Chapter 283 - Qin Jian and Nangong Qingshuang

The auction ended, and Chen Fan and the two girls left their private cabin. Coincidentally, they crossed paths with a man and a woman exiting the adjacent cabin.

The man’s eyebrows were sharp, and his gaze was bright. He was extraordinarily handsome and emanated a sharp sword aura. He seemed like an unrivaled sword, ready to shake the earth when drawn.

The woman, adorned in a light-yellow long dress with waist-length hair, boasted an excellent figure and a gorgeous oval-shaped face; it looked like she had stepped out of a painting. Despite her cool temperament, she gave others a distant feeling.

The man and woman paused when they saw the trio.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“Nangong Wan’er and Chu Xuan’er.”

“Qin Jian and Nangong Qingshuang.”

Chen Fan narrowed his eyes, recalling what Nangong Wan’er had said about Qin Jian and Nangong Qingshuang earlier.

Renowned as the top genius among the Qin Clan’s younger generation and the son of Qin Wudi, Qin Jian was a formidable sword cultivator. Rumors had it that he had come across a miraculous encounter. His strength reflected shades of his father's past brilliance.

On the other hand, Nangong Qingshuang was the pride of the Nangong Clan’s Sun Bloodline. She was an absolute beauty, even a few levels above Nangong Wan’er. She had been dubbed the number one beauty of the imperial city.

Facing Nangong Wan’er, Nangong Qingshuang looked prideful. Casting a cold glance at Chen Fan, she indifferently remarked, “Nangong Wan’er, I heard you’ve been trying to recruit young talents to assist your bloodline. Is he one of them?”

“None of your concern,” Nangong Wan’er replied coldly.

Although they were both geniuses of the Nangong Clan, they were not on good terms. Thus, their tones toward one another were cold.

“Hoho, you’re right. It doesn't concern me, but let me tell you, finding someone won't change a thing. Your Moon Bloodline will be removed from the main bloodlines in this meet. Your struggles are meaningless,” said Nangong Qingshuang, her voice as indifferent and cold as ever.

“Is that right? Don't be too confident, or you might end up losing face later,” retorted Nangong Wan’er, unwilling to back down.

Nangong Qingshuang, unfazed, maintained her indifferent expression and said, “Hoho, I shan’t bicker meaninglessly with you. The Bloodlines Martial Meet is in ten days. The results will speak for themselves."

With that, she dismissed Nangong Wan’er, turned to Qin Jian, and said, “Let’s go, Brother Jian.”

Qin Jian nodded. He did not even spare Chen Fan a glance from start to end, nor did he say a word. His attitude seemed to say that he was above them all. Soon, he and Nangong Qingshuang left side by side.

Chu Xuan’er could not stand by idly and watch. She cursed, “Nangong Qingshuang is so annoying. She’s just clinging onto Qin Jian. Why is she acting like she’s all that!”

Nangong Wan’er said to Chen Fan, “Wang Dongfan, I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you.”

Chen Fan waved his hand and said, “No matter. You don’t need to put yourself under so much pressure, either. Since I promised you, you’ll surely achieve your goal.”

Qin Jian could be said to be a proud son of the heavens and incredibly strong in the eyes of others. However, he was nothing in Chen Fan’s eyes.

The number one genius of the younger generation in the imperial city?

If placed in the top sects like the Spring Autumn Sect or the Divine Light Sect, he would merely be an elite disciple with his fourth-level cultivation. Plenty of people were stronger than him there.

......

“Someone is willing to assist the Moon Bloodline... How surprising, hoho.” Nangong Qingshuang chuckled coldly.

Qin Jian said plainly, “Rest assured. With me around, your Sun Bloodline will take first place in the Bloodlines Martial Meet. As for the Moon Bloodline... hmph, that bitch Nangong Yue humiliated my father in the past. He didn’t deal with that bloodline back then; this time, I’ll make sure the Moon Bloodline falls into the deepest level of hell!”

“Naturally, I have faith in Brother Jian’s strength, but it'll be wise to send someone to investigate that kid's background," suggested Nangong Qingshuang.

Qin Jian did not object, either. “We’ll do as you say.”

Soon, some details about Chen Fan reached their hands.

“Hoho, quite unexpected. This Wang Dongfan created quite a stir soon after coming to the imperial city. Winning ten matches in a row and securing the fifty-fourth position on the Earth Leaderboard...”

The information they received was pretty thorough. It even detailed how Chen Fan got to know Chu Xuan’er, how long he had stayed at the Calm Sun Marquis mansion, and even the opponents he faced in the Martial Market Arena.

Qin Jian showed disdain and said, “He's at the bottom; hardly worth mentioning. I’ll offer his fresh blood to my sword at the Bloodlines Martial Meet!”

As the young patriarch of the Qin Clan, Qin Jian’s status was extraordinary, and his cultivation was also outstanding. At eighteen, he had reached the peak of the fourth level and was also ranked on the Martial Market Earth Leaderboard.

To secure that position, he had won thirteen consecutive matches in the Martial Market Arena. He was eighteen places above Chen Fan, being at the thirty-sixth place.

That was the source of his confidence.

Winning ten and winning thirteen matches consecutively were completely different concepts.

......

Nangong Clan, the Moon Bloodline’s manor:

Nangong Wan’er and a middle-aged man were standing in the main hall. This middle-aged man exuded a powerful aura and an imposing appearance, but he had a trace of worry on his face currently.

This man was the current Moon Bloodline’s Bloodline Leader and Nangong Wan’er’s father—Nangong Baxiong.

“Haaa, the meet is just ten days away. I’m afraid our bloodline will face a complete decline this time.” Nangong Baxiong’s voice carried a hint of fatigue.

Over the years, the Moon Bloodline had suffered intense and constant suppression from the Sun Bloodline and the Star Bloodline, with the silent consent of the elders and the higher-ups. This relentless pressure had led to a decline in the Moon Bloodline's talents, making every step a challenge.

Although he wanted to restore the Moon Bloodline to its former glory, he was powerless to do anything under the Sun Bloodline and the Star Bloodline’s suppression.

Although the cause of all this was his younger sister, Nangong Yue, Nangong Baxiong had never resented her.

He and Chen Zhengqing used to be close friends, yet circumstances had pressed him, rendering him unable to help Chen Zhengqing. The weight of this guilt lingered in Nangong Baxiong's heart whenever he reflected on those times.

“Father, no matter the results, we’ve done our best. I’ve found someone to assist us; his name is Wang Dongfan. He’s powerful. Three days ago, he won ten consecutive fights at the Earth Class Battle Palace, and he’s a sword cultivator. Perhaps our Moon Bloodline can make it through this crisis,” Nangong Wan’er said.

“Oh? Wan’er, tell me about this in detail.” Nangong Baxiong’s eyes lit up.

Thus, Nangong Wan’er told Nangong Baxiong about Chen Fan.

Nangong Baxiong said, “An ordinary Grade-3 treasure in exchange for a Martial Market Earth Leaderboard ranker’s help. This...”

“Whether he has an ulterior motive or not doesn’t matter, Father. He is our bloodline’s only hope,” Nangong Wan’er said.

Nangong Baxiong nodded and said, “You have a point. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”