The biggest difference between the Dragon King’s court and other family forces is the existence of spirits.

These “spirits” are ethereal, unrestrained, and not even bound by offerings.

They are like the Dao of Heaven, affirming the contributions made by successive Dragon Kings in suppressing evil in the Jianghu.

Therefore, rather than “ancestral blessings,” it’s more accurate to say that the Dao of Heaven, in this way, opened a special loophole to bestow a certain degree of care upon the descendants of the Dragon King.

They certainly needed it.

After all, even if a Dragon King could suppress their own era, they did not seek immortality and respected their lifespan. After a Dragon King’s death, enemies would inevitably seek opportunities for revenge, and these methods of revenge were truly pervasive.

What Ming Yuwan couldn’t understand was that the Yu family was already in such a predicament. Logically, the spirits of the Yu family’s successive Dragon Kings should have at least resisted and protected them.

At that time, her elders, discussing the Yu family’s upheaval, generally believed that the Yu family’s sixty-year seclusion should be related to the special nature of the Dragon King’s court.

Thus, these spirits could dissipate, could wither, but they absolutely should not… be perfectly intact.

Ming Yuwan: “Why is this happening?”

The spirits of the Yu family’s successive Dragon Kings were completely indifferent to the Yu family’s upheaval.

Ming Yuwan’s three attendants were examining the surrounding environment.

Unlike other areas of the ancestral home, which had been more or less damaged and ravaged by demonic beasts, the Yu family ancestral hall was well-protected and meticulously clean.

This was not difficult to understand, as these demonic beasts also bore the banner of Dragon King Yu, considering themselves his inheritors. Naturally, they wouldn’t destroy their own “ancestral value.”

At the same time, on either side of the Yu family ancestors’ offering table, there were two more offering tables, adorned with red cloth and thread, corresponding to the main offering table in a unique way. On these, instead of spirit tablets, were various relics.

Some were old leather balls, some were broken dolls, some were blankets, some were pendants, and some were simply dirty dens.

These were the companion demonic beasts that had followed successive Yu family Dragon Kings, from their days on the river to their suppression of the Jianghu.

They were not human and were governed by the rules of the Dao of Heaven, so they could not openly have spirit tablets placed beside the Dragon Kings’. But the Yu family clearly had not forgotten their sacrifices.

Their most cherished personal belongings were treated as another kind of “spirit tablet,” also offered in the family ancestral hall, allowing them to continue to accompany their masters.

These personal belongings were mostly gifts from the Dragon Kings in their childhood to their equally young companion demonic beasts, not valuable, but showing deep affection and worth cherishing.

Ming Yuwan: “Di Bei, do you know what’s going on?”

As she asked this, the shock in Ming Yuwan’s eyes had faded, replaced by a fervent intensity.

Because a great opportunity, visible to the naked eye, was right before them.

Dragon King Yu’s spirits had not dissipated, and Yu Di Bei had pledged allegiance to her. This meant that she would, on the river, receive the blessings of two Dragon King courts’ fortunes.

Ming Yuwan was certain that this was absolutely unprecedented among all Jianghu travelers, past and present!

Furthermore, Dragon King Yu’s spirits could also bless the Ming Dragon King court, so this was not only a huge boost for her personally, but for the entire family, akin to many generations of Dragon Kings being added out of thin air to the family’s history.

“Di Bei?”

Yu Di Bei didn’t respond to Ming Yuwan, but instead walked to the large offering table. The small yellow dog in his arms darted out and climbed onto his shoulder.

The young man bent down and dragged a finely carved black box from under the offering table.

The box had a very complex mechanical lock. Yu Di Bei didn’t know how to open it, but when he touched it, the patterns on the box began to rotate rapidly, then it opened.

Inside was not some rare treasure, but a spirit tablet.

The name written on the tablet was: Yu Tiannan.

Yu Tiannan, as his great longevity approached, voluntarily left the Yu family with his dog to find a resting place for himself.

But this spirit tablet was not carved then, but much earlier, when he had just become Dragon King and was still at his peak.

The temptation of immortality is equal; it wouldn’t be special just because you are a Dragon King. On the contrary, precisely because you are a Dragon King, having experienced the dominant feeling of suppressing an era of Jianghu, you would want to prolong that time even more.

Erecting his own spirit tablet early was a form of self-warning, repeatedly telling himself that the end of his life was already determined.

Yu Di Bei reached out and wiped away the non-existent dust.

The small yellow dog on his shoulder looked at the name on the spirit tablet, its eyes slightly moist.

One person and one dog fell into an eerie silence.

Ming Yuwan walked over, glanced at it, and said:

“This has nothing to do with him. He is worthy of the name Dragon King.”

Yu Di Bei shook his head and said:

“He is a sinner; everything began because of him.”

Ming Yuwan frowned slightly. As it grew darker and the concentration of demonic resentment increased, it became harder for her to control her emotions. Yu Di Bei first ignored her call, then contradicted her, making her very uncomfortable.

Yu Di Bei turned his head to look at the small yellow dog on his shoulder. The small yellow dog stuck out its tongue and licked his face.

“The Yu family has rules. When a Yu family member dies, their companion demonic beast is buried with them. Even the Dragon King is no exception.”

Yu Di Bei half-turned and looked around, continuing:

“Here, there were actually many incredibly powerful demonic beasts who were ordered to take their own lives before the Dragon King’s lifespan ended.”

He didn’t say “slaughtered” because it wasn’t necessary.

There had been cases of companion demonic beasts rebelling against their masters in history, but if humans and beasts couldn’t be of one mind and face hardships together, they wouldn’t have ultimately embarked on this path of the Dragon King.

As long as the Dragon King gave the order, their demonic beasts would immediately comply.

Anyway, it was just taking a step ahead. If there was another world, they could fight the vanguard there first, just like when they were young in the various kennels of the Yu family, their small paws clinging to the fence, eagerly awaiting the boy or girl who would form a bond with them.

Ming Yuwan: “Di Bei, what did you mean by what you just said?”

Yu Di Bei: “Yu Tiannan, he was soft-hearted; he broke the rules. And when rules are broken, there is naturally a price to pay.”

Ming Yuwan: “Di Bei, do you know something else? Why didn’t the elders in your village tell us about this?”

Yu Di Bei: “Ordinary people make mistakes and can still redeem themselves; a Dragon King who makes a mistake is unforgivable.”

Ming Yuwan: “Are you saying that the Yu family’s upheaval back then was related to Yu Tiannan’s companion demonic beast?”

“Woof!”

The small yellow dog barked.

Yu Di Bei lowered his head. When he looked up again, the solemnity on his face and the gravity in his eyes had disappeared, and he had returned to being that naive and young man.

Ming Yuwan: “Speak, tell me what you know, quickly.”

Yu Di Bei squatted down, clutching his head with both hands:

“I don’t know, it felt like someone was talking in my head just now, like a dream…”

Ming Yuwan reached out, grabbed the young man’s arm, and pulled him up:

“Tell me quickly, this is very important. If we don’t find out the final secret of the Yu family’s upheaval soon, and let those old geezers continue their rampage outside, we will all die, all of us!”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

The small yellow dog barked at Ming Yuwan, baring its teeth.

This barking instantly made Ming Yuwan’s eyes redden, her rationality overwhelmed.

She pulled out a talisman, moved it in front of her, then pasted it on Yu Di Bei’s forehead:

“I’ll make you sober up, sober up!”

The moment the talisman touched his forehead, Yu Di Bei felt as if countless silver needles were pricking his entire body, and a look of pain immediately appeared on his face.

The small yellow dog lunged at Ming Yuwan.

Ming Yuwan flicked her foot, releasing a force that sent the small yellow dog flying, slamming it against the offering table.

The small yellow dog, getting back up, had blood oozing from its mouth, but there was no fear in its eyes. Instead, it stuck out its tongue, licked its mouth clean, and swallowed the blood back.

“Hoo… hoo…”

Something seemed to awaken at this moment, a heavy, oppressive breathing sound bringing a stifling palpitation.

Ming Yuwan let go of Yu Di Bei and commanded: “Be on guard!”

“Bang!”

The ancestral hall doors slammed shut. The floor tiles, offering tables, and everything else began to tremble.

For any normal Jianghu family, the most heavily fortified place would absolutely be the ancestral hall.

There were no demonic beasts here, so when the old geezers had collectively stormed in earlier, they hadn’t forced their way in.

After all, ancestral halls typically house a family’s most precious items, which, to outsiders, are utterly useless.

When they entered earlier, it was completely unimpeded. Ming Yuwan thought she was benefiting from Yu Di Bei’s presence; as the Yu family’s only current worthy inheritor, he would naturally receive special treatment when entering the ancestral hall.

Now, as an anomaly occurred, Ming Yuwan’s mind quickly calmed down. Her first reaction was that her poor attitude towards Yu Di Bei had displeased the Dragon King’s spirits here.

“Di Bei, you know I have a problem; sometimes, I can’t control my emotions.” Ming Yuwan softened her tone, began to explain, and reached out to help Yu Di Bei up.

“Woof!”

The small yellow dog lunged again, biting Ming Yuwan’s wrist.

This pain was nothing, but the redness that was fading from Ming Yuwan’s eyes instantly intensified.

She backhanded and grabbed the small yellow dog’s neck, then fiercely slammed it to the ground, drawing her waist-mounted sword and impaling the small yellow dog there.

“Whimper… whimper, whimper…”

The small yellow dog let out a dying whimper.

Yu Di Bei, slumped on the ground, stared blankly at the small yellow dog in the pool of blood before him.

Since he could remember, this small yellow dog had been by his side. It had a long life, and it always seemed to stay small.

Master Lion and Master Tiger had sighed, saying that the small yellow dog was an excellent demonic beast seedling. If it were in the Yu family of old, it would surely have been nurtured with vast resources to aid its growth, but the current village lacked those conditions and could only hold it back.

In the small yellow dog’s gradually fading eyes, Yu Di Bei saw his own face.

At this moment, various memories began to flood his mind.

In these memories, at the same age, the wooden houses in the village transformed into towering, majestic buildings, the tranquil old cows in the fields became galloping demonic beasts, and Master Tiger and Master Lion turned into two enormous demonic beasts, prostrating themselves before him.

Yu Di Bei’s self-perception slowly twisted under the impact of this torrent of memories.

But anger didn’t require rationality; in fact, the more dire the situation, the more people would follow their instincts.

Blood-stained fur, a slowing heartbeat, the pathetic small yellow dog… When the small yellow dog’s eyes closed, Yu Di Bei utterly erupted, clenching his fists and slamming them hard onto the floor before him.

“Bang!”

“Rumble!”

The formations and restrictions of the Yu family ancestral hall were fully activated. Red blood-light ascended, forming a pillar of light that shot straight to the ceiling of this underground world.

“You…”

Ming Yuwan didn’t know what to say, because she herself didn’t understand why she had impaled that small dog with her sword.

Normally, her problem only led to emotional outbursts, such as saying inappropriate things or revealing expressions that should be hidden. Many of her own elders had this flaw, especially her grandmother.

Therefore, conflicts often erupted within the Ming family, with arguments breaking out at meals or meetings, but everyone limited themselves to that; no one would do anything irrational.

Why was this happening?

Even if my problem is severe, it can’t be more severe than my grandmother’s current state, can it?

Ming Yuwan took a deep breath and once again reached out to Yu Di Bei.

“Di Bei, I’ll explain later, but now we need to get out of here quickly.”

But her hand, though extended far, simply couldn’t reach the young man right in front of her.

When Ming Yuwan looked down, she found a black line had appeared between her and the young man, and this black line was constantly expanding, making the distance between them grow.

Not only that, she also noticed the same situation occurring between herself and the three attendants. The floor tiles beneath their feet seemed to have turned into lily pads on a pond. Before, they were gathered together, but now they were drifting apart, and the true size of the pond was gradually being revealed.

Ming Yuwan recalled her sword, flew up, and headed towards Yu Di Bei. She entered this darkness. The lack of direction and perception did not frighten her. Similar scenes, let alone during her river journey, she had experienced corresponding training even as a child at home.

She pressed her left middle and ring fingers together, quickly formed a seal, and passed it before her eyes. Her perception returned.

She saw Yu Di Bei ahead again. At this moment, Yu Di Bei remained in his previous posture, motionless, but she heard his shouts in her ears.

Regardless, Ming Yuwan could not let Yu Di Bei escape her control. She was still convinced that Yu Di Bei was key to her obtaining the greatest fortune of the Yu family on this trip, though some twists and turns were inevitable.

“Di Bei, Di Bei…”

The distance rapidly closed.

“Woof!”

The small yellow dog stood in front of Ming Yuwan.

Ming Yuwan said in disbelief, “You’re not dead?”

Her first reaction was joy; if the dog wasn’t dead, it could mend the rift between her and Yu Di Bei. But soon, when she lifted her sword and saw the bloodstains on the blade, she realized things weren’t that simple.

Her sword contained a natural malevolent aura. When it pierced any living creature, it would relentlessly consume all life force within it.

And earlier, her sword had been embedded in the small yellow dog for a long time. Let alone an ordinary demonic beast, even a great demon would have been drained dry.

“What exactly are you? What is your purpose for hiding by Di Bei’s side all this time?”

The small yellow dog’s eyes no longer held any trace of an ordinary small animal; instead, they exuded an aura of long-held power.

Though it was tiny, Ming Yuwan felt as if she were craning her neck to look up at it.

“You hid in the village and could have escaped this catastrophe, but you actually dared to come back. You’re simply seeking your own death!”

Ming Yuwan’s sword style lifted, transforming into a sharp, cold gleam, slashing towards the small yellow dog.

It seemed like a test, but in reality, a killing move was concealed.

The small yellow dog neither dodged nor avoided. As the cold light was about to reach it, a white figure appeared, raising its paw and lightly deflecting the attack.

It was also a dog, a small white dog identical in size to the small yellow dog.

However, when the small white dog turned to face Ming Yuwan, its body visibly grew larger, reaching the size of an adult tiger within a few breaths.

On its forehead was a Buddhist symbol, and within its white stripes, scriptures flowed. When it raised its paw at Ming Yuwan, its paw pad was golden.

“Boom!”

It was both a paw and a grand handprint.

Ming Yuwan blocked with her sword. Even though she cleaved the handprint, her body still recoiled uncontrollably.

“A Buddhist dog?”

Behind, the small yellow dog silently flipped its tiny paw.

The ancestral hall’s formation effect further intensified.

Ming Yuwan, who had just landed, felt an immense force suppressing her. She immediately held her sword horizontally in front of her, her palm sweeping across the blade, and with a flourish, scattered a dark red halo around her, forcefully stopping the power of the formation.

However, while she could do this with sheer strength, her three attendants were not so lucky.

Ming Yuwan saw three large white dogs in “the distance” attacking her three separated subordinates in three different areas.

This meant that the large white dog before her had split itself into four, and she was only facing one-quarter of its power.

“Buddhist Manifestation Clone?”

This was an authentic Buddhist secret technique. How could a dog possess it?

If a team is scattered, its strength will inevitably plummet. And those three subordinates were already frantically dodging the large white dog’s attacks. Now, the ancestral hall’s formation effect descended again, swiftly…

Almost without suspense, the three of them, one after another, died under the large white dog’s claws.

One was blasted into dust by a large handprint, another had their internal organs shattered by a sonic scream, and the third, upon hearing the scriptures chanted from the large dog’s mouth, immediately pressed their hands together, knelt on the ground, and then committed suicide.

Ming Yuwan knew that this was definitely not an opponent she could match. It and the old things outside… no, even the old things weren’t this terrifying!

After the other three large white dogs dealt with their opponents, they began to dissipate, while the large white dog in front of Ming Yuwan grew even larger.

Now, it could easily look down upon the woman before it.

Ming Yuwan: “I want to survive. I’m counting on you.”

A blue flame rose from the woman’s body. Her eyes closed, then opened again.

It was still the same person, but the change in her eyes was like a different person altogether. Ming Yuwan spoke:

“Counting on me? It will be difficult to survive.”

Her sword was unleashed, and Ming Yuwan chose not to flee, but to actively attack the large white dog.

She was constantly repelled, yet just as constantly rose again. She used many techniques, various elusive movements. Although each round of attacks left her with severe injuries, she still persisted.

The fundamental qualities of an orthodox Dragon King’s court inheritor were fully revealed at this moment.

The large white dog did not deliberately hold back, but each time it could only injure her, not kill her.

However, this almost self-destructive attack was destined not to last, but Ming Yuwan was waiting for an opportunity.

“Clatter…”

In a new round of attacks, her sword broke, and a flash of light streaked out, “cutting off” all perception of everything around it.

Ming Yuwan’s figure darted to one side, her body constantly twisting, creating strange fluctuations. She was trying to break through the Yu family ancestral hall’s formation in this way, to find a chance to escape.

Everything before was a prelude to this escape.

The small yellow dog had been behind, calmly watching all of this. When Ming Yuwan used this move, its expression changed slightly.

Because this woman genuinely had a chance to escape.

Three wisps of mist rose from the spots where the three attendants had died, instantly condensing, then exploding just as quickly. A similar fleeting shadow, like when the sword broke, reappeared. This was to further obscure the pursuer’s perception.

The small yellow dog lowered its head, stuck out its tongue, and licked its paw.

The people of the Ming family are still the same as before, quick to anger.

It remembered that its master had once met a Ming family member. They sat down to eat together, and that person could still argue with others twice.

But that person was very clear-headed when making decisions, and the more critical the moment, the more that person seemed to change, displaying strength and actions beyond ordinary comprehension.

Just like the Ming Yuwan before them.

The master said that this was a problem caused by the Ming family’s cultivation technique.

Ming Yuwan was much stronger than the Ming family member the master had encountered back then.

Not just her…

When it lay in Yu Di Bei’s arms, it had observed all the river-traveling teams that entered the village and found that their overall quality, talent, and other aspects were all stronger than those of its master’s generation at the same time.

If its master had been born in this era, he would likely have faced more intense competition.

Although the ultimate victor, the position of Dragon King, would certainly still have been its master’s, the experience of river travel should have been more thrilling and interesting for its master.

Gradually, the figure of Chen Xiyuan appeared in the small yellow dog’s eyes.

In this generation, even the Chen family produced a genius.

Its master had once lamented that the Chen family member he faced could not fully unleash Dragon King Chen’s domain, preventing him from genuinely fighting a Chen family Dragon King, who was said to be able to dominate an era upon their emergence.

That Chen family member was quite unrestrained; after being defeated, he simply conceded, and after a second lighting of the lamp, he even stayed to eat some wild game before leaving.

Subsequently, the figures of Run Sheng, Tan Wenbin, and Lin Shuyou appeared in the small yellow dog’s eyes. After they appeared, the young man only then emerged in the center.

When traveling the river as a team, the norm is for the main trunk to have weaker branches. The lamp-lighter should possess absolute formidable strength that overwhelms the rest of the team. However, this particular team was very strange.

Either it was a weak-trunk-strong-branch situation formed by background forces, or the seemingly weak “trunk” was actually much thicker than imagined.

In addition, it had a faint sense of familiarity with the young man; it couldn’t pinpoint where this feeling came from.

It was already an old dog, and occasionally it would feel weary and confused. To firmly remember its inner plan and every little detail with its master, it had to constantly give up on other aspects.

Its evil magic was not omnipotent.

No wonder its master had said when suppressing it that although “it” had existed for a very long time, it had definitely not lived that long.

Master, you are right.

Time is the poison of memory.

It cannot bring immortality; it can only trap a person in a single memory, constantly weakening it, until the final burst of poison, you are no longer you, but will become another person… another dog.

Finally, in the small yellow dog’s eyes, Zhao Yi appeared.

For some reason, it couldn’t remember him, yet upon seeing him for the first time, it was filled with disgust, and its body vaguely ached.

It seems I truly am failing; even such an important “enemy,” I have to forget.

The small yellow dog lowered its paw and tilted its head back.

Its time truly was running out.

Fortunately, everything was unfolding as it had anticipated.

Ming Yuwan had at this point rushed to the ancestral hall door, just one step away from escaping. She had indeed pushed herself to the limit.

The small yellow dog’s eyes closed.

Heh, you could have escaped, if not for meeting it.

The ancestral hall door was opened by Ming Yuwan. The large white dog stood there, facing her.

It saw through all her forms, perceived all her transformations, and possessed a rich Buddhist nature, mastering various Buddhist secret techniques.

Ming Yuwan finally guessed its identity:

“Di Ting.”

The large white dog raised its paw and mercilessly struck her down.

The Yu family ancestral hall was still the same, with the same floor tiles and offering tables. If not for the three pools of blood on the ground that were still striking, it would seem as if nothing had happened.

Ming Yuwan, with a numb expression, knelt before the offering table. Beside her, Yu Di Bei, whose eyes were still dazed after his outburst of anger.

The small yellow dog squatted on a grand armchair in front of them. At the foot of the chair, on the steps, lay a huge white dog.

The large white dog’s tail gently lifted, carefully draped over the armrest of the armchair.

The small yellow dog reached out its paw, occasionally stroking its white tail.

The large white dog showed a pampered and very contented expression.

As a dog, it was now also raising a dog.

The small yellow dog extended its other paw and gently waved it forward.

Around Yu Di Bei and Ming Yuwan, a circle of light appeared for each.

Red beneath the woman, black beneath the young man.

The small yellow dog pinched the large white dog’s tail.

A Buddhist light emanated from the large white dog’s eyes, shining down on the two above.

One could clearly see a dense black mist above Yu Di Bei’s head, almost endless, while bright rosy clouds floated above Ming Yuwan’s head.

However, several strands of black were flowing from Yu Di Bei towards Ming Yuwan.

But they were too small, like trickling streams.

The small yellow dog got up, jumped down from the grand armchair, stepped onto the large white dog, and continued walking.

He had already paid homage to the Dragon King, but this karmic hindrance could not be easily passed on.

The small yellow dog came before Yu Di Bei. Yu Di Bei’s eyes were unfocused, as if he couldn’t even see his beloved dog, dead and resurrected, right in front of him.

You, you are actually resisting the memories I left in your body from erupting?

You,
How dare you?

The small yellow dog raised its paw and pressed it on Yu Di Bei’s forehead, closing its eyes.

When it opened its eyes again, the small yellow dog was on the roof of a wooden house.

Looking around, less than one percent of the village remained. Opposite the wooden house was the village ancestral hall, and next door was the elder’s three-story house.

However, the three-story house and the central village road were crowded with people and animals.

Outside was the scene of the Yu family ancestral home.

If viewed from high above, it looked as if a small area with a completely different architectural style and scenery had appeared within the Yu family ancestral home, making it appear extremely out of place.

The small yellow dog looked behind itself. Yu Di Bei sat there, his head buried in his knees, sobbing incessantly.

Until now, he still refused to forget the villagers and animals. That was where he had lived since childhood. Though small and unable to leave, that place was his entire life so far.

The small yellow dog raised its paw towards the sky.

“Roar!”

A giant dog head looked down.

“Ahhh!”

Yu Di Bei’s emotions spiraled out of control; his last inner defense was about to collapse.

The small yellow dog had no reaction to this.

You, you were merely a vessel I chose to carry my memories.

Do not resist, accept your destiny.

This is your… honor, as a member of the Yu family.

The giant dog head in the sky continued to press down, and the village below was continuously swallowed.

Finally, the wooden house disappeared, the village road disappeared, and Elder, Master Lion, Master Tiger, and all the villagers and animals also disappeared.

Behind him, the young man’s crying stopped.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes completely devoid of impurity, utterly like a blank slate.

The small yellow dog smiled.

Now, let my memories cover you.

In the real Yu family ancestral hall, the small yellow dog opened its eyes, stepping on the large white dog’s belly, and sat back on the grand armchair.

Now, the invisible black mist above Yu Di Bei’s head was pouring into Ming Yuwan’s side at an increasingly frantic pace.

Bow to the Dragon King, form karma.

My dear, you chose this yourself.

Ming family ancestral home.

By the pond, an old woman sat feeding the goldfish.

“First the Yu family, then the Liu family.

Liu Yumei, next time, I won’t send family members. I will personally come to your door and completely smash everything of your Liu family.

The biggest mistake Brother Qin made in his life was marrying you.

You are a jinx, one person causing two Dragon King courts to meet their end.

Hehehehe.”

The old woman’s laughter was exaggerated, completely unconcerned with who might hear.

The Ming family members and servants outside the courtyard were long used to this.

The old madam’s temper was famously unpredictable.

Ming Qinyun cleanly threw the last of the fish food, clapped her hands, and picked up the teacup nearby. She had just brought it to her lips for a sip.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

The goldfish in the pond, one by one, exploded, blood and scales scattering everywhere.

At the same time, in the Ming family ancestral home’s seclusion areas, many who were in seclusion trying to find a breakthrough spurted blood, some collapsed, and others rushed out of their seclusion to curse and laugh, clearly having gone mad.

Elders hanging by a thread, sick children, all those on the cusp between “possible and impossible,” whose fate hung in the balance of heaven’s will, were all given a “no” verdict at this moment.

Elders who had been bedridden for years finally drew their last breath. Children with strange illnesses who had hoped for a cure and a special physique stared wide-eyed, losing their life.

Many other Ming family members mumbled to themselves, cried profusely, rolled on the ground, and some even started fighting each other.

The Ming family’s core cultivation technique inherently had very obvious side effects. Many had truly relied on sheer luck to avoid an outbreak. Now, it had all erupted.

Ming Qinyun moved swiftly among them. Her several sons and a group of Ming family elders had already brought people to check the situation everywhere.

Before her, a Ming family member was burning his soul, not by severing it, but by utterly disregarding it and setting himself ablaze.

As Ming Qinyun passed him, she slapped his back. The flames on him vanished, and he slumped to the ground.

“Thank you, old madam…”

With that, he closed his eyes.

Already beyond saving, he was spared further suffering by Ming Qinyun.

Ming Qinyun arrived at the Ming family ancestral hall. The Ming family was built into a mountain, with the ancestral hall at the highest point.

The Ming family juniors and servants responsible for cleaning and guarding the ancestral hall saw the old madam arrive and rushed forward to salute. Before they could kneel, a gust of air knocked them over.

Ming Qinyun went straight into the ancestral hall, looked up, and saw the spirit tablets of all the Ming family Dragon Kings on the offering table.

They were still there, still secure, still peaceful.

Along the way, not only did her own fish die violently, but many Ming family members went mad, auspicious potted plants withered, murals symbolizing prosperous descendants peeled off, and the swirling white clouds that had coiled around the mountainside of the Ming family ancestral home also turned gray.

There was no need for divination; it was clear at a glance that the Ming family’s fortune had plummeted instantly.

This was a catastrophic misfortune for a family, and for a Dragon King’s court, it was even more inconceivable.

But things were already happening, and getting worse, yet the Dragon King spirit tablets on the offering table showed no reaction, not even a slight warning.

Ming Qinyun’s eyes showed anger and dissatisfaction, but she was in the ancestral hall after all, and she dared not point at the ancestral tablets and curse directly.

She took incense, lit it, inserted it, stepped back, and bowed.

When she looked up again, Ming Qinyun’s expression returned to that of a dignified old lady. She spoke:

“I respectfully inform all ancestors, my Ming family has now suffered a great upheaval.”

Her voice echoed continuously in the solemn and majestic ancestral hall.

But the spirit tablets on the offering table still did not react.

Ming Qinyun had to speak again:

“I beg all ancestors, protect my Ming family!”

The incense and candles burned normally; the ancestral hall was calm and undisturbed.

Ming Qinyun closed her eyes, her chest heaving, then walked directly out of the ancestral hall.

Once outside, she could no longer control herself and shouted:

“My Ming family was clearly attacked by someone, why do you stand by and do nothing!”

As Ming Qinyun descended the steps, her eldest son and an old man with white hair and beard came up.

“Mother.”

“Madam.”

“Mother, there was chaos in various courtyards, workshops, seclusion areas, and other places in the house just now. It has now been settled and dealt with.”

“Madam, this old man just now boldly divined the celestial mechanism and found that our Ming family’s fortune suddenly began to dissipate. This old man is incompetent, and though I don’t know why, if this continues for a long time, our Ming family will likely decline.”

Ming Qinyun looked at the white-haired old man and asked, “You don’t know why?”

The white-haired old man stammered a few times, not daring to speak.

Ming Qinyun’s gaze was sharp: “Currently, outside, only one person is qualified to bind my Dragon King’s court with a single connection.”

“Mother, are you referring to Wan’er?”

“Besides your good daughter, who else could it be? Heh heh, my granddaughter truly has great capabilities. It seems she’s bringing all of the Yu family’s calamity directly to our own court. How generous!”

“Mother, Wan’er surely didn’t mean to.”

“Unintentional is even more foolish, being used by others.”

“Madam, what’s urgent now is to ask the spirits of our ancestors to protect our Ming family, to temporarily avoid this calamity, and to give us time to plan for the long term.”

“You go ask. Anyway, I can’t ask anymore!”

Ming Qinyun turned around, looked at the majestic and grand Ming family ancestral hall behind her, and gritted her teeth:

“Ancestors, ancestors, whose ancestors are you anyway!”

“Done!”

Liu Yumei smiled and spread her hands, gesturing for the two old sisters to play a round.

She lost money every day, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t win cards. Winning a few hands for the thrill, then deliberately letting a few passes, just controlling the balance.

In the next hand, Liu Yumei sat out. She had just picked up her teacup for a sip when she saw Aunt Liu rushing over, holding a letter with a smile on her face.

Liu Yumei didn’t get up, remaining in her seat, reaching out to take the letter and opening it to read.

Among the top Jianghu forces, there were always people assigned to watch each other.

Last time, during the dream ghost wave, Li Zhuiyuan incited the Fengdu Great Emperor to act. Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t even returned home when Liu Yumei received the news, and she knew more details than he did, the person involved.

Every Dragon King’s court was a key target, except for the Qin and Liu families, because both ancestral homes were empty, and their servants and outer gates had long been removed by Liu Yumei.

When your population is small enough, you can settle anywhere, and the Jianghu is truly vast and unfathomable.

But the Ming family clearly wasn’t among them.

The Yu family’s location had a calamitous aura, moving northeastward, falling upon the Ming family’s ancestral home, Mount Wancui.

Liu Yumei smiled.

Liu Jinxia: “Sister Liu, who sent the letter?”

Liu Yumei: “An old friend. When my husband was still alive, we kept in touch more often. After he passed, we rarely communicated.”

Wang Lian: “Seeing you smile, sister, what good news is it? Tell us so we can be happy too.”

Liu Yumei: “It’s not really good news. It’s just that there was a woman who wanted to be with my husband. She took off her clothes and lay in bed herself, but my husband threw a piece of clothing at her and told her to get out.

Later, every time that woman saw me, her words were never clean.

And now, her family is in trouble.

Those old friends, knowing the animosity between us, all wrote to me, wanting to make me happy.

Sigh,
It’s all ancient history now. My husband has been gone for so many years, and I’m an old woman myself. Tell me, who would still care about this?”

Granny Hua: “Shameless hussy, she deserved it!”

Wang Lian: “That one, truly shameless and immodest.”

Liu Jinxia: “Tomorrow, I’ll help Sister Liu draw a charm and wrap a paper doll, to keep poking for you, Sister Liu…”

Liu Yumei reached out and pressed Liu Jinxia’s wrist:

“Sister Xia, I appreciate the thought. Let’s just curse a bit to satisfy ourselves; we don’t do such things.”

Liu Jinxia: “Sister Liu, you truly have a kind heart.”

Liu Yumei smiled. It wasn’t that she was kind-hearted, but Liu Jinxia’s skills were merely for show. If she really went to make a paper doll for a Dragon King’s court, then tomorrow the old sisters would have to attend her funeral.

Liu Yumei stood up, walked around, and stretched her body. She came to the edge of the embankment, originally wanting to look at the flower garden planted by Qin Li himself below, to further elevate her good mood.

Who knew,
The flowers in the garden… were all gone, leaving only small mounds of earth.

A-Li, holding a small shovel, squatted at the other end, digging up flowers and re-burying them, then planting herb seeds and covering them up.

The girl was using her grandmother’s favorite flowers as fertilizer for the herb seeds to sprout, then transplanting them to the herb garden under the peach trees.

One’s own precious granddaughter, of course, couldn’t be scolded.

Liu Yumei: “Xiaotian Must be itching for a scolding. How dare he teach A-Li to use my flowers as fertilizer?”

Aunt Liu: “He certainly wouldn’t dare teach that. It’s probably something our A-Li figured out herself after learning herbs from him.
Actually, our A-Li is really like Xiao Yuan; she learns everything very quickly.”

Liu Yumei shook her head: “It’s not the same. Xiao Yuan not only learns quickly, but that child’s temperament was steady as if from the womb.”

The two stood in the wind, in silence.

After a short while, Aunt Liu finally couldn’t help but ask:

“Madam.”

“Hmm.”

“Our family has no spirits left, but the Ming family’s spirits are still there. How could they be instantly overwhelmed by calamity qi without even a single block?”

Liu Yumei: “Do you know why I had A-Li light the lamp and travel the river back then, instead of you?”

Aunt Liu: “A-Li’s river travel is simple; Qin family members have always traveled the river alone. I… am not suited to being alone.”

Liu Yumei: “Because you, A-Ting, cannot become a Dragon King.”

Aunt Liu: “Yes, I know.”

Liu Yumei: “Even though A-Li is a bit笨 (bèn, slow-witted) and doesn’t have the Qin family bloodline, he is very much like a true Qin family member.
And you are a bit more petty.”

Aunt Liu: “It is my fault.”

Liu Yumei: “It’s not your fault. With the upheavals of both families, you’ve been with me through thick and thin since childhood. Your eyes only see me, A-Li, and A-Li. What you want to protect is this family, but a Dragon King must be able to protect the entire Jianghu.
So, you ask why the Ming family’s spirits, though still present, are indifferent to this?
Heh heh, at our last meeting, those old geezers spoke so beautifully about sectarian duties, about being duty-bound, about mutual assistance. But deep down, everyone knew what they were really thinking. Wasn’t it just to carve up the Yu family’s inheritance and foundation to replenish their own?
Yes, big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp. That has always been the rule of this Jianghu.
That’s why the Dragon Kings of each era are so rare and precious.
Those Dragon King spirits of the Ming family, upon seeing that the calamitous qi was coming from the Yu family, deliberately did not stop it, preferring to let their own family bear a share of this calamitous qi for the Yu family.
This is the true meaning of mutual assistance and being duty-bound.
Remember,
A Dragon King’s court is a Dragon King’s court, and a Dragon King is a Dragon King.”

“Little brother, is it not suitable for us to rush to the Yu family ancestral hall right now?”

“Hmm.”

Li Zhuiyuan felt that Chen Xiyuan had learned her lesson from rushing to the museum for the spectacle last time.

Actually, Chen Xiyuan now very much wanted to go to the Yu family ancestral hall to see what was happening there.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Before a situation arises that can make everyone put aside internal conflicts and deal with it together, don’t rush to places where people easily gather. Rushing to watch the show might get you burned.”

Chen Xiyuan nodded.

Li Zhuiyuan was playing with the three-colored gourd. To have survived under white magma, this gourd was certainly no ordinary item, but Li Zhuiyuan, after careful observation, couldn’t figure out its specific use.

Chen Xiyuan: “Little brother, why don’t you let me see? I’ve seen many treasures.”

Li Zhuiyuan handed the gourd to Chen Xiyuan.

Chen Xiyuan took it, rotated it twice, felt it, and said, “Little brother, this is a nurturing gourd of very high quality. My grandfather also has one; he usually uses it to hide wine from my grandmother.”

Only then did the young man understand why he hadn’t been able to figure out how to use the gourd; the item that could be used with this gourd wasn’t here.

Chen Xiyuan: “Could it be that the nurturing substance was consumed in the magma?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “No, most likely, when his family’s inheritor planned to travel the river and made an early division of sectarian assets, they gave the nurturing substance from the gourd to the river traveler, but the gourd itself was kept as sectarian property.”

Chen Xiyuan: “Then he carried this useless gourd to the Yu family… was his purpose to use this gourd to sense his own river traveler who had the nurturing substance on them?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “That should be it.”

Chen Xiyuan looked at the dark surroundings and said, “It truly was right to bring it. They really know how to travel the river.”

Here, being able to sense the location of one’s junior is a huge advantage.

Once its temporary use was known, the method also emerged.

Li Zhuiyuan: “You said this gourd is of high quality?”

Chen Xiyuan: “Yes, very high.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Then its nurturing substance?”

Chen Xiyuan: “Definitely not ordinary. My grandfather’s, used for wine, is an exception.”

Li Zhuiyuan took out an incense stick, lit it, and inserted it into the mouth of the gourd. The color of the incense immediately turned black, and what rose was not white smoke, but red. The direction of this red smoke was very clear.

Chen Xiyuan said excitedly, “So, now we’re going to find that old Daoist’s junior and snatch the nurturing substance from the gourd from him?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “We’re going to find him and ask him clearly why the nurturing substance from my gourd is on him.”

Chen Xiyuan smiled knowingly, clenched her fist, and swung it, saying:

“Right, let’s go catch the thief!”

Before, Chen Xiyuan had no need to snatch things, so she hadn’t experienced the joy of it.

Now, she was somewhat addicted and immersed in it.

Behind, Lin Shuyou gently bumped Tan Wenbin: “Brother Bin, why do I feel like Brother Xiao Yuan is genuinely teaching Miss Chen how to travel the river?”

Tan Wenbin: “Ah, really?”

Lin Shuyou: “Hmm, I’ve observed closely for a long time and finally found a clue.”

Tan Wenbin: “Isn’t that obvious already?”

Lin Shuyou: “…”

Tan Wenbin: “Our outsider Chen seems a bit naive, but she excels in other areas; she just needs a bit of training from our Brother Xiao Yuan.”

Lin Shuyou: “Outsider Chen?”

Tan Wenbin: “Ah, Three-Eyes was the former outsider. After all, the Nine Rivers Zhao family is gone now, and he can’t be squeezed for much more. But outsider Chen is different; she has a true Dragon King’s court behind her.”

As Chen Xiyuan gradually integrated, the group’s marching order also changed. Run Sheng walked first, Chen Xiyuan and Li Zhuiyuan walked together, and Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou were behind.

With a specific goal, Li Zhuiyuan had no intention of spending more time elsewhere. After all, rather than searching for an inheritance himself, it was better to focus on the person who was searching for an inheritance.

As they moved, they saw many buildings with small flags of different colors or carved with different imprints, leaving very obvious traces.

Chen Xiyuan: “These markers, are they for marking territory?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Hmm, those old things, after breaking into the Yu family ancestral home, were slaughtering the demonic beasts inside while marking their territory, to divide the Yu family’s inheritance and foundation after everything settled down completely.”

Chen Xiyuan: “It feels like dogs peeing everywhere to mark their territory.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Sometimes, people can be more like dogs than dogs themselves.”

Chen Xiyuan suddenly stopped.

This action made Run Sheng and Lin Shuyou, who were in front and behind, tense up and immediately become vigilant.

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand and pressed it down, indicating that everything was fine, and explained:

“She has had an epiphany.”

Tan Wenbin’s face showed surprise, and he simultaneously slapped Lin Shuyou’s back of the head, whispering:

“Look at her, and then look at yourself!”

Lin Shuyou shrank his head, looking a little aggrieved at Tan Wenbin: “Brother Bin, can they be compared?”

Tan Wenbin retorted, “Why can’t they be compared? She’s a genius of the Dragon King Chen family, you’re a genius of Guan Jiangshou. Aren’t you both geniuses?”

Lin Shuyou: “A village top scholar and a provincial top scholar are both top scholars.”

Tan Wenbin: “Hey, why is your mind so quick now? Why don’t you calculate how long she’s been with our Brother Xiao Yuan, and how long you’ve been?”

Lin Shuyou: “Brother Bin… how long have you been with Brother Xiao Yuan?”

Tan Wenbin glared directly at Lin Shuyou, scaring A-You into immediately closing his eyes, fearing Brother Bin would turn his anger into intimidation.

At this moment, Chen Xiyuan looked a bit dazed, her lips moving lightly.

She was indeed having an epiphany, but it wasn’t about spells, domains, or realms; it was about her way of thinking.

She looked at Li Zhuiyuan with a bewildered gaze and asked:

“But, we are also fighting, also snatching… aren’t we also like dogs?”

Li Zhuiyuan knew that since she had followed him, many of her concepts had changed, but the core contradiction with her own nature had not yet been resolved.

She was immersed in this new experience, different perspectives, but her fundamental character remained kind.

Li Zhuiyuan: “At the museum, they wanted to kill you, and I saved you. In front of the soup house, the Six Xuan Sect people came to hunt you down, and I saved you. After the stone gate, Zhou Yunfan, upon discovering the cultivation technique traces on Run Sheng, was planning to kill the Qin family. The two old men, both chasing after the two generals I sent out to kill me, came here, also to kill us.
From beginning to end, I only killed those who wanted to kill me, and I picked up things they originally wanted to use to kill me.”

Chen Xiyuan: “But, we are following the guidance of this incense stick…”

Li Zhuiyuan: “When he sees me holding this gourd, he won’t be able to resist attacking me first.”

“Boom!”

A roar echoed in Chen Xiyuan’s mind. The bewilderment in her eyes vanished, and her entire demeanor became somewhat ethereal. A playful smile also curved at the corner of her lips:

“I understand. I finally know how to travel the river. Thank you, little brother.”

Li Zhuiyuan knew that in her subsequent endeavors, those evil spirits or opponents would face an even more terrifying existence.

However, this was good for Li Zhuiyuan.

She and Zhao Yi should both continue to grow and improve. Traveling the river alone to clear things up was too slow. With both of them advancing on two other fronts simultaneously, efficiency could be greatly improved.

Those who should leave the table should leave early, and those around the card table should clear out early.

So, when Grandma Liu introduced the Dragon King to him, she used the word “subdue.” When this river, upon reaching its surface, has no one but you, and everyone else believes in you, that means the river has finally been fully traversed.

Li Zhuiyuan: “Let’s keep going.”

After walking another distance in the darkness, Li Zhuiyuan noticed a slight, intense fluctuation in the red smoke from the gourd.

Chen Xiyuan noticed it and asked, “Is he fighting?”

“Hmm.”

Following the direction, they walked another distance. Now, although they couldn’t see, they could hear the sounds of battle.

It was fierce, even brutal.

There were human roars and angry shouts, and the sharp cries of cats.

They slowed down and continued to grope their way forward.

Lanterns gradually became visible, and the scene beneath them also became clear.

This should be an animal pen.

The battle was taking place in an open area outside the animal pen. A young Daoist priest, with four subordinates, was fighting a disheveled old cat demon.

The old cat demon was covered in wounds. It seemed to have been heavily injured by those old geezers earlier, because even now, it could still fight the Daoist team to a draw.

Chen Xiyuan: “Should we watch from the side and wait for them to decide a winner first?”

Li Zhuiyuan hummed in agreement and, by the way, set up a temporary formation to isolate their aura.

Just then, the young Daoist, Li Jun, unleashed a peach wood sword, emitting its own firelight, which swept across and struck the old cat demon. The old cat demon roared and wrestled control of the peach wood sword into its own hands.

Li Jun condensed his voice and shouted: “Rise!”

The firelight from the peach wood sword shot up, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

Chen Xiyuan: “The old cat demon deliberately didn’t dodge; she was afraid…”

Li Zhuiyuan looked towards the animal pen behind the old cat demon. Through the fence, he could see a group of small kittens playing inside. They were completely unaware of what was happening outside and were instead very excited by the firelight.

This group of small kittens was only a small part of this animal pen. In most of the other enclosures were groups of naked people crawling on the ground…

This was not an animal pen; it was clearly a human pen.

These people were mostly young adults, both male and female. Each had a nail driven into their head, like livestock, being raised here. Some were even kneeling by empty feeding troughs, hitting them with their hands, making muffled sounds, indicating that they hadn’t been fed yet today.

They were all members of the Yu family.

Judging by their age, they had just come of age.

Previously, the Yu family’s demonic beasts liked to control a Yu family member by sitting on their head. These people were being bred, waiting to be chosen as “mounts.”

The people in this animal pen were likely those chosen by demonic beasts with moderate aptitudes.

As for those with excellent aptitudes, and those who were once core Yu family members, they would be assigned to younger demonic beasts with purer bloodlines, similar to how the Yu family previously chose companion demonic beasts.

Just like Yu Miaomiao, whom he encountered earlier, she had the soul of a “Yu family young mistress” within her, not in terms of status, but in bloodline.

Li Jun discovered this concern of the old cat demon. Therefore, all his and his team’s subsequent attacks were directed at the animal pen. If the old cat demon didn’t block these attacks, the animal pen behind would be demolished and set on fire.

The old cat demon must have been a survivor of the first wave of attacks by the elders of various families, trying to escape the Yu family with its group of grand-disciples. It was protecting its own offspring.

As for the majority of Yu family members in the animal pen, no one treated them as human.

That young Daoist priest couldn’t have been unaware of the situation in the animal pen.

Chen Xiyuan: “Little brother, I’m here to save the Yu family members.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “They are too.”

Chen Xiyuan: “Can the nails in their heads be removed?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I can.”

Li Jun’s situation immediately improved significantly. Under a series of fierce attacks, the old cat demon finally couldn’t hold on, staggering backward and crashing into the animal pen. All the little kittens around gathered towards the old cat demon.

Li Jun placed a purple talisman on the peach wood sword. Fierce flames erupted. With the next move, he would end the battle completely, incinerating the old cat demon and everything around it.

He didn’t need to worry about the people in the animal pen, because they all looked like animals, and he couldn’t remove the nails from their heads while ensuring their lives. Therefore, burning them to death would be seen as freeing them, and the karma wouldn’t fall on him.

Li Zhuiyuan held up the gourd in his hand to Chen Xiyuan, looking at her.

Chen Xiyuan took the gourd, then tossed it to Run Sheng.

Chen Xiyuan: “Run Sheng, go tell him you can save the Yu family members inside.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

Run Sheng, holding the gourd, rushed out.

Chen Xiyuan spoke:

“Not everyone can go. The commotion would be too great, and it wouldn’t be convenient for that Daoist priest to act as he pleases.
I can’t let you go, little brother, because you truly might get burned to death.
And I can’t go either. That Daoist priest knows me. Even if I appeared alone, he would immediately become very kind and upright.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “He tried to kill you in the museum before, so you have a reason to attack him and take revenge now.”

Chen Xiyuan: “But, by going through the process like this, I’ll be more satisfied when I kill him later.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “We can still strive for perfection.”

Chen Xiyuan: “Hmm?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “You let Run Sheng go too early. His final sword strike hasn’t fully charged yet. You need to wait until he reaches the critical point where he can no longer stop this technique, then let Run Sheng appear. That way, it’s absolutely secure.”

Chen Xiyuan: “Oh, right. What should we do then?”

Li Zhuiyuan tapped his forehead.

Chen Xiyuan: “Hehe.”

Li Jun’s final sword strike was fully charged, the blinding flames about to erupt. At this very moment, Run Sheng, holding the three-colored gourd, ran out of the darkness and shouted loudly:

“Stop! I have a way to save the people inside!”

You!

This shout made Li Jun’s forehead instantly sweat. It meant he couldn’t just unleash this sword without reservation. If he couldn’t save them, burning them to death was a release. Now that they could be saved…

Li Jun’s peripheral vision swept towards Run Sheng, who had suddenly burst out, and he immediately noticed the three-colored gourd in Run Sheng’s hand.

Why is this gourd with you? Shouldn’t it be with Peak Master Hong Sheng? Could something have happened to the Peak Master here, and you picked up the gourd?

There was no time for too much hesitation or thought. This sword strike had to be delivered, either to an empty spot or directed at a target.

Li Jun made his decision, pointing the peach wood sword in his hand at Run Sheng, and angrily shouted:

“You demon, how dare you transform and disturb my Dao heart! Prepare to die!”

In the darkness behind.

Li Zhuiyuan gently waved his right hand forward, and calmly said:

“Let him die.”