Endless Ascension

Chapter 7: Three Wishes

Time flew swiftly, and two months had passed in the blink of an eye.

Autumn had arrived, bringing a slight chill to the air. Qin Ze, relying solely on slaughtering poultry at the slaughterhouse, had risen to the fifth level, or the fifth rank of martial artist. Such a pace made even the so-called prodigies pale in comparison.

For him, there were no obstacles to speak of.

This midday, Qin Ze was as busy as ever, scurrying around the Furong Tavern.

Zhang Dafu treated Qin Ze like an inhuman workhorse, assigning him the tasks of five men, seemingly determined to exhaust him to the brink of collapse.

Yet, Qin Ze never uttered a single complaint, much to Zhang Dafu's dismay. He longed for Qin Ze to argue fiercely with him, so he could then beat him up and kick him out, finally ridding himself of this eyesore and sparing himself from the rebukes of Elder Qin Xiangtian.

In the Tianzi Room.

Qin Ze hunched over, head bowed, enduring Qin Kun's relentless humiliation as usual. He remained unfazed and unyielding.

These had become Qin Ze's daily rituals, and the accumulated resentment did not weigh heavily on him. On the contrary, he eagerly anticipated the upcoming Autumn Hunt, a grand event in the Qin family.

The Autumn Hunt, held once a year by the Qin family, was their most prestigious competition and a crucial opportunity for the younger generation to shine.

The top three individuals who hunted the most beastly creatures during the Autumn Hunt would not only gain free access to the Library for three days but also earn the favor of the patriarch and receive mysterious grand prizes.

All members of the Qin family under the age of twenty, with martial arts prowess above the fifth rank, were eligible to participate, regardless of whether they were outer or inner disciples.

Although exiled, Qin Ze was still qualified to take part.

He awaited this day eagerly, hoping to gain insight into the Kunlun Mountains and, more importantly, to shock the Qin family and crush Qin Kun beneath his feet.

However, his current strength was insufficient to match Qin Kun, who had already reached the seventh rank of martial artist and the sixth level of qi mastery.

Thus, Qin Ze continued to bide his time.

There were ten days left until the Autumn Hunt...

Just as Qin Ze prepared to exit with his head bowed, Qin Kun called him back, saying, "Waste, don't go yet. Today, I'll introduce you to someone who has a close connection with you."

Qin Ze halted and stood aside, pondering, "Someone with a close connection to me? The only person in the Qin family who might have some relevance to me is my aunt, who's often away. Could she be returning?"

"It shouldn't be. Aunt should still be in secluded meditation at the Jingxin Retreat."

From his memories, Qin Ze knew a little about his aunt, Qin Shuang. A significant reason for the Qin family's enduring prosperity was attributed to her.

At the age of thirteen, Qin Shuang was spotted by elders of the Jingxin Retreat, a prestigious all-female sect in the cultivation world, and taken in as a disciple. Over the past decade, she had reached the realm of Refined Qi, becoming one of the sect's most promising talents.

The Jingxin Retreat, a mid-tier sect in the cultivation realm, had elevated the Qin family's status in Qinghe City, ensuring their enduring prosperity.

As Qin Ze stood silently contemplating, Qin Kun and his cronies chatted about trivial matters at the table. Qin Kun occasionally cast cold glances at Qin Ze, as if fearing he might flee.

Not long after, the door was pushed open, and a woman who looked like a fairy walked in.

Dressed in all white, the woman was exquisitely beautiful, but there was a trace of cold arrogance between her eyebrows, giving off an aura that kept people at arm's length.

As she pushed the door open and entered, it seemed as if she didn't take the people in the room seriously at all.

Seeing the woman's impolite entrance, Qin Kun didn't get angry but instead smiled happily, immediately rising to greet her. "Sister Ruqian, you're here," he said with a beaming smile.

The woman was Xiao Ruqian, Xiao Rufeng's younger sister, and Qin Ze recognized her instantly, a trace of bitterness rising in his heart.

Five years ago, Qin Ze was the rising star of the Qin family, a genius whose cultivation had reached the sixth level of martial artist, surpassing even Xiao Rufeng, the current top talent in Qinghe City.

At that time, the Xiao family eagerly courted Qin Ze, hoping to marry Xiao Ruqian to him, and they were almost about to sign a betrothal agreement.

But on the eve of the engagement, Qin Ze suddenly fell gravely ill. After recovering, he discovered that his internal qi was constantly dissipating, and eventually, he realized that his dantian was damaged.

Qin Ze's status in the Qin family plummeted, and even the servants of the Qin family looked down on him. The betrothal with the Xiao family was never mentioned again.

If Qin Ze's dantian hadn't been damaged, Xiao Ruqian would probably have been his wife by now.

But now, Xiao Ruqian was Qin Kun's fiancée, a relationship that had been finalized not long ago, with plans for a grand wedding after the Autumn Hunt Competition.

Qin Ze didn't have strong feelings for Xiao Ruqian, and now that he saw her, he only found her a bit pretty, but her temperament was far inferior.

Xiao Ruqian smiled faintly and slightly bowed. "Qin Kun brother, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Her voice was artificial, making Qin Ze feel nauseous.

As Xiao Ruqian entered the room, she noticed Qin Ze. After greeting Qin Kun, she looked at Qin Ze coldly and said, "Oh, isn't this Qin family's great talent?" Her tone was laced with sarcasm.

Qin Ze bitterly smiled and didn't respond. Although he was no longer the Qin Ze of the past, hearing Xiao Ruqian's cold and sarcastic voice still made him feel uneasy.

Qin Kun also walked over to Xiao Ruqian's side and mocked, "Now he's Qin family's number one waste."

Xiao Ruqian smiled mischievously and leaned gently into Qin Kun's embrace. "Qin Kun brother, if he weren't a waste, I might have married him. Fortunately, he is a waste, hehe..."

"Marry him? How could I bear to? If it weren't for my father..." Qin Kun's face suddenly changed, and he immediately stopped talking.

However, Qin Ze picked up on the hidden meaning and felt a vague suspicion that his illness five years ago was人为的, undoubtedly involving Elder Qin Xiangtian.

"There's still a lot of work waiting for me downstairs. Enjoy your time, guests."

Qin Ze lowered his head respectfully and prepared to leave after speaking.

But just then, Qin Kun slapped Qin Ze hard across the cheek with a loud "smack," shouting angrily, "Did I tell you to leave?"

"Qin Kun brother is so amazing," Xiao Ruqian gazed at Qin Kun adoringly, clapping her hands in delight.

Her actions were like a stimulant, and Qin Kun slapped her again with another loud "smack."

A fiery pain surged through Qin Ze's heart.

A palm print appeared on each side of Qin Ze's face. He could have dodged those two slaps, but he didn't. He didn't want to expose himself, at least not yet.

He understood that revealing his strength now would quickly draw the attention of Qin Xiangtian, and he had no one to rely on in the Qin family. The only way was to shock the Qin family at the Autumn Hunt Competition, at which point Qin Xiangtian wouldn't be able to deal with him so brazenly.

Qin Ze had endured the pain of restraint before, gritting his teeth and biting his lip until it bled, his head lowered...

"What a waste of a man, not even uttering a word after being slapped twice. How could father have ever wanted me to marry such a coward?" Xiao Ruqian mocked, snuggling into Qin Kun's arms with smug satisfaction.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

A hurried footstep approached, and Qin Ze's heart skipped a beat. He knew it was Meng Lei and didn't hesitate, immediately walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

In Qin Kun's eyes, Qin Ze had become a complete waste of a human being, and it would be beneath him to argue with a waste. When Qin Ze left, Qin Kun didn't stop him. His mind was solely on Xiao Ruqian, and he didn't care about Qin Ze anymore.

"Young master, let me in..."

"Even if I die, I want to beat him up."

"Young master..."

Meng Lei had three wishes in his heart.

The first was to beat Zhang Dafu mercilessly.

The second was to kill Qin Kun.

The third was to have a full meal.

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