This generation’s Yu family clan leader was named “Zhiyuan,” courtesy name “Guangbo¹,” with open-eyed level cultivation. His appearance was fairly regular, with a small beard to demonstrate gravity. He was currently walking in a hurry, but still with a perfectly sedate bearing. 

He was the sky above the heads in Yu Family Bend. He couldn’t appear to panic in front of people. 

The others followed behind him according to their family ranking. All their expressions were very grim. 

Three days ago at noon, inside the ancestral hall in the Yu family’s main residence, a decorative stone tablet on the offering mat at the door had suddenly fallen to the ground and shattered, scaring the old servant who was sweeping witless. And it seemed this had been an ill omen. Three days later, a letter came flying from the rear mountain and went directly to the Yu family clan leader. 

Their family’s “that gentleman” had reached the end of his days. Their “guardian beast” was going to return into the West. 

Common cultivators who could cross the established foundation boundary were already as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns, and a four-hundred-year-old consummate established foundation was one of a kind. As this chief offering had begun spending more and more time in seclusion, the Yus had been prepared. A century ago, they had already started looking out for offering cultivators with outstanding talents to replace him. 

But that was easily said. How many people within the immortal mountains’ inner sect could reach the edges of an ascended spirit? Ascending to within half a step of an ascended spirit was perhaps not completely unheard of, but it was close enough. 

Therefore, the clan leader’s mood was very sorrowful. He was inwardly pondering whether he ought to get someone to upgrade the array formation in the valley or bring some more branded cultivators in… Which would be more cost-effective? 

This chief offering had chosen a bad time to die. His boss’s imperial grandson in the inner sect took the better part of his spending money from the clan. Now that they had made an engagement with the Zhao family, sending them north would be another major expense. Others had already begun complaining, coming repeatedly in the last few days to draw funds from the clan for their projects. There was no way dam the flow, so it looked like they would need to think of a way to expand their financial resources. 

It was so hard being the head of a big family! 

They reached an isolated little courtyard house in the deepest recesses of the forest. An invisible barrier blocked their way. 

Quite a few of the Yu family’s other offerings had come as well. They scattered and made several circles, scouting from the outside. Some were sighing, some were envying the ostentation, and some seemed to have seen their own fate. And then there were those drooling over the position of chief offering that was about to be emptied… There was more than one such person. 

Clan Leader Yu passed through the crowd and said politely in a loud voice: “Ancestor, this is Zhiyuan. If you have anything to pass on, would you like to see me?” 

After a moment, a black shadow spread over the empty ground at the gate and went up to Clan Leader Yu’s feet like a path, inviting him to come in. 

The clan leader hesitated instinctively. Each time he saw this gentleman, he always felt a little apprehensive. It was as if his family had a pet lion or tiger. While they were the ones feeding it, if you woke in the middle of the night to find that big beast crouched by your bed, slavering, you would be scared enough to burst your guts. 

But the clan leader’s gaze traveled around. The whole clan was watching him. He couldn’t lose face, so he stepped into the shadow. 

In the last hundred years, hadn’t he already come here apprehensively every time? And this would be the last time. 

As he thought this, he felt a little sentimental. 

Pained and sentimental, Clan Leader Yu’s shadow blended into the shadow on the ground, as if he had been swallowed in one gulp by that big shadow. 

Then, as soon as the clan leader with his myriad concerns entered the small room, just as he had wished, he laid down his heavy burden and went to his eternal rest. 

Yu Chang bent slightly and examined Clan Leader Yu’s fresh corpse from above. In that moment, he seemed to be chewing over some taste. Then his eyes narrowed in satisfaction. A long, thin shadow burrowed into the clan leader’s corpse and removed the assorted protective immortal tools from his body one by one. At the same time, a transport array formed in midair. 

The transport array dispersed in a glare of light, and a Clan Leader Yu identical to the deceased appeared with a blank expression. After a breath, Clan Leader Yu’s eyes suddenly changed, becoming lively—it was Xi Ping coming over in a paperman. 

Xi Ping’s first reaction after landing was to put some distance between himself and Yu Chang. Then he silently placed inscriptions on all the paperman’s features and inspected his own shadow. 

He glanced at Clan Leader Yu’s corpse. Lowering his voice, he said, “That easy?” 

For better or worse, this person was still a half-immortal. With a murder weapon like Yu Chang in the room, aimed at him, his spiritual sense must have been smeared with shit for him not to have felt it. 

Xi Ping judged others by his own standards. A long string of conspiracies flashed through his mind. “Is it a trick? Does he have a substitute? Could he playing dead? Might this…” 

Before he could finish speaking, he saw the shadow wrapped around the clan leader suddenly burrow into the center of the corpse’s brow. A small whirlpool appeared on Clan Leader Yu’s smooth brow. The flesh warped. Then it was the bone warping with a shattering sound. Then the “whirlpool” became larger and larger as it twisted. The corpse’s features ran off, the eyes nearly burst from their sockets, the nose bent like a bow…and the mouth nearly turned up to the cheekbone on one side! 

Xi Ping once again experienced the terror he had felt sitting astride the wall at the Marquis Manor watching the corpse of the young master next door give him a “charming smile.” “Stop, stop, stop…what are you doing!” 

Yu Chang breathed out softly and said seriously, “I have performed an inspection. It isn’t a substitute, and he isn’t playing dead. Why don’t you have a look for yourself?” 

Xi Ping looked at his eyes, once again starting to turn red, and said gravely, “They say that once the spiritual image brand is removed, you’re no longer in danger of losing your mind, did you know that?” 

Yu Chang abruptly raised his eyes and looked into the face of the clan leader, the corners of his eyes twitching involuntarily. He took a sudden deep breath and averted his gaze. After a moment, he said almost inaudibly, “You’re right.

“This kind of half-immortal practically has no spiritual sense in the end.” Yu Chang didn’t look at Xi Ping, only tossed the immortal tools from the body to him and put the corpse into his mustard seed. “As half-immortals, these people won’t be harmed by drink and lust, so they have no self-restraint. Food, wine, and beauty will quickly numb a person, so they have to turn to snow wine, and when even snow wine can no longer make them happy, some people will even swallow talismans in pursuit of stimulation—spiritual sense? Ha… Are your people ready?” 

Xi Yue hadn’t been idle the last few days. He had repeatedly compared the arrays he himself had memorized and calculated against the plans Yu Chang had supplied, and he had eaten his way through all the ancient texts. At this time, the half-puppet’s consciousness was inside the Law Breaker Bracelet. He could borrow a paperman to come over at any time…though unless there was absolutely no choice, Xi Ping wasn’t planning on having him come. 

A paperman breaking wasn’t life-threatening, but the consciousness would certainly be injured. Little Xi Yue hadn’t been shattered by shed skins. He wasn’t so resistant to shocks. 

“A-Xiang,” Xi Ping said to Wei Chengxiang, “how are you doing?” 

With the help of a group of Luwu, Wei Chengxiang had already completed the spirit-gathering array in Tao County. She inspected it one final time and responded, “All is ready—the waste won’t exceed twenty percent.” 

In other words, they needed a hundred twenty thousand liang. 

Then Wei Chengxiang added, “Young Mistress Zhao helped quite a bit. Standard product of the Latent Cultivation Temple. Her basic skills are solid.” 

Xi Ping laughed. On the surface, Wei Chengxiang seemed not to get on with Zhao Qindan at all. In just a few words, she could make the young mistress explode from anger. She was always amusing herself at her expense. But she seemed to be rather worried that this “house cat” wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild. She kept talking about her, explicitly and implicitly, secretly wanting to win a place for her in Tao County. 

Xi Ping pretended he hadn’t noticed and didn’t pick up the subject. He gave a few instructions, then contacted the Luwu. 

“According to your instructions, my brothers and the spiritual stones have all been sent away. We’ve left substitutes behind in the Immortal Palace,” said Lao Tian, who had stayed back to watch the Immortal Palace. He paused, then anxiously said, “Tai Sui, may I ask, what is going to happen?” 

“We can’t hold on to the Snake King identity,” Xi Ping said quickly. “The Snake King came from Great Wan to begin with. Now that the Luwu have been exposed in Southern Shu, his origins are too sensitive. We need a new identity.” 

Lao Tian said, “But Wild Fox Country is already an evil cultivator black market. If we abandon the Snake King’s Immortal Palace, won’t other evil cultivators come to fill the vacancy?” 

“No,” Xi Ping answered calmly, “I have a plan.” 

Having said this, without turning a hair, he once again cut off the updates the Luwu were sending to Bai Ling. 

Heaven favored the preservation of lives, but san-ge didn’t. If san-ge knew why he was plotting at a critical moment like this, he might borrow a pagoda for trapping a river monster from Master Lin and lock him up in it. 

This time, he had to cut first and get beaten later. 

After making his arrangements, Xi Ping exchanged a last look with Yu Chang. They nodded at each other. 

The redness in Yu Chang’s eyes had yet to fade. Xi Ping thought, Can I rely on this mad dog?

So he couldn’t resist saying, “Take whatever revenge you need, but for the sake of your Way of the Heart, don’t kill indiscriminately. After you’ve crossed the great river, don’t overturn your boat in a sewer.” 

Yu Chang put a mind clearing pill in his mouth and said dully, “There’s no need for you to tell me.” 

Xi Ping quickly reviewed everything in his mind. For some reason, while it all looked like a sure thing, his spiritual sense seemed to have something to say. It was on edge. 

But the arrow was already on the string. They had even done away with Yu Family Bend’s local tyrant. They had to move forward and usurp the throne. 

Xi Ping turned and walked out of Yu Chang’s little compound—before Clan Leader Yu had died, Xi Ping had pulled him into the Law Breaker and made a copy of the clan leader’s consciousness that he controlled. Now, the dazed controlled consciousness was inside the paperman. Xi Ping relaxed his suppression slightly, and the paperman, under the influence of the copied consciousness, automatically assumed the posture of the original before his death. 

“Those who are on friendly terms with him can go over and say goodbye,” Xi Ping said with the paperman’s pained face. With an appearance of propriety, he instructed, “But the death of a great master will cause a large commotion. This place is dangerous. Please do not linger. The rear mountain is temporarily restricted. Do not allow anyone to wander in by mistake.” 

Everyone heard this and took it for granted—a master half a step from an ascended spirit might bring down half a mountain with a hiccup or a fart. So one after another they made perfunctory bows and salutes towards Yu Chang’s compound. In hardly any time, they had all scattered, afraid that if they were a step too slow they would get dragged in. 

Xi Ping: “…” 

He wasn’t very popular. 

“Hey, listen, Yu-xiong, even dogs won’t come near you, right?” 

Yu Chang’s cold laugh came through the reincarnation wood: “If your family’s pig or dog dies of pestilence, won’t you be in a rush to burn it? Are you really going keep the coffin for seven days and wear mourning instead?” 

Xi Ping: “…” 

He let the body and the remaining copied consciousness take him back to where the clan leader lived. Xi Ping walked into the room and dismissed the attendants, then immediately took full control of the paperman’s body and started rifling through everything like a thief. 

Yu Chang gave him a hint: “Inside the pillow.” 

“Ah…ah-choo!” As soon as Xi Ping raised the bed curtain, he was decked right in the face by fragrance. The sense of smell of an established foundation cultivator could catch a lingering scent from days ago. As soon as Xi Ping stuck his head in, he smelled at least seven or eight different kinds of rouge and powder. It was so stifling that he sneezed. 

As he wiped his nose, he reached out to touch the pillow. Indeed, there was a mustard seed inside. In spite of himself, he broke out in gooseflesh. “You’ve even seen what’s inside another person’s bed curtains… You really are rotten!” 

Yu Chang laughed without answering. 

Xi Ping jumped into the mustard seed and was nearly blinded by the superb collection of rare treasures. Even Cui Ji’s cousin involuntarily felt hatred for the rich. 

On the innermost shelves were account books. Unlike the public accounts, these account books recorded Yu Family Bend’s true riches. 

Xi Ping roughly flipped through a few and shut them with a bang. He took a deep breath and said to Yu Chang, “I need a hundred twenty thousand white spirits to activate the spirit-gathering array. You can do what you like with the rest, take it or destroy it, whatever, but leave at least eighty percent of the remaining spiritual stones to return to Yu Family Bend—that’s one of the things for the blood covenant.” 

Yu Chang laughed meaningfully and saw an opportunity to make an attempt at probing. “Common cultivators have always been short on resources. Those like Tai Sui who know when to stop are rare.” 

Xi Ping ignored him. He coldly said, “You can prepare to ‘blow up’ the rear mountain.” 

When Yu Chang blew up the rear mountain to fake his death, the spiritual energy in the valley would be disordered for a brief span. They could use that time to tamper with the protective arrays. 

Xi Ping sent word to Xi Yue: “Yu can’t be relied on, we have to work as quickly as possible.” 

Xi Yue was just about to say something when Xi Ping’s spiritual sense was suddenly touched. Someone was approaching. 

He stepped out of the mustard seed and heard footsteps like a cat’s coming from outside. Someone softly called, “Clan leader.” 

Xi Ping put on his act. “Come in.” 

Then a “page” came in discreetly. “Clan leader, a letter for you.” 

Xi Ping reached out to take it, but the “page” took the opportunity to grab his hand and quickly brush his palm, then raised a pair of eyes like a soul summoning spell and cast an amorous glance at him. A familiar scent came from this person—it was one of the scents that had just made Xi Ping sneeze! 

Realistic gooseflesh rose on the paperman. Xi Ping bristled: there was a monster taking advantage of him! Wait, no…was this monster male or female? And they were so ugly. If they didn’t have the money to buy a mirror, then couldn’t they piss themselves one? 

Xi Yue: “…” 

He’d been about to say something, but he’d completely forgotten the words. 

Xi Ping dropped his act at once, playing a haughty old official according to his own instincts: “Did I summon you?” 

The “page” hadn’t expected their flattery to go astray. They knelt sinuously and said in a delicate, soft voice, “Clan leader, Lan’er was wrong…” 

Saying so, they tried to throw themselves at his shoes. 

Xi Ping had been prepared and stepped back. The “page” came up empty, falling on the ground with an “ow.” 

Next, the tip of a shoe smelling of the mud of the rear of the mountain raised the “page”’s chin, and a cold gaze shot towards them. 

Xi Ping still couldn’t tell how this person had the face to attempt seduction—even he hadn’t attempted that! “Get out of here!” 

When he had dispatched the unlucky suitor, Xi Yue said to him, “Young mast… Ge, let me come over there, I’ll cut off the arrays.” 

Xi Ping pretended not to have heard him, opening the letter with “single-minded devotion.” This letter was actually sealed, with “To be unsealed by the clan leader in person” written on it. Only Clan Leader Yu himself could open it, or else the contents would be destroyed. 

As soon as Xi Ping drew near, he perceived faint spiritual energy. He was a little bewildered: “Do cultivators write letters to each other now?” 

Couldn’t they use an immortal tool to communicate? Or did Yu Family Bend have special customs?

Fortunately, Clan Leader Yu’s consciousness was preserved inside the paperman. Xi Ping opened the letter easily. As soon as he opened it, he knew why it had to be delivered as a letter—this was a rather ceremonious calling card. 

Xi Ping’s spiritual sense abruptly jumped. 

Written on the calling card was: I am acting upon orders from the immortal sect to patrol the Wan-Chu border in order to guard against villains fomenting rebellion. The Zhao family hidden realm has disembarked in Yu Family Bend and has had contact with your family. I fear they have been infiltrated by “Luwu,” so I shall be coming to pay a visit in one ke. Presently I am patrolling in secret, so it is not convenient to reveal my whereabouts. I hope the clan leader will cooperate. The immortal sect’s personal order is attached. 

Respectfully yours, Xiang Wenqing of Sanyue’s West Peak. 

Xi Ping’s mind buzzed. Xiang Wenqing…Xiang Wenqing…

He quickly searched for that name in the secret news he had heard in Wild Fox Country: right, this person was ranked second on the West Peak of Sanyue’s three principal peaks; he came from a collateral branch of the Xiang family. Rumor said that this master was the one behind the Yu family. He had been the one to get the Yu family’s worthless imperial grandson into the inner sect… An ascended spirit of the middle period. 

At the same time, Yu Chang also saw the calling card with his omnipresent grit worms. The two of them spoke almost in unison. 

Yu Chang said, “It seems it’s true that schemers have bad luck.” 

Xi Ping said: “You must be an unlucky star incarnate.” 

“Xi Yue,” Xi Ping quickly sent his thought. With his current cultivation level, he could already sense the master at the gate. “There’s been a problem, let’s not…” 

Before he could finish speaking, he heard a huge sound. The rear mountain collapsed—Yu Chang had ignited the prepared array, fabricating the explosion of a cultivator half a step from an ascended spirit dying. In the calm valley of the Yu family’s main residence, there was a great disturbance in the spiritual energy. Arrays of all sizes were in uproar, and all immortal tools of established foundation grade or below stopped working at the same time! 

Yu Chang’s voice came through the reincarnation wood: “With an ancestor in the middle ascended spirit period here, if I play dead halfway, he’s sure to see through me. It’s better to fight a quick and decisive campaign.” 

Tai Sui had clearly known that Sanyue would be sending someone soon, yet had insisted on activating the spirit-gathering array before Mid-Autumn. That showed he absolutely needed those hundred twenty thousand white spirits. Yu Chang guessed that Tao County’s safety was perhaps connected to his Way of the Heart. A hundred twenty thousand white spirits was no small number. He might only have this one shot. Could he stand to abandon it? 

There was no time to lose, and the opportunity wouldn’t come again if he passed it up! 

Yu Chang thought: We’ll see whether the Sanyue inner sect dog or this mysterious evil god of Wild Fox Country will take the upper hand. 

If Xiang Wenqing died, he would happily applaud. If Tai Sui died, he would be even more at liberty in the future. 

“Tai Sui, my assignment has been completed. I’ll hand the rest over to you.” 

Xi Ping: “…” 

He’d known he couldn’t rely on this bastard at the critical moment!