My Ares Son-in-Law

After a long pause, Qin Xiangdong finally spoke slowly, his tone heavy:

"Eighty percent. Ao Tianchen's mentor's sword was forged in the Qin family's furnace, so he might still have some consideration for their past relationship. But Miss, if we do that, the Qin family will be completely opposed to the Ao family, and they might even be seen as a thorn in the side by the New Martial Arts Association. The risk is too great!"

He looked up, his voice laced with dissuasion: "Protecting Xiao Chen at this time... is not a wise move."

Qin Xianglan suddenly smiled.

That smile carried a hint of coldness, a touch of almost cruel clarity, and a trace of unwavering certainty:

“A single sword like the Reverse Scale Sword is enough to make the Qin family take this risk. You should know better than anyone else... the significance of that sword to the family is that it is the opportunity for the Qin family to reach a higher level.”

She gazed out the window at the deep night, a sharp glint in her eyes: "Now, it all depends on whether Xiao Chen is willing to accept this offer. However,"

A slight smile played on her lips, her tone brimming with absolute confidence: "Right now, in the western region, besides my Qin family, who else can tolerate him?"

……

Thousands of miles away, the capital.

A secluded courtyard, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, and ancient trees reaching for the sky, exudes a tranquil seclusion from the world.

Li Changcun sat cross-legged on the bluestone platform, his eyes closed. The spiritual energy around him transformed into a visible golden wave, surging and rolling like the tide, penetrating his pores and flowing through his meridians.

His skin shimmered with a faint golden sheen, his aura as solid and imposing as a mountain, as if he were one with heaven and earth.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a flash of golden light in them, and a ball of dazzling golden light condensed in his right palm. He then thrust out a palm strike!
It didn't touch any physical object; it was just a strike in mid-air.

"boom……!!"

A loud bang shook the courtyard. The red boulder, about half a person's height, ten meters away, shattered and flew into the air in a shower of shards. The surface of each shard was as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been precisely cut by an invisible blade!
That was no ordinary rock, but a "Flame Spirit Stone" from the depths of Kunlun, containing yang fire! This stone was incredibly hard and could resist the erosion of true qi. An ordinary Celestial Realm expert could only leave a shallow mark on the stone's surface with a full-force attack, let alone break it.

But Li Changcun's palm strike from a distance caused the half-person-high Flame Spirit Stone to shatter with a roar, the broken surface of the stone as smooth as a mirror... Such a technique is something that no more than a handful of people in the martial arts world of the Dragon Kingdom can do!
Li Changcun slowly withdrew his stance and exhaled a breath of stale air.

The aura lingered three feet away from the body, transforming into a wisp of pale golden energy that hovered in the air for a long time before slowly dissipating, demonstrating the terrifying level of refinement the true energy had achieved.

"If it weren't for the old man's continuous supply of rare and precious materials over the years, supplemented by the Li family's unique skills," he muttered to himself, looking at the rubble scattered on the ground, "the shackles of martial arts would probably have been wasted for several more years."

Once his cultivation level is completely stabilized, his ranking on the Heavenly Ranking will be enough to move up a notch and enter the true top tier of the martial arts world in the Dragon Kingdom!

"Knock knock..."

A crisp knock broke the silence of the courtyard.

"Enter." Li Changcun stood with his hands behind his back, his naturally superior aura making the air seem to freeze, as if the person standing in front of him was not a person, but a god looking down on all living beings.

A lean man pushed open the door and entered, holding an encrypted tablet in both hands. He bowed and handed it to the man, speaking with utmost respect: "Second Master, something big has happened in the Western Region."

Li Changcun glanced at the tablet, his eyes indifferent, his tone carrying the disdain of a Beijing tycoon for local trifles: "What do the affairs of the Western Region have to do with me?"

"It's not the capital city, so it won't cause any big trouble."

The lean man didn't leave. Instead, he lowered his voice, his tone grave: "The person Second Master specifically instructed us to keep an eye on... this matter is related to him." "Him?" Li Changcun's eyebrows twitched slightly. He took the tablet, his fingertips swiping across the screen. His gaze swept over the information on it, and his previously calm pupils suddenly contracted!

"The western region has been in turmoil these past few days," the man reported in a low voice.

"Tie Xuan, the brother-in-law of Ao Tianchen, the president of the New Martial Arts Association, was beheaded in his own mansion; the Qingyang Sword Sect, which has a history of three hundred years, was wiped out overnight, leaving no one alive! The perpetrator was ruthless and left no trace at the scene. The martial arts world privately calls him 'the devil'."

He paused, then spoke each word with resounding emphasis: "And this 'devil'... is none other than Xiao Chen!"

"Xiao Chen?" Li Changcun's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the tablet, his knuckles turning white.

He had seen this boy in the ancient city before. Although he acknowledged his talent, he also predicted that he wouldn't live long...

But to his utter surprise, this kid not only didn't die, but instead stirred up a storm in such an earth-shattering way!
Destroy the Qingyang Sword Sect? Slay Tie Xuan? Is this a path to the top, stepping over the corpses of the martial arts world in the western region?
"Is the news confirmed?" Li Changcun's voice carried a hint of sharpness that was barely perceptible.

“Absolutely true!” The man nodded hurriedly. “The martial arts world in the western region is now issuing a full-scale manhunt for Xiao Chen, and all the major forces are searching for him. Ao Tianchen has even declared… he must see Xiao Chen’s head within two days!”

He added, "The day after tomorrow is Ao Tianchen's re-election celebration. He wants to settle this matter before the celebration banquet, use Xiao Chen's head to establish his authority, and consolidate his position."

Li Changcun placed the tablet on the table and tapped the surface lightly with his fingertips. The "tap, tap, tap" sound was particularly clear in the quiet room, as if he was weighing something.

After a long pause, he suddenly laughed, his laughter tinged with amusement and disdain: "I underestimated him. Bearing the empty title of 'God of War King,' he is indeed no ordinary person."

He rose and walked to the window, the night light streaming into his eyes, his tone suddenly turning cold: "However... he seems to have forgotten that Li Sheng is a member of the Li family. Killing a member of the Li family, and still thinking of causing trouble in the Western Region?"

The lean man hesitated before asking, "Should I immediately mobilize men to the western region...?"

“No need.” Li Changcun raised his hand to interrupt, his tone carrying absolute control. “It’s a fight between ants, why should I get involved personally? You continue to keep an eye on the Western Region, and report to me immediately if there are any changes.”

A meaningful smile played on his lips: "Anyway, he won't live much longer. Let Ao Tianchen avenge Li Sheng. Once Ao Tianchen kills Xiao Chen, that kid really thinks he's invincible."

"Yes! I understand!"

The door was slightly ajar, and the room fell silent once more.

Li Changcun stood by the window, the glass reflecting the cold curve of his lips...

……

The top-floor conference room of the Western Region New Martial Arts Association.

"Bang!!!"

Another valuable mahogany table was reduced to dust by Ao Tianchen's palm strike! Wood chips flew like arrows, and everyone scrambled to get out of the way, their faces filled with shock.

Ao Tianchen's eyes were bloodshot, and his furious aura filled the entire space as if it were a tangible force, almost blowing the roof off.

"Search! Keep searching!" he roared, his voice hoarse. "Even if you have to turn the entire western region upside down and dig three feet into the ground, you have to drag that little bastard Xiao Chen out of here!" (End of Chapter)