Qin Yaorao faintly guessed what Wen Shiba was feeling smug about. That man must be thinking that once the wedding date is set today, after she marries into the Wen Family, she would be at his mercy, unable to escape his clutches ever again.
At that moment, Qin Yaorao felt very angry and wanted to tell Wen Shiba loudly that she would never marry him, but in the end, she held herself back.
Qin Yaorao came to the small pavilion outside the manor, eagerly awaiting Fang Bai’s arrival, hoping with all her heart that her former student could help her out of this arranged marriage.
When the clock struck eight in the morning, a black sedan appeared far away and sped towards her.
Seeing the sedan, Qin Yaorao’s furrowed brows relaxed, and a slight smile played on her lips.
"Teacher Qin, I’m not late, am I?"
After parking the car, Fang Bai walked up to Qin Yaorao and asked with a smile.
"You, couldn’t you have come a few minutes earlier? You made me wait here for so long!"
Qin Yaorao chided lightly, but as she glimpsed Ghost Hand following behind Fang Bai, her expression turned serious and she asked, "Who is this...?"
Fang Bai stepped to the side, pointed at Ghost Hand, who wore a naïve smile, and introduced, "His name is Ghost Hand, and he’s my disciple I took on in Yanjing! Ghost Hand, this is Teacher Qin, from now on you can call her Sister Qin!"
Hearing that Qin Yaorao was his master’s teacher, Ghost Hand immediately became solemn and stepped forward to bow deeply.
"You... you... there’s no need to be so formal!"
Ghost Hand was indeed older than Qin Yaorao, so how could she accept such a gesture? She quickly stepped aside in embarrassment.
"Still calling me Teacher Qin?"
Fang Bai was about to speak when Qin Yaorao interrupted him.
"Oh right... now that we are in a relationship, calling you Teacher Qin would give us away... So from now on, shall I call you Sister Qin?"
"Just call me Yaorao!"
Qin Yaorao’s face heated up slightly, then she took on a bravely straightforward demeanor and said firmly, "Since we are acting, we need to make it as real as possible. Calling me this way seems more intimate and won’t make my parents suspect anything."
"That makes sense, let’s do that!"
Fang Bai nodded in firm agreement.
"Let’s go. My parents are probably waiting for me in the reception hall right now!"
Qin Yaorao hesitated a moment, then took two steps forward and gingerly hooked her arm through Fang Bai’s, her cheeks flushing as she said, "This looks more like a couple!"
While she felt slightly embarrassed, Fang Bai was as composed as ever. After all, playing the role of a boyfriend wasn’t his first time, and he had grown used to it.
"When you meet the people from Misty Rain Tower later, keep your cool and don’t get agitated. There will be a time for you to give them a good thrashing!"
Having walked a distance, Fang Bai suddenly turned his head and addressed Ghost Hand, who was following a short distance behind.
"Master, I understand."
Ghost Hand nodded, his eyes flashing with a thick aura of combativeness and murderous intent.
"What are you and Ghost Hand discussing? What do you mean by ’viciously torment them’?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yaorao, driven by curiosity, couldn’t help but quietly ask Fang Bai.
She didn’t know that Ghost Hand and Misty Rain Tower were mortal enemies, and that her journey with Fang Bai was to seek justice from Misty Rain Tower.
Fang Bai chuckled, "Heh, Ghost Hand has come to discuss some matters with the people from Misty Rain Tower... As for what exactly, you’ll know when the time comes."
Seeing Fang Bai’s mysteriously secretive demeanor, Qin Yaorao grew even more curious. However, since Fang Bai wasn’t elaborating, she refrained from questioning further.
At this moment, the only thought occupying Qin Yaorao’s mind was the hope that Fang Bai would display his formidable strength in front of her parents and completely overwhelm Wen Shiba, thereby disrupting the arranged marriage entirely.
As the trio passed through the gate of the Qin Family Manor, they moved unobstructed. Along the way, Fang Bai and Ghost Hand detected the fluctuation of Martial Artist Auras in concealed areas beside the road, evidently bodyguards of the Qin Family covertly lurking, ensuring the safety of the manor.
Yet for powerhouses like Fang Bai and Ghost Hand, these bodyguards hardly posed a threat. If they wished, they could have forcibly stormed their way in, unstoppable by anyone.
The architectural style of the Qin Family Manor was entirely classical, featuring artificial mountains, ponds, pavilions, and terraces. The members of the Qin Family they encountered en route were all clad in traditional Tang-style garments.
Led by Qin Yaorao, the three of them followed a winding, cobblestone path, passing through several corridors and courtyards, arriving before a bamboo forest on the west side of the manor.
Between the concealment of the bamboo, a large pavilion stood erect, where a group of people sat chattering and laughing.
"Among the six people, there are five Martial Artists: two at the initial Profound Level, two at the mid Profound Level, and one at the high Profound Level..."
Fang Bai and Ghost Hand, sensing the energies of several Martial Artist Auras coming from the pavilion among the bamboo, exchanged knowing glances.
Although Ghost Hand was currently at the initial stage of Profound Level, his unique Cultivation Technique meant he feared no Profound Level Martial Artist. Even if the high Profound Level Martial Artist in the pavilion was from Misty Rain Tower and the Wen Family, Ghost Hand, by going all out, might still hope to emerge victorious in battle.
Approaching the front of the bamboo forest and hearing the laughter from the pavilion, Qin Yaorao visibly grew more tense, involuntarily tightening her grip on Fang Bai’s arm.
Fang Bai gently patted the back of Qin Yaorao’s hand and gave her a reassuring look, whispering, "Relax, I’ve got this."
Qin Yaorao managed a strained smile, then closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, steadying her slightly anxious heart. Together with Fang Bai, they walked slowly toward the pavilion in the bamboo forest.
The six people in the pavilion, five men and one woman, young and old, were seated around a stone table.
The only one who was not a Martial Artist was the woman.
The woman appeared to be in her mid-forties, but due to good maintenance, she looked closer to forty.
Judging by her current appearance, one could imagine she had been a rare beauty in her youth. Though now middle-aged, her charm and grace remained.
Sitting next to a middle-aged man, the woman wore a smile as she listened attentively to him and the other four speaking, displaying an air of elegant nobility.
The moment Fang Bai saw the woman, he knew she must be Qin Yaorao’s mother, Yang Yun, because the mother and daughter bore at least a seventy percent resemblance.
The middle-aged man dressed in a blue Tang suit, exuding an aura of scholarly refinement and possessing the strength of the initial Profound Level, must certainly be Qin Yaorao’s father and the current Family Head of the Qin Family, Qin Ling.
Fang Bai then understood why the Qin Family of Jinling held so little influence in the Ancient Martial World, given that Qin Ling, head of the family, was only at the initial stage of the Profound Level. His Cultivation Level was significantly inferior compared to those of the Sect Leaders from the major Sects in the Ancient Martial World.
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