Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

"Zhi Mu, you wouldn't have...done something that would attract the attention of the judges of the Ten Kings' Court, would you?"

Teng Xiao changed his words halfway through his speech, using much more tactful language.

I intended to say that the ten heinous crimes should not be pardoned.

"If I confess, will you hand me over to the Ten Kings Division?" Qi Zhimu asked meaningfully, his eyes dark.

"...Don't joke like that, let's get to the real reason."

Teng Xiao felt a chill run down his spine; he couldn't detect any sign of lying on Qi Zhimu's face.

In other words, they are probably all true.

But this absolutely cannot be true; we must give Qi Zhimu a way out.

Seeing through Teng Xiao's intentions, Qi Zhimu didn't continue to teeter on the edge of danger.

"The real reason for my discharge was simpler: I just wanted to keep my promise to my mother that I would see her tomorrow, that's all."

"She lost everything, except me, and I... only have my mother."

Hearing this, Teng Xiao remained silent.

In Xianzhou, the longer a person lives, the harder it is for them to obtain strong emotional comfort from family affection.

Over time, many people stop valuing family ties.

But he could understand Qi Zhimu's feelings right now.

Firstly, he was young, and secondly... his mother died when he was very young.

Therefore, from a personal perspective, Teng Xiao understands and approves of Qi Zhimu's choice.

The only surprise was that the Qi family mother and son's relationship remained unchanged for over six hundred years.

"Teng Xiao, outsiders think that being born into the Qi family means a smooth and successful life, but they don't know that most of the Qi family's ancestors were trapped in the shackles of the past."

"What makes you say that?" Teng Xiao asked, puzzled.

"Because our family has served in the military for generations, neither our wives nor our daughters have been exempt."

"Is there anything wrong with this?"

"Have you ever considered that joining the military isn't the path everyone wants to choose?" Qi Zhimu said quietly.

Teng Xiao was stunned.

yes……

Everyone assumed from the outset that, given the Qi family's illustrious history, their descendants would inevitably be fierce generals of the Cloud Cavalry.

But no one has ever asked the real reason why the Qi family has wielded the sword for generations.

If you ask him, he'd probably be inspired by the deeds of his ancestors.

"Could it be...?"

"No need to be surprised, just as you guessed."

Qi Zhimu's tone was tinged with a subtle complexity.

"As descendants of the first Hunting Commander, the Qi family has only one ancestral precept: never dishonor the glory of our ancestors."

"But actually... the ancestral precepts were not passed down by our ancestors Qi Chengyou and his wife, but by their descendants."

"From the time of our ancestors to the present, compared to the time scale of long-lived species which is often thousands of years, the Qi family has gone through twenty-three generations in just over two thousand years, which is no different from short-lived species."

"My mother and I are the two generations that have lived the longest since our ancestors. Before that, the longest-lived person was only a little over 400 years old."

"My grandfather only lived to be 62 years old. My grandmother gave birth to my father and raised him. When he was 23, he passed the adult exam and returned to the army. He died in battle in a foreign land less than two years later."

"During that period, the Qi family bloodline was on the verge of extinction."

"Have you heard of the custom of divination for children, which has been passed down since the alliance with the fox people?" Qi Zhimu changed the subject.

"Of course, I got a toy sword when I was a child, but my parents didn't make the decision for me. Later, I applied to join the Cloud Cavalry, which was entirely my own choice."

"The Qi family's situation is the opposite of yours," Qi Zhimu said.

"ah…?"

"In the last dozen or so generations, apart from me, no one has taken up arms in the custom of trying out children, but without exception they have all chosen to join the army."

"...Most people are actually not in control of their own lives?" Teng Xiao took a light breath.

Qi Zhimu shook his head slightly, giving an ambiguous answer.

"No one has ever spoken out directly, but most people have their own areas of expertise, like my father—"

"Compared to fighting on the battlefield, he was actually more skilled at casting weapons, having studied at the Zhu Ming Immortal Ship."

"But my father eventually abandoned this path, and there were quite a few ancestors who had similar experiences."

"The descendants of the Qi family must never dishonor the glory of our ancestors. This is our ancestral precept, and it is also the inherent perception or, rather, the stereotype of the outside world for two thousand years."

The meaning of these words was not difficult to understand, but Teng Xiao felt somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing them.

War is too cruel. Even as a hunting envoy, there are many things that I am willing to do but cannot, and I am also unable to escape the troubles of worldly demons.

Throughout history, very few generals of the Immortal Ship have served for more than five hundred years.

If even a general is like this, what about the ordinary Cloud Cavalry who fight against the people of Fengrao?

Being born into a prestigious family like the Qi family seems to mean being destined to die on the battlefield.

Outsiders, however, see it as a stroke of luck that led to a meteoric rise in his career, which is also a biased view.

Thinking about this, Teng Xiao felt a lot of emotions and understood why Qi Zhimu insisted on leaving the military camp.

For two thousand years, no descendant of the Qi family has ever dared to break the shackles that history has placed on them.

Now, Qi Zhimu has taken the initiative to become that person.

It's no wonder that in the Qi family, which has a history of early marriage and childbearing, there would be a case like him, who is almost six hundred years old but still has not married or had children.

"Teng Xiao, I have no real objection to returning to the army, but at least give me some time... until I say goodbye to my mother. Her condition may only have these few years left..."

"From childhood to adulthood, my mother has always cherished me. In order to free me from the shackles of ancestral teachings and give me the freedom to choose my own destiny, she did not hesitate to fight with my father, with whom she had always been loving."

"The demonic body is the destiny of the immortal beings on the Immortal Ship, and the law has left me no room to change my mother's destiny."

"Then, in exchange for following fate—I hope that when my mother is led to her death, she can say goodbye with a smile without any regrets."

"I see."

Teng Xiao nodded silently, indicating his understanding. He then glanced around the tea pavilion and whispered in Qi Zhimu's ear.

"There are some things I didn't hear at all tonight. You'd better watch your step. I don't want to have to go to the Ten Kings' Division to bail someone out."

"I don't understand what the General is saying."

Qi Zhimu changed his previous expression, narrowed his eyes and smiled:

"I was merely keeping my mother company, using familial affection to slow down the process of her demonic possession. I really don't understand what 'controlling the degree' means."

"It's good that you don't understand."

Teng Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, then casually put his arm around Qi Zhimu's neck, his face showing the same expression.

"I understand why you're not returning to the army for the time being, but... the matter of having Mianxue and Qinghan train with you..."

Qi Zhimu slowly opened his eyes, his expression returning to calm: "I'm just afraid they won't be able to withstand the Qi family's brutal training standards."

"If those two don't have the perseverance and talent, then I'll just consider it a misjudgment. Don't worry, I won't make you take the blame."

Teng Xiao released his grip, picked up the teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.

"It's getting a bit cold. I'll steal some of my father's treasured tea to treat you another day. For now, I'll take my leave."

As he finished speaking, the burly man disappeared into the night.

Oh my... what a loving father and filial son...

Qi Zhimu chuckled, picked up his teacup, and looked at the face reflected on the water.