Challenge Letter

Just then, several figures emerged from the Cui manor. Leading them was Cui Shuo. He had abandoned his usual arrogance and, with a pained expression, approached Qin Zhan. "Uncle Qin, please rise," he said loudly. "Qin Yu and I were merely sparring casually. My cultivation is higher than his, so I already had the advantage. While Qin Yu's surprise attack angered me, your intervention was born of a father's concern, which is understandable. If I had truly injured Qin Yu, I would also feel guilty." As he spoke, Cui Shuo made to help Qin Zhan up.

Qin Zhan remained motionless, no matter how hard Cui Shuo tried to lift him. It simply wasn't time yet.

The surrounding commoners and cultivators, having heard Cui Shuo's words, looked at him with newfound respect.

"Truly worthy of being a genius of the Cui family, such magnanimity is rarely seen in this world. If it were me, being ambushed and having my hand broken, I don't think I could swallow that insult."

"It's all Qin Yu's fault for being so shameless. He couldn't win, so he resorted to a sneak attack."

"This is true magnanimity. General Cui has raised his son well."

Praise for Cui Shuo filled the air, and the murmurs of condemnation seemed to be rekindled. But just then, a clear, sharp voice suddenly rang out: "Well said, you despicable and shameless wretch! A smooth-tongued, twisted liar. You yourself are incompetent, and when you couldn't win, you tried to ambush him. Now that the Qin family head blocked you and broke your hand, you're actually calling Qin Yu the attacker?"

Cui Shuo's expression flickered. He looked at the Thirteenth Princess, Long Yu, as she emerged from the crowd, a shadow crossing his eyes. "Thirteenth Princess, although I unintentionally injured you in the past, and even Uncle Qin has let it go, why must you use your authority to distort the truth? Besides, with my cultivation at the initial stage of Gang Qi, how could I possibly lose to Qin Yu? Wouldn't you all agree?"

"Exactly! Even though she's the Thirteenth Princess, she can't just spout nonsense and wrongly accuse Young Master Cui."

"No wonder Qin Yu dared to sneak attack; he has the Thirteenth Princess as his powerful backer."

"Even if she's a princess, does that mean she's above the law?"

A chorus of angry shouts erupted, and Long Yu was furious, almost wanting to arrest all of them and throw them into the imperial prison.

At this moment, Qin Zhan slowly stood up. He glanced at Cui Shuo and said calmly, "I hope you will relay a message to General Cui for me. I have fulfilled my part, and I hope he will also honor his agreement."

Cui Shuo's smile widened at this. He stared intently at Qin Zhan and declared loudly, "Esteemed elders and folks, please ask Uncle Qin if I, Cui Shuo, am speaking falsely?"

Qin Zhan's face twitched. "Thank you all for your concern. This matter is my fault, Qin Zhan's."

Long Yu, who had stepped out from the crowd, had a face ashen, her chest heaving.

"I knew it. How could Young Master Cui do something so shameless? Could this Thirteenth Princess have taken a liking to Qin Yu?" someone in the crowd said sarcastically.

"Cui Shuo, five and a half months from now, half a month before the grand event begins, do you dare to meet me at the dueling arena west of Tianwu Main City for a fight to the death?" Just then, Qin Yu suddenly took several steps forward and shouted, his voice resonating powerfully.

Cui Shuo's heart skipped a beat. Seeing Qin Yu slowly approaching, his heart grew even more uneasy. Qin Yu's peculiar ability to grow stronger with each battle filled Cui Shuo with dread. He didn't dare to fight Qin Yu. But if he refused, wouldn't that negate everything he had just said? As Cui Shuo hesitated, an aged, low voice sounded: "Enough! What right does a sneak attacker have to issue a challenge? Qin Zhan, quickly take your good-for-nothing son and leave! Your Qin family can afford to lose face, but my Cui family cannot."

Cui Hong slowly emerged from the manor. Though he appeared frail, his steps were firm and powerful. He glared sharply at Qin Zhan, his eyes full of warning.

Cui Shuo breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Qin Yu with a mixture of pity and regret. "Cousin Qin Yu, why must you do this? You can't beat me now, so how will you win in five and a half months? Your fighting spirit is commendable, but why cling to this delusion?"

"You're just afraid to accept, aren't you?" Long Yu, already seething with anger, retorted coldly.

"General Cui, since my unruly son is so intent on seeking death, let him have his way. Since he wishes to challenge, let him have a fight to the death with Young Master Cui. I implore you, General Cui, to grant this request." Qin Zhan's cold gaze fixed on Cui Hong as he suddenly spoke.

Qin Yu, who was approaching, froze in surprise and looked at Qin Zhan. He hadn't expected his father to understand his intentions. If this continued, the Qin family would likely only last another five and a half months at most. After that, regardless of the outcome, the Qin family would inevitably be destroyed by the Cui manor. But if he didn't agree, Qin Yu wouldn't even last a month.

Cui Hong's cloudy eyes narrowed sharply, and the anger in them seemed ready to erupt. He hadn't anticipated Qin Zhan's move. If he accepted, could Cui Shuo defeat this Qin Yu? If he refused, wouldn't it be a blatant slap in his own face?

"General Cui, since this Qin Yu is courting death, grant him his wish!"

"We shouldn't have let him off in the first place. Since he wants to die, let him have it!"

A multitude of angry shouts arose. The surrounding commoners and cultivators, filled with righteous indignation, clamored loudly.

Cui Hong nearly spat out a mouthful of blood in anger. Hundreds of people in the crowd were his own arrangements, meant to twist the narrative. But he had never expected that these people, unaware of the full story, would only see the Cui manor as wanting to kill Qin Yu. Now that Qin Yu was seeking death, they naturally fanned the flames.

Cui Shuo's expression changed slightly, and he looked at Cui Hong in fear.

"I implore General Cui to grant Qin Yu his wish," Long Yu added fuel to the fire, shouting loudly.

"Grant him his wish!"

"Grant him his wish!"

In an instant, the crowd's roar surged to the heavens, echoing over Tianwu Main City.

Cui Hong's face shifted between anger and uncertainty as he stared at Qin Zhan, his killing intent uncontrollable. Whether Cui Shuo could win was secondary. The real issue was that if he agreed, they couldn't touch Qin Yu for the next five and a half months. If Qin Yu were killed, everyone would blame the Cui manor, leaving Cui Hong feeling stifled. He hadn't expected to shoot himself in the foot.

"Such deep scheming. If this child isn't eliminated, my Cui manor is in danger!" Cui Hong looked at Qin Yu, his heart filled with alarm. Now, he couldn't refuse. With a helpless sigh, he said, "Fine! I, on behalf of Cui Shuo, accept your challenge. Since you are courting death, I shall grant it!"

Cui Shuo's pupils contracted sharply. He swallowed hard, recalling Qin Yu's ferocity, and a wave of fear washed over him.

"Very well, let's go." Qin Yu glanced at Cui Shuo, a cold smile playing on his lips. He looked at Qin Zhan, who was covered in dirt yet gazing at him with burning eyes. Qin Yu found the gaze a bit too intense to bear and turned to leave.

Qin Family residence.

"Why are you kneeling? Do you think kneeling will make the Cui family spare us? Or do you believe that your years of neglect can be repaid with this one kneel?" Qin Yu stared coldly at Qin Zhan, his voice sharp.

Qin Zhan showed no anger at Qin Yu's reprimand, only relief. He had been watching Qin Yu, still half-disbelieving that this was his once-ordinary son. After a long moment, he finally spoke, "If I hadn't knelt, the Cui family would never have spared you. If I hadn't knelt, there would be no hope at all. By kneeling, there is a sliver of hope."

"Is that so? Then, since you believe there's a sliver of hope, why did you beg Cui Hong to accept the challenge? Doesn't that shatter your sliver of hope?" Qin Yu mocked.

"At the very least, this will ensure you aren't assassinated before the grand event. The Cui family is not as simple as you think," Qin Zhan sighed deeply.

"And what about after the grand event? The Qin family will surely be destroyed by the Cui family. Can you stand by and watch the Qin family, which I've painstakingly built over more than a decade, be annihilated?" Qin Yu asked.

"The Qin family? The day I established it, I foresaw this day. The Qin family is merely a tool for me to amass wealth. Five and a half months from now, what confidence do you have against Cui Shuo?" Qin Zhan asked. Unconsciously, his tone softened, as if he were conversing with a peer, not his son.

"I have a plan."

"Don't be careless. The Cui family is not as simple as you think; they have a powerful clan backing them! In these five and a half months, Cui Hong will spare no expense to increase Cui Shuo's strength," Qin Zhan warned.

"Is it the Azure Lotus Cui family?" Qin Yu asked calmly.

Qin Zhan's pupils contracted. He scrutinized Qin Yu with surprise, as if re-evaluating him. After a long pause, he whispered, "How did you know?"

"There are so many records in the Library Pavilion about the founding of the Wu Kingdom. Furthermore, the Cui family's blatant disregard for the law under the Emperor's nose is enough to prove they have significant backing. And the Azure Lotus Cui family's influence spans the eastern part of the Azure Lotus Heavenly Domain. From this, I deduced it! However, most of the Cui family disciples probably don't know this."

"To put it nicely, the entire Wu Kingdom is a country, but to put it bluntly, it's a puppet state, long since carved up by numerous powers," Qin Yu said dismissively. He had read through all the books in the Library Pavilion back then, naturally uncovering many hidden secrets. Moreover, Zi Xun'er had also hinted indirectly that the Cui Family was no ordinary entity.

"And for you to have managed the Qin Family so successfully under the many powers of the Wu Kingdom, you must have borrowed the Cui Family's influence, or perhaps, the Cui Family owes you a favor?" Qin Yu looked at Qin Zhan and spoke slowly.

Qin Zhan didn't answer. Following Qin Yu's words, his gaze towards Qin Yu was entirely different, but it was filled more with relief and anticipation.

"Cui Hong doesn't hold a high position within the Azure Lotus Cui Family. The main reason he secretly supports you is that he owes you a favor. This favor must have been life-threatening; in other words, you saved his life. Cui Hong is extremely ambitious and deeply calculating. The reason he supports you might be related to Mother's identity, and Mother should be a disciple of the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect. Cui Hong wanted to use you to connect with the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect, but things didn't go as he planned. However, the deed is done; he's already your father-in-law!"

"You arranged for me to fight Cui Shuo, and you were prepared to sacrifice the Qin Family. What I don't understand is, what exactly are you waiting for? You've been lying low here for years, what are you waiting for? Although you're allied with the Cui Family through marriage, you have no affection for them, and even... some resentment!"