Martial Arrogance Dragon Soul-Chapter 478 - 446 Return to Tianjue City

Qian Country’s land.

Three days had already passed.

On this day, the heavens showered auspicious omens.

Qin Ren ascended to the throne, becoming the new emperor.

At the same time, Qin Ren issued new edicts and proclaimed to the world that the country’s name would be changed to Yuan.

It meant that Qian Country had become history.

The new nation would be called Yuan Country.

Yuan signifies the beginning of all things.

Qin Ren’s change from Qian to Yuan signified his desire to start anew and take the nation to unprecedented heights.

A new era thus unfolded, while the bygone Qian Country denoted a gradually ending old era.

The succession of old and new eras witnessed the rise of a genius.

And this genius was none other than Qin Qing.

The war had come to an end, and Yuan Country, from top to bottom, was a scene of rejuvenation and rebirth.

Inside the royal city, normalcy returned early; shops opened their doors, resuming their business, and the streets bustled with people, seemingly unchanged from before the war.

Taverns and inns quickly filled to the brim with patrons.

And what these travelers discussed most was none other than Qin Qing.

This figure, akin to a myth, was destined to become known throughout Yuan Country before long, becoming a household name.

...

As for Qin Qing,

he naturally did not concern himself with these patrons’ discussions.

He had his own path and walked it with unwavering determination.

That was enough for him.

On this day.

Qin Qing, along with the other people from the Qin Residence, were all in high spirits, fully prepared and ready to set out.

Bai Qiuhe stood aside, watching all of this with a smile on his face.

"Master! I’ll go back with my father and the others first!" Qin Qing said to Bai Qiuhe.

"Good!" Bai Qiuhe nodded with a smile, "Qin Qing, you’ve done it, and as your teacher, I am proud of you."

Even now, Bai Qiuhe couldn’t help but feel emotional.

He had never imagined that the youth he had seen back in Tianjue City would grow to a stature even his own teacher felt beyond comparison in such a short span of time.

Bai Qiuhe actually felt a sense of sudden loss.

He suddenly felt that there was nothing much left to teach his disciple, which brought him a certain sadness and loss.

However, on the other hand, he felt sincere happiness and pride for his disciple.

In less than a year, he had achieved everything, saved his father, and led his people back to Tianjue.

Even the country itself had undergone a complete transformation because of him.

Most importantly, he had reached the peak of this nation—his strength was unmatched!

...

"Let’s go back!"

"Back to Tianjue!"

Qin Tao, Qin Tong, Qin Yue, and Aunt Qi, among others, all had joyous smiles on their faces.

They had all been waiting for this day.

And none of them had expected it to come so soon.

Qin Ren arranged for animal-drawn carts, and had even planned to send an army to escort Qin Qing and his people back to Tianjue, but Qin Qing had refused.

With his current strength, an escort of soldiers was merely for show.

An enemy that could threaten Qin Qing could wipe out these soldiers with a single move, annihilating them instantly.

Furthermore, the people of the Qin Residence did not wish to attract attention, especially Aunt Qi and the women, and the babies less than three months old.

They needed peace and quiet.

The animal-drawn carts were indeed quiet, and these carts were comfortably outfitted, ensuring the ride was stable and swift.

By the time they arrived at Tianjue City, dusk was approaching.

Qin Qing and his group came to the outside of the once familiar Qin Residence.

Standing outside the grand gates of the Qin Residence, everyone’s faces held a mix of sighs and emotions.

"We’re back!"

Tears welled up in Qin Yi’s eyes involuntarily.

He was the one who had left the Qin Residence the longest ago, having been captured with his wife and sent directly to Luochuan, then imprisoned in the underground dungeon.

Later, he was relegated to the Underground Furnace.

In the Underground Furnace, Qin Yi nearly gave up hope, contemplating throwing himself into the scorching magma countless times.

The hope that kept him alive was his children.

Thankfully, he had now returned.

His children were by his side.

"Creak."

Suddenly, the slightly weathered and dilapidated gate of the Qin Residence opened from the inside.

A middle-aged man walked out.

This man had just stepped out when he saw Qin Yi, Qin Tao, and the others standing outside. He froze on the spot.

"Fourth brother!"

Qin Yi cried out upon seeing the middle-aged man who had emerged.

This middle-aged man was none other than Qin Yi’s fourth brother, Qin Qing’s fourth uncle, Qin Ye.

"Three... Third brother."

Qin Ye rubbed his eyes in disbelief, even suspecting he was hallucinating.

"And Second brother, Seventh brother, sister-in-law, you’ve all returned?"

A look of joy surfaced on Qin Ye’s face.

He had always been longing for these people to return. When Qin Qing had gone to the Northern Borderlands, Qin Ye had said that he hoped Qin Qing and his father, Qin Yi, would come back to Tianjue soon.

"Little Qing, Little Shuang, you’re back too!" Qin Ye said, turning to address the younger generation of the Qin Family, including Qin Qing.

"Yes, Fourth Uncle. We’re back!" Qin Qing nodded.

"Good, good, good. Since you’re back, let’s go inside," Qin Ye eagerly beckoned.

The group filed inside, entering the Qin Residence.

Very soon, other members of the Qin Residence also learned that Qin Yi and his party had returned.

Immediately, all the clan members rushed over.

Many in the Qin Residence still supported Qin Yi, who was once the patriarch of the Qin Family.

Qin Yi, true to his name, valued loyalty and righteousness, and his talents and strength were not lacking—considered one of the top powerhouses in Tianjue City.

Now hearing news of Qin Yi’s return, these people naturally came as quickly as they could to greet him warmly.

Qin Yi, feeling the familiar everything he had missed, conversed with old acquaintances and reflected painfully on the events of the past few years.

"Hmph!"

Just as everyone was chatting warmly, a jarring and ill-timed sneer cut through the air.

Qin Zhen and a few others walked in from outside.

"Qin Yi, you actually have the face to come back?"

As soon as Qin Zhen entered, he looked at Qin Yi with a cold gaze and spoke icily.

"Why shouldn’t I have the face to return?" Qin Yi sneered in response to Qin Zhen.

"You better understand your identity. You are a criminal, a felon locked up in the underground furnace. Have you lived up to the honor of the Qin ancestors?" a sneer curled on Qin Zhen’s lips.

"That’s right! Qin Yi, you are a criminal. A wrongdoer bearing guilt, your return will only tarnish the name of the Qin Residence, making our Qin clansmen unable to hold their heads high," another person chimed in.

"Ridiculous!"

Qin Qing stepped forward, eyeing Qin Zhen coldly: "You say my father is a criminal. Then I ask you, what crime has he committed?"

"How would I know?" Qin Zhen’s gaze swept toward Qin Qing, his heart surging with a desire to kill.

"You don’t know? Then what grounds do you have to spout such nonsense?" Qin Qing scoffed at Qin Zhen, knowing all too well that Qin Zhen would love nothing more than to flay him alive.

But in his eyes, Qin Zhen was less than an ant.

"If he were innocent, why would the Imperial Court lock him in the underground furnace?" Qin Zhen retorted sharply.

"Imperial Court?" Qin Qing snorted with laughter: "This Imperial Court you speak of, does it still exist? Qin Sheng was inept and tyrannical, shielding the corrupt and brutally killing the innocent. My father is guiltless. If you don’t believe it, you can go ask the current sovereign!"

Mockery thickened on Qin Zhen’s face: "Go ask the sovereign? Who do you think you are? You think you can just ask to speak with the sovereign?"

"Qin Zhen, what you said isn’t wrong. If Qin Qing wanted to inquire about something from the current emperor, he could indeed ask him directly, and the current emperor would certainly answer him thoroughly," Qin Tao joined the conversation.

"Old Second, you must be senile," Qin Zhen scoffed.

The others who had come with Qin Zhen also burst into mocking laughter.

"Summer insects cannot speak of ice; frogs in a well cannot speak of the sea. Second Uncle, why bother discussing this with them?" Qin Qing spoke dismissively.

"Such arrogance. Qin Qing, don’t think that just because Qian Country has changed its name, you can return openly and proudly," a young man pointed at Qin Qing, one of the Qin Family’s younger generation, of the same generation as Qin Qing.

This person, named Qin Ming, had always followed Qin Zhen and belonged to his faction.

"Qin Qing, you killed Brother Lie. That’s fratricide. And you have the face to come back? Don’t think that just because you’re talented, you can do whatever you want. What if we report your deeds to the officials now? Do you believe the Imperial Court would send people to arrest you immediately?" Qin Ming added.

"Oh, really?"

Qin Qing didn’t speak, but Qin Yue coldly replied, "We indeed don’t believe it. Qin Ming, if you have the guts, go report us to the officials right now. I want to see if anyone will actually come to arrest us!"

"Rest assured, we’ll go report to the authorities right away. Qin Yi, don’t think that just by coming back now, you’ll regain your position as patriarch of the Qin Residence. I am the current patriarch of the Qin Residence, and there’s no way you’re staying here any longer!" Qin Zhen said viciously.

He thought Qin Yi’s return would threaten his position as patriarch.

But little did he know, Qin Yi didn’t care for these things at all...

Qin Qing internally sneered as well. By now, he was certain that Qin Zhen and his ilk were completely unaware of the events that had unfolded in Luo River these past days.

They probably couldn’t even imagine that the reason Qian Country had changed its name to Yuan, and the reason Qin Ren ascended the throne as the new emperor, was due to Qin Qing’s strategies and actions.

And at that moment,

A loud shout suddenly came from outside.

"The sovereign has arrived!"

This announcement left everyone at the Qin Residence rooted to the spot in shock.

The sovereign has arrived?

Why would the current sovereign come here?

And indeed, if the sovereign had truly arrived, why was there no continuation of the announcement, no call for the Qin Residence to go out and welcome him?

As Qin Zhen and the others were filled with confusion, Qin Ren, donned in a yellow dragon robe, entered the Qin Residence surrounded by a crowd, directly approaching where Qin Qing and the others stood.

"This... is this really the current sovereign?"

Qin Zhen had never seen the present-day emperor.

But seeing the entourage, it seemed that this had to be the actual emperor and no imposter.

"Qin Zhen, pays respects to the sovereign!"

The rest of the Qin Residence members also knelt down in succession.

Only Qin Qing still stood where he was.

Seeing this scene, Qin Zhen’s face revealed even more mockery.

This Qin Qing, not kneeling upon the sovereign’s visit?

However, in the next moment, the current sovereign approached Qin Qing and placed his hands on Qin Qing’s shoulders.

This gesture was as if he was greeting an old friend he had known for years.

"How... how could this be?" Qin Zhen felt almost driven to madness inside.