Lu Chao was taken away by Cheng Chugong and Cheng Chuyan.
A sneer played on Cheng Weishan's aged face. "Thinking he can cure Cheng Yunsu? How ridiculous."
THUD...
Suddenly, Cheng Chuming dropped heavily to his knees. "Father, Yunsu used to be the apple of your eye. I'm begging you, please stop..."
BAM...
Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Weishan kicked Cheng Chuming to the ground and stared down at him.
"I cherished her, held her in the palm of my hand, and in return, she shamed me by becoming a cripple."
"Do you have any idea how many people have laughed at me this past month?"
In the past, Cheng Weishan had boasted to countless people about his super-genius granddaughter.
But ever since Cheng Yunsu became a cripple, he hadn't even dared to leave the house.
Cheng Chuming stammered, "But Yunsu is your granddaughter. Now that this has happened to her, shouldn't your heart ache for her?"
'How can he only see his granddaughter in terms of benefits and talent? Where did the family love go?'
"Heartache? Don't make me sick!"
Cheng Weishan exploded with rage. "She shamed me completely! It's generous enough that I haven't killed her. The fact that I even let her eat is a show of mercy, and you want my heart to ache for a cripple?"
"Besides, it's debatable if she's even my biological granddaughter. Who knows what kind of slut her mother was."
As his voice faded, the scene fell deathly silent.
Cheng Chuming's teeth began to chatter uncontrollably as he shouted, "Father, you can't talk about Yunsu's mother like that...!"
In front of her chamber door, Cheng Yunsu, who had been watching with cold, desolate eyes, suddenly widened them and shrieked, "Cheng Weishan, don't you dare insult my mother... GAH!"
Overcome with rage, Cheng Yunsu sprayed another mouthful of blood.
Cheng Weishan just sneered and kicked Cheng Chuming aside. "See that? She dares to call me by my full name. Granddaughter my ass. Her only value now is to please Young Lady Wu Xin."
With that, Cheng Weishan strode away...
Watching his father's retreating back, Cheng Chuming staggered painfully to his feet and rushed over to Cheng Yunsu. "Yunsu, your father is useless..."
Before he could finish, Cheng Yunsu cut him off, her voice laced with pain...
"I don't blame you. You have a new wife and son now. You have your own burdens and constraints."
"I'm tired. I'm going to rest."
Turning, Cheng Yunsu walked into her room and slammed the door shut.
She slid down the back of the door, squatting and hugging her knees tightly as large tears streamed down her face. "Mother, where are you? Why did you abandon your Xiao Su'er, leaving me all alone without a word?"
After a long while, she choked out between sobs, "Lu Chao, you shouldn't have come for me. I really, really don't want to drag you down."
...
The dungeons of the Cheng Mansion were gloomy and terrifying.
But Lu Chao couldn't care less. How could a mere dungeon compare to the terror of being a lonely, wandering soul?
Gazing at the heavy iron door before him, Lu Chao sat down cross-legged, the True Qi in his body surging.
「Two days later...」 BOOM!
With the Life-taking Star-devouring Bone as its core, the True Qi inside Lu Chao's body violently shattered the barrier of the Qi Gathering Realm, surging straight into the Postnatal Realm.
In an instant, his True Qi expanded severalfold, becoming incredibly dense.
Opening his eyes, Lu Chao muttered to himself, a savage killing intent coloring his voice, "Postnatal First Layer."
'It's not enough. To completely crush the Cheng Mansion in Yangzhou, I must reach at least... the Postnatal Third Layer within three days.'
'Cheng Weishan is at the Postnatal Eighth Layer. The gap between our realms is still significant, and the Cheng Mansion has other Postnatal masters as well.'
'So, I have to keep breaking through...'
'But the most important things now are advancing my Destiny Bone and finding a Star Heavenly Destiny Bone that can cure Xiao Su'er.'
As he thought this, Lu Chao's spiritual consciousness immediately entered his Bone Inner World.
Having reached the Postnatal Martial Artist level, he could now devour another Star Destiny Bone from his Bone Inner World to advance.
Standing on the dark, desolate landscape within his bone, Lu Chao looked up at the sky filled with stars...
HUMMM...
Just as when he first entered the Bone Inner World, the once blurry Star Destiny Bones filling the sky became clear.
He could still see the Heavenly Destiny Dragon Might Bone, the Heavenly Destiny Chaotic Star Bone...
His gaze swept rapidly across the stars, searching for a Star Destiny Bone that could cure Xiao Su'er.
Suddenly, his gaze froze on one particular star. 'The Heavenly Destiny Bright Eye Bone.'
'Xiao Su'er is nearly blind. The Heavenly Destiny Bright Eye Bone must contain a Martial Arts Skill that can cure her eyes.'
Without a hint of hesitation, Lu Chao reached out and grasped at the Heavenly Destiny Bright Eye Bone.
RUMBLE...
Just like the Primordial Yang Bone before it, the Bright Eyes Bone fell like a meteor, crashing onto the dark landscape below.
Lu Chao's consciousness immediately left the Bone Inner World, returning to see the Life-taking Star-devouring Bone in the process of devouring the Bright Eyes Bone.
A few breaths later, the devouring was complete.
Sensing the change in his Life-taking Star-devouring Bone, Lu Chao thought to himself, 'The Bright Eyes and Clear Wind Guide. This is the technique the Heavenly Destiny Bright Eye Bone gave me.'
A look of pleasant surprise on his face, Lu Chao immediately began to cultivate the Bright Eyes and Clear Wind Guide...
In an instant, it was as if new meridians formed around his eyes. His True Qi also transformed as he circulated the Bright Eyes and Clear Wind Guide; the tyrannical True Qi from the Primordial Yang Bone was now infused with a fresh, natural energy.
When he opened his eyes again...
Everything around him seemed to resolve into microscopic detail; even the dense motes of dust floating in the dungeon air were clearly visible.