Su Ye waited for three days.
There was nothing he wished to bring with him; his belongings were few, and his heart was even lighter. A small bundle rested by his side.
Now… all he could do was wait.
Yet as time stretched on like an unending river, no one came. Even the guards who once patrolled the courtyard like silent statues had vanished without a trace.
A faint unease crept into his heart.
Something was wrong.
After fifteen years, Su Ye finally stepped beyond the courtyard gates.
His white hair, soft as frost, swayed gently behind him, and his crimson eyes scanned the unfamiliar world with cautious curiosity.
The sunlight fell upon his pale face, illuminating the flame mark upon his glabella.
Moving quietly, he approached the main courtyard. Voices echoed from within.
He drew closer and peeked through the door.
Inside stood Su Ru and Li Tao.
Su Ru, clad in white robes with red hues at accenting the edges, stood tall despite the storm in her eyes.
Her delicate face, once gentle as spring rain, was now cold as winter frost.
Su Ye had never really seen how she and his father were like in closed doors.
Opposite her stood Li Tao, his tall frame rigid, his sharp features drawn tight with frustration. His light blue robes fluttered slightly.
"Li Tao! Whether you agree or not, this divorce will happen. My brother is already on his way! If you know what's best for you, stand aside!"
Li Tao stepped forward, his brows furrowed. "Su Ru… is there truly nothing left between us but hatred?"
"No, you're wrong." She met his gaze without hesitation. "There is nothing at all."
His expression twisted. "Do you know what this will do to my reputation? A wife divorcing her husband, a father accused of killing his son, favoring a concubine over his wife! Do you think I'm unaware of the rumors you've spread? Must you be so ruthless?"
"Ruthless?" Su Ru laughed coldly. "Was anything I said untrue? You tried to kill your own flesh and blood, then turned around and married a concubine. Since you didn't agree with the divorce, then don't blame me for taking such a heavy hand!"
"I was forced!" Li Tao's voice rose, tinged with frustration. "That thing is not our son! And the marriage was my parents' will! For fifteen years, I've hidden his existence. To the outside world, we have no child!"
He exhaled deeply. "Fifteen years… and you still haven't forgiven me."
Su Ru scoffed. "Did I ever ask to stay?"
Li Tao shook his head. "Regardless, I will not agree."
"I am not asking for your approval." Her voice was calm, final. "I am informing you. Ye'er and I will leave today. Don't stop us."
"You—" His fists clenched. "If you dare leave, I will kill that beast!"
Slap!
The sound rang clear and sharp.
A red imprint bloomed across Li Tao's cheek. Su Ru's eyes reddened, tears slipping down her face.
"Who," she said quietly, "is really the ruthless one?"
Silence fell like a suffocating weight.
Outside, Su Ye instinctively stepped back,
and collided with something solid.
He turned.
A man dressed in black stood behind him, his expression indifferent, eyes cold as a viper's.
Before Su Ye could react—
Boom!
A brutal kick struck his abdomen.
His body flew like a broken kite, crashing through the doors and slamming onto the ground.
"Gah—!"
Pain exploded within him, his stomach twisting violently.
"Ye'er!"
Su Ru's face paled as she rushed forward, her elegant figure collapsing beside him. Her hands trembled as she supported him, spiritual energy flowing into his body only to dissipate instantly, like mist before the sun.
She knew this… yet in panic, she had forgotten.
"So this is the mysterious son of the second branch?" The black-clothed man sneered. "I mistook him for a beggar."
He cupped his hands mockingly. "My apologies, Young Master. You were sneaking around so I thought you were a thief."
Su Ru's gaze turned icy. "A mere servant dares mock his master? Is this how Ling Yu trains her people?"
"Sister~"
A soft, alluring voice drifted through the air.
A woman stepped forward. Ling Yu's purple robes flowed like drifting petals, her fair skin glowing under the light.
Her every movement was graceful, like a cat stretching out. Her eyes curved in a gentle smile, yet beneath it was visible disdain.
"It was only an accident," she said sweetly. "A-Shu simply didn't expect the noble young master of the second branch to be so…unimpressive."
"Scram!" Su Ru's aura surged like a crashing tide. "This does not concern you!"
Ling Yu flinched slightly—
"Enough!"
Li Tao's voice shattered the tension like thunder.
"Husband~" Ling Yu quickly retreated to his side, her expression turning fragile.
She cleaned her tears with a clean handkerchief.
"I only wanted to explain to sister that we didn't mean it, but sister...she looks like she wants to hit me..."
Li Tao gently patted her shoulder empathetically, then glared at Su Ru. "Do you truly think I won't act against you?"
"Then try it," Su Ru replied coldly. "If you do the Su family will become your Li families enemy!"
Those words struck like a bucket of cold water, instantly calming him down.
The Su family.
In the cultivation world, they were madmen who repaid debts with blood.
Even when the one that was hurt was even a small character, as long as they had the last name Su, they would chase down the murderer to the end of the earth.
Clear debts must be repaid, even if the cost is ruin.
Li Tao hesitated.
At that moment, Ling Yu leaned close, whispering like a devil in his ear.
"Husband… if you let her go, your reputation…"
His expression darkened.
"She simply doesn't care about your face. Sister really forgot about your relationship as husband and wife..."
Her eyes drooped, but a hidden light shined through.
"What if…" Ling Yu's lips curved faintly, "…you kill him?"
She slightly gestured in Su Ye's direction.
Li Tao froze.
He didn't refute her. Deep in his heart, he had wanted to erase this fiend every second since he was born.
The only reason he hadn't was that Su Ru protected Su Ye too well that he could never find a opening.
But to straight out kill him? And furthermore...
Why did Ling Yu have such killing intent?
As if noticing his suspicions, she quickly added,
"Husband~ I'm worried about you."
This made his heart calm down.
All these years, Su Ru and him were estranged. It was only Ling Yu who had helped him whenever he had troubles.
Even the way she acted. Unlike Su Ru who only glanced at him coldly, Ling Yu offered him warmth.
"If that thing returns to the Su family, your actions will be confirmed."
Her voice was soft, yet each word sank deep.
"But the Su family..."
She smiled, like a fisherman slowly reeling in the line.
"If he dies… who will believe her? After all, no one has ever seen the son of Su Ru...What if she was just devastated from when her child died when he was born? What if it was her own obsessions over the years that created a imaginary son?"
"But...Xiao Lan?"
He felt that there was something off, but before he could say more, she struck while the iron was hot.
"He is an evil being that can't be accepted by the Spiritual Qi. If he goes back, people will say that you, the son of the righteous Li Tao spawned a devil..."
Li Tao slowly turned his gaze toward Su Ye.
His hesitation vanished.
Nothing mattered anymore.
This was his only chance.
If Su Ye really goes back to the Su family, he would never be able to take action.
He tightened his hand to a fist, whitening his knuckles.
This thing must not live.
Killing intent surged.
Su Ru's expression changed instantly.
"Ye'er—!"
Fwoosh!
Li Tao struck with full force. A invisible palm made of Righteous Qi flew out.
Time seemed to slow.
Su Ye couldn't even react—
Splat!
Warm blood splashed across his face. Every breath was in disarray.
Su Ru stood before him, facing him.
Her body trembled as blood spilled from her lips.
"M… Mom?"
Su Ru fell forward, fortunately Su Ye caught her in his arms in time.
Tears slipped from Su Ye's crimson eyes, falling one by one onto Su Ru's pale face.
It was like a devil weeping…but who in this world would care?
She smiled gently, her face pale. "Ye'er…I've already sent Xiao Lan for your uncle…"
"M-mom, you'll be alright!" He quickly grabbed her spiritual ring, "M-medicine! Bring out your medicine!"
She tried to take out something from her storage ring. Nothing happened.
Su Ru shook her head.
"There's no point. Cough, Cough-!" She swallowed a mouthful of blood. "T-that strike...disrupted my meridians. By the time that I use Spiritual Qi to open it, I would have died."
Su Ye hands could feel Su Ru slowly but surely getting colder.
Su Ye clutched her tightly, his voice hoarse and breaking. "M-Mom… please don't go… I haven't even seen the world with you yet… I still have so much I wanted to tell you…"
The radiance in Su Ru's eyes waned, like the last ember of a candle guttering in the wind.
"Promise me… live well…"
As her final words faded, the last of her strength slipped away, and her body fell limp.
Li Tao staggered back, shock flashing across his face.
He looked at the twitching hand that had just struck out. Tears full of regret fell.
H-how did things come to this?
"You…" His expression twisted as he pointed at Su Ye. "It's all your fault! If not for you—!"
Su Ye said nothing.
Li Tao's voice echoed to the void.
Su Ye held her tightly, refusing to loosen his grip as the last traces of warmth slipped away from her body. It was as though letting go meant losing his mother forever.
Yet it was futile. Her body began to burn with a blinding light.
"N-no!"
Tears fell from Su Ye's eyes as he desperately tried to gather the ashes.
Ling Yu looked at the scene with a emotionless side eye, before quickly drooping her eyes towards Li Tao.
She supported Li Tao and in a voice that was loud enough for Su Ye to hear, "Those hit by the Li's family Ash Palm...will be burnt by the Righteous Qi until there is only ashes left. Poor Sister...to think..."
Silence.
Then—
Something changed.
Su Ye's crimson eyes brightened, turning sharper, more terrifying. The flame mark on his forehead twisted, reshaping into a trident-like sigil.
A black aura erupted around him, crackling like a devouring abyss.
"AGHHHH—!!"
His voice shattered into a feral roar, grief twisting into uncontrollable rage.
Reason collapsed.
Now, only vengeance remained.
A single thought repeating in his mind:
"KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"
Su Ye's voice tore through the air like a storm of blades, each shout vibrating with raw, scorching rage. His crimson eyes burned like molten fire, black aura spilling from him in waves, devouring the space around him. The world itself seemed to shrink before his wrath.
His hands, stained with the blood of those he once held dear, tore at his own face, every movement a scream of utter madness.
Even Li Tao's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this scene.
Am I… afraid?
"You call me a jinx?" Su Ye's voice was low, trembling with fury.
He pointed at Li Tao.
"The one who killed my mother is you. The one who imprisoned me… is also you."
His aura surged violently.
"If I'm a jinx, then what are you?"
Li Tao's face twisted. "Bastard!"
He struck again with Ash Palm—
—but the attack dissolved upon touching the black aura.
Ling Yu eyes widened, "What?!"
"It's that aura…" Li Tao muttered, realization dawning, "You really are a beast!"
He rushed forward, fist spinning like a storm.
Su Ye covered in black aura instinctively struck back.
Crack!
Su Ye's arm shattered.
"Gahh—!"
He screamed, agony ripping through him, yet a twisted smile curved across his lips. Pain and fury danced together in his crimson eyes, and even as his body shattered, his spirit roared louder than ever.
"You crazy beast!"
Su Ye lightly laughed amidst the pain.
"Ha...ha...ha..."
Li Tao looked at him with a emotionless sharp gaze.
"You're laughing in this situation? You've truly lost it."
Still, a cruel delight danced in his heart, and a devilish smile bloomed on his face, as though each blow he received had become his playground of vengeance.
"Old bastard…how's your arm?"
Li Tao froze.
His right arm…wouldn't move.
Black aura spread across it, devouring everything.
He quickly sent Spiritual Qi to investigate, but the moment he did, the black aura began to spread to his shoulder.
It was as if its structure was deconstructed and reverted back to plain spiritual energy.
Fortunately, he quickly stopped. otherwise, his whole entire body would have been corroded.
Li Tao looked at Su Ye.
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
Su Ye laughed.
"HAHAHAHA!"
He simply laughed.
The hall trembled with his laughter. Weak as he was, he laughed as if the universe itself were a joke made for him.
As if he had witnessed the most comical thing in the world.
Li Tao drew his sword and struck—
He had learned his lesson and even when he was obviously in rage, he still had some common sense.
If his body didn't touch the black aura, then it would be fine.
With his left hand, he swung the sword down.
But Su Ye was waiting for this exact moment. He knew that he would not be able to survive. But at the very least, he could make Li Tao into a waste.
Su Ye gathered black aura into his left hand. Even as the sword swung down, he didn't dodge but advanced as he tried to touch one of Li Tao's organs.
However, Li Tao was a seasoned fighter.
The same trick would never work twice.
Li Tao easily dodged by shifting his body and arrived at Su Ye's back. He pulled his sword back as he readied his sword to pierce Su Ye's heart.
Just as the blade was about to pierce his heart—
BOOM!
A halberd tore through the air followed by a tigers roar.
Li Tao was blasted away, crashing into the wall as dust exploded outward.
Through the smoke…
A man stepped forward.
Tall and broad-shouldered, clad in dark armor and a red cloak, his sharp brows and fierce eyes radiated killing intent. His presence was like a battlefield incarnate.
He rested a halberd on his shoulder, his lips curled in a faint smile.
But his eyes—
They burned with fury.
"Li Tao," he said coldly, each word like a blade,
"Where is my sister?"