Driving Away

Lu Hu felt that his dignity had been challenged. After all, he was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator—this was the capital he relied on to occupy Green Bamboo Peak.

Within several hundred kilometers of this place, weren't everyone's lives and deaths decided by a single thought from him?

Whoever faced him wasn't respectful and deferential? Yet this brat before him actually dared to defy him.

A powerful Foundation Establishment pressure abruptly erupted from Lu Hu's body and pounced toward Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan instantly felt as though he had fallen into an icy abyss. His whole body trembled, his face went deathly pale, and he curled up uncontrollably as blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Husband, what's wrong with you?" An anxious voice came from outside the door.

Baili Qiuyue rushed in from outside. Seeing Lu Yuan on the verge of collapsing, she hurried forward and held him.

Lu He and Lu Shan followed behind her. The two of them had just gone to call their sister-in-law to the main hall to discuss matters.

Seeing this, they were all stunned and had no idea what had happened. Lu He and Lu Shan both turned their eyes in unison toward Lu Hu, who stood at the head of the room.

Perhaps because Lu Shan and his brother had entered, Lu Hu immediately withdrew his aura, and that Foundation Establishment pressure vanished without a trace.

"Father, what is going on?" Baili Qiuyue looked at him with an anxious expression.

"Hmph! I was discussing splitting up the family with him just now, but he treated This Old Man with an attitude full of suspicion!"

"This Old Man merely made him suffer a little, so he would know the height of the heavens and the depth of the earth. If This Old Man weren't his father, he wouldn't have gotten off so easily. Don't let people say he was born but never taught. This time, I'm letting him suffer a bit!"

"Father, why are you suddenly making Eldest Brother split from the family? Wouldn't it be good for our family to live together here on Green Bamboo Peak?" Lu He and Lu Shan looked at Lu Hu with puzzled expressions.

"There are more people on Green Bamboo Peak now, and there isn't enough spiritual energy to go around. I want your Eldest Brother to shoulder some of it. Besides, your Eldest Brother has already started a family, so let the two of them go down the mountain and live there. This is for your own good as well. You are at a critical stage of cultivation now and cannot afford any delay!"

"Father, I don't like the sound of that!"

Baili Qiuyue suddenly looked at Lu Hu and said, "If you want to split the family, then speak of splitting the family. Why hurt someone? As the saying goes, even a vicious tiger does not eat its cubs. Lu Yuan is your son too, isn't he? Why must you drive us down the mountain?"

"So many Rogue Cultivator families now want to establish their own clans. Isn't it because blood ties bind people together, creating a natural trust that can gather an entire family into a great force to face hardship together? That way, their chances of survival are greater!"

She wanted to hold him to his words. After all, if they rashly went down the mountain now, the two of them would become Rogue Cultivators. Life would be incomparably difficult—every step would be hard, and their lives would be in danger at any moment.

Faced with Baili Qiuyue's questioning, Lu Hu's expression shifted between light and dark. After a moment of silence, he looked at her. "Sigh, you are right. How could I possibly harm Yuan'er?"

"But you also know that if a family does not have sufficient strength, in the end it will only become someone else's stepping stone, Cannon Fodder, liable to be wiped out in the Cultivation World at any time."

"Among the younger generation on your Concubine Ouyang's side, there are a few promising seedlings with better talent. They are preparing to come to Green Bamboo Peak to cultivate. I want to nurture them well. Once they achieve something in cultivation, they will bring us more cultivation resources."

"As for Yuan'er, his talent is not very good. You know that he merely has a Pseudo Spirit Root. Qi Refining Level Three is already his limit!"

"If he does not cultivate and goes down to the mortal world, then with his current circumstances, wouldn't he surely be able to become a wealthy man there? Wouldn't it be good for him to have children and grandchildren in abundance and live a happy, fulfilled life? I am doing this for his own good! That is why I had no choice!"

"Yet this father's painstaking intentions are understood by no one. It truly chills the heart!"

Lu Hu spoke with a helpless expression.

Upon hearing this, Baili Qiuyue immediately understood what was going on. No wonder Lu Yuan had been so angry.

"Hmph! I don't need his fake kindness. If he wants to be Dorgon, then let him be Dorgon. Let's see whether he is more capable than Dorgon, and see who gets the last laugh!"

At some point, Lu Yuan had actually stood up. He glared furiously at Lu Hu.

But Lu Hu himself was utterly baffled. He had no idea what this "Dorgon" Lu Yuan spoke of was. It sounded like a person's name—perhaps someone formidable.

Lu Yuan did not want to waste any more words on him. Since things had already been said to this extent, what was there left for him to cling to?

If this place won't keep me, another place will!

Besides, he was someone with a Golden Finger. Wherever he went, could he not earn a living? Why should he endure such stifling humiliation here?

As someone from Earth, he had seen such things happen often enough back on Earth. It was nothing unusual.

It was just that human nature was unfathomable. Usually, endings like this could be as miserable as misery itself; the outcome was plain without needing to be spoken.

Even someone like Dorgon could not handle such a matter—could Lu Yuan possibly be more capable than Dorgon?

With that thought, the last thread binding Lu Hu in his heart was flung beyond the clouds.

That was right. Lu Yuan was from Huaxia on Earth, and only three months ago had he awakened the memory sealed deep within his mind.

Others transmigrated, either by being reborn, having their souls cross over, or directly entering the immortal realm.

But he was different. He had been born into this world as a baby; only after growing up would he awaken the memories of his previous life—the memories of Huaxia on Earth.

He had originally thought that this method of transmigration was far better than the others.

At the very least, familial bonds within the clan would be more harmonious and warm.

But what Lu Hu had done to him just now made him realize that he had been thinking too much.

That was also why he was so resolute about leaving.

Because the moment Lu Hu brought up this matter, he understood that it could never end well. A man steeped in beauty could not be persuaded no matter what; Lu Yuan had the foresight to see it.

If he stayed here any longer, he might not even know how he died when the time came.

It was like ancient emperors fighting for power. If he remained on Green Bamboo Peak now, he would probably die faster here than outside. At that thought, a hair-raising chill ran through Lu Yuan, and he wanted nothing more than to leave immediately.

With his level of strength, Green Bamboo Peak had originally been quite good for him. There were Spirit Fields, a Spirit Vein, and little danger.

Most importantly, he had talked a beauty into becoming his Cultivation Partner. With a beauty in his arms, he felt like the happiest man in the world.

After all, his Cultivation Partner treated him sincerely. Where could one possibly find a person like that? Having gained such a woman, what more could a husband ask for?

Those conditions had been pretty decent, really.

At the very least, they were better than some and worse than others!

But who could have known something like this would happen, and that their father would drive them away!

Lu Yuan knew how hard it was for Rogue Cultivators to cultivate. No Spirit Stones when they needed Spirit Stones, no resources when they needed resources, no inheritance when they needed inheritance, no Cultivation Technique when they needed a Cultivation Technique.

Other than themselves, they had nothing. Everything had to be fought for with their own hands. The hardships involved were easy to imagine. And they had to live in this treacherous world of cultivation, where a single misstep could mean death and the dissipation of the Dao.

That was why, in the beginning, Lu Yuan had humbled himself and tried to play the family card, hoping they would at least give him a bite to eat rather than drive him away.

But once he learned they were dead set on driving them out, he knew the matter had long since been decided. The reason behind it was obvious enough.

So he left at once. After all, he was someone with a Golden Finger. It was not as though he would die without them.

Lu Hu cast a glance at Baili Qiuyue and the others, then left the hall without looking back. Before he went, a voice drifted in from outside.

"Within three days, make your preparations. You two Cultivation Partners must leave Green Bamboo Peak!"

Only after Lu Hu had left did Lu Shan and Lu He come to their senses. They walked up to Lu Yuan. "Eldest Brother, are you really leaving this place?"

With a miserable expression, Lu Yuan looked at the two before him. "Second Brother, Third Brother, you've both seen it. This isn't something I can decide. I wanted to cultivate and live properly on Green Bamboo Peak too, but my strength is lacking!"

"You two must cultivate diligently. Don't waste your talents. I hope that one day, you'll rise above the rest!"

After a brief pause, he looked at Baili Qiuyue before him and said awkwardly, "Qiuyue, I've wronged you. I thought that after tricking you into coming here, I could let you enjoy a good life. There's a Spirit Vein here, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and it's safe too. It's a fine place to cultivate!"

"But now I've realized I was wrong, because none of it belongs to me. I can't make a single decision!"

"I've let you down. We're about to wander the world as Rogue Cultivators. Are you afraid?"

"You fool. It's not like I chose you because I had my eye on your Green Bamboo Peak. I chose you because I had my eye on you."

"Did you really think you could trick me? I went along with it on purpose. As the saying goes, marry a chicken and follow the chicken; marry a dog and follow the dog. Wherever you go, of course I'll go too. Otherwise, how can I be your virtuous helpmate?"

Baili Qiuyue took his hand and encouraged him.

"Then let's leave now!" Lu Yuan said to Baili Qiuyue.

"You fool, look at the hour. If we go down the mountain now, we'll probably be eaten by Demonic Beasts before we even leave the mountain range. Let's go down at dawn tomorrow!"

"Mhm, that works. Let's head back!"

"Since you've decided to leave, I'll give this to you. It'll give you a means to protect your life!"

Lu Shan walked over to Lu Yuan and took a Low-grade Middle Tier Golden Light Sword Spirit Talisman from his robes. A spirit talisman like this possessed the power of a single strike from a Qi Refining middle stage cultivator!

Lu Shan had received this spirit talisman as a gift when he was ten years old!

Lu Yuan looked at him and did not stand on ceremony. He nodded and accepted the spirit talisman. The world outside was perilous beyond measure; one more means at hand meant one more chance to survive.

"Eldest Brother, Eldest Brother's Wife, where do you plan to go after descending the mountain?"

"Where else can low-level cultivators like us go? We'll first take a look at Bayberry Market. With my abilities, I'll definitely be able to support myself and your sister-in-law."

"Back then, I used this very ability to trick your sister-in-law into falling for me at Bayberry Market. Don't worry. Once you have the strength, you can come find us there."

Lu Yuan looked at his two younger brothers and hurriedly smiled to reassure them.

"Younger Sister, you two brothers need to take better care of her. We won't be on this mountain anymore, so from now on, you'll have to rely on yourselves for everything!"

At those words, Lu Shan and Lu He nodded, their eyes growing moist. Once they left, who knew when they would see Eldest Brother again?

"Look how pleased you are with yourself. I'll just wait for you to make your fortune, then sit back and enjoy the rewards!" Baili Qiuyue shot him a glance and said with a smile.

"Alright, we'll be leaving now!"

With that, Lu Yuan and Baili Qiuyue quickly left the hall.