Second Week, I’m Really Not A Villain

Chapter 26: Father's Love, Calculating for the Future of the Child

Qin Wude's appearance is exactly the same as in the original work. As soon as Qin Luo enters the study, his gaze falls on him.

He sees his villainous father sitting solemnly behind the desk, reviewing memorials that only the emperor is qualified to read.

Qin Wude is not yet fifty years old, but his temples are completely white, and his face looks much older than his peers. Qin Qingyue, dressed in a dark blue robe, stands beside him. From a distance, they don't look like father and daughter, but more like grandfather and grandchild.

"You're back."

Qin Wude remains focused on reviewing the memorials, not lifting his eyelids or speaking. His voice is calm, as if Qin Luo has just returned from a trip.

"Yes, thanks to you, I was able to come back."

Qin Luo responds sarcastically without showing any emotion, trying hard to find the feeling of interacting with Qin Wude from his previous life.

Since the previous life, when the former self refused to embark on the path of cultivation even at the cost of death, the already indifferent father-son relationship between Qin Wude and the former self has become even more frosty, lacking the warmth of an ordinary father and filial piety.

"Are you injured?"

Qin Wude doesn't pay attention to his son's sarcasm and continues to calmly inquire. Qin Qingyue extends her fair hand to grind ink for him. Facing the two of them, Qin Luo feels like an unrelated outsider.

"Thanks to you, the injuries are not too serious."

"Qin Luo."

Qin Qingyue scolds, "You must not be disrespectful to your father."

Qin Luo has nothing to lose. If he can't pass this test with Qin Wude, he will undoubtedly die. He must fully embody the character of the former self's rebellious son. He sneers, "It's easy for you to talk while standing. You're not the one who had to flee all night!"

"You--"

"It's fine."

Qin Wude has just finished reviewing one memorial and picks up another one, busy from beginning to end. He says to Qin Luo, "What you experienced last night was just a small scene. In three months, the world will be in chaos, with various heroes rising. At that time, you will face the most dangerous crisis."

You actually got it right... Qin Luo's heart stirs slightly.

In the original work, it was Qin Wude's imperial edict that set off the chaotic era of the Heavenly Origin Continent.

In three months, only small and medium-sized sects will not be able to withstand the pressure and will declare their dissolution and surrender to Qin Wude. Meanwhile, sects with deep foundations like Sunset Cloud Valley and Longhu Mountain will form an alliance to resist the imperial army, causing the world to fall into chaos and countless lives to suffer.

"Why do you have to oppose the major sects?" Qin Luo asks in a deep voice.

"Can't you just be a good prime minister? Do you have to make the people suffer before you're satisfied?"

Qin Wude says, "You don't need to know the reasons why I deal with the major sects."

"But I already know." Qin Luo interrupts, "You simply want to seize the throne, and you're afraid that after you sit on the dragon throne, the major sects will overthrow you under the pretext of eliminating rebels. So you want to eliminate the forces that oppose you in advance!"

This is the reason why Qin Wude is determined to exterminate the Immortal Alliance in the original work.

"..."

For the first time, Qin Wude stops writing and slowly raises his head, meeting Qin Luo's furious expression.

"Did Liu Chengyin tell you this?"

Qin Luo says firmly, "Do I still need someone else to tell me? Your ambition has long been known to everyone!"

Qin Qingyue's delicate shoulders tremble, wanting to speak but hesitating.

"Qin Wude, you always say that I bring shame to our mother, that I am her only and greatest disgrace. But what about you? Look at what you have done!"

Qin Luo took on a righteous and condemning stance, pressing every word to the heart: "Because of your selfish desires, thousands of elders and disciples from the major sects have been slaughtered, causing the common people to suffer. What's even more outrageous is that it was all your doing. Why should I bear the revenge of our enemies for you?"

"Shut up."

Qin Qingyue couldn't bear it any longer and shouted, "If you dare to disrespect our father again, I will sew your dog mouth shut."

If they were alone, Qin Luo would truly fear Qin Qingyue. But in front of Qin Wude, Qin Luo's courage grew, knowing that he wouldn't go so far as to harm his own son. At most, he would just beat him up.

And once this beating was over, he would have passed Qin Wude's test.

"Qin Qingyue, stop using trivial matters as a big deal. If you want to be a dog for our father, I don't want to. Sewing my mouth shut is easy, but can you sew shut the mouths of the entire world?"

"Crack."

Qin Qingyue clenched her fists, the sound of bones rubbing against each other crisp and cold. Her gaze towards Qin Luo became increasingly icy.

"You're right."

Qin Wude suddenly sighed and closed the endless pile of memorials in front of him.

"I have indeed done wrong. I shouldn't have made you bear the revenge for me."

Qin Luo's expression changed upon hearing this. In the few memories he had of Qin Wude from his previous life, Qin Wude had always been a domineering person. According to the normal development of the plot, shouldn't he scold his rebellious son and beat him up? But with this sentence, why did it seem like he was admitting his mistake to himself?

"Today at noon, Fulin will secretly take you away from Fengtian City," Qin Wude continued.

"You will change your identities and go to a place where no one knows you. Buy an estate with the wealth Fulin has, and you will live a wealthy and prosperous life for the rest of your days."

Qin Luo was skeptical, "Are you kicking me out of the family?"

Before Qin Wude could speak, Qin Qingyue coldly said, "Living like a waste, wasting your life in a drunken stupor, achieving nothing. Isn't that what you want?"

Perhaps it was because they were about to part ways, but Qin Wude's tone today was unusually calm and patient as he explained, "It's easy to avoid a visible threat, but if you stay in Fengtian City, you will inevitably be targeted by those with ill intentions, just like yesterday."

"By leaving Fengtian City, you will no longer be my son, Qin Wude. Naturally, you won't have to bear the revenge of our enemies for me, just as you wish."

"..."

Qin Luo's thoughts were in chaos.

He could clearly hear that Qin Wude's arrangements were all for his own good, and he had considered it carefully.

Fulin, as the steward of the Qin family, had been with Qin Wude for the longest time and was the most trusted confidant besides Qin Qingyue. If he left Fengtian City with Fulin and changed his identity, even if Qin Wude was overthrown by the major sects and failed to seize the throne, he could still live as a local magnate under Fulin's protection and spend the rest of his life in peace.

On the other hand, if Qin Wude succeeded in seizing the throne and eventually eliminated all the sects to sit on the dragon throne, he only had one biological son, Qin Qingyue. After all, Qin Qingyue was an adopted daughter. If he didn't bring Qin Luo back to succeed him, who could he hand over this hard-won empire to?

Thinking of this, Qin Luo couldn't help but be moved. Suddenly, he felt that Qin Wude wasn't as insane and evil as he was in the original story. At the very least, he showed a tender side towards himself.

"A father's love is far-sighted when it comes to his child."

A row of options appeared before him:

"Qin Wude is already an enemy of the world. He has arranged your life before the chaos in the world. Your choice—"

Option 1: Follow his arrangements, buy an estate, change your identity, marry dozens of wives and concubines, live an ordinary but happy life.

Reward upon completion: Obtain a life without illness or disaster. Nothing calamitous will befall you until you die of old age.

(End of this chapter)