The Fake Ring Grandpa

"What? That shameless bastard Nie Zhengxu actually dared to betray the family?" Hearing the news from Liu Ding, Liu Yandong slammed his fist onto the table. The granite tea table instantly crumbled into powder.

"Grandfather, should we capture them and execute them on the spot?" Liu Ding was always enthusiastic about watching a good show.

"No." Liu Yandong frowned. "There's no proof. If Nie Zhengxu flatly denies it, there's nothing you can do to him. Besides, the old fogeys in the family have been stuck at the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons for far too long. Although Liu Ji has gone down the wrong path in his cultivation, it may not be a bad shock for them. Most of them will likely protect him and wait to see the outcome."

Liu Yandong was, after all, a seasoned old hand. He saw the situation clearly.

Liu Ding had thought there would be a good show to watch, only to find that they still had to endure it. Feeling stifled, he was about to leave when he suddenly remembered the medicinal bath and quickly told Liu Yandong about it.

To his surprise, Liu Yandong stood stunned for quite a while. Then he heavily slapped Liu Ding on the shoulder and burst into laughter. "So that's where the secret lies! How did I not think of it? In that case, even those without cultivation talent might be able to stabilize their cultivation at the Fourth Soul-Forging Cauldron realm! The family finally has hope of revival!"

Looking at the lofty and distinguished sect lord of the Liu family, Liu Ding was speechless. Both the old man's temples had turned gray; he truly had worried himself sick over the family.

Seeing Liu Ding's depressed expression, Liu Yandong chuckled again. "What, can't bear to share the secret of the Soul Forging Cauldron medicinal bath with the clan?"

"Not at all." Liu Ding shrugged. "I've already soaked in the Seven Soul-Forging Cauldrons for more than a year. I don't need it anymore. I just don't want to see Nie Zhengxu resorting to underhanded tricks."

"Don't worry. He won't get the chance this time." Liu Yandong said, "We'll convene an emergency family meeting immediately. Share your insights on the medicinal bath with everyone and make the clansmen think more highly of you. It will greatly benefit your future support for the position of sect lord."

Liu Ding's face darkened. Nothing had even begun yet, and the burden was already being piled onto him.

Liu Yandong acted swiftly and immediately sent people to summon the relevant clansmen. Before long, family members gradually arrived in the hall, each one yawning endlessly and grumbling in complaint.

However, once they understood what was happening, they were overjoyed. Especially those whose children lacked cultivation talent—they were so delighted they nearly lifted Liu Ding onto a pedestal. All of them hurried to borrow the Soul Forging Cauldrons.

Liu Yandong had come prepared. Holding a register himself, he grinned and said, "Don't rush, don't rush. Everyone line up. First come, first served."

By the time Nie Zhengxu arrived late, registration for borrowing the Soul Forging Cauldrons was already nearing its end. There were plenty of young members in the family, and each cauldron had over a hundred people registered to borrow it. By the time Liu Ji's turn to borrow one came around, it would be far too late. Nie Zhengxu's old face immediately darkened as he roared, "Why wasn't I informed earlier about something this important?"

"Nie Zhengxu, who are you roaring at?" Liu Yandong said coldly. "I sent people to invite you no fewer than three times. Your front and inner gates were both tightly shut. There wasn't even a guard around, and no one answered when they called out. Were you doing something you didn't want others to see?"

"N-Nonsense! The servants were merely given leave. Besides, it's so late—who doesn't close their doors and rest?" Nie Zhengxu felt guilty. Worried that walls had ears, he had dismissed all the servants, but he still tried his best to argue.

"Then you have no one to blame but yourself." Liu Yandong snorted. "Also, you were the first person to borrow the Soul Forging Cauldron. I wonder whether your grandson Ji has already broken through? Sharing joy with others is better than keeping it to yourself. It's wrong to secretly let your own grandson take medicinal baths. You should have generously revealed it so the clan could share in it, shouldn't you?"

"How do you know my grandson Ji took medicinal baths? Did you spy on us?" Nie Zhengxu blurted out in fury. Then he saw the contempt in the eyes of the clansmen around him and immediately realized he had fallen into Liu Yandong's trap.

"Someone who cannot put the family first—if he were allowed to sit in the position of sect lord, that would truly be worrying. Who knows, he might even sell off the family's territory without anyone realizing it." Liu Yandong pressed his advantage, shaking his head with a sigh.

Nie Zhengxu's heart jolted again, but he soon gritted his teeth in secret. Let you enjoy your verbal victory for now. You still can't change the fact of the Sect Lord Contention. When the time comes, I'll deal with you first.

Having dealt Nie Zhengxu a blow and foiled his scheme, Liu Ding was rather pleased. But after returning to his cultivation, he became depressed once more. More than a month had passed in the blink of an eye, yet he was still stuck at the Fourth Soul-Forging Cauldron.

"Damn it. If this keeps up, Liu Ji will catch up sooner or later. No, I need to think of something. Right—since Liu Ji can use the Murong Family's Six-Cauldron Suanni Soulforging Pill to break through, could I try it too? Selling the family's territory is absolutely out of the question. Right, I could borrow it."

After experiencing that dream of a brief life in the mortal world, Liu Ding's way of thinking was no longer so rigid. If it could help him advance, then cultivation methods gathering the strengths of many schools were indeed worth trying, so long as they did not cross his moral bottom line.

"No. The family's Soul Forging Cauldron cultivation is unique and possesses unparalleled potential. Mixing in the cultivation methods of other families would bring harm without benefit."

Just as Liu Ding was considering breaking from convention, an aged voice drifted into his ears.

"Old man, you finally decided to show yourself." Although his gaze searched every corner of the room, Liu Ding was clearly not surprised.

"Oh? You knew I existed?" The aged voice sounded somewhat astonished instead.

"Of course. Seven years ago, you tricked me into playing hide-and-seek with Zhi'er. I haven't forgotten it. If you're a man, come out here." Liu Ding snorted.

"Oh, you have quite a memory. It seems your soul has been fully restored. You want me to come out—do you wish to thank me in person?" The aged voice sounded delighted.

"So I guessed correctly. You're the one responsible for making me this miserable again." Liu Ding was completely ungrateful.

"Helping you return to normal and set foot on the path of the strong, and I'm in the wrong?" The aged voice became depressed.

"The path of the strong?" Liu Ding gave a dry laugh. "Get stuck at the Fourth Soul-Forging Cauldron for a whole month and then talk to me."

"If I told you that I was stuck at the Fourth Soul-Forging Cauldron for my entire life and never broke through, would you still think that?" The aged voice sounded desolate and helpless.

Liu Ding froze. He had never expected that. "That's strange. Aren't you some ridiculously overpowered ring grandpa?"

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I'm only at the Fourth Soul-Forging Cauldron realm, and I don't have the ability to live inside a ring. You can't see me now only because I happened to learn an invisibility spell."

As the aged voice spoke, a black-cloaked figure gradually appeared. His face was weathered, and his expression was forlorn.

"Damn it, old man! If you weren't capable, why didn't you say so earlier? I already boasted that I'd crush everyone in the Sect Lord Contention." Liu Ding felt utterly miserable. He had placed his bet on the wrong person. This time, he was finished.

"So you only boasted so shamelessly because you thought I was some ridiculously overpowered ring grandpa?" Seeing Liu Ding's tacit expression, the Cloaked Elder was speechless. That behavior really was ridiculously overpowered.