When Li Qianyun woke up, she found herself lying on a sickbed, with an elder from her clan diagnosing her injuries.
"Uncle Xiaogan!" she hurriedly sat up, her heart aching sharply, barely managing to stay upright.
The strand of sword energy as fine as a hair that Li Tianqing had sent had injured her heart and lungs. If not for her powerful cultivation suppressing the flow of blood and qi, the blood in her heart's chambers would have quickly flowed into her lungs, and she would have died a violent death.
"Qianyun, no need to bow."
Li Xiaogan specialized in dicine. He was a renowned imperial physician who had treated the high officials and nobles in the Western Capital. Later, he resigned from his post and returned ho, treating the ailnts of everyone in the Li Family from top to bottom. The younger generation of the Li Family might not know the Sect Leader, but they absolutely had to know who Li Xiaogan was.
Li Xiaogan smiled and said, "Your heart and lungs have been injured. If left untreated, it will leave a significant hidden danger. The next ti you go all out in a fight against soone, the injury will relapse. This ti, you need to recuperate properly."
Only then did Li Qianyun notice that there were other sickbeds in this room, belonging to Li Tianzheng and the others.
Their injuries were even more severe than hers. At this mont, lying on their sickbeds, many were groaning softly from the pain.
"Uncle Xiaogan, why are you here?" Li Qianyun asked.
Li Xiaogan smiled. "I've been here all along. When you were hunting down Li Tianqing, I was watching from afar."
Li Qianyun was slightly stunned, not understanding his aning. If Li Xiaogan had been watching nearby all along, why hadn't he stepped in to rescue them and kill Li Tianqing?
After they were defeated by Li Tianqing, shouldn't he have stepped in to execute that traitor?
"Not only was I nearby, but the Sect Leader was also close by."
Li Xiaogan chuckled. "Many people from the clan ca. We all witnessed your battle with Li Tianqing."
Li Qianyun beca even more confused.
She followed Li Xiaogan outside, only to see Sect Leader Li Xiaozai and a group of clan elders all present—about thirty to fifty people—whispering among themselves, discussing who knew what.
She couldn't help but be startled. Did hunting down Li Tianqing really require deploying so many Li Family experts?
And more importantly, after she failed, why hadn't so many clan powerhouses eliminated Li Tianqing?
"Qianyun is awake," Li Xiaogan announced.
Sect Leader Li Xiaozai's gaze fell upon Li Qianyun. Li Qianyun bowed, her heart heavy with sorrow, and said, "Qianyun has let down the Sect Leader's nurturing, has let down the Sect Leader's expectations. Please, Sect Leader, take back the Minor Tribulation Salvation Formula!"
Li Xiaozai shook his head. "Winning and losing in a single battle are common occurrences for soldiers. Why be so concerned? This ti, you couldn't defeat him because he observed you in secret for eight full days, detected a flaw in your Primordial Spirit's force field, and exploited that flaw with the help of the smoke and dust. You have cultivated to this day without knowing your own weakness. Through this battle, you have learned it, and from now on, you will only beco stronger."
The grief in Li Qianyun's heart lessened sowhat, but being defeated by Li Tianqing still pained her greatly.
She had been held in such high regard. She had thought that this mission to hunt down the traitor would be an easy victory, but she never imagined she would suffer such a crushing defeat. The position of Sect Leader was probably now out of her reach.
Li Xiaozai said, "This defeat at Li Tianqing's hands shows that you do have so shortcomings. You still need to train harder and more diligently. Just now, I discussed it with the clan elders, and we have decided to send you to the Upper Realm to cultivate for a period of ti. You are qualified to go there."
Li Qianyun was slightly startled. She had never heard of the Upper Realm.
Li Xiaozai explained, "The Upper Realm was forged by the successive ancestors of our Thirteen Great Clans, using their own Realms of Emptiness, to create a world independent of the yin and yang realms. In the more than six thousand years since the fall of the True King's era, almost every cultivator in the Return to Emptiness realm or the Great Ascension realm from the Thirteen Great Clans has, before their death, contributed their Realm of Emptiness to fortify the Upper Realm. Of our successive ancestors, so live in the underworld, while others reside in the Upper Realm. If you go there, you will receive guidance from our past ancestors."
Li Qianyun was stunned with joy. Receive guidance from the past ancestors?
If that were truly the case, her cultivation and strength would skyrocket, surpassing her current self by an unknown margin!
"After you co out of the Upper Realm, do not seek revenge against Li Tianqing. Do not treat him as a mber of the Li Family. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."
Li Xiaozai gazed into her eyes and said softly, "Qianyun, do you understand?"
Li Qianyun was frozen, then said, "The disciple does not understand, but the disciple will strictly obey the Sect Leader's teachings."
Li Xiaozai revealed a smile, waved his hand, and signaled for her to go prepare.
Li Xiaogan ca to Li Xiaozai's side and asked, "Sect Leader, why did you let that kid off the hook?"
"Letting him go was the result of my careful consideration."
Li Xiaozai looked up at the sky and said in a low voice, "What the Thirteen Great Clans are trying to do is a montous undertaking that will change the heavens and the earth. We have to prepare for two eventualities. Either we succeed in this endeavor, ushering in a new golden age like the True King's era, or we suffer a complete defeat, and the entire clan is annihilated. I must leave a root for the Li Family, even if that root is a traitor."
He withdrew his gaze and continued, "Li Tianqing is a genius. If he hadn't betrayed us, I would have chosen him as the next Sect Leader. For a genius like him to betray the Li Family, the damage to the Li Family is also enormous. Regardless, the Li Family had to eliminate him. Especially since he defeated Qianyun, that made him even more deserving of death. But the Li Family of today needs a traitor to continue its bloodline."
Li Xiaogan's mind trembled slightly, and he bowed slightly.
As a Sect Leader, one must not only think about victory but also plan for defeat. Making arrangents for the Li Family's future was what made a qualified Sect Leader.
Fire streaked across the sky, and darkness fell earlier.
Li Xiaozai looked up at the sea of fire that covered the entire Western Ox New Continent, his face filled with worry.
The days were getting shorter, and night was falling earlier and earlier. This trend was accelerating!
The impact of the celestial changes would only grow greater!
Would the Thirteen Great Clans be able to prepare in ti to deal with this celestial upheaval?
In Huangpo Village, on the earthen slope outside the village, Chen Shi was cultivating under the old willow tree. The Nine Heavens hung behind him in the sky, illuminating the surrounding area for several miles as if it were dayti.
His Primordial Spirit sat on the miniature shrine in the small temple, its aura growing stronger and stronger, the Primordial Spirit slowly expanding.
Although it was late, he was still cultivating, working very diligently.
Nowadays, night fell earlier and earlier, and the dayti cultivation hours were insufficient. Even in the evening, he had to train.
The people of Huangpo Village hadn't gone to sleep either. They were chatting about family matters at the village entrance.
Black Pot was playing with Nannan. Two days ago, Hu Feifei had brought Nannan over, and the little girl didn't want to leave. The county governnt office was too stifling for her; she preferred to stay in the countryside with Chen Shi and the dog.
Fortunately, Chen Shi's parents were very fond of this little girl. They treated her like their own daughter. Having the couple take care of her was much better than her following Hu Feifei, an unmarried young maiden.
Since Nannan was staying in Huangpo Village, Zhong Kui and Tie Chi had also moved nearby. Zhong Kui had also brought his sister and mother over.
Zhong Kui and Tie Chi were reincarnations of ghost gods. When night fell, they would reveal their true forms and go out to eat evil spirits. For a while, there were no evil spirits at all around Huangpo Village, and there was no danger even at night.
A few days ago, the people of Huangpo Village were still a bit resistant to Zhong Kui and Tie Chi. But after discovering that, although these two had fierce appearances, they were very kind-hearted, they eventually accepted them.
"The light behind the top scholar's head is getting brighter and brighter," Old Lady Wuzhu said, looking towards the earthen slope.
Grandma Yuzhu was stitching a shoe sole and laughed. "He still hasn't married a wife. It's because he's holding it in."
Old Lady Wuzhu couldn't help but laugh. "No wonder it's getting brighter and brighter."
Just then, a gust of yin wind blew by, and three little ghosts crawled out of the ground, carrying buckets and wearing small round hats. These three little ghosts—one with an ox's head, one with a horse's face, and one little yaksha—were all less than two feet tall, their steps light and quick.
When the old n and old won in the village saw these three little ghosts, they weren't surprised at all.
Ever since the top scholar had returned to the village, these three little ghosts would appear every night, chattering away in ghost language, always staying by Nannan's side, circling around her.
"The strange people in the village are getting more and more nurous."
Old Lady Wuzhu looked outside the village and said, "That father and daughter who live by the river and make a living by fishing—I don't think they look like good people either."
Grandma Yuzhu rubbed the needle against her hair and said, "Our top scholar doesn't look like a good person either."
Everyone voiced their agreent.
Suddenly, the crisp sound of bells rang out. The villagers of Huangpo Village followed the sound and saw three cyan-colored birds, over ten feet tall, striding along a mountain path outside the village, pulling a carriage towards them.
These three cyan-colored birds could clearly fly, yet they insisted on walking on the road.
A halo of light glowed behind their heads, radiating a soft radiance, illuminating the path.
Seated in the carriage was a distinguished young man, dressed in red robes with a cyan belt around his waist, gentle and refined. When the villagers saw him, they all praised, "What a handso fellow."
The carriage arrived at Huangpo Village. The distinguished young man on the carriage looked at Tie Chi, who had transford into a bull-headed, human-bodied monster, and his heart tightened. Just then, Zhong Kui, covered in flas, flew up with a whoosh from a thatched cottage, startling him once again.
The three cyan-colored birds were also startled. A vast and fierce aura surged up to the heavens, and each manifested its Primordial Spirit, over six hundred feet tall—bird-headed, human-bodied, with bird's feet, their wings blotting out the sky, floating in the air, an extrely astonishing sight.
The distinguished young man coughed and said, "They an no harm. No need to be so tense."
The three cyan-colored birds each withdrew their Primordial Spirits. Zhong Kui and Tie Chi glanced at them and were sowhat disappointed. "Not evil spirits."
One of them ran on the ground, while the other flew through the air, and they both went off to forage for food.
The distinguished young man drove the carriage forward, nodded slightly to the old n and won at the village entrance, who sat there motionless, only their heads turning as his carriage passed by.
This distinguished young man was none other than Yang Bi, courtesy na Shaohu. He had co specifically to visit Chen Shi.
The two reincarnated ghost gods, Zhong Kui and Tie Chi, hadn't put much pressure on him, but the stares from these old n and won at the village entrance were quite a burden.
As soon as Yang Bi had escaped the gazes of the villagers, he saw a little girl of four or five riding a large black dog, bounding towards him from behind, followed by three little ghosts carrying buckets. He was completely stunned and ordered the three cyan-colored birds to pull the carriage to the side of the road to make way.
Yang Bi craned his neck, watching as Black Pot, carrying Nannan on his back, ran past.
"Is this a rebel camp?" he thought to himself.
Yang Bi continued forward, arriving at the foot of the earthen slope, where he saw a new house by the river. The boat girl and her father were mooring their boat by the shore.
"Huangpo Village is truly a forbidden ground of ghosts and gods."
Yang Bi shook his head, looked up at the old willow tree at the top of the slope, and saw the Nine Heavens light shining behind Chen Shi's head, illuminating the sky for an area of over ten acres, shining down.
Nannan, riding Black Pot, rushed up the slope. The three little ghosts carrying buckets also charged up the earthen slope. Just as they were about to reach Chen Shi, a beam of light swept past, and one of the horse-faced little ghosts disappeared.
The other two little ghosts revealed looks of envy.
Yang Bi got out of the carriage and said with a smile, "Yang Bi of Youzhou has co to pay his respects to the top scholar."
Chen Shi opened his eyes. The Nine Heavens behind his head dissipated. He stood up and said, "Co on up."
Yang Bi looked at the three cyan-colored birds.
One of the birds stepped forward, ca to his side, and transford into a woman in cyan robes, about thirty years old, who bowed slightly.
Yang Bi stepped onto the earthen slope, and the woman in cyan robes followed closely behind him.
After a while, under her protection, he arrived at the top of the slope.
This earthen slope was not high, only three or five zhang. At the top of the slope, there was only an old willow tree and a stone stele.
Besides that, there was also a woman in white, who was sitting under the tree, listening to the ghost scholar hanging from the tree explaining the scriptures.
The woman in white was listening intently, occasionally interjecting with an "Ah-bah."
When Yang Bi got a clear look at the face of the woman in white, his heart tightened.
At the top of the slope, under the old willow tree, there was a stone table and stone stools. Chen Shi invited Yang Bi to sit down and asked, "Brother Yang cos from Youzhou. Are you related to the Yang Family among the Thirteen Great Clans?"
Yang Bi sat down and said with a smile, "I am indeed from the Yang Family among the Thirteen Great Clans. My ancestor was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet during the True King's era. Later, he settled in Youzhou, and the Yang Family has lived and multiplied there for generations, becoming a prominent family in Youzhou."
He looked around and laughed, "Lord Chen controls the True King's Tomb on Qianyang Mountain and has so many powerful people helping him. Your ambitions are considerable."
Chen Shi shook his head. "I have no grand ambitions. My purpose in participating in the imperial examinations was simply to make my own life a bit better and to have a more legitimate reason to oppress the villagers."
Yang Bi smiled faintly, not believing a single word he said.
Chen Shi asked, "Brother Yang has co to see . Are you here to arrest and bring to justice?"
Yang Bi shook his head. "I have already reprimanded Wei Yue, the Young Master of the Immortal Capital. I have ordered him to chase after the Huo Dog and apologize to you. From now on, no underworld officers will be sent to hunt you or your family."
Nannan fell off the dog's back and hit the ground. The two little ghosts were terrified and hurried over. But the little girl just lay on the grass, laughing heartily, stretching out her arms and kicking her legs, looking very happy.
Yang Bi's gaze fell on the little girl as he continued, "The Thirteen Great Clans will also stop hunting the Righteous and Incorruptible Official. The reincarnated underworld officials like Ox-Head, Horse-Face, and Zhong Kui will also be given a pass. You don't need to be so tense and on guard against anymore."
Chen Shi smiled. "I wasn't tense at all."
Yang Bi turned his head and looked down the slope.
Chen Shi followed his gaze and saw Chen Tang standing at the foot of the slope, holding a wooden box in his hand.
Chen Shi smiled. "My father is worried about my safety. It's just a father's love for his son. That's perfectly normal."
Yang Bi looked behind himself. Under the moonlight, a vast darkness enveloped the rear of Huangpo Village, and within that darkness, a pair of enormous eyes were staring at him intensely.
Chen Shi said seriously, "The Huo Dog is worried about its son's safety. That's also a natural mother's love, very normal."
He did not chase Chen Tang and the Huo Dog away. He sought advice, asking, "The Thirteen Great Clans were determined to secure the position of the Yama of the Yama Hall. You sched for over a thousand years. Why has Brother Yang suddenly stopped trying to kill everyone?"
"Lord Chen can call Shaohu."
Yang Bi said seriously, "The reason we no longer need to hunt the Righteous and Incorruptible Official and his remaining followers is that it is no longer necessary. The True King established the underworld and left behind the Ten Kings of Hell. With the exception of the Righteous and Incorruptible Official, the other nine Yamas have all been subdued. Only the Righteous and Incorruptible Official is still on the run. As for the other nine halls, they are now all controlled by people from our Thirteen Great Clans."
Chen Shi's heart shook violently.
The three little ghosts also trembled with fear.
Yang Bi continued, "I ca out of seclusion this ti to be responsible for uniting the forces of the Thirteen Great Clans. The first matter I must attend to is to assist the Judge Wei Ling in becoming the new Yama of the Yama Hall, after which he will pass the position to Wei Yue. This matter is already a foregone conclusion. Whether or not we hunt the Righteous and Incorruptible Official is now irrelevant. The situation is already set, and it cannot be resisted by people like you."
Chen Shi asked, puzzled, "Since the Thirteen Great Clans are already unstoppable, why did Shaohu co to see ?"
Yang Bi's expression was solemn. "I ca to see you to explain to you the actions of the Thirteen Great Clans, so that you wouldn't misunderstand."
Chen Shi said, "I am all ears."
Yang Bi hesitated for a mont, then said, "This matter should start with the True King's abolition of the Tribulation Crossing and Ascension realms."
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