Free Web NovelChapter 514: Chapter 511: Breaking a Promise
’We’re surrounded by the He Family’s men. Whatever they do to me, no one else will know. Even if they kill me, they can just blame it on the Desperate Mountain Range. My death won’t arouse any suspicion from the Qin Family at all.’
Qin Xueyun may have been sheltered and inexperienced, but she was no fool.
She knew He Jinbo’s status in the He Family, and she knew what the Void Spirit Flash Flame meant to them.
Whether for He Jinbo’s sake or for the Void Spirit Flash Flame, He Jincheng would surely stop at nothing to uncover the truth.
Thus, when faced with the choice between keeping a secret and saving her own life, Qin Xueyun didn’t hesitate.
"Uncle He, the murderer is the target of the bounty from the Master of the Desperate Mountain Range. He killed Brother He, and he also stole Brother He’s Void Spirit Flash Flame."
He Jincheng’s expression remained unchanged. "I know all of that. You don’t need to tell me. What I want to know now is, where is the murderer?"
"He’s with Brother Gu. He kidnapped Brother Gu and is forcing Brother Gu to lead him out of the Desperate Mountain Range."
Qin Xueyun didn’t hide the truth, but she did alter the facts slightly.
After all, Gu Peng was her childhood friend. If she told the complete truth, she feared He Jincheng would kill him too.
’Brother Gu... this is the most I can do for you.’
Hearing this, He Jincheng frowned and fell into deep thought.
"It seems this person isn’t from around here, otherwise he wouldn’t need a guide to get out. That puts my mind at ease."
At first, He Jincheng had suspected Mo Qi might be the disciple of some reclusive master. Otherwise, how could he have killed He Jinbo with only a Vajra Realm Cultivation?
But now, it seemed more likely the man had just gotten dog-shit lucky. He must have accidentally obtained the Earth-Level Fire Seed, the Void Spirit Flame, and used its power to kill He Jinbo before snatching the Void Spirit Flash Flame.
’In that case, I’ll have no reservations about killing him.’
"An outsider dares to be so brazen? He deserves to die!" He Jincheng’s gaze grew even colder.
"Uncle He, I’ve told you everything. Can I go now?" Qin Xueyun asked quietly. freewebnoveℓ.com
He Jincheng glanced at her and said coldly, "You can’t leave yet. Once I find the murderer, I will naturally let you go."
If not for Qin Xueyun’s full cooperation, the Qin Family’s considerable power, and the fact that the He Family had just lost its ultimate weapon, the Void Spirit Flash Flame, He Jincheng wouldn’t have wasted his breath on her. He would have used a Soul Search on her long ago.
But no matter what, he couldn’t possibly let Qin Xueyun leave.
He was still plotting to find Mo Qi, kill him, take the Void Spirit Flame for himself, and claim ownership of the Desperate Mountain Range.
If Qin Xueyun got out and spread the word that the bounty target was with Gu Peng, the competition would become much fiercer.
Searching for a person with almost no clues was a completely different level of difficulty than searching for Gu Peng.
Qin Xueyun was extremely resentful. She didn’t want to stay in the Desperate Mountain Range for a second longer, but she had no choice but to suppress her temper and be patient.
He Jincheng wasn’t Gu Peng. He wouldn’t coddle her.
If she angered him, he would actually kill her.
"Take me to Gu Peng now!" He Jincheng looked at Qin Xueyun, his tone flat, as if he was certain she could find Gu Peng.
"Uncle He, you’re making things difficult for me." Qin Xueyun looked helpless. "Brother Gu and I..."
CRACK!
He Jincheng grabbed Qin Xueyun by the neck, cutting her off, and lifted her into the air.
"Think carefully before you answer. You only have one chance. Can you find Gu Peng or not?"
Qin Xueyun felt like she was about to die.
The excruciating pain in her neck made her vision go black. She opened her mouth wide, trying to gasp for air, but found she couldn’t.
She suspected her neck might have already been snapped.
’No, I don’t want to die!’
Driven by a powerful will to live, she managed to squeeze a single word through her clenched teeth: "Can!"
The moment the word left her lips, He Jincheng released his grip.
Qin Xueyun collapsed onto the ground, clutching her throat and gasping for air.
"This is the first and last time. If you dare to play any more little tricks, I don’t mind sending you down to keep Jinbo company."
How could He Jincheng not know about the relationship between Qin Xueyun and Gu Peng?
He Jincheng refused to believe that two friends who had grown up together wouldn’t have some special way to contact or locate each other.
Especially since one was a man and the other a woman!
Qin Xueyun sighed. She knew there was no getting out of this.
Just then, several powerful auras rapidly approached from the distance.
"He Jincheng, you’ve got some nerve! Bullying a junior like this, do you think the Qin Family is full of nobodies?"
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
Figures appeared one after another. Leading them was a middle-aged man in a white robe with a small black cauldron embroidered on his sleeve. freeweɓnøvel.com
Seeing the middle-aged man, Qin Xueyun was overjoyed. Ignoring the pain in her neck, she immediately got up and went to him.
"Xue Yun greets the Patriarch." Qin Xueyun stepped forward and bowed.
The middle-aged man smiled. "No need for formalities. Just get behind me. I’d like to see what this He Jincheng can do to you!"
"Qin Hai!" He Jincheng’s expression turned grave.
Qin Hai was the current Patriarch of the Qin Family. He was said to have come from a side branch of the family. Though he wasn’t valued, his talent was immense.
Back when he competed with the disciples of the Qin Family’s Direct Lineage for the position of Patriarch, he had faced countless near-death experiences. Despite a lack of resources, he had somehow managed to survive his Celestial Tribulation and forge an Immortal Body. Afterward, he went on a rampage, even slaying an Immortal Ancestor from the Direct Lineage.
In the end, not only did the Qin Family not blame him, but they actually let him take the Patriarch’s seat.
Why?
Because Qin Hai had beaten them into submission, of course!
This just went to show how terrifyingly powerful Qin Hai was.
Without the Void Spirit Flash Flame, He Jincheng knew he was no match for Qin Hai, especially since he could only use Cultivation below the Void Realm at the moment.
"This is about avenging my son’s murder. Brother Qin, please allow me some leeway." He Jincheng showed Qin Hai great deference.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, he was unwilling to fall out with Qin Hai.
But if Qin Hai gave him no face at all, he would fight for the Void Spirit Flame, no matter what—even knowing he was no match.
Qin Hai naturally saw He Jincheng’s determination.
He Jincheng represented the entire He Family. As long as there was no conflict of interest, Qin Hai didn’t want to make a powerful enemy for the Qin Family.
"Xue Yun, what exactly happened?" Qin Hai asked via voice transmission.
Qin Xueyun naturally wouldn’t hide anything from Qin Hai. She sent a voice transmission back, describing the entire sequence of events in detail.
’The target of the bounty from the Master of the Desperate Mountain Range!’ Qin Hai was startled at first, then overjoyed.
As the head of a family, he had risked suppressing his Cultivation to enter the Desperate Mountain Range. Wasn’t it all for the sake of that bounty?
He had thought it would take a great deal of effort, but he never expected the bounty to be so close at hand.
"Do you have a way to find Gu Peng?" Qin Hai asked.
Qin Xueyun nodded.
"Excellent! Xue Yun, you’ve done wonderfully this time. When we return to the family, I will reward you handsomely!"
"Thank you, Patriarch."
For some reason, Qin Xueyun felt no joy at this moment. The instant she broke her promise and betrayed Mo Qi, she felt as if she had lost something incredibly precious.
