Decades ago, Hua Jingyun sacrificed his own foundation and life essence to fulfill Hua Jingmeng, resulting in severe damage to his Fate Soul essence and a precipitous drop in his cultivation, making it difficult for him to maintain his position as the Grand Elder.
Few knew the full story back then. Hua Jingyun knew that if he continued to stay in the ancestral land for seclusion, the truth about his declining cultivation would be exposed sooner or later. At that time, not only would rumors spread within the clan, but it would also implicate Hua Jingmeng, who was still young and whose foundation was not yet stable.
Therefore, he secretly discussed with me in his early years that he would take the initiative to step down from the position of Grand Elder, quietly leave the Hua Lineage land, travel to the Returning Light Heavenly City, find an extremely remote and secluded residence, and use the name of seclusion to hide his whereabouts and devote himself to healing his severely damaged Fate Soul essence.
For decades, Hua Jingyun has lived in seclusion here, never revealing his whereabouts. Hua Yutian's voice grew heavy, filled with remorse.
"I concealed this matter for Jingyun, firstly to fulfill his wish to protect Jingmeng, and secondly to stabilize the clan's morale and prevent rumors from causing trouble. Concealing it from the clan leader was my dereliction of duty."
Hua Nongrui listened quietly the whole time without interrupting. Her face appeared calm and undisturbed, but deep within her Fate Soul, a monstrous storm had already been brewing. The news of Hua Jingyun's demise was Annihilation and abrupt.
Only now did she realize that the former Grand Elder, who had been in seclusion for many years and faded from the clan's view, had secretly left the ancestral land for decades. What shocked her even more was the accurate tracing of the murderer's origin. The Returning Light Heavenly City was vast and boundless, and that mansion was hidden in a remote and unknown place. Without accurate intelligence and deliberate investigation, it would have been impossible to find it easily.
Upon realizing this, a chill crept into Hua Nongrui's eyes, settling deep within them. After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice clear, cold, and solemn, brooking no argument. "The matter of Jingyun's demise is hereby sealed away. No one in the clan is to know of it, and not a word may be uttered outside." Hua Yutian and Hua Tingyuan simultaneously raised their eyes, their faces showing surprise. Before the two could question her, Hua Nongrui continued to give the order in a deep voice.
"Secondly, from this day forward, the two of you will be fully responsible for the case of Jingyun's murder. You must conduct a thorough and secret investigation without overlooking anything." She lightly raised her right hand, and two plain white jade tablets, without any patterns or decorations, flew out from her palm and landed steadily in front of the two of them.
The two raised their hands to catch the jade tablets, their fingertips touching them. Instantly, they sensed the unique and strict restriction on Hua Nongrui's life Fate Soul hidden within them. "The restriction on these two jade tablets was personally imprinted by me," Hua Nongrui said solemnly, her eyes deep.
"No one but the two of you can activate or use this. During the investigation, if you discover any clues related to Jingyun's death, immediately report them to me privately through Yujian."
Hua Yutian and Hua Tingyuan's expressions tightened, and they both solemnly obeyed the order. Hua Nongrui slowly rose from Venerable Rank seat and walked down the platform, her aura as solid as a mountain. "There is one thing you two must remember."
"In this competition among the Lineage, my Hua Lineage suffered a crushing defeat, and the overall situation in the Skeleton Star Sea has quietly reversed. Many of the vassal forces that once depended on my Hua Lineage have all harbored rebellious intentions and no longer bow down in submission and obedience."
Anger surged again in Hua Tingyuan's eyes. He was well aware that this matter concerned the Lineage's reputation and prosperity. Hua Nongrui's sharp eyes saw through the whole situation.
"Even if these external forces harbor ulterior motives, they would never dare to infiltrate the heart of my Returning Light Heavenly City, accurately locate its hidden residence, and quietly Annihilation my Hua Lineage's former Grand Elder. Nor would they be able to act so meticulously and erase all traces."
She stopped abruptly, her eyes filled with a chilling aura. "From this, we can conclude—this matter originated from within my Hua Lineage." With a hum, both of them were shocked. Hua Yutian's pupils suddenly contracted, and Hua Tingyuan's face instantly turned ashen.
Although the two had harbored suspicions about each other because few people knew the truth, these were ultimately just private conjectures. When the clan chief personally confirmed the conclusion that "the murderer was his wife," the hidden danger and chilling intent still sent a shiver down their spines.
The murderer of the elder is hiding within the Hua Lineage. And this person remains lurking in the shadows, undetected. "Your core task now is to uncover this person." Hua Nongrui's voice grew increasingly cold and ruthless. "Disciples, stewards, elders, anyone in the clan—anyone connected to this case—must be thoroughly investigated. There will be no leniency."
Her gaze slowly swept over the two of them, her imposing presence heavy. "During the investigation, if anyone is found destroying evidence, secretly silencing witnesses, or attempting to escape, there's no need to report. Execute them first, then inform them later." Her tone shifted, becoming suddenly more forceful, each word stern. "But remember the bottom line: not a single word of the news of Jingyun's demise must be leaked."
Hua Yutian slowly closed his five fingers, gripping the jade tablet tightly. His heart was heavy. Hua Nongrui continued, "Jingmeng has now been taken in by Nangong to cultivate in the Nangong Lineage the Supreme Transformation Primordial Domain. This matter must not be allowed to reach his ears."
Mentioning Hua Jingmeng, the chilling murderous intent in her eyes finally faded slightly, replaced by a complex and solemn expression. "You both know the terrible price Jingyun paid to protect and fulfill Jingmeng; he almost risked his entire Dao foundation and Fate Soul."
"If he knew that his uncle had been murdered by members of the clan, his mental state would surely collapse. How could he then concentrate on his cultivation and establish himself within the Nangong Lineage?" No one answered in the hall; the answer was self-evident. Hua Nongrui raised her eyes and calmly instructed, "Go." "Investigate this case discreetly; do not publicize it."
Hua Yutian and Hua Tingyuan stood in the center of the hall, motionless for a long time, their minds stirred by the successive upheavals, filled with mixed emotions.
Both men were filled with resentment, wishing they could immediately announce the bad news, mobilize the entire clan to thoroughly investigate the murderer, and bring the treacherous villain to justice. However, after calmly considering the situation, they had to admit that the clan leader's decision was the only safe way out at the moment.
The former Grand Elder has quietly passed away, and the murderer is hiding in the clan without Wuhen trace. Once the news spreads, it will only cause panic and unrest among the entire clan, making the already unstable Hua Lineage even worse off.
After the Lineage suffered a defeat in the martial arts competition, their vassal forces became disloyal, and more than half of their disciples left to join the Ju and Chi families. At this point, the Hua Lineage was no longer capable of causing any trouble or internal strife.
What's even more chilling is that the murderer is among their own clan. They must feign innocence, lie low, and quietly dig deep, peeling back layers, before the murderer lets his guard down, to uncover the true culprit. Hua Yutian let out a deep breath, suppressing his grief, anger, and helplessness. "Understood, subordinate."
Hua Tingyuan also composed himself, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed respectfully, accepting the order. "I will obey the clan leader's command." The two turned and strode away. The heavy palace doors slowly opened, then closed behind them with a thud.
The dull thud of the locks falling echoed through the hall, plunging the vast patriarchal hall into utter silence.
The composure and calmness she displayed when facing the two elders gradually faded from Hua Nongrui's face. Her usually clear, sharp, and all-knowing eyes slowly dimmed, losing their former brilliance.
She stood silently in the hall, motionless for a long time, her mind a jumble of emotions that made it hard to breathe.
The Lineage suffered a crushing defeat in the grand competition, resulting in a generational gap and loss of leadership among the younger generation. Hua Jingmeng was seriously injured and fled to the Nangong Lineage, where she lived as a dependent. The clan's disciples scattered, and the vassal forces betrayed them. Now, even Hua Jingyun, who had silently protected the clan and endured hardship for half his life, was murdered by his own clan and completely Annihilation.
Beset by internal and external troubles, layer upon layer of pressure, Hua Nongrui slowly sat back in her Venerable Rank, raised her hand to lightly touch her forehead, and for the first time, her usually resolute brows revealed an undisguised weariness and powerlessness.
She thought of the Supreme Elder who was in seclusion. If that old man were still alive, there would still be someone to discuss the big picture and share the pressure. But the Supreme Elder was in seclusion and cultivating diligently, and could not be disturbed. Even though she was the head of the clan, she could not rashly disturb him because of a disaster that had not yet been confirmed.
She then thought of the Shangguan Lineage, who were in a similar situation.
But she quickly suppressed the thought. The defeat of the Lineage martial arts competition was a heavy blow to both groups. The Chi Lineage rose to power and the new generation took the lead, completely rewriting the landscape of Xinghai. The Shangguan Lineage itself was also in turmoil and unable to take care of itself.
Although the Hua Lineage has the "Source Dao Ultimate Beast Huang - Nameless" to guard it, even a peerless ferocious beast can only deter external enemies, but cannot support the long-term future of a Lineage. The longevity of Lineage ultimately depends on the rise of the next generation and the passing down of the torch.
The lamps in the hall flickered gently, casting shifting shadows that made the figure on the Venerable Rank appear even more lonely. After a long silence, a weary, drawn-out sigh slowly echoed through the empty hall.
"Sigh..." Hua Nongrui looked up at the deep night outside the hall, her eyes filled with only a last glimmer of hope and expectation. "Right now... we can only hope that Jingmeng can diligently cultivate within the Nangong Lineage and rise to prominence."