Chapter 20 (1/2)

Qin Yue was Qin Mo’s half-brother; Qin Zhengjun and Yue Niang’s son.

Qin Yue was born many years later, when Qin Mo had already grown to early adulthood. This meant that when Qin Mo reached the Jindan Stage, he had just been born.

There were many benefits to practicing cultivation: a long life span, a powerful body, and the ability to produce offspring at any age. Never mind that Qin Mo and Qin Yue were about 20 years apart, there were even brothers that had been born 80 years apart.

Of course, it was extremely unlikely for most cultivating experts to even have children. If they truly wanted to walk along the path to ascension and immortality, it was important to clear their heart and mind of worldly distractions and cleanly cut off those things that held them back. Dual cultivation was only a convenient and fast method to advance, because when it was time to pursue the final steps towards immortality, it was usually a journey that was walked alone.

For cultivators, having children was very detrimental. In particular, since the mother was carrying the child, they would have to supply their unborn baby with their own vital energy. When they gave birth to their child, the cultivation they had suffered untold hardships for would be damaged and reduced by half. The price was very heavy.

That was why 80% of the couples within the cultivation world who dual-cultivated did not have children. Of the remaining 20%, 80% of them had only one child.

People such as Qin Zhengjun and Yue Niang, who actually had two sons, were a rare breed.

In the beginning, Qin Mo was unable to understand why his parents had chosen to pay the price of having another child. However, since he was already an adult by that time, naturally he would not interfere with his parent’s decision. Instead, he chose to challenge the hardships of the Secret Boundary, and search for the Empire Red Hawthorn that only appeared there once in a millenium. It would greatly help repair the damage and loss of cultivation due to pregnancy and childbirth.

At that time, the matter gave rise to a quite the commotion. After all, Qin Mo was so young at only 24 years old. In the cultivation world, he was simply a young child. However, he had already managed to achieve the Jindan Stage that most ordinary people could only reach after at least a century of cultivation. Moreover, he was able to challenge the savage Secret Boundary and return after a decisive win.

Others only saw his magnificent achievements and the glory. On the other hand, Shi Qing had skimmed through almost all of his experiences. Naturally, he saw all the hardships unknown to anyone that accompanied his successes.

Even though he had outstanding aptitude and exceptional intelligence he was, after all, still full of youthful vigour and lacking experience. He challenged the Secret Boundary alone and was repeatedly forced into dangerous situations. If not for his air of arrogance that was distinct from an ordinary person, his lofty ambitions, a resolute heart and formidable toughness and tenacity, who knows how many times he would have already died.

Yet, after almost exhausting his life to obtain the Empire Red Hawthorn, all that he received in exchange from Yue Niang was an indifferent ‘en’.

In the 24 years before Qin Yue was born, Qin Zhengjun and Yue Niang treated Qin Mo just like his name; from head to tail they completely ignored him[1].

Since most cultivators were reserved in their affections, and because Qin Mo was treated that way by his parents since birth, there was no contrasting evidence to judge their behaviour by. He was made to think that in this land under heaven, that was how parents treated their children.

However, when Qin Yue was born, his so-called understanding was completely toppled.

Qin Zhengjun had always displayed a severe and inflexible character, yet towards Qin Yue he displayed the gentle smile of a loving father. Yue Niang always had a frown on her face and a cold countenance, but when she was together with Qin Yue she became sweet-tempered and warm, her affections as soft as water.

With Qin Mo’s intelligence, how could he fail to see the disparity in their treatment?

Perhaps, from that time, a seed of darkness had already been planted deep within his heart.

As a child, Qin Yue was truly raised with a great deal of pampering and love. Although he was also Yue Niang’s son, since she had already lost her special physique long ago, Qin Yue could not inherit it, thereby escaping Lu Jiuyuan’s attention.

However, at the same time, Qin Yue’s natural aptitude and abilities fell short of those of Qin Mo. On top of that, he was spoiled from childhood until he grew up; the entire Ling Xiao Sect constantly followed him around heaping compliments on top of him. He was brought up to have an extremely competitive and unyielding nature. He regarded himself as gifted and outstanding, never attaching any importance to his older brother who had not been seen for years on end.

Qin Yue waited until he grew up to travel outside the sect and all that passed into his ears were people touting the excellence of Qin Mo. Qin Mo was afforded many honours, and Qin Yue was only referred to in one way—Qin Mo’s little brother.

Everything he thought he was got rapidly pushed down, he was entirely inferior to that man; these words were often overheard. Qin Yue only felt jealousy and hatred towards Qin Mo.

He was completely unaware of Qin Mo’s past history and it was impossible for Qin Zhengjun and Yue Niang to tell him.

However, when Lu Jiuyuan was reported dead, Qin Zhengjun immediately became hostile towards Qin Mo and framed him, falsely accusing him of turning against the righteous faction and practicing forbidden techniques. Qin Yue was thoroughly excited.

He was wholly convinced by Qin Zhengjun’s one-sided statements and rushed to the forefront to give the ultimate example of the words ‘to place righteousness before family’.

Qin Yue gleefully watched his previously set up on high and unreachable older brother fall down into the mud and then get pushed down to hell. There were simply no words to describe the carefree feeling that abounded within his heart.

In reality, Qin Mo treated his only brother very well, but Qin Yue’s mind warped his older brother’s good will and perceived it as a malicious way of showing off. He had begun to develop heart demons and sunk further into hatred and disgust.

Qin Zhengjun not only harmed Qin Mo, he even crippled his cultivation. Qin Yue’s conduct, as well as his delight in the situation, was utterly morbid.

However, his retribution came swiftly. He still had the problem of his heart demons, so once his older brother returned for vengeance, he truly became deranged.

Qin Yue should have rejoiced that due to his young age, his pay back was rather minor. He only had a hand in mistreating and humiliating Qin Mo. Therefore, Qin Mo merely gave him a tenfold payback. After, when he could no longer bear it, he straightforwardly let him go.

Yes, that’s right, Qin Yue died.

Yet now, he was alive!

In this cave filled with an uncommon level of spiritual energy, the thirteen peak Jindan Stage cultivators had gathered and were using their spiritual power to operate a technique that gradually allowed him to awaken!

The Ling Xiao Sect was annihilated and Qin Zhengjun and Yue Niang were both dead; Qin Yue no longer had anyone to rely on. At that time, even if he did not die, there remained absolutely no one who would expend so much effort to save him.

In the entire Lingyun continent, there were very few people capable of utilizing such a technique. Who could it be? If Qin Yue was revived, what was the point?

Qin Mo narrowed his eyes.

Shi Qing was also puzzled, but he thought more practically. Before them were thirteen peak Jindan Stage practitioners, and Qin Mo’s cultivation was only restored to the low Jindan Stage. Their strength was obviously superior.

Fortunately, they were busy with performing the technique and using all of their spiritual power for that purpose, so they did not find any traces of the Qin Mo.