Night without Borders

Chapter 348 Facing the Cui Family
Under the long night, snowflakes drifted down.

Under the glow of the firelight at night, the magnificent buildings seemed to be edged with gold, like a heavenly palace descending to earth, stretching across the dark earth.

Qin Ming climbed the white marble steps, looking at the red lanterns hanging on both sides of the gate and the pair of stone mythical beasts on the ground. All sorts of familiar feelings rushed over him, and the past seemed to be right before his eyes.

Returning to this familiar place, he felt a mix of emotions, after all, he had lived here for about ten years.

For a moment, he felt as if he had traveled back in time and saw himself from childhood to adolescence.

In his presence, Cui's father and mother were always rigid and serious, and even when they smiled, their smiles lacked warmth. Later, he realized that it was a kind of distance between them.

Through the thick fog, Qin Ming seemed to see his naive self, trapped alone in the silk scroll, practicing the various movements recorded on it in solitude, yet unable to find his way.

His grandfather was just an ordinary person. He was chosen and brought here because he looked like Cui Chonghe, and for a long time he lived in a false life created by others.

He once regarded this place as his home, until one day, when Cui's father looked down at him and told him that he should shoulder the responsibilities and obligations of the eldest son and go with a group of old people whose lifespans were about to end to attract powerful enemies. At that time, he was extremely saddened, knowing that it would be a farewell to death.

On that day, he was reluctant to leave, heartbroken, in pain, until he became numb.

He couldn't utter a word, tears welling in his eyes, as he watched his father and mother, along with Cui Chongxuan and a large group of Cui family elites, depart without looking back.

In the villages outside Luoyue City, some of the elders of the Cui family who were nearing the end of their lives approached him several times, but were driven away by Cui Qishu's own grandfather.

That night, flames raged, and Qin Ming was on the verge of despair. He felt the coldness and ruthlessness of the Cui family and remained silent all night. In the end, he was as if he had died once, and lost all his memory. It was because of this that he had a brand new life later on.

“Cousin, it’s been three years since we last met. We’ve been missing you terribly.” Two young men approached, one of them saying with a friendly smile.

Qin Ming's senses were now incredibly sharp. This intimacy was superficial and insincere. He simply nodded and said, "You've already reported this in secret, haven't you? I came back to check."

Without giving them a chance to say anything more, he walked inside, not wanting to waste time with them. If it weren't for his concern that his grandfather was old and likely nearing the end of his life, he wouldn't have come back now.

Lu Zizai followed behind, seemingly standing in a mist, invisible to others even though they were not far apart. The Thunder King Bird and Lu Zizai's pet Little Goldfish circled in the distant night sky.

The two people accompanying Qin Ming inside were both in their twenties. They weren't the teenagers he grew up with, and they didn't have much interaction with each other, so there wasn't any deep friendship between them.

In fact, the Cui family has been paying close attention to Qin Ming for the past six months, and they all find it incredible that he has risen to prominence so quickly.

In the past, his skull fractured, causing him to lose all his memory and become almost useless. His father, Cui, ordered him to be kept in Black and White Mountain and never return. He was to be kept in a remote place. Everyone thought that he would disappear from the Cui family's sight forever, as if he had never existed.

It hasn't been long. He has already become a shining new star, rising rapidly, returning in the way the Cui family least wanted to see.

Of course, some members of the Cui family had regrets, but once a choice has been made and certain things have been done, it is difficult to change direction or turn back.

Suppressing him at Black and White Mountain was a minor matter; the real issue was sending him as cannon fodder to face the Li family's experts and die. This was the crux of their concerns.

Especially later, on the plateau outside the third forbidden land of Kunling, when the patriarch beheaded the "auspicious beast" and various forces joined forces to hunt demons, the Cui family and Qin Ming had a fierce conflict, and he killed several batches of his direct descendants. Such blood feuds are hard to resolve.

“Cousin, we’ve been hoping you could come back.” The young man accompanying him inside had a smile on his face the whole time.

Qin Ming remained silent, gazing at the familiar courtyards.

The Cui family mansion can be considered a small blessed land.

Even in the cold winter, the garden is full of spring colors. The flowerbeds are full of colorful flowers and fragrant scents. You can also see butterflies dancing and the trees swaying. The eaves and brackets are outlined in pale gold in the fire glow.

"Qin Ming?!" Cui He appeared, and was shocked to see him, then burst into laughter.

Not far from her, there was Cui Shuning, dressed in a black dress, with a rather aloof and elegant demeanor. She was also quite surprised and felt very unexpected.

Qin Ming didn't have a good impression of these two people. They had traveled a long way to Chixia City to "see him," and if it weren't for Meng Xinghai's protection, he would have been in grave danger that time.

Even so, the two still asked members of the esoteric sect to deal with him.

"Xiao Ming, why don't you call me Fourth Uncle after you see me?" Cui He had a full head of light green hair, and it was obvious that he had made further progress in his practice of the "Living in the World Scripture".

He was an elite of the previous generation, with profound Taoist skills. He followed the path of esoteric Buddhism and also studied the secret manuals of the path to longevity. Now he had a thick smile on his face, but it didn't look like he was friendly at all.

"Cui Si, long time no see," Qin Ming said calmly, looking at him.

"What did you call me?" Cui He's smile vanished, his expression changing faster than turning the pages of a book, his face instantly turning icy cold.

Qin Ming didn't even bother to give a perfunctory smile to the person who had once tried to harm him.

“Cui Si,” Qin Ming replied calmly.

"Disrespecting your elders, you've gone too far!" Cui He's full head of green hair suddenly glowed and fluttered, and he moved with lightning speed like a ghost, grabbing at Qin Ming's neck.

Just recently, he successfully broke through to the fourth realm of Tantric Buddhism, Tongyou, and his confidence soared. So what if he was just a remarkable seed? This was in the Cui family, and he was a whole realm higher. He was ready to put on airs and teach this boy, whom the family both disliked and feared, a lesson.

Although he had not yet heard the news that Lu Zizai had accompanied Qin Ming to the Pure Land of the Immortals, he knew that the two had a good relationship. However, some things did not require killing, and there was no need to directly kill Qin Ming. The Cui family had other means.

Qin Ming grabbed his wrist, looked at him coldly, and said, "Cui Si, don't go looking for trouble!"

With a loud boom, a thin layer of smoke rose from the ground, and the entire area seemed to be plunged into a ghostly realm. Cui He's eyes turned green as he began to use techniques from the fourth level of the esoteric Buddhist sect.

Dressed in all black, Cui Shuning appeared like a ghost and said, "You really have no manners. After three years outside, have you become a savage? Is this how you face your elders?"

Outside Qin Ming's body, an invisible spiritual field expanded, instantly tearing apart Cui Hetongyou's power. Then, with a bang, he grabbed Cui Si by the neck and lifted him into the air.

At the same time, he turned back coldly to look at the aloof woman who had once called him "aunt" who was rushing towards him, and he felt just as much annoyance towards her.

Back in Chixia City, she had feigned affection to get close to Qin Ming, but when she tried to touch his head, she looked disgusted, making her behavior utterly unlikable.

Snapped!Snapped!
Qin Ming moved with lightning speed, striking her twice across the face, knocking out six or seven of her teeth and spitting blood. She flew through the air, crashing into the courtyard wall, where earth and stones scattered and the wall collapsed as she passed right through it.

Cui He was no exception. After Qin Ming pulled him up, he was slapped four times across the face. His teeth flew out mixed with blood. He could hardly believe that he had been slapped several times in his own home by this young man.

Qin Ming slammed him to the ground, shattering the bluestone floor. Cui He groaned, some of his bones breaking.

"How dare you cause trouble in the Cui family!" Cui Shuning rushed out from the other side of the courtyard wall with her hair disheveled, only to be kicked away again by Qin Ming. The sound of bones cracking could be heard clearly. She screamed in agony, her cold and beautiful demeanor completely gone, and fell to the ground some distance away.

Although this is a small blessed land, it is only relative to the pure land outside the world. In fact, it is very magnificent, with blue lakes, pavilions, towers, flowing water and arched bridges. Every ten steps there is a beautiful scene. Now, a large group of people rushed out from behind the various scenic spots.

This is an important place for the Cui family, so naturally there are many experts here.

"Who dares to offend the Cui family's dignity?"

"Hmm? Qin Ming!"

Then another familiar face appeared, the leader of whom was none other than the fifth master of the Cui family, one of the people who had most ruthlessly "brainwashed" Qin Ming, who had encouraged him to practice silk calligraphy, a style that was normally impossible, since he was a child.

"Little Qin, my good boy, you're finally back." He grinned, his old face gradually relaxing like a dried orange peel soaked in water.

"Now that you're home, practice your skills with me, Fifth Master!" He rushed over like a ghost.

He had tried to harm Qin Ming back in Chixia City, but Li Qingyun had tucked him under his arm. Now, he wore a malicious smile. "What kind of kung fu are you practicing? Are you going to return the silk scroll to me?" Qin Ming asked coldly.

Led by Master Cui, a group of old men grinned, their eyes filled with coldness.

They naturally knew that Qin Ming was now surrounded by a halo on the road to rebirth, becoming a representative figure of the new generation, and had a close relationship with Lu Zizai, so it was impossible for him to really be killed here.

“Practice the Heart-Cleansing Sutra with me. It’s a miraculous skill that you should study for a lifetime,” Cui Laowu said with a smile.

This scripture is a strange technique they recently "found". It can "cleanse" a person's heart, purify their consciousness, and make them "change their ways", making them less likely to be hostile. Moreover, it is not intense and is accomplished in a subtle and gradual way.

In fact, this was a scripture that the Cui family had painstakingly sought out, intending to target Qin Ming. Since they couldn't kill him, they would try to control his mind if given the opportunity.

In the end, Qin Ming could naturally return to the Cui family and be used by them. Outsiders would hardly see the signs and would only think that the two sides had reconciled.

And what can be done with him decades or centuries later? Making him willingly become Cui Chonghe's strongman would be no problem at all.

Master Cui was undoubtedly a master, far surpassing Cui He and Cui Shuning. He led a group of elders forward.

Suddenly, their faces turned pale, and they stared in disbelief at the young man in coarse linen clothes standing to Qin Ming's side.

"Lu Zizai!" someone exclaimed, recognizing his identity.

Some people bowed deeply, while others were covered in cold sweat.

Especially Master Cui, whose body was creaking and cracking, as if all his bones were about to break, and with a thud, he knelt directly on the ground.

He naturally didn't want to do this, but his knee was shattered and blood was gushing out. He had no choice but to kneel in public, suppressed there by an invisible force.

"Do whatever you want with it," Lu Zizai said.

Qin Ming walked forward and kicked out with a bang, landing solidly on Cui Laowu's old face.

Even though Master Cui was highly skilled, he was now being suppressed and could hardly resist. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and six of his old teeth broke off with a snapping sound.

Cui Laowu was shocked and furious. This was the mansion of a thousand-year-old family. Although it was not their ancestral home, it was still an important place. As an elder of the clan, he had actually been beaten in his own home.

However, upon seeing the boy in coarse linen clothes, he felt a sense of powerlessness.

He felt incredibly frustrated, indignant, and resentful. If we trace back five or six hundred years, even if Lu Zizai himself were to come, the Cui family wouldn't be afraid of anything.

Because, five or six hundred years ago, the Cui family had a pioneer in the field of road construction in the remote lands.

Unfortunately, time flies, and even the strongest people will grow old, wither, and eventually die. The Cui family in this era does not have such a strong person to hold the reins.

The clan's ancestor has probably broken through to the sixth realm, but in any case, he is no match for Lu Zizai, who advanced from the Supreme Grandmaster level.

"Master Lu, please calm your anger!"

"Qin Ming, stop!"

A group of core high-ranking members of the Cui family appeared, filing out from the depths of the mansion.

Qin Ming ignored him and kicked him twice more, causing blood to splatter everywhere.

It has to be said that this old guy's body is too tough. Even someone as strong as Qin Ming now feels like he's kicking a mithril plate, and it's very difficult to kick through it completely.

Cui Laowu's teeth flew out with blood, and then with a crack, several horrifying cracks appeared on his jaw and facial bones.

A figure appeared like a ghost, tall, heroic, and cold, and stood in front of Cui Laowu.

Qin Ming then stopped and looked at the newcomer, who was none other than Cui's father.

In this situation, perhaps only he would dare to show such an attitude.

Qin Ming least wanted to see him and Cui's mother. After all, he had called them father and mother for ten years, and even with endless anger and resentment, it was difficult for him to directly take action against them.

"My child, your mother misses you so much!" A graceful and beautiful woman appeared in the distance and called out to Qin Ming.

A group of the Cui family's true high-ranking members stood at a distance, most of them elderly, their faces extremely solemn.

Even though the Cui family has a profound heritage and has been expanding and spreading into esoteric Buddhism and secular areas for nearly two thousand years, they are still apprehensive when faced with a patriarch coming to their door.

Unlike Cui He and others who were out of touch with the news, they had recently been listening to reports in the main hall and learned the details of Lu Zizai accompanying Qin Ming to the Pure Land of the Outside World.

However, they never expected that Lu Zizai would accompany Qin Ming to the Cui family again.

"Master Lu, please come into the hall for a cup of tea." An old man bowed respectfully to Lu Zizai and invited him into the reception hall for a chat.

“Child, let’s have a good talk,” Cui’s mother said to Qin Ming.

Qin Ming's main purpose was to find out the true whereabouts of his grandfather, not to start a war with the ancient family today.

Finally, Lu Zizai and Qin Ming entered the main hall of the Cui family.

"Summon Cui Geng to see me," Lu Zizai said calmly, putting down his teacup. The name he mentioned was none other than the ancestor of the Cui family in this era.

……

"Really? Qin Ming just barged into the Cui family and it seems he even started a fight there?"

The incident caused an uproar. Large organizations were paying close attention to the matter and received a secret report immediately. The results were shocking.

In the depths of Kunlun, amidst layers of misty space, the inverted Jade Capital ripples, its blurred outline radiating outwards, reaching the real world with greater clarity than before.

Deep within the distant, misty world, a group of humans are on their way. There are dignified elders, ethereal maidens, and spirited young men. Their destination is Night Province.

To answer the question, which involves Cui Chonghe's double Qin Ming, the protagonist's qualifications, and the thousand-year-old family, etc., it's quite long, so I'll put it in the author's notes below.

　Some readers say that the Cui family doesn't need to find a substitute for Cui Chonghe at all, since the Cui family is very powerful, and they also have Sun Taichu, the patriarch of the immortal path.

　　In response, after Cui Chonghe entered the secluded land, he was unable to see his master, Sun Taichu, who had been in seclusion for over a decade. Cui Chonghe suffered from a severe lack of security, as I have written about before.

　　Furthermore, it was emphasized that the Cui family had a rival family with a history spanning thousands of years. Moreover, it was mentioned that various major families were constantly sending people to the Immortal Path and the Secret Sect. Various forces were deeply entrenched in the outside world. The Cui family was afraid that their rival would be assassinated while Cui Chonghe was unable to see Sun Taichu. Therefore, they made him hide his identity in the outside world, becoming a nobody, keeping a low profile and having no presence.

　　The article also specifically mentioned that when Cui Chonghe first showed his extraordinary talent, some people wanted to lure him out of the secluded world. Under such circumstances, how could he not keep a low profile?

　　It wasn't until Sun Taichu emerged from seclusion and Cui Chonghe's performance satisfied him that he officially stepped out from behind the scenes. At this point, Qin Ming's role as a stand-in had also fulfilled its purpose.

　　All of the above have been mentioned in the original text.

　　Some people are asking why the protagonist had to be a stand-in? Qin Ming's talent is so great, wouldn't it be a waste to use him as a stand-in? These readers are looking at the issue from an omniscient perspective. Do the characters in the book even know who the protagonist is? Furthermore, the aptitude test on the Freshman Path requires the first Freshman Transformation to determine talent. Having nearly a thousand pounds of strength in both arms is a rare quality. The Cui family just randomly picked someone like Qin Ming, who resembles Cui Chonghe, simply to be a stand-in. How could they possibly know beforehand that he would perform so exceptionally well on the Freshman Path? Moreover, the Cui family, fearing resentment from the protagonist, kept him in check, preventing any unforeseen circumstances, and never gave him any opportunities. This is all from the original text.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)