Only I am Venerable-Chapter 30: Watermelon

Lying on the cold, muddy ground, waves of sharp, piercing pain washed over him. Qin Li had lost even the strength to stand. Inside his body, the Innate Purple Qi Technique was rapidly circulating through his unimpeded meridians, repairing his injuries.

If Qin Shisan were to see this, his jaw would drop. His next reaction would be to kill Qin Li without a moment’s hesitation. Even if it sparked a conflict between the Qin Family and the Shangguan Family, he would never allow such a monstrously talented super-genius to live. The conflict between the Qin and Shangguan Families wasn’t worth a single piece of silver to him, but if he allowed this young man to mature, what awaited him would surely be utter annihilation!

Qin Li felt the world spinning. ’Talk about instant karma,’ he thought. He’d just broken someone else’s nose with a single punch, and not even an hour later, the favor was returned...

After a long while, a half-grown boy ran over from a distance, a look of panic still on his face. He first picked up Qin Li’s book, then bent down and struggled to lift Qin Li, muttering, "So heavy! Hmph, one look and I can tell you grew up in a rich family. If I’d known, I would’ve just left you here. Hiss... you’re a real dead weight!"

...

The Innate Purple Qi Technique continued to circulate, constantly mending Qin Li’s injuries. When he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by two tear-streaked faces.

"Mother, Qin Xue, I... I’m fine." Qin Li moved slightly and felt excruciating pain all over his body. It seemed to hurt even more than when he was being beaten.

"How can you say you’re fine when you’ve been beaten this badly? And you... why didn’t you come back sooner? Why come home so late? Don’t you know how many people hate you right now?" Qin Hanyue said, her heart aching as tears streamed down her face.

Qin Xue, too, was filled with self-reproach. The place where Qin Li had been attacked was only a few hundred meters from their home. If Watermelon hadn’t found him and brought him back, Qin Li might have been in even greater danger. At this thought, Qin Xue said through her tears, "It’s all my fault. I should have been with the Young Master!"

"You two... sigh. Alright, let’s not talk about this. Mother, don’t worry. This will never happen again!" Qin Li said slowly. He then added, "I’m a little tired. You should both go get some rest."

"Well, then you rest well. It’s too late tonight. I’ll find a doctor for you tomorrow." With that, Qin Hanyue put out the lamp and left Qin Li’s room with Qin Xue, their eyes red from crying.

After they left, the room was plunged into darkness. Qin Li’s mind was exceptionally calm. He hadn’t expected Qin Yongzhi would actually dare to do this, and so brazenly. ’Thinking back now, I was too naive.’ It was true, no one in the Qin Family would dare kill him right now. But not killing him didn’t mean they couldn’t deal with him! Just like Qin Shisan did—wait for him to recover, then beat him until he was bedridden again. They wouldn’t need to do it more than a few times. Three times would be enough to completely ruin Qin Li for life!

Remembering Qin Shisan’s parting words, Qin Li sneered internally. ’This isn’t over? Qin Yongzhi, Qin Shisan... even if you wanted it to be over, I wouldn’t allow it!’

In the darkness, a murderous glint flashed in Qin Li’s bright eyes.

Gritting his teeth, he sat up in bed. The sharp, piercing pain immediately returned, washing over him in waves like the tide.

After a great deal of effort, he managed to sit cross-legged. Qin Li began to consciously circulate the Innate Purple Qi Technique. He had already sensed it earlier when he was being beaten; the technique had started circulating on its own, repairing his body. If not for this Cultivation Technique, he never would have been able to open his Ren and Du Meridians. ’Thinking about it now, this technique my master gave me is clearly an incredible treasure!’ he mused. ’I wonder why I couldn’t cultivate it in my previous life’s world, but I can in this one.’

As he circulated the technique, Qin Li was surprised to discover that in his Dantian, the milky-white Chaotic Energy Group had actually grown slightly larger! There were even faint signs of breaking through from Second-Level Primordial Power to the Third Level!

This discovery left Qin Li feeling a bit conflicted. ’Don’t tell me getting beaten up is a shortcut to increasing my strength?’ he thought.

The Innate Purple Qi Technique continued to circulate within Qin Li’s body, and his injuries healed at a miraculous speed. The next morning, when Qin Hanyue opened his door and saw her son sitting cross-legged on the bed, she couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp of surprise.

Qin Li’s face, which had been terribly swollen the night before, showed no signs of injury. Aside from a few minor scrapes, how could anyone tell that his face had been swollen like a steamed bun just last night?

Qin Xue, who arrived shortly after, was also stunned by Qin Li’s transformation. Her beautiful eyes stared at his face, full of suspicion, as if she were wondering if she was still dreaming and having a hallucination.

Just then, Qin Li opened his eyes, smiled at them, and said, "Good morning."

"Uh, good morning, Young Master..." Qin Xue’s mouth hung slightly open, her expression utterly adorable.

Qin Li looked at Qin Hanyue and asked, "Mother, was it Watermelon who brought me back last night?"

Qin Hanyue nodded slightly and sighed. "Righteousness is often found among the lowly. I used to dismiss that saying, seeing how the servants of the Qin Family were anything but righteous—quick to mock but slow to help. But since coming here, I’ve truly come to understand its meaning. Watermelon is a good child. Don’t forget to repay his kindness in the future."

Qin Li had wanted to ask Qin Hanyue if she had seen the Divine-level Combat Skill book, but since she didn’t mention it, it seemed that either Watermelon hadn’t seen it, or... Watermelon hadn’t returned it!

A sliver of doubt appeared in Qin Li’s mind. ’That kid Watermelon... can he even read?’

At noon, after lunch, Qin Li—whose body had almost completely recovered—ignored the protests of Qin Xue and his mother, got out of bed, and went outside to chop firewood.

The other set of memories in Qin Li’s mind was no stranger to this kind of chore; the original Qin Li had not been a pampered child.

Although Qin Hanyue and Qin Xue were amazed by Qin Li’s miraculous recovery speed, they didn’t say much about it. They figured his constitution had always been good, since the severe blows dealt by Qin Shisan had left no external marks.

Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps came from outside the main gate. Through the dilapidated wooden fence, Qin Li saw Watermelon run in, his face alight with excitement. When he saw Qin Li, he froze for a moment, then said in astonishment, "You’re already up and about so soon?"

"Yeah. Thanks for yesterday," Qin Li said with a smile. CRACK! He split another piece of firewood, as thick as a bowl, into two nearly identical halves, leaving Watermelon dumbfounded.

He couldn’t help but say, "A soft-skinned young master like you knows how to do this?" Then, with a nonchalant wave of his hand, he added, "I only saved you yesterday for Xue’s sake..."

Qin Li just smiled and shook his head. "Regardless, thank you."

Watermelon’s expression suddenly turned awkward. He stammered, "Actually... actually, you don’t have to thank me. Yesterday, I... I picked up a book. It’s probably yours, right? I couldn’t resist... I practiced the stuff inside!" The more he spoke, the more excited he became, his words flowing smoothly as he gestured wildly with his hands and feet. "I can’t believe it! It’s a real Divine-level Combat Skill! It’s so fucking awesome! HAHA, I beat Wen the Sixth and his gang so bad today they didn’t know what hit them! Damn, it felt so good, so damn good!"

As he spoke, Watermelon pulled out the combat skill book and handed it to Qin Li, smiling sheepishly. "Heh heh, I made a copy. This one... I’m giving it back to you."

"You... you can read?" Qin Li took it, dumbfounded. "And you practiced what’s inside?"

Watermelon, who had already been feeling that what he did was a bit out of line, flushed red. He’d only ever heard from his father that combat skills were valuable. As for how valuable, Watermelon couldn’t imagine; his father, a watermelon seller, had never told him. Growing angry out of embarrassment, Watermelon retorted, "Why couldn’t I know how to read? Besides... I saved your life, didn’t I? So what if I took a few peeks at your stupid combat skill? What’s the big deal!" With that, he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Qin Li’s face suddenly turned serious as he called out to the departing Watermelon.

"What? You want to fight? Bring it on!" Watermelon was all about saving face and had a temper that was easily provoked. Having just learned an Ultimate Skill, he was bursting with confidence, believing he could defeat Qin Li with a single finger.

"Sigh... never mind. Just go on and do whatever you were doing."

Qin Li waved his hand weakly. He knew that anything he said now, Watermelon wouldn’t believe, and it would only deepen the misunderstanding. He decided he would explain it to him another day; it’s not like the combat skill was some secret that could never be shared anyway. With that in mind, Qin Li said to the suspicious-looking Watermelon, "You don’t have a Primordial Power Heart Method yet, do you? When I have time, I’ll get one for you. Cultivate well. Go on."

Watermelon was, after all, just a boy. After what Qin Li said, he grew shy and muttered, "Um, I... I feel bad about this. Heh, whatever. From now on, I’ll protect your family! When the time comes, you can hang with me!" With that, he turned and ran off.

Qin Hanyue and Qin Xue came out of the house just then. Qin Xue asked doubtfully, "What just happened?"

Qin Li casually put away the *Only I am Venerable* combat skill book and said with a smile, "It’s nothing, Watermelon and I were just messing around." In his heart, however, he was thinking: ’Watermelon is still young, so even if he has to go through Nirvana Reincarnation, it’s not a big deal. Sooner or later I’ll have to make a trip to Phoenix Lake anyway. But not now.’

Back in his room, Qin Li opened the book. On its pale yellow cover, the muddy footprint was still visible, like a sneering, common face.

Without hesitation, Qin Li flipped it open. On the first page were seven words written in a flamboyant, domineering script: Heaven Above, Earth Below, Only I am Venerable!

Below it was a line of small text: To cultivate this combat skill, one must use the Celestial Profound Pill as a supplement. Without the Celestial Profound Pill, do not practice!

Qin Li gave it a glance and turned to the second page...