Ultimately Just a Pawn

"What did you give me to eat? What did you give me to eat?"

Qin Hao's expression was terrified. He used his fingers to forcefully pry open his throat. After spitting out a mouthful of white foam, he sprayed it all out. Other than the yellow bile on the ground, there was nothing else.

Hanyu ignored his hysteria, merely wearing a mysterious smile. "Guess?"

Who would dare to guess when their life was on the line? Qin Hao, his face full of panic and disarray, scrambled to his feet and fled as if he had wings.

After running about ten steps, he realized he had lost his composure. He had long forgotten he was a cultivator, so he summoned his sword and soared into the sky...

Hanyu stood below, gazing into the distance, and sighed softly, "I never knew Sword Riding could be this fast."

Bai Jingliang looked at him as if he had seen a ghost. He never knew Hanyu could be this powerful.

Every time, Hanyu brought him a different kind of shock.

The first time, in Quantai Prefecture, he watched Hanyu transform men into women and the old into the young with a mere flick of his hand.

The second time, at the Star Sect, he watched Hanyu, with a smile and a word, turn a hundred ordinary people into men like dragons.

This time was even more outrageous. A group of cultivators couldn't even harm him with their combined attack, and there was an Other Shore cultivator among them! Even a See Me Realm cultivator would have met their end here today.

Bai Jingliang didn't know that Hanyu had already crossed paths with a Peeping God Realm cultivator twice. Although he was beaten both times, the fact that he survived was a testament to his resilience.

Linglan secretly clicked her tongue, thinking to herself, "I'll definitely sneak back and tell the Sect Master. Little Alchemist shouldn't mess with him. He's too fierce."

"Sister, let's hurry back."

As if recalling Qin Hao's words just now, Bai Jingliang's face turned incredibly grim. He had to go back and ask what had happened in less than a day.

"Young Master Han, we'll meet again."

Bai Junya gave a complex, graceful bow before hastily leaving with Bai Jingliang.

Bai Family.

This was Bai Jingliang's first time facing his father directly at home.

In the spacious hall, not only was the family head Bai Chong'an present, but many clan elders were also there for discussions.

Bai Jingliang, with Bai Junya, stormed in angrily. As if protecting his young, he shielded his sister behind him before loudly questioning, "Why, why was my sister's engagement settled without our knowledge? Why must she be treated like a bargaining chip and sent away?"

"Jingliang, how are you speaking to your elders?" A clan elder stood up and reprimanded him loudly.

Bai Jingliang turned and glanced at the elder. The man's temples were streaked with white. Although he was not yet sixty, he looked like an elder of eighty. He was the second branch's uncle, Bai Zhiyuan. His cultivation was extremely poor, only reaching the See Me Realm at his age. Furthermore, he indulged in alcohol and women, his body already decaying.

He was the one Bai Jingliang disliked the most usually, especially since he was the one who always advocated for marriage alliances. This made him even more disgusted.

"Uncle Yuan, you always talk about the family's benefit. Why haven't I seen my cousins, the daughters, married off?"

Bai Jingliang sneered.

Bai Zhiyuan's body trembled with anger, looking as if he could collapse at any moment. He opened his mouth and said, "When have I ever been unwilling to sacrifice for the family? But they are interested in Junya's Single Spiritual Root physique."

Bai Jingliang's expression turned ferocious, his teeth grinding audibly.

There had always been a rumor in the cultivation world that children born to parents with excellent Spiritual Roots would also have good Spiritual Roots.

"You are treating her as a breeding tool!"

Bai Jingliang was almost blinded by rage. The remaining shred of his reason allowed him to force himself to calm down. His eyes fixed on his father. "Since you keep talking about the family, then fine. For the sake of the family, my sister must not marry, because..."

Qin Hao scrambled all the way up Qilian Mountain. There was a fort there, belonging to the Qin family!

Upon entering the fort, it was like a small city, with all sorts of shops and pedestrians who were all cultivators. Some of them were clan members, while others were disciples taken in under the family's name.

This was how the Qin family surpassed many noble families in Tianning Prefecture. Besides cultivating their own descendants, they also did not forget to learn the methods of sects to continue expanding.

He spotted someone and shouted, "Quick, save me..."

After shouting, he collapsed, utterly exhausted. Only heaven knew what he had been through. It was a full twenty li from Tianning City to here. He had flown continuously for twenty li on his sword. At this moment, his True Essence was completely depleted; he had even run back for a portion of the journey.

When he slowly woke up, he found himself on a soft, high bed, with many figures surrounding him. Besides his father, Qin Tiannan, there were many uncles and elders.

"He's awake, so he should be fine. His True Essence is just severely depleted and needs some time to recover," a clan elder said with a sigh of relief.

"You've disgraced the Qin family today!"

Qin Tiannan, however, had no pleasant expression. He rebuked coldly, his face like frost.

After Qin Hao fainted, the cultivators who had followed him also returned, bruised and battered.

Upon questioning, the events at the teahouse were revealed one by one.

One cultivator had beaten a group of Qin family members until they were scattered and defeated, and the Qin family's eldest son had fled in panic. This immediately enraged Qin Tiannan. The disciples who returned bruised and battered were immediately taken away and subjected to family punishment.

Qin Hao still remembered that he had eaten an unknown pill. He immediately wailed, "Father, save me first! That person also fed me an unknown pill. It might be poison."

"Shut up!"

Qin Tiannan's face turned ashen. He couldn't help but slap Qin Hao, instantly stunning him.

"The clan elders have already thoroughly examined your body. There are no toxins at all. You were fooled and don't even realize it. With such incompetence, how can you inherit the family business? I might as well choose a successor from within the clan."

Qin Hao's face turned pale with fear. Several clan elders also looked shocked.

Because everyone knew that Qin Tiannan never spoke without reason and always prioritized the family's interests above all else. Otherwise, the Qin family would not have achieved its current prosperity.

The entire family completely respected him. If he said he wanted to replace someone, it was highly likely he had already made up his mind.

However, changing successors midway is absolutely out of the question. So many years and so much effort have been poured into Qin Hao; changing him now would be too risky.

Therefore, the clan elders quickly spoke up to dissuade him.

Qin Tiannan frowned, suppressing his anger, and glared, "It's all because you've all spoiled him! Look at him! The dignified eldest son of the Qin family, completely devoid of any dominance."

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left. The clan elders quickly followed, leaving Qin Hao lying listlessly on the bed.

Bastard! You've made me so pathetic! You deserve to die!

He thought of Hanyu, and the hatred in his heart grew even stronger.

Then he remembered Bai Junya.

"That bitch. I've always admired her, only to find out she's this kind of woman. When you marry into my family, I'll make you suffer endlessly."

Recalling her fiery figure, dark and twisted thoughts of various ways to torment her arose in his mind.

After leaving the room, Qin Tiannan went straight to the main hall and took his seat.

Qin Tiannan, with a frown, spoke first, "The Qin family's reputation cannot be trampled upon. Third Brother! Take thirty cultivators from the Shore Realm with you. Don't let him die too easily. Let the people of Tianning Prefecture see clearly."

An elder, nearly fifty years old, stood up abruptly, nodded, and walked out.

At this moment, a cultivator hurried in, holding a letter. After respectfully handing it over, he slowly retreated.

Unfolding the letter, Qin Tiannan's expression froze. The others watched with curiosity. It was rare to see anything that could move him, and they couldn't help but ask in surprise.

"Eldest Brother, what happened?"

The clan elders spoke one after another.

Qin Tiannan finally came back to his senses, put down the letter, and smiled slightly, saying, "Bai Zhiyuan of the Bai family sent a letter saying that Bai Junya has awakened her water-element Spiritual Power."

The hall erupted in an uproar. The elders exchanged whispers, and the first to speak couldn't help but ask.

"Are they trying to break off the engagement?"

"Do they dare? If she only had a single Spiritual Root, it would be one thing. But with a gifted Spiritual Power as well, she must be a wife of my Qin family."

Qin Tiannan smiled faintly and waved his hand. The hall immediately fell silent, all eyes on him. "The entire letter only mentions this matter."

Everyone was puzzled by his meaning, but only Qin Tiannan let out a long laugh.

"Second Brother, immediately send the clan's combined strike technique, the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies Strike, to the Bai family. Since they want to increase their bargaining chip, let's give it to them."

Another elder nodded and rose to leave.

The remaining people quietly waited for Qin Tiannan to explain the purpose of his move, without anyone raising any objections.

Ever since he succeeded as family head and, against all opposition, incorporated external cultivators into the clan for joint cultivation, the subsequent rapid development of the Qin family had proven his foresight and strategy.

Therefore, no one ever opposed any decision Qin Tiannan made from then on.

Qin Tiannan narrowed his eyes and smiled slowly, "The letter was written by that useless Bai Zhiyuan. I suspect Bai Chong'an was coerced by the elders. Since the Bai family only wants bargaining chips, let's give them. This scattered sand, give the Qin family five years. In five years, there will be no more Bai family!"

He declared with conviction, yet no one doubted him.

Bai Chong'an was, after all, too indecisive. This person is not a threat. When the time comes to annex the Bai family, the combined strike technique will still belong to the Qin family.

Qin Tiannan sneered inwardly. But as he laughed, his expression turned grim again. Could Qin Hao's disposition handle the great responsibility? Would his succession still allow him to unite the entire family as I have? Will he be the next Bai Chong'an?

At this moment, he seemed to have lost confidence.

Qin Hao was now walking a tightrope. If there were any more mishaps, his own father might truly drag him down from the lofty position of the Qin family's future patriarch.

In the inn, Hanyu changed his clothes and prepared to leave.

"You're leaving already?"

Little Glazed asked with a curious tone.

Hanyu raised an eyebrow. This was a sign of inexperience. Usually, after beating the younger, the older comes. After beating the older, a whole bunch of younger ones come.

It's a golden rule: after eating the tiger, run.

Besides, Bai Junya had been helped, and the pill had been given. If he didn't leave now, he'd be waiting for others to settle the score.

Unfortunately, things rarely go as planned. After he finished speaking with the little artifact spirit, hurried footsteps approached.

The door was pushed open forcefully, and Linglan appeared with a helpless expression, shouting, "Little Alchemist, something's happened..."

Yesterday, I found an artist to commission a painting for a certain scene in a story. It almost stumped the artist because some characters had such good figures. I told the artist, "She's quite well-endowed. You can't draw her too small, nor can you make it vulgar." I'll post it as an Easter egg chapter later!