Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 492 - 70 The Gap Between Vanity and Shame

The Northeast and the area North of the Great Wall are two different directions; the Northeast refers to the east of the grasslands and north of Shanghai Pass. The area North of the Great Wall refers to north of the Great Wall and east of the North Sea—these are two distinct regions.

Ordinary people might not have a clear conception of this, but to put it in one sentence, it’s that for thousands of years, no historian has been able to produce accurate data that precisely depicts these two geographical areas.

The farthest place you could walk towards the south is the ends of the earth in Qiongzhou, but heading north, you wouldn’t know how far to go; perhaps you’d never see the end.

Ancient people often used terms like "primeval wilderness" or "barbarian wilderness" to describe the outer lands, but to the north, only "wilderness" remains. Past Blackwater River, you wouldn’t even see many small animals, let alone people. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Legend has it that the Demon Clan lives near the North Sea. Grand Preceptor Wen once launched an expedition to the North Sea, and after more than a decade, it bore no fruit.

But reality tells the Demon Clan another story—they’ll just tell you it’s all nonsense. It’s too cold; they can’t stand it.

Indeed, there are Demon Clan settlements in the Northeast, but only as far as the southern bank of Blackwater River. The Li Family, guarding Blackwater River, considered that the very limit of the empire’s territory.

If you go further north, it’s not like you wouldn’t find people or demons at all, but scattered across the vast land, you’d hardly be able to find them.

"Back then, under the influence of the Behemoth, the Rakshasa unearthed ancient giant beast bones from the permafrost, and with the Resurrection Secret Method, they built the Undead Legion. They crossed the North Sea, marched eastward, and reached Blackwater River. The Li Family, while sending out invitations far and wide, asking various Demon Clan factions for support, also sent people south to the Imperial Court for assistance."

Li Mumu seemed to have heard some astonishing names, but she dared not interrupt.

"Our Ma Family at that time wasn’t called the Ma Family; we were just a few small clans practicing in seclusion on Baiyun Peak, enjoying the incense offerings from different tribes for many years. Not to say that we protected the area, but we had just managed to accumulate some karma, living our modest lives behind closed doors."

"Originally, the nine of us brothers and sisters took an oath of fraternity, known collectively as the Baishan Lineage, but in reality, we all led separate lives, with no hierarchical structure among us. As for the turnover of the mortal dynasties and the changing of the kingdom’s flags on the city walls, it mattered even less to us."

"Our eldest sister didn’t like the lonely and cold mountain, so she would often venture inside the pass to play, using her beauty to bewitch mortal men, frolicking in the mortal world. Later, she was chased by a Taoist from Kunlun, and the two were entangled for years, their relationship unclear and complex."

"Later on... when the Foreigners invaded, that Taoist hurried to Tianmen to join the fight, and alongside many of his fellow disciples, he died in battle. Our eldest sister mourned at the Taoist’s tomb for seven days and then went to fight the Foreigners with all her might, eventually dying under their guns. Her fur was skinned and made into a specimen, and she died with her eyes open in anger. We, at the time, were out of the loop and didn’t know about this."

"When the Rakshasa came, we received the invitation from the Li Family, but initially, we didn’t want to go. What business did we have with Foreigners or the Imperial Court? The North was bitterly cold, a place unfit for habitation, let alone venturing into the mountains to provoke us. Why get involved in such matters for no gain, risking our lives carelessly?"

"But when the President came over, someone found us, bringing news of our eldest sister."

"The Baishan Lineage, we share the same breath and branches. Although we wouldn’t say we were very close on a daily basis, when faced with a matter, we would stand together. With such a deep hatred and great grievance, we had to leave the mountain, to take one last trip for our sister, to avenge her suffering."

At this point, the old grandmother of the Ma Family sighed deeply.

"But for those of us who have never left the mountain in our lives, how would we know how big the world really is? The Foreigners are no easy foes. When we came to the battlefield and saw the ancient beasts’ corpses they commanded, with fangs thicker than our waists, we were instantly intimidated,"

"It should be said that our Baishan Lineage was never something presentable. Others respected us a bit more because of our eldest sister, and even if we were cowards, hiding behind others, no one would say anything. But the one thing we absolutely shouldn’t have done was for our second sister to incite a few brothers to secretly defect to the Foreigners, conspiring from within and passing on intelligence, almost costing the President his life."

"From that day on, our lineage could no longer hold our heads high."

Seeing the regretful expression on the old grandma’s face, Li Mumu couldn’t help but feel contemplative.

In the past, mentioning the Demon Clan conjured images of millennia or centuries-old cultivation, roaring through the forests and dominating territories. They were either wolves, tigers and leopards or primordial exotic species, each seemingly more impressive than the last.

Little Demons like ’Fox Yellow, ’White Willow’, and ’Grey Ash’ lacked prestige in modern times, whether online or in reality, unlike the Immortals from the south who had tycoons spending big money on their Attendants and promotion. Even failed writers wouldn’t want to write about them, fearing a lack of prestige that would displease readers.

Little Demons who spent their lives hiding in the mountains, afraid to look people in the eye, suddenly heard one day that a great hero had emerged from their family. Those highborn families who usually looked down on them came over to praise and flatter them, and the vanity that ensued could only be imagined.

They thought they could finally stand tall and proud from then on, but to their surprise, as soon as they were put in the spotlight, they revealed their true colors, allowing others to see what they truly were. The intense shift from vanity to shame was enough to drive one mad.

This shame was indelible, even with blood.

So it’s no wonder why the Ma Family insisted on coming to cleanse their house themselves this time.

They must retrieve the face they lost themselves, otherwise, they would never be able to hold their heads up in front of others.

"...Afterward, several of us old brothers fought bravely and died in battle one after another. Of the nine siblings of the Baishan Lineage, only I remained, apart from the second sister who had escaped. Before my fourth brother died, he grabbed my hand and made me promise to cleanse the family name, or else the Baishan Lineage would become a complete joke."

"The President, however, did not blame us. After the war, he took my hand in front of the Li Family and the Bai Family, and recounted our merits. He bestowed citizenship upon us, allowing us to choose our own surname, so we wouldn’t have to be burdened by the Baishan Lineage’s betrayal."

"My last name is originally Liu, but I couldn’t drag the children of my fourth and fifth brothers into this by making them take the Liu surname. So, I ultimately chose the character ’Ma,’ as in entering the fray. The Baishan Lineage, all five families united under one name."

As the Ma Family’s old grandma said this, she gestured for the big girl holding a child to come over, took the child in her arms, and presented it to Li Mumu, speaking softly, "I know you, Little Bodhisattva, have a compassionate heart. This old lady has an audacious request. This child’s surname should have been Hu, actually a descendant of my second sister’s lineage. We brought her here still harboring a glimmer of hope that our second sister would have a change of heart upon seeing her. But having met with her, we realized that woman is truly beyond redemption, so we didn’t bring it up."

"Having committed such great sins back in the day, our second sister remains unrepentant until now. She is surely doomed to a bad end, but this child will inevitably have to bear the consequences of her ancestors and is likely to face a difficult path ahead."

"I beseech you, considering this old woman’s modest request, to leave a trace of incense offerings for this child, to help shield her from calamity."