Chapter 5: The Ghost Has Come

The battle for Qin Zhen’s debt collection finally began! Four figures darted across the plaza, clashing dozens of times in the blink of an eye. "Good lad, if you have the guts, follow me! Though this plaza is vast, it is still not enough for us to unleash our full potential. Let us leave this place to Qin Zhen and my eldest brother!"

"Second Master, as your brother, I naturally understand your intent. This battle is no longer just a matter for the Qin family. This brat has injured two of my brothers in succession; only his death can quell my rage. As for you, just rest easy and drink your tea on the side!" The Human Demon erupted with an astonishing aura, his body wreathed in a faint halo. He thrust his left hand forward, and a massive palm of fire smashed down from the sky toward Liang Xi once again!

"Taste my Heavenly God Palm!"

The giant palm brought with it an overwhelming pressure. Many Qin family disciples felt a sense of suffocation, as if they were drowning. It seemed that with this single strike, the entire Qin estate would be razed to the ground! The precious flowers and plants on the ground were reduced to ash. Though the Master of the Qin family felt a pang of heartache, he knew that only by doing this could the foundation of the Qin family be preserved; as long as the people remained, the clan would not fall!

"Hahaha, Liang Xi, you brat, die here today!"

BOOM!

The Human Demon’s voice and the formidable Heavenly God Palm struck Liang Xi almost simultaneously, turning the already dilapidated plaza into a complete ruin. No one could withstand his Heavenly God Palm. Qin Zhen had noticed Liang Xi’s predicament, but he was powerless to help. All of this was his own fault; if not for him, how could Liang Xi have ended up like this?

"Falling Thunder Sword!"

A sharp streak of sword light shot forth from the hands of the Qin Family Master! In the moment Qin Zhen was distracted, it pierced through his flesh!

Pfft!

Qin Zhen spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward and crashing heavily into the ground. His eyes were filled with fury. The Falling Thunder Sword had paralyzed all his meridians, and he had lost the ability to move.

A bolt of lightning quickly returned to the hands of the Qin Family Master. "Qin Zhen, what other tricks do you have? You might as well use them all. I was able to cast you out of the family years ago, and I can do it again today. Weren't you being arrogant just now? Wanting to collect a debt by force? Hah, you talked a big game, but it's a pity you don't have the capability! Very well, I will send you to meet Beifeng now so you brothers can be reunited!"

The Qin Family Master threw the lightning in his hand once more. This time, he would not miss! This time, Qin Zhen would surely die!

The Qin Family Master wore a smile of victory, and Qin Zhen laughed as well—laughing so wantonly that it seemed he had been waiting for this exact moment. "Old Thief Qin, you cannot kill me!"

A golden light slowly emerged from Qin Zhen's palm. "Go! Golden Light Seal!"

The radiance of the Golden Light Seal instantly enveloped the entire Qin estate. When the disciples in the plaza saw the Seal, their eyes turned scorching and frantic. The Golden Light Seal was rumored to be capable of purifying all power; it was a true supreme treasure. There were many legends about it, but unfortunately, rumors were merely rumors, and no one had ever truly seen it!

"Good lad! So the Golden Light Seal has been in your hands all along. Today, once I kill you, the Golden Light Seal will be mine!" When the Qin Family Master saw the Seal, his voice trembled. With the Golden Light Seal, the revitalization of the Qin family would be possible!

BOOM!

The Falling Thunder Sword was instantly shattered into dust by the Golden Light Seal. The Qin Family Master's face turned ghastly; he had never imagined that the Golden Light Seal possessed such terrifying power!

Pfft!

The Qin Family Master, a hero of his generation, was shaken by internal injuries, coughing up blood. His tall frame staggered back ten steps. He tried to force himself to stand steady, but eventually slumped to the ground, staring at Qin Zhen in horror. He could never have imagined that the once insignificant Qin Zhen would now possess such formidable power. He smelled the scent of death!

"Master, have you ever thought that you would end up like this? Didn't you always love to control the life and death of others? Today is your retribution. Now, your life is in my hands. Beg me! Beg me to spare you. I remember that was what Beifeng did back then, but you never spared him until the very end!"

BOOM!

At the same time, the Human Demon suffered a devastating blow. He wore a look of utter disbelief; this brat Liang Xi was simply a monster! He had actually shattered his Heavenly God Palm head-on! Now, only fear remained in the Human Demon’s heart. He looked at the equally terrified Qin Family Master and cursed angrily: "Damn you, old fool! It's all because you provoked such a monster that I ended up like this. I’m done with your business! I only agreed to help you, not to throw away my life. When it comes down to it, this is your family affair, and it has nothing to do with me!"

"Second Brother, Third Brother, let's go! Let this old man clean up his own mess. It's not worth offending a monster like Liang Xi for a few elemental crystals!"

In truth, the Heaven and Earth Demons had long wanted to leave. They had known all along that they were no match for Liang Xi even if they joined forces. Now that their leader had spoken, they were more than happy to oblige!

The Qin Family Master had not expected the three demons to be so unprincipled, and he roared in a frenzy: "Three Demons, you took my elemental crystals, so you should do your job! You want to leave before the task is done? I'm afraid it won't be that easy!"

The Qin Family Master had lost his mind. He must have forgotten that the three demons had roamed the world for years not just because of their powerful cultivation, but because of their foresight. One could not afford to offend a person like Liang Xi. However, the Qin family was already a fading flower, and his threats held no weight; instead, they appeared laughable. "Old Qin, you cannot afford the consequences of threatening our brothers!"

The Human Demon cupped his hands toward the calm Liang Xi and departed, leaving the fate of the Qin family to the wind.

"Old Thief Qin, now no one can help you. Go to hell!"

Qin Zhen, looking at the disheveled Qin Family Master, felt a surge of rage once again. He remembered his and Beifeng's past ordeals and smashed a fist toward the Master's face. With this final blow, everything would end!

BANG!

Pfft!

The iron fist struck the Second Master of the Qin family instead. At this moment, it seemed only the Second Master remained loyal to the Qin Family Master. Having already suffered severe internal injuries, he had used his last ounce of strength to shield his brother, draining the very last of his blood.

"Big Brother! Don't be afraid. Didn't I say that no matter what happened, I would be by your side? The Qin family can survive without me, but it cannot survive without you. Since we were small, I learned whatever you learned. I wanted to become a man like you, but no matter how many years I spent, I could never catch up. I truly am a useless person. Only without me can the Qin family become better!"

"No, that's not it, Bangcheng! Don't sleep! We grew up together; you are my brother! If you die, the Qin family has no meaning to me anymore. You saved me many times, but I always took it for granted and never once said thank you. Big Brother promises you, as long as you don't die, I will take good care of you from now on. I won't lie to you!"

The Second Master’s eyes had already lost focus, but a warm, familiar smile finally graced his face. "I know, Big Brother never lies. It's just a pity... I have to sleep now..."

The Second Master was dead! The only brother the Qin Family Master had in the world was dead!

The Qin Family Master’s face turned ashen. It seemed that in this moment, he had lost all strength and fighting spirit. But soon, a rage unlike any he had ever known welled up in his heart! As a youth, he had sworn to make the Qin family the number one clan in the world. Now, all of that had vanished like bubbles! Since that was the case, he might as well destroy everything! That would be clean enough!

"Today, everyone present must die!"

The fire of rage in the Qin Family Master's heart instantly permeated the plaza. He was now engulfed in scorching flames! "Descent of the Fire God!"

The astonishing flames condensed into a hundred-foot-tall fire giant. Every step he took caused a massive tremor! "Hahahaha! Suppressed by you old geezer for so many years, I have finally emerged! Hmph, Qin, you really are a piece of trash. In the end, it still falls to me to clean up your mess! You let two little brats throw you into such chaos?"

BOOM!

The Fire God first mocked the Qin Family Master, then smashed his left hand down toward Qin Zhen and Liang Xi. In the face of absolute power, no technique was of any use. After this strike, everything would be finished!

No one could escape!

Liang Xi and Qin Zhen’s eyes were filled with horror. When facing power capable of destroying everything, any resistance was futile. Liang Xi had never feared anything since he was a child, but now he had to admit that he was afraid. He had always prided himself on unmatched wit, but his mind was a blank slate—he could not think of a single solution!

Cries of despair reached his ears. The people were furious, roaring, "Qin Family Master, you will die a horrible death! Heaven will not forgive you! You have destroyed our homes; from this day on, we all renounce the Qin family!"

"Hahaha, traitors! You are all traitors, all deserving of death!"

The Qin Family Master had gone completely mad. What did the Qin family matter? As long as he existed, the Qin family would not fall!

"Qin Zhen, Liang Xi, go to hell! You think you are worthy of fighting me?"

The Qin disciples were now speaking recklessly: "That's right, Qin Zhen! Everything is because of you! Now, as long as you die, everything will be over! Why did you have to come back? Why couldn't you and Beifeng just die together?"

Qin Zhen's heart bled. These people were his former brothers-in-arms, his family, but what were they saying? They wanted him to die. He finally understood the saying: those closest to you hurt you the most! Qin Zhen no longer had any fighting spirit. Very well, to die like this... it was clean.

"Liang Xi, you must go now. You have done enough; there is no need to throw your life away for this wretched Qin family. It is not worth it! I should have died many years ago, but you are different—you still have the brightest future ahead of you!"

"What a touching farewell. But it is a pity that today, all of you must die!"

The voices of the Fire God and the Qin Family Master fused together. The brains of everyone present seemed to stall. They were in despair. Who could save them now?

"Hahahaha!"

The frenzied laughter could no longer be suppressed. In this battle, he had won after all!

BOOM!

The massive palm crashed into the ground. It seemed as if, in that moment, everyone had perished!

"Look, as long as I strike, everyone will die!"

"Is that so? It seems your wishful thinking is about to fall through."

A soft, melodic female voice spoke, imbued with immense power. The only one capable of this was Ji Anran. As the dust settled, three figures slowly emerged, with Ji Anran leading the way.

In that critical moment, Ji Anran had arrived in time to save everyone. Only in her hands could the Water Control Technique unleash its strongest power! She looked at Liang Xi with a playful pout: "You really are something, taking on such important matters all by yourself. If something had happened to you, what would you have expected me to do? Don't do this again!"

This graceful figure held the greatest power. In the days Liang Xi had not seen her, she had been cultivating relentlessly, all to better protect him. Her man, naturally, had to be protected by her!

AHHH!!!

One of the Fire God’s arms was severed directly by Ji Anran. Even though he was formed of fire, he still felt pain. As his severed arm regenerated, the Fire God glared at this beautiful woman with bull-bell-sized eyes, not daring to underestimate her. "Who are you?"

WHOOSH!

Ji Anran’s gaze was cold; she couldn't be bothered to waste words on this inhuman thing. She shot a sharp beam from her palm, piercing the Fire God’s massive body! Though the Fire God was immensely strong, he had one fatal weakness: his own defense was insufficient, making him susceptible to heavy damage!

"Old Thief Qin, get out here! Do you think you can hide from me? How can a mere Fire God compare to my Water Control Technique?"

Instantly, a water dragon condensed from vapor appeared in Ji Anran’s palm. Although it was still young, its erupting aura was astonishing! It was this very dragon that had saved everyone just moments ago!

"Liang Xi and Qin Zhen, leave the rest to me!"

The water dragon in Ji Anran’s palm expanded in the wind. In an instant, the small dragon transformed into a behemoth rivaling a divine beast. "Little one, this Fire God is yours. No problem, right? He looked down on you just now. As for Old Thief Qin, leave him to me!"

The water dragon’s intelligent eyes flashed with killing intent. A mere Fire God? Was he something special? A loud dragon roar echoed through the sky, and the battle was on the verge of erupting. The Qin Family Master had not expected that even after releasing the Fire God, he could not take down Liang Xi and Qin Zhen. Now, things had become even more complicated. Who else could help him?

"Hahahaha, Mr. Qin, do not worry. This old man has come to assist you!" A male voice rang in everyone’s ears. Turning around, they saw a black shadow stepping through the void. In just three breaths, the man arrived before the Qin Family Master. He was a youth of about thirty, his blue robes turned dark green from years of oil stains, wearing worn-out straw sandals. His folding fan was stripped down to the frame—he was a down-and-out scholar.

"Old friend, I have come at someone's request to assist you. This young girl's skills are not weak; you are no match for her. As for my name, I shall keep it to myself!"

"Non-Phase Hand!"

The disheveled scholar formed a lotus shape with his hands and pushed forward gently. The surrounding air condensed into a pair of giant hands, smashing heavily toward Ji Anran!

"Water Control Technique!"

The water in the air condensed into a fierce tiger!

BANG!

The power of the Non-Phase and the tiger collided, causing the space to warp!

The scholar felt his blood roiling and retreated three steps before steadying himself. His eyes were filled with horror. Who was this young girl? Her cultivation could actually rival his Non-Phase power!

"Hmph, I don't know who you are, but since you've come, you needn't leave!"

"Dragon and Tiger Strike!"

Ji Anran condensed a tiger with water vapor in her left hand and a dragon in her right. The dragon and tiger surged in the wind, attacking the scholar with savage and domineering force. Dragon and Tiger Strike was one of her ultimate techniques; for her to use it, this scholar must be quite formidable!

The Qin family disciples, having just escaped death, could not fathom what to say as they witnessed such a peerless killing move!

"Heavenly Travel Shield!"

The scholar did not fear her in the slightest, spreading his hands to conjure a white light before him. The Heavenly Travel Shield was an invisible barrier capable of blocking all techniques in the world. With such a treasure, one was naturally invincible in battle.

BOOM!

After the stunning collision, the Heavenly Travel Shield remained undamaged, while Ji Anran’s dragon and tiger strike shattered. The Qin Family Master had not expected that at the very last moment, someone would come to his aid and turn the tide of battle. Wonderful! Truly wonderful! He said respectfully: "Thank you for your help. What is your name? From now on, you shall be an honored guest of the Qin family. We are in need of talent; why not stay and watch me expand the Qin family?"

"No need to rush. Do you think this young girl is so easily defeated? Her Water Control Technique is the supreme art of the Cold River Island. Defeating her is not that simple! She blocked all my moves just now!"

"That's right, defeating me is indeed not easy! You are quite a respectable opponent yourself!" The tough shield formed by the Water Control Technique had blocked all the scholar's moves. Ji Anran’s eyes were filled with triumph; it seemed victory was within her grasp!

"Good, good, good!!!"

All the Qin disciples realized that only if Ji Anran won this battle could they keep their homes. As long as she won, they would not have to leave the Qin family.

Ignoring the cheers, the scholar wore a cryptic smile. "It seems you think you’ve won, don't you? But have you noticed the changes in your blood flow? Oh, that's right, I forgot to tell you—my true specialty is poison. You are already heavily poisoned. No matter how great your skills are, you can no longer use them!"

Pfft!

A flush of red appeared on Ji Anran’s beautiful face, and she spat out a mouthful of blood. The battle situation took a sharp turn for the worse—Ji Anran had been poisoned. "Young girl, no one in the world can neutralize my poison but me. Do not try to force your cultivation, or you will die faster. My method has always been: if I can solve a problem with poison, I will never use my hands!"

"Hahahaha! This is wonderful! I, Qin, never dreamed that this battle would end like this. Young girl, what will you do now? In my eyes, you are already a dead person. Qin Zhen, Liang Xi, you should believe it now—no one can help you!"

"My friend, this is Qin Zhen. He holds deep grievances against my family. Please, kill this brat as well. Only when he is dead can I be truly safe, and only then will the Qin family have a future!"

The Qin Family Master was naturally triumphant. Qin Zhen’s life was once again in his hands, and it felt truly glorious. "Qin Zhen, you should realize that from the moment you stepped into the Qin estate, your fate was sealed—death!"

"Mr. Qin, rest assured, my kills never leave survivors. This Qin Zhen is already poisoned. Is this result satisfactory to you, Mr. Qin?" The scholar smiled faintly.

"Liang Xi, although you don't know me, I know you very well. I ended up like this all because of your Liang family. Therefore, whenever there is an opportunity to make things difficult for your family, I am more than happy to do so. Tell me, do you know who invited me here? Who holds an irreconcilable grudge against your Liang family?"

"That's right, it is your Second Uncle, Liang Chen. He has been watching your movements all these days. When he learned you were going to make trouble for the Qin family, I came!"

The Qin Family Master was speechless. Years ago, he had met Liang Chen once, and Liang Chen had said that if the Qin family was ever in danger, he would help. At the time, the Qin family was at its peak, and the Master had been arrogant, paying no mind to the offer. Who would dare to trouble such a wealthy and powerful clan?

Who knew that only a few years later, Liang Chen’s words would come true? The Qin Family Master felt immense gratitude toward Liang Chen. If Liang Chen were here, the Master would gladly kneel to thank him. This was a life-saving grace; what did kneeling matter?

The Qin family had fallen so far that so-called dignity was worthless.

"So it was Mr. Liang Chen. Please, friend, when you see him next, convey my thanks. If not for your help today, my Qin family would truly be destroyed!"

The scholar nodded. "Easy enough. Liang Chen and I are old friends. Whatever he asks me to do, I will not refuse. Now, this battle has reached its final moment. I leave this final blow to you. Rest assured, these three have no fighting power left. You can do whatever you want!"

Delivering the finishing blow was the Qin Family Master’s favorite thing. He loved watching others kneel before him and wail; to him, those screams were the most beautiful music in the world. He was truly twisted!

"Men, take them away. I want to entertain them properly. I want them to know that the Qin family is not to be offended!"

...

The three of them became meat on the chopping block, left to be slaughtered, completely unable to fight back.

Inside the dim dungeon, the smell of mold permeated the air. Though Qin Zhen had been a member of the Qin family, this was his first time in this dungeon. "Brother Liang Xi, Miss Ji, are you alright?"

"I'm not dead yet, but the stench of this dungeon is truly revolting. To think that the esteemed Qin family, a prestigious clan, would have such a place! I've truly seen it all today!"

"Senior Qin Zhen, don't tell me this is your first time here?"

The three of them gradually adapted to the darkness, noticing that they were all bound by chains as thick as an arm, unable to move.

"That's right. In all my years in the Qin family, I have never seen this dungeon. Its construction is unique; the walls are polished from the hardest elemental crystals and possess the ability to absorb cultivation. Counting the days, we have been imprisoned for three days. Three days is enough to drain all our power, but I just checked and found we still have twenty percent left. It's not enough to fight, but enough to stay conscious!"

CREAK!

The heavy wooden door was pushed open, and steady footsteps approached. Judging by the sound, it was the Old Thief Qin himself. "Old Thief Qin, whatever tricks you have, bring them out! I won't even bat an eye!" Qin Zhen roared.

"Hahaha, it's been three days, Qin Zhen, and you still have so much energy? Hmm, it seems my discipline of you back then was very useful. In that regard, you should thank me, shouldn't you? I built this dungeon specifically. Counting you three, four people have been held here. Qin Zhen, you are so smart; can't you guess who the first person imprisoned here was?"

"Could it be... Lei?" As soon as the Qin Family Master spoke, Lei’s name naturally surfaced in Qin Zhen’s mind. It was an intuition, and a correct one.

"That's right, it was Lei. That woman was a tough nut to crack. I told her back then that if she severed ties with Beifeng, I would spare her. But she loved Beifeng so much that no matter what I said, she shook her head. In the end, my patience wore thin. Right here, I killed her with my own hands. I thought, since you won't make a choice, I will make it for you!"

"Lei died, and I thought Beifeng would give up. But I didn't expect that man would rather enter the Poison Dragon Cave than return to the Qin family. Since that was the case, what use was he to me? He died, and that was clean!"

"You want to collect a debt for him? Hah, but ask yourself, do you have the capability? You asked me before how it feels to control the life and death of others. I can tell you now: it feels truly wonderful. Now, your lives are in my hands. Tell me, how do you want to die?"

"Now, there is no way for you three to get out. I have enjoyed this battle immensely. I want to torture you bit by bit. Killing you too quickly is not my style!"

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH!

Three Soul-Loss Nails turned into white light, striking Liang Xi’s body with immense force. "These are Soul-Loss Nails. Once they enter the body, they melt. You will feel the sensation soon!"

AHHH!!!

A series of screams echoed endlessly!

Soul-Loss, Soul-Loss; once inside, the soul dissipates and life ends!

Liang Xi was a tough man. He knew that if he begged for mercy now, he would be looked down upon. Therefore, he laughed wildly: "Hahaha, Old Thief, is that all you have? It seems you are nothing more than this. What other tricks do you have? I feel quite comfortable! Keep going!"

"Hmph, brat, your mouth is sharp. Very well, you want to be a hero? I will grant your wish today! Men! Bring the whip! Let Young Master Liang taste the flavor of a Qin whip!"

A disciple nodded and scurried off, returning quickly. Liang Xi sensed danger; the so-called whip was a dark red vine as thick as an arm, clearly an ancient artifact. "Heh heh heh, brat, know fear now? It's too late!"

"Fear? I have never known what fear is. If you have the guts, whip me to death today! As long as I don't die, you will be the one who suffers in the end, I promise!"

WHACK, WHACK, WHACK!

The vine whip lashed Liang Xi’s spine again and again. It was a truly unbearable sensation, his back burning with pain, but Liang Xi didn't utter a sound. Even as his face turned deathly pale and beads of sweat dripped down, he gasped intermittently: "Come on! Keep going! If you can make me scream even once, I'm your dog!"

Liang Xi was born into a prestigious family and had never been struck before, but that did not mean he was a pampered master. On the contrary, he had no such air. Even now, he was smiling as he looked at the furious, pale-faced Ji Anran: "Why is my beauty crying? Don't worry, your man is fine. These few whips are nothing, right?"

The Qin Family Master lashed him dozens of times and grew tired. "Good lad, I admit I am impressed. However, if my whip were to strike a delicate beauty like Ji Anran, I think you would feel a pain that cuts to the bone, wouldn't you? Didn't I say I specialize in making others suffer? I won't hit you now; I'll hit Ji Anran!"

"Old Thief, hit me! Hit me all you want! But if you dare to touch a single hair on Ji Anran’s head today, I promise I will kill you!"

Liang Xi’s eyes turned icy cold, his tone devoid of its previous jest. He meant it. But with only twenty percent of his power remaining, he couldn't even walk, let alone protect himself. What use were such threats?

"Oh my, I'm so scared! Very well, I will wait for you to kill me with your own hands. But before that, your woman will have to suffer some flesh wounds. Qin Zhen, you must hate yourself right now, don't you? These two were both like dragons and phoenixes among men, yet they suffer such torture because of you. Seeing you sad makes me happy!"

"Don't worry, I won't use the whip on you. You liked to explore the Poison Dragon Cave, didn't you? Tomorrow I will send you in. Before, you relied on your wits to escape with your life, but now you are a cripple. I want to see how you come out this time! Perhaps you will end up just like Beifeng—dead!"

"But you know, I didn't want you to turn out this way. I saw hope in you once. I trusted you implicitly and cultivated you with all my heart. It's a pity you betrayed my trust. Tell me, doesn't a person like you deserve to die? Of course you do!"

WHACK!

The Qin Family Master swung the whip, striking Ji Anran hard!

Facing the sudden whip, Ji Anran endured it silently. She felt as though her bones were about to break! When she was small, her father had often whipped traitors, and she had stood by clapping. Who could have imagined that now, she would be the one receiving the lashes?

The Qin whip could absorb the user's power, making each lash ten times more painful. Many beauties had died under this whip, earning it the nickname "Beauty Whip"—it was designed specifically for beauties!

Liang Xi stopped speaking. His eyes were cold, fixed on the frantically twisted Qin Family Master. If eyes could kill, the Master would have died countless times!

"Liang Xi, why are you looking at me like that? You must be very unhappy, right? Your woman is being punished because of your threats. Actually, I hate to hit such a beautiful woman. Ji Anran, as long as you cut ties with Liang Xi, you are free. He is just a man; my Qin family has plenty of fine men. Since you are so beautiful, why worry about finding a good match?"

"Hmph, how can a phoenix be with pigs and dogs? How can an eagle look up to a rabbit running on the ground?" Ji Anran’s nature was cold, and only Liang Xi provided her with true warmth. A trickle of blood ran down the corner of her mouth, blending with her stunning beauty to create a heart-stopping sight that one dared not look at directly!

WHACK!

The Qin Family Master whipped her crazily. Ji Anran’s beautiful white back was now covered in intersecting scars! Her hair was soaked with sweat. In the end, she didn't stop screaming because she wanted to, but because she couldn't scream anymore. She bit her hair, nearly losing consciousness!

"Good, I want to see how long you can hold out. At this time tomorrow, I will return. At this time tomorrow, you will all be dead!"

The Qin Family Master felt fatigued; he had expended too much power today and needed rest. "But before I leave, I will give you one last lash. This is my final strength, and I guarantee you will never forget it!"

The Master reversed the whip. The center was as thick as an arm, the left side as thick as a thigh, and the right side was wrapped in iron plating. He had used the iron-plated section on Liang Xi, but for this final lash, he chose the thickest end!

He gripped the whip with both hands. With this final lash, Liang Xi and Ji Anran would die! That's right, he didn't want to wait anymore. He wanted them dead!

Qin Zhen was filled with rage, but his tongue had been sealed, and he could only moan. Ji Anran and Liang Xi held hands tightly. It seemed they were truly going to die today. But that was fine; at least they would die together. It was worth having known each other.

The smiles on the man and woman were of relief and happiness. Their hearts were pressed together, and no power could ever separate them again!

The Qin Family Master was insane. He found their smiles blinding and shrieked: "Go to hell! Go be a pair of ghostly mandarin ducks!"

The massive whip finally descended. Liang Xi and Ji Anran smiled even more calmly. Qin Zhen roared, but he could change nothing!

BOOM!

In that split second, a loud explosion rocked the dungeon as a wall was shattered by a punch. It was a woman—a beautiful woman! She used a single finger to stop the descending whip. "What? Still trying to use the same methods on the younger generation? Old Qin, after all these years, you really haven't made any progress. What? You don't recognize me?"

When the Qin Family Master saw the woman's face, his own turned deathly pale. "Ghost!! You are a ghost!!"