Chapter 51
If Wei Jingfeng had not spoken, Wei Jie would have remained silent as well.
However, seeing his uncle disrespect his mother, his handsome face turned stern as he enunciated each word, “Has the Alliance Patriarch forgotten? I have already changed my surname from the demonic ‘Wei’! My mother, need not be beholden to anyone when speaking!”
Seeing this rude child behaving disrespectfully again, Wei Jingfeng could only widen his eyes in anger.
The elderly Alliance matriarch knew of the longstanding rift between this uncle and nephew, so she glanced at her son, “You may withdraw!”
With a glare from the old lady, Wei Jingfeng immediately retreated respectfully.
The matriarch did not refute Siluan’s accusation. Instead, she leaned on her cane, taller than herself, and slowly moved her short legs to the banks of the Qianjiang River. She asked, “It is truly rare for everyone to have gathered for this family banquet today. But Ah Jie, do you know why I chose to hold it here by the Qianjiang?”
Wei Jie still maintained respect towards the grandmother who had watched him grow up, so he honestly answered, “Grandmother, you have told us children stories about the Alliance’s demon-subjugating exploits since we were young. The Qianjiang was the pivotal place where our ancestors, following the imperial Xia family, turned defeat into victory during their southern expedition.”
The elderly matriarch nodded, indicating he was correct.
Three hundred years ago, during the contention among warlords, the Alliance served as vassals of the Xia family.
However, at that time, the Xia family was merely a small marquisate, far inferior to the other contenders in terms of military might and wealth.
Yet in the end, it was at the Battle of Qianjiang, when the Xia family seemed on the verge of utter defeat, that they forged a contract with a celestial emperor.
From then on, with heaven’s aid, they prevailed in battles north and south, their subordinate vassals all achieving illustrious martial merits and receiving titles of kings and dukes.
Eventually, the Marquis of Huayin Xia Jiuliang ascended the throne, ushering in three hundred years of prosperity for the Xia dynasty.
These stories were already familiar to the members of the Alliance. However, Wei Jie knew his grandmother did not bring them here to reminisce about past hardships and glories.
The elderly matriarch continued, “At that time, the celestial emperor asked the Marquis of Xia if he was willing to exchange two hundred years of the Xia family’s prosperous destiny for three hundred years of imperial splendor. The reason for this question was because the Celestial Emperor had inadvertently lost his divine form in the mortal realm and needed to replenish it using the flourishing destiny of a prosperous family, in order to avoid the suffering of reincarnating in the mortal world.”
Wei Jie suddenly narrowed his eyes, as if recalling something. He spoke up, “Grandmother, you told me that according to legend, after creating humanity, the Goddess Nuwa would bathe and change clothes at the Qianjiang. Her brother, Fuxi, did not wish for the celestial deities to glimpse his sister’s nude form, so he took a pair of large ceremonial basins and hung one slanted on the mountaintop, perfectly shading this section of the Qianjiang. The other basin was submerged in the river底, causing the water to crash against it, producing a thunderous roar that masked any sounds of the Goddess bathing… I wonder what purpose the celestial emperor had in choosing this location?”
After hearing the mythological stories from grandmother and grandson, and Wei Jie’s question, Cui Xiaoxiao finally understood: if the story was true, then this section of the Qianjiang could block out both sight and sound, making it an ideal place for secret discussions hidden from deities and ghosts.
That mysterious celestial emperor had deliberately chosen this riverside location to forge his pact with the Xia family!
She couldn’t help but ask, “To save a celestial being and repair divine authority is an immense karmic blessing. As long as both parties willingly agreed, it would form an unbreakable bond with the deities, bringing blessings for generations to come. Why the need for such secrecy in choosing this shielded location?”
The Alliance matriarch smiled and gave Cui Xiaoxiao an approving look, “You have discerned the crux of the matter.”
Leaning on her cane by the riverbank, she gazed at the river surface half-shaded by the circular mountaintop and solemnly spoke, “Because that celestial emperor shared the same thoughts as I do now – not wanting any deities or demons to know what I am about to say!”
Thanks to this celestial chasm and the passing down of this story through generations of Alliance leaders, the Alliance matriarch dared to reveal this shocking secret, concealed by the rushing river waters in this locale unwatched by deities and ghosts.
“At that time, the Xia family had suffered successive defeats, their troops scattered and demoralized. The Marquis Xia Jiuliang’s two young sons and his beloved concubine had all been captured by the enemy. The Marquis was utterly despondent. It was at this moment that the celestial emperor suddenly manifested as a golden water buffalo in the river and directly stated that while the Xia family had five hundred years of peace and prosperity ahead, they would merely live mundane, ordinary lives. However, he had a way to rectify the Xia family’s destiny, transforming them from an ordinary commoner clan into one with an imperial mandate… The cost was to forfeit two hundred years of the Xia family’s destiny to replenish the celestial being. To exchange two hundred years of mediocrity for three hundred years of imperial supremacy – could the Marquis of Xia at that time not be tempted? So he made this decision that would cause himself and his descendants deep regret.”
Siluan was puzzled, “Why would they regret it? The celestial being did fulfill his promise, didn’t he? The Xia family rose from obscurity to become the final victor among the warlords!”
Cui Xiaoxiao, who had been captivated by the Alliance matriarch’s story, suddenly interjected in a low voice, “But… what if the Xia family was originally destined by heaven to have an imperial mandate spanning five hundred years?”
Upon hearing this, Siluan couldn’t help but gasp in cold air!
She felt this girl was too daring in her speculations!
If what Cui Xiaoxiao said was true, did that imply the celestial emperor had deviously deceived the imperial Xia family, seizing their destiny to replenish his own damaged divine authority? Such an outrageous act, if known to the heavenly deities upholding the celestial laws, would incur severe punishment on the celestial emperor himself, completely destroying his divine authority!
The Alliance matriarch did not refute Cui Xiaoxiao’s bold claim. Instead, she slowly raised her head, took a deep breath, and enunciated each word, “Because the Alliance is about to face a great calamity, and none of you present can escape it!”
Ever since her son had brought back the traitor Wei Di’s head from Luoyi City, the elderly matriarch had guessed that the remaining pages of the Book of Life and Death must have fallen into the Prince Can’s hands.
If they had ended up in someone else’s possession, it might not have been so dire. But if they truly fell into the hands of the Xia family’s descendants, the situation would become utterly uncontrollable!
The Book of Life and Death recorded an individual’s destiny for the next five hundred years.
If the Xia descendants discovered that a celestial being had deceived them out of two hundred years of their imperial destiny, what unforgivable uproar would they create?
At that time, the enraged celestial deities would mete out punishments layer by layer. And for failing in their duty to guard the underworld, the Alliance responsible for losing the remaining pages would not escape culpability. Once punished, no member of the Alliance, young or old, could evade it.
As for Siluan, as she had originally assisted the traitor Wei Di in causing the loss of the remaining pages, she would naturally also be implicated!
After hearing about Wei Di’s theft that had transpired two hundred years ago, many things suddenly became clear to Cui Xiaoxiao.
So the Book of Life and Death’s remaining pages, capable of defying the heavens, had actually existed two hundred years ago!
If this was the case, then Qin He and Wan Lianshi’s prediction about Wei Jie’s demonization in the forest made sense.
The Prince Can held the remaining pages, able to discern the future trajectories of events and people related to him.
However… Xiaoxiao could not help but ask again, “Elderly Matriarch, these matters have nothing to do with me. Why don’t I take my leave first while you and your family discuss this slowly?”
The matriarch, however, smiled slightly at her, “Indeed, these matters are irrelevant to Sect Master Cui… However, it seems your degree of demonization is deeper than our previous encounter. I wonder if you have experienced any flare-ups of your demonic nature recently?”
Uh, well… Xiaoxiao knew her limited abilities could not deceive this cunning old lady, so she candidly admitted, “During my confrontation with the Ghost Sect’s Wan Lianshi, I inadvertently lost control and experienced a slight flare-up.”
The Alliance matriarch nodded, “The Alliance shoulders the heavy responsibility of demon suppression. In principle, we should be impartial. However, if Sect Master Cui possesses righteous qi that can overcome demonic forces, and is willing to lend a hand in retrieving the remaining pages, the Alliance would naturally treat Sect Master Cui as a benefactor.”
This old lady did not mince her words. Since the girl had earlier insinuated about her making full use of resources, she might as well be frank.
Today, she had summoned Siluan, Wei Jie, and Xiaoxiao together in the hope that they would jointly assist the Alliance in reclaiming the remaining pages from the Prince Can.
Xiaoxiao greatly admired the old lady’s scheming, “Then what exactly is the situation with this Prince Can? Are you saying the Alliance cannot even handle a secular idle king without our help?”
The matriarch shook her head, gazing contemplatively at the river waters as she slowly spoke, “He… is quite peculiar! Even the Ghost Sect’s Wan Lianshi Master is under his command. Due to the long-standing relationship between the Xia and Wei families, the Alliance cannot directly confront the imperial Xia clan. Moreover, the Alliance’s disciples cannot linger outside Mount Qilao for too long. To search for Wei Di, Jingfeng and others have already been away for a long time and must immediately return to Mount Qilao. As for the remaining matters, this old lady can only shamelessly seek assistance from Sect Master Cui and Ah Jie.”
If not for this dire situation, the elderly matriarch would not have stooped to seeking help from outsiders. From the guards who had returned from Wei Jie’s side, she had heard about Cui Xiaoxiao leading them to destroy the illusory city.
This girl was no ordinary person, possessing both courage and wisdom. And Wei Jie, as an unpredictable variable beyond the celestial beings’ control for the Alliance, their involvement could potentially break the current deadlock.
Unfortunately, both individuals were somewhat unrestrained. Thus, the Alliance matriarch employed a combination of harshness and leniency – first rescuing Siluan to create a debt of gratitude from Wei Jie towards his mother. Then, at this banquet, she laid out the grave implications, heaping praises on the demonized Talisman Sect Master while omitting any mention of using the coffin nail against her.
After putting everything together, Xiaoxiao could only admire the old lady with a respectful salute, “Elderly Matriarch, you truly have devised an excellent strategy!”
The matriarch gave a wry smile, “For the Sect Master’s assistance, the Alliance cannot simply take advantage without offering anything in return. Perhaps the remaining pages could also provide a way for the Sect Master to rid herself of the demonic bead. Even if not, once this matter is resolved, this old soul is willing to help the Sect Master expel the demonic bead, offering my life in exchange for taking on her demonization. I will keep my word!”
Xiaoxiao did not expect the old lady to suffer in her stead. However, if the remaining pages truly contained a method to remove the demonic bead, she was willing to take the risk. Upon hearing this, she seriously considered whether the deal was worthwhile.
At this moment, the silent Wei Jie spoke up, “This has nothing to do with Cui Xiaoxiao, and I intend to take my mother away today. She cannot return to Mount Qilao.”
The Alliance matriarch, however, said, “Although you are concerned for your mother, you should also know that it would be safest for her to temporarily reside at Mount Qilao for now.”
Xiaoxiao inwardly rolled her eyes. Here it comes, the stone is about to be thrown into the cesspit, splattering everyone!
Sure enough, the next moment, Wei Jie coldly said, “Grandmother, are you trying to force me by holding my mother hostage?”
The elderly Alliance matriarch looked up at her tall grandson, tears in her eyes, “You rascal, how could you view me like that? You should know that although I have many grandchildren, you are the one whose temperament most resembles mine! Although many in the Alliance refuse to acknowledge you, in my heart, you have always been the Alliance’s eldest grandson! I know the Alliance has wronged you greatly, and it is truly unfair to make you undertake such perilous tasks. If you are unwilling, you may take your mother and leave today. However, if you are willing to help the Alliance through this crisis, then I must thank you and your master on behalf of the entire Alliance.”
At this point, the elderly Alliance matriarch suddenly tossed aside her cane and knelt down heavily, respectfully kowtowing towards Cui Xiaoxiao and Wei Jie, “Allow me to express my gratitude first!”
For a grandmother to kowtow to her grandchild – what immense karmic virtue would be required to withstand such an act?
Even if Wei Jie harbored grievances towards his grandmother, he had to help her up first.
But the old lady refused to rise, and even signaled for the Alliance patriarch Wei Jingfeng to kneel as well. Wei Jingfeng glared at his nephew but silently complied, also kneeling down.
Too many years had passed since the loss of the remaining pages, and the situation was nearing its limit by the seventh month. If the pages were not returned, the catastrophic downfall of Mount Qilao would soon be exposed.
The elderly matriarch’s decision to reveal the entire truth today carried an undertone of desperation, a final gambit to turn the tide.
In the end, Wei Jie did not explicitly agree or refuse, but after considering his grandmother’s words, he ultimately persuaded his mother Siluan to temporarily return to the Alliance’s Mount Qilao and await him there.
That Wan Lianshi Master was his mother’s nemesis. With him around, his mother’s safety could not be guaranteed.
Wei Jie pondered and felt that for the time being, Mount Qilao was still the safest place for his mother to take shelter.
After leaving the Qianjiang, Cui Xiaoxiao remained silent, deep in thought about the series of events that had occurred since she had traveled back from two hundred years in the future.
As a latecomer, she was naturally aware that the Alliance’s eventual fate was complete annihilation, with not a single woman or child spared.
However, the prevailing belief was that this tragedy was caused by Wei Jie’s uncontrolled demonization, his reckless opening of the underworld gates, and the Alliance’s subsequent attempts to stop him.
But after hearing the Alliance matriarch’s account today, Xiaoxiao had a bolder conjecture about the cause of the Alliance’s downfall.
And at the root of it all was a certain celestial being’s lack of integrity, resorting to deception to seize nearly half of the imperial Xia family’s destiny.
Xiaoxiao never expected that this fellow trickster from the celestial realms possessed skills hundreds of times more sinister and ruthless than her own. She could not help but let out a deep sigh.
However, Wei Jie misunderstood her silence as reluctance to be coerced by the Alliance’s threats and persuasions. As they walked, he said to her, “These matters have nothing to do with you. You need not get involved. Didn’t you tell Yu Ling’er that you wanted to go to Lingshan Mountain? Tomorrow, I’ll have the fox tribe and Tang Youshu escort you there.”
Xiaoxiao gave a wry smile. Originally, her intention was indeed to stay out of trouble and wait for an opportunity to return by hiding in the deep mountains.
But now, people and events that never existed in the original trajectory from two hundred years ago kept emerging one after another, and the future trajectory of events had also become unpredictable.
However, these changes seemed closely tied to her, the one who had crossed over from the future as an intruder. With the Alliance now in imminent peril and Wei Jie deeply entangled in it, Xiaoxiao felt she could not in good conscience abandon Wei Jie and walk away.
Since Wei Jie had willingly sacrificed his inner dan to save her during her demonized state, how could she turn a blind eye to him in this dangerous situation?
Most crucially, there was that Ghost Sect’s Wan Lianshi!
Previously, Xiaoxiao had fallen for his tricks and nearly been controlled by him during their battle of talismans, completely humiliating her Talisman Sect.
She refused to believe that the Talisman Sect, which her master Tang Youshu had devoted his life to establishing, was merely a shoddy imitation of the Ghost Sect!
No matter the time period, be it the past or future, she had to uphold the dignity of the Talisman Sect’s banner.
So she smiled and said, “You brat, when did you get to arrange my itinerary? Even if your grandmother didn’t seek my help, I had planned to pay another visit to that Steward of the Prince Can’s Manor! The precepts of my Talisman Sect are to uphold justice and subdue demons. How could I possibly turn a blind eye to those demonic fiends?”
These were words her senior martial brother Qi Wuqi had often spoken to her, and today she finally had a chance to say them herself.
Her spirited response seemed to have inspired Wei Jie. Seeing the brilliant gleam in her eyes, he smiled and asked, “Oh? Have you found a way to defeat Wan Lianshi Master? But if you rely on demonization again, it would be too damaging to your body! However, I could transfer my inner dan to you again…”
Before he could finish speaking, Xiaoxiao had already shot him a fierce glare!
Transfer what? The next time she faced that Wan Lianshi Master, she would defeat him fair and square!
This matter carried grave implications. After returning from the Qianjiang, neither of them mentioned the shocking secrets revealed by the Alliance. However, they tacitly began making their own arrangements.
Wei Jie knew that if he wanted to investigate the whereabouts of the remaining pages, he would need to infiltrate the king’s manor.
But the manor was guarded by divine artifacts that prevented outsiders from approaching. He would have to find an indirect method.
So he asked Xiaoxiao if invisibility talismans could conceal one’s aura and evade the divine artifacts’ senses, allowing him to sneak into the manor.
Xiaoxiao pondered and replied that while ordinary invisibility talismans would work, their effective duration was too short. The user would need to constantly focus their attention to maintain the talisman’s power, otherwise it would rapidly weaken.
This might be fine in normal circumstances, but if the invisibility talisman failed while infiltrating the manor, the user could very well end up as a roasted offering to the divine artifacts.
However, that Ghost Sect’s Wan Lianshi Master had provided her with many insights. She wanted to experiment with improving the Talisman Sect’s spirit talismans to enhance their efficacy.
