The Illegitimate Son is Envied

At the foot of Maple Mountain, within the borders of the You Kingdom, in the Shadowed Domain.

A carriage, escorted by five or six armored knights, traveled at a steady pace along the dirt road leading to Lingbao Temple.

Inside the luxurious carriage, incense smoke curled lazily.

An old man and a young man sat opposite each other, the atmosphere heavy.

The old man was Yin Xunshan, the head steward of the Marquis Qinghe's estate in Qinghe County.

The young man was the third young master of the Marquis's estate, but only an illegitimate son born to a concubine.

He was handsome, with a noble air about him, appearing to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, though his complexion was alarmingly poor.

His youthful, handsome face was a sickly pale, devoid of any color.

"Third Young Master, we are nearing Lingbao Temple. From here on, you will serve before the Dao Lord, with only a lamp for company. The Madam asked me to inquire if you harbor any resentment in your heart?"

Yin Xunshan, clad in a luxurious robe, had a pale, ashen face and dull, unsettling grey eyes. He looked at Li Qingyun opposite him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

His question carried an obvious tone of insolent provocation and pressure.

"Hmm?"

Li Qingyun narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he hadn't heard, gently stroking the large, jet-black cat in his arms.

Only the corners of his handsome lips curved into a faint, mocking smile.

"It seems the Young Master is still dissatisfied!"

Seeing Li Qingyun ignore him with narrowed eyes, the head steward Yin's gaze sharpened slightly. A chilling aura emanated from him, pressing down on the young man.

In his eyes, Li Qingyun, who had "squandered" over a decade of cultivation and his future, was now like a toothless, clawless tiger cub – nothing at all!

What a bargain for him, Yin Xunshan thought with a touch of jealousy. Such a beautiful young lady, Wan'er, the heir has tried to obtain her several times without success...

The thought of the third young master's current situation, akin to exile, made Yin Xunshan even more brazen.

"Meow meow!" Yuanbao, the black cat in Li Qingyun's arms, clearly sensed Yin Xunshan's malice and grew restless.

Its glossy black fur bristled like needles, and it let out a low growl at the old man, though it also seemed wary.

Li Qingyun, feeling somewhat disheartened by Yin Xunshan's pressure, didn't really want to engage.

Scenes from five days ago kept replaying in his mind.

That night, he, the third young master of the Marquis's estate, had celebrated his sixteenth birthday, a milestone. The estate had planned a grand event. The matriarch, Cui Shi, had smiled with unusual kindness, and his usually proud elder brother, the heir, had been exceptionally warm, toasting him repeatedly.

Everyone in the estate seemed to be celebrating his impending breakthrough, the ignition of the "Yang Sha" he had cultivated for over a decade, making him the second person in the lineage of Marquis Qinghe to truly reach the "Yang Refining Realm."

Li Qingyun had been secretly on guard. He had tested every cup of wine and every dish with a silver needle and had taken a preventative medicine beforehand.

But he hadn't expected an accident.

After returning to his room, slightly drunk, his Blood Essence surged, and the Yang Sha within him went haywire.

It became intensely violent, igniting lustful desires.

In his panic, he struggled to control the rampaging Yang Sha energy.

Unexpectedly, at this critical moment, his cousin Cui Wan'er, who was favored by the matriarch Cui Shi and had arrived in Qinghe County for a holiday the previous month, suddenly appeared, her alluring figure swaying.

She smiled charmingly, exuding a faint, seductive fragrance, claiming to be sent by her aunt with a so-called hangover soup.

Cui Wan'er was exceptionally beautiful and alluring, possessing a natural charm that seemed to captivate everyone.

When she first arrived at the estate, even the heir had been utterly smitten, his eyes filled with desire. He had even disregarded their cousinly relationship and asked Cui Shi for her hand in marriage.

At that moment, Li Qingyun, at his wit's end, caught a whiff of a strange, exotic scent emanating from Cui Wan'er.

Then, in his eyes, Cui Wan'er seemed to transform into a stunning celestial maiden.

The Yang Sha energy he had been desperately suppressing could no longer be contained. It erupted like a mountain flood, like a raging fire that consumed all his willpower.

That night, the estate was abuzz with news: the third young master had lost control while drunk...

Afterward, Cui Wan'er wept inconsolably, threatening to hang herself.

The matriarch Cui Shi shrieked, "Such a beast, he has no place in this estate with me!" The heir watched with a smug look.

Marquis Qinghe was enraged, shouting about his unfilial son's audacity and expressing his profound disappointment.

His primal yang lost, the Yang Sha and Blood Essence he had painstakingly cultivated for over a decade "squandered," Li Qingyun's future was effectively ruined.

And so, this situation came to pass.

The esteemed third young master of Marquis Qinghe's estate, Li Qingyun, known throughout Qinghe County for his intelligence, generosity, and good deeds, was "banished" to the Lingbao Daoist Temple on Maple Mountain, far from Qinghe County...

On the carriage, Li Qingyun had been replaying everything that had happened, his understanding growing clearer, but he felt helpless.

I've suffered a great loss! Cui Wan'er's background and motives in this matter are too suspicious...

Ultimately, I was too careless and couldn't maintain my facade! But this world is overrun by demons and monsters, with all sorts of supernatural powers manifesting. It's an era where one must fight for survival and seize opportunities. If I had truly remained hidden, it would have all been for naught!

Li Qingyun harbored a secret he had kept for several years.

Three years ago, he had transmigrated from another world, possessing the body of the third young master of the Marquis's estate, who had strangely drowned at the time.

Upon arriving in this world, where demons and monsters roamed and life was precarious, Li Qingyun could no longer remain hidden. He began to reveal his brilliance, displaying astonishing talent, managing affairs effectively, and acting with great generosity, earning a formidable reputation in Qinghe County and its surroundings.

To catch Marquis Qinghe's eye, and to gather resources for his cultivation, he, as an illegitimate son, had no choice but to act this way.

The family's heirloom technique, "Yang Sha Refining," was a bottomless pit that required vast amounts of precious resources. If he didn't "stick his neck out" a bit, he wouldn't be able to obtain them.

One had to understand that the Marquis's mansion had everything going in and out controlled by the main wife, the Cui family, and the heir.

If he couldn't ignite his Yang Sha by the golden age of sixteen, he would completely lose the chance to step onto this "unorthodox path"!

He knew his "excellence" was a double-edged sword. While it would earn him Marquis Qinghe's favor, it would inevitably draw the jealousy of the Cui family and the heir. Therefore, he was wary of both mother and son.

But on the night of his sixteenth birthday, he ultimately fell into a meticulously laid trap.

As scene after scene replayed, Li Qingyun's mind became as clear as a mirror, but it was already too late to turn back.

In just a few short days, he was no longer the third young master of the Marquis's mansion, but a disgraced, down-on-his-luck individual.

Qinghe County to Maple Mountain was nearly two hundred li away. He had traveled a long distance, ostensibly to seek the Dao and learn the Dharma with sincere devotion, but in reality, it was no different from being exiled a thousand li.

"The Madam said that since the Third Young Master will be undergoing initiation and ordination at Lingbao Temple and will be entered into the coveted Daoist registry, he should just cultivate diligently from now on. As for this black cat with its wild temperament, it shouldn't be kept around, lest it affect his cultivation..."

Yin Xunshan's eyes flickered, and he let out a sinister laugh. Suddenly, he fixed his gaze on the large black cat in Li Qingyun's arms, a fierce glint appearing in his eyes.

His finger flicked out, and a streak of dark energy instantly struck Yuanbao.

"Meow!"

The big black cat, Yuanbao, let out a yelp and immediately sprang up, leaping out of Li Qingyun's embrace.

A cold, sinister energy seemed to have been lurking within it all along. Now that Yin Xunshan had agitated and triggered its eruption, this cat, which had gained considerable fame within the Marquis Qinghe's mansion, suddenly became much weaker.

Li Qingyun sighed lightly, then abruptly stood up, using his back to shield Yin Xunshan and create an opportunity for the black cat to escape.

"Yuanbao, go!"

Yuanbao meowed, instantly understanding its master's intent. Driven by a strong will to survive, it accelerated instantly, its movements as swift as a blur of black light. One moment its sharp claws had grazed the windowsill, and the next it had darted into the bushes by the roadside.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Outside the carriage, the guards drew their bows and shot at the cat, but in their haste, none could hit their mark.