Planning to "Pay a Visit" to the Cui Clan

Deep night fell. Even as the Fire Springs gradually dimmed, Qin Ming could see clearly with his Eye of the Newborn: the figure standing upon that dim, mist-veiled mountain peak was Seventh Uncle Cui. Cui Hao was of the direct lineage of that clan and extraordinarily talented, one of the future pillars of the Cui clan. Qin Ming felt that he might know where his grandfather had gone. Upon the graceful peak, shrouded in night mist, Cui Hao stood quietly. He had been standing there for a long time, watching the youth on the knoll opposite with concern. His face lacked color, bearing the look of someone just recovering from a severe illness. He had gone to the Western Border battlefield, fighting successive fierce battles, bathing in blood against demons, escaping death by a hair's breadth, and had been recuperating until now. Cui Hao withdrew his gaze, feeling he had no face to see his nephew. When he had emerged from seclusion back then and learned what had happened, everything was already irreversible. He had wanted to make amends, only to find that Qin Ming had already made a name for himself, gradually rising, and was now walking alongside the likes of Lu Zizai and Yu Gensheng, fully capable of protecting himself. With a sigh, he turned and stepped into the night mist. So long as the boy was doing well, that was enough; he did not want his own presence to put the youth in an awkward position. An ordinary person naturally could not have made out his expression, but Qin Ming was able to clearly catch the bleakness, helplessness, and guilt on his pale face. Qin Ming found it difficult to feel any goodwill toward most people in the Cui clan. Some had wanted to keep him pinned down in that remote place called Black-White Mountain, while others had wanted to eliminate him outright. Moreover, his family's ancestral silk book was still in the hands of the Cui clan's Old Ancestor. One day, when his cultivation was sufficiently profound, he would inevitably go to the Cui clan to demand justice. In this thousand-year-old aristocratic clan, Qin Ming was closest to Seventh Uncle Cui and remembered his kindness dearly. If not for Cui Hao and Cui Hao's biological grandfather, then after the war between the Li and Cui clans broke out, Qin Ming would inevitably have died according to how things were meant to unfold. It was this grandfather and grandson who had protected him one after the other. Qin Ming strode out of the knoll. His face was slightly pale; having been battered by those terrifying emotional surges had been truly agonizing, repeatedly shuttling him between hell and heaven. Yet his state of mind was harmonious and whole, filled with a sense of immense gain. The shattered jade book had been completed by him and committed to memory. "How was your harvest?" Grandmaster Ling Canghai asked with a smile. "Difficult, difficult, difficult! I only caught a glimpse of the scripture's surface and barely scratched the outermost layer," Qin Ming sighed, uttering the word "difficult" three times in a row. The place fell quiet in an instant. Many people wore strange expressions—he truly had gained some comprehension! Qin Ming started. He had kept things so low-key, claiming to have merely grazed the edges—why did they still have that look? A white-haired grandmaster sighed, "Truly remarkable. At your age, you can already gain initial comprehension from the shattered jade book. Heroes truly emerge from youth." Near the knoll, silence was broken. A crowd cast strange glances over, many with conflicted expressions—some shocked, some dejected, some envious, and others utterly cold. "One of the three true scriptures of the immortal path with the difficulty maxed out, revered as a heavenly book, and he could actually understand part of it!" "Truly worthy of being one of the top immortal seeds." At this moment, Qin Ming's identity on the Newborn path was overlooked; he passively became an "immortal seed," labeled as such by a group of eminent seniors who regarded him as one of the people beyond the mundane world. Had Lu Zizai not been present, they would have insisted on feeling his bones thoroughly and inspecting his spiritual field. Who wouldn't want to study such heaven-blessed talent? Ling Canghai stepped forward to say that quarters had already been arranged. In the original plan, Qin Ming and Lu Zizai were going to take their leave immediately, but now that he had spotted Seventh Uncle Cui, he gladly agreed to stay for the night. "Splendid. I was just hoping to exchange pointers and insights with Brother Qin," said Zhuo Qingming, the immortal seed. Tang Xumi approached and said, "Brother Qin, here. The technique I owed you back then—I brought it for you." Surprised, Qin Ming took it into his hands and glanced at it. The title was... actually the Scripture of the Erect Ape Demon. "Are you serious?" He looked at Tang Xumi. When Qin Ming had fought tooth and nail in the Western Border, the demons had frequently yelled "Erect Ape Demon King" at him. To think that after returning, he would see these words again! Tang Xumi said, "This is a technique I acquired on the Western Border battlefield. Don't look down on it—it's quite profound, definitely an extraordinary art." "All right, then!" What else could Qin Ming say? He thanked him and put it away. Soon, Helian Zhaoyu sent someone to deliver a message: once shallow night arrived, he wished to spar with him. Qin Ming originally had no desire to pay attention to it. Having not long returned from the Western Border battlefield after bathing in the blood of so many heavenly demon seeds, he had zero interest in an ordinary duel. However, after pondering briefly, he felt there was no harm in accepting. Helian Zhaoyu had deep grievances with him and certainly harbored no goodwill. Since the other party wanted to issue a challenge, he didn't mind entering the field and taking the opportunity to resolve a nuisance for Qingyue. If Helian Zhaoyu suffered a crushing defeat in full view of everyone, would he still have the face to pester Li Qingyue in the future? Qin Ming said, "Fine. Have him prepare something I'm interested in." The messenger was Helian Zhaoyu's older paternal cousin. Hearing this, he froze—did this guy want an "appearance fee" or something? "It's merely a spar, why must you do this?" Helian Zhaohui said, deeply displeased. Qin Ming replied, "Whether this is just a spar or not—don't you know very well in your own hearts? Call it a wager. If I lose, I naturally won't bring it up again." Those who had not yet dispersed immediately perked up upon hearing their exchange, wishing shallow night would arrive at once. No one had expected there would be a clash between top-tier immortal seeds. By then, the Fire Springs in the pure land had been manually adjusted, their flames gradually subduing, yet outlining an even more serene and beautiful mood. Li Qingyue and Qin Ming walked away into the distance; their silhouettes could still be faintly glimpsed through the silver bamboo grove. With an icy face, Helian Zhaoyu watched the two depart. Wei Cheng said, "Zhaoyu, I'll walk with you." "I'm going to cultivate in quiet!" Goosebumps broke out across Helian Zhaoyu's skin, and he turned away immediately. Wei Cheng nodded with a smile and said, "Looking forward to tomorrow!" He was at ease—after all, he wasn't the one fighting. The pure land in the deep night held a hazy beauty. Immortal trees shook down pure radiance, and spiritual herbs breathed auspicious brilliance. As far as the eye could see, all vegetation was draped in soft gossamer, diffusing faint halos of light, like a fairy-tale realm soaked in moonlight and immortal mist, serene and enchanting. Qin Ming and Li Qingyue walked shoulder to shoulder, strolling through the pure land. He did not mention the matter of the four jade pages, leaving it for later. After all, they were currently in the pure land; if others discovered that he had actually completed the true scripture, the consequences would be unimaginable. "Helian Zhaoyu isn't weak. He tempered himself down from the fourth realm, constantly honing himself with extreme methods," Li Qingyue said. Qin Ming smiled. "That only shows that when he first stepped into certain domains, he couldn't reach the pinnacle and couldn't achieve it in one leap, so he had to retrace his steps." Li Qingyue gave a slight smile and said, "That is the Ten Thousand Forgings method, sourced from a priceless secret manual. Described that way by you, its aura of mystery loses quite a bit of luster." She cautioned him never to be careless! "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Qin Ming tucked away his smile. He naturally wouldn't underestimate Helian Zhaoyu; the man was originally a formidable immortal seed of the fourth realm who clearly intended to use the Ten Thousand Forgings method to build the strongest foundation. Shallow night arrived, and all the Fire Springs grew bright. Immediately after, golden morning glow burst from the mist-wrapped mountain crest in the east, bathing the pure land in a fresh and vibrant vitality. Accompanied by Li Qingyue, Qin Ming went to see Cui Hao. Upon the graceful peak, a thatched cottage sat beside a medicine field, enveloped in swirling immortal mist. Cui Hao lived in seclusion and cultivated here. His expression was conflicted, and he sighed, "Alas!" "Seventh Uncle, are you injured?" Qin Ming did not stand on ceremony, stepping forward to support one of his arms. "I'm fine, my injuries are nearly healed. In the blink of an eye, three years have passed, and you're already taller than me," Cui Hao said. Both tacitly avoided mentioning the people and matters of the Cui clan. Moments later, Cui Hao regained his former talkativeness. Looking at Li Qingyue waiting in the distance, he turned to Qin Ming and teased with a smile, "Not bad, you have good eyes. She's the loveliest girl in our pure land, an immortal seed of peerless talent." Then he nodded. "Mhm, speaking of which, you two have known each other since early on. That's good—you know each other inside out." "Seventh Uncle, there are things I'd like to ask you." Toward the end, Qin Ming reined in his smile and earnestly inquired about his grandfather's whereabouts. He was full of worry. Counting the time, an old man without cultivation was already deep in his twilight years; he didn't even know if he would ever have the chance to see him again. Cui Hao said, "Although I was one of the first people to come into contact with your grandfather, in the end it was your father... who stepped forward in person to receive the old man." The so-called father referred to Father Cui. "Where he ultimately went..." Qin Ming's voice trembled slightly. "Supposedly, he insisted on leaving, wanting to find your biological parents." Cui Hao had not been present at the time; Father Cui had told him all this. Afterward, he mentioned several place names. Qin Ming frowned deeply and remained silent for a long time. He least wished to see Father Cui and Mother Cui, yet in the future it would be unavoidable; he would have to make a trip in person to question them face-to-face. However, he could not wait any longer. Regarding this matter, he needed to ask Lu Zizai for assistance, to "pay a visit" to the Cui clan within the coming days! He already possessed the complete silk book method and was in no rush to meet the Cui clan's Old Ancestor; once his strength was sufficient, he could personally demand back the only thing his grandfather had left for him. Now that Lu Zizai had broken through the heavenly barrier—and most importantly, resolved the problem of his "old body"—he could already walk the world with poise. Qin Ming prepared to thicken his skin and ask him to accompany him on a trip to the Cui clan. However, he did not intend to tell Cui Hao about this, sparing him from being caught in the middle and feeling unnecessary distress. "You want to go to the Cui clan?" After leaving, Li Qingyue learned of his thoughts and was taken aback. If the people of the Cui clan knew who was accompanying him, they would likely treat it as facing a formidable enemy, potentially stirring up a tremendous storm. "Qin Ming, when will you be ready? My youngest uncle has been waiting for you for a long time!" Helian Mingxu appeared. He was eleven years old at most, dressed in splendid silken finery with fine jade hanging at his waist, looking rather precocious. Qin Ming had no good feelings toward him. Back when he, Xiao Wu, and Xiang Yiwu stayed at Above the Moon in Great Yu, it was this youth who had people clear out their residence ahead of time. "What's the rush? Let him wait!" "You..." Helian Mingxu had red lips and white teeth, with quite striking features. He was very angry right now, but ultimately restrained himself—especially in front of Li Qingyue, not wanting to lose his composure. On this morning, bathed in brilliant dawn glow, the younger generation of the pure land gathered early, with crowds waiting to witness a clash between dragons and tigers. In fact, a group of elders also arrived at the scene; after all, a duel between top-tier immortal seeds kept even them on the edges of their seats. Helian Zhaoyu spoke up. "Sparring in the martial arena is boring. Let's go to the night mist world outside the pure land!" "No problem!" Qin Ming nodded. He knew what the other meant—rather than dueling within an enclosed ring, he wanted to unleash his full strength and fight with no holds barred. The two charged forward at the lead. Before long, they left behind the world of blooming flowers, singing birds, and radiant spring scenery, arriving in a bitter, icy realm of freezing snow. "To be defeated at the most dazzling moment of your life—what kind of experience will that be?" Helian Zhaoyu asked in a voice only the two of them could hear as he dashed alongside Qin Ming. "Have you ever been dazzling?" Qin Ming said calmly.