Chapter 16

Ling Xianhong waited impatiently in the main hall, yet even after waiting so long past the expected time, Ling Qingxiao was nowhere to be seen. Anger rose sharply within him. Seeing this, Lady Bai Luan gently tried to soothe him, "Patriarch, please don’t be upset. Perhaps something delayed the Second Young Master. He should be arriving any moment now."
Lady Bai Luan was Ling Xianhong's concubine, formerly a disciple of Zhongshan and once his childhood sweetheart. However, due to her mixed immortal and demon heritage, her status was too low, and she was not permitted to marry into the prestigious Ling family—not even as a concubine. Heartbroken, Bai Luan had married far away, disappearing without a trace. By the time the world saw her again, Ling Xianhong had become Patriarch. Bai Luan had returned as a widow, bringing along the Second Young Master, her son, and was formally accepted as a concubine.
Given the rarity of descendants within the dragon clans, she had earned some respect for giving birth to a son. The clan referred to her respectfully as Lady Bai. The Ling family initially thought her strong enough to secretly bear a son just a few days after the main wife. Yet, recently, they discovered a shocking truth: the Second Young Master she raised wasn't her biological child—her true son was actually Ling Zhongyu, the Eldest Young Master.
This revelation had caused an immense shock throughout Zhongshan. At this moment, Lady Su Yifang sat stiffly beside Ling Xianhong, casting Lady Bai a cold, disdainful glance at her hypocritical display of concern.
An uncomfortable silence filled the hall. Suddenly, a servant’s greeting sounded clearly outside. Both Lady Su Yifang and Lady Bai Luan instantly perked up, exchanging glances filled with anticipation.
"He’s here."
When Luo Han stepped into the hall, the scene before her was vividly clear.
Seated prominently in the center was a stern, imposing man. Though he didn't look aged, his bearing was clearly forged through the passage of countless years. Beside him was another luxurious seat, occupied by an elegant woman dressed extravagantly, her elaborate hairstyle adorned with glistening jewels and intricate golden hair ornaments.
On his other side stood a woman dressed in white. Her attire and jewelry were clearly several levels below the lady on the opposite side, but her gentle and approachable demeanor made her appear far more inviting.
It wasn’t difficult for Luo Han to deduce their identities at a glance. The man in the center had to be Ling Qingxiao’s father, the scum patriarch Ling Xianhong. The noble and aloof lady on the right must be his birth mother, the main wife Su Yifang. Meanwhile, the delicate, white-clad beauty on the left was likely the concubine and foster mother, Bai Lingluan.
Luo Han inwardly clicked her tongue. Was this a tribunal or a family reunion?
After Luo Han followed Ling Qingxiao and formally greeted them, Ling Xianhong’s gaze fell coldly upon Luo Han. His brow knitted tightly. "Who is she?"
"A friend of mine," Ling Qingxiao replied lightly, "She'll temporarily stay in Zhongshan. I'll arrange her accommodations myself."
For a vast place like Zhongshan, receiving friends was an ordinary affair. But usually, it was Ling Zhongyu who brought guests back—no one had anticipated Ling Qingxiao, of all people, would also return with someone.
And furthermore, a young lady.
Many curious eyes in the hall immediately fell upon Luo Han. Su Yifang looked her up and down several times, evidently displeased. "Since she's your friend, she's considered a younger generation of our family. Why would she wear a veil in front of her elders?"
Luo Han inwardly rolled her eyes again. Why did it feel like she was meeting a stereotypical, overly strict mother-in-law from ancient dramas? Just as she was about to respond, Ling Qingxiao spoke first, "I was the one who gave her the veil. She isn’t convenient to show her face, especially not to unrelated people."
Su Yifang's face immediately turned icy. "Are you implying I’m unrelated?"
"Yes," Ling Qingxiao answered simply.
His response was so decisive, it startled Luo Han into silence. The entire hall fell quiet. Seeing the main wife's expression darken, the servants hurriedly tried to mediate, saying cautiously, "Madam, the Second Young Master must be tired from traveling. If you have something to discuss, perhaps it can wait until he has rested."
Their words appeared conciliatory but subtly implied that Ling Qingxiao was in the wrong for offending his elders. Ling Xianhong coughed forcefully, and everyone instantly fell silent, eyes downcast.
Ling Xianhong’s gaze was dark and oppressive, fixed firmly on Ling Qingxiao. His voice carried a heavy, implicit threat. "Ling Qingxiao, how do you explain your attack against your elder brother?"
Luo Han found herself holding her breath. Ling Qingxiao, however, replied calmly, "There’s nothing to explain."
Indeed, Ling Qingxiao had severed Ling Zhongyu's hand. If not for limited time back then, he would have cut off both.
"You!" Ling Xianhong was furious. "Is this your attitude towards your father?"
"According to the rules of the Dragon Clan, might makes right. Since he couldn’t defeat me, he deserves the consequences—even death wouldn’t be unjust."
Among the dragon race, internal struggles were openly permitted. Strength was everything. The winner claimed power, respect, and treasures; the loser had no room for protest. Even if one party was killed in combat, it was acceptable—the victor simply had to withstand any retaliation from the victim's family.
The law of dragons was simple and merciless.
Ling Xianhong was enraged by these words. In the past, he'd ascended to the position of patriarch after stepping over his own brothers’ corpses, yet now someone pointed a sword at his own son, and he couldn’t tolerate it.
"You insolent and unfilial son! Zhongyu is your elder brother! You've dared to attack your kin. Do you even acknowledge me as your father?"
Ling Xianhong’s anger surged violently, and with his fury, expensive porcelain shattered around the hall. Everyone shuddered; servants with lower cultivation collapsed in fear, and even those still standing broke into cold sweat.
Su Yifang rose quickly, softly saying, "Patriarch, please calm your anger."
Bai Lingluan also timidly stepped forward, gently pleading, "Patriarch, the Second Young Master is still young. You can teach him slowly; don’t let your anger harm your health."
Ling Qingxiao stared at this scene and felt only disgust.
He remembered when he first began cultivation as a teenager, Ling Zhongyu had viciously injured him using powerful artifacts. Back then, no one had spoken about brotherly affection or filial piety. Instead, Ling Xianhong praised Ling Zhongyu, saying proudly, "Having a competitive spirit at such a young age—this is how dragons should be."
Now, however, when the roles were reversed, they accused him of unfilial and immoral behavior?
Ling Qingxiao didn’t want to spend even one more second looking at these hypocrites. The blood of Ling Xianhong ran through his veins, making him sick to his stomach. He coldly replied, "If you want to punish me, then punish me. Why waste so many words?"
Ling Xianhong’s face turned even darker. "You disrespect your elder brother and attacked family members in the secret realm. Without severe punishment, how will we uphold family discipline? Do you admit your wrongs?"
Luo Han quietly looked towards Ling Qingxiao, anxiously. She knew the father was blatantly unfair, but it was precisely because Ling Xianhong was unreasonable that she didn't want Ling Qingxiao to openly oppose him.
Yet Ling Qingxiao stood tall, his gaze unyielding, not even slightly lowering his head. "I did nothing wrong."
"Good, very good!" Ling Xianhong barely contained his fury, slamming his palm onto the table, which instantly shattered into dust. "Ling Qingxiao is guilty of defying his father and harming his own brother without remorse! Drag him to the punishment hall for a hundred lashes of the Azure Lightning Whip! Anyone who dares to intercede or hold back punishment will suffer the same fate!"
This punishment made even Su Yifang frown. The Azure Lightning Whip was the harshest punishment in the family, crafted from dragon tendons and infused with lightning essence. One lash could kill even an immortal cultivator. Ling Qingxiao had no dragon core and had recently endured fifty lightning strikes; how could he survive this?
Su Yifang's lips twitched as if she wanted to speak, but Ling Xianhong glanced sharply at her and coldly said, "Didn’t you hear me clearly? Anyone who dares beg mercy will be punished alongside him."
Eventually, Su Yifang chose silence.
She didn't know how to face these two children anymore. Over the past thousand years, she had lavished love upon Ling Zhongyu, while directing all her hatred and resentment toward Ling Qingxiao. Every time she saw Ling Qingxiao's face, she would be reminded of her early days of marriage—days when Ling Xianhong had still been entangled with his lover outside. Her loathing had become instinctual, deeply rooted in her bones. She never imagined that her two sons had been switched at birth: the one she cherished more than her life, Ling Zhongyu, was actually that hateful woman’s son, while the one she'd coldly mistreated, Ling Qingxiao, was her own flesh and blood.
It's easy to turn affection into hate, but turning hatred into love is nearly impossible. After a millennium, this rift was too deep to bridge. Su Yifang's aversion to Ling Qingxiao was now an ingrained reflex; she simply couldn't reverse it overnight.
Not to mention, in her heart, she blamed Ling Qingxiao for severing Ling Zhongyu's hand.
This child was petty-minded and cruel-hearted—how could someone like this be her son? Su Yifang found this thought unbearable, thus, when Ling Qingxiao was punished, she felt it was somewhat severe yet nonetheless deserved.
Ling Xianhong’s anger was mercilessly cold; Su Yifang held her tongue uneasily. The steward and the servants showed sympathy, but it was detached—a sympathy that had nothing to do with them. Bai Lingluan kept her head lowered, appearing somewhat fearful, somewhat guilty, but beneath it all, she was clearly pleased.
A distorted, vengeful pleasure filled her heart.
Ling Qingxiao saw clearly every emotion on their faces. They probably thought they hid their feelings well, but to Ling Qingxiao, their thoughts were transparent.
As expected. Not surprising at all.
He turned to leave, but Luo Han hurriedly called after him. She spun around, her voice coldly addressing the three seated at the front: "If harming one’s brother deserves punishment, why does Ling Zhongyu still possess Ling Qingxiao’s Dragon Core? If punishment is to be meted out, shouldn't it be fair? Since Ling Qingxiao is to be punished, shouldn’t Ling Zhongyu return what he stole?"
Instantly, silence fell over the hall.
Some time ago, Su Yifang had forced Ling Qingxiao to remove his Dragon Core to help Ling Zhongyu overcome his bottleneck. Dragons were treasures in their entirety, and the Dragon Core especially was invaluable—without Ling Qingxiao's core, Ling Zhongyu would never have ascended to a Celestial Immortal.
Luo Han didn't give them a chance to feign ignorance, continuing firmly, "Ling family rules are impressive. Since Clan Head Ling is strict and impartial, I presume justice applies equally to everyone. Ling Zhongyu has already successfully ascended, and Madam Su's wish is fulfilled, so isn't it time for certain things to return to their rightful owner?"
At the mention of removing Ling Zhongyu’s Dragon Core, Bai Lingluan's face instantly paled. Without thinking, she blurted out sharply, "Impossible!"