Ways To Be Powerful

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Pain was spreading around Ye Qingtang’s body quietly. Some kind of unbearable pain seemed to engulf her. She opened her eyes suddenly, but she was no longer at the snow-covered peaks of Lingyun Mountain.

“Tang Tang, you’re finally awake.” Ye Qingtang heard a tiring voice beside her ears.

Ye Qingtang was shocked when she heard the voice.

This voice…

How many years had it been since she last heard this voice?

Ye Qingtang instinctively shifted her sight to see a middle-aged man with a haggard face standing beside her.

“Father…” Ye Qingtang opened her eyes wide, unable to believe what she had witnessed. The middle-aged man helped her as she struggled to get up.

Ye Ling, master of the Ye family clan, stared at his daughter and said worriedly, “Tang Tang, your body hasn’t recovered since your spirit root was broken. You need to rest more. Don’t rush to get up.”

Ye Qingtang’s eyes opened wider. She was extremely astonished by the situation in front of her.

What happened?

She destroyed her own heart on the peaks of Lingyun Mountain. Why she is alive?

Father… I thought father was killed by the Great Elder three hundred years ago? Now… How…

A series of questions arose in Ye Qingtang’s brain continuously. Only after taking a glance at her surroundings, she realized that she was in her own room of the Ye family, a room that ceased to exist a few hundred years ago.

“Tang Tang, as your father, I will still take care of you in future even if you have lost your spirit root. You don’t need to care about what others say. Just rest well and recover soon.” Ye Ling did not give much thought to the abnormal behavior of Ye Qingtang. He thought that Ye Qingtang was just too shocked to pay attention to him.

Only Ye Qingtang knew how shocked she was internally in that moment.

She had revived and returned back to the Ye family three hundred years ago!

Looking at her father in front of her, Ye Qingtang’s eyes were filled with tears. Three hundred years ago, in her previous life, she was weak and useless. She could only helplessly witness her father and her beloved Second Elder being killed by Ye You’s grandfather, the Great Elder of the Ye family. However, she could not believe that she was back now!

Ye Qingtang sat up slightly, staring at her father whose face was full of concern. She tried to calm herself down.

At the same period of time in her previous life, her spirit root had just been snatched by Ye You. On top of that, the Great Elder threatened that her father would be in danger if she ever told him the truth. As a result, she could only cover up the truth by saying that she broke her spirit root by herself.

In her previous life, Ye Qingtang thought that she would be able to ensure her father’s safety as long as she could tolerate the humiliation. However, she did not know that the Great Elder had already taken most of the power of the Ye family and had secretly laced her father’s meals with chronic poison. The Great Elder not only encouraged Ye You to snatch Ye Qingtang’s spirit root but also killed Ye Ling to take over the official master position of the Ye family.

She could only blame herself for being too naive in her previous life.

“Tang Tang, since you are up, drink the medicine before it gets cold.” Ye Ling did not notice the changes in her daughter at all. Instead, he caringly offered her the medicine that was still warm.

Ye Qingtang took the medicine her father handed over to her. Staring at the reflection of herself in the medicine, she went blank for a second.

The girl in the reflection had delicate features, but there was a red palm-sized birthmark on her face which used to be white and clean. The birthmark which stretched across half of her face totally ruined her original beauty, even making her appear extremely ugly.

Ye Qingtang had not seen this face for a few hundred years.

She remembered that in her previous life she had felt inferior as a result of her birthmark. She could only wear a veil all day long to cover the ugly face. However, after a long time, she realized that she was not born with the birthmark, but it was instead the result of someone purposely sealing her original appearance.

Thinking about such, Ye Qingtang could not help but smile. She drank her medicine in one gulp. As the bitterness entered her throat, she swore secretly that since she was given a chance to be reborn, she must cut off all the regrets of her previous life.

She would never let anyone hurt her father or anyone around her!

Ye Ling sighed softly as he watched Ye Qingtang finish her medicine. The Ye family now was very unstable. Ever since the Second Elder, who always supported him, went into seclusion, the ambitious Great Elder took the chance to take over the entire Ye Family. Ever though Ye Ling was still the master of the Ye family, he had already lost all of his power.

However, he felt relieved as long as Tang Tang was safe and sound.

“You should rest more after drinking the medicine.” Ye Ling’s eyes were full of concern. Ever since his wife passed away, he treasured his precious daughter even more and focused mainly on taking care of her.

Ye Qingtang nodded. All her suffering from the three hundred years in her previous life were incomparable to the care from her loved ones. She felt extremely lucky to be able to meet Ye Ling again.

When Ye Ling was about to leave Ye Qingtang’s room, a servant’s voice was heard outside the door.

“Master, the second junior master of the Duan family, Duan Tianrao, is here to visit the Young Lady. He’s at the front hall now.”

Ye Ling smiled in relief after hearing the servant’s words. He then turned his head and looked towards Ye Qingtang who sat on her bed.

“Tang Tang, Tian Rao cares for you. You see, he came to visit you this early, as he knew you weren’t feeling well. I feel relieved to let him take care of you in the future,” Ye Ling said.

Duan Tianrao was the second junior master of the Duan family in Lin Town. He was also the fiancé of Ye Qingtang. The two of them were engaged when they were young. Duan Tianrao was waiting for Ye Qintang to turn 16 when he would then marry Ye Qingtang.

As for this son-in-law, Ye Ling was quite satisfied with him. He was delighted that Duan Tianrao came to visit Ye Qingtang this early.

Unfortunately…

Ye Qingtang’s face showed no trace of shyness a normal girl would have. There was only sarcasm in her big and clear eyes.

Duan Tianrao.

How could she forget about him?

Not long after the news of her broken spirit root was spread out in her previous life, Duan Tianrao rushed over to the Ye family. However, her fiancé was not there to comfort her and instead just tried to make things worse.

Ye Qingtang closed her eyes slowly. The images of Duan Tianrao when he arrived at the Ye family in her previous life appeared in her brain.

Ye Qingtang wore the veil all day long. There were rumors spreading in Lin Town in her previous life that she was extremely ugly. This was the reason why Ye Qingtang was too afraid to step out of the Ye family. Even when she stayed within the Ye family, she wore the veil all the time.

Even her long-engaged fiancé, Duan Tianrao, had not seen her face under the veil before.

Ye Qingtang used to think that Duan Tianrao treated her sincerely. However, after her spirit root was broken, Duan Tianrao came not to comfort her but instead to annul the engagement, choosing another woman over her.

“Tang Tang?” Ye Ling was concerned as he saw that Ye Qingtang’s expressions were odd.

Ye Qingtang opened her eyes dazedly. She felt the care and warmth from Ye Ling’s worried gaze.

Yes, she thought.

Why did she need to bother with those bastards? She should only protect those people who cared for her in this life.

“Father, I’ll dress up soon. You can go over first.” Ye Qingtang smiled slightly.

A tall and handsome man was sitting on the chair in the hall of the Ye family. Beside him was a beautiful and graceful girl.

“Duan Lang, about the matters we’re going to discuss today…” The girl frowned slightly. She puckered her lips expressing her concern.

After seeing such a lovely expression on the girl’s face, Duan Tianrao who was sitting there could not help but raise his hand to cover her white hands.

“Xun Er, you don’t need to worry. I’ll be here for you.” Duan Tianrao’s voice was very gentle when comforting the girl.

Ye Xun was an orphan adopted by Ye Ling at a very young age. She had been raised by the Ye family ever since she was a baby. 16 years had passed, and though she was an adopted daughter, she still received the same education as the rest of the Ye family’s daughters growing up. Her appearance was not inferior to those of the other daughters of the Ye family.

Ye Xun’s beauty was the reason why she was able to capture Duan Tianrao’s attention.

Ye Xun lowered her eyes filled with sadness and anxiety.

“I owe the Ye family a debt of gratitude for raising me up. I’m scared that this matter might…”

Duan Tianrao was heartbroken seeing how anxious Ye Xun was.

He held her hand tightly and said, “Xun Er, you’re the adopted daughter of the Ye family, and it’s true that you owe them the debt of gratitude. However, our matter has nothing to do with that gratitude. Just rest assured. I’ll be there for you no matter what happens.”

Ye Xun nodded her head. A faint smile could be captured in her eyes as she noticed how much Duan Tianrao cared for her.

At that moment, Ye Ling walked into the hall. Ye Xun and Duan Tianrao immediately let go of each other’s hands. Duan Tianrao stood up and greeted Ye Ling.

“Uncle Ye.”

“Father.” Ye Xun also stood up.

Ye Ling just nodded slightly and looked towards Duan Tianrao in front of him.

Ye Qingtang was the only daughter of Ye Ling. She had a weak body since she was born. She was even ashamed of herself due to her birthmark. Thus, it had always been Ye Ling’s greatest aspiration to find a wife who would take care of his daughter.

Lin Town had, in total, three large family clans. Apart from the Ye family, the Duan family and the Si family were the other two large family clans. The marriage alliance with the Duan family was based on equal social status, and Ye Ling would be relieved to hand over Ye Qingtang to Duan Tianrao as Tianrao cared for Qingtang all the time.

“Tianrao, Tang Tang is still dressing up. She’ll come over soon. Just wait for a while.” Ye Ling smiled.

A trace of uneasiness appeared in Duan Tianrao’s eyes, but he did not show anything on his face. He exchanged glances with Ye Xun beside him secretly.

“No need to rush,” he said and smiled.

He then nodded towards the servant beside him. The servant immediately placed a few well-decorated boxes onto a table beside Ye Ling.

“I heard that Tang Tang’s spirit root was broken, devitalizing her. Thus, I prepared some tonics including the Hunyuan Pills which will help Tang Tang to regain her vigor. The pills are very effective in terms of healing power.” Duan Tianrao spoke gently.

“The Hunyuan Pills are difficult to find. I was about to look for them, but you have already brought them over. I’m very relieved to see that you truly love her.” Ye Ling felt pleased.

“This is to be expected from a fiancé,” Duan Tianrao said humbly.

Ye Xun held her fists tightly as she watched the Hunyuan Pills being sent to Ye Ling. However, remembering what Duan Tianrao said, all her worries were gone, and she smiled gently.

“How’s Tang Tang these past few days?” Duan Tianrao’s eyes flickered. It seemed that he was waiting for the right opportunity to open up.

Ye Ling did not sense anything. He sighed and said, “How could she feel alright after her spirit root was broken? The child is always very considerate. She never shows any signs of pain in front of me. It’s very heartbreaking to see her in this state.”

Ye Ling raised his eyes and said to Duan Tianrao, “Tianrao, you’re Tang Tang’s fiancé, and the two of you grew up together. It’d be great if you could spend more time with her. I’m sure she would be more relaxed.”

Duan Tianrao smiled but did not respond directly.

Ye Xun who was standing at the side lowered her head slightly. She pulled Duan Tianrao’s sleeve discreetly, and in response Duan Tianrao gently patted her hand to comfort her.

At the same moment, a skinny silhouette slowly entered the hall and greeted Ye Ling who sat on the main chair.

“Father.”

Seeing Ye Qingtang, Ye Ling’s eyes reflected deep love and care.

“Tang Tang, you haven’t recovered fully yet. Sit down first.”

Ye Qingtang, who was wearing the veil, sat beside Ye Ling quietly. However, her eyes did not even look towards the direction of Duan Tianrao, who sat below.

Ye Ling did not notice how indifferent Ye Qingtang was towards Duan Tianrao. He smiled and pointed towards the things on the table to show Ye Qingtang.

“Tang Tang, all these are given by Tianrao to help you recover. He even brought Hunyuan Pills for you. He truly does care for you.”

Ye Qingtang’s took a glimpse towards the tonics stacked on top of each other like a mountain on the table. She then glanced at Duan Tianrao who sat below. Her sight was extremely cold without any expression of fascination or gratitude.

“Thank you, Young Master Duan, for your effort.” Ye Qingtang spoke lightly.

Young Master Duan?

The other three all froze for a second. In the past when Ye Qingtang met Duan Tianrao, she always called him Brother Duan. Why did she distant herself today?

Duan Tianrao frowned slightly. However, remembering the purpose of his visit today, he did not bother anymore.

Ye Ling thought that Ye Qingtang was in a bad mood as her spirit root was broken, so he also did not bother to find out the reason.

“You’ll be 16 years old in half a year’s time. I think we can proceed with your marriage with Tianrao. When you feel better, I’ll discuss your marriage with the master of the Duan family clan. Is that fine?”

Ye Ling did not initially intend to have Ye Qingtang marry so soon, but now that her spirit root was broken, it was very unlikely for her to have any improvement in Wushu. The Ye family had already been controlled by the Great Elder, and even as the master of the family clan, he no longer held much power.

It would be better for Ye Qingtang to marry Duan Tianrao early. He would be more relieved knowing that Duan Tianrao would be able to take care of her.

The faces of the three people who were present suddenly changed upon hearing what Ye Ling said.

Especially for Ye Xun, her body stiffened, and Duan Tianrao’s facial expression darkened.

Only Ye Qingtang still sat properly on the chair. Her sight was cold, and she was sharp enough to capture the changes in Ye Xun and Duan Tianrao.

“Uncle Ye.” Duan Tianrao stepped forward suddenly.

“Today, I came over to tell you about something.”

“Yes? What is it?” Ye Ling asked.

Duan Tianrao remained silent for a while and said, “Besides visiting Tang Tang, I came here today for another reason. It’s because… I think the marriage between Tang Tang and I should be annulled.”

The smile on Ye Ling’s face disappeared immediately after Duan Tianrao finished his sentence.

“Tianrao, what do you mean by that?”

Duan Tianrao took a breath and decided to confess everything.

“I grew up together with Tang Tang so, of course, we are close with each other. However, I can only view her as my sister and not as a couple. I have told my father about it, and he also agrees that we should not push for such a marriage. Hence, I’m here today to annul the engagement,” Duan Tianrao said.

“What?!” Ye Ling slammed his fist loudly on the table. He stared at Duan Tianrao in anger.

“You want to annul the engagement? Do you know what you are talking about!”

Ye Ling was furious. The engagement between Duan Tianrao and Ye Qingtang was made when they were young, and everyone in Lin Town knew about that. Now, Duan Tianrao wanted to annul the engagement. If the news spreads out, his daughter would be viewed as a joke in other people’s eyes!

Duan Tianrao had already made up his mind.

He stared at Ye Ling who was raging and carried on. “Uncle Ye, a few days ago, my father had confirmed that I would be the heir of the Duan family clan. I will become the master of the clan, and my wife will be the mistress of the Duan family.”

Duan Tianrao looked towards Ye Qingtang and her veil. His sight showed a sense of aversion.

“Tang Tang never shows her real face to others. Furthermore, her spirit root was broken and she can’t improve her Wushu anymore. Duan family is one of the three great family clans in Lin Town. The mistress must be able to take on heavy responsibilities. The Tang Tang now… I fear, is not suitable for this role anymore.”

Duan Tianrao sounded very pleasant and logical, but every word he said to Ye Ling pierced his heart like a sword.

“Duan Tianrao, do you know what you just said! Your engagement with Tang Tang was confirmed long ago. Now you want to annul it?” Ye Ling reproached.

Duan Tianrao frowned and raised his eyes slightly.

“Uncle Ye, I did have an engagement with Ye Qingtang. However, what kind of spirit root did she have back then, and what kind is it now? Uncle Ye, you really want me to marry a woman who has no spirit root and no appearance?”

Ye Ling trembled with anger. He never expected that Duan Tianrao was this kind of person.

Duan Tianrao did not change his mind at all even after witnessing Ye Ling’s anger. He turned and looked towards Ye Qingtang, who remained silent all along.

“Tang Tang, I think I treated you fairly enough in the past. Now, you should think from my perspective. Even though others in the town said you were extremely ugly, I didn’t request to annul the engagement back then. However, now that your spirit root is broken, do you still want to marry me forcefully? How am I supposed to explain this to the Duan family?

“I can tolerate it if my wife is ugly, but I can’t bring a useless mistress for the Duan family.”

Every word that came out of Duan Tianrao hurt. From the beginning to the end, he only valued Ye Qingtang’s spirit root.

When Ye Qingtang had the supreme-grade spirit root, he could tolerate her ugliness. However, now that her spirit root was destroyed, why did he still need to accept her?

Ye Ling stood up in anger and roared. “Duan Tianrao! Shut up! I was blind to allow the engagement between you and Tang Tang! I never knew you that you were this kind of abhorrent person!”

“Uncle Ye, you’re also the master of your family clan. Is there anything wrong with what I just said?”

Duan Tianrao finally removed the entirety of his disguise. He knew long ago from Ye Xun that the Great Elder was the one with power and that Ye Ling was only the master of the family clan only in name.

“You…” Ye Ling trembled with rage.

Ye Xun who was standing aside stepped forward. A slight smile appeared on her face, but she quickly disguised it with an expression full of concern.

“Father, please do not be angry.”

“Do not be angry? How can I not be angry?” Ye Ling questioned.

Ye Xun looked at the tall and strong Duan Tianrao gently and said, “Young Master Duan has his own reasons. As the next family master, he needs to care for the prestige of the family. Father, I hope you will understand. Tang Tang is still young. She will be able to find a good husband in the future.”

“What did you just say?” Ye Ling stared at her adopted daughter unbelievably. He could not believe that she would speak up for Duan Tianrao.

Ye Xun stared at the furious Ye Ling and then looked towards Ye Qingtang, who had not spoken at all. She took out the Hunyuan Pills that Duan Tianrao gave her and handed them over to Ye Qingtang.

“Tang Tang, Young Master Duan cares for you. He even brought the Hunyuan Pills to help you recover,” Ye Xun said as coldness sparkled in her eyes.

She was very sure that Ye Qingtang loved Duan Tianrao and that she definitely would not agree to the annulment. Ye Qingtang would not accept the Hunyuan Pills. She might even beg Duan Tianrao to keep the engagement.

Eventually, the Hunyuan Pills would return to Ye Xun’s hands.

Even though Ye Xun held such beliefs, she still pretended to persuade Ye Qintang sweetly.

Ye Qingtang stared at Ye Xun coldly, watching her fake concern. She smiled coldly in her heart.

Ye Qingtang saw through Ye Xun’s actions and could read her thoughts. In her previous life, Ye Qingtang was exactly the type of person Ye Xun thought she was. When she knew that Duan Tianrao wanted to annul the engagement, not only did she reject the tonics and Hunyuan Pills that Duan Tianrao gave her, but she also begged him not to abandon her, throwing away her dignity and pride.

She did not care about the prestige of Ye family and Ye Ling, and she had placed herself in an inferior position. Ye Ling even vomited blood as he was too furious.

However, this time…

Suddenly, a smile appeared on Ye Qingtang’s lips. Just as Ye Xun was feeling very confident of her analysis, Ye Qingtang extended her arm and took over the Hunyuan Pills.

“Then I will thank Young Master Duan for his kindness.” She then placed the Hunyuan Pills into her own space ring, a dimensional storage item.

The whole process happened smoothly.

While Ye Ling was still enraged, Ye Qingtang suddenly spoke up for the first time.

“Father, I think Young Master Duan has a point as well.”

The three people in the hall were all taken aback by Ye Qingtang’s words.

Duan Tianrao stared at Ye Qingtang in surprise. He thought that the moment he asked to annul the engagement, Ye Qingtang definitely would be crying and begging. He did not expect that she would say such words.

Ye Ling was also dumbfounded.