"Wait!" The woman let out a startled cry, shoving Wei Yuan forcefully as she tried to flee.
Yet the moment her feet touched the floor, her upper body was yanked backward. Pulled off-balance, she was dragged right back. She kicked her legs in vain, but was still dragged foot by foot back onto the bed. Animal hides churned, and straw flew in all directions.
Amid heavy, ragged breathing, Wei Yuan suddenly let out a yelp of pain, and the woman seized the opening to break free.
Having learned her lesson, she dove headlong off the bed. But before her hands even hit the floor and before her feet had fully cleared the bed frame, a large hand clamped onto her slender ankle!
With a swift rustle, she disappeared into the straw once more.
In the darkness, her voice came in ragged gasps. "W-wait! Don't be in such a rush! We have plenty of time!"
Wei Yuan said, "Two boys and two girls—it's quite urgent!"
Mustering every shred of her strength, the woman flipped over and pinned Wei Yuan beneath her. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips, then to his cheek and neck. Her hand slipped inside the lapel of his robe, kneading his muscles as it slowly drifted downward.
Wei Yuan shuddered, feeling as though he were soaring to transcendence, yet also as though he were plunging forever into an abyss. In the very next breath...
"Ow!!"
Wei Yuan let out a strangled yelp, curling into a ball like a boiled shrimp.
The woman sprang from the bed. She kicked off the stone wall and shot toward the door like an arrow. Those legs—shapely, long, and gleaming with a luminous pale glow—lit up the entire room for an instant.
Yet the room's aura abruptly turned obscure and profound, as if the Nine Heavens were descending into the mortal world. All perception drained away into monochrome black and white. Every object was coated in a grainy texture, appearing as though composed of countless minute particles, and people were no exception.
The woman froze in midair, inching toward the door at an agonizingly sluggish pace. Panic flooded her eyes, but her body was utterly beyond her control. Within this uncanny domain, however, Wei Yuan moved like lightning. He flashed to her side, gritting his teeth. "Woman! You are playing with fire..."
Right then, Wei Yuan recalled that in Xu Wenwu's notes, that phrase had been cited as a negative example of dialogue. Perhaps because the impression had been too deep, he had let it slip without thinking.
Wei Yuan clamped his mouth shut, saying no more. Groping around, he stripped off every stitch of her clothing, then carried her back to the bed.
The woman raised a fist to strike his back. Yet her strike moved in slow motion, and by the time that painless, harmless tap finally landed, it was already far too late. What was done could not be undone.
Out in the night, the old woman gazed across the distance toward the cottage. In her vision, that crude little stone dwelling had been enfolded in layer upon layer of profound gloom, and the faint aura seeping out made even her tremble slightly.
From the surrounding stone cottages, ghostly figures emerged one after another, all silently watching that sphere of gloom.
It was not true darkness, but rather a power that severed that pocket of space from the rest of the world, leaving only blackness visible from without. As for what transpired within that darkness, none could know.
The old woman turned and quietly returned inside, and the remaining phantom figures faded away as well.
Inside the stone cottage, Wei Yuan retracted his manifested Domain of Yin-Yang, and everything returned to normal.
Finally able to move, the woman shoved Wei Yuan with all her might, yet failed to budge him in the slightest. Her bearing suddenly shifted, and she barked in a deep, commanding voice, "Insolent!"
Wei Yuan was startled so badly that a full-body shudder racked him, nearly snapping his flagpole in two!
Yet that shift in demeanor vanished in a flash, making Wei Yuan think he had imagined it. In the blink of an eye, she was once more an ordinary mortal woman, gritting her teeth and throwing her entire weight into shoving him off.
However, Wei Yuan's physical body was exceptionally robust, rare in all the world. Had it not been supported by dao power, his body's true weight alone would have crushed her to death; how could she possibly budge him?
Besides, the human body possessed a natural mortise-and-tenon construction, returning to simplicity and nearing the Dao—the very principle the ancients had studied to erect towering pavilions and grand halls. Without unlocking it first, pushing him away was simply impossible.
Yet the woman was stubborn. She kept shoving with desperate fury, panting heavily through clenched teeth.
After a few such shoves, Wei Yuan grew thoroughly aroused.
And so the woman plunged into the abyss, and also soared into the clouds.
The night was long.
After an unknown stretch of time, Wei Yuan extended his senses beyond the house. All was quiet outside; the birds were still fast asleep, with not a chirp to be heard.
Winter nights in the north were indeed long. Wei Yuan was deeply pleased, continuing to labor like an ox and horse. As a man who still possessed a shred of conscience, Wei Yuan refused to repay kindness with ingratitude unless left with no other choice.
Dawn... finally broke.
Wei Yuan rose and let out a long breath. Though darkness still filled his eyes, light shone within his heart. Getting dressed, he said, "There's broth in the pot. Sleep a bit longer; I'll head to the divine temple on my own today."
The woman faced the wall, ignoring him.
Wei Yuan paid it no mind. Letting out three hearty laughs, he pushed open the door and left.
Today, the undead monsters in the divine temple were in for dreadful luck. Wei Yuan strolled leisurely, advancing deep into the recesses, harvesting yin qi to nourish his Dao Foundation's spirituality bit by bit.
Having achieved Ten Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, Wei Yuan's ambitions were already towering, and daily exposure to Zhang Sheng's influence had only stoked that drive further. Given a means to harvest yin qi by slaying undead monsters, Wei Yuan certainly would not pass it up.
For a Dao Foundation to nurture spirituality from the very earth was already terrifying, yet Wei Yuan always felt it lacked a touch of domineering presence. After all, it was not the firmament that had gained spirit, much less primordial chaos. Even those two were not the absolute pinnacle; only the void before the Dao gave birth to the One was, in theoretical debates among low-tier cultivators, the ultimate supreme.
Spirituality born of earth was not yet enough to suppress an entire generation. It was merely enough to steadily outmatch Xiaoyu.
At the thought of Xiaoyu, memories of old friends surfaced. A smile tugged at the corner of Wei Yuan's mouth, but his heart twinged with an ache.
Upon entering the passage, the Dao Foundation warrior appeared at his side. Expressionless but with sharp, focused eyes, he held a sabre and shield, carrying a gun capable of firing flying swords on his back. The Dao Foundation warrior led the way into the tunnel while Wei Yuan followed behind with his firearm. The two advanced at an unhurried pace, harvesting the undead monsters.
Wei Yuan carefully calculated every wisp of dao power generated and consumed, keeping the cost of eliminating each undead monster to the bare minimum.
Just then, an undead monster stepped into Wei Yuan's divine sense. Through the Dao Foundation warrior's eyes, Wei Yuan got a clear look at it. It still retained human form, clad in leather armor that had not yet fully rotted away. This undead monster possessed the strength of an early Dao Foundation cultivator, noticeably weaker than the others.
Wei Yuan pressed deeper, returning to the cavern where they had discovered the dharma idol monster. Scattered throughout this cave were loose bones—some human, some animal—piled up over untold years.
Wei Yuan bypassed the area and continued inward.
The Dao Foundation warrior ahead gripped his heavy shield, his defensive strength on par with Wei Yuan's own body. With him blocking from the front, they could hold out for a moment or two even if they ran headlong into a dharma idol monster.
***
Shattered Lands, Qingming.
A survivor of calamity, the place was scarred and devastated.
Inside the council hall of the main peak, the cultivators of the Palace of Grand Beginning had gathered once more. Yet their auras were weak and unstable; some were still missing body parts they had been unable to regenerate, making for a truly wretched sight. Standing before them was a middle-aged man, whole of limb and brimming with vigorous spirit. He looked upon the battered Palace of Grand Beginning cultivators with utter disdain.
Looking down his nose at the assembled cultivators, he declared, "The ancestor of our Xu family is merciful, specially bestowing three graces upon you. Kowtow in gratitude, and your safety shall be guaranteed. If you refuse, our army will march into the domain at once. When that happens, blame not our blades for being heartless, leaving neither chicken nor dog alive!"
He cleared his throat and continued, "These three great graces are:
"First: You are permitted to choose freely to enter the Xu family, receive the Xu surname, and each be granted one stance from the Millennium Sword Scripture!"
"Pah!!" Cui Yu spat right in his face.
The envoy hastily dodged, enraged. "Do not refuse face when it is given!"
Cui Yu sneered. "I am a member of the Cui family! Forcing me to change my surname—is your Xu family even worthy?!"
The envoy snapped back, "If you were Cui Tianlin, I naturally wouldn't say this! If you were standing in the Cui family estate, I wouldn't say it either. But right now, you stand in Qingming, upon the territory of our Xu family! A mere Heaven Foundation—which noble clan or aristocratic gate doesn't have dozens or hundreds of them? Who knows who you are? Who cares who you are?!"
Cui Yu's face turned livid; this was the first time he had ever lost a war of words. At that moment, Perfected Chuhe tugged at his sleeve and said, "Let him finish."
The envoy snorted. "At least the Perfected Person recognizes the times. I will certainly put in a good word for you upon my return. As for the second grace, our family will dispatch someone to take over the post of Military Commissioner. All official posts beneath the Military Commissioner shall remain unchanged, though the personnel may be reshuffled.
"Third, census registration. Any person in the domain who has forged their body may be granted the status of private citizen under our Xu family. Henceforth, there will be no need to pay imperial poll taxes or household taxes; you will only need to pay taxes to our Xu family.
"With these three graces, our ancestor will extend his personal protection, and everyone in the domain may live and work in peace without having to fight to the death as before."
Perfected Chuhe asked, "And if we do not accept?"
The envoy sneered. "Right now, a private army of a hundred thousand and an imperial force of a hundred thousand stand waiting outside the domain. If you refuse, the army will march in, and heads will roll! Once the unruly rabble is slaughtered, this land will still be ours."
Seeing killing intent rise among the cultivators, the envoy showed no fear, merely sneering. "Without Wei Yuan, you cannot mobilize the domain's power. Your previous trump cards are completely useless, and mortals are merely mortals! Once Zhang Sheng dies, what will you use to block our Xu family's many dharma idol elders? There is no need for me to spell out the outcome, is there?
"Do not count on your sect either. The Palace of Grand Beginning can barely protect itself right now. The one who shielded you last time is also gravely wounded, closely watched by True Monarch Tie, unable to lift a finger."
Only after the envoy finished speaking did Perfected Chuhe say, "What the envoy says does make sense! As the saying goes, when a man is about to die, his words are good."
The envoy's brow furrowed, sense of unease mounting. "What do you mean by that?"
Chuhe chuckled. "The truth is, this old Daoist is cowardly, loves life, fears death, and is accustomed to indolence. I cannot stand being bound by constraints. So to keep my thoughts clear and conscience easy, the best move is to kill all of you, pack my things, and run. As for how many mortals die here, that has nothing to do with this old Daoist; all that karmic debt falls squarely upon your heads. The only thing I can do for them is take a bit of revenge by killing a few more scoundrels named Xu."
The envoy's arrogance plummeted instantly.
When a True Person of the Dharma Idol realm cast all shamelessness aside, it was truly a massive headache; even a True Monarch might not be able to deal with it. Furthermore, the Palace of Grand Beginning was hardly lacking in True Monarchs—in fact, they far outnumbered those of the Xu family.
Just then, a voice called out from beyond the doors: "When two nations go to war, they do not execute messengers. This fellow is merely a petty envoy; though he speaks wildly, killing him accomplishes nothing. Go back and tell your master: if he wants war, I have twenty thousand Southern Qi elites right here, eager to test the mettle of your family's private army!"
Chapter 360