Chapter 180: Three Kowtows
Song Yi's expression subtly changed, and he politely said, "Is there anything else, young lady?"
"Weren't you just planning to capture me and make me a slave of your Song Family?" Zhantai Qingxuan snorted. “Do you think you can settle everything just by chalking it all up to a simple misunderstanding?"
"How do you wish to settle this, then?" asked Song Yi in a deep voice. "You might have a bit of skill with your large completion Vajra Qi Stage cultivation, but we have numerous experts of that level in my Song Family!”
The surrounding warriors began whispering among themselves.
"Indeed, he has the confidence to say such words. I heard that the ancestor of the Song Family is a martial artist in the Returning Essence Qi Stage."
“Experts in the Returning Essence Qi Stage are already at the peak of the Frost Water Empire. Anyone above that would be in the Longevity Qi Stage! I’m afraid you will find it difficult to find even ten such people in the empire....”
Zhantai Qingxuan sneered. "Don't use the Song Family to intimidate me,” she said. “If all of you kneel and kowtow thrice in apology, I won’t spill any blood today.”
Kowtow three times?
Facing Zhantai Qingxuan's threat, Song Yi and the others were truly infuriated. Someone actually had the guts to tell the members of the Song Family to kowtow to them in the Frost Water Empire!
Is she tired of living?!
"You’re pretty domineering, little girl. Which sect or family do you come from? I might even be acquainted with some of your elders,” said Elder Qin, his expression dark.
Zhantai Qingxuan laughed. "You?"
If they knew that her elders were all cultivators, who knew what expressions they would have.
Fang Chen smiled and said to Song Yi, "Just do as she says. It's just kowtowing three times; this punishment is already quite lenient."
Such punishment was considered "quite lenient"?
Are these people aware that these were descendants of the Song Family?
The surrounding warriors were mostly astonished, but also secretly curious about the origin of these people, who found it easy to disregard the Song Family.
Song Yi coldly glanced at Fang Chen. "When did you have a say in this?"
"Preposterous!" yelled Xu Ge and Zhao Yan at the same time.
Suddenly, everyone felt their vision blur, and Song Yi was raised into the air by Zhao Yan as a horrifying aura swept out of him.
This aura struck fear in the hearts of those it touched. They all felt as if they were facing an ancient beast. They were so scared, they felt their legs go soft.
Elder Qin's hair stood on end. He stared at Zhao Yan with a hint of fear and disbelief, as if he had encountered his mortal enemy.
Could this young man be a master at the Innate Qi Stage?!
"No way, what exactly is their origin? This aura... it's too terrifying, is he at the Innate Qi Stage?"
"Innate Qi Stage?"
The crowd was shocked as they sucked in several breaths of air.
Although the Innate Qi Stage was not at the top in the Frost Water Empire, each Innate Qi Stage master was a powerful figure in their own right. Even the Ji Family and the Song Family had to show them respect and flattery. They dared not easily offend them!
Shock flashed in Song Yi's eyes as he stared blankly at Zhao Yan. "You, you're a master of the Innate Qi Stage...."
Then, he suddenly looked at Fang Chen with suspicion and uncertainty. What background does one need to have to be personally escorted by an Innate Qi Stage expert? Could this be a member of the royal family he hadn’t had a chance to meet until now?
A girl who had not spoken till now suddenly walked up a few steps and bowed to Fang Chen with a pleading look. "Please don't hurt my big brother, Young Master."
Fang Chen nodded to Zhao Yan. "Let him go."
With a light toss, Song Yi staggered back several steps. He was supported by Elder Qin.
"Do as she says, kowtow three times, and this matter will be settled," said Fang Chen, pointing at Zhantai Qingxuan.
Song Yi's face was full of apprehension. "What is your identity?"
Li Daoye became a bit impatient. "Don't inquire about us. We are not from the Frost Water Empire; we are just passing through. You just need to know that killing you is no different from slaughtering chickens," he said. "Lady Qingxuan has already been quite magnanimous with her temper. Since she told you to kowtow three times, you should do it quickly. Don't dawdle. If it was me, you guys would have to kowtow at least ninety-nine times!”
Not from the Frost Water Empire?
Strange looks appeared on the faces of those in the crowd. As it turned out, they were experts from another territory!
Song Yi’s expression changed slightly, and Elder Qin whispered in his ear, "They... They may really be able to easily take our lives."
If it came to a life-or-death battle, Elder Qin might not fear that woman. However, Zhao Yan’s aura robbed him of his fighting spirit. The other party was very likely to be an Innate Qi Stage martial artist.
There was no chance for him to win against an expert of that level!
Song Yi gritted his teeth, a hint of humiliation flashing in his eyes. Then, slowly and with the others, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Zhantai Qingxuan three times.
Throughout the process, Song Yi trembled uncontrollably.
The martial artists around wore shocked expressions, feeling a sense of awe. Such scenes were rare. Even hearing about them was uncommon. They knew that the Song Family had already formed an irreconcilable feud with these powerful foreign strangers.
The ship's owner arrived just in time to see Song Yi and the others kneeling. Subsequently, he gave a hefty slap to the crew member beside him. "You scum! You offended some big shots."
The crew member, who had previously accepted the silver ingot and had almost given the maid the cabin, did not retort after being slapped. Instead, he looked at Fang Chen and the others with a face full of fear.
"Is it over now?" Song Yi slowly stood up and looked at Zhantai Qingxuan. His face was red, and his voice quivered. He was humiliated to the extreme.
The maid who stood behind him felt nothing but fear in her heart. She didn’t even dare to raise her head.
Zhantai Qingxuan snorted softly. “Scram.”
The owner of the ship quickly took a step forward and mumbled, “Young Master Song, I...”
Song Yi ignored him completely as he turned to leave. But surprisingly, he didn’t choose to disembark.
The ship’s owner chuckled with embarrassment. He turned to Fang Chen and the rest. “Everyone...”
Fang Chen and the others didn’t care about him. They went into their cabin and slammed the door shut in his face.
“Looks like I offended both sides...” The ship’s owner couldn’t help but force out a laugh before unleashing his rage upon the crew member before him. A beating was unleashed, and the owner didn’t stop till the crew member fell into the water below.
After Song Yi returned to his cabin, he glanced at the people around him. Everyone quickly lowered their heads, afraid to meet his eyes.
The girl comforted him in a soft voice. "Brother, don't take this to heart. No one will know about it..."
Song Yi couldn’t rein it in anymore, and his fury was unleashed. "No one will know? How will no one know? Unless everyone on this ship is dead, when we arrive in the imperial capital, everyone will know that I, Song Yi, am afraid of death and have kowtowed three times!"
Elder Qin spoke in a low voice. "Master, isn't the young lady going to the imperial capital to marry someone from the Ji Family? When the time comes, I'll go ahead and ask the experts from the Ji Family to come out and settle the matter."
Song Yi nodded heavily. "That's the plan. When we get close to the imperial capital, you can go ahead and do that. I don't believe that these foreign experts can stir up waves in the imperial capital!"
"Indeed, in the imperial capital, Innate Qi Stage martial artists aren’t anything special. There are many such powerful individuals in the Ji Family. The future father-in-law of the young lady is a Returning Essence Qi Stage expert; we might be able to ask him to intervene," said Elder Qin.
Song Yi's mood improved a bit when he heard that. He couldn't wait to reach the imperial capital and reclaim the dignity he had lost today, multiplied a hundredfold!
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