the first hospital, climbing to the sixteenth floor via the elevator. He slipped inside while the medical staff entered the ward, standing beside Ouyang Duanhua's bed.
The eighth-level mental physician wiped the sweat from his forehead, exclaiming, "Such a dense Fire Element, I've never seen before, and it's very pure, extremely pure. If you're not careful, it could trigger the Fire Element in the air, causing a secondary explosion. Fortunately, you responded quickly. If delayed for a few more days, it might have been too late. Second Young Master, I advise you not to provoke the Eldest Young Master in the future. Although his rank is not high, his combat power is far above yours. This is the difference between a person with high potential and an ordinary person. Overcoming ranks is no big deal for them."
Ouyang Duanhua's face was very ugly, but the few elders who sat in the ward were even more sullen. They asked, "Does his psychic ability have room to advance?"
"It's hard to say. If you can invite an S-level mental physician to provide long-term care for the Second Young Master, there's a fifty percent chance. But this process is very long, and the expenses are huge, you can handle it as you see fit." The physician spoke honestly.
"How long is it?" the oldest elder asked slowly.
"It could be fifty or sixty years, it could be a hundred years, or it could be a lifetime." The physician packed his things as he spoke, preparing to leave.
Ouyang Duanhua, hearing he still had hope, immediately looked at his father with pleading eyes. Ouyang Tao patted his hand, just as he was about to speak, another elder spoke softly, "Fifty or sixty years, how far could Ouyang Ye grow?"
The physician was clearly aware of some insider information and spoke frankly. "After elemental manipulation, the Eldest Young Master comprehended mental manipulation. Once he breaks through the bottleneck, his speed of advancement will be very fast. With his potential, he will definitely become a tenth-level expert within three years. If you give him fifty or sixty years, S, SS, SSS, and even SSSS are possible. He will surely have a spot among the future top powerhouses."
The elders sighed and then got up one by one, making the decision, "Bring the Eldest Young Master back, revise the inheritance rights, then send Ouyang Duanhua away, abandon treatment, this way, he and his mother will be more honest and won't bring disaster to the family."
Ouyang Duanhua immediately showed a look of fierce anger but was unable to speak due to his weakened body. Ouyang Tao thought of his talented eldest son, then looked at his beloved younger son. He was truly at a loss.
"If you disagree, to quell the Eldest Young Master's anger and deepen his feelings for the family, we can only exile your branch. The head of the family can be reselected. What we need is a decision-maker with sharp vision, not a fool who, based on personal preferences, ruins the future of the family." The elders didn't want to say more, leaving with the physician.
Ouyang Duanhua's expression calmed down, but the hatred in his eyes was even more profound. If he could restore his psychic ability, he would tear Ouyang Ye limb from limb. Ouyang Tao was about to comfort him when he received a call from the head of the Meng family, who roundaboutly proposed wanting to cancel the marriage between his daughter and the second young master.
Ouyang Tao was enraged, but he didn't want to argue with the man in front of his son, turning and leaving the ward, heading towards the stairwell. Qi Ze then revealed himself, slowly walking to the bedside and leaning down to admire Ouyang Duanhua's shocked and horrified expression.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Ouyang Duanhua wanted to rebuke him, but his voice could only emit a weak sound. The man's face was hidden in a black hood, not clear to see, but his appearance was too bizarre, completely overturning Ouyang Duanhua's understanding. Stealth clothing technology had long existed, but the military had also invented a way to counteract it. To prevent terrorist attacks, every public place was equipped with ray scanners. Once a suspicious person wearing stealth clothing was detected, an alarm would immediately sound.
But the hospital was quiet, this person somehow passed through the layers of security systems and came to the VIP area.
Ouyang Duanhua tried to retreat, but his weak body wouldn't obey. The man slowly extended two pale hands, putting on a pair of gloves as thin as cicada wings, then reached toward his newly healed belly. His fingertips pierced the flesh, delving inside, stirring slightly, seemingly pulling out something.
He crushed that thing, then covered Ouyang Duanhua's nearly pain-induced faintness with his bloody hand, giving it a light pat... In a daze, Ouyang Duanhua seemed to hear the sound of a glass vessel shattering, then plunged into boundless darkness. As he passed out, he heard the man say word by word, "Weak species have no right to live, do you really understand what this means? If you don't understand, it's fine, you can experience it yourself."â
The next morning, Ouyang Ye, who was reveling with friends, Li Yu, who was holding an emergency meeting with clients, and Qi Ze, who was sleeping in bed, were all separately summoned to the police station.
Ouyang Tao, wearing clothes stained with blood, was shouting in the hall, "It was Ouyang Ye, it must have been him! My son said that before he fainted, the murderer said a sentence, this sentence he only told that useless Qi Ze. No one but Ouyang Ye would remember it, using this sentence to retaliate! It must be him, I demand you severely punish the murderer!"
"Mr. Ouyang, solving a case requires evidence, you can't just accuse the suspect based on your word. Please be quiet, don't hinder our investigation." An officer said in an official tone.
Ouyang Tao also knew that Ouyang Ye was currently in the spotlight and had the favor of Young Master Yan. Ordinary people didn't dare to make things difficult for him, so he quickly adjusted his emotions and requested that the investigation process be transparent to prevent anyone from favoring one side. The officers had no right to object, so they took him to the surveillance room.
Ouyang Tao pushed the door open, his expression immediately stiffening. He saw that Young Master Yan was already sitting inside, lowering his eyes, using the lightning generated by his fingertips to light a cigarette. He frowned, his tone solemn, "Forget interrogating Ouyang Ye and Li Yu, why did you call Qi Ze over so late? You should know he is a carbon-based life form, he doesn't have the ability to commit a crime."
Although he said so, Yan Junyu secretly scoffed. His intuition told him that this case had a 100% connection to Qi Ze.
On the surveillance screen, Qi Ze was lying on the cold table, a spotlight shining down on him, illuminating him in meticulous detail. His already pale skin appeared even more translucent in the light, his sleepy brows, his bloodless lips, made him look so fragile.
Yan Junyu's eyes darkened slightly, ordering, "Question Qi Ze first, then I can take him back to the dormitory. Who will go turn up the temperature in the interrogation room, he will be cold. Once he falls ill, there are no medicines for carbon-based life forms in the hospital, you should know that."
The officers didn't dare to dawdle, immediately turning up the temperature. They also felt secretly strange in their hearts. It was said that Young Master Yan valued Ouyang Ye very much, but after observing closely, why did it seem like he cared more about that carbon-based life form? Seeing Qi Ze lazily sit up and innocently blink at the camera, with white skin, black hair, and red lips, his appearance was no less impressive than the most popular idol star of the moment, they finally found the root cause.
"Mr. Yan, it's not that we are deliberately making things difficult for student Qi Ze. He is a related party in the case, according to the rules, he must give a testimony." An officer said while walking out, assuring him, "We know he doesn't have the ability to commit a crime, so we're just asking, going through the motions, and will let him leave soon. Please wait a moment."
Yan Junyu nodded, making a gesture to hurry up. Ouyang Tao didn't dare to say a word, sitting nervously in the corner.
Yan Junyu stared at the screen, his stern expression slowly softening, then fell into a daze. This scene was damn familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere. Right, whenever he was involved with Qi Ze, he always felt a sense of familiarity, this wasn't the first time. Again and again, if he wasn't suffering from hysteria, it meant that Qi Ze and his past had some connection.
As Yan Junyu struggled to search his memory, Qi Ze raised his hand and gave a dainty yawn, squeezing out a few drops of tears at the corners of his eyes, looking very sleepy. Catching sight of the officers coming in, he immediately sat up straight, showing a look of trepidation.
"Officer, did I do something wrong?" he muttered.
"Where were you after eight o'clock last night? What were you doing..." The officer began to investigate his alibi, asked a few questions related to Ouyang Ye, and confirmed that the surveillance camera captured him returning home, but not leaving, before letting him go.
To be able to penetrate a psychic's skin with one's fingertips clearly exceeded the capabilities of a carbon-based life form. And the murderer successfully avoided all surveillance, appearing in the ward without a trace, was definitely an expert par excellence and quite adept at assassination. So from the beginning, the officers didn't suspect Qi Ze, but were just conducting routine investigations.
Qi Ze walked out of the interrogation room, seeing Yan Junyu who had been waiting outside, he couldn't help but be stunned.
"Why are you here?"
"I came to pick you up." Yan Junyu answered evasively, taking off his coat and draping it around the boy's shoulders. "I'll send you back first. Ouyang Ye and Li Yu still have to undergo investigation, they won't be released until noon tomorrow at the earliest."
"Then let's go." Qi Ze knew they wouldn't have any problems, his attitude was very relaxed.
After the two got in the car, Yan Junyu fastened the boy's seatbelt, saying slowly, "At eight fifteen last night, Ouyang Duanhua was attacked by an unknown person, his psychic ability and mental force were both destroyed. Ouyang Tao was there at the time but didn't notice any suspicious figures, only saying that while he was out for a bit, Ouyang Duanhua had an incident. The person left Ouyang Duanhua with a sentenceâweak species have no right to live. He only said this sentence to you, Ouyang Ye should also know, so the person who acted was Ouyang Ye, he was avenging you." He stared straight, but saw the boy open his mouth, his expression very shocked, then murmured, "How horrible! Someone could do such a cruel thing! Without psychic ability and mental force, how will Ouyang Duanhua live in the future?"
Perhaps it was due to a preconceived bias, Yan Junyu always felt that the boy's words carried a hint of watching a show. But every cell on his face was telling a story of horror and sympathy, not like he was faking it.
"He hurt you like that, don't you hate him?" he asked further.
"No hate." Qi Ze smiled faintly, his gaze clear. Which altar was Ouyang Duanhua on, worth him remembering at all times? Using his own methods against him, settling the cause and effect owed, this person could then be discarded. His top priority right now was forging and making money, the rest wasn't worth mentioning. If you seriously calculate it, when Ouyang Duanhua tried to kill him, he was still alive, this was called following the flow. But when he saved Yan Junyu, the man was completely dead, this was called going against the heavens. In careful calculation, the two weren't actually even, rather, Yan Junyu still owed him a little favor.
Thinking about it this way, Qi Ze accepted Yan Junyu's care with a clear conscience.
The next noon, Ouyang Ye and Li Yu were indeed both released. The police verified their alibis, one who partied with friends all night, with over a hundred witnesses; the other was holding a business meeting, with seven or eight participants, all prominent figures on Neptune, rock-solid evidence couldn't be more so. Moreover, there was no trace of them hiring a hit on the Star Network. Through investigation, the police ultimately ruled out their suspicion.
Ouyang Tao expressed great anger over this, but was hurriedly taken away by the elders who had rushed over. His false accusation of Ouyang Ye completely infuriated the clan. To ensure they retained this super genius, the elders unanimously decided to revoke Ouyang Tao's identity as head of the family, exiling him and his mother-son duo with Ouyang Duanhua.
Ouyang Tao realized the seriousness of the situation but could do nothing to salvage it. Ouyang Duanhua, learning he had become a cripple, actually laughed maniacally. He finally understood why he was able to pick up his life, the murderer wanted him to experience the pain Qi Ze had once experienced, to understand what it was like to be a weak species. His current body, if truly compared, was probably not as good as a carbon-based life form.
Knowing it would end up like this, why did he stand up for Meng Yao at the beginning? Unfortunately, Meng Yao had turned her back on him, as soon as he was crippled, she unilaterally terminated the engagement. An endless wave of regret flooded over, plunging Ouyang Duanhua into despair. When he boarded the spacecraft, leaving Neptune with full of unwillingness, Ouyang Ye was standing proudly on the arena.