Chapter 78 Alone

Qin Ming exhaled a breath of stale air, thinking back on the past, which felt like an illusory life.

But those were all real experiences. He felt a tightness in his chest, and all sorts of thoughts churned violently. He gripped the mutton-fat jade iron knife tightly to calm himself down.

“Calm down.” He sat down again, trying to stay calm. Although it had been less than twenty years since he was a child, his past had been quite tortuous and complicated.

An ordinary teenager might have been driven to the brink of collapse by this.

Qin Ming revisited those past details to mitigate future risks; he needed to study the personalities and methods of those people.

Because these things are not over yet, not long ago, Cui’s father and mother had considered keeping him in a remote place.

“Master Cui always had a smile on his face. It was he who guided me to persist in practicing the silk script and not to get involved in other new methods. Looking back now, it was indeed beneficial to me, but at the time it was blocking my path to advancement.”

Qin Ming recalled that he had also visited Cui’s father and mother to seek their opinions, and both of them agreed with what Fifth Master Cui had said.

However, when Cui Chongxuan coveted the silk scroll and wanted to practice it as well, his father scolded him, saying that it was enough for one person to practice this method, and promised to find him the equally terrifying “Six Imperial Heart Sutra”.

Qin Ming also wanted to see the Six Imperial Heart Sutra, but Cui’s father calmly watched it and asked him in return, “Don’t you have confidence in yourself and the silk scroll?”

“When Cui Chongxuan was nearly thirteen years old, he had already undergone three rebirths under the guidance of his elders and had begun to consume the Three-Colored Flower and integrate the four kinds of Heavenly Light Force.”

Looking back, Qin Ming realized that he had already noticed the unusual behavior at that time, but having lived together for many years, he was unwilling to assume malice towards his family.

Everything was foreshadowed. From childhood to adulthood, the Cui family had always praised him, which led to many assassination attempts.

Qin Ming clearly remembered that every time the Cui family dealt with the experts who approached him, their first reaction was not to worry about him, but to be overjoyed.

Mr. and Mrs. Cui remained calm, showing no signs of tension or lingering fear over his harrowing experiences. After each incident, they would praise the skilled individuals who had contributed, hoping to eliminate as many people as possible who harbored ill intentions towards the Cui family.

…

Clearly, the Cui family is like a towering mountain to Qin Ming.

“My silk scroll is still there.” Putting everything else aside, he had to get this book back.

This is not only the only item left by his grandfather, but it also concerns his future path.

The silk manuscript is incomplete, having been mostly burned, but it must still retain some emotions, as it carries the fruits of the hard work of several senior scholars.

Qin Ming can obtain the complete silk manuscript through resonance.

He was destined to go to Qinghe City, unable to avoid the Cui family, but he didn’t know how many more waves he would cause if he wanted to retrieve the silk scroll.

“Two years ago, there was a major clash between the Cui and Li families. The Cui family must have suffered some damage, but they should be able to recover quickly.”

Clearly, the Li family suffered greater losses.

Because the Cui family mainly mobilized some elderly people who were not long to live. They were all fearless and targeted the promising young and strong members of the Li family, fighting to the death in an attempt to destroy the Li family’s future.

Qin Ming had personally witnessed how crazy those old men were, which also showed their sense of identification with the Cui family.

He couldn’t help but sigh; this was the foundation of a thousand-year-old family, difficult to shake.

In particular, many of the masters in that remote place are from aristocratic families.

Even if a family has declined for a thousand years, it is difficult for it to fall completely unless its clansmen in the outer lands also “collapse” completely.

“In the past, there were bloody lessons that shocked all the royal courts.” After regaining his memories, Qin Ming was naturally familiar with the affairs of the aristocratic families.

Long ago, a thousand-year-old clan was destroyed by an incredibly powerful dynasty. However, someone from beyond the borders emerged and rebuilt that clan. And that dynasty eventually collapsed and ended inexplicably.

Qin Ming suddenly realized that not only the Cui family was dangerous to him, but there was also an exceptionally powerful Li family that could challenge the status of a thousand-year-old family.

At this moment, he felt a tightness in his chest again. This should be the enemy of the Cui family, something that originally had nothing to do with him, but he had been passively dragged into it.

The young man in feathered robes, Li Qingxu, nearly killed him; this matter certainly cannot be resolved peacefully.

In fact, based on Qin Ming’s understanding of Li Qingxu’s personality, the other party would definitely not let him go.

“He’s quite hostile towards me. When did it start?” Qin Ming frowned, trying to recall.

After careful consideration, he concluded that it was probably related to the engagement of the eldest daughter of the Wang family. It seemed that Li Qingxu had known that noble lady for a long time.

“Could my life have gotten any more unlucky than this past ten years? Life is all a lie. Abandoned, dying, scapegoated, and in the end, I’m stuck in a remote place, forbidden from starting a new life…”

Qin Ming took a deep breath and then forcefully exhaled a large gulp of pent-up frustration.

What business is it of his that the girl is engaged to the eldest daughter of the Wang family? This is a marriage alliance between the Cui and Wang families. His impression of the girl is limited to her being exceptionally beautiful and having a cheerful disposition; he has never really gotten to know her in any depth.

The eldest daughter of the Wang family was indeed very intelligent and knew how to handle things; this was the impression Qin Ming got from their only trip together.

However, he was severely reprimanded by Cui’s father afterward, who warned him to be polite and avoid danger, and not to have any more private contact.

Undoubtedly, Li Qingxu’s vehement hatred stemmed from the so-called “love and hate,” coupled with the rivalry between the two major families, which fueled their intense hostility towards him. He might also have been considering eliminating his future rivals in the secluded lands as soon as possible.

“You should go find the real Cui Chonghe!” At this moment, Qin Ming really wanted to emulate Xu Sheng’s forthright female friend Zhou Lin, and continue to hurl profanities.

After a long time, he calmed down. Now, his biggest worry was his grandfather. More than ten years had passed. What had become of him?

Qin Ming frowned. When the Cui family was looking for “Cui Chonghe”, they must have carefully selected him and thought he was the most suitable. After all, someone in the mansion had said that the two looked somewhat alike.

His grandfather was just an ordinary person. If the Cui family valued him, the old man would have no way to resist.

Now the Cui family forbids him from setting foot in Qinghe City again, and he can no longer return to his original circle.

He wanted to know about his grandfather, but he couldn’t ask the Cui family directly; he had to find out through other channels.

Qin Ming got up and walked out of the inn. He hadn’t planned to go to the city lord’s mansion, but now he had no choice but to go.

The new city lord, Meng Xinghai, once said that people could go to him when they came to Chixia City.

At dawn, the whole city was radiant. The first rays of dawn dispelled the dark fog, and the streets and alleys seemed to be steaming with the morning glow, giving people a sense of warmth, brightness, and hope.

It was still a bit early, so Qin Ming found a restaurant to have breakfast.

“Huh?!” As he paid the bill and prepared to leave, he witnessed a scene that made his heart skip a beat.

Grandma Sun carefully took out some money from her pocket, bought a meat pie, and handed it to her three-year-old grandson. A smile appeared on her wrinkled face, and her former gloom seemed to have dissipated.

Two men suddenly approached, and one of them said menacingly, “You have money to buy cakes, but no money to pay your debts?”

The old man was taken aback and said, “I don’t owe you any money.”

“You’re really senile. You borrowed from me before, are you trying to renege on your debt?” A man shoved her, and the old woman lost her balance and almost fell to the ground.

Another man grabbed her, preventing her from falling, but not to help her; instead, he reached directly into her pockets.

“Well, you’re living well, you even have some money!” He robbed the old man of all the copper coins he had on him.

“Don’t bully my grandma, let him go!” the toddler shouted.

“Get out of here, you little brat!” One of the men tried to shove the child away. An adult hitting a child would obviously cause the child to fall to the ground, potentially breaking a tooth.

However, his hand failed to reach the child as Qin Ming suddenly appeared and grabbed it, causing him to cry out in pain.

“It’s terrible. Why are they always targeting the Sun family? Sigh, the old lady is already pitiful enough raising her grandson alone.”

“Who is that boy who actually stopped the people from Xinyi Hall?”

People nearby were talking about it, but no one dared to get involved.

“Who are you, and why are you stopping us?” the man from Xinyitang said coldly.

“This grandmother and grandson are already pitiful enough, relying on each other for survival. Don’t bully them too much,” Qin Ming said. He had already learned from the other people’s discussions that they were from Xinyi Hall, which had been plotting to steal the Sun family’s secret manual. And now they were still doing evil.

He was quite moved because his family had a silk scroll, which indicated that his ancestors had once been very powerful, but now the family had not only declined, but had been completely ruined.

Upon closer reflection, his situation was not as good as Wu Zheng’s, but rather similar to that of the Sun family.

Qin Ming originally went to the city lord’s mansion because of his grandfather’s matter, but now seeing this scene, he was deeply moved and couldn’t help but use the Yellow Mud Palm for the second time, and then for the third time.

The two men were barely affected as they were pushed out. In fact, they would cough up blood incessantly a few days later and would hardly survive.

“Young man, you should leave quickly…” The old man from the Sun family opened his mouth as if to say something, worried about him and hoping that he would leave as soon as possible.

Qin Ming said, “It’s alright. The new city lord has arrived. Haven’t you heard? He personally destroyed Golden Rooster Ridge and is now dealing with some troublemakers. Some people who don’t know their own mortality will definitely not have a good ending.”

He handed the little boy, whose face was streaked with tears and whose tiny hands were still clutching the meat pie, to the old man.

“Stop bluffing!” The two men from Xinyi Hall were all bark and no bite.

“You still don’t believe me? Come on, let’s go to the City Lord’s Mansion and argue with him. Let’s see if you can save your dog lives!” Qin Ming shouted sternly.

“You…” The two of them backed away.

Qin Ming said, “Old man, you should take the child back. Don’t worry about anything. I have something to do now; I need to go to the City Lord’s Mansion.”

He wasn’t just talking nonsense; he wasn’t entirely taking advantage of the situation. If he met Meng Xinghai, he would definitely mention these things in the city. It seems the new city lord is eager to make a splash upon taking office.

The two men from Xinyi Hall were skeptical, but secretly followed him. When they discovered that he had indeed gone to the city lord’s mansion, their faces turned pale.

At first, the guards of the city lord’s mansion were somewhat suspicious, but seeing Qin Ming’s composure and extraordinary demeanor, they did not dare to delay and went to report on his behalf.

Twenty days later, Qin Ming met Lord Meng again.

“I thought you went to another city. Not bad. It’s only been a short time since we last met. Although you seem to be keeping your spirits low, your energy and vitality are much stronger than before.” Meng Xinghai sized him up.

“Greetings, Uncle Meng. I had an injury before, but I’ve only recently recovered, so I seem to be in better spirits.” Qin Ming greeted him with the respect due to a junior.

The living room is large, but it is not ornately decorated; it is rather simple and rustic, with some antiques such as porcelain jars and bronzes on display, and some calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls.

Meng Xinghai, dressed in a blue robe, looked to be around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old. He resembled a scholar, but in reality, he was very assertive, and his swordsmanship was exceptionally sharp.

“You’re quite something, kid. You started a fire right away and single-handedly took down Jinji Ridge.”

Qin Ming could neither refute nor cover it up, because Li Qingyue had seen him that night.

“I’m sorry to have troubled Uncle Meng.”

“Sit down, it’s alright. Former city lord Ling Xu and I both wanted to sweep that place away, but we wanted to lure out that gold first.”

After Qin Ming sat down, he said, “I acted impulsively and disrupted Uncle Meng’s arrangements.”

Meng Xinghai smiled and said, “It’s good to have passion. It’s rare to find someone with such a heart. There are other ways to catch the gold thief. I really hope you can maintain this original intention and not be like some of the younger generation, who, although exceptionally talented, but… sigh!”

“Since Uncle Meng says so, then I will certainly live up to your expectations. Well, just now…” Qin Ming spoke directly, recounting what he had seen on the way.

Meng Xinghai hadn’t expected that he was so pure and innocent, and that he could keep his word. But after thinking about it carefully, even if he was just a pawn, he couldn’t possibly be innocent again after being influenced by the Cui family’s corrupting influence.

He even realized that the kid was very mature, unlike a naive teenager.

“Since you’re so kind, then do me a favor. Investigate the situation, and if necessary, take action. Give me that authority.” Meng Xinghai tossed him a token, quite decisively.

Then he asked, “Speak, what do you want with me?”

“I’ve come to thank Uncle Meng for his help on the edge of the desert last time,” Qin Ming said.

“Are you only thanking me?”

“And Qingyue, I know she definitely spoke up for me.” Qin Ming’s tone was sincere.

“Yes, you were right.” Meng Xinghai nodded.

Qin Ming said, “I would like to trouble Uncle Meng again this time to inquire about some information.”

Meng Xinghai listened attentively, then felt surprised. He didn’t ask about the Cui family’s affairs; he just wanted to know where his grandfather had gone back then.

Meng Xinghai said, “You’re really putting me in a difficult position. Even if I were to ask for you, the Cui family probably wouldn’t tell me the truth. Unless I could see that old Cui, but we probably can’t contact him now; he’s already in some secluded place.”

“Don’t you have any doubts about your experience in the Cui family?” Cui Xinghai couldn’t help but ask.

Qin Ming sighed, “There was one before, but now I’ve figured it out. There should be a real Cui Chonghe, and he should step into the spotlight.”

Meng Xinghai was surprised and said, “No wonder some people in the Cui family don’t trust you. They’re afraid that you have extraordinary talent and that if you rise to power and learn the truth, they might hold a grudge against you and cause some trouble. They really didn’t underestimate you.”

He looked surprised and said, “You are in the thick of it all, and your knowledge is limited. You are obscured by the fog of mystery, yet you are still able to see through most of the truth. That is truly remarkable.”

“I guessed some parts wrong?” Qin Ming asked.

“It’s not exactly wrong, it’s just that you don’t understand.” Meng Xinghai didn’t hide anything and explained the situation while drinking tea.

Cui Chonghe did not choose to come out on his own initiative, but was discovered to be unusual in a secluded place. As he grew older, he looked more and more like his father.

Most importantly, someone discovered that he was secretly corresponding with the Cui family.

“So, we look very different now that we’re grown up, only slightly similar when we were young,” Qin Ming thought to himself.

“In addition, Cui Chonghe’s teacher has emerged from seclusion. Even though the various forces in the secluded lands are deeply intertwined, no one dares to touch this son of the Cui family.”

“Is his teacher very capable?” Qin Ming couldn’t help but ask.

“Well, it is said that Cui Chonghe’s senior brother was the one who passed on the skills on behalf of his master. That senior had been in seclusion. Now he has successfully taken half a step and his cultivation is beyond comprehension. He has also officially accepted Cui Chonghe as his last disciple and will not accept any more disciples in the future. He treats him like a precious gem.”

Qin Ming fell silent after hearing this, realizing that people’s circumstances vary greatly.

“The Cui family wouldn’t let you return to Qinghe City, nor would they let you go to Qianxing City. They even tried to cut off your path to a new life. It was indeed because the main body was exposed.”

Meng Xinghai told him that the Wang family in Qianxing City was furious and extremely dissatisfied. They discovered that the Cui Chonghe they had met before was an imposter, and even they had been kept in the dark.

Qin Ming smiled wryly. Could it be that the Wang family also harbors resentment towards him?

“Cui Chonghe himself was also somewhat dissatisfied. He learned about your trip with the eldest daughter of the Wang family. Hmm, someone in the secluded land saw him lose his temper during that time.”

Qin Ming was now really tempted to draw his sword. Why? All parties reached a settlement, but in the end, it all became his problem alone, and he had to bear all the suffering.