Chapter 53: Crystal-Clear Heart-Mind, the Thrilled Branch Family Members!

Seeing this, Kou Qing was instantly terrified, his soul nearly fleeing his body.

He desperately wanted to flee, but with his limbs ruined, he could only drag his body with immense difficulty across the cold floor, leaving a long trail of blood behind him.

As he struggled to move, he wept and begged: "Jiang Yan, what I did earlier was wrong—I'll let you have Dan Tai Yuer!"

"Please don't kill me! Once I return to my sect, I'll make my father forget this day entirely—even have him personally take you as his true disciple and teach you the Profound Heaven Sect's Xuan-grade cultivation art..."

Facing Kou Qing's promises, Jiang Yan felt no temptation—only disdain—and walked straight to his side without hesitation.

Then, under Kou Qing's terrified gaze,

Shu—

Hand raised, sword fell.

In an instant, the sharp blade sliced through skin, tore flesh, and pierced his heart.

Kou Qing's face twisted in agony, his muscles spasmed a few times, then he fell silent.

Seeing Kou Qing dead in his hands, Jiang Yan yanked the long sword from his chest, stared at the crimson blood on the blade, and felt as if in a dream—all unreal.

Before Jiang Yan could recover, Jiang Daoxuan's voice drifted softly: "Well done. Now, what of this woman? Will you spare her... or kill her?"

Jiang Yan froze, instinctively turning to Dan Tai Yuer.

Sensing Jiang Yan's gaze, Dan Tai Yuer was filled with terror.

She had never imagined that after Cai Kun and Kou Qing's deaths, it was now her turn.

A fierce desire to live surged wildly from deep within her, desperate to seize any chance of survival.

Forgetting all dignity and face, she used her most delicate voice, pleading pitifully: "Jiang Yan, the broken engagement was all Kou Qing forcing me—he said if I didn't marry him, he'd target my Dan Tai family. I never wanted this, but Kou Qing was too powerful—I couldn't defy him."

"Now that Kou Qing is dead, I can undo the engagement. If you give me one more chance today, we can marry tomorrow..."

Dan Tai Yuer's eyes were filled with tears, strands of black hair scattered around her frail body, limp and collapsed on the ground—utterly pitiful to behold.

Yet the moment her voice sounded, Jiang Yan's confusion vanished instantly—he spat out a harsh rebuke: "At this point, do you still think the Jiang family's honor is a joke? You break the engagement one moment, then unbreak it the next—you're utterly revolting!"

Recalling the image of Dan Tai Yuer entering hand-in-hand with Kou Qing, Jiang Yan's rage exploded—he raised his sword and charged to kill her!

Seeing her pleas were useless, Dan Tai Yuer immediately shed her frail facade, her expression twisting into monstrous fury.

She swiftly scanned the surroundings—no one moved to stop her—and a cold sneer curled her lips.

She still had both limbs intact, and with her Postnatal Stage Five cultivation base—how could she let this worthless, cultivation-less fool kill her?

Thinking this, she immediately prepared to seize Jiang Yan, intending to use him as a hostage to force everyone to let her escape the Jiang family alive.

The distance between them shrank rapidly.

Dan Tai Yuer subtly hid her right palm behind her back, secretly channeling internal energy, ready to seize Jiang Yan before anyone could react.

Yet this tiny motion was laid bare by Jiang Daoxuan's spiritual sense.

Seeing this, he immediately gathered Pure Yang Yuanli into his fingertip, flicked his finger—and a lightning-fast energy strike shot forth!

Just as the two were barely a meter apart, Dan Tai Yuer's face hardened, her eyes gleaming with triumph—she raised her palm and struck toward Jiang Yan!

At the very moment her palm neared Jiang Yan's face—only two fingers away—the Pure Yang Yuanli from Jiang Daoxuan arrived instantly, piercing straight through Dan Tai Yuer's palm and exploding it into a small cloud of crimson mist!

Aaah!

Dan Tai Yuer screamed in unbearable pain, her once-delicate voice now a horrifying, shrill screech—like a demon wailing!

Jiang Yan froze for a moment, then reacted instantly—he gripped the long sword with both hands and thrust forward!

Ci-la—

The sharp tip pierced Dan Tai Yuer's chest in an instant, emerging bloody from her back—a perfect through-and-through.

Dan Tai Yuer's pupils contracted; she weakly extended her left hand, trying to grab Jiang Yan and drag him to death with her.

But how could Jiang Yan give her such an opportunity?

He coldly withdrew the sword, causing her body to shudder as a torrent of blood gushed from her chest wound.

Finally, a wave of weakness swept through her entire body—she collapsed onto the ground, lifeless.

Jiang Yan gripped the sword tightly, staring at the corpses of Kou Qing and Dan Tai Yuer—the vile pair—and felt a surge of vindication, pure exhilaration.

Then, tilting his head slightly, he let out a loud, joyous laugh!

For the first time, the heavy burden in his heart found a moment of release.

At the same moment, the system's prompt appeared again before Jiang Daoxuan.

【Ding~ Detected that the Fate-destined child Jiang Yan's heart-mind has become crystal clear—Family Fortune +100】

【Ding~ Crisis averted, fate reversed—Faction survives—Family Fortune +200】

Seeing this, Jiang Daoxuan wore an expression of "as expected."

Ever since he had reignited Jiang Chen's fighting spirit last time and received the Family Fortune reward,

he had guessed that if he could restore even a sliver of confidence in Jiang Yan, the Fate-destined child, he might earn another Family Fortune reward.

And now, the system's prompt confirmed his hypothesis.

At this moment, Jiang Yan, having calmed his emotions, walked before Jiang Daoxuan and knelt with a thud: "Thank you, Clan Leader, for rescuing us!"

Jiang Daoxuan nodded: "Rise. The main and branch families are one—no need for such thanks."

Then he turned and surveyed the surrounding faces, taking in the fear and unease of every Jiang clansman present.

He gave Jiang Hongwen a glance.

Jiang Hongwen immediately understood and stepped to the center of the hall.

Seeing the elder clan leader step forward to speak, every Jiang clansman fell instantly silent.

Under their collective gaze, Jiang Hongwen spoke slowly: "Before leaving the main family, the Clan Leader declared that after this matter, all of us may leave Xuancheng and settle in Wudan City—to live alongside the main family. From now on, the two branches will be as one, sharing fortune and fate!"

As the elder clan leader's passionate voice rang out,

the previously tense Jiang clan members first froze, then realized—relief washed over their faces.

Their hearts, long dormant, now stirred violently with renewed life!

Joy spread across everyone's faces, and hope gleamed in their eyes.