Chapter 218: Chapter 216: Who is Less Cunning?

The man from the Thousand Mechanism Sect and the Fourth Young Master Lin couldn’t help but exchange a look, both reading the same thought in the other’s eyes.

’This disciple of the Qin Family... is no simple character!’

The young man from the Cui Family’s eyes shot open. He retreated two steps and yelled, "Qin! Let me tell you, this has nothing to do with me! On what grounds are you trying to pin this on me?"

Qin Li rolled his eyes, not even deigning to look at him. Meanwhile, the Fourteenth Young Master of Sword Concealment Manor had gone deathly pale. His gaze, fixed on the young man from the Cui Family, was filled with disbelief. He couldn’t imagine that a friend he’d treated as a sworn brother, one in whom he had confided, would disregard his very life at such a critical moment—all for a bit of so-called face.

Someone from Sword Concealment Manor pleaded, "Young Master Cui, I beg you, please help our young master! It’s just a matter of a single sentence..."

"Hmph. What single sentence?" a middle-aged man with a Fu Manchu mustache standing beside the young master of the Cui Family said with a calm, indifferent air. "This matter has absolutely nothing to do with my young master. When we scions of the Noble Families are out in the world, we represent the honor of our families. On a personal level, my young master would shed his blood for yours without a second thought. But for the sake of our family’s honor, you must forgive him... he cannot help!"

"Good, good, good! What ’family honor’!"

The Fourteenth Young Master of Sword Concealment Manor laughed coldly a few times. Suddenly, an imposing aura erupted from his body as he straightened his back. His eyes locked onto Qin Li as he said, "Kid, just kill me! I will never bring shame to my family! Let’s see how long you live after I’m dead! I’ll be waiting for you in the underworld!"

"Heh, so you do have some backbone! Not bad!" Qin Li chuckled. A powerful aura exploded from him, forcing everyone around to involuntarily retreat. He then fixed his gaze on the Fourteenth Young Master of Sword Concealment Manor and asked coldly, "Are you truly not afraid to die?"

The young man’s face turned pale as clay under the pressure of Qin Li’s aura, and his legs trembled, but he still managed to say with difficulty, "Kill me. Just kill me!"

Qin Li roared with laughter. With a slight squeeze of the hand gripping the young master’s throat, all the people who had been forced back by his aura and couldn’t get close felt their eyes about to pop from their sockets.

"Let go of our young master!"

"I’ll fight you to the death!"

"Let him go, now!"

The Fourteenth Young Master of Sword Concealment Manor’s eyes were squeezed shut, his body trembling slightly. Tears streamed from his eyes, but he didn’t utter another word of pleading.

Clearly, the words from the Cui family member had stoked the young man’s hot-blooded and impulsive nature.

At that very moment, the middle-aged man from the Cui Family with the Fu Manchu mustache and his young master exchanged a glance and a smile, their expressions utterly smug!

Still laughing, Qin Li changed his grip from a choke to a push, shoving the Fourteenth Young Master of Sword Concealment Manor toward his two Celestial Integration Realm Martial Artist guards. He said coolly, "If you dare to insult me again, I will surely kill you!"

With that, he strode over to Shangguan Shiyu’s side, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, let out a long laugh, and shot up from the ground, rocketing into the distance!

From the Forest, a low, beastly roar suddenly rang out. Simultaneously, a heaven-shaking aura erupted, following the pair as they vanished.

The remaining people stared at each other in dismay. The two Mountain Guard Disciples from the Four Seasons Sect had a faint look of disappointment in their eyes, and a slight bitterness welled up in their hearts. The same thought occurred to both of them: ’Only a man like that is worthy of Senior Sister Shangguan!’

The people from the four families were completely stunned by Qin Li’s aura alone. So much so that as Qin Li departed with casual elegance, not a single one of them dared to try and stop him.

The Fourteenth Young Master of Sword Concealment Manor touched his throat, a look of lingering shock on his face. Clearly, he still hadn’t processed the fact that Qin Li hadn’t killed him in the end.

He turned a deaf ear to the comforting words of those around him.

After a long moment, he faced the direction where Qin had vanished and bowed respectfully. He murmured to himself, "Thank you, Qin, for teaching this little brother such a vivid lesson. It is one I shall never forget. I will return home at once and stop my family from causing any more trouble for the Qin Family!"

With that, he got into his carriage and sped away without a backward glance. He had lost immense face today and harbored zero goodwill toward Young Master Cui, who had watched him approach death without lifting a finger.

The young master of the Cui Family and the middle-aged man with the Fu Manchu mustache both wore looks of shock. At the same time, they saw a trace of fear in each other’s eyes. ’That disciple of the Qin Family is too terrifying!’

"What fucking rotten luck!"

The young master of the Cui Family punched the air viciously and said through gritted teeth.

No wonder he was so frustrated. He had deliberately provoked the young, impulsive fool from Sword Concealment Manor to make an enemy of Qin Li. No matter who won, his Cui Family would have reaped the benefits.

News had come from the secular world that the Cui Family’s power there, the Imperial Family of the New Qin Kingdom, held a deep-seated hatred for this kid! It would have been perfect if he could have been killed.

But he never expected that the kid would see through his scheme. Not only that, he had turned it around and plotted against him!

In fact, it wasn’t even a covert plot; it was an open and honest conspiracy!

Thinking of this, the young master of the Cui Family boarded his carriage with a frustrated expression, and his group gradually departed.

In the end, only the Fourth Young Master Lin of the Lin Family and the young man from the Thousand Mechanism Sect remained. They exchanged a smile and boarded the same carriage, their procession gradually moving into the distance.

The two had known each other for a long time. They shared a similar, masculine aura, yet at the same time, they both possessed a scholarly and refined demeanor.

"Brother Lin, what do you think of that disciple from the Qin Family?" the young man from the Thousand Mechanism Sect asked softly, a faint smile on his face.

"Unfathomable!"

Fourth Young Master Lin couldn’t help but sigh softly. "To think that someone of such extraordinary talent could appear on Profound Island. Alas, in less than a hundred years, the Qin Family is bound to rise to glory!"

The young man from the Thousand Mechanism Sect nodded. "Indeed. I heard he came from the secular world. A talent like that would be a hot commodity for any family!"

Fourth Young Master Lin smiled. "If he were willing to join my Lin Family, I’d even marry my own sister to him!"

"The ’Lotus in Clear Water,’ Lin Yun’Er?" The young man from the Thousand Mechanism Sect’s eyes lit up. He chuckled and said, "Brother Lin, how about I marry into your Lin Family instead? Miss Yun’er’s beauty is by no means inferior to that of Miss Shangguan! Haha!"

"In your dreams! You wish!" Fourth Young Master Lin laughed and playfully punched the young man from the Thousand Mechanism Sect on the shoulder. "Even if my Lin Family agreed, would your old man, the great Sect Leader of the Thousand Mechanism Sect, Shen Xiaofeng, ever agree?"

"As long as I agree, that’s what matters!"

"Pah! Your old man would break your damn legs!"

The two joked and laughed for a moment before their expressions turned serious again. Fourth Young Master Lin sighed softly. "Brother Shen Le, you know, the four great Noble Families and three great Sects of Profound Island have reigned for far too long. It’s been over ten thousand years since the dawn of the Ancient Era. While this has allowed us, the Seven Great Powers, to build an astonishingly deep foundation, it has also bred complacency and arrogance in many of our younger generation. We look down on the heroes of the world. But in truth, aside from our powerful backgrounds, how much stronger are we scions of the great clans than anyone else?"

Shen Le nodded in profound agreement. "You’re right," he lamented. "Take me, for instance. As the only son of the Sect Leader of the Thousand Mechanism Sect, I was born under a halo of privilege, showered with favor. To me, Miracle Elixirs were as common as candy, and I was given every opportunity for Washing Marrow and Peeling Hair. Yet even with all that, I am still only in the early stage of the Celestial Integration Realm. For the past few years, I’ve started refusing to take any more Elixirs. Power boosted by external objects may seem formidable, but it’s ultimately not the same as strength earned through bitter cultivation."

A bitter smile appeared on his face as he continued, "If I were to face this Qin Li, I’m afraid I wouldn’t last a hundred rounds against him! And judging by the fluctuations of his Primordial Power, he’s only at the peak of the Celestial Shattering Realm! What’s more, he came from the secular world. I used to be dismissive of the powers from the secular world, but now I realize how ignorant I was."

"Haha, Brother Shen Le, you don’t need to be so self-deprecating. Our strength may not be world-shaking, but at least we’re not weak. This Qin Li... he seems like a monster to me. I still can’t believe he’s only a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy. His very existence makes people like us lose face!"

"Haha, then why didn’t you have your men kill that kid just now, Brother Lin? If I’m not mistaken, among the guards you brought this time, two of them should be Celestial Embracing Realm Martial Artists! Even if the Qin Family fought to the death, with the Lin Family’s resources, you wouldn’t have to fear them." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"You must be joking, Brother Shen. Kill him? Did you really think that old man had gone far? Besides, it’s not like you didn’t see how miraculous that kid’s Body Technique is. Damn it, it almost makes me want to ask him to be my master!" Fourth Young Master Lin said with a bitter smile.

"Heh, why don’t we... also take a trip to Fengsha City?" Shen Le said with a smile.

"I was just thinking the same thing!"

...

Qin Li, along with Shangguan Shiyu and Xiaohai, traveled for dozens of miles. Then, Qin Li cupped his fist toward the surrounding mountains and said in a clear voice, "Many thanks, old brother, for the escort. We... shall meet again!"

From the Forest, a resonant and powerful laugh rang out. "Little brother, your strength is world-shaking. With time, you will surely shine brilliantly. If this old brother ever needs to ask you for a favor in the future, I hope you won’t refuse..."

The voice faded into the distance, eventually falling silent.

Shangguan Shiyu looked at Qin Li in surprise and asked, "They didn’t leave just now?"

Qin Li smiled and nodded. He turned his head to look at Shangguan Shiyu and said, "They were probably afraid we’d be at a disadvantage."

Shangguan Shiyu nodded lightly. "Actually, my master has always been quite good to me."

"I know. Otherwise, did you think I would have let her off so easily?" Qin Li took Shangguan Shiyu’s hand and smiled. "Let’s go. We’re going home!"