「Di Family.」

After receiving word from Yang Hu that they were on their way, Di An had been waiting at the front gate for some time. As he stared at the news alerts popping up on his phone, one after another, about one hundred thousand Martial Guards entering Qiyun Road, his jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"This… this must be the work of Lord Chen's people!"

Even though the district had issued a notice, he didn't believe a single word of it!

After returning home the previous day, he had begun investigating Chen Yang and the recent activities of the Qin Corporation. To his astonishment, he discovered that the corporation's chairwoman, Qin Qiu, was actually a member of the Qin Royal Family. He had managed to uncover the entire sequence of events: Qin Qiu's violent retrieval by the Royal Family and the subsequent demands from Qin Gang.

In other words, the Qin Royal Family intended to forcefully separate the couple. So was that what the arrival of a hundred thousand Martial Guards in Qiyun Road was all about?

HISS! At this thought, Di An sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.

He couldn't begin to imagine what on earth Lord Chen was planning. Was he trying to give Old King Qin a show of force, or was he planning to destroy the entire Qin Royal Family?

In any case, Qiyun Road, peaceful for so many years, was on the verge of a momentous event. When the warships finally broke their silence, raised their battle flags, and sounded their war drums, the entire road would tremble with them.

When that time comes, where will the blades of the one hundred thousand Martial Guards point?

Di An's heart pounded, his face flushing a deep red.

A sharp blade is already at our throats. Now, we just have to see if certain people know what's good for them.

「Twenty minutes later.」

A van slowly pulled up to the Di family's front gate.

Di An composed himself, a broad smile spreading across his face as he hurried to greet them. "Lord Chen, you've arrived."

"There's no need for such ceremony," Chen Yang said with a wave of his hand.

"Of course, of course!"

At that moment, Di An's attitude was even more obsequious than the previous night. He bowed low, leading the way. "Lord Chen, please, right this way."

Di An had already informed his grandfather about Chen Yang's visit. After bathing and changing, the old man would personally greet Chen Yang and host him with a family banquet of the highest standard, befitting the legendary Ever-Victorious Commander.

"These wealthy families sure know how to live. It's bitterly cold outside, yet your courtyard is in full bloom," Yang Hu remarked admiringly as they entered the courtyard and he took in the surroundings.

"They're mostly cold-resistant varieties. With my grandfather's meticulous care, they grow quite well," Di An explained briefly.

"Di An, what do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea what kind of place the Di Family is, bringing people in so casually?"

A sharp, malicious voice suddenly rang out.

A young man who bore a slight resemblance to Di An, though he was a good head shorter, strode over from the side. His triangular eyes swept over Chen Yang and Yang Hu before landing scornfully on Di An.

"And you're planning a family banquet to entertain them? Heh!"

With his hands clasped behind his back, the man spoke coldly. "Do you even understand what a family banquet means? Since when did the Di Family fall so low as to host one for people of unknown origin?"

Di An's face instantly darkened, a murderous aura rolling off him. "Di Qiang, you have no right to speak here! Get the hell out of my sight, now!"

"Oh? You haven't even become the Family Head yet, and you're already so arrogant you have no regard for your own brother?"

The young man, Di Qiang, scoffed. "With an attitude like that, what gives you the right to succeed as the Family Head?"

Di Qiang and Di An were cousins. The current Family Head of the Di Family was Di Qiang's father, but the position was set to pass to Di An. One could only imagine the resentment felt by Di Qiang and his entire household. The main reason, of course, was that Di An was superior to Di Qiang in every respect.

How could Di Qiang not be jealous? It had become the norm for him to sabotage Di An or create trouble for him.

"Lord Chen is the most honored guest of the Di Family! Get out of my way and clear the path!" Di An was seething. If this fool ruined this crucial opportunity, he would never let him off lightly.

But Di Qiang had come looking for trouble, so why would he step aside so easily?

He said nothing, simply standing in the middle of the path and staring at Di An with a mocking grin.

Di An charged forward and kicked his cousin to the ground, hissing, "If you continue this nonsense, don't blame me for getting rough!"

"You dare hit me?"

Di Qiang scrambled to his feet and lunged straight at Di An.

SMACK.

Di An slapped him back to the ground, his face so grim it looked like it could drip water. "Do you have any idea who he is? If we can latch onto this connection, our Di Family will soar to the heavens!"

Witnessing this scene, Chen Yang silently shook his head and turned to leave.

He had only come because Di An had invited him and it was on his way. Since things were clearly inconvenient, there was no need to stay.

By the time Di An came to his senses, Chen Yang and Yang Hu were already walking out the front gates.

"Lord… Lord Chen…"

Di An scrambled after them, but Yang Hu blocked his path. "Go back."

Di An: "…"

He could only watch, helpless, as the van slowly drove away.

THUMP.

Di An collapsed onto the ground, utterly dejected, his face as white as a sheet.

Nearby, Di Qiang let out a sinister laugh. "See that? I barely questioned them and the two cowards ran off with their tails between their legs. Only a worthless piece of trash like you would be fooled by them."

"An'er, has Lord Chen not arrived yet?"

An elderly man in black brocade, looking radiant and full of vigor, approached with a chuckle. Spotting Di An slumped on the ground, his brow furrowed slightly. "An'er, what happened?"

"Grandfather, Lord Chen left. I'm afraid he'll never return," Di An said, slowly raising his head. His freezing, deathly gaze locked onto Di Qiang.

The grandfather's expression changed dramatically. He strode forward and demanded in a stern voice, "What happened?"

"It was him!"

Di An raised a hand, pointing straight at Di Qiang, his voice dripping with venom. "It's all this idiot's fault!"

After hearing Di An's detailed account, Di Qiang, who had been gloating just a moment before, went white with fear and began to tremble uncontrollably.

The… the Nine Gates Admiral? This… this…

"AHHH!!"

Di Qingyun let out a sudden roar, whirling around to fix his blood-red eyes on Di Qiang.

Di Qiang stumbled back several steps before falling to the ground in a heap.

"I… I…"

Giving him no chance to explain, Di Qingyun rushed forward and struck him across the face several times. "Our Di Family had a chance to soar to great heights, but you, you worthless disgrace, have completely destroyed it!"

Di Qiang trembled, not daring to make a sound.

"Dad, what's wrong?"

Di Qiang's father, hearing the commotion, rushed over. Seeing his only son covered in blood and in such a wretched state, he couldn't help but complain, "Dad, what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Haha…"

Di Qingyun threw his head back and laughed maniacally. "If our Di Family had managed to forge even a small connection with the Governor, it wouldn't have been impossible to one day stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Qin Royal Family! But now…?"

Di Qingyun shook his head and sighed, seeming to age more than a decade in an instant.

He pointed at Di Qiang and, as he walked away, said with cold indifference, "There's no need to keep this sinner of the ages around any longer."

Di Qiang: "…"

Di Qiang's father: "…"

…

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