Chapter 606: Xue Family Heir (Two-in-One)

The woman who had been so impossibly violent moments ago suddenly burst into tears. It wasn't a soft sob, nor were her eyes simply brimming with tears; she was bawling her eyes out like a child.

Yet the others in the courtyard remained perfectly calm, as though they had expected this all along.

Yan Jing put away his Bow.

He walked toward the woman.

The woman turned her back to him and squatted down.

Her meaning was obvious.

She was upset and wanted to be coaxed.

Yan Jing didn't indulge her, slapping the back of her head with a backhand.

The woman clutched her head in pain and wailed even louder.

"I'm your older sister!" she roared at Yan Jing, her eyes red.

Yan Jing's face remained impassive.

"Not since our bet thirteen years ago."

"That didn't count!" The woman bared her canines and lunged to bite Yan Jing's arm.

Yan Jing pulled his arm back and delivered another slap to the back of her head.

"Then get up and keep fighting."

"I'm not fighting. You pointed your Bow at me." She hugged her knees, keeping her back to him, clearly still sulking.

She blinked and gritted her teeth, waiting for him to smack the back of her head again.

She had made up her mind. Even if Yan Jing beat her to death today, she wouldn't concede.

But a hand landed on top of her head, and it didn't strike her the way she expected.

It merely patted her gently.

Then ruffled her hair.

"I slept for too long."

His cold voice sounded, and although it didn't carry a hint of comfort...

...the woman's tears suddenly spilled down her face.

She continuously wiped her tears, her voice trembling as she sobbed.

"You... you didn't even... didn't even warn us... that you were going to sleep... I haven't even figured out... figured out how to... be a big sister... I told you... told you not to sleep... told you not to sleep... but you still went to sleep... and for so long..."

True to her namesake, Xue Shi was a lioness in front of outsiders.

Everyone knew the Xue Family had a daughter as dazzling as the rising sun and as proud as a lioness.

But few people knew the real reason this lioness could bare her fangs so freely in the outside world.

It was because of the man known as the Xue Family Heir.

The Xue Family Heir.

This was Xue Mo's title in the outside world.

It was simple, lacking any metaphors or exaggerated adjectives. When other geniuses made their mark, their titles invariably contained words like God, Demon, Monster, Ghost, King, Emperor, Saint, or Ancestor.

Such words broadcasted their heaven-defying talent to the world.

But not Xue Mo.

Xue Family Heir.

That was his title.

It didn't represent his talent, his strength, or his achievements. It only represented one thing.

Among the eleven children of the Xue Family, he alone was the successor.

The entire Xue Family would belong to him in the future.

No matter how many children the family had, whenever someone mentioned the Xue Family Heir, everyone knew they were talking about Xue Mo.

He represented the Xue Family.

Since childhood, Xue Mo and Xue Shi's dynamic had been more like an older brother and a younger sister.

When Xue Shi didn't want to do her assigned chores, she pushed them onto Xue Mo. When she fell ill, Xue Mo took care of her. When their father punished her, Xue Mo took the blame. Even when Xue Shi fell in love for the first time, she brought her boyfriend to meet Xue Mo first.

Had that incident never happened, everyone believed the Xue Family would have continued on just like this.

Under the Xue Family Heir's leadership, they would rise anew on Advent Day and reach the absolute summit.

The Blood War would have been nothing more than a mere formality.

Absolutely no one would have raised an objection.

But what no one expected was...

The Xue Family Heir, who had never missed a shot with his longbow, actually missed at the most critical moment.

That arrow struck the seventh sibling, Xue Jie, straight through the heart.

It pierced right through.

She died on the spot.

Xue Jie was Xue Mo's full-blooded sister.

They shared the same mother and father, and had relied on each other since childhood.

After that day, it was as if Xue Mo's heart had completely died. He ceased to involve himself in any family matters, locking himself in his room all day without stepping foot outside.

Even Xue Yi's attempts to see him were unsuccessful.

A few months passed like this. Then, Xue Mo summoned his ten remaining siblings to his side one by one. After leaving them with his instructions, he fell into a deep coma.

From that day forward, the Xue Family Heir completely vanished from the public eye.

"It's my fault."

Yan Jing spoke softly.

"I should have resolved everything before I went to sleep."

"It's fine. I'm back now."

"Old Fourth, Old Fifth. How much longer do you plan to wait out there?"

With that, Yan Jing looked toward the courtyard gate.

A few seconds later, the gate opened.

A young man and woman walked in.

The two shared striking facial features. Even though boy-girl twins didn't usually look identical, their eyes and brows were incredibly similar.

The young man leaned toward delicate, while the young woman had a heroic edge to her. Together, they looked like two halves of a perfect jade.

"Third Brother."

They spoke in unison, both looking slightly embarrassed.

"I heard from Old Eighth and Old Ninth that you two haven't been very well-behaved recently."

Yan Jing stared at them expressionlessly.

"No, absolutely not."

They frantically waved their hands in denial.

Before arriving, they had toyed with the idea of sparring with Xue Mo to test whether this man was real or an imposter, and to see if his skills had regressed.

But after witnessing his brief clash with Xue Shi, they instantly killed that thought.

"Copy the family law fifty times each. You are forbidden from using weird energy."

Their faces instantly fell.

"Or, you can choose to fight me. If you win, you don't have to copy anything. If you lose, it's a hundred times."

"No, no, no."

Xue Wan and Xue Xiao vehemently refused.

Were they joking?

Why would they risk copying it a hundred times and catching a beating when they could just settle for fifty?

"And you," Yan Jing said, turning to a snickering Xue Shi.

"You copy it fifty times, too."

"..." Xue Shi's smile vanished.

"Old Tenth and Old Eleventh are dead."

Yan Jing's tone was icy.

"Old Eleventh was only fourteen years old."

At this, silence fell over the group.

"Fourteen," Yan Jing repeated. He stood up and looked at his siblings.

"Even for an ordinary person without a tier, fourteen is only one-seventh of their lifespan."

"And now they've been murdered at the hands of their own older brothers."

The siblings remained in heavy silence. Xue Wan and Xue Rou quietly wiped the corners of their eyes.

"Where are their bodies?" Yan Jing's gaze swept over them.

"Does anyone know?"

"Old Fourth, when Old Eleventh was a newborn, weren't you the one who took care of her the most? Have you forgotten how she used to hug your leg and call you 'Brother'?" Yan Jing asked. "Old Fifth, when Old Tenth studied painting with you, you were the one who taught him how to mix colors, right? He was only seventeen."

"And what about Old Eighth and Old Ninth? Didn't you all make Old Tenth and Old Eleventh run errands for you when they were younger?"

"Those were our younger brother and sister."

"Now, who can tell me where their bodies are?"

Everyone lowered their heads, so thoroughly rebuked that they couldn't even look him in the eye.

"Eldest Brother has them."

Xue Shi raised her head, flames seemingly dancing in her golden eyes.

"That bastard! After he murdered Old Tenth and Old Eleventh, he purposely found a Coffin to display their bodies and spent three days and three nights sobbing over it!" she spat. "He wants to be the legitimate successor, but he doesn't want to bear the infamy of slaughtering his own siblings."

"That liar!"

"Old Tenth and Old Eleventh were young. They listened to his honeyed words and turned on their own siblings, completely blind to the fact that it was a trap."

"By the time I got the news, their bodies were already cold. Their bloodline power was reclaimed by Father and passed on to Eldest Brother and Old Sixth."

"So they have two Tenth Tiers now?" Yan Jing asked, his eyes undisturbed.

A heavy mood descended on the group.

Even Xue Mo was still only at the Ninth Tier.

But the enemy side now boasted two Tenth Tiers.

On top of that, because Xue Mo had slept for so long, many of his former supporters had changed their loyalties.

They couldn't count on much help from the clan elders.

Looking at the situation, their odds of winning were extremely small.

The atmosphere grew stifling once more.

"Bloodline power... bloodline power..." Old Eighth, Xue Yunhe, muttered under his breath. Suddenly, he snapped his head up, a glimmer in his eyes.

"Is Seventh Sister's bloodline power still with Father?"

"Old Eighth!" Xue Shi barked.

The shout jolted Xue Yunhe back to his senses. He looked at Yan Jing and hastily backpedaled.

"Third Brother, I didn't mean it like that. I was just getting too anxious. I—"

"It's fine," Yan Jing said expressionlessly.

He turned to face the group.

"Has Eldest Brother been looking for me?"

The siblings blinked in surprise.

"Tell him to come."

Inside Xue Shi's residence.

Xue Shi's lion-like roar echoed across the courtyard.

"Who told you to bring up Old Seventh?!"

"Do you have any idea why Old Third fell into that coma in the first place?!"

"Did you secretly defect to Eldest Brother's side?! Did you say that on purpose?!"

Xue Yunhe was scolded so ruthlessly that tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

"No, Second Sister, I was just panicking! Eldest Brother and Sixth Brother are already at the Tenth Tier. I just want Third Brother to win, so I..."

Xue Yunhe started slapping his own face, the sharp smacks ringing out through the air.

But Xue Shi was already seeing red.

"Then why don't you kill yourself?! You can contribute your bloodline power instead!"

The moment the words left her mouth, a dead silence fell over the courtyard.

Xue Shi froze. She knew immediately that she had crossed the line.

Ever since they were children, her explosive temper and lack of a filter had kept her younger brothers and sisters at arm's length.

She watched as her four younger siblings subtly backed away from her.

Her eyes dimmed for a brief second before she spoke softly, "I was wrong."

The others paused and looked up at her in shock.

In their entire lives, none of them had ever seen Xue Shi swallow her pride and apologize.

She hadn't even done it for their father, Xue Yi.

This was a first.

"I've failed at everything," Xue Shi said, her fists clenching tight.

"If worse comes to worst, I will surrender my bloodline power to Old Third."

"No, tomorrow. I'll go find him tomorrow."

Those words terrified the other four. They scrambled to talk her out of it.

But Xue Shi had made up her mind.

"Old Third told us to spread the news and invite the whole clan to watch. He just wants to avenge Old Tenth and Old Eleventh," she insisted. "If Old Third can risk his own life, why can't I?"

"He thinks I'm useless, but I'll make him see otherwise."

"I failed last time, so I'm going to get it right this time and prove it to him."

"Stay out of this. Just spread the word. Once Old Third breaks through to the Tenth Tier, he will crush Eldest Brother."

They tried to argue, but Xue Shi simply chased them all out of the house.

Left without a choice, they could only relay this to Yan Jing.

Yan Jing listened to their report, his face impassive.

"Alright. I understand."

The group exchanged looks, utterly unable to read his intentions. They had no choice but to take their leave.

"What do we do now?"

Xue Xiao asked, looking at Xue Wan.

"What can we do?"

Xue Wan looked toward Xue Rou.

"What do we do?" Xue Rou echoed, looking at Xue Yunhe.

"It's all my fault."

Xue Yunhe clutched his head, overwhelmed with shame.

A few seconds later, Xue Yunhe seemed to reach a decision. He lifted his head.

"Why don't I give up my bloodline power instead?"

"Piss off."

The other three shoved him to the ground.

"I'm completely serious," Xue Yunhe said from the dirt, gritting his teeth.

"I caused this mess anyway. Once Eldest Brother takes power, do you honestly think he'll let any of us live in peace?"

"If Third Brother doesn't win, I might as well be dead."

"At least the rest of you would be a bit safer..."

Xue Yunhe looked completely defeated. The others caught his gloom, sighing heavily.

"Stop with the defeatist talk."

Xue Wan, the oldest of the four, pushed up her glasses.

"I actually don't think the situation is that dire."

"I think Second Sister is just overthinking things."

The next evening.

"I've made up my mind! I'm giving you my bloodline power!"

Xue Shi burst through Yan Jing's door.

And was promptly met with a backhand slap.

"Why did you hit me again?!"

Xue Shi glared at him, eyes brimming with tears of indignation.

Yan Jing didn't look up from his newspaper.

"Has Eldest Brother accepted my invitation?"

"Yes! How could that bastard refuse? He's at the Tenth Tier! He's itching for an excuse to eliminate you!"

Xue Shi rubbed her head.

"You still haven't answered me! Why did you hit me?!"

"You think I'm going to lose. If I don't hit you, who else should I hit?" Yan Jing set aside the newspaper. It was time for his daily practice.

"Who said you were going to lose?!" Xue Shi protested angrily.

"I just figured that you'd definitely win once you reached the Tenth Tier, so I offered you my bloodline power! If you actually lose, I won't let you off even as a ghost!"

Yan Jing didn't reply. He simply manifested his longbow, raising it diagonally over his shoulder.

Power surged into his arms, and he drew the string taut.

The Bow, initially the height of a man, transformed in an instant. A phantom of a colossal Bow manifested, stretching across the very heavens.

The distant clouds became mere ornaments for this Bow. The sunset glow bleeding across the sky served only as its backdrop, and the faintly glinting stars became nothing more than jewels studded along its string.

As he slowly drew the string, countless spatial cracks webbed outward on both sides.

It was as if the sheer force required to draw the Bow could drag the sky down into a collapse.

Xue Shi stared, completely dumbfounded.

This was the most difficult of Xue Mo's nine arrows to draw.

It possessed no special secondary effects.

It had only a single trait:

Pure, unadulterated power.

In the past, Xue Mo couldn't draw this arrow even a tenth of the way back.

But now, he had nearly reached the halfway mark.

Xue Shi's vision flashed.

Yan Jing had already released the tension and put the Bow away.

Everything returned to normal, as if nothing had ever happened.

The world was perfectly calm and undisturbed.

"Go back, Second Sister."

Yan Jing sat cross-legged, ready to begin his warm-up.

"I am going to win this duel."

His words carried an absolute, undeniable confidence. Xue Shi opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't find a single word to say.

In the days that followed, anticipation for the Xue Family's Blood War completely eclipsed whatever buzz surrounded the Chen Family.

The reason was simple: the comatose Xue Family Heir had awoken.

And to everyone's utter shock, the moment the Xue Family Heir returned, he publicly challenged his elder brother.

"A fight to the death!"

The Xue Family Heir's banner was the purification of the clan.

His elder brother had murdered his own younger brother and sister.

In the eyes of the Xue Family Heir, the man deserved nothing less than execution.

The public wasn't surprised by this justification. Although the Blood War was essentially a mandated sibling slaughter, the Xue Family Heir had always held strict principles against it. That hadn't changed. Meanwhile, on the other side...

Eldest Brother Xue Changqing raised the banner of exorcising an evil spirit.

According to his rhetoric, his third brother had died years ago.

The entity parading around in front of everyone was nothing but an evil spirit possessing his corpse.

The stage was set for quite a spectacle.

Everyone eagerly anticipated the clash.

Many within the Xue Family even opened private betting pools, placing wagers on their favored side.

Based on the current odds, Eldest Brother's side held an overwhelming advantage.

This wasn't merely because the Xue Family Heir had been asleep for years, causing his influence to wane.

It was primarily fueled by rumors that Eldest Brother had already stepped into the Tenth Tier, ascending to become a Divine Envoy.

A Divine Envoy versus the Summit of the Ninth Tier.

The gap between the two was insurmountable.