That Attendant?

Lu Fan immediately rose to his feet and chased after the source of that aura.

Before long, he found the owner of that surging vitality and blood.

Ma Sheng.

Where was this guy going?

Was he looking for him?

A flicker of doubt crossed Lu Fan's eyes. He concealed every trace of his aura and silently followed.

With his current strength, even without using force, tracking a Dark Force martial artist was more than easy.

Before long, Ma Sheng stopped at a certain place.

That was... the Qin Estate.

Moreover, the area around the Qin Estate was already packed with people.

The young man in white amid the crowd was incredibly conspicuous. Lu Fan recognized him at once.

The Feng Household's eldest young master, Feng Jiaqi.

Ma Sheng also quickened his pace and arrived before Feng Jiaqi.

"Young Master Feng, my apologies. Something came up on the way and delayed me a little."

Feng Jiaqi swept Ma Sheng a glance, his brows slightly furrowed and his voice somewhat cold.

"I have no interest in meddling with your perverted habits, but don't leave any traces. And don't waste my time."

"Yes, yes, Young Master Feng is right. But I always clean up thoroughly when I act. I definitely won't leave any traces."

Ma Sheng licked his lips and gave a cold laugh.

"Then what's that blood on your cuff?"

After snorting lightly, Feng Jiaqi said nothing more and strode toward the Qin Estate.

Ma Sheng's face twitched, and a trace of dissatisfaction flashed through his eyes. But it quickly vanished, and he hurriedly followed with a flattering smile.

"Young Master Feng, wait. I'll open the door for you."

Though the gates of the Qin Estate were tightly shut, to a Dark Force martial artist, such wood-and-stone gates were no different from paper.

Ma Sheng strode forward and slammed his fist into the gate.

The heavy gates crashed down at once.

Feng Jiaqi stepped over the fallen gate and made his way unhurriedly deeper into the Qin Estate, as if he were taking a stroll through his own backyard.

Not far behind him, Ma Sheng followed like a bodyguard, a shadow that never left his side.

Inside the main hall deep within the Qin Estate.

Qin Yuan's expression was so dark it was terrifying, and the hand resting on the table was clenched tight.

"Bastards! The Feng Household has gone too far."

"They've not only cut off all our transport routes, they've even taken over those Lineages supplying medicinal herbs. Even the Shen Household... cough, cough..."

Before he could finish, he broke into a violent coughing fit. The hand covering his mouth was stained red with blood.

Qin Yaxin, standing beside him, looked heartbroken at the sight.

"Enough, Father. We should withdraw from Chi City. The Feng Household simply doesn't intend to let us do business in Chi City anymore."

"If we withdraw now, it'll still be in time."

Upon hearing her words, Qin Yuan suddenly raised his head. Intense unwillingness and fury surfaced on his pale face.

"Yaxin, are you telling me to abandon the foundation I painstakingly built in Chi City over so many years?"

"The Qin Household has what it has today because I fought for it bit by bit back then. I've stayed here for twenty years."

"You want me to give it up?"

Qin Yuan practically roared those words. His pale face flushed bright red from his raging anger.

"But..." Qin Yaxin was startled by the sight of her father. She wanted to say something, yet did not know what she should say.

At that moment, Liu Attendant, who stood nearby, stepped forward and spoke.

"Master Qin, the young miss is right. As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood."

"If you preserve your lives, you can rise again someday."

"Rise again?"

Qin Yuan gave a derisive laugh and spread open his blood-covered palm.

"Will I even live to see that day?"

"Rather than make me abandon this foundation, you might as well let me die!"

Qin Yuan's voice struck the ground like a hammer, filled with resolve.

But in the next moment, a piercing round of applause came from outside.

"Ah, splendid. Truly splendid."

"I'm really moved."

"You'd rather die than give up the foundation you built with your own hands?"

"At the very least, I don't have such determination."

With an amused smile on his face, Feng Jiaqi walked into the hall step by step.

He leisurely looked over everyone present before his gaze finally settled on Qin Yuan.

"Patriarch Qin, your unwavering will is truly admirable."

"So, you're certain you don't intend to give up?"

As his words fell, the temperature in the hall dropped several degrees, and Feng Jiaqi's smile carried a chilling coldness.

"If you want to take this foundation from me, step over my corpse first."

"And you little brat from the Feng Household, don't get too pleased with yourself."

"Our Qin Household has three Dark Force Attendants. Liu Attendant has even reached the Late Dark Force stage."

"What's more, Senior Chen Liu has also become an Attendant of our household."

"Don't tell me you've forgotten what happened on the night of the banquet."

Qin Yuan's words utterly stunned Qin Yaxin, who stood behind him.

She had never imagined that her father could fabricate such a lie so brazenly.

He had clearly said before that he did not wish to provoke Senior Chen Liu's displeasure.

Yet his actions and words now were completely at odds with that.

Before Qin Yaxin could speak, Feng Jiaqi, standing there, opened his mouth.

"Oh, that Chen Liu has become an Attendant of your Qin Household?"

Feng Jiaqi looked at Qin Yuan with a smile that was not quite a smile.

"Naturally. If your Feng Household truly intends to keep pressing us like this, then don't blame us for fighting until the fish dies and the net tears!"

Qin Yuan stepped forward and fearlessly met Feng Jiaqi's gaze.

"What a fine fish dies and the net tears."

"Hmm, Liu Attendant, do you feel the same way?"

As he spoke, Feng Jiaqi turned to look at the silent Liu Attendant beside him.

"How could that be? I would never raise a hand against you, Eldest Young Master."

As he spoke, Liu Attendant lifted his foot and walked to Feng Jiaqi's side.

That action left both Qin Yuan and Qin Yaxin completely dumbfounded.

"No, Liu Attendant, you... what... do you mean by this?"

Qin Yuan's body trembled without stop.

"What do I mean? Patriarch Qin, can you still not understand?"

Feng Jiaqi looked at him with a teasing expression.

At that moment, Ma Sheng, who had entered a step later, mercilessly stated the truth.

"What a foolish fellow. Your own people have already been bought over, and you're still kept in the dark."

"No, this... this is impossible. Liu Attendant, you... you really betrayed me?"

Qin Yuan's eyes widened as he stared at Liu Attendant in disbelief.

"My apologies, Master Qin. The conditions offered by the Feng Household were impossible for me to refuse."

Liu Attendant shrugged, answering expressionlessly.

"Then Zhang Attendant and..."

Qin Yuan seemed to be grasping at his final shred of hope.

"They refused to betray the Qin Household, so I dealt with them personally. That saved Eldest Young Master the trouble of acting himself."

As he spoke, Liu Attendant turned to Feng Jiaqi, seemingly seeking credit.

"Yes, so that is the situation now. Do you have anything else to say, Patriarch Qin? Oh, no—Qin Yuan."

Feng Jiaqi looked down at Qin Yuan from above, wearing the expression of someone who had him completely in the palm of his hand.

"Or are you planning to ask that mysterious Attendant Chen Liu to act?"

"Ah, I nearly forgot. He rejected your invitation."

Those mocking words left Qin Yuan ashen-faced and utterly despairing.

At that moment, above the eaves of the hall, a black shadow silently watched everything unfold.