Xiao Shanhe snorted coldly, "Your mother died three years ago, didn't anyone tell you?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xiangyue was struck as though by five thunderbolts. Two streams of clear tears rolled down her face, and her complexion turned ashen. "What… Mother… is dead…"
Xiao Shanhe ignored Xiao Xiangyue's reaction and coldly said, "Your mother should have died long ago. If it weren't for the past relationship, I would've killed her seven years ago! Wanhuacheng doesn't welcome you. Go back to the pleasure house!"
Xiao Xiangyue cried out, "Father, please, let me go to my mother's grave to pay respects to her, please…"
Xiao Shanhe said, "I don't care what reason you have. Get back to the pleasure house right now! Your mother was useless, and you're even more useless! I've already driven you out of my house. You are no longer my daughter! If it weren't for Lord Li, the big boss of the pleasure house, pleading for you, I would have killed you along with her! Get lost, or…" He raised the red flower in his hand to eye level.
"F*ck you, what kind of father are you!" Upon hearing Xiao Shanhe's words, Qin Ren could no longer suppress his anger. He hadn't expected that there were such heartless, unfeeling fathers in the world. Cutting off Xiao Shanhe's words, he walked over to Xiao Xiangyue's side, helped her up, and saw the tears incessantly falling from her eyes, her gaze full of despair. His anger flared.
Though Qin Ren had vowed to become a flower thief and had no particular regard for chivalry, he certainly wasn't one to ignore his woman being bullied. If he didn't stand up for her, what would he be but a turtle? Yes, he wanted to have women, but it was just as important to protect the women who belonged to him.
Qin Ren coldly shot a sideways glance at Xiao Shanhe, completely unaffected by Xiao Shanhe's intimidating gaze. "Even a tiger doesn't eat its own cubs! You keep saying you want to kill your own daughter and sell her to a brothel, how could there be such a father in the world? You're not worthy to be a father!"
Upon hearing Qin Ren's defiance, Xiao Shanhe didn't get angry; instead, he laughed and said, "Kid, who do you think you are? What right do you have to interfere with my family matters in Wanhuacheng?"
Qin Ren replied, "I'm Qin Ren, nicknamed 'The Lover'! I'm the one who paid one hundred thousand taels to take Yue'er out of the pleasure house. She's my woman now, and I'm going to take care of her!"
His words were powerful, and upon hearing them, Xiao Xiangyue, who was submerged in the pain of losing her mother, felt a trace of sweetness. She hadn't expected Qin Ren, who had always claimed to be heartless and indifferent, to say such things in front of her father. She was even more surprised that Qin Ren dared to defy Xiao Shanhe for her sake.
Xiao Shanhe laughed loudly, "So you're the Qin Ren wanted by the Jianghu government! No wonder you blocked my 'Flying Flowers Chasing the Moon' technique! I've heard you've taken the concubine of the chief official of the Jianghu government, Du Gu Hongjian… Hmm, that woman next to you must be her, right? You're quite the playboy, huh? But now, you've made a mortal enemy of Du Gu Hongjian, and now the bounty for your capture has spread throughout Jiangnan. All the martial arts sects are after you. You can't even protect yourself, and yet you want to meddle in Xiao Xiangyue's affairs?"
Qin Ren scoffed, "Am I afraid of a bounty? Are you out of your mind? Old pervert, you need to understand, the leader of the righteous sects in Jiangnan isn't Du Gu Hongjian. It's me, Qin Xiaoyao!"
Xiao Shanhe's expression darkened with fury. Putting down his wine cup, he stood up from his seat. "Kid, you dare disrespect me! Today, I'll take your life and collect the bounty on Du Gu Hongjian's behalf!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Shanhe leapt down from his sedan chair, flicking his right index finger, sending the red flower toward Qin Ren.
Qin Ren sliced the flower with his fan. Although the flower shattered, the petals flew toward him like a rain of blossoms, aiming for his acupoints.
Relying on the "Indestructible Golden Silk Armor" he wore, Qin Ren didn't bother dodging. He let the petals strike him. There was a dull thud each time a petal hit him, and even though they were small, they made a loud noise. Clearly, Xiao Shanhe's internal power was as impressive as his reputation.
Xiao Shanhe was shocked when he saw that Qin Ren, despite being hit by dozens of petals, seemed completely unharmed. The petals, infused with Xiao Shanhe's internal strength, would have been enough to crush an ordinary martial artist. Yet Qin Ren not only remained unaffected, but he was also leisurely waving his fan and even winked at Xiao Shanhe. Xiao Shanhe's surprise turned to rage.
Xiao Shanhe moved in closer, aiming his right hand at Qin Ren's chest with a finger strike. Qin Ren smiled and allowed Xiao Shanhe's finger to land on him. The "Indestructible Golden Silk Armor" absorbed the force, and Qin Ren's own internal power reacted, countering the attack with a surge of energy that made Xiao Shanhe's arm go numb.
"Come on, try harder~~~" Qin Ren smiled, beckoning with his hand.
By now, Xiao Shanhe no longer underestimated Qin Ren. With a serious expression, he drew an iron flute from behind him. "Kid, think carefully. If I play the 'Seven Deadly Sounds,' no matter how strong your martial arts are, you'll die right here."
"Really?" Qin Ren narrowed his eyes, slowly closing his fan and tucking it into his belt. He then slowly reached into the pouch at his waist.
Xiao Shanhe raised the iron flute to his lips, but his eyes were fixed on Qin Ren's hand, which was reaching into his pouch. He instinctively felt that Qin Ren was preparing to pull out a formidable weapon.
From the size of the pouch, it seemed that whatever Qin Ren was going to retrieve was likely a hidden weapon or several.
"I have to stop him from taking out those hidden weapons before he uses them!" Xiao Shanhe thought.
The disciples of the Baohua Hall, along with Liu Piaopiao and Xiao Xiangyue, could all sense the sudden increase in Xiao Shanhe's murderous intent. The tense atmosphere between Qin Ren and Xiao Shanhe made them all uneasy. They instinctively stepped back three to five paces, widening the circle of onlookers.
Qin Ren's eyes glowed with cold light as he locked his gaze onto Xiao Shanhe. His right hand slowly reached out.
Xiao Shanhe held his breath, gathering his energy, preparing to blow the iron flute.
Then, Qin Ren's hand finally came out!
The tension in the air peaked!
Everyone could now see what Qin Ren was holding—it was a few pieces of paper, to be exact, some very unusual paper!
It was issued by the largest money house in Jiangnan, Xiaoyao Mountain Villa. The paper was a promissory note for one hundred taels of gold, redeemable nationwide!
Each note was stamped with the unique seal of Xiaoyao Money House, a seal that could not be forged by anyone!
Qin Ren had ten such notes. He used them to fan the air, grinning happily as he said, "Blow, go ahead and blow! I'll reward you! One hundred taels for a good blow. Blow ten times, and I'll give you a thousand taels. If you have the strength to blow a thousand times, all ten thousand taels in my pocket are yours! Damn it, I've heard of girls in the pleasure house blowing flutes, but I've never seen a big man play the flute. Now I'm going to see something new!"
Everyone froze. The disciples of the Baohua Hall were stunned. The crowd was stunned. Even Xiao Shanhe, who was about to play the 'Seven Deadly Sounds,' froze in place.
Xiao Shanhe was overwhelmed by an intense feeling of humiliation and anger. His internal energy was already at full throttle, but Qin Ren's actions made him forget to blow the iron flute.
The consequences were dire. With nowhere to vent his fury, Xiao Shanhe's internal energy exploded. "Pfft…" He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning a golden hue. Pointing at Qin Ren with a trembling finger, he said, "You… you… Baohua Hall disciples, listen up… chop them into pieces and feed them to the dogs!"