Chapter 757 535 Father and Son_2

He saw nothing but a dark void, where the viscera had vanished without a trace, leaving behind nothing but a dried-up, dead maggot.

Li Xuanxuan watched, stunned, while Li Zhouwei, holding his Long Halberd, seemed to be deep in thought, and Li Xijun pinched a flame between his fingers, gently dropping it onto the skin sack and setting it ablaze with a crackling noise:

"Boom…"

The flesh and blood had long since dried up and caught on fire readily, illuminating brightly for a moment before turning into ashes in an instant.

Upon seeing this, He Yitao was extremely frightened, tears and snot flowing together, as he whispered:

"I have nothing valuable on me, and Your Excellency wouldn't covet such things, but please, in recognition of my not having offended you, spare my life. I will only follow Your Excellency's orders and never betray you."

He was terrified that Li Xijun might ask something that would cause his immediate death, but he saw the man take off his Storage Bag and inspect it closely for a moment, shaking his head upon seeing that it contained nothing but vitality rice and flesh.

Before He Yitao could react, he felt a searing pain in his chest, a hot surge rising from his belly and spewing out of his nostrils as a Long Halberd pierced right through him, the tail end held in the young man's hand.

The Demon Fetus He Yitao had been nurturing in his abdomen suddenly awoke, the small rat-sized fleshy creature struggled a few times in his belly. It had no chance to burst out or contract and hide, as another hand reached in and tore through his abdomen.

Li Zhouwei braced the Long Halberd with one hand while stirring around with the other inside He Yitao's belly, pulling out the Demon Fetus and carefully observing it for two breaths' time before gently crushing it.

He Yitao, albeit at the initial stage of Qi Cultivation as a Devil Cultivator, was completely unable to react before his head was picked off in the next second.

Li Zhouwei's hand was overflowing with golden fire, dropping onto He Yitao's body which emitted black smoke, the golden specks incinerating it completely in mere moments, and the Princely Heir stowed away his Long Halberd, while Li Xijun nodded:

"The Mingyang method is also effective in dissolving Devil Cultivators… although it's not as powerful as the Taiyang or Mysterious Thunder, it is still quite potent."

Li Xuanxuan, who was still looking blankly at the corpse of Taoist Fu Yuan, turned around when Li Xijun came back, noticing the old man's trance and asked with some concern:

"Great-Uncle…"

Li Xuanxuan stepped forward slowly, taking the Storage Bag from Taoist Fu Yuan's waist and studying it carefully for a moment before whispering:

"This seems very familiar!"

This tiny pouch differed from the prevailing styles in Yue Country, looking quite delicate. Li Xuanxuan observed it for a while, a hint of recollection coloring his tone:

"Our family… the first Storage Bag… looked just like this!"

Upon saying this, Li Xuanxuan grew more certain, examining it back and forth again, his voice wavering:

"Back then, my uncle Xiangping went to rescue the Wan Family, only to find the Ji Family had borrowed the influence of Tang Jin Sect, and easily obliterated the Wan Family… My uncle encountered an old Taoist who sought his life."

"That old Taoist had waited in the lake for thirty years… searching for an opportunity, yet he was killed by my uncle, who took this Storage Bag back… It seems… that he must have been the Taoist's senior brother."

Li Xuanxuan paused for a moment, murmuring:

"If there's a chance, I should visit the Floating Cloud Cave on Little Zhou Mountain."

Li Xijun certainly understood what he was referring to, silently acknowledging, and said softly:

"The affairs of Xu Country are ultimately chaotic and complex. With the Fei Clan defending the forefront, we may deliberate carefully. After all, it's a rare Foundation Establishment Great Formation. Used well, our family could spare many losses."

Li Xuanxuan put away the Storage Bag, his expression slightly displeased, and said:

"We've come to this point, and they're still reluctant to send for help."

Li Xijun chuckled, and Li Zhouwei stood tall and stated softly:

"The Green Pond Sect is thousands of miles away, as far off as the sky, the journey taking more than a month. Our family, on the other hand, is but separated by a lake, close at hand, the commute a mere half a cup of tea's time. Distant waters cannot put out nearby fires; they will eventually see it clearly."

The two elders nodded, and after they arranged the defenses, Li Zhouwei took his leave swiftly, riding the wind out of the Qingdu and drifting toward the Central Hall's side courtyards.

Chen Yan followed behind, speaking respectfully:

"Your Highness, my father has been waiting in the hall for a long time."

At these words, Li Zhouwei nodded, then dismounted, and indeed, he saw the middle-aged Chen Mufeng waiting respectfully in the hall, holding the hand of a young woman.

Chen Mufeng had reached Qi Cultivating Late Stage and though he made a mistake in the matter with Xu Xiao and faced a heavy punishment, his Chen Family's stature and the favor gained from Chen Donghe meant he still held some status.

With a smile all over his face, he approached Chen Mufeng, who had married a sister of Li Chengliao and was therefore Li Zhouwei's uncle by marriage. He said:

"Your Highness, this is my youngest daughter, Chen Shao… born of me and my concubine… As she's coming of age, I've brought her to present to Your Highness…"

Li Zhouwei obviously understood what he was implying and, looking at the demure young girl, deliberately avoided eye contact as he shook off his robe and entered the house, leaving behind an echoing word in the courtyard:

"Ask my father!"

Chen Mufeng was blocked thoroughly. After exchanging a glance with Chen Yan, he could only withdraw in a low voice.

Once the father and son left the yard, Chen Shao seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, her footsteps much lighter, while Chen Mufeng sighed softly, and only Chen Yan walked slowly back with a grim face.

Upon arriving at the Chen Estate, Chen Shao bowed and retreated as if fleeing, whereas Chen Mufeng, who was doing rather well, only led Chen Yan forward.

The pair walked to the backyard without saying a word, and Mrs. Li was reading a book. Looking over, she asked:

"It seems it was unsuccessful?"

Chen Yan replied coldly,

"Indeed!"

With a slight bow, he flicked his sleeves and went down.

Chen Mufeng stood awkwardly in the courtyard while Mrs. Li only sighed:

"If it's unsuccessful, then so be it! The intent was just to see if they might take a fancy to each other... It's not like I blame you."

Mrs. Li ran a generous household, something Chen Mufeng had always known. He nodded at her words, and the spouses exchanged a look, only to see worry in each other's eyes.

Chen Mufeng's expression was more than just awkward; it was even tinged with anger. After pondering for a while and taking several sips of tea, he finally couldn't contain himself and said in a suppressed voice:

"He... he's utterly suspicious and malicious at heart!"

Mrs. Li sighed, the middle-aged woman gradually feeling helpless, and whispered:

"I don't know whom he takes after… The more I teach him, the more he learns to scheme and use others."

Anger got the better of Chen Mufeng as he clenched his teeth and said:

"How could... I raise him to be like this! He was never so cold-blooded and ungrateful when he was younger!"

Although he favored this eldest son, he was, after all, a father, and he felt affection for all his children. He said coldly:

"He acted as if were my sister not to marry the Princely Heir, he would be ready to draw his sword and threaten!"

Mrs. Li bowed her head, for a moment unsure of how to console her husband.

"Creak…"

Then came the distinct sound of a creak, as the courtyard door was pushed open by a hand, revealing a slender and capable arm. Chen Yan, the eldest son, entered with a smile on his face.

He had a sinister look, that despite smiling, gave off a chilling sense of cunning. The eldest son softly said:

"Father, tomorrow you and I shall visit the Family Head."

The couple simultaneously felt a chill run down their backs and found themselves speechless. Although the courtyard door should have blocked all eavesdropping, and Chen Yan who had just left certainly couldn't have overheard the conversation, Chen Mufeng felt an unsettling coldness under his son's gaze.

He ended up nodding his head as if compelled by some spirit. The eldest son laughed and, with hands on the doorframe, he stepped back and left, closes the doors tightly with a couple of creaks.

Chen Mufeng felt a trickle of sweat on his forehead and aggressively drank several mouthfuls of tea before looking back at his wife.

Mrs. Li was stunned, sitting there silently. After a while, she finally spoke softly:

"At first, I thought that sending him to the main family… would temper his temperament to be modest and restrained, to understand there are always stronger individuals out there..."

The woman lowered her eyes slightly, murmuring:

"But now I feel… that sending him to be by the Princely Heir's side, to command troops in killing, to suppress Shanyue... it only sharpened his claws and fangs... Initially, he just had a ruthless appearance, but now, it's sunk into his bones."

Chen Mufeng sat there dazed for quite some time, feeling a coldness in his heart, before he said coldly:

"He only respects those from Qingdu... He sees only them as his equals... obeys only the Princely Heir... As for you and me... we are merely tools in his hands that he can rely upon!"

Mrs Li was startled and shocked by these words. She suddenly lifted her head and looked at her husband, who had played the fool for most of their life together, and a peculiar premonition arose:

"It turns out… if the son is cunning, the father is not simple either."

When she asked Chen Mufeng, he remained silent.