"Auntie, why are you crying?"
It was only then that Su Xiaoyu noticed Su Murou's unusual state and asked in a fluster.
Her aunt, this ice-cold beauty known to the outside world as the Rakshasa Immortal...
Was actually crying!
"It's nothing, just a bug that flew into my eye unexpectedly," Su Murou said softly, gently wiping her tears and rubbing her eyes.
Su Xiaoyu, after all, was young and simple-minded. She didn't suspect a thing.
A Dharma Aspect realm cultivator—how could a bug possibly fly into her eye!
Su Murou, however, continued asking, "Your aunt hasn't paid much attention to the outside world these past years. Tell me about the Qin family's ancestral patriarch."
Mentioning the Qin family patriarch made Su Xiaoyu's eyes light up. Perhaps still exhilarated from witnessing that celestial visage earlier, she launched into an enthusiastic explanation:
"Auntie, you asked the right person! I specifically looked up information on the Qin family's ancestral patriarch these past few days. He's quite an extraordinary man!"
"Qin Changsheng, the Qin family's ancestral patriarch, has not a shred of cultivation talent, yet he laid the solid foundation for the Qin family's rise and is their absolute spiritual symbol."
"He single-handedly raised the Second and Third Patriarchs of the Qin family, acting as both brother and father. The education he gave them in their youth influenced their entire lives. The Second and Third Patriarchs deeply respect their eldest brother, especially the Third Patriarch. When Qin Changsheng disappeared back then, the Third Patriarch searched the entire continent alone with his sword, even daring to venture into forbidden lands despite the dangers. Unfortunately, through twists of fate, he never found him."
"As for how the Qin family patriarch, an ordinary mortal, managed to remain undiscovered by the Qin family for so long—that's a mystery!"
"Before he disappeared, he also compiled the Qin Family Precepts and Rules for the Qin family. These precepts are still used today and are one reason the Qin family's traditions are so exemplary and rigorous, and why they rose so quickly."
"Qin children's first enlightenment is always learning about the family patriarch. Rumor has it the stories were ones he originally made up for the Second and Third Patriarchs."
"According to little birdies, the reason the Qin family patriarch has lived so long is because he accidentally consumed a longevity immortal herb in his youth, granting him a ten-thousand-year lifespan."
"Seeing how young the patriarch looks today, the rumors are probably true. However, ten thousand years have passed. I'm afraid the Qin family patriarch is in his twilight years and doesn't have long to live!"
Hearing this, Su Murou's heart clenched violently.
He!
Is going to die?
After abandoning me for so many years, without even an apology, he's just going to die like this?
No! He can't die so comfortably! The ending should be me killing him!
Remembering all the heartache she'd endured over the years, Su Murou hardened her heart, as if she had already made up her mind.
But the world is so vast. What if they just look alike?
Is he really Xiao Lang?
His current identity is the Qin family's ancestral patriarch. What if I kill the wrong person?
I wouldn't mind paying with my own life, but such an act could bring catastrophic disaster upon the already declining Su family.
Moreover!
Even if it is really him, what if he had no choice back then?
Su Murou's heart was conflicted, and she began to hesitate again.
...
Meanwhile, Qin Changsheng wished he could jump up right then and there and give a few good smacks to the back of that unfilial descendant Qin Zhen's head.
He was on death's door, and they were still trying to get him concubines.
And they were all young, beautiful little fairies!
If this got out, people would secretly call him an old pervert, an old cow eating young grass!
His own scoundrel behavior was his own active choice, but having this huge black pot forced on him was truly uncomfortable.
I fear not being smashed to pieces, I only want to leave with my integrity in this world.
It would be better to make things clear to everyone and leave a good name for himself.
"Ahem," Qin Changsheng cleared his throat and addressed the crowd:
"Honored guests who have come from afar, please eat and drink well today. As for taking a concubine..."
The moment he spoke, his magnetic voice instantly captivated many young admirers.
He was good-looking, his voice was pleasant, and his status was so noble!
Wasn't this the perfect treasure boy... no, treasure old man!
But to Su Murou's ears, it was like a thunderclap.
That voice.
It was him!
No mistake, it was definitely him!
When Qin Changsheng uttered the words "taking a concubine," she could bear it no longer.
A wave of inexplicable fury rose within her, filling her entire body, mixed with a trace of other complex emotions.
Taking a concubine?
Scoundrel!
You abandoned me for so many years, and now you have the audacity to openly take a concubine?
If you wanted to take a concubine, why didn't you take me back then?
And you, a man about to enter the grave, still want to be an old cow eating young grass!
Not only that, you're using the Qin family's influence to publicly select concubines.
Su Murou glanced around at the many young, beautiful women, even spotting her own niece Su Xiaoyu among them. Her rage intensified.
Utterly despicable! Scum!
"Xiao Yan! You faithless man!"
A clear voice rang out through the hall, cutting off Qin Changsheng's words.
The crowd was aghast. Someone dared to cause trouble at the Qin family's banquet? Did they have a death wish?
All eyes turned towards the source of the voice.
They saw a woman of peerless beauty, her lovely face cold as frost, her beautiful eyes glaring in anger, a slender finger pointed accusingly forward.
The Rakshasa Immortal!
Some had already recognized this famous female sword immortal of Qingzhou.
It was said she had been abandoned by a scoundrel. Had she actually run into that man at this banquet? What a small world!
Xiao Yan? Was that the scoundrel?
Wait, who was Xiao Yan?
The crowd was instantly fascinated. They never expected this banquet would yield such an extra bonus—a major piece of gossip!
Gossip is forever human nature. They all wanted to know what the man who could abandon such an immortal looked like.
But as they followed the direction of Su Murou's finger, the person she was pointing at seemed to be... seemed to be...
The Qin family's ancestral patriarch!
Qin Changsheng!
Everyone present collectively gaped, stunned!
Was Xiao Yan the Qin family patriarch?
Was the Qin family patriarch the legendary faithless man?
This piece of gossip was huge. If handled poorly, they might be silenced by the Qin family. Some quick-thinking individuals were already preparing to slip away quietly.
As for Qin Changsheng, he felt as if struck by lightning.
Xiao Yan was one of the aliases he used while courting women.
Of course, when out and about, doing things that weighed on his conscience, who would use their real name?
When traveling the martial world, the most important thing was to have aliases. The more, the better.
Looking at Su Murou's familiar face, Qin Changsheng felt a tumult of emotions.
What the hell is this?! Karma's a bitch!
Taking a concubine, taking a concubine, take your mother's concubine! Qin Changsheng shot a fierce glare at Qin Zhen.
Although he told himself he had no intention of taking a concubine, at this moment, he felt like he'd been caught in bed.
Pure social death!
Folks, emergency! What should I do? I'm at my own concubine selection and my ex-girlfriend shows up!
Waiting online!
Urgent! Begging on my knees!
Although he had imagined various scenarios of running into ex-girlfriends, he never expected the first one he'd meet would be at his own concubine selection banquet!
And by the looks of it, the one set up with him was a descendant of his ex-girlfriend.
Even with Qin Changsheng's thick skin, right now he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.