Chapter 343: The One Who Was Sacrificed

"Slap!"

The piercing sound, coupled with Kong Yueqing's instantly red and swollen cheek, allowed one to clearly feel just how heavy this slap was.

Standing nearby, Kong Yueling was so startled that she gasped and instinctively covered her own face.

Gan Hua and Ruan Tao's expressions also changed. They knew of Kong Xiang's temper, but they had not expected him to erupt with such fury.

Among them, only Kong Nian let out a cold sneer, clearly quite satisfied with Kong Xiang's actions.

Kong Yueqing was stunned by the blow. It wasn't until blood began to trickle from the corner of her mouth that she realized what had just happened.

Her entire right cheek was numb, as if it didn't even belong to her.

Her pupils contracted violently as she stared at Kong Xiang in disbelief.

"You... you dare hit me?!"

Her voice became incredibly shrill.

Her father was one of the clan elders; no one had ever dared to treat her this way!

Kong Xiang gazed at her coldly, his low voice laced with the intensity of a raging storm.

"You have been acting out and provoking others all along this journey. While in the carriage, the Young Lady and I already warned you, yet instead of showing restraint, you went and challenged the Ma family. It would have been one thing if you had won today, but instead, you have completely disgraced the clan."

This reprimand caused Kong Yueqing to clutch her swollen cheek, her eyes turning bloodshot.

"I lost, but I did it for the clan! Is it right that I must just swallow my pride whenever the Ma family provokes me?"

At this moment, she had truly reached her breaking point. Previously, she wouldn't even dare to breathe heavily in front of Kong Xiang, but now, fueled by rage, she directly roared back in confrontation.

"Do you truly think we cannot see whether you are doing this for the clan or for your own selfish desires? Kong Yueqing, the Clan Leader sent you all out to assist the Young Lady, not to cause trouble at every turn."

Kong Xiang was no longer showing Kong Yueqing even a shred of leniency.

Kong Yueqing had originally wanted to gain their help; she never expected it to end like this. How could she not feel hatred?

"Is it true that in your hearts and in your eyes, there is only this Kong Nian, and everyone else is completely unworthy of mention?"

She was unwilling! She refused to accept it!

Her wildly shaking gaze swept past Kong Xiang to look at Gan Hua, Kong Yueling, and Ruan Tao.

"And you all—do you not understand my intentions either? We are all members of the Kong family. Why is it that Kong Nian was born superior to everyone else? While we can only be her followers and subordinates, obeying her every word without question? Are you truly content with this?"

Since things had come to this, she felt there was nothing left to hide and simply let everything explode.

Gan Hua's brow furrowed tightly; he even felt that Kong Yueqing had lost her mind.

"Junior Sister Kong, stop talking. Hurry and admit your mistake and apologize to Martial Uncle Kong."

"Apologize? Why should I apologize? You know nothing, yet you are all forcing me to apologize! I did nothing wrong! Even if I lost tonight, I did it for the Kong family!"

Kong Yueqing was completely dominated by rage, unable to listen to a single word of advice.

"Martial Uncle Kong, open your eyes and look! I am also a member of the Kong family. When I was being bullied outside just now, shouldn't you have protected me?"

"My duty is only to protect the Young Lady. You have caused enough trouble tonight." The gaze Kong Xiang directed at her no longer held a trace of emotion. After speaking, he turned to Kong Yueling. "Take her back to her room. Without my permission, she is not to step foot outside her door."

If it weren't for the upcoming journey to the Ancestral Land where she might still be useful, he would have imprisoned her directly.

"Kong Xiang, by what right do you confine me? Since you cannot protect me, then do not meddle in my affairs! I am going back right now, and I will tell my father everything you have done to me here!"

Kong Yueqing screamed and shouted. She wasn't without a backer; in the clan, her father's status was second only to the Clan Leader, so no one dared to provoke her either.

She thought her threat would make Kong Xiang compromise, but he merely gave her a look that made her heart tremble with fear—a look she couldn't begin to decipher.

"What are you still standing there for? Take her away, quickly."

Kong Xiang's urge snapped Kong Yueling, Gan Hua, and Ruan Tao out of their stupor.

Under the tugging of the three, Kong Yueqing had no room to struggle and was dragged out of Kong Nian's room.

The room finally fell silent.

"Uncle Kong, this Kong Yueqing is truly becoming more and more audacious. She even dares to talk back to you," Kong Nian said, her words carrying a hidden meaning.

Although Kong Xiang was merely her personal guard and appeared to hold no high status, she knew that the person the Clan Leader trusted most in the entire clan was Kong Xiang.

Furthermore, even she was unclear as to what Kong Xiang's true strength was.

Kong Xiang suppressed his hostility. "She is still too young; she cannot be compared to you, Young Lady, in any way."

This single sentence not only answered Kong Nian's question but also lifted her mood significantly.

"However, letting someone like that enter the Ancestral Land with us... will there be trouble?"

A shrewd light flickered deep in Kong Nian's eyes. Kong Yueqing was like a mad dog; she wouldn't just bite Su Yan and the Ma family, she would also bite her relentlessly.

Now that she had very little spiritual power left, it would be a massive problem if Kong Yueqing discovered it. This was the perfect opportunity to use the situation to refuse Kong Yueqing's participation.

"Young Lady, rest assured. With me accompanying you, she won't be able to stir up much trouble. And..." Kong Xiang actually paused at the crucial moment.

Kong Nian immediately pressed, "And what?"

"And bringing Kong Yueqing along will serve a great purpose." Kong Xiang only offered a hint, but Kong Nian immediately thought of something, her eyes darting incessantly.

"She is the daughter of the Second Elder, after all."

Thinking of that possibility, even Kong Nian found it hard to believe.

Gan Hua and Kong Yueling were one thing; they were just ordinary disciples of the clan, so it wouldn't matter much even if they were sacrificed. But Kong Yueqing had status.

Kong Xiang revealed a cold smile. "So what? She has targeted the Young Lady time and time again. It is her honor to sacrifice her life for the interests of the Kong family. Besides, the Second Elder has many children, and she is not the most outstanding among them."

This explanation made Kong Nian feel quite excited.

Previously, she hadn't been entirely at ease with Kong Xiang, but now she truly regarded him as her most trusted person.

"Uncle Kong, you are still the best to me."

To kill two birds with one stone—she had directly used him to remove the eyesore that was Kong Yueqing.

The expression on Kong Xiang's face vanished without a trace, and he reverted to being that solemn protector once more.

Kong Nian let out a satisfied sigh of relief. "It's getting late. Uncle Kong, you should head back early as well. You have to enter the Zhou family's Ancestral Land with us tomorrow."

When she mentioned entering together, she deliberately emphasized the words.

There was a very strict age limit for entering the Zhou family's Ancestral Land, but they had already thought of a way to manipulate it perfectly.

(End of Chapter)