Read Novel Full Chapter 1250: Chapter 1244: The Worst Decision Of Lives
Chapter 1250: Chapter 1244: The Worst Decision Of Lives
[Your descendant Li Chuyuan has joined the Peerless Hall…]
[Year 920, infiltrated Grandhaven Prefecture, joined Jade Mist Valley…]
[Year 933, completed a Peerless Hall mission, became an inner sect disciple of Jade Mist Valley…]
[Year 962, helped a Peerless Hall companion become an elder…]
[Year 967…]
[Year 1000 of the Li Clan, commanding over a hundred Peerless Hall spies in Jade Mist Mountain.]
Li Chuyuan stood among the disciples, listening to the elder’s instruction.
“The Blood Moon is approaching, and the Imperial Dynasty’s rescue is imminent.
The mighty figures of our Imperial Dynasty are currently engaged in a great battle with the Blood Moon within the Western Frontier.
Cursed be the methods of the Wu Tribe! When the Blood Moon arrives, Jade Mist Valley will unite with all of Grandhaven Prefecture to eradicate the Wu Tribe!”
The three major factions of Grandhaven Prefecture mostly received their foundational cultivation training from the Sage Master Martial Academy.
The most important courses there were ‘Benevolence, Wisdom, Propriety, Righteousness, and Trust’, as well as ‘Family, Nation, and the World’.
Over the tens of thousands of years of Jade Mist Valley’s existence, many of its disciples began their enlightenment at the Sage Master Martial Academy.
Hearing the elder’s impassioned words, they loudly cheered, vowing to stand together with Grandhaven Prefecture through thick and thin.
“Idiots.”
A trace of pity flashed through Li Chuyuan’s eyes.
“More than half of Jade Mist Valley has already become members of my Peerless Hall.”
He immediately exchanged a glance with the speech-giving elder, and the two gave each other a slight nod.
When night fell, a thousand people silently gathered in a secret location within Jade Mist Valley.
The dozen or so people at the front were all commanders, and Li Chuyuan was among them.
He frowned slightly as he listened to the numerous Peerless Hall members shouting about ‘welcoming the arrival of the Blood Moon.’
Perhaps due to the influence of the Dao Seeds, they all wore crazed expressions.
Li Chuyuan was no exception. He grabbed the young commander beside him.
“Brother Qin, you have the most seniority here. Do you know exactly what our objective is in Grandhaven Prefecture?”
Qin Ren asked in surprise, “The Envoy Commander highly appreciates Brother Li. With the Blood Moon arriving, does the Envoy Commander not know?”
Seeing Li Chuyuan shake his head with a bitter smile, Qin Ren frowned.
“Then I know even less. On the contrary, the Azure Cloud Li Clan has sent more messages to Jade Mist Valley.
Now, everyone is saying that immortals and gods reside upon the Blood Moon in the Western Frontier, and that these immortals intend to devour people to restore their rule.
It’s said that those beneath the Blood Moon will lose their minds, making it even more terrifying than our Dao Seeds.
I had an old friend who used to write to me every three years, but he has never written again.”
“Sigh.” Qin Ren let out a long sigh. “Perhaps you and I have made the absolute worst decision of our lives.”
“The absolute worst decision…”
Li Chuyuan’s face turned pale. For a moment, his mind went completely blank, and he stumbled a step backward.
Seeing this, Qin Ren beside him only shook his head.
Only those at the rank of commander and above knew that sooner or later, they would end up exactly like the people in the Western Frontier—when that time came, they wouldn’t even be themselves anymore.
Whether the Blood Moon in the Western Frontier housed immortals or not, they couldn’t be certain.
What they were certain of was that they were already standing in Grandhaven Prefecture, and the taint of the Blood Moon had already infected them.
That night.
Li Chuyuan knelt in his room.
He took out a wooden tablet and, mimicking the legends within the Azure Cloud Li Clan, begged the ethereal and elusive Old Ancestor for the very first time in his life.
His face was pale as he wept bitterly.
“Old Ancestor, your child was wrong. Your child should not have joined the Peerless Hall, and your child should not have swallowed the Dao Seed.”
“If you truly can protect everyone and hear all of our voices, then I beg you, please save your child.
Your child does not want to be reduced to a running dog for the immortals along with the people of the Peerless Hall.”
“I beg the Old Ancestor to manifest. Your child will burn incense for you every day, and your child will be exceptionally filial to grandfather.”
“…”
[Your descendant Li Chuyuan has reached the Divinity Transformation realm and bows to convey his faith to you.]
[Family Will +10]
Li Wei sat on the simple altar, watching Li Chuyuan expressionlessly.
The night wind blew.
The spirit tablet on the altar appeared hazy amidst the scent of incense, not glowing with its proper brilliance in the slightest.
This pleading lasted for four hours, demonstrating his sincerity.
Li Chuyuan grew exhausted from begging.
He suddenly paused, raising his head to glare fiercely at the spirit tablet with a distorted, hideous expression.
He then viciously grabbed the spirit tablet, spewing wild, disrespectful words. “It truly is fake! You have never protected us, and you have never protected me!”
“My father died outside! My grandfather is useless! My peers are useless!
I am the most outstanding descendant of the ‘Chu’ generation! If you won’t even protect me, who will you protect?!!”
“Why don’t you open your eyes and look at me? I joined the Eternal Immortal Sect sect, I cultivated the Corpse-Stitching Art, I became a member of the Peerless Hall, and I am about to be reduced to a running dog for the immortals!
I have walked such a difficult path, yet I still haven’t seen you.”
“Why won’t you protect me? Tell me!!!”
“Bang.”
Li Wei sat quietly on the altar, watching as the crazed Li Chuyuan stomped his spirit tablet to pieces.
The unknown terror of the Blood Moon and the internal rumors of the Peerless Hall kept Li Chuyuan constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown.
After venting his frustrations, he knelt neurotically on the ground, clutching the shattered spirit tablet.
Tears dripped continuously onto the floor. “Tell me, why won’t you protect me.”
“You truly are a useless Old Ancestor.”
Faintly, he felt an ethereal, elusive sigh.
Outside Grandhaven Prefecture.
Blue smoke, Dark Crows, and flying swords successively arrived at the mountain peak.
Then, as they landed in mid-air, a faint red ripple spread out before they vanished completely.
Unbeknownst to anyone, stepping past those ripples would reveal nearly ten thousand people.
A Daoist held a whisk; beside him stood a woman in red.
They were none other than Li Yunlin and Fairy Hongxiu.
Receiving another wisp of blue smoke, a trace of solemnity flashed across Fairy Hongxiu’s peerlessly beautiful face.
“Twenty-three thousand, two hundred and eighty-two people. This is the latest confirmed headcount of the Peerless Hall.
We know the exact identities and locations of eighty percent of them.”
The letter was casually tossed backward, drifting with the wind to land in the hands of the Huan Gui, who was leaning against a large rock.
Clad in white, she seamlessly embodied both alluring charm and a mature, icy detachment.
“Sister,” Taotie, refraining from taking his true form, looked like the young, wealthy scion of a noble family dressed in white robes.
“I smelled a bad scent inside Grandhaven Prefecture, something similar to my own kind.”
As he spoke, he looked at the backs of the Li family members standing at the edge of the cliff and gritted his teeth.
“Are we going to risk our lives alongside them again? You already risked your life for them just a century ago.”
“The Li Clan built the Corpse Mountain Dao Field for me; consider it paying rent.” The Huan Gui replied casually.
Confirming the experts listed in the letter and noting the intelligence regarding the Banshu family’s immortal baby, she cast a fleeting glance at Taotie.
“Min Tiange killed the Corpse God. Lingxu is dead. Zhen Wu also fell for his tricks. If he doesn’t die, all the Dao I’ve cultivated will be for nothing.”
Seeing Taotie nod obediently.
The Huan Gui asked Li Yunlin in a deep voice, “Your intelligence here is already fully prepared. It is time to make a move.”
“Mhm.”
Li Yunlin didn’t even turn his head, gazing expressionlessly at the Blood Moon pressing close to the border of Grandhaven Prefecture.
The Huan Gui stood up to stretch her body, looking around.
The cultivators gathered here included many Daoist friends from Azure Cloud Prefecture, as well as roughly five thousand people from the Eternal Immortal Sect, the Xuanyuan Clan, and the Zhangsun Clan of Clearpeak Prefecture, along with righteous individuals from various factions.
Having received the news, these cultivators were all making thorough preparations.
The bloodline descendants of the Li Clan, however, were different.
Observing the Li Clan members set up an altar before the battle, kowtowing to their Old Ancestor’s spirit tablet to beg for protection, and seeing the curling incense smoke, she then watched the Seven Ironclads weave through the descendants.
With bodies like iron pagodas, they carried large baskets, distributing the ancestor’s spirit tablets.
Seeing these young people stuffing the tablets into their robes, hanging them on their chests or waists, and some even dangling them like earrings…
The Huan Gui was utterly speechless.
The people of the old Li family loved doing stupid things, and this was certainly one of them.
“In the midst of a great battle, how could a spirit tablet possibly protect you?”
At this moment, Li Tianqi walked up to the Huan Gui. Hearing her murmur, he broke into a grin.
“Traditional custom. You just have to get used to it.
It’s not that we truly need the Old Ancestor to save our lives; it’s just that the children believe that if they die in battle for the family, they won’t be lonely in the next world either.”
“Hmph.”
The Huan Gui, unimpressed by his playful grin, left with an icy-eyed Taotie.
Li Tianqi scratched his head and shrugged.
Look at how petty she is; it’s been so many years, and she still hasn’t forgiven them for the incident at the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
…
Inside Grandhaven City.
Within the main hall, the auras of experts were gathered.
Every family and sect in Grandhaven Prefecture had sent their top experts.
With the Blood Moon imminent, they were discussing countermeasures.
These experts, considered lofty figures by outsiders, currently bickered like they were in a wet market.
“Fellow Daoists, I propose retreating to Clearpeak Prefecture!”
“Foolishness! Our sect’s inheritance spans tens of thousands of years; are we just going to hand it over on a silver platter?
Furthermore, Her Majesty the Empress has issued an imperial decree stating that the forces in the Western Frontier are nothing but chickens and dogs.
Even if they are legendary immortals, it only takes a single opportunity to eliminate them.”
“Her Majesty rules the world, and there is peace under heaven. Didn’t the palace send another message just days ago?
The Imperial Dynasty’s troops are massing in the Central Plains.
When the time comes, they will strike into the Western Frontier and launch a pincer attack with our Grandhaven Prefecture.”
“Then why does the Azure Cloud Li Clan not trust the Imperial Dynasty?”
“They want to rebel! They want to trick us into going to Clearpeak Prefecture!
The Li Clan has deep ties with the Zhangsun and Xuanyuan Clans. The wild ambitions of these immortal clans didn’t just sprout overnight!”
“What’s wrong with immortal clans? If immortal clans are full of wild ambition, then why does your Sect take in so many disciples?”
“…”
At the head of the hall sat three seats, representing the three major factions and the supreme authority of Grandhaven Prefecture.
If it weren’t for such a momentous occasion, so many people wouldn’t have gathered in the hall.
However, the central seat of the Prefecture Lord was empty.
On the left sat the Grand Elder sent by Jade Mist Valley, a kind-looking old man dressed in flowing white robes.
Jade Mist Valley was a Body Integration faction but did not covet power; they served as the teachers of Grandhaven Prefecture.
The people of Grandhaven Prefecture always addressed the elders of Jade Mist Valley as ‘Elder’, a custom that continued for many years.
On the right was the Sage Master Martial Academy.
It began as a simple academy; teaching, imparting the Dao, and resolving doubts was their way of survival.
The six masters of the Martial Academy were its founders, whose legacy survived from antiquity to the present.
They prided themselves on having students all over the world.
Some said that Grandhaven Prefecture was the Sage Master Martial Academy, as their students were in every corner.
The representative present was the Second Master, Zhang Jing, a tranquil woman dressed in green, whose mere appearance brought a sense of refreshing serenity.
“Does the Second Master trust the Imperial Dynasty?” The Grand Elder drank his tea quietly, as if entirely deaf to the arguments below.
Zhang Jing frowned slightly.
“If Prefecture Lord Banshu were here, he would definitely trust the Li Clan over the Imperial Dynasty.
It is truly a pity; my Martial Academy heard that the Prefecture Lord was assassinated, and Banshu Weide has also disappeared.
I wonder if the Grand Elder knows anything regarding this matter?”
“Hmph, the Li Clan?”
The Grand Elder scoffed lightly, “You and I both know what is hidden inside the Blood Moon, and what lies within the Banshu family.
Under such ancient power, a mere Li Clan cannot stir up any waves.
Second Master, there is no need for us to play hide-and-seek; the actions of the Sage Master Martial Academy cannot escape the eyes of our Jade Mist Valley.”
“And Jade Mist Valley willingly allowing the people of the Peerless Hall to enter and cultivate, helping the Peerless Hall deceive the cultivators of Grandhaven Prefecture—does that escape the eyes of my Martial Academy?”
Zhang Jing smiled faintly.
“Having decided to side with the Peerless Hall and the Imperial Dynasty, is Jade Mist Valley not afraid of being reduced to those mad running dogs beneath the Blood Moon?”
Hearing this, the Grand Elder sneered coldly.
“The mad running dog of Grandhaven Prefecture has already appeared: Banshu Weide of the Banshu family.
I heard your Martial Academy is slaughtering commoners. Second Master, you had better advise the other masters of the Martial Academy that imitating Banshu Weide will not end well.”
“Thank you for the advice, Grand Elder.” Zhang Jing remained perfectly calm. “It is still better than having one’s mind bewitched beneath the Blood Moon.”
This impenetrable demeanor infuriated the Grand Elder.
Just as he was about to speak, he abruptly froze. Beside him, Zhang Jing also narrowed her eyes.
“Didn’t he… die?”
The arguing in the main hall suddenly ceased.
Over a hundred people looked toward the entrance, holding their breath in unison.
The room was so quiet one could hear a pin drop, the sound of footsteps ringing clear.
Banshu Qingping walked quietly into the hall.
Every gaze was fixed upon him as he walked expressionlessly toward the center seat.
Radiating brilliant light.
Behind Banshu Qingping, Li Tianming—heaven knows which personality had taken over—stared at Banshu Qingping’s back with bloodshot eyes.
Seeing this guy acting so majestic, he gnashed his teeth in fury, one hand gripping a dagger hidden in his sleeve.
In his mind, one Li Tianming after another was frantically pulling back the crazed Li Tianming.
“Don’t stop me! He’s stealing my spotlight! I saved those people! I saved them! He’s acting too cool!”
—
Donate on Ko-fi ➡️ [] ⬅️
Get Early Access to 90 Chapters: Search for “Dark Tea” on Ko-fi (Explore tab) and join my membership to read ahead!