Free Web NovelChapter 232: Chapter 230: Madness
As he spoke, a dark glint flashed deep in the middle-aged man’s eyes. He brushed past Qin Li, his expression serene. The people with him, however, glared at Qin Li with undisguised hatred, as if they wanted to devour him whole.
But unlike Cui Ying and her followers, while this group clearly despised Qin Li, not one of them made a single rash move.
Qin Li gave a slight smile, took a deep breath, and called out coolly to the middle-aged man’s retreating back, "We’ll see about that!"
"Fine!"
The middle-aged man stiffened for a moment but didn’t turn around. He uttered that single word and led his people away without another glance.
Shangguan Shiyu saw that Qin Li’s face was livid. She knew it wasn’t because of the Cui family, but because of the exquisitely crafted, black-and-gold invitation in his hand.
He was gripping the invitation so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
"What’s wrong?" Qin Suo noticed something was amiss and walked over, his expression full of concern.
"It’s nothing."
Qin Li forced a smile and said softly, "We’ll talk when we get back!"
...
"My love, didn’t you say Linghu Feiyue was already very powerful?" Shangguan Shiyu asked in surprise once they were back in their room. "How could she have been captured by the Thousand Kills Sect?"
"Shiyu, do you know what Linghu Feiyue really is?" Qin Li raised his head and looked at Shangguan Shiyu seriously.
Shangguan Shiyu looked at Qin Li in confusion.
Qin Li said softly, "She’s a Spirit Beast!"
"Ah!" Shangguan Shiyu gasped, her hand flying to her lips. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.
"No one else knows about this, so you must not tell a soul," Qin Li said softly after waving his hand to cast a privacy ward around them.
Shangguan Shiyu nodded. "No wonder. You said she was young but already possessed the power of the Celestial Integration Realm. So she’s a Spirit Beast who has undergone Transformation! But how was she captured by the Thousand Kills Sect?"
"She and I arrived from the outside just as the gates of Profound Island were opening. We ran into some men from the Thousand Kills Sect. They started a conflict with us because they coveted Linghu Feiyue’s beauty. That’s the origin of the grudge between me and their sect."
Qin Li sighed softly and continued, "Linghu Feiyue left on her own because she wanted to gain experience. Even though she’s cultivated for many years, after her Transformation, her apparent age is similar to ours, and she has next to no experience in the Martial World. I suspect she was targeted by the Thousand Kills Sect. A Celestial Integration Realm expert is very strong, but a mid- to high-tier sect like the Thousand Kills Sect would naturally have Celestial Embracing Realm Martial Artists. So, it isn’t too surprising that they were able to capture her."
Shangguan Shiyu nodded, then suddenly asked, "This Thousand Kills Sect... could it be related to the Thousand Mechanism Sect?"
Qin Li shook his head. "Even though their names are similar, the Thousand Kills Sect and the Thousand Mechanism Sect have absolutely no connection. Shen Le made a point to explain that to me before."
"They’re so shameless!" Shangguan Shiyu said, her gaze falling back to the invitation with renewed anger.
And it was the contents of that invitation that had made Qin Li so furious.
It basically stated that the Thousand Kills Sect was very interested in the Pill Formulas for the Qin Family’s miraculous elixirs. If the Qin Family insisted on hoarding its secrets and refused to share, then they "sincerely invited" Qin Li to attend the wedding of their Young Master, Pangqi, to Linghu Feiyue.
This was nothing less than a blatant threat!
"They know our Qin Family has allied with many other families, that we’ve all sworn to act as one, yet they still dare to do something so outrageous. Is the Sect Leader of the Thousand Kills Sect insane?" Shangguan Shiyu frowned, her pretty face filled with confusion.
"Insane? I’m not so sure."
Qin Li’s eyes glinted as he recalled his feud with the Cui family. "We can form alliances with major powers like the Lin Family and the Thousand Mechanism Sect," he said. "What’s to stop the Thousand Kills Sect from aligning themselves with a family like the Cuis?"
Realization dawned on Shangguan Shiyu, and she nodded. "That’s a definite possibility," she exclaimed. "Then what should we do? My love, should we tell the Patriarch and ask our allies for help?"
Qin Li slowly shook his head. "Telling the Patriarch is the right thing to do. We shouldn’t hide this from him. But asking our allies for help? Absolutely not."
...
"Why not?" Qinling Mountain asked, echoing the same question Shangguan Shiyu had posed earlier.
Qin Li explained, "There are three reasons. First, while the Qin Family’s overall status has recently been elevated, in reality, we’re still the same family we were before. There’s been no fundamental change in our strength."
Qinling Mountain nodded slightly. "That’s right. Our actual strength is no different than it was before. And the second reason?"
"Second, they’ve made it clear that this is about me. If I back down now, the first ones to look down on us won’t be our enemies, but our allies. You can’t possibly think the Thousand Kills Sect plans on holding a quiet little wedding for their Young Master, can you? And the third reason is simple: Linghu Feiyue is my friend. I don’t make a habit of abandoning my friends."
Qin Hanyue glanced discreetly at Shangguan Shiyu. Seeing no trace of displeasure on the young woman’s face, she was both surprised and gratified. Her estimation of Shangguan Shiyu rose even higher.
Qinling Mountain nodded again. "You’re right. By stirring up trouble now, the Thousand Kills Sect is clearly trying to put us in a no-win situation. Either we lose face and are seen as unable to protect a friend of our family, or we hand over the Pill Formulas and betray the trust of our allies."
At that moment, a Celestial Integration Realm Martial Artist from the Qin Family spoke up. "The Thousand Kills Sect is a Sect that has been passed down since Ancient Times. They have a deep foundation and formidable power. If we face them head-on... forgive me for being blunt, but I’m afraid the Qin Family doesn’t stand a chance."
Qin Li wasn’t surprised. A large family like theirs had to consider the consequences of every action. He wasn’t some hot-headed teenager who, upon hearing such words, would jump up, pound his chest, and declare, ’I don’t need any of you, I’ll go by myself!’
Passion could make one’s blood boil, but impulsiveness could also lead to one’s death.
Before Qin Li could speak, Qinling Mountain smiled faintly. "If Qin Li can suppress the experts from the Thousand Kills Sect with that immense aura of his... we might just have a chance."
"What? Qin Li can do that?"
The Celestial Integration Realm Elder from the Qin Family looked utterly astonished. He hadn’t been present to see Qin Li suppress one Celestial Embracing Realm and three Celestial Integration Realm Martial Artists. Hearing this now, he was flabbergasted. "If that’s true," he stammered, "then who in this world could possibly be his match?"
Qin Li shook his head with a wry smile. "It’s not as miraculous as it sounds. Suppressing one Celestial Embracing Realm and three Celestial Integration Realm experts was my absolute limit. If they have a Venerable Realm expert... I’m afraid I won’t be able to suppress them at my current level."
"A Venerable..."
Qin Haiyang narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought. After a long moment, he said, "The Thousand Kills Sect should have someone at the Venerable Realm. However, Martial Artists of that caliber are almost always in closed-door cultivation. At that level, they won’t make an appearance unless their Sect is on the brink of annihilation."
Qin Li said calmly, "Then I’ll just have to annihilate their sect."
HISS!
Everyone in the room gasped. Conflicts of all sizes were common among the major powers, but it was almost unheard of for one to declare the intention to annihilate another sect. The price was simply too great.
Even a genuine superpower wouldn’t dare speak lightly of annihilating a small or medium-sized sect. The desperate, frenzied counterattack it would provoke was a price no one was willing to pay.
Even Qin Hanyue couldn’t help but urge gently, "Son, isn’t the price for doing this too high?"
Qin Li shook his head slightly. "Do you think this matter can be resolved peacefully?"
As he spoke, Qin Li stood and chuckled. "With a power like the Thousand Kills Sect, you either compromise or you beat them to death in one go. If you let them catch their breath, they’ll become a massive threat sooner or later. Besides, now that this has happened, both our allies and our enemies will be watching to see how we react. Just as the ancestor said, even if they have a Venerable Realm expert, he isn’t guaranteed to be at the sect. And what’s more, even if he is... it’s not like I’m completely helpless!"
Qin Li’s words sent another shock through the Qin Family members. They stared at him in disbelief. ’Heavens, he’s only a Celestial Shattering Realm Martial Artist! How could he possibly stand against a Venerable? Even a Human Venerable, the lowest rank within the Venerable Realm, is absurdly powerful!’
Qin Li paid no mind to their expressions and continued softly, "If I can withstand an attack from a Venerable... esteemed seniors, Ancestor... would you dare to take a gamble on me, just this once?"
The room fell into a deathly silence. Even Qin Haiyang looked to his son, Qinling Mountain. Qinling Mountain was one of the wisest Patriarchs the Qin Family had seen in its several-thousand-year history. His ability to keep the family stable while ensuring its slow but steady growth was proof enough of his capability.
At this moment, Qinling Mountain raised his head, his eyes locked onto Qin Li’s. His breathing was ragged as he asked, "Qin Li, can you truly withstand a Venerable?"
Qin Li nodded, his expression deadly serious. "If he completely underestimates me, he will pay a heavy price. He might even... die."
The members of the Qin Family were stunned into silence. freewebnoveℓ.com
Qinling Mountain let out a few hearty laughs, then gritted his teeth. "For generations, my Qin Family has prospered through peace. For thousands of years we have been stable, but we have never been truly respected! Fine! The Venerable Realm is a distant dream anyway. This old man will risk everything on this one gamble! If we fail, I will die without regrets! From this day forward, the title of Patriarch of the Qin Family is passed to my great-grandson, Qin Suo! He will be responsible for managing all family affairs! As for myself and the three Supreme Elders, we will henceforth have no connection to the matters of the Qin Family!"
