Chapter Eighteen: The Bridge of Blood River, Eighth Rank!

Qin Feng was once again the talk of the town!

The first time, it was on the martial arts tournament stage, where he had beaten Ye Wuyin of the White Tiger family within an inch of his life. This time, however, it was all because of a single, memorable declaration of love.

For days on end, the entire town of Luoyang buzzed with excitement. The young ladies and secluded wives from wealthy households throughout the city whispered that famous line to themselves: “Eighteen years ago, you were the swallow of my dreams!” The words conjured the tale of a young man’s secret love, a story of yearning for his dream maiden, and in a moment of truth, the youth’s heartfelt confession won the lady’s heart. The dreamy, romantic plot stirred the hearts of countless women, each longing for a man who would think of her even in his sleep.

The young men, on the other hand, bitterly cursed Qin Feng’s shamelessness. How could anyone utter such nauseating words, let alone say them to his elders? Eighteen years ago? Did that mean Qin Feng was already pining for his dream lover while still in the womb? Shameless! They had seen many brazen people before, but none so brazen as this!

Their scorn knew no bounds.

But none took it more personally than Ye Wuyin of the White Tiger family.

At that moment, Ye Wuyin lay swathed in bandages. Though Qin Feng’s punch had landed on the Xuanxin Mirror, the shattering fragments had pierced his body, and Qin Feng’s overwhelming strength had broken more than half of Ye Wuyin’s ribs. He could do nothing but lie in bed, listening to his subordinates’ reports, seething with frustration.

It was hardly surprising; the bride he had nearly claimed had been taken by another before his very eyes. How could he possibly be content?

“To steal my woman—Qin Feng, you deserve to die! Argh...!”

Gritting his teeth in hatred, Ye Wuyin’s anger tugged at his wounds, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

“Young master, you must take care of your health,” urged a sinister-looking old man with graying hair, standing not far from the bed. “The Qin and Huo families have set the wedding for after the Day of Soul Awakening. There’s still time. Once you’ve recovered, it won’t be too late to seek revenge.”

The old man meant well, but Ye Wuyin was unmoved. His face twisted with venomous spite. “After the Day of Soul Awakening? No—I can’t wait that long. I want him dead now, or I’ll never quell this hatred!”

“Eagle Elder, go to Blood River Bridge for me!”

“What? Blood River Bridge?! That’s the most secretive and dangerous place in all of Luoyang! Young master, you—”

Eagle Elder trembled at the mention, fear flickering across his face.

“That’s right. I want Qin Feng dead—now!” Ye Wuyin’s once-handsome face contorted with malice, so much so that Eagle Elder couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

The young master had talent in abundance, but his heart was far too narrow. To accomplish great things, one must learn patience. In this respect, the Qin family’s boy far surpassed him. Of course, these thoughts remained just that—thoughts. Eagle Elder would never dare say them aloud.

After a moment’s pause, his brows furrowed. “Young master, Blood River Bridge is shrouded in mystery, and their mercenaries only act once, picking their target by price. What will you offer for the transaction?”

Ye Wuyin hesitated, then steeled himself. He reached into his storage pouch and handed over three small, glittering stones the size of his pinky.

“These are the only things that might tempt them. Take them and get it done. Within three days, I want Qin Feng dead!”

At the sight of the stones, Eagle Elder gasped. “Young master, this can’t be! These are the Xuan Stones your father gave you to help you break through to the Tenth Level of Perfection!”

The Ye family was among the top clans in Luoyang, but Xuan Stones weren’t something every descendant could obtain. Ye Wuyin received them as a special exception, being the most outstanding of his generation. When he broke through to the ninth level, the family patriarch, pleased with his progress, had given him five low-grade Xuan Stones, hoping he could further his cultivation. It was the only time in his life he had been granted such a gift, making Eagle Elder all the more shocked to see him hand them over now—these stones were meant to elevate his own power.

“Enough talk! Go!” Ye Wuyin snapped.

“Yes, young master!”

...

Qin Feng, oblivious to being targeted even in sleep, was at that moment sweating profusely in the Qin family’s training grounds.

“Hah! Dah! Pa!” The sounds of exertion echoed across the field as Qin Feng sparred with a youth built like a bear. Their exchange was lively and intense.

Suddenly, with a thunderous crash, the burly youth leapt back, his voice booming like thunder as he called for mercy.

“No more! I give up! Even after reaching the ninth tier, I’m still no match for you. You’re a monster!”

The brawny youth was, of course, Qin Ba.

“Ha!” Qin Feng laughed, clapping Qin Ba on the shoulder. “Don’t lose heart, Qin Ba. I just used a few tricks. In actual cultivation, I’m still far behind you. But honestly, if you’d broken through to the ninth tier before the tournament, maybe you’d be the one marrying the lady today!”

“Oh, come off it! I’m nothing like you. Even if I took first place, Miss Huo wouldn’t give a brute like me a second glance. Besides, that line of yours—what was it? Right, ‘Eighteen years ago, you were the swallow of my dreams!’ Even if I had a lifetime, I couldn’t come up with something that refined. Am I right?”

“Yes! Hahaha!”

The crowd in the training ground burst into laughter.

Qin Feng’s face darkened with embarrassment.

Qin Ba joined in the laughter, teasing Qin Feng from time to time. Yet in his eyes, there was no trace of envy. On the contrary, after Qin Feng had stood up for him and their other friend, they had become close companions.

What a turn of fate!

Once branded a good-for-nothing, Qin Feng had transformed into the leading young talent in Luoyang, winning both honor and a marriage alliance, becoming the brightest rising star of both the Qin family and the entire town.

With this victory, he had not only shed the label of “wastrel” for good, but also won the respect of all the younger Qin disciples. Even the elders now treated him with courtesy, none of the former disdain lingering in their eyes.

Qin Feng, however, took all this with equanimity.

“Here it comes again. I knew it, I said back then…”

He tried to explain.

“Enough, enough, no more explanations! We all support you marrying Miss Huo—absolutely support you!”

“Yes, support! Support!”

“Sigh, I can’t stand you lot. Fine, I’ll go back to training. You all carry on!”

Shaking his head, Qin Feng hurried from the training grounds. How could he possibly train with these jokers teasing him to death?

In a flash, he returned to his small courtyard.

With his rising status, the family had discussed moving him into better quarters, but Qin Feng politely declined. What was the rush? Once he married Huo Siyen after the Day of Soul Awakening, he could have any courtyard he wished. What were a few more days?

The pressing task was to seize every moment to train, striving to reach the ninth tier before the ceremony.

Before, the ninth tier had seemed an unattainable dream, but now…

He took a thumb-sized Xuan Stone from his storage ring and held it in his hand.

A medium-grade Xuan Stone was an invaluable treasure in a small place like Luoyang. Qin Feng wasn’t foolish; he kept his rare stones safely in a ring carved with a minor illusion array, while he wore a plain storage pouch at his waist to fool any would-be thieves.

Every day, he trained tirelessly, absorbing all the Xuan energy from an entire medium-grade Xuan Stone before ending his session. His diligence was truly rare.

Qin Feng knew all too well the pain of powerlessness. Now, while he had the opportunity, he refused to waste even a moment.

Fortunately, his father had left him more than enough Xuan Stones. If he absorbed them all, advancing to the ninth tier should pose no problem.

Only someone as extravagantly wealthy as Qin Feng could afford to squander Xuan Stones in this way. Even Qin Tianzheng, the strongest and most respected man in the family, likely didn’t enjoy such privilege. If Ye Wuyin, who had scraped together three low-grade stones at great cost, saw this, he’d likely cough up blood on the spot.

Forming the opening stance of the Azure Dragon Tempering Art, Qin Feng quickly entered a meditative state. The ambient Xuan energy flowed toward him, but most of the energy came from the stone in his hand.

As time passed, and the stone shrank to less than a quarter of its original size, Qin Feng’s expression shifted, and he suddenly began absorbing the Xuan energy at several times the previous speed.

At the same time, a vivid blue aura flared around him.

“Amazing! Squandering all these medium-grade Xuan Stones wasn’t in vain—after just a few days, I’m about to break through again!”

…