Chapter 21

Elder Xing’s expression visibly shifted. He had lived for over a hundred thousand years—by all accounts, his eyes had seen countless storms, and there should have been nothing left in this world capable of startling him. Yet at this moment, he found himself struggling to process what he had just heard. He turned to look at Ling Qingxiao in astonishment, only to see the young Second Young Master nodding with a serene and untroubled air.
"It was me."
Elder Xing fell silent for a long while. After what felt like an eternity, he finally regained his voice. "The younger generation is truly formidable...Haha, truly formidable."
Elder Xing had arrived early, yet he had still missed the moment when Ling Qingxiao personally demonstrated his techniques. Seeing that Luo Han’s movements were slightly off and somewhat hesitant, he had simply assumed this was due to some unique personal method. The thought that she might be a complete beginner had never even crossed his mind.
For a while, Elder Xing was at a loss for words. Fortunately, others soon began to gather around.
By the time Ling Xianhong arrived, he had already been informed of everything that had transpired. Now, as he looked at Ling Qingxiao, he no longer knew how to face this son of his.
For many years, Ling Xianhong's feelings toward Ling Qingxiao had been complicated and conflicted. He always knew Ling Qingxiao was exceptionally talented, but the more outstanding Ling Qingxiao became, the stronger Ling Xianhong's internal resistance grew.
One thousand years ago, when Ling Qingxiao was born, his birth triggered rare celestial phenomena, and everyone predicted an extraordinary future for the child. He carried both Azure Dragon and Ying Dragon bloodlines. With proper nurturing, Ling Qingxiao could even revive the prestige of the Azure Dragon lineage.
Had Ling Xianhong not learned of Ling Zhongyu's existence back then, he would have placed high hopes on his son, just like any father would. However, the same day Ling Qingxiao was born, Ling Xianhong received an urgent letter from Bai Lingluan.
She had also given birth to a son, but the baby was born weak and was now barely clinging to life.
Ling Xianhong had heard little about Bai Lingluan since she married far away. Their last meeting was on the night before his wedding to Su Yifang. The next day, the bridal carriage would arrive, but Bai Lingluan asked to see Ling Xianhong one last time. Alone together, their meeting naturally led them to intimacy.
Later, the legitimate daughter of the Ying Dragon Clan married Ling Xianhong, who became preoccupied with wedding preparations. Though Su Yifang's temper was sharp, her beauty was undeniable. For the first three months, their marriage was harmonious, and Ling Xianhong gradually forgot his childhood sweetheart, Bai Lingluan, whom he'd once loved deeply.
If not for Bai Lingluan's letter, Ling Xianhong would have forgotten the vulnerable girl and their brief affair that night.
As everyone in Zhongshan joyfully celebrated the newborn heir's arrival, Ling Xianhong secretly left the mountain. In a shabby cottage thousands of miles away, he found Bai Lingluan frail and exhausted, holding Ling Zhongyu, who was on the brink of death.
Only then did Ling Xianhong realize that Bai Lingluan had suffered greatly after marrying. Refusing her husband’s touch, she had become estranged from his family. Her husband treated her poorly, even more so after discovering her pregnancy. Though afraid of the rumors regarding Bai Lingluan and the Zhongshan family's head, they dared not physically harm her. Instead, she was ostracized, left alone in a hut at the foot of the mountain, struggling to survive without help.
Although Bai Lingluan safely delivered her child, her own vitality was severely depleted.
Dragons valued bloodline purity above all else, which also meant dragon bloodlines were incredibly dominant. When dragons mated with any other species in the immortal realm, the offspring would inevitably inherit dragon traits. Thus, no matter the partner's race or cultivation level, the child would never have poor aptitude. However, if two dragons united, their offspring's bloodline purity and strength would be even greater.
Unfortunately, this rule only applied to celestial beings. When immortals and demons mixed, even dragons would produce offspring with poor aptitude. Bai Lingluan wasn't entirely a demon, but she was half-demon, and Ling Zhongyu inherited demon blood from her. This caused an inherent incompatibility with celestial energy, hindering his cultivation.
For this very reason, Bai Lingluan herself had never progressed in cultivation, no matter how hard she tried. This same reason was why the Ling Clan refused Bai Lingluan as a wife or even a concubine, as it would drastically lower the clan's bloodline quality. In a strength-obsessed dragon society, a child with poor aptitude was worse than no child at all.
Initially, when the family forcefully separated him from Bai Lingluan with this excuse, Ling Xianhong had thought it ridiculous. He’d loved Bai Lingluan for a thousand years, confident that keeping her as a concubine posed no issue. Now, standing in that dim, shabby room, seeing the dying infant, he finally understood the clan's reasoning.
Comparing Ling Zhongyu and Ling Qingxiao, born around the same time, their physiques were worlds apart. Bai Lingluan noticed Ling Xianhong’s silence and became desperately fearful that he would abandon their child too. She had tried everything she could to save her baby. If Ling Xianhong also gave up, then her son—the child she'd sacrificed everything for—would die.
After a long silence, Bai Lingluan timidly called out, "Senior Brother..."
Hearing this, Ling Xianhong softened. It was only a child, after all. Zhongshan was powerful; surely they could raise him. He took Ling Zhongyu and left. Yet, halfway home, he remembered his jealous and formidable legitimate wife, Su Yifang, and felt a headache coming.
Since Ling Zhongyu was already taken out, Ling Xianhong was determined to let him survive. So, that night, he quietly returned to Zhongshan, unnoticed, and entered the nursery. Using spells, he put the maids and nursemaids into deep sleep. Then, looking at the robust, healthy Ling Qingxiao, he silently switched the two babies.
All newborns looked similar, especially siblings. Ling Xianhong carefully altered all their identifying marks, auras, and belongings. By morning, no one would suspect anything.
He had even prepared the explanation: the young master's talent was too extraordinary for his small body, leaving him frail. Thus, Ling Zhongyu naturally assumed Ling Qingxiao's identity. Two days later, Ling Xianhong reintroduced Ling Qingxiao to Su Yifang as an illegitimate child.
Su Yifang never recognized her true son, Ling Qingxiao. When she looked at him, her eyes filled only with hatred.
Initially, Zhongshan had only one heir, Ling Qingxiao, who everyone called the Eldest Young Master. Later, Ling Xianhong brought back Ling Zhongyu, who not only replaced Ling Qingxiao’s identity but was also technically older. From then on, Ling Zhongyu became the Eldest Young Master, while Ling Qingxiao, now labeled a bastard child, became the Second Young Master.
Later, Bai Lingluan's husband died under mysterious circumstances, and no one dared investigate. Ling Xianhong finally had his wish granted and brought Bai Lingluan into his household. Out of selfishness, he didn't want Ling Zhongyu to suffer from losing his status from legitimate heir to an illegitimate one. Besides, he couldn't afford to offend the powerful Su family. Thus, he and Bai Lingluan tacitly agreed never to reveal the truth.
If they could keep Su Yifang in the dark forever, perhaps it would be better for everyone—except for Ling Qingxiao.
In the years that followed, Ling Xianhong occasionally considered compensating Ling Qingxiao. But from an early age, Ling Qingxiao displayed an extremely aloof personality—he didn't like to laugh, never showed affection, and disliked close interactions, even with his own father. Meanwhile, Ling Zhongyu was lively, affectionate, and frequently clung to Ling Xianhong. Coupled with his fragile health since birth, Ling Xianhong's favoritism was obvious.
Parental bias rarely had logical explanations; it wasn’t as if kindness could simply change their minds. Rather, the better one child performed, the more the parents wanted to balance their affections.
Ling Xianhong embodied this very pattern. Ling Qingxiao's outstanding talent became increasingly obvious, while Ling Zhongyu, burdened by his partial demonic bloodline, lagged behind in every respect. Ling Xianhong had no choice but to pour more resources into Ling Zhongyu, attempting to bridge the gap. But despite these investments, the difference between the two brothers only widened.
Emotional investment and material support are closely intertwined. Because Ling Xianhong loved Ling Zhongyu more, he continued investing heavily in him, deepening his affection further, thereby creating a vicious cycle. The more Ling Zhongyu fell behind, the more resources he required. Admitting Ling Zhongyu was inferior to Ling Qingxiao would mean admitting Ling Xianhong himself had made a mistake—something he refused to do.
For a thousand years, Ling Xianhong stubbornly maintained his stance. Even earlier today, he had been arguing fiercely with Su Yifang. As the Clan Leader and the Clan Matriarch argued, no one dared to intervene until the crisis with the escaped beast, the Yayou, forced a servant to interrupt and report.
Ling Xianhong had barely left his chambers when he received the news: Ling Qingxiao had singlehandedly subdued the beast.
Once again, this son of his was openly proving that Ling Xianhong's decision years ago to switch the two infants had been wrong.
When Ling Xianhong finally saw Ling Qingxiao, his expression was stiff. Ling Qingxiao appeared equally indifferent. The two of them looked more like enemies than father and son.
However, in front of the elders, Ling Xianhong forced himself to smile and reluctantly praised Ling Qingxiao, "I heard you subdued the Yayou? Acceptable. At least you didn’t disgrace Zhongshan.”
Ling Qingxiao merely nodded coldly in acknowledgment: "Thank you, Clan Leader."
Luo Han, standing nearby, felt uncomfortable hearing this exchange. She finally understood why Ling Qingxiao was always so cold—it was a consequence of poor parenting. Ling Xianhong had a peculiar way of talking to his son: even his praise was delivered as an insult.
Couldn’t he just offer a simple compliment? Luo Han inwardly criticized Ling Xianhong but restrained herself from interfering in their family affairs.
After reluctantly acknowledging Ling Qingxiao, Ling Xianhong felt relieved. Praising his second son’s accomplishments publicly felt more like a chore than an honor.
At that moment, Ling Zhongyu also approached unwillingly. His previous attempt to undermine Ling Qingxiao had backfired. Had Ling Qingxiao not returned today, Ling Zhongyu would have been celebrated as a hero. But Ling Qingxiao had stolen the spotlight, single-handedly dealing with the beast while Ling Zhongyu cowardly stayed among the crowd, waiting for Ling Qingxiao to fail.
Yet, contrary to Ling Zhongyu’s expectations, Ling Qingxiao had not needed help. With Luo Han’s assistance, he easily subdued the Yayou. Ling Zhongyu, who had deliberately held back reinforcements, was now left looking cowardly and incompetent.
Still, no one openly criticized Ling Zhongyu due to his status as the eldest young master. Suppressing his embarrassment, Ling Zhongyu exchanged greetings with the elders before reluctantly addressing Ling Qingxiao, "Second Brother. Miss Luo."
Ling Qingxiao barely acknowledged him with a nod, completely indifferent. Everyone present knew Ling Qingxiao’s cold personality, and even Ling Xianhong didn’t seem surprised.
Although irritated by the disrespect, Ling Zhongyu could only endure silently. He turned to Luo Han, deliberately provoking her, "Miss Luo, you certainly hid your skills well. You always claimed your powers were weak, yet today your wind control technique was exceptional."
Luo Han calmly evaded his probing, smiling politely, "I’m merely a beginner, succeeding by accident. It’s all thanks to Ling Qingxiao’s excellent teaching."
Ling Zhongyu refused to relent, pressing further, "Miss Luo, you didn’t appear to be a novice at all. May I ask which clan your family belongs to, and why your wind technique is so special?"
"I come from a humble background, and my family is truly insignificant," Luo Han replied smoothly. "My wind technique was learned entirely from Ling Qingxiao. If there's anything special, it’s only thanks to Zhongshan's excellent teachings. Don’t you agree, Eldest Young Master?"
Having been cornered by Luo Han’s praise for Zhongshan, Ling Zhongyu couldn’t press further and reluctantly smiled, "Miss Luo flatters us."
Ling Xianhong silently observed Ling Zhongyu’s questioning. Seeing his eldest son fail to extract useful information, he finally spoke up with authority, "Enough. In our Zhongshan clan, punishments and rewards are always justly distributed. Ling Qingxiao's contributions today will be remembered. As for why the Yayou escaped, we shall investigate thoroughly. There is much to do today, so everyone disperse."
Everyone responded in unison. What Ling Xianhong said wasn’t wrong—although the beast had been subdued, there was still much left to do. Reinforcing the seal, restoring the damaged pavilions, investigating the breach...there was no shortage of work.
In contrast, Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao were among the rare few who emerged unscathed, not even needing rest. Ling Qingxiao glanced at the position of the sun and calmly said, “It’s three-quarters past Shen hour. We’ve only lost half a period. If you leave now, you’ll still make it to class.”
Luo Han was stunned.
They had just come out of a battle with a vicious ancient beast. Her arms still felt like jelly, and he...wanted to send her to class?
She stared at him for a long time, dead serious: “Are you being for real right now? We just survived a life-and-death fight. I was still riding a spirit vessel this morning!”
Ling Qingxiao pondered for a moment and, without a hint of irony, asked, “And what does that have to do with you attending class?”
Luo Han choked. She had no words.
Of course. Devils never think they’re devils. In his mind, this was normal. His brain probably wasn’t made of flesh—it must be some kind of spiritual mechanism, a switch you flip and boom, work mode engaged.
She was completely speechless. After a long, deep breath, she said, “Ling Qingxiao, I beg you, try being human for once. Not everyone is like you! After something this big just happened, you think class will still go on? Which teacher would even be in the mood to lecture?”
Ling Qingxiao considered this seriously and then replied, “True.”
Luo Han thought she was finally getting a break, that this absurdly packed day was over—until she heard his next words, delivered as calmly as ever: “No matter. I’ll teach you myself.”