Chapter 33: The Formidable Ye Keqing

Qin Lang’s future achievements would surely surpass his own, and his character was equally worthy of deep respect. With Qin Lang leading the Qin family, its strength would undoubtedly soar, and its prospects would be boundless.

Qin Jian had absolute faith in Qin Lang.

"Stop with these idle thoughts and focus on being the young patriarch of the Qin family!" Qin Lang flatly rejected Qin Jian’s suggestion.

Now that he possessed dual martial souls, Qin Lang sought to pursue a higher and more formidable power, one that would enable him to protect the loved ones he cherished. The position of a mere young patriarch of the Qin family held no appeal for him at all.

Seeing Qin Lang refuse without a moment's hesitation, Qin Yue, standing nearby, felt a flicker of surprise on her lovely face. It stood to reason that since Qin Lang had been the young patriarch before, he should have valued the position highly. Who would have expected that, given the chance to reclaim it, he would have no interest whatsoever?

"But..." Qin Jian tried to persuade him further.

"You have the support of your father and the elders behind you; you are far more suited for this position than I am!" Qin Lang cut him off directly. "Rest assured, the blood of the Qin family flows through my veins, and the family is the life's work of my father. I will always be a member of the Qin family and will stand with the clan through thick and thin."

Although he had been ostracized and mocked by the clansmen in the past, the Qin family was, after all, his father's legacy. If the clan were ever in trouble, Qin Lang would certainly not stand idly by.

"Very well, then!" Seeing that Qin Lang’s attitude was firm, Qin Jian had no choice but to give up.

Suddenly, Qin Lang frowned. He raised his right hand and came to a halt. "Stop!"

"What’s wrong?"

Qin Jian and Qin Yue froze, looking at Qin Lang in bewilderment. They had sensed nothing unusual in their surroundings, so why had he suddenly stopped?

"Come out! Do you really think you can ambush me with that amateurish stealth of yours?" Qin Lang sneered, his gaze fixed on the woods ahead.

"Hmph! Qin Lang, you didn't expect me to still be alive, did you?"

To the astonishment of Qin Jian and Qin Yue, a purple figure flashed out from the previously empty woods, and a young girl dressed in a purple gown appeared.

She had a slender frame, and the purple dress perfectly accentuated her curvy figure. A jade belt was cinched at her waist, which was so delicate it seemed as though it could be snapped with a single grasp. Her egg-shaped face was adorned with exquisite features—ruby lips, a dainty nose, beautiful eyes, and willow-leaf brows. She was stunningly beautiful, as if she had stepped right out of a painting.

"Ye Keqing!"

Qin Yue and Qin Jian recognized the girl in purple immediately as Qin Lang’s fiancée. However, they noticed that the gentle, endearing demeanor she once possessed was gone. Her beautiful eyes were filled with undisguised rage as she glared viciously at Qin Lang.

"Whether you live or die, what has that to do with me?" Qin Lang smiled faintly, treating Ye Keqing as if she were nothing more than air.

"Hmph! I said it before: when I met you again, not only would I take your martial soul, but I would skin you alive!" Ye Keqing whipped out her long sword and pointed it at Qin Lang.

"Ye Keqing! Over these past ten years, Qin Lang has sacrificed so much for you. Not only are you ungrateful, but you are now trying to steal his martial soul? How can you be so treacherous and ungrateful?" Qin Yue stepped forward, her face flushed with anger, pointing an accusing finger at Ye Keqing.

After much pestering, Qin Lang had finally told her about his history with Ye Keqing. Thinking of how Qin Lang had delayed his own cultivation for ten years just to nourish her body, only for her to turn around and try to steal his martial soul, Qin Yue felt a surge of rage, her chest heaving with indignation.

"Have you forgotten who spent ten years, from the age of five to fifteen, day after day, using his martial soul to nourish your body just for you? Have you forgotten who sacrificed the ten most precious years of a warrior's cultivation for you? Have you forgotten who willingly bore the stigma of being a 'useless waste' for you? Have you forgotten that without Qin Lang’s help, you would have long since exploded and died? How could you possibly be standing here today? And now, you repay kindness with such malice, trying to steal his martial soul! How can a fifteen-year-old girl be so wicked?"

The more Qin Yue spoke, the angrier she became, until she was trembling with rage. If someone had made such selfless sacrifices for her, she would have been overjoyed; how could anyone, like Ye Keqing, commit such a heartless and conscience-less act? Qin Yue felt a deep, piercing sorrow—it was simply not worth the decade of devotion Qin Lang had given.

"Qin Lang is a member of my Qin clan. If you want to touch him, you’ll have to go through me first!" Qin Jian drew his sword with a metallic clang, standing in front of Qin Lang with a look of utter contempt for Ye Keqing.

The so-called top beauty of Qingfeng Town? The daughter of the Ye clan patriarch? The heaven-blessed pride of Qingfeng Town? In Qin Jian’s eyes, Ye Keqing was not even worth as much as the loose women at the Fengjiao Pavilion!

"Don't think that just because you're the young patriarch of the Qin family, I won't kill you! Today, all three of you are going to die!"

Ye Keqing moved like a ghost, appearing instantly before Qin Jian and unleashing a palm strike!

It was the Ye family’s most powerful martial art: The Five-Fold Wave!

Dense spiritual energy swirled around her palm, carrying a formidable pressure as it surged toward Qin Jian with terrifying force.

"So fast!" Qin Jian was shocked and hurriedly countered with his Formless Fist.

"Boom!"

The fist and palm collided violently. Ye Keqing stood rooted to the spot, unmoving, while Qin Jian was sent flying like a kite with a broken string. He slammed into the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

With just one strike, Qin Jian, who possessed the strength of a ninth-level Martial Disciple, was severely wounded!

Although there was only a thin line between a first-level Martial Artist and a ninth-level Martial Disciple, that short step was as vast as heaven and earth. In Ye Keqing’s eyes, whether it was Qin Jian, or the as-yet-unmoved Qin Yue and Qin Lang, they were all nothing more than ants.

"Qin Jian!" Qin Yue quickly helped the wounded Qin Jian up, shoved a healing pill into his mouth, and glared at Ye Keqing. She had never imagined that the once-charming Ye Keqing could be so vicious.

"Hmph! Pathetic!" Ye Keqing cast a disdainful glance at Qin Jian, then turned her cold gaze toward Qin Lang and Qin Yue. "Come at me together, then. It will save me some time."

Ye Keqing was fully confident; even if Qin Lang and Qin Yue joined forces, she could easily finish them off within three moves.

"Hmph, how arrogant!" Qin Yue let out a cold snort, moving to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Qin Lang, her spiritual energy surging.

"Qin Lang, let’s attack together!" Qin Yue’s expression was grave. Although the strength Qin Lang had shown along the way had impressed her, he was still a full major realm behind Ye Keqing. Even together, they might not be a match for her.

"No need. You go take care of Qin Jian! To deal with her, I alone am enough," Qin Lang said calmly, waving his hand.

He was now at the peak of the ninth-level Martial Disciple realm, possessed dual martial souls, and had mastered the profound-grade low-level martial arts, Eight-Fold Wave and Dragon-Drifting Steps. Qin Lang believed that if he fought with all his might, even a first-level Martial Artist might not be his match.

Qin Yue was stunned. She wanted to persuade him otherwise, but seeing the confidence in his dark eyes, she knew he wasn't one to boast mindlessly. She nodded, urged him to be careful, and retreated to Qin Jian’s side.

"Heh, you are truly arrogant! But arrogance that fails to recognize the massive gap between two opponents is nothing but ignorance," Ye Keqing shook her head, looking at Qin Lang with disdain. "To defeat you, I only need one strike!"