Before he even fully processed what had happened, Qin Haotian was struck by a resounding slap.
A bright red handprint instantly appeared on his face, leaving him stunned on the spot.
Meanwhile, Qin Langtian’s face remained ashen, the veins on his forehead throbbing violently as he unleashed a torrent of furious scolding, evidently enraged to the absolute limit.
"You unfilial wretch! How dare you speak with such insolence and offend your parents? Your petty jealousy and scheming against your own sister is utterly despicable!"
"Qingyue has always been sensible, well-behaved, and gentle. She never gives us cause for anger and certainly isn't incorrigible and obstinate like you!"
"Besides, your sister reached the Xiantian Realm Late Stage at the age of sixteen. With her extraordinary talent and exceptional ability, she is a dazzling prodigy admired by all across Shi Country!"
"In what way is she not superior to you? How could you even dream of comparing yourself to her?"
"As for unruly and unfilial behavior, you, this rebellious son, are never willing to lag behind!"
Feeling the burning pain on his face and the ringing echo in his ears, Qin Haotian’s eyes turned cold and his heart froze, shattering any remaining expectations he had for this family.
"You're right. Of course I can't compare to her!"
"I was an orphan since childhood, abandoned in a desolate village, with no one to raise or care for me."
"And what about her? She has been treated as the apple of your eye, enjoying fine food and luxurious silks—living a life that everyone envies!"
"Put that way, the difference truly is as vast as heaven and earth!"
Having reached this point, Qin Haotian had no intention of leaving any room for compromise. He tore off the final shred of pretense, his tone growing increasingly fierce.
"Just now you said, 'Knowing this, we shouldn't have given birth to you in the first place.' Aren't you ashamed to let such words cross your lips?"
"Who told you not to keep your lower body under control, resulting in a good-for-nothing disappointment like me?"
"To raise without teaching is the father's fault!"
"Whatever I have become is entirely thanks to you both!"
This rapid-fire bombardment of words hit home like a volley of daggers and needles, piercing straight to the heart!
Before Qin Langtian could fly into a rage, Lin Suxi was already devastated, tears streaming down her face like rain as grief overwhelmed her.
"Haotian, how can you say such things?"
"No matter what, your parents brought you into this world. You are our child..."
Only then did Qin Langtian snap back to his senses.
Provoked by the harsh words, he felt his dignity completely stripped away. Consumed by fury, the vital energy surged in his chest, leaving his expression pitch black.
"You rebellious wretch! How dare you speak to this Prince in such a manner!"
Seeing her father firmly taking her side, Qin Qingyue assumed her usual aggressive posture, her words exceptionally sharp and vicious.
"Qin Haotian, why don't you kneel and kowtow in kowtow-apology right now?"
"If you worry our Prince father into a grave illness with your insolence, this Princess will not let you off!"
Before the words had even faded, Qin Haotian stepped forward. Though currently devoid of cultivation, his imposing momentum was by no means weak.
"Shut your mouth!"
"Calling me by my first name one second and branding me a stray dog picked off the street the next—do you still regard me as your older brother?"
"Order of seniority between siblings is an ancient propriety. This is the first time I've ever seen a younger sister demand that her older brother kneel to her!"
"On what grounds do you boss me around and act so despotic?"
"Some damned prodigy you are—all show and no substance!"
"You just had better luck, pampered since childhood like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, squandering endless cultivation resources. Even a fool could achieve success under those conditions!"
"If you had been the one abandoned in that desolate village all those years ago, it's hard to say whether you'd even be alive today."
Qin Haotian stared straight into Qin Qingyue’s arrogant face, his tone dripping with undisguised mockery.
"How audacious of you! How dare you spew such vile filth at this Princess!"
With that, Qin Qingyue, driven to the verge of madness by fury, swung both palms forward. Channeling the true essence within her body, she struck Qin Haotian square in the chest. "Spit—!"
With a miserable cry, Qin Haotian vomited blood and was sent flying. He rolled several times before managing to clamber up from the ground.
He was currently a mortal without cultivation. Although Qin Langtian’s earlier slap had been fueled by anger, he had only used ordinary force, so aside from some swelling, it was basically harmless.
Qin Qingyue, however, had harbored murderous intent. Eager to avenge the insults, her methods were extremely vicious, aiming straight for Qin Haotian’s life from the start. "Qingyue, stop at once!"
Seeing the children of her own womb treat each other like mortal enemies, Lin Suxi felt her heart break into pieces, the pain worse than death.
Unable to remain seated any longer, she rushed down the main hall in three strides, gathering the heavily wounded Qin Haotian into her arms to inspect his injuries.
"Haotian, are you alright?"
Qin Haotian coughed a few times, spitting out another mouthful of blood, before barely managing to open his eyes.
"Look! This is the fine daughter you two raised—her very first move was a killing blow. S-she genuinely wanted my life!"
Lin Suxi shook her head repeatedly, hastily trying to offer an explanation.
"N-no!"
"Qingyue's temper is indeed a bit willful, but she didn't mean it. No matter what, she would never do anything to harm her own flesh and blood..."
Desperate to avoid escalating the conflict further, Lin Suxi piled praise upon Qin Qingyue.
Yet Qin Haotian refused to appreciate the gesture. Breaking free from her warm embrace, he staggered to his feet.
"Enough, stop acting!"
"When she attacked just now, with the strength the two of you possess, how could you possibly have let her succeed if you genuinely wanted to stop her?"
"Only when things have reached this desperate pass do you put on your loving mother routine—it's utterly laughable!"
"If you truly find me an eyesore, you might as well let her strike me dead with one palm!"
"In your eyes anyway, I am nothing more than mud that won't stick to a wall, the absolute disgrace of War King Manor!"
With such merciless words piercing the air, Lin Suxi panicked, shaking her head again and again.
"N-no!"
"Mother promises you, I have never held such a thought!"
"After all, you are the flesh torn from your mother's very body..."
Before she could finish, Qin Langtian strode forward, pulled his weeping wife up from the floor, and turned to unleash another furious tirade upon Qin Haotian.
"Outrageous! Truly wild and untamable!"
"How dare you shout at your mother like that! What kind of behavior is this?"
Hearing this, Qin Haotian’s gaze remained resolute, refusing to yield an inch.
"Qin Langtian, spare me your posturing!"
"Ever since I was born, you two have failed to fulfill your duties as parents. What right do you have to lecture me now?"
"For these past three years, when have you ever spoken a single word of care or concern to me?"
"Aside from endless reprimands and cold indifference, what have you ever given me?"
Facing her son’s stern reproaches, Lin Suxi was overcome with guilt, wishing the ground would swallow her whole.
She had to admit that in recent years, in pursuit of higher realms of power, she had spent her time in closed-door cultivation, thereby neglecting her son's existence and only occasionally emerging to ask after him briefly.
Now that she thought about it, she and her husband truly owed Qin Haotian far too much.
Qin Langtian’s lips moved as he stammered the word "you" several times, desperately searching for a way to salvage his dignity, but he was utterly devoid of arguments and left speechless.
At the same time, a trace of remorse began to stir within him. Outwardly maintaining a stern composure, inwardly he started to reflect on his own actions.
Could it be that this Prince was truly in the wrong? Ever since he had recovered his son, he had once considered making the news public to the world.
Yet, worrying that Qin Haotian had picked up bad habits from wandering for years and possessed a wild, undisciplined temperament unworthy of high society, he had decided to keep him close for a period of guidance first, planning to address the matter only after the boy's flaws were corrected.
Who could have expected that the matter would drag on and on for three full years?
By now, Qin Haotian had completely given up on redemption, his tone resolute and final.
"Speak! Why aren't you saying anything now?"
"Since you look down on this good-for-nothing, I have no desire to cling to high branches either!"
"From this day forward, we sever all ties of blood and kinship, and henceforth go our separate ways!"