Tantai Yue glanced at Qin Xuan with a hint of pity, then said softly,
"Leave quickly, or he'll beat you to death."
Behind Fang Shikai were two bodyguards in black suits. They hadn't intervened earlier because they saw their young master flirting, which allowed Qin Xuan to land a sneak attack. Both were over six feet tall, broad-shouldered, and ex-military. Qin Xuan's build likely couldn't withstand even one blow.
Qin Xuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered,
"Good, very good. I endured all the humiliation for these three years, but I didn't expect even you to treat me like this. I was blind to have married you, Qin Xuan."
With that, Qin Xuan, leaning heavily on the railing, hobbled away.
Fang Shikai merely sneered. He didn't even consider Qin Xuan, this bumpkin, to be a threat. What truly intrigued him about the exquisite beauty before him, despite her being with Qin Xuan, was the fact that after three years of marriage, she remained a virgin. Fang Shikai had been with countless women, but compared to Tantai Yue, they were all trash. Therefore, winning over Tantai Yue was his top priority.
"Let's go, Yue'er, we'll continue shopping. I saw you admired a pair of shoes earlier; I'll buy them for you," Fang Shikai said to Tantai Yue with a gentlemanly gesture.
Tantai Yue remained silent. She glanced at Qin Xuan's retreating back before turning and leaving with Fang Shikai.
Qin Xuan, not having gone far, heard the conversation. His body trembled, and a mouthful of blood surged to his throat, which he then spat out, staining his chest.
"Vile couple, what a pair of vile people. No woman can resist the allure of money."
Qin Xuan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes red with fury.
Following the road, Qin Xuan unconsciously arrived at the bank of the Jiangbei River. At that moment, thunder rumbled overhead, and rain poured down, drenching Qin Xuan.
Qin Xuan tilted his head back and gave a self-mocking laugh,
"Even the heavens pity me?"
"You're wrong. The heavens are bidding you farewell," a cold, sharp voice drifted from a small alley across the street in the darkness.
Then, five figures in raincoats, their faces masked, emerged from the alley, each carrying a machete. Seeing their hostile intentions, Qin Xuan instinctively took a few steps back, finding himself at the river's edge. Another step back meant a plunge into the deep, dark water.
"Who... who are you?" Qin Xuan asked, his voice trembling with fear, standing by the river.
One of the men in black snorted,
"Hmph, you don't need to know who we are. Just know that you've offended someone you can't afford to offend. Rest in peace."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xuan's eyes widened in alarm,
"You're Fang Shikai's men!"
"Not entirely foolish. You won't die as an wronged ghost," the man in black said, then waved his hand,
"Take him out."
The others immediately surrounded Qin Xuan. Weakened by his previous injuries, Qin Xuan could barely stand, let alone run. Moreover, these men were armed. Qin Xuan began to feel fear, though he couldn't understand how they knew his whereabouts.
"Useless! Open your eyes wider in the next life!"
The leader of the men in black said, swinging his blade towards Qin Xuan's head. Qin Xuan instinctively raised his arm to block, but flesh and bone were no match for a machete. A searing pain shot through his arm, and he rolled to the ground. The remaining men closed in, hacking at Qin Xuan indiscriminately.
Half a minute later, Qin Xuan was a bloody mess, his clothes soaked in blood, bones clearly visible through torn flesh.
The leader glanced at the half-dead Qin Xuan and said coldly,
"Throw him in the river. Tie a stone to his feet to avoid any trouble if he's found."
The other men nodded, found a large stone, and tied it to Qin Xuan's leg. Two men carried him to the river's edge. One of them sneered,
"Kid, don't come looking for us in the afterlife. We're just doing a job for Young Master Jin."
With that, he hurled Qin Xuan into the river. With a splash, Qin Xuan sank into the water.
"Let's go, Young Master Jin must be getting impatient."
Slowly, Qin Xuan sank to the riverbed. As his consciousness faded, Qin Xuan knew he was close to death. Yet, instead of fear, he felt a sense of release. Three years of hardship, and finally, he could rest.
Grandfather, little sister, I... I'm leaving first.
Tantai Yue, why? After years of marriage, you treat me like this? I, Qin Xuan, am not satisfied!
Fang Shikai, I will not let you go, even as a ghost!
As Qin Xuan's eyes slowly closed and his consciousness completely faded, his body settled onto a strangely shaped stone at the bottom of the river. Upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be dragon-shaped. Or rather, it was the skeleton of a dragon, with a dragon skull at the head, complete with two lifelike horns. The dragon bone stretched over a dozen meters, resembling the five-clawed golden dragon of Chinese mythology.
At that moment, the dragon bone began to tremble. The dragon skull split open, and a golden light shot out, piercing Qin Xuan's forehead. Instantly, all the wounds on Qin Xuan's body began to heal at a visible rate. Following this, a golden inner core appeared within Qin Xuan, and three shimmering golden scales slowly materialized on his back, each exquisitely crafted, as if containing immense power.
After an unknown period of unconsciousness, Qin Xuan slowly opened his eyes. He saw the full moon hanging in the sky and vaguely scanned his surroundings. This was the riverbank where he had been thrown in. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Qin Xuan's head, followed by a torrent of images. A vast amount of memories flooded his mind, shattering his perception of the world.
A golden dragon named Ying Long had arrived in this world at some point. Since the appearance of humans thousands of years ago, Ying Long had taken human form and integrated into human society. All of Ying Long's memories from these thousands of years now spread through Qin Xuan's mind, encompassing knowledge of military strategy, extraordinary medical skills, alchemy, cultivation methods, and more.
Qin Xuan also discovered the golden inner core within his body. Combined with these memories, he began to understand. This inner core contained the entirety of Ying Long's life's power, sealed within it after his death. Qin Xuan's sinking to the riverbed and his blood seeping into the dragon bone had broken the seal. Having absorbed Qin Xuan's blood, the inner core naturally recognized Qin Xuan as its master.
Following Ying Long's memories, Qin Xuan sat cross-legged and practiced the cultivation method. A stream of golden dragon power surged through his body, filling him with strength, as if he could punch a bull to death. All this power was connected to the dragon scales on his back. Qin Xuan knew that as the inner core integrated further with him, more dragon scales would appear on his body, and his power would grow exponentially, eventually leading to complete dragon transformation.
Having grasped this, Qin Xuan let out a deep breath. He knew that his future life would no longer be one of being trampled upon. Qin Xuan suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily,
"The heavens have not abandoned me, Qin Xuan! The humiliation of three years, the hatred of my clan's destruction, I finally have the chance to seek revenge, hahahaha!"