Yu Family, Secret Forest County.

"Li Tongya?"

Yu Yufeng’s complexion was gloomy, the stone door behind him slowly closed, revealing a burgeoning presence, clearly making progress. Yu Mugao, dressed in black, was kneeling in front of the stone door with his head lowered, making it impossible to discern his expression.

"In the north, there’s a Maha who reincarnated in Duanchen Temple to cultivate anew. He has already attained the cultivation level of a mage, and somehow he killed Li Xuanling, but then he was killed by Li Tongya himself."

Yu Mugao answered respectfully. Yu Yufeng frowned deeply and let out a scornful laugh, waving his hand and saying with a laugh,

"How could that be possible!"

"I’ve also contested spells with Li Tongya... He only bested me by a hair. What class is a Maha Reincarnation? Not to mention Li Tongya, even if the Sword Immortal Li Chijin himself came, he’d likely have no way to deal with him!"

Yu Mugao nodded in agreement and replied,

"There must be deception here."

Glancing at Yu Xiaogui, whose eyebrows were deeply furrowed, Yu Mugao gently bowed and said in a warm voice,

"Father, Yu Muxian has already broken through Foundation Establishment and condensed his Immortal Foundation. It’s said that in a few years’ time, when collecting tribute, he will personally visit Lake Up."

"What? Muxian broke through Foundation Establishment!"

Yu Xiaogui was overjoyed and burst into hearty laughter. But then, looking at Yu Mugao suspiciously, he said in a cold voice,

"We’re all family here, why do you call your brother that?"

"Brother?"

Yu Mugao raised his head, let out a cold laugh, and replied,

"Father treats him as a son, but he doesn’t regard you as a father! You don’t know, Father, Yu Muxian is now Tang Yuanwu’s beloved son-in-law. He could even sell his own ancestor to gain the trust of Green Pond Sect—who cares about our insignificant Yu Family!"

Yu Yufeng was both shocked and enraged in an instant. He violently grabbed Yu Mugao by the collar and bellowed,

"What did you say?!"

"Yu Muxian has long regarded our Yu Family as a mere stepping stone for advancement! He knew about the ancestor’s death long ago! Our family has nurtured him since childhood, spent great effort to send him to the sect, supported him for decades, allowing him to build connections within the sect..."

"Yet when our market was destroyed, our family fell into decline, and he wouldn’t say a word! He even colluded with the Green Pond Sect to sell out the ancestor and specifically had Chi Zhiyan issue me a warning..."

Yu Mugao, always a schemer, discovered from various signs that his brother had long since changed. He recounted these events and accusations, leaving Yu Xiaogui stunned and in disbelief.

"How could this be... How could this be... Our heartfelt devotion to Muxian, how could he act this way..."

Mixed disbelief and rage appeared on Yu Xiaogui’s face, looking particularly pained. Yu Mugao, staring into Yu Xiaogui’s eyes, said fiercely,

"Father, it’s best you hold no more expectations for this person!"

Yu Xiaogui slowly released him, took a step back as if still processing Yu Mugao’s words, and after a long while, said,

"Call your fourth uncle here."

"Fourth Uncle has already passed away."

Yu Mugao responded softly. Yu Xiaogui’s complexion changed drastically. Looking up in shock, he exclaimed,

"He was of Qi Cultivation Level, barely over seventy years old; how did he die?"

"He embezzled family assets, so I killed him."

Yu Mugao answered reverently, yet the words he uttered left Yu Xiaogui feeling weak, his face alternating between shades of green and white, grinding his teeth as he struggled to speak after a long time.

"Summon your sixth uncle."

"Sixth uncle colluded with rogue cultivators and sold Spirit Rice at a low price; he too has been killed by me."

Yu Xiaogui looked up in disbelief, his lips quivering, and suddenly realized that something was wrong. While he had been in seclusion, the world outside had likely turned upside down. He blushed and said,

"How many people have you killed..."

"Fifty-eight clan uncles, sixty-seven aunts, and one hundred and ninety-four cousins, all with irrefutable evidence and full of heinous crimes."

Yu Mugao’s expression remained respectful, but the words he uttered were chilling; they made Yu Xiaogui take a step back, staring at him in disbelief.

"You... you... you monster! You!"

Yu Xiaogui’s hand rose high and fiercely slapped Yu Mugao, sending him stumbling back several steps. His eyes were blazing with irrepressible rage as he yelled,

"Beast! Beast! Is there anyone you dare not kill!"

Yu Xiaogui’s face was flushed with rage as he spoke with a strangled voice,

"Your fourth uncle cradled you and brought you to Secret Forest County, and personally sought out your marriage agreement. Sixth uncle even raised your father and me... You... you... all these are family bonds! Mugao! Are you out of your mind!"

"The child understands."

Half of Yu Mugao’s face was red, and as he slowly stood upright, blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. Yet, his expression was calm as he spoke softly,

"During extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken. If not for this, the Yu Family would have perished within three generations."

————

Li Tongya rested for a while in the woods, used his finger as a sword to cut a piece of wood from a tree, hollowed it out with a wave of his hand, and carefully placed Li Xuanling’s severed head inside. He then carved another piece to serve as a lid and carefully stored it away.

The eldest son’s death had been gruesome, and Li Tongya spent half a day using mana to patch and fix it until it looked presentable.

Carrying the wooden box, Li Tongya flew and stopped along the way until he finally reached the Li Family’s boundary. He cast a spell to remove the mud and dust from his body, concealed his form, and quietly entered Lijing Mountain.

The courtyard on Lijing Mountain was spotless, it was obvious that it had been cleaned over the past few days. Li Tongya set the wooden box on the table and sent a message with mana before turning to enter the inner courtyard to change his clothes and compose his expression. Then the younger generation had already arrived to pay their respects.

Li Tongya took the highest seat and looked around. Li Qinghong was the most grief-stricken, sitting at the lowest seat, covering her face and crying. Her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were red from crying, and she sobbed softly.

Li Xuanxuan had just returned from the marketplace. His years in commerce had made him somewhat calculative, with streaks of white in his hair and beard, showing signs of age. He stood silently at the lowest seat, staring blankly at the wooden box, speechless, unaware of what he might be thinking.

Li Yuanping’s pale complexion looked even more terrible, his eyes filled with strong resentment. Li Yuanjiao, sitting in the middle with a sad expression, seemed much more composed, gripping the Jiao Carved Pillar tightly with his left hand, his lips pressed firmly together.

Li Tongya sighed, passed the wooden box to Li Qinghong’s arms, and she silently took it, wiping away her tears without a word. Li Tongya’s voice was slightly hoarse as he asked,

"Has Yuanyun not arrived yet?"

Li Yuanjiao stepped forward and replied,

"Someone has been sent to Eastern Shanyue to fetch him."

Li Xuanling had one son and one daughter, who were Li Yuanyun and Li Qinghong. Yet, as Li Yuanyun had no Spirit Aperture, he had never been much of a presence. This was the first time Li Tongya had summoned him back to Lijing Mountain. He nodded at the reply and fell silent.

For a moment, only Li Qinghong’s low sobbing could be heard in the courtyard, as the younger generation stood in silence, looking at Li Tongya’s tired and pale face, feeling a vague premonition.

After a considerable amount of time, footsteps finally sounded from the lower end of the hall. The door creaked open, and a middle-aged man came tumbling in, somewhat overweight with dark circles under his eyes and trembling lips.

This middle-aged man knelt down with a thud in front of Li Tongya, his voice teetering on a sob as he said lowly,

"Your unworthy descendant, Yuanyun, greets great-grandfather..."