Family Cultivation: I Become a Mirror-Chapter 258 - 236 Elder of the Creek, Fish in the Cave

Secret Forest County.

Secret Forest County's terrain was flat and the soil fertile, with a population reaching 560,000. For a county established less than twenty years ago, this was indeed a large number.

The Yu Family was the largest—and only—landlord in Secret Forest County. The land was the private property of the Yu Family's common descendants, which included the tenant farmers on the land; all were privately owned. An ordinary child of the Yu Family could have countless fields and scores of wives and concubines.

The few prosperous places included Secret Forest City, which rested below the main peak of the Yu Family. Yet, it was still bloody, like a man-eating beast, quietly lurking on the earth.

Yu Mugao sat quietly in the most luxurious hall at the highest point as a group of cultivators silently waited for him to speak. Yu Mugao, however, didn't utter a word; he just looked at them.

Yu Xiaogui had already gone to Xianyou Peak to attend Xiao Chuting's spell assembly. The families to the east were starting to stir trouble, and Yu Mugao had been interrupted from his cultivation. Fuming almost to the point of bursting as he regarded his yes-men brothers and nephews below him, he had to forcefully suppress his anger.

"The commoners are displaced and resort to selling their children for food, while my family's descendants drink and play games, sing joyfully, flog the tenant farmers, and laugh heartily. The butcher brings out the head of a dog, yet there's human flesh underneath."

Yu Mugao slowly rose to his feet and walked out of the hall, looking over Secret Forest County under the night sky. The thoughts that had surfaced countless times in his mind made his back feel cold as he silently questioned himself.

"Is this the dwelling of noble Immortal Clans, or a realm of demons and ghosts?"

A profound sense of powerlessness spiraled in his mind. Yu Mugao was a ruthlessly sinister character, yet had never entertained the thought of tormenting the people or indulging his relatives. Now, he was forced to watch these things happen right before his eyes.

Yu Mugao was not the chief culprit; the Yu Family was already in this state when it came into his hands. Even if he wanted to change just a little, the forces of resistance would pull out an entire interest group, with his father and even the old ancestor sitting in the Cave Mansion at the forefront.

He silently lifted his gaze to the highest Cave Mansion, his sharp eyes seeming to pierce through the wooden walls and stone barriers to see the old man sitting cross-legged inside.

"Last year, human flesh was three coins per jin, now it's only two…"

"Grandfather, what exactly do you want to do?"

————

Inside the gloomy Stone Cave, drops of blood trickled down. Yu Yufeng extended his rosy palms and soaked them into the small hollow formed by the pooled blood, silently raising his palms.

After completing his routine tempering, Yu Yufeng tried to resume his meditative breathing, but couldn't settle down; he was restless. Running his hands over the wall, he scraped off a shower of chalky dust. His eyes slightly red, his voice harsh, he muttered:

"Xiao Chuting... How is it possible! How could he have reached Zifu?"

He was a contemporary of Xiao Chuting. They had competed many times, each with their victories and losses. His cultivation level had been slightly higher than Xiao Chuting's. Yet, years of dedicated cultivation had unexpectedly allowed Xiao Chuting to surpass him.

Yu Yufeng looked carefully at his palms, noticing the faint sword scars still evident on each. This made him even more irritable and tears streamed from his eyes as he muttered to himself:

"Great, great, you are a genius, so arrogantly powerful, with a single sword strike ending someone's path... Why! Why!"

After howling in the cave, Yu Yufeng released his emotions and sat back down cross-legged. Unexpectedly, the release had cleared his mind, and he became more at peace. It was as if celestial music surrounded him, with little beings striking gongs and drums, producing enchanting music.

"What an opportunity."

Yu Yufeng became increasingly engrossed, his mind clear and his spirit refreshed. Joy spread across his face as he experienced bursts of enlightenment. Beyond the forests and paths before him, a small hillock emerged.

"This is... the chance for a breakthrough!!"

With his white hair trailing behind him, two flashes of colored light transiently appeared behind Yu Yufeng's head, unseen to him. His eyes somewhat cloudy with excitement, he kicked open the stone door, rode the wind up, and landed inside the grand hall.

Yu Mugao had been blankly staring into the night sky when a withered old man with disheveled white hair suddenly appeared before him. He was shocked and quickly lowered his head to hide the surprise in his eyes, and with a respectful bow, said:

"Greetings, Great Ancestor!"

The gathered nephews and brothers behind him exchanged glances and, after a moment of panic, knelt down in unison, respectfully saying:

"Greetings, Great Ancestor!!"

"Hmm."

Yu Yufeng slowly narrowed his eyes, looking down with a strange expression at Yu Mugao kneeling before him, and whispered:

"Has Yu Xiaogui not yet returned?"

"To the Great Ancestor, he has not."

Yu Mugao respectfully answered, while the nephews and brothers below speculated with their glances, thinking that Yu Yufeng's emergence must signify a major breakthrough. However, Yu Mugao felt increasingly uneasy, his voice humble as he hesitatingly raised his head and asked:

"Great Ancestor, have you perhaps made a breakthrough coming out this time?"

"Yes and no."

Yu Yufeng, suddenly excited about this matter, burst into a hearty laugh and replied:

"During my seclusion, I had a sudden revelation, feeling my spirit refreshed and my Qi invigorated,--understanding the opportunity for my breakthrough! Haha! How exhilarating!"

"Congratulations to the Great Ancestor on the revelation of opportunity, with Zifu within reach."

Yu Mugao's relatives immediately began kowtowing and shouting out their congratulations, causing Yu Yufeng to look increasingly pleased with himself, nodding slowly.

Yet Yu Mugao, observing Yu Yufeng's exaggerated expressions, grew more and more suspicious, respectfully saying:

"Congratulations, Great Ancestor, on deciphering the heavenly secrets. Zifu is within reach... Such revelations of heavenly secrets are said to have only occurred in Ancient Times, attained only by those with a Taoist Immortal Body--a tale unheard of for hundreds of years. For the Great Ancestor to have such a revelation is truly earth-shattering!"

Yu Mugao deliberately spoke in an odd manner, subtly hinting to Yu Yufeng, but Yu Yufeng did not catch the hint at all, taking it as flattery instead and laughed loudly, proudly saying:

"Indeed it is!"

This was not something a Foundation Establishment Elder like him would say. The words exploded in Yu Mugao's mind like thunder. He had seen Yu Yufeng before, and this was definitely not the impatient and arrogant demeanor of that man. Alarm bells rang in his heart as he cried out:

"Great Ancestor, beware of being ensnared by another's spell!!"

The warning exploded beside Yu Yufeng's ear, causing him to momentarily pause, his eyes momentarily clearing before turning murky again as a white jade fishing rod thousands of miles away was gently lifted, and Yu Yufeng bellowed in anger:

"A lesser being so cowardly and fearful, daring to obstruct my path!"

With that, his gray sleeve swept out, striking Yu Mugao so he saw stars, coughed up blood, rolled thrice on the ground, spitting out two teeth, his Mana dissipating, and Yu Yufeng coldly said:

"A slight punishment as a serious warning. Remember this well!"

Then, riding the wind, he went eastward, leaving Yu Mugao on the ground covered in dust and blood, still crying out with tears and shouts, stumbling and falling, wailing:

"You must not go, Great Ancestor! You must not! Great Ancestor! Great Ancestor! Do not go———"