At the same time, in Qingqiu's Yao Clan, inside the Second Branch's council hall.
The hall was dimly lit, candle flames wavering.
Yao Qingsong was clutching his face, embellishing his complaint to Yao Qingyun.
"Cousin, that brat went too far! He beat me in front of all those servants. He didn't just slap me in the face—he slapped our Second Branch, too! At the tournament, I'll personally tear off all four of his limbs and make him crawl out of Qingqiu like a dead dog!" Yao Qingsong said, his eyes brimming with hatred.
Yao Qingyun, seated in the place of honor, set down his teacup with a crisp clink. Dressed in purple robes, he let out a cold laugh.
"Enough. Stop making a spectacle of yourself."
Yao Qingyun glanced at his good-for-nothing cousin, his tone indifferent. "A nobody at the Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer made you look like a drowned rat, and you still have the nerve to shout about it? I've told you before: anyone who wants to accomplish great things must learn to keep his cool. When the tournament comes, you'll have plenty of chances to vent your anger. Why rush?"
Chastened, Yao Qingsong shrank his neck, but he still grumbled resentfully, "I just can't swallow this. Who knows where the First Branch dug up such a freak? He doesn't look very strong, but he sure hits dirty."
"A freak?"
The burly man sitting in the corner, wiping down a long saber, suddenly looked up. His upper body was bare, covered in crisscrossing scars, and a thick aura of blood clung to him. This was Han Li, the outside help the Second Branch had hired from Zhanfeng Academy.
Han Li stuck out his tongue and licked the blade, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust as he gave a chilling