184 Qing Han's fury

[That guy was nothing! I had him to myself earlier, I just needed to extend my arm and grab that Xuan Core…. And then I could have easily returned to the Silver Blizzard City…. I would have been able to achieve my target so easily! ]

[I can't believe I allowed that guy to fool me! ]

[I knew that such a feat wasn't possible… those changing Xuan Qi colors didn't make any sense… how did I get fooled by it? ]

[I'm the world's biggest idiot ah! Damn it! Damn me….. ]

Whilst the Third Elder was busy repenting and redressing his mistakes, all the other experts were nervously staring at the Solitary Eagle, afraid that in case he decided to flee from the spot with all his strength then no one would be able to catch up with him; not even Shi Chang Xiao!

Shi Chang Xiao furiously roared, and then suddenly plunged into the sky like a soaring dragon: "Falcon! You wanted to fight me ah? Let's fight!"

Raindrops started scattering away from his body under the effect of his enormous Xuan Qi, and started crashing against the faces of the other people present!

The Solitary Eagle laughed loudly as he tucked the Xuan Core into his robes: "Good, let's go!" he stretched out his arms like a hawk and his body started to rise up in the sky as well!

The two Peak Spirit Xuan masters had formally acknowledged their confrontation!

Fei Meng Chen, the Three Elders of the Silver Blizzard City, Shi Chang Xiao's six helpers, and Li Wu Bei's ten disciples simultaneously leaped into the sky, and flashed forward at ghostly speeds; all of them converged at one point: The Solitary Eagle!

The Solitary Eagle laughed as he roared: "This is going to be fun!" He didn't hold anything back, 'bang', a loud explosion sounded as fragments of his Xuan Qi burst out of his body, and sent everyone scattering and flying outwards. The Solitary Eagle remained standing his ground, upright… ready for a battle!

~ The Jun Residence ~

Guan Qing Han's mind was heavy with thoughts as she walked towards her courtyard. The events of this day had been like a pipe-dream for her; her heart had felt absolute desperation and desolation at one moment, and the next moment she was left feeling happy and content.

[Although my own father abandoned me in my hour of need, but since I have such a great Uncle, and such an amazing Brother-in-law, why should I be afraid of anything? It's like Mo Xie said….. a life of shame has no meaning! ]

[Is the Xue Hun Manor really invincible? Even if they really are undefeatable…. They can only kill us….. and I won't have to worry about the complexities of this world in my death; so why should I fear death! ]

"I couldn't have imagined that he would have such a heroic spirit within him. He has proved that he is a true son of the Jun Family! And he had proved that he is Mo You's younger brother. If Mo You was here today…. Would he have made the same choice? Yes, of course… there's no doubt about it."

Qing Han's heart wasn't feeling as uncomfortable thinking about Mo You as it used to… the pain of her heart seemed a bit… very distant now...

She was walking with her head down, and didn't realize that she was almost about to bump into a person.

A burly figure was standing in front of her courtyard's doorstep.

This man was her biological father; Guan Dong Liu!

Guan Dong Liu's clothes were drenched since he had been standing in the rain for quite a while now. Even though his face was cold, his sad eyes were enough to express the pain of his heart as he looked at his daughter, but was unable to say anything to her.

Qing Han stared back at him in silence, unable to find any words to start a conversation with, and hence this father-daughter duo stood motionlessly in the rain, caught in a strange and wordless world of their own desolation.

A bolt of lightning lit up the courtyard for a split second, revealing the traces of sadness and concern on Guan Dong Liu's face.

Guan Qing Han was suddenly reminded of her childhood days, and how her father used to worry about her well-being, and suddenly her heart turned soft. Her ice-cold expression melted in an instant as she opened her mouth and whispered: "Daddy..."

"Qing Han, do you blame your daddy?" Guan Dong Liu looked at his daughter through the rain which was pouring over his head.

Qing Han blankly shook her head as an empty feeling overtook her heart.

"I don't blame you, father." She deliriously raved, "You're my father; but before that…. you're Guan Family's master. And as the master of the family, you have to bear the burden of thousands of lives and their fates on your shoulder. I understand the problem of your position, daddy..."

Guan Dong Liu sighed as he sadly bowed his head, but then raised his head again, revealing his pain-stricken but firm eyes: "Qing Han, your father obviously feels sorry for you, however, if I ever had a chance to go back in time and... I… I..."

Guan Dong Liu's deep eyes were clearly exposing the intense struggle which was taking place inside his heart as he finally finished his sentence: "….. I would still make the same choice! Since I'm the master of the family…. I will probably never be able to be a good father to you, but I ..."

Guan Qing Han shook her head: " .... Don't say that… don't…." she suddenly realized that her father was getting wet in the rain, and quickly said: "Daddy, let's go inside and talk."

"No, let's talk right here… in the rain. At least I feel sober in the rain….. I have a lot of things to say, but I don't know if I'll be able to say them if we go inside!" Guan Dong Liu smiled bitterly: "About the Xue Hun Manor and this entire matter….. even though it won't matter now, but there are a few more things that I thought that you should know..."

Guan Qing Han sighed and said: "Please tell me father….."

"At the time when we received that proposal from the Xue Hun manor, several Elders advised me to agree to the proposal immediately." Guan Dong Liu painfully closed his eyes and looked upwards at the sky, unable to look at his daughter's pale face anymore, "We aren't capable of provoking the Xue Hun Manor, but in case you were to marry Li Teng Yun, then our family would have been able to build a good relationship with them and we would have been able to climb up the ladders, which not only would not have brought the family any harm, but would have worked out in the Family's best interests….."

Guan Qing Han softly bit her lips, and grunted while her eyes started to deepen with anger; the previous ice-cold expression of her face had been restored now.

"There were two separate opinions on this matter within our house as well; Qing Bo has always been ambitious, and has wanted to dominate the entire south-east region as well, and thus he urged me to respond in agreement." Guan Dong Liu's voice became even softer: "Qing Yue and your mother insisted that I don't agree to the proposal; your mother.... Your mother has been bathing her face in tears every day since….."

Qing Han's delicate body started shivering, and tears gushed out of her eyes while her shoulders sunk in.

"Later, the Xue Hun manor put forth another condition." Guan Dong Liu was gazing at a distance: "They added that even though you will be married into their family, you wouldn't receive the title of the 'first wife', but you would still receive the same treatment otherwise. Qing Bo met with Li Jue Tian to counter this proposal, but he was denied!"

Guan Dong Liu's tone of speech was enough to indicate his sorrows: "Thereafter, Qing Bo, Qing Yue, and I travelled to the Tian Xiang City to talk to you..."

"I don't even know what I am in the eyes of the family... a commodity? Or perhaps a bargaining chip? Something they can just trade for the family's growth? Is that all I am?!"

Qing Han smiled desolately: "I didn't object when these two families decided to get engaged! Although I didn't know about Mo You's heroic temperament then, and I didn't know if he would ever shame or humiliate me, but I still couldn't object either way; because this decision was the Family's to make, and I wasn't given a choice. After I met him three times, I realized that he was very noble man, and I started liking his nature. And I was indeed very pleased with the family for making this decision, and I was very grateful to you for arranging this marriage..."

Guan Dong Liu seemed to be aware of what she was going to say, and hence he just bowed his head down.

"But later when Mo You died for the country… he died a hero! And yes, I would have spent a lifetime as his widow! And even though I was already prepared to spend my life as his widow, and even though I was already preparing to convince you and mother about it, along with the Elders of the family; at that time, the Elders actually unanimously decided that I should spend my life as a widow in the Jun Family! The reason being that the Guan Family didn't want to lose the Jun Family's patronage! Being the Guan Family's daughter, I was used an investment!"

Guan Qing Han laughed in mockery: "At that time, even though they tried to force me into it, I didn't object because I wanted to do the same anyway…. But I was doing it in the memory of my husband, whereas the Family was simply using me as a bargaining chip… a tool to maintain the relationship between the two families! I had never felt so ashamed in my entire life!"

"Shamed! A girl's most beautiful dream had been shattered, but even then her widowhood was being used to as a commodity by her family!"

"Father, as yourself, how many times has the Guan Family used the Jun Family's influence and assistance to expand their control and business in these last few years?! And now that the wind is going against us, and there's another Family, more powerful than the Jun Family, the Elders of the Guan Family have actually immediately agreed to change their stance? And now they are asking me to remarry?!"

"Daddy, what kind of reasoning is this? Isn't it enough for them to force me into marriage once? Aren't I someone else's daughter now? And moreover, I'm the daughter-in-law of their own benefactors! And now they want to sell their benefactor's daughter as well?!"