Chapter 323: Chapter 321: In Constant Trepidation
If Leng Yanru had deliberately maintained an air of mystery around Qin Li, then the Patriarch of the Qian Family was so straightforward it left one at a loss for words.
"Young Master Qin, please forgive my sudden visit." Patriarch Qian beamed as he clasped his hands in a salute to Qin Li.
"Not at all. In fact, I should be the one visiting you, Patriarch Qian. As for the Qian Family’s support for my own, I... will never forget it!" Qin Li returned the salute with a smile and ushered Patriarch Qian into the main hall.
The moment Patriarch Qian sat down, he immediately smiled and said, "I have come today primarily to ask for your opinion on a matter, Young Master Qin."
"Oh? If you have a request, Patriarch Qian, please speak freely. There’s no need for such pleasantries."
"Very well, I’ll be direct then." The refined, middle-aged man wore a modest smile. "The Qian Family wishes to become your loyal ally, Young Master Qin! In the days to come, we want to advance and retreat as one!"
"Hm? What do you mean by that, Patriarch Qian?" Qin Li frowned, looking at the man. "Aren’t our two families already allies?"
"No, you misunderstand my meaning, Young Master Qin. What I mean is that the Qian Family wishes to become an ally to you... and you alone. Heh, of course, the alliance between the Qian Family and the Qin Family will remain unchanged." Qian Duoduo smiled at Qin Li, awaiting his response.
"Is there a difference?"
"Of course there is. Young Master Qin... you are destined for great things. But no matter how capable one person is, there will always be matters they cannot attend to. The Qian Family... can resolve all your worries for you! This includes your most pressing concern: the safety of your family. I’ve heard that you intend to relocate your entire clan. What a virtuous decision! To make such a move to protect your family from harm... I am truly impressed! However, have you considered that the Qin Family has a ten-thousand-year history on Profound Island? In every respect, you are deeply rooted in this land. To uproot everyone so hastily would be anything but easy. Moreover, an attack during the migration would be far easier for your enemies to execute than at any other time..."
"Do you have a better plan, Patriarch Qian?" Qin Li’s eyes were fixed on the refined man before him. "And what do you hope to gain by helping me in this way?"
"I don’t have many grand plans. All I can do is mobilize a hundred or so Celestial Embracing Realm Martial Artists to bolster the Qin Family’s defenses," Qian Duoduo said calmly. "As for what I want in return?"
Qian Duoduo sighed softly. "Nothing more than a protective talisman for the chaotic times ahead."
Qin Li stared, stunned, at the man before him—the Patriarch of the Qian Family, said to be the wealthiest in the world, a man who could casually dispatch over a hundred Celestial Embracing Realm experts. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Patriarch Qian... where is this coming from? I won’t lie, I do have some strength, but surely I’m not powerful enough to warrant such a heavy investment from you, am I?"
Qian Duoduo looked at Qin Li. "You jest, Young Master Qin. I have been this forthright; do you still intend to hide the truth? Even my Qian Family’s ancestor cannot fathom the depths of the great figure who stands behind you. And then there are your own miraculous abilities, possessing such strength at so young an age... All of this has been noted by those with discerning eyes. Do you still wish to conceal it? The legends of the Land of the Far West may be terrifying, but in your eyes, they probably don’t amount to much, do they?"
Qin Li gave a wry smile. ’I have to admit,’ he thought, ’this wealthy Patriarch of the Qian Family has a sharp and insightful eye. Some of his guesses are way off the mark, but it’s not like I can explain the truth anyway. Might as well just let him believe what he wants.’
At this thought, Qin Li nodded and smiled. "You are very direct, Patriarch Qian. If I continue to make excuses, it would seem ungrateful. In that case, I accept your proposal!"
"Haha, excellent! You truly are a straightforward man, Young Master Qin. Then it is settled!"
...
The Qin Family’s convoy departed quietly from the Thousand Mechanism Sect.
Shen Longxing received a report that the Sect Leader of Ice Edge and the Patriarch of the Qian Family had visited Qin Li one after another, and that both had left with smiles on their faces.
Shen Longxing sat in a secret chamber and spoke softly toward its depths, "Ancestor, have I made a mistake?"
For a long time, there was no reply from within the chamber. Then, a soft sigh could be heard.
The Qin Family’s return convoy traveled in complete safety, encountering no attacks along the way. In reality, Qin Li and the Snake Woman had found two body doubles to dress as them and sit in the carriage, rarely showing their faces to mislead any observers. The real pair had long since left the convoy, speeding toward the Qin Family estate in Fengsha City!
Upon returning to the Qin estate, the two of them didn’t alert anyone. They simply summoned the Spiritual Eagle, the Ink Eagle, and the Golden Eagle, and set off at once, heading straight for the Cui Family!
With these three Flying Spirit Beasts, the journey was shortened immensely. Even the Snake Woman, who had already reached the Shattered Void realm, had to admit that the three "little birds" were somewhat useful.
Upon their return, the Golden Eagle, Spiritual Eagle, and Ink Eagle all sensed the change in the Snake Woman. The three of them were endlessly astonished. Even without her releasing any aura, as neighbors who had lived alongside each other for thousands of years, they could sense the difference in her.
The Golden Eagle wanted to ask Qin Li but couldn’t bring itself to speak. It decided in its heart, ’I must find a chance to ask the young master what happened. That snake... how could she possibly have such a major breakthrough in such a short time?’
The Golden Eagle’s intuition told it that this matter was definitely related to its young master!
The grand and majestic Cui City!
In a very plain room within the Inner City, where the Cui Family’s core Direct Lineage resided, Cui Buping’s face was ashen. He had managed to escape by a stroke of luck, but he was gravely wounded. Now that he was back, he could only imagine the devastating blow that would soon fall upon the entire Cui Family.
Likewise, of the three Shattered Void realm Martial Artists, only one had escaped: a heavily injured Ma Wuchang.
The old beggar could hardly believe it. Their force this time had been overwhelmingly powerful, yet... it had ended in near-total annihilation.
His own wounds hadn’t fully healed, but seeing his eldest brother, Ma Wuchang, so grievously injured, he couldn’t help but fly into a rage.
"Eldest Brother, what... what happened? Where’s Second Brother? And Fourth Brother?" The old beggar had lost all his composure. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Ma Wuchang.
"Second Brother... self-detonated. And Fourth Brother... right, why isn’t Fourth Brother back? Where did he go? He was a peak Celestial Venerable! Who could possibly kill him?" Two streams of murky tears trickled from Ma Wuchang’s dim old eyes, his gaunt, wrinkled face filled with sorrow.
"What? Second Brother... he self-detonated?" The old beggar’s eyes went vacant as he collapsed into a chair, muttering, "How is this possible? How could this happen? I don’t believe it’s true... I don’t believe it!"
His last words were a hysterical roar, and tears streamed from his eyes. The four of them, though not brothers by blood, had been inseparable since childhood. They had been dispatched by their Sect to this place, a land far removed from their home, to carry out a crucial mission.
Neither the four brothers nor Lengqiu Palace, the power behind them, had ever imagined that this mission—which they had seen as simple and merely time-consuming—would turn out to be so perilous. Now, of the four brothers, one was dead, one was missing, and one was gravely wounded, leaving only the old beggar, who was also injured.
’How could this have happened?’ Not only could the old beggar not comprehend it, but Ma Wuchang, the strongest of the four, was equally baffled. ’Why are there so many Shattered Void realm Martial Artists on Profound Island? Why would they dare to defy the world and brazenly attack us, knowing full well the power of the Land of the Far West? Do they really think they can kill us and Lengqiu Palace won’t come for them?’
They couldn’t understand it, and Cui Buping understood it even less. He sat with his eyes closed in a chair he had occupied for over two hundred years. Its armrests had long been worn to a glossy sheen. On any other day, he would enjoy running his hands over them, the faint sense of accomplishment and satisfaction it brought making him feel especially at ease.
Today, however, Cui Buping was restless. He had a feeling—a dreadful certainty. For millennia, the Cui Family had weathered countless storms, emerging intact every time. But this time... this time, the Cui Family seemed to have truly encountered a crisis from which there was no escape.
Rely on those four Venerables? A cold, self-mocking sneer flickered across Cui Buping’s lips. Those four Venerables he normally treated with the utmost reverence, so high and mighty, yet this time one had been forced to self-detonate, and another was almost certainly dead, given the earth-shattering explosion they had heard during the battle. When he thought of the woman in black at Qin Li’s side, he knew the other two Venerables had likely not been spared either.
And his own family’s ancestor, a Shattering Void expert who had lived for ages, had been slain by two Martial Artists of the same realm, who had fought to the death and sustained grievous injuries to kill him...
Cui Buping heaved a heavy sigh. He understood the nature of Profound Island’s super-powers far better than Ma Wuchang and his men. They either didn’t make a move, or they struck with the force of a thunderbolt!
It seemed the Cui Family’s utter defeat was now inevitable. It was time to prepare an escape route for the family’s future.
As he thought, Cui Buping reached out and pressed a spot behind him. A faint grinding sound echoed through the room, and then... a tunnel entrance, about a meter square, appeared beneath the massive desk in front of him.
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