Only I am Venerable

Lin Heng? Qin Li’s smile vanished, his expression turning somewhat complicated. Having lived two lives, his difficult early experiences had given Qin Li a far deeper understanding of human nature than the average person. Even those old monsters who had lived for centuries couldn’t see things as clearly as he did.

When it came to Lin Heng, Qin Li had always been warm, yet he maintained a certain degree of vigilance. After all, Lin Heng was the scion of a great family, and so-called scions of great families would often sacrifice personal friendships for the sake of their family’s interests.

This was the main reason why many such scions lamented having no true friends.

Back at the Thousand Mechanism Sect, Qin Li had already come to recognize this fact. At the time, however, Lin Heng had still honored his old affections for the Qin Family and Qin Li, and had been quite protective of them.

Later, after Qin Li obtained the Cui Family’s treasure, the former alliance between the Lin Family and the Qin Family became one in name only. Even so, Lin Heng had never done anything to wrong Qin Li. Of course, Qin Li had certainly never wronged Lin Heng either.

But with each subsequent event, the relationship between the two had grown somewhat awkward.

The Lin Family’s betrayal and their suppression of the Qin Family had cast a massive shadow over Qin Li and Lin Heng’s friendship.

Looking at Shen Le’s choice now, one couldn’t help but sigh. They were both scions of great families, yet their choices had taken them in completely different directions.

That was why, even if Shen Le was befriending him with an ulterior motive, Qin Li would still help him with all his might.

It was simply because Shen Le had stepped forward to support him during his most difficult time.

"Let him in. On second thought... I’ll go greet him myself." Qin Li stood up as he spoke, straightened his clothes slightly, and walked out with a smile.

Qin Suo shook his head slightly and followed him out. However, he didn’t join Qin Li. He knew this was a matter between Qin Li and Lin Heng. If he were present, it would turn into a conversation between two families.

When he saw Qin Li, Lin Heng’s pupils constricted slightly. Then, a smile appeared on his face as he clasped his hands in a salute. "Qin, you could have just had someone show me in. There was no need to come out personally."

Qin Li also smiled. "Lin, you’ve come all this way. I must give you this courtesy!"

Lin Heng gave a wry smile and followed Qin Li inside, an unavoidable feeling of bitterness welling up in his heart. To be honest, he absolutely didn’t want to stand on the opposite side of Qin Li. If he had a choice, he’d much rather be like Shen Le and stand firmly by his side.

But the problem was, Shen Le was the only son of the Thousand Mechanism Sect’s Sect Leader, while he... was not the next in line to be the Lin Family’s Patriarch. Even though he once had a lot of support, his position on Qin Li hadn’t been aligned with the family’s, so he could forget about becoming the heir.

Although Lin Heng had never really wanted to be the next Patriarch of the Lin Family, not wanting the position and losing the right to it were two different things. Because of this, Lin Heng still felt a great sense of loss.

He envied Shen Le. Even though Shen Le’s current situation didn’t look good either—the Thousand Mechanism Sect would likely suffer a major internal rift because of his choice, and Shen Le might even end up deserted by everyone—at least Shen Le had never wronged a friend.

The two arrived at a small reception room. After someone brought tea, they closed the door and quietly departed, leaving only Lin Heng and Qin Li sitting across from each other.

Lin Heng was in no hurry, and Qin Li was even less so. He sat there, picked up his teacup, and took a pretentious sip. In truth, in both his past and present lives, Qin Li knew very little about tea, unlike a scion from a great family like Lin Heng, who was an expert in such matters.

"Qin, I never thought we would meet again under these circumstances. It feels like we’ve grown so distant. Alas, life is unpredictable. We can never go back to how things were."

Qin Li just smiled and said nothing.

Lin Heng continued, "Qin, to be honest, I really don’t want to see us become enemies. With the Qin Family’s current strength, you’re truly no match for all the families and Sects of Profound Island combined. Why not let this go? Take a step back. I guarantee the Qin Family will be able to join the ranks of High-Level families within ten years!"

"And how would I let go? How would I take a step back?" Qin Li asked with a faint smile.

"Take out eighty percent of the treasure you got from the Cui Family and divide it among the families and Sects on Profound Island..." Lin Heng didn’t beat around the bush, directly stating the reason why most of the families and Sects on Profound Island were besieging the Qin Family.

But Qin Li just shook his head. "We don’t have any Cui Family treasure. I really don’t know who started that rumor."

Lin Heng’s expression was a bit awkward. The Lin Family was, of course, among those who had spread the news. However, he knew full well that it wasn’t a rumor. The Cui Family’s treasure was definitely in the Qin Family’s possession. Qin Li’s denial, however, came as a bit of a surprise.

"Qin, it’s just the two of us here. Let’s not mince words. Do you really think there’s any point in denying it now?"

Qin Li smiled. "Why wouldn’t there be? We have what we have, and we don’t have what we don’t! Besides, what does the Cui Family’s treasure have to do with anyone else? It belongs to whoever has the ability to take it. Heh. Lin, I understand why you’re here now. There’s no need to say anything more. If anyone wants to destroy the Qin Family, they can just come and try."

Qin Li spoke with a calm expression, his words devoid of any hint of aggression. But to Lin Heng’s ears, they were piercing. This wasn’t arrogance, but a powerful confidence in his own strength!

Because this was a confidence that he, Lin Heng, also possessed!

However, his confidence was based on the Lin Family’s formidable and deep-seated power, not on... blind self-assurance like Qin Li’s.

Just then, Qin Li smiled and said, "Alright, Lin. The fact that you came today already shows me where you stand. I understand that your hands are tied. So, let’s not discuss these meaningless things anymore. I’ve already made arrangements and invited Shen Le over. In a little while, we can share a few drinks. With everything that was going on during Shen Le’s wedding, we didn’t get a proper chance to get together. Let’s not miss this opportunity."

"This..." Lin Heng had come here on a mission, going against the opinions of many. Since he couldn’t persuade Qin Li, he needed to go back and report. But now, all he could do was give a wry smile.

The banquet was prepared quickly. Shen Le arrived for the feast with his wife, Leng Fangfei.

On the Qin Family’s side, Qin Li and Leng Yao acted as hosts. She She remained in her room in closed-door cultivation. At her realm, any further breakthroughs required not only diligent and arduous practice but also an extremely high level of comprehension. Thus, despite her seemingly long lifespan, she had to seize every moment to cultivate.

The moment Shen Le saw Lin Heng, he snorted and didn’t even try to look pleasant. Before this, the friendship between the two could be described as considerably deep.

He never expected that a single choice would turn former best friends into opponents, soon to become like strangers.

Lin Heng gave an awkward smile, nodded to Leng Fangfei, and said, "Sister-in-law, you’re here too."

Leng Fangfei, naturally, didn’t want to make things difficult for Lin Heng. She smiled and replied, "Greetings, Young Master Lin."

"Who’s your sister-in-law!" Shen Le said angrily. "Lin Heng, I guess I, Shen Le, was wrong about you. It’s one thing for your Lin Family to want to deal with the Qin Family, but I never thought you’d act as their pawn and come here personally to be their mouthpiece. I wonder what benefits the Lin Family promised you. The position of the next Patriarch?"

Before Lin Heng could say anything, Shen Le added, "Then again, if you really managed to get the Cui Family’s treasure from the Qin Family, that would indeed be enough capital to make you the Patriarch!"

"Shen Le... I..." A helpless smile filled Lin Heng’s handsome face. As a friend, he knew exactly what kind of person Shen Le was, so he didn’t take his attitude too seriously.

"I what? If you dared to leave the Lin Family, I’d immediately give you the position of an Elder in the Thousand Mechanism Sect!" Shen Le said, rolling his eyes and sneering.

Faced with Shen Le’s aggressive attitude, all Lin Heng could do was smile wryly.

At this point, Qin Li stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, we’re all gathered here today. No more talk about other matters. We’re just here to drink!"

"Right, drink! I’ve been wanting to get blackout drunk for a while now!" Shen Le said boisterously.

Leng Fangfei appeared cold and glamorous, but in reality, she was very perceptive. As the former lead disciple of Ice Edge, Leng Fangfei sat there without a word, because she knew that despite the opposition between their families, the three men hadn’t truly broken with each other.

If they had truly broken ties, their attitudes would be completely different. The thought of them sitting at the same table to drink would be nothing but a dream.

Leng Fangfei attentively poured wine for the three men. By the end, even Qin Li, who had a high tolerance for alcohol, was slightly tipsy. Although all three of them could have used their cultivation to expel the alcohol from their bodies, none of them did.

Shen Le drank until his eyes glazed over and his tongue grew heavy. He grabbed Lin Heng’s wrist and slurred, "Lin Heng, I, Shen Le, never had many friends growing up. You... were my only one. Later, I met Qin Li. The three of us... we could have become a legend on Profound Island... But you... because of your family, you had to stand against us. I understand... I really do. But you coming here today as their mouthpiece... makes me... so angry. So damn angry! Why don’t you... join the Thousand Mechanism Sect? I’ll give you... the position of Vice Sect Leader... It just so happens those old bastards can’t stand me, and I can’t stand them either!"

Lin Heng, just as muddled, replied, "Screw you. If I joined the Thousand Mechanism Sect, my old man would kill me! Sigh... Anyway, this time, I’ve decided... I’ll just watch. I absolutely will not help make things difficult for the Qin Family. Absolutely... won’t offer any strategies! But... you guys have to be careful. The Lin Family... still has... a Shattering Void realm... old ancestor..."

After saying this, Lin Heng’s head slumped onto the table, and he fell asleep.

Shen Le’s whole body trembled. He looked up, his gaze meeting Qin Li’s. Both of their eyes were just as clear and cold, without the slightest hint of intoxication. Shen Le cast a complicated glance at Lin Heng, who was passed out on the table, and let out a soft sigh. "Brother, it seems I misjudged you."

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Rebirth: The Star Hunter

Book ID 1851233

Reborn in the stars, hunting all living things, laughing proudly at the world, taking pleasure in revenge. (To be continued. If you would like to know what happens next, please log in to www.qidian.com. More Chapters are available, support the author, support official reading!)

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