Free Web NovelChapter 29: The Patriarch’s Promise
The Patriarch’s Promise
The atmosphere throughout the Salvatore Family estate gradually calmed after the battle.
Although the scent of blood still lingered in the air, the fear that had weighed upon the family for more than ten years had completely vanished. Everywhere, disciples walked with confidence, their backs straight and their eyes filled with pride. The humiliations they had endured for so many years had finally come to an end.
Max Salvatore gently set the young boy down before stepping beside Victor.
"That little fellow is Damien Salvatore, the last descendant of Fifth Elder’s branch..."
As he spoke, Max gently rubbed Damien’s head. A trace of sadness flickered across his face before quickly disappearing.
Then he respectfully guided the boy toward Victor.
"The Fifth Elder was one of our closest companions before you entered seclusion."
His voice grew softer.
"He wasn’t much older than us."
"He fought beside us countless times."
Victor remained silent as he listened. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Memories surfaced naturally within his mind.
The Fifth Elder’s branch had always been the smallest branch of the Salvatore Family.
Not because their bloodline lacked descendants...
But because nearly every member of that branch had chosen the most dangerous path.
They were the family’s execution branch.
Inside the family, they enforced clan law with absolute fairness.
Outside the family, they became the sharpest sword of the Salvatore Family.
Whenever enemies appeared...
They were always the first to charge.
Whenever blood had to be spilled...
They never hesitated.
They fought at the very front of every battlefield.
Many never returned.
The Fifth Elder’s only son had fallen years ago during one of the family’s brutal conflicts.
Later, while Victor remained in closed-door cultivation, the Fifth Elder himself had died fighting against the mysterious great sect that had secretly targeted the Salvatore Family.
Now...
Only Damien remained.
The final flame of that heroic bloodline.
Victor quietly looked at the thirteen-year-old boy standing before him.
A faint smile appeared in his golden eyes.
His gaze was calm, yet impossibly profound.
It felt as though twin golden suns were illuminating every secret hidden beneath heaven itself.
The moment their eyes met...
The spirit of the Eternal Tribulation Sword hidden inside Damien’s body trembled violently.
Buzz...
A faint sword hum echoed deep within his dantian.
Damien’s heart skipped a beat.
For an instant, it felt as though every secret he possessed had been completely exposed beneath those calm golden eyes.
His rebirth...
The Eternal Tribulation Sword...
The countless experiences from his previous life...
Everything seemed transparent before the Patriarch.
His heartbeat quickened.
"I was careless..."
Damien clenched his fists.
Earlier, he had rushed toward the Family Hall without thinking.
Then he had revealed information regarding Tobias Ashthorn that no ordinary thirteen-year-old should possibly have known.
Either action alone was suspicious.
Together...
They were enough to expose countless secrets.
His thoughts raced wildly.
Countless excuses flashed through his mind.
Perhaps he could claim he overheard something...
Or maybe say he had found an ancient record...
No...
None of them would withstand scrutiny.
Facing those eyes, Damien suddenly realized something. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Any lie would be meaningless.
His lips parted several times.
Yet his throat felt completely dry.
Not a single word emerged.
Just as his heart filled with anxiety...
Victor suddenly smiled.
It wasn’t a domineering smile.
Nor was it the smile of an invincible expert.
Instead...
It carried the warmth of spring after a long winter.
"A child should act like a child."
"Walking around with a frown on your face all day isn’t a good look."
Those simple words drifted gently into Damien’s ears.
Like warm sunlight...
They quietly melted the deepest layer of ice surrounding his heart.
For a brief moment...
Damien became absent-minded.
Every story he had ever heard about the Salvatore Family Patriarch surfaced within his mind.
He was domineering.
He protected his own without question.
He was merciless toward every enemy.
Yet...
To his own family...
He treated every member with genuine care.
Standing before Victor now...
Damien suddenly felt an urge he had never experienced before.
He wanted to tell him everything.
His previous life.
His rebirth.
The countless years he had wandered alone.
Even the Eternal Tribulation Sword hidden within his body.
For the first time since his rebirth...
He no longer wished to shoulder every burden by himself.
Victor calmly examined the boy before speaking again.
"Not bad."
"At thirteen years old, you’ve already stepped into the First Layer of the Mortal Forging Realm."
"Most children your age are still chasing butterflies and causing trouble throughout the estate."
"As expected of a descendant of the Salvatore Family."
"You deserve to be called one of our family’s young Qilins."
His voice remained calm.
Gentle.
Like an elder sincerely encouraging the younger generation.
Damien lowered his head.
"Patriarch..."
"I..."
He hesitated again.
Where should he begin?
Should he tell Victor that the Salvatore Family had already been destroyed once in his previous life?
Should he reveal that he had returned from the future?
Should he speak of the terrifying enemies still waiting beyond Aurelia City?
Or perhaps...
Should he reveal the supreme weapon sleeping within his body—
The Eternal Tribulation Sword?
Every possibility seemed impossible to explain.
Just as confusion threatened to overwhelm him once again...
Victor spoke.
"Damien."
"You are a member of the Salvatore Family."
"That fact will never change."
Those few words struck Damien harder than any cultivation technique ever could.
They were simple.
Yet they carried unimaginable weight.
For the first time in both lifetimes...
He truly felt that someone was standing behind him.
Someone who would never abandon him.
