Welcome to Ability Store-Chapter 71 - 70: Stone Altar Remains

Jiufeng City once again recovered from a state of deathly silence.

People began to traverse the streets, shops reopened for business, and figures could be seen laboring in the fields on the outskirts.

Yet, the siege left an indelible impact on this place.

"Many people have left; they fear the army might return. I tried to persuade them, saying without travel permits they’d be easily driven away or detained as vagrants in other provincial cities, but my words held little effect."

Liu Zhiyuan sat opposite Liu Shuyue, speaking about the city’s situation while complex thoughts swirled in his mind as he observed the subtle changes in the face of this Immortal Master.

Unfortunately, he found no information.

Now Liu Zhiyuan felt somewhat uncertain.

He still wanted to consider her as his daughter, but his heart couldn’t deceive his eyes, especially after witnessing her gather thousands of followers and destroy the encroaching army in an instant with thunderous methods. The reverence towards this unimaginable power had deeply taken root in his heart. Before meeting Liu Shuyue, his greatest expectation was for her to lead the whole Liu Family to escape unharmed.

"Let those who can’t be kept go," Liu Shuyue said calmly. "For now, ensure the grain release and statistical work are done well, so as not to delay the autumn harvest. Don’t use only Liu Family members in the government office to avoid mutual sheltering; it’s better to have some outsiders, which will help sustain the position longer."

"I understand this; rest assured," Liu Zhiyuan nodded in agreement.

The government officials had fled long ago, and the military siege had been lifted; now Jiufeng City was entirely under the control of the Immortal Master. Liu Shuyue handed over the management work to the Liu Family and rebuilt the government departments from the ground up.

This administrative system was more clearly defined in terms of responsibilities and powers and also operated more efficiently.

Liu Zhiyuan could only sigh inwardly, realizing that indeed, the ways of the Immortals surpassed the mundane world in every aspect.

"What are your plans next?" he hesitated for a moment, then asked the question he cared about most, "King of Qi surely won’t rest easy."

He still had the forbidden army, the other five provincial armies, and the national treasury, which could all be considered war potential.

Reaching this point—even if it wasn’t a situation actively pushed by the Liu Family—they already had no choice. In any aspect, their actions could be considered rebellion, leading to either execution or extreme resistance. But without Liu Shuyue’s support, he dared not declare rebellion on his own.

Liu Shuyue did not answer immediately.

In fact, these days she was also contemplating a question: since King of Qi was no different from a demon now, slaying him was justified, but what after toppling him? If a great power vacuum appeared in the central government, it would inevitably cause chaos everywhere, and there must be someone able to fill the void.

The person most suitable for this position was herself, who had the Encyclopedia of Ancient and Modern knowledge.

The mission given to the disciples by the Lotus Cloud Sect was to assist the nation, but what if the disciple became the nation? It might be in serious violation of the sect’s intentions.

Liu Shuyue did not worry about her future; she feared that her achievements, which she worked hard to preserve, would ultimately be negated by the Lotus Cloud Sect. That would throw the world into chaos again, and all the regional citizens would suffer greatly.

Thus, the most crucial factor lay in the sect’s opinion on the matter.

Unfortunately, she had no way to return to Kunlun Peak, nor could she obtain answers from her master or other seniors.

Unless... that Smoke Soul Pillar truly was left by a former disciple.

Liu Shuyue pondered for a moment, then spoke, "Rest assured, I will stay here for a while and see what other tricks King of Qi has up his sleeve. When the time is right, even if he hides in the Royal City, he will be held accountable."

Hearing her say this, Liu Zhiyuan immediately let out a long sigh of relief.

Besides feeling relieved, he also felt a faint excitement—when Liu Shuyue conquered the Royal City, wouldn’t that mean... wouldn’t that mean she could proclaim herself king? Although an Imperial Advisor Immortal Master becoming the ruler sounded somewhat... illegitimate, in the face of real power, what did a little controversy matter!

Liu Shuyue as king would make the Liu Family the Royal Family, truly part of the royal family! Thinking of being able to live to see this day, Liu Zhiyuan felt all the suffering endured in these days was worthwhile!

"Shuyue, please take Qing’Er and You’Er with you. Anyone else in the family with talent, if you fancy them, call them too; they’re willing to follow you through fire and water."

She nodded, "If you, as the family head, can bear to part with them. Additionally, I need to retreat into seclusion for a few days; a seal will be placed on the door, so others shouldn’t come close."

"No problem," Liu Zhiyuan immediately agreed, "I’ll go and instruct the others right away."

King of Qi certainly couldn’t regroup in the short term, so Liu Shuyue planned to take the opportunity to inspect the place where the smoke spirit drifted.

Why would someone from there continually send her portraits to the Liu Family?

Was the Liu Family’s development really relevant to the last disciple?

Whose hands did the child Liu Zhiyuan carried away end up in?

Since this clue might involve the sect, she had to uncover the truth.

Liu Shuyue set up the seal, then used an Invisibility Talisman to eliminate her traces, afterward taking out a Wind Riding Talisman to fly directly out of the Liu Family estate.

The Wind Riding Talisman’s duration was short, lasting only about half a minute per piece, but fortunately, the village had collected tens of thousands of Dragon Scales, so long as there was enough Spiritual Qi, she could freely use this High-Level Talisman to cross treacherous terrains that were otherwise impassable.

The scenery below continuously changed, transitioning from towns and countryside to vast expanses of forest. After approximately three two-hour periods, she crossed the Yunzhou border through a combination of flying and running, entering a mountainous region never before ventured.

Unlike Wanshan Wilderness, this place was not only sparsely populated but also had few Demon Fiends, making it difficult for people to traverse by foot due to the many fragmented mountain ranges.

After spending about a day and a half, she finally arrived at the area connected by the Smoke Soul.

Liu Shuyue landed on a steep cliff, surveying the old mountain from above.

Frankly, she didn’t like places like this: secluded, eerie, and devoid of Spiritual Qi. The surrounding mountains were quite low, resembling a series of interlocking jagged teeth; thick vines covered the forest, as if undisturbed by human presence for millennia.

Don’t mention the always cloud-shrouded and snow-covered Lotus Cloud Sect, even compared to Wanshan Wilderness, this place was inferior.

Would a disciple from the Lotus Cloud Sect really choose to seclude themselves in such an "unattractive" place?

Liu Shuyue again made a hand seal for divination, ultimately pinpointing her destination to a low valley surrounded by a cluster of rocky hills.

Descending into the valley, she quickly found a suspicious cave.

It seemed suspicious because a few scattered animal bones lay at the cave entrance, with identifiable semi-circular bite marks, clearly left by humans.

Ordinary hunters and Medicine Farmers could not reach this place!

Liu Shuyue maximized the perceptive ability of Celestial Mist Skill, then placed a Night Bright Talisman on her forehead and slowly entered the cave.

After only a few steps, she realized she had not found the wrong place.

Inside the cave was a downward rocky slope, but stairs had been carved into the path, indicating frequent passage by someone.

The deeper she went, the larger the cave space became. When the slope ended, an extremely spacious underground cavern appeared before Liu Shuyue. High on the dome ceiling, small beams of light leaked through, suggesting the existence of a natural skylight structure. Listening carefully, one could hear the sound of trickling streams. Thanks to the internal-external connection, the cave’s air wasn’t bad, though there was an unmistakable musty smell.

She suddenly noticed that the area illuminated by light seemed to have something placed there.

As Liu Shuyue walked closer, she finally saw that it was a mummified corpse sitting upright!

Underneath him was a stone carving resembling a lotus platform.

Who could this person be?

Liu Shuyue carefully scrutinized the mummy—according to the Liu Family lineage records, the ancestor Liu Zhidong died of illness. However, in Jiufeng City, there was only a clothing burial mound for him. Being an Immortal, he should be interred within the Wang Family, buried according to Royal Family rites in the restricted area of the Royal City.

In theory, such a grand funeral should have been recorded in various provincial figures, yet no such information could be found.

Could it be Liu Zhidong?

The mummy’s skin was remarkably intact, with no signs of rot or decay. Considering the cave’s dark and damp conditions, a typical person could not remain preserved after death, suggesting this individual was likely a Cultivator. No signs of acute illness appeared on him, indicating he was not severely ill before death.

Liu Shuyue also noted a piece of jade, green and lustrous, placed in front of the crossed legs of the mummy, engraved with intricate characters.

"This is..."

Her heart raced! She had seen this type of jade plate in the sect before.

"Sorry to intrude."

She clasped her hands, offering respect to the mummy before approaching to examine the jade more closely.

At the moment her fingertips touched the jade, the mummy suddenly extended a hand, gripping her wrist tightly!