Chapter 405: Fleeing (Part 2)

Among his spoils, the item that interested him most was a set of Array Jade Talismans for the “Heaven-Sealing Earth-Locking Spirit-Banning Array.”

If Liangzhou State City’s Super Grade Secret Treasure, the Celestial Extinction Record, acted as a suppression of things like Qi Fortune and military formations, then this Heaven-Sealing Earth-Locking Spirit-Banning Array was something else entirely. It completely cut off all Spiritual Qi, turning a region into a spiritless dead zone.

Within the array’s confines, one could neither absorb Spiritual Qi nor draw upon external power, forced to rely solely on their own internal reserves.

‘A Spirit Master’s Magic relies on drawing upon the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to amplify its power, which this array completely nullifies! In contrast, Martial Artists are weakened far less, which is a relative enhancement.’

Liao Yuanhua had originally intended to deploy this array over his family’s estate, maximizing the strength of their “Seed Path” Martial Saints.

‘Even with the Array Jade Talismans, deploying this array would still take some time. Not that… hmm, not that I’d be afraid of it anyway. The Heaven-Sealing Earth-Locking Spirit-Banning Array can’t nullify a military formation, and my own Martial Arts are quite formidable.’

‘All in all, it’s a valuable item, but for me, its worth is more in research than in practice. It’s of limited use in actual combat. I don’t need it against opponents I can already defeat, and it’s unlikely to be effective against those I can’t.’

‘I’ll hold onto it for now. Perhaps an opportunity to use it will arise later.’

Fang Rui sorted through his gains, cleansing every item with a sweep of his Spiritual Power before erasing all traces of the battle from the area.

‘Speaking of which, the death of the Liao Family’s ancestor must be the first time an ancestor from a Half-Immortal Family has been killed since the founding of the Great Yu, right? And to die here, in some forgotten wasteland.’

‘Yes, the Liao Family’s ancestor is the first I’ve killed from a Half-Immortal Family, but he certainly won’t be the last.’

‘Oh, right. Now that the Liao Family’s ancestor is dead, should I… go and annihilate the Liao Family directly?’

After a moment of thought, Fang Rui dismissed the idea.

‘The death of the Liao Family’s ancestor is already enough to terrify the other Half-Immortal Families. No need to give their fragile little hearts too much of a shock… The time isn’t right yet!’

Besides, there wasn’t anything left in the Liao Family’s possession that particularly tempted him.

The truly high-end Treasure Materials had been on Liao Yuanhua’s person. As for the Cultivation Techniques in their Scripture Pavilion, while they could serve as fodder for his Inference of the “Fang Immortal Path,” that project required a veritable sea of data. It wasn’t something that could be rushed; it had to be done slowly…

SCREEE!

Just then, the Eight Thousand Tribulation Demon Black Eagles finally arrived.

Fang Rui waved them away, taking a portion of the Divine Medicine with him to use as a follow-up investment in allies like Marquis Li and Marquis Pan.

‘The origins of these Divine Medicines are questionable, but what’s done is done. If I were to destroy them, it would just be returning their essence to the world—a complete waste.’

‘It’s better to distribute them to further my plans, save some lives, and earn me some Tribulation Points in the process.’

With all that taken care of.

“Let’s go!”

Fang Rui summoned the Purple Feathered Crane and soared away, breaking through the air.

…

The moon was bright and clear, its light like smoke and silk as the night wind gently blew.

SCREEE!

Clad in his pristine green robes, Fang Rui stood on the crane’s back with his hands clasped behind him, the hem of his garment fluttering gently.

The wind washed away the faint scent of blood from his body. The moon seemed to hang like a halo behind his head, its boundless light shrouding him and lending him the cold, lonely air of one who stands at the pinnacle, untouchable.

As he returned to the city, the lights of countless homes flickered below. The clatter of pots and pans and the sound of children’s voices drifted up from the lit windows.

In an instant, it was as if he had descended from the lonely heights of the Celestial Palace and returned to the Mortal World.

In the courtyard, at the doorway of the main house.

Xin Xue’Er was sitting on the doorstep, her chin cupped in her hands. Her big eyes were fixed on the main gate, unblinking. Her small body was curled up, making her seem even more tiny.

Suddenly.

She seemed to spot something. A light shone in her eyes as she jumped to her feet and called out in a clear, bright voice, “Uncle, you’re back?”

“I’m back.”

Fang Rui ruffled Xiaoya’s hair and took her small, cold hand. “Are you cold?”

“Yes.”

“Then why are you sitting here?”

“Waiting for you.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet. I wanted to wait and eat with you.”

“Why insist on waiting for me?”

“I just wanted to wait for you!”

…

The two of them, one big and one small, walked inside hand in hand.

Beneath the eaves, strings of wind chimes tinkled against each other. A breeze drifted through the hall, making the candlelight flicker like a pomegranate blossom.

…

「Under the same sky. In Liangzhou State City, at the Liao Family estate.」

CRACK! CRACKLE!

Suddenly, the sound of something shattering startled the drowsy Tomb Guardian who was watching over the ancestral hall.

‘Whose Life Plate broke?’

The Tomb Guardian rubbed his eyes, swaying as he got to his feet. He scanned the rows of Life Plates, his eyes passing over those belonging to family members he knew were nearing the end of their natural lifespans.

‘Huh, they’re all fine?’

He was wide awake in an instant.

‘Then it’s the younger generation?!’

‘Tsk, tsk. It’s been years since a young member of our Liao Family died an untimely death out in the world. Someone has finally dared to poke the hornet’s nest again.’

‘Let’s see… the last person who was so audacious, didn’t we have his entire family, his mother’s family, and his wife’s family all exterminated? And wasn’t his own Divine Soul burned as a celestial lantern for fifty years?’

The Tomb Guardian muttered to himself, already envisioning the storm of blood and slaughter that would engulf the city tomorrow.

He scanned the Life Plates of the younger generation, but still found nothing.

‘Strange. Then… is it someone from the Patriarch’s generation?!’

‘Liao Xuanze… Liao Xuanying… no…’

The Tomb Guardian grew more and more anxious as he searched. After looking through them all, he still came up empty.

‘Did I just mishear things? Is nothing wrong? No, that can’t be right. The sound of a Life Plate shattering… after all these years, how could I possibly mistake it?’

‘Among the living members of my Liao Family, the only ones left are…’

He mumbled, and then a dreadful thought occurred to him. Daring to cast his gaze to the highest shelf, he saw…

Liao Yuanhua’s Life Plate had toppled over, shattered into countless fragments.

“Th-th-this… How is this possible?! Ancestor Yuanhua clearly had decades of life left! How could he just…”

The Tomb Guardian’s eyes bulged, his mouth falling open wide enough to swallow a fist. He couldn’t catch his breath, and his entire body went limp as he collapsed to the floor.

After a long while.

He finally shook his head clear, slapping his thighs and wailing, “Disaster! A catastrophe! The Ancestor… he’s… he’s dead!”

…

「Outside Liangzhou State City, in the State Military Camp.」

Today, to celebrate the successful cultivation of the Divine Medicine, the entire army was being rewarded. A feast of chicken, duck, fish, and meat was provided in abundance, and wine flowed freely…

A banquet like this would have been considered lavish even in a normal year, let alone during a time of great calamity like the present.

A joyous atmosphere filled the camp, with red silk banners conjured by Magic hanging everywhere.

Just then, a man rushed over in a panic. “Father…”

“My son, what are you doing here? Come, come! Our family has succeeded in cultivating the Divine Medicine! You’re just in time to celebrate. Whatever it is, no matter how urgent, it can wait until morning,” the Liao Family Patriarch said with a dismissive wave.

“No, Father, it’s about the Ancestor…”

“The Ancestor? I already know. He went to track down the leader of the Demon Alliance. What is it, did he catch him? Is that worth making such a fuss over?!”

The Liao Family Patriarch shook his head and grumbled, “It’s just that the Ancestor told me to throw this banquet, so why did he go back to the city? Ah, that old Ancestor. He’s getting on in years, and so willful…”

“No! That’s not it! Father, the Ancestor is… gone,” the man blurted out, on the verge of tears.

“Gone? Good that he’s gone… Huh?”

The Liao Family Patriarch suddenly reacted, his eyes widening. “What did you say?!”

“The Ancestor… is dead.”

“I… I…”

The Liao Family Patriarch felt the world spin around him. Just before he fainted, he could faintly hear the voices of those nearby.

“Quick, quick! Take down the red, replace it with white.”

“Start wailing, all of you!”

“Where are the suona players?!”

…

「The next day.」

Sure enough, the common folk of Liangzhou State City were all talking about it.

“Have you heard? Yesterday, the Liao Family held a banquet with over a thousand tables at the military camp to celebrate their ancestor’s ascension to immortality.”

“Celebrate?”

“What else would you call it? The whole camp was decked out in bright red silk banners. Oh, but I hear they changed them to white later.”

“Tsk, tsk. This new Liao Family Patriarch really can’t hold himself back. A bit too eager, isn’t he!”

“I know, right?”

…

While the common folk of Liangzhou State City were enjoying the gossip and watching the Liao Family’s drama unfold, the other Half-Immortal Families in Liangzhou were utterly horrified by the news. Like startled rabbits, they grabbed the “blood food” they had collected and fled in the middle of the night.