Qin Family Secrets

The black-clad youth flew into a rage, trying to control the spirit sword and wrench it free from Qin Yu's hand. But Qin Yu gripped it tightly; no matter how the spirit sword buzzed and trembled, it could not break free. Seeing this, astral energy surged around the youth's body as he charged straight at Qin Yu.

Qin Yu smiled at the sight. He had been looking for someone to test the power of Mysterious Thunder Power, and this black-clad youth's attack was exactly what he wanted.

Although the spiritual energy within his body had yet to fully transform into astral energy, Qin Yu was utterly fearless. The strength of his fleshly body was no longer what it had once been. Qin Yu estimated that his physique was comparable to that of a cultivator in the middle stage of astral energy. Why would he fear this black-clad youth?

"Boom!" The youth's fist tore through the air, wrapped in astral energy.

Qin Yu's body swayed as spiritual energy surged within him, and both fists shot out at once.

"Bang!"

A muffled explosion rang out. A smile curled across Qin Yu's lips. At the instant the black-clad youth recoiled in terror, Qin Yu suddenly stepped forward and attacked again.

Heaven-Shattering Fist!

Back then, Qin Yu had been able to throw three punches at once in the blink of an eye. But after awakening the Lightning Body this time, he actually threw five punches in an instant!

The force of all five punches crashed into the black-clad youth's chest at once. The savage power erupted, instantly sending him flying.

"Hmm?" Qin Yu did not look at the black-clad youth flying backward. Instead, he stared at his right palm. His pupils suddenly contracted. A Bronze Hand Seal flickered in and out of sight on his palm, and it was precisely the hand seal on the small bronze tower that had protected the Demon Blood!

"What's going on?" Qin Yu withdrew his spiritual energy and discovered that the Bronze Hand Seal had vanished, as though it had fused into his palm.

"Pfft!" After taking the Heaven-Shattering Fist head-on, the black-clad youth spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew more than thirty meters before he managed to stop himself in a miserable state. His face was deathly pale, and his whole body seemed to have been struck by lightning, leaving him numb. The piercing pain in his chest also told him that at least two of his ribs had been broken.

"Such powerful strength." Terror filled the black-clad youth's face. He did not think about why his body had gone numb, merely assuming Qin Yu's strength had shaken him numb.

That punch had originally only been a probe. Though Qin Yu was merely at the Ninth Level of the Martial Realm, he had given him a sense of danger. Yet Qin Yu had held the spirit sword in one hand, so he had not dared to lower his guard. He had never expected Qin Yu to attack again, and what was more, he had seen five afterimages in that punch. It made his heart quake with fear.

The youth took out a pill from his Void Storage Ring and placed it in his mouth. Staring at Qin Yu with wariness in his eyes, he said in a low voice, "I am Zhang Wei, disciple of the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect. Fellow Daoist, are you trying to become enemies with the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect?"

The youth had already begun to consider retreating. Qin Yu's strength had exceeded his imagination, and his chances of victory were less than fifty percent. If not for his desire to obtain the wolf cub, he would have left long ago.

Qin Yu shifted his gaze away from his palm and slowly raised his head to look at the youth. He was surprised to encounter a disciple of the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect here. He said calmly, "The Wolf King showed me kindness. I'm taking this wolf cub. Leave." As he spoke, he tossed the spirit sword toward the youth.

Since he was a disciple of the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect, Qin Yu did not wish to make things difficult for him.

Seeing Qin Yu soften his attitude, the black-clad youth assumed Qin Yu feared the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect. Pride appeared at the corner of his lips as he said, "There are experts from my Myriad Heavens Battle Sect here. I advise you to think thrice. Do not provoke my Myriad Heavens Battle Sect over a young beast."

"Get lost!" Qin Yu raised his eyelids and shouted coldly.

"Fellow Daoist, don't regret this." A vicious expression appeared on the black-clad youth's face. He picked up the spirit sword and turned to leave, cursing endlessly in his heart. A wise man did not fight when the odds were against him. He would find his senior brothers first.

Qin Yu glanced in the direction the black-clad youth had left, a faint smile appearing on his lips. In a voice so soft that only he could hear, he murmured, "Using the Myriad Heavens Battle Sect to pressure me? Does your founding ancestor know?" As he spoke, Qin Yu walked to the Wolf King's side, pried open its mouth, and pulled out the howling wolf cub.

Noticing that the wolf cub was hungry, Qin Yu took out a Low-grade Spirit Stone, crushed it, and placed the fragments in its mouth.

Though it was only a wolf cub, spirit stones were undoubtedly the best food for it and could help it grow as quickly as possible.

Qin Yu had not expected that after all that trouble, the wolf cub would return to his hands. It truly was fate. Since he had no beast pouch, carrying the wolf cub like this was not a long-term solution. Moreover, awakening the Lightning Body this time had left Qin Yu thoroughly satisfied, and he intended to leave. He also had no idea how long he had been unconscious, and he could not afford to miss the time for his battle with Cui Shuo.

Afterward, Qin Yu dug a pit and buried the Wolf King's body before heading in one direction. He would first find someone to learn where this place actually was, then return to Tianwu Main City.

Five days later.

Qin Yu returned to Qin Manor without a sound. Along the way, his heart had been filled with doubts. He had heard countless discussions about the Land of Beast Burial, but most of them were mere speculation, and Qin Yu could not glean anything from them.

With the number of cultivators in Tianwu Main City multiplying, Qin Yu did not wish to linger there and risk inviting unnecessary trouble because of the wolf cub. So he returned to the Qin Family first.

The moment he entered Qin Manor, Qin Yu noticed something strange. All the servants who had once been there had disappeared. Qin Yu frowned, guessing that the Cui Family had already made its move against the Qin Family. But he did not care much about that, so long as Qin Xue and his father, Qin Zhan, were safe.

"Xiao Yu is back." Just as Qin Yu was about to look for Qin Xue, an aged voice called out to him.

Qin Yu turned around and saw an old man in blue robes standing beside a potted plant, watching him with a benevolent smile. At the sight of the old man's face, Qin Yu frowned. He found him vaguely familiar, yet could not remember where he had seen him.

"I'm your Grandpa Mo Qing, the Qin Family's chief steward. Have you forgotten?" the old man asked with an aged smile. His clouded eyes glanced at the wolf cub in Qin Yu's arms.

"The chief steward?" Only then did Qin Yu recall him. There truly had been a chief steward in the memories of his former self, but the man had always been away managing the Qin Family's businesses and was seen only once every few years. For him to return at such a time, it seemed the Qin Family really had run into trouble.

"Grandpa Mo, what happened?" Qin Yu asked after pondering for a moment.

"It's nothing. I simply haven't seen you in a long time. By the way, your father has been waiting for you for quite some time. Come with me." Mo Qing spoke slowly.

Qin Yu pondered briefly but said nothing more, following Mo Qing toward his father Qin Zhan's study.

Upon entering the study, he saw his father, Qin Zhan, staring at the desk with a grave expression, as if he were deep in thought.

"Patriarch... Xiao Yu," Mo Qing said.

Qin Zhan abruptly raised his head, surprise and delight appearing on his face as he looked at Qin Yu. When he sensed Qin Yu's cultivation, his gaze flickered, though his expression quickly returned to normal. In a low voice, he said, "Ninth Level of the Martial Realm. Not bad. How certain are you of victory in the battle one month from now?"

Qin Yu looked at Qin Zhan, feeling a strange bitterness in his heart. In only four short months, his father seemed to have aged several years. Frost had already touched his temples, and the authority he once carried had vanished from his face, replaced by helplessness, though he was doing his best to conceal it.

Knowing that Qin Zhan was worried about the battle one month away, Qin Yu pondered briefly before saying, "Completely certain."

Qin Zhan's eyes lit up. After a moment of thought, he said, "You cannot be too careless. I heard that the Heavenly Fire Sect obtained a great opportunity and immense fortune these past few days. Cui Shuo will certainly seek their aid. If he manages to borrow a Heaven-and-Earth Exotic Flame, it will be unfavorable for you."

Qin Yu said calmly, "I understand. If there is nothing else, I'll go see Xue'er first." Qin Yu vaguely guessed that the Heavenly Fire Sect's great fortune was related to the Land of Beast Burial. He could hardly wait to find out what had happened while he was unconscious.

"Go." Qin Zhan looked at Qin Yu, a trace of worry in his eyes as he spoke slowly.

After watching Qin Yu leave and confirming that he had gone far away, Qin Zhan looked at the account books spread across the desk, sent in from all the Qin Family's branches, and let out a long sigh. "What a vicious old bastard! The businesses can be rebuilt after they are gone, but one month from now, I fear something may change!"

Ever since Qin Yu issued the challenge, the businesses of the Qin Family's shops across various regions had plummeted. Most of the shops had even been smashed apart by groups of exceptionally powerful people.

The commercial empire Qin Zhan had built with his own hands had been completely wiped out in only four months. Though he had long prepared himself and had even been ready to abandon the Qin Family, seeing more than a decade of painstaking effort ruined overnight left him deeply despondent. What worried him even more was the life-and-death battle one month away.

Mo Qing picked up the teapot from a nearby tea table, poured two cups of tea, and placed one before Qin Zhan without answering.

Qin Zhan glanced at the old man and rubbed his temples. "Elder Mo, you have worked hard all these years."

Mo Qing slowly sat down, lifted the teacup to his lips, and said calmly, "Though my cultivation is gone, this little matter is not enough to tire me." Setting down the cup, Mo Qing stroked the thumb ring on his left hand and said slowly, "Sixth Master, Xiao Yu has grown up."

Qin Zhan froze, unable to understand why Mo Qing had suddenly changed the subject. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Yes. In only half a year, he has gone from the Martial Realm First Layer to the Ninth Level of the Martial Realm. If Qin'er had not left something on him, I would scarcely dare believe he is still Xiao Yu."

"Has Sixth Master not noticed that Xiao Yu has grown up and already has secrets of his own?" A sharp gleam flashed through Mo Qing's clouded eyes.

Qin Zhan frowned. His thoughts had been occupied by the Qin Family's businesses and Qin Yu's battle with Cui Shuo one month from now, so he had not paid much attention to Qin Yu's other changes. He asked doubtfully, "Secrets?"

"Has Sixth Master not noticed that Xiao Yu has awakened his bloodline power?" Mo Qing said in a low voice.

Qin Zhan's pupils suddenly contracted. His hands resting on the desk clenched involuntarily. Disbelief appeared on his steady, resolute face as he abruptly rose to his feet. "How is that possible?"

"Others might not notice without examining him carefully, but you should be able to see it. He has likely not only awakened his bloodline power, but also stimulated the Mysterious Lightning Body!" Mo Qing straightened in his seat and spoke in a low voice.

"Impossible! When Xiao Yu was born, I examined him myself. His bloodline was far too thin. It was simply impossible for him to awaken bloodline power, much less stimulate the Mysterious Lightning Body!" Qin Zhan said in disbelief.

"You may go verify it now. Sixth Master, in truth, you should not have acted this way all these years. Although this old man knows that you deliberately kept your distance and allowed things to drift, hoping that they would have fewer attachments when you left, have you considered how they felt?" Mo Qing said calmly.

It seemed as if all the strength had been drained from Qin Zhan's body. He slumped weakly into his chair, staring blankly at the desk. His expression shifted between light and dark, as though he were struggling with something.

"You have gathered quite a few resources for Xiao Yu and Xue'er over the years, but how long can those scant resources support them? Now that Xiao Yu has awakened the Mysterious Lightning Body, it would be best to return..." Before Mo Qing could finish, a tremendous crash exploded.

"Bang!"

Qin Zhan slammed his palm onto the desk, shattering it into pieces as wood chips flew everywhere. His face twisted savagely, his breathing heavy and rapid, and he roared in a harsh voice, "When they destroyed my meridians and took my Dao Bone, I swore upon my Dao heart that for the rest of this life, I would have not the slightest connection with them again, nor would I ever set foot in that place again!!!"