Silence.
The Su Family Hall fell deathly quiet.
No one had expected Su Ye, who had always kept his head down, to erupt like this.
And yet...
Su Ye's words cut like knives. Worse, he had struck at secrets neither Su Zhengdao nor Xuanyuan Mingmou wanted to speak aloud.
In the midst of that silence...
The handsome young Su Yang suddenly spoke.
"Su Ye, I know you resent me for taking your place and enjoying everything that should have been yours. None of it was my choice, but I'm willing to make it up to you. Hit me, curse me, whatever you want. I'll leave the Su Family too, and give it all back to you."
"I only hope you won't resent Dad and Mom. They've had a hard time all these years."
As Su Yang spoke, he looked at Su Zhengdao and Xuanyuan Mingmou with reddening eyes.
"Dad, Mom, this is all my fault. Please don't be angry. Treat Su Ye well... You're the real family."
The moment Su Yang finished, Xuanyuan Mingmou grabbed his hand.
"No, Xiao Yang. Mom will never let you leave the Su Family!"
Su Mingyue nodded repeatedly. "Mom's right. Fourth Brother, you're a child of the Su Family. You're its future."
Su Xingchen was even more blunt. "Exactly. Fourth Brother, you're only eighteen and already at the Peak of the Second Heaven of Transcendent. Su Ye is merely at the Third Level of Kaiyuan. He hasn't even reached the Transcendent realm. Trash like him doesn't deserve the Su name."
"No, you shouldn't say that."
Su Yang shook his head again and again.
"It's not Su Ye's fault he has no Cultivation Talent... He's still trying very hard."
Su Mingyue shook her head. "Fourth Brother, you're too kind. Stop covering for Su Ye. He skips training every day to run around outside, steals money from home, and hangs around with disreputable people... He's nothing but a delinquent!"
Su Xingchen turned straight to Su Ye. "No one in this family likes you because you're useless. That has nothing to do with Xiao Yang. Yet you attacked him for it. You're despicable! You need to be taught a lesson!"
As she spoke, purple lightning flickered at her fingertip and struck Su Ye.
"Pfft..."
Su Ye spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning even paler.
Su Xingchen froze.
She had wanted to teach Su Ye a lesson, but... she had never meant to seriously hurt him.
How could his body be so weak?
Su Ye raised his head and wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. His cold gaze swept over the family before settling on Su Yang, whose worried expression could not quite hide the flash of triumph in his eyes.
"Happy now?"
Su Yang looked confused. "Brother Su Ye, what do you mean?"
"Hah. All those baseless accusations I've faced these past few days—you arranged them, didn't you? You're the one who wants me gone most."
"Of course you do. No matter how useless I am, as long as I'm in the Su Family, I remind everyone... you're a fake!"
"You're not a Su at all."
"Everything you have, you stole from me."
Su Yang took two steps back. His face went pale as he shook his head over and over, unable to say a word.
But Su Yang did not need to speak. Someone else would stand up for him.
Smack!
A heavy palm struck Su Ye. Already holding himself upright through sheer anger, he fell to the floor.
"You unfilial son!"
Su Zhengdao was beside himself with rage.
"You dare blame Xiao Yang for the disgraceful things you've done? I, Su Zhengdao, have no son like you! Get out! Get out of my sight!"
If Su Zhengdao had still held the slightest hope for Su Ye before, that hope was now gone.
His biological son was a lost cause!
Su Ye spat out another mouthful of blood.
Yet a smile tugged at his lips.
He had known that bringing up their beloved Su Yang would cross their line.
Good. Now he could finally be free.
Taking a deep breath, Su Ye slowly pushed himself up and stood straight.
"I'll leave, of course. But I won't crawl away. I'll walk out of the Su Family with my head held high."
"I haven't wanted to stay here for a long time. Do you really think this place is so wonderful? It's the filthiest place in the world!"
"Consider that slap repayment for giving me life. As for raising me... you never did, so I owe you nothing for that."
"From this day on, I, Su Ye, sever all ties with the Su Family."
What?!
Su Ye was cutting ties with the Su Family?!
No one could believe what they had heard.
This was the Su Family!
The family of Su Zhengdao, the Eastern Huang God of War.
One of Dong Huang's foremost families.
Su Ye was actually going to leave the family?!
Had he lost his mind?!
But Su Ye's expression was firm. He took a black card from his pocket, removed a necklace from around his neck, and placed both on the coffee table before Su Zhengdao.
"The 368 yuan on this card is all the money you've given me since I came to the Su Family. I saved every cent. I didn't spend a thing. It's all yours again."
"Now we truly owe each other nothing."
"From now on, you go your way and I'll go mine. Once we part, we'll never have anything to do with each other again."
With that, Su Ye turned and left without a trace of reluctance.
He walked out of the Su Family estate.
He stood on a deserted, tree-lined road.
Looking utterly alone, Su Ye raised his head to the sky.
The moon hung high, and stars filled the heavens.
So this is the new world I'll be living in from now on?
Su Ye took a deep breath.
Where should he go next?
Just as Su Ye stood there at a loss...
[Ding! Slaughter System activating...] [Supernatural Ability awakening...] [Awakening successful. System activated.]
What?
He had a system too?!
Delight surged through Su Ye.
A moment later, his soul trembled.
A translucent panel suddenly appeared before him.
[Host]: Su Ye [Supernatural Ability]: Vampire (evolvable) [Cultivation Level]: Shadow Art Level of Kaiyuan [Martial Skill]: Basic Combat Technique [Talent]: None [Slaughter Value]: 444.4 (Note: Slaughter earns Slaughter Value. Burning Slaughter Value can improve Cultivation Level, Martial Skills, Talent, and more.)
At the same time, strength gradually flowed into Su Ye's weakened body.
He could feel his body absorbing moonlight and starlight on its own, slowly healing his injuries.
As the energy within him grew, Su Ye could clearly feel his body becoming stronger, his eyesight sharper, and his hearing keener. It was as though he could slip into the darkness with ease.
Meanwhile...
There was something Su Ye did not see.
As his Supernatural Ability awakened, his skin grew paler and his already handsome face became more striking. Though he remained thin, his body filled with strength. A bloody hue seemed to churn in his pupils, then faded away.
"So this is what awakening a Supernatural Ability feels like? I... I actually awakened a Vampire physique?"
This was a world where people cultivated Martial Arts.
Martial Artists could strengthen their bodies, fight Heaven and Earth, and wield the power to overturn mountains and seas.
Yet beyond Martial Arts, every world had its favorites of Heaven and Earth.
In this world, those favorites were born Supernatural Ability Awakeners.
Some awakened Elemental Control and could command fire, wind, or lightning... just like Su Xingchen, who had wielded lightning moments ago.
Others awakened mental powers or Talents involving time and space, allowing them to move objects from afar or perform Space Jump.
Still others awakened Special Physiques that granted immense strength or let them endure battle after battle.
Clearly, Su Ye had awakened a Special Physique.
A Vampire physique.
A favored child of the night, a king of blood.
Feeling the power surging within him and the energy pouring down from the moonlit sky, Su Ye clenched his fists.
"From this day on, I am the king of Slaughter in the dark!"
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