The next morning, Qin Xun didn’t need the woman to urge him before he was ready to go out.
Since this was about apologizing rather than picking a fight, naturally he couldn’t wear his best clothes.
This mother and son lived in true poverty. After Qin Xun rummaged through this body’s room, he only found two sets of clothes in total—one was the disciple robe he’d been wearing when he first entered, now washed until it was nearly white, and the other was a coarse cloth short jacket with patches sewn on it.
Only after leaving this mountain peak did Qin Xun discover that this was actually the grounds of a medium-sized sect. The mother and son’s thatched hut was in the most remote corner. After walking for quite a while down the desolate path, sect disciples finally began appearing.
Qin Xun followed behind the woman, quietly observing the passing disciples, growing increasingly puzzled.
For this mother and son pair—the mother’s spiritual qi was weak, barely reaching the threshold of the Qi Refining stage, but her son, though only fifteen or sixteen years old, had already reached the mid Foundation Establishment stage. Even in the Taihua Immortal Sect, he could be called naturally gifted, far surpassing the average cultivation level of the sect disciples they’d seen along the way.
Moreover…
The owner of the malicious gaze that had lingered on him for quite some time swaggered forward with what he thought was a graceful gait, blocking their path. Chin raised high, eyes full of contempt, he sneered, “Well, well, if it isn’t our great genius Qu! How rare to see the great genius deign to grace the sect with his presence!”
Qi Refining stage.
Qin Xun lifted his eyelids to glance at him, his gaze pausing half a foot before the toe of this troublemaker’s shoe.
Any demonic cultivator familiar with the Young Venerable’s temperament would have had the sense to stop right there. The Young Venerable’s easy-going, mild temper and willingness to be pushed around only existed in front of the Venerable. Turn around, and aside from the two Envoyss who could barely manage a pleasant face, he found everyone displeasing and would strike them down without hesitation!
The dandy suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Puzzled, he touched his back, then continued stepping forward, completely unaware as he stepped on the very spot where Qin Xun’s gaze had fallen.
“Ahhh——!!!”
Half a foot with a smooth cross-section bounced twice before rolling to the side, blood flowing out in a small stream.
The crowd that had been stealing glances from all sides gasped sharply. Their eyes fell on the dandy who had quickly fainted from pain, then looked at the short-jacketed youth calmly shaking out his hand—the terror in their eyes couldn’t be concealed.
This Qu Xi fellow had always endured bullying until he could bear it no longer before fighting back. When had his retaliation become so swift and ruthless!
“Xi!” Mother Qu anxiously called her son’s name. Noticing more and more sect disciples gathering around them, her anxious emotions became increasingly visible.
She reached out to grab Qin Xun’s arm, pulling him forward with his head lowered. “You… ai, hurry, let’s go!”
Her grip on Qin Xun’s hand suddenly tightened. Caught off guard, Qin Xun was actually pulled into a stumble and had to quicken his pace to catch up.
“Where is Madam hurrying off to in such a rush?”
After only a few steps, Mother Qu had no choice but to stop. Not daring to raise her eyes, she forced out a placating smile, voice trembling, “Young Sect Master.”
She quickly pulled ‘Qu Xi’ over. The hand on his arm slid to his waist, lightly applying pressure. Qin Xun tilted his head slightly to look, meeting the woman’s reddened, pleading gaze.
Qin Xun’s thoughts raced as he imperceptibly raised his eyelids to look at this ‘Young Sect Master.’
Decent appearance, dressed in brocade robes with a jade belt—looked the part of a proper person, but unfortunately his spiritual qi was turbid throughout. If one didn’t know better, they’d think some mortal world clan’s young master had wandered out.
His gaze briefly paused on the folding fan the Young Sect Master was holding with affected elegance.
The ‘Young Sect Master’ waved his folding fan, taking his time until he’d somehow made a dozen steps feel like a hundred meters. He snapped the fan closed and brought it toward Qin Xun’s chin. “How rare to see you so obedient, Qu X—ah!”
Qin Xun raised his hand to grasp the wooden handle of the folding fan, his five fingers applying slight force. The fan handle was made of ordinary wood to begin with—not comparable to Shen Muxuan’s deadly weapon—and immediately broke clean off along with the hand gripping it, wood handle and all. Pig-like squealing instantly echoed through the mountains.
Compared to the earlier dandy, he was slightly better off—due to the angle of force applied, the bone was broken but the tendons remained connected, so this hand was at least spared the indignity of being soiled by dirt on the ground.
Only the broken folding fan clattered to the ground, heavily crushed beneath a cloth shoe, instantly scattering into broken pieces, no longer retaining its shape.
“What are you all standing around for! Seize this audacious Qu Xi for this Young Sect Master! Ow, it hurts so much…”
The Young Sect Master’s wailing startled a flock of birds. His incoherent, violent cursing at Qin Xun did wake the surrounding onlookers from their daze, and his lackeys immediately rushed forward.
Qin Xun reached for the person at the front. Demonic qi flowed from his dantian through the veins in his hand. His fingers pressed against the muscular forearm, demonic qi flowing through——
Qin Xun was violently thrown out, his back slamming against the uneven protruding stone wall. He clearly heard the ‘crack’ of ribs breaking.
He lay prone on the ground coughing up blood in great mouthfuls, his back visibly collapsing inward. He tried to support his body with his arms to crawl up, but fell back down repeatedly.
Qin Xun blinked hard to keep sweat from blocking his vision.
The secret realm’s pressure fell heavily on his soul like a mountain. A thin thread of demonic qi crawled through his meridians like a snail. This sudden restriction came neither early nor late, nearly costing him his life on the spot.
The youth’s limbs were powerless as he was dragged back, leaving two deep trails of blood on the ground.
Mother Qu quickly stepped forward, but the Young Sect Master, who had been helped up by his lackeys, was full of malice. He waved for someone to stop her, then looked down at ‘Qu Xi’ from his superior position, revealing a smile full of ill intent.
The Young Sect Master squatted down, grabbed him by the hair and forcibly made him raise his head. “Qu Xi, weren’t you very fierce when you beat up this Young Master a few days ago? How come you can’t be so tough now?”
This method was somewhat nostalgic… tsk, how many years had it been since he’d suffered this kind of treatment.
His scalp stung painfully but Qin Xun couldn’t resist. He thought to himself—forget a few days ago, if it were at all possible, I could pound you into a ball of meat paste right now.
The Young Sect Master was completely unaware that if not for the secret realm’s restrictions, he would already be in a stinking ditch. He raised his hand a bit higher, watching ‘Qu Xi’s’ subtle expressions of pain involuntarily revealed from the pulling, feeling immensely satisfied.
He leaned close to ‘Qu Xi’s’ ear, lowering his voice with a grin. “It hurts a lot right now, doesn’t it? With so many people watching you get dragged by your hair to this Young Master’s feet, you must be so humiliated you’d rather die on the spot, right?”
Qin Xun looked at him coldly, his heart unmoved. That’s it?
The Young Sect Master pressed close to his face, revealing a smile full of malice, then suddenly let go, allowing his head to slam heavily into the ground. He clapped his hands and stood up. Rather than punching and kicking him, abusing him in every way to vent his anger as Qin Xun had expected, he only left him with a dismissive glance before turning away.
An ominous premonition suddenly rose in Qin Xun’s heart.
The Young Sect Master gave a light order. “Hold her tight for this Young Master!”
Then, aiming at Mother Qu whose arms were being held by the lackeys, he raised his foot and viciously kicked at Mother Qu’s knee!
Qin Xun’s pupils constricted!
Even if the Young Sect Master had restrained his spiritual qi, Mother Qu’s body, which had never undergone spiritual qi refinement, absolutely couldn’t withstand such a forceful beating!
Mother Qu’s cry of pain was forcibly suppressed in her throat, but her entire face crumpled. The leg that was kicked bent unnaturally—clearly already broken.
The Young Sect Master didn’t continue to abuse Mother Qu. He crossed his arms, turned around with a grin, and looked down at Qin Xun. “Does it hurt? Are you angry?”
Qin Xun stared at him coldly. The Young Sect Master was made to unconsciously retreat half a step by that cold gaze. Realizing this, his expression changed dramatically, and he raised his foot to kick Mother Qu again. “What are you staring at! Stare again and this Young Master will gouge out your old mother’s eyes!”
He meant it to bolster his courage, but ‘Qu Xi’ lying in a pool of blood suddenly threw his whole body forward without warning, sprawling over Mother Qu’s back to take the blow for her. His mouth opened slightly, and another wave of blood gushed out.
Even his breathing became much lighter.
Qin Xun struggled to swallow the bloody taste surging to his throat, raised his head and said flatly, “In this life I’ve seen quite a few filthy, dirty things that can’t bear the light of day, but this really is the first time I’ve encountered something like you that even being skinned, having your bones pulled out, and being thrown into a hell oil cauldron wouldn’t wash away that stench.”
He lay disheveled over Mother Qu, but his raised eyes were clear. In this instant, he seemed to break free from this constructed false world. Though he had to use all his strength just to lift his head to look at him, the Young Sect Master felt like he was the one being looked down upon.
The Young Sect Master flew into a rage, ordering his subordinates to pin down ‘Qu Xi.’ Fists and feet fell on him in a torrential rain, blow after blow. The youth spat fresh blood mouthful by mouthful, firmly protecting his mother’s frail body beneath him. His breath gradually weakened, but strangely, that final breath never quite gave out.
The Young Sect Master panted heavily, kicked the barely-alive ‘Qu Xi,’ and said contemptuously, “The spot to study at the third-rank Linghua Sect—I had Father scratch your name off. So what? The heavenly path of cultivation—is that something the son of a lowly servant can aspire to?”
He laughed wildly and wantonly. “Let me tell you, Qu Xi—you strike ruthlessly and run fast, but even if you can run, your mother can’t!”
He kicked heavily at ‘Qu Xi’s’ shoulder with such force that the youth’s frail body swayed precariously. “Be this Young Master’s dog obediently! If you dare make this Young Master unhappy, this Young Master will use your mother for entertainment!”
After the Young Sect Master and his lackeys left, Qin Xun was helped up by the tearful Mother Qu and carried step by step back to the thatched hut. “Xi, Mother shouldn’t have asked you to apologize. Mother never thought the Young Sect Master would be so unreasonable, when clearly he was the one… ai, be careful, do your wounds hurt?”
Qin Xun weakly shook his head, humming, “Don’t worry, the trial is still ongoing. How could that one truly let me die?”
After that filthy thing that should be thrown in an oil cauldron and onto mountain blades left, the invisible pressure on him dissipated, and his injuries began healing at an abnormal rate.
He glanced at Mother Qu’s broken leg—couldn’t see any trace that it had just been broken. She walked briskly as if on level ground.
Mother Qu looked blank and confused.
Qin Xun sighed, propped himself up on his elbows and sat up. “Mother, let’s leave.”
Mother Qu: “…Leave? Where do you want to go?”
Qin Xun: “The cultivation world is so vast—anywhere would be better than staying in this broken household getting bullied.” He didn’t think this trial was meant for people to squat in the sect getting beaten anyway.
He muttered on. “Mother, you stay in this corner all day—you surely don’t know how big the outside world is. It’s just a fifth-rank sect, the highest is only Spirit Transformation stage. Any somewhat capable person could flip their palm and destroy them. Once your son practices for two more years, we’ll…”
“I know.”
“You know….hmm?” Qin Xun looked at her in surprise, discovering this wasn’t just empty words.
“I used to…” Mother Qu seemed about to say something, then swallowed it back. She shook her head and smiled. “Didn’t you want to leave? I’ll go pack our things.”