Chapter 16 – So Innocent
Author: Wei Yi Yong Heng ,
After Qin Li issued his challenge, Qin Mo was a little surprised, but he didn’t take it too seriously.
However, the few people standing beside Qin Li showed utter disbelief on their faces. The human race valued honor, and the Hammerstone Tribe valued it even more.
A true warrior disdains bullying the weak. So for Qin Li, a man who had already opened five spirit apertures, to challenge Qin Mo—a “waste” who had struggled bitterly to open just one aperture, and with a useless white bloodline at that—was beyond absurd.
Everyone was happy to mock Qin Mo verbally, of course. After all, back when he was in the Hammerstone Tribe, he really hadn’t been much of a good person and had done plenty of despicable things.
But to challenge him? No one would do that—especially those stronger than him.
Even Qin Yu, who had always disliked Qin Mo and treated him as an enemy, had never thought of actually making a move against him.
As for Lin Yue’s challenge, that had been different—she had her reasons. Anyone else in her position might have done the same. Besides, she had given Qin Mo a lot: spirit stones, a precious Blood Condensation Pill, and even set the duel a full year later. That was already showing great respect for the Hammerstone Tribe.
Qin Li felt the stares of his companions and sensed the situation turning against him. He quickly explained, “We struggle to open our apertures, risk our lives hunting, and protect the tribe with our blood and sweat—what right does he have to talk to me like that?”
Hearing this, his companions nodded. The day before, they had been fighting for food deep in the mountains, risking their lives for the tribe, while Qin Mo had been hiding who knows where—and now he came back acting all arrogant. It was indeed infuriating.
Seeing their expressions, Qin Li breathed a sigh of relief. Before Qin Mo could respond, he pointed at him and said loudly, “And look at him!”
Everyone turned their eyes to Qin Mo.
“He’s a spoiled brat,” Qin Li said, growing more impassioned. “From birth till now, he’s done nothing but cause trouble in the tribe, all because he’s the young chieftain.”
“If that were all, fine.” Qin Li’s voice grew colder. “But he never reflects on his mistakes. The tribe used a Blood Condensation Pill for him. The chieftain—his own father—risked his life in the Blackstone Mountains, slaying a two-star ancient beast, the Barbaric Bear, just to refine its blood so he could open an aperture. I thought…”
He swept his gaze across the crowd, his voice filled with indignation. “I thought he would finally reflect, and fight for the tribe’s survival—for his people!”
“And then?” Qin Mo asked calmly, though the gathered tribesmen all glared at him in anger.
“And then! Hah!” Qin Li sneered, his face full of murderous intent. “Qin Mo, do you dare accept my challenge?”
All eyes turned to Qin Mo. They completely forgot that he was a weakling and that Qin Li was a powerful cultivator who had opened five apertures.
In their eyes, Qin Mo saw resentment, disdain, hatred—even killing intent—but not a shred of sympathy or pity.
Looking at Qin Li, Qin Mo almost wanted to laugh—not because he possessed a thousand jin of strength and could easily crush Qin Li, who had only eight hundred—but because Qin Li had twisted the truth so shamelessly that he looked like a clown.
Sure, the old Qin Mo had done bad things—but that was the old Qin Mo, not him.
And even in his inherited memories, though the previous Qin Mo had indeed done some vile things, they were never unforgivable. More importantly, every time he messed up, Qin Lin would beat him half to death for it.
So now, Qin Mo really felt wronged—not only for himself being framed by Qin Li, but also for the former Qin Mo being maligned unjustly. Justice should be fair: those who sin should pay for their sins. But why was this guy dragging up the past and winning everyone’s sympathy for it?
So, under everyone’s shocked gaze, Qin Mo straightened his back and said calmly, “You done talking?”
Such an attitude only made the crowd angrier. Qin Li hadn’t expected Qin Mo to respond like that and grew even more furious. “Do you dare accept my challenge? On the Duel Platform!”
“No need,” Qin Mo replied, walking a few steps forward. “Right here is fine.”
“You’re scared?” Qin Li asked in disappointment.
A duel on the platform was life or death—the chieftain himself couldn’t interfere.
Qin Li didn’t plan to kill Qin Mo, but he intended to teach him a painful lesson.
“I am afraid,” Qin Mo said with a faint smile, entirely unbothered by the stares around him.
Hearing that, not only Qin Li but also the crowd looked disappointed and disgusted. Qin Mo had just publicly admitted fear—what a disgrace.
“Afraid I might not be able to stop myself from killing you,” Qin Mo continued, still smiling calmly. “So if we fight, it’ll be here. I don’t want to be accused of killing a fellow tribesman.”
The crowd erupted in shock. To fight outside the Duel Platform was to violate tribal law—both would be punished.
“Do you dare challenge me now?” Qin Mo asked, smiling faintly. In truth, he was afraid—afraid he might kill Qin Li by accident. The Hammerstone Tribe had treated him well, after all.
Qin Li fell silent, and the others suddenly understood. So that’s why Qin Mo had said those words—he was trying to dodge the fight! He couldn’t refuse outright, so he played tough, forcing Qin Li into a corner.
“No fight? Then I’m leaving.” Qin Mo shook his head and turned to go, ignoring the contemptuous stares.
Seeing him walk away, Qin Li’s rage boiled over. Throwing caution to the wind, he charged forward, shouting, “I’ll fight you right here!”
He threw a punch without hesitation, not caring that it was a sneak attack. His rage had blinded him—he wanted nothing more than to knock Qin Mo flat with a single blow.
That punch carried eight hundred jin of force, whipping up a fierce wind as it struck toward Qin Mo’s back.
Before he had opened his apertures, Qin Li’s limit had been three hundred jin. After awakening his superior black bloodline and opening five apertures, his strength increased by another five hundred jin. He wasn’t the strongest squad leader in the tribe, but he was far from weak. Against Qin Mo, who supposedly had only six hundred jin of force, it should have been an easy victory.
No one worried for Qin Mo—instead, they feared Qin Li might accidentally kill him. If that happened, Qin Li would be executed under tribal law.
But now, it was too late to stop.
Just when everyone thought Qin Mo would be struck down, he suddenly turned around, a faint mocking smile on his face.
He, too, threw a punch—casual and unhurried—to meet Qin Li’s attack head-on. The onlookers were dumbfounded.
“Idiot!” Qin Li sneered. He had been holding back, but seeing that expression, he unleashed his full strength.
“Boom!” The air exploded with the sound of their clashing energy.
Both had opened their apertures, so their fists were wrapped in condensed spiritual force. When they collided, the burst of energy echoed like thunder—then came the meeting of flesh and bone.
Crack!
A sharp snap followed.
Everyone thought it was Qin Mo’s hand breaking—but the one clutching his arm and collapsing to the ground, screaming in pain, was none other than the once-proud Qin Li.
Qin Mo still stood there, arm extended in a simple punching stance. If not for the sight of Qin Li writhing on the ground, no one would have believed that this single, effortless counterpunch had felled a five-aperture warrior.
