C388 Protector!

In Qin Yun's heart, the Lunar Spirits of Asvetaesi who were on par with him were insignificant. In fact, within the vast Silvermoon Empire, there were few who truly merited his consideration. The Silvermoon Queen, Lee Yupan, was certainly a notable figure, but alas, she had been seized by Zhou Cangmin. Su Xiangtian, a recent initiate into the Lunar Spirit realm, had yet to ascend to Qin Yun's level.

Despite a slight decline in his combat prowess due to injury, Qin Yun was confident that those who once revered him posed no real threat. That is, unless they decided to disgracefully gang up on him.

"Lin Mu, I don't mean to berate you, but your Lin family's foresight leaves much to be desired," Qin Yun said, shaking his head as he critiqued the Lin family elder who was still spitting blood. "The one with true vision in the Lin family was none other than Lin Jingfei. Her choice of Yu Yuan as Lin Zhuyun's suitor was indeed astute!"

With these words, he gave Yu Cen an approving smile. The elder straightened up, feeling an immense sense of pride. Hearing his grandson praised so generously by someone like Qin Yun was a cause for joy.

At that moment, Yuan Lianyao chimed in with a smile, "Lin Jingfei truly had extraordinary insight. It's such a shame—if she were still with us, insisting on this marriage, who knows how much the Lin family would have benefited?"

Even Su Xiangtian gave a subtle nod of agreement. Deep down, he had always recognized Yu Yuan's potential. If not for Su Yin's meddling, which had soured the relationship between the Su and Yu families, and with the silent consent of Su Kui and Su Kang, he would have sought to ally with the Yu family and cultivate a strong friendship.

"Xiangtian?" Su Kui wondered, feeling lost. "Could I, too, have been mistaken?"

He was aware of Su Yin's ambitions to take over the Yu family's herbal resources and to absorb the family entirely. He knew it wasn't right, yet he had been persuaded by Su Yin's arguments and had given his approval in Su Xiangtian's absence.

Only after this did Su Yin feel emboldened to act.

The consequence was that no one within the Silvermoon Empire dared to purchase the medicinal herbs painstakingly cultivated by the Yu family, forcing many of the family's elders to depart.

Even the herb slaves noticed the dire straits of the Yu family and began to slack off.

If this persisted, the Yu family wouldn't last much longer and would be expunged from Asvetaesi.

When that happened, the Su and Lin families planned to seize control of the medicinal gardens managed by the Yu family and take over the ore veins that had once belonged to the Huang family, with the Lin family dividing them up.

"In this matter, we were indeed at fault," Su Xiangtian sighed, admitting, "Before I left for the Aetherius Continent, after returning from the Moonfall Sanctuary, I cautioned against being too harsh with the Yu family. Even if we couldn't mend our relationship, making enemies was unnecessary. Yet, Su Yin wouldn't heed my advice."

He directed his words to both Su Kui and the Yu family members, Yu Yuan and Yu Cen.

Through these statements, he conveyed to Yu Yuan and Yu Cen that he, Su Xiangtian, was unaware of and did not endorse the actions the Su family had taken against the Yu family.

It was the late Su Yin who had misled Su Kui, leading to the Yu family's tragic circumstances.

Yu Cen, upon hearing Su Xiangtian's words and recalling Su Yin, who appeared to have been slain by his grandson, was about to speak up to defuse the tension.

After all, the Yu family had only lost a few members, not any key individuals, due to Su Yin's actions.

But before he could voice his thoughts, Yu Yuan shook his head, stating, "Once certain things occur, they cannot be overlooked."

Yu Cen was taken aback.

"When my grandfather's legs were broken, he sought medicine from the Su family," Yu Yuan said with a steely expression. "The Yu family has long been a vassal to the Su family, exclusively providing them with low-grade medicinal herbs. Yet, when my grandfather was victimized and grievously wounded by the Huang family, after his legs were broken, the Su family offered no support whatsoever."

"If the Su family had honored our past friendship, they could have provided my grandfather with the pill. He wouldn't have plummeted from the Veil Breaking realm to the Golden Sanctum realm, nor would he have suffered from his leg injuries all year long."

"The Su family first showed heartlessness and ingratitude, and then Su Yin had the audacity to use the family's influence to oppress us."

"Such a Su family..."

Yu Yuan shook his head, his face a mix of mockery and derision.

"At that time, I was not the head of the Su family," Su Xiangtian explained.

"What's done is done. There's no turning back," Yu Yuan said with a chuckle. "Just like the fact that I killed Su Yin—it's already happened."

"Young man, what is it that you want?" Su Kang, known for his fiery temper, barked, "Su Yin is dead. Are you still not satisfied?"

Qin Yun's assertive stance and Lin Mu's severe injuries brought a moment of reflection to Su Kui and Su Kang.

Considering Su Yin was just an ordinary member of the family, not particularly significant, and with Su Xiangtian intent on defusing the situation, Su Kang managed to hold back his rage for the moment.

But Yu Yuan, oblivious to his own best interests, brought up the incident of Yu Cen being ambushed, his legs broken, and his subsequent plea for medicine from the Su family.

The one who ultimately denied Yu Cen's request for medicine was none other than Su Kang!

By bringing this up, Yu Yuan was unmistakably challenging Su Kang, directly accusing him.

"What do you think you are, Yu family? Do you, Yu Yuan, believe that with Qin Yun's backing, you can act recklessly within the Empire?"

"This is the Silvermoon Empire, not the Crimson Sun Empire."

Van Xuan, who had been observing with a detached gaze, interjected with a sardonic grin.

He addressed Qin Yun, "Brother Qin, you couldn't even remain in the Crimson Sun Empire. Shouldn't you be keeping a low profile here? If we simply let slip that you're in Asvetaesi, we wouldn't need to lift a finger. People from the Crimson Sun Empire and the Midnightshields would come looking for you."

"Why seek refuge in Asvetaesi after fleeing the Crimson Sun Empire, hiding in the Moonfall Sanctuary, the Serpent Spine Mountains, and the Forgotten Ruins? It's nothing but trouble here."

Upon hearing those words, Su Kang's eyes sparkled, and he added, "Moreover, Qin Yun, you're all by yourself!"

"True, I am alone, but none of you can detain me. Free from any sect's constraints, I stand alone. Each of you has a family to consider, people you must look after. Once I depart from Asvetaesi, none of your families will know peace again," Qin Yun declared with a laugh, before issuing an even more menacing challenge, "And if I decide to disregard all else and ascend to the Spirit Walk realm in a short span, who among you would be able to elude my pursuit when I return?"

His words sent a chill through the four Lunar Spirits present, as if they had plunged into an icy abyss.

Indeed, if Qin Yun could progress to the Spirit Walk realm at any moment, and should he leave Asvetaesi only to return with that power in a year or so, who could possibly stand against him?

The atmosphere among the four Lunar Spirits in the hall turned somber, and they fell silent.

They took Qin Yun's threat to heart, clearly frightened, and thus found themselves at a loss for words.

After some time, the more level-headed Su Kui mused for a moment before inquiring, "Brother Qin, I've always been curious about your relationship with Yu Yuan?"

The question caught the other three off guard, but they quickly realized the significance of his inquiry.

Qin Yun, a cultivator at the pinnacle of the Lunar Spirit Realm, was merely a step away from the Spirit Walk. What drove him to consistently defend Yu Yuan? What vested interest existed between the two? What was Qin Yun's reasoning for treating Yu Yuan with such favor?

What could Yu Yuan offer Qin Yun that they could not?

If they could persuade Qin Yun to stand aside, perhaps with a payment of soulstones, and thus send this harbinger of doom away from Asvetaesi, wouldn't that easily resolve their predicament?

Su Xiangtian shook his head and murmured, "It's futile."

Su Kui looked at him, taken aback.

But he soon understood why Su Xiangtian had dismissed the idea as futile.

Qin Yun turned toward Yu Yuan, gave a respectful bow, and with a beaming smile, confessed, "In all honesty, I've held Mr. Yu in the highest regard since our time in the Moonfall Sanctuary. Unable to bear the Crimson Sun Empire any longer, I came here specifically to seek out Mr. Yu. I will serve as his protector, in the humble role of a servant."

"Protect him!" Van Xuan cried out in alarm.

Qin Yun gave a solemn nod. "The journey of cultivation is fraught with hardships and peril. Until Mr. Yu has come into his own, I am ready to offer my humble support and safeguard him along the way."

As these words were spoken, Su Kui and his companions' faces suddenly turned ashen.

It was at this moment that Yan Qiling drifted in, casting a glance at Yu Yuan before speaking, "The female general from the Lee family nearly took Van Chaoguan's life. He managed to escape using the Colddeath sect's forbidden technique. Should I hunt him down and finish the job?"

"What? Chaoguan has been gravely hurt?" Van Xuan's complexion drained of color, and he was eager to depart.

Yan Qiling's brow furrowed as she gave him a look and commanded, "Halt!"

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