Free Web NovelChapter 267: Chapter 265: The Arrogant Cui Family
Along their journey, they saw countless groups, large and small, all making their majestic way toward Black Tortoise Peak.
This grand event only happened once every seventy years, making it a truly rare spectacle. Even Shangguan Shiyu couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity. As Qin Li watched the river of people, he was suddenly reminded of the major cities in his past life. ’Isn’t this just like rush hour?’
At the thought, he gave a wry smile. He could never go back to that place. The only person he worried about was the old Taoist priest, and he had no idea how he was faring now. Other than the old priest, Qin Li had no other attachments to that world.
After all, a world like the Celestial Essence Continent was the only true soil for someone like Qin Li to thrive in. Here, the one with the biggest fist was the boss!
’I like it!’
As Qin Li was thinking this, a sudden commotion broke out from the convoy up ahead. Qin Li was seated in an exceptionally luxurious carriage. The interior was opulent but not gaudy, grand yet refined. It was spacious, occupied only by him and Shangguan Shiyu.
In the entire Qin Family convoy, he was the only one who enjoyed such treatment!
Even Qin Suo was sharing a carriage with several other Qin Family disciples.
But not a single person had a word of complaint.
As the saying goes, when you are only a little stronger than someone else, they will be dismissive, thinking you’re no better than them. When you are significantly stronger, but not by an insurmountable amount, they will be jealous and resentful, vowing to surpass you. But when your strength exceeds theirs by so much that they couldn’t catch up even on horseback, with no hope of ever surpassing you in this lifetime, they will only revere, worship, and admire you.
Qin Li was now in that final category. His strength and realm had far, far surpassed those of the other young Qin Family disciples. Among his peers, none could even come close.
Therefore, no matter what preferential treatment Qin Li received, no one found it the least bit strange.
"What’s happening up ahead?" Shangguan Shiyu asked Qin Li, setting down a travelogue written by Prince Wu that she had found in Qin Li’s ring. freёweɓnovel.com
"Probably just a small squabble," Qin Li replied casually, not paying it much mind. With so many people rushing to one place as if going to a market fair, and with most of them being young, it was inevitable. For this trip, the Qin Family had only brought one ancestor, Qinling Mountain. The other families likely wouldn’t have brought many elders either. Even if they had, they were only there to hold the line and would rarely take action.
So, it would have been truly strange if no friction occurred between them at all. Qin Li had already witnessed over a dozen such minor squabbles along the way.
The families involved in these disputes were usually ones that already didn’t see eye to eye. However, the altercations almost never had serious consequences. The reason was simple: everyone was saving their strength, hoping to make a name for themselves at the Venerable Tournament. If they got taken out on the road, wouldn’t they regret it for the rest of their lives?
After all, for many people, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Thus, Qin Li paid it no mind and couldn’t even be bothered to use his Divine Sense to investigate what was happening.
Just then, an angry roar erupted from up ahead.
"What gives you the right to hit people?"
"Yeah! What right do you have to strike someone? Just because you’re the Cui Family? Did we do anything to provoke you?"
"Hmph, the Cui Family *is* that great. What about it? A trash family like you Qins, I wouldn’t even have bothered to look at you. But you’re so clueless. Why are you following us so closely? Don’t think you can show off just because your Qin Family allied with a few powerful families. In my eyes, the Qin Family is nothing but a dog for those big clans!"
"Say that again!"
"So what if I say it again? You gonna bite me?" The young man from the Cui Family spoke with extreme arrogance and flippancy. Then, he deliberately provoked them, "I hear your Qin Family produced some... what was it? A super genius? If you’ve got a problem, tell him to come out! We’ll see how I’ll deal with him!"
Just then, a voice transmission from Qinling Mountain reached Qin Li’s ears: "Qin Li, ignore the Cui Family’s provocations. Let Qin Suo handle it. They’re just trying to anger you. The ones they sent are just small-fry. Don’t pay them any mind. If you take it seriously, you lose."
Qin Li didn’t reply. With a calm expression, he said to Shangguan Shiyu, "Let’s go down and see what’s happening."
By now, a large crowd had already gathered up ahead. It wasn’t just members of the Qin Family, but also people from many other families and sects. Seeing the Cui Family deliberately provoke the Qin Family, they all crowded around with great interest.
Qin Suo parted the crowd and walked over. He saw a young disciple from his own family with a red handprint on his face, his eyes filled with grievance. They had been given prior instructions not to start trouble, and especially not to clash with families like the Cui Family.
After all, in terms of strength, the Qin Family was still far inferior to the Cui Family.
One could tell just by looking at the disciples sent on this trip. The Qin Family, all counted, had just over a hundred people. The Cui Family’s procession, on the other hand, was so long you could barely see the end of it, with at least a thousand members!
This was the foundation of a super-faction!
On a normal day, you might rarely see them make a move. But when something happened, these families would suddenly produce countless unexpected experts, many of whom had never made a name for themselves in the Martial World! Yet, their skills were not the least bit lacking!
"What happened?" Qin Suo’s voice was low and his face was calm. He knew that in this kind of situation, he had to be the one to step forward. This Venerable Tournament was also a test for him.
"Patriarch, we didn’t provoke them, but they hit us!" said the young Qin Family disciple who had been struck. In terms of generation, he was two generations younger than Qin Suo, a common occurrence in large families.
"Heh, you little bastard, learned how to play the victim, have you?" the Cui Family disciple sneered. "It was clearly you who was bad-mouthing my Cui Family behind our backs. I got angry and slapped you to teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders. What, was I wrong to hit you?"
"I didn’t!" The young Qin Family disciple, only about sixteen or seventeen, was so angry he was on the verge of tears, but he puffed out his chest and spoke defiantly.
"You didn’t? If you didn’t, why would I hit you? Because you’re pretty? Ptui! I’m not into boys..." This Cui Family disciple had an arrogant expression that just begged to be punched. He was clearly just looking for trouble.
In reality, this incident wasn’t necessarily ordered by anyone. The Cui Family had lost face to Qin Li time and time again. While this might not mean much to a major clan, the younger Cui Family disciples didn’t necessarily see it that way. Each of them was holding in their anger, plotting to teach the Qin Family a lesson if they ever ran into them.
They hadn’t expected to actually run into them. And since they were only a day’s journey from Black Tortoise Peak, most people had slowed their pace, so a short delay wouldn’t matter.
Qin Suo frowned as he looked at the wild-eyed Cui Family disciple. ’In truth, I also want nothing more than to rush forward recklessly, slap him a few times, kick him to the ground, stomp on his face until his mouth is ruined, and see if he’d ever dare to spew such filth again.’
But reality told him that if he did that, the people from their two families would likely break into an all-out brawl right here and now, one that wouldn’t stop until heaven and earth were turned upside down.
"Is everyone in the Cui Family like you? Arrogant, domineering, utterly contemptuous, and without a shred of courtesy?" Qin Suo said, looking coldly at the Cui disciple. "A person of your character really makes one wonder if you’re an impostor who snuck into the Cui Family’s ranks."
"You’re fucking courting death!" The young Cui Family disciple flew into a rage. He hadn’t expected this Qin Family member’s words to be so vicious, implicating the entire Cui Family in his personal actions and making it sound as if no one in their family had any breeding.
"Alas, if I were your elder, I would die of shame. Everyone, wouldn’t you agree? Is this what you call a super-family? Their elite education produces this kind of scum?" As he spoke, Qin Suo cupped his fist to the crowd around them. "My Qin Family may not be a great clan, but we are not so weak that anyone can bully us! You struck my disciple without cause. You must give me an explanation!"
"Right, what’s so great about the Cui Family?"
"That’s right! Does being the Cui Family mean you can be so tyrannical?"
"The Cui Family has a feud with the Qin Family. I hear they’re afraid of that young genius, Qin Li, so they don’t dare to face the real deal and pick on a kid instead."
"HAHAHAHA!"
The surrounding crowd, who loved nothing more than to watch chaos unfold, immediately started jeering.
The Cui disciple was rendered speechless, a venomous glint in his eyes. He was just about to open his mouth to curse when he suddenly heard an indifferent voice: "That’s enough. You’ve been disgraceful enough. Get back here!"
At those words, the Cui disciple immediately shut his mouth. From a carriage up ahead, a young master descended. He had rosy lips and white teeth, a dashing and debonair air, and a calm and composed expression. His eyes were peaceful, but a hint of arrogance was hidden in their depths. A middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache disembarked with him.
From within the crowd, both Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu recognized him at a glance. It was the same young master from the Cui Family who had gone to Four Seasons Valley and, after being goaded by Qin Li, had a falling out with the Fourteenth Young Master of Sword Concealment Manor, Xie Xiaozhong.
"Ah, that’s Cui Yuwen, the seventh son of the Cui Family Master! I hear that in the Cui Family, the most favored son isn’t the eldest, the legendary super genius, but this Cui Yuwen!" someone in the crowd whispered.
"Why not the eldest son? I hear the Cui Family’s eldest son has already reached an astonishing level of strength. He might even make an appearance at this Venerable Tournament!"
"Hehe, the reason this kid is so favored... I heard it’s because his mother..."
"Hehehehe!" A knowing laugh rippled through the crowd.
At that moment, Cui Yuwen slowly walked up to Qin Suo. A disdainful sneer touched his lips as he opened his mouth to say, "You want an explanation?" Suddenly, Cui Yuwen’s figure flashed. With a movement as fast as lightning, he lunged at Qin Suo, swung his arm, and viciously slapped him across the face, saying at the same time, "This is my explanation!"
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These monthly tickets... I’m so sad and speechless I don’t know what to say. Does everyone really have no more tickets? (To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com. There are more Chapters, support the author, and support official reading!)
