Book 1- The Start of Cultivation Chapter 28: Oh Realy? Then Dont Mind If I Do.

The bartender continued. "The father picks up odd jobs here and there, and the mother stays home with her daughters, making ends meet by mending clothes. Word is they were pretty well-off once, but apparently their eldest son screwed up badly, and they lost everything. Now he just drinks all day. And you want to hear the funniest part?"

"What?" Xue San asked, a dangerous light flickering in the depths of his eyes.

"They had a daughter-in-law who left them to become an entertainer in the red-light district. Can you believe it?" The man burst into laughter as he said this.

Xue San was taken aback. This was hardly the news he had been bracing himself for. In truth, he had never been fond of his sister-in-law—he could still recall the disdainful glances she used to cast around their family home in the village. But to think she would abandon her husband's family and prostitute herself the moment they fell into crisis…

"What a disgusting woman," he muttered, his voice laden with contempt.

"Right, right?" the bartender replied with a derisive chuckle. "If I had a son like that, I'd have beaten him to death. It's not enough that he ruined his family's fortune—he also married such a blackhearted woman."

Not wishing to linger, Xue San left the tavern and headed for the building behind it. His hands trembled as he knocked on the door.

"Who… Who is it?" came a voice from inside—his mother's voice.

"Mom, it's me. Xue San."

A moment of silence passed before the door swung open. His mother didn't give him so much as a second to speak; she pulled him into a tight embrace the instant she saw him.

In that moment, all of Xue San's worries seemed to melt away.

"Mother, who is it? If it's about the clothing, I'm already done," called a second voice, belonging to his older sister, Xue Er.

She came into view, cloth still in hand. But when she caught sight of her mother hugging Xue San, she dropped everything and rushed over, tears streaming down her cheeks. "You idiot," she sobbed. "Why didn't you come sooner? I was worried sick."

A broad smile lit up Xue San's face, and tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. This was his big sister: no matter how dire her situation was, she'd always be concerned about him.

"Let's go inside and talk," he finally said.

"Yes, yes, let's do that," his mother agreed quickly. "You must be hungry. Let me prepare something for you to eat."

Xue San wanted to refuse, but seeing her eagerness, he held his tongue.

"Where's little Xue Si?" he asked.

"She's sleeping," Xue Er replied, her tone subdued. "She's been under the weather these past few days—it's the flu. Father went out to buy medicine; he should be back any time now."

"May I see her?" Xue San moved toward the sleeping area, but his mother gently placed a hand on his arm, insisting it would be better for Xue Si to rest undisturbed. So, instead, they all headed into the small kitchen, which doubled as the living room.

"So, are you a cultivator now?" Xue Er asked, excitement creeping into her voice.

"Yes!" Xue San answered.

"Wow, and—"

He cut her off. "Wait. Before anything else… tell me what happened. Why are all of you here?"

At his question, the warmth in the room fled as if a cold wind had blown through.

"It's all that idiot Xue Yi's fault," Xue Er spat.

"Xue Er," their mother warned, casting her a disapproving look.

"What? It's true!" Xue Er shot back. She turned to Xue San. "Listen, this started long before your nice, Xue Rou was born. Our so-called 'genius' older brother—thinking he was smarter than everyone else—struck a deal with some shady group called the White Tiger Merchant Guild. They claimed they needed manpower to transport goods and offered him a tidy sum. They even let him stamp his father-in-law's seal on their official documents, as a guante, so if they refused to pay, he could claim ownership of the deal. Can you imagine how he fell for that?" She scoffed.

"Well, to cut to the chase, they were smuggling stolen goods, and our dear brother ended up taking the fall."

Xue San's jaw almost hit the floor. Was his brother a child? How on earth could he have gone along with something like that? "That moron," he cursed inwardly.

"Master Jin Fu helped us out a lot," Xue Er continued. "He even paid a significant amount of money to keep us safe. But then the White Tiger Merchant Guild came knocking, demanding reparation. In the end, we had to give them every coin we had, along with the house. At least they left us alone after that." A hint of fear crept into her voice.

"And Sister-in-law?" Xue San asked.

"Humph! Don't mention that whore," Xue Er snarled.

To Xue San's surprise, their mother did nothing to chide Xue Er this time.

"When our brother lost everything, she moved in with us. But once the house was gone, she just left. Rumor is she went off to work in the red-light district, and what's worse, she ended up in a brothel owned by the White Tiger Merchant Guild."

Xue San shook his head in disbelief. "How could anyone sink so low? She—"

Just then, Fluffy—who had spent what felt like an eternity stuffed inside Xue San's bag—let out a few sharp barks, breaking the tension in the tiny room.

"What was that?" Xue Er asked curiously.

Recalling the poor little creature he had stuffed in his bag all day, Xue San felt a pang of guilt.

"When I was back at the sect, I stumbled upon this little fellow. One thing led to another, and now he won't leave my side. I figured Xue Si might like him."

Said Xue San as he took Fluffy out of the bag.

"Absolutely not," his mother said, frowning at how Fluffy was growling at Xue San.

"Mother, please—just look at how adorable he is," Xue Er chimed in.

"Mom, it's my fault that he's angry," Xue San explained. "I left him in the bag while I was looking for you, and he stayed in there without a peep. He's probably just hungry."

"Wow, he's that smart?" Xue Er exclaimed.

"Well…" his mother began uncertainly. Yet Xue San could see that she, too, found the little wolf cub endearing.

"Rou Shui, I've got the medicine," came his father's voice from the doorway.

Before their mother could respond, Xue Er rushed to greet him. "Father, look who's back!"

When his father caught sight of him, his stern features softened into a fond grin. "So you still remember you have a family, you brat."

Xue San hugged his father tightly. Although they had endured so much, they were still the loving, close-knit family he remembered.

They shared a simple stew for dinner—a meal that tasted heavenly to Xue San's. Even Fluffy overate, his belly bulging from all he had devoured. Afterward, his father suggested they go out for a drink. Xue San immediately sensed that his father wanted to discuss something away from his Mother and Xue Er.

They headed to the tavern next door and found a secluded corner, while his mother and sister remained home, happily playing with Fluffy.

By this time, Xue San had changed into ordinary clothes, ensuring that no one paid them any mind.

"You probably already know why we're stuck here," his father said, his gaze serious.

"Xue Er explained everything," Xue San replied.

"Good. Then I'll cut to the chase: be sure to thank Mister Jin Fu for all the help he's given us. I'm certain the only reason he even bothered was because he sees you as a sound investment."

"I know, Father," Xue San said. "I won't ever forget what he's done for us."

"Good." His father managed a faint smile. "Now, about your brother…" His voice trailed off.

"Father, for the time being, it would be best for us to move outside these slums. This environment isn't good for Mother and the others"

"But we don't have enough—"

"Don't worry about money," Xue San said, forcing a confident smile. "As a disciple of a grand sect, I receive more than enough resources. In truth, I'm not sure how to spend it all." He was lying through his teeth, but there was no other way to extricate his family from these deplorable conditions.

His father fell silent, then nodded.

"As for my brother—if he's sober enough to find his way home, he'll be sober enough to find where we are, he lived here longer than us, so he must have a better understanding of the city. Our priority now is taking care of Mother, Xue Si, Xue Er, and little Xue Rou," Xue San added.

"You've matured a great deal since I last saw you," his father remarked quietly, studying him with a mix of pride and concern.

Xue San nearly confessed all the hardships and dark deeds he had committed simply to stay alive—but decided against it. There was no use burdening his father any further. These sins were his alone to bear.

Early the next morning, Xue Si threw a tantrum about not being awakened the moment Xue San arrived. She refused to leave her bed, even after he announced they would be moving somewhere better. But the instant she spotted Fluffy, she shot out of bed as fast as a rabbit fleeing its warren.

Xue San also tried to talk to his little nice that he never met but the girl just hid behind his grandmother, apparently still afraid of this unknow uncle of hers.

In the end, Xue San rented a house in the housing district, complete with a handful of servants. The steep price—five gold coins a month—covered every amenity, so they wouldn't have to worry about basic necessities.

Xue San still had thirty-seven gold coins saved, so he paid for half a year in advance.

But that wasn't all. Once his family had settled in, he revealed the gifts he had brought them from the Darkwood Forest. Everyone was delighted, especially his father, who couldn't stop cradling his new bow as though it were a precious newborn.

Seeing his family so content, Xue San discovered a deeper reason for his cultivation, beyond mere childhood dreams. His strength was what ensured they could live in peace.

For if he weren't a cultivator, he never would have been able to resolve their problems this readily. And if he weren't a cultivator, he certainly couldn't carry out what he planned to do next.

In a private chamber elsewhere in Dragon Fort City, Jin Fu read the report on Xue San's activities and smiled broadly. "Ah, my instincts never fail me," he said, handing a slip of paper to a shadowy figure lurking by his side. "Read this, Shadow One."

Scanning the contents, the figure exclaimed, "He possesses spiritual sense on par with a Foundation Establishment cultivator and owns a spatial ring with tiny engravings of pill cauldrons adorned its surface." the shadowy figure trembled slightly "Master, is he the one holding the Dan Qing ring that Shadow Seventy-Six mentioned?"

"Who else could it be?" Jin Fu replied, a mischievous grin forming on his lips.

"Then I'll retrieve it right awa—"

Jin Fu cut him off with a raised hand. "And why would you do that? I told you, Shadow One, there's something extraordinary about this boy. Rare plants like Phoenix Fern don't simply sprout for mortals to stumble upon. He even concealed his true cultivation from me—though I didn't try too hard to probe him, it's still impressive." The more Jin Fu spoke of Xue San, the brighter his eyes shone, like a wealthy child who had finally found a new toy that money could never buy.

"But Master, the contents of that ring—"

"I know," Jin Fu replied. "But I have an even better idea. Why not give him a little help—nudge him in the right direction!?" A scheming smile spread across his face. Jin Fu didn't have this much in years.

In the following days, Xue San relished his time with his family. One afternoon, as they were preparing to go out, he felt a familiar fluctuation from his spatial ring.

Another message from the Blood Moon Guild appeared:

"Orders with the seal of the Guild Master;

Surface member Xue San: You are hereby ordered to eliminate the leaders of the White Tiger Gang, also known as the White Tiger Merchant Guild. Failure to comply will result in the prescribed punishment from the Guild."

Xue San frowned. Why would they choose him, of all people? The Guild certainly had stronger members. But this was an order he couldn't refuse. The repercussions of disobedience were beyond anything Xue San could face alone.

As if his mood wasn't already sour enough, he suddenly heard a slurred voice from outside.

"Well, well, well—hic!—living it up, are we? Why didn't you bother letting me know? What you —hic!— think I not wothy now—hic!?" It was his elder brother, stumbling about, reeking of liquor. He had finally managed to track them down.

"E-Elder Brother?" Xue Si squeaked, ducking behind their mother.

"Shut up, you little sh— hic— shrimp," he snarled, so drunk he could scarcely speak.

"Xue Yi, don't talk to your sister that way!" their father snapped, anger flashing in his eyes. Where had he gone wrong with this son?

"Or wha—hic—what? Everything's gone to hell, if you helped me when I asked, now—hic— give me the—hic—mony. The Whithe Tiger Merchants—hic—still say I own them—hic—"

"Xue Yi, shut your mouth before I do something I'll regret!" his father roared.

"Oh, hic—go ahead, old man—hic—take a swing. But if you dont dare—hic—I will go tell that you have—hic—mony!" hahaha "And they will—hic—take your wife—hic—too" Xue Yi taunted, thrusting his cheek forward. He knew his father pitied him too much to deliver a real blow. But these words where to much even for his father to tolarate

But before he could take even a step Xue San was already in from of his elder brother. "Oh, really? Don't mind if I do."