《Five Heavenly Apparitions》 Chapter 1 Sixteen-hundred meters above the ground, with a cool autumn breeze flowing through his dark chocolate hair, Liwei looked back over the shoulder of his black robes. Even though he was a great distance away, he finally felt at home. ¡°This place is truly as beautiful as I remember it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost overwhelming,¡± Xiuying was slightly younger than her companion. Her eyes never descried such an enchanting sight. The wind¡¯s might forced her to constantly keep her bubblegum hair from blocking her view. ¡°Before long, our voices will finally be heard,¡± Liwei let out a passionate smile. The sunlight reflected off the clouds, illuminating a beautiful monastery. ¡°And everything we¡¯ve gone through will be for a reason.¡± There were few things in the Celestial Empire more beautiful than the Wudang Mountains¡­ The mandate of heaven. Its blessing decides the fate of whatever dynasty rules over the Celestial Empire. The Jade Emperor sends five heavenly apparitions, each containing a fifth of his power, to execute the will of the gods in the mortal realm. Spirit servants, also called shishen, are the innate soul of not only martial artists, but priests and even normal people. Through cultivation, a person shall connect with their inner spirits, and therefore connect with the heavenly realm from whence it came. Strength, mind, and spirit amalgamate to reach the pathway. This road is called the Dao. The Wudang Mountains were decorated with numerous luscious, green trees surrounding the famous temple. This sect was one of the four sacred sects of cultivation, where people learned to harness the martial and mystical arts for power and longevity. A cobblestone pathway lead into the monastery¡¯s gates and the courtyard, where plenty cultivators practiced their skills. The sect was performing normally. Nothing interesting that the cultivators didn¡¯t experience daily, for the most part. They were hard workers, and only because they respected themselves. The patriarch was Liqiang, a stern middle-aged man with plenty of years with experience. Every day he would sit in his wooden office with the same austere expression and do all the boring planning that nobody else wanted to do. Except for Daiwen. He was most likely the sect¡¯s greatest teacher in decades. He stood out from the crowd because of his thick, golden hair, but no matter the situation he always had a friendly smile on his pale face. This was one of the very few times he was actually late. ¡°Good morning! I apologize for¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. There¡¯s no major ceremonies coming up. I think we can finally catch a break.¡± ¡°How was your night¡¯s sleep?¡± ¡°Could¡¯ve been better,¡± Liqiang started to pour tea for not only himself, but Daiwen as well. ¡°You?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to say the same for myself,¡± Daiwen laughed. ¡°The elders wanted me to pick weeds in the garden again. I thought that sounded easy until I realized¡ª¡± ¡°Their garden is several miles away?¡± Liqiang predicted, handing a cup of tea to his attendant. ¡°Must¡¯ve taken you a while, especially since all the horses were sick.¡± ¡°I heard their caretaker fed them something they weren¡¯t supposed to.¡± Daiwen joked, slowly taking a sip of his tea. The two started laughing. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re not wrong. Milk¡­¡± Liqiang held the cup of tea to his mouth. ¡°He should¡¯ve known that horses can¡¯t handle lactose too well.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the horses from now on.¡± Daiwen poured sugar into his tea. Liqiang was dissimilar; the sight of someone adding sugar almost made the patriarch gag. For a moment, he was baffled. ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. You already have so much on your plate.¡± Liqiang candidly understood the stress his attendant must¡¯ve suffered. Daiwen was pretty much given all the boring jobs that nobody else wanted to do¡­ Yet he did them all with a bright smile. He just liked to help others. Even though his schedule was always full with teaching, he still found time for things like preparing meals and yardwork and cleaning. All cultivators had to clean, but nobody cleaned as much as Daiwen. It didn¡¯t really make sense to anybody. Not even himself.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. At the worst moment possible, a cultivator barged into the room while panting. From the look on his face, it was evident that he wasn¡¯t the herald of good news. ¡°Have you ever heard of knocking?¡± Liqiang was initially aggravated, but he could tell something was off. ¡°Someone just entered the temple grounds. I think it¡¯s him.¡± The cultivator said, catching his breath; and with that revelation, Daiwen¡¯s smile began to fade. Cultivators watched on as two shocking figures walked past. Before the patriarch could even reach the courtyard, the sect elders met the approaching Liwei and Xiuying with bewilderment. They had no idea who the girl was, but Liwei was very familiar¡­ ¡°What the hell? This can¡¯t be happening.¡± One of the elders cried. It was rare for someone like him to use profane language, but even the others felt the same way. Liwei had grown plenty since the last time they saw him. ¡°You¡¯re all weak.¡± He declared. The elders were flabbergasted. ¡°How dare you say such a thing?! Do I need to teach you some manners, young man?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to learn.¡± Liwei grinned, pointing his fingers at the elders accusingly. ¡°I¡¯m here to shape this sect into something the world could revere!¡± Xiuying commented, ¡°I don¡¯t think I should introduce myself. My strength tells the whole story.¡± ¡°If you feel you are worthy, then prove it!¡± An elder shouted as ten cultivators appeared in front of the accusers. Some were skinny with reflexes as fast as lightning, while some were bulky and looked like they could crush mountains with a single push. ¡°Very well then.¡± Liwei¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. It seemed he had confidence in his abilities that even worried the elders, despite the fact he was outnumbered. Liwei''s black eyes looked extremely cold. The qi surrounding him became intense, embellished with an aura of black and purple. The sheer might of his powerful shishen, Xuanwu, which took the form of a black tortoise alongside a purple serpent, almost swept the cultivators off their feet. ¡°You¡¯re so quick to show off.¡± Xiuying grinned and followed suit. The ferocity of her shishen, Baihu, which took the form of a white tiger, shook the nearby stone temples with a pink qi as intense as Xuanwu¡¯s. Liwei and Xiuying dropped into fighting stances, intimidating the opposing cultivators. In the minds of the vagabonds, triumph was already certain. Among the ten disciples, nothing but desperation to earn respect from the elders clouded their conscious. Seeing his opponents release their spirits, Liwei¡¯s cold eyes felt a bit more satisfaction. ¡°Your qi is a lot more impressive than I expected. Please, make this a challenge for me.¡± The battle cries of ten disciples filled the atmosphere as they sprinted toward their targets. Although the vagabonds¡¯ power was out of the ordinary, they were still young and relatively inexperienced compared to the disciples they were facing. Xiuying¡¯s hazel eyes sparkled for a moment. There was no way her assassin training was in vain. After all, she considered herself the deadliest young girl in the Celestial Empire. Liwei countered a punch from the first disciple, coiling his arm to immobilize and grant an opening. His fingers jabbed eye sockets, and the ball of his foot collided with the disciple¡¯s gut. When a second disciple sprinted, Xiuying took this as an opportunity to pounce with hands shaped like claws, scarring her prey¡¯s face. As the disciple fell to the ground, the back of his head felt another lethal swipe of her paw. The third disciple soared through the air like a bird taking flight, but Liwei was nonchalant. How could someone be so calm in the middle of an intense fight, especially when outnumbered? Then at last, a tiny smile crept across his face. His eyes widened in surprise, and although he tried not to show it, admiration for the revered Wudang sect¡¯s grandeur. ¡°That pride¡­¡± Liwei evaded his attacker with imposing quickness, assaulting him with a barrage of virulent strikes to pressure points faster than the disciple could even perceive. He continued, ¡°It reminds me of when I was a child.¡± Xiuying was overburdened with similar veneration. Although she never had the chance to grow up at a monastery, she often dreamed she could. It would be a million times better than the conditions she was raised in¡­ As a result, she almost let her guard down for a split second when a fourth disciple assailed her. She caught the strike with her forearm, subsequently breaking skin with her claws, and leaped backwards. Liwei and Xiuying were now back to back. A fifth disciple dropped from the sky with a wooden staff, but the vagabonds were already prepared to retaliate. Xiuying snapped the stick in half with a wild drop kick, while Liwei swooped under her with an explosive strike to the disciple¡¯s stomach. The other five disciples were stunned, but failure didn¡¯t seem like an option, so they rushed in anyway. One by one, they were outmatched by the prowess of Xuanwu and Baihu and landed uncomfortably on their backs. The vagabonds just stayed in the same place like immovable rocks, or trees with roots deeply implanted into the soil. Once their challenge was won, the vagabonds were ecstatic. However, the elders didn¡¯t feel the same way. They were pissed off watching the fight go down. How could ten of the Wudang sect¡¯s profound cultivators lose to those renegades? But one thing was certain. The strength of their heavenly spirits frightened the elders terribly. ¡°I assume I¡¯ve proven my point.¡± Liwei confidently lifted his head toward the elders. ¡°From this day forward, Xiuying and I will nurture the Wudang sect into something of legends! Something even the imperial family will fear, and the Celestial Empire will be under our grasp!¡± An unexpectedly familiar voice startled him, leaving him utterly frozen in place. No words could escape his mouth, and his body was completely immobilized and shaken. ¡°Liwei¡­ This path you undertook¡­¡± Daiwen arrived at the courtyard, alongside the patriarch, and it was clear this reunion of sorts wasn¡¯t too ebullient. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed, yet I take full responsibility for the way things ended up.¡± A tear streamed down Liwei¡¯s cheek like a river, and he felt as though all he could do was clench his fist. After a few seconds of silence, he hurled a swift punch, but Daiwen caught it with finesse. Even Xiuying was speechless. Liwei dropped to his knees, and more tears poured from his eyes. ¡°What the hell are you saying, you bastard?!¡± The words that followed really did strike a chord, leaving Liwei defeated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ For not being there to protect you.¡± Those words had sparked an abundance of tragic memories, and a recollection ensued¡­ Chapter 2 Panting. Panting. Panting. The black-haired woman, with only the garments on her back and a toddler within her arms, refused to catch her breath for even a second. She ran and ran and never stopped running, heading wherever her feet could take her. She was surprisingly beautiful. She had violet eyes that shined like the moon, and her young son shared those same eyes¡­ Her skin was pasty white, confessing her location to whatever she was running from at night. It was difficult to run in the bloodstained dress that matched her hair, so she almost tripped a thousand times. Worst of all, her legs were killing her. None of that mattered to her, though. The life of her child was more important to the black-haired woman than her own. So for that reason, she couldn¡¯t allow herself to take a break. She trekked through countless forests and valleys and mountains, never looking back, until she eventually found herself knocking on the gates of the Wudang sect. And this knocking turned into restless banging. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Daiwen and two other cultivators were surprised to find that the source of the banging disappeared, and the only thing left was the adorable violet-eyed toddler, barely old enough to speak, crying his eyes out. ¡°Poor boy, you must be starving,¡± Daiwen continued with that trademark smile of his, consoling the abandoned child as much as he could. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing. You¡¯re in safe hands now.¡± ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Liqiang approached the monastery¡¯s gate and was flabbergasted at the sight of the small toddler. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Daiwen was reasonably concerned. ¡°He¡¯s dangerously cold. Get a blanket as soon as possible.¡± Liqiang nodded and followed orders. The Wudang sect took that toddler under their wing from that point on, and he was eventually given a fitting name. That abandoned child became known as Liwei. His bond to Daiwen became that of father and son. However, something peculiar bothered the golden-haired teacher. Those violet, serpentine eyes proved to be something more dangerous than most people realized¡­ Ten years passed before everything in Liwei¡¯s life started to change. He was still at a very young age, often seen in Liqiang¡¯s office playing with puppets while the other disciples of the monastery practiced cultivation. To most people, puppets were wooden dolls with no emotion. But not to Liwei. They were much more than that; in fact, they were friends who cared for him, much like Daiwen cared for him. He had two favorite puppets that stuck out more than the others: the tortoise and the serpent. For most boys his age, these were odd choices. They liked puppets in the shape of terrifying dragons and warrior soldiers with lances and bows and swords. Even Liqiang noticed this idiosyncrasy. Daiwen did too, but he was more jovial than confused. He always smiled as he watched the fascinated boy run laps around the office table, usually when Liqiang was busy working. ¡°He¡¯s so full of energy.¡± Daiwen laughed. ¡°It¡¯s getting on my damn nerves.¡± Liqiang was discontented. The rosy-cheeked boy whimsically spun in circles, tiring himself out pretty quickly. The patriarch continued, ¡°But I have to admit it: he¡¯s really adorable.¡± ¡°Daiwen,¡± Liwei looked up to his caretaker, both literally and metaphorically. He wanted to be just like him; someone who services others without being asked. ¡°Today, after you¡¯ve finished with chores, can you train me? Most disciples my age have already awakened their shishen. I don¡¯t want to be left behind.¡± Daiwen sighed. ¡°Maybe when you¡¯re older,¡± With teary eyes as golden as his hair, he patted the boy¡¯s head as a sign of affection. ¡°In the meantime, please forgive me.¡± ¡°F-F-Forgive?¡± Liwei was speechless. He wasn¡¯t in the room for playing with puppets anymore. He instead sat on the floor, watching a snake wrestle with a bird. The predators were battling each other to the death, and the loser would be prey. ¡°Forests like these¡­ I pity the animals that inhabit them.¡± Liwei was practically talking to himself. Daiwen was off helping the sect elders with errands, and Liqiang was too busy at his desk to chitchat. The patriarch just hummed and nodded, sipping the bland tea he was known to drink. ¡°Uncle Liqiang, why does Daiwen treat me like a baby?¡± This finally caught the patriarch¡¯s attention. For a change, Liqiang wasn¡¯t yelling about how aggravating the child seemed or ignoring him altogether. He gently sat his teacup on his work surface and spoke in a calming voice. ¡°He¡¯s been pretty strange lately. Ever since you came to this sect, with those serpentine eyes, he became a different person.¡± ¡°Different person?¡± ¡°Believe it or not, he was very arrogant when he was your age. He¡¯s the most talented person I¡¯ve ever taught, but others couldn¡¯t stand his ego.¡± ¡°Daiwen is the most humble man I know.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, right?! That¡¯s probably why he¡¯s so respectful toward the sect elders now. I guess he feels bad for being such a pompous asshole.¡± ¡°Pompous¡­?¡± ¡°He drastically changed when he laid his eyes on you, though. I can still remember the moment he found you outside the gates¡ª¡°If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°It¡¯s a shame! He¡¯s never allowed me outside of the monastery grounds since that day! Other disciples witness beautiful trees and mountaintops and markets! I¡¯m sick of hearing their stories, I want to see it for myself! I want to venture past the gates once more--!¡± ¡°He only protective of you because he loves you! He sees something in you¡ª something that nobody else sees! Even I don¡¯t understand it!¡± ¡°Bullshit!¡± Liwei was absolutely fuming. Without warning, he stormed off and slammed the door behind him. He passed the cultivators polishing the main temple hall; he passed the cultivators sweeping the stone courtyard; and for the first time in ten years, he found himself outside the monastery¡¯s gates. Daiwen was finished doing errands for the elders when Liqiang told him the news, but the golden-haired caretaker wasn¡¯t angry at all. Actually, a sense of worry flooded every nerve in his body, and his legs automatically started trembling. Liwei was sprinting through the forest, and suddenly, he recalled the earliest memory he could possibly think of¡­ That beautiful woman with his same eyes, carrying him through the same forest, but in the opposite direction. The single tear that fell from his violet, serpentine eyes was more blood than water. The same rain that poured on that black-haired woman¡ª it poured on Liwei as well. Then he tripped over something stringy, like a small wire. Before he knew it, his face was planted in the dirt. Armored warriors from the imperial capital dropped from the horses they were riding and surrounded him. Liwei tried to scream for help, but his mouth was covered by a gloved hand. No sound could be mustered. He kept trying and trying and trying to scream; but alas, nothing. He continued to weep and braced himself for certain death with closed eyes. Tears fell onto his hands. Steel severed skin. Blood dripped onto the floor. Silent yells filled the forest. Liwei opened his eyes and found the soldiers that accosted him. Slaughtered. Every last one of them. He counted them. Two. Four. Six. Eight. ¡°Daiwen¡­?¡± Liwei spotted his savior. Daiwen was embellished with a golden qi that Liwei never saw before. The entire forest started shaking. Confusingly enough, dirt floated around him. This aura manifested horns and hooves, displaying one of the heavenly beasts that decided the Celestial Empire¡¯s present and future. This was none other than the legendary Qilin. ¡°Those eyes will get you in trouble. I should know,¡± Daiwen¡¯s golden eyes sparkled almost as much as the qi around him. The sword in his hand was absolutely soaked in the blood of the imperial soldiers he killed. ¡°I¡¯ve been cursed with the same fate.¡± ¡°Same fate¡­?¡± A blessed qi started to slowly leak from Liwei¡¯s body. Xuanwu¡¯s flowing energy glistened in the moonlight. ¡°The divine beasts exposed by our pupils¡­ Inside of us is something that even the imperial family fears. If their soldiers find you, they won¡¯t hesitate to kill you! I¡¯m only hard on you because I want you to be safe, Liwei¡­¡± ¡°How do you expect me to be safe if I can never be strong?! You won¡¯t always be there to protect me! You treat me like I¡¯m a little kid, but I can never grow up with you breathing down my back all the time!¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t understand¡ª¡° ¡°You¡¯re right, Daiwen! I don¡¯t understand! In this cruel world where predators fight to make each other prey, I can only survive if I¡¯m strong! What do you think would happen if the soldiers ransacked the monastery while you were out running errands?!¡± ¡°Liwei¡ª¡± ¡°I can¡¯t spend twenty-four hours every day just sitting in that temple! I always hear about glorious palaces and lively markets, but I¡¯ve never seen something like that! All I get to see are the walls of that goddamn temple!¡± ¡°Just listen to me okay!¡± Daiwen was growing frustrated. ¡°I was able to save your ass because I¡¯m strong! If I wasn¡¯t there to save you, who knows what would¡¯ve happened?!¡± ¡°How can I be strong if you never even train me?! My entire childhood, I wanted to be just like you! You selfish son of a bitch!¡± With tears still clouding his eyes, Liwei turned around and started walking. Like that beautiful woman so many years ago, he had no idea where he was heading. ¡°Go to bed.¡± Liwei wiped his tears, looking back at his former caretaker as the qi disappeared. ¡°I¡¯ll see you when I¡¯m stronger.¡± Daiwen couldn¡¯t hide his heartbreak. All he could do was watch the person he loved the most forsake him. ¡°Please forgive me¡­¡± In a little less than a minute, the violet-eyed boy was gone. After a few hours of wandering through the forest in a search for survival, Liwei stumbled upon a fresh lake smelling of wildflowers and soil. He saw fish swimming through the water, playing with each other whimsically, which reminded him of the days he would spin around Liqiang¡¯s office with his favorite puppets. He thought he saw this in the reflection¡­ Those days were sadly behind him. Silently cursing, Liwei picked up a stone and threw it as hard as he could, watching the rock skip across the lake. There was no way he could go back to before. Everything he knew was long gone¡­ The stone¡¯s pathway pointed toward a pink-haired girl, laying on the coarse forest grass and gazing at the distant, bright stars. She looked around Liwei¡¯s age and was dressed in silk clothing saturated in a gorgeous midnight black. Startled by the sound of the skipping rock, she gasped and peered toward the sound. ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Liwei quickly hid behind a bush, letting out a sigh of relief. He whispered, ¡°Phew, that was close.¡± He tried to stand, but an obstruent boulder caused him to topple and fall. A few seconds later, he found himself face-planted into the lake. I really need to stop falling on my face, he thought. As soon as he lifted his head, Liwei¡¯s face met the clenched fist of the wrathful adolescent girl. He rubbed his palm against his bruised cheek. ¡°Ouch, what was that for?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t your parents teach you not to perv on girls like that?!¡± She exclaimed. She was so furious that her eyes turned white and veins were popping out of her head. Liwei stood up and dusted himself off. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! I was just wondering why a pretty girl was alone in a forest like this, especially so late at night.¡± This was a terrible choice of words. The pink-haired girl was even angrier than before. ¡°Pretty?! I outta give you another beating! I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any of your business why I¡¯m here, anyway!¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s just¡­ I saw your robes and I thought you were lost.¡± The girl¡¯s expression changed immensely. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know if you could consider me lost. I don¡¯t know my way back home, but it¡¯s not like I want to go back¡­¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Liwei noticed the torn fabric on the girl¡¯s robes. It was much easier to see it from close up than far away. ¡°You¡¯re not from here, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the Yinlin clan, several kilometers from here. It¡¯s a group of assassins that kidnaps children and turns them into ruthless mercenaries. I wanted to find my real parents, so I ran away and eventually¡ª I found this place.¡± ¡°It looks like we have something in common¡­ I didn¡¯t quite catch your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Xiuying. You?¡± ¡°The disciples at the Wudang sect call me Liwei. It¡¯s nice to meet you¡ª¡± He awkwardly extended his hand. Xiuying was initially hesitant to shake it, but she ultimately gave in. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, too¡­¡± The chilled autumn breeze left Xiuying shivering. ¡°There should be a market town nearby. My friend runs a lot of errands for old people, so he goes there a lot. They could probably help us out¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiuying was straight-faced. Liwei noticed the peculiar tint in her eyes that shined like pink diamonds. ¡°You¡¯re like me, aren¡¯t you? You have one of the five heavenly shishen. I can see it in your eyes.¡± ¡°Father told me this power would benefit the empire someday, but a lot of bad people want to use this spirit for their own personal motivations, including him. Even after my training, I¡¯m too weak to protect myself. That¡¯s why I¡¯d rather sleep here in isolation, living off the forest animals and fishes I could find, than fall into the hands of miscreants¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get strong. Together.¡± Liwei smiled. It seemed the king of the heavens blessed their fate, wanting them to cross paths. And ever since then, Liwei and Xiuying were friends. Chapter 3 ¡°We¡¯ve gotten stronger, Xiuying¡­¡± Liwei¡¯s words caught her off guard. Five years later, those same jittery adolescents developed into powerful warriors that detest the imperial family. Here they were, audaciously standing before the elders of the Wudang sect with vocal dissatisfaction. Liwei ascended, sparking conflict within his former caretaker¡¯s scattered brain. The final tear that fell from his cheek was a tear of blood. On his face wasn¡¯t the expression of despondency¡­ In fact, it was the exhilaration of pride. ¡°I am Liwei.¡± He presented himself formally, though it was already too late and impractical to do so. ¡°This is Xiuying.¡± He introduced the deadly young woman standing beside him. ¡°And you, the elders I challenge, have bred a sect too weak for its own good! With this shishen of mine, I¡¯ll nourish this monastery with caliber and prosperity that even the imperial family will fear! Bring forth your wager, or capitulate¡ª¡± ¡°Alright then,¡± The oldest elder interrupted. Even the observing cultivators were silenced. He removed his vestment to reveal an unpredictably muscular physique. ¡°I accept your challenge.¡± Liqiang anxiously bit his lip. What the hell is he proposing? Daiwen stepped out of the crossfire. ¡°You¡¯re not the only person I care about that walked down this path¡­¡± He mumbled. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± Liwei blankly questioned the adverse elder. ¡°I¡¯m this sect¡¯s strongest elder, Nianzu. Your speech was getting boring, so I decided to cut to the chase. Knock me off my feet within sixty seconds and we¡¯ll heed.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it in half that.¡± Xiuying was the first to lower into a fighting stance. The cultivators watching the confrontation were offended by this disrespect on their elder¡¯s behalf. Even Daiwen, who was indeed stronger than Nianzu, gritted his teeth. ¡°I doubt it! Not even this sect¡¯s patriarch could defeat me.¡± Nianzu was painted in a brash smile. ¡°Overconfidence will get you in trouble.¡± Liwei was equally as cocky as the others. Nianzu was finally pissed off. ¡°I¡¯ll make you eat your words!¡± He lifted a hand gesture, causing a milky-white qi to discharge from his body. This spirit was the Heavenly Dog Tiangou, devourer of celestial bodies and harbinger of the eclipse. The elder planted his hands on the ground like a canine¡ª a rather odd stance for close quarters combat. What the hell kind of stance is this? Liwei, much like the crowd of disciples, was completely puzzled. Liqiang seemed to be the only person who actually understood the elder¡¯s style of fighting. ¡°Those nails of his are as sharp as iron swords. There¡¯s no way he could lose a fight like this.¡± The patriarch smirked. Daiwen was filled with unease. ¡°Let¡¯s see if his bark matches his bite.¡± Xiuying didn¡¯t hesitate to start the match. Nianzu stood his ground, watching his opponents¡¯ movements closely. Xiuying was fast enough to leave a trail of afterimages behind when she sprinted, but the elder wasn¡¯t worried whatsoever. ¡°You¡¯re adorable to think defeating me is that easy!¡± Nianzu sneered, blocking a ferocious kick and sinking his sharp claws into the tigress¡¯ skin. Xiuying was thrown over the elder¡¯s shoulder, barely managing to land softly. Liwei was the next to attack Nianzu. They traded lethal blows for several seconds. Pernicious fangs and tearing claws left both combatants bruised and bloody. They were almost evenly matched. ¡°Stop the fight before someone gets hurt!¡± Daiwen demanded. He could barely watch, blindfolding himself with cupped hands. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. Liwei challenged the leader of the pack, so he¡¯ll have to face the consequences.¡± Liqiang was delighted. ¡°This is actually fun! I could toy around with you all day!¡± Liwei beamed as he fought. His fighting style was meant to inflict internal damage by targeting vital points in the body. Nianzu¡¯s performance noticeably dwindled from just that brief scuffle. Is this bastard really mocking me in the middle of the fight? Nianzu grimaced. He took a second to recuperate. There was no possible way he could defeat both of them simultaneously. At this point, he was biting more than he could chew. ¡°Do you think the vagabonds can defeat Nianzu?¡± The disciple adjacent to Daiwen asked. ¡°I have no idea. He wasn¡¯t nearly this strong when I last saw him. I would¡¯ve never thought two teenagers training in isolation could be this effective¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you were right the whole time. The heavenly shishen are nothing to laugh at. Even your Qilin spirit scares me sometimes.¡± Liqiang commented. Xiuying was studying the elder¡¯s movements. As soon as there was an opening, she pounced at Nianzu and overwhelmed him with acrobatic kicks and swipes of her very own claws. The vagabonds definitely had the clear advantage. The impact of their strikes alone caused devastating shockwaves.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Crack! The disciples clearly heard the sound of bones breaking. Nianzu was actually sweating profusely. How is this possible? ¡°He¡¯s struggling against those brats?!¡± One of the sect elders stammered in surprise. The others were equally dumbfounded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nianzu can still turn the tables.¡± Liqiang insisted. Xiuying crouched down and kicked Nianzu¡¯s shin, but his stance allowed him to quickly catch his footing and retaliate with a vicious, blood-drawing scratch at the chest. The elder was pitifully desperate, darting at the vagabonds with bloodshot eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll end this right here!¡± Killing intent raged through his conscience. Liwei grabbed the fist that was launched at him with a boastful grin. His shishen¡¯s heavenly qi was even more intense than before. A barrage of fluid, deadly serpentine attacks left Nianzu barely able to stand. ¡°How foolish of you to leave yourself wide open. You¡¯re practically begging for death.¡± Liwei commented. The crowd was astonished, but the sect elders were understandably incensed. Nevertheless, their mouths were left wide open. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± Xiuying exclaimed. A brutal roundhouse kick to the stomach caused Nianzu to cough blood. The elder seemingly flew across the courtyard, landing on his back, and gasped for air. He was too hurt to even stand. Liqiang scowled. It hasn¡¯t even been thirty seconds yet! The sect elders were awfully silent as the audience of disciples babbled about what just happened. The vagabonds bathed in the triumph that literally nobody else expected. ¡°Get up you son a bitch! Get up!¡± The weaker elders rudely shouted at Nianzu. ¡°Your incompetence upsets me,¡± Liwei turned to them with a disapproving glance. ¡°You constantly demand respect but never do anything to deserve it.¡± ¡°You have guts insulting us!¡± An elder hissed. ¡°Shut it before we cripple you next.¡± Xiuying retorted. Her cheek was still bleeding from Nianzu¡¯s sharpened nails, but she wasn¡¯t bothered at all. She could¡¯ve defeated him easily if she was going all out. ¡°Daiwen, do something about those rascals!¡± Liqiang stuttered. ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do,¡± Daiwen responded. ¡°They won the challenge, and there¡¯s not one disciple in this entire sect beside me that could defeat either of them, let alone both. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he took your title as patriarch next.¡± His movements were jerky, walking to the serpentine-eyed boy he once took care of. Noisy footsteps alarmed the disciples surrounding him that watched in suspense. Daiwen¡¯s mouth reached the boy¡¯s ear, and he let out a faint whisper that only Liwei could hear. ¡°I wonder if your mother would be proud.¡± Ready to depart from the monastery, Daiwen sauntered across the cobblestone pathway and stopped at the open gates to take a deep breath in. ¡°Where are you going?!¡± Liqiang cried. Liwei wondered the same thing, but he didn¡¯t want to admit to himself that he missed the golden-haired man¡¯s smile. He felt like the nostalgia would kill him. Those memories are best left forgotten, right? ¡°Who knows?¡± Those were the last words Daiwen said before he left. Even the disciples were shaken, especially the sect elders. Liwei was pale in the face¡ª even paler than normal. He was uncomfortable with the inquisitive cultivators enclosing him with their jaws open. ¡°Go back to your normal routines at once.¡± He commanded. The disciples did so without hesitation. ¡°Liwei¡ª¡± Xiuying was concerned. ¡°We¡¯ll pursue him at the strike of dawn. This happened because of the choices I made in the efforts to influence the Wudang sect and chase my own personal goals,¡± Liwei said. ¡°To take down both the imperial family and the man who abused you, we¡¯ll need all five of the heavenly shishen. He¡¯s too important to our endgame plan.¡± ¡°I think you should bide your time.¡± Xiuying insisted. ¡°Well we can¡¯t just sit in this monastery all day.¡± Liwei was being quite inconsiderate since Xiuying hadn¡¯t witnessed the beauty of a cultivation sect before, but she understood completely. The look on Liwei¡¯s face was crestfallen. ¡°What about the Qingcheng sect?¡± Xiuying suggested. ¡°There¡¯s a lucid connection between my shishen and that cultivation sect. If we persuade them into an alliance and further expand our manpower, taking out the Yinlin clan will be plain sailing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Some of the most powerful cultivators are raised in the four sacred mountains. The Longhu and Qiyun sects shouldn¡¯t be too hard to convince, either.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to train a serious amount to reach my father¡¯s strength.¡± ¡°You keep calling him your father like he treated you right¡­¡± Liwei groaned. The one man that took care of him for the majority of his life was also the man he could least look in the eye. ¡°Hahaha, I bet you care about me, don¡¯t you?¡± Xiuying taunted. Her romantic attraction to Liwei was clear-cut, but he was totally oblivious. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong about that.¡± Liwei patted her on the head as a sign of affection, just like Daiwen once did to him. ¡°You should take the night to heal from those scars. I¡¯m sure the disciples have plenty of bandages.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me, I can handle myself. Besides, you¡¯re bleeding as well.¡± ¡°At least humor me and rest.¡± Liwei said with a bright smile. He really did care about her health, and she could tell. The cuts weren¡¯t even that severe. Something about the way Liwei smiled made Xiuying blush. ¡°Fine. As long as you rest with me.¡± Xiuying joked. However, Liwei didn¡¯t interpret this as playful. He thought she was genuine. Not that it bothered her at all. She undoubtedly enjoyed Liwei¡¯s company. ¡°Of course, but there¡¯s somewhere I want to go first.¡± The patriarch¡¯s office was barely different than when Liwei was a little boy. The wooden walls decorated with scriptures enclosed the exposed floorboards and coffee table where Liqiang often sat and drank his tea. Overall, the entire room looked almost untouched. To most people, it would feel irreverent to snoop through someone¡¯s office while they were busy in the bathroom. Not to Liwei. Am I dreaming? He was shocked to find his favorite puppets, the serpent and the tortoise, in the exact same place he left them. He grabbed them and held them close to his chest, feeling like he was reliving his childhood. The homesickness that he didn¡¯t know was inside of him disappeared. He didn¡¯t even notice the pink-haired girl standing inside the doorway. ¡°You still play with toys?¡± Xiuying mocked lightheartedly. ¡°Umm, no!¡± He turned around. It was already too late to hide them. His eyes landed on the flowers on Liqiang¡¯s desk. Desperate to change the conversation, he blurted out the first thing he could think of. ¡°Those lilies are beauteous, aren¡¯t they? Daiwen told me I should give one to a girl when I marry her.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to have one of those.¡± ¡°Are you implying that you love me?¡± Liwei teased. Xiuying went redder than a tomato. ¡°Relax, I¡¯m just messing with you.¡± How could he be so blind? Xiuying wanted to scream her feelings at the top of her lungs, but most of all, she wished he would just take a hint already. ¡°I think I¡¯m getting tired, so I should get some sleep. Are you coming with me?¡± She could barely get her words out coherently. ¡°Maybe in a few minutes.¡± Liwei looked back at the puppets he hadn¡¯t seen in years. ¡°Liwei, you¡¯ve been immature since the day we first met.¡± Xiuying laughed at herself. A sentence plagued her mind, but she couldn¡¯t find the courage to spit it out¡­ Yet I keep finding myself fawning over you. Chapter 4 The city of Jiangcheng, standing on the bank of a majestic river that ran throughout the entire Celestial Empire, was about a four day journey from the Wudang Mountains. In the middle of the city was a tavern that seemed uninviting from the outside. Softwood planks and intricate wooden carvings made up the tavern¡¯s walls, and the windows were translucent from dirt and grime. The bartender stood behind a mahogany bar table that barely matched its setting. A shelf filled with drinks both ordinary and exotic, some probably even from foreign lands that most people never seen, also held strangely thin books and an array of antique, porcelain wine cups made almost a hundred years ago. The entire tavern was dimly lit, aside from some chandeliers hovering over tables full of drunkards and contrite bureaucrats that would rather be seen dead than alive in case someone with higher-level nobility were to recognize them. A profusion of instruments blared seductive tunes as Daiwen walked through the wooden doors, and he was immediately welcomed by foul smells and a feeling of discomfort. He nodded at the bearded bartender and sat on a stool. ¡°I¡¯ll take anything with grapes.¡± Daiwen said. ¡°You havin¡¯ a rough day, huh?¡± The bartender poured wine into a cup and gave it to his customer. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone walk in here with such tasteful clothing.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna be sick.¡± He went straight to drinking, momentarily distracted by the prostitutes arguing on the other side of the tavern. ¡°Those escorts don¡¯t seem too friendly.¡± ¡°I heard they¡¯re in some sort of competition. If I wasn¡¯t working, I¡¯d probably pick the one on the left. You?¡± ¡°Neither. I have principles.¡± Daiwen continued sipping. He felt a handful of eyes watching him and felt unnerved. ¡°How much for the wine?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about paying. It¡¯s on me.¡± The pair of prostitutes¡¯ argument spiraled into a full on brawl. The clients they were with, wearing clothes more tattered than the prostitutes themselves, started to throw hands as well. The bartender simply ignored it, not wanting to get involved, but it was obvious that he was pissed off. The men were too busy fighting each other to notice Daiwen walking behind him. That is, until his hand touched one of their shoulders. This one was rather short and his face was wrinkled. Daiwen and the man exchanged looks. The other began to leave with his prostitute, but the golden-haired cultivator threw a shard of broken porcelain to stop them in their tracks. ¡°If you drunkards and your whores can¡¯t drink a few cups of wine without causing a disturbance, then I suggest you leave this tavern.¡± He warned. ¡°Or what?¡± The short guy said. His prostitute tugged at his arm, telling him they should leave, but he violently pushed her to the ground and breathed his hot breath in Daiwen¡¯s face. ¡°You think you¡¯re tough, is that it?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say I¡¯m more of a man than you¡¯ll ever be.¡± The troublemaker rolled a punch and jabbed, but Daiwen dodged it effortlessly and retaliated with a swift kick to the stomach that sent him flying backward. ¡°Is that it?¡± Daiwen yawned. The man got to his feet, barely able to stand, and aimlessly attacked with a high-pitched shriek. Daiwen kicked again, and the man found himself crashing into the wall. ¡°Hey, what the hell was that noise¡ª¡± The bartender rushed to the scene, but Daiwen was nowhere to be found when he arrived. The dragon revealed himself only to vanish, leaving everyone present stuck in a state of bewilderment. Where did he go? Well, anticlimactically, Jiangcheng¡¯s slightly-famous market district. Various goods were sold at these markets, and items weren¡¯t just limited to rice, vegetables, and other agricultural products. In fact, the two most popular items bought were fiction books and snacks; the latter of which mostly sold at night. The market that caught Daiwen¡¯s eye sold weapons, though most were slowly becoming obsolete as imperial warriors were steadily transitioning from spears and sabers to cannons and firearms. Stuff like spears and bows could be bought relatively cheap, which was perfect for someone like Daiwen who had very little money to his name. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like? You remind me of a real fancy guy, so maybe a spear will satisfy your tastes!¡± The merchant spoke in an uplifting voice as to captivate his potential customer.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Still feeling the eerie presence of eyes watching his every move, Daiwen pointed to a rusty, single-edged sword hidden in the back. ¡°I¡¯ll take one of those.¡± As soon as the transaction was complete, Daiwen swung his new sabre and strategically walked into the woodlands. If anyone was following him, this would be a clever way to spot them. Sure enough, a group of individuals in familiar, black clothing did the exact same. The sound of twigs snapping gave it away. Daiwen sprung to his feet, blocking a kick with his forearm. There were about seven of them, and only a single Daiwen to fight them off. But this didn''t worry him at all. His heavenly shishen was revered for a reason. As he waved a hand gesture, the qi surrounding him became intense, embellished with an aura of the same golden color as his eyes. The sheer might of his powerful shishen, Qilin, almost swept a few of the assassins off their footing. "Don''t you jackasses have any courtesy? I was minding my own business, and here you come with horrific intentions? Well, of you insist on killing me, don''t just stand there," Daiwen smiled as he unsheathed his sword with enough speed to cause shockwaves. A whistling noise filled the atmosphere of the forest. "Come at me with all you''ve got." The assassins unsheathed their own swords and rushed toward their target simultaneously. With elegant movements, Daiwen dodged one of them and bisected their chest with his sword. The sword strike was so precise and quick that it was terrifying. He parried another warrior¡¯s blade with his own before piercing through the assailant''s stomach. He was nonchalant when pulling his sword from the enemy''s gut. Daiwen felt a tingling sensation and instinctively penetrated the skull of a warrior attempting to sneak behind him. Needless to say, the surprise attack didn''t work out too well. He caught a fourth warrior''s hilt with his blade, flinging the weapon into another enemy''s chest. Throwing his sword, Daiwen managed to dissever a flying arrow and decapitate the archer''s head. "I thought we were sticking to close quarters combat." He smirked, retrieving his blade and swiftly decapitating two more warriors. Streams of blood splashed in the air, illuminated by the moon''s casting light. The look in his eyes was still surprisingly calm. "Well done," The seventh warrior clapped his hands. He was arrogant, despite watching the others succumb to the rogue cultivator''s blade in a matter of moments. This bothered Daiwen a great deal, and the two exchanged different looks. The last assassin continued, "So, you''re the person I keep hearing about. I''m not disappointed, you''re stronger than I thought you''d be. All of your movements and strikes are so delicate yet lethal¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Although you may not believe it, I''m filled with chivalry. For that reason, I won''t humiliate you after your death. I''ve murdered comrades for pissing on their victim''s graves. You should be thankful for facing someone like me!" Daiwen took a single step forward. His shishen''s aura grew even more intense, and something about his eyes suddenly unnerved the assassin. Was it that the cultivator was so calm? He was smiling, even in the face of an opponent with such caliber. Daiwen brandished his luminous sword surged with his own qi, and he began to speak, "If you''re here to kill me..." "... Make it quick." Qilin was taunting, and Daiwen¡¯s aura became violent flames. The combatant''s blades clashed, and the sound of chirping birds radiated from the collision. The assassin leaped backward, filled to the brink with killing intent and a maniacal smile. His sword was decorated with an amber aura, displaying the severity of his shishen. "You chose the wrong place to meditate! Nobody can hear you scream!" "You''re such a pain." Daiwen sighed as his opponent rushed toward him. He evaded the assassin¡¯s attack, severing his arm without any effort whatsoever. Daiwen struck fear as his fingers wrapped around the assassin¡¯s throat. Tears rolled down the man¡¯s cheeks and only whimpers could escape his mouth. "Spare me... I was only following orders, I swear." Daiwen was cocky as he watched the life slowly drain from the assassin¡¯s face. "What a shame. I guess you have no chivalry after all." After dropping the body, the cultivator turned around and saw the piles of corpses. The forest''s soil had been dyed by the spilled blood, but Daiwen ignored it and started walking into the distance. Several needles abruptly flew through the air. Daiwen caught them all in-between his fingers with quick technique. ¡°I could tell you were there the whole time, Shanyuan. If you¡¯re gonna send a bunch of assassins after me, at least give me a proper greeting.¡± ¡°Long time, no see.¡± A brown-haired man dropped from the trees. His qi was like a scorching mist, fitting his powerful shishen Longma which took the form of a dragon-scaled horse. ¡°I see your hair¡¯s longer than it was when was last talked.¡± Daiwen sheathed his rusty sword and holstered the scabbard at his robes¡¯ waist. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you still look the exact same.¡± Shanyuan embraced his former friend with a hug and a pat on the back. ¡°I¡¯m shocked that you managed to kidnap someone with a heavenly shishen like mine. One of your ¡®daughters¡¯ stopped by the Wudang sect a few days ago. I could tell by her clothing.¡± Shanyuan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯ve seen Xiuying?! I¡¯ve spent five years searching for that bitch!¡± ¡°Yeah, just like I spent five years waiting for my pupil to come home. I never would¡¯ve thought our brats would¡¯ve mingled during that span of time.¡± It was strange how friendly they spoke to each other, given the reason they hadn¡¯t seen each other in almost two decades. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s another one of you heavenly pricks.¡± Shanyuan¡¯s vulgarity wasn¡¯t mean-spirited at all. His everyday conversations consisted of more swears than any other word. ¡°I¡¯m still wondering how you got a hold of one.¡± ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t even know at first. But when I found out, she instantly became my favorite child. Do you have any idea where she is now?¡± ¡°No clue,¡± Daiwen was lying. He knew she was most likely at the Wudang sect with Liwei, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to let her fall into the hands of someone like Shanyuan again. A person that kidnaps children, no matter the righteous ambitions he may have, is still a monster nonetheless. It would probably be best to humor him for a little while¡­ ¡°It seems we have a lot of things to catch up on.¡± Chapter 5 The Yinlin clan temple was an eight-story pagoda with high, solid walls made of stone and bricks. Escorted by Shanyuan and his three guards, Daiwen passed the altar on the ground floor and hiked through a winding staircase that croaked as he walked on the flimsy wood. Refined windows of painted glass showed glimpses of vastly cultivated land. The assassins didn¡¯t have to rely on markets from nearby towns, like Jiangcheng; they had all the crops they could ever need at home. In this pagoda, most of the stories were completely vacant of rooms. It¡¯s likely that it was never intended as a permanent shelter; After all, Shanyuan didn¡¯t build it. He found it, which is actually lucky when you think about it. Unoccupied temples this tall, with so much space for people to sleep and train, and most of all this aesthetically beautiful, aren¡¯t everyday finds. As Daiwen walked into the office room situated at the top floor, he noticed a ladder leading to the rooftop where archers stood their guard. He and his long-time friend sat crisscrossed on a rug, as there were no chairs to sit in. ¡°The five heavenly shishen,¡± Shanyuan began. ¡°The keepers of the mandate of heaven in this sacred empire, signifying the blessing of the gods. When their paths are crossed, entire dynasties can fall or be put into place.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to remind me. I have one.¡± Daiwen said with his signature bright smile. Qilin was the strongest of the five, cementing the golden-haired cultivator as one of the most influential people in the empire. It¡¯s a shame he spent his life inside the crowded Wudang sect, doing chores for annoying old people. No peasants knew of his shishen, meaning no peasants feared him. ¡°You weren¡¯t the only one of them I¡¯ve come across. As you remember, my favorite daughter possessed the white tiger from the west. Then there¡¯s your former pupil, with the black tortoise and purple serpent from the north.¡± ¡°That makes three.¡± ¡°The vermillion phoenix of the south and the azure dragon of the east should be training at their respective cultivation sects, the Longhu sect and the Qiyun sect. I¡¯ve had my eyes on those mountains for several years now.¡± ¡°The imperial family can¡¯t attack those sacred mountains without starting a war between the cultivators and the soldiers. For now, at least two of the five are safe.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. The four sacred sects housed some of the strongest people in the Celestial Empire. It would be foolish for anyone to assail them, even the imperial soldiers. There was an attempt a few dynasties ago, due to fear of the sects becoming too independent and rejecting the imperial rule as a whole, but the result wasn¡¯t too pleasant and the imperial families have been pushed into submission ever since. ¡°I reckon you¡¯ve never heard of the Hei Guang She, huh? Or the war between the clans of Long and Wang?¡± ¡°I beg your pardon? I¡¯ve never heard of that.¡± Shanyuan was dumbfounded. This was a war that Daiwen himself lived through, even though he was very young. Was the imperial family this successful at preventing the conflict from being widespread knowledge to the newest generations? ¡°Before the Long dynasty, the Celestial Empire was ruled by the Wang family. Their reign lasted over a hundred years, and they were among the greatest dynasties in this country¡¯s history.¡± The difference between the two dynasties were staggering. The Wang family was unlike any other ruling clan; instead of spending so much time expanding the empire, they cared more about the issues at home. They promised to bring prosperity to even the poorest of villages, which was sadly a promise they could never keep. The disappointment lead to multiple peasant rebellions across the empire, forcing the Wang family to resort to violence. The Long dynasty, on the other hand, seemed to never care about the peasants in the first place. Instead, the rich kept getting richer and the poor kept getting poorer. Any peasant rebellion was immediately silenced and everyone caught criticizing the aristocrats were executed in front of large crowds that other people were forced to attend.¡¯ The legislative power of the ministries dwindled rapidly, and the imperial family soon held supreme authority over the entire empire with only their imperial advisor legally allowed to voice his opinions. Even then, if the emperor didn¡¯t like the advice given to him, then the advisor would be put to death without hesitation. ¡°How come the Wang dynasty fell?¡± Daiwen scratched his chin. ¡°At the time, the Long family were simply governing an urban city. The daughter of their patriarch was sold to marry the last Emperor of Wang, but she was exposed as an unfaithful wife and sentenced to death in a gruesome public beheading.¡± Practices like this were far from uncommon, and wars were sparked every time an aristocrat was involved. However, no war was bloodier than the Long-Wang conflict.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. The Long family spent almost three years growing their influence by conquering other small cities, eventually taking control of all the southern provinces. ¡°So the families declared war on each other?¡± ¡°Obviously, the Long family was substantially weaker than their opponents, so they decided to ally with a cult known as the Hei Guang She. They were infamous for their massacres in rural villages, where countless peasants were siphoned by the king of the demons, but no land was ever conquered.¡± ¡°King of the demons? What sort of king rules over no land?¡± ¡°Ruling over land meant nothing to him. You see, the Hei Guang She¡¯s shishen are yaoguai, or spirits banished to hell for harnessing the forbidden impure cultivation techniques. The inheritor of the demon ox king, Jifeng, gathered the cult himself. Even his army of one hundred people scared the Wang family.¡± ¡°That should¡¯ve been easy to take care of.¡± ¡°On the contrary, for he was one of the extremely rare cases of a cultivator with multiple shishen. With the demon ox king Niumowang, he could take on an entire battalion of people at once, and suck up their qi with the blood-sucking Jiangshi.¡± Whenever someone saw Jifeng, whether a peasant or a soldier, they pissed their pants. He was described by his allies as a human monster with eyes that scared lions. His enemies? Well, they never survived long enough to describe him. ¡°So every battle made him stronger¡­¡± ¡°With the help of the Hei Guang She, the Long family were able to invade the Imperial City and slaughter their enemies.¡± The battle was bloody, but it was one-sided. Four thousand one hundred twenty-seven soldiers were killed, compared to only seventeen members of the Hei Guang She and a little more than one thousand loyalists of the Long family. ¡°Where were the five heavenly shishen?¡± ¡°Four of them committed suicide to prevent their heavenly qi from potentially being absorbed. You were still a toddler during this time, under the care of the Wudang sect.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s when we met, if I remember correctly. It¡¯s the earliest memory I have. We were the only two orphans in the entire sect, until Liwei came along, years after you left. I never even knew why I was taken there until now.¡± ¡°That reminds me. Jifeng was almost unstoppable, so something had to be done. The strongest cultivator known to man, Zhihao of the White Marsh, almost killed him and the Hei Guang She went into hiding ever since. They¡¯ve been waiting for an opportunity to strike, and I¡¯m afraid this is that moment.¡± During this climactic battle, Zhihao was already fifty-four years old. His long, white beard touched the bottom of the floor when he fought. His fighting style was adapted to replicate all five of the heavenly shishen¡¯s styles, making him a formidable foe for even the demon ox king¡¯s possessor, the man who could kill an entire army with ease. He was so strong, he easily put the possessors of the five heavenly shishen to shame. Because of his efforts in defeating Jifeng, he was titled Grand Priest Zhihao of the White Marsh by the four sacred sects, each of which he studied at for twelve years. The Long family was so frightened that they thought Zhihao alone was more of a threat than the entire Wang family was. An army even larger than the one that besieged the Imperial City was sent to murder the old man, but their efforts were futile. Zhihao dodged attacks from the soldiers effortlessly, like his body was moving automatically and completely separate from his mind. He didn¡¯t throw a single punch. Instead, he waited for the soldiers to tire themselves out and simply walked away. This was a feat that even the five heavenly shishen couldn¡¯t compare to, so the Grand Priest was considered a demigod amongst men. That day forward, he went into hiding and was never seen again. ¡°Why would the Hei Guang She strike now, of all times?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think it has something to do with Zhihao¡¯s old age. He could very well be on his deathbed as we speak, or at least barely able to fight.¡± ¡°And how come I¡¯ve never heard of this entire war?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an embarrassing part of history for the Long family. Fighting alongside a demonic cult isn¡¯t usually something that people praise. Those incestuous cuckolds burned all evidence of the conflict and even the slightest mention of it gets you killed.¡± The mass burning of this evidence wasn¡¯t only related to books and inanimate things. More than six hundred people were burned at the stake in the first year after the conflict ended. After that, nobody dared to mention it and the entirety of the Wang dynasty became long forgotten. ¡°I¡¯m surprised Liqiang never told me about this.¡± ¡°Goddamn, that old geezer¡¯s still alive?!¡± Shanyuan busted out laughing. ¡°I loved to piss him off! Do you remember when we replaced his tea with booze?! He was so drunk he couldn¡¯t even mutter a single sentence without slurring every word!¡± ¡°Oh right! He fell over and vomited a dozen times! He didn¡¯t even realize it was alcohol until after his blackout. Just kept on drinking and drinking!¡± ¡°Hahaha, we were scared we killed him and asked the elders for medical help! His face was redder than a tomato!¡± They continued laughing for almost a whole minute before the conversation shifted once more. ¡°Shanyuan¡­¡± Daiwen sighed. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been wondering for the past eighteen years.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°After spending such a long time as a disciple of the Wudang sect, why did you suddenly leave and create the Yinlin clan? Even Liqiang was surprised when you disappeared.¡± ¡°My motivations have never been abandoned, as I can¡¯t forget my parents¡¯ death in that war. Those memories don¡¯t go away, no matter how young I was and how much time has passed.¡± ¡°Turning kids into weapons isn¡¯t going to reverse your parents¡¯ death¡­¡± Daiwen became teary eyed. How selfish could Shanyuan be, especially for someone who grew up with nothing? He wasn¡¯t born with a silver spoon in his mouth like the imperial Long family he resents. So what was the deal? ¡°With enough money and manpower, I can take down both the Long family and the Hei Guang She simultaneously while also protecting the five heavenly shishen at the same time.¡± ¡°Is there no better way than kidnapping children?!¡± ¡°You have to understand, Daiwen! There was no other way for a poor orphan like me to become something! It¡¯s for a good cause, isn¡¯t that enough for you?!¡± ¡°Listen to me¡ª¡± ¡°I thought you believed in my cause! You were taken from your parents because of the Long family, do you really want to see them succeed?! To see them continue to eat like kings while the rest of the empire starves?!¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t give you the right to kidnap¡ª¡° ¡°The kids that I ¡®kidnapped¡¯ were on the verge of starvation when I found them! They believe in me bring prosperity to their suffering villages, and there can¡¯t be prosperity while the damn aristocrats take all the wealth for themselves! If anything, I¡¯m helping these children! I¡¯m the father they¡¯ve never had!¡± ¡°I believe in your cause, okay!¡± Daiwen stood up. Outside of the window, he could see rain clouds start to form. ¡°I¡¯m going to help you, but¡­ I don¡¯t believe in the things you do.¡± And like the weather, he stormed off. Shanyuan¡¯s guards tried to block the doorway, but he signaled them otherwise. ¡°Let him go. He just needs to take some time to think. Provide him with a comfortable place to sleep and treat him like an uncle. We¡¯ll head out to the Qingcheng sect in the morning.¡±