Chapter 153: Massacre

Situ You stood on a large, steadily flying shuttle, his heart a mix of bitterness and joy. Below, in Lixia County, people milled about, all looking up at them, yet their gazes only unsettled him.

Just as before, the Bangle Gold Sect was invading Qingchi to slaughter mortals and forge artifacts. However, Situ You was not as rampant and triumphant as his clan brother who had invaded the Qingchi Sect decades ago. Situ You knew this wasn't a mere transaction, but a demand from the Qingchi Sect. This mission was extremely perilous, which was why the sect had dispatched him, the least-regarded illegitimate son in the Fetal Breath realm.

Though grandly called a sect, the Bangle Gold Sect was, in reality, merely an extension of the Situ family. The higher a cultivator's cultivation level, the greater the likelihood of their descendants being born with spiritual apertures, and ultimately, sects inevitably fell under the control of a single family. This was evident with the Chi family in the Qingchi Sect and the Zhang family in the Golden Feather Sect; external cultivators who joined these sects were eventually nothing more than tools.

The Bangle Gold Sect's peak Violet Palace realm cultivator had died of old age, leaving the sect without its pillar. Consequently, Situ You's own faction, which had married into the Qingchi Sect and was aligned with them, naturally ascended to power. His clan brother, Situ Yi, who had massacred the Wan family, met a tragic end, chilling Situ You to the bone. He knew that involvement in such invasions was extremely perilous, and anyone who did so would likely suffer a grim fate. His heart was currently filled with complex emotions.

Now, the Bangle Gold Sect had become a vassal of the Qingchi Sect. The Situ family received orders to head south and attack the five counties of Qingchi. Although Situ You didn't understand why the Qingchi Sect had suddenly gone mad and started slaughtering families under its rule, he obediently accepted the command and led his people south.

"This is utterly ridiculous!" Situ You thought. "I'm merely at the Fetal Breath realm, yet they expect me to lead a few Qi Cultivators to plunder Lixia County, which is guarded by a Foundation Establishment family..."

Situ You's mind was a chaotic jumble of thoughts. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him, and he murmured:

"I understand! I understand! It seems a Violet Palace realm cultivator in the Qingchi Sect is truly on the verge of falling... The Qingchi Sect is afraid..."

"Brother You!"

A nearby Qi Cultivator called out, and only then did Situ You snap back to reality. He hastily conjured the blood-red long blade, a Foundation Establishment-grade artifact that already carried the lives of over a hundred thousand people. Once this ritual was complete, it might even be able to contend with some of the Qingchi Sect's top-ranked artifacts.

Situ You chanted the spell. Instantly, a vast amount of red blade light surged forth, thousands of crimson rays dancing nimbly in the air. As if possessing their own consciousness, they descended like birds into Lixia County below, each seeking out mortals to slaughter.

"Clan Uncle!!"

Xiao Ruyu's expression was tense as he bowed to Xiao Yongling, who was beside him, and spoke rapidly:

"Please act quickly!" he urged. "There are hundreds of thousands of mortals in Lixia County, and thousands of our Xiao family's mortal descendants... The invaders are only a dozen or so Qi Cultivators; how can we let them slaughter everyone unhindered?"

"Wait a little longer," Xiao Yongling shook his head, coldly watching the dozen or so Qi Cultivator figures above the county seat, and said in a low voice:

"It's not that simple. The Qingchi Sect's people are probably watching from outside. They want to force our Xiao family's Foundation Establishment cultivators to act, so they can ambush and kill them... Chi Wei doesn't have many years left to live. We absolutely cannot jeopardize the Ancestor's grand plan!"

Xiao Ruyu's expression froze. He felt a pang of unwillingness and whispered:

"But those are hundreds of thousands of mortals... who have supported our Xiao family for generations. How can we, how can we just abandon them like this, leaving them for the Bangle Gold Sect to use for forging artifacts!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Xiao Yongling appeared somewhat agitated. He roared at his junior and said through clenched teeth:

"But our Xiao family has endured for over three hundred years! We finally waited for a heaven-sent genius like Ancestor Chuting, who broke the alliance of the three families and gained control of Lixia County. Now, we are only a decade or so away from breaking free from the Qingchi Sect and establishing ourselves as a Violet Palace Immortal family. How can we act rashly now!"

"Are you not afraid that Chi Wei is waiting at the mountain gate, waiting for us to act rashly, to capture us and force the Ancestor to intervene, and then ambush and kill the Violet Palace realm cultivator that our Xiao family finally managed to produce? In the end, we'd lose the mortals, and our entire Xiao family would be annihilated!"

Xiao Ruyu remained silent. Xiao Yongling glanced at him quietly and said sternly:

"Once Chi Wei dies, the Qingchi Sect will no longer have the power to ambush and kill the Ancestor. All of this will be worth it... We will break away and establish ourselves. Then, in a few decades, we will take control of the Moonlight Lake's Misty Forest County. Our Xiao family will then be backed by Moonlight Lake and Mount Dali, with nothing more to worry about..."

Xiao Ruyu ultimately did not speak. He and Xiao Yongling watched the scene of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, a living hell, unfold below the mountain. The cries and screams were kept out by a formation. Xiao Ruyu gritted his teeth, making a clacking sound, and after a long moment, he said mournfully:

"I used to despise the Bangle Gold Sect and the Qingchi Sect for their despicable acts," he said, "but now, looking at our Xiao family... we're hardly any cleaner!"

Xiao Yongling was slightly startled by his words. He looked at him with a complex expression and said softly:

"If you want to find something pure, you'll only find it in stories, and perhaps just one or two. Don't be fooled by the shining sun," he continued. "There is nothing truly pure in this world!"

Li Xuanfeng stepped out of his cave dwelling, the Geng Metal longbow in his hand gleaming under the sun. Seeing Li Xuanxuan approaching, Li Xuanfeng chuckled, teasing:

"I've been in seclusion for five years, and Eldest Brother's cultivation hasn't fallen behind! It looks like you're almost at the peak of the Fetal Breath realm!"

"Haha, I can't compare to you!" Li Xuanxuan had also made rapid progress in the past five years. Not only had he completed the last of the six Fetal Breath cycles, but he had also cultivated to the peak of the Fetal Breath realm. His speed was truly remarkable.

"How is your archery?" Li Xuanxuan asked. Li Xuanfeng smilingly handed him a jade slip and declared proudly:

"This archery technique is called the 'Gangstring Golden Bow'. It is profound and subtle. If you master it completely, you'll gain at least seventy percent of my true transmission."

"Good, good," Li Xuanxuan treasured the jade slip as he accepted it, carefully placing it in his robe, intending to put it away in his stone dwelling. He said with a smile:

"Please have a seat quickly. I'll go invite our uncle now."

Li Xuanfeng nodded slightly. The mustache on his lip made him look much more mature. He sat on a stool, drinking tea heartily, yet his heart was fluctuating, filled with a sense of unease.

"Strange," Li Xuanfeng set down his teacup. Jiang Yunü's figure suddenly appeared in his mind, and he murmured to himself:

"In any case, I'll bring this young woman back with me this time... It's not easy for Qi Cultivators to have children. If I wait for her to get pregnant, who knows how long it will take. Leaving her outside indefinitely isn't right either. As for what my uncles and brothers might say, I'll just have to explain later."

"Feng'er!"

Li Tongya landed in front of the courtyard, stepping on the wind. He quickly entered the courtyard, his demeanor relaxed. Li Xuanfeng's eyes lit up. He quickly stood up and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Congratulations, Second Uncle, on breaking through to the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation!"

Li Tongya's aura had already surpassed the seventh layer of Qi Cultivation, and his true essence was full; clearly, he had broken through a year or two ago. He nodded at Li Xuanfeng, sat down, took the teacup, and smiled:

"Has your archery improved?"

"Of course it has!" Li Xuanfeng looked very proud. He raised his longbow slightly and said with a smile:

"A few years ago, I only grasped the sharpness of the bow. Now, I have grasped the 'intent' of the bow. I don't need to nock an arrow; just draw the bowstring. If I aim at a rabbit, it dies of fright; if I aim at a person, their courage shatters. Mortals and those in the Fetal Breath realm are no exception. Even Qi Cultivators, if struck by my invisible and colorless arrow intent, will likely feel deeply unsettled and be lost in a daze for a long time. Those with weak wills will vomit blood and feel a burning sensation in their hearts, unable to even command the wind."

"That amazing?" Li Tongya found this archery technique quite peculiar. He had not studied archery and couldn't tell if Li Xuanfeng's state was good or bad; he would have to test it in actual combat later.

Seeing Li Xuanfeng looking around, Li Tongya chuckled softly and asked:

"What's wrong?"

Li Xuanfeng shook his head, gathered his thoughts, and said in a low voice:

"This... this... please forgive me, Second Uncle... Your nephew has found a companion in the county, but her background is quite humble... I've always been hesitant to bring her home. It's been over ten years now. Today, I was thinking of bringing her back, also to help continue the family lineage..."

"Ah," Li Tongya took a sip of tea and replied:

"It's natural for a young man to admire a woman; there's nothing wrong with that. Find a good opportunity and bring her home."

Li Xuanfeng was instantly overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. He had originally planned to demonstrate his archery technique to Li Tongya and the others, but now, overcome with excitement, he bid farewell to Li Tongya and rode the wind to the county to pick up Jiang Yunü.