Chapter 660: The Rabbit Has Grown Up

Cui Wenwei and the others stared dumbfounded at Zhao Changhe, gulping instinctively.

Though Zhao Changhe was clearly at the end of his rope, his imposing aura remained so powerful that no one dared test that. Cui Wenwei, a ranked warrior, stood alongside countless elite family members in his own territory, yet not a single one of them dared lift a finger.

The terror of a slaughterer of gods lingered in the air; while his fearsome presence had not affected Desolate Calamity, it was most certainly echoing through the hearts of all others—an aftershock of psychological pressure now also carrying the weight of the god’s defeat.

In this moment, Zhao Changhe seemed invincible in their eyes.

If the choice between Zhao Changhe and a demon god was previously influenced by considerations beyond clan interest, those considerations pertained to the fear-inducing disparity in strength.

When confronted with a terrifyingly powerful demon god who could annihilate an entire clan alone, one instinctively believed in their promises—”He has no reason to deceive me.”

Subconsciously, it offered an excuse for their fear—”I am cooperating purely for the benefit of the clan.”

And also admiration for strength—”Following him ensures success.”

Such is human nature.

The faction of Zhao Changhe had never evoked such an overpowering sense of awe. The Vermillion Bird and Black Tortoise might be formidable, but they were no stronger than Cui Wenjing. Zhao Changhe, despite his impressive achievements, might not have been able to withstand the combined might of the Cui Clan elites—after all, beyond the likes of Cui Wenwei, they still had Lu Ya, a guest warrior on the Ranking of Earth.

Even from a military point of view, there was no evident superiority. The strength of the new Han dynasty and that of the Cui Clan were comparable. There was no overwhelming advantage that compelled them to submit.

From the moment he entered, Zhao Changhe had deliberately created this psychological pressure, constructing the illusion that he stood on par with or even above the gods. And the moment he defeated Desolate Calamity, this awe-inspiring power truly engraved itself into the hearts of every member of the Cui Clan.

Cui Wenwei had no doubt that, without intervention from his elder brother, Zhao Changhe could indeed annihilate the entire Cui Clan. If only the Qinghe Sword were still present—at least then, they wouldn’t feel this utterly powerless...

Come to think of it, where is Elder Brother?

“You may be my son-in-law, but if we go by the rules of exterminating the rebellious, you yourself belong to the condemned.”

Cui Wenjing’s voice echoed from afar as he approached leisurely.

Zhao Changhe: “...”

The members of the Cui Clan lowered their heads, saying nothing. Whether it was executing three generations of one’s family or nine[1], it had nothing to do with a son-in-law... Their patriarch was teasing the ignorant rogue prince, but none dared expose him. To be fair, Zhao Changhe was shrewd—he probably understood but decided to take the hint.

It was ironic—earlier, some believed that Yangyang, as a valuable asset, should marry into a better alliance. Yet here they were, relying on her relationship with Zhao Changhe to save their family from extermination!

Cui Wenjing reached them, his gaze sharp as he looked around and said coldly, “Grown up, have we? Acting without orders and attempting to assassinate an envoy was one thing, but instigating Desolate Calamity to attack my son-in-law—who gave that command?”

It was evident to everyone that Cui Wenjing had allowed Zhao Changhe to fight this battle. It not only allowed Zhao Changhe to establish his prestige but also gave Cui Wenjing a chance to gauge his son-in-law’s current power. In other words, the father-in-law and son-in-law were both aware of Desolate Calamity’s presence from the outset and they could have simply chosen not to come. In other-other words... they had baited Cui Wenwei and the others.

It was a complicated scenario, difficult to fully unravel. Yet, given the current situation, someone needed to bear responsibility.

Cui Wenwei spoke decisively, “Elder brother, it was my doing. The poisoned wine served to King Zhao was at my command. I alone shall take responsibility for this.”

With those words, he brought his sword to his throat, intending to end his own life.

But as the blade touched his skin, Cui Wenjing caught his wrist.

Cui Wenwei looked up, stunned. “Elder brother, you...?”

Cui Wenjing stared at him for a long moment, then suddenly turned, falling to one knee before Zhao Changhe. “The Cui Clan is willing to surrender. I, Cui Wenjing, will fully support the reforms of the new dynasty. All I ask is mercy—spare their lives.”

Zhao Changhe had never imagined Cui Wenjing would kneel to him, and was taken aback, instinctively moving to help him up. Cui Wenjing gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head and shot him a meaningful look.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Zhao Changhe hesitated for a moment, then complied. Slowly, he said, “Out of respect for my father-in-law... I will spare them the death penalty. However, they will not escape punishment. I leave it to the Cui Clan to decide the penalty. I trust you will know what to do.”

He then turned and left, adding as he departed, “Desolate Calamity is a primordial demon god. He may be ranked quite high, but he is a god of calamity. It’s in the name, how could you not see that? Whatever collaboration he proposes is certainly treacherous, and the so-called reforging of a sword is nothing but deceit, ultimately leading to a trap. You were willing to trust a harbinger of disaster, yet unwilling to forsake the old shadows and forge your own future... And that is the so-called honor and wisdom of noble families? How utterly laughable.”

As he spoke, he walked farther away. He was genuinely unwilling to engage with the Cui Clan any longer, lest he lose control of his urge to kill.

If not for Cui Wenjing and Yangyang, Zhao Changhe would indeed have been inclined to wipe them out. He could well understand Li Shentong’s desire to kill off these obstinate fools—it was the only way to rebuild from scratch. Compromising with the noble families would only bring about the same stagnation that plagued Xia Longyuan’s early years, a situation increasingly resistant to change.

However, drowning them in the Yellow River and gaining a reputation for brutality was not ideal either. Perhaps this outcome was the best balance. Cui Wenjing had cast aside his pride and knelt, signaling that this was not a partnership, but a forced submission—a defeated rebel was spared execution and was now fully compliant. Many entrenched traditions could be torn down.

It required Cui Wenjing’s determination to cooperate, and Zhao Changhe was not well-versed in the intricacies of such matters. He lacked knowledge of the regional power structures, let alone the complex internal distribution of power and interest within the Cui Clan. This was a task best left to Cui Wenjing. Just as Zhao Changhe had said, he surely knew what to do.

But while Cui Wenjing could be trusted, others could not. This approach was only feasible for the Cui Clan.

Zhao Changhe turned eastward, contemplating the Wang Clan—it was time for them to be erased from the world. The difference in treatment between the Cui and Wang Clans would convey a clear signal to all the observers.

“Big Brother Zhao!” A little rabbit’s face suddenly appeared before him.

Startled, Zhao Changhe couldn’t help but reach out and ruffle her hair. “Hey, you’re a grown-up now. Still acting like a bunny... Aren’t you worried about being laughed at?”

Cui Yuanyang huffed. “You like it this way; I don’t care what others think.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled, “I liked Little Yangyang this way—I didn’t say I liked grown-up Yangyang like this.”

“I see, so you don’t like the rabbit head; what you really like is Little Yangyang!” She stomped her foot. “Now that I’ve grown up, you don’t like me anymore!”

Zhao Changhe couldn’t help laughing, “Where did you get that idea...?”

Cui Yuanyang pouted. “When you see me, you always have only a few words to say—nothing compared to all that you said to my father!”

Zhao Changhe was at a loss for words. “Hey, do you even know why I came here this time? I am literally here to wipe out your family. If it wasn’t for you, that banquet hall would have been bathed in blood.”

Cui Yuanyang rolled her eyes, “You’re out of strength—you couldn’t make anyone bleed.”

Zhao Changhe was shocked. “You... How could you tell?”

Cui Yuanyang smirked. “I know your temperament well... My uncle tried to poison you and intended to kill you. You would have retaliated with equal severity, executing the main culprit to intimidate the rest. You wouldn’t have spared my father’s pride. The only reason you didn’t strike was because you were bluffing—you’re out of strength.”

Zhao Changhe: “...”

Cui Yuanyang sighed softly. “Don’t worry. Father will give you a satisfactory resolution. Uncle will pay dearly for this.”

Zhao Changhe was puzzled, however. “You see everything clearly, so why still act so carefree? How can you only care whether I like you...?”

“First of all, even without me, with Father’s relationship with you, you’d never consider wiping out the Cui Clan. I’m not worried you’d do anything drastic to my family; rather, I was worried you’d suffer because you’re alone.” Cui Yuanyang puffed out her chest. “Do you think I was preparing for the wedding? I was hiding here, ready to rescue you!”

Zhao Changhe stared at her, dumbfounded. He looked at the carved bow still strapped to her back, imagining her lying in wait on some distant rooftop, bow drawn to rescue her beloved. He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Second...” Cui Yuanyang bit her lip, her tone soft and tinged with bitterness, “You don’t like me being so insightful—you like the little rabbit. So why would I trouble myself with heavy thoughts? I’d rather stay carefree.”

“But Yangyang...” Zhao Changhe finally couldn’t help but ask, “This time, my position was truly opposed to the Cui Clan. No matter how nicely it’s put, the Cui Clan will never regain its former glory. As a member of the Cui Clan, how do you feel about that?”

“No matter what I feel, the tide of destiny is unstoppable. I can’t change it.” Cui Yuanyang tilted her head. “Since, in their eyes, Cui Yuanyang is only a resource for political marriage, why should Cui Yuanyang worry about their future? What does it matter to me? Who cares about preserving their wealth and nobility for generations? Big Brother Zhao, don’t you know? What I desire is to elope with a random bandit to the northern wastelands, to roam the world freely.”

She reached out her hand to catch a snowflake, watching as it melted in her palm. Softly, she said, “Do you remember? The ruined temple in the storm, and the thugs from the Cui Clan before us....”

Zhao Changhe nodded. “Yes, I remember. In fact, those who came to kill you back then were from your own family.”

“To this day, it’s still the same... You might show mercy for my sake, but they will never spare you because of me. Big Brother Zhao, this thing called a noble clan... It might as well vanish. To me, aside from my father and elder brother, there’s nothing worth clinging to. I only regret that my cultivation is still too shallow; otherwise, I’d deal with it myself.”

Zhao Changhe scratched his head.

Weren’t you just struggling to understand my conversation with your father...?

Cui Yuanyang turned her head back and smiled radiantly. “So there it is, Big Brother Zhao—you only like little rabbits.”

Zhao Changhe chuckled. “I like big rabbits too.”

Cui Yuanyang winked mischievously. “Well, they’re not so small anymore.”

Zhao Changhe: “?”

I meant you, what are you referring to?

Cui Yuanyang looked around, biting her lip, then suddenly cast him a flirtatious gaze. “King Zhao conquers Qinghe, and the Cui Clan bows in submission... Shouldn’t you be thinking about having them offer their wives and daughters to serve you, as the true spoils of conquest?”

Zhao Changhe’s heart thudded heavily, and every alarm bell started ringing in his mind.

Vermillion Bird and the other demonic witches would never have imagined that, aside from Sisi, the most enticing one all along had been this little rabbit.

1. The kin punishment was practiced in Ancient China for capital offenses such as treason, and it refers to punishing not just the offender but also their entire family proportionally to the offense. ☜