CHAPTER 552: CHAPTER 545: I DON’T HAVE THIS ABILITY?_1

Situ Hai sighed. "Tianyu, I did this to protect our clansmen’s graveyard."

"The graveyard!" Fatty’s gaze flickered.

"Your parents, the ten Clan Elders, and countless clansmen are all buried here."

"In life, they fought for the honor of the Situ Family."

"In death, I don’t want their ghosts to be disturbed again," Situ Hai said, an indelible sadness etched between his brows.

"Where are they?" Fatty asked, his breathing somewhat ragged.

Situ Hai pointed due north. "In a valley not far ahead."

Fatty immediately looked in that direction. But dense trees obstructed his view, making it impossible to see the valley.

Qin Feiyang also glanced northward. "So, you were the one spying on us from the mountaintop earlier?"

At that time, he’d thought it was an illusion, he recalled. But thinking about it now, it couldn’t have been.

"Yes," Situ Hai admitted. "I sensed your auras immediately. Initially, I had no intention of harming you. But when I saw you searching for something here, I thought you might harbor ill intentions. So, I..." Stopping there, Situ Hai sighed deeply, bowed, and said, "I am truly sorry."

Qin Feiyang gave him a fleeting glance, then said to Fatty, "Go and pay your respects to your parents and clansmen."

"What about you?" Fatty asked.

Qin Feiyang replied, "I’ll stay here with the Digger Beast to look after Lu Hong and the others. Once they wake up, we’ll come find you."

"Alright." Fatty nodded, then turned to Situ Hai. "Uncle Hai, please take me there quickly."

"Okay." Situ Hai nodded and led Fatty away.

The Digger Beast said indignantly, "To think he threw Lu Hong and the others into the giant python’s lair. That old scoundrel is truly ruthless."

Qin Feiyang responded, "Let’s not dwell on what’s past."

Truthfully, he found it hard to let the matter go. It wasn’t because he was petty, but because Lu Hong and the other two were too important to him. Ever since Lu Hong started following him, she had always been considerate, and he had long regarded her as one of his closest companions. Lin Yiyi, naturally, was even dearer; she was his biological sister. As for Lo Qianxue, it was partly due to Jiang Zhengyi’s entrustment and partly due to Lo Qianxue herself. She was kind-hearted and reasonable, and she had taken care of Qin Feiyang since childhood. Most importantly, Qin Feiyang felt a long-lost maternal warmth from her. That was why he wouldn’t tolerate anyone hurting them.

「An hour later.」

Lu Hong and the other two finally awoke one after another. Upon learning Situ Hai’s identity, they were quite surprised and, at the same time, felt a lingering fear. However, they all stated they didn’t wish to pursue the matter. After all, it was a misunderstanding, and everyone was unharmed.

Next, the group returned to the lake to wash off the dirt and blood. Qin Feiyang had also been covered in blood after drilling into the giant python’s body, and he reeked. After Lu Hong and the others finished washing, he too jumped into the lake, scrubbing himself thoroughly before changing into clean clothes. He then took a Rejuvenation Pill to restore his original appearance.

「About a hundred breaths later.」

The four humans and one beast headed towards the valley, which finally came into view.

The valley was enclosed by mountains on all sides, with no discernible entrance or exit; one could only fly in from above.

WHOOSH!

With a wave of his hand, Qin Feiyang took flight with the others, landing above the valley. The entire panorama of the valley instantly unfolded before them.

The valley spanned about half a mile. The ground was flat and covered with lush green wild grass. Amidst the grass, clusters of wildflowers bloomed, their sweet fragrance filling the air. Furthermore, a crystal-clear stream meandered through the entire valley, with an occasional small fish leaping out, adding a touch of liveliness to the place.

On the eastern side of the valley stood a small grove of trees. The trees weren’t tall, but their branches were thick with leaves, brimming with vitality. Through the gaps in the foliage, they could faintly discern an old, small wooden lodge.

WHOOSH!

Qin Feiyang landed with Lu Hong and the others in front of the wooden lodge. It was a two-story structure, bearing the marks of time and weather, yet it was remarkably tidy and clean.

Lu Hong scanned the surroundings and asked, puzzled, "Where’s Fatty?"

There was no sign of Fatty’s presence within the wooden lodge, nor could he be seen nearby.

Qin Feiyang closed his eyes, focused his senses, and said, "They’re out back."

The group walked around the lodge and saw a small hill. When they climbed to its crest, they were met with a stunning sight.

Before them, rows of verdant young trees grew. Neatly arranged among these trees were thousands of graves, both large and small.

Each tombstone was engraved with a few bold, powerful characters:

Tomb of Situ Hong!

Tomb of Situ Kai!

Tomb of Situ Yang!

The thousands of graves and tombstones emanated an unspoken, pervasive sorrow.

Qin Feiyang and the others fell silent. Influenced by the atmosphere, a thread of grief crept into their hearts.

Fatty was kneeling before Situ Hong’s tombstone, his head bowed, sobbing and muttering something unintelligible. Situ Hong was Fatty’s father. Beside Situ Hong’s grave was another tombstone bearing a different surname: Yu Zhenzhen. She was Fatty’s mother. Situ Hai stood behind Fatty, gazing at the tombstones, his face etched with profound grief.

Time trickled by. It wasn’t until dusk that Fatty finally wiped away his tears and rose to his feet.

Surveying the thousands of graves before him, he clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with intense hatred.

"Father, Mother, and all my fellow clansmen, rest assured, I will avenge you!"

"The Xia Family, the Yuan Family, the Ho Family, and that old hag—they will all pay with their lives and accompany you in death!"

With that, Fatty resolutely turned and walked towards Qin Feiyang and the others.

"Revenge?"

However, upon hearing this, Situ Hai immediately frowned. He bowed to the thousands of graves and then hurried after Fatty.

Fatty reached Qin Feiyang, about to speak, when Situ Hai caught up, saying anxiously, "Tianyu, you mustn’t act recklessly."

"Huh?" Fatty was slightly stunned, asking in confusion, "Uncle Hai, how am I being reckless?"

Situ Hai said, "Didn’t you just say you were going to take revenge?"

"Yes." Fatty nodded, his voice sharp. "Blood debts must be paid in blood!"

"Tianyu, you’re being foolish!" Situ Hai exclaimed. "The three City Lords and the Prefecture Lord are incredibly powerful. Forget revenge, you probably couldn’t even get close to them!"

"I’ll give you two choices: either leave Yun State immediately, or stay here with me and guard these tombs."

"As for revenge, don’t even think about it. You don’t have the ability," Situ Hai stated.

"I don’t have the ability?" Fatty chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?" Situ Hai frowned.

Fatty pointed at Qin Feiyang. "Before I met Boss, I truly hadn’t thought about revenge. But now, with my talent, surpassing the three City Lords and the Prefecture Lord is only a matter of time!"

"Boss?" Situ Hai looked at Qin Feiyang, momentarily stunned. So, his previous appearance was a disguise; this is his true face, he realized. Then, a jolt went through him, and he looked at Fatty in astonished disbelief. "Tianyu, your talent..."

Before he could finish, Fatty waved his hand. "Uncle Hai, I’m not the person I used to be. Look at this!"

Fatty tore open his shirt, revealing the Potential Mark.

"This is...?" Situ Hai looked puzzled.

Fatty explained, "This is the legendary Potential Mark. I’ve opened the fourth layer of the Door of Potential, and my cultivation has reached Seven-star War Emperor!"

"What?!" Situ Hai’s eyes quaked.

The Potential Mark! Seven-star War Emperor! How is this possible?

BOOM!

Fatty’s aura erupted.

"It really is Seven-star War Emperor!" Situ Hai trembled körperlich und seelisch, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

"Quick, show me your Battle Soul!" he suddenly urged, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

With a thought from Fatty, the Black Dragon Battle Soul soared into the sky, its immense dragon’s power shaking the surroundings.

"It truly is a Dragon Soul!" Situ Hai was so overwhelmed with emotion that tears streamed down his aged face.

Not long ago, when Fatty had killed those four Water Beasts, he had seen the Dragon Soul and known of Fatty’s strength. But later, learning it was Fatty who had returned, combined with the incident involving Lu Hong and the others, had made him completely forget these details. Now, witnessing it again with his own eyes, a spark of hope, extinguished for over a decade, rekindled in his heart.

WHOOSH!

He immediately spun around, ran to Situ Hong’s tomb, and fell to his knees with a thud, roaring, "Family Head, did you see that?"

"Tianyu not only opened the Door of Potential, but he also awakened a Dragon Soul, one in ten thousand!"

"He’s only in his twenties, yet he has already broken through to Seven-star War Emperor!"

"Throughout the entire Yun State, no one can compare to him!"

"Esteemed Clan Elders, all our clansmen, did you all see?"

"The bloodline of our Situ Family has not been broken!"

"The Situ Family will continue, our glory will endure!"

"In the near future, our Situ Family will surely return to the State City, slaughter all those damnable beasts, and clear our Situ Family’s name!"

"May your souls in heaven rest in peace!"

Situ Hai roared again and again, finally collapsing to the ground, weeping uncontrollably. These were tears of immense joy. More than a decade had passed, and he had long since abandoned any thought of revenge. Though unwilling, he had accepted the harsh reality. Yet, he never expected that the child once deemed to have the poorest talent, the most useless one, had now become such an extraordinary prodigy.

Revenge is finally within reach!

Watching the seemingly crazed Situ Hai, Fatty’s nose tingled, and tears once again blurred his vision.

"Sigh!" Qin Feiyang sighed deeply, looking up at the sky, an unshakeable sorrow clouding his eyes.

Fatty harbored a deep-seated blood feud, a veritable Sea of Blood; was he not the same? But if Fatty wanted revenge, he could act now. What about him? Even if he returned to the Imperial Capital now, he wouldn’t have the power to seek revenge. His enemies were countless times stronger than Fatty’s.

「After a long while,」

Situ Hai finally calmed himself. He rose and walked to Fatty’s side, then turned to Qin Feiyang and the others. "Please forgive my outburst."

"It’s only human. We understand," Lu Hong said with a polite smile.

But the more polite Lu Hong was, the more guilt Situ Hai felt. "Regarding my actions of throwing you into that cave, I am truly sorry. I offer you my most sincere apologies."

So saying, he made to kneel.

Lu Hong quickly stepped forward and stopped him, smiling. "You didn’t do it intentionally. Let bygones be bygones!"

Lo Qianxue and Lin Yiyi also nodded with smiles.

"Thank you, all three of you, for your magnanimity," Situ Hai said, bowing deeply in gratitude.

With the misunderstanding resolved, Fatty also smiled.