Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Chapter 354: Chapter 271: The Qin Family’s Plot

Song Mingyue’s face paled as she considered the horrifying possibility. "No way," she said. "There are so many noble families. If each one just spat at them, it would be enough to drown the Qin Family. They’d have to be crazy to do something like that!"

Ling Xiao shook his head slightly but remained silent. ’Under normal circumstances, the Qin Family certainly wouldn’t,’ he thought. ’But what if... there was an accident?’

’According to Song Mingyue, the Qin Family’s actions at sea have grown more and more audacious over the years, yet they have no ill reputation on the mainland. That just goes to show how cunning they are. The ocean is vast and boundless. If they dispatch their elites disguised as pirates, even if everyone knows what they’re up to, there’s no evidence. Their victims can only grit their teeth and accept their losses. Besides, as far as the Qin Family is concerned, no one knows what they’re doing!’

Ling Xiao looked at Song Mingyue and said suddenly, "Don’t give that letter to the Qin Family’s Patriarch just yet. We need to find a way to expose this! We have to make sure all those noble families and sects find out what’s going on!"

"Ah? But wouldn’t that cause utter chaos?" Song Mingyue’s pure eyes widened. At her core, she was a kind-hearted girl. It immediately occurred to her that if things went as Ling Xiao planned, this gathering wouldn’t just descend into chaos—a violent, massive brawl might erupt!

The attendees were mostly young people, the future hope of their respective families and sects. If something happened to them on the Qin Family Island, every hidden noble family and sect in the entire Eastern Continent would go berserk!

If the Qin Family failed to contain the situation, their name being wiped from the continent would be a foregone conclusion. Never mind their three Sword Venerables; even with thirty, they couldn’t possibly withstand a united assault from all the hidden families and sects.

Under those circumstances, how could the Qin Family possibly have the mind to bother with the marriage to the Sea Domain Song Family? They’d be far too busy trying to save their own skins!

’How vicious!’

Song Mingyue pursed her rosy lips and stole a glance at Ling Xiao. ’I never would have thought this guy, who always seems so sincere and good-natured, could come up with such a way to attack the Qin Family,’ she thought. ’It’s a good thing the Song Family isn’t his enemy!’ At that, a blush crept onto her cheeks. The thought that she had revealed her secret completely, and that there were no longer any barriers between her and Ling Xiao, filled her heart with sweetness.

"But... how do we get the news out?" Song Mingyue asked, looking at Ling Xiao with a worried frown. She was completely clueless when it came to things like this.

Ling Xiao chuckled. "Don’t you worry. Leave it to me." He thought for a moment before adding, "This must be one of the Qin Family’s most central secrets. It was a complete fluke that your father overheard it back then. I’d guess that even Qin Feng himself is probably unaware of it."

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

By now, Song Mingyue no longer shied away from discussing Qin Feng. Whether it was Qin Feng or anyone else, they were just passersby to her—no different from any Tom, Dick, or Harry. But regardless of whether they discussed him, she had no intention of speaking up for him. Hearing Ling Xiao suggest that Qin Feng might be ignorant of the matter, her curiosity was piqued.

"You mentioned before that the ones discussing it were the attendants of those three Sword Venerables, whispering with the Qin Family Patriarch, Qin Zhaoran. To practice this kind of Cultivation Technique, I estimate one must be at least a Sword Emperor!" Ling Xiao explained, but he couldn’t very well tell Song Mingyue the full truth. ’Evil cultivation techniques aren’t something just anyone can practice. Without a sufficient level of Mental Cultivation, it would be a miracle not to suffer a qi deviation when one’s power skyrockets like that!’

"Then if you’re saying Qin Feng’s strength is on par with mine, is he really supposed to be some kind of genius?" Song Mingyue sounded a little indignant, a hint of competitiveness in her voice. After all, before she started practicing the Dual Cultivation Technique, she was only a Fourth Rank Demon Sword Master. And even that was a level she had only reached because the Song Family had poured countless Spirit Medicines into her training.

In any lesser family or sect, reaching the level of a Sixth Rank Mad Sword Master or a Tier One Demon Swordsman at her age would be considered incredible—absolutely worthy of the title ’genius.’

The people who had come to the gathering all seemed quite powerful. Those of the same generation, or slightly older than Ling Xiao and her, all possessed the strength of at least a Demon Sword Master. It created the illusion that masters from the hidden families and sects were a dime a dozen.

In reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Just as with her own family, the more powerful noble families and sects would pour all their resources into cultivating a select few individuals. How else could they ensure their sect’s continued prosperity?

Ling Xiao smiled and nodded. "Didn’t you say it yourself? Your father saw that Qin Feng was born with several of his meridians Innately open. If that’s not a genius, what is?" He then added with a grin, "And look at me. My meridians were completely blocked, and I’m younger than him, but my strength isn’t half-bad now, is it?"

"You?" Song Mingyue stuck her tongue out at Ling Xiao and made a face. "You can’t compare yourself to us mere mortals. I don’t know how you do it, but really... ’genius’ doesn’t even begin to describe you! What word would fit?" She cupped her cheeks with her slender, jade-like hands, her eyes fixed on Ling Xiao. Then she shook her head, unable to find the right word.

In fact, she subconsciously excluded Ling Xiao from any kind of comparison, automatically lumping him in with the old masters. She wasn’t even sure why she thought that way herself. But one thing was certain: comparing herself to him was just too soul-crushing!

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