Not long after returning to the Sect, Qin Xiao's Seven Stars Peak received an uninvited guest.
"Qin Xiao, get out here!"
A middle-aged-looking man stood with his sword drawn, shouting insults.
"And who might you be?"
Qin Xiao had only just lain down when he heard the shouting. Terribly annoyed, he pushed open his courtyard gate.
"You killed my sworn younger brother. I challenge you to a Deathmatch."
Seeing Qin Xiao emerge, the man immediately demanded a Deathmatch.
"What do you mean I killed your sworn younger brother? What Deathmatch? The real question is, who the hell are you?"
Qin Xiao felt utterly baffled. Had this guy cultivated for so long that his brain broke?
"Senior Brother Yao? Weren't you in Secluded Cultivation in the Inner Hall?"
Hearing the commotion, Lin Shimeng also walked out, only to discover that this person was none other than Yao Kainan.
"Junior Sister Lin, this matter has nothing to do with you. I am only looking for Qin Xiao."
Seeing Lin Shimeng arrive, Yao Kainan bluntly warned her to stay out of it.
"Yao Kainan, I call you Senior Brother out of respect, but please do not act so presumptuously. If you wish to trouble my master, you must defeat me first."
The moment Lin Shimeng saw Yao Kainan, she knew the Great Elder had instructed him to come make trouble. Thus, she cast aside all pleasantries.
"Yao Kainan? Yao Kaidong? Is this also the Great Elder's son? Didn't they say the Great Elder only had one son?"
Qin Xiao finally caught on. This guy's name differed from Yao Kaidong's by just a single character.
"Master, the Great Elder indeed only has one biological son, but he also has three sworn sons. However, they've all entered Secluded Cultivation in the Inner Hall and are no longer considered disciples of Immortal Sword Peak. He is the Great Elder's third sworn son."
Seeing Qin Xiao's confusion, Lin Shimeng explained.
"Then are there also a Yao Kaixi and Yao Kaibei? Why are they out of order? Shouldn't it start from the East?"
Qin Xiao put the pieces together. It seemed the Great Elder had picked out names long ago, but his biological son was slow to be born, so he assigned the names in reverse. His true son had to take the name 'East'-after all, in this world, the East was revered above all.
"Kid, since you already know, then pay with your life to avenge my sworn younger brother."
Yao Kainan had no desire to waste words with Qin Xiao.
He had been in Secluded Cultivation before, having just broken through to the late-stage Nascent Soul realm the previous day. He had come out to relax and pay respects to his sworn father, only to learn the news of his sworn younger brother's death. After making inquiries, he discovered the murderer was Qin Xiao. Upon hearing that Qin Xiao had returned to the Sect, he immediately chased him down.
"Pay with my life? Whose life? You declare a Deathmatch and I just have to accept? I refuse. Goodbye, show yourself out."
Qin Xiao had no desire to provoke this madman. For now, it was better to keep his head down and develop steadily.
"Senior Brother Yao, please return. Otherwise, I will treat this as an attack on Seven Stars Peak, giving me the right to kill you."
Seeing Qin Xiao drive him away, Lin Shimeng quickly added her own warning.
"It is exactly as everyone says-you, Qin Xiao, are a piece of trash. You can only hide behind a woman. If there comes a day when the Sect Leader no longer protects you, what use will you be? Do you think the Sect Leader will protect you forever? For every day you cannot cultivate, you remain a piece of trash."
Yao Kainan had no other choice; he could only resort to taunts. If he forced his hand, it might be viewed as an assault on Seven Stars Peak. He also knew there was a Formation protecting the peak, making rash actions unwise.
"Keep barking. I don't give a damn. Number Two, close the gate."
Although Qin Xiao wasn't afraid of this Yao Kainan, he still didn't want any more trouble. Yao Kaidong was already dead, and the Great Elder could snap at any moment. That old man was approaching the peak of the Soul Formation realm; if someone at that level disregarded everything to kill him, it would be an absolute nightmare.
That was precisely why Qin Xiao didn't want to deal with Yao Kainan. If he accidentally slaughtered this guy too, the Great Elder would almost certainly go mad, and then the real headache would begin. For now, they were maintaining a delicate balance-best not to break it.
Lin Tiancheng heard that Yao Kainan had gone to Seven Stars Peak and rushed over immediately. He could not allow an incident to break out.
The Great Elder had actually arrived long ago but remained hidden. As the mastermind, he naturally wouldn't miss the show.
Hearing there was a spectacle to be witnessed, the other Elders and disciples were also hurrying over.
In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a massive crowd had already gathered outside the small courtyard on Seven Stars Peak.
"Why do the crowds just keep getting bigger?"
Although Qin Xiao had activated the Formation, he hadn't turned on the sound isolation, so he naturally heard the noise outside.
"Yao Kainan, what are you doing? You are an Inner Hall disciple. Instead of remaining in Secluded Cultivation, why have you come to Seven Stars Peak?"
Lin Tiancheng had already arrived. Spotting Yao Kainan, he immediately issued a stern reprimand.
"Sect Leader, what do you mean by that? Are you saying Inner Hall disciples are forbidden from visiting Seven Stars Peak?"
Great Elder Yao Tiansheng chose that exact moment to step out of the shadows.
"Great Elder, Yao Kainan is now a Core Disciple of the Inner Hall. He is no longer a part of your Immortal Sword Peak. Is it not inappropriate for you to act this way?"
Lin Tiancheng naturally knew this was all orchestrated by the Great Elder, so he called him out directly.
"Sect Leader, you misunderstand this old man. I did not order Nan'er to come cause trouble; this was his own choice. His sworn younger brother was killed, and he came seeking revenge. What is wrong with that?"
Yao Tiansheng fired right back.
"This is purely your speculation. Without any hard evidence, how can you blame Qin Xiao?"
Lin Tiancheng remained steadfast, knowing the other side lacked proof.
"Evidence? Sect Leader, you and I both know the truth in our hearts. If this old man had evidence, Nan'er would not be out here shouting insults. I would have personally butchered that Qin Xiao long ago."
Yao Tiansheng spoke bluntly, completely abandoning all pretense of saving face. He had spent these past few days scouring everywhere for evidence but found none. He was tired; he didn't want to search for proof anymore. If he found a way, he would absolutely kill Qin Xiao. This vendetta had become his obsession.
"So, according to the Great Elder's intent, this matter is to be laid out in the open, right?"
Qin Xiao stepped out at this moment. He had naturally overheard their conversation.
"That is right, Qin Xiao. The moment there is an opportunity, this old man will definitely kill you."
Although Yao Tiansheng was driven nearly mad with grief, he retained enough restraint to seek other methods. He could not strike personally, or Lin Tiancheng would intervene. Furthermore, he could not overtly trample the Sect's rules.
"So what exactly does the Great Elder need to put an end to this matter?"
Qin Xiao felt quite helpless. You people started all this. I'm a victim here too.
"End? It will not end. Not unless one of us dies."
Yao Tiansheng had decided to lay the cards on the table. For this conflict to conclude, one side had to be exterminated.
"Yao Tiansheng, do not push your luck."
Lin Tiancheng stopped addressing him as Great Elder and called him directly by his name.
"And what if I do? As long as I do not kill him with my own hands, what can you do to me, Lin Tiancheng?"
Yao Tiansheng fired back, also discarding all titles. Since they were tearing away all pretenses, they might as well rip them completely to shreds. This was vengeance for his murdered son-no amount of persuasion would stop him.
"Great Elder, so now you don't care about right and wrong, truth or falsehood, or the intricacies of what happened. Because your son is dead, you're the victim and you're entitled to revenge? Is that what you're saying?"
Qin Xiao felt a surge of anger. Your son was dead, sure, but if he hadn't died, Qin Xiao would be the one in the ground! Where the hell was he supposed to find justice? If he died, who would avenge him?
"That is right. My son died, so you must accompany him in death. If you want to blame anyone, blame your master for dying too early. Put nicely, you are the Peak Master of Seven Stars Peak. Put harshly, you are nothing but a piece of trash the Sect barely tolerated out of pity for your master's sacrifice."
Yao Tiansheng completely cast aside his disguise. He didn't care about the dignity of an Elder or the grace of a Senior. He only wanted Qin Xiao dead.
"Damn, this old man really is losing his mind. I haven't even provoked him lately, have I?"
Qin Xiao finally realized that the Great Elder was truly on the verge of madness. The only reason he hadn't completely snapped was that he still possessed enough self-control to hold back from striking directly.
"Since that is the case, I accept your sworn son's Deathmatch. Killing one is killing; killing two is just more of the same. However, I get to choose the time and place. Does the Great Elder agree to this?"
Qin Xiao threw caution to the wind. Damn it, he probably wouldn't be able to stay in this Tianyuan Sect much longer. This old bastard was losing his mind, and Qin Xiao's life was in danger at any moment.
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