Chapter 344: Past Events of the Tong Family, the Transformation of Qin Yuan

Chapter 344: Old Tales of the Tong Family, the Qin Yuan Upheaval

From heaven, whose unseen hand plays the flute, scattering jade blossoms across the world?

North and south, in the Xi River, snow falls for a thousand miles.

On the city walls, in the taverns, in the fields and courtyards, all eyes turn skyward, gazing at that terrifying figure.

"The Red Cudgel Demon Butcher... has he destroyed the Xi River Demon?"

"He has actually destroyed it!"

Everyone knew that the Red Cudgel Demon Butcher would face the Xi River Demon in battle, and that battle was drawing near, but they never expected it to begin so suddenly and end so swiftly.

In mere tens of breaths... it was over.

Too hasty.

That was an army of twenty thousand demon soldiers, commanded by the Xi River Fish Maiden!

Yet, in the hands of the Red Cudgel Demon Butcher, they were more fragile than a nest of ants.

In the Xi River, the once-mighty demon soldiers melted like snowflakes under a blazing sun.

That blood-red, terrifying figure stood in the sky, like a god.

All eyes were fixed on that figure, their expressions fervent or awestruck.

"This world, this realm—if the Red Cudgel Demon Butcher desired it, he could take it with ease!"

"With such power, even a hundred thousand Mighty Dragon Guards could not stop his advance!"

"This is the true uncrowned king, the martial sovereign!"

Countless voices cried out in amazement.

All doubts dissolved in that moment. Those who had harbored dark thoughts, ready to crawl in the shadows, now stood upright and open under Qi Yuan's overwhelming strength.

And then, the blood-red figure in the sky descended onto a hillside a thousand meters away.

The blood-red armor vanished, and that crimson figure stood in the snow, strikingly conspicuous.

"Mu Shi, let's go. Time to leave."

In the vast, heavy snow, the blood-red figure cast not a single glance at the onlookers, leaving only a back.

In the tavern, Huo Mu Shi quickly tugged at the rope, dragging two black sacks—one containing a demon, the other a human—and hurriedly trotted after him.

The crowd in the tavern watched, but none dared to follow.

The Green Pearl County Lord hesitated, then finally shouted with effort, "Master, are you leaving?"

She had a feeling that once the Red Cudgel Demon Butcher departed, she might never see him again.

Qi Yuan still did not turn around. At that moment, he was silently consuming the demonic blood essence.

In this battle, slaying twenty thousand demon soldiers, he had gained a vast amount of demonic blood essence.

Such a quantity of demonic blood essence was of great help to him.

"Mm... just now, how much did you learn?" The words slipped out, and Qi Yuan paused briefly, thinking of the Moon Maiden.

He wondered if he was growing old, always recalling old acquaintances.

"I..." The Green Pearl County Lord hesitated. "None at all."

"Then, if fate allows, we shall meet again." Qi Yuan could not be bothered to say more.

In this world, he was but a passerby, a player in a game.

Having said that, Qi Yuan's gaze fell upon the blood-red cudgel, his expression calm.

Suddenly, he raised his hand.

The blood-red cudgel was tossed into the Xi River.

A bright smile spread across Qi Yuan's eyes. "If a monkey picks it up, that would be amusing."

The demons and monsters of this world were almost entirely wiped out. It was time for him to complete his mission and leave.

In this world, he had reaped a bountiful harvest.

In less than a year, he had stepped into the realm of Martial Spirit, comparable to the Divine Infant stage.

These white moons had spoiled him too much.

The cudgel thrown, Qi Yuan, now alone, vanished from sight.

...

Half a day later.

On a small boat.

Qi Yuan lay lazily on the boat, like a carefree young master out on a pleasure trip.

At the other end of the boat were two black sacks.

The black sacks were tightly wrapped, resembling two human figures.

What was inside those black sacks? The world had many theories. Some said they held peerless beauties, hidden away by the Red Cudgel Demon Butcher; others said they were extraordinary treasures, the source of his immense power.

Now, the mysterious black sacks were finally opened, revealing a glimpse.

Qi Yuan sat with his back to the flower demon and the young Tong Youwei, not sparing them a glance.

The once-arrogant flower demon was now both delighted and shocked, but mostly silent.

When she had been taken, she thought it was by some blind fool.

But now, after all she had seen and heard on the journey, her heart had grown numb and trembling.

"Milord..."

She chose her words carefully, fearful of angering this peerless martial artist.

In her heart, a deep confusion lingered.

Why had this man captured her?

Qi Yuan shifted to another lazy posture, still not looking at the flower demon, and spoke in a leisurely tone. "Tell me the story of Tong Youwei and the flower demon, Man Luo."

After hearing the final episode of this drama, it would be time for him to leave this blessed land.

No, now that the demons were destroyed, this place was no longer a blessed land.

Hearing this, the flower demon looked puzzled. She did not understand why this mighty figure would ask such a thing.

Still, she answered truthfully, though a trace of hatred flickered in her eyes.

"The beginning of the story is quite cliché. At Wangshan Temple, a fierce wind howled, and rain poured down in sheets.

A young master from a noble family, taking shelter in the temple, saw a flower battered by the storm and carried it under the eaves.

The flower in his arms remembered his scent.

Ten years later, that flower cultivated into human form and deliberately approached the young master. At Wangshan Temple, they met again, and as time passed, feelings grew. One rainy day, they tasted the forbidden fruit..."

What followed was equally melodramatic and twisted.

That young master of the noble family was the only male heir of the Tong clan for seven generations, and was especially doted on by his parents.

It could be said that he had never suffered any hardship, having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

When the old master of the Tong family learned that his son was involved with a demon, he naturally refused and placed the young master under house arrest.

After all, if his son married a demon, what would become of the Tong family’s reputation? Moreover, even if a human and a demon wed, they could only give birth to monsters.

Due to the bloodline, the Tong family had only one male heir per generation.

If the demon were to bear a monster, wouldn’t the Tong lineage be cut off?

“Old Master Tong summoned the flower demon Man Luo and said that the Tong family’s bloodline must not be broken. Only after Tong Youwei married and had a child could the two of them meet again.

But he did not know that the flower demon Man Luo was already pregnant at the time.

To avoid giving birth to a monster, she went alone to the ten thousand zhang of thorns on Shu Demon Mountain, covered in wounds, just to pick a single Tuoyuan Fruit.

The Tuoyuan Fruit could ensure her fetus would be safe and born successfully, but… the price was her life.

Later, I was born, and Tong Youwei married a new wife.”

On the flower demon’s youthful face was a bone-deep hatred.

“Haha, the funniest part is that Tong Youwei’s wife could never get pregnant.

He panicked, afraid that he was infertile and would be ridiculed.

Haha, so, to produce an heir, he took his wife to Wangshan Temple and had a monk… hahaha, and finally gave birth to Tong Tianyou.

But fearing the scandal would be exposed, as soon as Tong Tianyou was born, he killed his own wife.

A loving father and filial son, harmony between old and young—what a wonderful life they lived.

So I poisoned Tong Tianyou and tricked Old Master Tong, saying that to save Tong Tianyou, they needed the heart of his closest kin, Tong Youwei!

They kept saying they loved their son, that they would pluck the stars for him.

But they thought that since Tong Youwei couldn’t father a son, Tong Tianyou could still produce one, so they personally drugged Tong Youwei and handed him over to me, begging me to save their grandson.

When I took out his heart, he cried so pitifully, repenting all the while.

Old Madam Tong wept like a fountain of tears, hahaha—she was the one who tricked Tong Youwei into drinking the bewitching soup.

A night of white hair, the devotion of close kin—how touching.

And in the end… bullshit love. They only loved themselves, and the feeling of love!”

The flower demon’s voice was frantic, hysterical.

Toward the Tong family, toward Tong Youwei, she was filled with resentment, as if she wished to eat his flesh and swallow his bones.

Qi Yuan lay sideways, yawning lazily: “It’s indeed quite complicated. Lucky I didn’t have a brain back at Wangshan Temple, otherwise… I wouldn’t have been able to see so many of my dear white moons.

Not bad—before I leave, I get to watch a play. That’s fine too.”

At that moment, the flower demon standing on the small boat revealed a ferocious smile: “When I was three years old, I dug out my own womb and forged it into a magical artifact. They… the Tong family will have no descendants, hahahaha…”

To her, it seemed, this was the most thorough and best form of revenge.

The flower demon laughed maniacally, desolate and tragic.

Tong Tianyou stood nearby, looking at the flower demon, his expression somewhat moved.

It seemed he too was infected by her, his mood sinking.

“The world is too chaotic—why overthink it? I have a sword, and I shall cut through it myself.”

And then, a lazy voice came, as that figure rose to his feet.

Hearing Qi Yuan’s words, Tong Tianyou’s expression shifted slightly, and all his earlier melancholy dissipated.

He looked at Qi Yuan, bowed his head, and seemed lost in thought.

Beside him, the flower demon staggered, her emotions crumbling.

Qi Yuan regarded all before him as a play, though he occasionally stepped into the scene himself.

“Mu Shi, after I leave, you return to Zhenyang and tell Old Master Tong that the Tong family line has ended.”

As his voice fell, Qi Yuan’s figure vanished in that instant.

All the demons in this realm had been slain; the few stragglers left he couldn’t be bothered with. It was time to leave.

“Milord!” Huo Mu Shi stared at the empty space before him, a wave of melancholy washing over him.

…

Qin Yuan Kingdom, Tianyue City.

In a three-bedroom apartment, a woman in a thin silk nightgown lay with her eyes tightly shut, cold sweat beading on her forehead, her bangs in disarray.

Suddenly, she jolted awake, gasping for air.

“Another nightmare?”

Zhong Niao sat up, her face etched with deep fear.

These days, she had nightmares every night.

She dreamed of a crack appearing between heaven and earth, and a woman who looked exactly like her emerging, stabbing her to death with a knife.

The woman’s icy expression was still vivid in her memory.

She had been having this dream for three days straight.

“I’m not really suffering from kidney deficiency, am I? Having such strange dreams?”

Zhong Niao looked anxious.

In her dream, she saw cracks in the sky, and countless bizarre figures—humans or demons—appearing.

They seemed to come from other worlds, dressed in various ancient costumes or riding in highly technological warships.

They fought each other!

She was also killed by a version of herself in ancient garb.

“Generally speaking, dreams are projections of reality.

These dreams of mine must be related to the arrival of cultivators on Archstar half a year ago.”

Zhong Niao consoled herself.

Half a year ago, world cracks appeared on Archstar.

Four cultivation worlds connected to Archstar, and countless cultivators descended upon it.

This caused a massive upheaval on Archstar.

These cultivators could fly, move like gods, and travel at speeds rivaling fighter jets, displaying powerful and bizarre abilities.

Their arrival threw Archstar society into turmoil.

At one point, a great demon wielding a Ten Thousand Soul Banner even threatened to massacre a city.

That great demon was the patriarch of a demonic sect, a demonic titan, a Divine Infant Ancestor.

At the time, panic spread everywhere.

And the Eye of Heaven, at that moment, revealed its immense power.

Directly annihilated that great demon lord with pinpoint precision.

At that time, the entire nation of Qinyuan shook with cheers.

The four cultivation worlds were also shaken by this event.

They had not expected that such a terrifying weapon of this caliber existed on Gongxing.

Later, the Seven Martial Stars and the four cultivation worlds sat down for a month-long negotiation, signing many contracts.

Some concerning trade, others about establishing dojos and cultivation schools.

Zhong Niao thought: it was precisely because of these events that left a deep impression on her, so... she dreamed that other worlds also descended upon Gongxing, and a person identical to her appeared and killed her.

"It's a pity Qi Yuan is gone, otherwise I could have him take a look and see if I'm possessed by a ghost.

He is a cultivator and knows many things."

Zhong Niao mused.

Over the past year, she had sought Qi Yuan several times.

The news she received was always that Qi Yuan was not around.

This left her quite disappointed.

Qi Yuan was a cultivator, and familiar with her; perhaps he could investigate her recent nightmares.

She had once helped Qi Yuan cure his mental illness, so now... it would be reasonable for Qi Yuan to help cure her, wouldn't it?

...

Tianxuan Tower, bustling with people, a gathering of all sorts and conditions.

"Family, this is Tianxuan Tower," said the female streamer, dressed lightly, holding her phone and filming the tower ahead. "Rumor has it that this tower was allocated by the Seven Martial Stars to the mysterious cultivation sect Xuantian Sect, and this is also the first prestigious cultivation sect in our province."

Back then, the four cultivation worlds connected with Gongxing.

The major sects decided to leave their legacies on Gongxing.

Sects like Xuantian Sect, with an old monster of the Divine Infant stage, were absolutely major sects.

Such legacies were called top-grade immortal sects.

Their standing, placed on Blue Star, would be comparable to a 985 university.

As for those other small cultivation sects, well... they were far inferior.

"How infuriating! Our province has such a large population, yet only one top-grade immortal sect!"

"Too bad they only recruit disciples based on talent!"

"See that? So many people kneeling outside Tianxuan Tower, just to beg for a thread of immortal fate."

"I also want to join a top-grade immortal sect like Xuantian Sect!"

"A sixty-year-old woman next door, always single, finally joined a sect comparable to Xuantian Sect, and then a marquis took a fancy to her and married her directly!"

"Sisters, check the inner wear, avoid the pitfall."

In the livestream room, people from all over the country watched Tianxuan Tower, envy shining in their eyes.

Joining such a large sect was truly leaping over the dragon gate, becoming a person above others for life.

At this moment, on the rooftop of Tianxuan Tower, a tall, straight figure with starry brows and sword-like eyes... a woman, her expression rather haggard.

She swept her gaze over the people kneeling below Tianxuan Tower, her expression disappointed: "All... trash spiritual roots!"

(End of chapter)