Chapter 754: Almost Started a Fight

"You’re thinner. Have these past years been hard on you?" His fingers gently traced her brow.

Ye Qianning grabbed his hand. "I’ve been fine. But you... what’s the story behind this Inner Strength of yours?"

’Even though he was a martial arts prodigy, it should have been impossible for him to accumulate such profound energy in a mere ten years.’

"Someone gave it to me," Sang Zhi said softly.

"Who?"

"I don’t know."

"..."

’He doesn’t know?’

’He just got all that Inner Strength for free?’

SLAM.

The door to the room was thrown open, and Xiang Minghou stormed in, his face dark.

Ye Qianning pulled back her hand. "Father, why are you here?"

Xiang Minghou shot her a glance before his gaze, dark and menacing, settled on Sang Zhi.

Sang Zhi remained seated, his handsome eyes never leaving Ye Qianning.

Sensing something was wrong with her father, Ye Qianning immediately stood up. "Father."

Xiang Minghou reached out, pulled her behind him, and glared at Sang Zhi, his voice sinister. "Stay away from my daughter."

"I can’t," Sang Zhi replied without hesitation.

"If you dare drag her into that mire again, I won’t spare you." ’If it weren’t for him, would I have been separated from my daughter for ten years?’

"Father..."

Ye Qianning met his dark gaze, pressing her lips together and falling silent.

"Uncle Xiang, I have the power to protect her. I know you dislike the Beili Imperial Family, so I can renounce my status and take her surname." Sang Zhi stood up, and his magnetic voice held no trace of a jest.

Ye Qianning was speechless.

’Renounce his status... The nerve of him.’

Xiang Minghou said, "Don’t even think about it."

Sang Zhi considered this. "I could take your surname, Uncle Xiang. That would work too. We’ll be family either way."

"..."

"Family? You dare have designs on my daughter? I won’t spare you." Xiang Minghou was enraged, a dark aura erupting from his body.

Sang Zhi’s own aura was inherently sinister. When it clashed with the other’s malevolence, a murderous intent flared to life in an instant.

The two auras collided within the small room, neither yielding. An ordinary person standing there would have been killed instantly by the force of their clashing Inner Strength.

Torn between the two, Ye Qianning focused her will, and her own Inner Strength erupted, plunging into the invisible battlefield.

Her aura was different—frigid and murderous, with a finality that carried the suffocating stillness of death.

Both Xiang Minghou and Sang Zhi froze, their auras vanishing in an instant.

"My girl?" Xiang Minghou’s fingers clenched into a fist.

Sang Zhi stood rooted to the spot, trembling, his crimson eyes wide. ’That aura... it’s the one from my memories. I hate this aura on her... the aura of death...’

’This was the aura she gave off back then... when an arrow pierced her heart...’

’No...’

"Ye Qianning," Sang Zhi murmured.

Seeing that both men had retracted their auras, Ye Qianning suppressed hers as well, her brow deeply furrowed.

"Let’s go," Xiang Minghou said, leading her toward the door.

Sang Zhi’s pupils shrank, and he moved to follow them.

"Eighth Prince, stay where you are," Xiang Minghou said without turning his head. ’Just one look at him and I won’t be able to control my anger.’

Ye Qianning glanced back, giving him a slight shake of her head.

’Father was even more hostile toward Sang Zhi than before. If Sang Zhi followed them now, the two would undoubtedly clash again.’

Sang Zhi stopped in his tracks. His eyes followed her, filled with reluctance, hurt, and anguish. He felt as if she were walking farther and farther away, just like she had all those years ago...

Her gaze met his. He looked like a pitiful, abandoned child. She opened her mouth slightly and silently formed two words.

Sang Zhi shuddered. All he could see was her smile, her eyes curving into gentle crescents.

’He smiled. She told him to wait, so he would wait. As long as she was the one to say it, he would believe it!’

Xiang Minghou led Ye Qianning downstairs. Just as they stepped out of the Immortal Sea Building, they ran into Zhan Chi, who was hurrying toward them.