The vast council hall was now empty, leaving only Qin Hongyuan and Qin Li. Qin Hongyuan's face had returned to calm, but his mind was anything but, roiling with thoughts of the grandson who had dared to openly defy him without leaving him a shred of dignity.
At his age, it was no exaggeration to say he had eaten more salt than Qin Li had eaten rice and crossed more bridges than Qin Li had ever walked!
But today, facing this clever, composed, and fiercely proud grandson, Qin Hongyuan felt for the first time, 'I'm getting old!'
"Qin Li, you're very clever. Extremely clever! I never thought that at such a young age, you would already understand how to leverage a situation."
A cold sneer touched Qin Hongyuan's lips. "But do you know the consequences of refusing me today? Or perhaps I should ask, can you bear them? If you fail, what will become of you?"
Not a trace of nervousness showed on Qin Li's handsome face. He nonchalantly sat down in a seat just vacated by a Qin Family Elder. With one hand propping up his chin, he looked up at Qin Hongyuan, who was still seated on the high platform. Noticing the gloom in the old man's eyes, he smiled and said, "Does the Patriarch truly believe I would have had a better outcome if I hadn't done this? With your intelligence, surely you can imagine how Qin Feng and Qin Hu will treat me from now on."
"Them?"
Qin Hongyuan understood, of course. Never mind Qin Feng and Qin Hu; even the other disciples of the Qin Family now hated Qin Li to their very bones.
Everyone understood the benefits a once-in-a-century genius could bring to a great family. When the family grew stronger, they would naturally reap greater rewards. So, despite any underlying jealousy, they all desperately wished Qin Feng and Qin Hu could be even more gifted! But now, that genius might well be ruined at Qin Li's hands. How could they not hate him for it?
Qin Hongyuan snorted. "As long as I am alive, no one can touch you! And by the time I'm gone, with your abilities, do you think you'll still need to fear their threats?"
Qin Li shook his head. "I don't have an Advanced Yuan Power Heart Method, let alone any High Level combat techniques. I only managed to defeat Qin Feng today because he completely underestimated me and has terrible combat experience. It was a lucky win, nothing more. If someone hadn't stepped in, I would have been killed by Qin Hu. How could I dare stay in a family like this?"
At Qin Li's words, Qin Hongyuan fell silent. Then, his heart skipped a beat as he came to a stunning realization. 'From start to finish, this thirteen-year-old boy has held all the cards! Among so many people in the Qin Family, not one of them noticed. Or, even if they did, they were powerless to change a thing!'
Qin Hongyuan gazed at Qin Li, his expression complex. His thoughts drifted to the future. 'I just hope this boy... doesn't become an enemy of the Qin Family someday.'
He sighed and waved a dismissive hand. "You may go. So be it. If the marriage with the Shangguan Family falls through, take your mother and leave. Go far away and never return. I will warn Qin Feng and Qin Hu not to provoke you. And whether you're willing to admit it or not, I hope you remember that half the blood in your veins belongs to the Qin Family!"
Qin Li fell silent for a moment. He knew Qin Hongyuan was making arrangements for the future. He nodded. "Alright. I'll remember. As long as they don't bother me, I will not cause trouble for the Qin Family!"
"Go."
After speaking, Qin Hongyuan felt it again: he really was old. To be played so masterfully by a mere teenager who had simply leveraged the situation!
His eldest son, Yongzhi, was in his forties this year. 'Perhaps it's time to consider letting him take over as Patriarch,' he thought. Watching Qin Li's somewhat thin figure slowly walk out of the council hall, Qin Hongyuan let out a long, heavyhearted sigh.
When Qin Li returned to Zichen Garden, he saw Qin Xue and his mother standing anxiously at the gate. Only when they saw him return unharmed did their faces relax in relief.
"Son, are you all right?" Qin Hanyue grabbed Qin Li's hand, looking him over from head to toe. No one knew Qin Hongyuan better than she did. As the Qin Family Patriarch, he was ruthless. It wasn't that he was completely devoid of affection for his family, but when faced with the immense interests of the clan, kinship was something he was willing to sacrifice.
And Qin Feng, the genius most likely to lead the Qin Family to new heights, was a priceless treasure in Qin Hongyuan's eyes. With the extent of his injuries still unknown, how could Qin Hongyuan possibly let this go?
"I'm fine, Mom," Qin Li said with a smile. "Just a little tired. I'd like to get some rest."
Only then did Qin Hanyue recall what Qin Xue had told her—that Qin Li had also been slightly injured. Afraid of worrying her, Qin Xue hadn't dared to mention that his injuries were actually quite severe.
"Oh, right, of course. Let Qin Xue help you to your room. I'll go make you dinner!"
"Madam, you should take the Young Master to rest. I can prepare dinner," Qin Xue said with a smile.
Qin Hanyue hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Alright then. Thank you for your trouble, Qin Xue."
"You're too kind, Madam. It's what I should be doing."
Qin Li saw his mother staring blankly at Qin Xue's receding figure and asked with a smile, "What's on your mind, Mom?"
"She's such a wonderful girl! It's a shame about our family's circumstances... It's all my fault..." Qin Hanyue's eyes grew red-rimmed as she sighed.
"Don't say that!" Qin Li took his mother's hand, looked her in the eyes, and said earnestly, "Mom, there's a saying that a son never finds fault with his own mother. To me, you are the greatest person in the world!"
Seeing his mother on the verge of tears, Qin Li quickly changed the subject. "Mom, I'm planning to move out of the Qin Family tomorrow. I'll rent a room, and I'll support you. Would you be afraid of a little hardship?"
Qin Hanyue took a deep, gratified breath. "Silly child, why would I be afraid of hardship? Don't you worry, I'm not afraid! I still have a few dozen pieces of silver here. If we're frugal, it's enough to buy a small courtyard and live for a year. I have many skills; I can earn money to support you! Your only job is to grow up healthy. As long as I can watch you grow up healthy and carefree, I'll be happy!"
A mother's profound love is like the sun, capable of nourishing all of creation. Qin Li nodded silently, swearing an oath in his heart. 'From this day forward, I will never let my mother suffer another moment of injustice!'
After returning to his room, Qin Li sat cross-legged and began to meditate. As he circulated the Innate Purple Qi Technique, he was thrilled to discover that his once-narrow meridians had actually widened slightly after the day's battle! As a result, his cultivation speed had increased considerably.
Peering into his Dantian, Qin Li was overjoyed. At some unknown point, a bean-sized, milky-white Chaotic Energy Group had appeared there!
The energy this group provided was known, according to the traditions of the Celestial Essence Continent, as Primordial Power!
At Qin Li's slightest thought, the bean-sized energy group stirred violently. A surge of power instantly flooded his entire body, making him feel incredibly light. He opened his eyes, and a brilliant light flashed within them.
Qin Li opened his palm, then clenched it into a fist, a smile spreading across his face. Though he hadn't tested it, he knew with certainty: he had finally broken through from First-Level Primordial Power to the Second Level!
To others, this was nothing special. A genius like Qin Feng, for instance, had already reached the terrifying Fifth-Level Primordial Power! But for Qin Li, this was an earth-shattering breakthrough.
After all, Qin Feng cultivated the Qin Family's highest-grade Yuan Power Heart Method! To make an analogy, it was as if Qin Feng had received the best education from childhood at a top institution, while Qin Li had never attended any school, let alone read a single book, yet scored better than Qin Feng on an exam. In the eyes of most, such a thing was simply inconceivable!
'The Innate Purple Qi Technique! It has to be!' Even with his immense self-control, Qin Li's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't know how long it had taken a genius like Qin Feng to reach Second-Level Primordial Power, but he was certain it wasn't a single day!
Thinking of this, a cold smile touched Qin Li's lips. 'Geniuses,' he thought, 'you'd better hope you don't cross me.'