Clan Rise: Starting as a Grandfather

Fang Ze and Zhang Baishan were completely wrapped in flames, their figures struggling and twisting within the fire, until they were finally and utterly drowned by it.

Yang Zhenshan quietly watched this scene, inwardly marveling at the strength of Hong Fuxiu and Kou Ta.

The two of them truly lived up to their status as Guest Elders in charge of combat for the Ten Thousand Treasures Store; their combat power far surpassed others of the same realm.

Nanming Lihuo was the flame representing the Li position in the Innate Eight Trigrams, and it was also a type of Heaven and Earth Strange Fire, but Hong Fuxiu had not actually mastered the true Nanming Lihuo; her Separation Fire was all evolved from her own comprehension of flame.

And all the Magic she had just displayed were in fact being cast in concert with the Red Silk Magical Treasure; that strip of red silk should be her Lifebound Magical Treasure.

Although Kou Ta did not display much in the battle, only throwing a few punches with his six golden arms, the combat strength he showed was equally formidable.

Just those few punches left Zhang Baishan with no power to fight back, forcing Zhang Baishan and Fang Ze into a situation where they had no more room to retreat.

Those punches were not thrown casually either, but in coordination with Hong Fuxiu.

On the surface, it was Hong Fuxiu who shone brilliantly in this fight, but in truth the key to this battle lay with Kou Ta; Hong Fuxiu was the one showcasing her strength, while Kou Ta was there to cover her.

The two of them cooperated with exquisite tacit understanding; without any exchange of words, their intentions aligned perfectly.

And those six golden arms of Kou Ta were not a Spell, but a Magical Treasure—a rather peculiar Magical Treasure, likely also his Lifebound Magical Treasure.

Overall, the combat power of these two was extremely strong, and their cooperation with each other was seamless, their minds connected.

The raging flames finally scattered, and the figures of Fang Ze and Zhang Baishan reappeared.

The two of them were not dead, merely drained of their Mana.

Hong Fuxiu’s flames seemed to have the effect of draining the enemy’s Mana, causing the two of them to exhaust all of their Mana in a very short time, leaving them with no strength to resist.

”Alchemist Zhang, I have not failed my mission!”

Kou Ta stepped forward and, like picking up two chicks, lifted the pair up and brought them before Yang Zhenshan, cupping his fists as he spoke.

”Many thanks for your hard work, Daoist friends!”

Yang Zhenshan smiled and said, ”Since one matter has already troubled you both, I’ll trouble you for another—please keep an eye on these two for me, and while you’re at it, you can interrogate them a bit.”

”Hah, no problem!” Kou Ta agreed readily.

Yang Zhenshan nodded slightly. These two had definitely been worth inviting, and it seemed the payment he’d given them was a bit on the low side; when he had time, he would send them some Elixirs as compensation.

Yang Zhenshan intended to cultivate a good relationship with Hong Fuxiu and Kou Ta. Although he had not known them long, he could see that they were not the sort of insidious, scheming villains. Perhaps they had their own selfish motives and other intentions, but as long as they did not harbor malice, they were worth befriending.

”All of you, return for now.”

Yang Zhenshan lowered his head and gave instructions to the soldiers below.

”We respectfully obey, Great Master!” Han Fei answered.

”Great Master” was the official title used for Yang Zhenshan in the Spirit Source Land. Previously everyone had addressed Yang Zhenshan as the Family Head, because in earlier days the Spirit Source Land implemented a clan system; later the Spirit Source Land was reorganized into the Twelve Floors and Five Cities, a structure similar to a Sect system.

By rights, Yang Zhenshan should have been the Grand Elder of the Spirit Source Land, just as everyone within the Immortal Hall, Martial Hall, and Demon Hall of Taiwei Tower were all considered Elders.

But because Yang Zhenshan was the master of the Spirit Source Land, his status naturally could not be the same as the others, so the title ”Great Master” was coined.

Everyone withdrew, and Hong Fuxiu and Kou Ta also took Fang Ze and Zhang Baishan away. Yang Zhenshan glanced toward the south, the corners of his mouth lifting in a faint smile, and his figure vanished from where he stood.

Under the dim night sky, Li Shangyuan was still lying beneath a tree, staring in the direction of Yang Family Town.

The sight of those soaring flames had shocked him immensely; now that the flames had dissipated, the night sky had once again returned to its quiet.

”It’s over?”

”So fast?”

”Who won?”

”Wasn’t it said that Senior Yang cultivates a Wood Attribute Cultivation Technique? Why is there no fluctuation of Wood Attribute Mana at all?”

Though Li Shangyuan was anxious to know the outcome, he didn’t dare go forward to check right now.

Just as he was hesitating over whether he should leave first, he suddenly felt something bump into his waist—no, it felt more like a kick.

His whole body went rigid, and he turned his head in terror to look at his side.

In the bright moonlight, a figure in a green robe was standing right next to him. This figure seemed somewhat familiar, yet also very strange.

He lay there dumbfounded, not daring to move.

”Get up, what are you still lying there for?”

Yang Zhenshan looked at Li Shangyuan, a bit amused.

This fellow really was quite pathetic, actually lying in the grass like some floor-hugging sneak.

”Senior Yang!” Li Shangyuan cried out in surprise and delight, and shot to his feet with a whoosh.

”It’s been so many years, I didn’t expect you to still be alive. I’d thought you were long dead!” Yang Zhenshan said with a smile.

Seeing an old acquaintance again, his mood was rather good.

”It really is you, Senior Yang!” Li Shangyuan’s eyes turned red. Even though he was now over a hundred years old, seeing Yang Zhenshan again, he still found it hard to calm the complicated emotions in his heart.

There was joy, excitement, and also a measure of grievance and pent-up frustration.

These years he had been living far too stifled a life, as if he were walking alone through a world that did not belong to him.

Looking at the changes in him, Yang Zhenshan seemed to see the years of experiences behind them.

”Looks like life hasn’t been easy for you these years.”

As he spoke, he simply waved his hand and produced a stone table and stone stools, brewed a pot of tea, and sat down under this tree to chat with Li Shangyuan.

Li Shangyuan probably had been wanting someone to pour his heart out to for far too long. Seeing that Yang Zhenshan’s attitude was mild, treating him as kindly as before, he couldn’t help but tell the story of these years in full.

He didn’t even hide his experience of becoming a robber Cultivator, recounting everything in detail from beginning to end.

”Tang An was killed, wuu wuu, he died right in front of me, and at the time I couldn’t even avenge him!”

As he spoke, Li Shangyuan actually started crying, sobbing his heart out, bawling like a child.

Tang An had been his Disciple, and the only Disciple he kept by his side. He had wanted to bring Tang An along to seek an immortal fate, but in the end Tang An was killed on the road while seeking immortal fate.

He was killed right before his eyes, and yet Li Shangyuan had no choice but to abandon Tang An and flee alone.

This was his greatest pain, and it was also his greatest Heart Demon.

Every time he recalled Tang An’s face at the moment of death, his heart twisted in agony as if cut by knives.

Yang Zhenshan didn’t know how to comfort him either.

Being a stranger in a strange land, alone in a world full of danger—how hard that truly was, only they themselves knew.

Xuanzhen was like this, and so was Li Shangyuan.

Why did Xuanzhen hate Mo Xuanyu so much?

Was it because Mo Xuanyu had done something unforgivable to him?

No.

It was because Xuanzhen needed an outlet, someone on whom he could vent for his own fate, for all the frustration and humiliation he had suffered.

Xuanzhen put all the blame on Mo Xuanyu, so he fixated on killing Mo Xuanyu to vent the resentment in his heart.

Yang Zhenshan was different from them, because he had come here with a group of relatives and friends. He had been wronged, looked down upon, despised, ambushed by robber Cultivators and so on.

But he had his family with him; even if he occasionally suffered some injustice, with his kin by his side, he was able to calm down quickly.

Li Shangyuan, however, had lost the only Disciple who could accompany him, leaving only himself to struggle bitterly in a world he could never quite fit into.

Thus he had placed a special sort of emotional reliance on his old acquaintance Yang Zhenshan, and was filled with guilt toward his lost Disciple.

Li Shangyuan cried for a long time—a grown man sobbing uncontrollably, and moreover an old man who had lived for a hundred years; it sounded almost absurd when you thought about it.

Yang Zhenshan patted his shoulder and said in a calm voice, ”Enough, your road is still very long. There’s no need to stay sunk in the past forever.”

Perhaps his soothing words had taken effect, or perhaps Li Shangyuan had finally vented the gloom in his heart. He wiped his tears away with his sleeve, and once more sat down opposite Yang Zhenshan.

”I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you, Senior,” Li Shangyuan said hoarsely.

Yang Zhenshan shook his head slightly. ”You and I both know this path is extremely hard to walk, and it may become even harder in the future. But we still have to keep going.”