Chapter 196: Chapter 194: Want to Run Wild Here? I Say No
Qinling Mountain’s words were decisive and resounding!
Qin Li was moved. Even if his talent and strength were enough for any family to make such a decision, to say it in front of all the family’s core disciples was a clear testament to their attitude toward him.
Qin Hanyue sat there, her face already streaked with tears. Qin Xue’s eyes were red-rimmed as well, her expression full of pride. The little fox, Linghu Feiyue, blinked her bright eyes as she watched the scene, thinking to herself, ’So, this is what a family is in the human world? It feels pretty nice!’
Qin Wenxuan kept his head down, struggling to control his emotions. He didn’t want to cry in front of so many of his clansmen. This was the happiest day of his life! Not even when the great-grandfather had publicly announced his marriage to Qin Hanyue had he felt this moved, this blissful.
Because the focus of tonight, the absolute star of the entire Qin Family, was his son!
’Li, your father is so proud of you!’ How Qin Wenxuan longed to say those words to his son in person! Feeling his wife’s comforting gaze from the side, Qin Wenxuan was suddenly struck by a thought. He... he was the happiest man in the world!
A wife who loved him deeply and such an outstanding son—that was more than enough!
This ordinary night was anything but for the Qin Family. A new, powerful, and absolutely fresh lifeblood had been injected into their clan!
After the banquet, from that night on, almost all the Qin Family disciples became more diligent and more united.
Even the Qin Family’s future primary heir, Qin Li’s older cousin Qin Suo, sought him out the next day. He welcomed his return and subtly suggested that the family’s future would revolve around Qin Li.
Qin Li, however, had no interest in the family’s power. Ever since his return from Phoenix Lake, his focus was no longer on authority of any kind.
What Qin Li pursued now was freedom, and secondly, to walk the path to the peak of the Martial Dao, one step at a time.
Therefore, he would not choose anything that might tie him down.
When Qin Li expressed his wishes, he clearly sensed Qin Suo let out a sigh of relief. Qin Li chuckled to himself. ’Although this family is united, my cousin, who is more than ten years my senior, must have some complicated and disappointed feelings about me.’ This was normal. Qin Suo’s own aptitude was excellent. Before Qin Li’s appearance, he had always been the absolute core of the Qin Family’s new generation. For him not to feel jealousy or hatred and still maintain a pure heart was truly commendable.
Having grown accustomed to seeing brothers fight amongst themselves, Qin Li genuinely felt, ’This family isn’t bad at all!’
Qin Hanyue’s excitement still hadn’t completely subsided by the next day. Her status here had never been low, but with her son’s arrival, she had become the center of attention among her peers.
Although Qin Hanyue wasn’t a particularly vain woman, she couldn’t help but feel immense pride in her heart when faced with everyone’s high praise for her son.
Fortunately, she maintained an appearance of absolute humility, saying that her child was still young, had a long road ahead of him, and that how he walked it would be up to him.
The next afternoon, Qin Hanyue finally remembered the Qin Family in the Mortal Realm. She called Qin Li to her side and, with a gentle smile, asked about his experiences over the years.
Qin Li hesitated. Seeing how happy his mother was, he decided not to mention the matter of the other Qin Family just yet. Instead, he recounted the important events of the past few years.
Qin Li’s experiences over the past few years were simply too incredible. Any single event was enough to move Qin Hanyue. She was especially astonished beyond words when she heard that Qin Li could even decide the succession of imperial power in the Mortal Realm.
When Qin Li spoke of the dangers he had faced, Qin Hanyue became extremely nervous. Even though her son was sitting right in front of her, safe and sound, she still felt a lingering fear.
Qin Hanyue was also very clever. Seeing Qin Li avoid the topic of the other Qin Family, she had already guessed a few things. She smiled faintly and asked, "My dear son, are they all well? You suffered so much over the years. After you became famous, what kind of face did they show you? Didn’t they come crying and begging for you to return?"
Qin Li hesitated for a moment but decided to tell the truth. He could hide it for a while, but not forever. Besides, Qin Hanyue was blissfully happy now; she could surely move past things from long ago.
"If the Qin Family were still around... I suppose they would have." A bitter smile appeared on Qin Li’s face as he said softly, "The Qin Family was wiped out!"
"What?" Qin Hanyue shot to her feet, her face turning pale. She swayed twice, looking at Qin Li in disbelief. "What... what happened? Son, did you do it?"
"Mother, please don’t get upset. Let me finish." Qin Li stood up and steadied his mother, then infused a stream of Innate Purple Qi into her body. Qin Hanyue’s emotions gradually calmed.
She looked at her son with a complicated expression and said slowly, "My dear son, go on. Mother believes you."
Qin Li nodded and said softly, "You are not Qin Hongyuan’s biological daughter!"
Qin Li had expected his words to shock his mother, perhaps even earn him a scolding. He never thought that Qin Hanyue would just give a sad smile, tears welling in her eyes.
"Mother, you knew about this?" Qin Li asked, a little surprised.
Qin Hanyue sighed softly. "Originally, I didn’t believe it. When you were injured, I went to beg my brother. His woman unintentionally said something. She said, ’You really think you’re part of the Qin Family? You’re just a bastard’s child, too!’ At the time, I was so worried about your injuries that I didn’t think much of it. I thought she was just insulting me. But thinking back now, she must have heard her man talk about it. Actually, I’ve felt it ever since I was little. My brothers were all nice enough to me, but I never felt that deep, blood-kin connection with them! Especially after my dream of entering the palace as a consort was shattered, their attitudes became extremely cold. I thought, ’If I were their real sister, they wouldn’t be like this, would they?’"
Qin Hanyue spoke through her tears. It was clear this intelligent woman wasn’t completely in the dark. Thirteen years of silent endurance had allowed her to see through many things.
"Son, tell me what you know." Qin Hanyue wiped her eyes and said gently, "Don’t worry. Mother is very happy now. Those things, good or bad, are all in the past!"
Qin Li finally felt relieved. He had been afraid that Qin Hanyue would become too emotional and fall ill with worry over this matter. That would have been his fault.
Qin Li recounted all the details of his conflict with the other Qin Family from beginning to end. Even though Qin Hanyue was mentally prepared, she still wore a look of utter disbelief.
After a long silence, she sighed, closed her eyes, and said softly, "Son, those... those were nightmares. We’ve made it through them, haven’t we? Right?"
Qin Li nodded and took Qin Hanyue’s slightly cold hand. After several years of recovery, her hands had regained their delicate and smooth texture.
"Mother, it’s all in the past. From now on, you can stay here with him. You don’t need to worry about my affairs. Just treat all the troubles of the Mortal Realm as a dream."
"Child, are you still unwilling to forgive your father?" Qin Hanyue opened her eyes and gazed at his young, handsome face, sighing in her heart, ’He looks so much like him when he was young!’
Qin Li gave a wry smile. "Mother, I’ve grown accustomed to a life without a father. I don’t know how I should face him. Let’s just... let nature take its course, okay?"
Hearing Qin Li’s detached words, Qin Hanyue’s heart ached. She squeezed his hand and said gently, "I’m sorry, son. Mother was too hasty. As long as you don’t hate him, I’ll be happy."
"Haha, why would I hate him? If he ever dares to treat you badly, it won’t be a matter of hating him. I’ll beat him up!" Qin Li chuckled.
"You brat, what nonsense are you spouting!" Qin Hanyue rolled her eyes at her son, much of the sorrow in her heart dissipating. So many years had passed, and she now had what could be called a perfect family.
Even if she couldn’t let go of the past, what could be done? Some wounds just need time to heal.
The little fox, Linghu Feiyue, couldn’t sit still and ran outside to see the world. At first, Qin Hanyue was a little worried, but when Qin Li told her that the little girl was even stronger than he was, she was stunned speechless for a long time.
Thankfully, Qin Li didn’t tell his mother that the little girl was a Spirit Beast. Otherwise, who knows what kind of expression Qin Hanyue might have made.
Qin Xue came rushing in from outside and said to Qin Li, "Little brother, hide, quickly! People from the Thousand Kills Sect are here! They’ve cornered Miss Linghu on the street. Big Brother Qin Suo and the others have already taken people to negotiate. They said you shouldn’t show yourself. As long as you don’t appear, there’s nothing the Thousand Kills Sect can do to you!"
Qin Li stood up and said with a smile, "Don’t worry. This is my business. I won’t let others stand in front of me. I’ve always been the one to shield others from the wind and rain."
With that, Qin Li drifted out of the room.
On the long street, five disciples from the Thousand Kills Sect, their faces flushed with excitement, had surrounded a peerlessly beautiful young woman. They were in a standoff with another group of Qin Family disciples, shouting angrily.
A large crowd had gathered around, all watching the scene with excitement.
The Thousand Kills Sect versus the Qin Family—a good show like this wasn’t easy to come by!
"Hmph, what do you think the Qin Family is? You dare interfere with the Thousand Kills Sect’s business? I see you’re all tired of living!"
The speaker was a middle-aged man of about forty with a particularly long, horse-like face. His face was also covered in pockmarks, pitted and scarred like a muddy puddle ravaged by a downpour. His eyes shot out a disdainful glare as he looked down on Qin Suo.
"That’s right! Didn’t your Qin Family publicly state that the matter had nothing to do with you? So why do you dare to meddle when the Thousand Kills Sect is handling its affairs? You’re clearly showing no respect for the Thousand Kills Sect!" one of the Thousand Kills Sect disciples, who had seen Qin Li and Linghu Feiyue before, sneered at Qin Suo and the others.
Qin Suo was not intimidated. With a calm and composed expression, he said coolly, "This is not the Thousand Kills Sect. This is the Qin Family’s territory. If you want to run wild here, I say you can’t."
