Chapter 343: Ning Aoxue of the Ning Clan in Cangzhou

Night fell gently over a grand courtyard residence.

Several days had passed since his engagement with Feng Anna was formally dissolved, and Yan Yuntian’s mood had finally returned to calm. At this moment, he sat in the courtyard, sipping wine under the pale moonlight, quietly enjoying the night.

Yu Ning entered from the side, her voice soft yet serious. “The information we got earlier about Feng Anna… was incorrect.”

Yan Yuntian frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I saw her today,” Yuning explained, hesitating only slightly. “She’s… still pure.”

She wasn’t just guessing. Yu Ning possessed a rare ability—she could see through a woman’s intimate history with a single glance. Yan Yuntian knew about this special skill, so her words caught him completely off guard.

“You’re saying the investigation said she was promiscuous, and yet…?” he asked, brows furrowed deeply.

“It must’ve been fabricated. Most likely by Feng Anna herself. She wanted you to think she was no longer chaste, to force your hand and make you break off the engagement,” Yuning said, her tone thoughtful.

Yan Yuntian’s gaze turned sharp. “That woman’s courage really knows no bounds.”

“Miss Xuansu did warn you, though,” Yu Ning reminded gently.

Yan Yuntian paused, then exhaled slowly, suppressing the cold fury rising within. Like trying to convince himself, he said flatly, “It doesn’t matter anymore. The engagement is over. And besides, she’s not the only fiancée I have.”

“That’s true,” Yuning agreed, then sighed lightly. “But Feng Anna is undeniably beautiful. What a shame. Who knows which man will get to enjoy her in the end…”

Yan Yuntian’s expression twisted slightly, a tight pressure building in his chest.

【Ding! Host’s manipulation has disrupted protagonist Yan Yuntian’s emotional state. Gained 800 Villain Points. Yan Yuntian’s Protagonist Halo -40. Host’s Villain Halo +40!】

He narrowed his eyes at Yuning. “You’ve been messing up a lot lately. Your investigation into Qin Yunhan was wrong, and now this thing with Feng Anna—not only was it off, it was completely absurd.”

“I’ll correct myself next time,” Yu Ning said, pretending to be afraid, but her heart was completely unfazed.

There was no way she’d “correct” anything. Everything she reported about Feng Anna had been orchestrated by Wang Haoran. She simply followed his orders. And if Yan Yuntian assigned her another task while Wang Haoran whispered new instructions—she’d betray him again, without hesitation.

“Leave,” Yan Yuntian said coldly.

Yu Ning retreated obediently.

Watching her back disappear into the distance, Yan Yuntian’s eyes narrowed again. After a moment of thought, he reached out and contacted Yun Xuan, who was still at Fengxi Mountain, asking her to return to Qingling. Yu Ning had proven herself unreliable. He needed someone more dependable—Yun Xuan had never let him down.

—

Elsewhere, deep into the night.

Cangzhou, in the northern part of Jiangbei Province, had once been a place where martial arts flourished centuries ago. Over time, modernity crept in, and much of that culture faded. But some of the ancient legacies remained.

Here, in the midst of traditional courtyards and stone pathways, a few long-standing martial families still preserved their lineage.

The Ning family estate glowed with lantern light.

Outside a quiet, secluded courtyard, dozens of people stood in respectful silence, all facing the closed gate. Not a single person dared speak. Even their breathing was subdued, as though they feared disturbing the person inside.

In that tense and eerie stillness, half an hour passed.

Creak.

The long-closed gates groaned open slowly.

From within stepped a young woman.

She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a flowing robe the color of pale moonlight. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, and her delicate, snow-pale face bore no makeup, except for a single red dot at the center of her brows—a small vermillion mark that made her resemble a beauty straight out of an ancient painting.

But none of the people present were deceived by her ethereal appearance. They all knew: this was no delicate flower.

Far from it.

This young woman was terrifyingly strong. Stronger than any of Cangzhou’s younger generation, stronger even than the elite hidden martial heirs across the land.

“Aoxue, you…” A middle-aged man in his late forties stood at the forefront of the crowd. His eyes were filled with awe and anticipation.

This was Ning Aoxue’s father, the current head of the Ning family.

Ning Aoxue didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she lifted her hand. Her fingers, slender and white, extended gracefully. At her fingertips, streams of internal energy shimmered, swirling and condensing into a small, delicate flower that blossomed slowly in the air before vanishing.

It was a short-lived spectacle, but to Ning’s father, it was like witnessing a miracle.

Qi Manifestation.

That level of control over internal energy was something only Minor Grandmasters could achieve. Ning Aoxue hadn’t fully reached that realm yet, but she could already materialize solid forms.

That meant she had the strength of eighty to ninety years of internal energy.

At most, within two years, the Ning family would produce a Grandmaster.

And not just any Grandmaster—but a twenty-something-year-old Grandmaster.

“Good! Good! Good! Our Ning family has birthed a true phoenix!” her father shouted, his joy overflowing as he nearly broke into a dance.

The rest of the clan, while perhaps not fully understanding what they had witnessed, clearly understood from their patriarch’s reaction that it was a monumental event.

Excitement swelled, and soon, the entire Ning household erupted into joyful cheers.

After some time, Ning’s father raised his hand to quiet them, then declared solemnly:

“From this moment on, Ning Aoxue is the new head of the Ning family. Who dares to object?!”

There wasn’t a single protest. Even the most respected elders of the clan nodded without hesitation.

“All hail the new matriarch!”

Over two hundred clan members knelt in unison, their voices thundering toward the heavens.

When the noise died down, a flicker of sharp determination danced in Ning Aoxue’s eyes.

“I now lead the Ning clan,” she said, her voice cool and calm. “And from today onward, I will shape my own fate.”

Understanding her intent, her father gestured toward one of the information gatherers behind him.

That clan member stepped forward respectfully. “We’ve located your fiancé. Yan Yuntian is currently in Qingling.”

Qingling wasn’t far from Cangzhou.

Ning Aoxue nodded, but showed no urgency. Instead, she asked, “Who holds the top spot on the Hidden Dragon and Rising Phoenix Ranking?”

“Jiang Gaoxuan. He’s also in Qingling,” the scout replied promptly.

Ning Aoxue smiled faintly. “They’re both in Qingling? Perfect. Saves me the trouble of running around.”

She had two objectives.

Breaking off her engagement with Yan Yuntian was the first.

Claiming the top of the Hidden Dragon and Rising Phoenix Ranking was the second.

With both targets gathered in one place, her journey would be efficient.

Taking a single step forward, her silhouette flickered and vanished—reappearing nearly a hundred steps away in the blink of an eye.

Gasps erupted behind her. The gathered clan members stared wide-eyed.

This was what it meant to stand at the threshold of the Grandmaster realm. Her strength was monstrous.

And just as that thought took hold in their minds, Ning Aoxue’s figure melted seamlessly into the night.

“She’s in a rush, as expected,” Ning’s father murmured to himself. “But this was always her greatest motivation. Once she defeats Jiang Gaoxuan and Yan Yuntian, no one in the hidden martial world will dare challenge her. And the name of our Ning clan—will soon echo throughout every corner of the martial world!”

His voice trembled with pride, awe, and a father’s unshakable belief.