Chương 96: Conversation

The Song Manor. Since Li Xin was no longer a virgin, he could not cultivate the Glass Immaculate Body. Song Que could only comfort him:"Alright, then you can't practice this cultivation method. Just go over there and practice your usual routines for now. In the future, I will teach you another martial art." If he can't practice it, he can't practice it. Thinking of the two newly acquired secret manuals in his possession, Song Que wasn't worried that the kid wouldn't be able to amount to anything in the future.

The expected storm of scolding never came. Li Xin looked at Song Que cautiously. Seeing that he really wasn't going to say anything more, he asked in a small voice:"Big Brother, you're not angry?" Everyone goes through a foolish, impulsive phase in their youth. Grandee Song didn't view his actions as too severe a crime.

"It's fine. Just be a bit more careful in the future. Don't learn those bad habits from Brother Hong!"

"Understood, Big Brother!" Li Xin, overjoyed, hurriedly nodded like a pounding pestle to guarantee his compliance.... Leaving Li Xin to practice alone in a corner, Song Que began explaining the external tempering portion of the Glass Immaculate Body to Xiong Ba. This kid's martial arts aptitude was no joke! Furthermore, having his body continuously remodeled by the Tesseract over a long period, cultivating this art now yielded twice the result with half the effort!

The entire Glass Immaculate Body manual didn't contain too many complex stances. It was mostly a series of movements and methods for using force to polish the body. Even for someone as simple-minded as Xiong Ba, practicing it didn't require too much brainpower. It only took him a day to grasp the basic form and begin cultivating on his own. Song Que only needed to stand by and offer occasional guidance.

By the next day, he left the kid to cultivate on his own and began studying the Five Qi Toward the Origin Formula himself.... Chen Zihao had a very long dream. His family was destroyed. Under his father's protection, he managed to escape with the Chen Family's inherited martial arts, but unfortunately, he was heavily injured by a strike to his back from his enemy. Tossing and turning, climbing mountains and wading through streams to escape the enemy's pursuit, he realized he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

The wound on his back constantly emitted hidden force, tearing at his internal organs. Before he could complete his revenge and wash away the humiliation, he collapsed. Lying helpless in the desolate wilderness, feeling his life force gradually slipping away, Chen Zihao, filled with indignation, wanted to tilt his head back and roar! But he didn't even have the strength to do that.

Before he sank into darkness, his mind was filled with images of his parents, his pregnant wife, his younger sister, and his relatives, each one being slaughtered as tears streamed down their faces. I'm sorry, I couldn't avenge everyone! I am so unwilling to accept this! Lying on the bed, Chen Zihao was jolted awake by this surge of furious indignation! Opening his eyes and sitting up, he realized he was in an unfamiliar room. Rubbing his still-aching chest, everything felt so real. He actually hadn't died!

Someone had saved him!... Constantly keeping his Domain active to monitor his surroundings, Song Que quickly noticed the changes in the room. Seeing that Chen Zihao had awoken, he put down the book in his hands, stood up, pushed open the door, and walked in.

"You're awake?" Curiously sizing up the handsome youth who had just entered, Chen Zihao found the face somewhat familiar. He spoke with difficulty:"You are... Have we met somewhere before?"

"Young Master Chen has an excellent memory. We exchanged a few words at the Old Fish Eatery a few days ago." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. Hearing the other party directly call him by his title made Chen Zihao's heart tremble. He wasn't afraid of death. Having lost everything, living now was more painful than dying!

But with his great vengeance unfulfilled and his enemies still roaming free, eating well, and dressing well, he was unwilling to simply die like this! But realizing that he was currently able to lie here peacefully, Chen Zihao's mood settled down somewhat.

"It was you, brother, who saved me. I wonder, where is this place?"

"This is Qinghe County. I was passing through Eagle's Sorrow Ravine and found you lying by the roadside, so I brought you back with me." Struggling to stand up and suppressing the discomfort in his chest, Chen Zihao cupped his hands and bowed deeply:"Zihao thanks you, brother, for saving my life!"

"Could Brother Chen explain to me what happened to your Chen Family?" Hearing Song Que's question, Chen Zihao's eyes filled with sorrow. Overcome with grief, he clutched his chest and angrily recounted the events that had transpired. In truth, it wasn't a particularly bizarre or convoluted story. The Chen Family and the Liu Family in Lingjiang City were generations-old mortal enemies. As for the exact reason why, it had been so long that no one bothered to investigate anymore.

Normally, the two families couldn't stand the sight of each other, and conflicts occurred constantly, but mostly it was just petty squabbles. Some time ago, the Chen Family Patriarch won a Qi-Gathering Pill at an auction, giving him the potential to advance to a First-Tier martial artist. Perhaps this was the straw that broke the camel's back, causing the conflict to escalate! After all, having sworn to be 'loving neighbors' for so many years, you suddenly wanted to fly solo?

The Liu Family was absolutely not going to agree to that! Therefore, while the Chen Family Patriarch, Chen Shubao, was in secluded cultivation attempting to break through, the Liu Family practically caused trouble non-stop! Even though the Chen Family sensibly endured it, the other party only escalated their provocations! The climax occurred a few nights ago. No one knew how the Liu Family managed to bribe the Lingjiang Gang and the Pacification Office!

In short, the Chen Family was completely caught off guard and was easily crushed by the combined forces of the three factions! In a single night, the entire clan of nearly a hundred people was tragically slaughtered! What happened after that, Song Que had already witnessed.

"I heard the authorities say you colluded with a demonic cult and practiced demonic arts, and that the evidence is irrefutable. What is the truth of the matter?" Hearing Song Que's question, Chen Zihao nearly went mad! His eyes grew bloodshot, and his teeth bit into his lip so hard it bled as he roared in hatred:"They framed us! Absolutely no one in our Chen Family practiced any demonic arts! It was entirely the Liu Family spitting blood on us to find an excuse to exterminate the Chen Family!"

"They were afraid my father would break through to the First Tier and destroy them! I must find the Governor! I must go to Yangnan Prefecture to find someone to uphold justice for our Chen Family!"

"With your current condition, you won't even make it out of Lingjiang Commandery. Furthermore, this case was personally closed by the Pacification Office..." At this point, Song Que couldn't help but deal him a blow:"Even if you report this to the authorities, it probably won't achieve anything. I'm guessing there's a 90% chance you'll be branded a demonic cult remnant and beheaded in public!" Although these words were a bit harsh, they were the truth.

Right now, Chen Zihao was no longer the young master of the Chen Family; he was just a lone man with meager strength. Relying solely on himself, he couldn't even manage to evade the pursuit of those three factions! Chen Zihao understood this too, but he still clung to an illusion in his heart. Having his fantasy pierced by Song Que, he deflated like a punctured balloon and slumped onto the bed.

He sat blankly for a long time before raising his head, gritting his teeth, and saying coldly:"No matter what, I am determined to seek revenge at all costs! As long as I draw breath, those people will never know a day of peace!" Song Que continued to exercise his venomous tongue, ruthlessly pouring cold water on him:"Thinking like that will, at most, cause them a bit of annoyance—like a fly buzzing around their ears making them uncomfortable. Nothing more."

"Your strength is far inferior to theirs, and now you've lost your family's support. What will you use to catch up to them in the future? Let alone talk of revenge and washing away this humiliation!" Chen Zihao was furious and wanted to stand up to retort, but his internal injuries had not healed. The combination of anger and physical exertion caused him unbearable pain. He hurriedly rubbed his chest for a long time before the pain subsided.

By this time, his anger had passed, and his face was deathly pale as he smiled tragically:"Brother, you didn't save me just to mock me, did you? This one knows the task is harder than ascending to heaven! But human effort can achieve anything! Even if there is only a sliver of hope, I will not give up! The enemies' power is too great; staying here will only bring disaster upon you, brother. Once it gets dark, I will leave secretly.

I don't know how to repay your life-saving grace; if there is a next life, I will serve as a cow or a horse to repay you, benefactor!"

"After leaving here, what does Brother Chen plan to do?" Song Que asked curiously. Chen Zihao didn't hesitate and honestly answered with the plan in his heart:"I originally intended to flee into Eagle's Sorrow Ravine to hide. With my strength, it shouldn't be hard to find a foothold there. I'll endure silently for a time, and once I have enough strength, I will seek out my enemies for revenge!"

Seeing that the other party wasn't just a reckless brute who only knew how to charge to his death like a mad dog, Song Que nodded inwardly. Conversing with this Young Master Chen all this time, Grandee Song had been trying to gauge his personality to see if he could handle being entrusted with heavy responsibilities! From the moment he decided to save him, Song Que had the intention of recruiting this person! That was why he had expended so much effort!

Otherwise, with his personality, he definitely wouldn't have easily involved himself in such a massive mess! The results satisfied Grandee Song. He nodded and smiled:"Brother Chen's plan is not wrong. For a gentleman to seek revenge, ten years is not too late! Mad, irrational behavior will only make things worse."

"Thank you for your comforting words, brother. All this time, I haven't even asked—what is your name, brother?"

"My name is Song Que." Having calmed his emotions somewhat, Chen Zihao solemnly stood up, knelt down, and bowed deeply:"Zihao thanks Brother Song for saving my life! If Brother Song ever needs anything in the future, even if I have to climb mountains of blades or plunge into seas of fire, Zihao will not hesitate!"