Starting Cultivation During a Trip-Chapter 53: Father and Son’s Conversation, the Fall of the He Family
Seventeenth floor, in the long corridor.
Zhang Fan was holding his phone, pacing back and forth.
Generally, unless there’s something important, he rarely calls Zhang Lingzong. It isn’t because of a weak father-son relationship, perhaps it’s a characteristic of Hua Country’s father-son bond.
"Dad, Mom’s anniversary is coming up. Are you coming back?" Zhang Fan spoke.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of his mother’s death, and in counting, it’s been ten years since the car accident that changed their lives.
"I’ll come back early. The construction site isn’t busy lately, and the houses aren’t selling..." Zhang Lingzong’s tone remained steady and low.
"Okay." Zhang Fan nodded.
"Anything else? If not, I’ll hang up; calls are quite expensive."
"Dad..."
As Zhang Lingzong was about to hang up, Zhang Fan urgently called out.
"What is it?"
"When I was very young, did you and Mom ever take me out of the province for a trip, like... Xijiang Province..."
"Like... Dragon Tiger Mountain!?"
Zhang Fan recalled the incredibly vivid dream he had last night and couldn’t help but ask.
After that car accident, he was greatly traumatized, and doctors said he suffered from trauma-induced amnesia, forgetting certain things.
As his words fell, the phone went silent on the other end.
"Dad?" Zhang Fan called out again.
"No." Zhang Lingzong’s response came, low and undeniably firm.
"Oh, if not, it’s okay. I was just casually asking."
Zhang Fan didn’t mind and was preparing to hang up: "Dad, you take care then, stay safe."
"Is your sleep not okay lately?"
Right then, Zhang Lingzong’s voice came from the phone again, interrupting Zhang Fan’s action to hang up.
"Frequent dreams!?"
"How did you know?" Zhang Fan was caught off guard.
"You’ve just graduated and started working, so it’s normal to have pressure and bad sleep. I was the same when I was young..." Zhang Lingzong said calmly.
Hearing this warmed Zhang Fan’s heart; although his dad was usually silent, he always cared for him in his heart.
"It’s fine, I’ve been better over the past few days." Zhang Fan smiled and said: "My colleagues are all good to me..."
"My room..."
After a brief pause, Zhang Lingzong suddenly said.
"What?"
"There are a couple of bottles of sleeping pills in my room drawer. If you really can’t sleep well, take one..."
"Remember, only one at a time, no more than three times a week." Zhang Lingzong instructed.
"Alright, I’ve remembered." Zhang Fan nodded, recalling that his dad never had a good sleep.
"Also, don’t give these pills to others, they’re quite expensive, remember..."
Zhang Lingzong repeatedly reminded him. For people who sell their labor on construction sites all year round, taking sleeping pills is considered luxurious.
"Mm-hmm." Zhang Fan agreed briefly, hurriedly ended the call, and just as he was heading back to the company, he looked up and saw Bai Buran coming out of the elevator, arriving shortly in front of him.
"Boss, how’s Jiang Lai?"
"She’s alright." Bai Buran casually replied, glanced at Zhang Fan: "Come to my office."
Zhang Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly; he roughly guessed that Bai Buran would talk to him about last night’s events.
Once in the office, Bai Buran sat down and immediately dropped a bombshell.
"The He Family is finished!"
"Finished, what do you mean?" Zhang Fan was taken aback.
"From now on, there’s no more He Family in Yujing City." Bai Buran said solemnly.
"All because of last night?" Zhang Fan couldn’t help but show a puzzled look.
Even if He Fei was corrupt, the He Family had deep roots in Yujing City for years, with complicated connections. Even if implicated, it wouldn’t lead to complete destruction overnight, not leaving any remnants.
"Exactly who is Wang Tao?" Zhang Fan thought of the crux, and asked.
"You’re quite smart." Bai Buran looked deeply at Zhang Fan, with a heavy expression in his cold eyes.
"Thirteen Zodiacs... They’re a group of madmen. I dealt with them many years ago."
"Thirteen Zodiacs represent thirteen alternative Immortal Techniques."
"What you saw last night was the [Hai Pig]..."
"Thirteen? Isn’t it supposed to be twelve Zodiacs?" Zhang Fan asked in confusion.
"Thirteen Zodiacs, person first!"
"Beyond twelve, there’s humanity!" Bai Buran said in a lowered voice: "These madmen, are the ultimate taboo of the Daoist Sect, they must be executed by all. When you encounter them, you must steer clear and stay far away."
"Why?" Zhang Fan still didn’t grasp the terrifying aspect of these people.
"Have you heard of the [Wuwei Sect]?" Bai Buran raised an eyebrow and said faintly.
"Refining and Nourishing the Primordial Spirit as medicine!?" Zhang Fan’s brow jumped; he had once heard Old Yu mention it.
Mentioning Daoist sect history, this name could never be avoided.
Using active life and death techniques to seek the Dao of Non-action Longevity.
Erecting temples in the mountains, establishing altars by rivers, reigning over the world’s demonic ghosts, encompassing the incense of four seas, sweeping across the six directions, shaking the Daoist universe!
"Breaking Mountains and Attacking Temples, only killing without forgiveness!" Bai Buran’s words were heavy.
There have been nine instances in Daoist sect history of breaking mountains and attacking temples to exterminate these heretics.
However, amidst the tides of history, these aberrants always rise from ashes, gathering and dispersing in the river of time.
"They’re coming back again..."
Bai Buran stared at Zhang Fan, saying solemnly: "The He Family got involved with these people, it’s a path to destruction. No one from heaven to earth can save them now!"
"Great sin implicates all, none are innocent." Bai Buran said in a heavy tone.
Even with his words, he couldn’t describe how Daoist sects fear this lineage, almost like a pathological Heart Demon. At every hint... and trace...
Only killing without forgiveness!
"To tell you, the White Crane Temple in Shangjing has sent someone for this matter."
"White Crane Temple!?" Zhang Fan remained silent.
White Crane Temple isn’t the largest Daoist temple in Hua Country, but it’s the most influential!
Because it’s in Shangjing City, the Capital City.
To put it bluntly, whenever Daoist sects organize any activities, they must report to Shangjing City, and have White Crane Temple approve them before they can proceed.
The White Crane Temple intervenes only in significant matters affecting the Daoist sect.
"The He Family is truly finished." Zhang Fan couldn’t help but look out the window.
...
At this very moment, Imperial Domain Dao.
Half the mountain is sealed, even a mouse cannot escape.
The He Family Manor is in ruins, and the deep inner courtyard is filled with the stench of blood.
"Such wretched rituals, yet dare to falsely claim as Immortal Family?"
In the flickering firelight, a young man wearing a Daoist Robe slowly emerged, a stalk of straw clenched between his lips, while his right hand grasped the neck of a shriveled fox. With a gentle twist, a flash of fire appeared, reducing it to ashes.
"Daoist Wushang, how should we deal with the He Family people?"
At that moment, a middle-aged man in a neatly tailored suit and full of official air walked in, with a trace of vigilance and fear on his face.
"We still have to handle it according to the law, charge them all with crimes, and the kind that hits them where it hurts!" The young man in the Daoist Robe said indifferently.
"Understood." The middle-aged man in the suit nodded, hesitated a moment, then said: "Daoist Wushang, I’ve heard that this time... the Celestial Master of Thunder Prison is also in Jiangnan Province. Could you ask the esteemed master for a Talisman for me?"
"Hahaha, who told you that? To deal with such wild foxes, why would my master uncle need to step in?" Cao Wushang laughed heartily.
The Celestial Master of Thunder Prison is a rare expert from the White Crane Temple, having reached the status of [Celestial Master] fifteen years ago, and is considered a top expert among the Daoist sects worldwide.
It’s rumored that he might challenge the Realm of the True Master, catching up with the steps of Chu Chaoran.
Such a notable figure, how could he easily leave Shangjing and casually intervene?
"My master uncle hasn’t intervened for years!" Cao Wushang muttered softly.
He remembers the last time the Celestial Master of Thunder Prison intervened should be...
"Ten years ago!"
Since then, this Celestial Master has never stepped out of the White Crane Temple!
