372: Chapter 371 Persuading Si Yao to Give Up Cultivating the Blazing Sun True Technique (Part 2)

"Enough!" Si Zhengxiong slammed his cane onto the ground with a heavy thud. His face was ashen, his chest heaving slightly, as he directed a suppressive pressure toward Qin Yi. "My Si Family's century-old Legacy—its rules and the painstaking efforts behind them—is not something for an outsider like you to criticize so recklessly!"

"Grandpa!" Worried that her grandfather would be provoked into attacking Qin Yi, Si Yao hurriedly interrupted. She shook her head at Qin Yi, pleading, "Qin Yi! Stop talking! This is my own choice!"

"Choice? What choice? The choice to destroy yourself?!"

Qin Yi did not back down an inch. He took a step forward, his gaze piercing as he stared directly at Si Zhengxiong. His voice was sonorous and powerful, each word striking like a hammer: "Old man! You keep talking about this century-old Legacy, but is it built upon the blood and lives of generation after generation of descendants? You are driving a brilliantly talented girl to a dead end, turning a Legacy that symbolizes Family glory into a curse that strangles Geniuses and severs hope! Is this the Dao of a great aristocratic Family that you protect?! Is this truly a Legacy, or is it... a sacrifice?!"

"You...!" Si Zhengxiong felt as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue. His entire body shook violently, and he staggered back half a step. Seeing this, Si Hongbin immediately rushed forward to support him, but he was shoved away by Si Zhengxiong.

Qin Yi's word, "sacrifice," was like the sharpest dagger, stabbing ruthlessly into the most conflicted and unbearable corner of his heart.

He looked at the undisguised pain and questioning in Qin Yi's eyes, then at his granddaughter's pale face as she tried to act strong. Memories flashed through his mind of Si Yao hiding in her room crying after practicing her skills as a child... A massive sense of powerlessness and deep sorrow instantly overwhelmed him.

All his anger and persistence seemed to be drained away in that moment, eventually turning into a long, heavy sigh filled with endless, complex emotions.

He didn't look at anyone else. Despondently, he turned around and, leaning on his cane, slowly shuffled back toward the main house, his back hunched. The wooden door closed softly behind him, separating the inside from the outside.

"Qin Yi! Look at what you've done!" Si Yao stamped her foot in anger, glaring at Qin Yi with reddened eyes.

"What have I done?! I'm saving you!" Qin Yi stared at her with burning eyes, his tone resolute. "Si Yao, listen well! Any Legacy that requires the sacrifice of an individual's life and future to continue has already strayed onto an evil path! That is not glory; it is a shackle! That is not a Legacy; it is rot!"

He raised a hand and pointed at the vast Si Family Old Residence, his voice clear and resonant like a morning bell: "You great aristocratic families always think that by clutching secret arts tightly in the hands of the direct line, you can preserve your glory forever. But have you ever considered what happens if the descendants aren't all suited for martial arts? Or, like now, if the Legacy itself is harming the successor? Then the glory of the ancestors is destined to fade with each generation! Stubbornly clinging to a path destined for decline—one that even requires sacrificing your closest kin to maintain—that is the greatest betrayal and lack of filial piety toward your ancestors' hard work!"

"You..." Si Yao stared blankly at the genuine concern in his eyes, momentarily speechless.

Inside the main house, Si Zhengxiong heard every single word Qin Yi said.

Qin Yi's few sentences were like a heavy hammer, ruthlessly striking the beliefs he had held for decades.

With a hunched back, he stood alone in the dim main house. Outside was the rising morning sun, but inside, the air was thick with the scent of decay.

He looked down at his calloused palms—hands that once could shatter stone monuments, but now needed all their strength just to hold a cane steady.

"Could it be... that I was really wrong?" he murmured to himself, his voice hoarse and aged.

"Sacrifice," "curse," "the greatest betrayal of the ancestors"—Qin Yi's words echoed repeatedly in his mind.

He remembered the earnest gaze of his father when he handed over the Family burden, and how he himself had been full of ambition in his youth, determined to bring glory to the Si Family name.

But what about now?

The Si Family appeared prominent, but in reality, its talents were withering. The only direct descendant had to pay with her life as the price.

What "Eternal Guardians of the Southwest"? That was merely the past glory of the Si Family ancestors!

And now, it was only a matter of time before the Si Family completely devolved into a mere merchant Family!

"Protecting the Legacy... in the end, am I just protecting a cold rule that drives my own flesh and blood to death?"

"Is it really worth sacrificing Yao Yao's future, or even her life, for an illusory 'unbroken line'? Is this truly what the ancestors wanted to see?"

Endless regret, self-reproach, confusion, and deep sorrow surged into his heart like a tide, nearly suffocating him.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the ancestral tablets enshrined in the hall. In those weathered eyes, for the first time, there was profound hesitation and unspeakable pain.

...

The atmosphere in the courtyard became somewhat stagnant. The three of them looked at each other, the air thick with an awkwardness that was hard to describe.

Si Yao glanced worriedly at the closed door of the main house, knowing that letting her grandfather reflect in solitude was the best choice right now.

She withdrew her gaze and shot Qin Yi an annoyed look, urging him with a tone of displaced anger, "Fine, fine, you're the smart one and everyone else is a fool. Don't just stand there; the priority is to lead us through the Basic Body Forging Art again."

"Alright," Qin Yi replied. He composed himself and walked to the center of the courtyard. Taking a deep breath to clear his mind, he began to demonstrate the movements with meticulous precision. His actions were fluid and expansive, faintly harmonizing with the surrounding atmosphere.

Inside the main house, Si Zhengxiong stood by the window, his clouded eyes watching the young figure in the courtyard through the lattice.

Seeing Qin Yi unreservedly teaching that obviously profound body-forging Cultivation Technique to Si Hongbin and his own granddaughter, waves of emotion surged within him.

He thought back to his own adherence to the iron rule that "Family secrets can only be passed to direct blood relatives." Even though he knew the Blazing Sun True Art was harmful and useless to women, he had still been heartless enough to let his own granddaughter bear this heavy responsibility—a Legacy that could potentially ruin her future...

An unprecedented pang of sharp pain gripped his heart. Was he truly wrong? Once this thought took root, it could no longer be suppressed.

What bullshit direct-line Legacy! To put it bluntly, it was just the selfishness of fearing a loss of power and worrying that the Si Family Foundation would fall into the hands of collateral branches! He had lived for over seventy years and headed the Si Family for decades, yet on this most crucial principle, his vision and breadth of mind were actually inferior to a young man in his twenties!

At this moment, the way Si Zhengxiong looked at Qin Yi became extremely complex. There was the embarrassment of having his sore spot poked by a junior, but even more so, there was an indescribable... admiration.

Just then, within Qin Yi's Sea of Consciousness, the System notification sounded.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Detected that Si Zhengxiong's favorability toward the Host has increased by 10 points. Current favorability: 70!]

The sudden System notification in his mind caused Qin Yi's movements to falter slightly. He instinctively glanced toward the main house, feeling greatly surprised: "Huh? The old man didn't get angry, and his favorability even went up? Could it be... my words actually moved him?"

Noticing that Si Hongbin's movements seemed a bit stiff, he temporarily suppressed his confusion. He stopped the demonstration, walked over to Si Hongbin, and patiently guided him: "Brother Bin, this form transitions from the previous one. The key lies in the rotation of the waist and hips and the guidance of the breath. Look, from here... to here. Yes! Just like that!" As he spoke, he used his hand to gesture, helping Si Hongbin find the correct trajectory of force.

"Also," Qin Yi continued, "Brother Bin, you can try to mobilize the True Qi in your body while practicing the Basic Body Forging Art. Let the True Qi flow naturally along the Meridians, but remember not to release it. Use this method to guide the Pure Yang Qi to gently temper the Meridians; you might achieve twice the result with half the effort."

After saying that, he immediately turned to Si Yao and warned her with a serious tone: "You are different! Remember, only practice the technique and sense the flow of Qi and blood. You absolutely must not mobilize the True Qi in your body!"

"I know, I know~ So naggy!" Si Yao curled her lip. Though she sounded defiant, she obediently followed Qin Yi's instructions and only performed the external exercises.

Si Hongbin followed the advice. While performing the technique, he mobilized the Blazing Sun Heart Method, letting the True Qi travel from his Dantian throughout his body. After one round of the technique, he felt his entire body was refreshed. Some previously obscure and difficult points actually showed signs of loosening. That long-stagnant Mid-stage Dark Force Bottleneck seemed within reach!

Sensing the changes in himself, Si Hongbin was exceptionally excited. He couldn't hide his agitation as he gave Qin Yi a deep bow, his tone incredibly sincere: "Thank you for the guidance, Mr. Qin! This method is truly miraculous. I... I feel like I've already touched the threshold of Late-stage Anjin!"

"Haha, is that so? That's great. I just mentioned it in passing. Since it's useful, then practice diligently every day." Qin Yi smiled and helped him up. "Brother Bin's Foundation is solid; a Breakthrough is just a natural progression. I wish you success soon!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of System notifications rang out again in Qin Yi's Sea of Consciousness.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Detected that Si Hongbin's favorability toward the Host has increased by 20 points. Current favorability: 60!]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Detected that Si Zhengxiong's favorability toward the Host has increased by another 10 points. Current favorability: 80!]

[Ding! Favorability of the opposite sex has increased to 80, triggering a System mission. Within 48 hours, increase Si Zhengxiong's favorability to 90! Mission completion reward: Mental Energy +2, Intelligence +3, Special Gacha Draw x1. Mission failure: Randomly deduct 5 points from the Host's six-dimensional attributes and suffer 24 hours of continuous bad luck!]

Just as Qin Yi was caught off guard by this string of System notifications, Si Zhengxiong's steady and clear voice came from behind the tightly closed door of the main house, instantly breaking the atmosphere in the courtyard.

"Yao Yao, Qin Yi, both of you come in for a moment."