Chapter 10: Cursing Until Vomiting Blood

Chapter 10: Cursing Until Vomiting Blood

"You..." The young man's face was swollen like a pig's head as he was helped up by others.

"Xin'er, why did you hit someone?" Ning Hengqing said.

Ning Xin'er glared at Ning Hengqing. "Dare to say one bad word about my mother, and I’ll hit you too. Believe me?"

Ning Hengqing's lips twitched. Though arrogant, he didn’t dare provoke Ning Xin'er, who had already cultivated the Divine Martial Body. Even with his Eighth Level of Mystic Qi, he was no match for her.

Of course, with so many members of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House present, he couldn’t afford to back down in front of her. So, he turned his gaze to Ning Xiaochuan and sneered, "Everyone’s just speaking the truth. Your brother is a waste. Was Ning Xiao wrong to question his origins? It was just an argument, but you resorted to violence against your own kin. If you grow stronger, will you start killing your own family next? Have you forgotten the house rules of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House?"

"This is too much. No matter what, you shouldn’t attack your own kin!"

"No wonder outsiders dare to kill members of our Jian Pavilion Marquis House when we’re so divided among ourselves."

"Her brother is a waste and a disappointment. If we can’t even criticize him, what’s the point? We’re only saying it for his own good."

...

Many began to criticize Ning Xin'er—some accused her of arrogance, others of bullying, and some even demanded she be punished under house rules.

Though highly skilled, Ning Xin'er was just a fourteen-year-old girl. Under the collective scorn, she stood alone like a fragile blade of grass battered by a storm.

She had endured years of hardship, knowing that if she didn’t stay strong, they would destroy her brother.

Now, facing the crowd’s accusations, she bit her lip hard, eyes glistening but refusing to let tears fall. "That’s not true! My brother isn’t a waste!"

"Shut up! So what if I hit someone? Anyone who dares to gossip again will get the same!"

"Shut your mouths!"

Ning Hengqing watched Ning Xin'er surrounded by the crowd, a smug smile on his face.

Ning Xiaochuan, too, stared at Ning Xin'er defending him, an inexplicable warmth stirring in his chest. For the first time, he truly saw her as his sister. Clenching his fists, he gritted his teeth and roared, "Who the hell dares to run their mouths now? So what if I’m a waste? Did I sleep with your wives or cuckold your fathers? If you’ve got guts, come at me! Bullying a little girl—what kind of men are you?"

The crowd froze, stunned into silence. A thousand pairs of eyes locked onto Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xin'er blinked rapidly at her brother, her eyes shining with surprise.

Ning Xiaochuan straightened his collar and walked over to Ning Xin'er, his gaze sharp as he scanned everyone present. "Who's the trash here? You're the ones who only know how to fight among yourselves. Have you even noticed the three corpses on the ground? Did any of you care who killed them? Did you examine their fatal wounds? Did you think about why they were murdered? No, you’re just here bullying me and my sister because we’re orphans, because we have no parents, because we’re easy targets. Why don’t you go after the real enemies who killed the descendants of the Marquis House? Because you don’t dare! Because you’re cowards! Because you only pick on the weak! Trash! Every single one of you is trash!"

Many were stunned by his outburst.

Ning Hengqing’s face turned livid as he sneered, "The elders have already examined their fatal wounds and are discussing the matter in the Assembly Hall. Why should a sickly waste like you concern yourself with this?"

Ning Xiaochuan retorted, "The elders ate dinner tonight—does that mean you won’t eat? The elders will use the latrine tomorrow—does that mean you won’t? The elders lead troops into battle—does that mean you’ll never go to war again, just squatting in the mansion plotting how to deal with a ‘waste’ like me?"

Ning Hengqing’s face alternated between green and white, his blood qi nearly bursting his veins as he gnashed his teeth. "Who do you think you are, daring to lecture me? I’ll cripple you!"

A surge of blood-red Martial Arts Profound Qi erupted from Ning Hengqing’s palm, a chilling aura bursting from his body, making his robes flutter without wind.

"Look! Look! He’s throwing a tantrum now! Knowing full well I’m weak and can’t cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi, he still attacks me—trying to kill me in front of everyone! We share the same blood—why such cruelty? Ning Hengqing, if you’re willing to slaughter your own kin now, what’s next? Would you even dare kill the Marquis? Are you rebelling?"

The words "Would you even dare kill the Marquis? Are you rebelling?" were far too severe, equivalent to the crime of treason.

Ning Hengqing’s Martial Arts Profound Qi, already surging out of his body, was forced back by Ning Xiaochuan’s words, causing his qi to reverse and his blood to flow backward.

"Pfft!"

A mouthful of blood sprayed out.

Ning Hengqing, severely injured by his own reversed qi, glared hatefully at Ning Xiaochuan before collapsing straight to the ground.

Seeing Ning Hengqing vomit so much blood, Ning Xiaochuan pulled Ning Xin'er back a couple of steps to avoid the splatter. He lightly touched his nose and said with feigned regret, "I told you respect goes both ways. You just wouldn’t listen."

"Pfft!" Ning Hengqing spat another mouthful of blood and fainted outright.

"Such a ‘master,’ yet he can’t handle a few words. His mental fortitude needs work," Ning Xiaochuan sighed, shaking his head.

Ning Xin'er rolled her eyes, thinking to herself, Brother, those ‘few words’ aren’t something just anyone can handle!

Once again, the crowd was stunned, their eyes locked on Ning Xiaochuan as if saying, You made an Eighth Level of Mystic Qi master reverse his blood qi and faint from rage. You’re too damn ruthless!

"What's all this noise? Someone, take Ning Hengqing away and send him to Elder Lin for treatment." Ning Qianwu emerged from the Assembly Hall just in time to witness the scene.

Already in a foul mood after his son's death, his irritation only grew upon seeing Ning Xiaochuan. A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes before he suppressed it, speaking in a heavy voice, "Our preliminary conclusion is that Ning Han and the two servants were killed by the Blood Devouring Demon Sect. For the next half-month, no members of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House are to leave the estate without permission. Only after the Old Marquis emerges from seclusion will a final decision be made."

Ning Qianwu shot Ning Xiaochuan another icy glare before turning and striding back into the Assembly Hall.

Outside, chaos erupted as the descendants of the Marquis House buzzed with discussion. Some were furious, while others wore expressions of deep concern.

"The Blood Devouring Demon Sect dares to kill members of our Jian Pavilion Marquis House right in the imperial city? This is outright provocation! We must retaliate—wipe out all their branches in the capital!"

"But the Blood Devouring Demon Sect is vast, with countless disciples. Their six demonic sect leaders are all Martial Venerables. Going to war with them would bring no benefit to our Jian Pavilion Marquis House!"

"Are you saying we should fear them? Even the arrogant leader of the Asura Demon Path had his right leg severed by the Marquis himself back then. To this day, he still doesn’t dare set foot in the imperial city!"

Ning Han’s death had caused a massive uproar within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, especially since it was linked to the Blood Devouring Demon Sect, leaving many uneasy and fearful.

Ning Xiaochuan, of course, knew the truth—that it wasn’t the Blood Devouring Demon Sect but himself who had drained Ning Han’s blood. But this was a secret he had to bury deep within, never to be spoken aloud.

Originally, he had planned to reveal his ability to cultivate Martial Arts Profound Qi to Ning Xin'er once he became a Heart Nurturer. But after this incident, he decided it was necessary to keep hiding it.

By the time Ning Xiaochuan and Ning Xin'er returned to their courtyard, it was already late. They ate the dinner brought by the maids together.

"Brother, what does 'sharp-tongued' mean?"

"Brother, 'Born of the same root, why the urgency to torment each other?' Where did you copy that poem from?"

"Brother, you were so fierce when you scolded him! Ning Hengqing was at the Eighth Level of Mystic Qi, yet you made him vomit blood just by yelling at him. You’re definitely going to be the talk of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House tomorrow!"

Ning Xin'er’s large eyes curved like crescent moons as she bombarded him with questions.

"Haven’t I always been famous?" Ning Xiaochuan replied.

Ning Xin'er tilted her head in thought before nodding. "I guess that’s true."

"I’m full. Going back to my room to sleep."

Ning Xiaochuan stood up and walked out, his mind racing. Inside his bag were ten stalks of Heart Nurturing Grass and ten stalks of Blood Nourishing Grass. After the long delay in the Assembly Hall, he could finally begin refining them. Once completed, it would mean a substantial fortune—and perhaps even a chance to break through to the Fifth Level of Mystic Qi.

The thought alone made him unable to wait a moment longer!