CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 68: TRAGIC PAST OF XIAO SIBLINGS

The moon shone brightly that night, casting its silver glow upon the bustling streets of the city. Lanterns flickered along the roadside, their warm orange flames dancing in rhythm with the soft night breeze. Merchants closed their shops one by one, while travelers, nobles, and common folk alike wandered through the streets in search of late-night food and comfort.

Inside the grand Royal Restaurant, the air was fragrant with the aroma of food,many vegitarian dishes, and freshly brewed tea. The walls were decorated with embroidered silken drapes, glowing lanterns, and jade ornaments that reflected the soft light. The polished floor shimmered faintly under the moonlight streaming through wide windows. The hum of conversations, the clinking of cups, and the faint strum of a zither being played in a distant corner created an atmosphere of warmth and refinement.

At one of the central tables, Shaurya sat in a dignified manner, his expression calm yet unreadable. Around him, his disciples filled the seats, though the night’s air seemed heavy with something unspoken. Across from him sat Xiao Rui, who had just awakened from a momentary daze. He lifted a porcelain cup of tea, his trembling fingers betraying the turmoil within. He took a sip, though the warmth of the tea did little to steady his heart.

Beside him, Lee Bie leaned forward, his brows furrowed with worry. His voice carried the weight of concern as he asked,

"What happened to you? Who was that man?"

From the other side, Zong Bu, wearing a confused expression, added,

"I have never seen you that angry before."

Shaurya’s eyes narrowed slightly. He leaned forward, his sharp gaze fixing on Xiao Rui. His voice, though calm, carried authority that could not be ignored.

"Don’t hide anything from us. Tell us everything."

At a nearby table, Xiao Lian sat with her companions—Muo Qian, Su Quan, Jun Hua, and Xu Ran. Her eyes were blank, as though numb to the world. Her fingers tightened unconsciously around her cup. Seeing her fragile state, Lin Shu entered the hall and gently patted Xiao Lian’s head, her voice soft and soothing as she consoled her.

The room grew still. The disciples waited. The tension thickened like mist over a lake.

Xiao Rui finally inhaled deeply, his breath trembling. He placed the cup down, clenched his fists upon the table, and began.

"He is Zang Han... We have known each other since childhood. Our families were once friends. My father helped his father through a time of great crisis, saving them from ruin. But six years ago... everything changed."

His voice faltered, but he forced himself to continue.

"An elder from the Jade Phoenix Sect discovered Zang Han’s special physique—the Thunder Spirit Body—and accepted him as his disciple. With the elder’s backing, Zang Han’s family rose in power. And then... they betrayed us. They requested that elder to kill my family."

The Flashback.

The smell of smoke filled the night sky. Screams echoed across the Rui family courtyard, where the tiles were stained red with blood. Xiao Rui—then only a boy—stood frozen, clutching his younger sister’s hand as chaos engulfed their home.

His father and uncle fought desperately against a middle-aged man cloaked in jade-green robes—the elder from the Jade Phoenix Sect. Thunder crackled around the man’s body, his very presence suffocating.

"Father!" Xiao Rui cried, but his voice was drowned beneath the roar of lightning.

His father’s eyes met his for one fleeting second, filled with both love and regret. Then the elder’s palm descended, shattering his chest with thunderous force. His father collapsed, blood spraying the ground. His uncle followed soon after, cut down mercilessly.

Xiao Rui screamed, his tiny fists clenching, but he was dragged away by a servant. His sister’s cries echoed in his ears. That night, his family’s legacy ended.

Tears welled in his eyes, sliding down his cheeks. His nails dug into his palms as he spoke through clenched teeth.

Back to the present.

"My father and my uncle tried to resist that elder... but he was too powerful. My whole family... slaughtered. But they did not kill me and my sister. Instead, Zang Han’s father reduced us to slaves—to prove that they were superior to my father. They destroyed our cultivation bases... stripped us of everything."

Across the room, Xiao Lian lowered her head. Tears spilled silently from her eyes, her body trembling. Lin Shu quickly embraced her, whispering words of comfort as Xiao Rui’s painful memories poured out.

Xiao Rui’s voice grew heavier, every word dragging like a blade across the hearts of those listening.

"Zang Han was given one year to stay with his family before joining the sect. That year... was hell. He tortured us every single day. We were not treated as humans. They gave us no room—only a place under a tree to live. We ate the scraps that even their servants threw away.

The flashback of torture.

The Rui siblings’ world shrank to a tree by the side of the manor, where they were forced to live like animals. Rain poured one night, soaking through the thin rags Xiao Rui had patched together. He held his shivering sister tightly, covering her frail body with his own, whispering,

"Don’t cry, Lian... Brother’s here. I’ll protect you."

But when fever burned her skin days later, desperation clawed at him.

He knelt before Zang Han in the courtyard, rain dripping from his hair, his knees sinking into the mud.

"Please... she’s burning with fever. Give me some medicine. Anything. Please!"

Zang Han sneered, his voice sharp as a blade.

"Let her die. Her life isn’t worth anything. I’d rather spend my money on street women than waste it on her."

Xiao Rui’s heart burned with hatred. His fists clenched until blood dripped from his palms, but he knew resistance meant death. For three days, he stayed on his knees, his body growing numb, until Zang Han finally laughed.

"I’ll make you a deal," he said coldly. "If you can survive ten of my attacks, I’ll give you the money for her treatment."

Xiao Rui’s eyes lit with a fragile hope. He nodded, teeth clenched.

"I accept."

The next moment, thunder roared. Ten strikes fell upon him, each one filled with brutal, merciless power. His body was thrown across the courtyard, bones breaking, blood spraying from his lips. On the final strike, he collapsed, barely conscious, his vision darkening.

Zang Han crouched beside him, laughing.

"Pathetic. Did you really think I’d keep my word?"

Xiao Rui lay broken in the mud, the world spinning. He wanted to scream, but only blood left his mouth.

The disciples sat frozen, their expressions dark and shaken. Shaurya’s eyes closed for a brief moment, as though suppressing the storm within his chest.

Xiao Rui’s face twisted with grief.

"But... there was one kind soul. An old servant woman. She gave me medicine, food, and money when she could. She treated me and my sister like her own grandchildren. She was the only one who showed us love in that house."

In the dim light of a servant’s quarters, the old woman pressed a warm bowl of porridge into Xiao Rui’s hands.

"Eat, child. Share it with your sister."

Her wrinkled hand brushed his hair, and for the first time in months, Xiao Rui felt warmth. His sister smiled faintly as she sipped the broth, her pale cheeks flushing with life.

But one evening, their secret was discovered.

Zang Han stormed into the quarters, his face twisted with rage. He dragged the old woman into the courtyard and tied her to a post. Xiao Rui and his sister were forced to watch.

"You dared betray me for these rats?" Zang Han snarled.

"Please, don’t hurt her!" Xiao Rui screamed, throwing himself forward—only to be kicked down by servants.

The old woman smiled at him, even as blood dripped from her lips. "Be strong, Rui... protect your sister."

Zang Han raised his blade and, before their horrified eyes, struck her down. Blood splattered across the dirt. His sister screamed so loudly that her voice broke. From that day, she withdrew into silence, her eyes vacant with terror.

He paused, his breath ragged. His fists shook violently.

" He cut her neck in front of my sister’s eyes. She was only six years old that time. From that day, she became broken. She stopped speaking, stopped leaving the small shelter I made for her. She lived in fear, traumatized beyond repair."

The entire restaurant fell into silence. Even the distant zither ceased its tune. The weight of Xiao Rui’s words pressed upon everyone present. Xiao Lian sobbed quietly in Lin Shu’s embrace, her tears soaking through her sleeves.

"For that entire year, he tortured us. I had to raise my sister... protect her... and endure it all. When Zang Han finally left for the sect, the torment eased slightly, but his family’s servants continued to abuse us. We washed their clothes, cleaned their house, scrubbed their floors. Yet they never gave us food. They would rather throw leftovers into the trash. I scavenged through waste just to survive. I nearly lost all will to live."

He lifted his tear-streaked face, voice trembling but determined.

"But I refused to break. I could not die. I had to raise my sister. I had to avenge my family. My mother’s last words kept me alive—’No matter what, protect your little sister at all costs.’ That responsibility gave me strength."

Xiao Rui’s voice grew steadier.

"After five years of slavery and torture, Zang Han’s family moved away from Blue Stone City. His father tried to kill us rather than take us along. But he failed. He left us injured, abandoned. I begged in the streets, cleaned shops, did anything to survive. Somehow, I managed to buy medicine for my sister. She became my reason to live. Her presence... and my revenge... kept me going. The shopkeepers pitied us, offering food at times. And then... Master came into our lives."

He turned his tearful gaze to Shaurya.

"Master saved us. Made us cultivators. Gave us a life we had only dreamed of. Not just a place to live... but friends... a family."

At that, Lee Bie, Cheng Fang, and Zong Bu broke down in tears, rushing to embrace Xiao Rui tightly. The other disciples sat in stunned silence, their eyes wide, their hearts trembling with grief and rage at the cruelty he endured.

Shaurya closed his eyes again. He too was hiding his tears. He finally placed a steady hand on Xiao Rui’s shoulder, his voice resolute.

"Don’t worry. We are not just a sect. We are a family. You can rely on us. In the upcoming competition, you will have your chance for revenge. Killing is prohibited. But you may injure him as much as you want. I will not stop you—just don’t kill him."

Xiao Rui wiped his tears, his voice shaking with barely restrained fury.

"I want to kill him right now, Master. Please allow me!"

Shaurya shook his head firmly. He gripped Xiao Rui by both shoulders, forcing him to sit. His tone turned sharp, yet filled with wisdom.

"I could allow you to kill him right now. But that would only release your anger. Killing him now would be showing him mercy. True revenge is not in death, Xiao Rui—it is in humiliation. Your revenge will be complete when you crush him before a great crowd, when you torture him until he begs for death, but receives only suffering. That will be your justice."

A chill ran down every disciple’s spine. Xiao Rui listened with full attention, his anger reshaping into determination. He bowed deeply.

"I understand, Master. I will wait."

Shaurya smiled faintly.

"I trust you."

He turned and saw Lin Shu still comforting Xiao Lian. Amidst her tears, a faint smile flickered on Xiao Lian’s face, touched by the warmth of the sect family.

Shaurya rose from his seat.

"Alright. Eat as much as you want. Then return to your rooms in the Royal Hotel and rest peacefully."

In unison, the disciples shouted,

"Yes, Sect Master!"

Shaurya left the restaurant, Lin Shu following close behind. Stepping into the cool night air, he lifted his gaze to the bright moon above. The night was still, the city quieting as the hour grew late.

Lin Shu appeared at his side, her steps light. Shaurya glanced at her with a warm smile.

"What are you doing here?" he asked softly.

"I just wanted some fresh air," she replied, standing beside him.

Shaurya tilted his head back toward the sky. "The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?"

Lin Shu’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Yes... it is."

Shaurya’s face grew warm, his heart skipping as the System Window suddenly appeared before his inner vision.

Wow, host. What an indirect way to say ’I love you.’ Why not just confess directly?

Shaurya chuckled silently in his heart. I will say it directly soon.

He spoke gently, "Let’s walk to our rooms."

Lin Shu nodded, walking beside him. After a moment, she said softly, "I never expected Xiao Rui and Xiao Lian would have such a tragic past. He always acts funny, carefree... yet he has suffered so much."

Shaurya’s gaze darkened with thought. "I knew they carried sadness in their pasts... but never imagined it was this tragic. That is why one should never judge others too early."

Lin Shu nodded. Together, they walked to the Royal Hotel. Shaurya opened the heavy doors for her, and she stepped inside. For a brief moment, Shaurya lingered outside, casting one last glance at the luminous sky before following her in.

Back inside the restaurant, the atmosphere had changed. Wang Tian leaned toward Xiao Rui, his voice brimming with loyalty.

"Hey Rui, we are with you. We’ll all help you take revenge. Don’t just humiliate him—torture that bastard."

Luo Chen tilted his head. "But what if he dies during the torture?"

Wang Tian shook his head with a confident smirk. "No. If you use the right methods, he won’t die. He’ll beg for death, but we won’t give it to him."

Xiao Rui looked at him curiously. "What right methods?"

Wang Tian’s grin widened. "Now that’s the right question. Listen carefully. Don’t strike his vital organs—the kidneys, lungs, heart, neck, or brain. But you can break his arms, his legs, his jaw. Shatter his bones, pierce his flesh. As long as you avoid the vital spots, he will live... but in agony."

Luo Chen raised an eyebrow. "And how are you so sure?"

From a side table, Elder Liya, who had been quietly observing, let out a laugh.

"Trust him. He’s an expert."

Wang Tian puffed out his chest proudly. Xiao Rui’s eyes lit with awe as the others leaned closer, listening intently to every word. The restaurant soon turned into a hall of hushed whispers and eager ears, as Wang Tian continued his lesson on torture disguised as strategy.

And thus, the night passed...

To be continued....