Revelation

The Liu Family's estate on Fulu Street was small and exquisite, yet it held a world of its own. Even the women of the Xu Clan from Qingfeng City would consider it the ultimate achievement, like performing a grand ritual within a snail shell, leaving no room for further demands. In a waterside pavilion overlooking the lake, the woman who had just successfully acquired the Liu Family Warty Armor leaned lazily against the railing, her face beaming with satisfaction. She was in such a good mood that even Lu Zhengchun, like a fly standing on the pavilion's steps, didn't seem so irritating.

Her son, clad in a bright red robe, stood on a bench, tossing bait into the small lake. Nearly a hundred red-backed carp jostled together, creating a rolling wave of red—a rather spectacular sight.

The woman instructed Lu Zhengchun, "You don't need to wait around here anymore. Once we're done here, you'll accompany us to Qingfeng City. Not only will my husband take you on as an indoor disciple, but he'll also grant your grandfather's rather unreasonable request, ensuring you can reach the Middle Five Realms one day. You know, promises like that are the most valuable. That's why your grandfather is such an old fox."

As she spoke, the woman chuckled to herself, "If you ask me, if your grandfather were the head of the Lu Family, the Lu Dynasty might not have collapsed so quickly. Even Song Changjing, the Great Li prince who is notoriously arrogant, admitted he could achieve the feat of destroying a nation within a year, with your Lu royal family taking half the credit. Of course, your branch of the Lu Family in this small town had bad luck. You're not necessarily in it together when things go well, but you certainly share the losses when they go bad. So, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we're giving you from Qingfeng City. Don't miss it; seize it with both hands."

Lu Zhengchun bowed extremely low, his clasped hands raised above his head. Tears of gratitude streamed down his face as he said, "Lu Zhengchun would never forget Madam Xu's immense kindness. When we arrive in the renowned Qingfeng City, I will surely serve Madam Xu like an ox or a horse. Furthermore, Lu Zhengchun swears that in this life, he will only be loyal to you, Madam!"

The Xu Clan lady from Qingfeng City smiled charmingly, narrowing her eyes. She said softly, "Such heartfelt words, though... don't let my husband, who will be your future master, hear them. Or perhaps you'd like to repeat them to him then?"

Perhaps it was because after kneeling before Liu Xianyang in Mud Bottle Alley, Lu Zhengchun no longer harbored any resentment. Upon hearing the woman's pointed remark, he immediately knelt down, prostrating himself at the top of the steps outside the waterside pavilion, and stammered, "Lu Zhengchun would never forget his roots!"

The woman smiled and waved her hand dismissively, ushering him away. "Alright, get up. When you arrive in Qingfeng City, your cultivation will consume most of your time. Time will tell, and whether you forget your roots or not will become clear in due course."

Lu Zhengchun retreated from the waterside pavilion. Only after descending the steps did he slowly turn around. This former notorious playboy, who once held sway in the small town, seemed to have never straightened his back in the woman's presence.

The Lu Family outside the small town, as the ruling surname of a great dynasty, had been severely wounded by the Great Li border army. They were in a state of decline, and it would be difficult for them to recover anytime soon. From top to bottom, the direct descendants, collateral branches, and distant relatives of the Lu Family could only tread carefully.

Otherwise, with the resources and reputation of Qingfeng City, they would never dare to occupy the Lu Family's estate in this small town like a cuckoo in a magpie's nest, let alone speak to the Lu Family's descendants in such a condescending manner. Even the master and servant pair from Zhengyang Mountain would have found it difficult to pull off such a feat.

Now that the Lu Family was like a dragon in shallow waters, facing difficult times, they had no choice but to be humble.

The red-robed boy scoffed, "What a born-slave, a lackey. Mother, why did you take in such a useless person? Are you really going to let my father take him as a disciple? And promise him a spot in the Middle Five Realms? Since when did the Middle Five Realms become so cheap and worthless?"

The woman smiled faintly. "Although Lu Zhengchun is an eyesore, he's not without merit. His talent is ordinary; it's already fortunate for him to become an outer disciple. However, in the end, this young man is merely a small bonus from that big deal, incapable of stirring up any significant trouble. As for what my mother has promised the Lu Family in this small town on the surface, like allowing the Lu royal family members who fled their homes, the princes and princesses, to seek refuge and settle in Qingfeng City, treating them with courtesy and as honored guests. We're even setting aside a large area within the city as the Lu Family's private domain for a period of one hundred years."

After finishing with the fish bait, the child suddenly ran out of the waterside pavilion, gathered a handful of pebbles, and then crouched by the railing, vigorously throwing the stones at the carp, thoroughly enjoying himself. He turned and said, "Mother, was our search for the Warty Armor in this small town just a pretext, a smokescreen for our Qingfeng City Xu Clan to take control of the Lu Family? After all, even a centipede dies hard. That vast horde of Lu family's displaced dogs, with over three thousand royal family members alone, not to mention their eunuchs, servants, dependents, and remnants of the fallen kingdom who refused to submit to the Great Li's Song clan—they would be a great help to the population growth of our Qingfeng City." He then asked, "So, this is the true hub of information for the fallen Lu Family?"

The woman smiled with satisfaction. "Thinking along these lines shows my son is very intelligent, but you're still mistaken."

The boy frowned, waiting for the answer.

The woman blinked. "That Warty Armor has its secrets. Simply put, it's no less significant than that Sword Scripture."

The boy fiercely threw a stone, hitting a carp squarely on its back. Blood splattered, and the poor fish thrashed wildly on the surface of the water.

The child's eyes blazed with excitement. "My father is most skilled in the art of offense. His killing power is not much inferior to that of Song Changjing of the Great Li. It's just a shame he's always been hampered by his frail constitution. He's most afraid of opponents who fight dirty, trading injuries for injuries. That's why he hasn't become famous and has even become a laughingstock. Even our own people in Qingfeng City dare to mock us behind our backs. Mother, after my father obtains this Treasure Armor, will he be able to attack and defend equally well, allowing him to contend with Song Changjing?"

The woman still shook her head.

The red-robed boy slammed the railing heavily, his voice filled with anger. "Don't play coy with me!"

He bared his teeth, looking as if he would devour someone, like a young tiger or leopard cub.

The woman had never felt that her son's shouting at her was inappropriate. After all, when her son was born, a highly regarded expert had given him a prophetic evaluation: "The countenance of a tiger and wolf, the potential of a ruler."

The woman patiently explained, "Once your father obtains the Treasure Armor and successfully comprehends it, he will be able to take a further step. What need is there for defense? One force overcomes ten weaknesses. He can simply overwhelm his enemies with a single surge of momentum."

The boy burst into laughter, filled with immense joy. "Kill, kill, kill! Let my father start killing from within Qingfeng City! The disgusting things done by our own people are the most disgusting!"

After his laughter subsided, the boy quickly calmed down. He suddenly remembered something and asked, "Mother, you're toying with Zhengyang Mountain like this, treating them like monkeys. Aren't you afraid that if that stupid ape suddenly comes to its senses and attacks us after leaving this small town? And there's something else I still don't understand. That fellow surnamed Liu, since he already had a porcelain person early on, and possesses excellent innate talent, coupled with the Treasure Armor and Sword Scripture—such a coveted individual is exceptionally rare. Even I have to admit he deserves a second look. Then why hasn't the porcelain person revealed himself yet, allowing you to fish in troubled waters and even letting that old ape from Zhengyang Mountain help us clean up the mess? After he punched Liu Xianyang to death, everything became quiet. The massive trouble was taken care of by Zhengyang Mountain, while our Qingfeng City gained considerable room to maneuver."

The woman said with confidence, "That old ape from Zhengyang Mountain, who is a thousand years old and moves mountains, isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he's not so foolish as to be toyed with by Mother like a monkey. In fact, he already guessed Mother's scheme of using a borrowed knife to kill. Why was the old ape willing to hold his nose and jump into the trap himself? The reasons are rather complex. It involves Zhengyang Mountain's arrogance, their fearlessness of getting into trouble, and a secret history that is not widely known. You don't need to worry about these things for now."

The woman fell into thought, organizing her thoughts again, trying to identify any potential loopholes to prevent endless future troubles.

The porcelain person of the young Liu Xianyang was once a force that strongly supported the Lu Dynasty. After the dynasty's fall, they suffered a devastating loss, losing everything. Before that, they were indeed a top-tier aristocratic family in the secular dynasties below the mountains. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to spend a fortune to keep Liu Xianyang in the small town after confirming his sword blank aptitude, acquiring him for the next nine years.

Zhengyang Mountain, through some unknown channel, learned of this matter and then sought out that fallen family, attempting to purchase Liu Xianyang's destiny porcelain. An old ancestor from Zhengyang Mountain offered an astronomical price on the spot. However, the family seemed to have taken leave of their senses and refused to budge, only saying that they had already sold it to someone else. As for who it was and their background, they remained tight-lipped.

Afterward, a perplexed Zhengyang Mountain heard rumors that their sworn enemy, the Wind Thunder Garden, had seized the opportunity and struck first, gaining the upper hand. That family naturally dared not tell the Sword Immortal of Zhengyang Mountain that they had already sold it to your sworn enemy, the Wind Thunder Garden.

As for the matter of the Liu Family's ancestral Warty Armor and Sword Scripture, and the news of the Wind Thunder Garden taking over Liu Xianyang's destiny porcelain, who leaked it to Zhengyang Mountain?

It was far away, yet right before their eyes.

It was the Xu Clan of Qingfeng City, though of course, they were operating from behind the scenes.

She was the main planner. Having personally traveled to the small town this time, she had paid a huge price. Naturally, she had to ensure that this deal would at least break even. Otherwise, her branch's position in Qingfeng City would plummet, becoming precarious, let alone the hope of single-handedly controlling Qingfeng City.

In fact, the small town was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, not to be underestimated. Not to mention the declining Lu Family, the other three major clans, on the map of the East Treasure Bottle Continent, each held sway and were at their peak.

In reality, the true foundation of the Four Clans and Ten Tribes was not about how many local powerhouses with divine techniques they possessed. These family heads and old ancestors were actually destined to be unable to leave. As the old saying goes, a tree moved dies, and a person moved dies. Unfortunately, they were already like the peach trees in Taoye Lane and the old locust tree in the center of the small town—if moved, they would die, with no afterlife. Thus, despite possessing great divine abilities, they were unable to utilize them.

The foundation of these families lay in how many Dragon Kilns they controlled and how many households they governed, as this directly determined how many destiny porcelain pieces they could provide to the outside world each year. Once a suitable talent for cultivation appeared, the buyer who bet on a treasure, if not too financially strained, would often give an additional "big red envelope." Besides that, it also established a bond of kinship between the two parties, which was naturally more significant than a mere acquaintance.

The woman suddenly sighed to her son, "Never underestimate anyone, not even a petty figure like Lu Zhengchun who bends over to be a dog. Do you think you can easily obtain all the opportunities and treasures here just by coming to this small town? It's not like that. Fu Nanhua of Old Dragon City almost had his Dao heart shattered, and Cai Jinjian of Cloud Mist Mountain has vanished without a trace, her life and death unknown. There was also a talented junior who, seemingly inspired at the Covered Bridge, took to observing the water, only to have his state of mind ruined, as if a large pit had been forcibly dug at the bottom of his mental lake, causing the water level to drop. These kinds of incidents will not stop here; in fact, they will only become more frequent. Therefore, on the path of cultivation, there is no one who lives a carefree life."

The boy thought for a moment. "Caution is the parent of safety, Mother. I'll be careful."

The woman nodded. "That's for the best."

The boy threw his last stone and asked, "What's the deal with Qi Jingchun?"

The woman rarely showed anger, but she sternly reprimanded him, "Insolence! Address him as Mr. Qi!"

The boy was taken aback but obediently corrected himself. "Is Mr. Qi in trouble?"

The woman hesitated for a moment and then slowly said, "Mr. Qi's esteemed teacher once served as a sacrificial attendant at that Confucian Temple, and he was the second person to the left of the leader of Confucianism."

The boy's jaw dropped.

This meant that Qi Jingchun's teacher was the fourth person in the long history of Confucianism, or more accurately, Confucianism?

Such an unimaginable existence. If someone boasted that such a Sage, in a fit of rage, could crush the largest mountain in the East Treasure Bottle Continent with a single stomp, the boy wouldn't say he'd believe it entirely, but he'd certainly be half-convinced.

The woman felt a pang of emotion and said in a low voice, "It's just that this Sage among Sages, his current status is even less than those dilapidated statues in this small town..."

The boy swallowed hard and casually asked, "What about Liu Xianyang's friend?"

The woman thought for a moment. "Are you referring to the orphan surnamed Chen from Mud Bottle Alley?"

The boy nodded.

The woman chuckled. "Didn't you call him an ant as soon as you met him? Let them fend for themselves."