A few ancient, hundred-year-old trees, a lotus pond, and that quaint, reasonably spacious courtyard, coupled with the small hillock not far behind the house—these formed the childhood landscape of Lei Dong. For over a decade, these increasingly hazy memories suddenly surged back with crystalline clarity at this very moment.

Lei Dong, suspended mid-air, retracted the Evil Ghost Shroud. He unfurled the Ghost Shadow Evasion technique in the empty space, his form flickering ethereally. After a few swift movements, he settled onto the courtyard of his own home. In one corner lay the stone locks and iron spheres Lei Dong, guided by his transmigration memories, had used as a child to train for his grand ambition of dominating the world. Unexpectedly, there was hardly any dust; perhaps his mother cleaned them frequently?

It was the height of August, and the weather remained stiflingly hot. Yet, the osmanthus trees in the courtyard were in full, glorious bloom, wafting waves of sweet fragrance toward him. He hadn't tasted osmanthus cake in so long. In a daze, Lei Dong felt transported back to his childhood, when, every season the osmanthus bloomed, his mother would personally prepare those fragrant, delicious cakes to satisfy his cravings after strenuous exercise.

Cultivation transcends the constraints of time; more than ten years had slipped by in a blink.

With a slight sigh of emotion, Lei Dong walked slowly toward the main hall. Just as he was about to call out, a woman in plain cloth emerged from a side room. Perhaps due to a lack of strenuous labor, she had maintained herself well, making her, though nearing forty, appear barely in her early thirties. While her attire was simple, she possessed an inherent, uncommon grace. Yet, for some unknown reason, her brow was subtly furrowed, betraying an underlying knot of sorrow and discontent.

"Mother."

Despite not having returned home for over a decade, Lei Dong recognized her instantly as his mother, Mu Qingxia. The change compared to ten years ago was not drastic, only a slight hint of weariness. A surge of emotion tightened his chest, and he called out, his voice trembling.

Mu Qingxia, seeing a young man in dark, close-fitting attire suddenly appear in her courtyard, initially felt a jolt of alarm. But upon hearing the name he called, she froze stiffly on the spot, her body trembling. After a long moment, she staggered forward with profound excitement: "Dong’er, is that really Dong’er?"

"Mother," Lei Dong knelt immediately, bowing repeatedly, "It is your unfilial son who has returned."

"It’s good that you’re back, good that you’re back. Quickly, let Mother look at you." Mu Qingxia, still trembling, hastily helped Lei Dong rise. She gazed raptly at her precious son's face, her hand tracing his features. "You’ve lost some weight, but you’ve gotten stronger. In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown so tall." Tears, however, streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"Mother, I rarely get to return. Please don't cry anymore." As if by magic, Lei Dong produced a piece of fine silk scarf and carefully dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "If you cry, I'll only become sad too."

"Mm-hmm, I won't cry, won't cry. Dong’er, you haven't been home in over ten years; Mother was just overcome with emotion." Mu Qingxia managed a smile, wiping her tears. "It must have been tiring rushing back on your journey? Come inside and sit for a while. Your mother will immediately go stew a chicken for you to replenish your strength."

"Mother, please don't trouble yourself with chores," Lei Dong interrupted with a smile. "Let’s talk for a bit first. Afterwards, the whole family will go to the best restaurant in Wanxi City."

"Nonsense. It's over a hundred li to Wanxi City; by carriage, it takes two days." Mu Qingxia assumed her precious son was joking and let out a soft tsk. But then, dotingly, she added, "If you wish to dine out, we can go to that Delicious Pavilion in town."

"Mother, have you forgotten where I've been for the last decade?" Lei Dong felt his spirits lift instantly upon seeing his mother after returning home. "Your son went to the Divine Sect to learn divine arts. I have achieved minor success now; that distance of over a hundred li is just half an incense stick's burn when moving quickly. But let's not talk about that yet. Is Father in the shop? Let's go find him together, Mother and I."

Hearing the name 'Divine Sect,' Mu Qingxia’s expression subtly tightened. Hearing him mention Father next, her face dimmed even further, and she couldn't help but start sobbing again.

Lei Dong’s heart clenched; he sensed something gravely wrong. His expression darkened, and he urgently asked, "Mother, don't rush. What happened? I am here for everything now."

"Your father, your father he..." Mu Qingxia choked, unable to articulate the words.

"What exactly happened to Father?" Lei Dong released his divine sense, enveloping the entire house and courtyard. He perceived a figure lying in the side room through his spiritual probe, their vital signs faint—clearly, someone seriously injured. He darted inside in a flash and indeed found his old father lying on the bed, his face pale and bloodless, eyes tightly shut. One leg was bandaged with cloth strips and propped up by a pillow.

Although Lei Dong hadn't specialized in medicine, injuries were common occurrences for cultivators, so he possessed some methods. He rushed forward, his face grim, and grasped his father’s wrist, taking a meticulous pulse. He instantly breathed a sigh of relief. His father had sustained some internal and external injuries, but nothing life-threatening; at least with his intervention, it wouldn't be a major issue.

While speaking, he retrieved a healing pill from his storage bracelet and carefully fed it to his father with water. He then used his true energy to massage the man, circulating the vital force. After a considerable while, he managed to expel the internal blood stasis and reset the internal organs. Next would come months of careful conditioning, after which a full recovery was certain.

However, upon finishing this task, a furious heat began to rise within him. He turned back to his mother, his voice laced with chilling menace, "Mother, who did this?" His fists clenched until they audibly cracked. Seeing his mother stammering again, appearing afraid to speak, Lei Dong softened his tone. "Mother, please just tell me. If I were to investigate such a matter on my own, is there any chance I wouldn't find out? It would save time. Rest assured, I am now under the tutelage of the Divine Sect, possessing some strength and status. Even if it were a noble or royal of the Great Wu Kingdom, I would bring their dog head to you."

Lei Dong wasn't naive; he knew the perpetrator must possess considerable standing. As a spiritual root child who joined the Yin Sha Sect, although his current status was confidential, the Great Wu branch of the Yin Sha Sect, which discovered him, would certainly know the details. Furthermore, according to Yin Sha Sect regulations, the families of any disciples taken into the sect were afforded extra care and protection, allowing the disciples to cultivate with peace of mind.

But now, his mother’s expression soured at the mention of the Divine Sect. Clearly, this matter was somehow connected to the Yin Sha Sect. This realization made Lei Dong incandescently angry: not only had the Great Wu branch failed to protect his family, but they had dared to bully them? It was utterly unacceptable.

"Dong’er, don't get agitated first. Let me tell you everything, and then you must not act rashly. The doctor said your father's life is quite resilient; it can be saved." Mu Qingxia was terrified that this incident might jeopardize Lei Dong's future, compelling her to endure and suppress her anger.

"Yes, Mother, please speak first." Lei Dong took a deep breath, forcing his emotions to settle. "Your son will not act impulsively."

Mu Qingxia collected her thoughts and began to recount the events slowly. Lei Dong listened, analyzing the information based on his own understanding.

It turned out that after Lei Dong left home to join the Divine Sect, Mu Qingxia often lost her appetite out of longing for her son. His father saw this couldn't continue indefinitely, and after discussing it, they decided to have another child—a girl, now eight years old, named Lei Qing'er. The various branches of the Yin Sha Sect had a rule: any family that produced a spiritual root child would receive extra care, and newly born children would have their spiritual root aptitude prioritized for testing. The results showed that Lei Qing'er's aptitude was exceedingly outstanding, far surpassing her elder brother, Lei Dong. Ordinarily, this news would have been reported up the ranks to the main sect, and Lei Qing'er would have been enrolled during the next sect competition.

The problem was that an elder from the sect had returned to his hometown years ago to establish a cultivation family, maintaining a close relationship with the local branch leader. This elder subsequently withheld Lei Qing'er’s name. He personally visited, attempting to persuade Lei Dong’s parents to marry the young Lei Qing'er off to him as a concubine. After failed enticements, he then used threats against Lei Dong's future prospects and life within the sect.

Lei Dong’s parents refused, stating they would travel a thousand li to the branch headquarters to file a complaint. However, before the elder could even travel fifty li, the father was waylaid and severely beaten. The home was also visited by several masked ruffians who abducted Lei Qing'er. They left a message stating that since they had politely requested her as a concubine and been refused, they would now defile her as a [redacted] chattel. If the young man named Lei dared to return, he should feel free to come and demand her back.

Hearing this, Lei Dong was already trembling uncontrollably, his face dark and ashen: "What brazen, filthy curs."