Offering Salted Fish to Master - C12
1- Where Am I?
2- An Excess of Beauties
3- The One Hundred
4- Clueless
5- Meeting The Ancestor
6- Sleep Schedule and Relax
7- Stairs, stairs and more Stairs
8- The red Lotus Fire
9- New Moon
10- Slim Waist
11- Cramped Hammock
12- Gengchen Immortal Mansion
13- The Youduan flowers of the Sun and Moon
14- Two Lumps of Flesh
15- White Deer Cliff
Chapter 12
Gengchen Immortal Mansion
The disturbance from the Three Sacred Mountains captured the attention of all prominent figures within Gengchen Immortal Mansion. Even those who were in seclusion for years, focusing solely on breaking through barriers to ascend, emerged to investigate the situation.
Gengchen Immortal Mansion was home to hundreds of noble families. The leading families had always wielded considerable influence, controlling multiple palaces and powerful branches. Below them were affiliated families. For example, Sect Leader Shi Qianlü's Shi lineage had over ten thousand disciples bearing the surname Shi in its main family. When including all branches and other disciples, the total number reached into the hundreds of thousands. The strength of a single family could rival that of a medium-sized sect outside. Given the complex network of forces within Gengchen Immortal Mansion, it was easy to imagine the many differing opinions and voices.
The fate of the last bloodline of the Fengshan clan was a longstanding issue, with no unified solution in sight. The recent events at the Three Sacred Mountains stirred up a complex array of thoughts among these powerful figures.
In a single night, more than a hundred disciple soul lamps were almost all extinguished, leaving only one still glowing. The dozen or so exceptional talents and formidable figures sent to monitor and gather information had been completely wiped out.
Sect Leader Shi Qianlü gathered a man's soul and asked calmly, “Geyan, what exactly happened at the Three Sacred Mountains?”
Shi Geyan, the young man who had previously clarified his position during the events at the Three Sacred Mountains, now appeared as a spirit, revealing a bitter smile. “Grand-Uncle, that Lord Cizang is indeed as you described—cruel and bloodthirsty. Those of us sent to gather information were all killed by him, regardless of whether we posed a threat. Fortunately, he didn’t eliminate everyone, and my soul remains intact.”
Shi Qianlü showed no surprise; instead, he pondered for a moment and said, “One disciple’s life lamp has not been extinguished. Do you know why?”
Shi Geyan replied, “I was surprised by this, too. There was a female disciple who seemed to have gained Lord Cizang’s favour and was protected at his side.”
A hint of astonishment crossed Shi Qianlü's face. “Really?”
“Indeed,” Shi Geyan confirmed. “Not just me, but others saw it as well.”
“So, it’s true.” Shi Qianlü thought for a moment, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. “Perhaps this is an opportunity for us.”
Gengchen Immortal Mansion was home to hundreds of noble families. The leading families had always wielded considerable influence, controlling multiple palaces and powerful branches. Below them were affiliated families. For example, Sect Leader Shi Qianlü's Shi lineage had over ten thousand disciples bearing the surname Shi in its main family. When including all branches and other disciples, the total number reached into the hundreds of thousands. The strength of a single family could rival that of a medium-sized sect outside. Given the complex network of forces within Gengchen Immortal Mansion, it was easy to imagine the many differing opinions and voices.
The fate of the last bloodline of the Fengshan clan was a longstanding issue, with no unified solution in sight. The recent events at the Three Sacred Mountains stirred up a complex array of thoughts among these powerful figures.
In a single night, more than a hundred disciple soul lamps were almost all extinguished, leaving only one still glowing. The dozen or so exceptional talents and formidable figures sent to monitor and gather information had been completely wiped out.
Sect Leader Shi Qianlü gathered a man's soul and asked calmly, “Geyan, what exactly happened at the Three Sacred Mountains?”
Shi Geyan, the young man who had previously clarified his position during the events at the Three Sacred Mountains, now appeared as a spirit, revealing a bitter smile. “Grand-Uncle, that Lord Cizang is indeed as you described—cruel and bloodthirsty. Those of us sent to gather information were all killed by him, regardless of whether we posed a threat. Fortunately, he didn’t eliminate everyone, and my soul remains intact.”
Shi Qianlü showed no surprise; instead, he pondered for a moment and said, “One disciple’s life lamp has not been extinguished. Do you know why?”
Shi Geyan replied, “I was surprised by this, too. There was a female disciple who seemed to have gained Lord Cizang’s favour and was protected at his side.”
A hint of astonishment crossed Shi Qianlü's face. “Really?”
“Indeed,” Shi Geyan confirmed. “Not just me, but others saw it as well.”
“So, it’s true.” Shi Qianlü thought for a moment, and a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. “Perhaps this is an opportunity for us.”
๑‿︵‿୨🌸୧‿︵‿๑
In Gengchen Immortal Mansion, aside from the sect leader’s lineage, which was almost always led by the Fengshan clan across generations, there were also eight major palaces: Heaven, Earth, Yin, Yang, Sun, Moon, Star, and Four Seasons. Each palace had several main branches, along with dozens to hundreds of sub-branches and countless minor branches. Liao Tingyan was a disciple of Qinggu Tian, a minor branch under the Red Maple main branch of the Four Seasons Palace.
The Xiao family controlled this Red Maple branch for nearly a thousand years. The elder who provoked Sima Jiao at the Three Sacred Mountains and was killed was a senior elder of the Red Maple branch, and also the son of the previous head of the Xiao family.
“Great-grandfather, you’ve finally come out of seclusion. You must seek justice for Grandfather!” Xiao Huaying, with a face full of sorrow, knelt beside a middle-aged man resting with his eyes closed.
The middle-aged man was Xiao Changlou, the former head of the Xiao family. Looking at him, he appeared even younger than some of his sons or grandsons. He had been in seclusion for three hundred years, striving to reach the Great Perfection realm, but had yet to succeed.
“Seek justice?” Xiao Changlou spoke to his direct great-granddaughter in a bland tone. For someone like him, with such a large family and countless generations of descendants, it was impossible to care for everyone. Xiao Huaying, who was only about a dozen years old when he entered seclusion three hundred years ago, had served him for a time, which was why he remembered her.
“Yes!” Xiao Huaying looked up at him. “Although Lord Cizang is our ancestral master, he shouldn’t humiliate our Red Maple branch like this. Grandfather was just going to the Three Sacred Mountains to investigate, but how could he be casually killed? Isn’t this a harsh slap in the face to our Xiao family? Moreover, grandfather had already used his soul rebirth once before, so this time he’s truly gone from us!”
Xiao Changlou remained unmoved, saying indifferently, “So what if it’s a slap in the face to the Xiao family? Just based on his surname being Sima, he can kill anyone, and nobody would say anything.” He glanced at this young child, inwardly sneering.
The Sima clan, once a key part of the Fengshan tribe, had now shrunk to just a single member. From being the rulers of the Gengchen Immortal Mansion, they had fallen to the status of prisoners at the end of their line.
Xiao Huaying seemed caught off guard by this revelation. Stunned, she spoke with evident panic: “But Great-grandfather, are we really just going to let grandfather’s death go unavenged?”
“I’ve always warned him,” Xiao Changlou replied, “that if he continued to dwell on the Xiao family members killed by Sima Jiao’s madness five hundred years ago, he would eventually meet the same fate.” He waved his hand dismissively. “That’s enough. Leave now.”
Although Xiao Huaying was still mourning and reluctant to leave, she did not dare to protest any longer and departed feeling resentful.
The Xiao family controlled this Red Maple branch for nearly a thousand years. The elder who provoked Sima Jiao at the Three Sacred Mountains and was killed was a senior elder of the Red Maple branch, and also the son of the previous head of the Xiao family.
“Great-grandfather, you’ve finally come out of seclusion. You must seek justice for Grandfather!” Xiao Huaying, with a face full of sorrow, knelt beside a middle-aged man resting with his eyes closed.
The middle-aged man was Xiao Changlou, the former head of the Xiao family. Looking at him, he appeared even younger than some of his sons or grandsons. He had been in seclusion for three hundred years, striving to reach the Great Perfection realm, but had yet to succeed.
“Seek justice?” Xiao Changlou spoke to his direct great-granddaughter in a bland tone. For someone like him, with such a large family and countless generations of descendants, it was impossible to care for everyone. Xiao Huaying, who was only about a dozen years old when he entered seclusion three hundred years ago, had served him for a time, which was why he remembered her.
“Yes!” Xiao Huaying looked up at him. “Although Lord Cizang is our ancestral master, he shouldn’t humiliate our Red Maple branch like this. Grandfather was just going to the Three Sacred Mountains to investigate, but how could he be casually killed? Isn’t this a harsh slap in the face to our Xiao family? Moreover, grandfather had already used his soul rebirth once before, so this time he’s truly gone from us!”
Xiao Changlou remained unmoved, saying indifferently, “So what if it’s a slap in the face to the Xiao family? Just based on his surname being Sima, he can kill anyone, and nobody would say anything.” He glanced at this young child, inwardly sneering.
The Sima clan, once a key part of the Fengshan tribe, had now shrunk to just a single member. From being the rulers of the Gengchen Immortal Mansion, they had fallen to the status of prisoners at the end of their line.
Xiao Huaying seemed caught off guard by this revelation. Stunned, she spoke with evident panic: “But Great-grandfather, are we really just going to let grandfather’s death go unavenged?”
“I’ve always warned him,” Xiao Changlou replied, “that if he continued to dwell on the Xiao family members killed by Sima Jiao’s madness five hundred years ago, he would eventually meet the same fate.” He waved his hand dismissively. “That’s enough. Leave now.”
Although Xiao Huaying was still mourning and reluctant to leave, she did not dare to protest any longer and departed feeling resentful.
๑‿︵‿୨🌸୧‿︵‿๑
Once outside, her demeanor changed drastically; the look of pain on her face was replaced by fierce hatred. Having grown up listening to stories about the Gengchen Immortal Mansion's origins, she admired the once-powerful Sima clan. However, she had never experienced the fear of being dominated by them like previous generations had, which made it difficult for her to understand her great-grandfather's tolerance for their past wrongdoings. In her eyes, no matter how mighty an ancestor might be, he was still just one person—at a clear disadvantage against a large family.
“Let’s go to Qinggu Tian!” Xiao Huaying declared, scowling fiercely as she led her attendant disciples toward Qinggu Tian.
Although she felt incapable of facing Lord Cizang, she knew she could find someone else to vent her frustrations on. They were well-informed, and in just half a day since the incident at the Three Sacred Mountains, they had pieced together what had transpired. They had also identified Liao Tingyan, the only disciple who had survived under the ancestral master's grip.
The sect leader and several high-ranking members of the major palaces, aware of the unpredictable and volatile ancestral master who seemed to have taken a liking to a female disciple, were hesitant to confront Sima Jiao after his recent rampage. Instead, they all hurried to Qinggu Tian without any prior arrangement.
When Xiao Huaying arrived at Qinggu Tian, she observed that what was usually a quiet branch was now bustling with activity—people were coming and going everywhere. To her annoyance, she noticed Shi Zhenshu from the sect leader’s lineage, standing like a steadfast pillar in Qinggu Tian. Hierarchically, he was a generation above her, and the sight of him made her silently curse, realizing that her plans for the day would likely be thwarted.
The Shi clan's eagerness to serve the Sima clan, even as they declined, struck her as ridiculous. She quietly reflected that, although the current sect leader’s family hadn’t been in power for long, they had originally been merely servants to the Sima clan. As the Sima clan weakened and eventually diminished to a single survivor, the sect leader's lineage, once controlled by the Sima clan, was slowly replaced by the Shi clan.
Shi Zhenshu, with his kind and friendly manner, usually earned respect, but no one would think that someone of his status would so easily extend kindness to just anyone.
Meanwhile, the branch master of Qinggu Tian, True Immortal Dongyang, had been sitting beside Shi Zhenshu since early morning, his mind still unsettled. His information was outdated, and Shi Zhenshu was the one who updated him on the current situation. His disciple had caught Lord Cizang's attention and remained by his side. As the saying goes, “When one person attains the Dao, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.” Within half a day, countless gifts had been sent. Their usually quiet and rarely visited location had become the most prominent spot. True Immortal Dongyang was not driven by great ambition; his joy was overshadowed by trepidation.
Dongyang need not worry. Your disciple’s abilities are a blessing. If she can continue to stay by the ancestral master’s side, Qinggu Tian will have no worries and might even become a main branch,” Shi Zhenshu smiled. “For now, the ancestral master is still at the Three Sacred Mountains, and we dare not disturb him. However, perhaps after some time, the sect leader will take you to visit your disciple. You should prepare yourself.”
His words conveyed a sense of protection and alliance from the sect leader’s lineage. True Immortal Dongyang understood this and replied respectfully, “Yes, Uncle Master, Dongyang understands.” Inwardly, however, he was genuinely worried.
In the Yuanmei branch of the Four Seasons Palace, Yuan Shang, the most favored eighteenth son of the Yuan family head, sat in a dark room with a complex expression. Since hearing the news from the Three Sacred Mountains, he had been deep in thought. He never imagined that the spy he had previously placed in the Three Sacred Mountains would experience such good fortune. Among the many forces in Gengchen Immortal Mansion, with so many people arranged to enter, only Liao Tingyan—whom he had selected—remained. This was truly laughable.
Yuan Shang was aware of the movements from the sect leader’s lineage and the other palaces. He understood their motives. Whether they were openly defending Sima Jiao or secretly aiming to eliminate him, their only goal was to benefit from the Sima clan. But for Yuan Shang, his only objective was to destroy Gengchen’s Immortal Mansion.
The simplest way to destroy Gengchen’s Immortal Mansion was to eliminate Sima Jiao. His advantage was something no one else had— a woman whom Sima Jiao highly regarded. As long as the bone-eroding poison inside Liao Tingyan remained untreated, she would be forced to obey him every day. Not even Sima Jiao would be able to save her.
|
|
|
 |