Yun Qing's back went rigid in an instant, as though an invisible hand had seized him. Only after a long while did he slowly relax. He raised his head and looked toward the main hall of Perching Phoenix Hall. Moonlight outlined his tall, straight figure, his double pupils unfathomably deep in the darkness.
Yun Qing closed his eyes. The various factions were like crisscrossing lines on a chessboard, while he himself was both a player and the most dangerous piece on the board. He murmured to himself, a smile curling his lips like moonlight reflected off snow.
"Gentlemen, you wish to make me your pawn, your cauldron, your stepping stone... Then let us see which of us can wield the pieces and claim the throne!"
Inside Perching Phoenix Hall, Yun Huang lounged beside the Black Jade Desk, idly stroking a jade slip. His expression was careless, yet a trace of cold amusement lurked deep within his eyes.
"Strip away the origin to create a false physique? The Twelfth Elder's paltry tricks hardly qualify him to covet the chaos Dao embryo." He gave a derisive laugh. An illusory image appeared above the jade slip: Yun Qing as he had stood earlier, hands behind his back and expression icy.
"A wanton waste of heaven's treasures," Yun Huang pronounced indifferently. They could reproduce its shape but not sustain its spirit. They had no understanding of the chaos Dao embryo's true worth.
Such a physique had been as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns even in the Primordial Wilderness. It could be called the most perfect "Dao foundation" between heaven and earth. Chaos could encompass the world and give rise to all things. To powerful beings who needed to rebuild their foundations, integrate myriad arts, or even pursue transformation to a higher plane, that quality was a treasure beyond compare. Even to him, a reincarnated Immortal Emperor, its benefits were immeasurable.
Yun Huang tapped a fingertip, and Yun Qing's image instantly became a strand of chaos spiritual power swirling in his palm. If I wished to seize his foundation and replace my cauldron... The thought flashed through his mind, then gave way to a more complicated emotion.
"Like fragrant orchids and jade trees, I wish only to see them grow beside my courtyard steps," he recited slowly, his clear, cool voice echoing through the hall.
Since this rare immortal seedling had already taken root in his courtyard and was growing so perfectly to his liking, why should he rush to burn a zither to cook a crane? Would it not be wonderful to nurture it well, let its branches flourish and its leaves grow lush, until it became a landscape unto itself?
Yun Huang's gaze pierced the layers of halls and settled on the tall, slender figure in Serenity Courtyard. A dangerous smile curved his lips. "Very well. This makes it all the more entertaining to admire."
No wonder he always found himself granting Yun Qing a little more indulgence. Such world-shaking talent, paired with that deferential yet cunning disposition and its concealed edge, was indeed rather amusing.
He had intended to lay bare the chaos Dao embryo's secret today and give his elder brother, who was forever dancing along the limits of his tolerance, a good fright. Unfortunately, the Second Elder had been present. The matter was too important; outsiders were better kept ignorant.
Yun Huang's lips curved slightly in the darkness, the smile lending his handsome face an eerie, inscrutable air. "There is no hurry. Another day, I can find a chance to 'explain it all in detail' to him..."
Watching Yun Qing maneuver calmly among the various factions was more interesting anyway. As for the others, his divine sense swept slowly across the entire Yun Clan like an invisible tide, carrying a trace of indifferent scrutiny.
The board was ready, the pieces already moving. As the player, he needed only to watch events unfold and, now and then... place a piece that stirred the winds and thunder.
"This great game reaching to the heavens has only just begun."
As the night deepened, the atmosphere in Yun Hao's courtyard grew oppressive and sorrowful.
Yun Hao's crippling had been like tearing the backbone out of this branch of the family. His parents crowded around their unconscious son, wailing to heaven and beating the earth, and vented their resentment on the Fifth Elder and Yun Ruyi.
"Father! How could you be so heartless? Hao is your own flesh and blood!" Yun Hao's mother sobbed, her gaze venomous. "You simply stood there and watched Yun Huang deal him such a vicious blow?! My poor Hao! He is still a child! What did he do wrong?!"
Yun Hao's father chimed in beside her. "Exactly, Father! Who neglects his own descendants to favor an outsider? If you had not been so biased, giving all those top-grade resources to Yun Ruyi, that bastard of unknown origins, without sparing us a thought, how would Hao have grown resentful? Why would he have resorted to such a dangerous gambit and ended up like this?"
"And how would I still be stuck at the mere body integration realm?!" Clearly, that last complaint was probably what he truly cared about.
The Fifth Elder, Yun Jun, looked utterly exhausted. He had no desire to entertain these good-for-nothings.
He recalled the cold cruelty hidden in Yun Huang's eyes at Perching Phoenix Hall that day, and Yun Chi's vicious words, which had seemed to plead for mercy while actually sowing discord... Wind and rain were coming.
He might be mediocre, but he was no fool. These waters ran too deep. He and his branch could no longer afford to wade into them. Yun Ruyi must not be implicated in any way! She was the true source of his branch's good fortune.
A glimmer of understanding and resolve flashed through the Fifth Elder's clouded old eyes. He slammed his hand onto the table, and the pressure of a supreme expert instantly silenced his wailing son and daughter-in-law. "Shut up! Do you truly think I have grown senile, that I know nothing of the filthy dealings you have carried out with the Twelfth Elder behind my back?! If this old man did not still command a little respect, would the Young Lord have punished Hao alone? Do you think our branch could have escaped unscathed?!"
His voice was anguished and stern. "Back then, I was stranded in the wilderness, gravely wounded and close to death. Had little Ruyi not saved me and used her own good fortune to prolong my life, I would have become a mound of earth long ago! How could I still be standing here in good health, allowing you to enjoy so many years of wealth and glory?!"
"Father!"
Before either could argue, the Fifth Elder swept his sharp gaze over his son, who still failed to grasp the situation, and his resentful daughter-in-law. He declared with absolute finality, "In our Yun Clan, the capable have always stood above the rest. Hao harbored wicked intentions and lacked the skill to match his opponent. I risked what remained of my dignity to save his life; that was more than enough to honor our blood ties! Tomorrow, your entire household, along with every servant and steward involved in this affair, will pack your belongings and get out of here! Go to Desolate City and reflect on your wrongdoing. Without my command, you are never to return!"
Yun Hao's parents were stunned by the Fifth Elder's sudden thunderous fury and merciless judgment. The father they remembered had always been gentle and kindly, even somewhat indecisive. When had he ever shown such a ruthless, resolute side?!
As for how Steward Jia, who had only just barely survived his encounter with Yun Qing, fell apart upon receiving orders to be exiled to Desolate City, that could be left aside for now.
Inside the barrier at the Twelfth Elder's cave abode.
Yun Chi finished recounting the events at Perching Phoenix Hall with an ugly expression. "Grandfather, Yun Qing went to Discipline Hall and met with the Second Elder. As for the Young Lord... he seems to show no sign of pursuing the matter at the Ancestral Shrine any further. Damn it! How could they let Yun Qing off so lightly?!"
The Twelfth Elder's face was gaunt and sinister. He stroked a pitch-black Bone Talisman in his hand and spoke hoarsely. "Hmph. That brat Yun Qing. I underestimated his ability to win people over."
"Then what do we do next..." Urgency and greed all but spilled from Yun Chi's eyes. "My spirit-devouring body has already reached a bottleneck. If I still cannot obtain pure chaos origin..."
"What is the rush?!" the Twelfth Elder snapped coldly. "Yun Qing's fortune is flourishing, and the Young Lord seems inclined to favor him. A head-on confrontation is not our best course. Our failure to succeed in one stroke at the Ancestral Shrine has already rustled the grass and alerted the snake."
Hearing this, Yun Chi asked with lingering fear, "Grandfather, has the Young Lord noticed something? Today was clearly a warning!"
The Twelfth Elder's eyes held a calculating shrewdness as he said dismissively, "Yun Huang's thoughts are difficult to fathom. But since he did not act immediately, there is still room to maneuver. Those in power govern their subordinates as though raising venomous creatures in a jar. They are always happy to see those beneath them fight to win their favor. It is merely survival of the fittest. We must obtain the chaos Dao embryo before he truly regards Yun Qing as a trusted confidant!"
Ambition and unease flickered together in Yun Chi's eyes. "But Grandfather, why must we attach ourselves to Yun Huang? If we obtained the complete chaos Dao embryo and refined it according to the method recorded on this Bone Talisman, the two of us might well be able to..."
"Silence! Never mention this again!" the Twelfth Elder barked, fear written across his face.
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