After returning to his residence, Qin Lian’er was waiting around, clearly bored.
When she saw Qin Jiang come back, she immediately ran over to him and glanced behind him, “It’s done?”
“Of course. How could that old man possibly beat your brother?” Qin Jiang said smugly.
Qin Lian’er giggled and praised him without hesitation, “I knew you’re the best, Brother!”
Qin Jiang smiled and pinched her cheek. The two chatted for a while before Qin Lian’er left the residence.
Watching her leave, Qin Jiang turned his palm over. A jade bottle and a golden bead appeared in his hand—the rewards from the system.
“Marrow Cleansing Pill… pretty much useless.”
He possessed the Immaculate Divine Body, completely free of impurities. The Marrow Cleansing Pill had no effect on him. Besides, with the Qin Family’s resources, the pill wasn’t particularly rare. At the very least, all core disciples had a chance to receive one.
Shaking his head, he stored the Marrow Cleansing Pill away and looked at the golden bead. This was Ancestral Dragon’s Blood—also not of much use to him, but…
Others could benefit from it.
“Young Master.”
Just then, a voice came from outside the hall.
While weighing the golden bead, Qin Jiang said, “Come in.”
A figure walked into the hall—it was Hei Long. As soon as he entered, his eyes instinctively landed on the Ancestral Dragon’s Blood in Qin Jiang’s hand. The resonance in his bloodline made him swallow involuntarily.
Still, he quickly looked away and respectfully said, “Young Master, the people from the Ye Family have been settled. How should we deal with them next?”
“No need to worry about them. Let them sit for a few days first.”
“Understood.”
Hei Long nodded, though his gaze occasionally returned to the Ancestral Dragon’s Blood in Qin Jiang’s hand.
Seeing this, Qin Jiang couldn’t help but laugh, “Hei Long, you’ve been with me for over a decade now, haven’t you?”
“When Young Master was three, I was assigned to protect you. It’s been fifteen years now,” Hei Long replied.
“Fifteen years, huh?” Qin Jiang sighed. “In those fifteen years, your cultivation hasn’t improved much.”
The moment he said this, Hei Long immediately dropped to one knee, “It’s my negligence. Please punish me, Young Master.”
Qin Jiang raised his arm, and a wave of force lifted Hei Long back to his feet. He rolled his eyes, “Stop kneeling over every little thing. You may have slacked off in cultivation, but it was to protect me.”
With that, he tossed the Ancestral Dragon’s Blood to Hei Long.
“Ancestral Dragon’s Blood!!!”
Hei Long’s eyes widened. As a member of the dragon race, he had long felt that the golden bead held great significance for him, but he hadn’t expected it to be the legendary Ancestral Dragon’s Blood.
“This is too precious, Young Master.” Hei Long held it in both hands, overwhelmed. While it was true that dragonkin could maximize its use, for the human race, it was still an extremely rare treasure.
“Just take it if I’m giving it to you.” Qin Jiang waved his hand. “Refine it quickly and boost your strength. Otherwise, you won’t be qualified to stay at my side.”
As soon as he heard that, Hei Long’s hand, which was about to return the bead, froze.
Qin Jiang’s strength was rising rapidly. As one of the first guards assigned to him, Hei Long was starting to lag behind. Just as Qin Jiang said, if he couldn’t keep up, he’d be replaced. The Qin Family wasn’t short on strong experts.
But after fifteen years of guarding Qin Jiang, watching him grow from a three-year-old child into a graceful young man, Hei Long had long formed deep bonds.
Silently, he withdrew the Ancestral Dragon’s Blood, “Hei Long thanks Young Master for the reward.”
Qin Jiang smiled and waved his arm. Hei Long then exited the hall.
“I should go into seclusion as well,” Qin Jiang muttered.
Besides the Marrow Cleansing Pill and the Ancestral Dragon’s Blood, the system’s reward also included the awakening of a Hidden Divine Body. Qin Jiang was quite curious—what would his second divine body be?
He stood up and walked toward the wall behind the chair. There, a hidden mechanism was embedded. He gently pressed it, and the wall rumbled open, revealing a hidden passage.
Inside was a secret chamber.
Every time he needed to break through, Qin Jiang would enter this chamber to cultivate.
…
Elsewhere, in a quiet courtyard, Ye Ling’er and Ye Kuan had been placed there.
At that moment, Ye Kuan looked miserable, staring pitifully at Ye Ling’er.
Ever since they arrived at the Qin Family, Ye Ling’er hadn’t spoken a word to him. Ye Kuan understood—she was blaming him. But he had no choice. He’d made the decision for the sake of the Ye Family.
Besides, in his eyes, Qin Jiang was far superior to Xiao Fan. He sincerely hoped Ye Ling’er could be with Qin Jiang.
“Miss, the Ye Family can’t afford to offend any Ancient Clan right now. I hope you understand why I made this choice,” Ye Kuan explained.
But Ye Ling’er didn’t respond at all. She stood beneath a tree, sorrow clouding her beautiful face, gazing toward the direction of the Xiao Family.
Seeing this, Ye Kuan sighed. He knew that from the moment they entered the Qin Family, Ye Ling’er’s fate was no longer hers to decide. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Or rather, as the little princess of the Ye Family, her fate had never been in her control.
Qin Jiang was the best choice for Ye Ling’er—whether she liked it or not.
Even if the Ye Family found out, they wouldn’t come to save her. In fact, they might secretly be pleased, as this could connect them to the Qin Family.
So, if Ye Ling’er wanted to be with Xiao Fan, that would only be possible if Xiao Fan could destroy the Qin Family and defeat the Ye Family.
But that…
Was simply impossible.
“Miss, I hope you’ll come to understand on your own,” Ye Kuan said. He didn’t try to persuade her anymore and turned back to the room assigned to him.
Ye Ling’er remained silent and withdrew her gaze. She also understood that once inside the Qin Family, everything was out of her hands.
She bit her lip hard, her eyes misty, and a deep sense of helplessness welled up in her heart.
“Brother Xiao Fan… I might… never return.”
…
In the secret chamber, Qin Jiang sat cross-legged on a cushion, holding a ring in his hand.
“Before I start my seclusion, I should deal with this first.”
Muttering to himself, he tapped the ring, but there was no response.
He chuckled and tossed it to the floor, “Stop hiding. I know you’re awake. Come out.”
The ring flashed briefly with light before returning to its ancient, simple appearance.
Seeing that, Qin Jiang calmly said two words, “Fire Clan.”
As soon as the words fell, the ring trembled violently, and a figure shot out.
Qin Jiang looked over, and a flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes.
From the ring emerged not an old man—but an absolutely stunning woman.
She wore a red dress that hugged her flawless curves. Her fair feet were bare, and above them, her pale, jade-like calves peeked through faintly.
Her face was gorgeous, and her long flaming-red hair made her even more alluring.
Her phoenix eyes were sharp as they locked onto Qin Jiang, and she said coldly, “How do you know my identity?”