LAVW – Chapter 10 Aotian Sheds Tears

While Shi Qian was scheming about the food supply of the Long family’s ancestors, a group of people hurried to Long Ye’s courtyard.

There were too many clan members, so Long Xing did not follow. Leading the group was Long Chengyang.

With a wave of his hand, Long Ming—who was also involved in this matter—rushed inside.

On the way there, Long Ming had learned from Long Chengyang about the clan leader’s decision.

If they found any stolen goods, it would be Long Ye’s fault. If they found nothing, then he would become the scapegoat, sacrificed to appease the clan.

But how was any of this his fault?

Long Ye had never cared about the family. His goal—wasn’t it all for the betterment of the clan? Thinking of this, a surge of resentment flashed through Long Ming’s heart. He quickened his pace, stepping forward to be the first among the group.

Familiar with Long Ye’s habits, Long Ming went straight to the bedroom and searched Long Ye’s usual hiding spot.

Just like when they were children, Long Ye had carved out a secret compartment in the wall beside his bed to stash valuables.

The compartment was opened—only to reveal it was completely empty!

Long Ming immediately felt as if Long Ye had played him for a fool.

The group searched every inch of the house but failed to find anything remotely valuable. Even Long Ming, a low-tier cultivator at the third stage of Qi Refining, found nothing worth his interest.

Someone gasped in shock. “I can’t believe Long Ye is this poor!”

“He barely has any clothes, and most of them are patched over and over again.”

“Looking at this place, it really doesn’t seem like he had anything valuable.”

“How could he not even have a single spirit stone? Did he keep everything on him?”

“But we already searched him.”

Before bringing Long Ye back to the Long family, Long Chengyang had thoroughly searched him. Aside from a single bottle of Nourishing Pills, Long Ye had nothing.

Finding nothing, Long Ming’s face twisted in frustration. He was convinced something was wrong.

He questioned sharply, “With Long Ye’s personality, there’s no way he wouldn’t keep at least a few spirit stones for emergencies. This doesn’t make sense!”

“He must have something, but we just don’t know where he hid it.” Long Ming’s tone was firm, but his urgency was clear.

Speculation alone was not enough—evidence was key to settling this matter. He had to find out where Long Ye had hidden his valuables!

Just as Long Ming, driven by obsession, grabbed an axe and prepared to chop apart the ironwood training stake Long Ye used for body tempering, another commotion erupted in the Long household.

Still dazed, Long Ming vaguely heard someone mention “People from the Li family are here.”

That’s right! The Li family.

The items must be at the Li family’s residence.

Long Ye had always been devoted to his fiancée—whenever he got something, he eagerly sent it over. Saying he gave his heart and soul to her wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

As discussions grew louder, Long Ming tossed aside the axe and quickly chased after Long Chengyang, who had been summoned to the clan’s assembly hall.

“Uncle Chengyang, I know where Long Ye hid his things! He must have found a way to secretly give them to Li Qingxi. That’s why we couldn’t find anything in his courtyard!”

After leaving Long Ye’s courtyard, the crowd that had been watching the commotion had dispersed. Long Chengyang stopped walking and looked at Long Ming.

“That’s impossible. The things aren’t at the Li family’s residence.”

“Why not?!” Long Ming was confused.

“Because the Li family is here to break off the engagement.”

Long Ye wasn’t a fool—there was no way he would hand over his belongings to a woman who had already turned her back on him.

Two senior elders from the Li family had arrived, bringing a compensation gift worth several times the original betrothal gifts to formally annul the engagement.

Since the Li family was in the wrong, and they had additional matters that required them to handle the situation discreetly, they had come prepared to offer the Long family some benefits.

However, what they hadn’t expected was that Long Xing would directly ask for a slot in the secret realm trial.

There were only about thirty secret realm rings in total, each capable of bringing multiple people into the secret realm. The number of people varied depending on the state of the realm when it was activated, ranging from a handful to over ten.

The Li family had managed to obtain one secret realm ring, but the Long family had clearly done their research. They must have known that the Li family’s ring was closely tied to the Gongsun family from the capital.

It was thanks to the intervention of a certain young master of the Gongsun family that the Li family had been able to secure their secret realm ring in the first place. And the one involved with that young master was none other than Li Qingxi.

Today, Li Qingxi had come to break off her engagement with Long Ye, stepping on both his and the Long family’s dignity to climb toward a higher status.

Under these circumstances, the way Long Xing boldly demanded compensation left even the Li family astonished.

After some negotiations, both sides reached an agreement.

The Long family, represented by their elders, officially accepted the annulment of Long Ye and Li Qingxi’s engagement. They returned the original engagement documents and agreed to restrain their clan members from bringing up the past relationship between Long Ye and Li Qingxi in the future.

In return, the Li family returned the betrothal gifts and provided additional compensation—most importantly, one to two slots in the secret realm trial.

Once the Li family left, the Long family gathered in their clan hall. After making some face-saving remarks to uphold their dignity, they immediately began dividing the spoils.

If only one secret realm slot was obtained, it would naturally belong to Long Xing. But if there was more than one, how should they be distributed?

For the Long family, this was an unexpected windfall.

With their current strength, they could neither obtain nor protect a secret realm ring on their own. Now, by leveraging this situation, they had secured at least two entry slots. Putting aside their so-called honor, this was an immense opportunity for the family’s future development.

And the price they paid?

Only a single, insignificant Long Ye.

A young man with poor talent who, despite years of diligent effort, had only reached the fifth level of Qi Refining at seventeen years old—not even enough to be considered a true cultivator.

After the slots were allocated, someone came in to report—the search of Long Ye’s courtyard was completed, and they had found nothing.

From a legal standpoint, Long Ye was innocent.

“In that case, we should release Long Ye from the ancestral hall,” the clan leader said hesitantly. He still wanted to uphold some semblance of propriety—at least on the surface.

But Long Xing scoffed, “Release him? If we let him out, he definitely won’t stay quiet.”

That reminder made everyone present recall the precious secret realm slots they had gained because of Long Ye.

A shared understanding settled over them—they couldn’t let him ruin everything.

In the silence that followed, Long Xing chuckled.

Turning to Long Ming, who had been brought forward, he said, “Long Ming, I know you’re good friends with that brat Long Ye. You were just worried he’d go down the wrong path and got a little too involved—that’s understandable. We’ll let today’s incident slide. You can go now.”

“As for Long Ye… just say I had a dream where his father visited me and told me to keep him in the ancestral hall for another month or so.”

Long Ming had been tense when he was called into the clan hall, but when he left, not only was he unscathed, he had also received good news—

Long Ye was going to stay locked in the ancestral hall.

As Long Ming exited, he didn’t hear the last part of the discussion—no one was to disturb the ancestral hall’s peace.

Before that order could take effect, Long Ming had already started making his way toward the hall.

Inside the ancestral hall, the unconscious Long Ye was still absorbing the medicinal energy to heal his wounds.

Meanwhile, Shi Qian was snacking contentedly, holding a piece of cake in one hand and a small fruit in the other.

That Rat No. 1 didn’t lie—these pastries were pretty tasty.

Munching happily, Shi Qian was just about to stash a couple of plates into his storage space when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching at a near run.

He immediately squeaked a warning:

“Squeak Squeak!”

Long Ye, someone’s coming!

Unlike during cultivation, Long Ye was still somewhat aware of his surroundings while healing.

Hearing Shi Qian’s alert, he quickly adjusted his breathing techniques and withdrew from his healing state.

Shi Qian sighed, placed the pastries back, and swiftly leapt off the altar table, scurrying into Long Ye’s sleeve to hide.

He waited in silence for the visitor, assuming it would be someone coming to announce the results of the investigation.

Even if they didn’t clear Long Ye’s name, at the very least, they should be letting him go, right?

But instead, the only person who arrived was none other than Green Tea Boy Long Ming.

This time, Long Ming dropped all pretense of being a good friend.

Seeing Long Ye’s disheveled state, he felt a surge of satisfaction—and he made no effort to hide it from his expression.

Long Ye had no idea what he was so smug about.

Shi Qian, on the other hand, thought this guy was getting way too cocky.

Coming here alone, looking so damn pleased with himself—wasn’t he afraid Long Ye would beat the crap out of him?

Sure, Long Ye wasn’t strong enough to take on the old monsters in the clan, but Long Ming?

Easy.

As if reading their doubts, Long Ming smirked and spoke with relish:

“Looks like you really didn’t stash away any good stuff after all. We searched your courtyard and only found a bunch of useless junk.”

So this is Long Ming’s true face.

Long Ye stared at him, realizing the fake brotherhood was nothing but an act.

Honestly, he preferred this openly smug Long Ming. At least it wasn’t as disgusting as the fake concern.

Long Ye took the initiative and asked, “That’s all you came to say?”

Might as well get it over with.

Long Ming, provoked by the indifference, sneered, “Of course not. I came to bring you some good news.”

“Even though we didn’t find anything in your courtyard, I didn’t get punished. Your uncle is fine too. Your grandfather’s protecting him.”

Then, he leaned in close to Long Ye, voice laced with malice. “Tell me, are you sure you weren’t just some abandoned stray? Otherwise, why would your own grandfather treat you like this?”

Long Ye remained silent, but Shi Qian noticed his clenched fist tightening.

Long Ye’s hands were hardened from years of body training, rough with thick calluses. They weren’t the hands of a pampered noble—they were solid as stone.

Long Ming was still talking, savoring every second of Long Ye’s suppressed anger.

Watching his face twist in barely contained fury, he smirked and delivered the final blow.

“Not even your own family wants you. And guess what? Li Qingxian despises you even more. The Li family brought gifts today—to annul your engagement. Such a beautiful woman… I wonder who she belongs to now—”

BANG!

Long Ye’s fist, wrapped in spiritual energy, slammed into Long Ming, sending him sprawling.

Without hesitation, Long Ye pinned him down and clamped a hand over his mouth, his sharp gaze filled with unreadable emotion.

Long Ming tried to struggle and scream, but another two punches left him gasping through his nose in pain.

Shi Qian had already jumped aside before Long Ye attacked.

Standing on the ground, he found himself at eye level with Long Ming, who was curled up in agony.

He winced in sympathy.

Damn, Long Ye really knows how to throw a punch.

But then he turned his attention to Long Ye and froze.

Long Ye’s expression wasn’t just anger—it was pain.

For someone whose life had already been unfair, today had been an unrelenting series of betrayals—

• His so-called brother stabbed him in the back.
• His family humiliated and abandoned him.
• And now, even his childhood sweetheart had left him.

That had to hurt.

A teenage boy’s heart might as well have shattered right then.

Shi Qian grew uneasy and cautiously looked up at Long Ye.

Truthfully, after everything that happened today, he should’ve expected Long Ye to be devastated.

He wasn’t dumb—he knew Long Ming wouldn’t make up something like that. It had to be true.

So that’s why Li Qingxian never came to see him. That’s why she never sent a message.

Looking back, he had noticed something was off these past six months. They had seen each other less and less, but he thought it was just because they were both busy with life.

And because he would still hear from Madam Guan, who would tell him about Li Qingxian’s struggles, he had kept sending her gifts to help out.

That was why he had ended up so broke.

And yet, in the end—

This was what he got?

Everyone abandoned him.

Long Ye’s chest tightened, his throat burned, and his eyes gradually turned red.

Shi Qian: !

Seeing Long Ye’s reddened eyes, Shi Qian froze in shock.

Wait… wait… is he actually about to cry?

Bro, you’re supposed to be Long Aotian! (The destined OP protagonist!)

Damn it, I don’t know how to comfort people!

Shi Qian helplessly raised his tiny front paws and covered his eyes, deciding to give Long Ye the most manly respect possible.

As long as no one—not even a spiritual beast—sees it, you never cried!

Long Ye, drowning in sadness, instinctively glanced at Shi Qian.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered—

No one wanted him… but at least his spiritual beast did.

But then he saw Shi Qian’s dramatic “covering his eyes” gesture…

His half-fallen tears suddenly didn’t know whether to keep falling or not.

In the end, gravity won, and a tear slipped down his face—but at the same time, Long Ye let out a weird snicker.

Shi Qian, hearing the laugh, peeked through the gaps of his paws, sneaking a glance with one eye.

He was met with the sight of a tear-streaked yet smiling Long Ye.

His dark, clear eyes still held their usual brightness, but his red, swollen face was an absolute mess—like someone had haphazardly smeared sunset colors across a canvas.

Ugly… but also kind of good-looking.

Shi Qian, not great at comforting people, awkwardly chirped, “Squeak Squeak.”

If you’re upset, just keep punching the green tea scumbag!

He pointed his paw at Long Ming.

Long Ye got the message.

And so—Long Ming got punched again.

Long Ming, who had just barely caught his breath: ???

Tears instantly burst from his eyes as he howled, “Wuwuwu—Stop! Stop hitting me!”