Chapter 78: Alone
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Qin Ming let out a deep breath, thinking about everything that had happened. It all felt like some strange dream, almost unreal. But those were his real experiences. He clutched his White Jade Alloy Blade tightly, trying to calm his emotions.
“Calm down, focus,” he whispered to himself, sitting back down to regain his composure. Even though he wasn’t even twenty yet, his life had been complicated and full of twists and turns. Any regular kid would’ve probably lost their mind by now.
Qin Ming thought back to all the little details of his past, trying to find ways to avoid risks in the future. He needed to understand the people around him—their personalities and their schemes—because none of this was over yet. Not long ago, Cui Father and Cui Mother had tried to keep him stuck in the Remote Area.
“Cui Fifth Grandfather always smiled so warmly at me,” Qin Ming thought bitterly. “He’s the one who pushed me to train only with the Silk Script, telling me not to touch any other Awakening Methods. Sure, it helped me now, but back then, it was just his way of cutting off my future.”
Qin Ming remembered how he had even gone to Cui Father and Cui Mother for advice. Both had agreed with Cui Fifth Grandfather’s suggestion. But when Cui Chong Xuan became jealous of the Silk Script and wanted to learn it too, Cui Father had scolded him, saying, “One person training in this is enough.” Instead, he promised to find Cui Chong Xuan something equally powerful—the Six Imperial Heart Sutra.
When Qin Ming asked to see the Six Imperial Heart Sutra, Cui Father simply looked at him with calm eyes and asked, “Don’t you have confidence in yourself and the Silk Script?”
Qin Ming remembered how Cui Chong Xuan, by the time he was thirteen, had already gone through three Awakenings and started taking the Three-colored Flower to merge four types of Celestial Light Force. It had been strange back then, but Qin Ming had lived with these people for so long that he didn’t want to think badly of them.
All the warning signs had been there. Since he was a kid, the Cui Family always praised him so highly that it attracted countless attacks. Qin Ming remembered clearly—each time someone tried to harm him, the Cui Family’s first reaction wasn’t worry, but pure joy. Cui Father and Cui Mother were always so composed, never anxious or scared about his narrow escapes. Instead, they’d praise the warriors who had defended him, hoping to eliminate all those with ill intentions towards the Cui Family.
…
To Qin Ming, the Cui Family now stood like an enormous mountain, towering and unreachable. “My Silk Script is still there,” he thought. That was one thing he had to get back, no matter what. It was the only thing his grandfather had left behind, and it was tied to his future.
The Silk Script was incomplete, most of it burned away, but there were still traces of emotions left on it—the essence of the dedication of several elders. Qin Ming knew he could resonate with it and retrieve the complete Silk Script.
He couldn’t avoid the Cui Family. He had to go to Clear River City to get the Silk Script, though he had no idea how much trouble that would bring.
“Two years ago, when the Cui and Li Families clashed, the Cui Family was hurt, but I bet they’re recovering quickly,” Qin Ming thought. The Li Family had suffered even more. The Cui Family had sent out mostly elderly warriors—men who didn’t have long to live anyway. They fought fearlessly, targeting the young and promising warriors of the Li Family, sacrificing themselves to crush the Li Family’s future.
Qin Ming had seen it all with his own eyes. The crazed determination of those old men showed just how deeply they were committed to the Cui Family. He had to admit, the strength of a Millennial Clan was hard to shake. Especially in the Land Beyond the Boundaries, many of the strongest warriors came from such families. Even if a Millennial Clan fell into decline, they were never completely destroyed—unless their people in the Land Beyond the Boundaries collapsed as well.
“There were bloody lessons in the past, strong enough to terrify the royal courts,” Qin Ming recalled. Long ago, a Millennial Clan had been wiped out by a powerful kingdom, but someone from the Land Beyond the Boundaries had rebuilt that clan, and the kingdom mysteriously fell apart not long after.
Qin Ming realized that it wasn’t just the Cui Family that posed a threat to him. The powerful Li Family was also dangerous, strong enough to challenge the Millennial Clans. His chest tightened as he thought of this. The Li Family had nothing to do with him originally, but now he was caught in the middle.
The Feather-Clothed Youth, Li Qing Xu, had almost killed him. There was no way that matter could be resolved peacefully. From what Qin Ming knew of Li Qing Xu’s personality, he wouldn’t let it go.
“When did he start hating me so much?” Qin Ming frowned, thinking hard. After a while, he figured it must have something to do with his engagement to the Wang Family Direct Descendant. Li Qing Xu seemed to have known her for a long time.
“My life these past years… could it get any worse?” Qin Ming sighed. “Everything feels like a lie. Abandoned, nearly killed, blamed for things I didn’t do, and now forced to stay in the Remote Area, not allowed to take the path of Awakening…”
He took a deep breath and let out the frustration. The engagement with the Wang Family Direct Descendant wasn’t even his choice. It was a political alliance between the Cui and Wang Families. All he remembered about the girl was that she was exceptionally beautiful and always smiling. They had only gone on one outing together, and he hadn’t gotten to know her beyond that.
The Wang Family Direct Descendant was clever and knew how to handle things well. That one outing left Qin Ming with that impression. But afterward, Cui Father had scolded him harshly, warning him to be respectful and avoid any private meetings.
Without a doubt, Li Qing Xu’s hostility came from jealousy and the rivalry between their families. Maybe he even saw Qin Ming as a future competitor in the Land Beyond the Boundaries and wanted to get rid of him early.
“Why don’t you go find the real Cui Chong He instead?!” Qin Ming muttered to himself angrily, thinking about what Xu Sheng’s outspoken friend Zhou Lin might say. After a long while, he calmed down, but his worry for his grandfather remained. It had been years, and Qin Ming had no idea how his grandfather was doing.
When the Cui Family had originally chosen Cui Chong He, they must have been very selective, thinking he was the perfect choice. After all, people in the household used to say that Qin Ming and Cui Chong He looked somewhat alike.
Qin Ming’s grandfather was just an ordinary man. If the Cui Family had wanted him, there would’ve been no way for him to resist. Now, the Cui Family wouldn’t let Qin Ming step foot in Clear River City, nor return to his old circle.
If he wanted to learn about his grandfather, asking the Cui Family directly was impossible. He’d have to find another way.
Qin Ming got up and headed out of the inn. He hadn’t planned on going to the City Lord’s Mansion, but now it seemed like he had no choice. The new City Lord, Meng Xing Hai, had told him he could come to Red Glow City to find him.
Morning sunlight bathed the entire city. The fiery light dispelled the dark mist, and the streets seemed to glow like dawn itself. It gave the city a warm, bright, hopeful feeling.
It was still early, so Qin Ming found a small restaurant for breakfast. As he was paying, he noticed something that made his heart skip a beat. The Grandmother of the Sun Family carefully took some money from her pocket, bought a meat bun, and handed it to her three-year-old grandson. Her wrinkled face broke into a smile, as if the burden she’d been carrying had been lifted.
Suddenly, two men approached her. One of them snarled, “You have money to buy buns but not to pay your debt?”
The old woman looked confused. “I don’t owe you any money.”
“You must be losing it, old lady. You borrowed from us, and now you’re trying to get away without paying?” One of the men shoved her, and she stumbled, almost falling.
The other man caught her, but not to help. Instead, he reached into her pocket. “Oh, so you do have money! Looks like life’s been pretty good for you,” he sneered, taking all the copper coins she had.
“Don’t bully my grandma! Let her go!” the little boy shouted.
“Quiet, you little brat!” One of the men raised his hand to shove the child. It was clear the force would knock the boy to the ground, probably hurting him badly.
But before his hand could reach the boy, Qin Ming caught it, making the man cry out in pain.
“Those poor people… why do they keep picking on the Sun Family? The old woman’s had it rough enough, raising her grandson alone,” someone whispered nearby.
“Who’s that boy? He actually stopped the Hall of Righteousness people,” another murmured.
The Hall of Righteousness men glared at Qin Ming. “Who are you? Why are you interfering?” one demanded.
Qin Ming looked at them coldly. “These two have had enough hardship. Stop bullying them.” He’d already figured out who these men were from the whispers around him—they were from the Hall of Righteousness, still trying to get the Sun Family’s Secret Technique.
It struck a chord with Qin Ming. His family had their own Silk Script once, proof that they had once been powerful. Now, his family wasn’t just in decline—it had completely fallen apart. He wasn’t even as well-off as Wu Zheng, and his situation was similar to the Sun Family’s.
Originally, Qin Ming had only planned to go to the City Lord’s Mansion for his grandfather’s sake, but seeing this happen stirred something in him. He couldn’t help it—he used the Yellow Mud Palm once, then again.
The two men barely felt anything before they were thrown aside. In reality, they’d be coughing up blood in a few days, unlikely to survive.
“Young man, you should leave quickly…” The old woman tried to say something, worried for Qin Ming. She wanted him to get away while he could.
“It’s fine,” Qin Ming said. “Haven’t you heard? The new City Lord is here. He took down Golden Rooster Ridge by himself and is cleaning up the troublemakers. People like you—if you don’t know what’s good for you, you’re in for a bad end.”
He handed the crying boy, still clutching his meat bun, back to his grandmother.
“You’re bluffing!” one of the Hall of Righteousness men snapped, though there was fear in his voice.
“Oh, you don’t believe me? Fine, let’s go to the City Lord’s Mansion and see if you keep your heads,” Qin Ming said fiercely.
“You…” The two men backed away.
Qin Ming turned to the old woman. “Take your grandson home. Don’t worry about anything. I have to go to the City Lord’s Mansion anyway,” he said.
He wasn’t just bluffing. If he met Meng Xing Hai, he would definitely mention what he’d seen today. He was sure the new City Lord would be eager to make an example of these men.
The two Hall of Righteousness men followed him at a distance, unsure of his intentions. When they saw that he really did head for the City Lord’s Mansion, their faces turned pale.
At first, the guards at the City Lord’s Mansion seemed suspicious of him, but seeing how calm and confident Qin Ming was, they decided not to make things difficult. They announced his arrival.
After more than twenty days, Qin Ming was once again face-to-face with City Lord Meng Xing Hai.
“I thought you’d gone to some other city. Not bad—you’ve only been away a short time, but I can see you’re even stronger now,” Meng Xing Hai observed, studying him.
“Hello, Uncle Meng. I had some injuries before, but I’m finally healed, so I guess I look a bit better,” Qin Ming said, bowing respectfully.
The room was large, but not overly decorated—quite simple, with old porcelain, bronze antiques, and a few paintings on the walls. Meng Xing Hai wore simple blue robes and looked scholarly, though Qin Ming knew how strong and fierce he really was, his blade techniques exceptionally sharp.
“You’re really something, kid,” Meng Xing Hai said with a smile. “You set fire to everything, taking down Golden Rooster Ridge by yourself.”
Qin Ming couldn’t deny it. After all, Li Qing Yue had seen him that night.
“Sorry for causing you trouble, Uncle Meng.”
“Sit down, it’s fine. The former City Lord Ling Xu and I both wanted to deal with that place, but we were hoping to lure out the Golden Bandits first,” Meng Xing Hai said.
Qin Ming sat down. “I acted impulsively. I messed up your plans.”
Meng Xing Hai chuckled. “Having passion isn’t a bad thing. It’s rare to see someone like you with that kind of fire. There are other ways to lure out the Golden Bandits. I just hope you keep this spirit of yours. Don’t become like some of the others—talented, but…” He sighed.
“If that’s what you want, Uncle Meng, I’ll do my best. Actually, just now…” Qin Ming started, recounting what had happened on the street.
Meng Xing Hai hadn’t expected Qin Ming to be so pure-hearted and genuine, someone whose actions matched his words. Then again, even if he was just a discarded pawn, anyone who had survived the Cui Family’s ruthless environment couldn’t really be that innocent. This kid was far more mature than he seemed.
“Since you’re so willing, help me with something. Look into what’s going on out there. And if you need to take action, you have my permission.” Meng Xing Hai tossed Qin Ming a token, without any hesitation.
Then he asked, “So, what brings you here?”
“I came to thank you for helping me at the Desert’s Edge,” Qin Ming replied.
“Just me?” Meng Xing Hai raised an eyebrow.
“And Li Qing Yue. I know she spoke up for me too,” Qin Ming said sincerely.
Meng Xing Hai nodded. “You guessed right.”
Qin Ming continued, “I was hoping to ask for some information this time, Uncle Meng.”
Meng Xing Hai listened, surprised when Qin Ming said he didn’t want to ask about the Cui Family but instead wanted to know what had happened to his grandfather.
Meng Xing Hai sighed. “You’re really putting me in a tough spot. Even if I asked, the Cui Family probably wouldn’t tell me the truth. Unless we could find Cui Old Seventh, but he’s probably out in the Land Beyond the Boundaries by now.”
“Aren’t you curious about your time with the Cui Family?” Meng Xing Hai couldn’t help but ask.
Qin Ming sighed. “I used to be. But now, I understand—there must be a real Cui Chong He, and he’s finally stepping into the light.”
Meng Xing Hai looked at him in surprise. “No wonder some in the Cui Family don’t trust you. They’re worried that if you rise up and learn the truth, you’ll be angry enough to cause trouble. They really didn’t underestimate you.”
Meng Xing Hai saw something different in Qin Ming. “You’re in the middle of it all, and you’ve been kept in the dark, but you still managed to see most of the truth. That’s impressive.”
“Did I get anything wrong?” Qin Ming asked.
“Not really wrong—just things you didn’t know,” Meng Xing Hai replied, sipping his tea. He explained further.
Cui Chong He hadn’t stepped forward willingly. He was found by someone in the Land Beyond the Boundaries, and as he got older, he started to look more and more like Cui Father. The key issue was that someone had noticed letters being exchanged between him and the Cui Family.
“So, as we grow up, we’ll look quite different. We just looked a bit similar as kids,” Qin Ming thought.
“Also, Cui Chong He’s teacher has come out of seclusion. No matter how complex the factions are in the Land Beyond the Boundaries, no one will dare touch him now,” Meng Xing Hai added.
“Is his teacher that powerful?” Qin Ming couldn’t help but ask.
Meng Xing Hai nodded. “Apparently, Cui Chong He’s senior disciple had been teaching him, but now the elder has come out of seclusion. He’s taken Cui Chong He as his last disciple, and his abilities are beyond comprehension. He treats Cui Chong He like a precious treasure.”
Qin Ming fell silent. The difference in people’s fates was truly staggering.
“The Cui Family won’t let you go back to Clear River City, or to Thousand Star City. They even tried to cut off your path to Awakening, all because the real one was found,” Meng Xing Hai said.
He explained that the Wang Family in Thousand Star City was furious, feeling deceived that they’d met a fake Cui Chong He without realizing it.
Qin Ming laughed bitterly. “Does the Wang Family hate me too?”
“Cui Chong He himself is also unhappy. He found out about your outing with the Wang Family Direct Descendant. Someone saw him lose his temper over it back in the Land Beyond the Boundaries,” Meng Xing Hai said.
Qin Ming felt like pulling out his blade. Why did it always end up like this? All the families had come to an agreement, but it seemed like he alone was left to bear all the suffering.