Chapter 5 

Feng Qi, originally named Feng Qi, was the direct bloodline descendant of the Feng Clan, a prominent cultivation family.  

His mother was the younger sister of the Feng Clan’s patriarch. Unfortunately, she became pregnant before marriage and refused to reveal the identity of the child’s father, even unto death. Thus, Feng Qi was branded a bastard from birth, his status unrecognized by the Feng Clan. He grew up enduring the insults and abuse of his clansmen—a discarded child of the Feng Clan.  

Despised by his kin, even his own mother, who was mentally unstable, would beat and berate him at the slightest provocation. From the moment Feng Qi could remember, he wasn’t even deemed worthy of a woodshed, forced to sleep in a stone cave on the back mountain, drifting through life in a daze.  

Yet it was precisely because of this that he escaped a calamity that wiped out his clan.  

Eight years ago, a member of the Feng Clan fell under the influence of a demonic entity, causing demonic energy to spread among the clan. The corruption drove the clansmen to madness, turning on each other in a bloodbath that transformed their home into a living hell. By the time the Cloud Hermit Sect received the plea for help and arrived, most of the Feng Clan had perished, leaving only a handful of survivors. None of the main bloodline remained alive—except for Feng Qi, who had hidden in the back mountain and escaped the slaughter. However, he was left in a dazed, terrified stupor.  

It was under these circumstances that Lin Fu Feng took Feng Qi back to the Cloud Hermit Sect, accepting him as a disciple. His name was changed from “Qi” (abandoned) to “Qi” (awakening), symbolizing a new beginning.  

Back then, when Feng Qi was brought to the sect, he was covered in blood, his clothes tattered, his eyes hollow—like a puppet stripped of its soul. Though he was two years older than Lin Sa Sa, he was so thin and small that he appeared even shorter than her, a pitiful sight.  

Lin Sa Sa had once pitied him. After learning of his suffering, she stayed by his side, trying to cheer him up. Unfortunately, within days, Luo Shui Wei appeared beside him. The girl fussed over him with gentle care, comforting him by sharing her own misfortunes. “We’re both abandoned souls,” she sighed. “But that won’t happen anymore. Now that you’re my junior brother, I’ll protect you from now on.”  

Lin Sa Sa saw Feng Qi’s eyelashes tremble.  

She had spent days with him to no avail, yet Luo Shui Wei’s single sentence had stirred a reaction.  

Fine. If they were both pitiful, then they could cling to each other for warmth. This young lady wasn’t going to bother anymore.  

From then on, Lin Sa Sa’s attitude toward Feng Qi turned cold. And Feng Qi truly proved himself an ungrateful wretch, completely forgetting her kindness. Because of her rivalry with Luo Shui Wei, the little ingrate would sneer and mock her every time they met, his words sharp and venomous, aimed straight at the heart.  

“Senior Sister.” Now, the little ingrate shed his usual gloomy, biting demeanor, smiling warmly as he spotted Luo Shui Wei. He clung to her arm affectionately.  

Recently, Lin Fu Feng had sent him to a nearby village to subdue demons, forcing him to endure harsh conditions. He had grown noticeably thinner.  

After half a year apart, Lin Sa Sa realized he had grown taller—now half a head above Luo Shui Wei. When he leaned in to nuzzle her arm, he had to bend his knees slightly, like a big dog fawning for its master’s affection.  

He didn’t notice Lin Sa Sa standing nearby, his eyes and heart entirely occupied by Luo Shui Wei. Excitedly, he held up something in his hand. “Look, what’s this?”  

“Tanghulu!” Luo Shui Wei’s eyes lit up as she took the candied hawthorn and took a bite. “So sweet! Ah Qi’s tanghulu is always the sweetest. Senior Sister loves it the most.”  

“As long as Senior Sister likes it, Ah Qi will buy it for you every day.”  

Ugh.  

Lin Sa Sa wanted to vomit.  

Though she didn’t actually retch, she clutched her chest and mimed gagging, thoroughly disgusted by their saccharine display.

Perhaps her movement was too conspicuous, as Feng Qi suddenly turned his head toward her location. The young man had narrow, elongated features, and his eyes instantly turned icy upon seeing Lin Sa Sa, his lips pressing together in displeasure.

Having been away from the mountain for over half a month, he was unaware of Lin Sa Sa’s awakening. Now that he saw her awake, he showed no surprise—only deep disgust, as if her revival had soured his mood.  

What a loyal lapdog Luo Shui Wei had.  

Lin Sa Sa was infuriated. Tipping her chin up defiantly, she met his gaze and deliberately mimed vomiting again, her lips parting to silently mouth two words—  

“Disgusting.”  

Feng Qi’s pupils narrowed, his expression chilling.  

“What’s wrong?” Luo Shui Wei noticed his silence and lifted her head as if to glance over.  

Her cheeks were smudged with a drop of syrup from the candied hawthorn in her mouth, giving her a sweet, innocent appearance. Feng Qi swiftly stepped in front of her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he said, “Nothing, Shijie. Let’s hurry back—I’m exhausted.”  

Blocked from view, Luo Shui Wei didn’t catch sight of Lin Sa Sa and simply nodded with a smile, following his lead. “I made chicken soup for you. It’ll be ready to drink when we get back.”  

“Oh, right—A’Qi, you might not know yet, but Shimei woke up a few days ago and even advanced to the Qi Refining Stage.”  

“I’m so happy for her. Now we can all cultivate together. A’Qi, you really should work on that temper of yours and stop bullying her.”  

“She’s the one who’s always bullying you,” Feng Qi scoffed, deliberately raising his voice as if to ensure Lin Sa Sa heard his disdain. “Who wants to cultivate with her? Just seeing her annoys me.”  

“A’Qi!”  

Luo Shui Wei’s voice carried a hint of anger as she scolded, “She’s still your shijie. You can’t talk like that.”  

“Since you’re back, find some time to visit her. Buy her something nice—girls like that sort of thing. I’m talking to you, did you hear me?”  

“Heard you, Shijie—”  

The two walked farther away, gradually vanishing from Lin Sa Sa’s sight.  

This kind of exchange was something she had heard almost daily half a year ago, so she was long immune to it. Now that she had glimpsed the secrets of fate and knew the future, seeing them like this only amused her further.  

Just like He Lan Ling, Feng Qi was far from harmless or kind—in fact, he was even more dangerous.  

From the book, Lin Sa Sa had uncovered many secrets she hadn’t known before. For instance, Feng Qi’s birth father—whom his mother had refused to name even in death—was actually the Demon Lord of the demonic cultivation realm. Feng Qi was the Demon Lord’s son, carrying half demon blood in his veins.  

The massacre of the Feng Clan years ago wasn’t due to any member being corrupted by evil spirits, but rather Feng Qi, after learning of his heritage, using his demon blood to lure malevolent forces into slaughtering the entire Feng Clan—sparing not even his own mother.  

What a ruthless, vicious little freak.  

When Lin Sa Sa first learned this secret, she had gasped in shock. The thought of her years-long feud with Feng Qi sent a chill down her spine, her legs nearly giving way. But this wasn’t even the extent of his cruelty—his worst was yet to come.  

By the book’s end, Lin Sa Sa’s death was caused by a fight between He Lan Ling and Feng Qi. The reason for their clash? One fought to protect, the other to claim—but their shared motive was sole possession of Luo Shui Wei.  

If you don’t give up in the struggle, you grow twisted in it—and Feng Qi embodied this perfectly.

Most of the text depicted Luo Shui Wei chasing after He Lan Ling—sacrificing for him, taking blades for him, humbling herself and even abandoning her life, all just to hear him say, “Wei’er, I’ve also adored you for a long time.”

She succeeded, but this drove Feng Qi to madness.

As a half-demon capable of slaughtering kin and annihilating entire families, Feng Qi decided that if he couldn’t win Luo Shui Wei’s heart, he would take her by force. After his confession was rejected, he turned hostile, imprisoning her and shackling her with chains to prevent escape. No matter how she pleaded, he remained unmoved. To make her dependent on him, he even destroyed her spiritual root and cultivation, reducing her to a cripple.

Hmph, truly worthy of being the Demon Lord’s son—bold, ruthless, and utterly deserving of his role as the second male lead.

Lin Sa Sa shivered as she read this, suddenly feeling grateful that the Book Spirit had tasked her with breaking up the male and female leads rather than provoking the second male lead’s affection for the heroine.

Though Lin Sa Sa was the Sect’s young mistress and the story’s villainess, even she feared psychopaths.

“He Lan Ling is much better,” she muttered, patting her chest as her favorability toward him rose a few notches. At least he was normal.

Feng Qi was someone she had no intention of provoking. Given his deranged nature, she resolved to avoid him at all costs and focus solely on sabotaging the main couple. Unfortunately, trouble came looking for her even when she didn’t seek it. One day, as she was on her way to find He Lan Ling, she ran into Luo Shui Wei and her group.

Ugh, what awful luck.

She turned to leave but overheard a senior sister sighing, “With the Sect Master in seclusion, we finally get a break. I’ve been practicing swordplay so much lately that my arms feel like lead—I was terrified of being scolded.”

Luo Shui Wei laughed softly. “Don’t say that. Shifu isn’t that strict.”

“Hah! The Sect Master is only gentle with you, his direct disciples. With the rest of us, he’s downright terrifying.”

“Exactly! Especially with you, Luo-shimei. Every time he speaks to you, his voice is so soft, as if afraid of startling you. I’ve never seen him treat anyone else with such tenderness.”

“Nonsense! He’s even gentler with the young mistress.”

“How could he not be? Playing both father and mother, yet his daughter remains unruly. I feel exhausted just watching him.”

At this, the group fell silent. Even Lin Sa Sa paused in the shadows, her expression blank.

Then someone murmured, “Actually, Lin Sa Sa is quite pitiful. Her mother left early, and her spoiled temper is just a front for her fragile pride. In the end, no one ever properly disciplined her.”

“Hasn’t the Sect Master disciplined her enough? She’s the one who’s willful and disobedient, throwing her weight around and bullying others daily.”

“Enough,” Luo Shui Wei suddenly interjected.

Her voice was gentle, but to Lin Sa Sa, it carried a cruel innocence as she whispered, “Lin-shimei once told me that her mother is merely traveling alone and will return someday.”

“Wei’er, you’re too naive. Lin Sa Sa is just lying to save face.”

“Let me ask you all—has anyone ever seen Lady Nanling return?”

“I was among the earliest disciples to join the Sect. When I arrived, Lady Nanling was already gone. At first, I believed Lin Sa Sa’s story, but as time passed, I realized the Lady never returned. The Sect Master never mentions her, and even my shifu and the elders avoid speaking of her. Doesn’t that tell you everything?”

“We all know Lady Nanling has long passed away. Saying she went traveling was just a gentle way to hint the truth to Lin Sa Sa. After all these years, she’s the only one still clinging to that wandering lie, refusing to accept that our lady is gone.”

Luo Shui Wei still couldn’t believe it. “How could this be… How could our mistress…”

“Shut up! All of you shut up!” Lin Sa Sa couldn’t bear to hear more.

Since childhood, her mother had been her most sensitive spot, something no one was allowed to touch. Today, these people had truly crossed Lin Sa Sa’s bottom line. Furious, she strode up to them and slapped the so-called senior disciple who’d joined the Sect earlier.

One slap wasn’t enough. She raised her hand again for another strike, her voice venomous: “If you love talking so much, I’ll rip out your tongue. Tired of living? Then die. How do you want to die for slandering the Lady of Cloud Hermit Sect like this?”

The senior disciple was stunned by the blows, her cheeks swollen red as she dared not speak another word.

She was merely an ordinary disciple of the Sect, not one personally taught by the Sect Leader. Even if her cultivation surpassed Lin Sa Sa’s, she had no right to speak before her.

Lin Sa Sa swept a cold gaze over the crowd, flexing her hand before demanding, “Who else dared defile my mother with their filthy mouths just now?”

As the others cowered, she kicked two more to the ground, shouting, “I’ll say this one last time—my mother is just traveling! She’s alive! ALIVE!”

All these years, though her mother never returned, she’d periodically send voice messages and secret letters—always nagging Lin Sa Sa to behave, occasionally sending clothes and jewelry that perfectly matched her tastes.

How could such a vibrant mother possibly be dead?

Her outburst terrified everyone, yet no one dared intervene. After all, everyone knew the Sect Leader doted on his only daughter, showing blatant favoritism. Only Luo Shui Wei, seeing the kicked junior sisters covered in footprints and sobbing in fear, stepped forward to mediate. “Junior sister, calm down. No one meant any harm.”

“If I said your mother was dead and your whole family was dead, would you believe I meant no harm either?” Lin Sa Sa shook off her hand.

Luo Shui Wei staggered back, her face paling as she whispered tremulously, “My family… truly are all gone.”

Lin Sa Sa shuddered, her head snapping toward Luo Shui Wei.

Those misty eyes looked at her with nothing but pity and sorrow, as if saying, “See? I’ve accepted reality. Why can’t you break free from this lie?”

Rage surged through Lin Sa Sa, her vision darkening as she nearly fainted from fury.

“You—” She raised her hand, poised to strike Luo Shui Wei, who had nowhere to dodge and could only squeeze her eyes shut in fear.

*Slap.*

Just as Lin Sa Sa’s hand was about to connect, her wrist was seized in a vice-like grip.

Feng Qi had appeared beside Luo Shui Wei without warning. The black-clad youth’s expression was icy as he glared at Lin Sa Sa. “Lin Sa Sa, you’d better know your limits.”

Her injuries still hadn’t fully healed. The fury raging through her made every part of her body ache, her limbs trembling uncontrollably. In her rage, she forgot her usual wariness of Feng Qi, lifting her chin defiantly to meet his gaze. “It’s all of you who should know your limits.”

“If you’re tired of staying in Cloud Hermit Sect, then get out. We don’t need heartless, gossiping snakes like you here.”

She tried wrenching free from Feng Qi’s grip, but he—determined to prevent her from hitting Luo Shui Wei—clamped down harder on her slender wrist, as if he meant to snap it clean through.

“Have you ever wondered why your mother hasn’t returned to the Cloud Hermit Sect all these years?” Feng Qi suddenly asked.

Lin Sa Sa answered without hesitation, “My mother comes and goes as she pleases! She’s alive, not dead! I’ll tell my father about your words today and have him expel you all from the Sect!”

At her words, the crowd grew fearful.

Only Feng Qi was smiling, his delicate youthful features twisting into a smirk. “Don’t slander me. I never said your mother was dead.”

“I’m merely asking if you’ve considered why she hasn’t returned.”

His clear eyes reflected Lin Sa Sa’s face as he leaned closer, his smile dripping with malice. “Tell me, could it be that your mother is unwilling to return?”

“Why wouldn’t she want to come back?”

Feng Qi enunciated each word slowly, “Because she gave birth to a domineering, vicious daughter. She couldn’t stand your temperament and grew to loathe you, so she found some excuse to leave and never return…”

The words were so cruel that Lin Sa Sa’s face turned deathly pale, her eyes widening in shock.

“You… you’re lying!” Her bravado had completely vanished.

Feng Qi shook off her hand and laughed mockingly. “Yes, I am lying. I’m just curious – if your mother is alive, why hasn’t she come back to see you?”

All these years, not once had she returned, allowing Sect disciples to slander her repeatedly.

It must be said – Feng Qi truly lived up to being the Demon Lord’s son. Ruthless when needed, vicious when required. In this moment, he seemed more the villain than Lin Sa Sa herself. He had backed her into a corner: either admit her mother was dead, or admit her mother was alive but had abandoned her.

Either option would shatter Lin Sa Sa, truly delivering a public slap to her face and stabbing a knife into her heart.

“Senior Brother Ling, please help us!” A kneeling disciple suddenly cried out upon seeing a white-robed figure approaching.

Footsteps drew near, and amidst the tense atmosphere, He Lan Ling’s soothing voice asked, “What’s happening here?”

Slap!

Before Luo Shui Wei could speak, a crisp slap rang out.

She turned in shock to see Lin Sa Sa’s arm raised high as she delivered a vicious slap to Feng Qi. The girl’s sleeves fluttered and the tassels in her hair swayed as she flashed a smile brimming with fury, returning his malice in kind. “Why my mother hasn’t returned is none of your concern, junior brother.”

“Rather than worrying about me, perhaps you should wonder why your mother would rather die than reveal who your father is?”

Lin Sa Sa blinked and leaned in close to Feng Qi, whispering in his ear just as he had done to her: “Could it be… because it’s too shameful to mention?”

Come then, let’s hurt each other.

Feng Qi had struck Lin Sa Sa’s weak point, but she wasn’t one to be bullied. When hurt, she would only make her tormentor suffer more. Her words successfully touched upon Feng Qi’s deepest secret, and in an instant, his hand shot out to choke her.

Author’s Note:

Feng Qi: Your mother is dead.

Lin Sa Sa: So is yours, and your whole family.

He Lan Ling: …

Confession time: I actually considered making Feng Qi the male lead because of his vicious little psycho personality = =.

Thanks to the little angels who threw grenades: Nana Sheng (2); Lingchu, Cool Youzi (1);

Thank you to the little angels who nourished with nutrient solutions: 41374438 25 bottles; Lalalalala 18 bottles; Greengram 10 bottles; Pear. 7 bottles; Tu 3 bottles; Assorted, 18949214, Rainbowsea 2 bottles;