Chapter 1: Master, I'm Sorry!

“Master, I’m sorry. I… I couldn’t control myself!”

Qin Tian stared at the woman beneath him, her face flushed, her clothes disheveled and pale skin exposed. His eyes filled with remorse.

“You… Why are you just lying there? Get off me!”

Her voice was hoarse, with a devastating allure.

Qin Tian hurriedly rolled off her and knelt at her side, afraid to raise his head.

The woman was Lan Xi, his master and the person who had saved his life.

An hour ago, his Ancestral Dragon bloodline had run wild. He had lost his senses and committed an unforgivable act against her…

“Get up.”

Her cool voice broke the silence. Qin Tian looked up.

Lan Xi had dressed. In a long white gown, with a vermilion beauty mark between her brows, she looked like an immortal who had descended from the moon. A faint flush still lingered on her exquisite face, lending her an earthly warmth.

Qin Tian stood, careful not to stare. “Master, I deserve death for what I’ve done. Please punish me!”

Lan Xi sighed, almost as if speaking to herself. “It wasn’t your fault. This was fate.”

She continued, “Dragons are lustful by nature. Now that your martial arts have reached such heights, your Ancestral Dragon bloodline has fully awakened. It’s only natural that you lost control. If anyone is to blame, it’s me for underestimating your strength.”

Much of Qin Tian’s anxiety eased. “Master, does that mean… you don’t blame me?”

“I don’t.” Lan Xi sighed again. “But since this has happened, our time as master and disciple has come to an end. It’s time for you to leave the mountain.”

His face fell, and he hurried to protest. “Master, I don’t want to leave. I want to stay here with you!”

“Stay with me?” Her cheeks reddened, but her voice was sharp. “And the next time your dragon blood runs wild, are we to do… that absurd thing again?”

Qin Tian opened his mouth, but no answer came.

“Five years have passed,” Lan Xi continued. “Your medical and martial skills have both reached extraordinary heights. It’s time you went down the mountain.”

“But, Master, I…”

She raised a hand to stop him. “Listen to me first. There are two things you must do when you leave.

“First, now that your Ancestral Dragon bloodline has awakened, if it happens again, your dragon blood will flow backward and bring you a fate worse than death. To resolve it for good, you must find the Nine Yang treasures scattered throughout the world. Each one you take will unlock a dragon-mark seal, refine your dragon blood, and grant you its corresponding inheritance.

“Second, your entire Qin family was slaughtered five years ago. Don’t you want to find out the truth?”

Qin Tian’s pupils contracted. A murderous aura burst from him, and his thoughts returned to that night five years ago.

Back then, he had been the second young master of the Qin family in Jiangcheng, Zhelin Province.

On the night of his eighteenth birthday, a group of powerful strangers dressed in black, with black cloth covering their faces, had stormed the Qin residence and begun a massacre. More than thirty members of the family’s direct line had died on the spot.

Qin Tian had not escaped. Stabbed three times, with six wounds through his body and all his blood drained, he had lain in the middle of the residence as his consciousness sank into endless darkness.

Two days later, he had miraculously opened his eyes. The first person he saw was Lan Xi.

Later, he had become her disciple and learned what had happened: the draining of his blood had unexpectedly awakened his dormant Ancestral Dragon bloodline, breaking him down so he could be reborn.

Lan Xi, far away on Penglai Immortal Mountain, had sensed its pure aura. Using her extraordinary powers, she had traveled a great distance to save him.

In the five years since, Qin Tian had never forgotten the night his family was destroyed. He had trained relentlessly, neglecting food and sleep, all so that one day he could avenge them.

That day had come.

Lan Xi waved a hand. “Go.”

Qin Tian dropped to his knees. “Master, I’ll never forget that you saved my life and taught me everything I know. Once I’ve taken my revenge, I’ll return and care for you.”

He bowed three times, his forehead striking the ground in gratitude, then rose and left Penglai Immortal Mountain.

Lan Xi watched him disappear from sight. “A true dragon has entered the world,” she murmured. “The winds are about to rise.”

…

At noon the next day, in Jiangcheng, Zhelin Province, a streak of white light tore across the sky. The thunderous rush left everyone below dizzy, but when they looked up, nothing seemed out of place.

At the Qin ancestral residence, Qin Tian descended from the sky. After five years, he was finally home, where he had spent the first eighteen years of his life.

The estate was desolate and overgrown, its former splendor long gone. Every brick and tile was familiar. When he looked at the battered front gate, tears rolled silently down his cheeks.

“Mom, Dad… I’m home.”

His voice trembled as he walked toward the entrance, his heavy footsteps striking the ground. Then he frowned. Somewhere inside, he could hear people arguing.

“Old Master Qin, you’ve already died once. I’d have thought you, of all people, would know how precious life is. So why don’t you sign the contract?”

Inside stood a burly, fierce-looking man with narrow, triangular eyes and a smile that never reached them. Facing him was a gray-haired old man whose face was lined with wrinkles.

Had Qin Tian seen him, he would have wept for joy. The old man was his grandfather, Qin Yuanming.

Qin Tian had not been the only survivor of the massacre. Qin Yuanming had escaped by sheer luck, but the years since had been worse than death.

After the family was destroyed, its businesses had been carved up and its valuables plundered. Now even this last ancestral home was coveted by a man the Qins had once supported as a retainer.

Qin Yuanming trembled, his face livid. “Liu Dongsheng, you beast! If it weren’t for me, you’d have died in that fighting cage. And now you want to steal my family’s home? Are you even human?”

Liu Dongsheng bared his teeth in a sinister grin. “Know when you’re beaten, old man. I’ll tell you straight: I work for Xie Tianlang now, the leader of the Heavenly Wolf Gang. He wants this land, so you have no choice.”

Qin Yuanming’s eyes reddened. “You traitor, always changing masters, get out! I’d rather die than sign. Get out!”

“You old bastard, how dare you insult me? Do you still think you’re the master of the Qin family you used to be? Have it your way!”

Liu Dongsheng lashed out with a kick.

The frail old man had no defense against a strike from a fighter at the Transformative Force realm. He crashed to the ground, blood spraying everywhere.

Liu Dongsheng wasn’t finished. He waved his hand. “Get him. Make the old fool see sense!”

“Yes, Brother Dongsheng!”

Three Heavenly Wolf Gang underlings, who had been standing nearby with their arms folded, rushed at Qin Yuanming.

Then a muffled crash rang out. The front gate flew open under a powerful kick, sending dust billowing into the air.

Liu Dongsheng and the others jolted and turned toward the entrance. A tall, slender figure walked through the haze.

When the dust settled, they saw his face. Liu Dongsheng frowned; the young man looked familiar.

Qin Yuanming’s eyes widened. Recognizing those familiar features, he caught his breath. His voice shook.

“X-Xiaotian? Is that you?”

“Xiaotian?” Liu Dongsheng echoed. Realization struck, and he looked as though he’d seen a ghost. “Qin Tian? You’re… you’re alive?”