C1 His Life Shouldn't End like This!

A cool droplet of water landed on Chu Lin's lips. Groggy, he opened his eyes to a vast expanse of blue sky. It was then that he realized he was lying at the base of a towering cliff.

"I'm not dead."

His voice was scratchy and his throat parched. After a brief silence, Chu Lin took labored breaths, his eyes brimming with sorrow.

"Damn it! Why didn't I just die? What did I do in a past life to deserve this? Why must I lie here in agony, waiting for death?"

Resentment laced Chu Lin's voice, echoing his frustration and bitterness.

Chu Lin tried to rise, but the searing pain throughout his body twisted his youthful face. It had been three days since he was pushed off the cliff. His bones were shattered, his meridians throbbing with pain. Immobilized, he could do nothing but await his inevitable end.

Chu Lin was a third-generation member of House Mu, a scion of a distinguished family in Ironhold. To the common folk, he might appear to be a fortunate soul, born into prominence. But only he knew the truth of his lowly status within his clan. At times, he felt his lot was even worse than that of a servant, simply because he bore the surname Chu, not Mu.

Not being a direct heir of House Mu, Chu Lin's father, Chu Tian, was considered a lowly son-in-law, and his mother had left the family years ago. Consequently, Chu Lin and his father were the least favored members of House Mu. At the age of ten, Chu Lin began his journey of cultivation alongside his peers. But after failing to cultivate, he was deemed to have an Inborn Dead Sea, indicating that his Anima Reservoir was barren, rendering him incapable of cultivation.

That same year, Chu Tian passed away unexpectedly, and his memorial tablet was relegated to the lowest rung of the ancestral hall, a position even lower than that of a servant. This indignity became an enduring wound in Chu Lin's heart.

From a young age, Chu Lin was the target of mockery from his cousins, and his elders treated him with indifference. He had always borne these slights in silence.

But three days prior, Chu Lin's breaking point was reached when his cousin, Mu Rui, publicly insulted Chu Lin's father. Chu Lin could no longer stomach the humiliation. In a fury, he lashed out and clashed with Mu Rui.

Chu Lin was incapable of cultivating, while Mu Rui was a prodigy at the first level of Body Tempering. It was a foregone conclusion that Chu Lin would be defeated, so he was pushed off the cliff.

"Mu Rui, I swear I will get my revenge for all you've done to me!" Chu Lin's hatred surged, and he let out a low roar.

Yet there he was, at the bottom of the cliff, with broken bones, and death seemed imminent.

Chu Lin chuckled bitterly at himself. He was now nothing more than a cripple, and he felt utterly pathetic.

Just then, another droplet of water landed on Chu Lin's lips, bringing an instant cool relief. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but the pain seemed to lessen. Overcome with drowsiness, he couldn't resist closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

At the top of the cliff, three young men peered over the edge. They stepped back, intimidated by the abyss below.

The lean boy on the left turned to the muscular one in the center with an ingratiating look. "Mu Rui, it's been three days and still no sign of life. He's probably dead for real."

"Mu Rui, if our clan finds out, we're definitely going to be punished. What are we going to do?" The plump boy on the right shrank back, his eyes wide with fear.

Upon hearing their concerns, Mu Rui's face darkened. He glanced at the cliff and inhaled deeply. Then, with a vicious look, he spat out, "Damn it, he was nothing but a waste. Even if he's dead, it's no big loss. Chu Lin and his father have been living off House Mu's generosity for years."

"You're right, Brother Mu Rui. Without House Mu, Chu Lin would've been dead long ago," the narrow-eyed, sharp-chinned boy sneered.

"Chu Lin's death is none of my concern," Mu Rui mused, devoid of any remorse. Pulling a stack of gold notes from his pocket, he declared, "I've heard that Ruby Perfume Courtyard has welcomed a bevy of beauties. Mu Kai, Mu Nan, let's head over and enjoy ourselves!"

Upon hearing Mu Rui's words, the two teenagers were thrilled. Even though they were merely fifteen or sixteen, as scions of House Mu in Ironhold, they had frequented the city's brothels numerous times. At their tender age, they found the allure of the girls at the Ruby Perfume Courtyard irresistible.

A month whisked by in no time.

In the interim, several young members of House Mu occasionally visited the cliff.

Beneath the cliff, the ground was carpeted with a thick layer of fallen leaves.

Chu Lin suddenly sat up with a start, astonishment etched on his face. He twisted his thighs and swung his hands back and forth, making sure he wasn't trapped in a dream.

He was astounded that he, with every bone shattered and having fasted for a month, had managed to stay alive. More astonishingly, his wounds had healed. Even more surprising was the realization that his body felt stronger than before the injuries. He could even sense a faint stream of spiritual energy weaving through his meridians.

He was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. His survival meant he had the opportunity to seek vengeance against Mu Rui!

"But how can this be?" Chu Lin wondered aloud, his brow furrowed in contemplation, as the situation defied all logic.

Just then, Chu Lin's attention was drawn to a swiftly falling water droplet. A revelation struck him, and he thought to himself, "It's all because of these droplets!"

He recalled how, when lying at the base of the cliff, the droplets had fallen right into his mouth. He surmised that these water droplets were the only sustenance he had consumed over the past month.

"No wonder each time I swallowed a droplet, the pain in my body seemed to lessen. It wasn't my imagination! Could these droplets actually possess the miraculous power to revive the dying?" Chu Lin murmured, then quickly scrambled to his feet.

Looking up, he noticed that occasionally, a droplet of spring water would fall from the cliff, roughly six meters above. Embedded in the rock where the spring emerged was a piece of Broken Copper the size of a coin!