A thought spun in his mind: hearing this news, it would be normal for Hong Yuting to react with anger, humiliation, or resentment... but this was pure agony.

Zhong Yun held up his cup, observing the low-hanging head of Hong Yuting through the rising steam of the clear liquid. He arrived at a truly incredible conclusion: he was genuinely fond of the Second Miss Qin.

This realization profoundly surprised Zhong Yun; he had always assumed Hong Yuting’s pursuit was solely for the sake of the Qin family’s influence.

Silence descended upon the room, Hong Yuting keeping his head bowed, an oppressive atmosphere clinging to him. Zhong Yun remained seated, his expression outwardly composed.

Zhong Yun offered no words of comfort. Their relationship was merely a convergence of interests; there was acquaintance, but it was nothing like the bond he shared with Tianhai and the others. He simply didn't know how to begin.

That evening, Qin Liuxing arrived in a frantic state, gripping Zhong Yun without preamble and pulling him toward the door.

Walking the path toward the Qin family quarters, Zhong Yun saw the sheer panic in his companion, whose eyes were bloodshot with distress. He frowned, "What on earth is wrong?"

This question seemed to strike some raw nerve in Qin Liuxing, for tears immediately flooded his eyes, and he choked out, "Brother Yun, you have to save my sister..."

Zhong Yun’s brow furrowed deeper. "Tell me clearly, what happened to your sister?"

Qin Liuxing could hold it in no longer. With a sudden wail, he burst into tears. "My sister... she... she committed suicide..."

Zhong Yun jolted in alarm. He grabbed Qin Liuxing's hand, his form blurring as he vanished to the other end of the corridor. The distance from Hong Yuting's room to the Qin family chambers spanned nearly a thousand meters, but under Zhong Yun’s distance-ignoring ‘Shunshan’ (Flash Step), they covered it in barely two seconds.

Qin Liuxing, too distraught to notice the speed, threw open the door and rushed Zhong Yun directly into the Second Miss Qin's chambers. The maids inside were already in chaos, standing about fearfully.

As soon as he entered, Qin Liuxing roared at a man in doctor’s attire sitting by the bed, "You good-for-nothing! What are you still doing here? Get out!"

The physician, a man around sixty, paled slightly at Qin Liuxing's outburst, his expression unclear—whether anger or sheer panic.

Zhong Yun couldn't help but interject. "Keep your voice down, don't distress your sister."

Qin Liuxing dared not argue, his voice tight with anxiety. "Brother Yun, please, take a look."

Zhong Yun offered the doctor a quick, apologetic smile, but the man refused to acknowledge it, turning his face away, likely infuriated by Qin Liuxing's tirade.

Sitting by the bedside, Zhong Yun took a deep breath. The Second Miss Qin lay peacefully on the bed; her exquisite face was heartbreakingly pale. Her expression was serene, as if merely sleeping, yet there was not a trace of life lingering in her body.

Zhong Yun’s face grew grave. He reached out and took her wrist, pulling up her sleeve to reveal a stretch of jade-like, pale forearm. His fingers lightly settled onto her pulse point, and he closed his eyes.

Qin Liuxing held his breath, watching Zhong Yun's face with agonizing tension, his heart suspended at the highest peak.

The doctor standing nearby watched Zhong Yun's display with a faint sneer; he had already examined her. The Second Miss Qin was irrevocably dead—her vitality extinguished, beyond any hope of revival. He doubted this youth possessed such ability.

The room fell into a silence so profound a needle could be heard dropping.

Slowly, rings of violet ripples began to emanate from Zhong Yun’s body, a nearly imperceptible pressure that the two men in the room could barely withstand.

Ten seconds later, Zhong Yun’s eyes opened slowly. He lowered the Second Miss Qin’s hand.

From the expression on his face, Qin Liuxing sensed something, yet clung to the faintest sliver of hope. "How is my sister?"

Zhong Yun let out a soft sigh, looking at him with genuine pity, and gently patted his shoulder.

Qin Liuxing was struck as if by lightning, frozen on the spot.

Seeing his body tremble uncontrollably, a manic aura brewing in his eyes, Zhong Yun spoke softly, "Little Xing, you must mourn with strength."

"No—" Qin Liuxing suddenly exploded, his face contorted into a mask of crazed agony. "My sister wouldn't abandon me alone... never..." His voice was piercingly mournful, stirring deep pity in those nearby.

"Brother Yun, you were lying just now, weren't you? My sister is fine, she’s just sleeping, Brother Yun, Brother Yun..." Qin Liuxing clutched Zhong Yun’s clothes, his knuckles white, his voice a tortured plea, like a cuckoo crying blood.

Zhong Yun’s heart ached, and he spoke gently, "Little Xing, you must face this with fortitude."

Despair slowly enveloped Qin Liuxing. It was as if all strength had been drained from his body; the hand gripping Zhong Yun’s garment slowly slipped away, and he collapsed onto his knees with a soft thud.

Just then, a commotion sounded from outside the door, the barrier yanked open as a group surged in, led by Qin Lianbai. Behind him were Gu Yi, Lan Yuling, and several of the people who had accompanied Zhong Yun.

Seeing Zhong Yun present, Qin Lianbai visibly paused. Then, his gaze landed on the motionless Second Miss Qin on the bed, and his face instantly turned grim. He had been in a meeting when the news broke and had rushed over immediately.

He cast a questioning look toward the doctor standing nearby. This physician was a top-tier doctor retained by the Qin family, highly skilled. The doctor merely shook his head, causing Qin Lianbai’s heart to sink abruptly.

Quickly, he noticed Qin Liuxing kneeling before Zhong Yun, utterly lost. He barked, "Little Xing, what exactly happened?"

"What happened? Heh heh heh..." A fit of hysterical, nerve-jangling laughter emanated from Qin Liuxing. He threw his head back, laughing until tears streamed down his face. His demented state sent a chill through everyone present.

"You ask me what happened?" The laughter abruptly stopped, and Qin Liuxing sprang up from the floor, his face hardening. "You have the audacity to ask me what happened? My sister was killed by you all!"

In light of this tragedy, to be yelled at and accused by Qin Liuxing, whom they had always viewed as a dissolute playboy, made Qin Lianbai’s eyelids twitch. He roared, "What nonsense are you spouting..."

"Nonsense?" Qin Liuxing’s face was twisted, his still-wet tears tracing paths over his features, making him look utterly grotesque. "Damn your ancestors! If you hadn't planned to offer my sister up as a gift to curry favor with those mongrels from the Red Feather Federation, would my sister have killed herself?"

With his sister, the one person he depended on, dead, Qin Liuxing completely erupted. "And you! You! All of you cowards! You spineless bastards! Give my sister her life back!"

If Zhong Yun hadn't held him back, Qin Liuxing would have charged forward to fight them all.

Those present turned ashen and pale from the abuse. Qin Lianbai trembled with rage; he had never been scolded so directly to his face. "Shut your mouth! Look at yourself, this behavior! You are unfit to be a descendant of the Qin family!"

"The Qin family? Spit!" Qin Liuxing spat a mouthful of saliva toward Qin Lianbai. "To hell with your Qin family's eighteen generations! Ask yourself, how much has my sister done for the Qin family? Dare you say the Qin family achieved what it has today without her contributions? But in the end, how did you treat her? A Qin family like this, even if you begged me, I wouldn't want it!"

These shocking words silenced everyone present. Faced with Qin Liuxing’s accusation, Qin Lianbai felt only rage surging upward; the veins in his forehead pulsed, his face utterly grim. He spoke deliberately, word by measured word, "Do you truly intend to sever ties with the Qin family?"

Anyone could hear the killing intent in his tone. Betraying the family was the most serious crime against a clan, one for which every family would spare no expense to execute the traitor.

Qin Liuxing met his gaze darkly, yielding not an inch, his features growing more ferocious. "You just drove my sister to her death, and now you want to kill me? Go on, I'm not afraid of you. I stopped wanting to be part of this Qin family long ago. From this day forward, I, Qin Liuxing, am eternally—severed—from the Qin family."

"Fine," Qin Lianbai laughed in anger, then suddenly turned to Zhong Yun. "A-Yun, this is a private matter for the Qin family. I hope you will not interfere."

The situation had escalated beyond anyone’s expectation. Those present hadn't imagined that Qin Liuxing, always known as a wastrel, would be so stubborn and defiant, actually attempting to leave the Qin family. They watched coldly, a touch of schadenfreude brewing in their hearts.

All eyes turned to the young man standing beside Qin Liuxing—this rumored master of immense power—wondering if he would jeopardize his relationship with the Qin family for Qin Liuxing's sake.

Zhong Yun glanced over and stated plainly, "Qin Liuxing is my brother."

This single sentence struck like a thunderclap, making the atmosphere in the room acutely tense.

"Brother Yun..." Qin Liuxing's eyes grew moist. Since childhood, everyone who had shown him kindness, save for his sister, had hidden ulterior motives. Yet Brother Yun stood up for him when he was utterly worthless, and contrasted against the Qin family members, his loyalty shone all the brighter, making him infinitely precious. He was overwhelmed with emotion. "You don't have to..."

Zhong Yun cut him off sharply. "My brothers under Yun Zhongyu are men who bleed but do not weep."

Qin Liuxing instantly wiped his tears, straightened his chest until it was rigid. From this moment on, even if Brother Yun told him to die, he would do so without hesitation.

Qin Lianbai’s expression shifted several times. After a long pause, he said, "A-Yun, for your sake, I will not pursue his defection from the Qin family. I hope he knows how to conduct himself." With that, he swept out, his sleeves trailing behind him.

The accompanying group, seeing the principal figure depart, followed suit. Soon, only Zhong Yun, Qin Liuxing, and the Second Miss Qin lying on the bed remained in the room.

Zhong Yun walked to the bedside, gently lifted the Second Miss Qin, and said to Qin Liuxing, "Let's go." Qin Liuxing followed silently behind him, leaving the room that once symbolized Qin family glory. Henceforth, the Qin family and he were completely unattached.

When Hong Yuting opened the door, seeing the peacefully composed Second Miss Qin in Zhong Yun’s arms, his face contorted in extreme pain.

"We will stay here temporarily," Zhong Yun said, sighing internally as he met Hong Yuting's grief-stricken gaze.

Hong Yuting silently stepped aside, his eyes never leaving the beloved face.

Hong San led them to a guest room, where Zhong Yun carefully placed the Second Miss Qin on the bed.

"Why did this happen?" Hong Yuting finally spoke, his voice hoarse and ugly, as if questioning both others and himself.

No one answered.

"Is Second Miss truly dead?"

In Qin Lianbai’s room, the doctor who had attended the Second Miss Qin was giving his report.

"The life or death of the Second Miss is of paramount importance; I dared not be careless. I examined her several times with utmost scrutiny. She is indeed completely deceased," the doctor affirmed confidently. After a slight hesitation, he added, "However, I cannot find the cause of death."

"Mmm. You may leave now," Qin Lianbai waved him away.

The doctor bowed and departed.

Qin Lianbai stared at the doorway, sinking into thought. The death of the Second Miss Qin was too bizarre, the cause unknown. There were two possibilities: suicide—and he knew there were several painless methods of suicide that left no trace.

The other possibility was murder. But who would have a motive to kill her? He truly couldn't fathom anyone with such a motive.

The Second Miss Qin held a very high rank within the Qin family, second only to the Elders. Her death was a major event for the clan, and since it occurred after his arrival, he could not entirely escape implication. To encounter such a catastrophe immediately after emerging from the Trial Space was giving him a severe headache.

His gaze shifted to the desk, where a suicide note lay. Qin Liuxing, in his distress, had carelessly missed it on the counter in the Second Miss Qin’s room. It was discovered by the maids only after he and Zhong Yun had left.

But if someone could kill her silently, forging a suicide note would not be difficult. This provided no certainty.

News of the Second Miss Qin’s death quickly spread through the Embassy in Andu. Everyone was shocked, especially the young lords who had held affections for her; many were devastated.

Hong Yuting’s residence was soon besieged by visitors. Some refused to believe she was dead; others wished to pay their last respects. In short, everyone wanted to see her body.

But none were permitted into the room housing the Second Miss Qin’s remains. Qin Liuxing drove them all away. Grief-stricken by his sister’s passing, he showed no courtesy to these young masters of noble houses. Armed with a sturdy stick, he guarded the door, threatening to smash the skull of anyone who dared approach.

Some visitors possessed considerable strength, but encountering Qin Liuxing’s latent abilities, they could only suffer setbacks. Unable to utilize their specialized powers, they were beaten until their heads were bruised, leading to loud cries of outrage.

Some went to call for backup, summoning their strongest subordinates to force entry, but one by one, Zhong Yun tossed them outside.

Everyone, wary of Zhong Yun’s sheer power and Qin Liuxing’s terrifying madness, dared not approach further. Peace finally returned to Hong Yuting's home.

Just as everyone else had departed, Gu Yue arrived alone. "I must see her one last time," he said, his features haggard, his voice rough and unpleasant. The elegant and dashing demeanor he usually possessed was entirely gone.

Surprisingly, Qin Liuxing did not raise his stick this time. He stepped aside, allowing Gu Yue to pass inside.

A while later, Lan Ling also arrived. Qin Liuxing did not stop him either. Lan Ling stood at the doorway for a long time, looking lost and dazed.

When Gu Yue emerged, he saw Lan Ling standing there distractedly but showed no surprise, passing silently beside him without exchanging a single word.

Lan Ling walked inside with difficulty, knelt before the bed, and stared blankly at the Second Miss Qin for a long moment. Suddenly, he stood up and bolted out the door like a madman.

Zhong Yun let out a soft sigh. These two, too, were men of profound feeling. He walked into the room, stood before the bed, and gazed at her face. What kind of allure did you possess, to make so many outstanding men lose themselves and sink into sorrow for you?

First published.