Chapter 233: Tian Youdao

Tian Zhongqing had not had a drop of water for three whole days. He sat silently before his desk, thoughts crawling like ants in his mind. His lips were pale, and he was sweating profusely.

Now in his early thirties, he had never made such a grave mistake. The more he thought about it, the more terrified and fearful he became. He muttered, "Should I humble myself and apologize? But for such a baseless matter, wouldn't that just expose my guilt and make others laugh? Yet, if I simply keep quiet, who knows what the master of the house will think? It might plant the seeds of disaster..."

Tian Zhongqing was filled with anxiety. Fortunately, unlike Xu Gongming, he wasn't the sole pillar of his family; he still had elders above him. He quickly took out his brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, spread out a piece of fine cloth, and began to write:

"Your nephew is in trouble. Uncle, please save me quickly. I am in the courtyard behind Huaqian Town. Let no one know."

After signing "Zhongqing," Tian Zhongqing gritted his teeth. He used his spiritual power to evaporate the moisture, carefully rolled up the cloth, and called out, "Someone!"

The servant quickly appeared. Tian Zhongqing thought for a moment, then solemnly instructed: "Prepare the finest wine and dishes, and go now! If they aren't ready in half an hour, you'll face severe consequences!"

Seeing the servant hurry away, he then called for his wife and instructed her: "Watch over all the servants for me; don't let a single one leave, and don't let them disturb me."

His wife, not understanding, went downstairs. Watching her disappear beyond the vermilion gate of the backyard, Tian Zhongqing then jumped from the windowsill and sprinted furiously towards Huaqian Mountain.

A cultivator at Embryonic Breathing stage four possesses astonishing speed. He rushed through the dense forest beside the large town in the pitch-black night, reaching Huaqian Mountain in moments. Tian Zhongqing dared not rest. He checked the time and waited at the foot of the mountain, panting, for the duration of one stick of incense. Sure enough, a young man slowly ambled over. Tian Zhongqing glanced around and whispered, "Cousin!"

The young man abruptly looked up and exclaimed, "Brother Zhongqing!"

Tian Zhongqing repeatedly made gestures to lower his voice and quietly asked, "Has Uncle entered seclusion?"

"No, he hasn't."

The young man immediately understood. He vigilantly looked around and replied in a low voice, "He is currently adjusting his breath, preparing to break through to the Qi Refining stage. It should happen in the next few days when the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges."

"He truly hasn't entered seclusion! Oh, heaven helps me!"

Tian Zhongqing was immediately overjoyed and bowed, saying, "When you go up the mountain this time, my good brother, please make sure to deliver a message for me."

He slipped the rolled-up fine cloth into the young man's hand. Fearing he might be careless, Tian Zhongqing said in a deep voice, "This concerns the lives of my entire clan; you must be extremely careful!"

The young man's expression immediately changed drastically. He repeatedly gritted his teeth and nodded, saying, "Brother Zhongqing, please rest assured!"

Seeing him ascend the mountain as usual, Tian Zhongqing dared not rest. He jumped on the spot, rushed through the dense forest like the wind, and was back in his courtyard in a short while. He jumped in through the window, smoothed out his rumpled clothes, brushed off the dew, and pretended to read a book.

After waiting for half an hour, Tian Zhongqing heard a click at the window and immediately understood. He left the backyard, carefully locked the door, and only instructed his wife to stand guard at the entrance. Then he turned and went back into the house.

Passing through the immaculately clean small courtyard paved with bluestone, Tian Zhongqing stepped over the neat stone steps and pushed open the door to enter the room. At the head of the room sat a stern-faced, gray-haired middle-aged man. His features were well-defined, and his face had many wrinkles, but his expression was severe, his eyes fierce and wide, as he sat in silence.

This man was Tian Zhongqing's paternal uncle, Tian Youdao, the most senior member of the Tian family and the only cultivator about to break through to Qi Refining.

"Uncle, Zhongqing... I am ashamed!"

Tian Zhongqing gave a bitter smile, then knelt down with a thud, filled with regret and sorrow. Tian Youdao, who had a stern temperament, picked up the tea bowl from the table in front of him, took a sip, and replied, "I have already used my spiritual sense to scan; there are no eavesdroppers around. You may speak."

Tian Zhongqing recounted his conversation with Xu Gongming one by one. The more Tian Youdao listened, the tighter his brows furrowed. By the end, he was so stunned that he spat out a mouthful of tea with a "poof." Tian Zhongqing dared not dodge and was sprayed all over his head and face.

Tian Youdao's face turned ashen. He abruptly overturned the table in front of him, which immediately shattered into pieces with a clatter. His hair stood on end, and he roared, "You damn fool!"

Tian Zhongqing trembled, not daring to move. Tian Youdao was still not appeased. He grabbed Tian Zhongqing and slapped him hard across the face, then slapped him again with the back of his hand, making him see stars. He then turned around, trembling, and kicked the large table, shattering it and sending white ceramic shards flying across the floor, gnashing his teeth audibly.

"Uncle..."

Tian Zhongqing slumped to the ground and cried out miserably. Tian Youdao let out a long breath, helped him up, swept away the scattered shards with a flick of his sleeve, and said through gritted teeth, "It would have been bad enough to just gossip, but you actually went and told the Xu family! And it would have been fine if you only told Xu Gongming, but you even let an intermediary hear it! You damn fool!"

"Now that things have come to this, what can be done...?" Tian Zhongqing asked in a meek voice. Tian Youdao said harshly, "Fortunately, Xuanxuan is in charge of the household now. If it were Xiang Pinggong instead, even if you had nine lives, it wouldn't be enough to survive!"

Seeing Tian Zhongqing's submissive look, Tian Youdao's anger slightly subsided, and he said in a low voice, "You must understand, the temperament of the masters of this house can be traced back to Uncle Mutian. Those of Yuanqing's generation, who haven't been taught much, are still somewhat better. But going further up, everyone except Li Changhu has the same character; whether gentle, strict, or aggressive, they are fundamentally ruthless people. Which of the prominent families doesn't know how good the master's cultivation techniques are? How dare you speak of such things?"

Tian Youdao paused slightly, his expression serious, and said in a deep voice, "The masters of the house appear benevolent and don't concern themselves with trifles. They are tolerant of both people and situations. Otherwise, how many external cultivators would there be in the lake families? How would the various towns prosper so greatly today, with songs even composed about the masters' ancestors? But if you truly touch upon those few points that everyone considers taboo, the next moment will be slaughter and annihilation, with entire families wiped out, so ruthless that you wouldn't believe it's the same person."

Tian Youdao was Tian Yun's younger brother and the maternal uncle of Li Xuanfeng and Li Jingxuan. Not only was his seniority terrifyingly high, but his talent was also good. However, he started cultivating too late, which is why he only reached the peak of Embryonic Breathing in his fifties. At that moment, he was expressionless, yet he calmly recounted many secret facts: "You might think that the Liu clan, as the Old Ancestor's wife's family and a major maternal lineage, not only possesses a large spiritual field in Jingyang Town but also has a shrewd clan leader. So why is it that Liu Rouxuan, clearly still alive, is faring worse than my Tian family?"

Tian Zhongqing was engrossed in listening and couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"You all hadn't been born yet, and Xuanxuan was probably only four or five years old. When the Lijing Mountain Sect was first established, a descendant of the Liu clan once spied on the master's mountain gate. At that time, Xiang Pinggong was in charge of the household. It was the Liu clan leader himself who tied up that person and beheaded him in front of the mountain. Only then was the clan saved... Xuanxuan also knows about this incident and feels repulsed by it. That's why, for so many years, the Liu clan has remained in a mediocre state..."

Tian Youdao's words viewed that old incident from the perspective of today, revealing a look of profound emotion. The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart, and this made Tian Zhongqing's hair stand on end. His legs trembled, and he was filled with panic. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Uncle... Uncle, do you mean?!"