Long Er's speed was incredibly fast. The people in the distance only felt a blur of a giant shadow, failing to discern what it was.
By the time they reacted, Long Er had already led the four of them out of the forest.
Inside the forest, a series of beast roars erupted, and then quickly subsided into silence.
After seeing the four off, Zi Linling's gaze fell upon Qin Mingyue and Qin Mingfei.
Qin Mingyue let out a wry smile and raised her sword, saying, "Patriarch Zi, we continue!"
The light in Qin Mingfei's eyes dimmed further. He looked up at the sky, gave a self-mocking laugh, and threw his sword away.
"Third Sister, you're being stubborn again. Since death is inevitable, what does it matter if it's without dignity? What does it matter if it's with dignity? I'm tired of the scheming and deceit of this mortal world, and I just want to leave quickly. Therefore, I won't accompany you. Patriarch Zi, if there's a next life, can we still be friends?"
Zi Linling raised an eyebrow and replied, "No!"
Qin Mingfei chuckled sadly. "Since that's the case, I shall never return to this world!"
With that, he bent backward, his chest arching high.
The sword he had thrown sped through the air and plunged into his chest, piercing his heart.
Zi Linling hesitated for a moment before ultimately not intervening. She had no reason to stop him; the moment Qin Mingfei stood in opposition to her alongside the Qin family, his path back was already impossible.
"Ming...fei..."
Qin Mingyue's reaction was a step too slow. By the time she reacted, Qin Mingfei was already drenched in his own blood. She embraced him as he slowly fell to the ground, tears streaming down her face. In the vast Qin family, among so many geniuses, only Qin Mingfei had been closest to her. This was also why Qin Mingfei had chosen to train in the Tianqi Kingdom—because she was there. Now, the one closest to her lay lifeless in her arms, making her heart feel as though it were being pierced by thousands of steel needles. Qin Mingyue trembled, holding Qin Mingfei, and immediately dissolved into sobs.
Qin Mingfei smiled. His smile was sincere, pure, and filled with liberation. "Third Sister, don't cry! In the cold Qin family, you were the only one who made me feel warmth. So, I'll go ahead first. On the path to the underworld, I'll clear the obstacles for you!"
After he spoke, he looked towards Zi Linling and said, "Commander Zi, I've wronged you and the King's Mercenary Group, but those were family orders, and I couldn't disobey them. Therefore, I can only apologize. I don't ask you to spare the Qin family, only to spare Third Sister. She is a kind person, but being in the Qin family, she has too many unavoidable circumstances and is beyond her own control."
After saying this, Qin Mingfei's eyes rolled back, and all life left him. However, a smile remained on his face. Though stiff, the smile was incredibly sincere.
Zi Linling didn't know Qin Mingfei very well, but from his few words, she could infer that he hadn't lived a happy life within the Qin family. Even as a genius of the Qin family, one of the Azure Dragon's Five Prodigies, he couldn't control his own fate.
"Mingfei!" Qin Mingyue wailed, her cries heartbroken and hysterical. Yet, the warmth of the loved one she held in her arms was slowly fading.
Zi Linling said nothing, simply standing there quietly, a flicker of light in the depths of her eyes. Countless people had died because of her, yet she had never felt such a heavy burden. She suddenly turned, oriented herself, and sped away into the distance. Zi Linling wouldn't consider herself a good person, but she could no longer bring herself to attack Qin Mingyue. In just a moment, her silhouette vanished into the desolate landscape.
The onlookers in the distance, seeing that the key figures had departed, also quickly dispersed. The center of the desert was littered with severed limbs and remains; the sand had turned red, a testament to the brutal battle that had taken place. Amidst this grim battlefield, a woman wept softly. In her arms, she held a young man. His body was pierced by a long sword, but a smile graced his lips. In that smile was a sense of release and profound peace.
Qin Youbing waited until Zi Linling disappeared from his sight before quickly approaching Qin Mingyue. With a somber expression, he said, "Mingyue, bring Mingfei and come with me..."
"Scram!" Qin Mingyue barked coldly.
Qin Youbing's expression darkened, clearly displeased, and his voice grew colder. "Mingyue..."
"Scram, scram, scram! I told you to scram, can't you hear me?" Qin Mingyue glared at Qin Youbing, her eyes red, wishing she could flay him and break his bones.
Qin Youbing's face turned grim, and he sternly reprimanded, "Qin Mingyue, is this how you speak to your elder? Where is your upbringing? Where is your maidenly modesty?"
Qin Mingyue gently placed Qin Mingfei on the ground and said tenderly, "Mingfei, wait for your Third Sister for a moment!" Then, she stood up and faced Qin Youbing, her voice filled with fury. "Upbringing? Modesty? You have the audacity to ask? How much benefit has Patriarch Zi brought to our Qin family? But you! You coveted the treasures she possessed! What about your bottom line as a businessman? Patriarch Zi refined the Blood Spirit Pill for Uncle for free, saving his life, but what did you do? You repaid kindness with enmity, wanting to capture her and extort the secret of the lightning tribulation. Where is your upbringing? You knew very well that Mingfei and I had a good relationship with Patriarch Zi, yet you insisted on forcing Mingfei and me to oppose her. Where is your upbringing? You knew Mingfei disliked scheming and only wished to cultivate, but you forced him to do what he hated most. Where is your upbringing? Mingfei and I are your children, yet you only treat your own children as tools for your power struggles, disregarding familial bonds. Where is your upbringing? Therefore, you bear a significant responsibility for Mingfei's death. And yet, at this moment, you have the nerve to speak to me of upbringing and modesty. Don't you find it laughable?"
With each word Qin Mingyue spoke, she took a step closer to Qin Youbing, her anger intensifying. Qin Youbing had never seen her so assertive and was forced to retreat repeatedly.
"You are members of the Qin family, and naturally, you must prioritize the Qin family's interests."
Qin Mingyue looked at him coldly. "The Qin family's interests? Or the interests of you selfish individuals?"
Qin Youbing's voice lacked conviction. "Aren't they the same thing?"
"Heh!" Qin Mingyue sneered. "Whether they are the same or not, you know in your heart. In any case, from this day forward, Mingfei and I are no longer members of the Qin family, nor are we your children. Therefore, you can get lost!"
Qin Youbing went from being speechless to utterly disgraced, and then to being furiously indignant. He bellowed, "Qin Mingyue, this is utter rebellion!"
"Rebellion?" Qin Mingyue scoffed. "So be it rebellion! It's better than being some cold, heartless, and selfish person!"