Chapter Forty: Qian Hongfu

At that moment, the dock was enveloped in deep silence, broken only by the thud of the fallen rider, his agonized cries, and the shrill whinnying of startled horses. Yet, few eyes were drawn to the beleaguered horse team. Instead, everyone’s gaze fixed upon the open space, where a woman stood—still cradling a small white rabbit in her arms. Her large, clear eyes shone with vitality, but her expression remained impassive, her face exquisitely beautiful without a hint of haughtiness. Draped in white, her graceful figure stood ethereal, as if she were a celestial maiden descended from the heavens—Jiang Yao.

Moments earlier, they had all witnessed the crimson glow that had sent the entire horse team tumbling, which had emanated from the sword at her waist. Good heavens, none among them had seen such a beautiful goddess, let alone one who wielded such formidable sorcery. To their minds, this celestial maiden easily outshone the so-called greatest beauty of the South Sea, Miss Chen, by several leagues.

Moreover, she was no mere ornament, but a true goddess—her beauty rivaled that of fairies, and her magic was unmatched. Liao Ruiting, whose black horse had been affected and who had borne the brunt of Jiang Yao’s sword energy, lay on the ground, blood at the corner of her mouth. She no longer screamed, but glared at Qin Yi, Jiang Yao, and their companions, even Zhang Chen, who had done nothing. She waited for someone to arrive—anyone connected to her, even her inept fiancé, for no matter what, he was still the young master of the He family.

Qin Yi and Jiang Yao sensed the venom in Liao Ruiting’s gaze, but paid it no mind, preparing to leave for the He family.

...

At the waterfront, the fleets of the three great families approached, their largest ships bearing family banners now drawing close to shore. As they neared, the events unfolding on the dock became clearer.

On the main Chen family ship, a beautiful young woman of about twenty-four or twenty-five watched the scene from the deck, unmoved. On the He family’s flagship, a scholar-like man in gray stood facing the wind. Upon spotting the turmoil—and recognizing the fallen figure as Liao Ruiting—he immediately prepared to disembark. Regardless of her reputation in North Sea City, her brashness and unreasonable ways, as her fiancé and future husband, he felt obliged to protect her, though perhaps by different means.

On the Qian family’s ship, a young man in black, whose features were unremarkable, witnessed the commotion. With a flick of his black whip, he sped through the air toward the site of the incident. No matter what, Liao Ruiting was his niece; in his eyes, no matter her faults, it was for her elders to discipline her—not outsiders.

Liao Ruiting watched the young man flying toward her and burst into tears, her voice plaintive and aggrieved as she called out, “Uncle!”

...

The young man’s heart ached at the sight, and he quickened his pace, reaching Liao Ruiting and gently helping her up. With care, he wiped away the blood from her lips and asked softly, “Tingting, tell me, who did this?”

From the moment the young man flew in, Qin Yi felt a sense of familiarity, watching him closely. When he helped Liao Ruiting to her feet, Qin Yi finally remembered—he glanced at Jiang Yao, who seemed to share his thoughts. He confirmed the identity: Qian Hongfu, young master of the Qian family from the South Sea, who in his previous life had been an aide to Wang Hong, his rival.

Though Qian Hongfu was merely Wang Hong’s assistant and not considered a prodigy among the human race, in the Lingzhou region, he was undeniably favored by heaven.

Liao Ruiting, her voice still trembling with grievance, pointed at Qin Yi and said, “Uncle, it was him.”

Qian Hongfu’s gaze darkened as he followed her finger. The next instant, recognizing Qin Yi, his expression shifted from gloom to terror, and he stammered, “Qin Yi, it’s you? Didn’t you die in the wasteland five years ago?”

Five years ago, it was certain—Qin Yi had perished in the wilderness. Why was this demon, who had once made him doubt himself, standing here now? He could never forget how he had gone from a proud prodigy to a mere aide at Wang Hong’s side. Those memories were etched into his soul. Even after receiving confirmation of Qin Yi’s death five years ago, seeing him now, Qian Hongfu could not suppress his fear.

His terrified shout echoed across the dock, drawing a stir from the crowd.

“He’s that Qin Yi—the traitor from five years ago!”

“I thought he died in the wasteland! How is he here again?”

Qin Yi feigned confusion, scratching his head and pointing at himself, asking Qian Hongfu in surprise, “Brother, you know me?”

Qian Hongfu was left speechless by Qin Yi’s question, as were many on the dock, all bewildered by the exchange.

Then, Qin Yi began to smile, moving closer to Qian Hongfu and laughing, “Funny, brother—I never expected that my feat at the Taiyi Mountain entry ceremony four years ago, where I bloomed eighty-one purple-gold lotus petals, would make me famous even in the South Sea! So you’re the Qian family’s young master, and you know me!”

Under Qian Hongfu’s astonished gaze, Qin Yi extended his right hand, grinning, “Brother, shall we be friends?”

At this point, Qian Hongfu was nearly stupefied.

...

Nearby, Jiang Yao watched the scene, struggling to suppress her laughter, maintaining a calm demeanor. Zhang Chen, on the other hand, could not help himself, his eyes wide with disbelief.

After a moment, Qian Hongfu recovered, and, spurred by Qin Yi’s words, looked directly at him and asked, “Are you the Qin Yi from Fish-Dragon Fortress, who bloomed eighty-one purple-gold lotus petals at the Taiyi Mountain entry ceremony four years ago?”

As the young master of the Qian family, he was well-informed.

Qin Yi put on a delighted expression and laughed, “Yes! You really know me—I’m truly famous?”

Qian Hongfu shook his head in disbelief. As he did so, he caught sight of Jiang Yao holding her white rabbit nearby, and instinctively stepped back a few paces, his voice tinged with fear, “Jiang Yao.”

Jiang Yao was someone even Wang Hong dared not underestimate; how could he not be afraid?

This time, Qin Yi affected a look of mild surprise, as if to say, “Jiang Yao is so famous, what’s the big deal about knowing her?”

Because Qian Hongfu spoke without restraint, the crowd’s gaze toward Jiang Yao grew even more awed. As a prodigy among the human race, her reputation was considerable even among her peers, let alone in Lingzhou.

“So she’s the immortal Jiang Yao, one of the Twin Jewels of Taiyi Mountain—I thought she looked like a goddess!”

“If Jiang Yao is here, does that mean that Qin is...?”

“Didn’t you hear? He participated in the Taiyi Mountain entry ceremony four years ago, and he’s from... Fish-Dragon Fortress, yes, Fish-Dragon Fortress!”

Liao Ruiting, though usually wild and domineering, had heard of Jiang Yao’s fame and never expected to face her directly. Still, she felt aggrieved—not only because Jiang Yao had knocked her down, but also because of the petty jealousy unique to women.

Liao Ruiting looked at Qian Hongfu with pitiful eyes and asked tearfully, “Uncle, won’t you help me teach them a lesson?”

Qian Hongfu, seeing her pitiful expression, felt his heart soften. He could barely tolerate her being bullied, especially at their own doorstep.