Chapter 9: A peak second-grade inheritance technique.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9: A peak second-grade inheritance technique.

Chen Haoran’s figure flashed over the sky, and he rapidly crossed the family grounds to reach his residence. The moment he carried Yue’er away, his attention was completely focused on the unconscious child in his arms.

He moved quickly through the corridors of the Chen residence, his steps more hurried than usual as the little girl’s head rested quietly against his shoulder.

Despite the fact that he had already examined her state himself, the unease in his heart had not disappeared.

The strange coercion from earlier continued to linger in his mind, occupying his thoughts as he crossed through the family grounds to reach his residence.

By the time he reached Yue’er’s room, a family physician had already been summoned.

The physician was an elderly man who had served the Chen Family for many years.

He immediately approached the bed after Chen Haoran carefully placed Yue’er down, his expression becoming serious as he began examining the child.

The pulse was checked first, followed by her breathing and complexion. Afterward, the physician gently examined her meridians and circulated a small amount of spiritual energy through her body.

Chen Haoran remained rooted like a statue beside the bed throughout the examination. Even the physician could feel the pressure coming from the man beside him.

He said nothing, but his eyes never left the physician, not even for a second. After some time, the physician finally withdrew his hand.

"Patriarch, there is no serious injury."

Chen Haoran’s tense expression eased slightly. "Are you certain?"

The physician turned to look at the little girl’s face before answering, "Yes. Her meridians are intact, and there is no indication of internal damage or hidden injuries. Her condition is simply the result of severe exhaustion."

He didn’t ask why, but judging from the state she was in, the physician had some guesses in mind. Though he didn’t dare to say them out loud, he continued, "She appears to have exhausted far more physical strength than her body can normally withstand. She needs rest. One week should be enough for her to recover, and another week for another inspection, provided she isn’t forced to exert herself again."

Only then did Chen Haoran finally release the breath he had been holding until now.

"So, two weeks..."

"Yes. She should wake naturally once her body has recovered sufficiently," the physician explained. He then turned to look toward Chen Haoran’s still-worried face. "Do not worry, Patriarch. She will be fine."

Chen Haoran nodded in return. "Thank you."

The physician bowed before quietly leaving the room. Once the door was closed behind him, Chen Haoran pulled a chair toward the bedside.

Yet after sitting for only a short while, he seemed dissatisfied with the distance and eventually lowered himself beside the bed instead.

He took Yue’er’s small hand into his own, and her fingers, lacking the strength they normally possessed, were soft and warm beneath his.

Chen Haoran remained there without moving, like a statue fixed in place.

Time passed, and the afternoon gradually faded as sunlight filtered across the room, slowly changing from bright gold to a softer orange before fading altogether.

Throughout it all, Chen Haoran continued holding Yue’er’s hand, occasionally checking her pulse even though he already knew she was safe.

Hours passed before evening finally arrived. It was only when a servant’s voice came from outside the room that Chen Haoran finally raised his head.

"Patriarch, Madam has arrived."

"Let her in."

The door opened, and a breathtakingly beautiful woman entered in hurried strides.

Her long black hair fell neatly down her back, held partly by a simple jade hairpin. She wore a pale-blue dress with long, flowing sleeves, the fabric embroidered with faint silver patterns that became visible whenever the candlelight touched them.

Around her waist was a thin white sash that accentuated her slender figure, while a small jade pendant rested quietly against her chest.

Despite her overwhelming beauty, there was nothing gentle about her expression as she walked in. Her beautiful face was adorned with a cold, icy glare, and the moment she entered the room, her eyes went directly toward Yue’er’s resting face.

She barely acknowledged Chen Haoran’s presence before brushing past him and approaching the bed. Chen Haoran didn’t say anything in return and gave way.

He simply stepped aside as the woman leaned over Yue’er and carefully examined her condition. Her jade-like fingers touched the girl’s forehead before slowly moving toward her wrist.

The woman checked her breathing, pulse, and complexion until she finally straightened once she was satisfied.

Then, her cold gaze immediately fell upon Chen Haoran on the side.

"What happened, Haoran? And the explanation better be good, as I am in no mood to entertain poor excuses."

Her voice was chilling to the bone. Chen Haoran remained silent for a brief moment before beginning to explain everything that had happened in the main hall.

He carefully narrated everything: that Yue’er had described a sword technique and insisted on demonstrating it.

He explained how the coercion had suddenly erupted from her body and how the wooden stick had ultimately disintegrated before Yue’er collapsed.

Throughout the explanation, the woman’s expression remained cold as an ice statue.

At first, she appeared to be quite impatient, occasionally narrowing her eyes as though she wanted him to reach the important part faster.

But when Chen Haoran mentioned Chen Yuan’s name, the frost on her face finally eased. She turned her head toward Yue’er before looking back at him.

"Ancestor’s Chen Feng sword technique? I’ve never heard of this figure before."

She paused.

"Who is he? I don’t recall the name in your family’s records."

Chen Haoran shook his head and sighed. "I don’t know myself. I’m just as clueless as you are regarding this. It was all Ancestor Chen Yuan’s doing. He was the one who spread the name of Ancestor Chen Feng among our family members."

The woman remained silent for a moment longer, and her gaze lingered on Chen Haoran before slowly shifting back toward Yue’er. The little girl lay quietly on the bed beneath the covers, her pale face appearing almost peaceful now.

The woman’s expression remained thoughtful.

"That old man really likes hiding secrets, doesn’t he?"

There was no anger in her voice this time, just a faint trace of displeasure. Chen Haoran gave a wry smile in return and sighed.

"That old man is never predictable. The story about this Ancestor Chen Feng came from him. At first, I was distrustful of it since there had been no records of such a figure..."

"But now..."

Chen Haoran approached the bedside again and gently caressed Yue’er’s forehead.

"I should’ve asked sooner."

Neither of them spoke for a while, and the room became quiet once again, with only the faint sound of Yue’er’s breathing filling the space between the two adults.

Chen Haoran eventually lowered his gaze, turned his head to face the woman on the side, and softly called her name.

"Qingxue."

The woman’s brows fluttered slightly when she heard her name. Then, she let out a quiet sigh before turning her gaze toward him.

"I’ll stay here until Yue’er is well. My father will understand."

Her voice had softened considerably compared to earlier, and her expression was gentler this time. She glanced at the unconscious girl again before continuing.

"Once Yue’er recovers, don’t let her go near that old man anymore. He is as irresponsible as before, even when we were young back then."

Chen Haoran laughed and went silent for a moment before asking, "After that, you need to return home again?"

The woman did not answer immediately. Instead, she remained silent for several breaths longer than she should have before eventually nodding.

"You know that I can’t stay here for too long."

Her gaze returned to Yue’er.

"Some things can’t be forced, Haoran."

There was a slight change in her expression as she stared at the child.

"But... leaving Yue’er here gives me a reason to come back from time to time. So you don’t have to worry about me disappearing."

"And another thing." She paused and narrowed her eyes as she watched Yue’er’s face on the bed. "I don’t think what Yue’er performed was merely a simple technique. No technique could allow a mortal to use it without the presence of spiritual energy. Unless..."

Chen Haoran’s expression shifted slightly.

"What do you mean?"

The woman shook her head.

"I don’t know, but I have someone who can confirm it."

Before Chen Haoran could respond, her gaze suddenly shifted toward the side of the room. A faint movement could be heard, and in the next moment, a cloaked figure appeared silently within the room.

The man’s presence was deliberately restrained on his own accord, but the moment he appeared, Chen Haoran’s body subconsciously tensed.

He recognized the aura immediately.

A peak Qi Condensation expert.

The cloaked figure stepped forward before kneeling respectfully.

"My lady."

Chen Haoran’s expression was difficult to describe, and he became more solemn as he lowered his head. The woman, however, merely glanced toward the kneeling figure.

"You heard my words just now, no?"

"Yes."

"Check my daughter’s body using your secret technique. I want to know what’s inside her."

The cloaked man immediately rose and approached the bedside. Chen Haoran stepped aside and remained silent as he watched him.

Next, the man placed two fingers against Yue’er’s wrist and carefully sensed her condition. At first, countless tiny strands of spiritual energy slowly entered her body as he examined her meridians. Everything was normal.

Then his brows slowly tightened as his spiritual energy traveled deeper. A moment later, his expression turned for the worse as he checked again.

This time around, his movements became noticeably more cautious. The woman noticed the change almost immediately.

"What is it?"

She frowned, and the cloaked man did not answer immediately. Instead, his fingers remained against Yue’er’s wrist as disbelief gradually appeared in his eyes.

After several more moments, he finally withdrew his hand, his voice trembling slightly.

"My lady."

He swallowed, uncertain whether he should be saying this or not. But under the woman’s piercing gaze, the cloaked man finally gave in and forced out a smile underneath the hood.

"My lady."

He began, "There is something inside the Young Miss’s body."

Chen Haoran’s expression changed, and the woman’s expression turned deep frost.

"What?"

The cloaked man swallowed again, fearful of the woman’s increasingly dangerous eyes.

"Something is residing within the Young Miss’s dantian."

The woman’s eyes narrowed.

"Just tell me what exactly it is, servant."

The man hesitated, as though even he was struggling to believe what he had discovered.

"It appears to be..."

His voice became even quieter.

"An inheritance technique inside the Young Miss’s body."

The room fell silent. Chen Haoran froze, and the woman’s expression faltered for a second as her eyes narrowed again on the cloaked man.

"Impossible. The Chen Family doesn’t possess any inheritance technique for them to pass down. Are you trying to hide something from me, slave?"

"No—no! My lady, I’m not fabricating anything. I am telling the truth. There is an inheritance technique inside the Young Miss’s dantian."

Qingxue’s gaze remained fixed upon the cloaked man. Her expression had become colder than before, but there was a trace of disbelief in that frost.

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely, my lady." The cloaked man hurriedly nodded. "I checked several times. There is no mistake. It is a great fortune for the Young Miss to possess such a powerful inheritance technique. The Lord would be happy to hear this."

"No need to mention my father in this." Qingxue’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Tell me what grade is it?"

The man hesitated, then slowly said, "It... it’s a peak second-grade inheritance technique, my lady."

"A peak second-grade inheritance technique?"

Chen Haoran’s expression froze in shock, and even Qingxue’s eyes widened slightly.

"That’s impossible."

She was the first to say it, but just in time, the discussion she had with Chen Haoran moments earlier came to her mind. She turned her head and looked into Chen Haoran’s eyes as if she wanted the confirmation she needed.

And noticing this, Chen Haoran nodded with a solemn look.

"It should be as you are guessing."

A peak second-grade inheritance technique.

Even for her family, it was extremely precious, and very few of the inner clan members were able to get their hands on one.

Even if the entire Chen Family were searched from top to bottom, there was no inheritance technique of such a level that could be passed down to Yue’er.

Their cultivation techniques and martial arts were accumulated through generations, but none were strong enough to become an inheritance technique, let alone be directly implanted inside a person’s body.

Unless...

"The inscription and the sword," she murmured.

Chen Haoran nodded to confirm her guess.

Qingxue stared at Yue’er’s face for a long while as her expression gradually hardened again.

"Where is the old man?"

Chen Haoran raised his eyes.

Qingxue turned toward him, her voice carrying none of the hesitation she had shown earlier.

"Bring me to him. I have questions to ask."

The cloaked figure on the side lowered his head slightly and remained silent. He had no intention of involving himself in whatever conversation was taking place between the two of them.

Chen Haoran, however, already understood why she wanted to go. He had been planning to do the same.

His gaze lingered on Yue’er for another moment before he carefully released his breath.

"I was going to find him tonight anyway."

Qingxue’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then let’s go."