Only I am Venerable

In the end, several dozen direct descendants of the Qin Family, including a group led by Qin Yu, chose to stay behind. They felt that Qin Li was merely fearmongering. Profound Island hadn’t just appeared yesterday; it had existed for tens of thousands of years, since Ancient Times, and never once had it been invaded by outsiders. Thus, they didn’t believe the Qin Family would truly be annihilated by remaining here. ’Even if outsiders do invade, what does that have to do with us? They can’t possibly kill everyone, can they?’

The Qin Family currently owned numerous businesses and properties. Even though Qin Suo was taking a vast amount of resources with him, the family’s fixed assets on Profound Island still amounted to an astonishing figure.

Moreover, those who stayed behind harbored an even greater ambition: the singular Qin Family would now be split in two! That meant there would naturally be a vacant Patriarch position.

Those who remained would truly enter the upper echelons and become the decision-makers of the Qin Family. Thanks to the foundation they had already built, their relationships with the Thousand Mechanism Sect and the Wealthy Qian Family, and the deterrent effect of Qin Li’s power, none of the other families on Profound Island would dare to make a move against them.

Thus, these people had their reasons for staying. Although their branch of the family would go from being part of a budding superpower to a small-to-medium-sized clan, it would be a clan where they called the shots.

These several dozen direct descendants represented more than ten branches of the Qin Family. Including everyone under them, they numbered over twenty thousand people! With the addition of many collateral branches and servants, the members of the Qin Family remaining on Profound Island would still constitute a formidable force.

Most importantly, while they didn’t possess the formulas for the elixirs, Qin Suo had given them a three-hundred-year supply of various High Level Elixirs.

Three hundred years was enough time for their strength to increase dramatically. Besides, the people who had truly offended the other families and Sects on Profound Island had all left, so anyone seeking revenge wouldn’t come after them. More importantly, Qin Li was only leaving Profound Island, not dying. Any power that wanted to move against the remaining Qin family members would have to seriously consider whether they could bear the brunt of Qin Li’s wrath.

These were all matters the remaining members of the Qin family had already considered thoroughly, which was why their decision was so firm.

Although Qin Suo was disappointed and wanted to persuade them to change their minds, their decision was final, so he couldn’t press the matter further.

The few Qin Family ancestors who witnessed this all remained surprisingly silent. For the family as a whole, this could be considered a good thing; it was a sign that the family’s influence was growing, allowing it to branch out and flourish.

On the day of the Qin Family’s departure, Shen Le and his wife, along with Patriarch Qian Duoduo of the Wealthy Qian Family, suddenly arrived for a visit.

The main contingent had already departed, leaving Profound Island in a grand procession under the leadership of Shangguan Shiyu. An event of this scale couldn’t be kept secret anyway, so they might as well leave openly. The only thing that mattered was that no one knew their final destination.

In the living room, Shen Le looked at Qin Li with a complicated expression. He smiled wryly and said, "Younger Brother Qin, that’s not very kind of you! Moving your entire family off Profound Island without so much as a word... Go on, tell me. What have you learned?"

Beside him, Patriarch Qian Duoduo of the Wealthy Qian Family also watched Qin Li pensively. Neither of them understood why the Qin Family, which was prospering on Profound Island, would suddenly decide to leave. They wouldn’t believe for a second that there wasn’t a reason. Furthermore, both Qian Duoduo’s and Shen Le’s intelligence and foresight were far superior to that of the conceited younger generation the Qin Family had left behind.

Qin Li smiled. "What news could there be? I’m just taking precautions. Don’t tell me you know nothing about the Land of the Far West. You know perfectly well how those old bastards from the Cui Family, the ones from the Land of the Far West, died. Tell me, if I don’t move my family away, do you think those people will spare me when they arrive?"

Qin Li’s words were a mix of truth and falsehood, and neither Shen Le nor Qian Duoduo could find any flaw in his logic. That being said, the two of them still didn’t quite believe this was his only reason for leaving.

Shen Le put on a pained expression. "My dear brother, after all we’ve been through, can you really bear to just abandon us like this?"

Beside him, Leng Fangfei couldn’t help but chuckle. Her husband was the revered master of a sect, normally so imposing, his every word carrying immense weight. Yet in front of Qin Li, he seemed to lose all his dignity. ’Then again, that just goes to show how close they are.’

Qin Li said, "You both know about the appearance of the Ancient Divine Temple in my mortal world hometown, Yellow Sand City in the Cyan Dragon Kingdom, right?"

Shen Le and Qian Duoduo both tensed, their eyes fixed on Qin Li. Qian Duoduo nodded. "I did hear about that a long time ago. I also heard that many people from Sects in the Land of the Far West came over, searching for some Ancient Map. Oh... right. I think I heard a rumor that you have the Ancient Map..."

Qian Duoduo stopped abruptly, looking at Qin Li with an apologetic expression. "Could it be... Younger Brother Qin, is this why you’re moving your entire family away from Profound Island?"

Shen Le stared at Qin Li, dumbfounded. He stammered, "Seriously, Qin Li? You’re not being a good friend! You have the Ancient Map and you didn’t even tell us!"

Leng Fangfei secretly pinched her husband and chided, "Something this major, it’s doubtful even anyone inside the Qin Family knows about it. How could he possibly go around telling everyone?"

Qin Li shook his head and gave a wry smile. "I wish I really had the Ancient Map. The problem is, someone is deliberately trying to frame me! Moving my family is partly related to that, but it’s not the main reason. I just have a feeling that this flood of people from the Land of the Far West into the East is not a good thing for any of us. The Qin Family has many enemies on Profound Island. They don’t dare retaliate openly, but spreading rumors in the shadows is child’s play. Look, even you two believed it. You think others won’t?"

After a moment’s thought, Shen Le and Qian Duoduo had to agree he had a point. Regardless of whether Qin Li actually had the Ancient Map, if even they didn’t know about it, how could anyone else? It was obvious that the rumor was a complete fabrication, spread with malicious intent.

Qian Duoduo sighed softly. "Qin, you have the courage to relocate such a massive family. Unfortunately, we can’t do the same. We have too many ties here. For now, all we can do is wish Younger Brother Qin the best of luck."

Qin Li sighed. "The Qin Family has left quite a few people behind. I hope that in the future, my two esteemed brothers will be able to look after them."

Shen Le and Qian Duoduo agreed immediately. They both had immense confidence in Qin Li’s power and believed his future accomplishments would be limitless. Thus, they accepted his request to watch over the remaining members of the Qin Family without the slightest hesitation.

After seeing off Shen Le, Leng Fangfei, and Patriarch Qian Duoduo, Qin Li also bid farewell to the members of his family staying behind and then departed, his figure receding into the distance.

A group of people stood before Qin Yu. He had become the new Patriarch of the Fengsha City Qin Family! In addition to him, seven or eight family elders who had reached the Celestial Embracing Realm became the new Elders of the family.

Qin Yu let out a soft sigh. No matter how you looked at it, they had once all belonged to a single great family. There was an inevitable sense of melancholy in their parting.

Just then, someone beside Qin Yu said softly, "Patriarch, let’s head back. The family is in disarray, and we need your leadership to set things right!"

The sorrow in Qin Yu’s eyes gradually hardened into resolve. Full of ambition, he declared, "Alright, let’s go home! I’ll show them all! A hundred years from now, our Fengsha City Qin Family will still be a great power on Profound Island!"

Their numbers exceeded ten thousand, a boundless, endless procession.

The Qin Family’s great caravan numbered eighty to ninety thousand people. The procession was massive, stretching for dozens of miles from front to back!

All of Profound Island was in an uproar. Although there had been rumors, no one had expected the Qin Family to actually possess such boldness—to just up and leave at a moment’s notice!

The Lin, Wang, and Xiao Families—three superpowers who had their conflicts with the Qin Family—all remained surprisingly silent. Not one of them stepped forward to make any public statement.

Qin Li eventually caught up to Shangguan Shiyu ahead. They sat together in a horse-drawn carriage, with Shiyu resting her head on his shoulder. "Husband," she whispered, "do you think we’re really doing the right thing? I can see that many people are dispirited. To be uprooted from their homes... Fengsha City was the Qin Family’s homeland for countless generations."

Qin Li murmured, "Perhaps it won’t be long before they’re grateful for the choice they made. In truth, Shiyu, did you know? The only people I truly wanted to bring were a select few."

Shiyu nodded gently. "I know," she said softly. "You don’t want to see the family annihilated. If we don’t leave, when the Sects from the Land of the Far West find their way to Profound Island, we’ll be the first ones they come to destroy."

"Yes... I just hope that after we’ve gone, the family members who stayed behind can escape this calamity," Qin Li sighed, closing his eyes. Even though Qin Suo and the others were handling most of the arrangements, he still felt a sense of weariness.

Sitting in the comfortable carriage, he gradually closed his eyes and began to doze off.

Qin Li’s carriage was in the middle of the procession. As the head of the column reached the exit of Profound Island, it suddenly halted. The disruption rippled back through the ranks, eventually reaching Qin Li.

Qin Li’s eyes snapped open, his brow furrowing. A moment later, a messenger rushed back with a report: someone was blocking the exit of Profound Island and demanding to see Qin Li.

Qin Li had ordered She She and the others not to take action unless it was absolutely necessary. They were his hidden aces, and he didn’t want to reveal them until a critical moment.

Qin Li had expected the journey wouldn’t be entirely peaceful, but he never thought someone would try to intercept him right at the exit.

’Who could it possibly be?’

With that thought, he stood up and said to Shiyu, "Come with me."

Shiyu nodded and followed Qin Li, flying through the air toward the exit of Profound Island.

And when they saw who was there, both sides... were completely stunned.

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A few bastards are about to drag me out for drinks... so I rushed to get this Chapter out ahead of time!

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