Break the Bai Family's Gates

Empathy Pill: When taken, it lets the user empathize with others anytime, anywhere, and understand their desires. Side effect: Those whose innermost thoughts are exposed may grow resentful of the user.

"Do you two want him to understand me, or do you want me to understand him and then go get myself killed?"

Hanyu's face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot, and he roared in his mind.

The Glazed Bottle remained silent, seemingly mocking him without a word. The little Artifact Spirit sighed helplessly. "I told you to give up! The bottle makes pills at random. You'll just have to wait."

After waiting half the night only for this thing to come out, Hanyu flopped back down in a huff...

The next day!

Early in the morning, someone announced that Bai Zhiyuan of the Bai Family had come to see him!

"What does he want?"

Qin Tiannan said in his deep voice. He had never thought much of this man. He had the weakest cultivation in the entire Bai Family and the most devious mind, and he was cold-hearted by nature. Calling him a heartless dog was giving him too much credit; he was worse than a beast.

The cultivator bowed and said, "He said that meeting him would be well worth your while."

That piqued Qin Tiannan's interest, so he waved for the cultivator to bring him in.

In the Qin Family's council hall, Qin Tiannan sat with legs spread wide as he waited. The moment Bai Zhiyuan stepped through the door, he hurried over with an ingratiating greeting.

"Patriarch Qin!"

Qin Tiannan merely gave him a cool nod and got straight to the point. "What did you come to see me about?"

Bai Zhiyuan's face was all flattery. He lowered his eyes and said obsequiously, "I've brought Bai Junya here."

Qin Tiannan almost laughed at that. Though their marriage had been arranged, he had never seen a bride's family so eager to shove her out the door. This man truly had no shame.

"You came just for that?"

But Qin Tiannan had no intention of treating him kindly over this. His expression darkened, and he said with displeasure,

"Of course not."

Bai Zhiyuan had prepared what he would say before coming, and he knew Qin Tiannan's character well. He promptly replied without the slightest hesitation.

Qin Tiannan waited curiously for him to continue, watching without a word.

Bai Zhiyuan quickly spoke up.

"The young man opposing your Qin Family is called Hanyu. I have a way to help you eliminate this threat."

That single sentence made Qin Tiannan's expression shift slightly. Bai Zhiyuan secretly studied him from the corner of his eye. Feeling more certain, he suddenly found his confidence swelling.

So he naturally stopped there and said no more.

They were both clever men; there was no need to spell everything out. Qin Tiannan's expression grew grave as he pondered in silence, then looked up at him again.

"What do you want?"

Bai Zhiyuan was delighted inside, but he dared not show it on his face, afraid Qin Tiannan would take offense. He bowed and said, "I've long heard that the Qin Family has cultivation arts of the wind, fire, and lightning elements. Might I ask for one of them?"

Qin Tiannan's expression turned cold. These three cultivation arts were nothing like a combined attack technique; they were the genuine foundation of a family. This old Bai dog certainly had a gargantuan appetite.

Seeing that the other man remained unmoved and silent, Bai Zhiyuan grew a little anxious and spoke again.

"I heard yesterday that this young man can kill a Half-step Divine Peeking expert with a single punch. I'm afraid no one below the Peeping God Realm can do anything to him."

He stopped there, letting the point speak for itself. Anything more would only rub salt in the Qin Family's wounds.

Four experts of the Peeping God Realm had joined forces, yet still let him get away.

Bai Zhiyuan believed that with these words alone, the other man would agree. Otherwise, the Qin Family's disciples would probably have to stop leaving the house.

Even the Qin Family's entire Shore Realm force might not be enough to keep that one man from killing them all.

Qin Tiannan's expression turned icy, but he had no choice but to weigh the matter carefully.

It all came down to whether it was worth it. What gave him a headache was that, apart from making a deal, he seemed to have no other choice.

You old bastard. Once I take the Bai Family, you'll be the first one I kill.

He gritted his teeth in silence, then waved for a cultivator to bring over a copy of the Sky Wind Art and hand it to Bai Zhiyuan.

With the manual in hand, Bai Zhiyuan's lips finally curled into a smile. He could no longer contain his joy; his expression gave him away, and his heart burned with excitement.

With this manual, my descendants will surely rule the Bai Family for generations.

"I've given you what you wanted. What's your plan?"

Qin Tiannan frowned from his seat and asked coldly.

Bai Zhiyuan reluctantly tucked the manual into his robe, then smiled as he spoke. "Bai Junya is my plan. I've brought her here, so you can have my people outside hand her over whenever you like."

Bang!

Qin Tiannan shot to his feet, his face full of anger, and shouted, "Are you making a fool of me?"

Bai Zhiyuan was startled by this sudden outburst, his heart pounding wildly. He hurried to explain, "There's something you don't know, Patriarch Qin. Hanyu has always been in love with Bai Junya. He opposed the Qin Family for her sake. Now that Junya is in Qin Family Fortress, Hanyu will naturally come looking for her."

"Rather than chase him all over the place, it's better to catch the turtle in the jar. Surely you understand the reasoning, Patriarch Qin."

Qin Tiannan's expression eased a little, but he still looked at him skeptically. "You haven't lied to me?"

Bai Zhiyuan confidently tapped his own head and said, "I'm willing to stake my head on it. If I've deceived you, you can take it yourself."

Seeing how convincing he sounded, Qin Tiannan gradually believed him. A hint of delight appeared on his face, and he promptly ordered someone to bring her over.

Amid a crowd of cultivators, Bai Junya was escorted inside. Tear tracks still marked her stunning face, and the first person she saw upon entering was Bai Zhiyuan.

"You shameless bastard!"

Bai Junya cursed him furiously.

Bai Zhiyuan put on a kindly expression and sighed. "Junya, don't blame your uncle. This is all for the good of the Bai Family. Besides, marrying into the Qin Family is a great blessing."

"So you joined forces with the clan members to seize my father, then sent people to lure my brother and me back. You did all that for the good of the Bai Family?"

Bai Junya glared at him with hatred. She only wished she had the strength to kill him on the spot. If she hadn't already exhausted her supernatural ability at the Bai Family, she would have wanted nothing more than to take his miserable life.

Bai Zhiyuan had been called out in front of everyone, and it was a little hard on his pride. His face immediately fell, and he said coldly, "Just stay put at the Qin Family!"

"Patriarch Qin, I'll take my leave now!"

He bowed, then hurried out.

Qin Tiannan curiously studied Bai Junya below him, and found himself believing Bai Zhiyuan's words.

With a beauty like her, it was no wonder that little rogue Hanyu had fallen head over heels.

It was no wonder his own son was so eager to take her for himself.

He had only just thought of Qin Hao when Qin Hao's voice came from outside. He rushed in, looking a little excited. "Father, I heard that old Bai Zhiyuan brought Bai Junya here?"

He was already inside before he finished speaking. His eyes immediately fell on the beauty standing alone nearby. Wasn't she the very Bai Junya he had dreamed of?

He looked at Qin Tiannan excitedly, seeming to want to speak but hesitating. "Father... I..."

"If you want her, take her away..."

Qin Tiannan waved him off impatiently.

Hanyu was shaken awake. The moment he opened his eyes, a pair of red-rimmed eyes were staring at him.

"Linglan, what's wrong?"

Hanyu was startled and hurriedly sat up. Then he looked at her in confusion.

Linglan was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath. Hanyu's head began to ache, and he first tried to comfort her. "Take a moment to catch your breath, then tell me."

After a little while, Linglan gradually calmed down. Then, still sobbing, she began to explain.

Early that morning, someone from the Bai Family had come to the shore looking for the Bai siblings. Bai Jingliang went down first. A short while later, he returned to the boat in a panic to find Bai Junya.

It turned out that the siblings' parents had both been seized by members of their clan and were now being punished in the clan's discipline hall. The siblings lost their composure as soon as they heard.

"That Bai Family cultivator said the two siblings had to hurry back and plead for their parents. Bai-jiejie and her brother were worried about them, so they went back. I followed behind them too."

Linglan sobbed as she spoke.

Who could have guessed that once they reached the Bai Family and stepped through the gate, their clan members would surround them? The two siblings couldn't stand against a crowd, and they were captured before long.

As an outsider, Linglan hadn't been given much trouble. She took advantage of the confusion and escaped.

By this point, Hanyu was furious too.

What kind of bizarre family was this? They cowered in front of outsiders but threw their punches at their own people.

"Can you save them? From what I heard the Bai Family members say, they're going to force Bai-jiejie to marry into the Qin Family."

Linglan looked at Hanyu through her sobs, her face full of hope.

The Bai Family's discipline hall.

Bai Chong'an leaned against the wall with a defeated look. His wife was beside him, while Bai Jingliang stood by the cell door, cursing up a storm.

He had been cursing for a full hour, starting with the Bai Family's ancestors and working his way down to his own generation.

After seeing Bai Junya taken away by Bai Zhiyuan, he had become even more hysterical.

"What sin did the Bai Family commit to produce this pack of beasts?"

Bai Chong'an leaned against the wall, murmuring to himself with empty eyes.

Lin Ruojun let out a despairing sob. "Husband, you have to save Yaya!"

"Save her? How? I'm a bird in a cage myself."

Bai Chong'an said miserably.

He had been weighed down by family affairs for over a decade, letting his cultivation fall into neglect. Now he was only at the Half-step Divine Peeking stage. Several clan elders could join forces to restrain him, so how could he even talk about saving anyone...

"Who's there?"

Hanyu eventually went into the city. With Linglan leading the way, they arrived at a grand gate.

The gate was painted red, and a plaque bearing the words Bai Residence hung above it. Two half-human-height stone lions stood outside, with a few servants on guard farther out.

They had barely taken a few steps toward the gate when someone immediately shouted to stop them.

"This is the Bai Family's gate. No loiterers allowed."

"Not allowed," was it? Hanyu sneered and strode forward. Several metallic clanks rang out as people drew their swords.

"What if I go in anyway?"

Hanyu said with a cold laugh.

"Then you're asking to die."

As soon as the words fell, several guards charged at him with their blades. Hanyu neither dodged nor flinched. A few mere Divine Spring cultivators couldn't even scrape a layer of mud off him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

After several metallic impacts, the guards stared in horror at their notched blades and panicked.

Without a word, Hanyu walked over to the stone lions. He gripped one lion's mouth in each hand, and without even swinging them, simply hurled them away.

The first stone lion sent the guards flying several meters. When they hit the ground, their bones were broken and their tendons snapped.

The second stone lion hurtled toward the grand gate. Who knew how many years it had stood there? Today, it was completely smashed to pieces.

"Who dares cause trouble at the Bai Family!"

Several furious roars rang out. A crowd of Bai Family cultivators and elders charged outside at the sound, all of them seething with anger!

Hanyu pointed at himself and sneered.

"Me! Hanyu!"

The chapters I post over the next few days will be longer than the three daily updates used to be, so there may only be two updates some days. But if I can manage it, I still want to post three.

Tomorrow, the 11th, the book will be featured in its first round of recommendations. I'll be counting on all of your support then.

Once again, thank you to everyone reading this book! Thank you for enjoying the story I've written!