The afternoon sun was emitting blinding rays of light. It added a layer of gold on top of the
Inside the garden, Ling Hu looked at what Ling Xian was holding. It was a piece of metal that
had the appearance gold but was not gold. He asked, âWhat is this?â
âItâs the token to the Hidden Territory.â Ling Xian grinned.
âThis is the legendary entrance token?â Ling Hu couldnât help but gasp in shock.
âYes, this oneâs for you.â Ling Xian very casually threw the token to him. Ling Hu caught the
token anxiously and complained, âBrother, itâs a token to the Hidden Territory! What if you
broke it by throwing it so violently?â
âI knew youâd be able to catch it,â said Ling Xian.
âHow did you get your hand on this token?â asked Ling Hu.
âThat is a long story,â Ling Xian proceeded to tell him the events that occurred this morning.
From how he didnât want to compete, to Ling Chen provoking him. From how Ling Chen was
dethroned, to how he won first place. Ling Xian told him every detail of the story.
As Ling Hu listened, he sometimes reacted angrily, and other times he was shocked. It took him
a while to get himself back to reality. âNice! Dethroning him was a great move! He deserved it!
Iâve never liked him, and he always took advantage of us, collateral siblings. He was one trash of
âHe angered the people. It was the right thing to dethrone him,â Ling Xian exclaimed before
reminding Ling Hu, "Train lots in the next little while. Try to improve your Qi level to five
before the Hidden Territory opens. This way you can at least defend yourself and prevent
accidents from happening when youâre inside.â
âBrother, I canât have this. You need it more than me,â Ling Hu rejected.
âI have another one. No need to be so polite with me.â Ling Xian felt warm.
Upon hearing this, Ling Huâs eyes widened, and he chuckled, âBrother, then I wonât refrain
myself. The Hidden Territory in the City of Qing is one that I have never entered.â
Ling Xian nodded. Looking at the overly excited Ling Hu, he suddenly turned serious, âTell me
and be honest. What is going on?â
âWhat do you mean?â Ling Hu froze.
âWhat really happened when you said you couldnât get a Dan at Qi Zhen Pavilion?â Ling Xian
squinted his eyes. âDonât play dumb with me and donât try to hide anything. You said you
ordered it from the main store, but it hasnât arrived. I saw that you were acting abnormally.
What you claim to have happened may be true, but the events that happened definitely didnât
âBrotherâŚâ Ling Hu was silent. He lowered his head and hid from Ling Xianâs threatening gaze.
Ling Xian frowned and ordered, âLift your head, look at me, and speak!â
âBrother⌠I canât.â Ling Hu shook his head, and his face was full of bitterness.
Ling Xianâs heart dropped. He had a bad premonition. He asked coldly, âTell me, what really
happened? Donât be afraid. I will support you even if the sky falls.â
Ling Hu was silent for a while. Remembering those humiliating events, fire was about to shoot
out of his eyes, and he gritted his teeth. âBrother, it was that asshole of a manager. When I went
to purchase the Dan with a quality superior to that of a Rejuvenation Dan, he told me he had
them, but none of them were in storage in the Qi Zhen Pavilion. He said he needed time to get
them from the central store, but needed the payment before he could place an order. I didnât
think much back then, so I just gave him all 20,000 of my spiritual stones.â
âThe next day however, when I went to find him, he claimed that the inventory still hasnât
arrived. He then shut the store front and refused to see me. Finally, he ordered someone to beat
me up and threatened that if I ever go to him again or tell someone about what happened, he
would order someone to kill me!â Talking about what happened made Ling Hu enraged. He
wanted to dash into the Qi Zhen Pavilion and slice that bastard into eight pieces.
He took off his top, and his body was covered in blotches of purple and green bruises. He was
âGood, very good,â Ling Xianâs face turned cold like he was getting ready to fight.
This was not simply about lying to gain those 20,000 spiritual stones. Rather, he lied and a
fragile life wouldâve been taken away from the world. If Ling Xian didnât find a way to cure Ling
Huâs mom, or if he came a little later, Ling Hu's motherâs life wouldâve been lost because of that
âStealing your spiritual stones and ending your last ray of hope. This kind of person deserves to
die.â Ling Xian was so angry his hair stood up on his head. âWhatâs the name of that bastard?â
âQin Guang Zhi,â Ling Hu subconsciously answered, but regretted answering right away.
âBrother, heâs the manager of Qi Zhen Pavilion. As you know, no other pavilion dare to compete
with Qi Zhen because it is so reputable in the Qin Dynasty. It is a large business. Donât be
âSo what if Iâm irrational?â
Ling Xian was very touched. He understood then that Ling Hu didnât want to tell him in the
beginning because he didnât want to cause Ling Xian trouble. He was afraid that Ling Xian
would go and find that bastard out of anger and lose his life in the process.
However, regarding that bastard of a guy, Ling Xian was determined to kill him. He said coldly,
âheâs already the manager of the pavilion. Itâs obvious that this isnât the first time he scammed
someone. If I donât get rid of him now, who knows how many cultivators will be harmed
because of him? Some may even lose their lives. On top of that, how can you just forget about
âOf course I canât forget!â Ling Hu yelled as those humiliating memories played before his eyes
again. He tightened his fists but then slowly loosened them. He then said weakly, âEven if I
canât forget, what can I do about it? Heâs the manager of the pavilion with a Qi level of eight. IâŚ
I donât have a way to deal with him.â
His chest was burning with a raging fire, but his heart was filled with helplessness and sorrow.
The cultivation community was ordinarily a lawless society that was very messy. There was
nobody in charge of crimes. Fists were the only truth and capabilities were the only protection.
One was the lowest ranked cultivator in the communityÍž the other was a highly valued manager
of the Qi Zhen Pavilion. Even if the crime were reported to the mayor, there would still be little
to no punishment to the manager. The most that would happen would be for the spiritual
stones to be returned to Ling Hu. However, if that were the happen, the next day Ling Hu would
be found in an isolated place as a corpse.
This was the cultivation community!
Messy, cruel, cold and violent.
Everything depends on one factor: do you have the capability or do you not? Those capable
could enjoy everything wonderful in the world and get whatever they ask for. Those incapable
could only numbly accept the cruelty of the world.
âThatâs no excuse. Delaying revenge for ten years is not considered late because later is better
than never. If you donât have a way right now, then take the time to think carefully and find a
way. If you donât have the capability right now, then take the time and train until you do." Ling
Xianâs eyes were sparkling with hatred. âIn such a messy world, donât use âI donât have a way to
deal with himâ as an excuse to make yourself feel better. Once you get used to that way of
thinking, you will then accept that as your way of life. Your life will then be infinitely dark.â
Ling Huâs heart shook as he fell into deep thoughts.
He knew that Ling Xian was exaggerating. The reality was that since Ling Xian was a child, he
had faced so many obstacles he felt like he was living in darkness. Sometimes, he would ask
himself if he would ever see the light of day.
âI understand your pain and your difficulties, but really, what you are saying arenât valid
reasons to not do something.â Ling Xian patted Ling Huâs shoulder. âIâm a cultivator, and I'm a
trainee. I seek laws of the universe, and I wish for immortality. I have a rough and dangerous
road ahead of me. Even if I break all my bones, I still must swim and climb upwards. If I fall and
admit defeat with every small obstacle and listen to my desires by giving up, then why do I even
wish for immortality? I rather find a forest with no people and hide there forever as a
âBrother, you are right. Letâs kill him!â Ling Huâs blood was boiling after Ling Xianâs speech.
âHow do you plan on killing him?â Ling Xian glanced at him.
âUmâŚâ Ling Hu lost his energy, and his mouth hung open helplessly.
Ling Xian sighed softly, âI know I talked a lot, but I just wanted you to remember, never dim
that light in your soul. I didnât mean for you to get too excited and try to smash open a rock
when you are only an egg. Do you understand?â
âYes, I understand now, brother.â
It wasnât that he didnât understand what Ling Xian said. It was that he was only 13 and he
believed that he must listen to Ling Xian because Ling Xian was always right.
âAs long as you understand. This guy, however, I must kill him.â Ling Xianâs hatred was
He really was determined to kill this time. That bastard named Qin Guang Zhi, not only did he
steal those stones, he also hurt Ling Hu and threatened to kill him. Such a bastard, how could
the heavens allow him to exist?
âBrother, he has some power in the pavilion or else he wouldnât be able to cover up what he did.
Donât be too irrational. I donât want anything bad to happen to you.â Ling Huâs face was full of
âDonât worry. I donât do things Iâm not confident about.â Ling Xian silently structured a revenge
âYou figured out a way? You must think twice before you take any actions,â Ling Hu said
He really hated Qin Guang Zhi. The asshole stripped him of hope and threatened to take away
his life. If Ling Xian didnât have a way to save his mother, she would be gone by now. Thinking
of what couldâve been, Ling Huâs hatred ran so deep he wanted to eat Qin Guang Zhiâs flesh and
However, he cared more for Ling Xianâs safety. No matter what, he didnât want Ling Xian to get
âDonât worry. I would never lose my life because of a bastard like him.â Warmth returned to
Ling Xianâs heart. âThe Qi Zhen Pavilion is a giant with capabilities that extends all over the
dynasty. It has stores in every city, and it has an incredible reputation. We canât go head on
head with them. We need them to become notorious for the dirty stuff they have done.â
âHe stole 20,000 of my spiritual stones. Is that not notorious enough?â Ling Hu gritted his
âWithout evidence, the Head Manager in the City of Qing would never believe you.â Ling Xian
maintained his frown. Then, he suddenly had an idea and chuckled. âIf heâs greedy, then I will
let him be greedy. My stuff, however, cannot be easily taken away.â