Chapter 175

Chapter 175: Zhou Nan’s Troubles

With Wen Yu now acting as an inside agent, any progress made by the Regent’s faction in their search for the Emperor would be completely exposed to the Qin Family.

When the Regent’s faction finally located the Emperor, that moment would also become the perfect opportunity for the Qin Family to eliminate him permanently.

The only remaining threat to the Qin Family’s rule was the Emperor himself—Or rather, the Emperor’s return to the Empire.

Qin Xian couldn’t wait for the moment when the Emperor, believing he was returning to loyal forces, would instead find himself surrounded by nothing but Qin Family loyalists.

What kind of expressions would the Emperor and Lu Ji make when they realized the truth?

Returning to the Empire? No.

The moment the Emperor personally led his campaign into the Void, he had already sealed his fate. The Empire now belonged to the Qin Family.

While chaos engulfed the Imperial Capital, Zhou Nan was completely unaware of these unfolding events. Or rather, he simply didn’t have the time to care.

Because right now, his position in the Zhou Family was worsening rapidly.

Ever since returning from the Divine Revelation Auction, his “dear sister” Zhou Zhiqing had only become more hostile toward him.

Previously, her attitude toward him had been one of mocking disdain and general disgust.

But now—It had escalated into outright hostility and aggression.

Even worse, Zhou Nan had noticed that the Zhou Family’s Matriarch had grown increasingly hostile toward him as well.

She wasn’t just displeased with him—there was actual killing intent in her eyes.

For this reason, Zhou Nan had chosen to remain at home, skipping even the Void Hunting Trial.

Perhaps this decision had been a stroke of luck.

After all, the Void Hunting Trial had resulted in a catastrophic disaster, with a Void Invasion breaking out and thousands of participants dying.

His father, Zhou Xingkong, had not returned home for days, staying at the Imperial Security Council to deal with the crisis.

Thinking about his father, Zhou Nan’s heart remained calm and indifferent. After all, he had no emotional attachment to him.

Zhou Xingkong had never been a presence in his life.

– He had grown up without ever meeting his father.

– He had been raised by his mother, only for her to pass away when he was in high school.

– Even when his father acknowledged him and brought him to the Imperial Capital, he had barely spoken to him.

Zhou Nan lay on his bed, irritated and frustrated.

At the Divine Revelation Auction, he had finally met Qin Xian, but—He hadn’t been able to copy Qin Xian’s skill.

His ability was powerful—even game-breaking—but the activation conditions were too strict. He needed to maintain direct contact for 30 seconds.

During the auction, he had used his father’s name as an excuse to shake Qin Xian’s hand. But it had only lasted a few seconds before Qin Xian withdrew.

He had no choice but to let go. After all—He couldn’t just forcibly grab Qin Xian’s hand and refuse to let go.

That would be too suspicious. It might even make Qin Xian realize something was wrong. But giving up?

That was something Zhou Nan couldn’t accept. Qin Xian’s SSS-tier profession was like an ultimate temptation—constantly beckoning him.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Zhou Nan’s mind. The Divine-Demon Trial was approaching soon. And Qin Xian would definitely participate.

His eyes flickered with hesitation for a moment before his expression hardened. Then, he sat up abruptly, making a firm decision—He would participate as well.

This was his best chance to try again. Even if it was dangerous, he couldn’t stay hidden forever.

Besides—He wasn’t as weak as he appeared to be. Officially, he was classified as an A-Rank professional.

But in reality, he was already a dual-SS-class Necromancer Grand Priest.

By joining the Divine-Demon Trial, he wouldn’t just have another chance to copy Qin Xian’s abilities—He would also have access to countless other prodigies from all over the world.

If he could steal some of their talents, his strength would grow even faster. Now, he had multiple reasons to go.

Meanwhile, In the Zhou Family’s Inner Chambers…

Zhou Nan wasn’t the only one frustrated. The Zhou Family’s Matriarch, Ji Lanyue, was equally furious.

Ever since she had learned that Qin Xian seemed to favor Zhou Nan, she had wanted nothing more than to see him dead.

She knew how powerful the Qin Family had become—their influence was only growing.

And the stronger the Qin Family became, the greater the risk that they would support Zhou Nan as the Zhou Family’s heir.

Ji Lanyue had already set many plans in motion, preparing to silently eliminate Zhou Nan.

But to her annoyance—He hadn’t left the house even once. As much as she wanted to kill him, she couldn’t just have him assassinated inside the Zhou Family’s estate.

That would be too reckless.

But then—A middle-aged woman entered the room, her face filled with excitement.

“Madam, we just received word—Zhou Nan is leaving the Imperial Capital to participate in the Divine-Demon Trial!”

Ji Lanyue’s eyes lit up. An opportunity had finally presented itself.

She smirked coldly, “So, he’s finally walking toward his own death?”

Her voice was laced with malice. Finally, she could make her move. She leaned forward, lowering her voice as she gave instructions to the woman.

“Make sure it’s done cleanly. Eliminate him, and erase all traces.” Then, after a brief pause, she added, “And the ones carrying out the attack—silence them permanently once the job is done.”

She wasn’t taking any chances. Zhou Nan had met Qin Xian before. If Qin Xian somehow found out that the Zhou Family was responsible for his death, and he decided to investigate…

The consequences would be unimaginable. The woman hesitated for a moment before reassuring her, “Madam, a figure like Qin Xian has his hands full with imperial politics.”

“He’s probably not even paying attention to Zhou Nan. Even if Zhou Nan dies, Qin Xian may not care at all.”

Ji Lanyue narrowed her eyes. Then, after a moment of contemplation—She smirked once more, “That may be true…But we’ll make sure he never finds out.”