Chapter 4

Grandpa and my little brother have only been gone for half a day, and something happened?

Impossible!

Over the years, those who hated me, who called me a harbinger of misfortune, couldn't even avoid me, let alone try to harm Grandpa and my little brother?

Could it be an enemy?

Could it be the people who killed over a thousand of our Chen family members back then?

But if so, why didn't they eliminate the three of us long ago? Why wait until now?

Chen Xi felt his blood boil, his head throbbing with pain as if it were about to explode!

He was like a trapped beast, dashing out of the house, through the streets, and toward the city outskirts.

Grandpa and my little brother, they must be fine, they must be...

He was shouting.

In the dead of night, Songyan City was still as bright as day.

Colorful lights adorned every corner of the city, the streets illuminated like fire dragons, bustling and magnificent.

The streets were crowded with people, and an even larger crowd had gathered at the city gate.

On the ground lay a withered old man, his clothes stained with blood, his eyes tightly closed, clearly long dead.

Beside him, a child of about eleven or twelve knelt silently, his young face devoid of tears, his eyes gray and hollow, like a soulless puppet.

"I know him, he's Chen Hao from Tianxing Academy, he's my classmate!"

"Ah! So he's the harbinger of misfortune's little brother, the old man next to him must be his grandpa, right?"

"Alas, it must be. The once-renowned Chen family patriarch of our Songyan City, now killed in the wilderness outside the city, how tragic! How lamentable!"

...

People were talking, but no one was willing to lend a hand. After all, one was the harbinger of misfortune's little brother, and the other was the harbinger of misfortune's grandpa. They didn't want to invite bad luck.

"Everyone, move aside, the harbinger of misfortune is coming!"

A sharp voice suddenly rang out, and the crowd quickly parted, as if avoiding a venomous snake.

Amidst the strange gazes of the people, a thin figure rushed over like a madman, clearly Chen Xi.

"Grandpa!"

Seeing the familiar figure lying quietly on the ground, Chen Xi's last hope was shattered. He felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing his heart, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He approached Grandpa's body step by step. The stern, expressionless face remained unchanged, but his eyes were bloodshot, like those of a trapped beast.

"Brother..." A familiar, hoarse voice sounded, and Chen Xi's heart jolted. He saw his little brother, Chen Hao, staring at him like a puppet, his eyes empty and lifeless.

Who?

Who did this?

Chen Xi's heart ached even more, his nails digging deep into his palms, drawing blood, but he didn't even notice.

At this moment, the long-suppressed anger in his heart erupted like lava, spreading throughout his body.

He hated himself for being so powerless, hated himself for being unable to change the ridicule and mockery around him...

Heaven!

If you want to punish, punish me alone. Why not spare my Chen family, my parents, my grandpa?

Why!?

Chen Xi's heart roared in madness, nearly losing control.

Bang!

Chen Hao, unable to hold on any longer, closed his eyes and fainted into Chen Xi's arms.

Chen Xi looked at his little brother, at the fatigue and helplessness on his young face, and suddenly snapped out of his rage. Grandpa was already dead; he couldn't let anything happen to his little brother.

He carried his little brother on his back, holding Grandpa's body, and stumbled through the city gate, heading home.

"The harbinger of misfortune is finally gone. Ha, this is great. After so many years, he's killed his grandpa again. Tsk, truly a harbinger of misfortune, the unluckiest of all."

"Shh, you're asking for it. If you keep cursing the harbinger of misfortune, you'll invite bad luck and lose your life too!"

"Tsk, you're one to talk, you also called him the harbinger of misfortune."

"Hmph, I don't have time for you."

"Just act all high and mighty. Maybe you're secretly hoping the harbinger of misfortune will kill his little brother too!"

...

As he walked, the buzzing of the crowd's chatter, carried by the cold night wind, pierced Chen Xi's ears like sharp needles, deeply wounding his heart.

But he continued on, like a weathered rock battered by the waves, his pain deep in his bones, his stubbornness unyielding.

Numb?

No, I will remember this moment forever.

If I don't die, one day, I will climb the heavenly ladder, reach the clouds, and embrace the stars of the nine heavens, standing tall above all!

You—

Just wait and see, you'll be the ones to laugh at yourselves.

...

In the outskirts, the rain drizzled continuously, like silk threads.

"Grandpa, rest in peace."

Standing before a solitary grave, Chen Xi spoke softly, his voice calm but firm.

Since that day, Chen Xi had knelt by the grave for three days, without eating or drinking, unmoved by the wind and sun, his face pale and haggard.

Seeing Chen Xi return to his normal self, Bai Wanqing, who had been by his side, sighed in relief and said, "Let's go home. Chen Hao woke up from his coma last night."

Chen Xi nodded in agreement.

"Aunt Bai, thank you."

As they approached the house, Chen Xi stopped and solemnly thanked Bai Wanqing. For three days, she had been taking care of his little brother, treating him like family, which deeply moved him.

When everyone else only mocked him, she had been quietly working hard for him. Such a person deserved his eternal gratitude.

Bai Wanqing, surprised by Chen Xi's solemn gratitude, paused and smiled, "As long as you live well and better than anyone else, that's the best thanks you can give me."

Chen Xi nodded again, solemnly.

Bai Wanqing smiled and left without lingering.

Watching her graceful figure disappear, a warm current welled up in Chen Xi's heart, lifting his spirits and easing the gloom on his face.

"Brother."

The door opened, and Chen Hao looked at Chen Xi, calling softly.

Chen Xi stepped forward and firmly embraced his little brother, "It's okay that your right hand is gone. As long as you're alive, there's hope."

That night, Chen Xi's grandpa was attacked and killed, and Chen Hao lost his right hand, his right arm's vitality completely drained. Even the most powerful medicines could not restore it.

Chen Xi knew all too well the pain his little brother felt from losing his right hand. Since childhood, Chen Hao had been passionate about swordsmanship, vowing to create his own path in swordsmanship. Now, without his right hand, it was as if his long-held dream had been buried, and the pain was unimaginable.

"Brother, I've decided to practice left-handed swordsmanship!"

Chen Hao straightened his back, his eyes clear and determined, as if reborn from the ashes, "Losing my right hand is a good thing. One hand, one sword, will make me more focused and dedicated to my swordsmanship."

Chen Xi looked at his little brother, who seemed to have grown up overnight, and saw the renewed determination in his eyes. His heart swelled with emotion, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Good! Good! Good!"

The three "goods" expressed his joy and satisfaction to the fullest.

...

"Grandpa and I were ambushed in the Green Wolf Valley. There were three masked men. Grandpa said they were all at the Zifu realm."

After dinner, Chen Xi began to inquire about what happened to Grandpa and his little brother after they left the city. He needed to find out who the killers were.

However, when he heard that the attackers were three Zifu realm cultivators, Chen Xi's heart skipped a beat.

Cultivation is divided into the Later Heaven, Innate, Zifu, Huangting, Two Instruments Golden Core, Nirvana, Immortal, and Earth Immortal realms.

The Later Heaven realm has nine levels, where one cultivates true essence, unblocks meridians, and extends one's lifespan by sixty years. At this level, one is strong and healthy, with abundant vitality and no illness.

The Innate realm has nine levels, where one breathes in the essence of heaven and earth, cultivates the mind, and extends one's lifespan by a hundred years. At this level, one has transcended the mortal body, with a spirit-infused physique, but very few can reach this realm.

The Zifu realm, on the other hand, involves harnessing the power of heaven and earth, opening a Zifu in the dantian. Each level of this realm adds a true essence star to the Zifu, and when all nine stars are aligned, the Zifu is complete.

This realm is also known as the Star-Pointing realm. At this level, one's lifespan extends by five hundred years, and it is considered the foundation of cultivation, truly entering the path of immortality.

According to Chen Xi's knowledge, among Innate realm cultivators, only one in ten thousand can open a Zifu. In the vast Songyan City, Zifu realm cultivators are the absolute top-tier experts. Hearing that the killers were three Zifu realm cultivators, Chen Xi's shock was unimaginable.

He was currently at the third level of the Innate realm, thanks to Grandpa Chen Tianli's careful guidance from a young age.

Back then, the Chen family was one of the most powerful clans in Songyan City. Chen Tianli, as the clan leader, was a Seventh Star Zifu realm cultivator. Although his cultivation was later destroyed, his lineage remained intact. Even with Chen Xi's ordinary talent, with Chen Tianli's meticulous teaching, reaching the Innate realm was not a problem.

However, advancing to the Zifu realm was extremely difficult for him. He had been stuck at the third level of the Innate realm for five years, and whether he could advance further was uncertain.

"Right, I have a sound recording talisman that recorded a segment of their conversation!" Chen Hao suddenly remembered and pulled out a dark blue talisman from his pocket, handing it to Chen Xi.

A sound recording talisman is an auxiliary talisman used in the cultivation world. When cultivators are away, they often leave a sound recording talisman at home to inform visitors of their whereabouts.

This sound recording talisman, originally made by Chen Xi for his little brother to play with, unexpectedly proved to be of great use. The thought of possibly hearing the voices of the killers made Chen Xi's heart race.

Infusing true essence into the talisman, its surface glowed with a dark blue light.

"The young master ordered us to trap them in Songyan City, to make them live in the ridicule and contempt of the world, suffering until they drive themselves to death..."

"Set up a sky-high net. Once they leave the city, capture them! This matter concerns the young master's marriage to someone from Longyuan City. If anyone slacks off, they will be killed without mercy!"

The sharp, cold voice, like a venomous snake hissing in the dark, drifted out of the talisman.

Snap!

The sound recording talisman turned to dust and vanished.

Chen Xi's face turned ashen.