Only I am Venerable-Chapter 44: The Dominant Shangguan Family

After what had happened, the group had no desire to remain in the jungle. They were especially afraid of encountering the frenzied female Green Furred Cat again. The creature was highly intelligent; if it saw them again, it would surely attack with reckless abandon. At that point, it wouldn’t just be a matter of getting a few injuries.

Fortunately, the group still had the Iron Armor Crocodile that Qin Li had hunted, so it was still a considerable haul. Of course, the trip would have been perfect if they hadn’t run into that other group.

But things in life rarely go as planned. The incident gave Qin Li a deeper understanding of some of the Laws of this world, and his desire to increase his strength grew even more urgent.

He hadn’t stopped cultivating the Innate Purple Qi Technique these past few days. Qin Li discovered that his training progressed faster in the primeval jungle than in Yellow Sand City. Especially at dawn on a clear day, the streak of purple qi from the East was incredibly rich with energy! Qin Li felt himself improving every single day!

Now that he was completely familiar with this body, the abilities manifested by its near-perfect foundation were growing at an explosive rate!

On the journey back, a scene replayed in Qin Li’s mind: Qin Hu, looking at him with contempt and sneering, "Basic Master. A foundation is useless!"

But now, there wasn’t a trace of grief or indignation in Qin Li’s heart. There was only faint mockery.

The walls of Yellow Sand City were tall and imposing. Their solemn, heavy presence could be felt from miles away. As the group drew closer to the city gates, their mood grew heavy. If those people were truly connected to the Royal Family, the City Lord’s Mansion must have already heard about the incident.

From a distance, the group saw nothing unusual at the city gate and relaxed slightly. ’As long as we get inside the city, we’ll be fine,’ they thought.

What Qin Li and the others didn’t know was that at this very moment, inside the City Lord’s Mansion of Yellow Sand City, a fierce argument was underway.

A beautiful young woman with bright eyes and pearly teeth was glaring indignantly at a dignified-looking, middle-aged man in his late forties.

If Qin Li had been there, he would have recognized her at a glance. This was the same young woman who had tried to assassinate him!

"Father, how can you let him go when we have such a perfect opportunity? Don’t you know he almost killed Feng? The people he’s provoked now are from the Royal Family—from the imperial palace itself!" the beautiful young woman said, her voice cold and her eyes red and brimming with tears.

"Feng, Feng... all day long, it’s Qin Feng this, Qin Feng that. How many times have I told you? He’s not the right man for you! Yes, he’s a once-in-a-century genius. He’s handsome, and his family background... it’s impeccable. But that’s precisely why I don’t approve of you two. Just think about it. You and Qin Feng both study at the Imperial Academy. How many girls there are in love with him? And how many of them come from families more powerful than ours? In my eyes, my darling daughter, you’re the most beautiful girl in the world. But do you honestly believe you’re the most beautiful woman on this earth? My dear daughter... please, think carefully. Are you two really suited for each other?"

A look of profound helplessness crossed the middle-aged man’s face. Gazing at his daughter’s stubborn expression, he couldn’t help but continue, "You actually went to assassinate Qin Li. Have you lost your mind? Did you think Qin Feng would be grateful? Impossible! He would only blame you for meddling. And do you have any idea what kind of disaster you could have brought down upon yourself and our family by doing that!"

The young woman ignored her father’s final warning. Puzzled as to why Qin Feng would blame her for interfering, she asked, "Why would he blame me for meddling?"

"Because men don’t like women who run around fighting and killing, and they especially don’t like them meddling in their private affairs! As a proud genius, if he wants revenge, he’ll get it himself!" the middle-aged man said irritably. "That is an internal matter for the Qin Family. Moreover, he’s the son-in-law of the Shangguan Family. Did you really think you could kill Qin Li and walk away unscathed? It wouldn’t just be you! Even I, your father... our entire family would face annihilation!"

"How could that be?" A trace of surprise finally broke through the young woman’s cold expression. "He’s just a lowly bastard. On what grounds is he so highly regarded?"

"Sigh... You wouldn’t understand even if I explained it. You just need to remember one thing: in Yellow Sand City, provoking Qin Li is a death sentence!" The middle-aged man added inwardly, ’At least, for now.’

The young woman pursed her lips, her eyes filled with resentment. "So, after being so badly injured, is Eunuch Li just going to let Qin Li go? I can’t believe that kid is such a troublemaker. How did he even manage it? I heard Eunuch Li is an Earth Level master!"

At the mention of Eunuch Li, the corner of the middle-aged man’s mouth twitched a few times. He sighed. "This is exactly why I don’t want you getting mixed up in this. An Earth Level master suffered a huge loss at Qin Li’s hands—are you stronger than an Earth Level master? And another thing, do you think the Shangguan Family is just for decoration? Does Eunuch Li even have the right to speak in front of Princess Consort Shangguan? This time... he has no choice but to swallow this bitter pill in silence!"

The middle-aged man sighed deeply and thought, ’It’s so frustrating being this City Lord. With the Shangguan Family’s power, someone like Eunuch Li isn’t even fit to carry their shoes! It’s too much to hope they’ll just tear each other apart.’

...

"YAH!"

A sudden, urgent clatter of hoofbeats echoed down the main street of Yellow Sand City. More than twenty Black Armored Knights galloped furiously, their presence astonishing. Trailing them were two luxurious carriages, each pulled by eight strong horses, all of them racing directly toward the city gate.

Qin Li and his group had just entered the city when they saw the twenty-plus knights galloping toward them. They froze. ’Is this it? Has it finally come to this?’ they wondered.

At that moment, the lead Knight saluted Qin Li from horseback. "Might you be Young Master Qin Li? I am a guard of the Shangguan Family, here under the Patriarch’s orders to escort you and your companions home!"

The tension in Hu and the others instantly vanished. Even Leng Yao shot Qin Li several surprised glances.

Qin Li calmly returned the salute. "My thanks," he said.

"Wait!"

Just then, another group of a dozen or so people approached from the side, one of them shouting loudly.

Hu and the others turned, their expressions immediately souring. It was the same group of people they had clashed with a few days prior. Every one of them was staring at Qin Li, their gazes so hateful they could have eaten him alive. The ugly middle-aged man was not among them. A man who appeared to be their leader shouted.

"They’re not going anywhere! They injured our master, and we’re taking them in!"

The mounted Black Armored Knight looked at the speaker as if he were an idiot. With a contemptuous sneer, he said flatly, "This is Yellow Sand City. They are honored guests of the Shangguan Family!"

The man flew into a rage. "This is the Emperor’s land! They are criminals wanted by the Royal Family!"

"Tsk, tsk. Such a serious accusation. The Royal Family? I’m terrified," the Black Armored Knight sneered. He gave a token salute toward the sky and continued, "Our young miss happens to be the Emperor’s most favored Consort. So which ’Royal Family’ are you talking about? Hmm? Who gave you the right to speak for them? Don’t mistake kindness for weakness. Here in Yellow Sand City, no one has ever dared to cause trouble for the Shangguan Family! If you want them, tell your master to come to the Shangguan Mansion and ask for them personally!"

Having said his piece, the Black Armored Knight smiled at Qin Li. "Young Master Qin, and all of you, please board the carriage!"

"You... How dare you offend my master like this!"

The man never expected someone from the Shangguan Family to be so aggressive and domineering. He was so enraged he was at a loss for a retort, and could only clench his fists, the veins on his forehead bulging. If Master Li hadn’t warned them before they left—that if they met anyone from the Shangguan Family, they must not start a conflict—he would have already charged forward and cut the arrogant Knight down.

"A ball-less eunuch dares to call himself a ’master’! When I have the chance, I’ll have to report this to my Patriarch. I’ll have him ask Princess Consort Shangguan if your ’master’ now has the authority to represent the crown!"

The Black Armored Knight’s words were vicious and dripping with sarcasm. The faces of the men in the other group paled, but not one of them dared to make a move. The crime of disrespecting imperial authority was a weight they could not bear.

Bu Yunyan and the others, however, found it all immensely satisfying, their faces filled with relief and vindication.

Qin Li boarded the carriage with a tranquil expression. Under the hateful glares of the opposing group, they rode off without a backward glance.