Chapter 154

"Congratulations, Miss Xu Meijiao!"

"Wishing Elder Xu success in finding a wealthy and eligible son-in-law tonight!"

Elder Xu stepped out of the car with a smile, waving and greeting the crowd.

However, Ye Fengyun clearly saw a mass of dark fog lingering over Elder Xu's forehead, completely obscuring his eyes.

It seemed that the Yunlan Sect had already laid out their scheme long ago.

"This is getting interesting."

The corners of Ye Fengyun's mouth curled up, and excitement began to stir within him.

At that moment, a Porsche pulled up, and Yun Mengxi, the eldest daughter of the Yun family, had also arrived.

The moment her slender and gorgeous legs came into view, cheers erupted from the crowd.

True to her reputation as Yunchuan City's celebrated goddess of legs, those legs were truly breathtaking.

Presently, Yun Mengxi wore a cold expression. Ever since the death of the former head of the Yunlan Sect, she had shouldered the immense responsibilities of her family.

She was no longer the carefree young lady of the past.

With a cold gaze, she swept her eyes across the people present, and her sight finally landed on Ye Fengyun not far away.

Ye Fengyun saw her too. Meeting her gaze, he smiled and gave a casual wave.

Yun Mengxi frowned slightly, walked up to him, and said, "Ye Fengyun, you are the one who caused my father's death. I will slowly make you pay this blood debt."

Ye Fengyun tilted his head and replied, "I certainly didn't kill your father."

"As a man, can't you even dare to admit what you've done?" Yun Mengxi sneered.

Ye Fengyun chuckled. "Wanting to see your father isn't difficult at all. You'll see him tonight."

"What did you say?" Misinterpreting his words, Yun Mengxi glared at him with sharp vigilance. "Don't you dare!"

Ye Fengyun merely laughed it off and teased, "If you don't mind, you could just call me Dad."

"Are you looking for a death wish?" Ice glazed over Yun Mengxi's eyes.

Just then, her assistant hurried over and whispered a few words in her ear.

With a cold huff, Yun Mengxi brushed past Ye Fengyun and strode into the hotel.

Shortly after, the Lin family arrived. Matriarch Lin led her relatives to the venue, naturally including Lin Qinghuan.

"The eldest daughter of the Lin family has a truly magnificent figure."

"Even if one can't become the son-in-law of the Xu family, becoming the son-in-law of the Lin family wouldn't be bad at all."

"Heh heh, hoisting those legs over your shoulders must feel incredible."

"What's the point of just looking at her legs? Look at her backside—that peach-shaped curve is massive and lifted!"

The surrounding men began to size up Lin Qinghuan, whose alluring physique was undeniably captivating.

Yet, Lin Qinghuan didn't even spare them a glance. Her eyes scanned the crowd until they locked onto Ye Fengyun.

With a triumphant smirk, she trotted eagerly toward him.

"Did you come here to participate in the bridegroom selection?" Lin Qinghuan asked with a smile.

Ye Fengyun replied, "What are you talking about? I'm a married man."

"Hmph, and yet you still came?" Lin Qinghuan pouted. "As expected, men are just cats trying to steal fish."

Ye Fengyun shrugged. "Do I even need to sneak around if I want fish?"

"Oh, aren't you just something?" Tang Shihuan crossed her arms, her face laced with displeasure.

Ye Fengyun turned to look at Tang Shihuan and offered an awkward smile.

"Since you're so capable, why don't you go participate in the bridegroom selection yourself?"

Rolling her eyes at him, Tang Shihuan walked into the hotel by herself.

Ye Fengyun rolled his eyes in helpless exasperation, turned to the gloating Lin Qinghuan, and said, "Go ahead and laugh now. You'll be crying soon enough."

"Pfft~"

Lin Qinghuan brushed off the warning without a care.

Everyone proceeded into the hotel.

Once most of the guests had arrived, Elder Xu pulled Xu Meijiao up to the stage and began his speech as a doting father.

From beginning to end, Ye Fengyun kept his eyes fixed on the Lin family's butler, knowing full well that the butler was actually an impostor from the Yunlan Sect.

A fierce battle was bound to erupt tonight.

Elder Xu delivered a series of flowery and practiced clichés, while the guests mechanically applauded on cue.

Right at that moment, the Lin butler quietly slipped away from the crowd.

Ye Fengyun immediately gave chase.

"Wife, remember my instructions—don't eat anything here."

After throwing Tang Shihuan a brief warning, Ye Fengyun went after the butler.

The butler wandered through the corridors of the hotel, with Ye Fengyun trailing silently behind him.

Finally, seizing an opportune moment, Ye Fengyun lunged forward and grabbed the butler's wrist.

Startled out of his wits, the butler stammered, "W-What do you think you're doing?"

Ye Fengyun sneered, "I should be asking you what *you* are doing!"

"I... I need to use the restroom!"

"Yunlan Sect, stop putting on an act. I've figured it all out."

"What Yunlan Sect?" The butler looked completely bewildered.

Frowning, Ye Fengyun sensed something was amiss. He activated his spiritual sight, only to discover that the man before him was genuinely the authentic Lin butler.

*You're not the Yunlan Sect member?*

Ye Fengyun was secretly startled.

The man wasn't a disguise woven by the Yunlan Sect, but the real-life butler himself.

Where, then, was the Yunlan Sect?

"Oh no, could it be a diversion?"

Ye Fengyun hurried back to the main hall.

At that instant, the doors of the hall swung open. A figure draped in a black robe stepped inside, dragging a trail of dark, roiling fog in his wake.

Bizarrely, none of the guests seemed to find his appearance strange; instead, strange and varied visions of different people flickered within each of their eyes.

Gazing at the figure entering through the doors, Lin Qinghuan asked in utter astonishment, "Ye Fengyun? When did you step outside?"

Yun Mengxi looked at the newcomer, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.

As Ye Fengyun rushed back to Tang Shihuan's side, he caught her murmuring, "Yun Zichen? Y-You're back?"

Ye Fengyun froze.

Who was Yun Zichen?

Why on earth did Tang Shihuan see Yun Zichen?

"True love is the hardest to forget!"

Walking straight to the center of the hall, the Yunlan Sect member stood motionlessly, as if everyone present had fallen into a deep hypnotic trance.

He suddenly turned his gaze toward Ye Fengyun, his eyes glowing with an eerie, ghostly green light.

"Everything I have done was for love."

The Yunlan Sect member slowly raised his arms. "Ugly creature that you are, someone devoid of love like you could never understand."

In a fraction of a second, gales howled, gravel flew, and dark clouds swallowed the moon.

Billowing black fog surged in from all directions, scrambling frantically to flood the grand hall.

The mournful weeping of a woman echoed from within the fog, where a female silhouette flickered indistinctly.

With tear-filled eyes, the Yunlan Sect member shouted, "Haitang! I see you! I've succeeded! I've found a mortal vessel for you!"

With a wave of his hand, Xu Meijiao began walking toward him like a mindless puppet.

"Her soul has already been extracted and shattered; this physical shell now belongs entirely to you."

The Yunlan Sect member stared with feverish agitation at the woman shrouded in the mist.

Hearing this, realization finally dawned on Ye Fengyun.

So, that day, the Yunlan Sect had used him to force Xu Meijiao's soul into the mirror.

What had been trapped inside that mirror was never an evil spirit, but Xu Meijiao's very soul.

Because the Yunlan Sect member lacked the capability to extract Xu Meijiao's soul on his own, he had orchestrated the scheme to make Ye Fengyun do the dirty work.

Just when he believed his grand endeavor was complete, the woman within the fog abruptly retreated into the shadows.

"No! Why?"

The Yunlan Sect member shrieked, his heart shattering as he watched Luo Haitang's soul slip back into the thick fog.

"The pain... it hurts too much! Haitang, why—why are you hiding from me? My love, my one and only love!"