Chapter 417: The Ordinary Saints (Part 1)
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"Actually, sometimes I can't figure it out myself—how I managed to produce a child as outstanding as Qiu Shan." The Qiu Shan family head gazed out the window at Li Mountain, which had never seemed to drift far away, and said, "Just like the entire continent can't understand how a dull-witted brute like Xu Shiji could have fathered Xu Yourong."
After saying this, he paused, then emphasized, "Of course, Xu Shiji is no match for me."
The Qiu Shan family priest knew what he was referring to and smiled, nodding. "He is far inferior to the family head."
The Qiu Shan family head's brows arched upward. He no longer resembled the decisive, ruthless figure from the main peak earlier; he was simply a proud father, beaming with delight. He said, "Ever since my son's bloodline awakened, I've been desperately cultivating and studying, learning everything I could—just to keep pace with his footsteps and not hold him back. Looking at it now, I've barely managed to pull it off."
The Qiu Shan family priest's smile was genuine, even tinged with admiration. The Qiu Shan family head had once been the most notorious playboy in the southern lands. So, just as Qiu Shan Jun had always wondered in his youth, when the Qiu Shan family's founding ancestor decided years ago to hand the entire clan over to the current family head, even the priest couldn't understand it. At that time, he himself was already a Star Gathering Upper Realm powerhouse from the south, and by seniority, he was the family head's uncle. By all logic, he should have been the one to govern the Qiu Shan family. Later, when Qiu Shan Jun was born and his True Dragon bloodline awakened, the priest assumed the ancestor's decision had been based on that. He stopped nursing his grievance, but he still looked down on the family head, considering him a useless man riding on his son's coattails. Now, however, he no longer thought that way. Because no one had expected that after Qiu Shan Jun's bloodline awakened, the Qiu Shan family head would suddenly transform into a different person. He never again dallied with flowers and willows outside or cracked his whip while riding; instead, he threw himself into diligent study and cultivation.
By then, the Qiu Shan family head was already a middle-aged man.
For a middle-aged man who had wasted half his life to suddenly strive for self-improvement—what kind of perseverance and determination did that require? What price did he have to pay? It went without saying. Yet he actually pulled it off. Over the past decade or so, as Qiu Shan Jun went from babbling infancy to dazzling Li Mountain with his sword, the family head silently advanced from the initial stage of the Penetrating Darkness Realm to the Star Gathering Upper Realm. Though it seemed less impressive, it was actually far more difficult.
What reason enabled him to achieve something so incredible? As he said himself, he didn't have Qiu Shan Jun's bloodline talent and couldn't keep up with his son's pace, but he hoped to grow as strong as possible—at least enough not to slow his son down.
"I hope Qiu Shan can soon understand your heartfelt intentions," the priest said sincerely, looking at him by the window.
The Qiu Shan family head replied calmly, "Even if he never knows, so what?"
The priest said, "But today's events will inevitably have an impact."
The Qiu Shan family head stared out the window at that famous southern mountain, silent for a long time, then said, "You're right. Today's trip to Li Mountain did bring up many problems. Because I never expected that Qiu Shan was this kind of child."
The priest was silent for a moment, then asked, "Family head, what did you originally think?"
This was indeed something that he—and even all the family head's trusted confidants within the Qiu Shan family—were curious about. Over the past few years, the Qiu Shan family had done many things in secret for Qiu Shan Jun, things that Qiu Shan Jun himself seemed unaware of.
"I originally thought that since he was my son, he must be someone very similar to me... From another angle, I originally believed that there couldn't be a person as perfect as my son in this world, so his perfection must be a facade."
A faint, ambiguous smile appeared on the Qiu Shan family head's face. He said, "So I thought... my son was a hypocrite. That's why I did many things in secret—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I committed every evil—all to lay the groundwork for him, to match his reputation in the world, waiting for the day when he would finally stand before thousands and reveal his true ambitions."
"For example, that trip to the capital to seek a marriage alliance?"
"Exactly. I thought he wanted to marry Xu Yourong but didn't want to bear the stigma of coercion, so he deliberately timed things to compete with the demon race for the key to Zhou Garden. As his father, of course I had to help him get it done."
The Qiu Shan family head continued, "And this time, for instance, I thought he was faking his injury to stay out of the fray while giving our Qiu Shan family a chance to strike. The scheme was nearly perfect. Who would have guessed I was wrong?"
"I thought my son was a hypocrite, but it turns out he's a true hero."
He looked at Li Mountain outside the window and smiled. "But what father wouldn't want his son to be a true hero? It's just that being a hero makes it easy to die. So I, as his father, have no choice but to continue committing every evil and playing the hypocrite, to ensure that this hero of mine stays alive. Someday, when the whole world knows of my misdeeds and needs him to place righteousness above family loyalty, I'll die by his hand... See, isn't that a perfect story?"
After hearing this, the priest felt an endless surge of emotion. He thought to himself that the family head was truly the most remarkable father in the world. His love for Qiu Shan Jun was both selfless and selfish, so intense that it bordered on frightening. Anyone who stood in Qiu Shan Jun's way, blocking his path to the most brilliant stars, would be eliminated by the family head. And everyone knew that the only young man in the continent barely qualified to be compared with Qiu Shan Jun was Chen Changsheng.
The priest began to sympathize in advance with the tragic fate that awaited Chen Changsheng.
Of course, that was assuming the young dean of the National Academy could leave Xunyang City alive.
"With storms brewing from all directions, Su Li is as good as dead, but Chen Changsheng will definitely live."
The Qiu Shan family head said calmly, "That youth's background is too deep, his origins somewhat mysterious. Even Holy Maiden Peak couldn't fully investigate him. The Holy Empress hasn't spoken yet, and Zhou Tong hasn't made a move, so naturally, I won't act first."
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Li Mountain was an extraordinary place. Liang Xiaoxiao used his own death to kill someone, while his senior brother, Qiu Shan Jun, used his own life to save someone. People like that don't die easily.
Chen Changsheng was the same, because he was always saving people. The rain in Xunyang City was so cold. Perhaps that was why his face was pale. His soaked clothes were riddled with sword holes, yet there was little blood to be seen—washed away by the rain.
Liu Qing had an ordinary face, an ordinary sword, and used seemingly ordinary sword techniques, yet he possessed an unimaginable cultivation at the Star Gathering Upper Realm.
This third-ranked assassin of the world—every one of his swords was as cold as frost.
Even Chen Changsheng, who had bathed in dragon's blood, couldn't withstand that cold sword.
In a very short time, he used the final form of the Li Mountain Sword Art with the Yashiki Step, blocking Liu Qing's six consecutive strikes, while six bloody holes appeared on his body.
The sword thrusts weren't deep, but they hurt. Fortunately, the blood that flowed out had no particular smell—as bland as this battle itself.
No matter how eerie Liu Qing's movements were, his sword couldn't strike Su Li; it could only pierce Chen Changsheng's body.
Because Chen Changsheng's sword was resolute, absolute, and therefore fast.
Just like the sword Qiu Shan Jun had thrust into his own chest on Li Mountain's peak.
He looked at Liu Qing, his face pale, his expression earnest, and said word by word, "I won't let you pass."
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