Golden Nanmu Replaces the Coffin to Benefit Descendants, a Kindness Bestowed While Plotting for Panlong

The moon shone bright and the stars were few. Heng Hua quietly headed for the back mountain with his maid and guard.

Coiling Dragon Island was shaped like a crouching dragon. Its head lay at the center, where Dragonhead Peak stood. Its two claws formed the front gate, which, together with the dragon head, Dragon Pearl, and dragon heart, made up the Coiling Dragon Pavilion complex occupying the island's front and central regions.

Langhuan Hall stood far behind the Coiling Dragon Pavilion complex, in the Kan-Yuan sector. Two hills farther back from Langhuan Hall lay the "Hidden Cloud Woodland Sea" at the dragon's tail—commonly known as the "back mountain."

After passing Sword Dragon Peak, the terrain of the back mountain gradually flattened, its hills covered in lush green forest.

The three cautiously avoided the patrols and arrived at the Nan Wood Forest. Few trees over three hundred years old remained in the forest now. Ancient trees over five hundred years old were rarer still.

The target Heng Hua had chosen could be called the "king of trees" in this Nan Wood Forest.

But someone had gotten there before them.

Tree shadows swayed beneath the moonlight, which cast down an unusual stillness. A middle-aged man in a green scholar's robe stood before the Nanmu King, performing a spell.

Heng Hua gave a slight signal, and Hengshou stepped forward carrying a bright candle lantern.

When the candlelight revealed the man's figure, Heng Hua said in surprise, "Nineteenth Uncle, why are you here?"

The Fu Family had three halls and eighteen branches. Besides the minor rankings within each hall and branch, there was also a major ranking across the entire lineage.

Fu Heyi came from White Elm Hall. In the Fu Family's overall ranking, he belonged to Fu Henghua's uncles' generation and ranked nineteenth. He and Fu Beidou, the Great Golden Core Adept whom Heng Hua and Xiang Feng called "Seventeenth Uncle," were born of the same mother.

"So it's Heng Hua."

Fu Heyi turned around. Seeing Fu Henghua approach with two servants, he greeted him with a smile. "Why would a bookworm like you leave the library?"

"The moon is lovely tonight, so I came out for a walk. Nineteenth Uncle, when did you come to Coiling Dragon Island?"

"I arrived a few days ago to help your Second Sister-in-Law deliver some things."

Heng Hua glanced at Xiaoyu beside him.

Xiaoyu pressed her palms together and assumed a begging posture.

Hengshou was solitary and taciturn, while Heng Hua rarely left Langhuan Hall. Naturally, Xiaoyu was responsible for gathering news from outside. Yet Xiaoyu had been busy these past few days and had not known that Fu Heyi had come to the island.

Delivering things with Aunt... Could it have been that batch of gold thread...

As Heng Hua pondered this, he suddenly noticed the formation laid out beneath the tree.

"Nineteenth Uncle, this is the Spring Restoration Spirit-Raising Formation. Why have you set it up here? Are you upgrading the quality of the tree core?"

"That's right. In three more years, this tree could be felled for a first-grade Treasure Wood. I wanted to move the time forward and improve its quality while I was at it."

After Mortal Wood had endured the passage of years and moons, a secret art had to be used at the time of felling to gather its spiritual energy at one point, extracting the tree core as Treasure Wood. The birth of a piece of Treasure Wood meant the death of a tree.

"Nineteenth Uncle wants first-grade Golden Nanmu Treasure Wood?"

Heng Hua considered it, faintly sensing that something was wrong.

First-grade Treasure Wood was merely material for Foundation Establishment cultivators of the ninth layer and three stages to refine artifacts and pills. If Heng Hua had not been restricted and denied access to exchanging for such materials within the lineage, he would not have had to worry about it at all.

"Nanmu is not suited for crafting flying swords or artifacts, is it? Is it for firewood? First-grade Treasure Wood for firewood—could Seventeenth Uncle be opening his furnace to forge a sword?"

"I'm getting it to make a coffin." As Fu Heyi spoke, he took out a white jade bottle and sprinkled spiritual liquid over the tree roots.

Specks of green light floated upward from the old nanmu tree, rising from its base to its crown. Its canopy became increasingly verdant.

Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, spiritual energy had filled the entire tree, and it had acquired the quality of first-grade Treasure Wood.

"Three-Mystery Spiritwater?"

The Compendium of the Hundred Woods recorded that this spiritwater was formed from the qi of wind and marsh, the essence of the earth's spirits, and the splendor of the sun and moon. It could improve the quality of low-grade Treasure Wood.

"That's right. It's Three-Mystery Water, personally prepared by my elder brother."

Fu Beidou?

Heng Hua caught the problem. "Three-Mystery Water personally blended by Seventeenth Uncle—why use it on a mere nanmu tree? This water would be enough even for the Spirit Wood Awakening Method, wouldn't it?"

Instead of using it on the lumberyard at White Elm Hall, they had specifically come all the way to Coiling Dragon Island. What were they doing?

Were they proactively showing goodwill? Or declaring White Elm Hall's sovereignty over Coiling Dragon Island?

All manner of thoughts turned through Fu Henghua's mind.

"It is to cultivate Spirit Wood. My brother's intent is to spur forth a Spirit Wood core as much as possible. After all..."

Fu Heyi looked at Heng Hua. After thinking for a moment, he decided this was an opportunity to show goodwill.

"This is for making Uncle Dan Wei's longevity coffin."

Heng Hua's expression changed at once.

"A longevity coffin? Grandfather's longevity coffin is to use nanmu?"

"That's right."

Seeing Heng Hua's changed expression, Fu Heyi secretly mused, This boy's status is special. Even if our family takes over Coiling Dragon Island, Langhuan Hall will still remain under his management. My descendants will need Heng Hua's help with deducing cultivation arts in the future. I might as well sell him a favor and show White Elm Hall's benevolence.

Thus, Fu Heyi smiled. "This Nan Wood Forest was planted after Uncle Dan Wei came to the island. The old man is sentimental and said this batch of nanmu trees carries commemorative meaning, so he intended to make them into his longevity coffin someday.

"But the oldest trees in this forest are only six hundred years old. My elder brother thought the Treasure Wood was unworthy of Uncle Dan Wei's status, so he specially ordered me here to upgrade it. Uncle Dan Wei is a Great Golden Core Adept of our family. At the very least, we must make him a Spirit Wood coffin."

Listening to Fu Heyi, Xiaoyu thought to herself, Seventeenth Uncle Beidou Sword Immortal truly is as morally lofty as the rumors say. If he brings White Elm Hall in to take charge, then even if Young Master cannot extend Old Master's life, his days ahead likely will not be too difficult.

But when she looked at Fu Henghua again, she saw his dark expression and the chill in his eyes as he stared fixedly at Fu Heyi.

"I had no idea Grandfather's coffin had troubled Seventeenth Uncle so greatly. He even specially invited Nineteenth Uncle here to upgrade the nanmu's quality. We have indeed been negligent."

Hearing her young master's words, Xiaoyu's heart went cold.

The last time Young Master had worn that expression was when Wei Xingyu had come to provoke them.

Fu Heyi failed to notice Heng Hua's anger and continued smiling. "Haha... It's nothing, nothing. We are all family. Uncle Dan Wei does not have much lifespan left, but he devoted his entire life to our family. We cannot let the old man leave in such shabby fashion."

With only ten years of life left, an ordinary person already had one foot in the grave and should prepare their final affairs.

"And incidentally, let the other clansmen see White Elm Hall's goodwill?" Heng Hua sneered. "To demonstrate how kindly you treat our family?"

White Elm Hall did not want the old man to be buried lightly, so they had specially sent Three-Mystery Spiritwater to raise the Treasure Wood's quality.

So long as this nanmu tree was raised to first-grade, or even to the level of low-grade Spirit Wood, outsiders would only praise Fu Beidou for being generous and respectful toward his elders.

Yet Heng Hua knew in his heart that the longevity wood his grandfather had selected was that Panlong Spirit Wood which suppressed Coiling Dragon Island's fortune.

The Compendium of the Hundred Woods recorded: Panlong Wood belonged to the category of spirit trees. It grew at spiritual caverns atop dragon veins, received the qi of wind and marsh, and stabilized fortune and feng shui. When newly born, its wood was bright yellow and its bark resembled snake scales. After three hundred years, its wood turned gold, becoming a low-grade second-rank Spirit Wood. After five hundred years, golden scales packed together like combed teeth and formed the shape of a coiling dragon, becoming a low-grade first-rank Spirit Wood. Another five hundred years later, the dragon took the form of soaring into the heavens, reaching high-grade third-rank."

The Panlong Wood at the core of Coiling Dragon Island's Spirit Root had grown five hundred years ago. It could now be felled for low-grade first-rank Spirit Wood.

Twenty years ago, when the Grand Elder came to visit, Heng Hua had attended his elders at the side. He had heard his grandfather chatting with the Grand Elder and mocking himself. "Third Uncle need not worry. Thirty years from now, when this nephew closes his eyes forever, place me in a Panlong longevity coffin. Buried together with my father and mother, I will have no regrets in this life."

They wanted to replace Grandfather's low-grade first-rank Spirit Wood longevity coffin with one made from low-grade third-rank Spirit Wood?

The cultivation world possessed arts of Revival from Death. The more intact a corpse was preserved, the greater the chance of revival. Cultivation families carefully preserved their corpses and conducted funerals so that, should a great power emerge from the family one day, all their forebears might be revived.

Coffins and burial garments were of utmost importance for protecting the physical body.

Hearing Heng Hua's tone, Fu Heyi vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

Then Heng Hua's voice softened further. "Nineteenth Uncle, I recall that Grandfather intended to use Panlong Wood for his longevity coffin."

Fu Heyi gave an awkward laugh. "How could that be? The Panlong Spirit Wood is the fortune-suppressing tree of Coiling Dragon Island. Although breaking a branch from Spirit Wood would not harm its life, restoring that spirit branch would still take a hundred years and moons."

The greatest difference between Spirit Wood and Mortal Wood lay in gathering materials. Spirit Wood did not need its life force extracted for its core; breaking off any branch yielded Spirit Wood material. Yet taking branches as material still damaged its vital energy and required a long time to recover.

"Nineteenth Uncle, do you take me for a three-year-old child?"

Why was there a jade axe for felling trees stored in Langhuan Hall's treasury? It was precisely because the old man had prepared to chop down the Panlong Wood.

Twenty years ago, when Heng Hua had heard the Grand Elder and his grandfather speak, he had immediately cut off his grandfather's dispirited words. He had put away the jade axe in his own treasury and declared that he would extend his grandfather's lifespan, severing any thought of making a coffin.

Who could have known that White Elm Hall had already begun preparing the old man's funeral?

And they would not even allow the use of Panlong Wood!

Of course. If the old man was gone in a few years and White Elm Hall moved into Coiling Dragon Island, then the Panlong Spirit Wood would naturally fall into their hands. Naturally, they would be unwilling to part with it.

Recalling Fu Heyi's words just now, anger entered Heng Hua's voice. "Aunt has recently been making precious garments. I fear they are not for the few of us, but burial garments for Grandfather? Nineteenth Uncle's arrival was Seventeenth Uncle's instruction—to help Grandfather prepare his final affairs?"

Longevity coffin, burial garments... Would White Elm Hall next take over Grandfather's funeral in person? At the funeral, would they openly announce to the other clansmen that White Elm Hall was moving into Coiling Dragon Island and drive out the direct descendants of Cypress Sovereign Hall, them included?

"Heng Hua, Heng Hua, don't get angry. These are matters the adults have already discussed. You juniors need not concern yourselves with them. Rest assured, Uncle Dan Wei agreed to it himself. No one forced the old man."

Who needed to force him?

Seventeenth Uncle's prestige was at its height. He had formed his Golden Core at three hundred and was only five hundred now; he could guard the Fu Family for another thousand years. Grandfather felt that he had only ten years of life remaining. For the sake of us descendants, he could only agree to your proposal.

Fu Henghua's gaze flickered. Cypress Sovereign Hall was weak, and the Grand Elder over at Xuju Hall had only one or two hundred years of lifespan left. In the future Fu Family, Seventeenth Uncle would be the one calling the shots.

And now they would not even allow Grandfather to use the Panlong Wood. Then the burial garments he wore when laid to rest likely could not be that Five-Spirit Cloud Raiment of spirit-artifact grade either.

That cloud raiment possessed extremely powerful defense and was best suited for a sword cultivator like Seventeenth Uncle.

After all, once Grandfather was gone, Seventeenth Uncle would be the Fu Family's strongest combatant. He needed a defensive treasure to contend with the Wei Family's two great enemies.

However—

Fu Henghua had never intended to let his grandfather die!

"Xiaoyu, Rippling Radiance Spell."

"Hengshou, put on the Iron Lotus."

Hearing the order, Hengshou and Xiaoyu moved immediately.

Fu Heyi saw Heng Hua's maid flick her fragrant sleeves, as white light and spiritual clouds drifted out to shroud the Nan Wood Forest. He was instantly alarmed. "Heng Hua, what are you doing?!"

Hengshou put on his fist guards. With the bearing of a tiger or wolf, he charged before Fu Heyi in an instant.

Seeing lightning blaze across the fist guards and feeling Hengshou's Foundation Establishment mana, heavy as a mountain, Fu Heyi's expression shifted as he swiftly retreated.

He specialized in formations and was weak in close combat. Faced with Hengshou, who specialized in body arts and killing techniques, he decisively chose to withdraw.

"Heng Hua, are you attacking your Nineteenth Uncle?"

Secretly gripping three formation flags, Fu Heyi pretended to be at ease. "If you want to spar with your Nineteenth Uncle, let's go to the martial arena now. Don't let—"

The three formation flags flew up at speed, transforming into a layer of azure light that blocked Hengshou's fist.

Suddenly, a breeze from behind rapidly entered his body.

Fu Heyi had no time to resist. The Evergreen True Essence within his body split into more than a hundred streams, sealing his acupoints one by one.

"This nephew is not skilled at combat, and this uncle is no expert at spell battles either. Should the two of us go to the martial arena and let others laugh at us?"

"You—"

Fu Heyi stared wide-eyed at Heng Hua.

With just one move, he had sealed his mana?

"Don't look at your nephew like that. Have you forgotten? I helped deduce your cultivation art. Its circulation routes, even the weak points of its protective gate, are like candles beneath the night curtain in your nephew's eyes—far too conspicuous."

Heng Hua was a giant in thought but a dwarf in action.

He could clearly see an opponent's weaknesses, yet lacked the corresponding ability to strike those weak gates.

But with Hengshou and Xiaoyu assisting him, he could seize the chance to launch a surprise attack and easily handle opponents of the same level.

Thud!

Fu Heyi fell to the ground. With his acupoints sealed, he could not move at all.

"Mm... mmph..."

Heng Hua crouched down and gently brushed the dirt from him. "All right, Elder, don't be angry. Rest for now. When I have time later, I'll apologize to you."

Looking at the nanmu tree before him, its spiritual energy growing ever denser, Heng Hua said flatly, "Seventeenth Uncle has sent such a grand gift, and this nephew gladly accepts it. When I deduce cultivation arts in the future, I certainly will not forget his share. But regarding my grandfather's final affairs, Seventeenth Uncle need not trouble himself."

Mana flowed from Heng Hua's palm, sealing Fu Heyi's Mud Pellet Palace and causing him to fall unconscious.

"Xiaoyu, go to Nineteenth Uncle's residence and hang up a sign saying he has entered seclusion for cultivation. Do not let anyone disturb him."

Xiaoyu stared at the unconscious Fu Heyi on the ground. "Young Master, do you intend to conceal this?"

"Coiling Dragon Island is Fu Family territory. Could I possibly dare to kill someone?"

As Heng Hua spoke, he gazed toward Dragonhead Peak in the distance.

It was also because the old man's mindset had been dejected these years and he had been too lazy to pay attention. In previous years, Grandfather's Divine Sense had covered all of Coiling Dragon Island. The moment Heng Hua made a move here, the old man would have noticed.

"Nineteenth Uncle cannot be killed, but neither can he be released. If Seventeenth Uncle comes, I cannot handle him. So I will place him under house arrest for now and settle the matter after I rebuild my cultivation."

Xiaoyu acknowledged the order and hurried toward Fu Heyi's courtyard.

Heng Hua picked up the scattered formation flags and Three-Mystery Spiritwater, then continued upgrading the nanmu tree.

"Hengshou, stop standing there in a daze. Get ready to fell the tree."

Carrying the jade axe, Hengshou hesitated. "Young Master, are you truly going to offend Nineteenth Master? If this blows up, Old Master may not be able to protect you."

Fu Heyi was Fu Beidou's biological younger brother, and ten years from now White Elm Hall would move into Coiling Dragon Island. On their territory, would they not make life difficult for you at every turn?

"You are unusually talkative today."

Helpless, Hengshou silently grumbled, Could I really just watch you come to harm?

Even setting this tree aside, you attacked Nineteenth Master. Private fighting within the lineage would earn you punishment from Old Master. And after that, White Elm Hall would not let the matter rest.

"Rest easy. I know my limits. The old man is truly utterly disheartened right now. He must be given some hope."

He was even willing to yield the wood for his own coffin.

Since when had the old man wronged himself like this?

When all was said and done, was it not for the sake of us useless descendants?

Thinking of all the matchmaking Grandfather had arranged these past years, Heng Hua was not truly some clueless fool.

Every single one of these matters had been paving the way for his descendants.

Remembering Wei Xingyu's visit ten years ago, when he had come to kick down their door and challenge them, Heng Hua suddenly felt that merely letting him die once had done too little to repay the old man's grievances.

With Grandfather's fiery temper, how furious must he have been when others came to bully them at their door?

And how much rage must he have swallowed when he saw Heng Hua lose to Wei Xingyu?

Though Heng Hua had lost on purpose, Grandfather did not know that.

"The Wei Family dared to see Grandfather's lifespan nearing its end and come swaggering to our door to flaunt their might. Someday—no, within these next few years. I will stir the four great families into joining hands, and no matter what, I will lead our clansmen to make trouble at their home. I will move the plaques and spirit tablets from their ancestral grounds before Grandfather and vent his anger."

Supplement:

The Wood Classic said: The wood beneath heaven is divided into four categories: Mortal, Treasure, Spirit, and Immortal. Immortal Wood is difficult to find, while Mortal Wood can be found everywhere. Only Spirit Wood and Treasure Wood are used by cultivators. Treasure Wood has three grades; Spirit Wood has upper and lower ranks, each with three grades.