Chapter 164: Saving Qin Kewei

At this moment, Qin Keqing was hiding in a corner of the room, waving a pair of scissors to force Jia Zhen to retreat.

"Do not come near me! Do not come near me! I am your daughter-in-law. If you take another step closer, I will scream," Qin Keqing cried like pear blossoms drenched in rain, lowering her voice as she suppressed her tears.

"Scream all you want! Even if you scream until your throat tears, no one will come to save you. I sent the maidservants away long ago, and Brother Rong will not return tonight. You might as well submit to me," Jia Zhen said, reeking of alcohol. He suddenly lunged forward, grabbed Qin Keqing's wrist holding the scissors, and struck it hard, causing the scissors to drop to the floor.

Tears streamed down Qin Keqing's face, and in the end, she failed to escape the clutches of her father-in-law, Jia Zhen. Just as Qin Keqing resigned herself to her fate, her eyes suddenly widened, her body stiffened, and her gaze held a trace of fear mingled with nine parts of pleasant surprise.

Jia Zhen, completely oblivious to Qin Keqing's sudden change, was immersed in the joy of his impending victory and let out a loud, uproarious laugh. However, that laughter was abruptly cut short.

Yang Xin appeared abruptly behind Jia Zhen, raised a hand, and with a single tap, knocked Jia Zhen unconscious.

"This niece expresses her gratitude to Second Uncle Lian," Qin Keqing hurriedly bowed and said. Jia Lian and Jia Zhen belonged to the same 'Yu' generation, and since Qin Keqing was the wife of Jia Zhen's son, Jia Rong, she addressed herself as his niece.

Yang Xin glanced at Qin Keqing. She was indeed extremely charming, with a slender and graceful figure; just looking at her physique was enough to stir improper thoughts. "Think nothing of it. I did not save you for your sake, but for the sake of the Rongguo Mansion."

"What does Second Uncle Lian mean by those words?" Qin Keqing asked in a soft, gentle voice.

"Do you know your own origin?" Yang Xin asked suddenly.

"This niece was originally an abandoned infant and was later taken in by the Haijintang Orphanage. Because Directorate of Construction official Qin Ye was childless back then, he adopted this niece from the orphanage." Qin Keqing felt somewhat baffled. Her origins were a matter of common knowledge to everyone in both the Ningguo and Rongguo Mansions.

"Construction Directorate official Qin Ye was a man of the former crown prince," Yang Xin said softly.

"My adoptive father was a man of the former crown prince, but what does that have to do with this niece?" Qin Keqing looked bewildered. Living deep within the confines of a wealthy noble household, she knew very little about such political affairs.

"If my deduction is correct, you should be the former crown prince's only surviving bloodline in this world," Yang Xin said calmly.

Yang Xin arrived at this conclusion by looking at the grand picture of the entire *Dream of the Red Chamber* and its spin-off accounts. In Yang Xin's estimation, the downfall of the Ningguo Mansion was directly linked to Qin Keqing's death, precisely because Qin Keqing was the sole bloodline of the former crown prince.

The former crown prince failed in his bid for the throne, and his entire clan was executed. If the sole surviving descendant had been a male, the current emperor would undoubtedly have rooted out the weeds and eliminated the threat entirely. However, since the child was female, and with the Retired Emperor holding court behind the scenes and keeping things in check, the current emperor did not resort to complete extermination. After all, no matter how much trouble a mere female might stir up, she could never overturn the heavens.

Therefore, both the current emperor and the Retired Emperor pretended to be entirely unaware of the matter. Yet, Qin Keqing was, after all, of imperial blood. The current emperor might be able to kill her, but the Ningguo Mansion certainly could not. Moreover, in the original story, she was forced to her death through the utter destruction of her reputation—not to mention the current emperor, even the Retired Emperor would never allow the Ningguo Mansion to continue existing under such circumstances.

The Ningguo and Rongguo Mansions were essentially one entity; if the Ningguo Mansion fell, the Rongguo Mansion would fare no better. Consequently, Yang Xin stepped in to rescue her.

Upon learning of her true identity, Qin Keqing was momentarily overjoyed, but a wave of despair quickly followed. Her identity could not serve as a safeguard against Jia Zhen's malicious clutches, largely because her background could never be made public. The Retired Emperor and the current emperor could pretend to be ignorant, but she could not broadcast it to the world. If she were to make a grand spectacle and publicize it everywhere, not just the current emperor, but even the Retired Emperor would find a way to quietly silence her without a sound.

Qin Keqing did not want to die; the urge to survive is a human instinct. She immediately dropped to her knees and pleaded, "Please save me, Second Uncle Lian!"

"Only those who save themselves can truly escape predicament. Cultivate diligently. Once you are strong enough, those mere ghosts and monsters will not dare to draw near." Yang Xin slapped a manual titled *Huashan Internal Qi Manual* directly into Qin Keqing's hands.

Qin Keqing stared dazedly at Yang Xin, then lowered her head to look at the *Huashan Internal Qi Manual* in her hands, speechless. She had expected Yang Xin to save her, but she had never imagined he would save her in this manner. Yet, this was her only straw to grasp. Qin Keqing clutched the *Huashan Internal Qi Manual* tightly in her hands and began cultivating recklessly, heedless of anything else.

Yang Xin first quietly carried the unconscious Jia Zhen off to his own room. When he returned, he saw that Qin Keqing was still immersed in her cultivation. Although the *Huashan Internal Qi Manual* had undergone magical enhancements and was exceptionally fast to pick up, it was ultimately a Taoist martial art that emphasized peace of mind and tranquility. At this moment, Qin Keqing's inner state was turbulent, filled with anxiety and fear of loss, making her utterly unsuited for quiet cultivation—and Yang Xin could not stand guard by her side every day to protect her.

Without further ado, Yang Xin tapped Qin Keqing directly on her dantian, stimulating a wisp of Taoist true qi to be born, and guided that wisp of true qi through two complete major heavenly cycles.

"Remember the circulation route. Circulate it through two major heavenly cycles every day. Not only will this drastically increase your strength, but it will also preserve your youth indefinitely. Come, open your mouth~" Yang Xin said by Qin Keqing's ear.

Qin Keqing blinked. Perhaps thinking of certain unspeakable matters, her face instantly turned beet red, and she said in a delicate, shy voice, "Second Uncle Lian..."

Before Qin Keqing could finish speaking, a Blood Bodhi pill was flicked by Yang Xin straight into her mouth.

"What are you daydreaming about? Don't waste the moment when the medicinal power erupts; hurry and guide that wisp of true qi to run through the major heavenly cycles!" Yang Xin said in a stern, concentrated voice.

A shock ran through Qin Keqing's heart. She hurriedly sat cross-legged on the floor and began guiding the wisp of true qi stimulated by Yang Xin to circulate through her meridians. Within a mere fraction of time, the medicinal potency of the Blood Bodhi was completely absorbed by Qin Keqing, and the wisp of true qi inside her body swelled to the size of a small river.

Although Qin Keqing's internal energy was artificially stimulated by Yang Xin and forced into rapid growth using the Blood Bodhi—which sealed off her ultimate upper limit and made reaching the Xiantian realm impossible—it was still more than enough for the present Qin Keqing to carve a bloody path back and forth seven times within the Ningguo Mansion.

"Try it. Channel your internal energy to the palm of your hand and strike down!" Yang Xin pointed at the solid wood table in Qin Keqing's room and said.

Filled with half-doubt and half-belief, Qin Keqing channeled her internal energy into her palm and struck the table with a single blow.

With a crisp "Crack~", the solid wood table weighing nearly a hundred catties was smashed into complete pieces by Qin Keqing's blow.

"Thank you, Second Uncle Lian!" The brilliant and intelligent Qin Keqing instantly understood the meaning behind Yang Xin's words: "Only those who save themselves can truly escape predicament."

"Let me give you a suggestion," Yang Xin said suddenly.

"This niece is all ears."

"Have you heard any news about what happened in the Rongguo Mansion today?" Yang Xin asked with a smile.

"Of course," Qin Keqing nodded and said. With such a massive incident occurring in the Rongguo Mansion today, how could the Ningguo Mansion possibly remain in the dark?

"You can use martial arts to forcibly subdue the guards of the Ning Mansion first. If any refuse to submit, you may beat them to death on the spot. Then, emulate the Rongguo Mansion by confiscating the assets of stewards like Lai Er, keeping a small portion to buy off the guards and maidservants, and claiming the rest for yourself. By then, both the wealth and power of the entire Ning Mansion will fall entirely into your hands. Whether Jia Zhen and Jia Rong are round or flat won't they be entirely at your mercy to knead as you please?" Yang Xin said with a grin.

"This niece resides in the inner quarters; how could I ever show my face in public? Moreover, subduing guards requires the compassionate heart of a Bodhisattva coupled with thunderous means. This niece has always acted with gentleness and peace; such violent and fierce deeds are simply beyond me..." Qin Keqing said calmly.

Yang Xin had only made the suggestion casually. When Qin Keqing refused, he felt no sense of disappointment. Just as he was about to say "Take care of yourself" and prepare to leave, Qin Keqing's next sentence made Yang Xin's eyes light up, realizing he should never underestimate a woman.