The young woman who appeared at the door seemed to hold a high position in the Yan family. Her words were haughty, showing complete disregard for others.
Shui Qiu also seemed to be quite wary of this person, subconsciously taking a half step back.
At the same time, her senior sister’s palm rested on her shoulder.
Tang Xin nodded at her.
This gesture seemed to give the blue-eyed girl the courage she needed. She took a deep breath and spoke.
“Madam Xu, I’m just here to take what I’m entitled to.”
“Madam?” The young woman raised an eyebrow, her tone cold. “Such a distant form of address, do you no longer consider yourself a member of the Yan family? Once a member of the clan, always a member of the clan! Do you think you can just sever these ties whenever you wish?”
“Let’s talk inside the mansion,” Shui Qiu said firmly. “Or would you prefer to continue this spectacle on the street for all to see?”
“You…”
Madam Xu seemed taken aback by Shui Qiu’s boldness, momentarily at a loss for words, on the verge of anger.
However, a message came from a maid inside the mansion.
“The clan leader has summoned Miss Shui Qiu to the main hall.”
Hearing this command, Madam Xu, despite her anger, could no longer block the door and had to step aside with her guards.
But she clearly wasn’t ready to let them off so easily.
“Stop,” she said to the girl following Shui Qiu. “Who are you? Where do you come from? What is your relationship with Shui Qiu?”
Tang Xin didn’t speak, but silently activated [Ultimate Move One] and [Ultimate Move Three].
A cold laugh + pretending, just pretend.
All disciples of the Xuanling Sect knew that “a smile from the senior sister could mean life or death,” and now, with the support of Ultimate Move Three, emanating an oppressive aura, Madam Xu, who hadn’t even reached the Foundation Building stage, had no right to resist.
“Hmph.”
With a soft snort from Tang Xin, Madam Xu stumbled backward in fear, not daring to utter another word.
How could Shui Qiu possibly know such a character? That sneer, that snort, one couldn’t fake it without having killed at least a hundred and eighty people!
Ignoring the woman who was scared stiff, Tang Xin followed Shui Qiu into the mansion’s main hall.
After a short wait, a tall and upright middle-aged man slowly walked in from outside.
The moment he appeared, the atmosphere in the hall instantly changed, becoming tense, and even the temperature seemed to rise.
The middle-aged man walked to the main seat and sat down.
“Father,”
Shui Qiu greeted with a bow.
“Hmm,” the middle-aged man responded indifferently, “I haven’t seen you for a while.”
This person was the patriarch of the Yan family of Qixing City, as well as Shui Qiu’s father.
From the surname, it was clear that Shui Qiu did not take her father’s surname but followed her mother’s.
Speaking of her mother’s background, it was also extraordinary; she was the daughter of a sect leader in the cultivation world. From the standpoint of the cultivation realm, marrying into the Yan family was definitely considered marrying beneath her status.
Unfortunately, that sect was annihilated in a subsequent conflict, and Shui Qiu’s mother was gravely injured. Not long after giving birth to Shui Qiu, she passed away.
Before her death, she handed over all her remaining resources to the Yan family in exchange for allowing Shui Qiu to take her mother’s surname.
Because of this, the Yan family always had a certain rejection towards this “outsider.”
As for the patriarch, it was originally a marriage without personal feelings, and after learning of Shui Qiu’s “low talent,” he paid her little attention.
There was virtually no emotional connection between Shui Qiu and this “father.”
“I heard you want to take what belongs to you,” the Yan patriarch said indifferently, “I don’t seem to remember what that is?”
“Father,” Shui Qiu replied with her head lowered, “I am referring to our clan’s cultivation technique, the ‘Flame Art.’ As a direct descendant, I have the right to practice the complete ‘Flame Art.'”
Her mother had given all her resources to the Yan family, yet they showed no gratitude. Shui Qiu had no attachment to this family either.
“The right?”
His tone grew heavier.
“Isn’t the Yan family under my command? Whether you have this right should be for me to decide.”
“Father,” Shui Qiu continued, “I need the complete ‘Flame Art’ technique, and I will swear, just like the other disciples, never to divulge it. Is that possible?”
“Is that so?”
The middle-aged man looked her over and slowly replied.
“No, why should I satisfy the request of a junior who does not obey the family’s arrangements?”
“But…”
What he referred to was naturally the arranged marriage half a year ago. When Shui Qiu ran away from home, her relationship with the clan leader and the Yan family had already hit rock bottom.
Tang Xin, standing to the side, had been silent from the beginning, listening to the conversation between the two.
No wonder in the normal storyline, Shui Qiu is destined to turn dark… Growing up in such an environment, isn’t turning dark inevitable?
【Option generation in progress…】
【Option One: Punch the Yan family clan leader in the face and say, “You little bastard, will you hand over the technique or not?”】
【Success probability 49%, reward one bottle of Indestructible Vajra Pill (top-grade), failure leads to the ‘Unrivaled Grass Cutter’ storyline.】
【Option Two: Do nothing and maintain a cold and aloof persona.】
【Success probability 100%, reward Golden Core phase spiritual weapon, the Moon-Slaying Sword.】
【Option Three: Take over the conversation and find a way to obtain the technique.】
【Success probability 100%, reward one Kidney-Fortifying Qi-Supplementing Pill.】
To tell the truth, Tang Xin really wanted to throw a punch, but considering that it would be inappropriate to kill the Yan family head in front of Shui Qiu and go against her own persona, she chose option three.
“Let’s cut the nonsense,” Tang Xin said to the Yan family clan leader, “Tell me, how can the complete technique be handed over to Shui Qiu?”
The middle-aged man shifted his gaze and frowned slightly.
“Who are you? What’s your relationship with Shui Qiu?”
“Tang Xin, I am Shui Qiu’s teacher… companion? Friend? Acquaintance? Wife? Partner?” Tang Xin hesitated for a moment before finally answering, “You don’t care about her, so why ask so many questions? Let’s just cut to the chase, what will it take for you to agree to Shui Qiu’s request?”
As she spoke, she revealed her own cultivation realm.
Foundation Building Sixth Rank, which caused a slight change in the middle-aged man’s expression.
Perhaps on the vast Nine Provinces continent, this realm wasn’t much, but in Seven Star City, it definitely belonged to someone who had a right to speak.
“Have you come to the Yan family to snatch the cultivation technique?”
The middle-aged man stood up, also displaying his cultivation realm.
Foundation Building Ninth Rank!
“That depends on your attitude,” Tang Xin said, unaffected by his imposing aura, “The complete technique rightfully belongs to Shui Qiu. Her mother brought so many resources to the Yan family, yet you repay her by burning bridges. Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at by the cultivators in the world?”
“You…”
Compared to Shui Qiu, Tang Xin was much more cunning, immediately hitting the middle-aged man’s sore spot.
“Let’s be frank,” Tang Xin snapped her fingers, “are you ready for a head-on confrontation, or is there some room for compromise? I’ll take you on if not.”
“Don’t bully my people in front of me, otherwise… I’ll get angry.”
