Above the Galaxy
Chapter 149 - 111: Kids, are you full?

Chapter 149: Chapter 111: Kids, are you full?

Qin Jianyi’s heart sank slightly as he asked aloud, "What crisis is the Qin Family facing?"

"Before discussing the crisis facing the Qin Family, Elder Brother should first understand the current situation. The King deeply distrusts the nine major families, wooing them on one hand and striking them on the other. The Shen Family has now completely retired from public affairs, rarely making statements in matters of government..."

Qin Jianyi couldn’t help but sneer as he said, "Shen Wuxiang occupies the core position, holding the post of the Imperial Martial Minister, and controls most of the Empire’s armies under his command... Do their statements and pronouncements matter? As long as they have control over the military, who would dare touch a hair on the Shen Family?"

"Yes, that is precisely the source of our Qin Family’s crisis. Father has been serving as the deputy in the Flame-Bathed Legion for many years, and the current leader of the Flame-Bathed Legion, Tang Shengyan, is about to step down, and various forces want to take this position for themselves..."

"I’m aware of this. I serve in the Flame-Bathed Legion; how could I not understand what’s going on here? There are plenty of competitors, and our Qin Family cannot outcompete Shen Fangweng of the Shen Family..."

"Have you considered what the King wants? If we let the Shen Family take over the leadership of the Flame-Bathed Legion again, out of the Empire’s four ace legions, the King will only be able to fully trust the Imperial Guard Army. The Phoenix Dance Army was originally an elite royal army but has been infiltrated by the major powers over the years, ending up like a sieve..."

"The Undying Army can be considered the Shen Family’s own forces, having emerged with the Shen Family from mountains of corpses and seas of blood... Perhaps even the King’s words are less influential than Shen Wuxiang’s..."

"With this in mind, does our father have a chance?"

"I’ve discussed it with father; while he says so, but... how could the Shen Family let go of this position easily? Even if they don’t take it, they would never allow our Qin Family to have it..." Qin Jianyi said, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Yes, the ultimate situation for this position may be that neither the Shen Family nor the Qin Family can get it, and in the end, it might fall into the hands of a third family..."

"If I’m not mistaken, it should be the Yu Family... Although the Yu Family is part of the royal family, they are also one of the nine major families. After Empress Yu Sineng passed away, they have been beaten down by the Royal Family for years... Perhaps, this time Zhong Daolong will give them some compensation."

"Then where is our Qin Family’s crisis?"

"It lies with Elder Brother."

"What crisis do I have?"

"Because father has vied for the position of leader of the Flame-Bathed Legion, and the Qin Family is also one of the nine major families, it is natural for the King to disapprove of us... In recent years, Elder Brother has achieved illustrious military merits in the Flame-Bathed Legion but has never had the chance to be promoted. Don’t you find that odd?"

"Father said it’s better for me to solidify my experience for a few more years, that rising too quickly would mean an unstable foundation."

"Although that’s what he says, things aren’t that simple. If there’s a good position available, wouldn’t father want to fight for it for you? You’ve always been a deputy or a sideshow general, but you’ve never been the head of a side."

"So, if this matter is settled, my crisis will be resolved?"

"If I’m not wrong, Elder Brother should be promoted this time, with the opportunity to independently command a battalion."

"Is it because I came forward to compete against Tang Fei?"

"No, it’s a signal to the King," Qin Yuyang said aloud.

"What signal?"

"First, we understand him. We know what is on his mind. Second, we help him. We can do the things he wants to do but cannot do himself."

"How so?"

"The King only has one daughter, Zhong Yu Xiu Xue; how could he be willing to see his precious daughter mingling with a commoner from the Old Land every day? No matter how exceptional that young man is, he’s not in the King’s considerations..."

"Moreover, that Tang Fei has been gaining prominence recently, first defeating Shen Qingping using the realm of Sword Qi and then entering the Star Sky ranking. Many people are stirring things up behind the scenes, exaggerating his close relationship with Zhong Yu Xiu Xue... The King must be extremely enraged by now, right?"

"But, Tang Fei is his daughter’s lifesaver, and their relationship is very good. If the King forcefully intervenes, he risks not only appearing cold and heartless, but also damaging the relationship between father and daughter..."

"At this time, someone needs to stand up and help him. Help him do what he wants to do, to stand up and tell everyone that this is not the outcome he wants to see."

"If that’s the case, why am I the only one who’s stood up? Why haven’t the others come forward? They couldn’t possibly have failed to perceive the King’s intentions."

"Some people have realized this, so they incited Shen Qingping to knock Tang Fei out of the game. But unexpectedly, Tang Fei’s explosive power was astonishing, and he managed to break through the barriers that Shen Qingping had set for him..."

"Shen Qingping is just a small character, but behind him stands the Shen Family, the foremost of the great families. It’s said that after this incident, Princess Xing Lan personally went to Luojia Mountain, and to express the Shen Family’s apologies, Shen Boyu gifted Tang Fei with the rare treasure, the Luminous Pearl..."

"Does the Shen Family fear the Princess’s authority?" Qin Jianyi shook his head and said, "That’s unrealistic."

"Yes. But no one dares to underestimate the cunning of that old man. He prompts others to do what he’s unwilling to do... Before figuring out the strangeness behind it all, who would strike first?"

"Thus, all the families are currently in a state of silent inaction, waiting to see how the play unfolds. More precisely, everyone is waiting for your and Shen Xinglan’s reactions..."

"Because we are the most intense competitors?" Qin Jianyi squinted his eyes and smiled.

"Yes. Let the young people create a fuss first. When the young people can no longer control the situation and things become clear, the elders from each family will then come forward to speak up, have a drink, and put the matter to rest."

"As for Tang Fei, whether he lives or dies... who really cares?"

"Did you come up with all this on your own?" Qin Jianyi asked aloud.

"I’ve also talked about it a few times with Grandpa," Qin Yuyang said aloud.

Qin Jianyi thought privately that outsiders considered Qin Yuyang rather unremarkable in the Qin Family, yet the old family head had a clear understanding of his grandchildren’s talents and capabilities, and no one could escape his discerning eyes.

Every day, the old man devoted himself to cultivation and wellness, making it exceedingly difficult for even Father and those uncles to catch a glimpse of him. Yet he was willing to invite Qin Yuyang to his side for meals and chats...

Could it be that Grandpa actually regarded Qin Yuyang as the core figure of the younger generation?

Those adept at wielding a sword would at most become a general.

But Qin Yuyang, who excelled in using his wits, was destined to become the next Family Head, orchestrating strategies from behind the scenes, achieving victories from a thousand miles away?

With this in mind, Qin Jianyi felt a vague sense of loss.

He then reflected that this was his brother, overseeing the central Phoenix City, while he himself led soldiers across the starry galaxy—this was not an unwelcome prospect.

"You have been residing in Phoenix City for a long time and can see things more clearly," Qin Jianyi looked at Qin Yuyang and praised him aloud.

Qin Yuyang could not help but smile wryly and said, "What’s the use of seeing things clearly? The situation has indeed been botched by me. That Little Fatty beat me up until my nose was bruised and my face swollen, and it will definitely affect the prestige of the Qin Family... I’m afraid Grandpa will even need to pull me aside for a lecture."

Qin Yuyang looked at Qin Jianyi and said, "What I don’t understand is, why did Big Brother intentionally lose?"

"I didn’t intentionally lose..." Qin Jianyi said somberly as he gazed back at Qin Yuyang, "I truly lost."

"What? How is that possible?" Qin Yuyang found it hard to accept and said, "Just some days ago during the academy enrollment assessment, that kid was merely a Mid-Level Qi Control; even if he has made breakthroughs in this period, he wouldn’t surpass Upper-Level Qi Control..."

"But, Big Brother, you entered the Tongyou three years ago, and these years of refining through military service had led to rapid progress... How could you possibly lose to him? That’s illogical."

"One level per year in the younger generation, that’s considered rapid progress, right?" Qin Jianyi asked.

"Yes. The higher the realm, the more difficult it is to advance in rank. Many people spend their entire lives stuck in the Ruyi Realm, missing that final step to become a Grandmaster," Qin Yuyang replied, "But, Big Brother, you are an entire realm higher than that kid..."

"You and Shen Qingping are different; Shen Qingping has just entered Qingyou and probably hasn’t grasped the essence of the Qingyou Realm. But you’ve been in Qingyou for years, and your next breakthrough will be Ruyi... How could you lose to a Mid-Level Qi Control?"

"Because of that one sword," Qin Jianyi’s eyes were firm, and he did not belittle Tang Fei for defeating him, "That sword, unfathomable by gods or ghosts."

"..."

"I, too, am perplexed as to why I would lose to someone at the Qi Control Realm. Yet, I am also acutely aware of that feeling... That sword qi, as agonizing as a bone-deep carbuncle, elusive and untraceable, yet it lets you know it’s omnipresent..."

"I didn’t want to injure myself, so I gave up my original killing move and used sword to block sword. Hastily changing my tactic, I leaked much of my sword qi, naturally allowing him to sever half of the tree branch."

"With his freakish ability, to what realm does he actually belong?" Qin Yuyang asked.

Qin Jianyi shook his head and said, "A realm is just one standard for measuring strength, not the entirety. Some people do not understand cultivation but can kill Cultivators... Ancient Martial arts are difficult to define."

"If there were another contest, would Big Brother have a chance of winning?"

"There is," Qin Jianyi confidently said.

"And if it were a life-and-death struggle?"

"Even odds."

"..."

So-called even odds meant half to death, half to life.

The outcome was uncertain.

Qin Yuyang had not expected his brother to hold such a high opinion of that refugee youth; he was still only at the Qi Control Realm, given time...

He dared not contemplate it, dared not think further.

------

As the Qin brothers were engrossed in discussions of the grand trends of the world, Tang Fei and Little Fatty were squatting on the ground enjoying a feast.

"Are you going to eat more?" Tang Fei asked.

"I’m done," said Little Fatty, patting his stomach, which indeed felt quite full.

"Then stop. We still have to eat birthday cake later," Tang Fei said.

Little Fatty’s chubby face immediately turned pale, as he panicked, "I totally forgot about the birthday cake..."

"No problem. We’ll take a couple of laps around the garden first, and by then you’ll be hungry," Tang Fei reassured him.

Little Fatty then felt relieved and said, "Let’s hurry then... walk a bit longer."

At that moment, a beautiful woman dressed in a black evening gown made her way through the crowd towards the Octagonal Pavilion, her allure captivating, her grace and charm casting enchantment all around.

She stood before Tang Fei and Little Fatty, her voice magnetic and melodious, "Little friends, have you eaten your fill?"