Chapter 22: Chapter 21: The Qin Family’s Majestic Righteousness

"Go to hell!" Qin Feng roared. He charged forward with the Ancient Bronze Tripod and unleashed an Overlord Impact. The huge bronze tripod struck like a thunderbolt, its immense force grievously wounding a martial artist at the late-stage Martial Arts Second Realm.

Wiping the bloodstains from his face, Qin Feng skillfully stripped the martial artist—whose bones were now shattered—of everything he owned.

A few other martial artists lay near him, either grievously injured or unconscious.

In his attempt to break out of the encirclement, he had already run into four or five such search parties in just a few short hours. Most were led by a martial artist at the late-stage Martial Arts Second Realm, supported by elites at the Martial Arts First Realm and some guards who had yet to begin their Martial Dao cultivation. Each squad had about seven or eight members.

The larger squads had over ten members, while the smaller ones had five or six.

In a short period, he had ambushed five squads in quick succession, injuring at least ten martial artists of the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven. Yet he himself remained completely unscathed.

That was right—he injured them, but he didn’t kill them. This was the truly vicious part of Qin Feng’s strategy. Most martial artists struck by the Bronze Tripod had their bones shattered. Even if they survived, they would be cripples, completely unable to fight back.

Killing them outright would only enrage the rest of the Qin Family and unite them against a common enemy. But merely injuring them severely would instill fear.

Such severe injuries required long-term care and compensation, which would become a significant financial burden for the Qin Family. If he had simply killed them, the family’s burden would be much lighter; they could pay a one-time compensation fee and be done with it.

It would also serve to intimidate the pursuing martial artists.

But after so many consecutive battles, he was starting to feel fatigued, even though he was uninjured. However, a smile crept back onto Qin Feng’s face when he saw his spoils.

From his ambushes, he had collected a large pouch full of loose silver, as well as a few bright gold ingots. Additionally, he had found a total of two Secret Manuals: one Human Martial Level Middle Stage Blade Technique and one Low-level Human Martial Sword Skill.

He also found two vials of elixirs, both containing Low Grade Bone Tempering Pills.

Bone Tempering Pills were divided into high, middle, and low grades; the higher the quality, the fewer the impurities. These two vials were both Low Grade Bone Tempering Pills, which contained a high amount of impurities. Most Direct Lineage Disciples looked down on consuming them, as it could negatively affect their future cultivation and even stunt their potential.

Only martial artists who knew they had limited potential would sacrifice their future prospects by consuming such an elixir, seeking to quickly enhance their cultivation in exchange for wealth and glory.

Although Qin Feng didn’t think much of the two vials, he didn’t throw them away.

Seeing there was nothing else to gain, Qin Feng ignored the wails of the unlucky men on the ground. Without a moment’s delay, he shouldered his pouch, tucked the Secret Manuals and elixirs into his robes, and vanished from the spot, Ancient Bronze Tripod in hand.

He had grown quite proficient at this business of plunder.

On a high hill, a camp stretching for several hundred meters had been established. As dusk fell, martial artists with imposing auras moved in and out of the encampment.

Within the camp, bonfires blazed, their warm light pushing back the darkness. The faces of the martial artists were etched with sorrow and worry.

Inside the most luxurious tent, the bright firelight only seemed to make the faces of those gathered within look even more grim.

A warrior was reporting in a low voice. "Elders, Young Masters, as of now, we have nearly ten search parties that have either lost contact or been found severely wounded!"

In the seat of honor, Qin Fang’s expression was thunderous. He felt a headache coming on for the first time; he had to admit that the situation was spiraling out of his control. First, his subordinate had reported that Qin Feng’s personal maid was missing. Now, squad after squad was being taken out.

What grieved him most was the loss of nearly ten squads. This represented almost a twentieth of the Qin Family’s total strength. They hadn’t suffered losses this great even when fighting fierce bandits who sacked entire cities.

He rubbed his throbbing temples and asked faintly, "Are there any clues? Who is responsible for this?"

The dark-faced warrior hesitated for a moment before replying. "He made no attempt to hide his identity. According to the severely injured martial artists... the attacker appeared to be... the Ninth Young Master!"

"What? Lao Jiu? How could he possibly injure so many people? Are you certain?" Qin Muhai, who was seated at the far end, shot to his feet in astonishment.

The dark-faced man wiped sweat from his brow. "It’s the absolute truth. Several of the martial artists at the late-stage Martial Arts Second Realm were certain it was the Ninth Young Master. His weapon is an Ancient Bronze Tripod weighing over a thousand pounds. He immediately smashed them, inflicting grievous injuries, but he specifically did not kill them! He only robbed them clean!"

"Impossible! Using a tripod that weighs over a thousand pounds as a weapon? Isn’t that good-for-nothing stuck at the Martial Arts First Realm? How could he possibly have that much strength!" Qin Muyun cried out, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"It is indeed inconceivable," a sinister voice analyzed. "It’s common knowledge that he has been stuck at the Martial Arts First Realm for nearly a decade. Lifting an Ancient Bronze Tripod weighing a thousand pounds isn’t the hard part; some exceptionally talented martial artists at the late-stage Martial Arts Second Realm can just barely manage it. But to wield it as a weapon? I fear even an ordinary martial artist of the Martial Arts Three Heavens would be incapable of that!"

The speaker wore a High Crown and a Gray Feather Robe, a cold and sinister look on his face. It was none other than Qin Muhai, who had always despised Qin Feng.

One could say the two were mortal enemies. It was Qin Muhai who had led the men who beat the original Qin Feng to death, allowing the one they now called Old Demon Qin to possess his body.

If anyone was to be the most infuriated by this news, it wasn’t the others—it was him.

"In other words, this brat achieved a cultivation at or above the Martial Arts Three Heavens overnight!" Qin Shu, seated at the head of the left row, sighed thoughtfully, a glint in his eyes.

"Damn it! That bastard really did ignore the family’s interests and hoard the treasure for himself!" BANG! Qin Muyun slammed his palm on the table before him, shattering it. His eyes were bloodshot with jealousy, his face twisted in a snarl.

Most of the young masters present were agitated. Their hearts churned with resentment, indignation, jealousy, and murderous intent.

But more than anything, they felt a burning greed. In their eyes, Qin Feng was a fat sheep ripe for the slaughter. Although he had demonstrated the cultivation of the Martial Arts Three Heavens, this only proved that he must have stumbled upon some incredible, heaven-sent opportunity. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

’If I could seize that opportunity for myself,’ they thought, ’my cultivation would soar, and I could crush all my rivals here.’

"Ahem..." An old, hunchbacked man behind Qin Fang gave a dry cough and stepped forward. Dressed in black, he was utterly inconspicuous in the candlelight. Yet, the moment he appeared, the expressions of the young masters changed, and they hastily suppressed the burning greed in their eyes.

This hunchbacked old man was Qin Zhong, the personal attendant of the current Patriarch, Qin Qingshan. Despite his hunched back, his cultivation was unfathomably deep. He and Qin Qingshan had gone through thick and thin together in their youth, and his contributions were indispensable to Qin Qingshan’s rise to become the Qin Family Master.

In recent years, he had lived a more quiet life, following behind Qin Fang. No one knew his true strength. And although he was merely a steward, every young master of the Qin Family had to respectfully address him as "Grandmaster."

"Young Masters, this old servant has something to say, if you would be willing to hear it."

"Please speak, Grandmaster Zhong!" Qin Shu quickly stood up, his expression respectful. He was the eldest of all the brothers. Although it was common knowledge that he was not the favored successor to the position of Patriarch, he was still nominally the eldest brother among all the young masters present.

The hunchbacked old man nodded. His wizened face looked gentle in the firelight as he spoke softly. "It is now certain that the Ninth Young Master’s selfish desires are monstrous. He has disregarded the family’s interests and embezzled its great treasure for his own gain. Furthermore, his actions have been vicious and merciless, injuring the family’s elites. He is utterly lawless. Such a savage is a curse upon our Qin Family, not a blessing. More importantly, he carries our family’s Supreme Treasure. Retrieving it is a matter of the utmost urgency!"

"This old servant hopes that all you young masters will put the family’s interests first and work together to capture this traitor. Should one of you succeed in apprehending him, I will personally report your great deed to the Patriarch and lend you my full support!"

The young masters below were instantly tempted. Qin Shu, being the most level-headed, pondered for a moment before asking, "But Qin Feng is a lone wolf now. His cultivation has surged, and he’s ruthless and exceptionally cunning. I fear it will be nearly impossible to catch him in the forest."

The hunchbacked old man raised his head and gave Qin Shu a peculiar look. From that single glance, Qin Shu felt his muscles go rigid as a terrifying sensation washed over him. ’What a horrifying gaze,’ he thought.

A cold sweat broke out on Qin Shu’s back. To think that even with his cultivation at the mid-stage Martial Arts Third Realm, he couldn’t withstand a single glance from the old man.

The hunchbacked old man’s gaze was cold; it seemed he only showed a hint of kindness when he looked at Qin Fang.

"Eldest Young Master, you need not worry," he said. "This old servant has brought a squad of elites from the Law Enforcement Hall. Every one of them has a cultivation at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer or higher. Capturing a mere brat at the Martial Arts Three Heavens will be more than enough."

As he finished speaking, he clapped his hands. A squad of martial artists with imposing auras filed in from outside the tent. All of them were over thirty years old, dressed in practical warrior’s attire, with cold, indifferent expressions. They emanated a suffocating pressure that made one’s heart pound. Every single one of them was at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer or above. The two men in green robes at the lead, exuding an air of vicious hostility, were even at the Martial Arts Fifth Layer Heaven!