Even the family genealogy would strike out the names of those who failed to awaken their bloodline power upon death, noting only the word "Branch" below the names of the living. Descendants of the Qian family who never awakened their bloodline power were barred from the genealogy after death! They could not enter the ancestral hall! Nor could they be interred in the ancestral tombs!

Let alone entering the Qian family's Shrine of Heroes. That hall was reserved only for those who made monumental contributions to the Qian family. Qian Huang, who forged the clan's vast commercial empire, the man responsible for the immense foundation the Qian family enjoyed today, was likewise ineligible for the Shrine of Heroes, his name denied a place in the genealogy, solely because he never awakened his bloodline power. To find the name of this man who secured the Qian family's status as a great commercial clan, one would have to search the memoirs of Qian Hongfeng, the most powerful Elven King Bloodline Warrior of that era.

The main thoroughfare was thronged with people, making a full gallop impossible. Qian Jin edged his way toward the city center, familiar shops and streets gradually appearing before him.

Home! Finally, home! Qian Jin's hand instinctively tightened on the reins. He gazed further out, towards the massive residence that resembled a castle.

The overlord of Qian City! The Qian Family!

Here, the orders of the Qian Family held more sway than an imperial edict from His Majesty the Emperor! The entire army of Qian Province, almost every officer and general, originated from the Qian Family, and even those who didn't bear the surname Qian were attendants to the Elven King Bloodline Warriors.

Closer and closer to the Qian Family.

Qian Jin could almost hear his own heart pounding against his ribs, a frantic rhythm born of excitement and tension.

Gazing at the imposing, magnificent residence, Duan Feng Bu Er frowned slightly. The architecture was truly awe-inspiring! Merely a garrison, yet it exuded a pressure that instinctively demanded prostration.

An Elven King Bloodline Warrior family! The Qian Family, rumored to be one of the three ultimate Bloodline Warrior families of the Zhence Dynasty! Duan Feng Bu Er felt a crushing weight on his shoulders, as if hundreds of pounds of grain had been piled there.

Qian Jin stared at the colossal estate, yearning to throw back his head and roar: "I, Qian Jin, have returned!"

The warhorses moved at a steady pace for an hour, still not reaching the Qian Family gates, though the massive residence loomed ever larger in their sight. Gurgle...

Qian Jin heard the hungry growls echoing from his own stomach and those of his companions. He looked around, spotted a noodle shop, and slid off his warhorse. "Let's eat first, fill our stomachs before we proceed. It’s probably another half hour's ride to the main estate." Duan Feng Bu Er gazed at the immense mansion, repeatedly exclaiming in admiration, "Truly worthy of being one of the pillar families of the Zhence Dynasty. Such grandeur and presence—perhaps only the Imperial Family could rival it?"

"County Family?" A waiter at the noodle shop, a white towel draped over his shoulder, set down four bowls of clear water on a tray, punctuating the action with a cold, proud sneer. "Esteemed customer, you must not have visited the Sacred City of the Divine Capital, have you?" Duan Feng Bu Er accepted the tray and nodded. "How did you know?"

"Of course, I know." The waiter passed another tray to Fen Tu Kuang Ge, who looked wealthier, while regarding Che Kefu Litte with eyes full of surprised approval—despite serving many guests daily, such a handsome man was a first. "The Imperial Palace of the royal family has nothing on our Qian Family..." The waiter lifted his head proudly, his gaze drifting to Qian Jin, where it paused briefly, a flicker of disbelief mixed with suspicion sparking in his stunned eyes. "You... you... you..."

"Qian Li?" Qian Jin looked up at the waiter who hailed him, recognizing him as a Qian clan descendant, born just a year after him, who used to trail him, wiping his runny nose. Qian Li! To see him here, dressed like this? There could only be one conclusion: Qian Li had clearly failed to awaken his power during the Awakening Ceremony years ago and had been assigned here as a waiter.

Qian Jin let out a soft sigh. The Qian Family was truly a terrifying place. Qian Li, having failed the awakening, was now worth no more than an ant in the eyes of the bloodline warriors. He was someone who could be whipped at will, yet he could still feel proud of the Qian Family.

Qian Li... Qian Jin sighed again. Qian Li's father and grandfather had also been Qian family members who failed to awaken their bloodline power. The whole family was crammed into two small, simple, low mud-brick houses.

Yet, Qian Li's grandfather, Qian Ming, was a shrewd businessman. Had he not been born into the Qian Family, even starting with nothing, he could have built a fortune in twenty years comparable to that of the Luo Family.

He earned the Qian Family untold amounts of gold, bringing comfort and joy to his entire family. And the reward? Two mud-brick rooms.

Qian Jin could not comprehend it. How could the Qian Family treat Qian Li's family this way, and how could this young descendant, a year younger than him, speak of the Qian Family with such pride? The Qian Family didn't even treat him as one of their own, yet he could still feel proud to be a part of it?

"Qian... Qian Jin... brother." Qian Li’s eyes, once filled with pride, instantly flooded with astonishment. "Is that really you? Brother Qian Jin?"

Duan Feng Bu Er looked from Qian Li to Qian Jin. "You two... know each other?"

Qian Jin nodded, his expression growing solemn. Meeting him here was hardly a cause for celebration; it meant that the snot-nosed kid who once followed him around had also failed the bloodline awakening ritual.

"You... how did you come back?" Qian Li stared at Qian Jin, surprise tinged with a hint of joy, yet shadowed by a small thread of worry. "You... you left the Qian Family, didn't you?"

"Yes, I left the Qian Family." Qian Jin gestured for Duan Feng Bu Er to help pull out a stool so Qian Li could sit and talk. "I’ve returned this time to take my father away from the Qian Family. Oh, how is Grandpa Qian Ming?" I wanted to thank Grandpa Qian Ming this time; if he hadn't helped me secure the position of librarian in the outer library back then, perhaps I wouldn't be where I am today.

"Grandpa..." The surprise, joy, and worry vanished instantly from Qian Li’s eyes, replaced by infinite sorrow. He waved his hands gently toward Duan Feng Bu Er. Waiters were forbidden to sit and chat with customers; it was a rule of the noodle shop, and breaking it would result in punishment later.

"Grandpa is dead..." Dead? Qian Jin froze. Although Grandpa Qian Ming had practically exhausted his energy for the Qian Family, he shouldn't have passed away so early.

"Then, where is Grandpa Qian Ming buried?" Seeing Qian Li unwilling to sit, Qian Jin sighed. "I want to go pay my respects."

Qian Li repeatedly shook his head, panic flickering in his eyes. "No need, no need to pay respects..." No respects? Qian Jin's eyebrows slowly furrowed toward the bridge of his nose. "Why not pay respects? Which outer grave plot is Grandpa Qian Ming in?"

Qian Li shook his head frantically, slowly lowering his head, his eyes afraid to look anywhere, staring only at his toes as he whispered, "Grandpa... Grandpa has no grave... Grandpa was not interred..."

No burial? In the Qian Family! No grave, no burial—there was only one possibility! Having committed a grave offense! One would forfeit the right to burial and be discarded into the Ancient Barren Sea south of the city.

"The... the Ancient Barren Sea?" Qian Jin felt a sudden twitch in the corner of his eye, voicing his hesitant guess.

Qian Li, still looking down, nodded timidly a few more times, his reply quieter than a mosquito's hum. "Yes..."

"Yes?" Qian Jin stared blankly at Qian Li. "Why? How much gold did Grandpa Qian Ming earn for the Qian Family? How could the Qian Family do this?"

"Grandpa..." Qian Li nervously rubbed his clothes with both hands. "Grandpa wanted me to be like you, to leave the Qian Family and attend the Warrior Academy. So, Grandpa used his own income to start a small business..."

"His own money?" Duan Feng Bu Er shrieked. "That counts as a mistake? He didn't use the Qian Family's money!"

"You don't understand..." Qian Jin waved his hand dismissively. The Qian Family had many rules, one of which forbade any family member engaged in commerce from using family funds for personal profit, or from using their own income for business ventures.

Because... in the eyes of the Qian Family, if a Qian descendant did business with their own money, the only reason others would trade with them was due to the Qian Family's prestige. Even using their own funds, they were still leveraging the Qian Family's influence and channels, stealing business meant for the main clan.

This was a severe crime in the Qian Family!

Had he not read extensively and developed some sense of rebellion, Qian Jin, who had been educated in the family rules since childhood without ever seeing the outside world, would have believed the Qian Family rules were correct! Everything belonging to a Qian descendant should be dedicated to the family without compensation! If you hadn't awakened your bloodline power, you were already a criminal in the eyes of the clan! Only by working hard to earn money and serve the Qian Family could you atone for your sin. If not for reading so many books, he might now be like Qian Li, obediently accepting the family's arrangements, atoning for his failure to awaken his bloodline power, toiling for the Qian Family until the moment of his death arrived.

"Then, that shoe..." Qian Jin slowly stood up, staring at the slender Qian Li, whose body had grown weak from years without proper exercise. "You didn't secretly bury Grandpa Qian Ming?"

"Secretly bury him?" Qian Li looked up, his eyes wide with terror at Qian Jin. "How could I do that..."

Slap!

A loud smack echoed in the private section of the noodle shop. A searing pain bloomed on Qian Li’s face, and the blood flying from his lips dripped onto the wooden floor. The terror in his eyes transformed into confusion and bewilderment. How could Brother Qian Jin, who once shielded him by pressing his body against his back, suddenly strike him?

"Why couldn't you?" Qian Jin leaned close to Qian Li's face. "He was your grandfather! For whom did he violate those damned family rules?"

Qian Li stared at Qian Jin, his complicated eyes filled with grievances and rage. "You think I didn't want to? You think I didn't dare?" In the quiet booth, Qian Li's voice suddenly escalated into a roar, his vocal cords seemingly about to tear from the furious, wronged bellow: "You think I'm as reckless as you, not considering the consequences? I have a father too! I have to think about my father! If I buried Grandpa in secret, I would also violate the family rules! If I were expelled from the clan, what would happen to my father? His health is failing too! I need to be by his side to take care of him!"

Forgetting to wipe the blood from his lips, Qian Li swiped at the tears in his eyes. The emotions suppressed in his heart for so long erupted like a volcano: "I cannot be as selfish as you! Throwing aside my frail father for my own future, for my own life! I can't do it! I must stay by his side, to take care of him as much as possible, to let him pass his remaining life comfortably. I don't fear death! Nor do I fear expulsion! I fear my father losing me..."

"Qian Li! What are you yelling about!" The door to the private booth was violently shoved open. A middle-aged man, short in stature but equally thin, walked in.

Qian Jin found the newcomer vaguely familiar but couldn't place him immediately, only knowing he must also be a member of the Qian Family.

"Customers, my apologies, I am so sorry..." The middle-aged man repeatedly bowed, a placating smile on his face. "This is our newest waiter; he still doesn't quite understand the rules." The man moved to Qian Li’s side, grabbing the back of his neck and forcefully pushing him down. "Apologize to the customers now..."

Qian Jin watched the tearful Qian Li repeatedly bowing and apologizing, wondering if this was truly the snot-nosed kid who used to follow him. Were his actions and thoughts wrong? Could it be... that I was the selfish one... that I was wrong?

Si Feng Bu Er patted the middle-aged man's shoulder and casually handed him a gold coin, whispering, "Go on outside now. This new waiter hasn't done anything wrong; don't punish him." The middle-aged man took the heavy gold coin, his eyes flashing with incomprehensible confusion. What were these young men doing? And why did one of them look somewhat familiar?

"I... I..." Qian Li straightened up, looking at Qian Jin. "I was afraid that if I left my father, he would end up like Uncle Cheng..." Uncle Cheng? Qian Jin's scalp suddenly tightened, a chill spreading through his body, his skin erupting in uncontrollable goosebumps. He widened his eyes and urgently demanded, "What happened to my father?"

"Uncle Cheng... Uncle Cheng..." Qian Li choked, raising a hand to furiously wipe away the snot running from his nose. "After you left, Uncle Cheng was implicated because of your departure. Although it wasn't because Uncle Cheng violated the family rules, after you left, Uncle Cheng was demoted to being the groom for the Cheng family..." A groom! Qian Jin shoved Qian Li aside and channeled power into his legs, leaping out the window, dropping from the second floor. Duan Feng Bu Er startled, casting aside any thought of asking what a groom was, bent his knees, and jumped out the window as well.

Four figures successively vaulted through the window, drawing surprised glances from the surrounding pedestrians. They watched as Qian Jin mounted his warhorse, cracked the whip, and galloped wildly through the bustling district.

A groom! A groom! Only Qian Li's last words echoed in Qian Jin's mind—a groom! Even among the Qian family members who failed to awaken, very few would take this job; they usually hired outsiders.

A groom was responsible for holding the horses of the bloodline warriors, which naturally included assisting the bloodline warriors in mounting and dismounting. This was far worse than just earning a meager income.

To mount or dismount, the groom had to kneel, place both hands on the ground, arch his back, and allow the bloodline warrior to step on him to get on or off the horse.

Three years! Three years! Qian Jin's body trembled uncontrollably. For three years, his father had been serving as a groom because of his departure! His father must have anticipated this before Qian Jin left.

Yet, he never mentioned it; instead, he supported Qian Jin's decision to leave the Qian Family!

I am unfilial! I am worse than a beast! I constantly claimed I left so my father could be proud of me, but I caused my father to lose all human dignity for three years—the last shreds of his dignity stripped away.

All of this, all of this was because of my inner defiance, my selfishness! I ceaselessly claimed I wanted my father's pride, yet I never considered what my departure would bring him...

The warhorse charged onward, the crowd scattering. The Qian Family's colossal mansion, like some monstrous beast, finally appeared before Qian Jin's eyes. Several warhorses were tethered near the tall courtyard gate, and beside the horses squatted a familiar figure.

Three years... three years... Qian Cheng's once graying hair was now almost entirely white. His stooped back had become even more bowed. He sat quietly beside the warhorse, staring at the dust on the ground, yet a smile graced his face that outsiders could never comprehend. (No copying by pirate sites.)

"Fa..." Qian Jin vaulted off his horse, his knees hitting the ground and gouging two long furrows as he slid to a halt before Qian Cheng. He slammed his head onto the clean flagstones, weeping uncontrollably, "Father..."

Since I was very young, I understood a mother's love, but I rarely understood a father's love. This wasn't because my father loved me less; on the contrary, his love was never less than my mother's. It was just deeper, a dedication that was harder to perceive. As I grew older, watching my father's hair turn white, the wrinkles around his eyes multiply, and his once towering, broad back begin to stoop... Only after I became a father myself did I fully grasp the depth of my father's love for me, and only then did I recognize my own past willfulness, and my father's tolerance and acceptance of me. I have always wanted to write about fatherly love, that deep, all-sacrificing love a father offers for his son. Especially after reading so many novels where protagonists focus on romance—the more I desired to write about fatherly love. This chapter may not be the most spectacular among the first two hundred chapters of this saga, but it is the one I most wanted to write. If you agree with this sentiment, please cast your monthly votes for me.