Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

Shui Qinghan was Shui Qingrou's older brother.

Their mother had died during childbirth when Shui Qingrou was born, and their father, once the most capable hunter in the village, fell into despair and became a lazy drunkard.

A few years later, their drunken father got into a fight with a drunkard from the neighboring village, and both of them fell into the river and drowned, becoming water spirits...

From that point on, the two siblings, not yet ten years old, had to rely on each other, living a life of hardship.

While other children enjoyed carefree childhoods, for these two siblings, it was a long and treacherous journey, fraught with danger at every turn...

As the older brother, Shui Qinghan had always protected his sister, even though he was ordinary himself. No matter the danger, he would always stand in front of his sister without hesitation.

During their younger years, the things he did to survive, such as stealing chickens and potatoes, often resulted in brutal beatings. But he bore it all alone.

For example.

When the owner of a sweet potato field chased them with a stick, he would desperately cling to the man's leg to buy time for his sister, who was clutching a sweet potato and covered in dirt, to escape, even if it meant he would be beaten until his skin was torn.

Another time.

When a vicious guard dog came at them with bared teeth, he would shield his terrified sister with his body, allowing the dog to tear bloody chunks of fabric from his back...

He even once took up a hatchet and hacked to death an old bachelor who had been saying, "Ugly or not, you can just cover her face," intending to molest his sister. At that time, he was only twelve years old...

He did all these things not because of a promise to his parents or a sense of brotherly duty, but simply because... it was what he was used to.

An older brother protecting his sister.

That's how it had always been.

It was a habit!! But now, he suddenly realized that his sister no longer needed his protection.

Yes.

She was now the disciple of a Supreme Elder, with the strongest backing. No one would dare to bully her anymore.

She had also awakened a mysterious constitution and was about to soar to great heights, leaving her average older brother far behind.

And perhaps...

With her newfound beauty, even the admirers who would now surround her were all far stronger than him!

His sister had finally come out of the shadows, and he was truly happy for her, but he couldn't help feeling a pang of regret... there was no longer a place for him by her side.

It wasn't that his sister had changed.

She was still the same sister, still respecting him as her older brother. But he could no longer protect her.

If danger arose in the future, he would no longer have the right to stand in front of her—instead, she might be the one standing in front of him.

In this way.

The habit he had developed since childhood seemed to have lost its purpose, and might even become a joke! It was like a father who had worked hard to raise a daughter who now lived in the city. It was his pride. But when he brought a home-raised chicken to visit her, only to find her surrounded by well-dressed friends, and then looked down at his mud-covered shoes and pants, he suddenly realized... he was embarrassing her.

He couldn't accept it!! Protecting his sister had become the purpose of his life. If she no longer needed his protection, what meaning did his life have? "Heh, maybe it's time to try it."

He took a deep breath and said to himself, "I was afraid of dying before because I couldn't bear to leave Qingrou alone."

"But now, she doesn't need me to worry anymore, so what is there to be afraid of? Better to risk it all than to live a mediocre life!"

In fact, he had always had a secret.

Ever since joining the Seven Martial Sect, he had always heard a faint voice calling to him, though he couldn't make out what it was saying.

After half a month of exploration, he finally found the source of the voice: a very secluded abyss.

Standing at the edge of the abyss, he could finally hear clearly what the voice was saying—it was an old man in the abyss, calling him to come down!

The abyss was deep and dark, as if it could swallow souls. Naturally, he didn't dare to go down.

It could be a great opportunity.

But it could also be deadly!

The last time his sister was humiliated by Wu Xiu's lackeys, he almost entered the abyss in anger. But later, Qin Zi had intervened on their behalf, and he had abandoned the idea.

But now, he was ready to go down and take a look.

If it was a deadly trap, then so be it—at worst, he would die, and he had nothing left to tie him to this world.

But if it was a great opportunity, he could rise to power and once again have the strength to protect his sister!! "Life or death, it's time to fight!"

He took a deep breath, his face set with determination, and walked out with a sense of tragic resolve.

"Senior Brother Shui Qinghan."

"Hehe, good morning, Senior Brother Shui."

"Senior Brother Shui, could you help me reach that high shelf..."

Along the way, many disciples greeted Shui Qinghan politely, even the inner disciples addressed him as "Senior Brother."

As the saying goes, when one person attains enlightenment, even the chickens and dogs around them ascend to heaven.

Now that Shui Qingrou had soared to great heights, her status within the sect had skyrocketed, and as her brother, Shui Qinghan naturally basked in some of that glory.

However, Shui Qinghan didn't respond to any of these attempts at conversation. He kept his eyes forward and walked straight ahead.

On a normal day, he wouldn't be this aloof. On the contrary, he was well-versed in social etiquette, able to bow and bend as needed.

It was because of his ability to endure what others couldn't that he had been able to safely raise his sister in a world so full of dangers.

But today, he didn't want to deal with these people. If he exchanged even a single greeting or cracked a smile, the tragic resolve he had built up might dissipate.

He knew that if he lost this "no turning back" momentum, he might lose his nerve...

Soon, Shui Qinghan was far away.

The disciples he had ignored felt awkward for a moment, then started to cover their embarrassment with mockery.

"Heh, looks like Shui Qinghan's gotten pretty full of himself now that he's in the spotlight, doesn't he? Doesn't even see us anymore."

"Tch! What's he got to be so proud of? Isn't it just because of his sister? And don't forget, his sister just got lucky—nothing to be proud of..."

"Exactly. If you rely on luck to get something, you'll eventually lose it because of a lack of skill. Just because his sister's status is high now doesn't mean that'll always be the case."

"Right, I've heard some special constitutions are all show. If you don't cultivate properly, you'll still end up ordinary."

These comments, of course, didn't reach Shui Qinghan's ears. Even if they had, he wouldn't have cared.

He had seen the ugliness of human nature long ago. Whether hidden or obvious, it was all the same to him.

Most of the time, he would use his wits to prevent this ugliness from surfacing.

If I hold you in high regard, you'll feel embarrassed to do something vile.

If I praise you, you'll have no choice but to smile back.

If I act weaker than you and show admiration, you'll have to play the role of a kind and helpful person.

What was there he didn't understand? Though he was ordinary in talent and seemed unremarkable, someone who had pulled his sister through such a perilous world from the age of ten couldn't possibly be that simple.

Some people are like dragons lying hidden beneath the surface.

They can remain unnoticed and dormant for many years. And if they're unlucky, they might live their whole lives in obscurity.

But given the slightest opportunity, they will undoubtedly seize it and soar into the skies!