Refusal
1352 Words
Encountering a challenging moment while playing a game is frustrating.
Facing a boss with no health, no mana, and no stamina—nothing is more desperate.
Right now, Qin Tian finds himself in such a dire situation. Out of nowhere, a humanoid boss has appeared, and it feels utterly hopeless.
Standing before the dazzling, golden-glowing Qin Xiangtian, Qin Tian shamelessly drools, as if he were watching a beautiful woman seductively removing her clothes one piece at a time, luring him in.
He feels a mix of excitement and suffering.
With no inner power left, he cannot activate the Dragon-Elephant Taixu Technique. Even if he could, he would still be no match for Qin Xiangtian. Surviving one of his powerful strikes earlier had already shaken his blood and chi, reducing his life force by half.
The onlookers are puzzled—how can Qin Tian smile after suffering a hit like that?
Did he lose his mind after being crushed by the giant qi-powered hand?
Qin Xiangtian, however, wastes no time. His steps quicken as his fury burns hotter seeing his unconscious son on the ground. He desires nothing more than to smash Qin Tian into pulp with a single strike.
As Qin Xiangtian charges at him, Qin Tian feels no fear. Instead, he sighs inwardly, “Bosses really do actively attack people.”
“Just wait, I’ll blow you up one day!”
“Bosses are gold mines of experience… Maybe I’ll even get a rare drop…”
Is Qin Tian mad?
Everyone except Meng Lei believes he’s lost his senses.
If he doesn’t dodge, he’ll be dead under Qin Xiangtian’s palm.
“Young master…” Meng Lei shouts anxiously, rushing forward to shield Qin Tian. But how could his speed compare to Qin Xiangtian, a peak-level Spirit Gathering master?
Not to mention, even Spirit Gathering’s peak can’t rival a Tempering Force expert.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flashes through the crowd, leaving only afterimages in its wake.
“Enough!”
The voice arrives before the figure does.
Clad in a black robe with sharp, sword-like eyebrows, the man radiates a faint aura of flowing light. When he lands, a surge of qi sweeps across the area, immediately neutralizing Qin Xiangtian’s aggressive energy.
Standing proudly before Qin Tian, with hands behind his back, the man faces Qin Xiangtian.
It is Qin Zhantian, the head of the Qin family.
“The power of a Tempering Force expert is incredible. The gap is too vast—I must work harder,” Qin Tian muses.
Qin Zhantian’s presence feels unfathomable. Even the qi shield casually exuding from his body effortlessly dissipates Qin Xiangtian’s attack. His strength is beyond ordinary men.
The top master of the Qin family is truly extraordinary.
Qin Xiangtian is inwardly alarmed. “He’s broken through to Tempering Force already!”
His heart races with shock as he observes the radiant light around Qin Zhantian—an unmistakable sign of reaching this powerful realm. Qin Zhantian, hailed as a once-in-a-century genius of the Qin family, had achieved this feat at just forty years old. Truly a prodigy.
“Greetings to the Patriarch!”
Hundreds of disciples bow in unison. To them, the family head is a god-like figure. He effortlessly dissolves a peak-level Spirit Gathering technique—his strength is terrifying.
“Rise.”
Qin Zhantian smiles gently, his tone approachable. He glances at the fallen Qin Kun, steps forward, and places a hand on his back. A stream of milky white qi seeps into Qin Kun’s body, restoring color to his pale face. Slowly, Qin Kun opens his eyes.
“He’s fine now.” Qin Zhantian helps him up with a faint smile and hands Qin Xiangtian a bottle of pills. “Here are three Spirit Nourishing Pills. Give them to him, and he’ll recover fully.”
Qin Xiangtian accepts the pills, bowing slightly while sneaking a glance at Qin Tian. His fists clench tightly.
“Spirit Nourishing Pills! He’s giving those away?”
“Those are third-grade elixirs!”
“The Patriarch is unbelievably generous!”
Though weakened, Qin Kun’s eyes burn with anger as he glares at Qin Tian. “I won’t let you off!”
“Silence,” Qin Xiangtian snaps.
Even with the Patriarch present, his son’s arrogance remains unchecked. Qin Kun’s behavior is either foolish or ingrained.
Qin Zhantian frowns slightly but does not rebuke him aloud. Sensing his displeasure, Qin Xiangtian immediately apologizes. “Please forgive my son’s lack of manners, Patriarch.”
Qin Zhantian waves it off. “Take him back to recover. Hopefully, he’ll be ready for the autumn hunting competition.”
“Yes, Patriarch.”
Qin Kun simmers with fury but dares not act out. He casts a hateful glance at Qin Tian as he departs, vowing revenge.
Observing everything in silence, Qin Tian ponders Qin Xiangtian’s influence in the Qin family. Even the Patriarch seems to yield to him slightly—his power is evident.
Despite some frustration with Qin Zhantian’s leniency, Qin Tian wisely holds his tongue. He’s a mere Level Six martial artist—a small fry lucky to survive. Without Qin Zhantian’s intervention, he would have perished today.
Qin Tian isn’t delusional enough to challenge Qin Xiangtian head-on yet.
Once Qin Xiangtian disappears with Qin Kun, Qin Zhantian turns back to Qin Tian with a smile and offers another bottle of Spirit Nourishing Pills. “There are ten pills here. Take good care of your health and prepare for the autumn hunt.”
Qin Tian’s heart skips a beat. Ten Spirit Nourishing Pills? The annual allowance isn’t even this much. What a lavish gesture.
Without hesitation, he accepts the gift. If he didn’t take advantage of such generosity, he wouldn’t be human. Besides, he desperately needs elixirs to restore his qi.
After secretly examining the pills’ attributes, he feels a twinge of joy.
Spirit Nourishing Pill
Grade: Third
Effects: Clears the mind, restores stamina, and unblocks meridians.
Health: +500
Qi: +300
Survival: +50
Compared to the potent Dragon-Tiger Elixir, the Spirit Nourishing Pill seems far weaker. Suddenly, Qin Tian appreciates just how extraordinary the Dragon-Tiger Elixir is. He had foolishly dismissed it as worthless and nearly discarded it in anger.
He now realizes how precious elixirs are to martial artists. Even low-grade pills are rare commodities, and high-grade ones are nearly priceless. A single Spirit Nourishing Pill costs at least a thousand silver taels, and often, they aren’t even available for purchase.
In the Tianyuan continent, countless martial and spiritual cultivators vie for resources, but skilled alchemists are scarce.
A low-grade alchemist can bolster a family’s fortune, while a high-grade one commands respect from powerful sects and becomes a revered guest.
The Qin family has a single low-grade alchemist—Qin Zhantian’s younger sister, Qin Pei. Her presence alone secures his position as family head.
“Thank you, Patriarch,” Qin Tian bows in gratitude.
Qin Zhantian smiles. “Move back to the family residence tomorrow. It will be more convenient for your cultivation.”
Qin Tian had expected this.
But he isn’t a dog to be summoned and dismissed.
Ten Spirit Nourishing Pills to lure him back? That’s too cheap an offer.
Qin Tian feels no deep bond with the Qin family. Nor does he owe Qin Zhantian much gratitude. When his dantian was shattered, the family treated him worse than a servant. Qin Zhantian never spoke a word in his defense.
When Qin Xiangtian framed him and exiled him to work as a lowly servant at the Furong Tavern, forced to sleep with pigs and scavenge for scraps, where was Qin Zhantian’s justice then?
Qin Tian isn’t naive. He won’t let a trivial favor sway him. Sharing a roof with Qin Xiangtian, a living boss who actively seeks his death, would be foolish.
He had revealed his strength only to gain temporary protection and time to grow.
He won’t return to the Qin family—at least, not now.
Three years from now, at eighteen, he’ll take part in the family’s final trial.
Then, he’ll walk through the Qin family gates in triumph, on his own terms.
- Writer
