Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Qin Zhan’s eyes were slightly narrowed, his gaze unfocused. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. He heard Qin Shifang’s words but didn’t react for a long moment. Qin Shifang’s brow furrowed. ’This brother of mine is powerful, but his disposition is far too indolent! He almost never voices an opinion on family matters, yet he has an immense interest in adventuring, constantly rushing off to various famed locales. Still, I’ve never seen him actually find a single Ancient Ruin.’

Of course, the Bauhinia Clan wasn’t in desperate need of finding Ancient Ruins, and it was quite lenient with its talented and powerful scions. Thus, Qin Zhan’s behavior was rarely questioned.

"Qin Zhan? Qin Zhan?" Qin Shifang raised his voice slightly.

"Ah, Brother, what is it?" Seeing all eyes fixed on him, Qin Zhan gave an apologetic smile. "My apologies, I was lost in thought. What were you saying, Brother? About the Ling Family? Rest assured, the Ling Family is nothing to fear. However, now is not the right time for us to make a move."

"And why is that?" asked the old man to Qin Zhan’s left.

"It’s simple." Qin Zhan straightened up slightly and said nonchalantly, "First, Ling Tianxiao is fiercely loyal to the current King. Unless he’s backed into a corner with no escape, he will never commit what he considers an act of high treason. Second, the Ling Family doesn’t have that profound a heritage. While many claim Ling Xiao has a powerful hidden clan backing him, I’m more inclined to believe he obtained a Secret Manual from some Ancient Ruins. Third, and most importantly, even though His Majesty the King’s relationship with the Ling Family has become strained over several matters—and I believe I heard the two from the Sword Sect have left the Imperial Palace? Surely you don’t think the Western Li Family would just stand by and let someone move against the current King, do you? With the Western Li Family’s strength, protecting a king in the Mortal World would be utterly effortless."

Qin Shifang nodded slightly. "What you say makes sense, Second Brother, but I still think that third son of the Ling Family is a real rabble-rouser. If we’re not careful, he could really get the upper hand. And speaking of Penzes City, I can see it clearly now—that brat has completely claimed it as his own territory! Hmph. A brilliant move by His Majesty the King, trying to kill three birds with one stone. In the end, that fertile land was swallowed whole by the Ling Family’s third son, and there’s no way he’s spitting it back out!"

At the far end of the long conference table sat several of the family’s youths. They were the younger generation of the Bauhinia Clan—the family’s future.

Among them, the handsome Qin Kang sat with a gloomy expression. He had once been confident he would find Ling Xiao and get his revenge. The Qin Family, unlike others, performed their scions’ martial awakenings rather late. Direct descendants had to wait until after their eighteenth birthday, at which point their awakening would be supplemented with Elixirs, resulting in a fundamental leap in their strength.

Qin Kang had just turned eighteen. With the aid of Elixirs, he had gone from a Tier Six Sword Master, clearing multiple acupoints in a single go, to successfully becoming a Third-rank Mad Sword Master! If he could just clear one more acupoint, he would break through to a Sixth-rank Mad Sword Master and truly enter the ranks of Middle-tier Martial Artists.

The term "Middle-tier Martial Artist" actually came from the hidden clans. One had to reach the strength of the Demon Swordsmen to barely qualify as a Middle-tier Martial Artist. Only by surpassing the power of the Sword Sect could one be considered to have entered the high-tier.

Qin Kang, brimming with ambition, had once planned to seek out Ling Xiao for a fair duel after his strength soared.

Beauty loves a hero—it’s a law as old as time. Qin Kang was certain he would rely on his own strength to defeat Ling Xiao and win Yisha’s heart. And so, in his pride, he had flatly rejected Xie Xiaoyan’s proposed marriage alliance.

But he never expected that even as he was improving, the constant stream of news he received would only bring him one crushing report after another.

Ling Xiao’s series of exploits that shook the entire Empire’s high society, Yisha’s defection from the Gandalf Clan... It all felt like a dagger to Qin Kang’s heart. He had a rude awakening for the first time, realizing the gap between himself and Ling Xiao was immense. ’It wasn’t at all like I imagined, that he only beat me because of pure luck...’ Even now, the memory of those slaps seemed to leave a burning sting on his cheeks.

Hearing his father mention that name again, Qin Kang’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched into tight fists. He ground his teeth. ’Has Ling Xiao really become so important that the Bauhinia Clan needs to convene a family meeting just for him?’

Qin Kang suddenly stood up, and all eyes immediately focused on him, the first-in-line successor to the title of Patriarch. The tradition within the Bauhinia Clan was considered rather unique among the great noble houses: the role of Patriarch was typically filled by someone who could not achieve great heights in the Martial Dao. Therefore, this position, so coveted in the Mortal World, was not necessarily seen as all that alluring in the eyes of the Qin Family’s own scions.

Qin Kang’s face flushed slightly, but he spoke to his father with determination. "Father, I... I want to enter the family’s Cultivation Land!"

"Sit down! This is absurd!"

Qin Shifang’s brow furrowed, and he hissed at his son. He knew, of course, why Qin Kang had suddenly lost his composure. ’My son has never suffered a real setback growing up, has always been arrogant, and looked down on others. While this is a typical youthful impetuousness, I had always hoped my own child would not possess such flaws.’

That was why when Qin Kang got beaten by Ling Xiao, Qin Shifang had no intention of seeking retribution on his son’s behalf. In his eyes, it was actually a good thing. At the very least, it might force his son to mature.

And sure enough, when Qin Kang returned home, he had locked himself away to train relentlessly. Then, during his awakening, he achieved a breakthrough in one fell swoop, becoming a Third-rank Mad Sword Master. He was hailed as one of the family’s most promising rising stars!

’But while he was making progress, he never expected the other boy to progress even faster! His state of mind became unbalanced for a time, and now he’s having delusions of entering the Cultivation Land of the hidden clan that backs the Qin Family? What kind of place does he think that is!’

’It’s a death trap! Qin Jian applied to enter a year ago after receiving the title of Baron, and he still hasn’t emerged. He’s probably already dead in that perilous place. And now my own son wants to go there too? How could I possibly agree?’

Just then, the ever-indolent Qin Zhan opened his eyes slightly. He looked at his nephew, who was standing there with his face flushed crimson with shame, sighed softly, and said, "Brother, let him go."

"What? Second Brother, you..." Qin Shifang stared at Qin Zhan, his eyes filled with anger. He couldn’t understand why his brother, who never involved himself in family affairs, would suddenly interfere in such a matter.

"Have none of you noticed that Kang’er is actually a promising talent? Without this kind of drive, how can one achieve major breakthroughs and great progress on the Martial Dao? Whether it’s the power of hatred or some other force, having a strong motivation is always a good thing. Therefore, I support this."

Qin Shifang glared at Qin Zhan, who stared back at his brother without a trace of fear. He said slowly, "Brother, don’t forget our family’s ancestral precept."

Qin Shifang’s face fell. He slumped in his chair, dejected. "Fine. Go, then. Just go. I’ll just pretend I never had a son!"

The ancestral precept of the Qin Family stated that any descendant who was wholeheartedly determined to advance must not be hindered by anyone for any reason. To do so was considered an act of disloyalty to the family.

Qin Kang’s eyes suddenly reddened. Seeing his father, who suddenly seemed to have aged ten years, he bowed deeply. "Father, please rest assured. Kang’er will not disgrace you! What Qin Jian can do, the achievements Ling Xiao possesses... Kang’er... can do it too! And I will have them!"