Chapter 505: The Yun Family, Mobilize!
Five days later, Seven Star Pass.
Dong—
Dong…
As dawn broke, the morning bell rang from the drum tower, echoing across the pass bathed in the light of a deep winter snowfall.
Inside the Tian Ge Pavilion, where the Moon Shadow Sword Sect’s flag hung above, calming incense filled the room, releasing wisps of clouds and mist.
Yun Tianchong, dressed in a golden Daoist robe, paced back and forth, occasionally stopping to glance at the ancestral shrine in the corner before resuming his anxious pacing.
Ever since learning of Yun Jiujiu’s predicament, Yun Yiyi had immediately dispatched twenty-four Sword Sect disciples, including one Nascent Soul Elder, to race towards Tian Bei City, hoping to bring Yun Jiujiu back before anything happened.
However, five days had passed, and those twenty-four individuals had not sent back a single Jade Slip. Yun Jiujiu’s fate remained unknown.
Yun Yiyi, who was handling the Sword Sect’s internal affairs at her desk, saw her father pacing the center of the room non-stop for five days, his eyes bloodshot. She finally couldn’t help but advise him,
“Father, pacing back and forth won’t help. You should go back and rest, then head to the Elder’s Pavilion to discuss the matter of Demonic Cultivator spies with the sect masters of the Southern Domain.”
“… …”
“Anping has sent the map of the Eastern Domain and the list of spies. We should also…”
Yun Tianchong stopped pacing and turned to look at his eldest daughter. However, he saw that her expression was calm, almost devoid of emotion.
He struggled to control his temper and asked angrily,
“Yi’er!! Are you this heartless?!”
Yun Yiyi closed her mouth, “… …”
“I know you and Jiujiu didn’t have a good relationship before, but no matter what, she is still your…”
Slap—!
Hearing her father’s words, Yun Yiyi couldn’t hold back any longer. She grabbed the ruler on the table and slammed it down, revealing a rare display of anger. She stood up and scolded,
“Yun Tianchong, you’re almost three thousand years old and you still can’t distinguish between what’s urgent and what’s not?! Don’t you remember how many cultivators from the Immortal Families in the Southern Domain died conquering Seven Star Pass? It’s been almost a month, and the cicada shells outside the city haven’t even been fully cleared.
As a cultivator in the late Deity Transformation stage, you’ve done nothing for five days but pace around here. You won’t go to inform the sect elders of the news Ye Anping sent, and you won’t go to the Elder’s Pavilion for discussions. Look at yourself… what kind of demeanor is this?! It’s no wonder Grandfather Yun used to beat you!! You…”
Seeing that the usually gentle Yun Yiyi had resorted to their Yun family’s dialect, Yun Tianchong was momentarily speechless.
Yun Xi, who was helping Yun Yiyi in the corner, also spoke up,
“Stop arguing. Jiujiu is strong. Didn’t she kick your, Father’s, eggs that one time? These three or four Demonic Cultivator spies can’t do anything to her.”
?
Yun Tianchong found her words strange, but they were indeed comforting. Even among the Nascent Soul cultivators in the Western, Southern, and Northern Domains, Yun Jiujiu was considered top-tier.
After the incident with Yun Kunwu of the Sword Sect, Yun Yiyi and Yun Xi voluntarily gave their cultivation resources to Yun Jiujiu. Coupled with her natural aptitude, her cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds.
It could be said that, within the Immortal Families, only Ye Anping and a few others were cultivating faster than her.
But…
“She’s foolish! Easily angered, impulsive, and stubborn! Just like her mother. I married her mother with just one pot of wine back then.”
Yun Tianchong realized his words were out of line and immediately fell silent.
“… …”
Yun Yiyi was also stunned, unsure of what to say, “… …”
Yun Xi, hearing this, inexplicably wondered if her own luck was inherited from her mother. After thinking about it, she concluded it was indeed the case.
If her mother’s luck wasn’t bad, how could she have met this wretched father?
“Sigh…”
The three of them sighed in unison, and at the same time, they couldn’t help but lament: What kind of karma had their Yun family incurred!
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
The three of them turned their heads towards the entrance in unison.
“Enter!”
Zhang Yihe, hearing their synchronized voices, paused for a moment before entering the room. Seeing the dejected expressions of the three people inside, he swallowed and said in a low voice,
“Sect Master Yun, Eldest Miss, Third Miss, a black crow just delivered a wooden box.”
Saying that, Zhang Yihe walked in holding a simple rosewood box. After some deliberation, he placed the wooden box in front of Yun Yiyi.
“Eldest Miss, this…”
Yun Yiyi didn’t understand the meaning behind Zhang Yihe’s gaze. Without a word, she picked up the wooden box and opened it.
However, upon seeing what was inside, her hand trembled, and she dropped the box to the ground.
Bang—
A small lock of golden hair, along with a golden Identity Token from the box, scattered on the floor.
Yun Xi and Yun Tianchong’s eyes widened, and they held their breath.
The room fell into absolute silence.
Yun Tianchong’s teeth chattered, and he lost his balance, collapsing onto the red carpet. Looking at the hair and Identity Token of his second daughter, his face turned deathly pale.
Although Yun Yiyi was also startled, she was the first to recover.
She took a deep breath, picked up the hair and Identity Token from the floor, and examined them carefully. Then, she looked at the three people in the room and comforted them,
“The hair and Identity Token are not bloodstained, which means the Demonic Cultivators didn’t kill her. Father, rest assured. The Demonic Cultivators likely captured Jiujiu to threaten the Sword Sect…”
“Rest assured?!”
Yun Tianchong glared at Yun Yiyi, “How can I rest assured?! Since ancient times, when female cultivators from Immortal Families fall into the hands of Demonic Cultivators…”
Yun Xi saw that Yun Tianchong’s expression was about to rival her grandfather’s, and quickly tried to comfort him, “Father, it should be fine. Jiujiu has neither a good figure nor a good temper. Demonic Cultivators probably wouldn’t be interested in her.”
Yun Yiyi knew Yun Xi was trying to comfort her father, but the words were truly unpleasant. She lowered her head in thought. After all, Yun Jiujiu was the second daughter of the Sword Sect.
The Demonic Cultivators would most likely use this matter to their advantage, and might soon send another message:
—Your Yun family wouldn’t want the second daughter to be harmed, would you?
This would be used to threaten the Sword Sect, which would be troublesome.
Yun Yiyi clenched her fists, looking at her father and then at Yun Xi. She felt they likely couldn’t make a decision.
“Anping…”
Yun Yiyi softly uttered his name, as if seeking courage from him.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then frowned and looked at Zhang Yihe next to her, calling out sternly,
“Zhang Yihe.”
Zhang Yihe no longer dared to be as jovial as usual. Upon hearing Yun Yiyi call him, he quickly straightened and knelt on one knee, cupping his fist,
“…Yes, Eldest Miss, please speak.”
“Go and draft an obituary, informing all disciples and elders of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect. The second daughter of the Sword Sect, while fighting Demonic Cultivators in Tian Bei City in the Eastern Domain, unfortunately fell into a trap and ascended…”
At these words, Yun Tianchong and Yun Xi looked up at her in astonishment.
Even Zhang Yihe looked shocked and hesitated for a long time before daring to accept Yun Yiyi’s command.
Yun Tianchong immediately stood up and, unable to resist, grabbed Yun Yiyi by the collar,
“Yi’er?!”
“Let go.” Yun Yiyi frowned, biting her lip tightly. Seeing her father’s hand released, she retorted, “From now on, Demonic Cultivators will inevitably use this matter to their advantage. Father, if the Demonic Cultivators threaten you to kill the sect masters of the Southern Domain Immortal Sects, what will you do?”
“… …”
“Also, if other sects in the Southern Domain hear that Jiujiu has been captured by Demonic Cultivators, then all the sects will know that the Demonic Cultivators hold a weakness of the Sword Sect, and the Southern Domain Immortal Sects will be somewhat wary of the Sword Sect afterward.”
“… …”
“This is the best course of action! I am the Young Master of the Moon Shadow Sword Sect. You cannot make decisions, so I will. I will bear any responsibility. Countless cultivators are currently fighting the Demonic Cultivators in the Eastern Domain. How can we… inhale—”
As she spoke, Yun Yiyi seemed to lose control of her emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks to gather on her chin, as if about to fall.
She sniffled, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and then frowned at the stunned Zhang Yihe,
“Zhang Yihe!!”
“Ah… Your disciple is here.”
“Didn’t you hear what this Young Master said? Hurry up and go.”
“… …”
Zhang Yihe opened and closed his mouth several times, as if wanting to say something, but he didn’t. He looked at Yun Tianchong and Yun Yiyi, then back at Yun Xi. Finally, as if giving up, he nodded and acknowledged,
“Yes!”
Then, he quickly ran out.
After Zhang Yihe left, silence fell in the room again. Yun Tianchong looked at his eldest daughter, her face smudged with tears, and his heart ached. He turned to look at Yun Xi, who was biting her lip with her eyes lowered.
After a long silence, Yun Tianchong closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and took a deep breath. He stood up straight and pulled Yun Yiyi into a hug,
“Yi’er, Xi’er… Father is sorry to both of you.”
“… …”
“This is not something you should have to do,” Yun Tianchong paused, then shouted, “Guards!!!”
His voice, amplified by spiritual power, echoed from the Tian Ge Pavilion. The two Core Formation Stage Sword Sect disciples guarding the pavilion below immediately leaped up and entered the room, bowing.
“Sect Master.”
“Recall all the disciples and elders who went out. We will attack Tian Bei City on an appointed day.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Yiyi’s eyes widened slightly, and she quickly raised her hand to stop him, saying,
“No! The situation inside and outside Tian Bei City is unclear. We don’t know how many Demonic Cultivators are there. Attacking directly is like sending us to our deaths…”
“Yi’er, I haven’t fully passed on the position of Sect Master to you yet, so I am still the Sect Master of the Sword Sect.”
“But…”
“Ever since your grandfather died, the Sword Sect has been in decline, shrinking to the southern border and falling from a great sect to a second-rate sect. But the Sword Sect is not to be bullied by anyone. If we tolerate this, we will be unworthy of your grandfather’s name.”
Yun Yiyi knitted her brows and retorted,
“But we can’t just go to our deaths like this, blindly entering the Demonic Cultivators’ territory to fight. Ye Anping is currently gathering intelligence in the Eastern Domain, perhaps…”
“Yi’er, the Immortal Families can’t rely solely on him. We will only know the situation in Tian Bei City once we go. If the Sword Sect is annihilated in this battle, consider it paving the way for the Immortal Families’ future attack on Tian Bei City.”
Yun Tianchong turned to look at the two Sword Sect disciples who had entered and said,
“Thousands of years ago, when the Immortal Families recaptured the Central Domain from the Demonic Cultivators, it was the same. Because they had no knowledge of the Central Domain, they dared not advance for decades. Yi’er, do you know how they broke the deadlock?”
“… …”
“At that time, the Fa Sect of the Western Domain, the Liuyue Sect of the Southern Domain… a total of over 170 Immortal Sects paid the price of annihilation to pave the way for the Immortal Families in the Eastern Domain. Only then did the Immortal Families succeed in reclaiming the Central Domain. Yun Tianmu, your grandfather died while paving this way…”
“… …”
“Moreover, the Dao Ancestor has already set an example. Elder Dan Yue specifically brought me to Taibai Sect. Looking back, she probably wanted me to see what the Dao Ancestor did. She probably anticipated this situation long ago.”
“… …”
“The path of immortality is for future generations to walk on the path paved by their predecessors. Perhaps the legendary Heavenly Scroll of the Dao is also like this, heh—”
Yun Yiyi bit her lip slightly. After a moment of silence, she said,
“Father, let’s wait for Anping a little longer… perhaps he…”
“It’s not that I don’t trust him. He is, after all, the personal disciple chosen by your grandfather. But we cannot rely entirely on him alone,” Yun Tianchong patted Yun Yiyi’s shoulder and said, “If I don’t return, you take Xi’er and retreat to the Southern Domain, then go to Xuan Xing Sect.”
Without giving Yun Yiyi a chance to speak further, Yun Tianchong turned and, with a flick of his robe, led the two Sword Sect disciples outside, leaving Yun Yiyi and Yun Xi standing stunned in the room.
Yun Yiyi frowned and pondered for a moment, then walked back to the window and pushed it open, looking up at the sky.
“Anping, what should I do… sigh—”
… …
After walking out of the Tian Ge Pavilion gate, Yun Tianchong looked back at the seven-story building behind him, a sense of guilt rising in his heart.
He already owed his daughters a lot. After Yun Jiujiu’s incident, he probably wouldn’t be able to make up for it in this lifetime.
Sighing inwardly, he prepared to go and discuss with the other sects of the Southern Domain to see if any were willing to join the Sword Sect in attacking Tian Bei City.
But as Yun Yiyi had said, the Immortal Families knew almost nothing about Tian Bei City, and the information they had was outdated, from thousands of years ago. Other Immortal Sects would likely not accompany him and the Sword Sect.
As Yun Tianchong was contemplating this, a hurried shout came from below the steps in front of the Tian Ge Pavilion.
“Sect Master Yun!! No… it’s bad!!”
Yun Tianchong turned to see Chang Long, Guo Zhiruo, and Hu Renyi, the three Demonic Cultivator spies who had previously gone out with Yun Jiujiu.
They were covered in wounds, supporting each other as they limped. Only Chang Long seemed relatively energetic.
Yun Tianchong’s brows furrowed. He tilted his head up slightly, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
Seeing his expression, Chang Long and the other two were startled. However, as long as their identities hadn’t been exposed, they would at most be punished.
Moreover, on their way back, they had deliberately sparred, turning the pretense into reality and getting injured.
“Second Miss has been captured by the Demonic Cultivators in Tian Bei City… We…”
Chang Long stood with his head bowed, nodding towards Guo and Hu’s injuries with his eyes, and said apologetically,
“We failed to protect Second Miss…”
Yun Tianchong took a deep breath, looked at the two Sword Sect disciples who had followed him down, and the double plum blossom embroidered on his brow emitted a faint spiritual light.
“Chang Long, Guo Zhiruo, Hu Renyi, how many years have you been in the Sword Sect?”
“Uh…” The three were confused as to why Yun Tianchong would ask this. “More than twenty years.”
“More than twenty years… After more than twenty years, you still haven’t cured your bone-deep corruption? I heard Elder Tian Xing used to think highly of you, Guo girl. He even treated you like a granddaughter… We at the Moon Shadow Sword Sect never mistreated you.”
Although his tone was calm, his words were like daggers.
Chang, Guo, and Hu trembled upon hearing this. They instantly understood that they had been exposed, but they couldn’t figure out how.
For the Demonic Sect, these three were trump cards that they would never use unless absolutely necessary.
They had been in the Sword Sect for more than twenty years, and they had always been cautious, rarely making mistakes.
How could they have been recognized as Demonic Cultivators after just one mistake?
Even a big mistake…
Guo Zhiruo quickly argued, “Sect Master, about Second Miss…”
Yun Tianchong had actually wanted to give them another chance, thinking that if these three could change their ways, they could become “double agents” and rescue Yun Jiujiu.
In this way, they could atone for their sins, and he might forgive them and allow them to remain in the Sword Sect.
However, hearing Guo Zhiruo try to argue, his last shred of pity was exhausted.
“I have never killed women before, not even Demonic Cultivators. But today, I shall break my vow.”
As his words fell.
Whoosh—
The sword was unsheathed at an unknown time, but when it appeared in Yun Tianchong’s right hand, it was already stained with a crimson hue.
Blood dripped from the blade, pooling at the tip and falling beside his shoe.
Drip—
A breath later, a golden light flashed.
The heads of Chang Long, Guo Zhiruo, and Hu Renyi slid from their shoulders and rolled down the thousand steps behind them, step by step.
Yun Tianchong looked east and said,
“Jiujiu, take these three with you for now. A few days later, Father will have all the Demonic Cultivators in Tian Bei City offer sacrifices to you.”
… …
