Son, Put Your Father To The Test (FF)

In the sky, the great roc bird soared with powerful wings.

"Senior Qin, it's all my fault. Everything that happened today is because of me. If it weren't for me..." Shui Qingrou's voice trembled as she spoke, her face full of guilt and self-blame.

"What does this have to do with you? They bullied you, not the other way around... Or are you going to blame yourself for looking like an easy target?"

Qin Chuan stood with his back to her, smiling and shaking his head.

"I..."

Though those were meant to be comforting words, Shui Qingrou hung her head low, biting her lip in silence.

It really was true that she looked like an easy target.

She was too weak!

If she had been stronger and not in such a pitiful state, then someone like Liu Rushuang wouldn't have dared to bully her, and none of the events that followed would have happened!

She clenched her fists tightly.

Although she had always felt that she was putting in enough effort, it was only after realizing how helpless she was, and how much of a burden she had become, that she understood… the idea of "hard work" was often just an excuse!

Too many people believe they've worked hard enough, even when there are no results, as if saying "I've tried" can justify failure.

But in this world, no one cares if you've worked hard or not. No one cares whether your effort was genuine or feigned.

Being weak is the ultimate crime.

"Huff..."

She took a deep breath as if sucking all her weakness back into herself. After wiping away her tears, her eyes became firm and resolute.

She couldn't continue like this!

Every time something happened, all she did was cry, acting pitiful and innocent. But who was that fragility really for?

If she wanted to become stronger, she had to abandon that weakness, and true change had to start from within!

"Junior sister, are you alright?" Qin Zi noticed a shift in her aura and became worried, fearing she might not be handling things well.

"Don't worry, senior brother. I'm fine."

Shui Qingrou smiled brightly. Although traces of her tears remained, her smile was radiant.

With that smile, it was as if the sun broke through the clouds. Like an ugly duckling emerging from the reeds, she finally took her first steps onto the golden sands.

She was ready to let all her fears and weakness be cast away.

Qin Chuan, leading from the front, also sensed this change in her demeanor. A small smile appeared on his face as well.

Now this was more like it.

If she had continued to just cry without showing any resolve, he would have lost respect for her.

Such a girl wouldn't be worthy of becoming his daughter-in-law.

The roc flew swiftly through the sky.

Before long, the trio returned to the Seven Martial Sect, and news from Wind Thunder Valley had yet to reach them.

After all, they had flown fast without any delays, far outpacing rumors and gossip.

Wind Thunder Valley hadn't bothered to send a message using any magical treasures either—after all, why rush to deliver bad news when there's no reward for it?

"Back already? How did it go? Did Qin Zi make a grand showing and steal the spotlight?" Grand Elder Jia Tianhe greeted them with a smile.

"Hmm… there's been trouble."

Qin Chuan responded calmly, looking straight at Jia Tianhe.

"What?"

Jia Tianhe's eyelids twitched sharply. He glanced over at Qin Zi's expression, his smile growing stiff as he tried to probe, "You're joking, right?"

Qin Chuan just looked at him without answering.

Jia Tianhe stood there dumbfounded, opening and closing his mouth several times without any words coming out…

That night, Grand Elder Jia Tianhe and Sect Leader Zhao Panlong had grim expressions as they hurriedly made their way to the Seven Martial Sect's forbidden valley.

From within the valley came terrifying fluctuations, and even faint voices of heated arguments could be heard. Tensions were high.

It seemed the opinions of the Supreme Elders were divided.

But eventually, everything calmed down.

The two men emerged from the valley carrying the sect's highest decree—they would protect Qin Chuan and his son at all costs. If soldiers came, they would fight them; if water surged, they would block it.

This decree was made possible thanks to Zhao Panlong's father, Zhao Yunsheng's grandfather, Zhao Fulong.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Panlong and Jia Tianhe both let out a long sigh of relief.

Thankfully.

The sect had not decided to hand over Qin Chuan and his son. If they had… well, it might have simplified matters, but it would have weighed heavily on their consciences. After all, they knew full well that Qin Chuan and his son hadn't done anything wrong.

Since they were in the right, why should they cower?

As for Qin Chuan, he remained calm because even by nightfall, he hadn't received any system notifications.

And what did that mean?

It meant that the royal family didn't harbor any true intent to kill Qin Zi!

Which implied something important…

"It means... this Spring Thunder Gathering was a setup. And Crown Prince Yang Qitian... might have lost on purpose."

"That Eunuch Han might have been someone the royal family wanted to eliminate anyway. They're likely using this as an opportunity to discreetly remove hidden threats."

As Qin Chuan reflected on the day's events and the reactions from various factions, he quickly formed a few theories.

He realized that he might have accidentally stumbled into a larger game, a complex web of intrigue.

But… it wasn't deadly.

In fact, both sides of the conflict likely owed him thanks. By unknowingly moving the game forward, he'd saved both parties a lot of trouble.

If anything, he was now like a "weeble"—no matter which way the winds blew, he wouldn't be in any real danger.

"So, from now on… I just sit back and watch?"

As this thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but smile.

But speaking of watching, he suddenly remembered Shui Qinghan and the old demon trapped in the sinkhole.

Buzz!

He released his Divine Soul, which spread out into the night, searching far and wide.

But no matter how much he searched the sect grounds, he couldn't find Shui Qinghan—nor was he in the sinkhole!

"It's only been a month, and the kid's gone? Could it be that he became wary of the old demon and slipped away?"

It seemed plausible!

Shui Qinghan had grown up in hardship, fending for himself and his sister in a cruel world. He must have developed a sharp survival instinct. How could he completely trust that old demon?

Even though the demon's story had been carefully crafted, it might have been full of holes to someone like Shui Qinghan, who had witnessed the harsh realities of the world firsthand.

Most likely, the boy was playing dumb, going along with the demon's schemes just to get some benefits.

And judging by his disappearance, he knew when to quit while he was ahead, smartly evading further temptation from the demon.

"This kid's no fool."

Qin Chuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. His ability to resist such temptation showed a level of self-control beyond the average person.

Most people are prone to greed.

Especially after gaining initial benefits, it's hard to stop because there's always the thought, What if I can get even more next time? And so, they tell themselves, Just one more time… the last one.

But the real "last time" is always the time you get caught!

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, his Divine Soul sensed Shui Qingrou standing on a cliff, gazing out into the distance with a piece of paper in her hand.

He took a closer look at the letter.

As expected!

It was a farewell letter from Shui Qinghan.

The handwriting was terrible, the characters awkwardly scrawled like crab legs, but he could just about make out the contents:

"Qingrou, by the time you read this, your brother will have already left the Seven Martial Sect. Don't be sad, because I'm actually quite happy."

"I've always dreamed of adventuring alone, exploring a wider world, but I could never leave you behind."

"But now, you're a disciple of the Supreme Elder, with him protecting you. I have no more worries."

"Train well, don't embarrass me. You've awakened a powerful physique, but your brother here is also strong now, and I'm going to become even stronger, stronger than you could ever imagine!"

"Lastly, tell your master that in the thicket on the right side of Green Cloud Peak's fourth nameless hill, there's a sinkhole. Inside is a terrifying demon, possibly a traitor to the sect!"

Signed,

Shui Qinghan

He even forgot to finish the last stroke in his name, further proving the letter's authenticity. After all, Shui Qinghan had never received much education.

In fact, compared to her brother, Shui Qingrou's handwriting was just as bad. Before awakening the Nine Yin Fiend Physique, her roommates had even mocked her by saying, "Your writing is as bad as you look."

Whoosh!

A sudden breeze carried with it a faint floral scent, a fragrance that seemed oddly intoxicating.

Shui Qingrou yawned.

Feeling a sudden drowsiness, she folded the letter and put it into the space ring her master had given her, muttering to herself, "I'm tired today. I'll tell Master about it tomorrow..."

With that, she yawned again and made her way back to her room to sleep.

Meanwhile, Qin Chuan tucked away the vial of strange flower powder, smiling with narrowed eyes.

"Shui Qinghan, you little scoundrel. Burning bridges and running first, throwing that poor old demon under the bus. By tomorrow, the sect will likely deal with the demon, so I'd better take Qin Zi tonight and grab whatever spoils we can."

Beating them to the punch and fleeing while you can.

Shui Qinghan, aka Shui 'Runaway'.