Chapter 209: Chapter 205: Not a day of peace until he’s gone!

Two consecutive cries of “Heaven knows!” revealed the turmoil and bitterness in this middle-aged man’s heart!

Who would have thought that a day like this would come for Qin Fan? Who could have imagined that the Qin Family would face such a predicament at the hands of one of its own discarded sons? As the Feng Shui Master said, perhaps the Qin Family’s luck truly has run out! The countdown started the moment they expelled Qin Fan and his family from their home!

The complexity and bitterness in his heart stemmed from a deep-seated guilt and regret. Although he had not harmed Qin Fan’s family, he had always played the role of an indifferent bystander toward his half-brother, Qin Chu, and his family. At times, he couldn’t bear it and even felt sympathy, but in the end, he always chose to turn a blind eye.

If only I had stood up for them back then… how wonderful that would have been! But there are no “ifs” in this world. Once an opportunity is missed, it’s gone forever.

“Moran, listen to me. Leave Jiangzhou,” Qin Jie’s voice was slightly hoarse as he spoke, breaking the silence as they walked under the streetlights. “I believe it won’t be long before there’s no place left for the Qin Family in all of Jiangzhou!”

“Dad, what do you think they will choose? Will they confront Qin Fan head-on or avoid him while he’s at his strongest? If it’s true, as you said, that the Ye Family is already following Qin Fan’s lead, then our Qin Family might not be able to withstand the blow!” Qin Moran replied, sidestepping his father’s question.

“Avoid him? Where could they possibly hide? They’re accustomed to a life of luxury and power; they can’t and won’t let it go. People always cling to the hope of getting lucky, no matter how dire the situation,” Qin Jie sighed. “Never mind all that; it doesn’t concern you. Just think carefully, pick a destination, and take your mother away from Jiangzhou for now. We can decide what to do after we see how the situation develops.”

“Didn’t you tell Mom to work with them to figure something out? Why the sudden concern for her now?” A sincere laugh escaped Qin Moran, the sound seeming to wash away some of his earlier panic.

“Oh, stop teasing your old man! No matter what, she’s still my wife and your mother. Did you think I could really just ignore her? What I said before was just for show. Anyway, when you get home, don’t rush to bed. Wait for your mom to come back and talk to her. Just tell her you’re both going on a trip for a while,” Qin Jie said with a bitter smile.

“Mm,” Qin Moran replied, nodding slowly after a moment of hesitation.

—

「Meanwhile.」

In the brightly lit Qin Family mansion, after a period of discussion, Old Master Qin coughed a few times and held up his hands to silence the crowd’s indignant outbursts.

“So, your intention is to confront Qin Fan to the bitter end?” he said. “Don’t forget, the only reason Qin Fan dares to be so arrogant is because he absolutely has the power to back it up!”

Silence fell over the room at the old master’s words, serving as everyone’s tacit agreement.

“No matter how capable he is, he’s still a castoff who crawled out of our Qin Family’s doors. I refuse to believe he can turn the world on its head! Hmph, he’d better not be bluffing. Otherwise, for what he did to Xiao Shuai and Xiao Feng, I’ll make his life a living hell! I only hope that when the time comes, you won’t interfere, Old Master,” Qin Jiang said coldly after a brief silence, casting a strange glance at Old Master Qin as he finished.

“His so-called confidence comes from two sources: one is his strength as a Martial Artist at the mid-to-late stage of Dark Energy, and the other is the Ye Family!” Qin Jun stated, his face twisted with grim malice.

“A Martial Artist at the mid-to-late stage of Dark Energy?”

As Qin Jun spoke, many Qin Family members, including Qin Jiang, couldn’t help but exclaim in shock. The strength of a Martial Artist at that realm… if he wanted to kill them, who could possibly escape?

Panic set in. In that instant, they were all terrified, their faces turning ghastly pale.

“I don’t know how that little bastard suddenly gained such strength, but so what if he truly reached that realm? Does he dare to use his power as a Martial Artist against the Qin Family? Hmph! The Qin Family is no ordinary clan, after all. If he dares to make a move, I fear Hua Xiaotian himself will be the first to claim his life! He doesn’t have the guts to perish along with us! And as for the Ye Family, do they really dare to wage open war against us? Are they not afraid of mutual destruction? Don’t forget, that old fool from the Ye Family’s greatest wish is to plant the Ye banner in Four-nine City. At this critical juncture, they lack the courage to take such a risk! Besides, I have already secretly found three or four experts at the mid-to-late stage of Dark Energy, as well as one who has reached the Great Success stage. If our new allies hadn’t stated that their principles only allow them to defend and not attack, I would make sure that bastard never sees tomorrow’s sun!”

With his fists clenched so tightly the veins bulged, the normally elegant-looking Qin Jun grabbed the collar of his shirt. Combined with his ferocious expression, the sight was truly frightening. Every time Qin Fan’s name was mentioned, his rage would ignite uncontrollably.

“Good! Dispatch our people to investigate his background. We must have a complete picture within half a month! As long as this menace exists, our Qin Family will know no peace! We must eliminate this potential disaster before it has a chance to fully form!” The authoritative aura cultivated from years in politics emanated from Qin Jiang as he shot to his feet. Gritting his teeth, he jabbed a finger in the air and spoke with vehemence.

Following his words, the hall once again fell silent. Everyone instinctively turned to look at the old master, waiting for him to speak. He was the helmsman who would make the final decision.

“Is this what all of you think?” Old Master Qin asked, his throat bobbing.

No one responded, but their silence was an answer in itself.

“If I asked all of you to leave and lie low for a while, would anyone be willing?” Old Master Qin shook his head and gave a brittle laugh, the motion pulling at the deep wrinkles on his face.

Again, there was no response, but this time a clear look of indignation appeared in their eyes.

Lie low to avoid the trouble? Just to hide from Qin Fan? They couldn’t afford such a loss of face! If they did that, the shameful label of ’coward’ would follow them for the rest of their lives! The Qin Family would become the laughingstock of Jiangzhou. How could they possibly accept such a thing?!

“So, no one is willing, hmm? Very well. Very, very well,” the old man lamented, shaking his head again in self-mockery, though he wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered for a meeting in the middle of the night? Just because this old woman is close to her coffin, you think you can keep everything from me now?”

From the corner connecting the side hall to the main hall, a white-haired old woman was slowly pushed forward in a wheelchair by her personal attendant. Seated, she swept her sharp gaze across the many descendants of the Qin Family, her presence incomparably domineering and majestic.

She was the matriarch of the Qin Family—the very woman who had snatched Old Master Qin from Qin Fan’s grandmother to become the rightful lady of the house, the wicked old crone who had driven Qin Chu’s mother to her death, and the very source of all the oppression and humiliation that Qin Fan and his family had been forced to endure.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep