Chapter 40: Alone Against the Qin Family

He didn't hesitate. With a push of his legs, he dashed forward like lightning.

It was clear he wouldn't make it in time. He threw the wooden sword he was holding. The wooden sword precisely pierced the child's hooded garment, carrying the child, clothes and all, to a safe distance. Just barely, it avoided a pot of boiling water on the ground!

He rushed forward to check, and after confirming the child was unharmed, he pulled out his wooden sword and glared coldly at the young master of the Qin family, writing: "You won't even spare a child. Is your Qin family full of beasts?"

The young master of the Qin family seemed to realize he had almost taken a life and felt a pang of guilt. But upon recognizing Jiang Fan, his resentment flared. "So it's you! My father has been humiliated by you several times! You're exactly who I'm looking for today! Everyone, come here!" Several members of the Qin family immediately surrounded him.

Ye Qingxue, who had arrived in the front yard, originally intended to stop the Qin family's violence. However, she was mesmerized by the sword throw Jiang Fan had just performed. "Was that throw a coincidence?" she wondered. To precisely hit the hood of a falling child from such a distance without harming a single hair on the child's head... Only a master swordsman could do that, right? But Jiang Fan was clearly someone with no cultivation. Had she misunderstood Jiang Fan all along? She had been about to reveal herself, but instead, she took a step back, hidden behind the door, quietly observing Jiang Fan.

"Young Master, I alone am enough to deal with this trash!" A young Qin family member, at the third level of Qi Condensation, waved his broadsword and charged forward, shouting. "Wait..." The young master of the Qin family tried to warn him, but it was too late. Jiang Fan lunged forward in a bow stance and casually delivered a punch to the man's abdomen, instantly breaking several of his ribs.

Ye Qingxue, hidden behind the door, looked astonished. "Didn't Xu Yining say he had no spiritual root? What was that punch just now?" What surprised her even more were the Qin family master's next words: "Were you born yesterday? He defeated Lu Zheng; his cultivation is at least at the sixth level of Qi Condensation! All of you, attack together." Several Qin family members swarmed him, some at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, others at the sixth. However, despite their numerical advantage, they gained no ground. Jiang Fan quickly subdued them all, leaving them sprawled on the ground. Each person was injured to varying degrees, lying on the ground and moaning.

The young master of the Qin family was startled. "You broke through again?" Jiang Fan coldly wrote, "Why don't you try and find out?" He leaped forward, his right fist aimed directly at the young master's face. The young master of the Qin family retorted angrily, "Do you think I'm scared of you?" He unleashed his seventh-level Qi Condensation cultivation, his two fists striking out like twin dragons emerging from the sea. However, the moment they made contact, the young master of the Qin family felt an overwhelming force crash into him. Without a doubt, he was sent flying backward by a single punch.

"How dare you!" Qin Changsheng, who had been ransacking elsewhere, arrived in time, caught his son, and snorted, "You dare to hit my son!" Seeing his son's mouth full of blood, the Qin family master was filled with rage. Jiang Fan coldly wrote, "You trash the Xu family, and then blame others for hurting your son? You are truly as shameless as ever!"

Qin Changsheng retorted righteously, "A debt must be repaid; that's the law of nature! Your Xu family is about to have its assets seized. What's wrong with me taking back some property to offset the debt?"

Without a word, Jiang Fan pulled out 300,000 silver taels in banknotes and threw them on the ground, writing, "The money is here. I've paid it for the Xu family! But since you laid hands on the Xu family, none of you will leave here in one piece!"

Seeing the banknotes, Qin Changsheng breathed a sigh of relief. But at Jiang Fan's words, he sneered, "You think you're someone important. My Qin family comes and goes as we please. What can you do?" With that, he picked up the banknotes and waved his hand, "Let's go!" The Qin family members began to gather and depart in a large group.

Jiang Fan remained expressionless, raised his wooden sword, and charged into the midst of the Qin family members. Seeing him alone daring to oppose so many Qin family members, Qin Changsheng was infuriated. This was clearly showing utter disregard for the Qin family! "All of you, attack together!" Even an elephant fears a swarm of ants. What's more, Jiang Fan was just one person; the Qin family members could drown him with their spit.

Jiang Fan remained unfazed. The wooden sword flashed instantly. "Lone Star Pierces the Firmament!" "Three Stars Illuminates the Moon!" Each strike was more powerful than the last! Though it was a wooden sword, dull and unsharp, it still drew lines of blood. "Ah!!" Screams of agony erupted among the Qin family members, echoing throughout the courtyard. Jiang Fan was like a tiger among sheep; with every thrust of his sword, a person fell. In just over a dozen breaths, most of the Qin family members had fallen.

Qin Changsheng was a mixture of shock and rage. "You little beast, I won't let you off!" He unleashed his peak eighth-level Qi Condensation cultivation, pushed his family members aside, and charged forward rapidly, wielding an iron sword that he swung down fiercely. However, with just one encounter, Jiang Fan knocked his iron sword flying and slashed across his chest with one strike, causing blood to instantly gush out. "The family master is injured! Run! Run!!" The Qin family members panicked and quickly carried Qin Changsheng away. Jiang Fan, however, pursued them relentlessly, chasing them out of the Xu Manor, ensuring that not a single Qin family member remained unscathed.

Seeing his family members in such a sorry state, Qin Changsheng was so enraged his eyes rolled back. "Jiang Fan! Xu family! Just you wait, just you wait! My Qin family's old master, a one-star Soul Master, will be back soon. When he returns, it will be your doomsday!" A true Soul Master is a superior being in any city. Even the City Lord of Lone Boat City would bow in reverence before a one-star Soul Master. If he were to get angry, mountains and rivers would surely change color, and blood would flow like a river!

A one-star Soul Master? Jiang Fan shrugged, letting him come.

Returning to the courtyard, he instructed the maids and servants to clean up the messy scene. They, who had previously looked down on Jiang Fan, were now so awestruck they barely dared to breathe, obediently following his every command. In this battle, Jiang Fan single-handedly fought the entire Qin family. How invincible, how peerless was that?

Ye Qingxue, who had been hiding behind the door, also emerged, her eyes gleaming as if she had discovered a treasure. "Young Master Jiang, you truly keep your abilities hidden!" Jiang Fan had only shown the eighth level of Qi Condensation just now. He had also held back his most powerful sword technique. He hadn't even used his full strength. He calmly wrote, "You flatter me! I still need to clean up, so I can't entertain you. Please make yourself at home, Miss Ye." With that, he began to help clean up the scene as well.

Ye Qingxue was a little displeased. As the esteemed daughter of the City Lord, he was ignoring her when she spoke to him? Was he getting arrogant just because he had some skill? She felt it was necessary to teach Jiang Fan a lesson in humility and modesty. "Young Master Jiang, I noticed your swordsmanship seems to have some shortcomings. Coincidentally, I learned from a master swordsman and could offer you some pointers."

Give me pointers? Jiang Fan pondered for a moment, then readily agreed. Ye Qingxue's aptitude was no less than Xu Yining's, and having trained outside, her skills should be quite strong. She was a worthy opponent for a full-strength spar. He drew his wooden sword and made a 'please' gesture. Ye Qingxue secretly gloated, "You brat, let's see how I teach you a lesson!" After speaking, she drew a green sword and displayed dazzling swordsmanship, simultaneously revealing her ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivation.

Jiang Fan immediately became serious, not daring to hide his strength. He instantly unleashed his ninth-level Qi Condensation cultivation and, without hesitation, executed his most powerful sword strike, "Seven Stars Point North!" As the two swords clashed, Ye Qingxue immediately felt an incomparably powerful sword technique. The sword in her hand flew directly out of her grasp. Jiang Fan's sword easily broke through her chest defense and rested against her throat.

Jiang Fan was stunned. That's it? Ye Qingxue was also dumbfounded. I lost? In one move? Just one move?