Chapter 1125: Infiltrating the Manor

The sun set, and rosy clouds filled the sky.

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

The boy was slight of build, his complexion somewhat pale, his features delicate.

The girl wore a pure white dress, her skin like jade, her beauty exquisite.

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

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

"Ming brother, of course we can; we promised to be together for life."

The girl's face showed a happy smile.

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

Looking at Lu Yao's smile, Lu Ming's gaze grew gentler as he held her soft, boneless jade hand, saying, "Yao'er, although my meridians are blocked and I cannot cultivate true qi, if I can awaken my bloodline, the Elder Hall will purchase spiritual medicine to clear my channels, and then I will be able to train."

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

"Thank you, Ming brother."

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

"Yes, Yao'er, so the man you will marry will surely be a powerhouse." Lu Ming wore a confident smile.

Lu Yao smiled faintly, lifted the wine cup on the stone table; the cup held the famous Blood Tongue Orchid Wine, exuding a faint fragrance.

Lu Yao swiftly kissed Lu Ming's cheek, her face flushing, then raised the cup and said, "Ming brother, 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 said that, he raised the cup and drained it in one gulp.

The wine's aroma lingered on his tongue, making Lu Ming's heart feel as sweet as the scent, but the next moment he felt a bit dizzy.

"Yao'er, why do I feel a little dizzy? This wine..."

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

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

At that moment, a middle-aged man appeared from the side—Lu Yao's father.

Boom—

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

"Yaoer!"

Lu Ming stared at Lu Yao in disbelief, but her eyes were filled only with coldness.

"Why? I love you so much!"

Lu Yao's cold gaze was like a series of daggers piercing Lu Ming's 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 cultivated 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; as for you, weak and sickly with blocked meridians—you're nothing but trash. Even if you awakened your bloodline, you'd still be trash—how could you compare to Duanmu Lin?"

"Such a genius is the only worthy match for me, Lu Yao; 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 stepped on Lu Ming's back, a dagger appearing in his hand, shouting, "Lu Ming, offer up your bloodline!"

Ah!

A piercing pain at his spine instantly overwhelmed Lu Ming; he screamed, his voice full of loneliness, helplessness, and despair.

Gradually, Lu Ming sank into endless darkness.

"Lu Yao, Lu Yunxiong, why are you stealing my bloodline!"

Lu Ming bellowed, suddenly sitting up from the bed, the nanmu-made bed creaking 'gaa—'.

Lu Ming was drenched in sweat, his face pale; at first he thought it was a nightmare, but he quickly realized it was not a dream but an actual event.

The scene from several days ago surfaced again in his mind.

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

They shared the same ancestry but different branches, having grown up together since childhood—childhood sweethearts, inseparable, having even sworn eternal love in private and pledged to marry.

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 strength, how could they dare treat me this way?"

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

Trash!

This 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 middle-aged woman entered, looking at Lu Ming on the bed and asking with concern, "Ming'er, are you having another nightmare?"

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

Three days ago, it was Li Ping, worried about Lu Ming's safety, who went out to search and rescued him; otherwise Lu Ming would have died.

Since six years ago, when word spread that Lu Ming's father had been killed while traveling abroad, he has depended on Li Ping for survival.

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

Seeing Lu Ming's pale complexion, Li Ping sat beside his bed, touching his forehead, and said achingly, "It's been three days; you keep shouting that Lu Yao harmed you, Ming'er—what exactly is going on? Could your injury be because of Lu Yao..."

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

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

Li Ping hesitated, then said, "Ming'er, from now on you must not call Lu Yao's name directly in front of others. Two days ago, Lu Yao awakened a fifth‑tier bloodline and even opened a divine‑level meridian; she has already received 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 outright would likely be seen as disrespectful."

"What? Lu Yao is going to take over the Lu Family? No way!"

Lu Ming let out a low angry roar, his eyes bloodshot, his jaws clenched and grinding, his teeth about to shatter, 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; I cannot lose you too."

"Father... where exactly are you? Ming-er believes you won't die, but now Ming-er is powerless, even the family head position may not be held."

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

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

Blood seeped from his palm and flowed toward the bronze pendant.

Buzz!

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

Before Lu Ming could react, the bronze pendant shuddered and turned into fine powder that drilled into his palm, disappearing inside.

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

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

Suddenly, a tremendous roar echoed in Lu Ming's mind, shaking it and causing a buzzing sensation.

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

"Nine Dragons Immortal, Bloodline Rebirth!"

The continuous roars kept echoing in Lu Ming's mind; afterward, a scorching breath emanated from the point between his brows and surged toward his spine.

The next moment, the roars ceased, but waves of numbness and itch spread from his spine, and his whole body became 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 the abnormality in Lu Ming's body, Li Ping grew more frightened and was at a loss what to do.

"Bloodline Rebirth? Could I really achieve 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 new bloodline.

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

But there are also extremely rare individuals who can break and then be reborn, breaking the cocoon to be reborn, rising from destruction, transcending the past, and awakening a supreme bloodline.

But this probability is so minuscule as to be negligible; ancient texts record that hardly any cases have occurred throughout history.

Transcending the past and awakening a supreme bloodline—Lu Ming didn't even think about it, since the odds were too slim; he would be delighted just to awaken any bloodline.

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

At this moment, the abnormal sensations on his body gradually faded, Lu Ming's face broke into a smile, and he said: "Mother, I'm fine!"

"Young master, it's wonderful that you're all right; these past few days you've scared us to death!"

At this 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, a personal maid of Li Ping who had grown up with him since childhood.

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

Lu Ming said with a smile.

Then Lu Ming glanced around, his expression 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 place is not it.

"Ming-er, just rest and recover, don't overthink it!" 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 were driven out; Lu Yao said she would soon become the family head and thus should move into the main residence, while we no longer had the qualifications to stay there, so they made us move out."

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

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

"You good-for-nothing, why are you shouting? Having a place to live is already a favor; you should be grateful."

Just then, a voice sounded from outside the door, the door was opened, and a young man stepped out.

"Lu Chuan, is that you!"

Lu Ming shouted angrily, this person was Lu Chuan, the elder brother of Lu Yao, and 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!"

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

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

Li Ping hurriedly reached out to snatch it.

"Get lost!"

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

"Mother!" Lu Ming bellowed.