Breaking the Day

“Father?”

Li Chengfeng was stunned, then grabbed Li Chun’s reins and screamed, “Father? Now is not the time! Snap out of it and run!”

He kept pulling on Li Chun’s reins but he seemed to be under a spell, nailed straight into the ground.

“My son!” Li Chun’s low voice was warm. “Go protect your mother and run!”

Chengfeng cried angrily, “Father, what are you talking about? We’re leaving together!”

Li Chun smiled calmly. “I can’t leave!”

“Why?!”

“Because if I run, our Li family will be done for!”

Every word hit Li Chengfeng’s chest like a heavy hammer. He stumbled backwards, his eyes widening as if it was the first time he met his father, the man he was so embarrassed of!

Li Chun was currently riding a magnificent black horse, Black Wind, completely devoid of the usual haze he was plagued by.

“The Li family of the Cleansing Moon Sect was once number one in the world, it cannot die in my hands!” Li Chun gazed at his son deeply, his eyes filled with love. “My cultivation failed and I am useless now. You’re not the same, our family’s future now rests in your hands. Go!”

Li Chengfeng was shaken, his eyes reddening. He had never seen his father look at him like that. To him, his father was always the crazy man, the man who embarrassed their family!

Until today… At the most critical moment, the puppet patriarch of the Cleansing Moon Li family with his heirloom spear and the steed that had been with him for twenty years, sprinted courageously towards a monster no one had seen before.

“My friend…” Li Chun crouched down and patted the horse on its black neck, muttering slowly, “It’s been a long time since we went into battle together!”

Although Black Wind was old, it still had some fire in it. It snorted heavily, whinnied, then scraped the snowy ground excitedly with its hoof.

“The fate of the Cleansing Moon Sect falls on me!”

Li Chun shook the reins. The pitch-black horse, Black Wind, lifted its front legs, letting out a piercing cry. Li Chun raised his spear to the sky, dignified as ever!

The people who were running turned around instinctively, not believing their eyes.

Madam Xie covered her mouth as tears flowed. He looked exactly the same as he did twenty-one years ago!

On that day, he also sat on a tall, black steed with his long spear raised at the sky, as if he was king of the world!

Twenty-one years ago, he had many brothers charging into battle with him, he had not gone insane, and the moment he took off his helmet, the smile on his handsome face won over the heart of a girl from a scholarly family!

He was the most talented child the Li family had seen in ten generations. Everyone was waiting for him to break through his bottleneck and succeed in his cultivation. Yet he still failed in the end! Ever since he went insane, all his brothers left his side and the Li family collapsed. As if it was on its last breath, everyone was sure of the death sentence looming over the family!

Madam Xie looked at the person she once fell in love with through her blurry tears and suddenly screamed with all her might, “Ah Chun, DON’T!!”

When he heard her scream, Li Chun turned to smile, revealing a set of gleaming teeth that stood out against his dishevelled beard.

Li Chun took out a helmet from his horse’s pouch and put it on his head. He lowered his spear to point forwards. Like an insect who planned to knock a giant tree down, he rushed towards the Flying God of Death— the Grim Stork!

Li Chengfeng’s hands were clenched tight into fists, his eyes wide. He breathed heavily as he watched his father charge at the beast.

He could not remember a time when his father looked as brave as this. Every time he longed to admire his father, Li Chun would do something stupid and ruin everything.

He hated his father! How could one have such an embarrassing man as a father?

But his father seemed to be shining golden at this moment, glowing as brightly as the sun!

Li Chengfeng’s blood surged in his veins, he did not question that his father could kill the monster with his spear!

Everyone stopped to watch Li Chun, speechless and astonished. The Li family lived up to its reputation after all! While it had been on a decline, they still had admirable courage!

Just as everyone was admiring Li Chun, Asparta screamed, “Young Master, stop him! He’ll die, he’ll die!”

Madam Xie shook and cried, screaming, “Stop him! Stop him now!”

But it was chaos. Everyone continued to run back, only the bolder ones turned to watch. Li Chun had already charged out of the crowd and was heading towards the Grim Stork with his spear. Who could stop him now?

Su Yuehan’s lips curled into a smirk of contempt as she watched, muttering only to herself, “Idiot!”

The Grim Stork was a notorious magical beast in the Demon Realm, even cultivators avoided it. Why would a regular person like him charge at it? What did he expect other than death?

Li Chun had already reached the stork. With an angry cry, he clutched his spear and focused all his energy into the tip.

Li Chengfeng did not question for a second that the spear could pierce through rock!

At that moment, time seemed to slow down. The trembling spear was thrust at the stork’s chest, approaching closer and closer as snow flew around its razor-sharp tip.

And in this moment, the Grim Stork stared at the man and horse, its cheek twitching as if to smirk. It lifted its front claw and swiped effortlessly!

Thud!!

Everyone witnessed Li Chun and Black Wind swatted away like flies!

Li Chengfeng watched as the horse, almost sliced in half by the claws,  let out a piercing cry. Blood flew in all directions. Li Chun’s spear had shattered and splintered, leaving only half still in his hand. His eyes were shut tight as he was thrown up into the air. It was not clear if he was dead or alive.

At this moment, Li Chengfeng’s hair stood on end as his eyes widened.

“FATHER!!”