Chapter 1110: Playing the lute to a cow

The setting sun sank westward, rosy clouds filling the sky.

Outside Feng Huo City, on Cui Yun Peak, there was a stone table; beside it stood stone stools, where a boy and girl leaned against each other.

The boy was slight of build, his face somewhat pale, his features delicate and handsome.

The girl wore a snow‑white long dress, her skin like jade, her beauty unsurpassed.

The girl rested her head on the boy's shoulder; in the sunset's glow they looked like a celestial couple.

"Yao'er, I truly wish we could stay like this forever!" the boy said, his face full of a happy smile, speaking softly.

"Ming‑gege, of course we can—we promised to be together for life."

The girl's face lit up with a happy smile.

The boy's name was Lu Ming, the girl's name Lu Yao.

Gazing at Lu Yao's smile, Lu Ming's eyes grew even gentler as he took her soft, boneless jade hand and said, "Yao'er, although my meridians are blocked and I cannot condense true qi, if I can awaken my bloodline, the Elder Hall will buy spiritual medicine to clear my channels, and then I will be able to cultivate."

"I will surely become a mighty martial artist and protect you for life."

"Thank you, Ming‑gege."

Lu Yao's eyes shone with emotion as she added, "Ming‑gege, a pulse tester once examined you—did you inherit your father's bloodline?"

"Yes, Yao'er, so the man you marry in the future will certainly be a powerhouse." Lu Ming's face broke into a confident smile.

Lu Yao gave a faint smile, lifted the stone table's wine cup—inside was the famed Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exhaling a light, fresh fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing, then raised the cup and said, "Ming‑gege, come, let Yao'er treat you."

Lu Ming took the cup and said, "Yao'er, you ask me to drink a cup of Blood Tongue Orchid Wine every day; I am truly grateful to have you by my side."

Having spoken, he raised the cup and drained it in one gulp.

The wine's aroma lingered on his tongue, his heart as sweet as the scent—but the next moment he felt a spell of dizziness.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a bit dizzy? This wine…"

Lu Ming leaned on the stone table, gazing at Lu Yao, but at that moment he noticed her face had turned cold.

"Hahaha, Lu Ming, Yao'er has accompanied you for three years merely to nurture your vessels; the time has come—offer up your bloodline!"

At that instant, a middle‑aged man stepped out from the side—Lu Yao's father.

Boom—

Like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, it exploded in Lu Ming's mind.

"Yao'er!"

Lu Ming stared at Lu Yao in disbelief, but her eyes were nothing but cold.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's icy gaze was like a series of daggers piercing his heart; he roared and lunged at her.

But Lu Yao merely stepped back slightly, and he crashed to the ground.

"Duanmu Lin of the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect began cultivating at six, opened two divine veins in half a year, entered the Warrior Realm, reached the Martial Master Realm at nine, and now at sixteen he is one of the sect's Four Great Talents—whereas you are frail and sickly, your meridians blocked; plainly you are trash, and even if you awakened your bloodline you'd still be trash—how could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Only such a genius is worthy of being my match; to marry him I must awaken a mighty bloodline. Since you love me so much, why not fulfill my wish—use your bloodline to help me awaken an even stronger one?"

These cold words issued from Lu Yao's mouth.

Thud!

At that moment the middle‑aged man stamped his foot on Lu Ming's back, a dagger appearing in his hand as he shouted, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

A piercing pain at his spine instantly engulfed Lu Ming; he howled, his voice filled with loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

"Lu Yao, Lu Yunxiong, why do you seize my bloodline!"

Lu Ming bellowed, suddenly sitting up from the bed, the nanmu‑made frame creaking 'gee‑gee'.

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face pallid; at first he thought it a nightmare, but he quickly realized it was no dream—it had really happened.

The scene from several days prior rose again in his mind.

Lu Ming, the main‑line heir of the Lu Family of Feng Huo City, his father being the Family Head of the Lu Family; while Lu Yao is the daughter of the Grand Elder of the Lu Family's first branch.

Though they shared the same clan but different branches, they had grown up together since childhood, childhood sweethearts, inseparable as shadow to form, and in private they had even sworn vows of eternal love, pledging themselves to each other for life.

Lu Ming never imagined that Lu Yao would join the Grand Elder in attacking him to seize his bloodline.

"Strength—everything is because I am weak; if I possessed extraordinary talent and great power, how could they dare treat me this way?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists, his whole body trembling, his eyes bloodshot.

Trash!

That was Lu Yao's nickname for him; her words from three days ago still echoed in his ears.

Creak—

Then the door was pushed open, and a frail‑bodied middle‑aged woman entered, looking at Lu Ming on the bed and asking with concern, "Ming'er, have you had another nightmare?"

This lovely woman was Lu Ming's mother, Li Ping.

Three days ago, it was Li Ping who, worried for Lu Ming's safety, went out to search and rescued him; otherwise Lu Ming would already be dead.

Since the news six years ago that Lu Ming's father had been killed while traveling abroad, he and Li Ping have depended on each other.

Lu Ming looked at Li Ping, his gaze softening, and said, "Mother, it's all right—just a dream."

Seeing Lu Ming's pale complexion, Li Ping sat beside his bed, touching his forehead, and said anguishedly, "It's been three days; every time you cry out that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what on earth is going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao…"

Lu Ming replied, "Mother, there's nothing; you misheard."

Lu Ming did not tell Li Ping that it was Lu Yao and the Grand Elder who did it, for Li Ping does not practice martial arts, and informing her would only bring her harm.

Li Ping hesitated, then said, "Ming'er, from now on you must not call Lu Yao by name in front of others. Two days ago Lu Yao awakened a Level 5 Bloodline and even opened a Divine‑level Meridian; she has already gained the Elder Hall's approval, and at the clan assembly in two months she will take charge of the Lu Family, becoming its head. To address the head by name directly would likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao is going to take over the Lu Family? She can forget about it."

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, eyes bloodshot, teeth grinding and clacking, teeth about to shatter, fresh blood flowing out.

It was rumored that Lu Ming's father was killed by someone six years ago; in these six years, the Lu family has been managed by the Elder Hall, with no new family head appointed.

Seeing Lu Ming like this, Li Ping panicked, merely holding his head, tears streaming down, she said: "Ming'er, don't scare Mother, Mother has already lost your father, cannot lose you again."

"Father... where exactly are you? Ming'er believes you won't die, but now Ming'er is powerless, even unable to hold onto the family head position."

Lu Ming tightly gripped the pendant on his neck, using so much force his nails dug into his flesh, fresh blood continually seeping out.

This pendant, cast of bronze, the size of a pea, was sent back by someone entrusted by Lu Ming's father before his accident; these six years, Lu Ming has always carried it with him.

Fresh blood seeped from his palm, flowing toward the bronze pendant.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the bronze pendant trembled slightly and became scorching hot.

Before Lu Ming could react, the bronze pendant, upon a jolt, turned into fine powder that drilled into his palm and vanished inside.

Then Lu Ming felt a scorching energy rise from his palm up his arm, after a moment settling at the Yintang acupoint between his brows.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed in Lu Ming's mind, shaking his mind with a buzzing.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The continuous roars kept echoing in Lu Ming's mind, then a scorching breath emanated from the brow, surging toward his spine.

The next moment, the roars ceased, but waves of numbness and itch spread from his spine, his whole body turning scorching hot.

"What's going on?"

Lu Ming was completely at a loss.

At this moment, the numbness and itch on his spine intensified, as if something were slowly growing.

"Ming'er, what's wrong with you? Don't scare Mother."

Sensing Lu Ming's abnormality, Li Ping grew more frightened, at a loss what to do.

"Bloodline Rebirth? Could I really undergo bloodline rebirth?" Lu Ming wondered.

Ancient texts record that only very few people, after having their bloodline stripped or damaged for other reasons, can undergo bloodline rebirth, regrowing a bloodline.

However, the reborn bloodline is mostly low grade and of little use.

But also an extremely few individuals can break and then be established, break the cocoon to be reborn, rise from destruction, transcend the past, and awaken a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so small it can be neglected; ancient texts record that hardly any cases have ever occurred.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline, Lu Ming didn't dare think of it—the odds were too tiny; he would be thrilled just to awaken any bloodline.

With a bloodline, he could cultivate martial arts and change his fate.

Then the abnormal sensations gradually faded, Lu Ming's face showed a smile, and he said: "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young master, it's great you're alright; these past days you've scared us to death!"

At that moment, a girl walked over and said.

The girl was about the same age as Lu Ming and extremely beautiful.

Lu Ming naturally recognized her; the girl's name was Qiu Yue, Li Ping's personal maid, who had grown up with him since childhood.

"Qiu Yue, I'm fine, don't worry!"

Lu Ming smiled and said.

Then Lu Ming glanced around, his face suddenly changed, and he said: "Mother, where is this? This is not the Lu Family Main Residence!"

Lu Ming's father had formerly been the head of the Lu family, and they used to live in the Lu Family Main Residence, but this is not it.

"Ming'er, rest and heal your wounds, don't overthink!" Li Ping said, but the fleeting sorrow and tears in her eyes were still caught by Lu Ming.

"Mother, what exactly is going on?" Lu Ming asked.

"Young master, let me explain: we've been driven out; Lu Yao says she will soon become family head, rightly entitled to reside in the main residence, while we lack the qualification to stay, so they've made us move out."

Beside her, Qiu Yue clenched her silver teeth, speaking out, her pretty little face flushed with anger.

"What? Lu Yao, you're bullying too far!" Lu Ming roared.

"You good-for-nothing, why are you shouting? Having a place to let you live is already a favor; aren't you grateful?"

Just then, a voice sounded outside the door, the door opened, and a young man walked out.

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

Lu Ming shouted angrily, this person named Lu Chuan, older brother of Lu Yao, a bit older than Lu Ming.

"Lu Chuan, we've already left the main residence; why are you still coming here?"

Li Ping said, instinctively stepping in front of Lu Ming, as if fearing Lu Chuan might harm Lu Ming.

"I've come to take the sword!"

After speaking, Lu Chuan's eyes scanned the surroundings; upon seeing a precious sword beside the bed, his eyes lit up, he immediately went over and grabbed the sword in his hand.

"Lu Chuan, this sword is the sole token left by Ming'er's father, to be kept for Ming'er's use; you cannot take it."

Li Ping hurriedly reached out to snatch it.

"Get lost!"

Lu Chuan exerted force, the sword sheath trembled, a burst of power erupted; Li Ping, not a cultivator, could not withstand it, her body staggered backward, nearly falling to the ground.

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.