"Uh..."
Lin San stood there awkwardly, unsure what to do.
If he didn't go, he'd be exposed as a braggart!
But if he did go, he'd be walking straight to his death!
After weighing the pros and cons, Lin San decided his life mattered more. He swallowed his pride and fled alongside Qin Feng.
Seeing this, Zi Yuan's eyes filled with disappointment.
Every young girl dreamed of romance, and every young girl worshipped heroes. She'd thought she'd met the man of her dreams, but it turned out he was just a boy who loved to brag.
Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host! You interrupted the Son of Heaven's showboating and prevented him from winning the goddess's favor. You have received 500 Villain Points!
"Holy crap, that works too?!"
Qin Feng perked right up, like a lecher who'd just unlocked a brand-new position.
Lin San tried to salvage his image. "Brother Lin, I don't understand. With your status, why are you running?"
"It's simple!"
Qin Feng said solemnly, "I'm not some rich young master who throws his weight around. Living off your ancestors' blessings doesn't make you a real man. Everything I, Qin Feng, have today is thanks to my own efforts. I'll carve out a place for myself with my own two hands."
"Brother Lin!"
Lin San began to admire Qin Feng. He was unlike any second-generation heir Lin San had ever met.
"He..."
A strange light flickered in Zi Yuan's lovely eyes. She hadn't expected this little boy to have such lofty ambitions.
The Qin Family.
The Old Ancestors of the Qin Family were holding a meeting.
Ever since Qin Feng had left, they'd discovered that thirty million spirit stones had vanished from the treasury.
And they weren't ordinary spirit stones. They were high-grade Spirit Stones, refined to be worth a thousand ordinary stones each. Even the Qin Family, absolute rulers of the eastern region of Great Xia, needed five years to save that many.
Ten Ancestors reported, "According to the treasury steward, Feng'er was the only one who visited the treasury that day!"
"Then it must have been him!"
The Progenitor showed little emotion, clearly having already guessed who was responsible.
Ten Ancestors asked in confusion, "But how did he carry off all thirty million high-grade Spirit Stones? They were piled up like a mountain. Even the largest storage bag would've taken hundreds of trips to fill."
"If he didn't have some ability, he wouldn't have dared propose such an audacious plan!"
The Progenitor smiled and waved a hand. "Forget it. It's all for one of our own children, so let's not make a fuss about it."
"Yes!"
Ten Ancestors nodded, then hesitated before adding, "There's something else. Ever since Xiao Tian vomited blood, he's been listless. And that child Xiyue hasn't stopped crying..."
"Ah, it's hard being a parent."
The Progenitor sighed, then thought it over. "In Xiao Tian's current state, he's likely unfit to serve as family head. We should find someone to take his place for now. And don't let anyone disturb them. Let them live in peace. Hopefully, they'll recover soon."
"I'll see to it!"
Ten Ancestors nodded and turned to leave.
Before long—
The Qin Family announced its choice for the new family head, making everyone suspect that Qin Feng had something to do with it.
The Qin Family had lost two Heavenly Prides in quick succession, and Qin Tian, as both their father and the family head, could hardly escape blame. The once-bustling family head's residence grew eerily quiet, and no one came to visit anymore.
"Tree, I'm here to see you!"
Qin Hao arrived beneath the Crooked Neck Tree, his little face pale. Thanks to his tenacious vitality, he'd finally pulled through. He looked a little less childish than before, and his eyes held a new determination.
He'd show his brother through his actions that he'd been wrong—terribly wrong!
True power came from an unshakable belief in yourself, not from doubting your own strength!
"Look, isn't that the useless second young master?"
A few brats spotted Qin Hao and couldn't help laughing at him.
Before, Qin Hao had been someone they could only look up to. Now that he'd fallen into the mud, they couldn't resist kicking him while he was down.
Anger blazed in Qin Hao's heart. He wanted to teach them a lesson, but then he suddenly remembered what his brother had once told him: even a dragon stranded in a shallow stream was still a True Dragon. Sooner or later, it would soar through the heavens again.
"Brother, why?!"
Qin Hao's lips trembled as he tried not to cry, and he remembered what had happened that night.
Meanwhile—
Qin Feng couldn't help wondering why Lin San hadn't returned to Heavenly Heart City with Lin Xin'er, so he asked him.
"I'm planning to get some experience before I go back!"
Lin San answered quickly, as if he'd rehearsed the line beforehand.
"Get experience!?"
Qin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly unconvinced by that nonsense.
As a ten-year veteran bookworm, he could say with complete confidence: protagonists' mouths were made for lying.
They claimed they were heading out to gain experience, but really they were after ruins, treasures, and pretty girls. Somehow, they never came back empty-handed.
"I-I'm out here to get experience too!" Zi Yuan said guiltily.
"You're getting experience too!?"
Qin Feng shot her a glance, still clearly unconvinced.
With ten years of reading under his belt, he knew that most beauties rescued by the protagonist were willful young ladies who'd run away from home. They also tended to have all kinds of useless traits, like being unable to take care of themselves.
And it was precisely because the damn protagonist stuck by those useless young ladies that he later gained the means to shamelessly live off them.
"It's getting late. Let's find somewhere to rest for the night!"
Seeing that Qin Feng had no intention of leaving, Lin San had no choice but to find a cave and make plans to spend the night there.
"Sounds good!"
Zi Yuan clapped her hands happily.
After seeing the wickedness of the world, she'd finally realized just how weak she was.
But she still had the heart of a wandering heroine, so she was determined to shamelessly stick with the two of them.
A textbook case of being weak but loving adventure!
Before long—
Night fell, and a campfire was lit.
As the Son of Heaven, Lin San naturally kept up his aloof act. After catching some unknown little chicken, he roasted it by himself, never once considering that Zi Yuan was useless and couldn't take care of herself.
Zi Yuan stood there, twirling her fingers and awkwardly wondering what to do.
Qin Feng handed her the roasted chicken and turned into a warm-hearted gentleman. "Have some of my chicken!"
"Thank you!"
Miss Zi Yuan was so excited she thanked him again and again. Forgetting all about her ladylike image, she grabbed it and started gnawing.
She was clearly starving. At that moment, any kind of chicken would've tasted delicious.
Now that she's eaten my chicken, maybe I'll be able to live off her one day!
Qin Feng was rather hopeful about this investment. Then he opened the system, ready to use the Lucky Draw Opportunity he'd gained for digging out his younger brother's Supreme Bone.
With a whoosh!
The giant prize wheel appeared before him again and began to turn lazily.
Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host! You drew the god-tier Thieving Art: Stealing Across Space!
Qin Feng's expression turned dazed. He could clearly sense the space around him shifting, as though he could reach out and grab anything he wanted. Even items protected by layer upon layer of defenses could be taken with ease.
"Is this enlightenment!?"
Lin San noticed the change in Qin Feng and was genuinely astonished.
He'd always thought that serving as a servant was simply a carefree way to live, since he was a peerless genius, one in ten thousand, with pride of his own.
But ever since meeting this eldest young master of the Qin Family, he'd realized how laughable his pride was.
Ding-dong! Congratulations, Host! You dealt a blow to the Son of Heaven's confidence. You have received 10,000 Villain Points!
Qin Feng seemed not to hear it. He remained dazed, and when he finally came to, he saw that Lin San and Zi Yuan had finished eating and were sitting cross-legged on the ground, resting.
Whether out of curiosity or a desire to test his new skill, he reached out toward Zi Yuan and grabbed.
A red bellyband embroidered with a duck instantly appeared in his hand, still warm to the touch...
Before you continue