Chapter 440 - 430: It’s All Fate!
A powerful family. A family that was a force to be reckoned with in the Demon Capital. Just like that, it was completely annihilated, with no survivors, their vengeful souls trapped beneath the rubble.
Wronged? Perhaps.
But to Qin Fan, there was nothing inappropriate about it. He couldn’t even muster a shred of pity.
SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH...
As Qin Fan stared at the Qiao Family’s ruins, the rhythmic sound of boots splashing through the rain approached.
A figure stopped a meter behind Qin Fan. Looking at the massive pile of debris, the newcomer shook his head with a sigh of pity. "Isn’t this a bit much? The one who incurs a debt is the one who should pay. Many of these people were innocent!"
"Innocent?" Qin Fan said, his hands clasped behind his back, his tone devoid of emotion. "No matter how the Heavenly Dao’s cycle of Reincarnation turns, no one in this world is truly innocent. Were those implicated by the ancient emperors’ decrees of collective punishment innocent? During times of war, when vengeful souls wailed across the heavens and people died senseless deaths—were they innocent? When disaster strikes from the heavens and people die without warning—are they innocent? Therefore, ’innocence’ is nothing more than a pale excuse invoked by the powerless. In my world, there is no mercy, so there is no innocence. One can only say their destiny was sealed; they could not escape this calamity!"
"True... so true..." Hua Xiaotian gave a self-deprecating shake of his head and a weak smile before adding, "But the annihilation of the Qiao Family is causing significant pressure for the upper echelons of the Demon Capital and for those in the Forbidden City as well! The fallout from this won’t be small. Not in the slightest!"
"Is this fallout greater than the fallout from Orochi? Hua Xiaotian, in the future, try to spare me these political discussions. I don’t understand them, nor do I wish to. I live for the satisfaction of settling my scores!" Qin Fan said indifferently.
"I’m just expressing my thoughts! I don’t hold any official stance! But there is one thing I must say, even if I know you don’t want to hear it. Master Qin, the state apparatus is still the state apparatus. Under this sky, we all share a common name: Descendants of Yan and Huang! We all share a common faith: Huaxia! So, if possible, don’t bring such disgrace upon our nation! The state can tolerate this once or twice, but it can’t endure such prolonged provocations that trample on its bottom line. You must realize that behind your madness, over a billion Descendants of Yan and Huang are watching!" Even knowing these words might infuriate Qin Fan, Hua Xiaotian couldn’t stop himself. As the Guardian Institute Director facing this situation, he felt powerless. But no matter how powerless, he had to speak out, driven by his unswerving Loyal Soul.
"There’s no madness without reason. But when a dragon’s reverse scale is touched, those who deserve to die will die. That’s how it is now, and how it will be in the future. If you want me to stop this rampage, it’s simple—tell those ignorant fools to stay in line. After all, I’m not some psychopathic killer, heh..."
With a light chuckle, Qin Fan leisurely turned around. "Sigh..." Hua Xiaotian shook his head with a bitter, helpless smile. Holding his umbrella, he decided not to press the topic further. But it was only then that he noticed Qin Fan, standing in the downpour, was completely untouched by the rain. His clothes and hair were perfectly dry. At this sight, shock began to cascade through him! He froze, completely stunned!
"What is it?" Qin Fan asked, a teasing smile playing on his lips as he watched Hua Xiaotian’s flustered expression.
"N-nothing! Master Qin, that Ninth Layer Heavenly Thunder just now... did you summon it? Are you not only a Martial Artist but also a Magician... a Heavenly Master?" Hua Xiaotian stammered, his face pale with horror.
"You could say that," Qin Fan replied with a casual nod, unsure how else to answer the question.
Upon receiving Qin Fan’s confirmation, the umbrella in Hua Xiaotian’s hand began to tremble along with his shaking hand. To be so young, yet to possess not only an unfathomable, heaven-defying Martial Arts Cultivation but also to be a Heavenly Master—the ultimate pursuit of a Magician. How is this possible? Even if he had started cultivating in his mother’s womb, this would be impossible! Subconsciously, Hua Xiaotian couldn’t help but recall what his master, Demi Immortal Qilian, had said about the chosen one. Could Qin Fan truly be the so-called Son of Destiny?
"Don’t just stand there gawking. Arrange for transport. After the rain stops, we head to Japan."
After leaving him with those words, Qin Fan walked past the stunned Hua Xiaotian with his hands clasped behind his back.
---
The Qiao Family estate was struck by Heavenly Thunder and reduced to rubble. Dozens of family members, gathered for a meal, were all buried beneath the ruins. Once this news broke, the entire Demon Capital erupted into chaos. Countless elites stared in stunned disbelief at the images of the Qiao Family’s remains. In a city as vast as the Demon Capital, why did Heavenly Thunder strike the Qiao Family of all places? And with a single strike, wipe out an entire clan? If not for the corroborating videos and photos, this fantastical event would have been dismissed as a fictional movie plot. What on earth had the Qiao Family provoked? For a time, this topic dominated the upper circles of the Demon Capital. But they would never find the answer. After all, regarding the kidnapping of Qin Fan’s parents, by this point, every insider who was meant to die was already dead. The turmoil wasn’t limited to the Demon Capital’s elite circles either; the news quickly spread in all directions.
「Jiangzhou. Ye Family Mansion.」
Upon learning of the matter, Elder Ye looked toward the East, shaking his head with a sad, wistful expression. Less than a day had passed since Qin Chu and Wei Shuying were kidnapped, and now the Qiao Family had suffered a complete catastrophe. Furthermore, just a few months prior, Qiao Xiyuan had developed a deep-seated, hateful grudge against Qin Fan. It was impossible to claim that Qin Fan wasn’t behind the Qiao Family’s destruction. Most importantly, who else but Qin Fan had such power? Who else would dare to ignore the Guardian Institute and carry out such an extreme, clan-annihilating revenge?
The head of the Qiao family had been his old subordinate, after all, and their families had been rather close. Faced with the Qiao Family’s end, Ye Congjun couldn’t help but release a pained sigh. "It’s all fate!"
Standing beside him, Ye Xuan spoke up. "Grandfather, could this have been Qin Fan’s doing?"
"Who else could it be? Who else would dare?" Ye Congjun replied with absolute certainty.
"How could he be so insane?" Ye Xuan exclaimed, her face paling with horror as her eyes went wide.
"Insane? Perhaps for him, this is just the beginning," Ye Congjun mused. "This boy appeared out of nowhere and has thrown the world into turmoil. Whether he’s a blessing or a curse to Huaxia remains to be seen."
"Then, should our family distance ourselves from him? And Fourth Uncle, isn’t his relationship with him a bit too close now?" Ye Xuan asked nervously, her brow furrowed.
"There’s no turning back! The Ye Family is already tied to his mad ship! If he reigns supreme over all, the Ye Family will become the most dazzling family of this era. If he falls, the Ye Family will undoubtedly be his funeral offering. This was set in motion the moment the old Qin household fell," Ye Congjun said with a sigh.
"Grandfather... do you regret it?" Ye Xuan asked hesitantly after a pause, her eyelids trembling.
"No," Ye Congjun declared with unwavering conviction, turning his gaze away from the East. With his hands behind his back, he continued, "If I were given another chance, I would be even more resolute! A Ye Family that hasn’t entered Beijing is, in the end, nothing more than a second-rate family!"