15: Chapter 15 "The Rat" Comes to the Door: Moral Blackmail

However, before Qi Yin's excitement had even faded, a sharp pain in her lower abdomen knocked her to the ground.

After a moment of contemplation, she had no choice but to focus her mind again, carefully feeling that surging energy.

Gradually, she felt the vortex that had just formed become more solid, gradually taking the shape of an ice crystal shard.

When she reached out her hand again, a bone-chilling cold surged toward her palm, and a small ice spike suddenly appeared in it.

It was actually a mutated Water-type Supernatural Ability, the Ice type!

Thinking of something, Qi Yin got up and ran to the practice field below, using her mind to conjure a zombie.

She raised her hand, aiming it forward.

A faint "crack" sound echoed in the air, as if invisible gears had been frozen and jammed.

A few faint specks of white light flickered and gathered in her palm, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.

The next second, five long ice spikes condensed out of thin air, hovering above her palm with a chilling aura.

Frowning, Qi Yin concentrated again and flicked her wrist forward with all her might.

The five ice spikes seemed to have arranged themselves in a formation, shooting straight toward the zombie's head with a dull thud.

Under the attack of the ice spikes, the zombie's head suddenly exploded, brains splattering everywhere, and a layer of white frost spread through the air.

Qi Yin watched the scattered ice spikes and exhaled a puff of white, icy breath.

"As expected, offensive Supernatural Abilities suit me better!"

Calming down, Qi Yin realized that the Supernatural Ability she had just triggered had exhausted all the energy in her body, leaving her feeling utterly exhausted.

Xiao Yu flew to her ear: "Master, you can go soak in the Spirit Pool outside; it can relieve your fatigue."

How could Qi Yin disagree? Walking outside, she discovered that the Spirit Spring, which had initially been just a small spring eye, had quietly gathered into a Spirit Pool behind it.

The warm spring water enveloped her, and threads of cool energy seeped through her pores into her body, slowly cleansing the meridians and flesh that had just been scoured by the violent energy.

A subtle itching pain radiated throughout her body, as if countless tiny needles were helping her remove impurities.

Qi Yin watched the murky filth slowly flowing out of her body, dissolving into the spring water and disappearing under the purification of some mysterious force.

The fatigue and pain in her body were smoothed away bit by bit, replaced by a gradually filling sense of lightness and strength.

The spring water gradually returned to clarity; Qi Yin stretched, opened her eyes, and let out a long, stale breath.

Raising her hand, she saw that the blood vessels under her skin faintly glowed with a healthy luster, a sense of translucence permeating her entire body.

This must be the healing power of the Spirit Spring.

The moon climbed into the branches; Qi Yin was dozing in the second-floor bedroom. Thanks to her experience in the Apocalypse, she did not sleep too soundly.

She heard a faint sound of metal rubbing against metal, which instantly woke her up.

She didn't turn on the lights but walked silently to the door, her palm-sized folding computer connecting to the house's entire surveillance system.

On the screen, two sneaky figures were using the villa's spare key to unlock the front door, their movements appearing extremely flustered and clumsy.

It was Qi Mingyuan and Qi Ming, her so-called good father and good brother.

The two "rats" crept into the living room. In the darkness, Qi Ming accidentally bumped into her expensive coffee table, letting out a stifled cry of pain.

Qi Yin's eyes were cold, and she made no sound.

Just right, I'll use you to practice and teach you a lesson first.

She raised her hand slightly, aiming it at a certain direction in the living room downstairs.

"Crack!"

A slight, crisp sound suddenly came from downstairs.

Qi Ming, who was fumbling for the switch by the wall, suddenly felt his neck go cold. He felt a stream of icy liquid pour down his collar, freezing him so badly that he shuddered and almost cried out.

Looking down, he saw that the half-bottle of mineral water he had just casually set aside had somehow burst open, splashing ice water all over him.

Strange, the water he bought was clearly at room temperature.

"What the hell!" Qi Ming muttered angrily in a low voice.

Qi Mingyuan, behind him, was startled and quickly covered his mouth to avoid ruining things.

The two "rats" continued to fumble around, and Qi Mingyuan's goal was very clear; he seemed to be trying to find the location of the study.

However, when he passed the open kitchen, his feet suddenly slipped, and he went flying like a kite with a broken string.

With a "bang," he fell heavily to the ground, a piercing, bone-deep pain radiating from his tailbone.

When he came to his senses, he realized that a layer of crushed ice had appeared on the floor, but he was certain it hadn't been there a moment ago.

"Dad!"

Hearing the sound, Qi Ming hurried to help him up in the darkness, flustered.

Qi Yin stood in the shadows upstairs, watching everything expressionlessly. Her thin lips parted slightly, and she flicked her fingers gently.

The living room's thermostat-controlled air conditioner suddenly blew out a gust of extremely cold, strong wind, directed right at Qi Mingyuan, who had fallen flat on his back, making his teeth chatter.

Qi Ming helped Qi Mingyuan up, looking around, his voice laced with a bit of fear.

"This house seems wrong; it's haunted!"

Why did it feel like walking in a graveyard? It was terrifying.

"Shut up!"

Qi Mingyuan clutched his waist, aching and cold, forcing himself to stand, no longer caring about hiding anything.

"We must find Qi Yin's bankbook today." He said viciously.

Subsequently, Qi Mingyuan lowered his voice toward the upstairs: "Yin Yin, I know you are home. Come out, let's talk."

They had been staking out the place all day and knew that Qi Yin hadn't left since she returned in the afternoon.

The living room lights suddenly turned on.

Qi Yin stood at the top of the second-floor stairs, wearing pajamas with a simple coat thrown over them, her eyes like tempered ice.

She walked down the stairs step by step, her gaze sweeping over the bedraggled pair and the mess on the floor.

There was not a shred of warmth in her voice: "Trespassing, I can call the police right now."

A flash of embarrassment crossed Qi Mingyuan's face, but that normally stern, loving-father face had gradually been replaced by greed and anxiety after ten days of desperate waiting.

"Xiao Yin, we are family. What's this about calling the police? You haven't come home and have been avoiding us; your brother and I had no other choice but to resort to this."

Qi Ming chimed in at this moment: "That's right, Xiao Yin, give us that money first!"

Qi Yin turned and sat on the sofa, watching the two of them with composure: "Money? What money?"

Seeing this, Qi Ming couldn't help but shout, no longer caring whether he was cold or not.

"Why are you playing dumb?"

"The 2.5 billion in liquid funds from selling the group's shares—do you know how the great-uncles and grand-uncles view our family now? They say our family is having an internal conflict. Hurry up and take it out; don't embarrass the family!"

Qi Yin scoffed, truly finding them shameless: "If I recall correctly, that was left to me by my grandmother. How I handle it, is it any of your business?"

"You!"

Qi Mingyuan was so angry his face turned blue. He began trying to play the emotional card, putting on a heartbroken expression.

"Xiao Yin, how did you become like this? Regardless, we are family. What your grandmother left you, isn't it for our whole family?"

"How can you be so selfish? You are still young and don't know the dangers of society. If you take the money and mess around, and our family has to withdraw from the group, how will you let your mother explain it to your grandmother? Is it worthy of her?"

Qi Mingyuan beat his chest and stomped his feet, and Qi Ming chimed in from the side: "Exactly, hurry up and give us the money; that is the Qi Family's money!"

Qi Yin watched their ugly, coordinated performance and their unsightly greed, and the last shred of so-called family affection in her heart completely vanished.

She stood up slowly...