Chapter 2398 — I Understand, But the Legendary Ancient Sect Has Actually Taken Kang Jingming as a Disciple, and He Might Even Become an Elder of the Xuandan Sect?

If one said the Kang family could wipe out Wei Zhao and the Xiao family, that would be somewhat unrealistic—but if one said an ancient sect could do it, that ought to be as easy as turning one's hand, a snap of the fingers enough to annihilate them!

Never mind an ancient sect—even the hidden families were already formidable in Xiao Qinlin's eyes. If it hadn't been for the head of the hidden Pi family, who knew what state Wang Xinyan would be in now! So Xiao Qinlin was stunned...

"Qinlin, I'm doing this for the good of our Xiao family, and secondly, I don't want anything to happen to Xinyan. As for that little bastard Wei Zhao, I'd be glad to see him done away with!" Xiao Ben pulled another feint of advancing only to withdraw: "But if Kang Jingming of the Xuandan Sect steps in, even after Wei Zhao is finished, Wang Xinyan may not fare well either. Think about it—in his eyes, taking Wei Zhao's woman back to the Kang family would be a slap in the face, wouldn't it? Killing her is the best way, the solution that costs the least face! In the end, perhaps our Xiao family—you and I both—will have to die..."

"That serious!" Xiao Qinlin was badly frightened, for what Xiao Ben described was simply too terrifying.

"Yes, extremely serious!" Xiao Ben said. "This matter can actually be verified quite easily. You needn't disbelieve it. In a few days, Kang Jinglong will go sit in on Xinyan's class. At the request of the hidden You family, the You family's scion You Panhu is to cultivate a good relationship with Kang Jinglong. Xinyan will see him in a few days!"

"Ah... this..." Xiao Qinlin had indeed been nursing a hope against hope. Though afraid, she wished all the more that Xiao Ben was lying to her! But hearing him say this, Xiao Qinlin knew the matter was essentially true—in a few days, one look would settle it. The attitude of the hidden You family's scion would reveal everything!

"Qinlin, I'm telling you this in advance. As for Xinyan, talk to her, will you? Lay out the pros and cons for her. I think she's a child who knows right from wrong. She won't do anything foolish that drags everyone to their deaths!" Xiao Ben said.

"I understand..." Xiao Qinlin said somewhat weakly. "I'll talk to Xinyan, and do my best to persuade her..."

Xiao Qinlin wanted to support her daughter's choice, but if life itself were lost, what use was support? Xiao Qinlin sighed and dialed her daughter's number.

"Mom!" Wang Xinyan had been clutching her phone the whole time, waiting for Xiao Qinlin's call. Seeing the incoming call, she answered at once: "Well? Did Uncle and the others agree to break off the engagement?"

"Xinyan... ah!" Hearing the hope in her daughter's voice, Xiao Qinlin could not help sighing with heartache. "The matter... is a bit complicated!"

"Mom, what is it? Did they refuse to let me break it off?" Hearing her mother's despondent tone, Wang Xinyan guessed something, and her heart tightened.

"Yes, Xinyan... I'm sorry. I did my best... but this matter really won't work..." Xiao Qinlin said helplessly.

"Mom, do we really have to obey Uncle? Can't we choose for ourselves? Worst comes to worst, we cut ties with them and be done with it. As for the business, with Wei Zhao and the hidden Pi family looking after us, it won't do too badly..." Having made her decision, Wang Xinyan was firm and resolute.

"Xinyan, listen to me, let me explain slowly..." Xiao Qinlin gave a long sigh and told Wang Xinyan everything Xiao Ben had said, word for word: "...Xinyan, now do you see why I said it won't work? The hidden Pi family is formidable, but can they compare with an ancient sect? If you insist on choosing Wei Zhao, you'll ruin not only yourself but Wei Zhao too! Do you want him dead?"

"I..." Wang Xinyan opened her mouth, utterly astonished! Kang Jinglong's younger brother Kang Jingming had actually become the closed-door disciple of the fifth elder of the ancient sect Xuandan, and the future heir to the elder's position? How was the Kang family so lucky?

"Xinyan, you're my only daughter, and I don't want anything to happen to you..." Xiao Qinlin pressed on. "Sometimes, loving someone doesn't mean you have to be with them. As long as he's safe and happy, that too is a kind of joy, isn't it?"

"Mom... I understand..." Wang Xinyan sighed faintly and smiled wryly at herself. She had never expected her decision to die stillborn before she could even carry it out! Yes—if she forced herself to be with Wei Zhao, she would ruin not only herself but Wei Zhao as well!

"Xinyan, think it over carefully, calm yourself down!" Xiao Qinlin was not feeling well either. "If you can't work it out, call me again..."

"Okay..." Wang Xinyan quietly hung up, and the tears came despite herself. Were they a memorial, perhaps, to this love that was to wither before it ever bloomed? Freedom to love had become a luxury in a family like hers...

Unwilling as she was, Wang Xinyan did not want to bring trouble to Wei Zhao! After a moment's hesitation, she dialed Wu Chengtian's number.

"Sister-in-law Xinyan?" Wu Chengtian was taken aback—he had not expected Wang Xinyan to call him! True, after her kidnapping she had saved his number, but she had never called, so Wu Chengtian was rather surprised.

"Wu Chengtian, let me ask you something—are ancient sects very powerful?" Wang Xinyan asked directly.

"Ancient sects?" Wu Chengtian was startled, not knowing why Wang Xinyan would ask such a thing. But assuming she had merely heard of them somewhere and was curious, he answered offhandedly: "Naturally they're powerful. Ancient sects are far mightier than the hidden families. Sister-in-law Xinyan, why do you ask all of a sudden?"

"Then... compared with Wei Zhao?" Wang Xinyan asked again.

"This..." Wu Chengtian was even more taken aback. He had not expected Wang Xinyan's thoughts to leap so far, comparing them directly to Wei Zhao. For a moment he was at a loss—he did not want to belittle Wei Zhao in front of her, yet he dared not boast recklessly either, so he could only say: "In the future, the Boss will definitely be even stronger than the ancient sects! Look—the Boss used to be no match even for an ordinary secular family, badly suppressed under the Yu family, yet later he successfully wiped out the Yu family and brought all the ordinary families under his wing, founding the Cultivators' Association! Now he's marching on the hidden families. Look, the hidden Han family and the hidden Pi family are both the Boss's underlings now and have joined the Cultivators' Association. So it's only a matter of time before the Boss conquers the ancient sects as well..."

"I understand. Thank you." Wang Xinyan gave a faint sigh in her heart and hung up...

How could she fail to catch Wu Chengtian's meaning? It was that Wei Zhao simply had no ability to stand against the ancient sects right now—for the moment, he could just barely swallow a few hidden families! RQ