Chapter 672: To achieve great things, one must not be too particular about small details!
This Old Qin, named Qin Haitian, is the strongest person in Hangzhou, a Late Stage Heavenly Human Giant. Looking at Yanxia, he is one of the few existences, and the name of the Yanxia Qin Family is as stable as Mount Tai.
If any other young person were to be praised so highly by a figure of his stature, they would struggle to contain their elation, their joy written plainly across their face. It was an honor that could define a rising star's entire career, a seal of approval from one of the pillars of Yanxia's martial world.
But Yu Guanying merely offered a faint, polite smile, his expression unreadable. Inside, his heart remained a placid lake, without a single ripple of excitement to disturb its serene surface. He was a man playing a much larger game, and mere compliments were but a gentle breeze, incapable of stirring the depths of his ambition.
Yu Guannan, however, was not so composed. She lifted her chin, a flicker of genuine joy and pride dancing in her eyes. She gave a light, almost dismissive hum. "Old Qin, you flatter me. What is this little strength of mine? Fairy Pei of the Sword Palace and An Zhiyue of Yanxia's An Clan... now those are the true Heavenly Daughters. They are the ones I strive to catch up to!"
The moment the name "An Zhiyue" left her lips, the genial atmosphere in the grand living room evaporated. A sudden, heavy silence descended, thick with unspoken history and animosity. The air itself seemed to grow colder, charged with a tension that far outweighed the casual conversation that had preceded it.
Old Qin's smile remained, but it had transformed. It was no longer a warm expression of approval but a complex, layered mask of amusement and deep, ancient grudges. Yu Guanying's calm expression, in contrast, hardened into one of profound solemnity. The time for pleasantries was over.
With a fluid, deliberate motion, Yu Guanying rose from his seat. The fabric of his expensive suit rustled softly in the unnerving quiet. He faced the old patriarch and cupped his fists in a formal, respectful salute, a gesture of a junior before a senior that carried the weight of a formal petition.
"My Yu Clan's sworn enemy, the Shen Clan, has long since formed a marriage alliance with the An Clan," he began, his voice clear and steady, cutting through the silence like a blade. "An Youmin and now his daughter, An Zhiyue, are both Heavenly Human Giants. Their combined power is not something my Yu Clan can contend with alone."
He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. "Guanying has formed the Hero Assembly, gathering many prominent figures and magnates from across Jiangnan, but without a titan like Old Qin to anchor us, to hold the fort... the Hero Assembly is simply a gathering of crows, not an army of eagles. It is not qualified to challenge the combined might of the Shen and An Clans."
His gaze was direct, unwavering. "Please, Old Qin, lend Guanying your aid."
Beside him, Yu Guannan mirrored her brother's actions, her pride melting away into a shared, solemn appeal as she, too, cupped her fists in salute.
Old Qin did not answer immediately. He let the silence stretch, his ancient eyes studying the two young scions of the Yu Clan. Then, with a tone that was half-smile and half-sigh, he spoke. "That old fellow An Youmin... he truly is a lucky bastard. To have such an outstanding daughter, An Zhiyue, who broke through to become a Heavenly Human Giant at such a young age. The Yanxia Female War God... she truly lives up to her name."
He took a slow sip of his tea, the clink of porcelain against the saucer echoing loudly in the room. "If the An Clan continues to develop at this pace, I'm afraid it will soon stand as the number one family in all of Yanxia." His eyes narrowed slightly. "As for the Shen Clan? Its development now lags far behind."
Yu Guanying nodded, his expression grimly affirming the assessment. "The Shen Clan has no worthy successors, while the An Clan flourishes with talent in every generation. But the marriage alliance binds them. They have become a single, monolithic entity. To deal with the Shen Clan, the An Clan cannot be ignored; to deal with the An Clan, the Shen Clan cannot be spared."
Here, Yu Guanying's voice took on a sharper edge. He looked up, his gaze piercing, locking onto Old Qin, who had still not responded to his plea for help. He delivered his next words like a hammer blow.
"Twenty-seven years ago, An Youmin killed Old Qin's eldest son. Does Old Qin truly not wish for vengeance for such a deep and blood-soaked enmity?"
The air in the room didn't just grow cold; it froze solid. The faint, rich smile on Old Qin's face shattered, replaced by a mask of raw, ugly fury. A monstrous pressure, the unrestrained aura of a Late Stage Heavenly Human, slammed down upon the room. The exquisite teak furniture groaned, and a fine layer of dust vibrated off the ornate decorations. For Yu Guannan, a mere Martial Arts Grandmaster, it felt as if a mountain had been dropped on her shoulders, forcing the very air from her lungs. Only her brother, Yu Guanying, stood firm, his own internal energy circulating fiercely to resist the crushing weight.
Old Qin's eldest son... he had been the pride of the Qin Clan. A brilliant talent, a Martial Arts Grandmaster in his youth who had earned great merit and distinction after joining the Special Department. He was a leader, the designated successor, the future of the Qin Clan.
But he had fallen. He fell in love with a woman he should not have—a clandestine operative from Sakura Country. He committed a crime he should not have—stealing vital state secrets and attempting to flee the country.
When the Yanxia Special Department discovered the betrayal, it was An Youmin who personally gave the order. The kill order. He intercepted and executed Old Qin's son and the Sakura Country spy, ensuring the secrets never left Yanxia's borders.
At the time, Old Qin had said nothing. Publicly, he had even expressed shame for his failure to raise his son properly, closing his doors to "reflect on his mistakes." He played the part of the loyal patriot who put the nation above his family.
But in the twenty-seven years that had passed, there was not a single day, not a single waking moment, he did not feel the poison of resentment burning in his veins. That was his son. His most valued, most promising son. Gone. Just like that.
Couldn't An Youmin have shown him some face? A little leniency? Couldn't he have just been punished, imprisoned, anything but death? But no. An Youmin had killed him. Directly. Without hesitation. The friendship the two old men once shared was severed that day, leaving behind an irreparable chasm of hatred.
Yu Guanying watched the storm of emotions play across Old Qin's face and sneered inwardly. 'It's settled.' The older a man gets, the more he clings to the past. And with the current generation of the Qin Clan being so utterly unremarkable, how could Old Qin not miss his brilliant firstborn? How could he not hate the man who put him in the ground? This visit, with his talented younger sister in tow, was a calculated move to pour salt on that old wound, to stir the embers of nostalgia and resentment into a raging inferno.
"As long as Old Qin is willing to lend his aid, my Yu Clan is willing to form a marriage alliance with the Qin Clan." Yu Guanying played his ace, his voice cutting through the old man's seething anger. "And the marriage partner will be my younger sister, Yu Guannan. The legitimate daughter of the Yu Clan's main line, a Martial Arts Grandmaster!"
"Really?" The oppressive aura vanished as if it had never been. Old Qin's eyes, moments ago filled with rage, now blazed with avarice. He stared at Yu Guannan as if she were a priceless treasure.
A legitimate daughter of the Yanxia Yu Clan, a powerhouse family in her own right. But more than that, a Martial Arts Grandmaster at such a young age. A Heavenly Daughter with limitless potential. How could such a prize be offered in marriage to his lackluster Qin Clan?
At this moment, Old Qin was completely and utterly tempted. To think he could be swayed by just a few words about revenge was wishful thinking. He was an old fox, and while he despised An Youmin, he would never risk the survival of his entire clan on pure emotion. But this… this was a different matter entirely. This was a deal that could elevate his family's lineage for generations to come.
Before Yu Guanying could elaborate, Yu Guannan, who stood beside him, raised her chin. A flicker of her inherent pride returned. "Of course it's true," she declared, her voice ringing with defiance. "But I get to choose the person!"
"Good, good, good!" Old Qin roared with laughter, his previous fury forgotten. He beamed, his smile so wide it threatened to split his face. "I have seven unaccomplished grandsons, five of whom are not yet wed. Nan Nan can choose whichever one she fancies!"
"In that case, has Old Qin agreed?" Yu Guanying pressed, his eyes burning with intensity. With Old Qin's pledge, the Yu Clan's camp would gain a true titan. The Hero Assembly would no longer be a hollow name. With a Late Stage Heavenly Human at its back, it would command absolute authority in Hangzhou and the greater Jiangnan region, its prestige soaring to immeasurable heights.
Normally, Yu Guanying would never have acted with such urgency. The Yanxia Yu Clan would never have countenanced paying such an astronomical price, marrying off a legitimate daughter who was also a martial arts genius. Yu Guannan's potential was a strategic asset in itself.
But in recent days, the Yu Clan had watched the power of the Shen and An Clans surge at an alarming rate. They felt a cold dread creeping up their spines and decided they had to strike first, to seize the initiative before they were completely overwhelmed.
This, of course, was the change brought about by Shen Anyu. Under his influence, the Shen and An Clans were expanding with terrifying speed. The most shocking development was An Zhiyue's breakthrough. The news that the An Clan's second young lady, the famed Female War God, had ascended to the Heavenly Human realm sent shockwaves through the upper echelons of Yanxia.
In the Yu Clan Patriarch's study, the lights had burned all night. The clan's highest-ranking members had sat in collective, sleepless shock. It was then that Yu Guanying had proposed the formation of the Hero Assembly, a grand coalition to gather enough strength to challenge the Shen-An alliance.
In the worlds of business and politics, the Yu Clan's influence was not inferior to the Shen Clan's. But in the military sphere, they were completely outmatched by the An Clan. Most importantly, they lacked a powerhouse, a Heavenly Human Giant, to anchor their forces. Thus, the primary objective of this trip to Hangzhou was to win over Old Qin, this Late Stage Heavenly Human Giant, even if it meant sacrificing Yu Guannan.
Though Yu Guannan was somewhat unwilling, she understood her duty. As the legitimate daughter of a great aristocratic family, she had enjoyed a life of privilege. Now, with the clan's destiny hanging in the balance, she had to pay the price.
"The Yu Clan is willing to let Nan Nan marry into our Qin Clan. With such great sincerity, how could I refuse? It's just..." Old Qin stroked his beard, his smile fading as his expression turned solemn once more. "The Shen-An Alliance has two Heavenly Human Giants. An Zhiyue's recent breakthrough is one thing, but that old monster An Youmin is a Peak Heavenly Human. Though years of constant battle have left him with old injuries, I still do not have absolute certainty of victory against him."
Yu Guanying, however, smiled mysteriously and said: "My Yu Clan has also invited a powerful expert who will surely be able to contend with An Youmin."
"Who?" Old Qin leaned forward, his curiosity piqued.
"A Tenin from the Koga-ryu, skilled in the art of assassination!"
"What?!"
Old Qin shot to his feet, his face a canvas of astonishment. He stared at Yu Guanying in utter disbelief. They had actually hired a foreign expert? And a Tenin from Sakura Country, of all places? This crossed a fundamental line in the internal struggles of Yanxia's great families.
"To achieve great things, one must not be bothered by trivialities!" Yu Guanying said calmly, his voice as cold and hard as steel.
Old Qin's face alternated between cloudy and clear, a war of ambition against tradition playing out in his expression. Finally, he let out a long, heavy sigh, gritted his teeth, and gave a sharp, decisive nod. He had made his choice.
"Hahaha, with Old Qin's help, the Shen Family and An Family will surely be wiped out!" Yu Guanying, who had maintained his calm and composed demeanor throughout the entire negotiation, finally burst into loud, triumphant laughter, his pleasure echoing through the now-silent room!
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