Chapter 6: Recognized at Last

The consequences of this confrontation were significant. In a fit of rage, the family head, Ye Gu, ordered both Wang Gui and his son to be expelled from the Ye household.

As for Ye Huang Cheng and his son, they were punished for poor discipline—twenty strikes with a rod and a month of confinement for reflection in their home. As for Ye Qing's broken arm, no one mentioned it again; it was simply brushed aside.

To Ye Huang Yu and her daughter, such punishment clearly wasn't enough.

Ye Huang Yu was about to leave with a cold face, holding her daughter's hand, when a deep voice suddenly stopped them.

"Wait," Ye Gu's stern voice called out.

He stepped up to them, his expression still hard, but there was a faint trace of hesitation in his eyes.

Ye Ling Yue gently tugged at her mother's hand. She could already tell—this grandfather of hers had a tough exterior, but a soft heart.

"Ling Yue is already thirteen now. Starting tomorrow, she should begin training at the family's martial hall," Ye Gu said, casting a glance at his granddaughter.

Inside the ancestral hall, Ye Qing and his father were stunned by his words.

Ye Gu's statement was a public acknowledgment to everyone present: he was finally recognizing Ye Ling Yue as a true member of the Ye family.

Because of the commotion, the entire Ye clan now knew that Ling Yue was no longer the dull-witted girl she used to be.

With the allowance to the northern manor reinstated, life for the three women improved slightly.

But rebuilding Rome wasn't done in a day, and the relationship between Ye Huang Yu and her father remained cold and distant.

The next morning, Ling Yue's older cousin, Ye Yin Shuang, arrived at the northern manor.

"Little sister Ling Yue, Grandpa asked me to take you to the martial hall today," she said warmly.

Yin Shuang was the daughter of Ling Yue's second uncle. She had dark, reddish skin and large, round eyes that gave her a gentle, good-natured appearance.

The two girls set off together.

Yin Shuang was also curious about Ling Yue. From what she'd heard from the adults, her third aunt's daughter had always been mentally slow. But now, this supposedly slow girl had somehow become sharp and alert again.

After spending a little time together, Yin Shuang found Ling Yue not only beautiful, but also kind and easy to talk to. She instantly took a liking to her.

In Daxia culture, it's common to refer to cousins as older or younger brothers and sisters, depending on age.

Since they were about the same age, the girls quickly became comfortable with each other and chatted easily.

The Ye family martial hall was located in the southern part of Autumn Maple Town. It consisted of several tile-roofed buildings and a large training field.

After twenty generations of development, the Ye clan—along with its many branches—had become one of the most prominent families in the area after five hundred years of settling there.

Upon entering the martial hall, they saw seventy to eighty children lined up in rows on the training field. They were grouped by age: six to eight, nine to twelve, thirteen to fifteen, and sixteen and older.

Ling Yue didn't know anyone here, so her appearance immediately drew the attention of the many sweaty kids practicing under the morning sun.

"Big sister Yin Shuang, who's the pretty new girl with you?" someone asked.

As the daughter of the main branch, Yin Shuang's words carried weight. A crowd quickly gathered around them.

"She's Ye Ling Yue, a little sister from the main house," she introduced.

But the moment everyone heard Ling Yue's name, they all quickly backed away, as if avoiding something filthy.

"What's going on?" Ling Yue asked, puzzled.

"It's Ye Qing," Yin Shuang explained. "He's under house arrest right now, but he's been going around saying he'll get back at you as soon as he's free. Don't worry though—personal fights aren't allowed in the martial hall. And I'll protect you whenever we're here."

She raised her fist proudly and gave a big-sister smile. Like Ye Qing, she was at the third level of the body training realm, so she wasn't afraid of him.

"Is Ye Qing really that strong?" Ling Yue asked. She knew that after offending Ye Qing and his father, they wouldn't let things go so easily.

"What strength? All he does is throw his weight around using his father's influence," Yin Shuang scoffed. She was about to say more when the instructor walked in.

They had no choice but to stop talking and join the rest in their morning practice.

Compared to her mother's intense training, the martial hall's routines were laughably easy.

In just one morning, Ling Yue caught up with the other students—and in many cases, surpassed them.

As the day came to a close, Ling Yue didn't return home with Yin Shuang. Instead, she made an excuse to wander off on her own and headed straight to the town market.

Autumn Maple Town's market was on its busiest street and sold everything—from herbs and weapons to daily household items.

Although the northern manor's monthly allowance had resumed, it was just enough to cover basic necessities. Ling Yue herself had only twenty copper coins to spend.

That might've been plenty for the old, dim-witted Ling Yue—but not for the reborn Ye Ling Yue, who was close to breaking through to the third level of the body training realm.

To do that, she needed not only intense training, but also supportive medicine.

Right now, all she had was vitality condensing grass. So she came to the market in hopes of finding other useful herbs to boost her strength.

She also had another goal that weighed heavily on her heart—she wanted to cure her mother's long-term injury. Maybe there was an elixir out there that could help.

She had to help her mother reclaim the glory of her past as a genius!

For that, she needed money. A lot of money.