The Legend of Min Hong

A year Later…

An old man with white hair was seen approaching an eleven-year-old youth who was lying on a tree branch, the old man looked a little lethargic and immediately he got close, the youth lying on the branch turned his head and smiled as soon as he saw who it was.

"Grandpa!" the boy shouted happily. "You look beat. What's wrong?"

The boy was naturally Min Hong while the old man was Min Tian. Since Hong returned safely and after witnessing his breakneck speed in cultivation, Min Tian had told him to stop for the time being.

Thus, he was given a top-grade Royal Rank technique; 'The Imperial Descent' which was a fist technique, to train in at a leisure pace, so that he could use that time to get more in tune with his cultivation base.

Hong was also trying to insert the fist technique into the last move of the 'Willow Leaf Palm'. He then went on to name the new technique; 'Imperial Willow Fist'. But at this moment, he was just resting, since he had been training since dawn.

"No worries. I merely expended an extra bit of energy to deal with a troublesome spirit beast guarding this medicinal plant in the Mist Mountain, yesterday." Min Tian retrieved a little plant that had a golden branch, with several fiery-red veins snaking all over it.

Immediately it came out of the storage ring, the temperature in the surroundings slightly increased. The plant was a bit similar to a chalcedony.

This is a 'Sun Fire Branch'. The main ingredient for making a 'Yang Yuan Pill', a top-grade royal grade pill. A pill used for curing those who have been exposed to potent Yin Qi.

"This is for your sister. I already contacted an alchemist from the royal palace concerning her health, he said the pill could help reduce the frequency of the flare ups. But I had to get the main ingredient myself." Min Tian spoke as he coughed violently, twice.

Since the Zhou Family were still killing, no matter how much it had reduced, he couldn't send any member of the castle. Moreover, he wouldn't trust anyone else other than his daughter and grandson with something his granddaughter's life depended upon.

"Grandpa, I do not need this. Please keep it for your own injuries." A sweet, innocent voice sounded behind them.

As they turned to look, they saw Min Qing. Hong could notice that her face had become a little paler than before.

"I'll be fine. Moreover, the coming-of-age ceremony is in less than two months from now. During this period, I want you to focus on less cultivation and more rest. Don't worry about your treatment, let grandpa handle this problem."

Min Qing's eyes reddened as she saw Min Tian force a smile on his pain-stricken face. Without another word, she nodded her head as she muttered to herself; "Don't worry grandpa, I won't disappoint you."

"It's late now, go get some rest. You still need to train tomorrow." Min Tian waved off both his grandchildren. After they left him, Min Tian coughed violently once more.

After the family finished their dinner, Even, after Hong and Min Qing left the dining room, they could still hear Min Tian's violent coughs. The Min Family healer had come to check on him and Min Rou was also currently tending to him. Surely, he had sustained an injury.

Min Tian had really gone above and beyond, just to give them a perfect condition to cultivate. Even more so, now that Min Qing was sick. Hong turned his head and indicated for Min Qing to return to her room.

But what greeted his gaze frightened him half to death. Min Qing's pretty face had turn blue and pale, as threads of cold air gradually seeped out of her body.

Then frost started to build on the walls. "Oh no…is the chilling cold flaring up again?" Upon seeing this abrupt change, Hong's express turned solemn. He could feel the waves of bone-chilling cold emitting from Min Qing's body, he couldn't help but shiver as he asked.

"Y..ye…yess!" Min Qing squeezed out a reply through her clenched jaws. Her frail body constantly shivered from the cold, as an expression of agony took over her face.

"I'll go and get grandpa!" Hong quickly said.

"No, please don't go! Don't leave me!" upon hearing that statement, Min Qing swiftly grabbed Min Hong by the sleeve. Instantly, the chilling air swiftly formed a thin layer of frost on his sleeve. "It's no use. Besides, grandpa rarely gets this injured. Please don't trouble him, I can endure this."

As he saw Min Qing's pretty yet deathly white face, Min Hong felt his heart ache. Gritting his teeth, he nodded. He knew his sister was telling the truth, even if he went to get his injured grandpa, he would be of little use and would instead increase the amount of worried people to two.

Min Qing had never suffered this ailment before. It only started about two months after Min Hong left for the Soaring Cloud forest, when she entered the Dan Formation stage. Since then, she had frequently suffered from this chilling cold.

At certain irregular intervals, an extremely dense chilling air would explode from within her body. Under its effects, her insides will be tormented by excruciating pain. Over the past one year, she had suffered immensely from this chilling cold.

However, even when Min Lei who had formed his first Nascent Soul which was a fire elemental soul, tried to forcefully expel the chilling cold with his Flame Qi, he had to spend nearly a month in bed, trying to expel the Yin Qi that invaded his body.

Therefore, every time the chilling cold flared up in Min Qing's body, the three of them could only helplessly watch Min Qing suffer, while their hearts were shredded to pieces on the inside, every time they heard her pitiful grunts and groans.

"Let me carry you into your room." Seeing that she had been paralyzed with pain, Hong suddenly lifted her up, hugging her tightly in his arms, and bolted towards her bedroom.

"Hiss Hiss!" as he dashed into the room, Min Hong swiftly placed Min Qing on her bed. Then, he quickly rubbed his arms, which had turned stinging numb from the chilling cold. It was like his arms were being stabbed by hundreds of thousands of needles.

"Hong, you…you should return first. I can pull through this." Min Qing hid her frail body under her covers as she weakly mumbled. However, as she spoke, her body trembled more violently. It seems this episode was even worse compared to her previous flare ups.

"So cold…ss…so cold…" Min Qing popped her little head out of the blanket, her face as white as impure ice and her hair were already filled with several ice crystals.

Upon witnessing this scene, Min Hong who was pacing up and down her bedside, got extremely anxious and nervous.

All of a sudden, he stopped. Clenching his jaws as hard as possible, he pulled off his shoes and jumped onto her bed and then hugged Min Qing as tight as possible tightly through her covers.

Cultivators usually possess strong and vigorous life force. Especially for Min Hong who was currently in the 5 Star King stage, a plane where his body was resistant to cold.

But this wasn't just an ordinary cold, it was potent Yin Qi. Despite knowing that his actions would barely make any difference, he couldn't bear to watch her suffer all by herself.

"Hong, please don't." Min Qing quickly said when she felt Min Hong's slightly warm embrace. Even though she was barely conscious, Min Hong's actions caused her to steal back some of her senses.

She clearly knew how potent her cold was. Her third uncle, Min Lei, who was a 1 Star Nascent Soul expert, got bedridden for almost a month not to talk of Min Hong.

"Be good, I'll be fine…" Min Hong felt the Yin Qi wash over him in waves, seeking to drown him in frost. Needless to say, a few moments later, frost started to form on his brows, as his teeth clattered nonstop. However, as the pain grew, Min Hong's grip only got tighter.

Min Qing rested her tiny little head on Min Hong's chest, looking at Min Hong who now had a pained expression across his face as he tried to endure the cold. Tears began to drip from her eyes, as she felt a warmth bloom from the depths of her heart.

When she started having the flare ups, she had heard when Min Tian and Min Rou told her healer that she was an orphan, they thought she had lost consciousness as usual.

Twelve years ago, when the Min Family started an heated war with the Ironwood Tribe, Min Tian had stumbled upon an ongoing massacre.

It was a fairly large tribe that was currently being wiped out by the Ironwood tribesmen, as they looked to loot the tribe to fund their rebellion against the Min Family.

Min Tian had wiped out the entire Ironwood tribesmen with his squad of Death Guards, then after freeing the surviving tribesmen, he heard a child's cry echo loudly from within a well at the centre of the tribe.

When he got to the well, he saw a tiny little baby girl, wrapped and placed in a basket floating on the water. He rescued the baby, and when the surviving tribesmen couldn't identify who the child belonged to, he took her with him back to the Min Family castle.

At that time, Min Rou didn't have a child but she was pregnant. Being the only daughter, Min Tian gave the baby girl to Min Rou to take care of. But Min Rou quickly grew fond of the baby girl and requested that her father let her take the girl as her own.

Min Tian happily and swiftly gave his consent, and that was how she became the daughter of Min Rou, who named her 'Qing' because she was found floating on 'water'.

But despite her story, she was really treated like their daughter, to the extent that she never knew she was truly an orphan for twelve solid years. Even Min Hong didn't know this, yet he still risked his life and jumped into the bed with her just to ease her suffering.

"Thank you, Min Hong." She murmured before her consciousness slowly slipped away, followed by her eyelids.

As the frost on Min Hong's body grew thicker and his consciousness was about to slip off, the Moon Rabbit tattoo on his back lit up, a suction force erupted from it, and it began to viciously devour the Yin Qi that had invaded his body.

The Yin Qi which had stumped both the healer, his family and even plagued his uncle was actually being sucked by his tattoo.

While Min Hong was still stunned by this turn of events, Min Qing, who had previously fainted, let out a soft moan. Her eyes slowly opened. After about two breaths, her originally drowsy eyes, bulged in shock.

Sensing the changes in her body, she rose in delight and then turned to look at Min Hong before shouting, "The chilling cold had subsided?"

"Seems like it." Min Hong replied with a smile, as he scratched his head. Then, he awkwardly let go of Min Qing and said, "Now that it has subsided, it's all good. Rest up."

"Aye. Thank you, Min Hong" Min Qing softly muttered, her cheeks turning a shade of red as she stared at his smiling face.

"We're family. Family don't say thanks to each other." Min Hong refuted as he spoke in a really matured manner. Seeing how late it was, he lingered around no further and waved Min Qing goodbye, before exiting her room.

Staring at the leaving Min Hong, Min Qing looked like a little belle as she laid there on her bed. Her innocent self, looking lovely and charming. A sweet smile hung on her little pink lips, brightening her angelic face.

After leaving Min Qing's room, Min Hong bolted into his room. He swiftly locked his door and sat down to ponder what just happened earlier.

He then closed his eyes to search for any changes within his body. He sent his mental energy towards the Moon Rabbit tattoo on his back, and found all the Yin Qi he had absorbed from Min Qing stored there, lying dormant, seemingly waiting for something to stimulate it.