Chapter 23 Hair! Hair!

If the Sage were to learn of this matter, he would surely seek a long conversation with the Headmaster.

Half a month later, an unexpected figure appeared at the Tianluo Institute.

Hurried footsteps echoed once more. "Headmaster... Headmaster... Zhang Jin requests to see you, he has important matters to report."

The room fell silent for a moment, as if weighing Zhang Jin's fate, before a deep voice responded, "Let him in."

The man was slightly taken aback, but dutifully hurried out. Not long after, Zhang Jin entered, smiling, following behind him.

The man thought to himself, "How can you still smile when your doom is imminent?"

"Headmaster, the man is here."

"Enter."

"Yes!"

The man pulled the door open, casting a warning glance at Zhang Jin.

Zhang Jin nodded with a smile and walked into the room.

The room was somewhat dim, lit only by a ray of sunlight streaming through the window, falling upon a figure seated cross-legged on the couch.

Yet the light made it impossible to see clearly.

"Why didn't you run?"

Zhang Jin bowed to the figure, replying, "Run? Taijing is a place one could lose oneself in; I could never bear to part with all that is here."

"Greed will cost you your life."

"But my relationship with Ye Ming is excellent; I believe the Headmaster will find my service useful in times to come." Zhang Jin bowed again, his smile fading, replaced by utmost seriousness.

"I am quite curious, what is your true reason for returning?"

Zhang Jin raised his head slightly, gazing at the shadow, whose aura was reminiscent of a teacher.

"In truth, I cannot bear to part with the jade horse at home, hard-won as it was. To start anew elsewhere would be troublesome. Besides, what transpired this time was intentional on my part—a form of candor."

"Speak," the Headmaster said, now somewhat interested.

"My ties with Ye Ming, if one cares to investigate, will be uncovered to some extent. In a place like Tianluo Institute, how could they not? I was sent to Taixi County under the pretense of probing Prefect Bata, but actually it was to assess my connection with Ye Ming. I was fully aware of this."

"I must admit, Ye Ming has taught you well, though perhaps a little too well—you are becoming greedy."

Zhang Jin smiled faintly. "Headmaster, it is not greed. To have come this far, I have sacrificed too much, and now I simply do not wish to lose what I have."

"Whether you can keep your life will depend on how much you are willing to reveal."

"I will certainly divulge to you some of Ye Ming's secrets, things unknown to others."

The Headmaster nodded, appearing satisfied, though his doubts were not yet dispelled and he would continue to observe.

"This time, when you went to Taixi County, what is your impression of the prefect?" the Headmaster suddenly asked.

Zhang Jin was momentarily stunned, then answered respectfully, "Reporting to the Headmaster, Taixi County's Prefect Bata is timid and fearful, a sycophant, much like most officials."

"Zhang Jin, you are still too young, your observations lack depth. The intelligence reports depict him quite differently."

Zhang Jin was surprised. He asked, "Wasn't I sent to Taixi County for matters concerning Ye Ming?"

"Not exactly, though it was convenient to check, and indeed there was a problem."

Zhang Jin's mouth twitched. "What sort of person is the prefect of Taixi County?"

"That need not concern you. But I am curious—if I wished to deal with Ye Ming, yet could not do so openly, what method would you suggest?"

Zhang Jin paused, his mind whirring, then answered promptly, "Headmaster, there are many sects and orders in Ankang Prefecture. If we cannot act ourselves, we can enlist their help."

At this moment, Zhang Jin appeared cunning, a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.

"That is a decent option. Yet for now, you should be more concerned about your own life."

"Rest assured, Headmaster, I value my life greatly."

"That is well."

Ye Ming could hardly have imagined that his own student would not listen, and would even turn against him.

It is true—people change over time.

Four years passed in the blink of an eye.

During these four years, nothing happened in the Ye family. Perhaps the only notable event was that Ye Kun and Ye Qin had both reached the age of ten.

It was now time for them to begin cultivation, yet as parents, Ye Ming and Dongmen Meng seemed in no hurry.

Ye Qin, on the other hand, was beside himself with impatience, longing to enter the county’s cultivation institute and train rigorously, believing that only then could he surpass his brother.

But for Ye Kun, these years brought a terrifying realization!

It was deeply unsettling!

From the moment of his birth, nothing had been normal!

Had events followed the usual course, he would have died that night in the alley, his body discovered only after it began to rot.

Yet not only had he survived, his mother picked him up, carried him onto a carriage, and fed him all manner of valuable elixirs.

Was this the proverbial blessing after escaping calamity?

Clearly, things had only gotten better. He had seen his mother's caravan that year—why did it disappear once he arrived here?

It was obvious now: his mother and father were anything but ordinary, perhaps even more formidable than the family into which he was born.

As an adopted child, he had thought that after his brother was born, his parents would focus their attention on the younger sibling. Yet—

And all those accidents that should have been detrimental ended up bringing him good fortune, earning him praise time and