"You… what are you doing here? Who let you in? Outrageous—utterly outrageous! Lawless, completely lawless!"
A furious roar reverberated through the bloodline chamber. A black blur flashed, and with a sharp *slap*, before Lin Xinrou could even register what was happening, she was sent flying, crashing hard onto the ground.
Steward Liu's face twisted into a mask of rage, like a beast unleashed. His bloodshot eyes bulged as he jabbed a trembling finger at Lin Xinrou, sprawled on the floor, bellowing, "Do you even know what this place is? You, a lowly attendant—who gave you the nerve to bring someone in here? You're courting death!"
Liu Tong roared, but beneath his fury, his heart turned to ice. *It's over.* This chamber, reserved solely for the president as per Deacon Li's orders, had been breached.
*Heavens, this is a colossal failure.*
Liu Tong could already picture Deacon Li's reaction to this news. He'd clawed his way into the Bloodline Holy Land through connections, scraping and scheming to become a steward—only to have it all ruined by a mere attendant.
In that moment, he felt an urge to strangle Lin Xinrou. The fury on his face seemed ready to tear her apart, his glare as if he'd devour her alive.
Lin Xinrou spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking up at the enraged Liu Tong, she knew he oversaw the bloodline chamber area. Fear overwhelmed her physical pain as she stammered, "Steward Liu, the door to this chamber was open just now. I thought it was one of the Holy Land's public chambers—I didn't think twice…"
"Didn't think twice? Do you have any idea whose chamber this is? This is the president's bloodline chamber! You dared to bring someone in here without a thought? If the president finds out, how many lives do you think you have to throw away?" Liu Tong spat, beside himself with anger.
"What?!"
Hearing that this was the president's chamber, Lin Xinrou's vision darkened. Her face paled in terror.
The president of the Bloodline Holy Land was the paramount figure here—a towering presence renowned throughout Great Qi. To think she'd let someone into his chamber… Lin Xinrou's mind went blank, buzzing with panic, words failing her entirely.
"And you!" Liu Tong whirled on Qin Chen. "Messing with the president's bloodline device—your audacity knows no bounds! Guards, seize them both and hold them until Deacon Li arrives to deal with this!" With a furious shout, guards from the Bloodline Holy Land, alerted by the commotion, rushed in and surrounded Qin Chen and Lin Xinrou.
Outside the bloodline area, a crowd had gathered, pointing and whispering, unsure of what chaos unfolded within.
Liu Tong's heart churned with dread, but with an incident this grave, he couldn't delay reporting it. Trembling, he hurried off to find Deacon Li.
Qin Chen eyed the guards encircling him, his brow furrowing. He took two steps forward, only for several guards to snort coldly, barking, "Don't move."
Qin Chen's icy gaze swept over them. *The Bloodline Holy Land truly lives up to its wealth and power.* These guards were all Earth-rank cultivators, seasoned and agile—veterans of countless battles.
If he tried to leave, Qin Chen had no doubt they'd strike without hesitation. Facing so many Earth-rank experts, he wasn't afraid, but he saw no need to escalate things.
"Relax, I'm not running. Why so tense?" Qin Chen's tone was calm, betraying no unease. He strode over to Lin Xinrou and gently helped her up. "Are you alright?"
Lin Xinrou's face was swollen, tears brimming in her eyes. Even as Qin Chen lifted her, her expression remained one of abject terror, as if the sky had fallen. Sobbing, she said, "Sir, I'm so sorry. I didn't know this was the president's chamber. I've dragged you into this. I'll explain to Steward Liu later—it's all my fault, not yours."
"Don't worry, it'll be fine." Qin Chen softly wiped the tears from her cheek. His gentle voice carried a strange, soothing power, easing the panic in Lin Xinrou's heart.
Feeling the strong, masculine aura radiating from Qin Chen, Lin Xinrou's pale cheeks flushed faintly. Her fear faded, replaced by a sudden warmth that left her too shy to meet his gaze.
The guards nearby watched with cold eyes, smirking. *Is this kid still flirting at a time like this? He doesn't even know how to spell 'death.' Bold, though—got to give him that.*
"Deacon Li, it's them—they tampered with the president's chamber!" Liu Tong's frantic voice rang out as he returned, leading a stern-faced Deacon Li, who strode forward with purposeful steps.
The guards straightened at once, saluting crisply. Deacon Li was a favored figure under the president, a man of immense stature in the Holy Land—none dared slight him.
But Li Wenyu didn't spare them a glance. His eyes locked onto the bloodline chamber, where the device hummed in an active state. A frigid chill radiated from him in an instant.
The temperature in the bloodline area seemed to plummet dozens of degrees. Everyone shivered under the piercing cold as Li Wenyu turned, his lethal gaze dull into Liu Tong. "Liu Tong, is this your so-called assurance?"
"Deacon Li, it was an accident—an absolute accident!"
"I don't want excuses. The president just said he's coming down. You can explain it to him yourself."
"What?!"
*The president is coming?*
*Thud!*
Liu Tong's legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, clutching Li Wenyu's robe. "Deacon Li, Master Li, save me—please save me!" he wailed.
"Hmph, save you?" Li Wenyu kicked him to the ground, his voice icy. "How did you swear to me earlier? It's barely been any time, and you've let someone ruin the bloodline device the president worked so hard to obtain. Do you know how much effort he poured into this—how many trips he made to the higher Bloodline Holy Land? It's only been back a few days, and you've let it be defiled. Hmph, you'd better pray for your own salvation."
"Deacon Li, it's not my fault! Master Chen Fan's device malfunctioned earlier, and I was dealing with that. It was them—this attendant brought someone in recklessly. It's all their fault!" Liu Tong grasped at this lifeline, shoving all blame onto Lin Xinrou and Qin Chen.
"Hmph." Li Wenyu cast a cold, indifferent glance at Qin Chen and Lin Xinrou. To him, it didn't matter whose fault it was. The president's device was compromised—none of them would escape unscathed.
Qin Chen, listening to their exchange, pieced together their outrage over his use of the chamber. He spoke coolly, "You're the deacon here? When we arrived, the door was open. How were we to know it was off-limits? If there's blame, it lies with your Bloodline Holy Land's oversight. We're victims here too—this has nothing to do with us. Can we leave now?"
With that, Qin Chen turned to walk away.
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