Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Hua Qianjin Recruits Disciples

"Oh, my son, what a tragic end you’ve met..."

Inside the Ma family’s living room, a middle-aged woman dressed in opulent attire collapsed over the corpse of Ma Guoliang, wailing uncontrollably. "You’ve left us just like that—how am I supposed to go on living?"

"Ma Yinglong, your son is dead, and yet you remain so indifferent! What about the killer? Where is the person who murdered my son?"

"Do you think I don't want revenge?" Ma Yinglong gritted his teeth. "The ones who did this were the Black Armor Army. What do you expect me to do? Should I go and kill them, only to have my entire clan slaughtered in retaliation?"

It was the ultimate tragedy for a parent to bury their child. He wanted vengeance, but he was powerless. The Black Armor Army was far beyond the reach of the Ma family.

Just then, the heads of the Zheng, Xu, and Zhu families arrived together.

"Brother Ma, the dead cannot return. Do not grieve too deeply; the living must look to the future."

"Indeed, Brother Ma, please accept our condolences."

Their lukewarm comfort only fueled Ma Yinglong’s fury. He sneered, "Since it wasn’t your sons who died, of course you aren’t heartbroken. The four great families are supposed to stand together, so why didn't I hear a peep from any of you when my son was killed?"

Patriarch Zheng frowned and retorted, "Brother Ma, that was the Black Armor Army. Even if our four families joined forces, it wouldn't be enough to withstand them. Do you really think our protests would have made a difference?"

"Who could have guessed that the Ye family would manage to get on the good side of our nation's newly appointed Female War God?" Patriarch Xu sighed. "It has reduced all our years of effort to ashes."

Patriarch Zhu spoke up, "Brother Ma, we came here today to discuss how we should deal with the Ye family."

Ma Yinglong replied impatiently, "With the Female War God backing them, how can we possibly deal with them?"

"Brother Ma, that is where you are mistaken," Patriarch Zheng countered. "Have you considered why the Ye family suddenly managed to secure a connection with the Female War God?"

"Speak plainly. There are no outsiders here; there’s no need to beat around the bush." The death of his son had dealt a heavy blow to Ma Yinglong, leaving him emotionally unstable and unable to think clearly.

"We all believe that the Ye family must have offered the Chen family’s treasure to the Female War God in exchange for her protection," Patriarch Xu analyzed. "We have long been blood enemies with the Ye family and cannot allow them to rise again. Since force won't work, we shall use more subtle tactics."

"Moving forward, we can..."

...

Time flowed like water, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, the entire city of Jincheng remained eerily calm.

At the Ye residence, the funeral arrangements for the old master had been concluded. Throughout these three days, the Ye family saw an influx of visitors. People who had not been in touch for a long time began reaching out, offering their well-wishes and even actively seeking cooperation.

The Ye family’s circumstances seemed to have taken a turn for the better.

That afternoon, the Matriarch of the Ye family summoned all the core members, claiming she had an important announcement to make.

Once everyone was present, the Matriarch declared, "Next month, I want Chen Fan and Qingcheng to hold their wedding."

The moment these words were spoken, the Ye family erupted in chaos.

Ye Qingcheng was the first to stand up in opposition. "Grandmother, I will not marry him. I do not want to be Chen Fan's wife."

In her heart, Chen Fan was nothing more than a spineless, boastful good-for-nothing. How could she, Ye Qingcheng, ever marry such a man?