"Alright! Everything you said, I'll do it, I'll accomplish it all for you!" Qian Jin let out a slight smile, a hint of moisture welling in his eyes, treating the letter with immense care as he gently refolded it, tucking it into his chest, into the Dou Jie (Battle Realm). He slowly tilted his head back to gaze at the deep indigo sky, as if he could see a chubby face smiling down at him: "You watch from up there for me, see how I avenge you, see how I cleave down every enemy blocking my path, see how I dominate the world!"

From the very bottom of the jar, Luo Qingqing fished out a sheet of pale yellow parchment, holding it out to Qian Jin with both hands: "My brother said many times that the First Guardian of the Luo family could only be Brother Qian Jin. That's why this letter of appointment, this parchment holding true legal validity, was kept preserved and never used."

First Guardian! That designation required a scroll bearing the official seal of the True Strategy Dynasty, issued by the Imperial Court, the Royal Family, or the City Lord himself to be effective.

Zhu Lisi gazed fixedly at the parchment in Luo Qingqing's hands. The Luo family had indeed had guardians before, but never a First Guardian. It turned out Luo Lin had genuinely kept this reserved for Qian Jin all along! She had assumed that, given his nature as a profit-seeking merchant, he would never have gone through the expense of procuring that costly official certification from the City Lord.

Qian Jin took the yellowed parchment in his hand, his wrist flicking lightly behind his back. He retrieved a slender throwing knife from the Dou Jie, then deliberately deactivated the protective power of his Feng Yun Jin Shen (Wind and Cloud Golden Body). Under the dual pressure from within and without, he slashed his index finger and pressed his bloody fingerprint onto the parchment.

One letter, a hundred lines of blood.

Luo Lin's letter was filled with a kind of unrestrained spirit, and the other undertones subtly woven through the script were things only Qian Jin could truly understand.

Zhu Lisi placed both hands on the ground, staring at the Guardian's credentials in Qian Jin’s hand, her heart hammering violently. Holding this document was power itself, a monumental force within the Luo family. When he stood beside Luo Qingqing, he became the child she carried, born from enduring Luo Lin’s dominion over her, conceived in the struggle to control the Luo household. Now, gaining absolute control over this house became impossible, and what's more...

No! This couldn't happen! Zhu Lisi secretly lifted her head to look at Luo Qingqing, a sharp, vicious glint flashing fleetingly within her alluring eyes: This Luo family is mine! I married that damned fat Luo only for his wealth! I’ve endured for two years; I cannot let all my plans go to waste! The final plan! Kill her! Kill her! Once she is dead, Qian Jin, the Guardian, will only have the child in my hands to protect, thus naturally swearing fealty to me! And then... even if I must discard the Kai family, having such a strong man serving me day and night wouldn't be so bad. Act now!

In her large, white mourning robes, Zhu Lisi clenched her right hand fiercely, grasping a magic scroll. Her spiritual power slowly began to flow into it.

She was a magic student! A magic student who had studied at the Oakland Academy of Magic and Warriors, and quite successfully at that, possessing Level Six spiritual power!

However, the status of the Luo family’s young mistress was too dazzling, the allure of the campus beauty too captivating, causing everyone to forget that this eldest daughter-in-law of the Luo family was also a magic student.

Spiritual power flowed like a stream into the magic scroll, unlocking its seal. An ice cone, silent as a shadow and swift as lightning, pierced through the sleeve of her mourning gown, tearing through the air toward Luo Qingqing.

Success! Zhu Lisi rejoiced inwardly. Once this spell was truly unleashed, at such close range, it could even catch Qian Jin, the warrior, unprepared. How much more effective against an ordinary woman with no combat prowess? This was the Shadowless Ice Cone she had spent a fortune to acquire!

Crack! The solid ice cone shattered mid-air. Qian Jin’s fist stopped precisely in the ice cone’s flight path. Crystalline shards, like fractured jewels, tumbled through the air, refracting the sunlight with spectacular brilliance.

Luo Qingqing lifted her delicate, beautiful face, her eyes brimming with an infinite sense of secure happiness. The spiritual power channeled into the magic scroll at her waist was silently withdrawn back into her mind.

A magic student! Zhu Lisi stared blankly at the pulverized ice cone. The splashing fragments were like her hopes, utterly shattered by that single punch.

"How could this be?" Zhu Lisi collapsed onto the cold floor, yet the chill of the stone was nothing compared to the coldness in her heart. This seemingly guaranteed sneak attack at such close range had failed? That little brat! She... she was actually a magic student! How had I never known? The spiritual power she unleashed in that instant was easily Level Six, yet she’s only seventeen! This... these two people... I simply cannot contend with them..."

"Sigh..." Qian Jin crouched before Zhu Lisi and sighed deeply. His wrist shot out like lightning, his five fingers clamping around her throat, hoisting her high into the air. Her legs kicked uselessly, unable to touch the ground, her face, flushed with exertion, turning deep red, her arms fruitlessly grasping Qian Jin’s hand in a final struggle. "I promised Luo Lin I would send you to the stars to accompany him, but you are, after all, the mother of his child. I was hesitant to go through with it, but you have given me the most ample reason."

"I... cough cough... I..." Zhu Lisi watched Qian Jin's emotionless eyes, and her heart sank. Despair flickered in her gaze. Her hands stopped trying to pry open Qian Jin's grip; instead, she grabbed the front of her own garment and ripped it open violently!

Snap... snap...

The pearl-inlaid buttons on her dress snapped one by one, and the pearls tumbled onto the ground, bouncing gently, striking the floor with sounds reminiscent of raindrops hitting a puddle.

With a soft pop, her two pale, full mounds sprang forth, two peanut-sized nipples standing erect, briefly shielded by the falling cloth.

Zhu Lisi's hands slid over her own pale body, forcefully squeezing the soft mounds, trying with every ounce of strength to turn her gasping, oxygen-starved breaths into alluring, seductive moans. A hint of seduction even touched her flushed face.

Her final gambit. Zhu Lisi struggled violently to twist her waist. Surely no man could witness this captivating flesh and remain unmoved. Luo Lin couldn't. Kesarthus, who had seen countless women, surely couldn't. Even Principal Keller's eyes had shown naked lust when he looked at her body, and he had abandoned other women for her.

Qian Jin couldn't either! Zhu Lisi desperately twisted her body, silently insisting that if she continued to tempt him, Qian Jin would certainly succumb.

"Ah, I wonder if Luo Lin will refuse to visit my dreams and drink with me tonight because I’ve shown my body to his woman?" Qian Jin murmured to himself, his five fingers clamping inward. The sound of crushing bone drowned out the collision of pearls on the floor. Zhu Lisi’s struggling legs straightened completely, swaying slightly in the death throes. Her alluring eyes held a final surge of disbelief.

She couldn't believe this man before her could completely ignore her perfect body. She couldn't believe this man could actually murder her with such cold-bloodedness! Murder was against the law!

Qian Jin flung his arm out. Zhu Lisi's not-yet-cold corpse arced through the air, falling into Luo Lin's coffin as if gently resting her head on his shoulder in sleep. There was no sense of crowding in the casket; instead, an ineffable harmony appeared.

"Hmph!" Luo Qingqing’s cheeks flushed as she glared at the Zhu Lisi in the casket, muttering with disgust, "Shameless!"

Qian Jin looked down at Luo Lin in the coffin, whispering softly, "Classmate, I’ve sent you the gift you wanted. I wonder if you received it? If you did, bring her to see me tonight and let me know."

The wail of an infant sounded from the back courtyard houses, as if bidding farewell to its mother on her journey to the stars.

Luo Qingqing quickly turned and rushed toward the back courtyard. Qian Jin, finding nothing better to do, grabbed the bottle of strong liquor left as an offering to Luo Lin on the altar. He returned to the spot where he had been sitting, leaning against the coffin again, holding the bottle and taking several long swigs. He wiped the foam from his lips, tilted his head back, and muttered, "Classmate, this is the last drink you’ll buy me."

The mourning hall returned to its customary silence. Qian Jin flipped his hand and retrieved the Zhan Ma Dao (Horse-Slaying Saber) from the Dou Jie, placing it within easy reach. He quietly continued drinking the last of Luo Lin's strong liquor.

The liquor that was usually fiery and sweet tasted only of bitterness in his mouth today—nothing but bitterness.

Luo Qingqing, clad in white mourning clothes, holding Luo Lin's offspring, approached Qian Jin lightly and squatted down, a hint of hesitation in her voice: "Sister-in-law is dead too. From now on, this child..."

Qian Jin swayed the nearly empty bottle of liquor in his hand: "I will be this child's father."

Luo Qingqing froze. Qian Jin continued speaking, "Your brother also said..."

Bang! The slightly ajar courtyard gate suddenly buckled under tremendous force, swinging violently open to either side. The resounding crash shook debris from the surrounding walls, and the impact point on the wooden door was left with a deep, clear footprint. A puff of dust lifted from the ground as the door ripped open.

On the deserted street outside stood a line of warriors dressed in various attire.

Qian Jin looked at the three figures leading the group. To his surprise, he recognized two of them: on the left was the furious, murderous-looking former Director Keller, now Principal Keller.

The man in the center still wore a pale cyan long gown and had short, deep-blue hair. His facial contours were exceptionally sharp, and his build was tall and sturdy—Mr. Fabrediss, the City Guardian of Oakland.

The middle-aged man on the right was clad in luxurious embroidered robes, radiating an air of magnanimity in every movement. His golden hair was slicked back neatly, and he walked with composure, looking nothing like a mere enforcer.

Fabrediss paused briefly upon seeing Qian Jin leaning against the coffin cart, a liquor bottle in hand, gazing up at the sky. A faint expression of relief touched his brow as he strode into the courtyard, hands clasped behind his back.