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032 - The Man From the Ruins
🕑 Added 2024-07-14 16:06:58 +0000 UTCWhile the group’s gazes were locked on that plume of black smoke, only Yun Jingfei turned to look at her husband, feeling that something was wrong. She knew that the core of the Qin Clan lay in that direction. In fact, it matched almost exactly with the courtyard they had left behind.
It had been less than a week since they were thrown out, yet she remembered the excuse they used to do so, some sort of new workshop. Judging by the eerie grin full of self-satisfaction plastered on Qin Yun's face, he, too, seemed to be aware.
“What did you do?” she asked him, quite concerned by his reaction.
Qin Yun couldn't help but chuckle slightly as he saw the smoke rising.
“Do you remember what Meihui came to collect? Let’s just say I left them a little surprise in case they tried to uncover its secrets.”
“A bomb, you mean?” Yun Jingfei replied, frowning deeply. While she knew her husband and his clan had a strained relationship, she hadn’t expected him to go that far.
“Relax,” Qin Yun said calmly. “I limited its spread. Unless they were dumb enough to allow the younger generation near it, there’s no way that explosion was fierce enough to do any real damage. I doubt it could even injure someone at the Void Core Realm.”
“Then why did you?”
“I’m just dying to find out how they’re going to explain this to the Yun Clan,” Qin Yun said with a slight chuckle. “Don’t you find it weird that they haven’t given it to them yet? Almost as if they never had any intentions of doing so.”
Yun Jingfei indeed had entertained the thought. However, she felt it would be misguided to do so as the Yun Clan had many more means than the Qin Clan. The strength disparity between the two was evident. What gave them the courage to do so? It wasn’t until she remembered Qin Yun’s gift that things fell into place.
The artifact he gave them was quite special. It was able to render space but also didn't feel manufactured. If one was able to uncover its secrets, the possibilities were endless. The ability to affect space was much too valuable to be given away. Especially for the measly price they would get in return. Of course, the Qin Clan would be reluctant to part with it until they got to the bottom of it.
While the connections with the sects the Yun Clan were affiliated with were something the Qin Clan wanted dearly, they couldn't pass up the opportunity to elevate their own strength. But now, all their hopes had gone up in smoke. Yun Jingfei wondered how they would deal with it. At first, she thought the Qin Clan would blame Qin Yun, but now, how could they? They had already banished him. He had no more reasons to acquiesce to their demands.
It seems this was her husband’s plan all along. However, one thing was for sure. The clan would retaliate for this. While they couldn’t do so in the open, they would do so in the dark. Still, Yun Jingfei always knew they would do so from the beginning; Qin Yun had already predicted as much.
Yet, one thing gnawed at her mind. Why haven't they made a move until now? It wasn't as if they were hidden from the world. If Lian Huiling could find their location, the Qin Clan surely could, too. In fact, they probably could find them easily. Yet, since their banishment, their days had been peaceful and tranquil.
At first, Yun Jingfei had remained on edge, fearing retaliation. Yet, she let down her guard as the days passed, thinking they had been forgotten. Maybe the clan simply couldn't be bothered to deal with them. But now, she knew how naive her thinking had been. A clan of that scale would never let loose ends go without cause.
They would never let someone with a grudge grow stronger and return to take revenge. Why should they? Because he was once family? Such things were meaningless in front of the clan itself. All that mattered was the clan's interest above all; at least, that was the goal.
Unfortunately, the clan's decision-makers were still individuals who couldn't free themselves completely from emotional ties. As such, power struggles between the different family branches were all too common. All this led to only one conclusion: someone in the clan was still fighting on their behalf.
At least, they probably resisted resorting to drastic measures. But now, they probably couldn't stop the tides from turning. The loss of that artifact was a blow too massive for the clan to ignore. They would need to give the Yun Clan an explanation. Of course, Qin Yun would be chosen as a scapegoat. Yet, he seemed to have already predicted everything.
In fact, Qin Yun’s expression didn’t change much, only remaining a slight smile. While he could see the worry in Yun Jingfei’s eyes, he didn't feel the same. He had many means to deflect the Yun Clan's attention away from him. If the worst were to occur, he could always whip out another leg for them to drool over.
However, he hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Only through suffering would the Qin Clan stop messing with him or his wife. In his heart, Qin Yun was done with the Qin Clan. While there were still some individuals he wouldn’t cut out completely, the clan as a whole had failed in its purpose.
Qin Yun only wanted to see if living in that place could awaken his long-lost emotions. He even tried, through them, to see if he could feel anger. Yet, it was all meaningless. Familial ties weren’t enough for him to regain what he had lost. Maybe if the clan was razed to the ground, he could finally feel something for it. Yet, he still wasn't insane enough to go through with this. Still, it was always an option in the back of his mind.
To the side, Lian Huiling had heard the conversation between the two and felt slightly appeased by it. At first, she thought that this was another incident involving the new unrest within the city, but now she knew Qin Yun was the cause. Still, this didn’t make the situation any better.
“Could you not stir things up and just let things lie?” she asked Qin Yun, clearly displeased.
“Would they have let things go?” Qin Yun replied back. “I don’t think so.”
Unable to get through to that man, Lian Huiling opted to change the subject. She returned to her seat and took a deep breath to regain her calm before mentioning why she had come all the way here.
“What did you want from me that you had even brought out that token?"
While Qin Yun could go straight to the heart of the matter, he had other things on his mind.
"How much do you know about those recently uncovered ruins?" he asked.
Lian Huiling frowned. She knew Qin Yun well. For him to take an interest in something, there may be more than meets the eye.
“Why would you want to know?”
“Rumours are spreading in town that they found a wounded man within.”
“What about him?”
“Aren’t you curious?” Qin Yun asked with a slight smile. Still, that smile only gave Lian Huiling shivers down her spine.
“Lian Ling knows more than me,” she said as she motioned for him to explain what the clan knew.
Finally free from the floor, Lian Ling rose and began narrating what the clan had uncovered. Those ruins were mainly inconsequential. There were no long-lost texts, heaven-defying artifacts, or earth-shattering treasures. Only endless traps and dust were to be found. While these ruins may have contained something in eons past, most had already crumbled to dust or lost all their powers, becoming inert.
Yet, for some reason, the traps were still just as deadly as they were constructed to be. Of the hundreds that entered, only a few dozen had left unscathed. The only thing of note to be found within was an injured young man. Yet, nothing of his origins could be deciphered. The only thing they knew was that he wasn’t native to these ruins and that he was stronger than his age let on.
According to Lian Ling, the man was only slightly older than himself or Qin Yun, yet his cultivation had broken through to the Golden Core Realm, at least. If anything, he might be even stronger since he was gravely injured and his cultivation had become slightly unstable.
"I heard the City Lord took him under his wing," Qin Yun said, intrigued.
Being appreciated by the City Lord had been quite the news as the City Lord was known for his strict personality. Even the best genius of the Great Clans wasn't enough to catch his eyes. Yet, as of the latest gossip, he even betrothed his only daughter to a man of unknown origins.
“How did that happen?” Qin Yun interrupted Lian Ling’s tale.
“He’s a lot like you in that aspect,” Lian Huiling said, sneering slightly.
“How so?” Qin Yun replied, quite perplexed.
“An enigma and a philanderer.”
“And the City Lord let such a man into his house and his daughter's bed?" Qin Yun replied, completely ignoring the jab made at him.
“Well, you know how much he dotes on his daughter,” Lian Huiling said as she shrugged. “Apparently, Lady Sun is smitten with the man and won’t take no for an answer. Her father had no choice but to acquiesce to her wishes.”
“Yet, I heard a daughter of the Ma Clan is also enamoured with him.”
“Many others also are. In fact, women able to resist his charm are few and far between," Lian Huiling said with a slight hint of scorn.
“Impressive,” Qin Yun muttered, yet it didn’t miss Yun Jingfei’s attention. She narrowed her eyes slightly and lightly punched Qin Yun’s side, cutting his breath short. He couldn’t help but chuckle and pat her head, reassuring her that he meant nothing by it.
“What about you? Did you meet him?” Qin Yun asked.
“I did, and he indeed felt a lot like you. There's much he's hiding from everyone. If anything, his background should be quite special. This might be the reason the City Lord had agreed to this engagement. Trying to create ties with the people behind him should be his main consideration," Lian Huiling explained.
“You seem to think highly of him.”
“He's at least better than you. He's elegant and refined and doesn't seem to toy with people's feelings."
“That hurts, you know.”
“If only you meant it,” Lian Huiling whispered.
Qin Yun knew better than to take things at face value. If that man was anything like him, all he showed externally was only a facade made to deceive. The more perfect something seemed the more one would have to scrutinize what was hidden underneath.
While Qin Yun was curious about the man, he still had no intentions of involving himself in any of it. They could play all their games of power but leave him out of it. He only wished to see some fireworks from a distance.
With his curiosity satiated, Qin Yun explained to Lian Huiling the reason he had sought her out in the first place. While Yun Jingfei thought they were now homeless, Qin Yun had long prepared for his eventual exile.
He had made a fortune selling newly crafted artifacts to the Lian Clan and, with it, bought a workshop that fit his needs. However, at one point, he grew bored of creating the same things over and over again and chose to retire. While the Lian Clan was against it, as a good portion of their revenue was due to his work, they accepted it, hoping he would change his mind in the future.
To prove that he was adamant about his retirement, Qin Yun gave his workshop to Lian Huiling to manage. While the Lian Clan were now the custodian of his estate, he was still the owner and could demand it back at any time.
While Lian Huiling was taken aback by the sudden request, this was good for her clan. Since he stopped forging, his work had grown substantially in price due to scarcity. The Clan had made a fortune yet sold all its stocks. Any new products would create a sensation in the city.
With the deed in hand, Qin Yun and his wife made their way to their new residence.
