Chapter 1: Mother

Qin Li wanted to open his eyes, but felt his eyelids were incredibly heavy, as heavy as a thousand jin. His mind was also in chaos, with countless familiar and unfamiliar memories surging up, making him feel as though his head was about to explode, and he couldn’t help but let out a groan.

Then, Qin Li felt a warm hand cover his forehead and gently stroke his cheek—soft, tender, full of pity and affection. In his daze, he heard a faint, intermittent sob, and suddenly, it seemed a raindrop fell on his face, cool, trickling down his cheek and past the corner of his mouth… salty.

Qin Li’s heart trembled violently, a wave of inexplicable grief and anger washing over him. His mind felt as if struck by lightning, losing the ability to think almost instantly, plunging back into extreme chaos. Countless fragments of memory surged like a tide once more, and Qin Li, like a helpless insect swept into the sea by raging waves, had no means to resist. The worst part was wanting to faint, but even that seemed an impossible luxury.

His awareness of the outside world was completely cut off again.

After what seemed like a long time, he finally fused all the memories in his mind, and the painful sensations gradually faded. In the darkness, Qin Li felt lost. The jumbled thoughts told him one thing: he was no longer the formidable Qin Li of the past… and he was no longer on the familiar Earth…

His current identity made him both laugh and cry—he had actually become the Illegitimate Son of a great family!

He had grown up amid mockery, sarcasm, and scorn. Unable to enter the academy to study, he had been practicing something called Foundation Essentials since he was three years old. After ten long years of arduous training, he had been provoked by the Qin Family’s Second Young Master until he vomited blood and died… How unlucky!

Who would have thought such a bizarre and strange thing could happen to him? He thought he was surely dead, but unexpectedly, he had come back to life in another way!

At that moment, Qin Li’s awareness of the outside world gradually returned to normal. In his ears came a somewhat cool but pleading voice: “Physician Wu, I beg you, save him. As long as you can cure him, I will surely repay you handsomely!”

“Repay me handsomely? Mistress, what can you possibly offer me now? Do you know your son is only alive thanks to expensive medicine? He could die at any moment!”

In the darkness, Qin Li frowned. His memories, filled with sorrow and anger, told him he despised the owner of that voice.

For the former owner of this body, his mother had sold all her valuable possessions. Daily training inevitably brought injuries, but unable to afford a famous doctor, she could only turn to this Physician Wu, who held a low status in the Qin Family.

And this Physician Wu was an absolute scoundrel and lecher! He always took advantage of treating Qin Li to leer at Qin Li’s mother with his lustful eyes. Though she had fallen on hard times, Qin Li’s mother still possessed noble bearing, elegant speech, and broad knowledge, all of which madly attracted Physician Wu. Yet, how could she ever take notice of someone like him? If not for her son, she wouldn’t even glance his way.

All along, Qin Li had loathed Physician Wu to the bone. If not for his mother’s intervention, conflicts would have erupted countless times!

Originally, Qin Hanyue would call on Physician Wu each time but never stooped to begging. Physician Wu, with his ulterior motives, had always obliged. But this time was different. Qin Li, having suffered a great shock, vomited blood and fell unconscious, his life hanging by a thread. Qin Hanyue was at her wits’ end. She had just gone to plead with her fourth brother, who had doted on her as a child, asking him to speak to their father. But not only did she fail to see her brother, she was met with scorn and mocking insults from his newly wedded eighth concubine and sent back in disgrace…

Physician Wu stole a glance at Qin Hanyue. Her beautiful face was streaked with tears, her usual nobility and composure gone. The despair in her eyes gave Physician Wu a sudden impulse. He thought to himself: If I could just touch her hand, I would have no regrets in this life. If I could hold this woman, it would be worth dying for!

Qin Hanyue struggled and hesitated inwardly, but finally gritted her teeth and said, “Physician Wu, I beg you. In the future… when Xiao Li grows up, I will make sure he repays your great kindness. I… I will kneel to you!”

Qin Li felt a sharp pain in his heart. Though this woman was a stranger to him, the fusion of memories made him feel as if he were experiencing it himself. Hearing this, waves of intense grief and fury surged within him.

A look of astonishment crossed Physician Wu’s face, quickly replaced by wild joy. He watched as this woman he once had to look up to slowly… bent her knees before him.

Finally, you proud white swan have to beg this toad?

Though he well knew he couldn’t handle this woman if she erupted, Physician Wu was a true slave to his lust. He thought of using Qin Li’s situation to force her submission. After all, even if she refused him, she was in no real danger—she could only afford to call on him, and only he could save her son’s life. So Physician Wu gambled that Qin Hanyue wouldn’t dare refuse him!

Physician Wu’s greedy eyes fixed on Qin Hanyue’s face. Trembling, he reached out, wanting to touch her cheek.

A cold glint flashed in Qin Hanyue’s eyes as she suddenly said in an icy tone, “Physician Wu, have some self-respect!” A fierce, murderous aura burst from her, as though she was forcibly restraining herself.

Physician Wu’s trembling hand quickly withdrew, and then he flew into a rage. He sneered coldly, “Mistress, do you not want your son to live?”

Hearing this, Qin Li felt as if his chest would explode with rage. In his past life, he had always been the boss—when had he ever been insulted like this? And now someone dared bully his mother like this!

An overwhelming sense of injustice suddenly pressed on Qin Li’s chest. His eyes flew open, and with a strength he didn’t know he had, he sat bolt upright on the bed. With a cry, a mouthful of hot blood spurted from his lips, splattering across the bed and the First Land.

“You’re looking for death!”

Qin Li’s eyes shot out icy cold light as he stared fixedly at Physician Wu. He leapt from the bed, swung his fist with a whoosh, and smashed it into Physician Wu’s lecherous face. Without pause, he delivered a fierce kick to Physician Wu’s chest, sending him flying out of the room with a thud. The already old wooden door shattered into pieces from the impact.

All this happened in the blink of an eye—too fast for anyone to react.

Qin Li’s mother gasped in shock, supporting the staggering Qin Li. Flustered, she wiped the blood from his mouth, her voice trembling as she asked, “Son, what’s wrong with you? Please don’t scare your mother!”

This… was his mother? Whether it was an illusion or not, after spitting out the blood, Qin Li actually felt much lighter. Looking at this beautiful young woman before him, her face stained with tears and eyes full of sorrow, Qin Li felt momentarily lost. The fusion of memories didn’t equate to acceptance in his heart. His outburst just then had come entirely from a profound grief and rage deep in his soul, and an unwillingness to see anyone bully a woman like that.

Only after viciously kicking that scum out of the room did Qin Li come to his senses. His body had become that of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy, though he looked quite sturdy—his arms and legs were more robust than those of his peers. Recalling the memories in his mind, Qin Li couldn’t suppress a surge of wild joy. The foundation of this body was just too good! If he hadn’t started building his foundation too late in his previous life, why would he have ended up in this world?

It must be fate! Qin Li thought, then remembered the woman beside him who had spared no cost for his sake. Even though he wasn’t that Qin Li anymore, the fusion of souls and inheritance of memories made the Qin Li who had always yearned for family affection and a mother’s love speak without thinking.

“… Mother, I… I’m fine.”

After saying it, Qin Li himself was taken aback. Then he took a deep breath. Family was family—even with the soul of someone in his twenties, he couldn’t reject this bond. And truthfully… it didn’t feel so bad.

Qin Hanyue didn’t believe her son’s words at all. Her son had been provoked into vomiting blood and lying unconscious for three days. Now, after waking, he vomited blood again and got into a fight—how could he be fine?

Outside, Physician Wu had gone mad with rage. He had only wanted to take a small advantage, but not only had he failed, he’d also had two front teeth knocked out and received a vicious kick to the chest from Qin Li that nearly killed him outright.

Though he had always feared Qin Hanyue, today he had suffered a huge loss. Qin Family servants were already gathering outside to watch. If he didn’t reclaim his dignity, how could he ever hold his head up in the Qin Family again?