A family? A legacy!

"So in this world, immortal cultivators and mortals weren't so far apart after all."

He held a sheaf of papers between his fingers, most of them handwritten by Hua Hong. The fellow's handwriting was truly appalling, twisting like slithering snakes and crawling ants. He had strained his eyes just to make it out.

He was currently on the frontier of the Zhao Kingdom in the Northern Lands. Six garrison towns maintained troops along the border year-round, guarding against incursions by barbarians and enemy states. Such arrangements showed that the Zhao Kingdom's strength was not to be underestimated.

The Zhao Kingdom comprised five prefectures: You Province, Yan Province, Cloud Province, Dai Province, and Shuofang. Its renowned Immortal Sect was called the Chiling Sect. Together with the alliance formed by the sects and immortal abbeys of the Northern Wei Six Mountains, they governed matters concerning immortals and demons across three provinces.

His current location lay very far from You Province. Within this region, only the three great aristocratic clans of Gao, Mu, and Yuchi held sway, each supported by powerful Outer Scenery cultivators of the Manifest and True grades. They were the three towering powers here. The remaining minor households numbered twelve altogether and amounted to little.

None of that mattered much.

What truly made Li Fuchan's heart sink was something else.

"The Northern Wei Six Mountains were actually moved there by force. Over two hundred years ago, those six mountains and Black Mountain should originally have stood together."

"They moved all six mountains, so why did they leave Black Mountain behind? And why move them so far away? How utterly selfish!"

After the incident with the Flying Earthworm, Li Fuchan no longer dared treat the world's many coincidences as ordinary. The affairs of the world were fickle; one careless step could land him in someone's carefully laid trap, counting the money for the very person who sold him.

He studied the Regional Maps over and over, growing more alarmed with every look.

Not only were the Gao, Mu, and Yuchi clans far from Black Mountain, but none of them had ever come here to recruit disciples. Nor had any of the twelve minor households brought this enormous mountain under their jurisdiction.

Scattered across the Regional Maps, these powers seemed faintly to form a circle, enclosing Black Mountain at its center.

A prison drawn upon the ground—Black Mountain seemed to have become a forbidden wasteland where cultivation was barred.

This is bad, bad, bad...

Li Fuchan inwardly cried out in dismay, a chill running down his spine.

I've only just arrived, and I blundered straight in here. Could there be a colossal pit waiting for me to jump into? Is this where my death tribulation will strike?

Before he could devise a way to extricate himself and recuperate elsewhere, the sound of gongs and drums suddenly rose in the mountains.

Amid the noise came several calls: "We invite the lord of Black Mountain to tour and dredge!"

"Xu Xuan?"

Illuminating Light trembled in warning.

Li Fuchan started. "I knew it. How could everything possibly go smoothly? Here it fucking comes."

Li Fuchan immediately slipped out of the mountain and spotted Hua Hong resting in the shade some distance away. He went over and woke him.

Seeing Li Fuchan, Hua Hong hurried to his feet to bow. Li Fuchan firmly held him up and smiled. "Senior brother, your opportunity is about to arrive."

Hua Hong froze, then remembered that two days earlier Li Fuchan had promised him an opportunity. Tears and snot streamed down his face in gratitude, and he was beside himself with joy. "Thank you for raising me up, junior brother. I'll remember your kindness until my teeth have all fallen out."

Looking at Hua Hong, whom his Illuminating Light had nearly crushed into an idiot, Li Fuchan smiled and nodded. "Of course, of course."

Another half day passed. The sun slanted westward, and blazing clouds spread across the horizon, dyeing the mountain wilderness crimson.

Just then, a long procession finally appeared at the edge of sight. Yet from a distance, they all seemed to be elderly people, white-haired and unsteady on their feet, their faces solemn.

At the head of the procession, several elders carried long white banners depicting wind, rain, thunder, and lightning. Behind them came incense stands and offering tables draped in red cloth, followed by the three sacrificial animals. The sturdier old men carried pigs and sheep on their shoulders, the animals grunting and struggling.

The procession wound along for almost an hour before reaching the foot of Black Mountain. Without much discussion, the elders set out the incense stands and offering tables in a practiced row, then arranged the three animals: the pig in the middle, the sheep on the left, and the ox on the right, all facing Black Mountain.

Three thick sticks of incense were placed in the burner. Wisps of blue smoke rose straight into the air in the windless dusk.

Once everything was ready, Xu Xuan stepped half a pace aside and knelt. The oldest man tottered forward two steps, holding an uninscribed spirit tablet. Raising it above his head, he knelt reverently toward Black Mountain.

Behind him, dozens of elders knelt together, their White Banner drooping.

The old man kowtowed three times, drawing out his words:

"Lord of Great Black Mountain above, we humble folk have come as agreed. With three animals as offerings and incense as tribute, we beseech you to reveal your honored title and name, so that our children and grandchildren may never forget to worship you at festivals..."

Having called out, he bowed again.

For a moment, the whole mountain fell silent. Only the incense glimmered as dusk closed in on every side.

Xu Xuan clenched his teeth without speaking, his heart uneasy.

Humans don't care for us, immortals don't want us, and a demon has come to save us. Father, just you watch. The Xu Household's legacy will begin with me.

By now, Li Fuchan had severed the blood vessels that had so painstakingly grown from his Yang Vessel and moved the organ into Brow Peak, preparing to leave and recuperate elsewhere.

Naturally, this damaged his very foundation. His magical light had dimmed considerably, and even the time needed to restore his fleshly body had stretched from a little over ten years to thirty. But something was clearly wrong with Black Mountain. If he did not escape, sooner or later he would be finished.

Now, listening to those people's voices,

he recalled what was recorded in the accounts of geomancy and strange phenomena Hua Hong had found.

When demons occupied mountains and waters and linked themselves to the entire terrain, a title would naturally arise, which people would recite in worship.

He had never linked himself to the terrain, but with the inspiration he had gained from the title above Flying Earthworm's cave, inventing one was not difficult. Besides, Black Mountain truly did have a master at present. It was merely half truth and half falsehood.

The next moment,

a faint layer of Golden Light appeared on Black Mountain's cliff face. As the light flowed, a line of characters slowly emerged. Ancient and bold, they shone gold against the darkening sky, clear enough to leave all the elders staring in astonishment.

The words on the cliff read—

"Red Serpent Lord of Great Black Mountain, Born of the Hidden Flood Dragon Beneath the Azure Heaven"

The old man at the front widened his dim eyes. By the last trace of daylight, he carefully read the entire line several times. Suddenly, his whole body trembled, and he cried out in mingled joy and amazement. "There it is! There it is! Our lord has bestowed his title!"

He shakily turned and lifted the blank spirit tablet high. A younger man waiting nearby promptly handed him a carving knife. Taking a deep breath and steadying his wrist, the elder carved the honored title into the tablet, stroke by stroke.

The carving knife tapped against the wood. At the dusk-shrouded foot of the mountain, the sound mingled with the thinning incense smoke and melted into the deepening night.

Suppressing his wild delight, Xu Xuan said from behind the elder, "Grandpa Huang, once this succeeds, I'll personally bring Brother Tongzhi into the Ning Household to manage its affairs."

Old Huang smiled. "Tongzhi is a simple fellow, not as clever as you. He isn't fit to manage things. I only hope you'll remember today and keep others from bullying him in the future."

"Grandpa Huang, what are you saying? As long as I enjoy even one day of prosperity, Brother Tongzhi will never be wronged. Neither will you."

Old Huang smiled.

Xu Xuan suppressed his excitement, rose, and called out, "We respectfully invite the Red Serpent Lord of Great Black Mountain, Born of the Hidden Flood Dragon Beneath the Azure Heaven!"

"May our lord partake!"

As his words fell, several people carried forward a person covered in black cloth.

They placed the person on the offering table.

Watching from hiding, Li Fuchan's brow twitched. "I wondered why he said four sacrificial animals. So this is what he meant."

He looked at Xu Xuan, whose excitement was impossible to conceal, then at the Human Sacrifice beneath the black cloth. His brows knitted. "Worship is one thing, but what is this supposed to be?"

Xu Xuan personally took up the knife. First he slit the dark sheep's throat, then killed the black pig, and finally slaughtered the black ox. With the three animals finished, he turned to the person lying motionless inside the black sack, seemingly sunk in despair.

He drew a deep breath and said gravely, "I will support your parents, wife, and children. Xu Xuan thanks you."

With that, he stabbed down. Rich blood seeped out. For some reason, a sudden, inexplicable terror rose in Xu Xuan's heart, and cold sweat instantly drenched him.

Seeing Human Sacrifice lying motionless before him, Xu Xuan turned to look at the elders behind him, who had abruptly fallen silent.

The gongs stopped, the drums stopped, and the chanting ceased...

Every one of them rose and stared at him.

When he had sought people to carry out this task, he had mostly approached strong young men. But after returning home, those young men never came back out. Only these village elders had come, saying they wanted to win a good future for their children and grandchildren. Even if the Monster went mad, they were old and their deaths would be no great loss; all they asked was that the young be spared.

Xu Xuan naturally did not believe Black Mountain's demon would go mad. Otherwise, it would have eaten him long ago. He was grateful for the elders' understanding.

Now their silent stares sent a chill through Xu Xuan's heart.

"Uncles, you..."

Xu Xuan opened his mouth. Suddenly, a hand settled on his shoulder from behind.

Xu Xuan whipped around.

The man sat on the offering table, the black cloth still beneath him. A sacrificial knife jutted from his blood-soaked chest, and his face was expressionless.

Xu Xuan recoiled several steps in fright and fell to the ground, his splendid clothes covered in dust. He cried out involuntarily:

"Father. You..."

The person he had treated as Human Sacrifice was Xu Sansheng.

Xu Sansheng quietly regarded his eldest son.

His son was still young, at the age of craving power and profit, competing in courage and ruthlessness. Before, Xu Sansheng had failed to see through him. Now that he had, sorrow and joy mingled in his heart.

This was a secret. Twenty-six years earlier, he had gone up the mountain seeking the snake to avenge his father. Only when it arrived did he understand: this was no ordinary snake, but a great python that had become a demon. Back then, like Xu Xuan, his heart had been filled with power and his eyes with profit. He had wanted to negotiate with the python, only for it to toy with him. He watched helplessly as it swallowed his father, who could still have survived, and spat out nothing but his clothes.

It was then that he understood: demons were branded demons precisely because they were vicious and cruel, heartless and murderous, without mercy, fidelity, or righteousness.

The python had wanted to kill him, and in his fury he had wanted to avenge his father. The outcome needed no explanation.

An immortal master from Flying Yellow Mountain had saved him, killing the python with a wave of his hand.

He had also asked the immortal why all six mountains had withdrawn from this place, taking their people with them, yet leaving those of Black Mountain behind.

The immortal master said, "Over the coming decades, Black Mountain will be bound up in matters of grave consequence. It cannot be disturbed lightly. Your generation has lived off this mountain. Though you possess some spiritual aptitude and Wisdom Light, you have become entangled in its consequences and will find it hard to attain good fortune."

Xu Sansheng immediately wept without restraint, bowing and pleading. "I beg you, immortal master, show us mercy."

The immortal master said, "Seeing that you have lost your father and possess some light of wisdom, I will make you a promise. Once your generation has died out, if your descendants have never burned Black Mountain's firewood or eaten its fruit, and you make your lineage kill every snake and strike down every insect they see, you will thus sever your ties to Black Mountain's consequences. Then we of Flying Yellow Mountain will come to take you under our rule."

After the immortal master left, Xu Sansheng skinned the python, wrapped his father's clothes inside its hide, filled it with stones, and carried it down the mountain, declaring that he had avenged his father.

Using the authority this gave him, he killed several wicked household heads and forcibly took possession of Black Mountain, marking it as the Xu Household's territory. Without an approved permit, no one could climb the mountain to cut wood; without written authorization, no one could hunt there.

He then partnered with outside merchants and started doing business. After several difficult years, he finally freed the people of all three villages from having to depend on Black Mountain for their livelihoods.

Over the years, those who trusted him remained; those who did not, he secretly eliminated.

Now, only these elders were left...

Previously, he had lacked the resolve. After all, none of the younger generation had yet been capable enough, and he also feared that the immortal master had deceived him.

Now that was no longer necessary. Xu Xuan was a younger version of himself, and this timely opportunity had allowed him to make up his mind. How was Black Mountain's Monster and its coercion any different from the python back then?

Between the immortal master and the Monster, which was good, which was evil, and whom he should trust—he no longer hesitated.

Xu Sansheng spoke hoarsely, still enduring the pain in his chest. "Xuan, come here."

By now, Xu Xuan had been frightened out of his wits. His limbs were limp, his back icy, and tears and snot streamed onto his collar. In his wretched state, nothing remained of his earlier high spirits. Old Huang and the former drummer lifted him and brought him before Xu Sansheng.

Xu Sansheng revealed his secret. Awareness gradually returned to Xu Xuan's eyes. "Father..."

Xu Sansheng waved a hand. "Whether to trust the Monster or the immortal master—I hesitated just as you did. But the Monster killed my father, and I hated it, so I trusted the immortal master. Today, you too have killed your father because of a Monster. You have no room left to hesitate."

Xu Sansheng glanced at the three shriveled animals beside him, then surveyed Black Mountain. He said evenly, "A title does not lie. The Red Serpent Lord is unquestionably a snake demon. I dosed these sacrificial animals with snake venom. It must be suffering now. Once we die, let it drink its fill of blood baleful intent. Even if it survives, it will be crippled. You need only wait peacefully for the immortal master to come and receive you."

Xu Xuan had now fully recovered his senses. Grief and terror filled his heart, and tears blurred his eyes. He reached for Xu Sansheng, hoping to take him away, but his father seized him instead, his clouded eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.

Xu Sansheng's voice lost some of its calm as he said fiercely, "Now that I'm dying, you won't have an easy life either. You must remember my words today every moment. Let them pierce deeper than this knife!"

"You may pursue profit, but never betray your conscience; you may secure your own future, but never betray righteousness."

"You may tolerate others, but never indulge evil; you may be gentle, but never show weakness."

"You may wield power, but never pervert the law; you may favor your own, but never harm the people."

"You may cultivate, but never eat people."

"May I be the last person you 'eat.'"

Xu Sansheng's final words fell heavily.

With that, he closed his eyes and toppled backward, rigid.

The elders did not hesitate either. All of them hurled themselves against Black Mountain, blood splashing everywhere as they died gruesome deaths.

A surge of blood baleful intent rose.

Dimly, a shrill, furious howl rang in Xu Xuan's ears. "Aaargh! Li Fuchan, you beast! May you die a horrible death! A horrible death!!!"

Yet he paid it no heed, standing frozen in place. When he raised his head again, a middle-aged man in a yellow robe patterned with black had appeared before him at some unknown point.

Hands clasped behind his back, the man looked toward the shadows beside Black Mountain and frowned. "Human or demon? What audacity, daring to cultivate on Black Mountain?"

By this point, Li Fuchan had already fled far away. Feeling the gaze barely brush past behind him, with Illuminating Light within Brow Peak flickering on the verge of collapse, he cursed under his breath. "I knew it. I knew it. This world is dangerous everywhere. A bunch of mortals nearly killed me, yet I was still thinking of controlling them from the shadows and building an aristocratic clan. I was far too careless. Now even a cultivator has appeared. Thank goodness I ran fast enough."

Three months later.

Immortal cultivators from Peaceful Way Abbey on Flying Yellow Mountain did indeed come to Black Mountain's three villages. After conducting a selection, they initiated one member of the Xu family and took away two others. The rest had no aptitude for cultivation. They were merely granted tokens indicating that the three villages were now under an immortal sect's jurisdiction, exempting them from the Zhao Kingdom's taxes and corvée labor.

However, they were given no spiritual rice seeds or the like, nor were they required to provide offerings or pay taxes. The cultivators merely explained that the spiritual vitality here had been cut off, making spiritual rice impossible to grow. They were told to manage their affairs well. In thirty years, once their ties to Black Mountain were completely severed, they would be brought to settle beneath Flying Yellow Mountain.

On the day the immortal masters departed, Xu Xuan watched from the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back. Youthful immaturity and viciousness had faded from his face, leaving a grave, seasoned air.

Of the two taken away, one was surnamed Liu and the other Huang. The latter was Old Huang's only son.

"Elder brother, I'm leaving to cultivate."

Beside him, his third brother, Xu Wen, cupped his hands.

He was the Xu family member who had been initiated. Xu Xuan's own light of wisdom was insufficient, and his spiritual aptitude did not manifest, so naturally he could not cultivate.

He nodded. "Focus on your cultivation. I'll manage everything at the Ning Household. If you need anything, send someone to tell me."

"Yes."

After Xu Wen left,

Xu Xuan remained silent for a long time. Only after a while did he mutter, "Thank goodness it wasn't me."