After listening to the old man's story for nearly an hour, Xiao Qing and Xiao Hai finally understood why he had wept upon seeing her.
The tale itself was simple, yet it carried a weight that left both of them silent.
The old man's name was Hei Li. In his younger days, he had been a mercenary. During one expedition, he stumbled upon a hidden valley brimming with rare herbs. Thinking himself blessed with luck, he gathered some to sell. Unbeknownst to him, this fateful decision would lead to his downfall.
The place he chose to sell those herbs was none other than the Jia Lie Clan's market. At first, no one paid much attention. But as he continued to sell herbs from time to time, suspicions eventually arose. Whispers spread, and soon, someone reported him to the Jia Lie Clan.
From that moment, his life collapsed.
The clan dispatched men to capture him. Though imprisoned, Hei Li refused to divulge the location of the herb-filled valley. His silence, however, provoked the clan. They turned their attention to his family, seizing them as leverage.
Faced with their torment, Hei Li's resolve wavered. Under the unbearable pressure, he finally revealed everything. But the clan leader was not satisfied. He declared they would confirm whether Hei Li's words were true before releasing his loved ones.
Days later, the scouts returned. Their report, however, denied everything. According to them, no such valley existed.
Hei Li was dumbfounded. He swore he had spoken the truth, yet his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The Jia Lie Clan's leader, enraged and unwilling to tolerate what he thought were lies, executed Hei Li's entire family before his very eyes. Then, instead of granting him death, they cast him out—forcing him to live on, burdened with grief and loneliness.
The reason the old man had cried upon seeing Xiao Qing was finally revealed. It was because she bore a striking resemblance to his daughter—the very daughter who had become prey to those "beasts." He didn't elaborate on what kind of beasts they were, nor did he describe the details of her fate. But anyone who heard the story could guess the cruel meaning hidden behind his silence.
Hearing the tragic tale, Xiao Qing's eyes welled up with tears. Yet, she stubbornly held them back, refusing to let them fall. She had endured loss herself and knew the pain of clinging to dignity in sorrow.
Xiao Hai, however, was different. Watching his mother's quiet restraint and hearing the unbearable suffering the old man had endured; his young heart ignited with rage. His fists clenched unconsciously, and his eyes burned with anger. It wasn't only for his mother's sorrow, nor just for Hei Li's destroyed family—it was for every innocent person who had been trampled under the cruelty of the strong.
At that moment, a seed of resolve quietly sprouted in his heart.
"Don't worry, old man. Heaven isn't blind—someday, they will suffer the same fate," Xiao Qing said firmly.
"Thank you, girl. Just having someone listen… it lightens my heart." Hei Li's voice softened. He then glanced at Xiao Hai and added, "Also, that black bead you wanted… I found it in that valley. Considering your kindness, just accept it. Think of it as a gift from a grandfather to his grandson." With that, he pushed back the pouch of fifty silver coins.
"How can that be? You still need to look after yourself, old man," Xiao Qing replied stubbornly.
"Hehe… who knows whether I'll die today or tomorrow? For me, this money is useless. Better that you keep it." After speaking, he closed his weary eyes and tucked his hands into his sleeves, signaling that his decision was final.
Xiao Qing opened her mouth to persuade him again, but Xiao Hai gently stopped her. Without another word, he picked up the black bead from the stall and slipped it into his pocket.
"Old man," Xiao Qing said softly, "since you don't wish to accept the money, then so be it. But if you ever face any difficulty, please remember—you can always come to the Xiao Family Pharmacy."
After saying this, she bowed respectfully. Xiao Hai followed suit, bending low in silent gratitude.
After bidding farewell, both Xiao Hai and Xiao Qing left the stall.
As they walked under the setting sun, Xiao Hai let out a quiet sigh. He had wanted to relax today, yet so much had happened. First, they encountered an injured snake, then a troublesome fellow, and finally a pitiful old man with a tragic past. It felt as if the day had been ruined—but at the same time, there was a strange sense of accomplishment lingering in his heart.
Still, doubts stirred within him.
Why are all these unusual things happening to me now? he wondered. In the past, his days had always been uneventful. But today felt different, as though some hidden thread of fate had begun pulling him toward something greater. After all, fate itself was mysterious, and every person had their own path to walk.
His thoughts naturally drifted toward Xiao Yan. To Xiao Hai, the reason Xiao Yan became the strongest was not simply because he was the "protagonist," but because he worked harder than anyone else—walking the edge between life and death countless times. With that kind of resolve, it was only natural for him to rise above all.
Xiao Hai clenched his fists slightly. My fate is no worse than his. But a small problem gnawed at him—he was five years younger than Xiao Yan. That meant he would have to work even harder just to catch up. Still, his determination burned bright.
"Xiao Hai, let's head home directly. No need to return to the shop," Xiao Qing's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Xiao Hai nodded. It was indeed time to go back. Besides, there was something else—his curiosity about the black bead.
Thus, mother and son quietly made their way home. After walking for some time, they finally stepped into the familiar peace of their courtyard.
"Hai'er, there's still some time before dinner is ready. Why don't you cultivate in the meantime? You've already rested today—cultivating with a calm mind often brings good results. Also…" Xiao Qing paused, her eyes softening, "I have something important to tell you after dinner."
With that, she turned toward the kitchen to prepare the meal.
Xiao Hai returned to his room, sitting cross-legged on the bed to cultivate. Though the black bead weighed heavily on his mind, his mother's words came first. He resisted the temptation to inspect it—for now.
Before long, Xiao Qing called him to dinner.
Both mother and son sat at the table, but the atmosphere was strangely heavy. Xiao Hai noticed immediately. Normally, dinner was when his mother enjoyed chatting with him the most, yet tonight she was uncharacteristically silent. He didn't disturb the silence, though—after all, she had already said she would speak after the meal.
Once they finished eating, Xiao Hai stayed in place, watching as his mother quietly washed the dishes. When she finally returned, she sat across from him with a solemn expression.
"Hai'er," she began slowly, "there are two things I must tell you tonight. One concerns your father… and the other concerns you."
Xiao Hai straightened immediately, his heart tightening. When his father was mentioned, his fists unconsciously clenched. He wasn't angry—he was worried, for he knew how deeply the subject pained his mother.
"You already know that your father died on a mission," Xiao Qing said softly. "But that was only half the truth. He did die on a mission… but it wasn't an accident. It was a staged plan."
Xiao Hai's eyes widened. He had long suspected his father's death wasn't simple. After all, his father was the second strongest in the Xiao family, his talent surpassing even Xiao Zhan's. The only reason he was never chosen as clan leader was because he disliked politics and wasn't of the main bloodline.
"Six years ago," Xiao Qing continued, her voice trembling slightly, "the Xiao family discovered a mineral vein near Magic Beast Mountain. At that time, there was no suitable family member to oversee it. So the clan entrusted the task to your father. He agreed, since he shared a close bond with the clan leader. None of us expected that this decision would send him into a trap."
Her hands tightened in her lap as she spoke.
"Apparently, the Jia Lie family caught wind of the discovery—and that your father would be going. Fearing his talent, both the Jia Lie family and the Ao Ba family conspired together. They knew that as long as your father lived, their families would eventually be surpassed. So they prepared an ambush near the mineral vein.
"When your father arrived, a beast tide suddenly erupted out of nowhere. He fought desperately and managed to escape, but not without suffering heavy injuries. That was when the ambushers from both clans struck… and he… he was killed."
Her voice broke at the last words. For a long moment, she fell silent, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks as the memories overwhelmed her.
Seeing his mother's tears, Xiao Hai's heart ignited with a fierce fire of vengeance. But he forced himself to calm down, moving closer and wrapping his arms around her trembling shoulders.
"Please, Mother… don't cry. If you cry, then I can't hold back either. So please… don't." His voice was low but firm, his eyes burning with determination. "I promise you—I'll avenge Father. I'll kill every single one of them. So, Mother, don't cry anymore."
Though his words were meant to comfort her, in his heart Xiao Hai had already made a vow—to one day uproot both the Jia Lie and Ao Ba families.
After a while, Xiao Qing's tears finally slowed. She wiped her cheeks more vigorously, forcing a smile.
"I won't cry… because I still have you, Hai'er."
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and continued, "Now, the second thing I want to tell you… you'll learn about it tomorrow at the clan meeting. For now, go back and sleep early. Don't stay up too late." She gave him a playful wink, as if everything were fine, though her reddened eyes betrayed the truth.
"Okay. Good night, Mother." Xiao Hai replied softly before returning to his room.
Sitting on his bed, Xiao Hai exhaled a long breath, trying to calm the storm within his chest. Revenge was necessary—but he understood that now was not the time. He needed strength first. Only then could he claim vengeance.
With that thought, he took out the black bead from his pocket and studied it under the dim light. To his surprise, the bead seemed to absorb the light around it, as though swallowing it whole. Yet he couldn't understand how.
He probed it with his soul power—but the result was baffling.
Strange… According to the rules of the Dou Qi Continent, magic weapons reveal their properties when probed with soul power. But in my perception, this bead is just… ordinary. Could I be mistaken?
He muttered to himself, frowning deeply.
Suddenly, an idea sparked. Without hesitation, Xiao Hai bit his finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the bead. From the fragments of his past life's memories, he remembered that some magic weapons could only be recognized through blood.
But nothing happened.
Just as disappointment washed over him, the black bead suddenly rippled like liquid—and drilled into his skin.
Xiao Hai's eyes widened in shock. He tried to shake it off, but it was already too late. His body trembled violently as a searing heat erupted in his lower abdomen, spreading like wildfire through his entire body.
Unbearable pain coursed through him, as though he were being roasted alive. His flesh felt like it was burning, his veins like molten fire. He wanted to scream, but he bit down hard, refusing to make a sound. His mother's room was just beside his own—if she heard him, she would worry.
So he endured.
But the agony only grew sharper, consuming him from the inside out. His vision blurred, his mind went blank. At last, when the torment reached its peak, Xiao Hai's consciousness collapsed.
He fainted, his body still burning like an ember in the dark.
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