22: The Qin people's heritage: prioritizing interests above all else.

The Qin Clan Ancestral Temple was filled with lingering incense, solemn and eerie.

Qin Hao had been kneeling here for many days!

These past few days, he had recounted the full story repeatedly to the six bronze ancient coffins lined up in front of him, and the golden ancient coffin in the very center that exuded an ancient aura.

Inside lay the Old Ancestors of the Qin Clan who had survived through the generations, the Qin Family's last remaining Foundation.

They had been unable to reach the Emperor's Path, their Lifespans nearing their end, and thus had no choice but to Seal themselves, not to be disturbed unless the Qin Clan faced annihilation.

"Do you... know your mistake?"

Finally, a voice emerged from one of the bronze ancient coffins!

It was somewhat ancient and cold, carrying terrifying pressure!

Qin Hao's spine instantly bent.

"No!"

After a while, Qin Hao gritted his teeth, looked up, and continued.

"Old Ancestor, my actions were all for the Qin Family! I never believed my original decision was wrong..."

If not for Qin Lie, that scoundrel, Breakthrough to Saint Venerable and using his formidable strength to make him kneel here and explain the situation to the Old Ancestors, he would not have come.

He would have dealt with Qin Wushang in his own way!

"Resources! Qin Family resources are limited!"

"Old Ancestor, I gave the best great medicine to that traitor twice! Twice!"

"What was the result? His damaged Great Dao Foundation showed no signs of recovery! I didn't not give him a chance!"

"Is a good-for-nothing with no visible future worth the Qin Clan investing everything in?"

"Giving those rare resources to other promising young people is being responsible to the Qin Family! Everyone else in the Qin Clan thinks the same way!"

"If I disregard the feelings of others, they will inevitably have objections, and then there might even be internal strife in the Qin Family, becoming increasingly uncontrollable!"

"Conserving resources and maximizing efficiency, I never thought I was wrong about anything!"

"Then have you ever regretted it?"

A faint sigh came from another bronze coffin.

"Regret?"

A bitter smile appeared on Qin Hao's face.

"There is one thing!"

"I regret not killing him immediately!"

"Of course, I also regret not daring to gamble on his future; now he has risen too quickly, and it has hit my face hard!"

"An Innate Sacred Body Dao Embryo! A Heavenly Dao reward!"

"If he had shown this potential even ten years earlier, I, Qin Hao, would have stolen, robbed, or even acted as someone's grandson, just to worship him like the Old Ancestors!"

"But now it's too late to say anything! Old Ancestor, this child's Heart-Nature is ruthless, and he has no affection left for the Qin Family! We must, before he fully grows, make him..."

He made a gesture of slitting his throat, a hint of resolute ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.

He feared death, but he feared even more a future Quasi-Emperor, or even a Great Emperor, who harbored deep hatred for the Qin Family.

Since reconciliation was no longer possible!

Then he must be stifled!

"Presumptuous!"

"Boom--!"

Suddenly, the golden ancient coffin in the very center violently shook, and a wisp of Qi overflowed from the coffin lid's seam, as if the entire space of the Ancestral Temple was solidified!

Qin Hao felt his Primordial Spirit being clutched by an invisible giant hand, making even breathing incredibly difficult.

"You! You idiot!"

The Old Ancestor's voice from within the golden coffin was filled with uncontrollable rage, as if he would burst out of the coffin at any moment.

"You thought he was mediocre, you didn't want to invest, which is understandable, at most it means your judgment was poor!"

"When he was crippled, you weighed the pros and cons and chose to cut your losses, which is also reasonable, at most it means you are heartless!"

"But!"

The voice from the golden coffin grew increasingly furious!

"What do you mean by making him, a direct Bloodline, move to an area where high-ranking servants live, without even a single servant to command, enduring scorn and disdain?"

"You are throwing him away like trash! You are smearing the face of my Qin Clan's direct Bloodline!"

"He is a direct Bloodline, he is your relative, your Family, not those lowly servants!"

"The Qin Clan's Foundation is Bloodline, it is rules! As the Clan Chief, you took the lead in breaking the rules, allowing servants to ride over masters, allowing fellow Clan members to despise each other!"

"If this continues, people's Heart-Nature will scatter, and the Qin Family will perish! You good-for-nothing, what you manage is not a Qin Family, but a damn makeshift troupe!"

"You good-for-nothing!"

"Corrupting the Qin Family's traditions, you, the Clan Chief, are primarily responsible for the Qin Family's decline!"

No one dared to refute the words from the golden coffin.

The six bronze ancient coffins beside it also listened quietly, without any movement.

"Old Ancestor, please calm down! Old Ancestor, please calm down!"

Qin Hao was scared to the point of his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, knocking his head against the ground with loud thuds, cracking the floor.

He was truly afraid that this most senior Old Ancestor would burst out of the coffin in a fit of anger, and the Lifespan lost would not be replenished even if he, Qin Hao, were drained ten thousand times!

"Father, calm down, getting angry over this idiot is not worth it, your coffin lid is about to come off."

A bronze coffin nearby quickly advised.

The golden coffin's Qi slowly receded, but the voice still carried anger: "Qin Hao, effective immediately, your position as Clan Chief is stripped, and Qin Lie will take over."

"I respectfully obey the Old Ancestor's decree!"

Qin Hao felt as if he had been granted a great pardon; as long as he could appease the Old Ancestor's wrath, let alone giving up the Clan Chief position, he would even be willing to be a servant sweeping latrines daily.

"The Qin Family's atmosphere has become so decadent; after Qin Lie returns, he must vigorously rectify it!"

The Old Ancestor inside the golden coffin spoke with a heavy tone, continuing.

"If it really comes to it... this old man will personally go out and stretch his limbs; anyway, I don't have many years left to live!"

"Cleaning up the Qin Family's trash and correcting its customs before I go can be considered dying a worthy death!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the bronze coffins trembled slightly, clearly shocked by the Old Ancestor's words.

"It's not that serious, Father, it's really not that serious!"

"It hasn't reached that point yet."

A bronze coffin nearby quickly soothed.

"Our lineage has produced a True Dragon; the higher-ups should have already noticed us, and they are sharp-eyed, so it's impossible for them to remain silent."

"This might be our lineage's chance to return."

The being inside the golden coffin was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh.

"Alas!"

This seemed to be reminiscing about something!

"Qin Hao."

"Old Ancestor, this sinner Qin Hao is here!"

After a long silence, the golden ancient coffin spoke again, and Qin Hao jolted, suddenly looking up.

"Now, I give you a chance to atone for your crimes and render meritorious service, a chance to sacrifice everything for the Qin Family's interests, are you... willing?"

Qin Hao's body trembled violently, his face instantly turning pale.

It's here!

Was the Old Ancestor going to show him the way?

He feared death, feared it terribly.

But he feared even more becoming a sinner of the Qin Family for all eternity, feared that after death, even his own ancestral tablet would not be qualified to be placed here.

He took a deep breath and slowly said, "Old Ancestor! I... I am willing!"

"For the Qin Family, I, Qin Hao... will not flinch from ten thousand deaths!"

"Very good."

The voice from within the golden coffin seemed somewhat satisfied, and continued: "Go and beg him, use all your methods to gain his forgiveness..."

"Kowtow, admit your mistakes, carry thorns to ask for punishment, announce to the world what you did wrong and such! As long as he is willing to return, any condition can be agreed upon!"

"Remember, unless absolutely necessary, do not harbor murderous intent, but if... if you determine that he has no possibility of returning, and will certainly become a major hidden danger to our Qin Clan in the future..."

As the being inside the golden coffin spoke, a murderous intent overflowed.

"Then spare no effort, use all our Foundation, and make sure to kill him in one strike, making him completely disappear!"

"Even if you perish with him!"

"Go!"

"Your Qin Family, the Qin Family will take care of them for you."

Qin Hao knelt on the ground, then heavily knocked his head a few more times.

He understood.

He had to play the good guy, and he also had to do the dirty work.

If he succeeded, he would be a meritorious minister of the Qin Family!

If he failed, he would be a discarded piece of the Qin Family, or even a scapegoat pushed out to protect the Qin Family's reputation.

After all, the Personal Disciple of the Empress, the True Disciple of the Great Chu Academy, was not so easy to kill!

"Qin Hao respectfully obeys the Old Ancestor's decree."

He kowtowed heavily, then swayed to his feet, stumbling as he disappeared from the Qin Clan Ancestral Temple.