in this c
The one who had spoken first was Charles's cousin.
Before Charles could even reply, his father stepped forward with a cold authority in his tone.
"I still have the final say in this family," he declared firmly. "Even if you have complaints, as an outsider with a different surname, you have no right to speak here."
It was true—Charles's cousin did not share the family surname. But those words, sharp and dismissive, only served to ignite his cousin's fury.
The cousin's face darkened. "Old man, I've been giving you respect by calling you Patriarch. If I decide not to give you respect anymore, I'll bury you myself. Do you believe me?"
The fragile mask of civility was shattered. With no reason left to pretend, Charles's cousin turned sharply toward an older figure standing quietly behind him.
"Mr. Qi," he said, his tone shifting into something darker, "it looks like I'll have to trouble you to take action."
Only then did the rest of the family notice the man in black who had slipped in unnoticed. His very presence seemed unnatural, as if he had a way of bending attention away from himself.
The stranger pulled back his hood, revealing a face disfigured by fire. The burned flesh twisted as he smiled, the expression more terrifying than human.
"Patriarch Charles," the man said, his voice filled with venom, "do you still remember me?"
Charles's father paled instantly, his chest heaving as his breath quickened. In panic, he shouted to his people, "Quick! Go fetch Mr. Liu!"
But Mr. Qi only laughed, a sound that made the walls tremble.
"Haha! Do you really think that since I dare to stand here today, I would still fear the flames that destroyed my home?"
Charles leaned closer to his father, whispering anxiously, "Dad, who is this man?"
His father's expression froze with shame. He didn't speak—but Mr. Qi was eager to unveil the truth.
"You are Charles, right? If my child had not been slaughtered by your father, he would be about your age now." His gaze turned ice-cold. "I was once the head of the Qi family in Ravenshade City. Your father secretly wiped out my entire clan. I'm here tonight for revenge."
The revelation stunned the gathering. Murmurs rippled through the hall.
Mr. Qi went on, his words heavy with hate. "Do you have any idea what I sacrificed to become a B-class talent, completing the third-rank mission? Today, not a single one of your Zhou family will leave this place alive!"
Three turns? For most professionals, this was little more than a fantasy. Fear spread quickly through the crowd.
"Quick, call the guards!" someone shouted.
But Charles's father raised his hand and shook his head firmly. "No need. This matter between our families must be settled by ourselves."
He knew the truth—if the past were exposed to all of Ravenshade, his legacy would collapse. Everyone who had clawed their way to power had blood on their hands.
"Qi," Charles's father spat bitterly, "business is war. Back then, either your Qi family perished or mine did. Don't pretend you were innocent. Success and failure are the only truths that matter."
Turning to the elder dressed in crimson robes, he bowed. "Mr. Liu, I must trouble you again."
The old mage nodded calmly. "Leave it to me. I wounded him gravely once before, and the result will not change today."
Charles stood frozen, trying to comprehend the chaos unfolding. The hatred of an older generation had come crashing down upon him without warning.
The guests quickly cleared space as Mr. Qi and Mr. Liu faced each other. None wanted to be caught between their blows.
When!
With a sharp sound, Mr. Liu lifted a staff that shimmered with Baijin metal. It was one of the Zhou family's greatest treasures.
Mr. Qi only laughed at the sight. "A mage who hasn't even completed three turns, carrying a Baijin staff? Trash holding a jewel!"
Mr. Liu wasted no breath. With practiced skill, he summoned fire. Crimson flames swirled around him, deepening until they burned a dark blood-red. He hurled the first blazing sphere straight at Mr. Qi.
The fireball struck, blasting apart the marble floor and reducing priceless furniture to ash—but Mr. Qi had vanished.
Snarling, Mr. Liu conjured fireball after fireball, unleashing them in a torrential storm. The fiery barrage pounded the air, lighting the hall as though the sun itself had fallen inside.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The attacks thundered like a rain of meteors, shaking the house's foundations. Guests screamed and fled outside, abandoning their belongings.
And then—it ended.
As the smoke cleared, a horrifying sight appeared. Mr. Liu's severed head rolled across the floor, his lifeless eyes wide in shock.
Mr. Qi stood unharmed, not a scratch on him.
All of Mr. Liu's fire had missed. In a blur of shadows, Qi had closed the distance and driven his dagger through the mage's throat.
He sneered, kicking the head away. "Still using the same tricks? Did you think I would fall for them again?"
The hall plunged into terror. Even Charles's father did not look surprised, but his wife Nan Nan whispered in horror, "Is this…retribution?"
Seeing no way out, Charles's father shoved a sealed anonymous card into his son's hands.
"Charles," he barked, "take this and run! Everyone, scatter! Do not return to Ravenshade—ever. Just go home!"
The order was unnecessary; panic had already broken loose. Guests shoved each other in their rush to escape.
Charles's father stayed behind, stepping forward to block Qi's advance. His voice broke with desperation.
"Qi, you've won this round. Our family will never return to Ravenshade. Take my life if you must, but spare the others!"
But Qi only grew more furious. His eyes burned with years of bottled pain.
"You dare lecture me now? When I begged for mercy, what did you do? You crushed my family. And now you want me to show kindness?"
His dagger gleamed as he pointed at Charles. "He is the heir you've chosen, isn't he? Then you can watch me kill him, and feel the despair of losing your son!"
Qi blurred into motion, faster than sight. Charles's father lunged to block, but couldn't even brush his sleeve.
Charles stood frozen, paralyzed by fear as the cold blade descended.
Shhh—Ding!
A sudden streak of light split the air. With a sharp metallic clang, Qi's dagger spun to the ground.
Gasps erupted as everyone turned. Qi's right hand—once holding the blade—was now severed cleanly.
Blood poured as he clutched the stump, his eyes wild with disbelief. "Impossible! How…how did you do this?"
Then he noticed it—the tiny figure clinging to Charles's collar. A blood-stained sharp-edged worker bee, its wings still buzzing furiously.
His eyes widened. "That…that's the queen bee I had given your cousin to hand over. How can you, a blacksmith, tame it?"
The question hung unanswered. The queen bee darted back, its body glowing with a deadly aura.
Panic flashed in Qi's eyes. He shoved his severed hand into his cloak and vanished again, moving to strike from stealth with his left-hand dagger.
"This time," he growled from the shadows, "I won't be careless. This time, Charles's life is mine."
But as he closed in for the kill—he realized too late.
There was more than one sharp-edged worker bee.
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