186 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

### Chapter 186 A woman's voice, cold and strong, questioned the man relentlessly about why he had neglected her all these years. Si Yi Guang stood rooted in place, silent for a long time, unable to argue back. He couldn’t deny that Han Yan’s words were completely true. The responsibility for the state of their relationship lay as much with him as with her. The room, at some point, had fallen into a deep silence, with no other sounds. The only thing audible was the faint breathing of the young man on the bed. Si Qi — was he truly his own flesh and blood? Even amidst the reproach from the woman he loved most, Si Yi Guang still harbored doubts about the truth of this matter. He lifted his eyelids slightly, his gaze cold and detached, staring directly at the sleeping young man not too far away. No matter how he looked, he couldn't find the slightest resemblance between himself and the young man’s pale, thin face. Neither the eyebrows, eyes, nose, nor lips resembled him or Han Yan. The woman next to him seemed to sense the coldness in his gaze. Before he could take a step, she extended her hand to shield him from the young man on the bed. “Little Qi is hanging by a thread, and you still won’t leave him be?” Han Yan stood in front of the bed, her voice trembling from strong emotions, tears welling in her eyes if one looked closely. Such a sight inevitably stirred compassion within one's heart. Si Yi Guang averted his gaze from the bed and looked at the beautiful woman he had thought of for most of his life. For a moment, his throat seemed blocked, unable to utter a single word. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask if Si Qi was indeed his child. But until he heard footsteps outside, he couldn’t bring himself to speak. As Han Yan said, even if he received a definite answer, he wouldn’t be able to believe it, for in the past two decades, he had never treated Si Qi as his own flesh and blood. Therefore, any further inquiry was pointless. The footsteps outside approached hurriedly, echoing with anxiety and disarray. Perhaps to ease the awkward atmosphere, Si Yi Guang stepped back and turned to open the door for the person outside. Though the mansion was vast, news spread quickly. Within half a day, everyone in the Si family knew the head had gone to visit the first wife’s courtyard. Everyone was waiting to see how Si Yi Guang would deal with Han Yan and Si Qi. Though they anticipated a spectacle, none dared venture to the courtyard. No small slaves there had the courage, and even the butler sent by the Second Madam to gather news only dared to hover around the outer courtyard, not daring to step foot inside. In this situation, only Si Qian would venture over. Si Yi Guang opened the door with a grim expression. The sunlight outside poured in, casting a thin shadow over the young man’s face. He lowered his eyes. Although the youthful face before him was slightly blurred, the contour faintly carried the shadow of his younger self. Si Qian’s presence was like a sharp thorn, reigniting the murderous intent Si Yi Guang had worked hard to suppress. “Father, the blood dart... I have the blood dart—” Under Si Yi Guang’s cold, piercing gaze, Si Qian inexplicably broke into a cold sweat, his psychological strength crumbling. At that moment, he didn’t dare consider what he should do if Si Yi Guang ordered him to kill Si Qi. Being young and unfamiliar with family affairs, Si Qian’s internal turmoil was evident to Si Yi Guang. The future successor of the Si family shouldn’t be so indecisive. Si Yi Guang, eyes cold and stern, didn’t reach for the blood-stained black dart. Instead, he sidestepped, inviting the young man inside. “Come in.” Si Qi’s heart pounded furiously, his face growing paler. He knew that once he stepped into this room, what would happen next would be beyond his control. The blood dart in his hand felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, causing his arm to tremble. Despite his reluctance, facing the commanding gaze of the man, he nodded in compliance. “Yes.” Han Yan, standing alone to protect the bed, appeared both desperate and powerless. At this moment, she already understood what Si Yi Guang intended to do. He wanted to use Si Qi’s death to help Si Qian overcome the toughest challenge on his path to becoming the head of the family. This man was truly ruthless, even if guilt lingered in his heart, it couldn’t surpass his desire to kill Si Qi. Ultimately, he still didn’t believe Si Qi was his own child. If he needed to respond to external rumors, Si Qi’s death would be the most effective resolution. Han Yan's lips tightened, her eyes devoid of any light. Watching the father and son pair enter the room, her heart was filled with hatred. If not for Ping Tian being trapped in the Youhuo Divine Pool, she and Si Qi wouldn’t have had to endure a life of survival in the Si family. One day in the future, she would make Si Yi Guang pay for his actions today. The upcoming events were known to all three. Si Qi kept his head low, silent, his legs slightly trembling, neither daring to look at Si Qi on the bed nor Han Yan ahead. Perhaps under immense psychological pressure, the blood dart in his hand seemed to grow heavier. Amidst the panic, Si Yi Guang abruptly turned and faced him, speaking words that made his heart leap. “Qi Er, do you think your elder brother resembles me?” The calm and cold tone didn’t sound like a question but rather a statement of fact. Si Qi’s lips parted slightly, his heart skipping a beat. He didn’t know how to respond, but he knew what Si Yi Guang wanted to hear. Without anyone else around, he might have said “no,” but with Han Yan present, he didn’t need to look up to sense her anger, shock, and helplessness. In this context, he simply didn’t have the courage to say “no.” Such indecisive timidity was not a trait befitting a family head. Si Yi Guang waited for some time without receiving a reply. A hint of dissatisfaction appeared on his face, the coldness around him growing. Such oppressive pressure was too much for Si Qian to bear. He avoided eye contact, his lips opening and closing several times but still stumbling for words, unable to suppress his trembling hands holding the blood dart. Others couldn’t sense it, but he could feel it. The weight of the blood dart seemed to grow, causing his arms to feel waves of pain. If this continued, his hands might be crushed. On one hand, was Si Yi Guang’s relentless questioning; on the other, the immense pressure of being forced to kill. Both pushed his psychological endurance to its limits. And the blood dart in his hand became the final straw breaking his resolve. Si Yi Guang didn’t get an answer from his younger son, but behind him was the sound of the youth collapsing. The attempt to kill Si Qi resulted in Si Qian’s injury. According to the healer, his spiritual depletion caused the dart’s malevolent aura to invade his heart, leading to his unconsciousness. Si Yi Guang was stunned by his younger son’s incompetence, unable even to withstand the dart’s aura. Whether in aptitude, courage, or strategy, he couldn’t compare to Si Xiao. No one in the Si family expected events to unfold this way, especially the Second Madam, who wept bitterly while complaining to Si Yi Guang after learning about Si Qian’s injuries. Si Qian’s Dao cultivation might not match Si Xiao’s, but he had been training in Tian Luo Di Sha Hand from a young age. No matter how inferior, he shouldn’t be invaded by malicious aura. The Second Madam felt the situation was not simple, convinced Si Qian’s injury was linked to Han Yan. Yet despite her assertions, Si Yi Guang placed all blame on Si Qian, deeming him too useless to get hurt, unable to kill even a dying person. Proud of his wisdom, he never considered the possibility that the Second Madam’s claims might be true. Si Ding Yun deeply loved Han Yan; having sacrificed his life for her, he would naturally teach her the incantations to control the blood dart. Si Qian’s sudden collapse was entirely due to Han Yan secretly manipulating the blood dart to release its malicious aura. Without doing so, Si Qi would have already been dead. The danger was temporarily avoided due to Si Qian's injury, but Han Yan dared not relax. Si Yi Guang was a person who wouldn’t rest until he achieved his goals. Today they didn’t kill Si Qi; tomorrow they’d find another way to claim his life. You can evade for a while, but not forever. To save Si Qi, there was only one way — release his biological father, Ping Tian. *** Jiu Ying and Fu Ling, alongside Yu Ping and her maid, lingered in Guixi City for a few days, as if waiting for someone's arrival. Sure enough, three days later, people from the Lingbao Pavilion reached out again, inquiring about events that occurred on the journey to Minghai. The two understood that the Lingbao Pavilion was acting on behalf of the demon clan elders to investigate further. Before disembarking, everyone had rehearsed their story thoroughly. This time, Jiu Ying maintained that the demonic master and servant had been driven to jump into the Minghai by Si Ding Yun before reaching An Yang Island. As for the reason, it was because Si Ding Yun wanted to monopolize the Kun Beast himself, and the two from the demon clan refused to yield, ultimately meeting a tragic end in the sea, their bodies never found. Perhaps to make the story more convincing, Fu Ling added a comment. “The demon clan had someone who just spoke a few extra words, and even his finger was cut off by Si Ding Yun. You must know, the master of that demon duo had quite the temper and berated Si Ding Yun quite a bit!” This wasn’t fabricated, as Yu Ping indeed had a conflict with Si Ding Yun back then, and Yu Qiu’s finger had actually been severed by a golden thread. Everything was so perfectly aligned that one couldn't help but believe it. The people from the Lingbao Pavilion stayed a while longer before leaving again. It seemed this would be their last visit. Jiu Ying let out a slight sigh of relief, finally tying together the disappearance of Tian Ya with Si Ding Yun’s death. Now, if the demon clan wanted to investigate the whereabouts of Yu Ping and Qing Tong, they’d have to first confirm whether Si Ding Yun was truly dead. Once all outsiders had left and the courtyard returned to tranquility, Fu Ling quietly let the girl hiding in the side room come out. Feeling guilty for the trouble she had caused her fellow disciples, Yu Ping's expression was full of remorse, especially recalling her haughty attitude at the start, making her even more embarrassed. Before reaching the courtyard, she stopped voluntarily. “Are you leaving?” “If it’s inconvenient to take us along, Qing Tong and I can stay in this courtyard.” Fu Ling, though simple-minded, noticed the blush of guilt on the girl’s cheeks. Without needing further explanation, she could guess what Yu Ping was worried about. She shook her head, her eyes filled with a sincere smile, and spoke with such heartfelt genuineness that it left no room for doubt. “How could it be inconvenient?” “Since my senior sister and I saved you from Si Ding Yun, we naturally won’t abandon you.” “Guixi City is teeming with complex characters. Staying here is truly dangerous; if the demon clan discovers your identity, it would be catastrophic for both you and Qing Tong.” “With that said, do you still not wish to leave with us?” As Fu Ling spoke, a white dove flapped its wings, fluttering around the old tree in the courtyard, appearing to play joyfully. Yu Ping watched this scene, her mind swirling with thoughts. In that moment, she suddenly understood the feeling of cherished reluctance that only humans can experience. Staying here, if anything happened solely to her, it would be acceptable. But if Qing Tong were implicated, her heart would never find peace. She withdrew her gaze from the dove, her eyes tinged with inexplicable sadness. Amidst her distraction, a light, melodious voice reached her ears, and with just a single sentence, her smile blossomed once more— “Qing Tong told me you really want to make friends. If you come back with us, I’ll introduce you to all my friends, okay?”