Chapter 7: Adding Flowers to Brocade Is Easy, Sending Charcoal in Snow Is Hard

"Speak! What exactly happened! How did Shan'er die!"

Qin Potian roared, his voice shaking the surrounding leaves into a rustling fall.

Those clan members glanced at each other, and finally the sturdy man with the crutch, mustering his courage, spoke up: "Ancestor, we… we originally received word from the Lin Family Second Elder that Lin Feng's dantian had been shattered."

"So we went to the Lin Family to force them to hand over the Ancestral Residence and all their assets… but who knew… who knew that little beast Lin Feng… he…"

"What about him?! Hemming and hawing like a woman! Speak!"

Qin Potian kicked the sturdy man square in the chest, sending him flying and crashing into a tree as thick as a rice bowl, snapping it in two.

"Cough, cough!"

The sturdy man spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his face turning even paler.

"At first everything was fine, but that kid Lin Feng suddenly broke through! He broke through to the Wudao Realm."

"The Clan Leader, the Clan Leader was taken out by him in a single strike…"

"Wudao Realm?!"

Qin Potian's pupils contracted sharply, a look of utter disbelief flashing across his face.

How old is that boy?

How could he possibly have broken through to the Wudao Realm?

"Ancestor, it's absolutely true! That Lin Feng's might was overwhelming, the Clan Leader couldn't withstand him at all!" another clan member said with a tear-streaked face. "We fought desperately just to snatch back the Clan Leader's corpse…"

At this moment, Qin Potian's face was terrifyingly dark as he paced back and forth in the Ancestral Land like a trapped beast.

He had thought that his own breakthrough to Dao Comprehension Realm First Layer.

Would let him walk all over this tiny Ziyun City, never expecting the Lin Family to produce such a monstrous freak!

"And! Those two old fools from the Wang Family and Yang Family also stepped in!"

"They teamed up with that bastard Lin Feng, we were no match for them at all!"

The sturdy man with the crutch struggled to his feet and added another sentence.

In any case, things had already come to this.

If they didn't pile on the exaggerations and drag everyone else down with them, they wouldn't get off easy!

"Wang Yunfei! Yang Mingxuan! Not only did those two old relics refuse to help my Qin Family, they actually dared to do something like this?!"

Rage surged once more in Qin Potian's heart, his eyes nearly spewing fire.

"Good! Very good! Once I wipe out the Lin Family, I'll go twist the heads off those two old relics!"

He drew a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Lin Feng's breakthrough to the Wudao Realm was indeed unexpected, but it didn't mean he had no chance of winning.

Even if Lin Feng had broken through, he should be at the same level as himself—merely the Initial Stage of Wudao Realm.

Besides, his Qin Family still possessed an ancestral Six-Star Spirit Treasure—the Blood Tyrant Blade!

This was a Clan Treasure capable of slaying enemies across realms!

How could the Lin Family, a nouveau riche family that had only risen in the last few decades, possibly possess such heritage?

Thinking of this, Qin Potian's heart steadied slightly, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes.

"Elder, go to the Ancestral Land and bring out our Clan Treasure!"

"All other men of the Qin Family, hear my command! Follow me to slay this beast Lin Feng and avenge the Clan Leader!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The Qin Family clan members roared in unison, their morale soaring.

With a grand sweep of his hand, Qin Potian led the mighty Qin Family force, bristling with killing intent, charging toward the Lin Family…

At the same time, at the Wang Family.

In the resplendent reception hall, sandalwood incense curled gently through the air, its fragrance pleasant and soothing.

Wang Yunfei reclined on an ornately carved Grand Chair, idly toying with a pair of jade lions in his hands, his brows tightly furrowed.

Sitting opposite him, Yang Mingxuan kept rubbing the rim of his teacup with his thumb, his expression equally grave.

"That old relic Qin Potian has actually broken through to the Wudao Realm too…"

Wang Yunfei was the first to break the silence, his tone carrying an unmistakable unease.

Yang Mingxuan sighed softly and set his teacup down heavily on the table.

"Indeed! This news came far too suddenly."

"If not for the spy I planted in the Qin Family seeing it with his own eyes, I truly wouldn't dare believe it!"

A glint of sharpness flashed in Wang Yunfei's eyes, but his face darkened again almost immediately.

"If that's the case, that kid Lin Feng is probably in for more misfortune than good fortune this time."

"Qin Potian was already formidable to begin with, and now he's broken through to the Wudao Realm, plus that Six-Star Spirit Treasure, the Blood Tyrant Blade…"

"Tsk, tsk, no matter how monstrous Lin Feng is, he can't escape death!"

But Yang Mingxuan shook his head, a knowing smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Clan Leader Wang, how can you be so certain that Lin Feng will definitely lose?"

"On the contrary, I believe Lin Feng will surely win, and the Qin Family will surely be destroyed!"

Wang Yunfei was stunned for a moment, then shook his head helplessly.

"Clan Leader Yang, have you gone senile?"

"The Qin Family has been passed down for hundreds of years, with deep foundations—how could the Lin Family, a bunch of nouveau riche, possibly compare?"

"Even if Lin Feng luckily defeats Qin Potian, the Qin Family still has so many experts—one spit from each of them could drown him!"

"In my opinion! Let's not abandon the chariot to save the commander either, let's just invite each family's Ancestor to come out of seclusion!"

"After all, that old relic Qin Potian isn't like Lin Feng—at most he just wants some resources."

"That old bastard has had designs on both our families' lives for a long time now."

Yang Mingxuan unhurriedly poured himself a cup of tea, took a slow sip, then said leisurely: "Clan Leader Wang! You only saw the surface, but missed the true nature of the matter."

"The Qin Family may look powerful, but in truth they're strong on the outside and hollow within."

"These past years, relying on Qin Potian's strength and their own foundation, they've lorded it over Ziyun City and offended plenty of people."

"Now that Qin Potian has emerged from closed-door cultivation, he's become even more arrogant and domineering."

"Not to mention our two families — look at his behavior now, he doesn't even take the City Lord seriously."

"Do you think, with the Lin Family and the City Lord taking the lead, those major and minor clans secretly dissatisfied with the Qin Family would sit by and watch the Qin Family monopolize power?"

Wang Yunfei pondered for a moment and felt Yang Mingxuan's words held some truth.

He narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing through them: "You mean… someone will secretly help Lin Feng?"

Yang Mingxuan smiled mysteriously, neither answering directly, but asking in return: "Clan Leader Wang, have you ever thought — if Qin Potian truly wins, how should we handle ourselves?"

"Don't forget, Qin Shan's death — we're accomplices!"

Wang Yunfei's face changed. He had considered this question too, but had never dared to think it through.

Now that Yang Mingxuan had laid it bare, he instantly felt a chill run down his back.

"So!"

Yang Mingxuan patted Wang Yunfei's shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of consolation.

"Rather than worry over Lin Feng's victory or defeat, think instead about how to protect ourselves in this storm."

"Rather than betting on the Qin Family, who are destined to fight us to the death, let's gamble on Lin Feng — the variable!"

"After all, everyone knows how to add flowers to brocade, but sending charcoal in the snow — that's the gesture that warms the heart."

After a long silence, Wang Yunfei finally heaved a heavy breath, as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted.

"Clan Leader Yang, you're right!"

"Rather than placing our chips on that mad dog Qin Potian, let's gamble on Lin Feng! What if it works out?"

His eyeballs rolled, a shrewd glint flickering.

"When the time comes, we can use this as leverage to make the Lin Family take less tribute, hehe!"