An Explanation

At that moment, the elderly cultivator also noticed Qin Sang, sensing that he too was in the Foundation Establishment stage, and cast a wary glance in his direction. Qin Sang paid no heed to the warning in the old man's gaze. Taking a step forward, he lowered his hood and spoke: "Daoist Han, do you still remember me?" "Patriarch, be careful!" The old man had remained on guard against Qin Sang all along. The instant he detected Qin Sang's movement, he sprang forward to shield Patriarch Han. *So he became the patriarch of the Han clan.* Qin Sang halted his steps and studied the clan leader. As the saying went, a high station molds one's air, just as good nourishment nurtures the body. Compared to the green youth of their first meeting, Patriarch Han now carried an undeniable aura of authority befitting a leader. Qin Sang still remembered that back then, Han's cultivation had not been particularly high, and he had nearly perished alongside a demonic cultivator. Yet now, he was already the head of a clan. Qin Sang himself had relied on the Yanluo Banner for his cultivation, bypassed the usual bottleneck using Dan Dragon Ginseng, and consumed a millennium spirit herb to attain his current level of cultivation. This man's innate talent was certainly nothing to scoff at. "General Qin!" Patriarch Han clearly remembered Qin Sang. A look of pleasant surprise washed over his face, and he hurriedly reached out to restrain the elder. "Elder Liu, calm yourself! General Qin saved my life!" Bypassing Elder Liu, Patriarch Han stepped forward in haste, delight written plainly across his face. "General Qin, is it truly you? When did you return to Youshan Cultivation Market? Why hasn't there been any word from you all these years..." Halfway through his sentence, Patriarch Han's expression froze. He finally noticed something amiss: not only had Qin Sang's appearance barely changed, but his cultivation was on par with his own! At the same time, he caught sight of the token Qin Sang had brought out from Shaohua Mountain. "Shaohua Mountain? Qin... Daoist Qin, you are now a disciple of Shaohua Mountain?" Patriarch Han's tone was filled with utter disbelief, and his brow gradually furrowed. Qin Sang nodded. "It was also thanks to good fortune. I happened upon a Sword Intent decree from Shaohua Mountain, and through an odd twist of fate, I entered their sect. I happened to pass by Youshan Cultivation Market this time and came in to reminisce a bit. I never expected to cross paths with you, Daoist Han." Patriarch Han's brows knitted tightly together. Having faintly guessed at something, he murmured, "Daoist Qin, your spiritual root..." Qin Sang's cultivation was plain for all to see; he was undeniably in the Foundation Establishment stage. Yet he remembered with absolute clarity that back when the crane had delivered the imperial seal to the Great Sui and conferred the title of Saint Emperor, Zhen Ming had gone on his behalf to test Qin Sang's talent. The result Zhen Ming reported was unmistakably that he possessed no spiritual roots! Because of that, Qin Sang, whose heart was set on the Dao, had pleaded bitterly, leading to a long string of complications. If he truly had no spiritual roots, how could Shaohua Mountain have possibly admitted him, let alone how could he have reached such high cultivation? Unless... Qin Sang gave a soft "Mm." Looking Patriarch Han in the eye, he said in an even tone, "I do indeed possess spiritual roots, though my talent left much to be desired. Back then... perhaps Daoist Zhen was careless and failed to detect them." "Impossible!" Patriarch Han declared flatly. For a cultivator to make a mistake in something as simple as testing a spiritual root? He might as well have cultivated for nothing! Murderous intent flashed across Patriarch Han's face, his eyes glinting with cold light. Despite his usual composure, he could hardly suppress the blazing fury in his chest. One part was shame toward Qin Sang, and the other was outrage at having been deceived. Patriarch Han turned to the old man. "Elder Liu, I leave the remaining affairs in your hands. If you are short on hands, mobilize the elders of the clan in my name as patriarch. I must return to the Han Family Fort immediately." The old man was completely at a loss, understanding none of the context. However, seeing his patriarch in such a towering rage, he dared not ask questions and promptly obeyed. "I will follow your orders, Patriarch." Patriarch Han then took a deep breath, forcing down his anger. Turning to Qin Sang with profound apology and an earnest expression, he said, "Daoist Qin, what happened back then was entirely my fault! Never did I imagine he would dare to act so brazenly... If you have time, Daoist Qin, would you be willing to accompany me back to the Han family? I will surely give you an explanation!" Qin Sang had been watching Patriarch Han's expressions throughout, and seeing no sign of deceit, he gave it some thought and nodded in agreement. Qin Sang was also curious. He bore no grudge against Zhen Ming, so why had Zhen Ming gone out of his way to harm him? Even so, his feelings toward Zhen Ming were complicated. Having his immortal path nearly severed by Zhen Ming should have made him furious. Yet reflecting on his experiences over the years, Qin Sang had to admit that if not for Zhen Ming, he would never have achieved what he had today. Because Zhen Ming had declared with a single word that he possessed no cultivation talent, he had been forced to journey north to Youshan Cultivation Market, ultimately joining Shaohua Mountain through twists and turns. Though he had endured countless hardships and brushed against death multiple times, he had obtained his current cultivation and several rare treasures in exchange. Had he joined the Han clan back then, he would only have been an outer disciple. Without Dan Dragon Ginseng or a Foundation Establishment Pill, with his meager talent, he would likely still be stranded at the tenth layer of the Qi Refinement stage in his sixties or seventies. Eventually, he would have accepted reality, abandoned the immortal path, married, had children, and died of old age in the Han Family Fort, living out a mediocre life. At best, he would have lived a few decades longer than a mortal. He could never have reached his present state, where the future held infinite possibilities. One could only say that fate made fools of men. The group left Youshan Cultivation Market. After Patriarch Han gave a few more instructions to his subordinates, he summoned a flying boat, invited Qin Sang aboard, and sped off toward the southwest. Only aboard the flying boat did they finally find the time to catch up on old times. "Back when you rescued me, Daoist Qin, that fiend and I had fought to mutual ruin. Not only was I critically wounded and on the verge of death, but the spiritual power in my body was parched, and my pills were completely exhausted. "Relying on those few Water Dew Pills, I barely managed to keep a breath in me until I returned to my family. I had to seek help from the clan elders and remained in secluded cultivation for eight years to recover my vitality. "When the Saint Emperor of the Great Sui was being conferred, I happened to be at a critical juncture in my treatment. "Had I known this would happen, even if it meant risking a relapse of my injuries, I would have made the trip down the mountain myself. I never would have entrusted the matter to a vile wretch like Zhen Ming!" Patriarch Han lamented, sighing deeply with grief and remorse. Qin Sang knew that Patriarch Han was speaking the truth. Although Qin Sang had lacked worldly experience back then, he had still been able to tell that Han's injuries were grave. Han had likely pushed himself to maintain a strong front purely out of fear that mortals might harbor ill intentions if they noticed his vulnerability. "Daoist Han, Daoist Zhen Ming and I were complete strangers. Back then, I made a point of watching my words and actions, so I never offended him. There should have been no reason for him to harm me," Qin Sang remarked pointedly. Patriarch Han's face darkened. After pondering for a long time, he slowly shook his head. "To tell you the truth, Daoist Qin, while there is competition within the Han Family Fort, the family tradition is upright. Everything is decided by strength, without so many underhanded schemes. "Furthermore, neither Zhen Ming nor his direct kin could ever—or would ever dare to—stand against my lineage. The man had always known his place and never overstepped. "That was precisely why I felt at ease sending him to guide you, Brother Qin. I never expected him to be so audacious as to do such a thing behind my back." Hearing this, Qin Sang nodded slightly. On second thought, it made sense. Sabotaging him would have had no bearing on the contest for clan leadership anyway; in the cultivation world, fist and might reigned supreme after all. Since there were no clan grudges involved, it seemed likely that Zhen Ming had acted on a whim. Qin Sang could not help feeling a bit annoyed. He had always been prudent and cautious—how on earth had he offended Zhen Ming?