Chapter 14 (Vol-2)
"Da Wei! Look at this!"
I watched with a smile as Yin Lingxi showed a shining jewel she picked up from the stream that we were on the banks of.
The jewel was not something special, just a simple ruby, and yet, the joy on Lingxi's face made it special.
Ever since we decided to take it easy, this is how we have been spending our days. Wandering from one picturesque place to another, relaxing, playing around, and then moving on to explore even more.
All in all, it felt like a fun vacation for both of us.
Right now, we are on the banks of a large stream passing through a thick forest, filled to the brim with spiritual fish and some resources that might be interesting for a rogue cultivator but were nothing worth mentioning for most people.
"Come here and help me find some more!"
"Why? They are just mortal gems."
"I want to make a necklace for Da Ling with these gems."
I raised an eyebrow at those words.
"You know how to craft jewelry?"
Yin Lingxi gave me a smug look at those words.
"Of course I do. I also know how to weave, forge, and make artifacts. Didn't I tell you about that when we first met?"
I chuckled at those words and got into the water alongside her.
"To be fair, I was more focused on getting away from you back then and did not concentrate much on your words."
"was I really that scary to you?"
"It's not that you were scary, it's just that I don't like getting involved with people who feel like trouble."
She pouted for a bit before throwing herself on my back.
"Well, too bad, you can't escape from me now."
Once again, my emotions were thrown into turmoil at her actions but I managed to suppress them before laughing a bit and gently letting her down.
"Wouldn't dream of it, my empress."
Soon, thanks to our combined effort, we had a sizable pile of various types of gems in our hands.
'Why are there so many gems in this stream? And why are they polished gems at that?'
'Don't question it, David. Secret Realms never make sense since they are created based on the last thoughts, personality, desires, and various other aspects of a Cultivator.'
'I know that, but I never thought the bizarre factor would be this exaggerated.'
'Hmph, you haven't seen anything yet. The Secret realm that is controlled by the Barbarian Clans in the south is the very definition of bizarre. You want to go explore that place after this?'
'No thanks! I can't even imagine what kind of madness that place houses for you of all people to call it bizarre.'
Yin Lingxi hummed an unfamiliar tune as she took out various tools and got to work on using a few rubies and pearls from the spiritual oysters that we found in the stream.
She methodically chiseled, shaped, and then punched holes through the materials with her Qi and carefully used Qi conductive metal chains to connect the pearls and rubies into a necklace.
It barely took her minutes to make something that looked like it came out of the hands of a master jewelsmith, showing her practice and prowess in the art.
Her proud smile as she kept it away in her space ring made me smile as well.
Returning to my spot on the banks, I continued doing what I was before she called me over.
Fishing in the river for our dinner.
As I sat calmly with my fishing pole and a spear made from low-grade materials to serve as a harpoon for larger fish or other things that I could hunt, Yin Lingxi plopped beside me and started working on the other gems, probably working on turning them into jewelry as well.
"How long do you think this realm will stay open for?"
At her question, I shrugged.
"I don't know. While most of the secret realms have a set time where they open and close, this one and most high-level ones don't have a set timeframe aside from the time at which they open. Sometimes, they might only be open for a few days at most, sometimes, they stay open for years on end. It is simply not possible to predict these things."
"Then, how about exploring deeper into this place?"
"We could, but if we are not close to the entrance when we receive the warning of the entrance's destabilization, we will be stranded in this realm until the realm opens again in a couple of years."
"….it might not be that bad."
Oi, don't let your feelings guide your actions, dear empress of mine.
"Anyways, if you really want to explore, how about we go East?"
"Why that particular direction?"
"No particular reason."
'Wow, you have really mastered the art of lying with a straight face. I am very proud of you.'
'Shut it! I don't like lying to her but how do I explain to her that the pearl I inherited from my mother, which is probably a peerless treasure, is reacting to something deep within this realm?'
'Like you just did, of course.'
'Yeah, right. As if she would believe me?'
'Why not? It is not really surprising for someone of her status to have seen and learned about powerful treasured in history. She might even be able to help us identify the origin of this pearl.'
'….Point, but still, my answer is no. I will not involve her in whatever headache having this pearl and the knowledge of its existence would bring us. We are already doomed from the beginning, but I refuse to involve my loved ones in trouble willingly.'
'Truly, sometimes, it feels like I am talking to a naïve child. But, like I said before, this is your life, so do whatever you want.'
Yin Lingxi gave me a confused look before shrugging her shoulders.
"Sure. Let's do that."
Once again, my emotions stirred as happiness dominated my mind at the unconditional trust she displayed in such a way. And yet, guilt gnawed at my consciousness as I realized that I was abusing that trust by not being truthful to her about my intentions, even if it was for her own good.
Shaking my head, I got back to fishing as Lingxi quietly sat by my side and worked on whatever she was doing, eventually leaning against my back with hers as she continued working.
Far to the East of the continent, in a hidden valley covered in Qi-rich fog that is gathered artificially with formations, a man swiftly walked up the stairs of a grand palace.
While the palace was clearly visible to the naked eye, any cultivator would have great difficulty spotting it through their senses due to the various formations used in its construction that blended it with its surroundings. This, combined with the various formations that subtly distracted any cultivator that was not permitted to enter it, made it so that no cultivator would pay it any mind even if they accidentally spotted it.
The same method was also used to hide the large population of this place and the town they lived in that surrounded this massive palace.
As the man arrived at the top of the stairs, the two guards who were in the Nascent Soul Realm bowed to the man and opened the doors swiftly.
""We Greet the Master""
"Enough with the formalities. Is she out of her seclusion??"
The guards looked surprised at the urgency displayed by their master, but their experience with the man made them regain their composure quickly.
"Yes, Master Huxing. The Ancestor has recently come out of seclusion."
With that confirmation, Huxing Longwei, the Master of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land, rushed into the palace without any thoughts, much to the bewilderment of the guards as they had known their master for many centuries now and knew that he was not the kind of man to throw aside formality as he did just now.
Deep within the palace, Huxing Longwei swiftly arrived at the massive doors that separated the general area of the palace where the Master of the Holy Land and the rest of the upper echelon worked from the Qi-rich residences built within for their various ancestors for their seclusion.
Instinctually, he wanted to smash open the door and rush in directly, but his discipline and fear managed to reign in his urgency as he bowed and called out with his voice amplified with Qi.
"Longwei is here to meet Mother."
As those words echoed, the doors silently opened, permitting Huxing Longwei entry.
Once again, the Master of the Holy Land quickly rushed in and navigated the large maze of houses before arriving at the residence that he was very familiar with.
As he flung the door open and rushed in, he spotted a beautiful woman with long black hair and eyes that reflected great wisdom and power. Due to the way cultivation worked, the woman did not look any older than thirty despite being centuries old.
"Mother! I-"
"Longwei. Do not forget your manners."
The calm voice of the woman forced Huxing Longwei to immediately clam up in fear and respect before he bowed deeply and formally greeted his mother, just like he was taught from a young age centuries ago.
"…Longwei greets Mother."
"Hmm, good. Now, what brings you here? You usually don't visit me unless you have a problem and expect me to solve it."
The slightly accusatory tone in her words made the man smile wryly.
'I want to visit you more often as well, but the way you treat me compared to how you treated sister is way too scary, I don't dare be my usual self in front of me, yet I can't control my attitude. You really can't blame me for this!!'
Shaking his head to get rid of those depressing thoughts, he quickly assumed his persona as the Master of the Holy Land and got to the point.
"I just received a message from the Elders in the Ancestor Halls, we have picked up a reaction from the Bead-"
"Huxing Longwei. Do not joke about this topic."
The sudden explosion of his mother, Huxing Lianhua's, cultivation caused the man to nearly crash to his knees but he held on through sheer will.
"I-I am not joking! We really did receive a reaction from the Bead, I confirmed it myself! Furthermore, the reaction shows that it has already bound itself to its user. You know what that means!"
"….it means that he is still alive, somewhere out there."
"Correct!"
Huxing Lianhua suddenly stood up from her cross-legged position and released her full cultivation, the peak of the Void Refinement realm, and spoke with a voice that echoed throughout the holy land.
"Huxing Longwei, Master of the Hidden Heavens Holy Land, I, as one of the Ancestors of the Holy Land, hereby order you. Send out all of our scouting teams. Call back anyone who is still out on the Continent, whether they are on the frontlines of the South, exploring the icy caverns of the North, or the thunderous mountains of the West, I want all of them to join the search. I want my Grandson and I authorize you to mobilize all the resources of our Holy Land at once!"
Huxing Longwei did not say anything and bowed before swiftly shooting out of the house, letting the woman sit back down and stare with melancholy and excitement at the ring she wore.
"Soon, little Liuyue, I will find him soon. I failed to keep my promise to you back then, but now, another opportunity has arisen and I will not fail it this time, my precious daughter."
Slowly closing her eyes and remising on times long past, the woman slipped back into her meditation and closed out the world around her, keeping her senses alert just enough to catch any news that her son would send her.
In the outside world, the rest of the Holy Lands and the Barbarian Clans shook in awe and fear as, for the first time in a few thousand years, the Hidden Heavens Holy Land mobilized its forces in full.
Chapter Chapter 15 (Vol-2)
Captain Zhou closed his eyes in sorrow but steeled his heart as the cries of anguish and mercy rang out across the Yang family's estate.
He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he could only hold onto his resolve and follow his orders.
'I know I will be judged harshly by King Yama in the Underworld, but, I will do what I must for the sake of my people.'
Opening his eyes with renewed resolve, Captain Zhou glared coldly at the men, women, and children of the Yang family who were being systematically slaughtered by his men, all of whom held the same complex emotions as himself.
As the people responsible for the safety of the Capital, Captain Zhou and his men had to make harsh decisions, even if they went against their consciousness.
Just like they are doing right now.
For more than two months, Captain Zhou painstakingly worked with the rest of the Imperial Soldiers across the Capital in an effort to track down all evidence and actions of the Yang family ever since they discovered those corpses in their warehouse.
One after another, things started to come to light that made the Captain and his men furious and disgusted.
It turns out that the Yang family was nothing more than a pawn. A family that was being manipulated like a puppet by their masters just like more than a few dozen families across the empire that dealt in elixirs and alchemy.
Said masters were none other than the Alchemy Guild.
At first, Captain Zhou and his men felt disbelief as the gathered evidence from Imperial Spies across these families started to pile up and paint a grim picture.
However, when they reported their findings to their superior who in turn reported it to Lady Yao who was acting as the temporary ruler of the Empire, they received a single order.
To exterminate all these families to the last man while the Royal forces take care of the Alchemy Guild.
Captain Zhou knew the reasoning behind his orders.
Throughout the thousand-year-long history of the Empire, there have been countless cases where a family deemed to have dabbled in something forbidden had been punished harshly, either justly or unjustly.
More often than not, this punishment is the slaughter of the culprit and his accomplices.
After the punishment is carried out, it was not uncommon for the family members of the guilty to seek out revenge against the empire and the royal family in any way possible, which most of the time meant that they joined hands with the Demonic Path or some Sect and often schemed against the Royal family.
If it were not for the scarily competent nature of the Royal family and their management of the empire, they would have long since gone extinct thanks to these traitors.
However, despite their competence, it would only take a single slip-up for their lives to end. It was a fact that the Royal family knew very well. That is why, the Emperor from more than eight hundred years ago passed a decree that many viewed as tyrannical and abusive towards the people. In fact, this rule was one of the many reasons why a large group of people split from the Empire and established the Baihu Empire.
The rule is simple. Any family that is found to be a traitor to the Empire must be slaughtered to the last man. Not even the children, even animals, must be spared lest they grow up to be a thorn in the Empire.
Again, Captain Zhou understood the reasoning, especially since he knew his history well and why this law was passed in the first place.
During those times, the empire was in a very bad place.
Back then, the Empire was only two hundred years old, formed after the disastrous end of the 3rd era, also known as the Dragon Era for the abundance of all kinds of Dragons and Dragon-type Demonic Beasts that roamed the world and made life hell for most of the other creatures.
The Yin Long empire was founded by Yin Tianlong, a legendary Cultivator who is said to have been at the peak of the Dao Integration realm.
It is said that he founded the empire after the end of the 3rd era for all of Humanity so that they could band together and fight back against the various other races across the continent that used to see humans as nothing more than food and a resource to be exploited back then.
He achieved such a momentous feat thanks to his fame of slaying the last Dragon of the 3rd era, the Yin Dragon of the South, after its attack on the newly formed empire which later gave him the inspiration to name his empire the Yin Long Empire. Yin as in both his family name and the Yin attribute of the dragon, and the Long for dragon and the second character in his given name.
However, during this fight, Yin Tianlong was injured gravely which significantly reduced his lifespan. In the end, he did not even live past the hundred-year mark of his empire's founding and passed the throne to his son.
During these turbulent times, resources were scarce and the lives of humans were considered cheap thanks to the rampant corruption present in the newly established empire which the founding emperor did not have the opportunity to cleanse thanks to his injuries.
In the end, all these problems came to a head and a large group of cultivators and mortals left the empire to found their own empire, led by Baihu Jinlie, the sworn brother of Yin Tianlong and the founding emperor of the Baihu empire.
What many people did not know was that there was another reason for the empire's near destitute state in those times and the departure of Baihu Jinlie.
It was a traitor. A man whose name along with his family's records were erased from existence.
It was said that this man's family had committed some kind of a heinous deed that attracted the wrath of Yin Tianlong and Baihu Jinlie which resulted in the extermination of said family.
However, during the extermination, Yin Tianlong took pity on the children of the family and let them live, even giving them resources on a monthly basis so they could live.
Instead of being grateful, these children grew up resenting the emperor for the slaughter of their family and eventually, the eldest of the children grew up to be a Demonic Cultivator and the Heavenly Demon of those times, bringing disasters and hidden threats to the Empire from the shadows.
After his death at the hands of Baihu Jinlie, the emperor and his sworn brother realized just how much their empire was corrupted by this man and his companions.
This was why such an oppressive law was passed in haste by Yin Tianlong's son after the founding emperor died from his injuries, causing a rift between him and Baihu Jinlie.
All of this history is something that is taught to every Imperial Soldier when they enlist so that they would know the reason for the harsh punishments that they would carry out in the future at the behest of the Royal Family.
And yet, despite knowing all of this, Captain Zhou still could not help but feel guilt for the scene in front of him.
Men begged the Imperial Soldiers to let their families live. Women did the same, even promising to serve the soldiers in any way possible in exchange for sparing their children. The children simply cried, not knowing what was happening.
And yet, the Imperial Soldiers held a cold face and simply slaughtered.
Captain Zhou knew every single member of his force intimately and knew that none of them were cold-hearted. He knew that they must be dying on the inside from the act they were forced to commit at this moment, just like he was. Yet, their loyalty to the Empress and the Empire, their loyalty to the common people, and their families would not allow them to stop.
Once again, Captain Zhou closed his eyes in pain and suppressed the bile rising from within and his complex emotions.
All he could do right now was offer his sincere apologies within his heart and the promise that they would avenge their death with the extermination of the Alchemy Guild.
Screams continued to ring out across the night sky above the Yang estate, chilling the hearts of those nearby and haunting the minds of the soldiers of the capital who were forced into fulfilling their duty in such a way.
Unfortunately, this was a scene that would be repeated many times across the empire that night, forever haunting those who witnessed these massacres.
Chapter 16 (Vol-2)
Chen Yunfeng, the head of the Alchemy Guild, sullenly looked at the walls of his prison and the cuffs placed on his hands.
These walls of spiritual stone and cuffs of cast iron could have never dreamed to hold a Nascent Soul realm cultivator like him, and yet, here he was, helplessly waiting for the Empress to return from her trip and decide his punishment.
'Damn you!! Yao Xingchen!! You bitch!'
Once again, cursing out the woman who crippled his cultivation, the elderly man leaned against the wall with his fears and anger dominating his mind.
Everything was going fine. The new pills introduced by the Eldest Prince were selling very well, always going out of stock mere minutes after they were put up for sale despite their exorbitant price.
The Alchemy Guild was making a killing while selling these pills which were only of average quality, refined from the bodies of mortals. The pills that were refined from their 'disciples' and other rogue cultivators that no one would miss were being traded directly for favors across the various influential forces across the continent.
Slowly, but surely, the Alchemy Guild was becoming a powerhouse that no one could ignore, just as the eldest prince had planned.
Once the Alchemy Guild was powerful enough, the prince was planning to challenge the unworthy Empress with the Guild at his back for the throne.
It was a beautiful scenario that Chen Yunfeng was just a mere decade away from achieving.
Yet, all of it came crumbling down the moment one of their scapegoat families' warehouses was discovered.
Even now, Chen Yunfeng could not believe that the Yang family was stupid enough to leave evidence of their deeds in the open like this, neither did he believe that it was a coincidence that the Imperial spies across the empire suddenly started discovering evidence of the Alchemy Guild's actions and their connections and methods.
All of this stunk of a conspiracy, one that he could not trace to anyone that he knew.
Whatever the case might be, the truth is that the Alchemy Guild is no more, with all of its disciples slaughtered by the Royal family's forces with only Chen Yunfeng being left alive so that he could be punished by the Empress herself.
Once again Chen Yunfeng cursed Yao Xingchen in his heart.
If it were not for the horrifying way she killed the Yanfeng patriarch and ancestor, chilling the other noble families to their cores and hence keeping them from interfering with the Royal Family's forces, The Alchemy Guild could have called upon their various connections, including the Qingmu, Tuzhao, and the other families along with the other guilds for assistance.
Maybe even the various top-ranking sects, including the Heavenly Sword Sect if it was not already destroyed.
Chen Yunfeng felt pained as he remembered that huge loss for the Guild.
The Heavenly Sword Sect was the main focus of the Alchemy Guild ever since the eldest prince gave them the recipe for the new pill with the aim of raising the sect as their main attack force against their enemies. A pact that the sect master agreed to since they promised to provide him with top-quality pills.
And yet, all of that effort went down the drain when the sect was wiped out by a mysterious duo.
As Chen Yunfeng was lost in his lamenting, he suddenly heard the noise of footsteps approaching his cell in the Imperial family's dungeon.
It did not take long before the illuminating stones of the dungeon revealed a young man with long silver hair and golden eyes.
Chen Yunfeng felt joy at the sight.
"My Prince-"
His words were suddenly cut off as he choked out blood from his mouth thanks to the sword that was shoved into his chest by the man with cold golden eyes.
"You useless piece of trash. You couldn't even keep things secret properly. What was the use of using you as my backing and giving you all those benefits? Now, you are nothing but a liability."
The man, Yin Tianzhu, the eldest prince of the Yin Long empire gave a sneer to Chen Yunfeng as the older man glared at the prince with his dying breath.
"With this, there is nobody left that knows of the truth except me."
"Is that so? Dear brother?"
The sudden voice startled the eldest prince enough for him to jump in surprise and turn around, only to sigh in relief as he spotted his youngest brother, Yin Haoran.
The eldest prince gave a disdainful look at the famous debauchee prince and spoke in a condescending tone.
"Oh!? It was just you, Haoran. For a second, I thought it was someone else. How much did you hear?"
The youngest prince gave his older brother a mysterious smile which annoyed the older prince.
"No matter. It is quite a pity that Chen Yunfeng escaped his confines due to Yao Xingchen's incompetence and killed you, giving me no choice but to kill the Alchemy Guild's head and deny the Empress the chance to extract information from the traitor. Quite the interesting series of events, don't you agree?"
The eldest prince approached the youngest with killing intent as he spoke those words, expecting his useless brother to run the moment he revealed his plan to kill him to bury this secret.
And yet, against his expectations, Yin Haoran continued smiling and started to speak in a tone that chilled Yin Tianzhu's heart for some reason.
"Eldest Brother, have you ever heard the phrase, The Mantis stalks the Cicada, unaware of the Oriole behind?"
For a single moment, Yin Tianzhu felt panic swell as he immediately realized the meaning of those words, and directly attacked the youngest prince with his full might as a middle-stage Core Formation realm expert.
And yet, his sword was stopped before it pierced the youngest prince's heart by another sword, one that he immediately recognized and paled in fright.
The light in the corridor provided by the illuminating stones distorted and revealed Yao Xingchen's form as she gave a cold look to the eldest prince.
"Prince Yin Tianzhu, for the crimes of treason and murder of an important criminal, you are hereby stripped of all your status and wealth."
Before Yin Tianzhu could even react, Yao Xingchen rushed forward and directly crippled Yin Tianzhu's cultivation, turning him into a mortal.
"The Empress will decide your further punishment when she gets back. Until then, you will be kept here as the criminal you are. Guards!!"
Prison Guards immediately surrounded the eldest prince and dragged him away towards an empty cell, all the while the disgraced prince continued to shout insults at the youngest prince and the acting empress.
Yin Haoran gave a bow toward Yao Xingchen.
"Thank you, Aunt Yao, for listening to my words and accompanying me to catch this traitor."
Yao Xingchen continued giving her nephew a neutral look.
"Prince Haoran. Let me be clear. It is clear to me that the Empress and I underestimated you in the past, something that you have already proven with your actions thus far. However, don't even think about trying to fight the Empress for the throne like your brother did before."
Yao Haoran gave a wry but gentle smile towards his aunt.
"Aunt Yao, I know my limits, unlike my brother. Besides, I have no desire for the throne. I just wish for my family to be safe."
"Bold words for someone that couldn't be bothered to look past the bottom of a wine gourd or a woman's body."
Despite Yao Xingchen's harsh and crude words, Yin Haoran could do nothing but smile bitterly since those accusations were as real as his convictions.
There is no denying his past. All he could do, now that he had the advantage of future knowledge, was to keep his family from suffering the same tragedy as they did in his future.
With his determination renewed, Yin Haoran simply followed his aunt out of the dungeons and back to the palace.
'I need to find the time to leave for the Baihu Empire as quickly as I can. I need to get my artifact from that secret realm in the Baihu Empire's capital. It is just as important for me now as it was in my future.'
His face held a small and reminiscent smile as he thought about that secret realm where he met the woman who would become his source of light in the darkest of times in his doomed future.
'Qingyin, my love. Just wait for me. I'm going to do my best to save you this time around.'