"You insolent bastard! Still showing no signs of repentance? I'm sentencing you to face the wall in the ancestral hall for an entire month. Until you properly reflect on your shameful behavior and show genuine remorse, you are forbidden from leaving that place!"
Hearing these harsh words, Ye Qiu finally regained his complete composure and looked up at Ye Jin once more.
His eyes were now filled with a cold hint of indifference that hadn't been there before.
Since their return, his parents had never once bothered to ask him how he had survived all these difficult years. They only saw Ye Qiu's mediocre cultivation level and his unremarkable bearing, their gazes immediately filling with obvious disdain and barely concealed disgust.
His father's harsh scolding combined with his mother's icy indifference made Ye Qiu truly understand the depth of this family's dysfunction.
"Haha..."
With a long, bitter laugh that echoed through the hall, Ye Qiu glared directly at his father. "Reflect? What exactly do you want me to reflect upon?"
"Reflect on what you call the sacred Ye family reputation? Do any of those people outside even know that I'm your son?"
"Have you ever once publicly acknowledged my identity as your heir since you returned to this city?"
"And how can you claim you had no choice in abandoning me, yet you kept him by your side all along?" Ye Qiu gestured toward his younger brother. "You gave him the very best of everything, cared for him so meticulously for all these years, and yet you still have the audacity to claim it was all for my own good?"
Ye Qiu peppered Ye Jin with these pointed questions, each one hitting its mark and leaving the older man momentarily speechless.
"You..."
Ye Jin had never expected this adopted child to defy and challenge him to such a degree.
He hadn't anticipated that Ye Qiu would actually harbor such intense jealousy toward his own younger brother.
Simply because his brother possessed advantages that he didn't, this ungrateful boy had allowed resentment to fester and permitted himself to fall into degenerate behavior?
His inner rage instantly reignited with even greater intensity.
"You ungrateful bastard! That's no excuse whatsoever for your shameful indulgences and dissolute behavior!"
"If we hadn't worked tirelessly to quell the alien invasion back then, this entire world would have been utterly devastated. Do you have any comprehension of the burden and responsibility we shouldered?"
"I, Ye Jin, have lived an upright and honorable life in service to humanity. How could I have possibly fathered such a selfish, self-centered bastard like you?"
"I'm selfish? Haha..." Ye Qiu's laughter grew even more bitter and sardonic. "Fine, fine—you're absolutely right, you're amazing, you're the hero of humanity. Whatever you say must be correct."
Ye Qiu shrugged dismissively, treating this seemingly baseless accusation with complete indifference.
If he were truly such a selfish bastard, he wouldn't have harbored any resentment toward them whatsoever after their return. Instead, he would have been so overjoyed that he couldn't sleep properly for days.
The original Ye Qiu had greeted them every morning and evening without fail, constantly asking about their health and wellbeing, never once holding their abandonment against them in his heart.
Yet despite all his earnest efforts, they had turned a blind eye to everything, focusing only on criticizing his idle lifestyle, his playful pursuits, and... his supposed jealousy of his younger brother.
"How utterly ridiculous."
Fine, I won't deny it anymore. Just think of me as selfish if that makes you feel better.
The truth was, Ye Qiu's resentment wasn't truly about them abandoning him twenty years ago—it was about their callous actions and attitudes during this past month since their return.
If these were the kind of parents he was stuck with, then he would be perfectly fine without them. After all, he had transmigrated from another world entirely, so he didn't harbor much genuine familial affection to begin with.
He wasn't like his predecessor, who had still clung to desperate hopes for so-called family love and acceptance.
Seeing the heated argument between father and son continuing to escalate dangerously, Su Wanqing finally lost her composure and intervened.
"Qiu'er, while we were certainly inconsiderate of your feelings and may have neglected you, that doesn't give you the right to speak to your father in such a disrespectful manner."
She stared intently at Ye Qiu, her elegant eyes now filled with profound disappointment and disapproval.
She had never imagined in her worst nightmares that the son she had carried in her womb for ten months would eventually turn out like this.
After the brutal war in the borderlands had finally ended, she had returned eagerly to reunite with her firstborn son, expecting to find a kind and upright young man with a promising future ahead of him.
Instead, what she discovered was little more than a street urchin—a despised pest who brought shame to their family name.
It would be a lie to claim she wasn't bitterly disappointed. Her youngest son was absolutely exceptional in every way, displaying remarkable intelligence and wisdom from the earliest age, while possessing both integrity and natural kindness.
He had achieved fame at an incredibly young age, successfully entering the prestigious Holy Land of Bu Tian Mountain, breaking countless ancient trial records and earning recognition as the North Sea's greatest prodigy in generations.
He had been crowned a Holy Son at just eighteen years old, with an impossibly bright future stretching out before him.
But her eldest son... he was a completely different creature altogether.
"Apologize sincerely to your father and swear a solemn oath never to engage in such behavior again, and this entire matter can be put behind us. You're a grown adult now—you should understand the importance of taking responsibility for your actions."
"As for your official status and recognition within the family, we will provide you with a satisfactory resolution in due time."
"I'll speak personally with the Great Elder of the Bu Tian Holy Land later today. They will allow you to train in their most advanced Trial Grounds, provide you with access to their finest cultivation resources, and compensate you generously for your... difficulties."
Su Wanqing spoke with what she believed was patience and gentle understanding.
"Haha..."
After suppressing his bitter amusement for what felt like an eternity, Ye Qiu suddenly burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter.
The unexpected outburst instantly chilled the atmosphere in the grand hall. Ye Jin frowned deeply, his dissatisfaction obvious as he demanded, "What exactly do you find so amusing?"
"Look at yourself right now—you carry yourself like a common street ruffian. You spend your days associating with nothing but lowlife friends and troublemakers, and yet you still have the audacity to compete with your brother for our favor and attention? How can you possibly compare yourself to him?"
Ye Qiu's laughter turned bitter as he looked directly at his younger brother Ye Qing, who stood nearby with obvious disdain.
"You're absolutely right! I'm inferior to him in every conceivable way. He truly is your most precious treasure."
"He has lived without a single worry about food or clothing since the day he was born. Servants attend to his every need around the clock. He has never known hunger or want, with meals and fine garments provided without question. Famous masters guide his cultivation personally, and all manner of rare immortal treasures are made available to him whenever needed."
"He has never once had to worry about what he might eat tomorrow, or whether he'll have a roof over his head. He can bring seven or eight personal guards with him wherever he travels. Everyone he encounters must show him proper respect and deference, and he has never had to fear being bullied or mistreated by anyone."
"However, since your beloved son is so exceptionally wonderful and accomplished, why exactly did you bother seeking me out? I've been living my own life just fine. How exactly have I been bothering or inconveniencing you?"
As soon as these pointed words left his lips, Ye Jin's face darkened like a thundercloud. Su Wanqing was visibly shocked—she had never expected Ye Qiu to express such rebellious sentiments.
"You ungrateful bastard! What sage teachings or classic texts have you been reading that would instruct you to show such blatant disrespect toward your own parents?"
"Disrespect toward my parents? Ha..." Ye Qiu's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I'm not even worthy of being considered your son. As you can clearly see, I'm nothing but a street thug and troublemaker. Your family is so wealthy and prestigious—I couldn't possibly climb high enough to reach that exalted level."
As soon as these devastating words were spoken, the entire hall fell into dead silence. Ye Jin's breathing quickened with barely contained fury, his hand clutching his chest as rage consumed him.
Su Wanqing's face went completely pale. She had never imagined that Ye Qiu would dare to utter such outrageous and hurtful statements.
"You insolent bastard! Who gave you permission to speak to your father in such a manner? Get down on your knees this instant!"
Before Ye Jin could fully vent his explosive anger, Ye Qing's expression turned ice-cold, and murderous intent instantly locked onto Ye Qiu like a predator focusing on prey.
Seeing the obvious arrogance and contempt burning in his younger brother's eyes, Ye Qiu could only sneer in response.
Kneel down?
What an absolutely ridiculous demand to make!
Just look at this cold and utterly indifferent family dynamic: a younger brother showing complete disrespect, parents who clearly favored one child over the other, and even some of the household servants casting disdainful glances in his direction.
The irony of the situation was almost too much to bear.
A younger brother actually commanding his older brother to kneel in submission? Was this world completely insane, or was Ye Qiu simply too old-fashioned in his thinking?
"Haha..."
After hearing Ye Qing's imperious demand, Ye Qiu laughed even more heartily before responding with cold fury, "Who exactly do you think you are to give me orders? No matter what kind of worthless bastard I might be, I am still your older brother, your..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Ye Qing's face suddenly darkened with murderous rage.
"Is this what proper family education teaches you about how to speak to your younger brother?"
As soon as these cutting words left Ye Qiu's mouth, Ye Qing's expression grew even darker. He had never expected his older brother to be so utterly shameless.
Was he actually trying to suppress him using nothing but the accident of birth order?
To be completely honest, from the very beginning, Ye Qing had looked down upon this useless excuse for a brother from the depths of his heart.
But he couldn't express such harsh sentiments openly in front of their parents. For a moment, he found himself speechless, his face turning pale with suppressed fury.
Observing his younger brother's obvious discomfort, Ye Qiu continued his verbal assault: "You're nothing but a spoiled brat who has enjoyed a life of luxury and privilege. What qualifications do you possibly have to lecture or teach me anything? What gives you the right to look down on me with such obvious disdain?"
"You have only reached your current position today by relying entirely on the favoritism of your parents and the vast resources of this family. You don't honestly believe that your achievements are based purely on your own merit and talent, do you?"
As soon as these brutal words were spoken, Ye Qing's eighteen years of dedicated hard work and cultivation were completely dismissed and invalidated. The rage burning in his heart was instantly ignited to an inferno.
Ye Qiu's accusation had struck directly at his most vulnerable point—his pride in his own accomplishments.
"You're looking for death!"
Ye Qing exploded with murderous fury, killing intent surging through his entire being.
He had been provoked beyond all reasonable limits! And this explosive reaction was exactly what Ye Qiu had been hoping to achieve.
In a single fluid motion, Ye Qing raised his palm and struck Ye Qiu's chest with tremendous force. The terrifying impact instantly sent his older brother flying backward through the air.
Excruciating pain shot through Ye Qiu's body as he felt his internal organs threatening to shatter from the devastating blow.
"Qing'er, stop this immediately!"
The horrifying scene of the two brothers fighting made Su Wanqing cry out in terror, and she rushed forward desperately to intervene.
She was about to help Ye Qiu to his feet, but to her surprise, he struggled against the ground and managed to stand up entirely on his own, despite his obvious injuries.
"Qiu'er, are you alright?"
Seeing the clear expression of pain etched across Ye Qiu's features, Su Wanqing felt a sharp, stabbing pain pierce her own heart. She wanted to step forward to help him, but when she met his cold, emotionless eyes, her heart trembled and she stopped in her tracks.
That look in his eyes was like someone gazing at a complete stranger—someone utterly irrelevant to his life. The realization was completely unacceptable to her as his mother.
Covering his injured chest, Ye Qiu's face was deathly pale. He knew without any doubt that he couldn't defeat Ye Qing in direct combat at his current level.
After all, Ye Qing had enjoyed the full cultivation resources of the Ye family for many years, receiving guidance from the most renowned masters and being provided with every conceivable treasure and advantage.
How could Ye Qiu, who was essentially just a street thug in terms of training and resources, possibly match such overwhelming advantages?
He had been forced to take that devastating blow!
But at the same time, he also discovered something quite interesting and unexpected.
After spitting blood from his mouth, it seemed as though his body detected the scent and taste of his own blood, and suddenly the power within his body became wild and uncontrolled.
Is this the effect of the Bloodthirsty Demon God talent?
This bloodthirsty enhancement had increased his raw strength several times over in just moments.
However... even if his power were increased by a factor of one hundred, he would still be no match for Ye Qing's overwhelming cultivation advantage.
Restraining his burning anger and rage, Ye Qiu looked at Ye Jin, Su Wanqing, and Ye Qing with a bitter smile spreading across his battered face.
With a miserable laugh that echoed through the hall, he said, "Haha... so this is the good son you have carefully cultivated and nurtured for so many years? His strength is indeed much more impressive than a worthless ruffian like me."
"Now you can rest assured and sleep peacefully at night. After so many years of careful teaching and investment, your precious son can now bully and abuse me at will, and can even strike me down in a fit of rage whenever the mood takes him."
As soon as these cutting words were spoken, the entire scene fell into instant, deathly silence.
"No, Qiu'er... your mother and father have never thought about the situation in that way."
Su Wanqing panicked completely, her mind thrown into complete disarray as tears began flowing uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.
Over all these years, because she had been trapped fighting in the North Sea and couldn't withdraw from the conflict, she could only transfer all the guilt and debt she owed to Ye Qiu onto Ye Qing instead, hoping desperately that he could grow up safely and smoothly.
Perhaps every mother's heart naturally wants all of her children to grow up happy and healthy.
But she had never anticipated that the situation would develop into the current disaster.
Ye Qiu was absolutely right in his assessment. The current power disparity between the brothers had created an extremely awkward and painful dynamic.
Ye Qing had never even taken Ye Qiu seriously as his older brother. How could he possibly set aside the overwhelming pride in his heart and sincerely acknowledge their familial relationship?
And just moments ago, because of Ye Qiu's deliberately provocative words, Ye Qing had attacked almost without any mercy or hesitation. That kind of subconscious, instinctive reaction couldn't be faked or hidden.
If he truly recognized and respected this person as his brother in his heart, he would never have struck out so violently, and certainly not with such immediate, thoughtless aggression.