Chapter 248: Chapter 246: Sorrow
Shangguan Shiyu sat there quietly, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. She didn’t say a word, didn’t break down into sobs, didn’t voice a single question.
But her silence was all the more heart-wrenching to behold.
"Sigh. By the time I found out that vicious father and son had divided up all those elixirs—pocketing most for themselves and using the rest to buy off other clan members—more than half a year had already passed! I wanted to kill them with a single slap right then and there. But no matter how inhuman he’d become, he’s still my son. And... to be honest, their crimes didn’t warrant death back then. I couldn’t bring myself to do it! Who could have imagined they would become so utterly depraved, to the point where they’d not only try to harm Qin Li, but even refuse to spare... Shiyu!"
Shangguan Tie closed his eyes as murky tears streamed from their corners. "Worse than animals! They’re worse than animals!"
Qin Li only felt a shred of sympathy for Shangguan Tie. ’It feels like the old man was at his strongest back when he was only at the ninth stage of the Profound Level! Perhaps it was after meeting a peerless expert like Ye Qianyu, or maybe he just got old and became obsessed with living longer. But after stepping down as Patriarch, Shangguan Tie seemed to age rapidly, and his entire way of dealing with the world became fundamentally different from before.’
In Qin Li’s eyes, however, none of that mattered anymore. He asked, "Old Sir Shangguan, do you know the specific location of the entrance to the Mysterious Land where Shiyu’s parents are?"
Shangguan Tie shook his head. "The person who came from there originally wanted to tell Shiyu herself. But since she wasn’t here, they didn’t say much. They only mentioned that the sect was within the borders of the Great Qi Kingdom, somewhere in the south."
Qin Li sighed internally. ’Searching like this is like looking for a needle in a haystack. A Mysterious Land is already incredibly difficult to find. Even if we knew the general area, it would take careful searching and sensing to pinpoint the exact location. And right now, we don’t even have a general area.’
Glancing at Shangguan Tie, Qin Li stood up and said, "Since we know the whole story now, I’m inclined to believe that her parents are still alive."
"Really?" Shangguan Tie’s eyes widened as he asked loudly.
Even Shangguan Shiyu’s ashen, lifeless eyes brightened as she stared intently at Qin Li.
"Of course. There’s an old saying: you need to see them alive or see their corpse. Being missing for many years doesn’t necessarily mean they’re gone," Qin Li said softly. "There are fortuitous encounters in this world that are simply unimaginable to those who haven’t experienced them! And after such an encounter, going into seclusion to cultivate for ten or even twenty years is nothing special!"
"But how can we find them? That’s right! Qin Li, you and Shiyu are both incredibly powerful now, aren’t you? You have to find her parents and bring them back!"
An eager light shone in Shangguan Tie’s eyes. In reality, his favored successor had never been Shangguan Buhui, but Shangguan Jian!
If Shangguan Jian and his wife truly weren’t dead and could be found, then after all these years, their power must have grown immense!
If the Shangguan Clan were handed over to them, he was certain it would never fall into decline!
Qin Li nodded seriously. "Shiyu’s parents are my parents. Don’t you worry, Old Sir Shangguan. I will do everything in my power to find them! And if... if they truly met with misfortune, then I will slaughter their enemies to the very last man!"
Qin Li’s words were resolute, sharp as steel and reeking of bloodlust.
How could a former gang leader possibly be a defenseless lamb for anyone to bully? Qin Li had always acted as he pleased; the only question was whether someone had crossed his line.
Just like Shangguan Xuanyu and his mother. Even at the very end, they had dared to call him a little mongrel, a bastard, and still wanted him dead. He wouldn’t have spared people like that even if Shangguan Shiyu had begged him to.
’In my past life, I had no father and no mother, yet no one ever dared insult me by mentioning them. In this life, I have a father and a mother. I can choose to ignore that so-called father of mine, but if anyone else dares to use him to insult me, they die!’
This was Qin Li.
Upon returning to the Qin Mansion, Leng Yao, Bu Yunyan, and Zhao Qianqian could all tell something was wrong, but they were tactful enough not to ask. It wasn’t until they were in their room that Shangguan Shiyu suddenly threw her arms around Qin Li and began to wail.
She cried until the world seemed to spin and darken around her.
In the end, overcome with grief, Shangguan Shiyu only fell asleep after Qin Li gently pressed a pressure point on her neck.
Qin Li sighed softly, covered Shangguan Shiyu with the blanket, and turned to leave the room. As he expected, Bu Yunyan and the others were waiting for him in the hall.
Qin Li briefly explained what had happened, and upon hearing the story, all three women were filled with rage.
Zhao Qianqian said, filled with righteous indignation, "How could the Shangguan Family be so shameless? You were right to kill them, Qin Li! People like that deserve to die!"
Bu Yunyan and Leng Yao were, after all, a little older and more mature. Bu asked with a hint of worry, "Qin Li, because of what you did, Shiyu... do you think she’ll...?"
Qin Li shook his head and gave a faint smile. "They wanted to kill Shiyu, too. If not for Old Sir Shangguan, that group of people... Hmph."
He didn’t finish the sentence, but the murderous glint that flashed in his eyes spoke volumes about his feelings on the matter.
"Sigh. Regardless, you still killed Shiyu’s relatives," Bu advised kindly. "Once she’s more stable, you should explain things to her properly. It would be best if this doesn’t leave a shadow on her heart."
Qin Li nodded slightly, but he knew better than anyone. ’In her heart, Shangguan Shiyu never considered those people her family. The reason is simple: they abandoned her first.’
「A few days later.」
Hu returned from his trip, overjoyed to see Qin Li was back. However, when Qin Li expressed his intention to take everyone to Profound Island, Hu, as expected, refused the kind offer.
"Young Master, I’m a simple man. I’ve said it before: all I want in this life is wealth and status. With my aptitude, reaching the Celestial Level is all thanks to you. So, I just want to stay here and become a powerful, wealthy man in the Mortal Realm. Making my parents proud of me... that’s all I need to be content!"
Qin Li smiled and nodded. "Hu, just wait. I’ll write a letter to the emperor. From now on, Yellow Sand City is yours!"
Hu immediately shot to his feet, a look of panic on his face. "You can’t do that, Young Master! What have I ever done to deserve such a massive gift? I absolutely cannot accept!"
"Hu, don’t overthink it. With your current strength, accepting this might be a bit of a stretch, but it’s justifiable. Besides, most importantly, don’t you have me backing you up? Forget a single fiefdom—even if you wanted to be emperor of the Mortal Realm, I could make it happen. You’re not quite suited for that role, though. You should focus on raising your son well. I’m not joking!"
Qin Li grinned at the dumbfounded Hu. "Have I ever lied to you? So, you have to take the position! Do it for your son’s future. Just consider it a small gift between brothers."
Hu was rendered completely speechless. ’You’re probably the only person in the world who could say something like that,’ he thought. ’An astonishingly vast territory... a *small* gift? Then what in this world would count as a *big* gift?’
"Alright, I won’t refuse then. But I, Hu, swear on my parents’ names that all of this is a gift from you, Young Master. Whenever you want it back, just send someone with your seal, and I will hand over everything without question!"
Qin Li just smiled faintly and shook his head. "There’s no need for that. What I’ve given you is yours. No one will ever come asking for it. Remember, you’re an important man now! You need to carry yourself like one! I hope that when I return in a few years, I’ll find you have become a truly great man!"
Hu’s eyes dimmed. "You’re the one who’s truly destined to soar, Young Master. I can only offer you my silent blessings from the background."
「At the end of the year.」
The Little Fox, Linghu Feiyue, returned unexpectedly early. Judging by her elation, her trip had clearly been a great success.
Sure enough, her return to the Fox Race had caused a tremendous stir. Before its Transformation, a Spirit Beast’s intelligence isn’t fully awakened, and it hasn’t received its clan’s legacy. Therefore, even after a thousand years of cultivation, it remains a mere beast.
But after Transformation, a Spirit Beast is no different from a human in any respect. The Little Fox had been at the Celestial Shattering Realm right after her Transformation. Now, in less than ten years, she had actually reached the Celestial Embracing Realm!
This was unprecedented in the history of the Fox Race. As a result, Linghu Feiyue’s current status within the race was exceptionally high, and receiving her legacy had gone very smoothly.
With all the women gathered, Shiyu was now their unspoken leader. Everyone, without exception, treated her with great respect. The Little Fox’s position, however, was somewhat detached, as she was, after all, an expert at the Celestial Embracing Realm.
But other than Shiyu, no one else knew that Linghu Feiyue was a Spirit Beast. The Little Fox had never told Qin Li that she was the injured White Fox from all those years ago, but he had already guessed most of the truth. ’Otherwise,’ he mused, ’why would she have warned me during the fight with that giant bear, and then followed me ever since?’
Some things didn’t need to be spoken aloud. As long as they all understood, that was enough.
Shangguan Shiyu had been silent and withdrawn this whole time, only speaking a few words when she was alone with Qin Li. Seeing her like this made his heart ache.
Therefore, after the Little Fox returned, Qin Li gathered the women and said, "There’s still over half a year until the gates of Profound Island open, and a year until the Venerable Tournament. I want to accompany Shiyu to the south of the Great Qi Kingdom first and see if we can find that Mysterious Land and learn what happened to her parents. Feiyue, you can take Bu, Leng Yao, and the others to Profound Island ahead of time."
The Little Fox hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Alright," she said readily. "But the New Qin Empire hasn’t withdrawn its troops. What’s your plan for that?"
"Annihilate them," Qin Li said casually, as if it were a trivial matter. When it came to opportunities that could humiliate the Cui Family and inflict grievous losses, Qin Li never held back.
