The Plot

"Family Head, twenty bottles of Qi Refining Pills! In a few months at the earliest, a year at the latest, our Qin Family will gain two more True Qi Realm experts!"

At the Dragon River Gang's headquarters, Qin An joyfully delivered the good news to Qin Lian.

"And the Dragon River Gang fled in such a hurry that they left plenty of good things behind. They'll bring in at least thirty or forty thousand taels of silver. Add in the Canglang Sword Sect and the whole of Canglang Mountain... what our Qin Family gained this time will cover several years of our previous expenses..."

Qin Lian nodded slightly.

Although the Qin Family was the foremost power in Taibai Commandery City, its various annual revenues only amounted to around a hundred thousand taels.

After daily expenses and the portion paid in tribute to the Pure Yang Sword Sect, little remained each year.

Once I nurture a Fourth-Rank True Astral expert for the Qin Family, I'll have settled this karmic debt of "Qin Lian's."

As Qin Lian considered this, he looked at the Qin Family members behind him, who had nearly finished taking inventory of the Dragon River Gang's supplies...

"Let's head back."

"Yes."

Qin An answered spiritedly.

At once, the Qin Family's experts, along with the family members who had arrived afterward, drove wagon after wagon laden with large chests through the streets in a conspicuous procession, heading straight toward Dragon Abyss Mountain.

Countless people witnessed this scene, their hearts filled with awe.

Since the Qin Family deliberately spread word of its victories to kill a chicken as a warning to the monkeys, all of Taibai Commandery City buzzed with discussion.

"So these are the Qin Family's disciples. What an imposing sight!"

"The Dragon River Gang, the Canglang Sword Sect, the Xie Lineage-they really had no brains. What possessed them to provoke Grandmaster Qin? They were simply seeking their own deaths!"

"The Qin Family is still the Qin Family! Sword Presses Taibai is still Sword Presses Taibai! Unmatched! Unshakable!"

"Over a month ago, Grandmaster Qin fought Blood Demon Zuo Qiudao and rid the people of a scourge. Instead of thanking him for bringing peace to the people, those powers stirred up wind and rain behind his back. They thought he was injured and wanted to throw stones down the well... Pah! They brought it on themselves!"

Amid the clamor and discussion, the Qin Family's convoy reached Dragon Abyss Mountain, naturally setting off another wave of cheers.

After this battle, and with the righteous deed of slaying the Blood Demon to his name, Qin Wudi's reputation resounded throughout Taibai.

Qin Lian had also successfully achieved his aim of intimidating the various powers so he could cultivate in peace.

At nightfall the next day, the supplies from the Canglang Sword Sect arrived as well.

Naturally, the entire Qin Family rejoiced once more.

At noon the following day, with the miscellaneous matters provisionally settled, Qin Lian finally had Qin An gather the Qin Family members again.

The Qin Family's main courtyard.

All the Qin Family's notable experts were present.

Only after Qin An delivered an encouraging speech did he step aside, revealing Qin Lian.

As Qin Lian stepped forward, everyone present gazed at him with fervent enthusiasm and reverence.

Their family head was already a legend.

The battle at Canglang Mountain had made his legendary reputation as solid as rock. Almost everyone in the Qin Family regarded him as an undefeated god of war.

Qin Lian saw this but did little to correct it.

As for reputation...

Once he had nurtured a Fourth Grade expert for the Qin Family, he could yield it to them.

"I've gathered you all here to announce two things."

Busy with cultivation, Qin Lian dispensed with pleasantries and went straight to the point.

"I need to focus on diligent, arduous cultivation so I can Weave Astral Qi into Armor as soon as possible. I have no time to handle the Lineage's affairs, great and small. I hereby confer the position of family head upon Qin An, while I will join the Council of Elders as an elder."

"Grand Elder."

Qin Lie hastily added, "The family head is chosen by the elders of the Council of Elders, while the Grand Elder oversees the council and holds the power to veto its resolutions."

Seeing this, Qin Lian offered no further explanation.

Although everyone was reluctant to see Qin Lian relinquish his position as family head, they also knew that if the family head...

If the Grand Elder could Weave Astral Qi into Armor, it would only benefit the Qin Family.

Seeing that none of the elders objected, everyone cupped their hands and cried out in unison, "We pay our respects to the Grand Elder and the Family Head!"

"Second, I will devote the remaining half of my life to cultivation. The second grade of the Grandmaster realm involves tempering Divine Intent, and cultivating Divine Intent places the greatest emphasis on the mind. For an auspicious omen, I am changing the character 'Lian' in my name from 'practice' to 'refine.' Remember this, everyone."

Qin Lian announced this matter as well.

A name change?

Qin An, Qin Lie, Qin Feng, and the others exchanged glances.

Qin Lian had not mentioned this to them.

Still...

It was hardly a major matter.

Second Grade Divine Intent touched upon the mysteries of the spirit and was wondrous beyond words.

Blood Demon Zuo Qiudao, who had fallen at their family head's hands a month ago, had most likely damaged his brain while trying to condense Divine Intent.

More than half of all grandmasters underwent drastic changes in temperament when attempting to attain Second Grade Divine Intent.

The personalities of the remaining half were affected as well, just not as noticeably.

Since the Grand Elder intended to ascend to the rank of a Second Grade Divine Intent Grandmaster in the future, changing his name in advance was nothing.

As long as he did not call himself something like Qin Iron Egg or Qin Second Dog.

After announcing these two matters, Qin Lian stepped down of his own accord, leaving the stage to the newly appointed Qin An.

Just as he was about to leave and return to his residence, a Qin Family disciple hurried over.

"Family Head... ah, no, Grand Elder, distinguished disciples of the Pure Yang Sword Sect have arrived."

"The Pure Yang Sword Sect?"

With disciples of a major sect visiting in person, only Qin Lian was qualified to receive them.

He could only head to the reception hall.

Before he reached it, he saw a Qin Family attendant leading two women briskly toward him.

One was twenty-two or twenty-three, while the other was only eighteen or nineteen.

"Second Senior Brother!"

The moment she saw Qin Lian, the eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl called out happily.

Although the memories Qin Lian had received were like flowers glimpsed from horseback, these two seemed to have left a deep impression on him, and he remembered them clearly.

The one speaking was his junior sect sister, Chu Ying. The other...

Jiang Xin's younger sister, Jiang Yi?

Who was Jiang Xin?

"Hiss!"

Dead memories had begun attacking him.

Debts left behind by the original "Qin Lian."

Entering Pure Yang as a disciple, becoming the twin jewels of Cloudmist?

Hand in hand with a beauty, roaming the martial world with his sword?

A sudden encounter with a demonic beast, his beloved's death?

Never recovering from the blow, vanishing without a trace?

So he left Pure Yang and returned to Taibai because Jiang Xin died and he lost heart? This plot...

Qin Lian rubbed the space between his brows.

Plot or no plot, he would set that aside.

He turned his gaze to Jiang Yi.

In his recollection, she had always blamed "Qin Lian" for Jiang Xin's death and had never shown him a pleasant expression.

In all the years since Qin Lian returned to Mount Tai Prefecture, they had never been in contact. Why had she come looking for him today?

Fortunately, he did not need to ask. Chu Ying immediately said, "Second Senior Brother, we heard you were injured. Senior Sister specifically had me bring you some medicine."

She took out a small bottle. "Look, these are Nine Suns Returning Heaven Pills! Senior Sister personally went up Sun-Viewing Peak to gather Taihua Dew, then asked Eldest Martial Uncle to refine them..."

"Enough."

Jiang Yi interrupted Chu Ying outright.

She gave Qin Lian an indifferent look. "Judging by his complexion, does he look remotely like someone gravely injured? He has no use for our medicine. Let's go."

"Hey, wait, Senior Sister! We were in such a hurry to get here. Why leave as soon as we arrive?"

Chu Ying hastily caught her arm.

Busybody.

Qin Lian silently muttered to himself.

Just let her leave. You're interfering with my cultivation.

Tsunderes fell out of the meta ages ago.

"Senior Sister, you've forgotten that we have another task."

As Chu Ying spoke, she added with some delight, "Eldest Senior Sister has broken through! She'll succeed Master as the peak master of Cloudmist Peak. The Succession Ceremony will officially take place in a month!"