Big Brother

At the bottom of Longevity Pool, Ye Shaochen, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, opened them. His spiritual power was once more brimming.

As he spread out his divine sense, he sensed Old Turtle crouching outside the grand formation of the water residence.

Ye Shaochen was somewhat surprised that this demon beast had voluntarily emerged from the water residence, but he did not immediately approach it. Instead, he first turned to glance at the Thousand-Legged Centipede's corpse, sunk not far away on the pool bottom, and a trace of disgust appeared in his eyes.

"Stupid, vile creature. Even in death, you have to foul the pool water. What filth!"

Ye Shaochen loathed the Thousand-Legged Centipede greatly. He could not even be bothered to deal with its corpse and headed straight for Old Turtle.

When the Star-Backed Black Turtle saw the youth approach, its heart gave a thump, and it grew deeply uneasy.

It did not know what sort of temperament the other party possessed. It hurriedly lowered its enormous body even further, nearly pressing itself against the mud and sand at the bottom of the pool in a posture of utter submission.

"You Black Turtle do know how to read the room."

As Ye Shaochen drew near and saw Old Turtle's posture, he found it rather pleasing to the eye.

Hearing this, Old Turtle immediately took the hint, its voice carrying just the right measure of deference and fear. "It is this little demon's greatest honor that Senior has graced my water residence with your presence. This little demon specially offers the Thousand-Year Jiaotu Spirit Pearl treasured within the water residence, and begs Senior to accept it with a smile."

Ye Shaochen casually accepted the jade box. He was not particularly concerned with the so-called Thousand-Year Jiaotu Spirit Pearl; to him, it was merely an ordinary spiritual material.

What Old Turtle had said instead made him furrow his brow slightly, disappointment entering his voice. "This water residence is not some hidden treasure vault left behind by an ancient cultivator? It is merely the nest of a Black Turtle like you?"

Earlier, when he saw how exquisite the Starlight Water Wall Formation was, and how the formation had remained concealed without activating, he had thought it was a cave residence left behind by some cultivator of a previous generation. He had hoped to find one or two fine treasures to offer his master as a birthday gift. Who would have thought it was simply a demon beast's nest?

The Star-Backed Black Turtle was exceedingly shrewd. Seeing his expression, its heart stirred at once, and it knew that its life was temporarily safe.

"Senior sees all clearly!" Old Turtle hurriedly said. "This water residence was indeed a place of cultivation that I, Old Turtle, built up bit by bit. It is crude in the extreme and unworthy of Senior's eyes.

"However... if we are speaking of a hidden treasure vault, then there truly is such a place within Heaven Capital Mountain that has recently appeared!"

The disappointment in Ye Shaochen's eyes vanished at once. With evident interest, he said, "Oh? Tell me in detail."

Seeing that Ye Shaochen was indeed interested, Old Turtle felt that its life was more than half saved and continued at once. "It is a long story.

"Just a few years ago, treasure light suddenly appeared at Black Vine Ridge to the north, alarming a number of second-order demon beasts within Heaven Capital Mountain.

"This Old Turtle was fortunate enough to join in as well and discovered that the place where the treasure light emerged was a small secret realm."

The Star-Backed Black Turtle spoke in great detail, and Ye Shaochen listened intently.

In the end, the man and turtle actually set out together. After leaving Longevity Pool, they headed toward Black Vine Ridge.

Several days later, Long Sun Mountain, Clouds and mist coiled around the peaks, thick with spiritual energy.

This place, once the Xu Clan's ancestral inheritance ground, had now been managed by the He Family until it was as impregnable as an iron barrel.

On the main peak, formation patterns flowed and shifted—it was the protective grand formation laid down by the He Family.

A streak of green light arrived from beyond the mountain, passing through the mist within the range and the formation's protective light barrier before landing steadily halfway up the main peak.

As the light faded, it revealed a middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes.

His face was fair and clean, yet it carried the smooth cunning and shrewdness of someone who had long moved through the streets and markets. He was none other than He Yiyang, the man in charge of the He Family's external procurement.

He Yiyang was the elder brother by blood of Clan Head He Sheng. Thus, despite possessing only inferior aptitude with four mixed spiritual roots, he had used an enormous quantity of cultivation resources to forcibly raise his cultivation to the late stage of Qi Refinement.

Relying further on that blood tie, He Sheng had entrusted him with the lucrative position of handling external procurement, giving him exceedingly high status within the clan.

In ordinary times, He Yiyang spent most of his days holed up in Lower River Market, wallowing amid courtesan quarters, pools of wine, and forests of flesh.

Yet today, he had hurried back to Long Sun Mountain.

His expression was frighteningly ugly, dark clouds gathered across his face as though a torrential downpour might fall at any moment.

The moment he stepped into his private courtyard, the sounds of silk and strings washed over him.

The courtyard was filled with intoxicating floral fragrance. Seven or eight concubines, lavishly dressed and exquisitely made up, were gathered together, laughing and playing.

The instant they saw He Yiyang return, they swarmed toward him like a flock of butterflies catching sight of their master.

"Master, you're finally back!"

"My lord, why have you returned so early today? This servant has just learned a new dance and was thinking of performing it for you."

"Master, have a taste of these freshly chilled spirit fruits."

Amid the chirping swallows and warbling orioles, with soft words and tender affection all around him, He Yiyang would ordinarily have been smiling until his eyes narrowed to slits, embracing one beauty on either side and losing himself in this haven of softness.

After all, to keep this courtyard full of delicate concubines, who knew how many spirit stones he had embezzled from the clan's public accounts.

Yet today, He Yiyang was like a dog whose tail had been stepped on. He abruptly shoved away the beautiful concubine he had taken in not long ago and barked harshly:

"Get out! All of you, get the hell out!"

This furious roar was full of force, carrying the pressure of late-stage Qi Refinement. It shook the women pale with fright.

"Master, what's wrong with you?"

The beautiful concubine staggered back several steps, her eyes instantly reddening as she looked at him in grievance.

"Didn't you hear me?

Get out, all of you!

If any of you dares take even half a step back into this room, I'll break her legs!"

He Yiyang's eyes were bloodshot, his face crazed. He casually snatched up a spirit-jade teacup from the table and smashed it viciously onto the floor, shattering it into pieces.

The concubines had never seen such a scene before. They were immediately frightened into silence, each lowering her head and hurrying out of the courtyard, not even daring to breathe loudly.

The formerly bustling and luxurious residence instantly fell deathly silent, leaving only a mess strewn across the ground.

After everyone had left, He Yiyang seemed to deflate.

With his head bowed, he entered the study, then collapsed into the grandmaster's chair, gulping down breaths as cold sweat covered his forehead.

With trembling hands, he pulled a sound-transmission talisman from his robes. Spiritual power surged at his fingertips as he said in a low voice:

"Yunlai, come to my study at once. There is an urgent matter to discuss. Remember—do not let a third person know!"

A moment later, a thin, pale-faced man who looked as though wine and women had hollowed out his body slipped in without a sound.

This man was Ji Yunlai, the younger brother of He Yiyang's late first wife. He was also He Yiyang's trusted confidant, usually helping him falsify accounts and amass wealth. There was no one He trusted more.

"Brother-in-law, what happened?

Why are you so flustered?"

Ji Yunlai shut the doors and windows and asked in a lowered voice.

He Yiyang took a deep breath. His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping together.

"Yunlai, word is spreading outside... Asheng... he's dead!"

"What?!"

Ji Yunlai's pupils contracted sharply, and he nearly leaped to his feet.

"The clan head is dead?

How is that possible?!

The clan head was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. He was the number one cultivator in the Silver Sand River region. Who could possibly kill him?"

"I hope it's fake too!"

He Yiyang suddenly seized Ji Yunlai's wrist, his fingernails nearly digging into the flesh.

"But the news came back from Ten Thousand Stars Mountain. They said Asheng offended that False Core Supreme Elder of the Golden Cloud Sect at Wan Chaonian's Foundation Establishment celebration!

That man was exceptionally ruthless. He directly suppressed and killed Asheng outside Ten Thousand Stars Mountain!"

"A False Core?!"

Ji Yunlai sucked in a cold breath. Then he lowered his head, a strange glint flashing through his eyes, though his mouth said:

"Then our He Family..."

"And that's not all!"

A trace of fear flashed through He Yiyang's eyes.

"Over the past two days in Lower River Market, I noticed that disciples from several other Foundation Establishment families—the ones who usually dared not speak out despite their resentment toward our He Family—have suddenly started baring their fangs at us!"

"Then... they must have learned that the clan head has already fallen and are preparing to make a move against our He Family!"

He Yiyang's face went deathly pale at those words. Naturally, he understood the crux of the matter.

"Once news of the clan head's death is confirmed, the families the He Family has offended, along with those Rogue Cultivators coveting the clan's wealth, will likely join forces and attack the mountain at once!

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. By then, people like us will probably all die!"

This was precisely the situation He Yiyang feared. He immediately lost his head and said:

"N-No way, right? Our He Family still has the protection of the Star-Backed Black Turtle, aside from Asheng..."

"Brother-in-law, when a great building is about to collapse, how can we place our hopes on others?

Besides, the clan head and the Star-Backed Black Turtle had a severe falling-out before. It may not continue protecting the He Family."

He Yiyang's heart kept sinking. At a complete loss, he said:

"Yunlai, then what do you think we should do?"

"Brother-in-law, we can't stay here and wait to die!"

"You mean..."

He Yiyang swallowed, vaguely guessing what he had in mind.

"Before the news has fully spread and the other families have decided to make their move, we leave immediately!"

Ji Yunlai lowered his voice, speaking with rapid urgency:

"And we can't leave empty-handed!

The clan head is dead, but the cultivation resources he left behind are substantial. As the clan head's own elder brother, brother-in-law should rightfully inherit those resources!

I checked the accounts just two days ago. There are still more than three thousand mid-grade spirit stones in the clan's secret treasury, dozens of fine magic artifacts, and no small number of pills.

As long as brother-in-law takes those resources and goes far away to start over, once you break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, you'll still have over a hundred years of carefree days ahead."

He Yiyang shot to his feet and began pacing back and forth.

After a long while, A flash of resolve appeared in He Yiyang's eyes as he said, "Good!

We'll do it!"