Shrouding the Heavens

Chapter 502: Chapter 507: Cauldron Disaster

“What is Jiang Yichen thinking? He even dares to try and seize the Origin Qi Cauldron?” Li Heishui’s eyes widened in disbelief.

This cauldron was priceless and had stirred up endless turmoil. In a sense, all of Ye Fan’s previous grudges with the various Sacred Lands stemmed from it. It was an exclusive holy divine relic of a Great Emperor from ancient times; even ancient scriptures could hardly be exchanged for it. Who wouldn’t be tempted? Ye Fan himself had faced death countless times because of this cauldron. Out of sheer desperation, he had temporarily entrusted it to Little Tingting, relying on the peerless might of the divine king to keep it safe; otherwise, he would not have survived.

None of them had ever imagined Jiang Yichen would be so audacious as to try and claim it for himself at this juncture. It was truly a well-calculated scheme.

In the past, all the Sacred Lands had been consumed with envy. Ye Fan had risked life and limb to protect these holy divine relics, yet now Jiang Yichen sought to cunningly seize them, infuriating Ye Fan’s companions.

Even Ye Fan couldn’t suppress his anger at this moment. He had traded his life for this cauldron; how could he tolerate someone scheming to take it away?

“This kid’s ambitions are far too grand! How dare he make a move on such a thing!” Wu Zhongtian sneered.

“Damn it! Even this Emperor hasn’t touched it yet! How could it be his turn? Let’s go take him down!” the big black dog bared its teeth. Given its nature—believing everything under the heavens should rightfully be its own—it was particularly outraged.

Suddenly, Ye Fan’s expression shifted. “Don’t act rashly,” he warned. “This might be more complicated than we imagine. If the Jiang Family’s elders are involved in this scheme, we’ll be in serious trouble.”

“Brother…” Tingting lowered her head, feeling immensely guilty. If such an important holy divine relic is lost, I’ll be so terribly uneasy.

“It’s okay, Tingting. Don’t overthink it; it’s not your fault,” Ye Fan smiled, patting her head reassuringly.

“Big sister, be happy! Smile!” the pitiful little girl said, her big eyes blinking, as she stood on the stone bench like a little grown-up.

“Let’s go find Jiang Yichen right now! He even dares to forcibly take my niece’s belongings! Damn it, I’ll skin him alive later!” Jiang Huairen, often called Jiang Bad Man, was naturally no pushover.

“Let’s go,” Liu Kao declared. “First, we find that kid and settle the score. If the Jiang Family protects him, we’ll leave immediately and ambush him outside. Unless he plans on never showing his face in the northern region again!”

Indeed, as descendants of the Thirteen Bandits, these individuals were unruly and difficult to tame. In the past, within the northern region, they had even dared to encircle and attempt to kill the Saint Heir and Sacred Lady of Flickering Light. They were a pack of wolf-like, dangerous individuals.

They first escorted the old man back home, then had Tingting lead the way. Otherwise, with so many Divine Islands and Great Mountains in this area, they couldn’t just barge around randomly and would never find Jiang Yichen.

“Big sister, don’t worry! Big brother and the others are incredibly powerful. Even the Enlightenment Ancient Tea Tree was so scared it ran away…” the pitiful little girl was clearly referring to their encounter with the tree.

This remark made the group feel rather embarrassed, as it was their excessive greed that even the Ancient Tree couldn’t tolerate.

“What’s your name, little one?” Tingting asked, quite fond of the pitiful little girl. Seeing how well-behaved and cute she was, Tingting held her small hand as they walked.

“My name is Pitiful Little Girl.” The little one innocently took this doting term of endearment as her actual name. In truth, of her past, these were the only two words she remembered.

Ye Fan had carefully analyzed this and concluded that the little girl must have had some profound and deeply etched past to have only remembered the name “Pitiful Little Girl.”

No one knew her true origins. She seemed to remain perpetually just over two years old, her memories capable of becoming a blank slate at any moment.

「Up ahead」

A vast ancient island came into view, with towering Ancient Wood that seemed to touch the sky and silver waterfalls cascading like silken ribbons. Mountains rose side-by-side, creating a place brimming with spiritual vitality.

It was evident that Jiang Yichen held a unique status among the younger generation of the Jiang Family. He was able to secure such a residence for cultivation, a privilege few young disciples enjoyed.

“His great-grandfather was an extraordinary sovereign, and he’s closely aligned with the Jiang Family Head’s faction,” Liu Kao explained, as he and the others were quite knowledgeable about the younger generation in the northern region, even knowing Jiang Yichen’s background. “This young man gets whatever he wants. Moreover, he himself is ruthless, so most people really don’t dare to provoke him.”

“Who are you people? Why are you forcibly trespassing on Meteor Island?” A few individuals flew out, blocking their path.

“Meteor Island, my foot! I’d say it’s more like Ill-Omen Island!” the big black dog bared its teeth.

Their expressions immediately changed as they guessed the identities of the newcomers, especially recognizing the big black dog and Ye Fan, who were, in their eyes, “notoriously infamous.”

“This is a restricted area of the Jiang Family! You must not intrude!” The group formed a line, barring their way and preventing them from entering the island.

Jiang Huairen’s face darkened instantly. He sensed Tingting’s awkward position. Though she was now nominally the little princess of the Jiang Clan, these people hadn’t come forward to greet her immediately. He recalled Tingting’s past plight. Certain people in the Jiang Family had treated her unfairly, even forcing the old man to operate a small tavern outside just to make a living. The memory of this injustice caused his anger to flare.

“All of you, get out of my way! Tell Jiang Yichen to roll out here now!” When Jiang Bad Man lost his temper, he spared no one. Even though he was technically a Jiang Clan disciple himself, he couldn’t care less at that moment.

Ye Fan also recalled many past events. On that snowy winter day when he had first come to the Jiang Clan, he had witnessed the old man being harassed in the biting wind by Jiang Clan disciples, with Jiang Yichen as the main instigator. Outraged, that was when he had lashed out on the territory of the Ancient Nobilities. He intercepted Jiang Yichen, slew several cultivators, and detained him. Jiang Yichen was only released when the peerless divine king ordered a general amnesty for the detained disciples of the Sacred Lands.

“How audacious! Do you know what place this is? Even as guests of our Jiang Clan, you must observe proper etiquette!” one of the guards shouted, trying to intimidate them.

“Are you blind?” Jiang Huairen retorted. “Can’t you see the Jiang Clan’s little princess is right here? Don’t you recognize her, or are you deliberately ignoring her?”

“Greetings to the little princess!” Upon hearing this, the guards hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

In the past, they could indeed have disregarded Tingting. As someone with the Taiyin Body, she wasn’t expected to live for many years. Furthermore, she was “found” outside the clan, so she was hardly considered legitimate.

But now, everything was different. She was the only person taken by the peerless divine king and had trained with him for over half a year. The supreme ‘Dou’ word secret from the nine secret arts was very likely in the little girl’s hands. Moreover, with a great bandit ancestor backing her, Tingting’s status had become exceedingly distinguished, and no one dared to bully her as they had before. It was just that their past attitudes were hard to shake off so quickly.

“Please wait a moment; we will go and report this.”

One person quickly flew into the island to inform Jiang Yichen, not daring to delay any longer.

After a considerable time, the person flew back out, his face etched with apology. He spoke very courteously, “Everyone, I truly apologize. The Young Master is in secluded cultivation, and we are unable to awaken him. Perhaps you could return in a few days.”

Wu Zhongtian immediately sneered. “Why seclude himself now of all times? Not earlier, not later?”

“This is as obvious as lice on a bald man’s head. He’s clearly avoiding us,” Liu Kao sneered. “He might avoid us today, but can he avoid us forever?”

“Since he’s putting on such airs and won’t come out to greet us, we’ll go meet him ourselves!” Jiang Huairen’s temper flared.

“You must not enter!” those men tried to block them.

“Stand down! I wish to see my cousin. Can you possibly stop me?” Tingting stepped forward. Although only a nine-year-old child, when she was serious, she possessed a certain imposing manner.

The men exchanged glances. This little girl might have been insignificant in the past, but now she was truly not someone to be trifled with.

“This is Jiang Clan territory! Do you still intend to stop us? What if one day, the divine king ancestor returns, and you try to bar his entry too?” Tingting’s voice was clear and sharp as she questioned them.

“This…”

“Move aside!” Tingting took the lead and flew forward.

Ye Fan and the others nodded and flew into the island with her. The guards dared not obstruct them further.

They didn’t pause along the way and headed straight to the heart of the ancient island. Several Great Mountains stood there together. On their peaks, ancient vines grew ruggedly, spiritual springs gurgled, clouds lingered, and colorful mists rose, creating a grand and beautiful scene.

“Jiang Yichen, get out here!” Jiang Huairen shouted.

The Divine Island remained silent; no one responded. Only a startled flock of Lightning Birds took to the sky.

“If you don’t come out, I’ll suppress all these Great Mountains and take you away with them!”

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a stir. Six elders flew out, one of whom斥責道, “Who is causing a disturbance here, disregarding clan rules? Do you wish to be severely punished?”

These elders were all powerful cultivators from the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm. They were not direct descendants of the Jiang Family but were assigned to protect Jiang Yichen.

Tingting stepped forward. “Honored elders, please ask my cousin to come out. I have important matters to discuss with him.”

Although these elders held considerable status, seeing Tingting arrive put them in a difficult position. They truly didn’t dare to obstruct this little princess; her current standing was vastly different from before.

“The Young Master is in closed cultivation. It really isn’t convenient for him to come out,” one of them prevaricated.

“Such outrageous arrogance! If he won’t come out, we’ll go see him ourselves!” Liu Kao declared.

“Enough talk! Seal the mountain and refine him alive!” Li Heishui shouted.

These were, of course, empty threats meant to force Jiang Yichen out. After all, they were descendants of “notoriously infamous” great bandits, and most people would believe them capable of such acts.

“Hmph!”

From afar, a cold snort was heard. A young man emerged from a cluster of magnificent ancient buildings, his gaze cold as he looked over. “Such audacity, coming to my Jiang Family’s territory to run wild! Such ignorant fools! Men, ring the Heavenly Sound Bell! Gather the experts, seize them for me, drag them out, and execute them!”

Jiang Yichen, dressed in green, stood atop a mountain with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding an air of immense arrogance. He coldly swept his gaze over everyone, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

“This kid is truly ruthless! He’s trying to fabricate a reason to kill us all. To think he’d resort to this—he’s even worse than we imagined,” Liu Kao gritted his teeth.

They were not afraid. As descendants of the Thirteen Bandits, even if they did cause tremendous trouble, anyone wanting to kill them would have to consider the repercussions from those great bandits, especially since they hadn’t committed any major offense at this time.

The few elders beside Jiang Yichen actually moved as if to ring the Heavenly Sound Bell and summon the Jiang Clan experts to attack them.

Jiang Huairen stepped forward. “Are you trying to rebel?” he shouted. “Can’t you see the little princess is here? She’s the one who brought us. Who do you intend to kill? Are you tired of living?”

Although furious, the elders hesitated, not daring to act rashly.

“You coerced a little princess of my Jiang Clan! This crime is punishable by death! Go, ring the Heavenly Sound Bell! Rescue Tingting and execute all of them!” Jiang Yichen sneered malevolently, then added in a low voice, “Causing trouble on my Jiang Family’s territory? You’re courting death!”

With that, his cruel, cold smile swept across everyone. It finally landed on Ye Fan, revealing an extremely hateful expression. A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes and disappeared; he naturally hadn’t forgotten his past suppression.

Damn it, this kid is too sinister! On his own turf, he’d twist reason just to get rid of us! Liu Kao sensed the situation was turning dire and wanted to strike first.

Ye Fan suddenly laughed. “Let him ring the Heavenly Sound Bell,” he said, patting Jiang Huairen’s shoulder. “Don’t forget your status. You’re also a Jiang Clan disciple, a descendant of the divine king. You’re his uncle! You could go up and slap him, and even if people come, they could only watch!”

“Damn it, I almost forgot! That old ancestor of the Jiang Family has my grandfather accompany him every day. They’re desperately trying to persuade him to return to the family and even gave me this Divine Wood Order.”

Jiang Huairen had a sudden realization. He took the Divine Wood Order from his robes; it was with this token that he had entered the Jiang Family grounds unobstructed.

“Go on, ring the Heavenly Sound Bell! Summon all the experts. Let them watch me slap him hard across the face!” Jiang Huairen declared.

Upon seeing the Divine Wood Order, all the elders’ faces changed. Even Jiang Yichen’s expression shifted drastically, turning very ugly.

“Kid, return the Origin Qi Cauldron,” Wu Zhongtian sneered.

“Hmph! You’ve got some nerve!” Jiang Yichen retorted icily. “The Origin Qi Cauldron belongs to Tingting. Since she’s a member of my Jiang Family, it is naturally one of our Jiang Clan’s holy divine relics. How dare you come here to demand it!”

“How can you say such a thing?!” Jiang Huairen’s expression turned hostile immediately.

Ye Fan’s eyes grew cold. He remembered that when he had lent the cauldron to Little Tingting, he had clearly stated before everyone that it was a temporary loan and he would retrieve it one day. Now, Jiang Yichen’s words clearly showed he intended to keep it for himself and was unwilling to return it. He even pretended to be righteous, claiming it as the Jiang Clan’s holy divine relics.

“I’ve never seen anyone so shameless!” the big black dog snarled, baring its teeth. It nearly reared up on its hind legs, ready to send a large paw swiping.

“Brother Yichen, you’ve borrowed the Origin Qi Cauldron for a very long time. It’s time you returned it to me,” Tingting said, stepping forward and asking for it back, her voice clear.

Jiang Yichen’s expression turned cold as he said, “Tingting, you must understand that people’s hearts are sinister. That cauldron is one of our Jiang Clan’s holy divine relics. If I return it to you now, it will undoubtedly be seized by some nefarious individuals.”

“Kid, are you tired of living? How dare you spew such shameless words! You should know perfectly well how the Origin Qi Cauldron came to be in the Jiang Family’s possession. You think you’re qualified to forcibly claim these holy divine relics? You’re not even close!” Li Heishui retorted.

“It seems useless to reason with him now,” Ye Fan said, shaking his head. “He’s determined to claim it’s the Jiang Clan’s holy divine relics and won’t hand it over. Bad Man, it’s up to you.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Huairen immediately understood Ye Fan’s meaning and laughed heartily. “Alright, Jiang Yichen! Though I’m ashamed to have a grandnephew like you, today I have no choice but to acknowledge our relation!”

Then, he turned to the others. “You lot, come help me hold him down! As his uncle, I’m going to enforce family discipline and teach him a harsh lesson!”

In terms of seniority, he was Tingting’s young uncle and indeed could be considered Jiang Yichen’s uncle, even though they were of similar age.

SWOOSH!

Ye Fan, Li Heishui, and Wu Zhongtian moved to surround Jiang Yichen, all wearing cold smiles.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jiang Yichen’s expression changed.

“I’m your uncle, and I’m here to enforce family discipline by slapping you hard across the face,” Jiang Huairen grinned maliciously.

“You dare!” Jiang Yichen bellowed in rage.

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Jiang Huairen sneered. “Today, they are all outsiders and have no right to use force in the Jiang Family, but I do. Call me ‘Uncle,’ and then I’ll deal with you properly.”

“You… you’re courting death!” Jiang Yichen’s face turned grim.

SWOOSH!

Ye Fan and the others joined forces to immobilize the surrounding space.

SMACK!

Holding the Divine Wood Order, Jiang Huairen shot forward like a phantom and delivered a resounding slap to Jiang Yichen’s face.

“Quick! Ring the Heavenly Sound Bell!” Jiang Yichen yelled in panic, finding himself bound in place.

“You unfilial whelp! As your senior, I find you utterly rebellious, even plotting to kill me! Today, I’ll knock all your teeth out!” Jiang Huairen roared, tacking on another charge as he swung his large palm.

SMACK!

The crisp sound of another slap echoed through the air.

“Hand over the Origin Qi Cauldron right now, or I’ll smash your mouth in today!”