"Young Master, did you take Young Master Qi into the Ancestor Hall?"

Lao Dao carried a large basin of crystal rice, accompanied by two plates of roasted meat, and sat in the main hall eating heartily on his own.

"Why didn't you make a portion for me?"

Ninghai Zen, feeling unsatisfied, glanced at the enticing smell of the stewed rice and the well-cooked, tender meat with alternating layers of fat, beginning to feel a bit hungry.

Moving mountains is labor-intensive work, no easier than being a dockworker.

"I thought Young Master planned to stay in the Ancestor Hall for a while, since you haven't been there for ages."

Lao Dao lowered his head and shoveled the rice into his mouth, seemingly afraid that Ninghai Zen would snatch it, quickly finishing it in a gust.

"The Ancestor was so stingy, going in and out of the Ancestor Hall costs more than visiting the most luxurious brothels in the Celestial Water Prefecture, we can't afford it."

Ninghai Zen muttered.

"How can there be any reason to compare your own Ancestor Hall to a brothel, Young Master.

If your master knew, he would surely punish you."

Lao Dao wiped his mouth and softly said:

"Moreover, how could the Ancestor have known that three thousand years later, the Dao would decline, the Turbid Tide raging, turning the once wondrous Red County Divine Land into a mire of mud.

Back then, they ate Spirit Stones like meals, and now without the Dragon Court's bestowal of talismans, becoming a Daoist Official, or coming from a Taoist Sect or a prominent family, one cannot even take a breath of spiritual energy."

Ninghai Zen sighed with frustration:

"Our ancestors were too extravagant, not realizing their descendants would live so frugally. Staying in the Ancestor Hall for twelve hours burns a whole bushel of Spiritual Sand, who can bear that!

The family fortune I accumulated over the years is almost depleted."

Lao Dao's eyes crinkled, with a smile on his lips:

"Just ride the autumn wind. The Water Monarch Palace by the Nu Yun River has several shell fields, abundant in Spiritual Sand and Spirit Dew.

I must say, Young Master, you agreed to be Old Dragon Lord's son-in-law back then, do you still need to worry about this?"

Ninghai Zen raised his eyebrows, shaking his head repeatedly:

"I, as the Head of Tongwen Hall, becoming an in-law of Water Monarch Palace, would disgrace the Ancestors!"

Lao Dao teased:

"Young Master, that Dragon Maiden was willing to be a concubine, I remember she wanted to elope with you."

Ninghai Zen rarely showed a look of headache, glossing over:

"Stop talking nonsense! Remember the Ancestors' teachings! Whether love or affection, they are all stumbling blocks on the path of cultivation. If you don't slay them one by one, how can you achieve an unbound courageous heart!"

Lao Dao restrained his teasing, thinking that Young Master, raised on the generosity of many, and bettering his masters, perhaps only lacked knowledge in matters of love.

"Did Young Master Qi get recognized by the Ancestor Hall?"

Seeing the topic change, Ninghai Zen secretly breathed a sigh of relief:

"His name is recorded in the lineage, ranked as a direct disciple, granted true skills... Guess he's being beaten up by the Ancestors.

Twelve hours, who knows what essence of the True Skill of Integrating a Hundred Forms he can comprehend?"

Lao Dao showed surprise:

"Young Master taught the Seventh Ancestor's 'Ten Dragons and Ten Elephants Prison-Suppression Skill'? I think Young Master Qi is more suited for the Eighth Ancestor's 'Sun and Moon Divine Refining Five Directions Seal of the Holy Emperor.' He has the aptitude for cultivation, crossing Eating Elixir and Avoiding Grain, and directly stepping into the second realm of Entering Meditation and Embracing the Embryo.

'Sun and Moon Divine Refining Five Directions Seal of the Holy Emperor', encompasses hundreds of scriptures, dual cultivation of Dao and Martial Arts, with the Prayer Technique bringing together the blessings of myriad gods."

Ninghai Zen slightly frowned, eyes flickering:

"If he doesn't enter Yihai Prefecture one day, unable to inhale spiritual energy, contacting the Refining Spirit True Skill of dual Dao and Martial cultivation too early might not be good.

The terror of the Turbid Tide is like a steel knife hanging around the neck of every cultivator, one careless move and it's off with the head.

In three thousand years of declining Dao, how many amazing talents either completely fell to become evil demons, serving as claws, or failed to seek, bringing fire upon themselves, burning one's soul to ashes."

Lao Dao gave a wry look, jesting:

"Indeed, if not, how could many Daoist Officials of the Dragon Court, hide in County City and Prefecture City like tortoises in their shells.

Even that Supreme Emperor ceded the dragon throne to his son, retreating into the 'Golden Shelter' crafted from the spiritual energies of countless sects of Red County Divine Land." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Ninghai Zen, with hands folded behind his back, stood beneath the large plaque of Yihai Hidden Dragon:

"It's said the Longevity Secret Realm has been devoured by the Turbid Tide. The human sovereign of the Dragon Court hoping to build an immortal legacy for a thousand generations is wishful thinking in my view."

The disaster of Dao decline swept across Red County Divine Land, its greatest impact being that all cultivators lost the chance to tread on the Path of Longevity.

It's said, prior to the Dao's decline, there were not a few innate divine monsters, living with eight thousand years as spring and autumn, growing old but never dying, ordinary people could live a hundred years without weakening.

But times changed, and all living things' lifespan was curtailed, even Four Cultivation Grandmasters, martial experts who lorded over regions, could barely live to two hundred years.

Before the Dao's decline, refining blood, tendons, bones, and marrow in Fourth Heaven, each step could increase lifespan by a hundred years easily. Achieving Fourth Training Great Success living to five hundred years was no problem.

"Later, go into the Ancestor Hall and take a look, dying too many times is also draining."

Ninghai Zen thought of his own disciple, remembering when he sparred with Ancestral Master Kang Longsheng, he died more than two hundred times, his spirit so dispersed that his eyes were vacant, almost like a fool.

...

...

The next day.

Yihai Prefecture, Chen Mansion.

At the head of the main hall sat a richly dressed lady, attended by two clever little maids wearing fox-fur jackets with a multitude of mixed colors.

The lady sat upright, dignified and virtuous, despite her age, she remained well-maintained, with only slight wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but her somewhat stern eyebrows detracted from her gentle and refined demeanor.

She held a large cat in her arms, remaining silent, like a wooden sculpture or clay statue.

The normally lively little maid, usually chattering away, dared not breathe heavily, standing until her legs grew numb.

The expansive mansion seemed terribly oppressive, and everyone moved cautiously, fearing to make any sound that might further agitate the lady of the house.

The elderly matron, her head full of silver hair and face full of concern, could not help but speak up:

"Miss, you haven't closed your eyes all night, nor have you taken any food or water. If you continue like this, your body will falter."

She had been the lady's accompanying maid since marriage, thus still habitually called her "Miss."

"I'm waiting for the master to return."

The woman's eyes were slightly red and somewhat swollen, clearly having cried.

She calmly held a large cat, gazing toward the open door:

"The master cannot hide from me forever."

By noon, some of the little maids were nearly collapsing, their feet stiff like wood, their Qi blood clumped together, almost ready to faint.

Another three quarters passed, and a tall elder with a mustache like spears, dressed in silk robes, crossed through the mansion gate carrying a fish basket.

Sure enough, it was Chen Xing, who had previously met Ninghai Zen!

"Madam, I caught two sizable trout from Nu Yun River, let the kitchen make a soup to nourish your body."

Chen Xing's voice was like a bell, his laughter hearty, seemingly oblivious to the stifling atmosphere of the mansion.

"Master."

The poised woman attempted to rise but, having sat too long, found her legs weak and nearly fell, were it not for the quick support of the elderly matron who steadied her.

The large cat meowed once, then jumped down, darting under the table and chairs.

"Madam, what's happened! Why are you so weak?"

Chen Xing was surprised, hastily abandoning the fish basket, and upon checking her pulse, shouted furiously:

"What are you all doing! Quickly bring some digestible meals here! If the madam starves, you'll all be sold off to foreign lands!"

The maidens observed with fearful eyes, pleading silently toward the madam, who grasped Chen Xing's hand and woefully said:

"Master! Zhao'Er is gone!"

Chen Xing's face twitched, his lips trembled twice:

"How did he go?"

The woman finally couldn't hold back her grievances, large tears cascading down:

"A letter arrived overnight, saying at Nu Yun River Mouth, a meteor descended, capsizing Zhao'Er's boat, and they never… found anyone."

Chen Xing's face turned odd, his hand resting on the woman's back, his Qi blood gently circulating, like a meandering stream, permeating her slender body to prevent excessive sorrow from harming her organs.

"The sky holds unpredictable clouds, and humans face sudden misfortune... Madam, please restrain your grief."

The woman suddenly clutched Chen Xing's chest with her fingers, gripping so tight that veins surfaced:

"Master! Zhao'Er returned from Black River County, and met such calamity right at Yihai Prefecture's gate! Your good apprentice broke Ye'Er's legs, cruel and ruthless beyond feelings! Now he's harmed Zhao'Er too, just let Ninghai Zen beat me to death, to end it all!"

Chen Xing sighed deeply:

"Madam, why make wild conjectures. You mentioned, Zhao'Er… encountered a falling meteor, what ties does that have to Hai Chan's deeds? No matter how powerful he is, he cannot shatter celestial bodies! The matter has reached this point, let us eat first, madam."

He gently removed the woman's hand, turned to pick the fish basket:

"Slay the treasured fish, make soup."

The woman remained insistent, her nails breaking the skin, leaving speckled blood traces, she cried sharply:

"Master! Ye'Er, Zhao'Er, even though they're not your own flesh and blood, they've called you father for so many years, from the depths of their hearts considering you a father! They share the 'Chen' surname as you do! Are you truly untouched?"

Chen Xing put down the fish basket once more, facing the tear-streaked woman with resignation:

"Alright, since the madam wants me to seek justice, then I shall go.

Lai Fu, head to the East Gate's coffin shop, buy a piece of top-grade merchandise, prepare in advance."

The steward named "Lai Fu" stood bewildered, resorting to directing his gaze toward the madam.

"Master, what do you mean!?"

The woman was stunned.

"I'm setting off to Black River County, to confront Ninghai Zen, questioning Zhao'Er's death—is it related to him. If he nods, then one life shall yield for another, yet my martial skill is inferior to Ninghai Zen's, certainly being beaten to death, better prepare the coffin."

Chen Xing solemnly declared:

"That unruly disciple never adhered to masterly rules, driving me, his master, out the door. Does the madam presume he'd treat me with humility?"

The woman was at a loss for words, she'd witnessed their master being beaten until coughing blood, bedridden for months in a pitiful state.

Thinking she'd lose her husband again, she quickened to seize Chen Xing by stride.

"Since the madam doesn't wish to see me dead, then take a meal to avoid starving oneself. Zhao'Er's untimely misfortune was truly heaven's negligence; the incident has reached its conclusion, let us eat."

Chen Xing furrowed his brow tightly, speaking softly:

"I'll venture out shortly, inviting a Daoist Official to host a water and land assembly for Zhao'Er, praying that his spirit finds peace in heaven."