As Elder Chen, the Fu family's retainer, slowly stepped forward, the atmosphere inside the banquet hall grew tense to the extreme once again. As a universally acknowledged martial arts grandmaster in Nanjiang City, every movement Elder Chen made radiated immense pressure. His steady and powerful footsteps felt as though they were heavily treading on everyone's hearts with each drop, tightening their chests.
Elder Chen walked up to Qin Yuanfeng and Gui Yi, his gaze burning like a torch as he locked eyes with Qin Yuanfeng. His voice was deep and resonant, echoing through the banquet hall like rumbling thunder. "You've got a lot of nerve, young man, daring to cause trouble on the Fu family's turf. However, since you had the guts to come here, you must have some real skills. Today, this old man is going to see what you're made of."
Facing Elder Chen's challenge, Qin Yuanfeng's expression remained unchanged. He gently pushed Su Wanwan aside, signaling her to step back. Then, he turned to Gui Yi and said, "Gui Yi, take Miss Su to the car and wait for me. I'll be right there."
Gui Yi looked at Qin Yuanfeng, worry flashing across his face. "But, Boss, you have numerous internal injuries from the past that could flare up at any moment. Let me handle this! Why dirty your own hands against a bunch of worthless trash?"
Qin Yuanfeng smiled faintly, his smile brimming with confidence. "No need. Since the Fu family dared to lay a hand on my woman and child, I'll deal with them personally! Dealing with a mere late-stage Internal Grandmaster isn't enough to trigger my old injuries."
Gui Yi nodded slightly. He knew Qin Yuanfeng's temperament; once he made up his mind, it was hard to change. With a flash of his figure, he was instantly by Su Wanwan's side, leading her toward the exit of the banquet hall. Seeing this, the members of the Fu family tried to step forward to block them, but were frightened back by a single glare from Gui Yi. Gui Yi's eyes were filled with murderous intent, sending chills down their spines. They could only watch helplessly as he escorted Su Wanwan out of the banquet hall.
Elder Chen looked at Qin Yuanfeng with disdain, adopting a superior posture as he told Qin Yuanfeng to make the first move. Qin Yuanfeng replied with equal contempt, "If I strike first, I'm afraid you won't even get the chance to fight back. You go ahead and attack first!"
Hearing this, Elder Chen let out a cold snort. Without another word, he moved like lightning, charging straight at Qin Yuanfeng. His speed was dazzling, his fists wrapped in fierce internal energy that seemed capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.
Qin Yuanfeng remained entirely unruffled. With wind at his heels, his movements were agile as he evaded Elder Chen's onslaught. Though his motions looked simple, he always managed to dodge the attacks at the very last critical moment. The two engaged in a fierce duel right there in the banquet hall.
The guests retreated into the corners, watching the sudden clash of experts with bated breath, their faces etched with shock and fear. They never imagined that such a violent battle would break out at a Fu family wedding.
Fu Hongyuan and Fu Beiting stared fixedly at the battlefield, their hearts heavy with anxiety. They knew the outcome of this clash would directly impact the Fu family's prestige. If Elder Chen lost, the family's reputation would suffer a devastating blow.
Elder Chen's moves were broad and powerful, every strike backed by formidable internal energy. His fists rained down on Qin Yuanfeng like heavy hammers. Qin Yuanfeng, by contrast, appeared much more fluid and agile; his simple-looking evasions effortlessly sidestepped the heavy blows. As they traded blows back and forth, they appeared temporarily evenly matched.
As time wore on, however, Elder Chen began to feel the strain. He realized that Qin Yuanfeng's internal energy was unfathomably deep—seemingly a notch above his own. A jolt of secret alarm ran through him, and he knew he had to go all out.
Taking a deep breath, Elder Chen gathered all his internal energy into his palms. His hands turned crimson, as if engulfed in burning flames. He slammed a palm toward Qin Yuanfeng, carrying a destructive force that felt capable of leveling anything in its path.
Instead of retreating, Qin Yuanfeng stepped forward. Thrusting both palms outward, he met Elder Chen's blow head-on in a direct collision of brute force. The impact of their formidable internal energies whipped up a violent shockwave across the banquet hall, sending tables and chairs crashing in all directions. The guests hurriedly covered their ears to shield themselves from the overwhelming pressure.
Fu Hongyuan and Fu Beiting turned pale with shock. They never expected Qin Yuanfeng to possess such profound internal energy, capable of going toe-to-toe with Elder Chen. Terror and disbelief gripped their hearts.
Failing to break through after prolonged attacks, Elder Chen grew furious and alarmed. Secretly, he retrieved a concealed toxic needle from his person, flicking it toward Qin Yuanfeng when no one was looking. The movement was so stealthy that ordinary people would have found it impossible to detect.
Seeing the poisoned needle hurtling toward him, Qin Yuanfeng offered a disdainful smile. He projected his internal energy outward, deflecting the needle with a mere burst of force. In the face of his formidable power, the toxic needle posed zero threat.
Yet, in that exact split second, a sharp gleam flashed in Qin Yuanfeng's eyes. Spotting the fleeting gap when Elder Chen's old force was spent and his new force had yet to rise, Qin Yuanfeng unleashed a ferocious punch directly at Elder Chen's dantian vital point. This punch, imbued with his full internal energy, carried a might great enough to split mountains and cleave stone.
Elder Chen's face drained of color; he never anticipated a counterattack at this exact moment. He frantically circulated his remaining power to block the blow, but Qin Yuanfeng's punch was simply too ferocious. He barely managed to blunt the force of the strike, but the impact sent him flying backward to crash heavily onto the floor.
Stepping forward swiftly, Qin Yuanfeng delivered another palm strike straight to Elder Chen's dantian. Fu Hongyuan cried out in horror, knowing that if Elder Chen's dantian was shattered, he would be reduced to a cripple. The only reason the Fu family had risen to become the top prominent family in Nanjiang City was not merely because of their influence across political, military, and commercial spheres, but crucially because of the existence of their three retainers and the Fu Family Ancestor—four Internal Grandmasters in total. The loss of even a single one would be an incalculable blow to the family.
At this thought, Fu Hongyuan shouted in panic, "Stop! You brat, how dare you!"
Before the words could fully leave his mouth, Qin Yuanfeng had already struck Elder Chen's dantian, sending him flying once more. A miserable, piercing shriek instantly echoed through the banquet hall. Several Fu family bodyguards quickly rushed in front of Elder Chen to prevent Qin Yuanfeng from attacking again. With his dantian shattered, Elder Chen spewed a mouthful of blood, pointed a shaking finger at Qin Yuanfeng, and gasped, "You... you are not just an Internal Grandmaster... you are a Martial Disciple Realm master!" With that, his head slumped to the side, and he passed out cold.
Looking down at the unconscious Elder Chen, Qin Yuanfeng said indifferently, "I didn't intend to cripple you, but since you dared to use poison on me, your dantian had to go first."
Fu Hongyuan and Fu Beiting rushed forward. After checking Elder Chen's condition and confirming that his dantian was indeed completely destroyed, reducing him to a useless cripple, Fu Hongyuan turned around with a furious expression. "Punk surnamed Qin, how dare you cripple our Fu family's retainer! I swear the Fu family and you are irreconcilable enemies!"
With cold contempt, Qin Yuanfeng replied, "The Fu family? I truly don't care about you at all. I have bathed in the blood of the battlefield for seven years; a mere Fu family is nothing in my eyes. But since your family dared to coerce my woman and nearly killed my daughter, I will give the Fu family seven days to prepare your own funeral arrangements. Seven days from now, I will personally visit and wipe out your entire family!" Without another redundant word, Qin Yuanfeng turned and walked out of the banquet hall.
The moment he stepped out, an incessant wave of whispers broke out across the hall. For decades, the Fu family had stood tall in Nanjiang City, and no one had ever dared to utter such words of annihilation against them. In the eyes of the guests, no matter how extraordinary Qin Yuanfeng's martial prowess might be, the Fu family's influence was beyond anything he could possibly imagine.
As Qin Yuanfeng left, the atmosphere inside the Grand Courtyard Hotel turned exceptionally heavy. Looking at the unconscious Elder Chen, Fu Hongyuan and Fu Beiting were consumed by rage and shock. They could never have imagined that this suddenly appeared Qin Yuanfeng would be so terrifyingly powerful—not only easily defeating their retainer Elder Chen, but also brazenly declaring the destruction of the Fu family in seven days.
With a dark expression, Fu Hongyuan immediately ordered someone to take Elder Chen for medical treatment while beginning to summon the core members of the Fu family to strategize. Fu Beiting gnashed his teeth, wishing he could tear Qin Yuanfeng into ten thousand pieces right then and there.
Meanwhile, after leaving the hotel, Qin Yuanfeng got into the modified military jeep parked by the roadside. Seeing that he was completely unharmed, the worry finally lifted from Su Wanwan's heart.
"Qin Yuanfeng, are you alright? The Fu family won't let this go. What should we do now?" Su Wanwan asked anxiously.
Qin Yuanfeng smiled gently, his expression filled with confidence and warmth. "Wanwan, don't worry. The Fu family is nothing to fear. No matter how powerful they are, they wouldn't dare flout the iron laws of Daxia. With so many prominent figures from Nanjiang City present today, the Fu family wouldn't dare retaliate against us openly. Once this matter is settled, I'll take you and the child away from Nanjiang City to a place where the Fu family can never find us. Everything will be fine."
Qin Yuanfeng had no plans to reveal his true identity to Su Wanwan just yet. For one thing, the Asura Temple was an overseas faction, unrecognized by the official authorities within Daxia. Once his identity was made public, many things would become complicated. Secondly, he still bore countless internal injuries, and his current combat capability was less than half of his prime. If his identity were exposed and discovered by hostile overseas factions, it could bring danger to Su Wanwan and their daughter. Most importantly, he had only just reunited with them, and he worried that his true background might be too much for them to accept all at once. He would simply tell them bit by bit when the opportunity arose.
Gui Yi chimed in as well, "Don't worry, Sister-in-law. The boss and I both retired from the battlefield; we might not have other skills, but protecting ourselves is second nature."
Though Su Wanwan still harbored lingering anxiety, seeing Qin Yuanfeng and Gui Yi so confident brought her a measure of comfort.
Qin Yuanfeng drove Su Wanwan and Gui Yi straight to the hospital. Upon seeing both her mother and father arrive together, Su Beibei was overjoyed. Her face radiated radiant happiness, and tears glittered in her eyes.
"Daddy! Mommy! You're finally here! Beibei missed you both so much!" Su Beibei leaped into their arms, hugging them tightly.
The family of three was finally reunited, their hearts overflowing with happiness. Looking at Su Wanwan and Su Beibei, Qin Yuanfeng felt a profound warmth and emotion swell within him. Meanwhile, an elderly couple standing by the hospital bed quietly wiped away tears of relief.