NOVEL NEXT Chapter 178: Severing Ties
Tomorrow finally arrived.
Qian Xiaoli sat on the couch in the main hall, a book resting in her hands.
At a glance, she might have appeared calm, engrossed in her reading. But to anyone who knew her well, the subtle signs of her nervousness were clear.
Her right index finger tapped a rapid, restless rhythm against the book's cover, betraying her unease. Her eyes darted across the same page repeatedly, moving too quickly to truly absorb the words.
She wasn't reading—she was waiting, her mind racing far beyond the confines of the text.
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It wasn't until the door opened and she saw her head maid accompanying a plump middle-aged man that she finally sighed in relief.
Her mother appeared silently beside her, unnoticed by Qian Xiaoli. Like her daughter, Su Liqiu seemed nervous, but instead of calming down when the man arrived, her anxiety only grew.
The middle-aged man stepped forward, his expression hard to read, but he carried an air of confidence. After all, he was here as the emperor's representative.
A scroll rested in his hands. He raised it and began to read.
"By the emperor's decree," the man announced, "Qian Xiaoli, the emperor's first daughter, is hereby betrothed to Mao Yuan, the master of the Heavenly Demon Sect. The marriage will take place in one week, inside the capital."
Hearing the decree—completely different from what she had expected—Qian Xiaoli's face turned pale. She clenched her fists tightly.
Her mother's eyes narrowed, and a wave of anger surged through her, almost suffocating the middle-aged man standing before them.
The man wanted to protest, to say he was just a messenger, but the overwhelming pressure made it impossible for him to speak.
"Mom," Qian Xiaoli said, gripping her mother's hand.
Su Liqiu looked at her daughter's tear-filled eyes and realized what she was doing. She eased the pressure and turned back to the man, who was now trembling like a rabbit cornered by a lion.
"Tell the emperor we reject this decree. From this day forward, the Su family severs all ties with the Qian Empire!"
The middle-aged man nodded frantically before fleeing as fast as he could to deliver the message.
"Mother, I—" Qian Xiaoli's voice wavered, tears welling up in her eyes as she fought to hold them back.
She knew what her decision to break ties with the Qian Empire meant. It would bring harm to her family.
Worse, she had openly defied the emperor's decree. Qian Xiaoli was certain her father wouldn't stop at just this. If he had decided to marry her off to Mao Yuan, he would push harder.
Su Liqiu used her free hand to gently wipe Qian Xiaoli's tears, smiling softly. "Don't worry, my dear. As long as I'm alive, no one will harm you."
"So, in the end, you chose to stand against me, Su Liqiu."
A powerful voice echoed through the Su family manor.
Both Su Liqiu and Qian Xiaoli rushed outside, only to see Qian Niu hovering beyond the barrier, his gaze cold and unreadable.
Without wasting a moment on a reply, Su Liqiu turned sharply and called for the head maid. Time was running out—she had to act fast.
"Zhong Ya, gather the younger generation and the elders assigned to protect them. Lead them through the secret passage. Take my daughter with you, I'm entrusting her to you."
The maid, a woman who appeared deceptively young, gave a solemn nod. "Understood, my lady."
She quickly approached Qian Xiaoli, her expression urgent. "Miss, we need to leave. Now."
Qian Xiaoli could barely process what was happening, everything was unfolding too fast.
Panic tightened around her heart. "Mother, I can't leave you behind!"
Su Liqiu turned to her, offering a gentle smile. "It'll be fine, my dear. Be a good daughter and go with Zhong Ya, alright?"
Tears welled up in Qian Xiaoli's eyes. Her mother was sacrificing everything, even making an enemy of the Qian Empire, just for her. How could she walk away?
"N—" Before she could protest, a sharp pain struck the back of her neck. Her vision blurred, and darkness swallowed her whole.
Zhong Ya lowered her hand, her expression unreadable. Then, without hesitation, she lifted Qian Xiaoli into her arms.
She met Su Liqiu's gaze—one final exchange of unspoken words. A nod.
And then she was gone, vanishing into the depths of the manor with Qian Xiaoli.
With her daughter safe, Su Liqiu turned her attention back to Qian Niu. "Qian Niu, you're a treacherous snake. I pity the last master of the Su family for ever trusting you."
The last master of the Su family was her own father, who had forced her to marry Qian Niu.
Qian Niu grinned, unbothered by her words. Instead of responding, he clenched his fist and punched forward.
The barrier protecting the Su family trembled under the force of his punch. He continued to throw punch after punch, each one infused with spiritual qi.
Su Liqiu's expression turned serious. She knew the barrier wouldn't hold for long if they did nothing. They needed to buy time for the younger generation to escape the capital.
"Protect the clan!" Su Liqiu shouted, an elegant silver sword appearing in her hand.
Three white-haired elders appeared beside her, each holding a sword. One of them also carried a token.
The elder with the token channeled his spiritual qi into it, and the barrier began to change. Instead of just blocking Qian Niu's attacks passively, it started firing spears made of spiritual qi at him.
"Hmph," Qian Niu snorted, seeing the spears.
He pulled a spear from his space ring and deflected the incoming attacks. A barrage of spiritual qi spears flew toward him, but he blocked them effortlessly.
"Gentlemen, it's time to make your move," Qian Niu said calmly.
Three cultivators, each a few small stages weaker than Qian Niu but still powerful, appeared. They wielded different weapons and began relentlessly attacking the barrier.
Massive waves of spiritual qi surged through the air, catching the attention of other noble families in the capital as the battle raged on.