Chapter 530: To Die for a Righteous Cause

“Someone’s still alive down there!” someone exclaimed, pointing at the unfathomably deep crater below.

Qin Li, holding Ji Yuyan, slowly rose from the crater. The look of shock on Ji Chang’s old face finally eased, and he let out a long sigh of relief. He had felt he had wronged this granddaughter for years. If she had died here too, he truly wouldn’t know how to face his long-dead son and daughter-in-law in the afterlife.

“How is Yan’Er?” Ji Chang shouted eagerly at Qin Li.

“She’s fine, Elder Ji. Don’t worry,” Qin Li said.

One of the core Ji family disciples, who had just been drinking with Qin Li earlier that evening, immediately asked, “Qin, what happened?”

Qin Li landed beside the group, still holding Ji Yuyan. Ji Chang breathed another sigh of relief upon seeing his granddaughter was unharmed, his eyes now fixed on Qin Li.

Seeing so many people around, Qin Li hesitated slightly. Ji Chang waved his hand and said, “All of you, dismiss. This is a matter of grave importance. No one is to breathe a word of what happened tonight!”

Although they were reluctant—something this major had happened to the Ji Family, and they all wanted to know the details immediately—they didn’t dare disobey the old Patriarch’s command. They all dispersed.

In the end, only seven or eight people remained. A single glance told you they were the true core figures of the Ji Family. Most of them were old, their true capabilities impossible to gauge.

Only then did Qin Li briefly recount what had just happened.

Qin Li concluded, “I believe that Ji Ren, the Patriarch, was likely controlled by someone sent by the Saint Emperor many years ago. I can’t be certain, because Ji Ren also self-detonated, but based on their conversation, that seems to be the case. The man in black, the one at the Thunder Tribulation Realm who died tonight, was the Saint Emperor’s real illegitimate son, Li Si! The one who died during the day was just a scapegoat…”

“Ren’Er… he self-detonated?”

When Ji Chang heard this, he suddenly felt the world spin, and he was quickly steadied by someone beside him.

“Father, are you all right?”

Ji Chang waved his hand, unable to stop the tears streaming down his old face. “I’m fine, I’m fine. To think, I actually misjudged Ren’Er… I always said, my Ren’Er, a son of I, Ji Chang, how could he possibly be the kind of scum who would harm his own family? Ren’Er, I’ve wronged you!”

The other core figures of the Ji Family also wore looks of disbelief. They couldn’t believe what Qin Li was saying was true, and they especially couldn’t believe that the Patriarch, Ji Ren, was dead.

However, they all believed one thing: this was all the Saint Emperor’s doing!

“Saint Emperor, my Ji Family and you… are now irreconcilable!” Ji Chang said slowly, spitting out each word through gritted teeth.

Just then, another wave of Primordial Power fluctuated in the distance. Qin Li was inwardly shocked. ‘The members of the Ji family who showed up tonight are all unfathomably powerful. It seems the Ji Family’s foundation is truly profound, no worse than those massive families in the Land of the Far West!’

“Grandfather, Grandfather!” A young-sounding voice, tinged with sobs, arrived in a panic.

“Yuan Heng, what happened?” asked a person beside Ji Chang.

The newcomer was none other than Ji Ren’s eldest son, Ji Yuanheng. Though only just over 170 years old, he had already reached the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation realm!

He was an extremely talented Martial Artist to begin with, and he had also consumed some Tree Lotus Fruit in his youth. Though not as outstanding as Ji Yuyan, he was still one of the most brilliant disciples of his generation in the Ji Family!

“Grandfather, my father… he… he left a final letter…” The tall, distinguished-looking young man stopped mid-sentence as he suddenly noticed the massive crater. He froze, stunned, his mouth twitching violently as he muttered to himself, “This isn’t real. This isn’t real! Father! Father, where are you?”

“Stop shouting. Your father… he…” Tears streamed down Ji Chang’s face again, and he couldn’t continue.

It’s said that great families are cruel, cold, and full of conflict, but for a parent to bury their own child—that was a pain so agonizing it made one wish they could have died in their child’s place.

Ji Yuanheng stood there in a daze. He didn’t even seem to notice as someone next to Ji Chang took the suicide note from his hand. After a moment, he fell to his knees with a THUD at the edge of the impossibly deep crater, burying his head between his fists, his shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

After reading the letter, the person beside Ji Chang also broke down, crying out, “Father, look, this… It’s really him, Big Brother… Big Brother is really… really gone!”

From that moment on, the entire Ji Family was united in grief.

「Six days passed.」

Today was the seventh day since the passing of the late Patriarch, Ji Ren, and the entire Ji Family, from top to bottom, was plunged into immense sorrow.

Of course, the official notice given to most people was this: a mysterious intruder had entered the Ji Family Valley and was discovered by the Patriarch. At the critical moment, Ji Ren, the Patriarch, who was only at the Pill Nascent Soul Transformation realm, disregarded his own safety and self-detonated to take the enemy down with him. Therefore, the Patriarch was a hero of the Ji Family. But because the enemy had also been blown to smithereens, their identity remained unknown.

Only the core disciples of the Ji Family who were present that night knew what truly happened. The high-ranking members Ji Chang had dismissed were only half-informed. The official explanation was plausible enough, as no one knew if the self-detonation of a Pill Nascent Soul Transformation Martial Artist could cause such devastating consequences. Therefore, no one would think to question whether the thousand-meter-deep crater in the Ji Family Valley was caused by a Pill Nascent Soul Transformation self-detonation or a Thunder Tribulation Realm self-detonation.

In any case, Ji Ren was dead. His attendant, a boy the Ji Family had adopted many years ago named Ji Si, had also died with the Patriarch.

Only a few core figures in the Ji Family knew that Ji Si was, in fact, Li Si—the current Saint Emperor’s illegitimate son! A supreme expert at the Thunder Tribulation Realm!

Ji Yuyan’s condition had improved significantly. That day, she had simply suffered from extreme emotional upheaval, causing her mind to waver—or, in layman’s terms, she had been hit too hard by the shock.

Over the past few days, with the comfort of Qin Li and the rest of the Ji family, Ji Yuyan had almost fully recovered.

Today was the seventh day since her uncle Ji Ren’s death, and Ji Yuyan was going to pay her respects. According to custom, as Ji Yuyan’s fiancé, Qin Li was also expected to attend.

In her room, Ji Yuyan looked at Qin Li apologetically and said, “I’m so sorry for getting you involved in this. It was all a misunderstanding. Why don’t I go and clear things up with them?”

Qin Li waved his hand and smiled. “Forget it. If you go and tell them now, they’ll just assume it’s because I’m unwilling to pay respects to your uncle. They won’t believe it’s a misunderstanding. It’s fine. Mr. Ji sacrificed himself for a just cause; he didn’t tarnish his name. Besides, your parents’ true killer has been brought to justice. Yuyan, you should be happy.”

Ji Yuyan gazed into Qin Li’s eyes with her own beautiful ones for a long time before breaking into a radiant smile. She said softly, “Qin Li, thank you. This time I’ve spent with you has actually been the happiest time of my life!”

After saying this, she felt her words were a bit too intimate. Her pretty face blushing, Ji Yuyan quickly explained, “Um, don’t get the wrong idea. I… I see you as my best friend!”

Qin Li just smiled and said nothing. In truth, they both knew what was unsaid. But just as Ji Yuyan didn’t dare to make it explicit, Qin Li had his own reservations.

‘This trip north was a coincidence from the start. Meeting Watermelon, meeting Ji Yuyan, and all the things that happened after were even bigger coincidences. When it comes right down to it, I’m just a passerby in this Land of Extreme Cold Ice and Snow.’

‘And since I’m just a passerby… it’s better not to leave any attachments behind!’

‘Perhaps just leaving behind a good memory is a fine choice, too.’

Qin Li accompanied Ji Yuyan to pay respects to Ji Ren. Ji Yuanheng, Ji Ren’s son, who had already been confirmed as the next Patriarch, made a point of coming over to speak with Qin Li. From his father’s letter, Ji Yuanheng had learned everything that happened back then. Although his father’s actions were the result of being controlled, he had still made a mistake that led to the destruction of Ji Yuyan’s family.

Therefore, Ji Yuanheng felt somewhat awkward facing his cousin, Ji Yuyan. Fortunately, Qin Li was there to act as a buffer. Ji Yuanheng was extremely polite to Qin Li. ‘The fact that Qin Li, who didn’t seem particularly strong, had managed to survive that battle was remarkable in itself! Although Qin Li insisted that he only escaped because Ji Ren, the Patriarch, had struck him and sent him flying at the critical moment, if he didn’t have a certain level of strength, wouldn’t a single palm strike from Ji Ren have been enough to kill him?’

Since Qin Li and Ji Yuyan weren’t married yet, Ji Yuanheng couldn’t very well call him brother-in-law. Looking at Qin Li, he said with great sincerity, “Qin, if you ever run into any trouble in the future, come to the Ji Family for help. As your big brother, I will give you my full support!”

This was partly to make up for the debt owed to Ji Yuyan’s family, and partly because Ji Yuanheng could see that Qin Li was a talented individual.

Qin Li naturally knew how to respond. He said with a grateful expression, “Then I thank you, Big Brother.”

“Don’t be so formal, we’re family!” Ji Yuanheng said in a low voice. He then looked at Ji Yuyan beside Qin Li and said apologetically, “Little sister, look, with so much happening at home, I haven’t had time to talk to you properly. I’ve known about your Ice and Snow Sect for a while now. That sect that opposes you—I’ve long wanted to send people to wipe them out. But Grandfather said leaving an opponent for you would be good practice, otherwise you’d panic if a real external enemy invaded. This time, though, when you go back, I’ll send people with you to eradicate them!”

Ji Yuanheng’s words were filled with killing intent. Clearly, his father’s death had hit him very hard.

Ji Yuyan shook her head gently. “That’s a problem I can solve myself. Now that you’re the head of the family, Brother, you must consider the family’s interests. I’m sure the Saint Emperor Lineage won’t let this matter rest!”

Ji Yuanheng gritted his teeth and said coldly, “Even if they wanted to let it rest, I wouldn’t agree to it!”