[ One Day Earlier ]

It was early morning, the kind of hour when the world is still quiet, everyone tucked away in their beds.

Nie Li was deep in a Dream Simulation, honing his skills while his family slept peacefully around him.

Unbeknownst to them, news was spreading that would soon shatter the calm.

The announcement was shocking: the funds usually allocated to the education sector were to be halved to support the Heir competition. Only the children who demonstrated talent in this competition would be granted the opportunity for education.

This decision sparked outrage among the farmers and the branch family members. The chance to send their kids to the Holy Orchid Institute, where they could gain essential skills for their future, was being snatched away from them.

This wasn't just about education; it was about survival.

In a world where strength and knowledge were the keys to a better life, denying education meant dooming their children to struggle and hardship.

Driven by desperation and anger, people grabbed whatever they could use as weapons.

The morning air was filled with the sound of dozens of families storming out of their homes, fueled by a sense of injustice.

The branch families felt powerless against the elders and the Patriarch who had made this decision.

But they needed someone to blame, a target for their frustration.

And Nie Li, known to be the reason for the Heir competition, became that target.

In their eyes, if Nie Li hadn't pushed for this competition, their children would have been safely on their way to the Holy Orchid Institute, learning vital skills.

With a clear target in mind, the enraged crowd set out for Nie Li, driven by a misguided belief that harming him could somehow reverse their fortunes.

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Nie Ming and Xiao Yun were deep in sleep when a loud crash and Nie Yu's terrified scream shattered the peace.

Startled awake, they witnessed the chaos: a broken window had let the cold morning air swirl inside, scattering glass shards and a brick across the floor.

Nie Ming rushed to the window, his heart sinking as he saw a furious mob outside. "Nie Li! Come out and face your punishment!" they yelled, their voices laced with anger and hysteria. The crowd hurled more bricks and stones at the house, each one a message of their fury.

"Pay for what you've done!"

"You can't hide from us, coward!"

Their threats and insults flew as thickly as the projectiles they threw.

Suddenly they heard a shrill scream as Nie Ming and Xiao Yun ran towards another room.

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Nie Kai and Miao Ling, too, had rushed out of their rooms, drawn by the commotion.

They found her in a state of terror, bleeding from a head wound caused by the brick that had crashed through the window.

The sight that met them all was heart-wrenching: little Nie Yu, crying and screaming in fear, her head bleeding profusely.

Nie Kai's blood boiled as he realized the brick had struck his daughter while she slept.

As more projectiles flew into the room, Miao Ling's instincts as a mother kicked in.

She shielded her daughter with her own body, taking the impact of the stones and bricks on her back.

Amid the chaos, with projectiles raining in through the shattered window, Miao Ling became a fortress of strength for her daughter.

Blood streamed down her back from where the stones and bricks had struck her, but the physical pain paled in comparison to the ache in her heart at seeing Nie Yu's tears. With a courage that only a mother's love could muster, she wrapped her arms tighter around Nie Yu, her own body a shield against the relentless assault. Through the haze of her pain, Miao Ling offered a smile of pure reassurance to her terrified daughter. "Don't worry, my little Yu. Everything is going to be okay," she whispered, her voice a soothing balm in the midst of turmoil.

Nie Kai and Nie Ming positioned themselves in front of the broken window, blocking the incoming barrage with their bodies.

Seeing her husband and brother shielding her.

Miao Ling grabbed Nie Yu and ran out as her feet were cut by the glass on the floor, but she ignored the pain, focused solely on helping her injured daughter.

Xiao Yun, thinking quickly, tore a piece of her nightgown to press against Nie Yu's wound, trying to stem the bleeding.

After ensuring their family was safe, Nie Kai and Nie Ming made their retreat.

Both were visibly battered from the onslaught.

Their injuries were numerous and varied. Nie Ming had several cuts across his arms, the skin torn from where sharp edges of the bricks and stones had made contact. His hands were bloodied, scraped raw in his attempts to deflect the relentless barrage aimed at their home.

Nie Ming sported a swollen, purple eye.

Nie Kai, on the other hand, bore a deep gash on his forehead, blood trickling down into his eyes and blinding him temporarily during the chaos. His back was a canvas of bruises, each one blossoming in dark hues from the stones that hit him with merciless precision.

Nie Kai limped painfully, a brick having struck his shin with brutal force.

The limp in his step grew more pronounced with each moment, the impact of the brick likely to leave a lasting injury.

Xiao Yun screamed for her son, rushing towards Nie Li's room, relieved to find it untouched since it was at the back of the house, away from the crowd's wrath.

Xiao Yun tried to rouse Nie Li, but he was unresponsive.

"He's probably in a meditative state," Nie Ming explained, trying to keep everyone calm.

"In that state, cultivators don't respond to anything."

He clenched his teeth with frustration, knowing if Nie Li were awake, he could easily handle the mob outside.

"What do we do now?" Miao Ling asked, holding a sobbing Nie Yu close.

Nie Kai, looking out the window, suggested, "We could escape and hide in the forest."

Everyone agreed but wondered how they would get down safely. Without hesitation, Nie Kai took a deep breath and leapt out the window, using a nearby tree to break his fall. "Jump down, I'll catch you!" he signaled quietly, not wanting to draw attention from the angry crowd.

One by one, the family made their escape. Nie Ming carefully lowered Miao Ling, who then helped lower Nie Yu. Next came Xiao Yun, and finally, Nie Ming carefully lowered the still-unconscious Nie Li into Nie Kai's waiting arms.

The impact was too much for Nie Kai, and his shin snapped under the weight, forcing a muffled scream of pain.

Nie Ming quickly followed, using the tree to ease his landing. He caught Nie Kai, who was biting his hand to keep from screaming, and they all hurried into the forest.

For hours they stayed hidden, waiting for the mob to disperse. Once it was safe, the battered family returned to their home, now a scene of destruction and plunder. They bandaged their wounds in the remains of what was once their safe haven.

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[ Present Day ]

As Nie Li stood with his family, he thought back to that terrifying morning.

Anger surged through him as he looked out the window towards the Heavenly Marks Family.

One thought consumed him: "They will pay!"