Moonlight streamed down like a silken ribbon, its pure radiance spilling across the courtyard.

Ye Qingxian stepped out, clad in a gown of snowy gauze, and made her way into the yard.

This was her daily, non-negotiable routine. To the outside world, she remained the Ye Family’s direct-line daughter whose cultivation had been utterly crippled. If she were to stay cooped up inside all day, it would only invite suspicion.

Especially now that there were two outsiders residing in the courtyard, caution was paramount.

Thus, she made a point of coming out, letting them see for themselves that she still possessed not a shred of cultivation, thereby avoiding any unnecessary complications.

Once in the courtyard, Ye Qingxian habitually glanced towards the recliner’s spot… and sure enough, he was lying there.

Seeing her emerge, Shen Xian lazily propped himself up, rose to his feet, and approached. Without any change in expression, he produced the “Jade Marrow Crystal” he had prepared earlier and offered it to her. “Perfect timing. I have something for you.”

This Jade Marrow Crystal was part of Shen De’s apology offerings from earlier that day, the highest quality item among the batch of cultivation resources.

Ye Qingxian glanced at it, a faint flicker in her eyes.

With her discerning gaze, she naturally recognized it as Cold Crystal Sand. She simply hadn’t expected him to possess such a sinister object.

However… its cold properties could indeed be used to suppress the violent fluctuations of her Divine Phoenix bloodline.

Shen Xian, still unaware this was not Jade Marrow Crystal, merely thought it was a good cultivation-related item she would likely accept. Seeing her hesitation, he smiled faintly. “I have no use for cultivation necessities like this. You take it.”

“Thank you.” Ye Qingxian’s expression remained unchanged as she tucked the silk pouch into her sleeve. “I am quite satisfied.”

The moment she accepted it, Shen Xian received the system prompt he had been waiting for.

【Host has gifted Dao Companion with Second Grade High-Quality Cold Crystal Sand. Received tenfold blessing return. Reward: Third Grade High-Quality Heaven Fire Essence. Claim?】

Reading the content, he froze.

Cold Crystal Sand?

Wasn’t this Jade Marrow Crystal?

His brow furrowed.

The two were worlds apart.

Jade Marrow Crystal aided spiritual energy absorption. Cold Crystal Sand, however, affected the dantian. Prolonged use could lead to dantian depletion, a complete loss of cultivation, and even a frail, sickly constitution…

Shen Xian couldn’t help but glance at Ye Qingxian. Her face was perfectly calm.

Given her former cultivation level, she must know this item’s true nature. Yet she chose to accept it anyway. She must genuinely need it.

But what if he had used it?

A chill began to seep into his heart.

To outsiders, Ye Qingxian in this courtyard was a cripple with no cultivation left. Meanwhile, he himself had recently requested a Spirit Gathering Array, clearly signaling his intent to cultivate seriously.

He would have definitely used this Cold Crystal Sand!

Had that happened, his dantian would have withered, reducing him to a cripple.

What a deep scheme!

The image of his second brother, Shen Li, surfaced in Shen Xian’s mind. A profound coldness settled in his heart.

His opponent had targeted him again and again. If he continued to sit idly by and react passively, the situation would only deteriorate further.

Against a prepared schemer while being an unprepared target… he had to take the initiative and strike first.

“What are you thinking about?” Ye Qingxian’s voice broke the silence.

He had just stood there blankly after handing over the gift, piquing her curiosity somewhat.

“Nothing much. The moon’s really round tonight,” Shen Xian replied offhandedly.

Ye Qingxian gave him a look before walking to one side and closing her eyes to meditate in peace.

Shen Xian turned his thoughts to formulating a countermeasure.

First of all, he definitely couldn’t just march over and beat the other party up. Reckless impulsiveness would only drag out more trouble. Besides, dealing with a future family heir wouldn’t be that simple.

For now, what he could do was borrow influence… his mother’s influence.

He thought of the remaining portion of the “Jade Marrow Crystal” he still had. The quality returned by the system wasn’t tied to the quantity of gifts given, so he had kept a small part aside for future trades for other cultivation resources.

Now, it would come in handy perfectly.

A plan began to form in his mind.

The next day, Shen Xian personally visited his mother’s residence.

Nangong Wan, dressed in light-colored cloud-patterned robes, was pruning spirit plants in her courtyard garden. Seeing her youngest son’s sudden visit, the golden shears in her hand paused slightly. A flicker of surprise passed through her phoenix-like eyes. “Xian’er? What brings you to your mother today?”

A smile graced her lips as she casually handed the golden shears to a maid beside her.

Shen Xian bowed respectfully, a gentle smile on his face. “How has Mother been lately? Your son obtained some good items yesterday. Since I cannot use so many myself, I specifically brought a portion for you.”

Nangong Wan was taken aback for a moment before delight spread from the corners of her eyes to her brows. “How rare for my son to show such filial piety.”

While these cultivation resources were likely useless to someone of her level, the sentiment behind them was precious. Moreover, his words made her realize he truly was taking his cultivation seriously now.

She took the wooden box Shen Xian offered and opened it gently. Inside lay a piece of translucent green crystal.

“This is…?” Nangong Wan’s brow furrowed slightly. Spiritual light shimmered at her fingertip as she touched the crystal’s surface.

“Jade Marrow Crystal,” Shen Xian replied with an unchanged smile. “From yesterday’s incident. The accounting manager used it as an apology gift.”

Nangong Wan’s finger suddenly stilled. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes.

She slowly raised her gaze to meet Shen Xian’s. “Xian’er… are you certain this is Jade Marrow Crystal?”

Shen Xian feigned confusion. “Yes? Shen De gave it personally. He said it was high-quality Jade Marrow Crystal, greatly beneficial for cultivation.”

Nangong Wan’s expression gradually darkened.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, how could she fail to recognize this as Cold Crystal Sand?

And not just any Cold Crystal Sand—it was of exceptional quality, clearly handpicked with care.

If an ordinary cultivator ingested it, they might not detect anything amiss in the short term. But over time? It would inevitably lead to dantian depletion.

“Xian’er… you haven’t used that ‘Jade Marrow Crystal’ yet, have you?” Nangong Wan asked urgently.

“I haven’t had the chance yet,” Shen Xian said.

“That is fortunate.” Nangong Wan let out a sigh of relief before her voice turned icy cold. “This object is not Jade Marrow Crystal. It is Cold Crystal Sand.”

“What?” Shen Xian feigned shock and disbelief. “How could that be…”

Then he pretended to reason it out aloud. “Could it be… because of yesterday’s incident? Does he want me dead? That doesn’t make sense…”

A frigid light gleamed in Nangong Wan’s eyes. “That Shen De! How dare he attempt such poison on my son!”

She shot to her feet instantly; her sleeves billowed without any wind as she vanished from sight on the spot.

A faint smile tugged at Shen Xian’s lips.

Very soon, the punishment for Accounting Manager Shen De was announced: he was stripped of his manager position and exiled to the family’s Cold Abyss for three years.

The Cold Abyss was a forbidden area within the Shen Family. Anyone who entered would be lucky to emerge again with their skin intact—figuratively speaking—after enduring its torments.

The entire accounting department underwent a thorough purge.

With Shen Xian’s suggestion and Nangong Wan’s support behind him, Shen Lingyue smoothly ascended to become the new manager.

Originally, the accounting department had been firmly under Shen Li’s control. With Shen Lingyue now at its helm, it was akin to severing another one of his arms.

Not only that, but Shen Li himself was implicated.

After all, Shen De was his man. Even if he wasn’t directly involved, he couldn’t escape responsibility.

Nangong Wan, realizing her second son was growing increasingly brazen, simply had him assigned away from the main family estate.

He was dispatched to one of the clan’s outer cities to deal with matters concerning evil cultivators.

Her thought was simple: separate the two brothers. Once tempers cooled, things should settle down peacefully.