Chapter 52: Qing Shi’s Thoughts

“You, as the legitimate heir of the Dongbo Clan, not receiving any inheritance is one thing, but surely you should at least know how much wealth your parents left behind?” Ji Rong shook his head. “But you know absolutely nothing. Perhaps I’m being too cynical, but it’s never wrong to be cautious!”

“Enough, don’t say any more!” Qing Shi grew angry. “You don’t understand the bond between my brother and me at all!”

“When your brother casts you out, you’ll be the fool staring blankly,” Ji Rong said, shaking his head.

“You shut up, woman!” Qing Shi’s eyes reddened, tears welling up. “He’s my brother, the most important person in my life! Do you even understand that?”

Ji Rong was startled.

Looking at the red-eyed youth before her, she lowered her head and reached out to grasp Qing Shi’s hand. “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

“You don’t understand the bond between me and my brother at all. Please don’t bring this up again—it makes me very uncomfortable,” Qing Shi’s voice trembled slightly.

“Mm-hmm,” Ji Rong nodded softly. “You know, my father was cast out of his home back then. Our family was in a terrible state, with nowhere to live—we had to temporarily reside with my mother’s clan. My father, my mother… we were always looked down upon and oppressed within my mother’s family. Those days were the most unbearable memories of my life. Fortunately, my father eventually regained his strength and rebuilt his career. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have had the chance to learn magic…”

“I understand you,” Qing Shi said, “but our family is different from yours. Alright, go back. I’m heading back too.”

With that, Qing Shi turned and walked toward the castle.

Ji Rong watched silently as Qing Shi’s figure receded into the distance.

“I didn’t expect his brother to hold such a high place in his heart,” Ji Rong murmured, slightly furrowing her brow. “I’ve studied magic with Dongbo Qing Shi, and I’ve been his girlfriend for nearly half a year now. I only managed to find the right opportunity today to say all this naturally. And what I said were just common-sense ideas. I didn’t expect it to affect him so deeply.”

“What kind of immense wealth has the Dongbo Clan acquired?”

“If I could just find out…”

A faint smile crept onto Ji Rong’s lips, her eyes glinting with a sinister gleam. “Though he and his brother share a deep bond, today still managed to open a small crack. It will blossom and bear fruit. Dongbo Qing Shi is too naive, too innocent. His brother’s overprotection has made him this way. If I can’t even handle a kid like him, that would truly be a joke.”

…

On his way back to the castle, Dongbo Qing Shi walked in deep thought.

“My brother has never lied to me,” he muttered, furiously kicking a stone. It flew into the air, landed far away, rolled down the hill, and disappeared into the abyss below.

“When I first became my master’s disciple, I remember hearing that the price was either fifty thousand gold coins or the heart of a Silver Moon Wolf King,” Qing Shi’s eyes suddenly lit up. “My brother told me back then that he’d have news within a month. Then he went with Uncle Zong to the Destroyed Mountains… wiped out the Cutlass Alliance, and successfully killed the Silver Moon Wolf King. That’s why he was recognized as the strongest warrior in Yishui City.”

“That’s right, I remember…”

“I even accompanied my brother when he bought the Snowfall Divine Spear. Back then, he even signed an IOU for ten thousand gold coins!”

Qing Shi’s eyes gleamed brighter. “Yes, exactly! If our parents had truly left behind such immense wealth, why wouldn’t my brother have paid the fifty thousand gold coins at the time? Why would he risk his life in the Destroyed Mountains? Why would he even sign an IOU for ten thousand gold coins?”

As he grew older, he had come to understand just how perilous the Destroyed Mountains truly were.

It was only later that he learned the harsh conditions his master had imposed for taking a direct disciple—fifty thousand gold coins or the heart of a Silver Moon Wolf King. Although Dongbo Xueying never spoke of it, it wasn’t much of a secret. As a direct disciple, Qing Shi had learned of it quickly. Combining that with the fact that his brother had gone to the Destroyed Mountains and slain the Silver Moon Wolf King, the conclusion was clear.

That was why he felt so grateful from the bottom of his heart.

He felt…

His brother was like an unshakable mountain, always sheltering him.

They say a father’s love is like a mountain.

But in his memory, his parents were hazy and indistinct. All he could recall clearly was the years of devoted care his brother had given him.

“What’s this ‘caution is necessary’? My brother would never do anything like that.”

“Does the heart lie behind the belly? Even if my brother truly did something, even if he drove me out of Xueying Domain, I would still accept it willingly.”

Dongbo Qing Shi clenched his teeth.

Undeniably, Ji Rong’s words about “caution” had left a mark on him. They made him realize that as he grew older, he would eventually have to rely on himself. After all, depending on his brother forever would make life dull.

“Damn it, damn it, I really feel awful!” Qing Shi was deeply troubled. For years, he had lived carefree, but Ji Rong’s words had stirred chaos in his heart.

…

Inside the study of Xueshi Castle.

Dongbo Xueying sat smiling, watching Uncle Zong and Uncle Tong testing various alchemical inner armors and boots.

“Xueying, you’re really extravagant,” Zong Ling couldn’t help but say. “How many gold coins did you spend on all these?”

“Haha… it’s nothing much,” Dongbo Xueying grinned. “I encountered some unexpected trouble while taking on a mission and even discovered an enemy with a Title.”

“A Title-holder?”

Zong Ling and Tong San were shocked.

Heavens!

To them, Title-holders were like boundless skies—completely out of reach. That Dongbo Xueying had reached the level of a Title-holder himself was already a source of pride and excitement for them. But they also believed that he was still too young, hadn’t even mastered the ‘Unity of Heaven and Man,’ and probably still lagged behind the legendary elder Title-holders.

Yet now, an enemy with a Title had unexpectedly appeared during a mission!

“Although he was powerful, with some terrifying techniques, I eventually killed him,” Dongbo Xueying laughed joyfully. “He died, I survived! I took his storage ring, and there were many treasures inside. Buying all these was easy.”

Zong Ling and Tong San felt proud and exhilarated for Dongbo Xueying.

“Xueying,” Zong Ling grew concerned, “we never expected even a Black Iron-level mission to have such an unexpected twist. You mentioned needing to accumulate twenty thousand merit points to rescue Dongbo and Ayu. But twenty thousand merit points… even for a Bronze-level mission, from what you said, the simpler ones only give a thousand points. Completing a mission worth ten thousand points would likely be very dangerous.”

“Even a Black Iron mission had such unexpected danger. Then completing two of the upper-tier Bronze-level missions, which are already considered perilous, would be too risky,” Zong Ling worried. “Perhaps you should wait a bit, until your strength improves further.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle Zong. I know my limits,” Dongbo Xueying reassured him.

“Know your limits?” Zong Ling remained uneasy.

How could he know his limits?

Even a Black Iron-level mission had brought forth a Title-holder. If during one of those extremely difficult Bronze-level missions, a Transcendent being appeared unexpectedly, what then? Although the Longshan Pavilion would never assign a mission that was certain to result in death, accidents were unpredictable.

“Brother,” came Dongbo Qing Shi’s voice from outside.

“Qing Shi is here,” Dongbo Xueying smiled. The study door opened, and Dongbo Qing Shi walked in, excited and beaming. “Brother, you said you had a gift for me. What is it? Wow! Uncle Zong, Uncle Tong, why do you both look different? The inner armor you’re wearing looks extraordinary, and those boots—I’ve never seen them before!”

“This time I gained quite a bit, so I bought some gifts,” Dongbo Xueying smiled. “I bought some for you too.”

With a wave of his hand—

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

One after another, treasures appeared—each a top-tier Celestial-grade magical artifact for wizards.

“This robe contains a complete ‘Frostwater Armor’ spell matrix, a simplified protective spell combining ‘Frostplate’ and ‘Water Ripple’—a blend of rigidity and fluidity, instantly activatable! Its power reaches half that of a Star-tier wizard’s defensive spells,” Dongbo Xueying proudly introduced each item. “This bracelet contains a miniature ‘Frost Domain’ spell matrix, with a power equivalent to thirty percent of a Star-tier spell. As for this ring…”

Dongbo Xueying continued his explanations one by one.

Qing Shi was both awestruck and thrilled.

Now he finally understood why his brother had gifted Kong Youyue with a staff and magical robes this time—something he hadn’t done in years! It was because his brother had gained immense treasures this time. Even when calculating the price of the alchemical treasures Uncle Zong and Uncle Tong were wearing, they were undoubtedly worth more than what Kong Youyue received. And what he himself received was even more valuable.

Each of these was a top-tier Celestial-grade magical artifact for wizards—things he had never even dared to dream of possessing before.