bullyxtreme Chapter 173 Dream of a Millet Dream and the Sound of Rain (2)
Chapter 173 Dream of a Millet Dream and the Sound of Rain (2)
Huangliang City, the old residence of the Ji family.
In the center of the overgrown courtyard, a four-sided hall faces south, with a plaque hanging high in front of it that reads "Sizhi Hall".
This place once housed the ancestors of the Li imperial family, as well as a lantern that burned eternally.
Li Tingyun's grandmother often knelt here and recited Taoist scriptures.
It's not quite right to call it his family's ancestral hall. Apart from forbidding outsiders from setting foot here, there are no other rules. For the Ji family, it's not a solemn and dignified place. When he was a child, Li Tingyun often ran in and out to escape the summer heat and play around.
But all the elders in his family had told him that the hall was designed in a very mysterious way from the beginning. People here cannot tell a single lie. Once they leave the house, they cannot tell any other people who do not know the truth about the oaths they have made or the secrets they have spoken.
Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know—these are the "four knowers." There are gods watching from above, and the secrets between "you and me" are not to be told to outsiders.
Li Tingyun didn't take it seriously.
His mouth is his own; whether he wants to speak or not is entirely up to him. Is there anything that can monitor him at all times and shut his mouth at any moment? Besides, if he can't speak the secret, he can always write it down, right? There's always a way to let others know.
The adults' claims were too far-fetched; he was naturally rebellious and wouldn't believe anything they said.
Although he didn't believe it, he never challenged it because he was too young at the time and had no secrets in his heart.
The only thing he didn't want to be discovered was that he often stole the offerings.
He admitted that he had taken the snacks that had mysteriously disappeared from the offering table, and that it had nothing to do with the stray cat outside the window.
But he always saw a black cat that could leap and climb walls peeking out of the window, its green eyes fixed on the lantern. When a mouse stole the lamp oil, the cat would sneak in to catch it.
At that time, the flames inside the lantern would leap wildly, burning the surrounding pastries to ashes. Li Tingyun would pour a cup of cool tea on it, and the flames would calm down. Strangely enough, this flame was not afraid of water or wind and would burn forever.
Much later, Li Tingyun learned that it was Xia Changfeng's soul fire—but that's a story for another time. There was also a coincidence between them, which we'll leave aside for now.
When Li Tingyun was two or three years old, his grandmother passed away. Not two years later, the lantern also disappeared—it disappeared on its own. As for whether it ran away with long legs or flew away with wings, no one knew or cared.
The Ji family was on the verge of collapse at that time. Everyone in the household had left and the family was deserted. If anything was lost, who would care?
Before leaving home, Ji Cizhang cleaned up Sizhitang, leaving only four bare walls and nothing else.
When Li Tingyun was captured and brought to this place, he woke up without realizing that he was in his own home.
Blood, sweat, rain, and mud covered his face.
He barely managed to open his eyes a crack.
The sight before him left him speechless with astonishment.
He saw piles of bones!
The bones were piled up like a mountain, almost as high as the roof beams.
He had no idea that this was Sizhitang.
Too many people are dead!
It's full of people who died unjustly, violently, or met a terrible end.
The vengeful spirits gathered but did not disperse, trapped in the center of the layers of formations, cursing the heavens and the earth, crying out for their parents.
The constant noise was making people dizzy and disoriented.
Until he looked around and saw the familiar doors and ceiling, touching the depths of his memory, it felt as if it were just yesterday that someone was feeling sleepy in the afternoon, lying on a recliner for a lazy nap, with a cool mat as a pillow, a light feather fan, light filtering through the window, and a breeze blowing through the room... It was like a lifetime ago.
Even the most vivid memories, like the beams and pillars before us, are covered in dust, peeling paint, and have become dilapidated.
The painted beams and carved pillars are now covered in dust, and against the backdrop of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, Sizhitang is truly a living hell.
Li Tingyun just watched silently, looking at it from front to back, from beginning to end, examining it three or five times.
No swearing, no arguing, it was so quiet it was unsettling.
The demon guessed that he probably couldn't accept the tragic scene before him.
He was immediately silenced.
Returning to a familiar place? A flood of emotions? A mix of feelings?
fart!
Li Tingyun was simply looking for the dog hole he had carelessly dug out when he was a child.
He racked his brains trying to figure out how to escape.
“Young friend, what I’m borrowing from you is that spiritual root within your body,” the demonic Taoist emphasized, “that unique chaotic spiritual root that is unparalleled in the world.”
He pointed at the pile of corpses and said without any hesitation: "These people were all either exceptionally talented cultivators or ordinary people with cultivation potential. It's a pity that they fell into my hands. Their spiritual roots were all dug out, their bodies were dismembered, and their souls were sealed into the formation... Blessed are they, though dead, they live on."
Dismemberment is to prevent the corpses from stiffening and breeding a batch of extremely difficult-to-handle zombies; sealing the soul is to prevent possession, rebirth, or any other possibility of death and resurrection; as for the spirit-locking array, it is like a sturdy cage, imprisoning and confining them, isolating them from the outside world, and ensuring that no news will leak out.
The Taoist priest stroked his beard, satisfied: "I didn't actually kill them completely. How can this not be considered 'accumulating merit and doing good deeds'? Indeed, doing a good deed every day makes one feel much better."
Upon hearing this, Li Tingyun felt ashamed of his own shamelessness.
He couldn't even be bothered to call him out! What good deeds and acts of kindness? It's just that he hasn't come up with a good way to clean up this mess yet.
If you kill someone and don't cover it up, or if you steal and don't dispose of the stolen goods, you'll be killed long ago!
They're incompetent and then make excuses—disgusting! Absolutely disgusting!
They always have phrases like "May you have boundless blessings" and "Do one good deed every day" on their lips.
Outside the long pavilion, along the ancient road, amidst fragrant grasses, he did not want Bilian!
Moved by this, Li Tingyun composed a poem:
Ah, the lingering warmth of the setting sun, the first rays of dawn in the east...
The demon's fist was harder than a rock.
Unable to hold back any longer, he struck out with his palm, shattering all the bones in Li Tingyun's body like smashing a cucumber!
He took a deep breath, rubbed his forehead, and sighed, "You're such a nasty brat."
Just how much filth is in his belly?! Even a single spit from him is enough to leave one speechless, unable to refute him with words alone.
"Enough, I won't put up with your humiliation again," the demonic Taoist calmed himself, "Once I've taken your spiritual root..."
Li Tingyun didn't hear what harsh words the other party uttered.
He couldn't move a single finger; he was completely paralyzed.
Lambs awaiting slaughter, fish on a chopping board.
When disaster strikes, there's no escaping it.
Honestly, how important was his spiritual root to him?
Someone like him, with a sharp tongue, a mischievous hand, a wild temper, an arrogant attitude, and a strong sense of justice despite being in the wrong, has more flaws than the stars in the sky. Therefore, if he is not strong, he will be humiliated.
If one loses their spiritual root and cannot use magic to protect themselves, they probably won't last more than a few days. They will surely be beaten to death, drowned, or ground into mincemeat to feed the dogs.
Li Tingyun was filled with hatred!
He was never meant to be subservient to others.
I'd rather die than become stronger!
It's simply unimaginable how he would survive after losing his spiritual roots and becoming a cripple!
But he didn't hesitate for even a moment.
Then I thought, so what if my spiritual root is gone? At worst, I can just switch tracks, give up cultivating immortality, and start all over again.
I'll just keep fighting even if I'm just a worthless person!
Let him do it. Who can beat him?
Sooner or later, he will turn the tide.
He believed in himself above all else; he relied on himself to overcome all.
As for the worst-case scenario right now, isn't it just having his spiritual root dug out, being torn apart by five horses, and having his soul sealed? What's there to be afraid of!
He had made up his mind that if the stinky Taoist priest threw him into the spirit-locking array, he would devour all the resentment in the array. Even if he was overwhelmed and died, or suffered a backlash and became a vengeful ghost that would be punished by heaven and earth, he would still seek revenge on the evil Taoist priest and take his dog's life first!
He really dares to dream.
Before they'd even escaped the fire pit, they were already plotting revenge.
The demon was not alone, nor did he personally steal the spiritual root.
He was accompanied by several masked subordinates, who were well-trained, uniformly dressed, and all respectfully addressed him as "Lord Lingguan".
Clearly, this group has a very sophisticated organizational and coordination system.
Slow and steady wins the race; they even have time to chat.
Li Tingyun was stuck to the ground like a lump of mud, impossible to pick up. The process... well, let's not go into details, I only remember that it was incredibly noisy in my ears!
The wronged spirits screamed and cursed constantly, and his severe tinnitus disrupted his hearing, making it impossible for him to hear what the group of people were saying.
Only some vague words could be captured.
For example, a top-quality furnace or cauldron.
"That woman... a top-tier cultivation vessel, destined to be a prostitute... her infatuation is truly laughable... Why doesn't Lord Spirit Official take her in?"
"A femme fatale like her... it's all a transaction... She completed her mission, and I, Daoist, should fulfill my promise, however..."
"So, the old emperor... will never be reborn... and if she knew that Lord Ling was lying to her... it would be a fight to the death..."
"She didn't dare."
The conversation stopped abruptly.
They took out a complete and beautiful spiritual root.
Anyone who handles it immediately feels enlightened and clear-headed, as if all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is contained within it.
No amount of amazement or emotion can adequately describe the feeling of that moment.
These seasoned poachers of spiritual roots had seen at least a thousand rare spiritual roots, and for a moment they were all speechless.
Only this one plant is the true treasure of the world.
For thousands of years, countless talents have emerged from all over the world, and all those who cultivate immortality are geniuses who are one in a million and possess hidden treasures.
The one who possesses the Chaos Spiritual Root will undoubtedly be the most dazzling one among them!
In the pursuit of immortality, talent is the most important factor.
In this respect, Huron is fair.
The demonic cultivator pocketed the spiritual root and coldly glanced at his subordinates beside him.
Before they could even withdraw their astonished gazes, they were silenced by this meticulous "Lord Spirit Official".
Unable to rest in peace, they were trapped in the spirit-locking array and became one of those wronged and vengeful ghosts.
The demonic Taoist turned to look at Li Tingyun.
It remained motionless, seemingly silent.
Seizing spiritual roots is like taking eggs from a live chicken; most of the cultivators he's seen die halfway through, let alone a mere child.
But the child's chest was still rising and falling, clearly indicating that he was not an ordinary person.
"Young friend, you're not dead yet? Isn't it too painful to be hanging on by a thread? Let me see you off."
The sorcerer walked towards him, sighing as he went, "Although you are young, I respect you as a hero of unwavering integrity!"
Just as he uttered that pointless remark.
An unexpected change occurred.
A celestial sword descended from the sky and landed less than a foot in front of him.
Just a step away, this sword could pierce through his skull and split him vertically in two!
The evil Taoist priest intended to kill him to silence him.
Unfortunately, Li Tingyun got lucky this time.
A miraculous escape from a desperate situation.
Amidst the billowing dust, the sword's blade was completely icy cold, half of it embedded in the ground, humming and vibrating.
The owner of this sword was a young cultivator.
A red mark between her eyebrows was particularly eye-catching, and her exquisitely sculpted face didn't seem to pose any threat at all.