Chapter 48

"Hmph! Fine, I'll die then—but you, son of the Qianshan Sect's leader, dare to flirt with another man's fiancée? How despicable! I once heard how formidable the Qianshan Sect was; now I see it's nothing but a den of filth..."

Jiang Yan's expression showed no fear as he coldly stared at Kou Qing.

Over these years, as a worthless waste, he had long since ceased to care about life or death.

Upon hearing this, Kou Qing's eyes flashed with icy light.

Especially with the surrounding gazes watching like spectators to a farce, he felt his chest about to explode with rage.

How dare a worthless waste defy me?!

At that moment, Dan Tai Yuer sensed something was wrong; to quickly end this farce she had sparked, she turned to the Jiang family: "You already know why I came here."

"I've come specifically to dissolve my engagement with Jiang Yan. Settling this sooner will end it sooner—for everyone's benefit. What do you say?"

Hearing Dan Tai Yuer's voice, Kou Qing forcibly suppressed his inner fury.

To strike a worthless waste with no cultivation base would be to sully one's own hands—an outright degradation of status!

Sensing the tense atmosphere, the Jiang clan quickly had an elder step forward with the marriage contract and writing tools, placing them before Jiang Yan: "Yan, your mother passed away early, and your father is missing. In this situation, better to live than die—stay alive. I advise you sign this contract, dissolve the engagement quickly."

Seeing the former clan prodigy reduced to this state, the elder's heart ached deeply.

Jiang Yan reached out and took the marriage contract, staring at the black ink on white paper, a surge of grief and fury rising within him.

Since ancient times, when has a woman ever come to break off an engagement? How could he let the Jiang clan suffer such a great humiliation?!

Thus, under all eyes, Jiang Yan's face hardened—he tore the marriage contract to shreds, then turned to Dan Tai Yuer, stunned into silence: "Today, the engagement is off. But remember this: you didn't break it off—Jiang Yan is divorcing you!"

His words sent shockwaves through the entire hall!

Dan Tai Yuer's face darkened instantly.

If she had broken the engagement, she might have preserved some dignity—but to be divorced like this? That would be a crushing humiliation.

Thinking of how many would laugh at her once the news spread, Dan Tai Yuer bit her red lip, her voice trembling with grievance: "Jiang Yan! Are you truly going to make this so absolute?!"

Jiang Yan scanned the crowd, sneering: "From start to finish, who was the one who made things absolute? Wasn't it you?!"

Seeing Dan Tai Yuer's body tremble and her face grow paler, Kou Qing felt deep pity—he turned to Jiang Yan and roared: "Insolent! Yuer still wanted to spare your Jiang clan some face—but now, I see no need!"

Kou Qing stepped before Jiang Yan, his gaze shadowed with unmistakable killing intent: "As punishment for your disrespect toward Yuer, let me think... how should I deal with you? Break your hands first? Or your legs?"

His icy words seemed to drop the temperature in the hall by more than ten degrees.

The Jiang clan members fell utterly silent; the elder who had just handed Jiang Yan the pen and paper rushed forward, kneeling before Kou Qing to plead: "Young Master Kou, Yan is still young and foolish. Your status is so exalted—why waste your wrath on him? Rest assured, we'll resolve the divorce properly. Let me apologize on his behalf..."

"Do you dare teach me how to act, old man? Get out of my way!"

Kou Qing was already furious—he had no patience for further explanations.

He kicked out, sending the elder sprawling to the ground!

Seeing this, many Jiang clan youths rushed forward to help the elder up, then glared fiercely at Kou Qing: "Kou Qing! You're the son of the Qianshan Sect's leader—how dare you strike an elder? Do you not fear tarnishing your sect's reputation?!"

Hearing the clamor around him, Kou Qing grew even more irritated: "Shut up! Anyone who dares speak another word—I'll kill them!"

With Kou Qing's threat ringing out, even those filled with rage could only lower their heads helplessly—anger burning, but no one dared speak.

Seeing the elder suffer for pleading on his behalf, Jiang Yan was consumed by grief and fury.

At this moment, he craved power more than anything.

If I hadn't been struck by misfortune—if I could still cultivate—how could the Jiang clan have suffered this calamity?!

Memories flooded his mind, deepening his resentment.

Yet just as Kou Qing raised his arm to strike—

A mocking voice rang out, echoing through the hall: "Dogs never change their habit of eating shit. The Qianshan Sect remains as repulsive as ever."

Hearing someone so brazenly mock the Qianshan Sect, the Jiang clan was stunned; Kou Qing froze, his face dark as storm clouds.

Jiang Yan blinked, opened his eyes, and turned toward the voice.

At the hall's entrance stood a slender, handsome stranger boy.

Behind him stood a transcendentally elegant white-robed man, and an old man with snow-white hair.

Is that... Grandfather?!

Jiang Yan's spirit trembled—he never imagined his grandfather Jiang Hongwen would return at this critical moment.

More and more Jiang clan youths recognized the old man: "It's the former sect head! The former sect head has returned!"

"Who are the two beside the former sect head? They look utterly unfamiliar—I've never seen them before."

"I heard the former sect head left days ago to seek help from the main clan—could these be from the main clan?"

"If they returned with the former sect head, they must be."

As the murmurs spread—

Cai Kun, standing behind Kou Qing, coldly glanced at Jiang Daoxuan and the two others.

With his powerful Purple Mansion spiritual sense, he immediately probed their cultivation bases.

Two were at the Rear Heaven Ninth Layer—another... possibly Purple Mansion?

Feeling his spiritual sense blocked by the other side, Cai Kun frowned.

He'd never heard the main Jiang clan had a Purple Mansion cultivator stationed there—could this be an outside ally the Jiang clan had hired?

Thinking this, to avoid unintended conflict, he bowed slightly to Jiang Daoxuan and introduced himself: "I am Cai Kun, guest elder of the Qianshan Sect. May I ask your name?"

If this man had deep connections, he certainly wouldn't let Kou Qing act recklessly and bring a powerful enemy upon the sect—but if he had no background, that was another matter entirely.

Hearing this, Jiang Dao's expression remained calm as he replied casually: "Jiang family. Jiang Daoxuan."

The moment his words echoed, before Cai Kun could even process which Jiang family he meant, a young Jiang clan disciple cried out in shock: "Jiang Daoxuan? He's the clan chief!"