After giving Qing Lan her instructions, Qin Yan went to the study and pulled up the records on sponsorship of the Capital Martial Arts Academy.
According to the documents, a total of thirteen families jointly funded the academy. Their contributions included cultivation manuals, weapons, pills, spirit fruits, armor, and other resources.
The Qin family alone provided the largest share—sixty percent. The remaining forty percent was split among the other twelve families, including the Yun family.
Seeing this, Qin Yan let out a cold snort. He genuinely couldn't understand how Jiang Mingqing had found the nerve to shelter Gao Wei yesterday—or how he'd dared to accuse the Qin family.
Did he not realize that the lifeline of the Capital Martial Arts Academy was firmly held in the hands of these great clans?
The more Qin Yan thought about it, the more irritated he became. He tossed the documents onto the desk and summoned the steward.
The steward hurried over and bowed respectfully.
"Young Master, what are your orders?"
Qin Yan tapped the desk with his fingers.
"Notify every family that sponsors the Capital Martial Arts Academy. Have their decision-makers gather in the academy's conference room in one hour. Say there's a meeting."
After a brief pause, he added, "And don't forget to notify Jiang Mingqing."
Today's meeting was aimed squarely at Jiang Mingqing. Of course he had to be present.
"Yes, Young Master. I'll take care of it immediately."
After the steward left, Qin Yan exited the study, found Qin Zhan, and the two of them headed for the Capital Martial Arts Academy together.
…
On the way there, despite having already discussed things earlier, Qin Zhan was still uneasy. He frowned and asked,
"Yan, are you sure this is really going to be alright?"
A confident smile appeared on Qin Yan's face.
"Don't worry, Second Uncle. Today, whether he likes it or not, Jiang Mingqing has no choice but to accept it."
Seeing this, Qin Zhan stopped pressing the issue. With him present, Jiang Mingqing wouldn't dare lay a hand on Qin Yan anyway.
Before long, they arrived outside the conference room. Loud chatter spilled out from inside.
"Holy crap, did you hear about what happened yesterday?"
"Of course. Qin Shao got publicly dumped at his own engagement banquet. The Qin family's face was dragged through the dirt."
"Who cares about that? Do you know how Qin Shao handled it?"
"What else could he do? With how badly he simped for Liu Xinyao, there's no way he'd do anything to the Liu family."
"Your intel's way outdated. I'll tell you—Qin Shao wiped out the Liu family yesterday. Not a single one left alive."
"No way! Are you serious? Qin Shao was that ruthless? Didn't he adore Liu Xinyao?"
"That's exactly why he's the heir of a great clan. Personal matters are personal, but once the family's involved, he's absolutely cold-blooded."
Listening to the discussion, Qin Yan pushed the door open and walked in.
"What are you all talking about? Sounds lively."
The heads of the major families inside immediately fell silent when they saw him, their eyes filled with awe.
This was what a true heir of a great clan looked like—private matters were private, public matters were public. He drew a clean line between them and never let personal feelings interfere with the family's interests or dignity.
Jiang Mingqing was there as well, sitting off in a corner. His face was ashen, and he didn't say a word.
After all, he'd been present yesterday too, yet powerless to change anything. For a Martial Saint, that was an immense psychological blow.
Qin Yan walked to the main seat at the round table and dropped into it. Qin Zhan sat beside him, arms crossed, silent.
At that moment, Dongfang Bai, the young master of the Dongfang family, cleared his throat and asked,
"Qin Shao, you called us all here—what is this about?"
Yun Lei, the young master of the Yun family, chimed in as well.
"That's right, Cousin. Say the word. I'll be the first to back you—even if you want to tear down the Capital Martial Arts Academy."
The others quickly echoed him.
"Just give the order, Qin Shao. We'll support you all the way."
"Whatever Qin Shao says goes."
"Same here."
A faint smile appeared on Qin Yan's face.
"Since that's the case, I won't stand on ceremony. I believe one Martial Saint stationed in the capital is more than enough. Jiang Mingqing is a Martial Saint—having him manage a single academy is a waste of his talents."
"The battlefield is where he truly belongs."
Jiang Mingqing jerked his head up, staring at Qin Yan in disbelief.
"Qin Yan, are you saying you want to strip me of my position as dean? Do you even have that authority? I was jointly recommended by the Council of Elders. You have no right to touch me!"
Qin Yan snorted coldly.
"If you don't agree, then there's no need for the Capital Martial Arts Academy to continue existing."
The Council of Elders Jiang Mingqing referred to was the highest authority in Great Xia. All Martial Saints were members of it—Jiang Mingqing included.
That said, while Martial Saints were powerful and held lofty status, their individual influence within the council was limited.
The true power lay with the three Martial Gods. Each had their own supporters, and those supporters were other Martial Saints.
On the surface, it looked like a balance of three powers. In reality, the Qin family dominated, because they controlled two-thirds of Great Xia's military.
As a result, the majority of Martial Saints aligned themselves with the Qin family. Out of the thirty-six Martial Saints in all of Great Xia, twenty belonged to the Qin camp, ten to the Jiang camp, and six to the Ji camp. Jiang Mingqing was part of the Jiang faction.
Because the Qin family's power was so overwhelming, other clans and forces had long felt oppressed by their dominance.
In the original course of events, Qin Yan's grandfather's death had involved the Jiang family's Martial God as well.
That was why the Jiang family was already on Qin Yan's list for reckoning—though for now, he couldn't touch them yet.
But soon enough. Once Qin Qi broke through to the Martial Emperor realm, it would be the Jiang family's day of annihilation.
For the moment, however, the priority was dealing with Jiang Mingqing.
The Qin family hadn't made a move in the capital for many years. Yet now, they'd been targeted by a Martial Saint and a half-step Martial Saint.
Qin Yan intended to seize this opportunity to bare the Qin family's fangs—to show everyone exactly what happened when the Qin family was provoked.
Jiang Mingqing paid little heed to the threat. He sneered.
"Qin Yan, you talk big. The Capital Martial Arts Academy has existed for centuries. What right do you have to make it disappear?"
Not just him—others in the room also turned to look at Qin Yan. They felt his statement was a bit too arrogant.
The Capital Martial Arts Academy was one of the nation's top institutions, directly overseen by the Council of Elders. No matter how influential Qin Yan was, he couldn't possibly outrank the council itself.
Several families aligned with the Jiang camp even showed open disdain. They felt yesterday's events had gone to Qin Yan's head—that he'd become drunk on his own power.
Even Qin Zhan looked at Qin Yan with concern. This move really might be a misstep.
He was still too young—too prone to acting on impulse.
Faced with their skeptical gazes, Qin Yan let out a cold laugh and pulled out a document.
"Of all the pills, manuals, weapons, battle armor, and other resources within the Capital Martial Arts Academy, sixty percent come from the Qin family."
"Jiang Mingqing, if I were to cut off all those supplies starting this month, how much impact do you think that would have on the academy?"