Cui Wenjing laughed dryly, "The history of the Aristocratic Family may be long, but it’s not as ancient as the restart of an epoch. It didn’t come from the last epoch. Regarding the affairs of the last epoch, everyone, including Your Majesty, is still in the process of exploring. What we know comes only from various remaining records or hints found in the exploration of Ancient Secret Realms. If we say we know more than others, it’s only that we have more of this information at our disposal."
Zhao Changhe listened intently.
"The last epoch was probably a world where Gods and Demons coexisted, where moving mountains and splitting the heavens were not just expressions, but real possibilities. But... perhaps because they were too powerful, their battles caused the universe to collapse; or maybe there was some other cause. Regardless, overnight the world was shattered, and the gods perished."
Zhao Changhe was somewhat prepared for this scenario; the capabilities of the blind far surpassed those of the people today. Cui Wenjing, known as the Ninth of the World, who could summon celestial phenomena, still fell short compared to the blind. If modern people couldn’t achieve this, then it must relate to something from the last epoch. The blind must be a surviving life-form from that era. But why did they only act in secrecy?
"The Heavenly Dao is dead..." These four words echoed the most in Zhao Changhe’s heart at the moment.
Today’s Sects like the Blood God Sect and the Four Symbols Sect, what they worship may not be mere superstitions but could be powerful beings that truly once existed.
"After the world was shattered and restarted, for some unknown reason, deities dispersed, ordinary creatures did not all vanish, and humans stubbornly emerged from the ruins to rebuild civilizations. However, most lineages perished with the destruction. People, through exploring various relics and Secret Realms, are able to start cultivating again and piece together some history of the epoch, know some legends, but no longer possess the divine abilities."
This, then, is why there seems to be a severe rift between Low Martial arts and mysticism in the world; even at Cui Wenjing’s level, something still feels lacking. Has Xia Longyuan touched upon any of this?
Having said this, Cui Wenjing drank some tea to moisten his throat and suddenly laughed at himself, "People think ’Qinghe Cui,’ these three words, existed in the last epoch too, and revere it highly, thinking it’s a grand and mysterious lineage. It’s not the case at all. Just Biluochun tea... whether it should be called Biluochun, nobody really knows. But knowing once there was such a famous tea, the new tea is named after it, that’s all."
Zhao Changhe remarked, "So, Aristocratic Families and Great Sects are nothing but humans who, after the epoch was reset, inherited something within these ancient relics, thus being one step ahead and achieving Secret Treasures. They’re not really lineages from the last epoch?"
"Some indeed might have inherited things connected to the last epoch, establishing their Sects this way, which is possible. Many Sects are . But most are just assuming names, for example, if an ancestor’s surname was Cui, choosing to root in Qinghe merely attaches to the style of ’Qinghe Cui’ noted in the records of the epoch. According to the epoch’s records, Qinghe Cui and Langya Wang weren’t from the same period of Aristocratic Families, but here we coexist... because everyone is just borrowing the name."
The last epoch very likely had a strong connection to the current world, hence the appearance of the blind in this era. When the epoch collapsed, both geographically and culturally, there were changes but also inheritances; this led to Beimang being in the North, Qinghe in the South, and why Yao Shunyu, Qinghe Cui, and Biluochun are quasi-nonexistent. The matter is quite simple, but the reasons behind it might still need a long-term exploration.
Speaking of this Qinghe Cui... Zhao Changhe grimaced. Although he majored in liberal arts, he was actually an athletic hero, magnificent on the sports field, but meek as a cat in the classroom, hardly remembering which Aristocratic Families belonged to which periods. Previously, he thought Qinghe Cui was quite legendary and impressive, but now that his father-in-law had exposed this, it all seemed less illustrious.
But then Cui Wenjing said slowly, "Whether a family is glorious isn’t about what facade we wear, but about ourselves. I never shy away from speaking about these matters. Yangyang."
Cui Yuanyang sat up a bit straighter, "Dad."
"There have been many things going on, and I’ve had no heart to scold you, but now I must make things clear. Running away from home, mixing with bandits, not only spoiling your own reputation but also tarnishing the family’s, and causing endless troubles, calls for severe punishment. In the upcoming days as a guest, you may bounce around for two days, but once Changhe leaves, go to the mountain at the back for confined cultivation, grounded for half a year."
The ever joyful Cui Yuanyang’s smile froze in place, his face crumpling instantly as he thought his never-before-so-adorable father suddenly looked detestable.
"Can’t we negotiate...just, just three months?"
"Not one day less," Cui Wenjing said expressionlessly, "Also, go and receive the family punishment, ten strokes."
Cui Yuanyang clutched his buttocks and jumped up, "That can’t be done!"
Cui Wenjing remained unmoved, calmly sipping tea.
"Uh..." Zhao Changhe finally spoke up, "So, ten strokes means on the buttocks?"
"Yeah," Cui Yuanyang’s voice suddenly became a little coquettish, his eyes fluttering, "If it’s ruined, it won’t be tender, not nice to touch..."
"Pfft!" Cui Wenjing spewed all his tea, nearly choking to death at the words, his hands trembling as he pointed at Cui Yuanyang, coughing for a long time unable to speak.
Zhao Changhe offered a sheepish smile, "How about this, hit me instead, I’ll take the punishment for him."
Cui Wenjing slammed his hand down and stood up, "What do you need that butt for! I warn you two, if you dare to disgrace the family in these three years, I don’t care who you are, I’ll chop you down with one sword!"
He finished speaking and stormed off, "For what you just said! Add three more strikes!"
"Hey, hey elder, no, uncle wait, we haven’t finished discussing the history of the epoch yet..."
"It’s roughly just those things, right? If you want more details, let that leaky cotton-padded coat find you some books. He’s right in the study, can’t he read? There’s nothing more to say!"
Cui Wenjing’s voice was absolutely frantic, as he continued on, out of sight, out of mind, afraid that looking any longer would make him want to hit someone.
The young man and woman looked at each other, feeling that old Cui had been holding back his anger for a long time already. These past few days, he had forced himself to appear calm and collected, which must not have been easy. He was about to explode, right?
"Never mind him." The leaky cotton-padded coat puffed up, "I’m not going to accept family discipline. If he dares to hit me, I’ll go make a scene at Mom’s! This time he thinks he’s all that with his plans, yet Mom has been kept in the dark and cried for two days. If I stir things up again, Mom won’t let him off. Let’s see how he dares to hit me!"
Zhao Changhe tilted his head to look at her, the young girl just didn’t want to be beaten, but actually didn’t seem too resistant to being grounded. It looked like she knew she had been foolish in her impulsiveness and was accepting her punishment. Even Zhao Changhe felt that what she had done before was too foolish, and not punishing her a bit would have been unreasonable.
The young girl had grown up through this ordeal, knowing what she should and shouldn’t do. At least this time, after he left, she probably wouldn’t end up crying and causing a scene, insisting on leaving home to find her lover.
But on the flip side, everyone actually knew, it was time for him to go.
It wasn’t possible to linger indefinitely at the Cui Family, oblivious to the passing of time in the worldly society.
There was still the mists of the worldly society waiting for him, a vast canvas yet to be unrolled.
Beside Ancient Sword Lake, there was Han Wubing’s promise waiting. A man’s word is his bond, he must keep the appointment, and the time was just about right.
Cui Yuanyang bit her lower lip, sidled up to Zhao Changhe, and placed her hand on his chest, "Big Brother Zhao..."
"Ah... ah?" Zhao Changhe felt like something was off in the atmosphere... This is your dad’s study, what are you trying to do?
Cui Yuanyang whispered softly, "You’re leaving soon, aren’t you..."
"Hmm... pretty soon..."
"That... I think there is still something I should give you."
Her tone becoming softer and gentler, coupled with the earlier talk of her ’ruined butt’ not being good to touch, any man would start thinking she was about to do something...
Zhao Changhe instinctively backed away, "That, wait, your dad... no, you’re still young, starting from three years... don’t..."
"Hmm?" Cui Yuanyang looked up at him, mischief in her eyes, "I meant, I should give you a horse. Since Dad said you suit vehemence and the world, how could you go without a horse?"
Zhao Changhe was stunned, "Hah?"
"So..." A flirtatious gleam flickered through Cui Yuanyang’s eyes, as she murmured, "That reaction, Big Brother Zhao... What do you think I was going to give you?"
———— Thɪs chapter is updated by N0v3l.Fiɾe.net
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