A Brief Respite (3)

The direct disciples here were immediately intrigued.

Though they were already the cream of the crop among the many disciples, their means of learning about the world beyond the Lingshu Heaven Domain were truly limited. Most of what they knew came from scattered snippets in books and ancient records, or vague impressions pieced together from storytellers' tales.

The Hundred Sects Tournament, held once every ten years, was hosted in rotation by different prestigious sects and great schools, and some sects from the Outer Domain did take part.

However, they had only been in their sects for ten or twenty years at most. Besides, the Four Clans and Three Monarchies, as well as the Demon Race, had always disdained to participate in such contests held by cultivation sects.

Moreover, most sects were still concentrated in the Lingshu Heaven Domain. Naturally, the Hundred Sects Tournament was usually held there as well. With all these reasons intertwined, none of them had ever truly set foot in the Outer Domain.

These spirited young men and women had always been filled with boundless yearning for the unknown world. It was one thing when no one mentioned it, but now that Lin Huaixu had brought it up, the curiosity in their hearts burst forth like water from a breached dam and could no longer be held back.

They crowded around him, eagerly urging Lin Huaixu to continue. Unfortunately, he could only spread his hands helplessly. "That is all I know about the Outer Domain."

Amid the disappointed sighs of her junior brothers and sisters, Zhou Wan lightly covered her mouth and smiled. "Junior Brother, stop teasing them. Even if you have no news about the Outer Domain, you must have other interesting stories, right?"

At her words, everyone immediately perked up again.

Yet Feng Yue felt an inexplicable unease stir in his heart, like ripples spreading across an otherwise placid lake, giving him a faint sense of impending misfortune.

Sure enough, at that very moment, Lin Huaixu's peach-blossom eyes, brimming with springtime laughter, turned directly toward him. With a teasing expression on his face, Lin Huaixu said with a half-smile, "Third Senior Brother, how come I have never heard you mention that you know someone from the Four Ancient Clans?"

That was right. This fellow, who always loved excitement and whose curiosity knew no bounds, had ultimately failed to restrain himself and opened his mouth to court disaster like a moth flying into the flames.

Feng Yue froze, his face full of confusion. His swordlike brows drew together slightly as he asked, utterly perplexed, "When did I ever know anyone from the Four Ancient Clans?"

Seeing that he truly had not caught on at all, Lin Huaixu could not help frowning faintly, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes. "Wait, do you really not know anything?"

"Know what? Stop speaking in riddles and just tell me plainly." Feng Yue still looked utterly lost, the confusion in his eyes growing heavier.

"..." Lin Huaixu looked at Feng Yue, this steel-straight man who only knew how to bury himself in cultivation, with pity all over his face. Feng Yue's fists tightened at that look.

"Third Senior Brother, do you not have a marriage alliance? The one whose other party ran away from the wedding without a word." Lin Huaixu shook his head helplessly and reminded him kindly.

The moment the junior brothers and sisters heard that, they erupted like a pot boiling over.

"!!! Good heavens, you really brought up the one pot that would not boil! Fifth Senior Brother, you truly are a warrior!"

Feng Yue: "..."

After quite a while, he seemed to finally realize something. A flash of understanding crossed his eyes as he asked hesitantly, "You mean..."

"That is right. Your never-before-seen marriage alliance partner is a descendant of the Nian Clan, one of the Four Ancient Clans." Lin Huaixu spoke with certainty, smugly waving the folding fan in his hand.

"The ancient Nian Clan?" Song Zhiyi repeated in surprise, his eyes widening round with disbelief written all over his face.

"So they looked down on Third Senior Brother? What kind of ancient clan is that? They are downright dog-eyed and look down on people!" Little Junior Sister said angrily, her little face flushed red as she planted both hands on her hips.

"..." Feng Yue was left speechless. His lips moved slightly, but he could not force out a single word. He truly had not expected to be looked down upon for no reason in such circumstances.

"Hold on!" Lin Huaixu lifted his folding fan and lightly tapped it against the table, signaling everyone to quiet down. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face.

"In my opinion, that may not be the case. Second Senior Brother's exact words were—'I hope Third Junior Brother's life is tough enough.' I am afraid there is some complicated entanglement between that marriage alliance partner and Third Senior Brother."

Feng Yue's face was filled with confusion. "??? Why did my life suddenly need to be tough enough??"

Ye Jingxuan suddenly understood. "So that is how it is."

Everyone turned to look at him and asked in unison, "What do you mean, so that is how it is? Stop keeping us in suspense."

Ye Jingxuan looked embarrassed. He scratched his head and explained, "Did Second Senior Brother not mention Third Senior Brother's marriage fate before? That thing about..."

At his reminder, Feng Yue suddenly remembered too. The words "dual cultivation" and "crippled his cultivation for a beauty" flashed through his mind like lightning, and his face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot.

Lin Huaixu had not known about this matter before. The instant he heard it, his curiosity exploded like a powder keg set alight.

Ye Jingxuan still considered his senior brother's dignity and did not put it too bluntly. But Little Junior Sister failed to notice Feng Yue's darkened face and blurted out carelessly, "Oh, oh! That one! 'Well, Third Junior Brother crippled his cultivation for a beauty, after all.'"

This little girl remembered Shen Yuxi's words perfectly and imitated them with uncanny accuracy. Her tone and expression were exactly the same. Feng Yue's face grew even uglier, so dark it seemed ready to drip water.

Lin Huaixu said excitedly, "A descendant of an ancient clan, fleeing a marriage, crippling his cultivation for a beauty—I think I also heard something about dual cultivation? Wow, Third Senior Brother, I am suddenly unbearably curious about the emotional entanglement between you and this fiancée. How about I go ask around for you again? Maybe I can dig up even more interesting things."

"You are not allowed to go!" Feng Yue stopped him in a hurry, his voice rising unconsciously, panic written all over his face. Once all that information was pieced together, it really was more than he could bear.

At this moment, Feng Yue had absolutely no desire to learn anything more. The information he already knew was enough to make his head feel as though it were about to explode.

Seeing Feng Yue so tense, Lin Huaixu found the matter even more amusing. A crafty gleam flickered in his eyes as he pretended to feel wronged. "Third Senior Brother, why are you being so fierce? I am only concerned about you."

Feng Yue took a deep breath and tried to calm the turmoil in his heart. He shot Lin Huaixu a fierce glare. "Stop making trouble here. This matter ends now. No one is allowed to mention it again."

But how could the junior brothers and sisters let such a juicy piece of gossip go so easily? Little Junior Sister tugged at Feng Yue's sleeve and wheedled, "Third Senior Brother, tell us a little more. What exactly happened? Why did they flee the marriage?"

Feng Yue sighed helplessly, looking as though his head ached terribly. "I really do not know. We never even met. The marriage alliance was decided by the elders of our families, and I only learned the details from all of you today."

Zhou Wan gently stroked the rim of her teacup, her fingertips tracing faint watery marks across the celadon. She said softly, "Since it was a marriage arranged by the family, that person must have had some unspeakable hardship to resort to such a helpless act as fleeing the wedding."

"Hmph! What hardship cannot be spoken aloud?" Little Junior Sister slammed the table, making the tea and pastry dishes clatter. Puffing up her cheeks, she grabbed a piece of osmanthus cake. "I say they simply looked down on our Third Senior Brother. Who does not know that these ancient clans have always held their heads high in the clouds? They do not deign to associate with sects or cultivation families at all."

"Ow!" Before she had even finished speaking, Lin Huaixu's folding fan lightly tapped her hair bun. He leaned against the bamboo railing, moonlight painting his features like a picture while the ink bamboo on his fan seemed to come alive beneath the moon.

Looking at Little Junior Sister as she held her head and protested, he raised a brow slightly and said with a half-smile, "You little girl, where did you hear that nonsense?"

Little Junior Sister hurriedly covered her head. She looked both aggrieved and stubborn as she muttered, "Everyone says so!"

"That does not mean it is necessarily true." Eighth Junior Sister Chu Xuan lounged over the table, one elbow propped against it and her chin resting in her palm. Her sleeve had slipped down slightly, revealing the red cord tied around her wrist with a copper coin.

The wine jar beside her was already empty. Whether she was sleepy or tipsy was unclear. With her eyes half-closed, she said lazily, "Quite a few people say such things, but most are nobodies passing rumors from mouth to mouth. I have never heard any renowned senior say anything like that."

Zhou Wan tapped her fingertips against the table in a steady rhythm. From afar came the soft rustle of bamboo leaves, blending strangely with her tapping.

"Come to think of it, it is odd. I have practically searched through every Chronicle of the Nine Domains in the Scripture Pavilion, yet the records concerning the Four Ancient Clans are all vague and unclear."

Tilting her head slightly, she said thoughtfully, "The rumors among the common folk, on the other hand, are told with great color and detail. But if one presses for specifics, no one can give a concrete example."

"Senior Sister, that is because you have not heard enough." Lin Huaixu teased with a smile. "Some teahouse storytellers can make even the number of dishes served at a Four Ancient Clans family banquet sound vividly real."

"But... that is indeed true." Lin Huaixu snapped open his folding fan, and the ink bamboo painted on it trembled faintly with the motion.

The smile vanished from his face, and his expression turned serious. "That is precisely what makes it so strange. The Three Imperial Dynasties have the detailed Annals of Mountains and Rivers, yet the Four Ancient Clans are famous only by name. Everything we hear about them is nothing but street gossip. Strange indeed, strange indeed."

"Even Fifth Senior Brother has not heard much?" Little Junior Sister asked curiously, raising her head.

Lin Huaixu considered for a moment. "I know a little of the surface. You all know about the Heavenly Demon Abyss, right?"

"Who does not know that?" Chu Xuan yawned against the corridor pillar, the scent of wine spilling from her broad sleeves. The corners of her eyes carried a drunken haze, and she looked as though she might fall asleep at any moment. "Is it not the place said to seal away the Devil Race?"

Lin Huaixu nodded and continued, "A thousand years ago, the Devil Race shattered the boundary wall. For a time, heaven and earth changed color, and all living things suffered devastation. With the aid of the sects at the time, the heads of the Four Ancient Clans used themselves as sacrifices and exhausted every last ounce of strength to suppress the Devil Race forever at the bottom of the abyss."

Little Junior Sister curled her lips, unconvinced. "After the war, the Unquenchable Sect was established, and the Unquenchable Sect's founder swore to guard the seal generation after generation, preventing the Devil Race from returning to the mortal world. Even three-year-old children know that story. Senior Brother still wants to tell it?"

"Do not rush." His lips curved upward as he lightly tapped the folding fan against his palm. "Rumor has it that the great war exhausted the foundations of the ancient clans. The four clans were gravely weakened, and from then on, they all withdrew from the world, leaving no trace behind."

A bamboo leaf drifted into a cup, sending tiny ripples across the water. Lin Huaixu rubbed the rim of the cup with his fingertips and watched the bamboo leaf spin as he continued.

"Today, what the world knows of the ancient clans is the Nian Clan's tale of unwavering devotion to their Dao companions. Yet aside from those folk ballads, we know nothing about the Nian Clan. Their descendants never set foot in the mortal world, and information between the Nine Domains does not flow freely. It is as though they live in another world."

Lin Huaixu rubbed the fan ribs with his fingertips, a faintly mocking expression on his face. "Next is the Ling Clan. Speaking of the Ling Clan, the street rumors are even more exciting than a storyteller's script.

Some say they can control the weather, while others claim they raise wicked beasts. But every version differs, and the descriptions vary as much as heaven and earth. Gather them all together, and one could compile an entire Strange Tales of the Nine Domains. It is completely baseless slander.

After being spread for so long, even if there were a grain of truth in it, it would have become some absurd stage play." Lin Huaixu shook his head helplessly, finding those rumors both amusing and exasperating.

"As for the Ye Clan..." His voice suddenly lowered, carrying a hint of temptation. "I have indeed heard some interesting news."

He suddenly leaned closer. Everyone instinctively held their breath, and even Chu Xuan opened her hazy drunken eyes.

"At some unknown time, a number of mysterious assassin organizations quietly emerged in the martial world. They acted in secret, like ghosts hidden in the dark.

They never asked for reasons, only recognized money. Every one of them possessed profound cultivation and vicious methods. No matter how deeply their target hid or how high their cultivation was, so long as the price was right, the target would certainly be found dead the next day.

And no matter how painstakingly others investigated, they could never uncover those assassins' origins, as though they had appeared from thin air."

Ye Jingxuan sucked in a cold breath. "Could it be..."

"It is exactly that 'could it be.'" Lin Huaixu tapped the surface of his fan with a fingertip. "Under the weight of a fortune in gold, the All-Knowing Network, which claimed to know all matters under heaven, finally loosened its lips—the assassins who followed their prey like shadows were actually descendants of the once world-saving Ye Clan."

Little Junior Sister could not help covering her lips and letting out a muffled gasp.

"It is said that severe internal strife broke out within the Ye Clan. The clan gradually declined, and with no other choice, they turned to this for survival."

Hearing this, Ye Jingxuan could not help sighing with deep emotion. "The Four Ancient Clans... they were heroic families that saved the entire Nine Domains. Have they really fallen to such a state?"

Zhou Wan also could not help sighing softly. "It truly is lamentable."

Lin Huaixu's expression suddenly sharpened as he said solemnly, "Do not underestimate them. A starving camel is still bigger than a horse."

His folding fan snapped shut. "The All-Knowing Network had forces spread throughout the Nine Domains and thought it held every secret in the world in its grasp. And what happened? Because it leaked information about the Ye Clan, the Ye Clan purged it. In a single night, every stronghold in the entire Silent Night Dark Domain was uprooted, and blood ran through the ditches for three full days.

From then on, they had no choice but to tuck their tails between their legs. Whenever ancient clans were involved, they no longer dared speak carelessly.

Even if they became assassins to make a living, that does not mean just anyone can step on them twice."

Feng Yue frowned slightly, looking thoughtful. "The All-Knowing Network indeed brought it upon itself, but exterminating them over this was somewhat excessive."

"Perhaps it is a difference in local customs. Those fools from the All-Knowing Network." Lin Huaixu suddenly gave a cold laugh, disdain flashing through his eyes. "What did they think the Dark Domain was? Back then, the Ye Clan took in Demonic Cultivators expelled from every domain, so it was destined to follow the law of the jungle.

The Ye Clan was not especially repulsed by the existence of Demonic Cultivators, but Demonic Cultivators were rejected precisely because they were prone to losing control. They had also caused casualties for the Ye Clan.

The normal state of the Silent Night Dark Domain was slaughter. Without conflict, everyone lived in peace. Once there was conflict, one died and one lived, and peace lasted until the next conflict arose."

"That is the Dark Domain's way of survival." Lin Huaixu looked toward the deepening night sky above. "The All-Knowing Network could be said to have followed the local customs. After being eaten once, they learned their lesson. New strongholds surely still appeared afterward, but they definitely no longer dared to display themselves so openly as before."

"As for the Bai Clan, it is even more mysterious.

Not a shred of information about the Bai Clan can get out. The only thing anyone has heard is that the Bai Clan specializes in forbidden arts and secret techniques.

The Ling Clan seems not to care much about outside rumors, and spreading lies brings no punishment. But everyone fears the Bai Clan's forbidden arts, terrified that they might become entangled in a curse."

As night grew deeper, he looked at the lingering crescent moon on the horizon and concluded, "The Nian Clan is basically cut off from the world, the Ling Clan's rumors are impossible to distinguish from truth, and the Ye Clan is even more taboo to speak of. Everyone knows the Bai Clan excels in forbidden arts, and no one even dares spread rumors about them."

The lanterns beneath the corridor lit up one after another. The figures gathered around the table cast overlapping shadows across the blue bricks, while only Lin Huaixu's voice echoed leisurely through the night, recounting the secrets of a thousand years.

Nine Domains Encyclopedia:

○ Heavenly Demon War

A thousand years ago, the Devil Race shattered the boundary wall and ravaged the world, bringing devastation to all living things and an immense disaster upon the entire Nine Domains.

In the hour of crisis, the Four Ancient Clans stepped forward and took the initiative to unite the forces of the Nine Domains. With the aid of the sects, they exhausted everything and paid a terrible price before finally sealing the Devil Race away.

After the war, the Unquenchable Sect was established, and the Unquenchable Sect's founder swore to guard the seal generation after generation, preventing the Devil Race from returning to the mortal world.

○ Heavenly Demon Abyss

Located within the Nether Abyss Forbidden Domain, it is the core of the Forbidden Domain. A thousand years ago, the cultivation world joined forces to seal the Devil Race here. Demonic qi surged like black undercurrents, constantly threatening every realm. The seal only targeted Devil Race members whose demonic qi had reached a certain level of strength; weaker Devil Race members could instead pass through the seal more easily.

It is guarded generation after generation by disciples of the Unquenchable Sect. Once any Devil Race member crosses the seal, they will be slain to prevent them from harming the Nine Domains.

○ The difference between the Devil Race and Demonic Cultivators

Demonic Cultivators are defined by their cultivation method. It is a difference in cultivation path.

The Devil Race is defined by innate attributes. It is a difference in race.

Demonic Cultivators are still cultivators, while the Devil Race is simply another species.

○ All-Knowing Network

Its forces are spread throughout the Nine Domains. It controls the world's hidden secrets and claims to know all matters under heaven. Every domain has branches, some openly operated and some concealed, making it the organization that knows each domain's circumstances best.

It makes its living by selling information. Someone once sold information about the Ye Clan and was later purged by them. The branch in the entire Silent Night Dark Domain became a river of blood overnight. After that, it became especially cautious in trading information. (But it still loves stirring up trouble.)

○ [Nether Abyss Forbidden Domain]

Located in the far north of the Nine Domains, it is an abyss.

Within the Nether Abyss Forbidden Domain, eternal day and eternal night coexist, with the sun and moon hanging high in the sky at once. Across this forbidden region known as the "scar of heaven and earth," the ground is covered in crystallized battlefield remains.

A thousand years ago, the cultivation world joined forces to seal the rampaging Devil Race here. Thereafter, the Unquenchable Sect took up the duty of resisting demons. The body cultivators within the sect cultivated in a unique way: they had to temper themselves where demonic qi overflowed, enduring the agonizing pain of its corrosion.

The Heavenly Demon Abyss is the core of the Forbidden Domain. Demonic qi surges like black undercurrents, constantly threatening every realm. Corroded by demonic qi, the Forbidden Domain's air is heavy, its spiritual qi thin, and its atmosphere gloomy, terrifying, and bitterly cold. Yet the disciples of the Unquenchable Sect have never retreated. With their flesh and blood, they built a solid bulwark protecting every realm and became the final line of defense for peace.

The Forbidden Domain is also one of the gathering places for Demonic Cultivators. After Demonic Cultivators were suppressed and driven out from every domain, the Forbidden Domain and the Dark Domain became their two major gathering places. Dawncry Manor is the greatest surviving force at utilizing demonic qi.

Though the Unquenchable Sect and Dawncry Manor have conflicts, during special times they also join hands to reinforce the seal, and they often exchange knowledge regarding demonic qi research.

Though Dawncry Manor looks down equally upon most cultivation sects, regardless of whether they are righteous or wicked, it is far more tolerant toward the Unquenchable Sect. Their relationship is both hostile and friendly.

Major forces: Unquenchable Sect, Dawncry Manor

○ [Silent Night Dark Domain]

Located in the northwest of the Nine Domains, it is dominated by mountains and forests, with jagged strange rocks everywhere. Dense dark qi hangs over the entire region like heavy black clouds, creating an oppressive and sinister feeling.

Demonic Cultivators move about here like ghosts. They devote themselves to cultivating unique Demonic Path techniques, single-mindedly pursuing the pinnacle of power. To that end, their actions and methods are often cruel and strange, filling forces from other domains with fear and vigilance.

Friction and conflicts between the Dark Domain and other domains are unceasing, making it one of the factors of unrest in the cultivation world.

The ancient Ye Clan has also taken root here. The Ye Clan's internal hierarchy is strict, and discrimination born from differences in status is extremely severe. Internal disputes frequently erupt within the clan, yet whenever they face outside invasion, they can instantly cast aside their old grudges, unite in shared hatred, and stand together against the enemy.

The current leader of the Ye Clan harbors extraordinary ambition. Like an eagle lying in wait, he constantly covets a higher position and greater power. As a family of assassins, the Ye Clan has many body cultivators. With their agile movements and superb assassination skills, its members have earned a fearsome reputation in the cultivation world.

Though the Ye Clan and Demonic Cultivators share certain similarities, their natures are as different as heaven and earth.

The Ye Clan is not especially repulsed by the existence of Demonic Cultivators, but Demonic Cultivators have likewise caused casualties for the Ye Clan. The normal state of the Silent Night Dark Domain is slaughter. Without conflict, everyone lives in peace. Once there is conflict, they fight to the death.

Major forces: ancient Ye Clan (Quyang Fort, Pavilion of No Return, Shadow Hall, and so on), Nether Swan Hall