Misfortune and fortune have no gate; people summon them themselves

Deep within the Cloud Sea, rosy dawn light gradually emerged.

A streak of flowing light sped through the air and soon arrived before a cluster of palaces nestled deep in the Cloud Sea. The light faded, revealing Tang Lai. Yet he did not enter, stopping instead at the outer perimeter.

The clouds drifted, making the scenery around the palaces much clearer. They were encircled by a river.

For several miles around, clouds and mist coiled everywhere; there was not a speck of soil in sight. Yet the river flowed as though suspended amid the clouds, winding and coursing along. Its water was pitch-black, more ink than flowing water.

Before long, a massive, gleaming figure emerged from the clouds on the opposite bank. It was a giant standing a full two zhang tall!

The moment he appeared, he covered three steps in two, striding across the river. The water rose past the giant's knees, yet not a single splash arose beneath his steps.

After crossing the river, the giant reached Tang Lai in two strides and bent to salute him, but said nothing.

Tang Lai raised a hand in return and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Strength."

The giant did not answer. He simply reached out, lifted Tang Lai onto his palm, and placed him on his shoulder. Then he turned and strode away, crossing the river once more. He raced all the way there, arriving before the palace gates within a few breaths.

After setting Tang Lai down, the giant saluted again and departed in silence.

Tang Lai paid it no mind. He straightened his robes, flicked his sleeves, then clasped his fists and called loudly, "Tang Lai of Red Leaf Peak requests an audience with Patriarch!"

"Red Leaf Peak... Tang Lai... Patriarch..."

The palace was vast and empty, without the slightest trace of human presence. The moment Tang Lai's words left his mouth, they echoed over and over through the hall.

After a long while, an aged voice came from deep within the palace. "Enter. This old man already knows of your matter."

"Thank you, Patriarch." Tang Lai let out a long breath and stepped into the palace.

The instant he entered, the surrounding scene changed drastically. It was no longer the empty expanse he had seen outside, but a bustling marketplace packed with people. There was no trace of a palace anywhere.

Shoulder to shoulder with the crowd, Tang Lai moved slowly along with the stream of people like an ordinary man. Though a hint of anxiety showed on his face, he did not dare act rashly.

After roughly the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, the crowd gradually dispersed. Tang Lai arrived before a vermilion-lacquered gate and looked up to see two large characters emblazoned upon its plaque—

Pan Household!

"What is this?" Tang Lai's pupils contracted, and his gaze immediately turned sharp.

Through the Flowing Light Technique, he had learned that his grandson Tang Yi had been staying at the Pan Household in Yuan Ning these past few days. His final calamity had likewise occurred at the Pan Household.

Just as he hesitated, the aged voice rang out again.

"Go in."

Hearing the voice, Tang Lai instinctively pushed open the vermilion gate and stepped inside. Day and night instantly reversed, Stars Shift, and the noisy crowd and clamoring voices outside the courtyard vanished. Daylight was gone; night descended.

The Pan Household was brilliantly lit, with screams rising one after another.

Awoo!

A giant wolf leaped about in the front courtyard, flames covering its body and bursting without cease, as if it were battling something invisible.

"So this is the scene of the fight?"

Tang Lai showed no surprise at what he saw. He had long heard of this Patriarch's abilities. He had sought this audience precisely to find out what his grandson had encountered, enough to destroy his physical body.

At that moment, Tang Lai's expression suddenly changed. His entire body shuddered as a vague sensation came over him.

"His soul is gone! My grandson's soul is gone!"

He roared, his body trembling as a terrifying aura erupted from him. Yet it had no effect whatsoever on the surrounding Pan Household scene.

Suddenly, a vast will descended and forcibly crushed Tang Lai's aura back down.

"How have you cultivated? You already bear Twin Rib Patterns, and your Central Pivot is unmoved, yet an external matter can still throw your mind into disarray? Have you spent a hundred years cultivating only to end up a dog?"

The aged voice rang out like a great bell and mighty drum, shaking the Eight Directions and jolting the enraged Tang Lai awake.

"Patriarch!" Grief filled Tang Lai's face. "Back then, this disciple pursued the Dao at all costs and neglected my Lineage, wife, and children. The Lineage declined because of it and nearly perished. My wife, children, and descendants all died miserably, leaving only this grandson behind. I had hoped to make it up to him properly, but now... I beg Patriarch to use your arts and save him!"

"How can he be saved? His soul has scattered and his spirit has vanished. He cannot even enter the Netherworld; he has been utterly wiped away, smoke and dust dispersed. This old man cannot overturn life and death or reverse the Time River. The one who acted was quite decisive. This makes divination even more difficult."

"Patriarch..." The grief on Tang Lai's face deepened. Just then, a commotion arose from the inner residence of the Pan Household. Tang Yi, his face full of shock, came flying through the air as though something had struck him forward.

"As expected! It was that Living Soul! That Living Soul that lured in the Wolf Demon was the true culprit!" Tang Lai's expression changed, filling with venomous hatred and resentment. "I beg Patriarch to divine this person's origins. Your disciple's disciple will personally finish him!"

"This person has some means. He invoked a deity, burned away the Karma, and obscured himself beyond sight. Even the Sealing Spirit Diagram in your grandson's hand was cut off by Divine Power. This old man will have difficulty deducing his origins in the short term."

"What? Even Patriarch cannot deduce it?" Tang Lai's expression changed dramatically, revealing his unwillingness.

"So be it. This matter may not be without benefit to you. Malice clings to your body. If you can break free from it and see through worldly ties, your Second Turn will be complete. This old man will now seal the palace and divine for you, lending you a hand."

As those words fell, Tang Yi's scream came from nearby. The Wolf Demon swallowed him whole, and then the light and shadows scattered. The Pan Household ceased to exist, leaving only an empty, dim palace, its floor covered in dust.

Tang Lai closed his eyes in pain. When he opened them again, he had already regained his calm. "What is this Wolf Demon's origin?" he asked.

"This old man does not have the Wolf Demon's birth characters. But since he destroyed Tang Yi's body and devoured his soul, traces can still be followed. Misfortune and fortune have no gate; people summon them themselves. 'Demonic aura comes from the south, touching earth and bearing gold.' It should be a spirit born in the Southern Border of Jiannan Circuit."

"The Southern Border of Jiannan Circuit!"

Committing those words to memory, Tang Lai gave a cold laugh. "And that Pan Household—they failed in their protection, so they should not think..."

"The Pan Household cannot be touched!" the aged voice sounded again. "Three members of the Pan Household hold posts in the court and enjoy the favor of Dragon Court Fortune. Moreover, their family has studied the classics for generations, making them disciples of the sages. Those of us outside the secular world cannot vent our anger upon the Pan Clan over another matter so long as there is no Karma or enmity between us!"

Hearing this, Tang Lai's face darkened, but he quickly recovered. "This disciple understands."

"Good. Then this old man has nothing more to instruct you on. Among my branch, you possess the highest aptitude and are the most likely to inherit my mantle. But remember to act within your means. If something cannot be done, let it go. Do not let a century of cultivation come to nothing. Go."

As the words faded, Tang Lai felt wind rise around him. A fierce gale swept through, making the surrounding scene impossible to distinguish. When the currents finally settled, he was already back in his own loft.

Rising to his feet, Tang Lai took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming. He walked aside, took out paper and brush, and without grinding any ink, began to write. Light flowed beneath his brush as he wrote a letter. Then, after pondering for a moment, he removed a Jade Bracelet from his wrist and knocked on the table three times.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Very soon, a topknotted boy entered from outside. Fair-faced and dressed in blue, he immediately fell to the ground and bowed upon seeing Tang Lai, calling him "Master."

"Go up the mountain and find two mountain-guarding beasts. Take this letter and bracelet down the mountain. Find Xi Yun and give him the letter. Leave the bracelet for the mountain beasts."

"Yes!" Receiving the order, the boy accepted the letter and bracelet with both hands, then turned and left.

Watching the boy's retreating figure, cold light flickered repeatedly in Tang Lai's eyes.

"Yi'er, rest assured. Grandfather will avenge you. Not a single person connected to this matter will escape! We'll start with the stewards of those four families..."

P.S. Thanks to reader "Dance of the Firmament" for the reward!