The next day.
Inside the central Main Hall of the Liu family, all the direct descendants, including Liu Ruyan, had gathered.
At the head seat of the great hall sat a middle-aged man in splendid robes. His aura spread outward, pressing down on others so heavily that the surrounding clan members lowered their heads.
He was the Liu family’s Patriarch, Liu Ruyan’s father.
Liu Zheng’an.
Liu Ruyan and Ye Xingchen stood beside him.
“Daughter, you say you annulled your engagement with Qin Hengyu and even swore a Five-Thunder Oath, yet he still plans to come to the Liu family today. All because of this boy?”
Liu Zheng’an’s brows were tightly furrowed, his face full of disbelief. The key was that he had only just learned of this matter.
He felt as if he had been struck by lightning from the heavens.
“It was Qin Hengyu who looked down on us, saying that everything the Liu family has was obtained by relying on the Great Qin Empire. I refused to accept that. Junior Brother only spoke a few words for me. This matter has nothing to do with him!”
Liu Ruyan’s eyes were moist and faintly red, as though she had suffered endless grievances.
“Smack!”
What greeted Liu Ruyan was a slap.
Several direct descendants raised their heads in shock at the sound.
Liu Ruyan forgot to feign weakness and widened her eyes. “Father, don’t forget who brought you those resources and allowed you to reach your current cultivation level.”
How dare the one who had relied on her now raise a hand against her?
“I am your father!”
Liu Zheng’an shouted firmly. “Do you take me for a fool? Do not deceive me. Believe it or not, I can kill this boy right now.”
The reason he had slapped Liu Ruyan was precisely because he knew too well how everything he had obtained had come to him.
The more easily something was gained, the more one feared losing it.
Liu Ruyan seemed to see through Liu Zheng’an’s weakness and sneered. “Father, are you afraid?”
“The matter has already happened. If I do not cooperate, there will be no room to salvage anything. If you listen to me, there is still a thread of hope.”
When pretending to be pitiful failed, Liu Ruyan lifted her chin again and began to coax and provoke him.
“Unfilial daughter, what method do you have?”
Liu Zheng’an clearly did not fully believe her. His gaze swept toward Ye Xingchen, as if considering pushing him forward to appease Qin Hengyu’s anger.
“Father, you don’t really think pushing Ye Xingchen and me out will work, do you? If you do that, I will make sure both you and the Liu family are ruined.”
“Ye Xingchen is gifted and even more talented than I am. Only by investing in him can the Liu family break this deadlock.” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“As for today’s engagement annulment, what does the Liu family have to fear?”
“Qin Hengyu has already offended all the great generals. He has no trusted aides by his side. Who would stand up for him?”
“The Jiang family has long abandoned this place. Even if we annul the engagement with Qin Hengyu, we can still remain here. What difference would there be from before?”
“With the Liu family in the Great Qin Empire, the others would not dare act rashly. The smaller families would still present gifts as usual.”
“Qin Hengyu is timid at heart. Father, if you apply a little pressure and stand on my side, he will naturally withdraw in embarrassment and maintain the current situation.”
“From what I know of him, he would never dare to make a big scene and lose face.”
Liu Ruyan’s logical analysis gave Liu Zheng’an a few points of agreement.
Seeing that Liu Ruyan had persuaded Liu Zheng’an, Ye Xingchen secretly let out a breath.
He had truly feared becoming a sacrifice.
With Liu Ruyan’s scheme and Liu Zheng’an’s intervention, things should proceed steadily.
Soon after, Liu Ruyan and Liu Zheng’an discussed how to use their position to suppress Qin Hengyu.
“Father, if you had long possessed this resolve, breaking through to the Venerable Realm would only be a matter of time.”
After their discussion, Liu Ruyan did not hesitate to flatter him.
Liu Zheng’an, naturally proud, lifted his chin with visible satisfaction.
He felt his entire body had been tempered to a flawless state. He was very close to breaking through to the Venerable Realm.
At that time, the family could truly be considered a second-rate family.
“Rest assured, I will never let you suffer any grievance. Ruyan, with your excellence, there will naturally be better men who admire you. That slap just now was because I had not clearly seen the situation.”
“When Qin Hengyu arrives, I will make him apologize to you before proceeding with the engagement annulment.”
Liu Zheng’an’s hand gently stroked Liu Ruyan’s cheek.
Liu Ruyan felt only disgust at his touch.
Indeed, aside from her Junior Brother Ye Xingchen, there was not a single man in this world worthy of her regard.
Her father relied on her, lacked independent judgment, and was arrogant at heart.
Yet it was precisely those flaws that made him so easy to control and manipulate.
“Oh? What did you just call me? And to whom did you say I must apologize?”
While the father and daughter were engaged in their hollow display, a calm voice drifted in from outside the hall.
He stopped at the very center.
Jiang Zhan and the others were outside, having already subdued all the Liu family guards.
The reason Qin Hengyu came in alone first was to bait them into revealing themselves.
He had not even begun to act, yet the Liu family was already foolish enough to scheme against him.
The moment Qin Hengyu stepped into the hall, Liu Zheng’an’s expression turned serious and his voice rose.
“Nephew Qin, we do not intend to make things difficult regarding the engagement annulment. But at the very least, you should apologize to my daughter first.”
As he spoke, he released a trace of his aura. His sleeves fluttered slightly.
“Let me correct you. This Royal Prince is not your nephew. Apologize? Interesting. For what exactly should I apologize?”
Qin Hengyu flicked his sleeve and cast a faintly amused glance at Liu Zheng’an before letting his gaze fall on Liu Ruyan.
“Naturally for humiliating my daughter Ruyan yesterday, using your power to bully her and making her lose face in public. If you refuse, then before the engagement annulment, I will teach you a lesson as an elder.”
Liu Zheng’an’s voice was arrogant, his aura growing more imposing as he tried to pressure Qin Hengyu and shake his mental state.
“You think you’re worthy? Dogs should not speak human words.”
Qin Hengyu paused for a moment.
He had not expected such shamelessness and took a brief second to react.
Once he did, a cold smile spread across his face.
An Emperor Realm cultivator who had lived too comfortably within the Great Qin Empire had clearly never tasted hardship.
The phrase “Dogs should not speak human words” plunged the hall into silence.
In the past, Qin Hengyu had always shown Liu Zheng’an respect. He had never mocked him like this, much less insulted him outright.
“Insolence!”
Boom!
Liu Zheng’an’s aura exploded completely. He slammed his hand down, snapping the armrest of his throne.
The pressure condensed into an invisible massive hand that pressed down toward Qin Hengyu.
A jade pendant on Qin Hengyu’s body activated automatically under the pressure, forming a green protective barrier around him.
Even so, the residual force was like a violent gale, whipping his dragon robe so that it flapped loudly.
Qin Hengyu stood unmoving, the mocking expression on his face only deepening.
It was as though he had long anticipated everything and held the situation entirely within his grasp.