A Divorce Letter

Three years without cultivation, now revisiting that burning sensation of blazing flames, ten days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Within those ten days, using the "Eternal Purgatory Phoenix" as the main subject of cultivation, Li Tianming observed and learned, splitting the cultivation results evenly. By today, one person and one chicken bore the same quality and quantity of Beast Origin flowing through them.

Ten days to break through to the third level of the Beast Pulse Realm!

Though this was a re-cultivation, this speed was an unprecedented marvel for the entire "Vermilion Bird Kingdom."

The reason likely had much to do with the exceptional and heaven-defying nature of the "Eternal Purgatory Scripture," as well as his transformation by this Primordial Chaos Giant Beast. His current physique could be called the "Eternal Purgatory Body," and its innate talent differed little from that of his companion beast, the "Little Yellow Chick."

Such a physique inherently possessed heaven-defying strength and speed talent, with immense room for growth.

"What the hell, the Beast Origin at the third level of the Beast Pulse Realm now feels even stronger than the Mystic Gold Beast Origin I forged at the fifth level back when I used the 'Mystic Gold Art'!"

Li Tianming channeled the Beast Origin power of his three Beast Pulses. This "Eternal Purgatory Beast Origin" was like underground magma—scorching and violent. As it flowed through his body, he felt like a volcano seething with hidden currents, the temperature of the entire room rising. Once it erupted, it would be a volcanic explosion.

"I'm just an ordinary member of Lihuo City. Why did my companion space not only birth Jin Yu but also harbor so many Primordial Chaos Giant Beasts? What makes me special?" He was somewhat puzzled by his own origins.

"Inside my companion space, there are still nine eggs. One of them is even creaking, but it hasn't cracked yet. It'll probably hatch soon. I wonder what kind of Primordial Chaos Giant Beast this one will be?"

Li Tianming was full of anticipation for this second egg, and his imagination ran wild for all the remaining ones!

He wondered if it was possible that he could have ten Primordial Chaos Giant Beasts as his companion beasts.

By then, riding ten Primordial Chaos Giant Beasts, dominating the world, reigning supreme over the universe, building a harem of three thousand...

Just thinking about it made him drool.

"Though I've gained an incredible fortune, it's like being reborn. This time, I must walk every step of the future carefully and never give anyone a chance to humiliate me again." He stared out the window with burning eyes. He knew very well what he wanted to do next.

"More importantly, I can't let Mother get hurt anymore." His mother, "Wei Jing," had already been unlucky enough in life. Adding to that, his own crippling at the Yanhuang Academy—these three years of her lonely, helpless suffering were deeply etched into Li Tianming's heart.

With this cultivation session over, the Little Yellow Chick was still snoring away in the room. Li Tianming ended his training. He remembered clearly that today was his mother's birthday. Having survived his ordeal, it was time to start taking better care of her.

"Tianming, are you done cultivating?" As soon as he opened the door, he saw his mother sitting on a chair, leaning against the doorway, asleep. The sound of him opening the door startled her awake.

That was how she was. For these three years, afraid he might give up and kill himself in despair, she had watched over him every moment, even though her own physical condition was already terrible.

"Mother, I have good news. This companion beast of mine is definitely something beyond a fifth-rank companion beast. Your son is about to make a comeback and stir up a storm." For the first time in three years, Li Tianming's heart felt this light.

The secret of the ten eggs in his companion space was known only to his mother in all the world. Since he was very young, she had warned him never to tell anyone.

Time had proven that his mother was the one person who would never betray him.

"You little rascal, you brag without any basis. I saw through the window—it's just a little chick. You'd better keep an eye on it, or someone might stew it," Wei Jing said with a smile.

"You saw it? How about we stew it tonight? It's newborn; maybe it'll taste pretty good." Li Tianming helped her up and led her to the courtyard to bask in the sun.

"Don't be ridiculous, you brat. The little chick is quite cute," Wei Jing scolded.

"Haha, just kidding." Li Tianming sat her down in the courtyard, then boiled a bucket of hot water, knelt down, and began to wash Wei Jing's feet.

"Remember to tell people this companion beast came from the 'Blood God Contract,'" Wei Jing said earnestly.

"Got it!"

The so-called "Blood God Contract" was a secret technique where a Beastmaster who had lost their companion beast would find an incompletely hatched egg of a ferocious beast or a cub less than a day old, use a special blood sacrifice ritual to pull it in, forcibly inject their own bloodline, and make it their new companion beast.

"Ferocious beasts" were different from companion beasts. Ferocious beasts had no Beastmaster to coexist with, lurking in the wild, savage and cruel.

Actually, Li Tianming had heard that when Wei Jing was young, she was not only incredibly talented and strong but also a beauty who could topple cities. She was at the height of her glory when she married his father, "Li Yanfeng."

But after giving birth to Li Tianming, Wei Jing contracted a "strange illness." This illness accelerated the aging of both her and her companion beast. Now, at just forty years old, she had white hair and was like a candle in the wind, with only the outline of her face suggesting she had once been a remarkable beauty.

Her companion beast was also a "Four-Winged Golden-Winged Roc," now lying in the courtyard, its feathers almost completely shed, moving very slowly, mostly unable to stir.

It was very rare for a Beastmaster and their companion beast to fall ill together. It was said she had traveled far and wide but found no cure for this strange illness. At this rate, she might be dead from aging within half a year.

"Hey, you don't usually wear this dress. You look so beautiful today."

"Mhm." Wei Jing smiled gently, but her eyes were fixed on the door. She seemed to be waiting.

Li Tianming remembered. In the three years since he'd returned, his father "Li Yanfeng" hadn't visited often, but at least once a year, on his mother's birthday, he would come to see her. She had dressed up carefully today, probably waiting for that man's arrival.

"Li Yanfeng."

Thinking of his father, Li Tianming frowned. Perhaps heaven was fair—it had given him a mother that others envied, so it paired her with a father who was at odds with him. Especially after he was crippled and returned, up to today, they had spoken fewer than three sentences in total.

Thinking of that man, the look in his eyes when he looked at Li Tianming over these three years had always been disappointment! Then contempt, and finally, indifference.

Last year, on his mother's birthday, he came, but only glanced at Wei Jing before leaving in a hurry.

To put it bluntly, he probably just came to see if Wei Jing was dead yet!

Pity this woman, still waiting for Li Yanfeng to give her an answer.

What surprised Li Tianming was that it was only morning when sounds came from outside. Judging by the noise, they were heading toward the "Rain-Listening Pavilion" where they lived.

They, mother and son, had lived in this "Rain-Listening Pavilion" for many years. It was the most elegant courtyard in Lihuo City's "City Lord's Mansion," a testament to Wei Jing's former status in the mansion.

That's right, Li Tianming's father, Li Yanfeng, was the City Lord who ruled Lihuo City, and Wei Jing was his lawful wife, the City Lord's Lady.

"He's here." Hearing the footsteps, Wei Jing stood up, leaning on his shoulder, her eyes fixed on the gate of the Rain-Listening Pavilion.

"It's not him." Li Tianming had already recovered some of his cultivation. He could tell that the footsteps lacked weight and depth, and there were two distinct sounds. It should be two other people coming.

Sure enough, the next moment, without knocking, the wooden gate was pushed open directly.

Two women walked in from outside. One of them, dressed in a red gown, was a dignified and noble lady with narrow eyes that made her look like someone not to be trifled with.

The other was a young girl in yellow form-fitting attire, her figure agile and spirited, every move carrying the forceful, heroic air of a scion from a powerful family. Between her brows was the superior bearing of one long accustomed to high status—in short, an arrogant and willful demeanor.

"Third Sister, Xuejiao..." Wei Jing was momentarily stunned. She was a bit confused as to why these two had come on her birthday.

The noble lady was the third wife of City Lord Li Yanfeng, known as "Lady Huang." The Vermilion Bird Kingdom permitted men to take three wives and four concubines by decree, and Lady Huang was a legal wife of equal status, holding a high position in the City Lord's Mansion. Her father's family also played a significant role in Lihuo City.

As for the girl in form-fitting attire, she was Lady Huang's daughter, Li Tianming's half-sister, named Li Xuejiao. She was a few years younger than Li Tianming and had risen rapidly in Lihuo City over the past three years, showing considerable talent in cultivation.

"Sister, are you well?" Lady Huang's face immediately broke into a smile when she saw them, and she walked over gracefully with her daughter.

"About to be buried in the ground—how could she be well?" Li Xuejiao muttered with a playful glint in her eyes, unable to help herself.

"Rude." Lady Huang shot her a glare but showed no real reproach, instead continuing to beam as she said to Wei Jing, "I heard it's Sister's birthday, so the master specially prepared a gift for you. He's busy today receiving some guests, so he instructed me to deliver it personally."

"Pfft!" Li Xuejiao couldn't hold back a laugh but stifled it.

"What is it?" Wei Jing asked, bewildered. After all, no matter what the gift was, it was unlikely to warrant Lady Huang delivering it in person.

"Just this. Sister, please take a look." Lady Huang pulled a document from her bosom. She too was holding back a laugh as she handed it to Wei Jing.

Wei Jing's fingers trembled slightly. She gently opened the document, and the bold, vigorous strokes of the calligraphy were unmistakably Li Yanfeng's handwriting.

Wei Jing swept her eyes over it, and they reddened instantly, bloodshot veins surfacing. She even swayed on her feet, needing Li Tianming to support her as she sat down.

Li Tianming also glanced at it. Though Li Yanfeng's words in the document were exceedingly polite and roundabout, the gist was immediately clear: this was a letter of divorce!

He thanked Wei Jing for her companionship over the years, acknowledged her contributions to the family, listed a bunch of flowery phrases, and then concluded by expelling Wei Jing from the City Lord's Mansion—not only stripping her of her position as the principal wife but also removing her status as the City Lord's lady!

In short, she was being cast out of the City Lord's Mansion.

Finally, he briefly mentioned Li Tianming, instructing Wei Jing to take him away. This clearly revoked Li Tianming's status as the "eldest legitimate son"! After all, Li Tianming had always been the heir to Lihuo City!

This was a major event for Lihuo City, yet it was merely appended as a side note in this letter of divorce. It showed just how ruthless Li Yanfeng's move was—deposing the principal wife and disinheriting the eldest legitimate son!

If this had happened three years ago, it would have caused an uproar. But today, perhaps anyone would see it as a trivial, insignificant matter!

Because in people's eyes, the only thing left worth discussing about Li Tianming was the scandal of him drugging and molesting Mu Qingqing after failing to win her over—a joke to be laughed over with tea and meals.

Li Tianming believed there were many people in this world who would kick a man when he was down, and he knew Li Yanfeng was domineering and heartless. But he never imagined that the one kicking him would be his own father, and that the blow would be crueler than anyone else's. The key point was that the one hurt the most was actually his mother.

How much she had given for this love, for this family—Li Tianming couldn't even calculate it. To end up with such an outcome was enough to ignite a blazing fury!

Meeting the wrong person ruins a life.

Seeing the changes in Li Tianming and Wei Jing's expressions, Lady Huang and Li Xuejiao, mother and daughter, could no longer hold back. Li Xuejiao clung to Lady Huang's arm, and even with restraint, she still let out a laugh.

"Dad's really something. He usually seems so stiff, but the birthday gift he sent is pretty thrilling," Li Xuejiao said with a grin.

What was even more infuriating was that he hadn't even shown up himself for something like this. Instead, he sent Lady Huang to deliver it, letting them come and mock Wei Jing. That was the cruelest act of all.

"Sister, you mustn't blame the master. He did this for your own good, and for Tianming's good too. To put it bluntly, your current situation is like occupying a latrine without shitting—it's easy to bring shame to Lihuo City. Knowing when to step back is also a kind of grace. Do you understand, Sister?" Lady Huang put away her smile and said seriously.

"Besides, the master has considered your future lives, Sister and Tianming. He specially arranged for me to bring so many 'Jades'—wealth that only beastmasters can use. One piece is worth plenty of gold and silver, enough for the two of you to live out your lives." As she spoke, Lady Huang pulled out another heavy bundle and dropped it in front of Wei Jing, like alms for a beggar.

"I'm so envious of you. So many Jades—I couldn't get them even if I begged," Li Xuejiao said with genuine envy. To be honest, she really did covet those Jades, but she didn't dare embezzle what her father had given.

As the saying goes, petty people are like ghosts.

At a time like this, having two such petty people fan the flames was enough to drive someone to death from anger. Li Tianming thought his mother would be crushed by this ordeal, but to his utter surprise, after her initial daze, her expression became calmer than ever before.

As if, in an instant, she saw many things clearly.

"Ending it like this is actually fine. We owe each other nothing anymore," she muttered, shaking her head as she said this.

"Sister, if it's too hard to bear, you can cry. Little Sister won't laugh at you," Lady Huang said, covering her mouth to hide the smile at the corners of her lips.

"Can you get lost now?" Li Tianming's fury had risen to his throat.

"What do you mean 'get lost,' Brother Tianming? Do you know why they sent us to tell you? My dad has already agreed—the Rain-Listening Pavilion is ours from now on. You've been divorced and disinherited. The ones who need to get lost now are you, got it?" Li Xuejiao crossed her arms, her gaze dripping with sarcasm as she spoke smugly.

"Xuejiao is right, Sister. Considering our years as sisters, I won't make things hard for you. I'll give you half an hour to pack your things. What do you think?" Lady Huang raised an eyebrow, grinning as she spoke.

Li Tianming almost laughed.

These people—each one more ruthless than the last. If he hadn't had his own stroke of luck, they really would have crushed him.

He wouldn't accept this!

Why should his mother suffer such unfair treatment? Even if they had to leave, he would do it with dignity, not like a whipped dog.

Just as he decided to go find Li Yanfeng and demand an explanation, a mother knows her son. Wei Jing grabbed his arm. Her frail body transmitted surprising strength, showing her resolve.

"Tianming, let's go. There's nothing to cling to. When we're weak, we don't waste energy on futile struggles. When the day comes that you rise again, we'll come back and reclaim our dignity."

She spoke with absolute finality.

This statement struck Li Tianming deeply. He had always known that his mother was no ordinary person; it was just that this strange illness had plagued her for half her life. If not for it, what right did this Lady Huang have to strut around in front of her like this!

When it was time to let go, she thought more clearly and decisively than Li Tianming did.

Today was a time of weakness. Others were already so cold and heartless—going to beg them to change their minds now would be nothing but ridiculous, wouldn't it?

Perhaps she had completely given up on everything in the City Lord's Mansion, including that man. Nothing could be crueler than receiving a letter of divorce as a birthday gift, but she bore it.

"Rise again? Don't make me laugh, old lady. Your son's bond-beast is dead, and it died because of his shameless, despicable actions. The laughingstock of Lihuo City—if he can rise again, then pigs can climb trees," Li Xuejiao couldn't help sneering.

"Is that so? Then today, I'll make sure you climb that tree," Li Tianming suddenly fixed his gaze on her, his eyes burning like the blazing sun.

"Tianming-ge, are you provoking me? Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a waste." Li Xuejiao's smile vanished, her gaze turning icy.

"Xuejiao, remember? When you were three, you were kidnapped while playing. I followed the bandits for three days and three nights, leaving clues behind, and that's how you were rescued. Otherwise, you'd be dead in some ditch by now, and no one would even know." Li Tianming squinted.

Some people simply didn't know gratitude in their bones.

Hearing this, Li Xuejiao curled her lip.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're a laughingstock now, Tianming-ge," Li Xuejiao said dismissively.

"So I regret saving you. There are three trees in this courtyard—pick one. Which one do you want to climb? The orange tree, the locust tree, or this parasol tree?"