Chapter Eighteen: Night Raid

In the side hall of the Lei Manor, Lei Yan sat quietly in a chair, waiting for the arrival of the steward, Lei Fu. Before long, Lei Fu walked in slowly. When he saw Lei Yan, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. “Could it be that the Ancestor merely took him to Qingzhou?” Clearly, he was curious about Lei Yan’s safe return.

After pausing for a moment, Lei Fu bowed and asked, “Young Master, did the Ancestor give you any instructions to bring back?” Since the Ancestor had not returned with Lei Yan, there were matters he still needed to clarify.

“Hmph, Ancestor? The one you think of as the Ancestor has long since died!” Lei Yan sneered inwardly, but his expression remained respectful as he replied, “The Ancestor merely escorted me to the border of Jiangzhou, then instructed me to return.”

Lei Fu’s gaze lingered on Lei Yan, as if searching for any flaw in his words. Yet what Lei Yan said matched perfectly with the reports from outside, leaving him with no choice but to relent. “Since the Ancestor left no instructions, I will not disturb you, Young Master.” With that, Lei Fu turned to leave, and as he stepped over the threshold, he called out, “Madam Liu, have someone tidy up the Young Master’s courtyard.”

“Understood, Steward Lei!” A woman’s voice responded from outside the hall.

Lei Yan’s first goal upon returning to Lei Manor was already accomplished. He knew his father would soon hear the news of his safe return. Having achieved this, Lei Yan intended to visit his mother and then head straight to the library. After leaving the side hall, Lei Yan made for the northern gardens of the manor.

In the northeast corner of the northern gardens, beneath clusters of crimson flowers, one could faintly see a gravestone. Lei Tiechuan stood silently before it, seemingly immersed in memories.

After a long while, a brief sound broke the quiet of the courtyard.

“Qingqing, Yan’er has returned, he’s come back safe!” Lei Tiechuan’s voice trembled with excitement; clearly, he was overjoyed at Lei Yan’s safe return.

“Take a good look at him!” With these words, Lei Tiechuan left the northern gardens.

Lei Yan slowly entered that familiar, cherished place. He did not pause, heading directly to the tranquil spot in the northeast corner. Unaware that his father had only just left, he gently brushed a few crimson petals from the gravestone. “Mother, I’ve come home.”

He spoke no more, simply standing quietly before the gravestone, lost in memory, a faint smile of happiness on his face.

Not far away, in a small pavilion, a pair of cold eyes fixed intently upon the courtyard where Lei Yan stood. These beautiful yet sinister eyes belonged to Second Madam Bai Yu. Beside her stood an elderly man—none other than Steward Lei Fu.

“Lei Fu, this useless boy is becoming more and more of a threat. You must deal with him as soon as possible!” Bai Yu glared fiercely at the distant courtyard.

“I doubt his threat is as great as you say. Perhaps the Ancestor protected him this time,” Lei Fu speculated.

“Hmph!” Bai Yu snorted coldly. “The first time we failed, I thought it was just luck. But now? He’s standing there alive and well! You still call this luck, and no threat? I’m running out of patience. If we let him live any longer, who knows? One day, Yun’er and I might fall victim to him!”

Lei Fu pondered for a moment. “I understand. I’ll resolve the matter as soon as possible.”

Bai Yu seemed quite pleased, slowly stepping into the pavilion and sitting down. “This must be handled by outsiders. No one in the Lei family is trustworthy!” She failed to notice that her words included Lei Fu himself.

“Madam...” Lei Fu tensed suddenly.

“Enough! I know your loyalty!” Bai Yu waved her hand dismissively. “Make it quick, lest troubles arise in the night!”

“Rest assured, Madam. I will see to it immediately.” Lei Fu turned and left the pavilion.

Lei Yan was unaware that, in the nearby pavilion, two people were plotting against him. Shifting his gaze from the gravestone, he knew it was time to head to the library.

Following familiar paths, Lei Yan returned once again to the library. It was his third visit; the first two times were spent searching medical texts, but this time he came with many questions.

As the days passed, Lei Yan lost count of how many times pain had wracked his body. Fortunately, he had brought medicine with him this time, especially the Azure Green Pill gifted by Elder Jiang, which had noticeably improved his condition.

During these days, he learned much from the books about martial artists and cultivators.

Martial artists focus on training their internal energy; once the Ren and Du meridians are opened, one enters the Innate Realm. To cross into cultivation, an Innate martial artist must convert internal energy into true force, which requires a Foundation Pill. Without it, transforming internal energy is nearly impossible, as it demands comprehension of the Heavenly Way—something elusive, and only attainable with extraordinary talent and centuries of life.

Cultivators are broadly divided into stages: Foundation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing, Merging, Tribulation Crossing, and Great Ascension. The so-called “spirit” described by Xue Dan refers to the refinement of qi into spirit, cultivated at the Golden Core stage.

“Ghost Poison Sect!” After grasping the basics, Lei Yan recalled Xue Dan’s method for treating meridian atrophy, which also involved cultivating “spirit.” Was this akin to the path of a cultivator? Lei Yan couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.

Lei Yan had already spent two days outside the library. It was only upon leaving that he realized he had stayed in the library for four years, and was now ten years old. If not for Lei Fu informing him that Lei Tiechuan had important matters to discuss in a few days, he might have already left the manor for the Ghost Poison Sect.

It was deep in the night, the sky utterly devoid of light, as if ink had been poured across it.

A shadow, nearly invisible to the naked eye, flitted swiftly through the bamboo grove, using the flexibility of the bamboo to leap towards the northeast corner of Lei Manor—a courtyard belonging to Lei Yan.

A long blade, gleaming coldly, slid into the old door’s crack. With a slight upward twist and a faint sound, the latch was lifted. The shadow quietly pushed the door open and entered the room, as minute wood chips fell from the door onto the intruder.

The moment the shadow stepped inside, a scent of sandalwood filled the air. Instantly, he felt a numbness in his body and cried out in alarm, “Poison!”

“That’s not poison—it’s medicine.” The lamp was lit, and Lei Yan placed an oil lamp beside the bed.