A Clean Break

In the main hall.

Qin Jiu looked at the three men in silence.

Decades ago, they had struggled to survive by relying on the farmland their fathers had tended. Later, when Qin Guihong rose to prominence, he remembered the bonds of blood, gathered all the branches and lines of the Qin Family together, and bestowed upon them the most generous resources in Songshan County.

Now these men—

who could shake the entire county with a single stomp of their feet, these Three Refinements experts—

could not bear to share hardship with the Qin Family.

The hall quickly fell into silence.

The three exchanged glances. One of them, his face twisted with hesitation, seemed about to speak again.

Qin Jiu raised his hand slightly, turned his head to look at Wang Yue, and said flatly, "Send someone to call Qin Xuanzhou here."

—A short while later.

Qin Xuanzhou's figure appeared in the hall.

"Since everyone is now present."

"Then I will speak plainly."

"Uncles Jingxin, Jingming, and Jingzheng wish to leave the Qin Family. I am aware of the current unrest in the county, yet I do not wish to force them to stay. That is why I have summoned Cousin Xuanzhou. I do not know if you share the same thoughts. If you also wish to leave, you may go with them today."

After Qin Jiu finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes.

He activated the Ghost Illumination talent.

As the scene shifted, three faint gray mists appeared in the hall.

Seeing this, he sighed softly, knowing that if he forced the three to stay, it would only breed resentment in their hearts.

"Leave the Qin Family?"

Qin Xuanzhou was stunned for a moment, but quickly raised his brows and turned to glare at the other three, speaking angrily.

"You ungrateful bastards..."

He had a fiery temper.

He immediately began cursing loudly in the hall.

Then he pointed at one of them, jabbing a finger at his nose, and roared, "That day after Qin Xiong was dealt with, the words you said already felt wrong to me. Today's business was definitely started by you, you old bastard."

"Have you forgotten back then—"

"Insolent junior! How dare you!"

The man's face turned ashen as he said coldly, "That was back then. After all these years, I have done more than enough for the Qin Family."

"Xuanzhou, whether you stay or not is your own affair."

"Now that the Demon is at the city gates, the Demon Suppression Bureau is constantly pulling in personnel. If you keep staying in the Qin Mansion, sooner or later you'll end up like Guest Elder Lu—drafted in and finally devoured by the Demon's jaws. We have no intention of continuing to accompany you."

"You—"

"Enough."

Qin Jiu spoke, his expression blank.

"Today's matter is not about who is right or wrong, and I do not wish to inquire further. Those who want to leave the Qin Family may now go back and pack your belongings."

"Steward Wang, go to the accounting room and take out three thousand taels of silver."

"For each of their three families, one thousand taels. Consider it a settling-in fee from my father on your behalf."

"From this day forward, all of you and the Qin Family..."

"are completely severed!"

As the final words fell.

The three men's faces changed color almost simultaneously.

But in the end, none of them said a word. Each turned with a dark expression and swept out of the hall.

Not long after.

News of the Qin Family's collateral branches leaving

spread like wildfire throughout the Qin Mansion, and even across the inner and outer city.

These several Three Refinements experts could almost be called half of the Qin Family's strength. With them gone, one of the former four great families had, in a single morning, collapsed and scattered.

As for the properties belonging to the Qin Family—

in just two days, every single one had closed its doors and ceased business.

This only fueled even fiercer discussion outside.

The Qin Mansion, East Wing.

Within the small courtyard.

Qin Jiu, holding a three-foot-long, unsharpened gleaming blade, was practicing with complete focus.

Wang Yue occasionally spoke.

Correcting the way he exerted force.

"Young master, though you've grasped the Tyrant Blade's secret techniques, routines, and variations, when you fight someone for real, odds are they won't strike as you expect or predict—they might even resort to underhanded tricks."

"Like hidden weapons, sneaky arrows..."

"Poison, or even throwing lime powder."

"Things like that are all too common in the martial world, and hard to guard against."

Hearing this.

Qin Jiu stopped his blade.

Then nodded. "I've just mastered this blade art now. Many issues will only become clear when I truly cross blades with someone. Old sir, go call Huang Jing and Qin Xudong over."

Ever since the night of his great blood circulation.

He had already nurtured a thread of inner force.

Officially stepping into Second Refining.

Now that he'd also learned the Tyrant Blade's secret techniques, he naturally felt the urge for real combat—only this could verify what he'd learned.

Before long.

Wang Yue returned to the courtyard with two figures.

"Greetings, Clan Head."

Both bowed in unison.

Qin Jiu swept his gaze over them, then nodded. "I called you here today for a simple reason—I want to test myself in actual combat."

"Actual combat?"

The two were taken aback.

Last time they were summoned, it was just to feed him punches.

How had it been so long.

And now it was actual combat...

Qin Jiu paid no mind to their thoughts. He took two unsharpened blades from the weapon rack and tossed them over.

"Qin Xudong, you go first."

"Yes."

The latter clasped his hands in salute.

But suddenly, Huang Jing elbowed him in the side.

Then shot him a look.

Qin Xudong understood—he was worried he'd be too straightforward and treat it as real combat.

Gripping his blade, he walked to the center of the courtyard.

As he pondered how to look like he was trying without going all out.

Qin Jiu moved.

His blade swept a cold gleam straight at Qin Xudong's face.

The latter froze for a moment.

And instinctively raised his blade to parry.

"Clang."

The moment their weapons clashed.

Qin Xudong's face twisted in shock, his blade nearly flying from his grip—the immense force transmitted through the steel made his knees buckle slightly.

After that single strike.

Qin Jiu didn't press the attack, only signaling with his eyes.

The other man sucked in a sharp breath.

Then his expression turned serious.

His blood and force surged simultaneously, and he shot toward Qin Jiu like a blur.

"Idiot!"

Huang Jing cursed under his breath.

As a fellow Second Refining martial artist, he could clearly see that Qin Xudong was now using all his strength.

And the next moment.

Huang Jing's expression suddenly froze, his mouth unconsciously slowly opening wide.

There, in the center of the courtyard.

After Qin Xudong made his move.

Qin Jiu was even more exaggerated—the green stone beneath his feet cracked as he arrived before Qin Xudong, having started later yet arriving first. The long blade in his hand instantly transformed into a sheet of saber light, enveloping the latter's figure.

"Clang, clang-clang-clang."

In an instant.

A shower of sparks flew up.

Qin Xudong stood rooted to the spot, his blood energy shielding him as he desperately parried, his body slowly sliding backward like a wooden stake.

"This, this..."

Huang Jing's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

He could see it.

Qin Xudong was being driven backward by a tremendous force, literally beaten into sliding.

And who was the one delivering the blows?

A martial artist who had only broken through to the First Refining a few days ago!

At this moment, waves of shock surged through Huang Jing's heart.

As for Qin Xudong on the other side, he had no time to think at all.

The moment they clashed.

He was enveloped by an indescribable aura.

He could only keep swinging his blade to defend.

The slightest pause, and a primal terror would rise in his heart, as if the long blade before him was already pressed against his neck, his head about to roll off at any moment.

"You've worked hard."

As these words rang out.

The long blade's assault ceased.

Qin Xudong felt as if he had narrowly escaped death, letting out a long breath as he promptly sat down on the ground.

Seeing this, Qin Jiu was about to say something more.

A figure suddenly walked into the courtyard.

"Young Master, the Yin Underworld Soil you requested—this subordinate has already purchased it."