Heaven's Mandate

Qingzhou, the Ye Family.

"Eight hundred?"

A sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth looked at Zhao Xiu, the Immortal Treasure Pavilion steward before him, and said calmly, "Steward Zhao Xiu, Young Master Yang Jia drew up the demolition plan for the 'new city,' and our Ye Family is more than willing to cooperate. But going by the prices in the surrounding area, our ancestral estate is worth at least fifty thousand spirit crystals, and you're only offering eight hundred..."

He paused, then continued, "Steward Zhao Xiu, back when the Qin Family nearly wiped out your Zhao Family, it was our Ye Family that stepped forward and protected you, allowing your family to survive. Isn't it a bit much to show no regard for that old friendship now?"

Zhao Xiu smiled. "Ye Tianming, I'll get straight to the point. I hear you obtained a special admission spot at Guanxuan Academy. My Zhao Family wants that spot too. How about your Ye Family helps us one more time?"

Behind Zhao Xiu, four Immortal Treasure Pavilion guards rested their hands on their saber hilts and stared at Ye Tianming mockingly.

Ye Tianming looked at Zhao Xiu. "Steward Zhao Xiu, you're going a bit too far."

Zhao Xiu leaned back in his chair and looked at Ye Tianming out of the corner of his eye. "Then come at me! I'm begging you to come at me!"

He was clearly trying to provoke Ye Tianming on purpose.

The Immortal Treasure Pavilion.

One of the two superpowers of the Guanxuan Universe, and a legitimate official authority.

In Qingzhou, it was a grave crime for a civilian to attack an official.

Seeing Ye Tianming remain silent, Zhao Xiu suddenly rose, braced his hands on the table, and looked down at him. "Don't dare?"

With that, he laughed and lightly patted his uniform with his right hand. "Of course you don't. Not only have I become an Immortal Treasure Pavilion steward and an official representative, but our Zhao Family's super genius, Zhao Yu, has also joined Qingzhou Guanxuan Academy. Oh, right, did you know? Zhao Yu has already been taken as a personal disciple by an elder with real authority in the academy's inner court. He..."

Suddenly.

Ye Tianming, who had been seated, sprang to his feet. Before Zhao Xiu could react, a sword had already pierced his throat.

Puchi!

Blood sprayed like a fountain.

Bang!

Suddenly, the doors to the hall flew open, and dozens of Ye Family experts charged straight at the four Immortal Treasure Pavilion guards. Within a few breaths, the four guards had been hacked to death by a flurry of sabers.

Still clinging to life, Zhao Xiu clutched his neck and stared at Ye Tianming in disbelief. "You're actually in the True Law Realm. Your Ye Family is rebelling!"

Ye Tianming pulled out his sword, then thrust it fiercely into Zhao Xiu's abdomen. He gripped the sword and twisted it viciously. "Bastard, weren't you begging me to come at you? I'll fucking kill you!"

Just then, a young man walked in. He was around seventeen and had a dignified appearance.

He was Ye Nan, the Ye Family's heir and Ye Tianming's elder brother.

Without another word, Ye Nan lopped off Zhao Xiu's head with a saber, then deftly collected the men's storage rings.

Ye Nan turned to a blood-maddened youth nearby. "Ye Zong, take these people away and grind them to powder with a millstone. Then take them out in the middle of the night and scatter them into the Zhao Family's well... Remember, don't use poison. Our Ye Family is a benevolent and righteous family; we don't do such vicious things."

The youth named Ye Zong grinned and clenched his fists. "Big Brother, there's no need for a millstone. I like using my fists. Let me pound them into minced meat..."

With that, he excitedly picked up the five corpses and ran out.

The rest of the Ye Family moved tables and mopped floors, deftly cleaning up the mess.

Ye Nan turned to Ye Tianming and tossed him all the storage rings. "The Zhao Family won't let this go. They'll definitely retaliate, especially Zhao Yu. The Zhao Family used official business to settle a private grudge this time because he gave them the go-ahead. You passed Guanxuan Academy's special admission selection, and he doesn't want you going to the academy."

After the Zhao Family took revenge on the Qin Family, only the Ye and Zhao families remained in this place. As the saying went, one mountain could not hold two tigers.

Ye Tianming nodded. "I know."

"What do you plan to do?" Ye Nan asked.

Ye Tianming narrowed his eyes. "I'll go to Guanxuan Academy... and kill Zhao Yu!"

Ye Nan stared at Ye Tianming. "Kill Zhao Yu?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "The only reason the Zhao Family dares to bully us so openly is that Zhao Yu joined Guanxuan Academy and became an elder's personal disciple. That's also why the Immortal Treasure Pavilion stewards are siding with them. So..."

A cold light flashed in his eyes. "To cut the grass, you have to pull out the roots. Kill his whole family and eliminate future trouble for good!"

Ye Nan said, "Are you confident?"

Ye Tianming nodded. "No, but I'll do it first and worry about that later."

Ye Nan: "..."

After a moment, Ye Nan asked, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Ye Tianming said.

Ye Nan nodded slightly, then said, "Someone from the An Clan came by just now and asked you to visit them."

Ye Tianming put away his sword. "I'll go now."

"Tianming!"

Ye Nan called Ye Tianming back. "I've never interfered in what's between you and Miss An Qi, but there's one thing you should understand... You saved An Qi once, and she owes you a great debt, but there's a vast gulf between our Ye Family and the An Clan. Often, a great debt of gratitude becomes a great hatred. You need to understand that."

In the Guanxuan Universe, noble families and sects were divided into nine ranks. An Qi was Ye Tianming's childhood friend. Although her An Clan was only a branch of the An Clan, a first-rank martial god family in Qingzhou, it was still a fourth-rank family, far beyond anything the Ye Family could compare to.

The Ye Family belonged to the lowest class of families, beneath notice and without a rank.

Ye Tianming smiled. "It's just the same old story of the upper class looking down on the lower class. If they really look down on me, then to hell with them."

With that, he turned and left.

After leaving the Ye Family estate, Ye Tianming suddenly stopped as he passed a bookstore. He looked up and saw a strand of golden gas floating several zhang above his head.

At the sight of the golden gas, Ye Tianming was startled at first, then delighted.

Great Dao Fortune!

A day earlier, Yang Jia, the young master of the Guanxuan Universe, had been welcomed back to the Guanxuan Universe. Moved by the hardships of all living beings, he had scattered tens of thousands of strands of Great Dao Fortune across Wan Prefecture. Anyone under twenty who was fated to receive one could obtain it.

A single strand of Great Dao Fortune could, at the very least, allow an ordinary person to reach the Saint Realm. Not only that, it also granted a spot at Guanxuan Academy Main Academy.

When the strand of Great Dao Fortune noticed Ye Tianming, it seemed to have found a treasure and excitedly descended toward him. But when it was still half a zhang away, it seemed to be blocked by something and could not get any closer to him.

Ye Tianming had not expected to encounter one. Without thinking much of it, he reached out to grab it, but he could not get hold of it no matter what he did. The strand of Great Dao Fortune was also trying hard to approach him, but neither could touch the other.

After several attempts, Ye Tianming finally gave up. He took a long look at the strand of Great Dao Fortune.

Without giving it much thought, he turned and strode away. If he gained it, he was fortunate; if he lost it, that was his fate. He would not force it.

Inside the bookstore, a man in Daoist robes who reeked of alcohol had watched the whole scene. He took a long swig of wine, then said softly, "As expected of only the second person in the entire universe's history to have an Innate Mortal Physique. This mere strand of Great Dao Fortune isn't even qualified to approach him!"

A young woman stood in a corner outside the bookstore. She was sixteen or seventeen, slender and graceful, with picturesque features and extraordinary beauty.

The young woman was An Qi.

An Qi watched Ye Tianming disappear. Recalling how he had been unable to grasp the strand of Great Dao Fortune no matter how hard he tried, she had a complicated look in her eyes. She sighed softly. "A body too weak to bear great fortune, a person without blessings... You and I belong to different worlds after all."

With that, the complicated look in her eyes became the resolve of someone who had made a decision. She turned and quickly disappeared into the distance.

When it was time to sever ties, one had to sever them!

What use was a man who could not even bear Great Dao Fortune?

A woman had to be practical. She could not devote herself to poverty relief.

After Ye Tianming entered the An residence, a steward led him to the main hall. The steward served him a cup of spirit tea and withdrew.

Ye Tianming did not drink the tea. He sat and waited for about a quarter of an hour before An Xiao finally came in.

Ye Tianming rose and bowed. "Uncle An."

An Xiao was very amiable. He smiled and said, "Make yourself at home. You're a friend of Xiao Qi and Xiao Yan, so you can treat this place as your own home."

Ye Tianming naturally understood that he was only being polite, but he said nothing.

After they sat down, An Xiao suddenly placed a box in front of Ye Tianming and opened it. Inside were three precious Qi Drawing Pills.

Each one was worth a thousand spirit crystals.

Ye Tianming was somewhat puzzled.

An Xiao smiled. "You saved Xiao Qi back then, and I haven't properly thanked you. Before long, we'll be leaving for the Guanxuan Realm. I think we should repay this debt of gratitude. From now on, Xiao Qi won't owe you anything."

Ye Tianming was not too surprised. He turned toward the screen on his right, through which a graceful figure was faintly visible.

Ye Tianming gazed steadily at that familiar, lovely figure.

After a moment, An Qi's voice came from behind the screen. "Brother Tianming, you're a good person, but we aren't suited to each other."

Ye Tianming immediately rose. "Rest assured, Miss An. From now on, if anyone asks me about you when I'm out and about, I'll say I barely know you."

With that, he turned and left.

He did not look back.

Behind the screen, An Qi watched through the window as Ye Tianming strode out of sight in the courtyard. A complicated look and a trace of reluctance appeared in her eyes, but gradually they turned into resolve and indifference.

If one failed to sever ties when it was time, one would suffer the consequences.

Since he had no future, why cling to him and make them both suffer in the days to come?

At that thought, a powerful presence suddenly surged from her.

Myriad Law Realm!

She was somewhat surprised. She had not expected that severing these feelings would let her break through directly... Had she known, she would have done it long ago.

She turned and left, not a trace of attachment remaining in her eyes.

In this life, she, An Qi, held only the Great Dao in her heart. A person from an unranked family who had no future could not possibly be of any help to her future.

As long as a woman was strong and outstanding enough, what kind of man could she not have in the future?

Seeing An Qi break through, An Xiao was overjoyed. "Good, good, good! I never expected severing this karmic tie would bring such a reward. This really is a double blessing. No, a triple blessing, since the Nanling Clan has already agreed to Xiao Qi's marriage to Nanling Yun."

A smile spread across his face. Their An Clan was only a remote branch of the An Clan and barely counted as a fourth-rank family, while the Nanli Family was a second-rank noble family. Moreover, the Nanli Family Lineage had some old ties of goodwill with the Guanxuan Sword Master. One could truly say that smoke was rising from their ancestral graves-they had struck it immensely lucky.

"Father, Sister, I don't think this is right."

A youth who had been reading in a nearby corner suddenly spoke up.

His name was An Yan, and he was An Qi's younger brother.

An Xiao looked at An Yan. An Yan slowly rose and said seriously, "Tianming and Sister have known each other since childhood, and he even saved her. I won't say she should repay that debt by marrying him, but we should at least remember it in our hearts and never forget it. Yet now, because we're afraid the Nanli Family will misunderstand, we called him here and forced him and Sister to draw a clear line between them. That really isn't right."

An Xiao's face darkened. "Do you realize your sister is already engaged to someone from the Nanli Family? If the Nanli Family learns that she and he were childhood friends, or if Ye Tianming goes around talking nonsense and damages your sister's reputation..."

An Yan shook his head slightly, interrupting An Xiao. "Father, that way of thinking is still wrong. Why should our An Clan seek to please the Nanli Clan? Those top noble families will never respect us just because we flatter them. On the contrary, the more we flatter them, the more they'll look down on us. We move in different circles; there's really no need to force our way into theirs..."

He paused, then added, "Besides, Sister and Tianming have always been entirely innocent. If Nanli Yun resents the fact that they were childhood friends, would Sister be happy marrying such a narrow-minded man?"

An Xiao's expression turned ugly.

An Yan closed the ancient book and looked out of the hall, his gaze gradually growing profound. "I grew up with Tianming, so I know what he's like. His monstrous talent is rarely seen in this world; he's skilled in both letters and martial arts, and he acts decisively when it comes to killing. The way our An Clan treated him today may bring great disaster in the future. So, Father, since you've chosen to be the villain, you should have seen it through and killed him outright, instead of leaving a threat behind..."