A family of widows, all shouldered, raising the dragon flag!

"As a member of the Qin family, how could I back down just because I'm not confident?"

"Moreover, if my Qin family backs down today, then tomorrow the Li family, the Zhao family, the Sun family..."

"Grandson, you must strike hard enough to avoid being punched a hundred times!"

The Chen family is, after all, a prominent and influential family!

The offerings are all made by cultivators at the tenth level of perfection, so it's inevitable that there will be beings with even higher cultivation levels!

If he were to encounter them, he wouldn't be confident, but as long as they weren't at the Vajra Mortal Realm level, he was confident he could escape!

Moreover, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure!

He believed that as long as the matriarch remained in power, the Chen family would not be able to cause any trouble!

The old lady heard this!

His cloudy eyes instantly brightened.

"Not bad, worthy of being a son of the Qin family!"

"How do you plan to seek justice for this?"

Qin Ze said calmly, "Just like the Chen family did back then, we'll repay them a hundredfold!"

"Prepare hemp clothing and a coffin for the entire Chen family!"

"Those who have wronged the Qin family will either have to wear mourning clothes and admit their mistake, or they'll be lying in a coffin!"

This answer filled the old lady with satisfaction!

"Well-reasoned and supported by evidence, excellent!"

"Come with me!"

"Grandmother is giving you the Qin family's heirloom!"

Qin Ze was taken aback, then quickly followed!

Let's go to the backyard!

It was the same secret chamber entrance that the old matriarch had opened last time!

Upon entering the cave, the stone walls on both sides were instantly illuminated!

Qin Ze originally thought it was a training ground!

But he soon realized something was wrong!

Because this is a road that leads to who-knows-where!

It wasn't until the old lady led him to the entrance of a waterfall cave that he heard shouts of killing outside.

This waterfall perfectly conceals the Qin family's secret passage!

Similarly, the sound of the waterfall also drowns out all other noises.

The old lady led him out of the waterfall!

The world suddenly became solemn and desolate!

The armor gleamed like ink, shooting straight into the sky.

The phrase "armor gleams in the sun, like golden scales unfolding" perfectly described the moment in Qin Ze's mind!

Rows of iron-blooded warriors clad in dark black scale armor stood like deep pools and towering mountains on the vast training ground. Every inch of their armor gleamed with a cold, sharp light, and every aura they exuded was as heavy as an ancient, towering mountain.

The most terrifying thing is that all of these thousands of soldiers are at the eighth level of cultivation!

His vital energy surged like smoke rising into the sky, and his oppressive aura swept across all directions, so immense that even the air seemed to freeze.

The aura of the leading figures at the front was terrifying to the extreme, far surpassing that of the others by a hundredfold.

The old lady slowly took a step forward!

The next moment, the crowd roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens:

"Greetings, Madam!"

"Greetings, Madam!"

The sound was like ten thousand horses galloping and thunder rolling!

The terrifying sound waves and pressure intertwined, and Qin Ze, who was standing to the side, felt his blood surging and his mind trembling. He was almost forced to kneel down by this overwhelming power!

Seeing the look of shock in Qin Ze's eyes, the old lady was very satisfied!

"Grandmother, what is this?"

Qin Ze was utterly shocked! It was as if he had been struck by lightning!

"These are the Inkscale Guards left to my Qin family by the late emperor!"

"This is also the true foundation of my Qin family!"

"Before, you were aimless, dissolute, and utterly incapable of shouldering any responsibility. I never expected you to be the one to bring honor to the family!"

"But you are, after all, of the Qin family bloodline. Even if you are impotent, you still need to have children!"

"Your descendants will surely be able to carry on the Qin family's banner!"

"And this is the final trump card to ensure the continued existence of the Qin family's foundation!"

"But now, I've decided to give it to you ahead of schedule!"

The old matriarch stepped forward, her imposing aura pressing down like a mountain. Her tone was stern and solemn, carrying an unquestionable air of examination and expectation, as she demanded, word by word:

"If you take over them, you'll become the head of the Qin family. Do you dare to agree?!"

At this moment, the thousands of black-armored, black-scaled soldiers all turned their piercing gazes toward Qin Ze.

Their eyes held incomprehension and doubt; the纨绔 (wan ku, spoiled brat) of the Qin family was destined to lead them to their doom.

Even so, what they saw most was the courage and loyalty of fighting to the death!

boom!

Qin Ze unleashed his cultivation power!

The power of the dragon and elephant was not concealed at all, and the powerful blood and energy stirred up gusts of sand and dust that spread in all directions.

The confusion and doubt in the eyes of the thousands of Xuanjia Molin soldiers instantly turned into intense fervor.

They acknowledge and obey the strong, and they had heard about Qin Ze's past actions.

I thought I was going to fall into the hands of a spoiled brat, but I never expected that the other party was a hidden dragon in the abyss!

"Grandson! I will certainly not fail my grandmother's expectations!"

"My grandson is perfectly capable of holding onto the position of head of the family!"

"The Qin family will surely rise again in my grandson's hands!"

Seeing Qin Ze's attitude!

The old lady nodded in satisfaction.

He slowly placed the family head's token from his body into Qin Ze's hand.

The moment the patriarch's decree fell into Qin Ze's hands.

The thousands of Xuanjia Molin Guards all bowed to Qin Ze!

"Greetings, Master of the House!"

"Greetings, Master of the House!"

At that moment, Qin Ze understood that from this day forward, he would share life and death with these people.

Each of them is a soldier of the Qin family, but more importantly, they are the treasures that protect the Qin family's enduring legacy!

"Get up, everyone!"

At Qin Ze's command, everyone stood up in unison, their synchronized movements making Qin Ze realize that this was an elite force among elites.

It was no worse than any of the teams led by his father and brothers.

"Ze'er, go to the Chen family, just take them with you!"

"Anyone not in a free-for-all realm can be slaughtered!"

Hearing this, Qin Ze was utterly shocked.

He had considered that this army was very strong!

But I never imagined it would be this strong.

"Grandmother, is the Emperor aware of their existence?"

Seeing a hint of worry flash in Qin Ze's eyes, the old lady smiled with satisfaction.

"If it were the old you, I certainly wouldn't have let the emperor know about their existence!"

"But what if the emperor knows about you now?"

"This is the highest honor bestowed upon the Qin family by the late Emperor!"

"Your father and brothers died in battle on the frontier, and his casual imperial edict is all it takes to determine the Qin family's stance?"

"Your father and brothers are besieged, yet no one from the imperial court is coming to their aid! How could the Empress of Northern Mang so conveniently manage to annihilate them?"

"His Majesty feels that our Qin family poses a threat to him!"

"In that case, he should be made aware of what a real threat is!"

These words made Qin Ze clench his fists.

He understood that his grandmother was suppressing her anger.

His deceased father and brothers were the Song Dynasty version of Yue Fei!

But he is not Yue Yun!

Serving the country with utmost loyalty is no problem!

But if this country doesn't recognize you, then what country are you serving with such loyalty?

The country in his heart is the people, not the so-called supreme ruler in the imperial court!

"Grandmother, don't worry, this is something I'm best at!"

Qin Ze slowly turned around!

Looking at those brave and resolute young men.

A confident smile spread across his lips.

The Qin family has three thousand black-scaled creatures!

Gentlemen!

Listen to the dragon's roar!

……

As Qin Ze departed!

The old matriarch returned to the mansion, slowly walked into the ancestral hall, and bowed deeply to the ancestors of the Qin family!

"Our ancestors are above!"

"My Qin family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, guarding the northern frontier and protecting the people for centuries. Fathers and sons have fought side by side, brothers have died for their country, and not a single member of our family has ever dishonored our integrity, nor have we ever failed the court or the people of this world!"

"But now! My eldest son and grandson died in battle on the northern frontier, and the mourning hall has not yet been removed, yet these treacherous villains dare to come to my door to bully and humiliate me, the widow of the Qin family, and dishonor the reputation of my entire Qin family!"

"Today, I will break the Qin family's previous rules and personally protect my grandson!"

"Just to preserve the last vestige of my Qin family bloodline!"

Even if the Emperor were to come charging with his sword, I would not retreat!

After saying this, the old lady slowly stood up!

She exhaled a breath of stale air, the sorrow in her eyes fading away, leaving only a cold and resolute expression.

She turned and entered the dark room of the ancestral hall, taking out a dusty sandalwood box. Inside the box was the first-rank imperial robes bestowed by the late emperor—black brocade with red gold trim, embroidered with four-clawed dragon patterns and auspicious cloud designs. It was the highest reward from the court to the Qin family for their loyalty and bravery, and she never wore it on ordinary days.

Wearing this garment, it is evident that the late emperor did not kneel, and even the current emperor must show respect and bow to her!

Dressed in elaborate attire, with her hair adorned with jewels, the old matriarch's aura shifted dramatically. Shedding the sorrow of mourning clothes, she exuded the nobility and majesty of a noblewoman, her fierce expression even surpassing that of the armored warriors.

Without a single soldier or imperial carriage, she walked alone slowly out of the Qin residence and went straight into the palace!

She traveled the only route for civil and military officials to attend court and for members of the royal family to travel. On ordinary days, the area was bustling with carriages and horses, and officials and dignitaries gathered there.

But today, the old matriarch walked alone on it, dressed in the imperial robes bestowed upon her by the emperor. All the passing carriages and horses stopped and gave way, and the imperial guards bowed in unison. The entire Zhuque Street fell silent instantly, and even the wind seemed to stand still.

Inside the palace!

Emperor Renzong of the Great Zhou Dynasty had a face full of frost!

He had already issued an imperial decree to the Qin family not long ago!

But the Qin family not only showed no gratitude, they now want to enter the palace?

This clearly shows dissatisfaction with his arrangements as emperor!

"Your Majesty, the matriarch of the Qin family has come to plead guilty!"

The eunuch's announcement stunned all the officials in the court.

"Hmm? Apologize?"