4: The Qin Family Incident

【Five days later,】

【Your sister Qin Yu broke through to the Houtian Realm. The entire Qin Manor was decorated with lanterns and streamers in celebration, and everyone was bustling about.】

【Qin Yu even ran to your courtyard to mock you: “Big brother, Father just promised to hand the Qin Family over to me in the future.”】

【“Don’t forget the agreement we made last time.” She left after saying that.】

【You didn’t care about this, so you congratulated her.】

【In the early morning, you were awakened from your sleep by a clamor.】

【You ran outside to see the entire Qin Manor engulfed in flames, with sounds of fighting everywhere.】

【Chu Chu also ran out from next door in a panic, following you towards the front courtyard.】

【As soon as you arrived at the front courtyard, you saw your parents being besieged by a group of masked men in black.】

【Suddenly, a Martial Artist ambushed your father from behind, a single saber strike cutting deep enough to show bone, and blood instantly stained the ground.】

【You looked closely and saw that this traitor was a Martial Artist from your Qin Family, named Tian Hong.】

【At the same time, more than a dozen other Martial Artists from the Qin Family suddenly defected and attacked your parents with the men in black.】

【Just then, Qin Yu arrived. Her long spear shot out like lightning, directly pinning a Martial Artist who was about to ambush your mother to the ground.】

【A masked assassin in black spotted you and immediately rushed towards you with a saber.】

【Chu Chu stepped forward, blocking you, desperately entangling the assassin, and shouted at you: “Young Master, run!”】

【No sooner had she spoken than the assassin chopped off her head with a saber, and her head rolled three times on the ground.】

【The situation became increasingly perilous. You quickly considered various countermeasures, but you found yourself powerless. This feeling of helplessness deeply pained your heart.】

【Your father Qin Xiuwen made a decisive move, shouting to Lin Xueping: “Quick, take the children and go!”】

【Lin Xueping, with red eyes and a swift movement, grabbed you and Qin Yu, leaped onto the rooftop, and quickly fled Longyang Town with you.】

【After two hours of frantic running, Lin Xueping stopped and said urgently: “Yu’er, take your brother, change your names, and never think of revenge!”】

【Before you could answer, Lin Xueping turned and ran back towards Longyang Town, disappearing into the night in a flash.】

【You knew that your mother was going back to find your father, and this journey was likely to end badly...】

【Qin Yu clenched her fists tightly, her eyes burning with rage, but tears streamed down uncontrollably.】

【She quickly wiped away her tears and grabbed your hand: “Let’s go!”】

【You looked at the small Qin Yu, feeling very curious.】

【You felt that your sister Qin Yu was too sensible, completely unlike a nine-year-old child.】

Looking at the simulated Qin Chen, his eyes were bloodshot, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh.

“There were actually more than a dozen traitors in the family?”

“Who did we offend to warrant the extermination of my entire Qin Family?”

“This happened after the annulment of the engagement... Could it be the Magistrate colluding with the other families?”

“That doesn’t make sense!”

Although Qin Chen was not skilled in martial arts, he was very familiar with the situation in Longyang Town.

Longyang Town had no Grandmasters. The five strongest Xiantian Realm experts were — Qin Xiuwen of the Qin Family Merchant Guild, Meng Wenbin Meng Wenbin, Ji Wuming, the leader of the Water Snake Gang, Zhao Gang, the owner of the One-Armed Martial Arts Hall, and Fragrant Lord Qiao of Tianxiang Pavilion.

The five factions were roughly equal in strength; none could overpower the others.

This was one of the reasons Qin Chen felt at ease being a fop.

Rich, lazy, no talent, a Genius sister, doting parents — a born fop.

In fact, in some respects, the Qin Family was the strongest. Because the Qin Family was the wealthiest — wealth allowed them to hire a large number of Acquired Martial Artists.

Hiring Innate experts was out of the question — because Innate experts were all major figures in their own right.

Hiring Grandmasters was even more unthinkable — those were individuals at the pinnacle of the Yan Dynasty.

For example, the Magistrate of Longyang Town only had a dozen Acquired masters under him; it was impossible and he wouldn't dare to move against the Qin Family.

Qin Chen carefully reviewed the simulation records and suddenly discovered a crucial clue:

The Magistrate came to arrange a marriage for no reason, then suddenly annulled the engagement, and trouble arose after the annulment...

The Magistrate was not the ringleader.

But the Magistrate must have known something beforehand!

Qin Chen stared at the name of the traitor, “Tian Hong,” that appeared in the simulation, his gaze darkening.

“My current strength isn’t enough; I can’t alert the enemy.”

He took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and continued to watch the simulation.

【You and your sister Qin Yu fled towards the imperial capital of the Yan Dynasty.】

【You couldn’t help but ask: “Are we going to the imperial capital?”】

【“Yes, anyone who could attack our Qin Family in Longyang Town certainly isn’t a local power. I suspect they are people from Nanjiang City. Only the imperial capital is safe.” Qin Yu was surprisingly calm.】

【Of course you knew Nanjiang City, the closest large city to Longyang Town.】

【You were secretly astonished. You didn't expect Qin Yu, at such a young age, to be so experienced in handling matters, like an old Jianghu veteran.】

【Along the way, to avoid attracting attention, you deliberately made yourselves look disheveled, pretending to be refugees mixing in behind merchant caravans.】

【It was common for refugees to follow merchant caravans in those days, and the caravans usually didn’t bother with them.】

【After all, who knew when a refugee might turn into a bandit?】

【You suggested taking the waterway, but Qin Yu said it was too dangerous.】

【Ten days later,】

【You traveled over three hundred kilometers, passing through one city, three towns, and more than a dozen villages.】

【Along the way, you also encountered three groups of bandits. However, the bandits had no interest in “refugees” like you.】

【After all, most bandits were also former refugees.】

【Those merchant caravans only needed to pay enough road tolls to pass safely.】

【This seemed to form a tacit understanding.】

【As for why these bandits were not suppressed by the Dynasty, it was unknown.】

【Three months later,】

【You finally stood before the city gates of the Yan Dynasty’s imperial capital.】

【Having traveled all this way, you felt a great deal.】

【A full three thousand kilometers, crossing mountains and ridges, passing through eight cities, over thirty towns, and more than two hundred villages.】

【Among them, you encountered at least thirty groups of bandits. Because you two were visibly poor, those bandits naturally had no interest in you.】

【You both immediately washed your faces by the moat, took out your identification road passes, and smoothly entered the city.】

【These identification road passes were naturally not your own, but picked up; such things were quite common by the roadside.】

【Most people who lost their road passes were good people. So your passes were naturally fine.】

【Upon entering the city, Qin Yu suggested: “Brother, you should take the Literary Academy exam. I’ll go to the Martial Arts Academy.”】

【You couldn’t refute her. In this situation, you couldn’t possibly let your sister take care of you, could you?】

【After discussing, you both went your separate ways to register.】

【In the Yan Dynasty, the Four Great Academies held esteemed positions: the Martial Arts Academy, the Literary Academy, the Commercial Dao Academy, and the Heavenly Craft Academy.】

【Graduates from these four academies had the opportunity to become great figures such as the current Grand Secretary, Grand Marshal, Duke, or Minister.】

【Qin Yu, with her extraordinary talent, easily passed the entrance exam for the Martial Arts Academy.】

【You were also admitted to the Literary Academy, thanks to the “four sentences of hengqu.”】

【Because of these four sayings, Dean Han Hongwen of the Literary Academy personally met you and even wanted to take you as his disciple.】

【You immediately accepted him as your master without a second thought.】

【You immediately took up residence in the academy. Qin Yu only glanced at you before leaving.】

【After this family upheaval, you seemed to have become a different person.】

【Every day, you either read or practiced martial arts, filling your schedule to the brim.】

【Dean Han also frequently sought you out for conversations. The more he talked with you, the more he found you knowledgeable, and his fondness for you grew. He even hinted at grooming you to be the next Dean.】

【However, each time he would acquire many good poems from you, which he would then write down and hang in his study.】