"Qin Chen, how dare you come back? You should leave and lay low for a while. Uncle has been looking for you for a long time."
The young woman spoke urgently, her face anxious as soon as she saw Qin Chen.
"Ying-jie, what's wrong?" Qin Chen frowned slightly.
The newcomer was Qin Ying, his cousin and the daughter of his second uncle, Qin Yuanzhi.
In the Qin family, the second uncle was the only one who treated Qin Yuechi and Qin Chen kindly, and Qin Ying was always there for him.
When Qin Chen was young, Qin Feng and Qin Fen often bullied him. Every time, Qin Ying stood up for him, making his life in the Qin family slightly more bearable.
But now, Qin Ying's face was filled with worry and reproach. "You still ask what's wrong? Did you go to the Artificers' Pavilion a few days ago?"
"Yes." Qin Chen was momentarily stunned, and his expression turned cold. "Has Liang Yu come to the Qin family to demand an explanation?"
Anger flashed in his eyes. Although he had asked Liang Yu to forge Heaven's Vein Divine Needles, he also cured Liang Yu of the poison. If Liang Yu dared to come to the Qin family to accuse him, Qin Chen wouldn't let him off easily.
"You offended Master Liang Yu?" Qin Ying's eyes widened in disbelief at his words.
"What did he say?"
"Master Liang Yu didn't come himself, but Qin Fen said you offended him at the pavilion, causing him to be scolded and beaten, and even losing the Black Abyss Ore meant for forging a treasure weapon. I didn't believe it at first, but it turns out it's true! You... Ugh, I don't even know what to say to you."
Qin Ying was furious, and her expression was one of exasperation. "Uncle has been searching everywhere for you, saying he'll hold you accountable as soon as you return. You should leave and avoid trouble for now."
Though she was angry, her concern for Qin Chen was genuine.
"So it's Qin Fen's doing. How is his losing the Black Abyss Ore my fault?" Qin Chen sneered. Suddenly, his expression changed. "What about my mother? Is she alright?"
"Don't worry, Auntie is fine, but you—"
Before Qin Ying could finish, two teams of guards rushed over, weapons drawn, surrounding Qin Chen. The leader, a black-armored guard nearing forty with a formidable aura, said coldly, "Young Master Chen, the family head has called a clan assembly. You're to come with us."
The guards positioned themselves on either side of Qin Chen, clearly preventing any chance of escape.
Qin Ying's anger flared. "Qin Gang, what's the meaning of this?"
Qin Gang was the Qin family's guard captain, a Heaven-level expert. His ancestors were Qin family servants, and he was granted the Qin surname. He bowed respectfully to Qin Ying. "Young Miss Ying, these are the family head's orders. We're merely following instructions."
Qin Ying was about to retort when Qin Chen gently stopped her. He gave Qin Gang a cold look and asked calmly, "Where is my mother?"
"The young mistress is already in the assembly hall." Qin Gang involuntarily lowered his head under Qin Chen's gaze, shocked at his reaction.
"Lead the way."
Qin Chen's tone was indifferent, but inwardly, he sneered. The Qin family had prepared thoroughly—he had barely stepped foot inside when Qin Gang arrived, and his mother had already been taken to the assembly hall. Were they planning to make a move against him now?
"Young Master Chen, this way."
The group soon escorted Qin Chen toward the assembly hall.
Qin Ying stamped her foot in frustration before hurriedly following.
---
### **The Qin Family Assembly Hall**
The largest assembly hall in the Qin estate was packed with over a hundred people, the atmosphere stifling and oppressive.
Qin Yuanxiong sat at the head of the room, the position of the family head, elevated above the rest. Beside him were the Qin family's elders, stewards, and the most outstanding direct descendants.
Qin Fen stood next to Zhao Feng, his expression cold, eyes glinting with malice.
After being expelled from the Artificers' Pavilion that day, he had rushed home and poured out an exaggerated account of his grievances to his mother, Zhao Feng.
Upon learning that Liang Yu had scolded and humiliated her son because of Qin Chen, Zhao Feng flew into a rage. She immediately went to Qin Yuanxiong, demanding that Qin Chen be expelled from the family, thus stirring up chaos throughout the estate.
Though Zhao Feng's antics exasperated Qin Yuanxiong, he couldn't help but feel irritated at the loss of the Black Abyss Ore he had just acquired at auction.
However, he knew his son's character all too well. He promptly sent someone to the Artificers' Pavilion to seek the truth from Liang Yu.
To his surprise, Liang Yu refused to see the Qin family envoy—even going so far as to have them thrown out.
When the news reached Zhao Feng, she seized the opportunity, convinced she now had the upper hand. She clamored for Qin Chen's expulsion, declaring that a boy so young, daring to offend Master Liang Yu and bringing such trouble to the family, could not be tolerated. How would the Qin family have survived in the capital if he hadn't been cast out?
While Liang Yu was a respected artificer whose favor was sought by many nobles, he was still just an artificer.
The Qin family's patriarch, Qin Batian, held the title of Martial King Dingwu and commanded 500,000 troops at the border. His military exploits were renowned throughout the Great Qi Kingdom. The Qin family's standing wouldn't crumble just because they offended a single artificer.
Moreover, the Artificers' Pavilion had more than one artificer. Offending Liang Yu didn't mean the Qin family couldn't forge ties with others.
But in Zhao Feng's eyes, this was the perfect chance to expel Qin Chen and his mother. How could she not take advantage of it?
Thus, leveraging her twenty years of influence as the Qin family's matriarch, she persuaded several elders to pressure Qin Yuanxiong into convening a family assembly.
Qin Yuanxiong was livid, but in the end, he acquiesced.
Offending an artificer and bringing trouble to the family was a plausible excuse—not as justifiable as being expelled from the Tianxing Academy. Still, it would suffice as an explanation to the old master.
With this in mind, Qin Yuanxiong tacitly allowed Zhao Feng's scheme to lead to the current scene.
Now, Zhao Feng sat at the front of the hall, a cold smile playing on her lips as she stared disdainfully at Qin Yuechi below, hoping to catch a glimpse of panic in her eyes.
Her resentment toward Qin Yuechi had festered for years. No matter how Zhao Feng tormented her, Qin Yuechi always maintained an air of grace and composure, never showing a hint of distress.
*"A lowly woman like her—what right does she have to act so noble before me?"* Zhao Feng thought bitterly.