Chapter Three: The Mysterious Jade

Faced with the burly man in the green robe, Ye Wei instinctively shrank back, taking a few steps away in fear. The moment Ye Ling recognized the man who had suddenly appeared and helped Ye Cheng out of trouble, her bright, limpid eyes lit up, her face blossoming with delight. She trotted over to him and called sweetly, “Third Uncle!”

Everyone in Luoyang Town knew that the patriarch of the Ye family had three sons. The eldest, Ye Hong, possessed only average talent for cultivation, but because of his steady temperament, he managed family affairs after the old master withdrew from daily matters. The second son, Ye Shan—Ye Cheng’s father—was famed for a nearly monstrous gift, becoming a legend among the younger generation in his youth, and still spoken of by the elders. Sixteen years ago, he left Luoyang Town and was never heard from again.

The third son, the man before them clad in green, was Ye Zhan. True to his name, Ye Zhan was born with a love for battle and was known in Luoyang Town as a fighting maniac. Despite moderate talent, his unyielding desire for combat led him to challenge experts, forging a formidable strength through sheer persistence. Now, he was a consummate master of the Origin Realm, the strongest in the Ye family apart from the old patriarch and the Grand Elder.

The three brothers had always been close. Even after Ye Cheng’s father disappeared, Ye Hong and Ye Zhan cared deeply for his family.

“Well, if it isn’t Ling’er, too!” Ye Zhan, recognizing Ye Ling’s voice, shifted his gaze from Ye Wei to her, teasing, “You’ve grown even prettier, haven’t you? Tell Third Uncle, was it Ye Wei bullying you and your brother again?”

Praised by her elder, Ye Ling’s clear eyes curved into crescents, her radiant smile leaving the Ye family’s youths momentarily spellbound. Yet, at Ye Zhan’s latter words, a flicker of anger flashed in her spirited gaze. Biting her lip, she said with resentment, “Ye Wei threatened to beat my brother if I didn’t go out with him.”

Ye Ling’s words sent a chill down Ye Wei’s spine, his heart pounding with anxiety. Sensing things turning against them, the other Ye family youths who had backed Ye Wei quietly slipped away.

Ye Zhan’s rugged face darkened slightly upon hearing this. He stared intently at the now-timid Ye Wei and said coolly, “So, you’d resort to threats within your own family. Don’t think the Grand Elder’s backing gives you license to do as you please. Should this happen again, I won’t mind teaching the Grand Elder’s grandson a lesson myself. Understood?”

“Yes,” Ye Wei replied meekly.

Familiar with Ye Wei’s nature, Ye Zhan didn’t press further after hearing his reply, waving him off impatiently. “Go on.”

Relieved, Ye Wei exhaled deeply, quickly turning to stride toward the town. As he passed Ye Cheng, he muttered, “You got lucky today. Next time, don’t count on it.”

Hearing the scornful tone, the young man remained silent, his clenched fists betraying his unrest. “One day, I’ll make you pay these debts…”

After making this silent vow, he thought of his current situation, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

Watching Ye Wei and his cronies flee in disarray, Ye Zhan finally turned, his gaze passing over Ye Ling and settling on the pensive youth. With a gentle smile, he asked, “Are you alright?”

“Mm.” Drawing himself from his thoughts, Ye Cheng glanced at his ever-reliable third uncle, feeling a surge of gratitude. He rubbed his nose and replied softly, then, as if recalling something, asked in puzzlement, “Third Uncle, what brings you here?”

The delicate girl beside him also looked at Ye Zhan in confusion, clearly wondering about his unexpected appearance.

Ye Zhan chuckled heartily, “It was Ye Ming who came running to ask for my help.”

“So that’s the ‘reinforcement’ he brought,” Ye Cheng realized.

Hearing this, Ye Ling blinked her bright eyes, tilting her head as she looked around. Not seeing Ye Ming, she asked in confusion, “But where is Cousin Ye Ming?”

“I was worried I wouldn’t arrive in time, so I hurried over. He should be here soon,” Ye Zhan explained after a brief pause.

A moment later, he smiled, nodding toward Ye Cheng’s back. “Look, here he comes now.”

As soon as he spoke, the siblings turned in the indicated direction to see a familiar figure waving as he approached.

“It’s getting late; we should head home,” someone said.

…

Night fell, veiling the land in darkness. Moonlight slanted down on the Ye family’s pond, reflecting a half-moon on the surface, while a gentle breeze sent ripples shimmering with lingering light.

Inside a small cottage, Ye Cheng lay awake, gazing at the bright moonlight with a heavy heart. Replaying the past few years in his mind, he could not help but feel despondent.

“Heh, strength… In this world, without strength, you’re not even as good as a dog. At least no one dares bite a dog.” Closing his eyes, the youth’s voice, tinged with dejection, echoed softly in the room.

Suddenly, a figure surfaced in his mind. He buried his fingers in his thick black hair, biting his lip so hard that a faint trace of blood spread at the corner of his mouth. Ye Wei’s scornful expression replayed in his mind as cold words slipped from his lips.

“Ye Wei, just you wait. If I don’t beat you into a pig’s head, I’m not a Ye.”

…

“Heh, quite a grudge for such a little one,” a raspy, mischievous voice abruptly sounded in the room, reaching Ye Cheng’s ears.

His face changed instantly. He sprang to his feet, hawk-like eyes scanning the room, but there was no one in sight.

“Heh, boy, stop looking. I’m right on your neck.” As Ye Cheng failed to locate the source, the elderly voice echoed again, seemingly from nowhere.

His gaze fell upon the old, wolf-fang-shaped jade at his neck. He hastily snatched it off and tossed it onto the floor.

Clack.

Staring at the motionless jade on the floor in terror, he could hardly believe that the stone he’d found by chance years ago on the back mountain could be so mysterious.

Suddenly, the jade trembled, and under the boy’s fearful gaze, slowly floated into the air.

Ye Cheng’s lips were parched as he swallowed hard, trying to remain composed. “Are you human or ghost?”

“Heh, of course I’m human,” the aged voice replied from within the jade. “It’s just that, in a battle years ago, I was forced to abandon my body and survive by attaching my spirit to this jade.”

At the end, the voice was tinged with sorrow.

With these words, Ye Cheng relaxed a little and patted his chest. But upon hearing the words “spirit form,” his eyes froze, and he swallowed with difficulty, barely able to believe it. “You’re saying you’re now in spirit form?”

Ancient texts spoke of legends about spirit forms. It was said that once a martial practitioner reached a certain realm, he could manifest his soul, achieving spirit form. Such experts could move mountains and seas with a gesture, their powers unfathomable. Of course, he had always thought these were mere legends, not reality.

Yet here, he had truly encountered such a being. Though the strangeness unsettled him, it was almost too incredible to accept.

“That’s right. What, want to see what a spirit form looks like?” The jade trembled lightly, the old voice voicing the very question in Ye Cheng’s heart.

Ye Cheng hesitated a moment, then nodded.

Instantly, light shimmered around the jade, dazzling white points appearing on its surface, and, before the dazed youth’s eyes, gradually coalesced into an aged figure.

As the figure completed its manifestation, Ye Cheng’s pupils widened in shock…

Author’s Note:
If you enjoyed this, I humbly ask for a few flowers.

Devouring Saint 3 – Full text free to read – Chapter Three: The Strange Jade is now updated!