"Yun'er..."
Seeing her son beat Nie Chao and Nie Chaoxing to within an inch of their lives in the blink of an eye, Nie Ling stood frozen in place, her body stiffening as if she were turning to stone.
'Is this really my son, Nie Yun?'
'An Early-Stage Qi Nourishing Realm cultivator beating a Peak of Qi Nourishing Realm expert half to death... What in the world is going on?'
As his mother, she knew Nie Yun's personality better than anyone.
His family situation had affected him deeply, making him resilient yet somewhat withdrawn. He was usually incredibly cold and unwilling to speak to anyone. What had gotten into him today?
"Heh, Mom, you should go back and get some rest."
Seeing his mother's expression, Nie Yun knew exactly what she was thinking and could only offer a helpless smile.
The matter of his rebirth was too significant to be told to anyone, not even his mother. So Nie Yun could only be evasive as he escorted his bewildered mother back to her room.
Following behind her, Nie Yun's eyes reddened slightly as he looked at the white hairs that had appeared at her temples.
'In my past life, I never saw how much my mother had worried about me, how much she had suffered for my sake. Instead, I constantly blamed her. I was such an absolute bastard!'
'Mom, in my past life, your son was useless. I never let you live a single good day, and in the end, you fell from a cliff for my sake!'
'Mom, in my past life, your son was stupid and caused you to live in constant fear for me. You weren't even forty, yet your hair was already full of white.'
'Mom, in my past life, your son was thoughtless and brought such a great disaster upon the clan, making you worry yourself to death!'
'But, Mom, in this life, with your son here, I will definitely make you the happiest mother in the world! You will be proud of me, so proud!'
His fists clenched as Nie Yun made a silent vow in his heart.
................
After settling his mother in, Nie Yun returned to the courtyard.
Every blade of grass, every tree, every brick and stone in the courtyard perfectly matched his memories. The excitement of living a second life filled Nie Yun's chest.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
As he was reminiscing about his past life, he heard a series of dull whooshes from the depths of the courtyard, as if someone were practicing their Swordsmanship.
A tender and youthful face flashed through his mind. Nie Yun's heart tightened, and he strode toward the source of the sound.
In a clearing in the farthest corner of the courtyard, a boy of only about ten years old was holding a Longsword. With a resolute gaze, he thrust forward again and again. Each thrust produced a sizzling sound in the air, as if it were filled with Sword Qi.
The boy's Swordsmanship was not weak, but his lower body remained completely motionless, as if frozen stiff. Seeing this, a wave of sadness washed over Nie Yun. It wasn't that the boy hadn't learned any Step Techniques for his lower body; it was because he had been bitten on the leg by a venomous snake when he was three. This had caused his Meridians to become blocked, petrifying his legs and making it difficult for him to even walk.
His third uncle's son, Nie Tong!
Nie Tong's blocked Meridians prevented him from cultivating his Qi Sea, but he hadn't given up. He began secretly practicing Swordsmanship at the age of six. Every one of the thrusts he had just made was powered by pure muscle strength! For a ten-year-old boy to train his Swordsmanship to this level using only his muscles—what incredible perseverance did that require?
"Ah, Brother Nie Yun, I was wrong! I won't dare practice again, I'll leave right now..."
Seemingly having heard the noise behind him, Nie Tong turned his head. When he saw it was Nie Yun, his expression changed instantly. He trembled as he hid his sword, sweat beading on his forehead.
Seeing Nie Tong act this way, an involuntary pang of pain shot through Nie Yun's heart.
What he had done to Nie Tong was perhaps the most despicable thing he'd ever done in his past life—calling him trash and forbidding him from Cultivation.
In his past life, he had believed that anyone who couldn't cultivate a Qi Sea was useless to the clan, and that their Cultivation would only waste resources. Every time he saw Nie Tong, he would scold him harshly, even striking him. Because of this, Nie Tong always practiced behind his back, terrified of being discovered and reprimanded.
This continued right up until the great Fiend Race catastrophe!
After his father was killed, he had lost all hope and decided to take the Fiend Race people down with him. It was Nie Tong who had saved him!
At that time, Nie Tong's legs had been rigid, making every step excruciatingly difficult. Yet his sword moved like the wind. With every strike, a member of the Fiend Race fell dead. His gaze was firm and cold, unwavering no matter how many enemies came at him.
He had completely slaughtered all the surrounding Fiend Race people. Just as Nie Yun was feeling a wave of relief, Nie Tong collapsed heavily to the ground.
Only then did Nie Yun discover that his cousin had suffered a total of one hundred and thirty-seven sword wounds. His life force had long since been extinguished. He had held on until the very end through sheer, indomitable will!
"Brother, I'm not trash. I think... I was a little useful after all!"
Those were his last words. They were also the only words he had spoken to Nie Yun in all the years since he had started practicing the sword.
And with that, he was gone. No matter how Nie Yun had screamed his heart out, he never moved again.
He was only fifteen that year.
"Nie Tong!"
The past seemed to play out right before his eyes. An intense pain gripped his heart as Nie Yun stepped forward and pulled the boy into his arms. Tears streamed down his face. It was him. It was really him!
His face was still young and tender now, but the resolve in his eyes was unchanged. This was the same little brother who had suffered 137 sword wounds in a Demon Beast Group to save him, yet had not cried out in pain even once!
"Brother Nie Yun, I was wrong... I know I'm trash and can't practice Cultivation... I'll never dare to do it again..."
"You're not trash! It was my fault!" Nie Yun's heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.
'I'm such a bastard. The biggest bastard in the world!'
'If it weren't for that time, I never would have known how much sweat and blood this little brother of mine had shed in secret. If it weren't for that time, I never would have known how many years he had toiled, how much effort he had put in, all because I called him 'trash'!'
'Little brother, you're not trash. It was me who was possessed! It was me who was beyond foolish! It was me who couldn't recognize what was good for him!'
"Brother Nie Yun..."
In the past, whenever he saw his older brother, he would be scolded. But today, his brother had suddenly pulled him into a hug and said it was all his fault. Nie Tong was stunned, unable to process what was happening.
"Nie Tong, from today onward, you can practice your Cultivation freely. If there's anything you don't understand, I can personally teach you!"
Knowing that his memories from two lifetimes were causing him to lose his composure, Nie Yun let go of the boy and announced his decision.
"I can practice my Cultivation freely? You're not going to scold me anymore?" The boy's eyes lit up, his Radiant pupils as bright as they were in his memories from three hundred years ago.
"Mhm!" Nie Yun nodded affirmatively.
"This is great!" Trembling with excitement, the boy threw his arms around Nie Yun. "Brother is the best! Thank you, brother!"
"Heh!" Seeing him so happy, Nie Yun's sorrowful mood lifted considerably. 'That's right. The past life is over. Since I've been reborn, I must live this life to the fullest. My little brother died for me in my past life. I absolutely cannot let him suffer the same fate again!'
At this thought, Nie Yun smiled. "Nie Tong, I have a Cultivation Technique called the [Spirit Rhinoceros Body Refining Technique]. It can be cultivated without opening a Qi Sea. I'll copy it down for you in the next couple of days. As long as you train hard, your legs... will definitely be able to move freely again!"
"My legs... can move freely again? Brother, are... are you sure?"
Nie Tong felt a roar in his mind. He snapped his head up, his resolute eyes staring at his brother with utter disbelief.
"I'm sure!" Nie Yun nodded.
In his past life, after his little brother's death, he had always wondered how Nie Tong could have unleashed such formidable power without even being able to cultivate his Qi Sea. It wasn't until much later, after he had obtained his own inheritance and broadened his horizons, that he finally understood. Nie Tong's arduous sword practice, day after day for years, had long since integrated his firm beliefs into his very being. The Swordsmanship he practiced secretly aligned with the Magic Techniques of the Demon Race!
The Demon Race was a race even nobler than the Fiend Race. They were born with powerful physical bodies that far surpassed those of humans. Unable to cultivate his Qi Sea, Nie Tong had trained his sword day and night, unintentionally setting him on the path of muscular training!
Back then, he had been fumbling in the dark on his own, without any kind of Technique. But this [Spirit Rhinoceros Body Refining Technique] was a supreme Magic Technique of the Demon Race that Nie Yun had obtained. Its value was no less than that of the [Nine-Turn Nirvana Skill]. As long as he passed this method to Nie Tong, his cousin would absolutely be able to purge the residual snake venom from his body and regain the use of his legs!
The [Spirit Rhinoceros Body Refining Technique] and the [Nine-Turn Nirvana Skill] were the two great Cultivation Techniques he had relied on to make a name for himself in his past life. He had never passed them on to anyone. In this life, seeing his little brother again had erased all his regrets. There was no reason not to pass one on to him!
"Brother..."
Seeing his completely changed brother give him such a monumental promise, Nie Tong's eyes reddened. He secretly swore that if his legs could truly be healed, he would serve his brother faithfully, even to the death!
"Alright. Train hard and strive to achieve something great. When that time comes, the two of us brothers will venture out into the world together and slay all evil!" Nie Yun laughed heartily.
"Venture out into the world together and slay all evil... Yes, brother! I will never let you down!"
Nie Tong's eyes shone, and the blood in his veins instantly began to boil with excitement!
Nie Tong had been a cripple for as long as he could remember. No one, whether in the main clan or his own branch family, had ever looked up to him. Now, not only was his brother Nie Yun saying he could heal his legs, but he also wanted to take him to venture out into the world. How could he not be excited?
"By the way, Nie Tong, didn't your sister usually act as a lookout for you while you practiced your Cultivation, to keep me from finding out? How come she isn't here today?"
Nie Yun asked with a smile.
The sister he spoke of was his first uncle's daughter, Nie Xiaofeng.
His branch of the family had been passed down from his grandfather, Nie Tian. In his father's generation, there were three brothers: his first uncle, his father, and his third uncle. His first and third uncles had passed away one after another, each leaving behind a child—Nie Xiaofeng and Nie Tong, respectively.
"Yesterday, sister heard through the grapevine that Nie Chao had already received a punishment order from the clan. She went out at the crack of dawn this morning and still hasn't come back!"
The clan's punishment orders were issued by the clan's Elder Hall. There was usually a time gap between the order being approved and it being delivered, so it was normal to hear about it in advance.
"You said your sister went out at the crack of dawn?"
Hearing this, Nie Yun's face flushed. He felt as if he had been struck a heavy blow, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.