Chapter 233: Chapter 230: The Domineering Father and Son
Qian Duoduo’s words were roared.
Nangong An raised his hand and froze.
’His Direct Lineage status was restored?’
’Impossible!’
Everyone in the Imperial City knew Qian Duoduo’s talent had vanished. The Qian Family had stripped him of his Direct Lineage status long ago. How could it suddenly be restored?
But if it hadn’t been, how could he explain the several thousand Void Realm experts he had summoned?
"Old coot, I’ll stand right here and won’t move an inch. Go on, try and hit me. Don’t make me lose all respect for you!"
Being called "old coot" repeatedly by Qian Duoduo made Nangong An so furious he wanted to slap the boy dead.
But reason kept reminding him: he absolutely could not make a move.
If Qian Duoduo hadn’t regained his Direct Lineage status, even as Qian Juduo’s son, it would be no big deal for a Grand Elder like Nangong An to strike him.
But times had changed. The Direct Lineage represented the future and face of every family.
To strike someone of the Direct Lineage was to slap the family’s face.
This was especially true of the Qian Family. They were ridiculously protective of their own and completely unreasonable.
They were the type to be utterly shameless and impossible to deal with.
Nangong An knew that if he dared to touch a single hair on Qian Duoduo’s head today, the entire Qian Family would mobilize to fight him to the death.
At that point, he would face endless trouble.
Something similar had happened with Qian Juduo back in the day. The great lake in the Imperial City was still there as proof!
"Hey, old coot, why don’t you hit me!"
"Come on and hit me!"
"Come on!"
Qian Duoduo beckoned slyly, shaking his head, wiggling his hips, and relentlessly taunting with a cheeky grin.
Combined with his bald eyebrows, his expression was as punchable as it could possibly be.
Nangong An clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his flesh, using the pain to quell the rage in his heart.
He turned his face away, refusing to look at Qian Duoduo.
He was afraid one more look would make him unable to resist attacking.
"You know, in the future, if you don’t have the goods to back it up, you shouldn’t talk so big."
Qian Duoduo walked up to Nangong An and said in a "grave and earnest" tone.
"Look how awkward you’ve made this whole situation. Why bother, right?"
Nangong An was so angry his lungs were about to explode. His two white whiskers trembled as he ground out through clenched teeth, "Qian Duoduo, don’t you push it too far!"
Qian Duoduo knew Nangong An was on the verge of erupting and that it wasn’t wise to provoke him further. He smiled and asked, "Grand Elder Nangong, you still haven’t answered my question. Why did you come here to stop me?"
Nangong An took a deep breath. He hadn’t been this angry in over a thousand years.
He could only keep telling himself that Qian Duoduo was still a child, and that the words of a child carry no ill will.
’But is there such a thing as a nearly twenty-year-old child?’
"I came here for someone."
"For someone?"
Qian Duoduo glanced at Zhang Shao and the other two, then shook his head. "Impossible. These three must die!"
"Qian Duoduo, you dare touch a member of the Zhao Family?" Zhao Yuqi demanded, her eyes blazing with anger.
Qian Duoduo was thoroughly disgusted by this loud, clueless woman. Grand Elder Nangong himself had already backed down; couldn’t this fool read the room?
"Make her shut up!" Qian Duoduo waved his hand impatiently. Several thousand Void Realm experts attacked at once. The dozens of people from the Zhao Family didn’t even have a chance to resist before they were suppressed on the spot.
Nangong An was slightly surprised by this. He hadn’t expected Qian Duoduo to show the Zhao Family no respect at all, suppressing them just like that.
"I’m not here for those three," Nangong An said, pointing at Liu Hui. "I want him!"
Qian Duoduo was stunned for a moment before realization dawned, and he broke into a wide grin.
"My Brother Liu is the future son-in-law of your Nangong Family. What, are you that impatient to have Nangong Yan marry him?"
Hearing this, Nangong An’s brow furrowed. He said coldly, "Please do not make such jokes. Nangong Yan was betrothed to a great personage long ago."
As he spoke, he looked at Liu Hui again. "This boy used some kind of sweet talk to deceive a disciple of my Nangong Family. He deserves to be executed!"
"What?!" Qian Duoduo was shocked. "You came here to kill my Brother Liu?"
Nangong An’s silence was a tacit admission.
"That’s even more impossible! If you want to touch Brother Liu, you’ll have to step over my dead body!"
Nangong An’s eyes narrowed, a cold light glinting within them. "Qian Duoduo, are you certain you want to protect him?"
The might of his Void Realm cultivation made the space around them CRACKLE and RUMBLE, as if it could shatter at any moment.
Qian Duoduo gestured behind him. The several thousand Void Realm experts summoned their Grotto Heavens, forming a great array that shielded Liu Hui and his group in the center.
"Grand Elder Nangong, something’s not right with what you’re saying!" Qian Duoduo said, changing the subject while simultaneously sending a message to the Qian Family for help.
"You say Nangong Yan was betrothed to someone else long ago, but as far as I know, just a few years ago, your Nangong Family was still thinking of having her marry me."
Nangong An shook his head. "That was just a baseless rumor spread by some uninformed people in the family. It doesn’t count."
After a pause, Nangong An continued, "Alright, Qian Duoduo, don’t bother trying to stall for time. When I, Nangong An, want to capture someone, even several thousand Void Realm experts cannot stop me. Not unless they’re truly willing to sacrifice their lives... but are they?"
’You, Qian Duoduo, have a noble status, but that doesn’t mean everyone else does.’
’My target is only Liu Hui anyway. Worst case, I’ll just avoid you and grab him directly.’
"You can try it!" Qian Duoduo didn’t budge an inch. "But I must warn you, the person backing Brother Liu is not someone you can afford to provoke. Don’t bring a cataclysm down upon your Nangong Family."
Nangong An sneered in disdain at his words.
’A cataclysm?’
’If we anger the great personage from *that* place, forget the Nangong Family—the entire Mountain and Sea Empire will face a cataclysm!’
"Qian Duoduo, you have no idea how terrifying the great personage Nangong Yan is betrothed to is. Have your men stand down, or don’t blame me for being merciless!"
Qian Duoduo shook his head.
’You want to talk to me about terrifying?’
’You know nothing of how terrifying my brother Mo Qi is!’
He didn’t know how Mo Qi had done it, but he had personally witnessed the scene at the Dragon Vein Core where Mo Qi had suppressed the Dragon Soul with a single hand.
"I will ask one last time: are your men going to stand down or not?"
As Nangong An’s voice fell, an enormous Grotto Heaven rose up behind his head.
Unlike the Grotto Heavens of other Void Realm experts, Nangong An’s Grotto Heaven was not only larger, clearer, and more abundant in Spiritual Energy, but it also contained the phantom image of a longsword.
Nurturing an object within a Grotto Heaven—the mark of the Void Realm!
Just as Qian Duoduo was getting anxious, he suddenly sensed something, and a look of great joy lit up his face.
"Old coot, you’re out of chances!"
At the same time, Qian Juduo’s incomparably domineering voice thundered through the sky.
"Old Nangong, you dare threaten my son?"
Qian Juduo made a grand entrance, treading upon a five-colored auspicious cloud.
His head was held high, his hands were clasped behind his back, and his body radiated with the light of treasures. His smug expression was identical to the one Qian Duoduo wore when he was showing off.
"Greetings, Patriarch!"
The several thousand Void Realm experts all bowed in salute, but Qian Juduo ignored them completely. He looked down condescendingly at Nangong An.
"I’ll give you one chance. Rethink what you just said, and say it to my son again."
