The next day.
Cui Residence.
Qin Zhan knelt on one knee and said in a low voice, "Great General, all the fault lies with me. I beg you, for Qin Yu's sake, for his youth and ignorance, spare him."
"Qin Zhan, you followed this old man through blood and battle for more than ten years, did you not? Even after you retired, how did this old man treat you?" Cui Hong stared at Qin Zhan with a stern, ashen face and spoke sharply.
"I will never forget the Great General's kindness!" Qin Zhan said.
Cui Hong suddenly seized the teacup from the table and hurled it straight at Qin Zhan. "This old man treated you like my own son, and you repaid me by breaking Xiao Shuo's arm? You let that beast break Xiao Yong's and Xiao Feng's arms and legs? Even a vicious tiger does not devour its cubs. What face do you have to come here? And do you know that Xiao Shuo is the hope of my Cui Family, how important he is to us? Do not tell me you do not know!"
Qin Zhan neither spoke nor moved, letting the tea run down from his forehead.
"Hand over your third son, Qin Yu. Otherwise, do not blame me for showing no mercy and uprooting your Qin Family entirely," Cui Hong said coldly.
The muscles in Qin Zhan's steady face twitched. "Great General, I was the one who broke Xiao Shuo's arm. It has nothing to do with Qin Yu. If you wish to punish someone, punish Qin Zhan!"
"You? Were you not very arrogant yesterday? Hmph, do not think you can escape either. I do not merely want Qin Yu's life—I want the lives of everyone in your Qin Family!" At that moment, Cui Shuo's venomous voice came from the side door. He was still dressed in purple, and his injuries had unexpectedly healed in the span of one night. There was no trace of yesterday's battle on him. Yet unlike before, Cui Shuo's face was pale, and the arrogance once in his eyes had been replaced by hatred.
Cui Shuo was merely born of a concubine. Since childhood, he had suffered bullying from the other Cui Family brothers, leaving him with little sense of belonging toward the Cui Family. Fortunately, his talent was exceptional, and at Cui Hong's urging, he entered the Heavenly Fire Sect.
After entering the Heavenly Fire Sect, Cui Shuo's outstanding aptitude won him the favor of a peak master, who accepted him as a disciple. Since he had befriended the Third Elder's grandson, Cui Shuo's status in the Heavenly Fire Sect steadily rose.
This time, Cui Shuo had returned to the Cui Family with his head held high, carrying the air of a petty man who had suddenly gained power. He viciously trampled beneath his feet those who had once bullied him, and he greatly enjoyed the respectful, fearful looks others gave him. Over time, he began to float on air.
Being frightened away by Zi Xun'er would have been one thing, but then Qin Yu had beaten him into grievous injury, and Qin Zhan had shattered his arm. This filled Cui Shuo with extreme venom. Especially after secretly hearing the Cui Family servants discussing his battle with Qin Yu, his face burned as though on fire. He wished he could tear Qin Yu into ten thousand pieces and wash away his shame.
Qin Zhan lowered his head. A cold glint flashed in the depths of his eyes, but quickly vanished. He said, "Great General, for Qin'er's sake, please spare Qin Yu! Qin Zhan guarantees that Qin Yu will never provoke Cui Shuo again."
Cui Hong's aged face froze, as if he had recalled something. His clouded eyes fixed on Qin Zhan, sharp light flickering within them. After a long while, he said word by word, "Let there be no next time!"
"Thank you, Great General!" The great stone in Qin Zhan's heart finally fell. Cui Shuo, however, shrieked, "Grandfather, I absolutely will not agree to spare Qin Yu or the Qin Family!"
"You bastard! Go back and stay there!" Cui Hong slammed his hand onto the table and suddenly roared, startling Cui Shuo. Cui Shuo glanced at Cui Hong's gloomy face, struggled for a moment, then flicked his sleeve and left!
"For the sake of our past friendship, I can spare him. But kneel outside the Cui Residence for three days and three nights, as a warning to others!" Cui Hong said icily.
"Yes, Great General!" The muscles on Qin Zhan's face twitched. Once his words fell, he slowly rose and left the hall. Cui Hong watched his departing back, seemingly lost in thought.
After a long while, Cui Hong suddenly said, "Come in."
Cui Shuo, who had left earlier, entered with a cold smile on his face. "Grandfather, why did you do this? Would it not have been enough to simply warn them?"
"Our Cui Family owes Qin Zhan a debt of gratitude. That debt must be repaid! There is no need to mention this matter again." Cui Hong looked at Cui Shuo and said gently.
"Grandfather, if Qin Yu does not die... one day..." Cui Shuo said unwillingly.
"This old man repaid a favor. I only said there would be no next time and spared him, but I never said I would protect Qin Yu from death. He dared threaten my Cui Family... If I truly let him live, how could this old man sleep peacefully?" Cui Hong sneered, then said to Cui Shuo with a pleasant expression, "Xiao Shuo, remember this at all times in the Heavenly Fire Sect: in this world, the only person you can trust is yourself!"
"Yes, Grandfather!" Cui Shuo answered respectfully, a ferocious smile appearing on his face.
Over the past few days, people throughout Tianwu Main City had been abuzz with discussion. The former general, now the Qin Family head, was actually kneeling for a long time outside the Cui Residence, prompting countless speculations.
Some said Qin Zhan had offended Great General Cui. Others said Qin Zhan had struck his principal wife, who was Great General Cui's daughter, and so he had come bearing thorns on his back to beg forgiveness.
When word spread that Qin Zhan's third son, Qin Yu, had injured Cui Shuo, the Cui Family genius at the Early Astral Qi Stage, all of Tianwu Main City erupted in a tremendous uproar.
Who did not know that Qin Zhan's third son, Qin Yu, was a good-for-nothing with mediocre talent who loved stirring up trouble? Yet now there were rumors that this good-for-nothing had actually injured a Cui Family genius in the Gangqi Realm. How could the people not be shocked?
For a time, rumors about Qin Yu burst forth like a swarm of bees. There were all kinds of versions, most claiming that Qin Yu had endured humiliation and borne heavy burdens in the past, pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, and the like...
But then another report emerged: Qin Yu had provoked the Cui Family genius and, after losing the battle, had tried to launch a sneak attack. This had stirred Cui Shuo's killing intent, and in his fury, Cui Shuo had tried to kill him. That enraged Qin Zhan, who struck ruthlessly and broke the Cui Family genius's arm. That was why he had come bearing thorns on his back to beg forgiveness.
More and more people gathered outside the Cui Residence, all scrutinizing Qin Zhan. Many spoke venomously and shouted abuse at him. Some even took out eggs and vegetables and hurled them at Qin Zhan.
Qin Zhan knelt on one knee before the Cui Residence, his back ramrod straight, towering and unmoving like a stone statue as he allowed others to curse and attack him.
When Qin Yu woke, he felt an indescribable ache throughout his body, as though several people had savagely beaten him. Opening his eyes, he looked around. When he heard Xiao Tao and Xiao Hua whispering beside him, Qin Yu narrowed his eyes.
I am not dead?
Recalling his battle with Cui Shuo, Qin Yu still felt lingering fear, but what filled him more was shock at the Six Transformations of the Mad Demon.
With a cultivation only newly at the Martial Realm Sixth Level, he had fought Cui Shuo at the Early Astral Qi Stage without borrowing external strength. That was nearly unimaginable to Qin Yu. After all, each realm of cultivation brought earth-shaking changes. Fighting someone at the Ninth Level of the Martial Realm would have been one thing, but the Gangqi Realm was different. Astral qi alone was not something he could withstand. This showed just how formidable the Six Transformations of the Mad Demon was.
Of course, he had only been able to utterly crush Cui Shuo this time because Cui Shuo lacked battle experience. Otherwise, if he encountered someone with exceptionally rich combat experience, Qin Yu's fate would not be much better. His own battle experience was practically nonexistent. Although his mind contained an entire Library Pavilion, the current Qin Yu was at most a scholar well-read in countless books. He had yet to reach the point of devising strategies from behind the command tent and winning from a thousand miles away. At best, he was discussing warfare on paper.
Recalling how the heavier his injuries, the more fiercely his blood and qi burned, and the stronger the power flooding his body became, Qin Yu was filled with anticipation for the Six Transformations of the Mad Demon. This was only the first level—how powerful would the Six Transformations of the Mad Demon become at the end?
Perhaps at a certain level, it could be called invincible.
Wait. Since the first level involved blood and qi, did that mean the stronger his blood and qi, the greater the power he could gain from using the first level? There were two ways to improve blood and qi. One was to strengthen the body—the tougher the body, the stronger the blood and qi. That was why people said that body cultivators could possess blood and qi as heavy as ten thousand jun.
The other was bloodline power. But judging by this body's condition, it likely had no bloodline power.
"What a pity... Though the Six Transformations of the Mad Demon is incomparably powerful, its backlash is severe as well. The blood and qi in my body are exhausted, and once that power vanishes, I will faint from the loss of blood and qi. Unless I am driven into a corner with no other choice, I still cannot use it lightly," Qin Yu muttered.
The Six Transformations of the Mad Demon was not perfect either. This was only the first level, yet using it once made him lose consciousness and caused tremendous depletion of his blood and qi. He did not know what the later Mad Demon Transformations would be like.
Looking at the scabbed wounds on his body, Qin Yu took out a medicinal pill and put it into his mouth. Lying on the bed, he began circulating the Heavenly Dao Immortal Art, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to recover.
For now, he could only heal his injuries; his blood and qi could not be replenished this way. There were two methods for replenishing blood and qi: one was meditation, and the other was consuming the flesh and blood of Spirit Beasts.
About half an hour later.
As Qin Yu meditated, he vaguely heard soft sobs. The sound made him abruptly sit up, only to see Qin Xue sitting nearby and quietly crying.
"Xue'er, what is wrong?" Qin Yu asked.
Qin Xue, who had been crying sorrowfully, hurriedly turned her head. When she saw Qin Yu sitting up, she threw herself at him and wailed, "Brother..."
"Isn't your brother fine?" Qin Yu smiled calmly as he stroked Qin Xue's dark hair.
"Xue'er will not cry, but Father... Brother, go see Father. He... he has been kneeling before the Cui Residence for three days already. No matter how I beg him, he will not get up. Wuwu..." As Qin Xue spoke, she burst into loud tears again.
She was only thirteen, merely a child. Qin Yu's three-day coma had already made every day feel like a year to her, and now Qin Zhan had been kneeling before the Cui Residence without rising, filling her with boundless heartache and sorrow.
"The Cui Residence?" Qin Yu narrowed his eyes. He patted Qin Xue and comforted her, "Xue'er, Brother will go take a look."
"Mm!" Qin Xue wiped her tears, but no matter how she wiped, they continued to stream down without end.
Half an hour later.
When Qin Yu arrived before the Cui Residence, tens of thousands of commoners had already gathered around it. Among them were people from every corner of the Wu Kingdom, as well as quite a few cultivators. All surrounded the entrance to the Cui Residence, talking animatedly.
"If a son is not taught, the father is at fault. Teaching such a son was bad enough, yet he still spoiled him. This time, he kicked an iron plate, did he not?"
"He brought this upon himself—he deserves it! If you ask me, that Qin Yu should be dragged here too and made to kneel."
"Haha, so the great Qin Family head has a day like this too. If I were the Cui Family, I definitely would not let this go. Even beheading Qin Yu would not be excessive."
Waves of curses and discussion rose around him. Qin Yu passed through the crowd with a gloomy face. When he saw the figure kneeling before the gates of the Cui Residence, his pupils sharply contracted, and it felt as though a heavy hammer had brutally struck his heart.
Qin Zhan's hair hung loose and disheveled. His body was covered in egg yolk, vegetables, and leftover food, and waves of foul stench emanated from him. Yet his waist and back were as straight as a divine sword, and he knelt there without moving.
Seeing Qin Zhan in such a state, Qin Yu felt inexplicably distressed.
It was difficult to imagine that this disheveled Qin Zhan was the same Qin Zhan he had first met after his rebirth.
Back then, Qin Zhan had been sparing with words, imposing and extraordinary, his entire body suffused with majesty and calm.
Back then, he had been like a general holding the lives of countless beings in his hand.
But now...
An emotion Qin Yu had never felt before rose in his heart. No matter what Qin Zhan had been like in the past, this time, he was kneeling here for Qin Yu. This time, he had knelt here for three days and three nights to protect him.
And this... was fatherly love?
Qin Yu took a deep breath, his heart aching beyond measure!
Just as a dull pain stirred in Qin Yu's heart, a gentle voice sounded. "Uncle Qin, why put yourself through this?"
Before you continue