Chapter 73: Hating Her – Love and Hate Ran Equally Deep Part 1

Ye Xi hurriedly halted her steps toward Shen Mingjin, but Ye Tan, who had been constantly watching Ye Xi’s movements, grabbed her and forcefully pulled her back to her side.

“Grandma!” Ye Tan ignored Ye Xi’s protest. She silently placed her hand on the back of Ye Xi’s neck and pushed her gaze toward You Xin Xuan, not letting her glance at Shen Mingjin again.

Ye Tan’s dominance dissatisfied Shen Minghuan to the extreme. She was no pushover either and had never lost in a contest of strength.

She dragged Shen Mingjin forward, looking as if she intended to confront Ye Tan.

Si Ruoling’s heart ached even more from the fright. Her fair, slender fingers pinched Shen Minghuan’s hair, and the tugging sensation on her scalp forced Shen Minghuan to stop.

She looked at Si Ruoling in confusion and shouted at the top of her lungs, “Didn’t you always favor Little Sister? Why aren’t you doing anything today? Are you afraid of Ye Tan?”

The more Shen Minghuan thought about it, the more correct her reasoning seemed. She indignantly yanked her hair free. “I’m not afraid.”

Si Ruoling pressed her hand to her heart, her lips paling slightly.

She had nothing to say to this tactless snake.

Shen Minghuan’s voice wasn’t quiet, and both Ye Tan and Ye Xi heard it.

Ye Tan coldly swept a glance at Shen Minghuan, a thin layer of frost covering her dark pupils. Sharp claws emerged from her free hand.

Shen Minghuan wasn’t afraid of her, and Ye Tan was equally unafraid of Shen Minghuan. In fact, she somewhat anticipated Shen Minghuan making a move.

Ye Xi grabbed Ye Tan’s hand and pulled her close, making her look at You Xin Xuan. “Grandma, You Xin Xuan is vomiting blood. Help me check on her condition.”

“I’m not looking.”

Plunged into a vortex of hatred, Ye Tan had become an unapproachable old lady. She ignored Ye Xi’s request and closed her eyes.

Even if You Xin Xuan died, she wouldn’t spare her a glance.

At that moment, Ye Tan equally despised all demon clans, including Ye Xi’s contract beast kin.

Ye Xi looked at Ye Tan with heartache. Having been instilled with a physician’s duty from birth, for Ye Tan to completely ignore a demon clan’s wounds, the hatred in her heart had already reached its peak. Without an outlet for that hatred, it tormented her instead.

Ye Xi sighed inwardly. Her gaze lingered briefly on Ye Tan before she took advantage of Ye Tan’s closed eyes to look back at Shen Mingjin.

She was truly worried about Shen Mingjin’s condition and feared she was swallowing her bitterness alone.

Shen Minghuan was paranoid and cold-blooded when she lost her temper, but extremely protective of her own when she wasn’t.

Her mind wasn’t as sharp as Si Ruoling’s, and her thinking was always simplistic. Seeing Ye Xi unable to escape Ye Tan’s control, she grew angrier. “Ye Xi! Today, you must choose between your grandmother and my little sister. I warn you—if you dare choose your grandmother, I’ll hunt you to the ends of the earth!”

Shen Minghuan wasn’t giving Ye Xi a choice; she was forcing a single option on her.

Not only was Ye Xi stunned, but Shen Mingjin and Si Ruoling, standing beside her, were also caught off guard. Shen Minghuan didn’t notice their expressions at all. She grew more agitated, self-igniting without any prompting, and strode toward Ye Xi. “Ye Xi, who gave you the guts to take advantage of my family and eat without admitting it!”

“Sis.” Shen Mingjin called out to stop Shen Minghuan.

The unfamiliar term after many years made Shen Minghuan pause. Shen Mingjin seized the moment to pull her back, her voice soft with a pleading tone. “Don’t say any more.”

Shen Minghuan was unconvinced. True to her narrow emotional range, Ye Tan’s feelings were completely outside her consideration. She only wanted justice for Shen Mingjin right now. “What did I say wrong?”

Shen Mingjin sighed silently. Seeing she couldn’t stop Shen Minghuan, she shifted the topic. “Sis, I want to go home.”

Shen Minghuan was taken aback, her eyes scanning Shen Mingjin’s increasingly reddened skin. “You should go back and rest.”

Si Ruoling supported Shen Mingjin and, unusually, looked directly at Shen Minghuan. “Leader Shen’s paranoia has finally improved.”

No wonder Shen Minghuan accused Si Ruoling of favoritism—Ye Xi could hear the sarcasm.

Si Ruoling spoke mildly to Shen Mingjin but with a sarcastic edge to Shen Minghuan.

Shen Minghuan’s thought process was uniquely twisted. She steadied Shen Mingjin’s shoulder and fixed her gaze on Ye Xi. “Little Sister, I know you don’t like Big Sis anymore. Even if Big Sis likes you, it’s just unrequited love on her part.”

…

Ye Xi had heard Shen Mingjin mention it early on: Shen Minghuan’s motive for digging out her own bones back then stemmed from feeling betrayed by both her sister and the person she liked. Over the years, she’d been deeply afraid of Shen Mingjin and Si Ruoling being alone together, suffering from severe paranoia. Combined with the seal on Shen Mingjin’s body, she’d always wanted to introduce partners to her.

But hearing about it and seeing it firsthand felt different.

Shen Minghuan seemed seriously ill. Ye Xi could tell Si Ruoling’s gaze toward Shen Mingjin held no romantic undertones beyond familial affection, yet Shen Minghuan stubbornly pinned unrequited love on her.

Clearly, Ye Xi wasn’t the only one who thought Shen Minghuan was sick.

Si Ruoling clutched her chest in anger, trembling as she pointed a finger. “Shen Minghuan, you’re insane!”

Si Ruoling was obviously well-mannered; her insults were limited and barely scratched Shen Minghuan.

Shen Minghuan still rested her hand on Shen Mingjin’s shoulder and asked her seriously, “Little Sister, if you can’t bear to leave Ye Xi, why don’t we just snatch her back? My intuition tells me Ye Tan isn’t my match.”

Shen Minghuan’s intuition must not have been accurate.

Ye Tan’s power far exceeded that of an ordinary physician—even Shen Shuyun could handle her easily, let alone Shen Minghuan.

However… Ye Xi surprisingly felt a momentary anticipation of being snatched.

Her possessiveness toward Shen Mingjin was much stronger, and her reluctance to part was even deeper.

While Shen Mingjin could consider giving up, Ye Xi had never thought of severing this bond.

Breaking up was impossible; Ye Xi could at most tolerate delaying their time together.

Of course, if Shen Minghuan really fought Ye Tan, the massive obstacle between her and Shen Mingjin would only grow heavier. As Ye Xi pondered how to dissuade Shen Minghuan, she suddenly heard Si Ruoling ask her, “Shen Minghuan, if Little Sister and I died, would you hate the one who killed us?”

Shen Minghuan answered without thinking, “I’d slaughter her and then wipe out her entire family.”

Si Ruoling looked calmly at Shen Minghuan. “That’s your answer.”

Shen Mingjin truly resembled Si Ruoling, who had strong empathy and resolved the issue with a single hypothetical by putting herself in Ye Tan’s shoes, silencing Shen Minghuan.

Ye Xi breathed a sigh of relief, but soon realized it was premature.

Shen Minghuan’s personality flaws were severe. She always twisted debates to favor herself, driving those around her mad. “Shen Shuyun has gone to the General Bureau—they’re all family there. She doesn’t count as one of ours. If Ye Tan wants revenge, she should go kill everyone at the General Bureau top to bottom. Breaking up a marriage harms a physician’s ethics.”

Si Ruoling pressed her heart, unwilling to exchange another word with her.

Shen Mingjin thought for a moment and grabbed Shen Minghuan.

She didn’t want to speak either, merely silently controlling Shen Minghuan’s next move.

Ye Tan heard Shen Minghuan’s words too.

Ye Tan opened her eyes and looked at Ye Xi expectantly. “Xiao Xi, shall we kill everyone at the General Bureau?”

That was definitely not a good idea.

Before Ye Xi could find words to dissuade Ye Tan, You Xin Xuan suddenly opened her eyes. “Dawn Eclipse Clan.”

Something was clearly wrong with You Xin Xuan’s projection. Her eyes sank into a crimson haze, blood continuously seeping from the corners, with more trickling from her mouth.

She didn’t cry out in pain. Instead, she quickly grabbed Ye Xi’s hand and said in a trembling voice, “Ye Xi, Little Nian is in the Dawn Eclipse Clan.”

Dawn Eclipse Clan.

Of the Eleven Clans, only the Dawn Eclipse Clan’s leader had yet to arrive.

As Ye Xi’s thoughts stirred, You Xin Xuan suddenly spat a large mouthful of blood at her, startling Ye Xi. “You Xin Xuan, what’s wrong?”

You Xin Xuan’s gaze blurred momentarily before refocusing.

Her hand trembled as it gripped Ye Xi’s, her palm slick with cold sweat. “Ye Xi, corpses—corpses everywhere in the Dawn Eclipse Clan.”

Corpses everywhere?

Before Ye Xi could ask if You Xin Xuan had seen wrong, Ni Yueying, who had been coordinating the clan leaders for rescue operations among their own people nearby, suddenly rushed toward her.

Thick, vibrant green vines burst from the ground wherever Ni Yueying ran, following her toward Ye Xi and swiftly weaving into nets that enclosed Ye Xi in a sealed space.

Ni Yueying moved quickly, tiny azure flowers blooming on the vines. The abundant life force spread, soothing everyone’s hearts.

The gentle, soft aura enveloped their bodies, easing any pain.

You Xin Xuan, the freshly injured rabbit, felt it most acutely. Just as she meant to thank Ni Yueying, the latter scooped her up upon reaching them and tossed her body through the gap in the still-forming vine net.

Ye Xi saw You Xin Xuan’s eyes widen in shock, filled with disbelief. In that moment of being thrown, she seemed to doubt whether the one discarding her was truly Ni Yueying.

After successfully ejecting You Xin Xuan from the green vine enclosure, only Ye Xi and Ye Tan remained inside.

Ni Yueying urgently reached out to Ye Xi. “Ye Xi.”

Ye Tan slapped away Ni Yueying’s hand. “Don’t touch my granddaughter.”

“Ah Tan, let me through.”

Ni Yueying had no time to coax Ye Tan. She patted Ye Tan’s shoulder, and vines rapidly unfurled, instantly binding her.

Ni Yueying glanced at the immobilized Ye Tan and extended her hand to Ye Xi again.

She smoothly grasped Ye Xi’s hand. The moment their palms clasped, a small tree mark appeared on both their wrists. Green mist, carrying the Wanling Tree’s immense power, climbed from Ni Yueying’s body toward Ye Xi.

Vast life force surged into her body, a warm current soothing every meridian equally, while her stamina noticeably amplified.

Ni Yueying’s spirit was markedly depleted compared to Ye Xi’s vibrant state. Her face looked terrible, lips as white as paper, complexion ashen like dirt.

She bit her lip tightly, dark red blood dripping from the edge.

Ni Yueying’s chest turned transparent again, forcibly revealing her demon poison-corroded heart to Ye Xi.

Compared to last time, the demon poison within Ni Yueying seemed even deeper.

Beyond her heart, other parts of Ni Yueying’s body gradually turned transparent, exposing pale golden sinews and bones to Ye Xi.

A mild divinity emanated from Ni Yueying, hiding an undeniable malice beneath the gentleness.

Ye Xi sensed Ni Yueying’s power growing stronger, yet this potency brought no enhancement to her body—instead, it accelerated the demon poison’s proliferation.

Where had this power come from?

Though Ni Yueying was the Earth Mother, constantly absorbing solar essence and earthly spiritual energy, accumulation and amplification took time. Such overwhelming power couldn’t have manifested so quickly.

Ye Xi asked Ni Yueying worriedly, “Bureau Chief Ni, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Ni Yueying’s dire changes, even the vine-bound Ye Tan fell silent.

She watched the transformations, a flicker of concern in her eyes.

Ni Yueying gasped lowly, deep pain etching into her gaze. “The Dawn Eclipse Clan has been annihilated.”

Ye Xi had just heard from You Xin Xuan about corpses littering the Dawn Eclipse Clan, and now confirmation of its annihilation from Ni Yueying—the turn of events was too swift, catching her off guard. “What?”

Unlike Ye Xi’s shock, Ye Tan’s lips curved upward at the news of the Dawn Eclipse Clan’s fall. “Good riddance!”

The Dawn Eclipse Clan’s Night Clan had buried Ye He; Ye Tan’s hatred for them rivaled her loathing for Shen Shuyun.

Ni Yueying glanced at the agitated Ye Tan but didn’t argue.

She first explained the situation to Ye Xi. “Ye Xi, the living space of the Eleven Demon Clans was initially formed from my demon power and the First Generation Leaders’ demon power. Later, it incorporated more high-level demon powers from the clans, making the space increasingly stable and expansive.”

“When the Dawn Eclipse Clan was attacked just now, nearly all the demons inside perished. The living space’s demon power imbalance caused it to collapse, and the power I had stored there returned to my body.” Ni Yueying forced a wry smile. “Ye Xi, my body can’t hold so much power, but you need it.”