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Chapter 92: Sworn Brothers
Chapter 92: Sworn Brothers
Chapter 92: Sworn Brothers
Lin Qian felt bitter.
Ye Guan had basically forced him to hop onto the same boat as them.
There was no way the Hantian Clan would let him go, even if he told them the truth. Liu Qi and Liu Bing were close friends for the longest time, so Liu Bing would definitely not let go of Liu Qi’s murderer.
It’s over! Lin Qian sighed. I’m doomed!
Lin Qian glanced wordlessly at Ye Guan and Ye Qing, who were both busy picking up their spoils of war. He knew that he could only cling to them if he wanted to live.
Ye Guan tallied up the gold spiritual crystals in the storage ring of the deceased cultivators and saw that he had earned a total of eight million gold spiritual crystals aside from the gold spiritual crystals in Liu Qi’s storage ring.
Ye Guan split it evenly and gave the other half to Ye Qing.
Ye Qing accepted the storage ring with a smile and asked, “Why are you here, Brother Ye Guan?”
Ye Guan chuckled. “I came here to cultivate, and I heard that you were in danger, so I rushed over!”
“Thank you,” Ye Qing replied.
Ye Guan shook his head and said, “We’re brothers, you don’t have to thank me.”
Ye Qing smiled and felt warm inside.
Boom!
A terrifying aura suddenly bored down on them.
Ye Guan and Ye Qing’s faces abruptly changed.
A middle-aged man appeared, and he heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Lin Qian.
Lin Qian hurriedly got up and said, “Father!”
The middle-aged man pulled Lin Qian behind him.
He turned to face Ye Guan and Ye Qing.
“Were you the ones who killed Liu Qi?” he asked.
“No, your son killed him,” Ye Guan replied.
The middle-aged man yelled, “Stop the nonsense! My son and Liu Qi are close friends, why would he kill Liu Qi? You—”
“I killed him!” Lin Qian shouted.
The middle-aged man was stunned.
He spun around to look at Lin Qian.
Lin Qian hesitated for a while before saying, “I really killed him.”
The middle-aged man was enraged. “Do you know what you’re saying right now, you unfilial son?!”
Lin Qian repeated. “I killed him.”
Lin Qian was aware that he wouldn’t be able to push the blame onto someone else because there were quite a few people hiding in the shadows earlier during the battle.
In other words, it was only a matter of time before the Hantian Clan found out that Liu Qi died at his hands.
The Hantian Clan wouldn’t let him go along with Ye Guan and Ye Qing.
Liu Bing had always been protective of Liu Qi, so the former would definitely not let the three of them go. Therefore, Lin Qian decided to embark on another path.
The middle-aged man glared at Lin Qian and asked, “Do you know what you’re saying?”
People were starting to gather from all directions, and even the Tower Keeper of the Profound Tower had arrived. He had decided to come here to see what the commotion was all about.
Lin Qian glanced sideways at Ye Guan and Ye Qing before saying, “Father, this is Ye Guan and Ye Qing. They are my sworn brothers!”
Ye Guan and Ye Qing froze.
Ye Guan looked at Lin Qian, slightly confused. What is he trying to do here?
Lin Qian pointed at Liu Qi’s corpse and shouted, “Father, he coveted Brother Ye Qing’s treasure and tried to kill him to obtain it. I tried to stop him, but he refused to listen to me. I had no choice but to kill him to protect my sworn brothers!”
“Outrageous!” yelled the middle-aged man.
He was so angry that he slapped Lin Qian across the face. Lin Qian flew at least thirty meters away and left a trail of fresh blood.
Under everyone’s gazes, Lin Qian stood up and wiped the blood on the corner of his lips. He stared resolutely at the middle-aged man and said, “Father, I’m the one who killed him, so the responsibility belongs to me alone. It has nothing to do with my two sworn brothers. I am willing to die to assuage the Hantian Clan’s fury!”
He threw his head back and headbutted a boulder.
Boom!
The impact shattered the boulder, but Lin Qian was still alive. Lin Qian was covered in blood, looking absolutely miserable.
Ye Guan and Ye Qing looked at each other. I see, so that is what he wants to do…
Lin Qian stood up with much difficulty. He raised his right fist and aimed it at his temple.
There was no way the middle-aged man would let his only son die in front of him, so he immediately intervened.
Lin Qian inwardly sighed in relief.
The middle-aged man’s heart broke upon seeing Lin Qian’s miserable appearance.
He hugged him tightly and said softly, “If you insist on taking responsibility, I will bear it with you, even if you’re not the only one responsible for Liu Qi’s death. At most, I’m just going to offer my life to appease the Hantian Clan.”
The middle-aged man’s words made everyone present turn to Ye Guan and Ye Qing.
This is too much!
The three of them were responsible for Liu Qi’s death, but only Lin Qian and his father were willing to take responsibility.
Lin Qian had said that they were sworn brothers, so the fact that both Ye Guan and Ye Qing were still silent made the onlookers feel that they were ruthless to the core.
Ye Guan and Ye Qing remained silent. They knew what Lin Qian was trying to do here.
What a ruthless move. He made us look evil while putting himself up on a pedestal!
Ye Guan and Ye Qing had to do something. Otherwise, their reputation would plummet to the abyss.
Ye Qing pulled on Ye Guan’s sleeve.
“Brother Ye Guan, I think you should deal with him,” he said.
Ye Guan nodded. He approached Lin Qian and said, “Brother Lin, the Law Imprint belongs to you!”
Law Imprint?! The onlookers’ gaze turned fiery as they stared at Lin Qian.
The Tower Keeper directed a strange gaze at Lin Qian.
Law Imprint! It had to be known that Great Daoist Brush Master was apparently the one who had created the Law Imprints and the Dao Imprints, while the imprints themselves were under the control of the God of Daoism. Those imprints were priceless, and one could wield a cataclysmic power by cultivating them.
And this bastard would have one of those imprints?
Lin Qian’s expression stiffened. “Brother Ye—”
Ye Guan grabbed Lin Qian’s hand and said, “My brother and I were the ones who beat Liu Qi to a pulp, but you ended his life personally. Everyone saw what you did, so the imprint naturally belongs to you. Don’t be shy; take it!”
Lin Qian’s heart started to beat madly against his chest.
Ye Guan made a sidelong glance at Lin Qian’s father and bowed slightly. “Uncle, please take good care of Brother Lin. I will not forgive the Shangxiao Clan if anything happens to him!”
He then took out another storage ring and placed it in Lin Qian’s hands. “Brother Lin, this is Liu Qi’s storage ring. It contains three hundred million gold crystals, so please accept it!”
Lin Qian was at a loss for words.
Ye Guan walked over to Ye Qing and said, “Let’s go!”
They turned around and ran away.
Everyone present no longer looked at Lin Qian with sympathy. They were envious of him.
A Law Imprint and three million gold spiritual crystals. He struck the jackpot!
The Tower Keeper made a sidelong glance at Lin Qian. After a moment of silence, he turned around to leave. The onlookers slowly dispersed as well.
Soon, Lin Qian and his father were left alone.
“Do you really possess a Law Imprint?”
Lin Qian shook his head.
The middle-aged man suddenly grabbed Lin Qian by the collar and glared at him.
“You have a Law Imprint, and it belongs to you. Do you understand?”
Lin Qian stuttered, “Father, are you saying that…”
“Yes.” The middle-aged man took a deep breath and explained, “The clan leader and the elders of the clan will only protect you if you say that the Law Imprint belongs to you and has already acknowledged you as its owner. Otherwise, they’ll sacrifice you to appease the Hantian Clan.”
Lin Qian’s expression turned heavy. “I understand!”
The middle-aged man sighed and said, “The clan will only protect you if you’re worthy of its protection. You’ll die if you only rely on me. From now on, I want you to announce to the world that you have a Law Imprint.
“You also have to protect those two bastards earlier no matter what happens, do you understand?”
Lin Qian asked, “Father, you want me to stick close to them?”
The middle-aged man nodded and explained, “Yes, stay as close to them as you can. If anyone brings this matter up, take responsibility for everything. I want you to paint yourself as a loyal and courageous man so that the people will sympathize with you.”
“At that point, the clan will have to think twice about the resulting backlash if the elders and the clan leader decide to hand you over to the Hantian Clan. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I understand!” Lin Qian nodded.
The middle-aged man turned around and stared at the horizon.
“Those two bastards aren’t simple. Provoking them will only bring about disaster, but if they really have powerful backgrounds, you’ll end up with an unexpected boon!”
Lin Qian was slightly confused. “Father, what do you mean?”
“By tomorrow, I’m sure the world will know you as their sworn brothers. In other words, you have no choice but to act like you’re their sworn brother, whether you like it or not!”
“But they’re not my sworn brothers…” Lin Qian grumbled.
The middle-aged man replied, “The public’s opinion is what matters the most.”
“Okay…” Lin Qian reluctantly nodded.
The middle-aged man took a deep breath.
He wiped the blood off of Lin Qian’s face and muttered, “My son, be more confident. The act starts upon your return to the clan. Just tell them that you discovered a massive opportunity and that you’ll inevitably become invincible among your peers in just twenty years.”
Lin Qian nodded and replied, “I understand!”
The middle-aged man smiled and patted Lin Qian’s back. “Don’t be too worried. Your father here is still the Grand Elder of the Shangxiao Clan. Even if the sky falls down, I will hold it up for you, all right?”
Lin Qian smiled at his father and said, “Okay.”
“Let’s go!” said the middle-aged man, and the two of them walked away.
“Father, that Ye Guan is a menace!” Lin Qian said while they were on their journey home. “I think he’s more cunning than you!”
“He’s brave, cunning, and extraordinary. Be sure not to provoke him the next time you meet him. It’ll be great if you truly become his friend, but don’t force it, okay?”
Lin Qian hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “I’m a bit scared of him. He’s strong, but his motives are dubious. He’s an expert at setting others up, and his schemes are dangerous.”
The middle-aged man chuckled and said, “Take a look at it from another angle. He rushed to his brother’s assistance, which means that he values his relationships as well as loyalty.
”In other words, he’s the type of person who is ruthless to his enemies but kind to his friends and family. I’m sure he’ll put his life on the line for you if you truly become his friend.”
“That makes sense.” Lin Qian nodded slightly and said, “Father, what should I do if the clan leader decides to kick me out of the clan due to pressure?”
The middle-aged man said indifferently, “We’ll rebel!”
Lin Qian was shocked. He made a sidelong glance at his father.
His father calmly explained, “I’ve been the Grand Elder for so many years, do you really think that I would have no men on my side? If he dares to do anything to you, why would I not dare to do anything to him?”
“What are the chances?” asked Lin Qian.
“Eighty percent!”
“It’s that high?” Lin Qian asked in shock.
The middle-aged man shook his head and clarified. “He has an eighty percent chance of success, while we only have twenty percent.”
Lin Qian’s expression fell.
“I’m sure the clan will investigate the background of those young men. Let’s hope that they belong to a powerful clan. Anyway, wasn’t one of them a swordsman? Tell the clan that he’s a direct disciple of Great Sword Sovereign Ye Yu.”
“Raise him up as high as you can so that they won’t dare to investigate them thoroughly. I’m confident that even if they find something, we will not be implicated at all!” said the middle-aged man.
Lin Qian didn’t know what to say.