Chapter 325: The Strange Affairs of the Bai Family
Above the shattered earth, a fishy wind howled, and the shrieks of Evil Seeds rose and fell, creating a cacophony of noise everywhere.
But on the only remaining half of the city wall on the east side of Linyuan City, as Ji You’s sudden question resounded, the atmosphere abruptly fell silent.
A few breaths later, Rulong Immortal Emperor noticeably flustered, opened his mouth: “I don’t have any secrets, Brother Ji. What are you referring to?”
“I’m asking you, why are you asking me?”
“Because I don’t know what kind of secret Brother Ji is asking about. Is it about a Dao Companion, or my arranged marriage partner—”
Ji You saw the probing in Bai Rulong’s eyes, knowing he was testing the waters, so he calmly said, “I mean, you were clearly imprisoned by someone, not hiding. Why did you lie to me?”
As his words fell, Bai Rulong’s eyes instantly trembled.
However, in the next moment, he still frantically denied, “I don’t know what Brother Ji is talking about, but I really was just hiding.”
Ji You let out an “oh”: “Then how do you explain the pots and pans in the corner?”
“What pots and pans—?”
“There were still some leftover food in the pots and pans in that secret room, and it was already a bit stale. This indicates that you stayed inside for more than one day, but several days. But the problem is that the corpse tide only erupted today. Could it be that you had foresight and hid in advance?”
Bai Rulong was speechless, opening his mouth but suddenly not knowing how to respond.
Ji You indeed noticed the pots and pans in the corner as soon as he entered the secret room, and at that time, he already suspected Bai Rulong was lying to him. Cultivators can go without food, and with Bai Rulong’s cultivation, going three to five days without eating is not a problem.
Since the Evil Seeds hadn’t arrived, there was no reason for him to hide underground in advance.
If he had hidden today, there shouldn’t have been so much leftover food.
Ji You had thoroughly pondered these questions before suddenly asking him now.
However, Bai Rulong was tight-lipped. After a moment of silence, he still insisted on his previous statement: “I just hid myself. That’s my own home, so how could I be locked up—?”
“After I went in, I asked you why you were there, and you said it was because you were scared and hid?”
“With so many Evil Seeds, of course I was scared—”
“No, do you remember that after you came up, you subconsciously asked me why there were so many Evil Seeds?”
Ji You turned to look at him: “I suspect you didn’t even know the corpse tide was coming. In that case, whether you were imprisoned or hid yourself in advance, it all makes sense, because what you’re afraid of isn’t the Evil Seeds at all. But you yourself said it’s your home. What exactly are you afraid of in your own home?”
With that simple question, Bai Rulong once again fell silent.
The leftover food was real. If he insisted he hid himself, then he had to explain why he did it so much in advance.
If he admitted he was imprisoned, then he must have seen the Bai Family leave.
And according to Ji You’s deduction, if Bai Rulong was truly imprisoned, then he must have known what his father was going to do, and perhaps he was imprisoned underground precisely because he resisted.
If he was hiding, then what he was afraid of was even more worth investigating.
In any case, as the eldest legitimate son of the Bai Family, especially the only Bloodline after his younger brother Bai Si Hu’s death, Bai Rulong must have known something others didn’t.
Ji You looked into the distance: “I didn’t ask downstairs because I wanted to bring you here to see all this first. There’s an old saying in Qingyun World: ‘The higher you stand, the farther you see.’ I want you to see what they’ve done to this world.”
Bai Rulong involuntarily pursed his lips, but unlike before, he didn’t retort and instead became silent.
Because he knew that the timing truly didn’t match up.
So, whether it was hiding or being imprisoned, it all seemed full of loopholes.
Just then, Ji You reached into his embrace, pulled out a letter, and handed it to him.
Bai Rulong’s expression immediately became somewhat puzzled, but he still reached out and took it. After a moment of thought, he unfolded it in the fishy wind.
“Is Rulong Immortal Emperor well recently? I passed through Linyuan City today and thought of how long it has been since we last met. I miss you dearly.”
“Coincidentally, I have been traveling the Jianghu for half a year and have met two young women with plump and round buttocks. Is Brother Ru Long interested in coming out for a chat?”
After reading it, Bai Rulong raised his head: “You specifically lured me out to meet you?”
“Precisely. Because before I met you, I had already discovered that your Bai Family had problems. Your Family is greatly connected to the Evil Corpse appearances over the years. In fact, I even suspect that everything we are currently facing was caused by your Family.”
As soon as his words fell, Bai Rulong pursed his lips. However, at almost the same moment, Ji You heard a sharp roar coming from ahead.
Not far away, the Evil Seeds, having sniffed out human Qi in the wind, were frantically rushing towards them, vying for the lead.
Looking down from above, it was as if conscious waves were surging, attempting to engulf them.
Ji You’s expression instantly changed, and his long sword emitted a clear, resonant hum.
Rulong Immortal Emperor, who was momentarily lost in thought, suddenly felt his neck being gripped. Two figures whistled northward, parallel to the forefront of the corpse tide.
The rope tied around their waists did not break, still connecting them.
As they ran, and the corpse tide continuously gathered, the two continued as they had at the beginning: one attracting, one striking with a sword.
However, during this process, neither of them spoke another word.
Ji You could actually understand Bai Rulong’s cowering mentality.
After all, the Bai Family was his Family. Although his father had openly favored his youngest brother due to his second mother and treated him poorly, no matter what, that was still his father.
In the Legacy model of Qingyun World, countless Sect disciples grew up looking up to their fathers’ towering figures.
Therefore, for the current Rulong Immortal Emperor, speaking out what he knew would give him a strong sense of betrayal.
But this also indicated that the information he knew was indeed very fatal.
From south to north, Ji You and Bai Rulong continuously traversed, breaking through three small-scale corpse tides. During this time, they also encountered a group of Immortal Sect travelers who were also seeking refuge.
There were people from Lingjian Mountain, Tianshu Academy, and some Chen Clan disciples, about thirty to forty people.
These Immortal Sect travelers had an extremely keen ability to assess the situation. After seeing the magnificent Sword Qi directly tear a huge gap in the corpse tide, they decisively decided to follow them.
Thus, within a mere dozen li, Ji You had already given several rides.
“This requires payment,” Ji You muttered to himself from high in the sky, having carved a bloody path through the corpse tide with Xiao Chong Shan.
However, with danger lurking everywhere, it wasn’t suitable to collect fees now, so he planned to make them empty their Family coffers when they returned to Shengjing.
These people from Lingjian Mountain, he wasn’t sure if they were from Xuanjian Peak or Tianjian Peak. If they were from Xuanjian Peak, he would be a bit more friendly and give them a half-price discount. As for the Chen Clan and Tianshu Academy, it would be full price—
At dusk, the brilliant fiery clouds were magnificent and grand, but the corpse tide below them was far more impressive.
Fleeing and rushing all the way, Ji You and the others once again crossed a large-scale corpse tide and finally arrived at a mountainous area.
Evil Seeds were indeed being driven by people to attack various Sects with a purpose, so remote, impoverished areas were not as plagued by Evil Seeds.
It was suitable to rest and recuperate in a hidden corner.
Pant, pant—as night gradually enveloped the world, plunging it into darkness, Bai Rulong sat on the summit of a low mountain, his breathing gradually evening out.
It was true that the main objective of the Evil Seeds was to attack Sects, but their actions were entirely guided by the human Qi they could smell along the way. Therefore, some villages closer to the cities were affected.
At this moment, at the foot of the mountain directly in his line of sight, several interconnected villages had already been destroyed by the Evil Seeds, with dismembered bodies and broken bones everywhere.
So much so that the small river flowing through these villages had been dyed pink.
The blood continued to flow down the river, and from time to time, dismembered limbs floated on the surface, drifting downstream.
After watching silently for a long time, Rulong Immortal Emperor stood up and walked towards the dense forest on the mountainside.
Because Evil Seed frenzies were raging all around them on the ground, they dared not light a campfire.
At this time, dozens of Immortal Sect travelers sat in a circle along the mountainside of the low mountain, recuperating, while Ji You sat quietly on the west side of the dense forest not far away.
Some things he had kept secret for too long; in fact, even he himself felt suppressed, plagued by nightmares every night, unable to save himself.
So when Ji You asked him, besides tension and fear, he felt more of a sense of lightness.
He also knew that Ji You didn’t ask further later because he hoped he would see clearly and understand.
After hesitating for a long time, Bai Rulong clenched his sleeve and then walked towards Ji You, who, as if sensing something, looked up at him.
Their eyes met for a long time, and then Bai Rulong slowly opened his mouth.
“Do you remember at the Tiandao Conference, when I returned home and didn’t come back for a long time, and then when I did, I said my younger brother Bai Si Hu and my second mother were missing?”
“?”
Bai Rulong slowly sat down against a withered tree stump: “Actually, Bai Si Hu didn’t go missing; he turned into a monster.”
Ji You’s eyes instantly deepened: “What exactly happened?”
“The story goes back to more than two years ago.”
Bai Rulong looked at the thick night sky above and slowly began.
More than two years ago, on the eve of the Tiandao Conference, he returned home to visit his Family and unexpectedly heard that Bai Si Hu and his second mother had gone missing.
But two living people couldn’t just disappear, so he began to inquire and search.
However, he found that everyone in his Family was very strange. Not only did they not care about the missing matriarch and young master, but they intentionally advised him not to search.
And his father, despite having lost his wife and child, kept claiming to be in secluded cultivation when he sought an audience, never coming out to meet him.
Ji You knew what happened later: he was late to the Tiandao Conference, and the Bai Family used this incident as an excuse for not appearing at the Tiandao Conference.
Ji You couldn’t help but look at Bai Rulong: “Two living people disappeared, and you didn’t plan to search for them again?”
“My stepmother was never good to me, and Bai Si Hu always acted high and mighty because he was favored by Father. I never intended to put much effort into it. My uncle also advised me that since Bai Si Hu was gone, the vast Bai Family would surely be mine in the future, so I should exert less effort.”
“Truly the way of a Sect.”
Sect marital relations naturally concern the change of power. Bai Rulong and Bai Si Hu each represented their mothers' maternal families.
Such struggles would also affect the closeness between Sects in the next generation.
After Bai Si Hu disappeared, the right of inheritance naturally fell to Bai Rulong. The Sect behind Bai Rulong's mother was naturally pleased to see this happen.
“Then you said Bai Si Hu turned into a monster. What exactly happened?”
“That was when I returned home for New Year. I hadn't been home for over a year, and when I went back, I felt the atmosphere in the house was very strange. It was eerie everywhere, and the air seemed to be filled with a peculiar smell, like a rotten, decaying odor.”
Bai Rulong pursed his lips: “Most importantly, several of my cousins from the collateral branches of the Family had also disappeared. My uncles and aunts said they had gone out to cultivate, and I didn't pay attention at the time, but as soon as night fell, I always heard strange sounds.”
Ji You looked at him: “What sounds?”
“A sound of panting and scratching, which gave me nightmares.”
Bai Rulong swallowed: “One night, I finally couldn't bear it anymore. I followed the sound and saw a ghostly thing covered in black Qi constantly panting in the backyard of my house.”
Ji You narrowed his eyes after hearing this: “Bai Si Hu?”
“Yes, but I didn't know it was him at first. I just thought a demon had entered the house, so I reported it to the Family, and after that, I never heard that sound again.”
“But after returning to Tianshu Academy, I always felt uneasy, so I went back again midway.”
“This time I saw it clearly. The monster was covered in bloated flesh. At that time, it was lie on one of my uncles. It seemed there was some Qi on my uncle's body that was constantly being sucked into the monster's mouth.”
“When my stepmother married in, my mother was still alive. My mother was a kind person. She didn't feel jealous when my stepmother gave birth; instead, she took out a pair of jade pendants, one for me and one for Bai Si Hu.”
“That jade pendant was very valuable and had the effect of nourishing Meridians, so even though my stepmother's Family was hostile to us, Bai Si Hu always wore that jade pendant.”
“That night, I saw that jade pendant on the monster.”
“Then my uncle was drained, but his body began to explode continuously, his figure became very long, and sharp nails constantly extended from his hands. Finally, he stood up alive again in the backyard.”
“I didn't dare to think deeply, I could only pretend not to know, living each day in fear, walking on thin ice, feeling that everything was just a nightmare—”
Hearing this, Ji You still had many doubts in his heart, but one thing he already knew the answer to.
Li Ruilin, Tan Chen, and those people suddenly turned into Evil Seeds, probably similar to the situation of the uncle Bai Rulong mentioned.
So after Li Ruilin disappeared, no one from the Li Family inquired about him; only Huang Yueniang was looking for him, because the Li Family members knew why they had disappeared.
Cultivators aspire to Ascension and long for Lifespan, so in the Dongping Mountain Range, countless Elders who were nearing the end of their lives felt that it didn't matter even if they turned into Evil Seeds.
But the problem was that from Bai Rulong's description, Ji You was certain that Bai Si Hu no longer had self-awareness at that time. How could such a result be accepted?
Bai Rulong looked at Ji You at this moment: “Brother Ji, do you feel that everything seems to have been done by Father for Bai Si Hu?”
Ji You looked up at him: “Is it not?”
“I thought so at first, but after the spring equinox, Bai Si Hu disappeared, and there were no more scratches and roars in the Bai Family at night. But not long after, my father began to continuously break through Realms, making rapid progress in a short time. The last time I saw him, he had reached the Divine Travel Realm.”
“What was your father's cultivation level before?”
“It took him ten years in the Initial Yingtian Realm to barely cross the minor Realm of the Middle Realm, and he never broke through again after that.”
“You mean to say that your father's continuous breakthroughs are related to Bai Si Hu?”
Bai Rulong stared ahead: “I don't know, because I was soon caught by the Family and didn't have a chance to investigate further.”
Ji You suddenly understood after hearing this:
“So you didn't write a letter before returning home; you snuck back and witnessed this uncovered scene.” “That's right. I already found something was wrong the first time I saw that monster. It wasn't that the monster was wrong; it was my whole Family that was wrong, so I did return to Tianshu Academy first, and then secretly snuck back home.”
“Besides your father, what about the people from your Bai Family's main lineage?”
“As Brother Ji thought, they are also continuously getting stronger, and some of my cousins are also disappearing one after another.”
“What happened next?”
Bai Rulong pursed his dry lips: “Then they left, and I was locked in a secret room. If Brother Ji hadn't come, I might have died in the tide of corpses. I can't understand; don't old sayings say that even a tiger won't eat its cubs?”
Ji You's eyes narrowed: “When your father left with his people, did he tell you where he was going?”
“No, he only told me that all of this was for the glory of the Family.”
“Family glory...”
After hearing Bai Rulong's account, Ji You sat on the small mountain, lost in thought.
The Chu Family, Bai Family, Du Family, and others have already conducted deep research into the Immortal Legacy within the ruins, and the Zheng Family should be allied with them.
Setting aside the role of Bai Si Hu and the relationship between the Bai Family head's Realm growth for now, a connection can be vaguely pieced together later.
These Sects have gone to great lengths, constantly relying on the ruins to enhance their cultivation, extend their Lifespan, and reach the pinnacle of the Dao.
But suddenly one day, they discovered that the fruits from the ruins could be brought out, and the Immortal Legacy they relied on had already been swiftly occupied and distributed by the Immortal Sects.
So they hid in advance, released Evil Seeds to wreak havoc upon the Qingyun World, overturning the table and clearing their tracks, while trying to secure a future for themselves.
Because among the Nine Provinces, except for the barren Feng Province, the other eight provinces have stable checks and balances.
No matter how large or small a Family, it is a link in this network of relationships; one move affects the whole body.
But with the sudden outbreak of Evil Seeds, countless cultivating Sects were destroyed, and the Nine Provinces were thus cleansed. They could indeed get a bigger and sweeter piece of the cake later on.
Moreover, as the Foundation of some Sects was broken, it would not be strange for Sects to directly rule an entire province in the future.
Just like the Bai Family head, who has reached the Divine Travel Realm, such a Realm can be considered a powerful figure even within an Immortal Sect, and he would certainly be able to dominate the Qingyun World.
Based on the information currently available, Ji You could only deduce this far. Although some parts were still shrouded in mist, it was likely the most reasonable conjecture.
However, whether it was right or wrong, at least one thing was certain.
These murderous devils should not get what they want.
At this thought, Ji You's mind conjured images of the dead infants, Li Ruilin who had turned into an Evil Seed, and the countless severed limbs and remains beneath this tide of corpses.
Because if such people held power, how could the common people in this world survive?
However, Ji You couldn't handle it alone, so the best approach was to report it to the Immortal Sect.
For the other six great Immortal Sects besides the Dan Sect, the ruins were their private property, and they could not tolerate others encroaching upon them.
Moreover, the matter of unleashing numerous Evil Seeds would likely make their anger difficult to quell.
Using a wolf to devour a tiger, this was the only method available now.
Ji You stood up, then re-tied the rope for Bai Rulong, who looked on with a bewildered expression.
“Brother Ji, I'm already miserable—”
“If not, we'll both die even more miserably.”
Ji You grabbed Bai Rulong by the collar, and as Sword Qi surged, he whistled towards the northwest.
Seeing this, the Immortal Sect cultivators who were resting instantly felt their scalps tingle.
In fact, they hadn't rested long in this dense forest, not even recovering a third of their Spiritual Qi.
But they were hitchhiking anyway, so they naturally had no right to ask Ji You to wait for them. And without Ji You, they felt certain they would die, so they could only get up and continue to follow.
And as they watched the incredibly magnificent Sword Qi illuminate the night once more, a tremor of fear appeared in their eyes.
This fear was not due to the number of Evil Seeds, but because Ji You's whole body was bursting with Qi and blood, driving him to continuously swing his sword with a scorching aura, like a tireless monster.
One must know that he had been cutting his way through just now, swinging his sword, flying through the air, and still carrying a person. How immense must his Spiritual Qi and resolute body be?
They were from Immortal Sects and had seen countless cultivators, but they had never seen a person like this.
This shock could no longer be simply viewed from the perspective of Realm.
However, even with such a powerful ride, these Immortal Sect cultivators gradually began to feel despair.
Because at this moment, they were not far from Shengjing. As the Human Race's largest city, it had a large population, and naturally, the most Evil Seeds.
As they vaguely began to see the outline of the city, dense masses of Evil Seeds clearly appeared before them in their path ahead, looking like a monstrous wave from afar, just seeing them made one feel breathless.
But just as they worried about being submerged, they suddenly saw countless Dao Swords rise into the air behind that flying figure,
Magnificent, vast, stretching in continuous lines, resonating with clear sword hums that trembled constantly in the night sky.
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