CHAPTER 5: REPAY
It had been four months since Long Haochen got back to his cultivation routine. Every day and night, he stayed shut away in his room, pushing himself hard to get back to how he used to be.
During all that time, Xiaotong would show up at his door, sitting there quietly and listening closely to make sure her brother was okay. Inside, a soft hum filled the air as invisible strands of divine imprint energy kept flowing toward the young man, who sat cross-legged on the floor.
Long Haochen's eyes stayed shut. His breaths came even and steady, his hands tracing out strange but exact patterns, pulling in all those unseen divine imprints into himself.
Suddenly, a bright flash lit up the patterns across his skin. Then boom, a rush of divine power exploded out from him, rattling the whole room. The air shivered for a moment before settling down.
He let out a slow breath and opened his eyes, a fierce pressure flickering in them. "Ninth stage... at the peak," he said, his voice steady, though his gaze held a subtle, sharp edge. In only four months, he'd climbed back to the top of the Imprint Bearer Realm.
"This origin imprint power is really something else. Hard to believe I've hit the peak already," he muttered to himself as he pushed the door open. The second it swung wide, Xiaotong leaped into his arms, wrapping him in a tight hug.
"You're squeezing the life out of me," Haochen managed to say.
"Oh, sorry! I'm just so excited. Mom said you can start cultivating divine imprints again," she bubbled, pulling back from the embrace.
Haochen gave her head a gentle pat, looking at his chatty little sister with all that worry in her eyes. It just made him more determined to keep training and keep her safe.
"Don't worry, your big brother can protect you now," he told her straight up. Xiaotong nodded, brushing away her happy tears. He took her hand, and they headed into their mother's garden.
She was out there that morning, watering her flowers with a big smile. Her face looked pale from the illness, but anyone could tell she was overjoyed.
"She's been this way ever since that night you told her you could cultivate again," Xiaotong said as they stood there, watching their mom hum a tune while she tended the blooms.
Haochen sighed, a heavy guilt weighing on him. "If Mom hadn't gotten attacked and poisoned during her breakthrough to the Nirvana Realm, she'd be a full Nirvana expert by now." They stepped closer to her.
"Mom, Xiao Bao promises you, I won't let you die," he thought he was just saying it under his breath, but both Xiaotong and their mother heard him clear as day.
"Xiao Bao, don't fret. Mom's not going anywhere that easy," Luoxin said, running her fingers through his long white hair as it fell loose.
"Mom, Xiaotong and I are heading to town to pick up some medicine," he said as they started out of the courtyard.
"Be safe out there," Luoxin called after them.
The streets of Night-less City buzzed with the usual crowd. All the way, Xiaotong kept up her endless chatter, and Haochen didn't mind a bit, he had plenty of time to take it in. That simple, pure joy of hers... it was something he'd come so close to losing for good.
Right then, his brother Long Muchen and his crew stepped out from the throng. The moment Muchen spotted him, rage flared up in his eyes.
"Why isn't this loser dead yet?" Muchen muttered through clenched teeth, his anger plain on his face.
"Young Master, should we take him out?" one of his guys asked, already itching to go, and Muchen gave a quick nod.
The two thugs rushed at him. But Xiaotong let loose a huge wave of aura, her body lighting up with fire imprints. With one sharp slap, she sent them both tumbling through the air.
"Muchen, are you trying to make an enemy out of me?" Xiaotong snapped, her voice full of fire. By now, folks on the street were starting to crowd around.
"Isn't that the Long family's failure, Haochen?"
"He thinks he can stand up to Long Muchen? He must be begging for trouble."
"Pfft, he's just hiding behind Xiaotong."
"She's at the eighth stage of Imprint Bearer, there's no way Muchen could beat her."
Whispers rippled through the growing bunch of onlookers.
"Big brother, I can't believe you're such a loser, you need our little sister to shield you," Muchen sneered, and the crowd burst into laughs.
Haochen stepped up, his silver-white hair whipping around like some unseen wind was stirring it. He tapped Xiaotong's shoulder lightly, signaling her to hang back.
He walked forward and just motioned for Muchen to come at him, no words needed, which ticked Muchen off bad.
"You're dead meat," Muchen growled, lunging with a heavy punch. But before it could connect with Haochen's face, he grabbed it right out of the air. The crowd let out a collective gasp.
"Didn't they say he's a total waste who can't cultivate anymore?"
"If Haochen's a waste, then Muchen's straight-up trash."
The jeers from the people hit Muchen hard. He couldn't wrap his head around it, a sixth-stage Imprint Bearer like him, losing to someone who supposedly couldn't even practice.
He pulled back, unleashing a blast of imprints, his hands flying to form three quick seals in the air behind him. "Come out!" he yelled, and three huge kung fu fans burst from the seals, slamming toward Haochen with brutal force.
Haochen took one step, his figure blurring as he vanished. He reappeared behind Muchen, landing a solid palm strike to his back. Muchen stumbled forward, nearly crashing down, but Haochen was already there in front, slapping him again.
"This one's for the family ties we've had all these years," he said as another hard slap cracked across Muchen's face. "This is for treating me like I didn't matter as your older brother." Another quick one followed. "And this is for all the bullying and shame you've dumped on me over the years."
Haochen swung his hand back and delivered one more ringing slap. "This is to make it clear: from now on, any blood tie between us is done." He stepped closer. Muchen's face was swollen and red.
"Mess with me again, and I'll end you," Haochen warned, then grabbed Xiaotong's hand and walked off, leaving the crowd stunned silent.
"Haochen, I'll kill you for this," Muchen spat through gritted teeth, humiliated. He rounded up his guys and stormed back to the Long family home.