Chapter 5

In the dead of night, the sky over Fenzhen was filled with a myriad of stars, and the entire town was warm, a stark contrast to the cold of the Wanren Mountains.

Fenzhen had never known cold, even in the depths of winter, the town remained as warm as spring.

Legend has it that a thousand years ago, two unparalleled martial arts masters, both experts in fire-based techniques, engaged in a seven-day, seven-night martial arts competition here. Since then, the area has been warm all year round, and the name "Fenzhen" was born from this event.

...

On the western side of Fenzhen, there was a cluster of courtyards, the residence of the Qin family.

The residence of the Qin family patriarch was located in the center of the courtyard.

Standing before the door, Qin Mo gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar door, memories flooding his mind. His grandfather, Qin Zhengxing, was a Seventh Rank Martial Artist and had mastered the family's exclusive technique, the "Pojun Fist," to the seventh level, making him one of the few top experts in Fenzhen.

His formidable strength and high prestige within the Qin family made Qin Zhengxing's position as patriarch extremely stable. For nearly two decades, the patriarchal line and the elder line had maintained a delicate balance.

In his previous life, after he was severely injured and disabled, his grandfather tried every possible method to help him recover. He even infused him with true qi multiple times, causing his cultivation to drastically decline to the Third Rank Martial Artist level within a year.

Afterward, the elder line, led by the Grand Elder and Deputy Patriarch, launched an attack, seizing the patriarchal position from his grandfather, leading to the complete decline of the patriarchal line. Due to a series of blows, his grandfather, Qin Zhengxing, fell seriously ill and passed away a year later.

That year, Qin Mo was 16. He sat by his grandfather's grave for a month, but could not bring this strong, respectable elder back to life.

At 18, after Zhao Yong revealed the whereabouts of the jade pendant while drunk, Qin Mo realized that the attack he suffered in the Wanren Mountains was the beginning of a conspiracy by the elder line against his grandfather.

"Master, Lord is waiting for you," Uncle Yue's reminder snapped Qin Mo out of his memories.

Qin Mo took a deep breath, nodded, and pushed the door open, walking inside.

The room was spacious, with only a stone table, stone chairs, and a stone bed, all carved from the gray rock of the Wanren Mountains. The only luxury was the blanket on the stone bed, interwoven with golden threads that emitted a glow, illuminating the room.

Beneath the blanket, a round shape could be seen, as if covering a meatball, emitting a faint breathing sound.

At the stone table sat an old man in a white robe, with gray hair and thick eyebrows, exuding an aura of authority. He sat there like a lion, inspiring awe.

"Grandfather..."

In his previous life, after Fenzhen's destruction, Qin Mo had often fantasized about meeting his grandfather again. He would have hugged this beloved relative tightly and cried, releasing the long-suppressed emotions.

But now, a thousand words and a thousand thoughts condensed into a single soft call. Qin Mo had only one thought: in this life, he would become the pillar of his grandfather and the Qin family, and would not let his grandfather suffer again.

"What are you standing there for, you fool? Scared by the past three days? Humph, truly useless, not at all like my grandson," Qin Zhengxing scolded, his loud voice making Qin Mo's ears ring.

"Lord, Master Mo has returned safely and has even broken through to the Martial Warrior realm. This is a double cause for celebration!" Uncle Yue said from the side.

"Humph! Only you would defend him. This boy has been spoiled by you," Qin Zhengxing said, his face growing even colder.

Uncle Yue was not bothered; the old patriarch was always cold on the outside but warm on the inside, especially toward his grandson.

Thump... Qin Mo suddenly knelt down, "Grandfather, I have caused you worry. From now on, I will work hard and shoulder the burden of the Qin family."

Hearing this, both Qin Zhengxing and Uncle Yue were taken aback, finding Qin Mo's actions quite unexpected.

After a moment's thought, Qin Zhengxing calmed down. His grandson had stagnated at the Ninth Rank Martial Disciple level for eight years. Now, after breaking through and engaging in a prolonged battle with a Second Rank Martial Warrior, and after three days of trials in the Wanren Mountains, it was not surprising that he had regained his confidence.

However, in Qin Zhengxing's view, such growth was like a flower that had just experienced a bit of wind and rain. Qin Mo still had a long way to go.

"You foolish boy, just because you broke through, you think you're something special? Eight years of stagnation can't be made up in a day. With your current strength, you can barely rank among the top hundred third-generation disciples in the family. Don't be overly ambitious."

Qin Zhengxing scolded, but he walked forward and helped Qin Mo up. He was already quite pleased that his grandson had this resolve.

Qin Mo's lips moved, and he nodded, acknowledging the lesson. He smiled bitterly inside; the emotional surge upon seeing his grandfather had led to this action. He hadn't expected that in the eyes of his grandfather and Uncle Yue, it would be seen as the arrogance of a young man. But he had to admit, a First Rank Martial Warrior at 14 was not outstanding in the family, and declaring he would shoulder the burden of the Qin family was indeed the arrogance of a young man.

At that moment, the blanket on the stone bed suddenly lifted, and a round shape shot up.

"Brother Mo!" A young girl, chubby and about 7 or 8 years old, with a round face and a plump body, rushed into Qin Mo's arms.

"Heavy!"

Even with his initial Combat Saint Body, Qin Mo's strength far exceeded that of other martial artists of the same rank, but he still felt a powerful force in his arms, like a rock hitting his chest, causing him to sit down.

In his arms sat a little girl with two pigtails, about 7 or 8 years old, but she was so fat that she looked like a meatball. Only her eyes were unique, sparkling with a mysterious vitality.

This was Qin Mo's cousin, Qin Xiaoxiao!

From birth, she had extraordinary strength but could not cultivate true qi, making her the most famous oddity in the Qin family!

"Wah... Brother Mo, Grandfather said you might have gone far away and wouldn't come back. You're so bad, you're a bad person, going so far without taking Xiaoxiao with you..."

The little girl's eyes were blurry with tears, and she sobbed, her chubby little hands forming fists and pounding Qin Mo's chest, making a "thud, thud" sound.

"I'm back, little girl, stop pounding, you're going to kill me."

Qin Mo struggled to free himself from the "magic fists" of the little girl. Her strength was so great that even a martial artist at the Martial Warrior level would find it hard to endure, and he felt a suffocating sensation in his chest.

After a long time, with the comfort of Qin Zhengxing and Uncle Yue, the little girl, Qin Xiaoxiao, finally accepted that Qin Mo had returned safely and fell asleep in his arms.

"This little girl is still so strong."

Qin Mo smiled bitterly; the commotion with the little girl had somewhat alleviated the sadness of reuniting with his family.

Holding the sleeping little girl, Qin Mo couldn't help but think of the night Fenzhen was destroyed in his previous life, the beautiful woman with the red phoenix mark on her forehead, holding a jade halberd, fighting in the air.

The image of the beautiful woman overlapped with the little girl in his arms.

"If you don't come back soon, I'll be driven crazy by this girl," Qin Zhengxing said coldly.

Then, talking about the past three days, Qin Mo naturally couldn't tell the truth. He only told his grandfather that he had been ambushed and fell off a cliff, but was saved by branches and vines on the cliff, thus suffering only minor injuries.

As for what happened afterward, Qin Zhengxing already knew, so Qin Mo didn't elaborate.

After hearing everything, Qin Zhengxing's face remained as cold and hard as usual, but those familiar with the Qin family patriarch could sense that he was extremely angry.

Finally, Qin Zhengxing waved his hand, "Mo, you just broke through, go back and rest. In three days, it will be the Qin family's ten-year memorial. Use these three days to stabilize your First Rank Martial Warrior realm, then go to the family library and choose a suitable martial technique to improve your strength. Don't think about other things."

Qin Mo nodded, carried the little girl, and turned to leave.

As he walked to the courtyard gate, his sensitive hearing picked up the faint conversation between his grandfather and Uncle Yue.

"Lord, the Grand Elder and the others are too cruel. Master Mo's ambush was clearly their plan to target you..."

"Enough. What's done is done. There's no point in talking more. I have my own plans. Don't let Mo know about this. He just broke through, and his primary task is to train harder and catch up with the other geniuses of his generation."

Hearing this, Qin Mo's gaze sharpened, but he didn't stop, gradually disappearing into the night.

...

At the same time, in another part of the Qin family residence.

In the courtyard of Deputy Patriarch Qin Yide.

In the main room, an old man in a black robe, with white hair and beard, sat sipping tea. Beside him stood a handsome young man, holding a teapot and occasionally pouring tea for the old man.

In the center of the room stood a middle-aged man in a luxurious blue robe, with thick eyebrows and a broad mouth, exuding a cold and ruthless aura. His face was dark, and he glared at Steward Rong.

"Please forgive me, Lord. I didn't expect Zhao Yong to be so greedy. After obtaining the precious treasure, the Hundred Treasure Pouch, he still coveted Qin Mo's jade pendant, leading to the exposure of the plan. It's all my fault for not managing my subordinates well," Steward Rong bowed repeatedly, his kind face full of fear.

This middle-aged man in the luxurious blue robe was none other than Deputy Patriarch Qin Yide.

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