Under the lamp’s shadow, however, were words that truly pierced the heart, words that could instantly implicate the entire steward household!

“Is that so? Then I congratulate the Wicked Lord, for you have finally found me, and you need yearn no longer.” Yue'er’s delicate body trembled, yet she remained stubbornly resolute. “Years ago, Jun Zhantian slaughtered my entire family, leaving me the sole survivor. And now, you, his grandson, have annihilated me as well. Consider the roots severed, ensuring no future trouble.”

“No!” Guan Qingyue cried out loudly, suddenly turning to Jun Moxie, his voice hoarse with supplication. “Third Young Master Jun… please, I beg you, spare her! Spare Yue’er! I implore you, let her go! She is the one I cherish most in this life! My dearest love! Without Yue’er, I… I cannot live!”

His body shook, his lips trembled, but his eyes were already filled with despair. For he clearly saw the intense killing intent blazing in Jun Moxie’s eyes. He rasped out, “Third Young Master Jun, you are now a partner to my elder sister. Surely, you won’t steal the happiness of your own brother-in-law too? I beg you… and—”

Jun Moxie was deeply jolted.

It had to be admitted that Guan Qingyue’s desperate plea, cast widely in hope, had struck precisely on the mark.

The reason Jun Moxie could not tolerate Yue’er was because this woman always harbored ill intentions towards the Jun family. Even now, even while fighting for the continent, the resentment in her heart towards the Jun family had not diminished in the slightest!

“Yue’er, who was your father? And who was your grandfather? Why such deep hatred for the Jun family? I believe my grandfather was no indiscriminate butcher. If you can offer a justifiable reason, perhaps I can restore your sense of justice!” Jun Moxie sighed lightly, asking slowly.

“Could it be that your grandfather was wronged? My grandfather was Chu Tiecheng, the former Grand General who protected the Yan State! When the Tianxiang Empire was founded, Jun Zhantian led his armies in conquest, and my grandfather was defeated… ultimately perishing under Jun Zhantian’s butcher’s blade!” Miss Yue’er glared at Jun Moxie, her eyes brimming with tears. “When the Yan State fell, my father, Chu Changfeng, brought his entire family to pledge allegiance to Yu Tang, becoming a great general for the Yu Tang Empire. But in the battle against Jun Wuhui… he was defeated and killed!”

“With grandfather and father dead consecutively, the Chu family had nothing left to rely upon. Or perhaps, being distant from their homeland, the entire Chu family was devoured by the established noble houses of Yu Tang in a single night, their lineage ruined! I traveled thousands of miles to Tianxiang solely for revenge. All the misfortunes of the Chu family stem from your Jun family—all of you are the bloodiest executioners!”

Jun Moxie let out a cold laugh. “I thought my ancestor had truly committed some heinous, utterly wicked deed! So, the so-called feud is merely because your grandfather and father died on the battlefield, leading to your family’s ruin, and you lay the entire blame for this misfortune squarely at the feet of my Jun family!? Is that the gist of it, young lady? It seems if we follow your logic, had my ancestor and father not been victorious on the battlefield, they would have instantly transformed into great benefactors to your family, is that correct? Is that how it works? If you had been defeated by my ancestor, would it have been right for my Jun family to be destroyed and wiped out?!”

Yue’er was stunned into silence upon hearing this. Since her family’s downfall, she had wandered in hardship, suffering countless torments. She had assigned all her misfortune entirely to the Jun family, believing that without them, her own family would still be prosperous, happy, and joyful. Yet, she had never considered matters from another perspective. Hearing Jun Moxie’s counter-question so suddenly was like a bucket of cold water dashed over her head; for a moment, she did not know how to respond!

Jun Moxie continued, “Hahaha…” The logic of your revenge is truly formidable. If we follow your theory, then my Jun family must have enemies spanning the entire world? Our three generations fought on the battlefield, and the number of those slain by our blades easily exceeds millions! The families of every single one of those fallen soldiers must seek vengeance… How many heads does the mere Jun family possess for you all to claim? This is truly laughable! Well, after today, you can add another—Jun Moxie, whose hands are stained with blood from slaughtering countless enemies. Today, I wiped out masses upon masses of those wretched barbarians, numbering in the hundreds of thousands! They probably want revenge on me too, seeing as I was the greatest obstacle preventing them from entering the Xuan Xuan Continent!”

Jun Moxie hadn’t expected that Yue’er’s so-called profound blood feud was actually rooted in this matter. While this karmic chain might indeed be unbearably heavy for Yue’er, to Jun Moxie, it was utterly absurd.

Truly absurd!

A soldier’s duty has always been solely to defend their home and nation; dying on the battlefield should inherently be the finest and ultimate end for every warrior. If the families of every soldier killed in battle were to seek revenge against the opposing general, the world would descend into true chaos…

Between soldiers, there has never been personal hatred!

There is only a difference in standing!

Nothing more!

Guan Qingyue tightly held Yue’er, gripping her arm, and explained with extreme nervousness, “Jun Moxie, … Brother-in-law, listen to me. During this time, I have been constantly persuading her. In truth… Yue’er’s hatred has subsided significantly now. Brother-in-law, please believe me, as long as Yue’er stays with me, she will never do anything to harm the Jun family!”

Under his tension, Guan Qingyue had even uttered the term ‘Brother-in-law,’ and not only once, but he seemed to have cemented that title right there!

Yue’er, though still slightly reluctant while he held her arm, her expression remaining sorrowful and indignant, did not struggle further. In truth, how could she not understand the reasoning? It was simply that a sliver of spiritual sustenance kept her from facing the issue head-on. Today, Jun Moxie’s sharp reprimand had illuminated everything for her, making it clear.

“You guarantee it? Can you truly guarantee it?! What if I insist on severing the roots completely and must kill her?” Jun Moxie’s face turned icy as he asked chillingly. Yet, as he spoke those words, the killing intent in his heart had already vanished. Yue’er’s hatred, while sounding irreconcilable, was, in reality, nothing more than the spiritual anchor of a young girl’s heart.

The destruction of the Chu family was sustained only by the notion of ‘revenge,’ an idea that had kept her alive until this moment.

If even this belief collapsed, this Miss Yue’er would likely crumble along with it.

Jun Moxie’s primary reason for not killing her was not because Yue’er might become the woman of his potential brother-in-law—a brother-in-law indeed carried some weight, but that weight depended entirely on how much Jun Da Shao was willing to grant him…

The most crucial factor was this: the current Yue’er was simply too weak—dangerously weak!

Her cultivation remained superficial, barely reaching the level of Gold Profound. With such strength, even if the weakest member of the Jun family stood perfectly still and let her hack at him with a blade, she probably wouldn’t manage to scratch his skin before tiring herself to death.

Intrigue and schemes could indeed deal with experts, but there was always a limit to their applicability. Against masters who surpassed mundane power, any conspiracy was a joke.

Jun Moxie was always the most pragmatic person. Given the current standing, status, and immense strength of the Jun family, someone like Yue’er was likely less significant than an ant in his mind—not worth paying special attention to at all.

“If you must kill her, Qingyue is willing to take her place!” Guan Qingyue’s expression froze, then his eyes reddened suddenly. Biting his lip, he said fiercely, “If I cannot substitute my life for hers, I wish to die with her! To hold your hand, and descend to the Yellow Springs together!”

Upon finishing the sentence, Guan Qingyue’s lips had been bitten until they bled, the crimson flowing down. But he didn't wipe it away, staring unblinkingly at Jun Moxie as he slowly knelt down!

“Qingyue!” Yue’er cried out in shock, watching him with agonizing heartache. Her emotions churned violently, and for a moment, she was completely unable to utter a single word.

It was this man who had relentlessly pursued her, never wavering. Even when she had shown him no shred of kindness, he never abandoned his original intent. He had foolishly dedicated himself to things she despised, trying every means possible to please her.

Back then, in order to exact revenge on the Jun family, she had laid a trap, deliberately approaching and using him, yet he had never harbored a single doubt about her. When she obtained the intelligence she wanted, she left him without a word for Tianxiang City, and he held no grudge. Later, when they met again in Tianxiang City, his infatuation remained exactly the same.

Later, when her scheme was seen through by Jun Moxie, she was forced to flee Tianxiang City, only to realize with a shock that under the Jun family’s current overwhelming might, vast as heaven and earth were, there seemed to be no place left for her to reside.

It was precisely at this juncture that Guan Qingyue reappeared before her, willing to defy his own family just to protect her. In the time that followed, to shield her, he had been severely beaten by his father, Guan Dongliu, several times, yet he never regretted it.

Today, it was again for her sake, standing before her great vengeance, before an irresistible peerless expert, he abandoned his masculine pride to plead on her behalf. Furthermore, he was willing to surrender his own life to buy her a moment of respite. If she absolutely had to die, then he would accompany her to the grave!

Such true devotion—how many men in this world could do this for the woman they loved?

She had already received so much; why was she still not content?

Why had she never noticed such profound truth before! Was my heart truly blind?

In that instant, Yue’er’s long-sealed heart was deeply stirred by the devoted youth, Guan Qingyue.

Guan Dongliu sighed deeply, murmuring, “Third Young Master Jun… speaking of this matter, it is indeed the Guan family who has wronged the Jun family. Qingyue is simply so besotted; I, an old man, was helpless… I had no choice but to temporarily stall this issue. Coming to assist the battle in Tiannan this time was originally just to contribute what little we could to the continent. If we met you and could explain things clearly, that would be best. If not, our family planned to fight and die here, and let everything drift away with the wind…”

Guan Qingbo, standing nearby, glanced over indifferently. In truth, the eldest son of the Guan family was rather scornful of his younger brother being so obsessed with one woman. What true man ever lacked a wife, to this extent…?

Jun Moxie nodded faintly, turning to Guan Qingyue. “Guan Qingyue, are you truly willing to die for her? Very well. Since you have spoken, I must grant you some face. There is no need to descend to the Yellow Springs together. If you truly die in her place, I will spare her life, and that would be acceptable. After all, receiving one life is enough for me. Either you die, or she dies—either one is fine!”

The moment these words were spoken, everyone knew that Jun Moxie intended to execute Yue’er.

Instantly, everyone’s expression shifted drastically, and they secretly cursed Jun Moxie for being so merciless.

But Guan Qingyue leaped up, overcome with ecstatic joy. “Is that truly what you say?”

“A man’s word is his bond; without faith, how can one stand in this world? I, Jun Moxie, never utter idle words!” Jun Moxie said coolly. Looking at this boy’s demeanor, he was truly steeped in affection to the bone… Very well, I shall grant him this wish!