Chapter 424: Chapter 424: Gu Yuexi to Marry into the Qin Family? The Best Solution?

Jing University, in front of the Administration Building.

The downpour stopped.

But the atmosphere had grown even more oppressive.

It was as if an even more violent storm was about to arrive.

An Emperor Realm battle, on the verge of breaking out.

On one side were three titans of the Human Race, each a guardian of a region. On the other were seven Patriarchs of the Noble Families who controlled the very lifeblood of Kyoto.

The scent of gunpowder in the air had reached its absolute peak.

Just as their auras clashed and they were a hair’s breadth from striking...

"Stop, all of you."

An aged voice suddenly rang in everyone’s ears.

The voice wasn’t loud. It even sounded a bit weak, like that of an old man in the twilight of his life.

But it was bizarre.

The instant the voice sounded, the once-violent Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi immediately calmed.

Li Zhantian’s aura, which was like a volcano about to erupt, was forcefully suppressed back into his body.

The killing blows Liu Canglan and the others were condensing dissipated into thin air.

At this moment, everyone felt an indescribable sense of oppression.

It was not a physical pressure, but one originating from the Bloodline, from the very pinnacle of power... an absolute, condescending gaze.

Horrified, everyone turned in unison to look.

In the void not far away, two figures—one old, one young—had appeared at some unknown moment.

The old man was clad in a simple gray robe, leaning on a seemingly ordinary dragon-headed cane. His face was wizened, his eyes cloudy.

But where he stood, the very Space around him seemed to bow its head, collapsing slightly inward.

And by the old man’s side, supporting him, was an exceedingly handsome young man, an innate nobility etched into his features... It was none other than Qin Wudao!

The instant these two appeared,

The expressions of Liu Canglan and the other six Patriarchs, who had been so arrogant and full of killing intent just moments before, changed in an instant.

It was an expression that mixed reverence, apprehension, and even a hint... of fear.

They almost subconsciously reined in their auras and bowed slightly to the old man:

"Greetings, Elder Qin!"

Elder Qin!

Hearing this form of address, Li Zhantian and Luo Zhan’s pupils also contracted sharply.

’It’s really him!’

The Patriarch of the Qin Family, one of the Ten Great Clans—Qin Tianwen!

If the Liu and Zhao Families were the powerful and noble class of Great Xia,

then the Qin Family was the nobility among the nobility, the small handful of people standing at the very peak of the pyramid!

The world only knew that the Ten Great Clans were a united front.

But few knew that within the Ten Great Clans, there was an insurmountable chasm.

And that was—the Top Three Families, and the Lower Seven Families!

The Liu, Zhao, Qian, Sun, and other families present today all belonged to the Lower Seven Families.

And the Top Three Families were, respectively: the Xia Family, which controlled half the Military Department; the reclusive and mysterious Xuanyuan Family; and... the Qin Family, whose power in the educational and administrative systems was so great they could blot out the sky with one hand!

The reason these three families were so aloof, the reason they held a steady advantage over the lower seven, came down to one thing—

They were backed by an "Emperor"!

On the surface, the Great Xia Federation had only eight Emperor Realm powerhouses, the unshakable pillars of the Human Race.

And these Top Three Families laid claim to three of them!

This was the depth of their power.

This was the reason why even though Liu Canglan was at the Peak of the Emperor Realm, even though he was known as the leader among the lower seven families, he had to bow his head when he saw this seemingly decrepit Elder Qin!

Li Zhantian took a deep breath, his expression becoming exceedingly grim.

’This is big trouble.’

If it were just Liu Canglan and his men, even if all seven of them attacked at once, he, Luo Zhan, and Ye Qingzhou could join forces. Even if they couldn’t win, they could still escape with their people.

But with the Qin Family interfering... the entire situation changed.

Although the Qin Family’s influence in the Military Department wasn’t as great as the Xia Family’s, it couldn’t be underestimated. More importantly, the Qin Family represented the will of those at the very top.

Having a falling out with the Qin Family would be tantamount to tearing a hole in the sky of Great Xia.

"COUGH, COUGH..."

Elder Qin coughed twice, his cloudy gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally landing on Gu Yuexi, who was in the middle of the ruins.

"You are all pillars of Great Xia. Why must you fight to the death over such a small matter?"

Elder Qin’s voice was slow, but it carried a tone that brooked no argument:

"Marshal Li, Marshal Luo, City Lord Ye."

"Grant this old man some face and put away your weapons."

Luo Zhan’s brows furrowed. His hand tightened on his saber, then loosened. Finally, with a long sigh, he sheathed it.

He had no choice. He had to give him this much face.

It wasn’t that he was afraid.

The Qin Family’s prestige in the Military Department was simply too great.

Furthermore, the Qin Family had guarded the nation’s gates for the Human Race for hundreds of years. Who would dare disrespect them?

Seeing the three War Gods stand down, Elder Qin nodded slightly and turned to look at Liu Canglan and the others:

"As for you..."

"A bunch of grown men, bullying a little girl. Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?"

Liu Canglan’s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and said:

"Elder Qin, it is not that we wish to bully a junior."

"It’s just that this demoness has gone too far! She committed murder in public, burning our wives to death, and she clearly has no respect for us! If we don’t avenge this, how can we maintain our standing in Kyoto in the future?"

The other Patriarchs also chimed in, their eyes filled with venomous resentment.

The feud from having their wives murdered, the hatred from being so humiliated—how could that be dismissed with a simple "ashamed"?

"That’s enough."

Elder Qin waved his hand, cutting off their litany of grievances:

"I know you feel wronged."

"But Gu Yuexi is, after all, a prodigy with Top Notch talent, and a hero who has brought glory to the nation. If you all were to kill her just like that, this old man would have no way to answer to the higher-ups, let alone the people."

"But..." Sun Xiaotian wanted to say more.

A sharp glint suddenly flashed in Elder Qin’s cloudy eyes, and the pressure in that instant made Sun Xiaotian swallow the rest of his words.

"Since I have come, I will naturally give you a satisfactory resolution."

Elder Qin paused, then lightly tapped the empty air with his dragon-headed cane:

"How about this."

"This old one has a method that will satisfy both parties. It can save Gu Yuexi’s life and future, and it can also save the face of your seven families."

Everyone couldn’t help but prick up their ears.

’The best of both worlds?’

’We’re at a point where one side must be annihilated. How could there possibly be a solution that satisfies both sides?’

Elder Qin slowly opened his mouth, and his words were shocking:

"The position of Divine Son is a matter of great importance and should not be lightly stripped away."

"Since the Ten Great Clans are worried about the position being lost to an outsider, and Gu Yuexi does indeed have the strength..."

"Then just have Gu Yuexi join the Ten Great Clans. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?"

’Join?’

Everyone was stunned.

’How could she join?’

’Gu Yuexi and the Ten Great Clans now have a blood feud!’

Elder Qin smiled, the wrinkles on his face crinkling together. He looked at the handsome young man beside him:

"Wudao, this child... you are quite fond of her, aren’t you?"

The young man named Qin Wudao finally took a step forward.

A gentle smile, like a spring breeze, was on his face. He looked at the girl in the distant ruins—disheveled and battered, yet still as cold as frost—and a flicker of deep meaning passed through his eyes.

"Yes, Grandfather."

Qin Wudao’s voice was warm and magnetic:

"I, Qin Wudao, am willing to take this woman as my wife."

BOOM!

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire crowd was in an uproar.

Elder Qin nodded, looked at the crowd, and announced in a clear voice:

"This old one will make the decision."

"Have Gu Yuexi marry Wudao and become the Young Madam of my Qin Family."

"In this way, she will be a person of the Qin Family, a member of the Ten Great Clans. Giving the Divine Son position to her would be giving it to the Qin Family, so it wouldn’t be lost to an outsider."

"Of course, this only gives her the opportunity to compete for the position. The other families will each have their own chances as well."

"As for your seven families..."

Elder Qin looked at Liu Canglan and the others, his tone becoming profound and meaningful:

"Today’s events, although they turned ugly, were ultimately started by your wives’ provocation. Their deaths... can only be blamed on their own lack of skill."

"However, to give you all a way to step down gracefully..."

"As long as Gu Yuexi agrees to the marriage, this old one will have her, in her capacity as the future matriarch of the Qin Family, bow and apologize to your seven families in front of the entire world."

"Everyone, what do you think? Is that enough face for you?"