No one would have thought Yu Tuishan would attack the Sheng family.
Besides the fact that Sheng Zhongfeng, that fool, never understood the words Xi Ze gave him and never participated in the plan to seize “Kan Tianyan” xiangwen spiritual power, Sheng Jiao was now the Xiezhi Sect Master, powerful and influential. Even if he was estranged from the Sheng family, they were still blood-related. He wouldn’t stand by and let his entire clan be exterminated.
But Yu Tuishan’s mind worked in strange ways. He made everyone think he would go to the Heng family, then switched to the Sheng family.
Even Yan Jianlan couldn’t figure out Yu Tuishan’s intentions. He jumped out of bed, nearly hitting his face with the rhino horn lamp.
“The Sheng family?!”
Yan Yuhu’s voice came from within: “Yes, Sheng Jiao has already gone home.”
Yan Jianlan was stunned, not understanding why Yu Tuishan was targeting Sheng Jiao.
He covered his eyes and used the Tianyan origin in his consciousness to directly communicate with Yu Tuishan.
“Brother! Where are you?!”
Yu Tuishan’s lazy voice came: “I’m playing at the Sheng family.”
Yan Jianlan: “…”
Playing with murder?
“Where’s your rhino horn lamp?” Yan Jianlan said coldly. “Let me go.”
It was too late to rush to the Sheng family now. He could only use the manifestation technique to see what was happening.
Yu Tuishan said “oh” and obediently connected his rhino horn lamp to Yan Jianlan’s spirit sense.
Yan Jianlan immediately plunged his spirit sense into the lamp.
Sheng Jiao arrived quickly.
The fire at the Sheng family was much bigger than the diversion at the Heng family, but fortunately, it wasn’t as uncontrollable as the Qu family’s fire. The Xiezhi Sect enforcers rushed to extinguish it as soon as they arrived.
Snowflakes fell, fireflies filled the sky.
The fire at the Sheng family was quickly put out. Sheng Jiao pushed open the door of the Tianyan ancestral hall, expressionless. In the bright light, Yu Tuishan sat cross-legged on a mat, doing something to a row of spirit tablets.
Beside him, Sheng Zhongfeng lay on the ground, covered in blood and barely alive, the golden xiangwen spiritual power slowly leaking from the back of his neck.
Sheng Jiao’s pupils contracted.
Standing above the ancestral hall, he could clearly feel the Tianyan earth veins beneath his feet had been completely drained. But Yu Tuishan seemed less thorough this time. He hadn’t slaughtered the entire Sheng family, and even left Sheng Zhongfeng alive.
At the same time, Yan Jianlan’s figure emerged from the rhino horn lamp, landing just as he met Sheng Jiao’s gaze, slightly stunned.
Yu Tuishan happily held out the rhino horn lamp to Yan Jianlan, saying as if no one else was there: “Ling’er, come quick and see!”
Yan Jianlan frowned, wondering what there was to see.
Yu Tuishan pointed at Sheng Zhongfeng, smiling: “You always said you didn’t like him. Brother gave you revenge. Are you happy now?”
Yan Jianlan: “???”
Yan Jianlan was shocked: “Brother!”
Sheng Jiao walked forward expressionlessly, probing Sheng Zhongfeng’s body with spiritual power. His coldness was colder than frost and snow.
Yu Tuishan, carefree, didn’t see Sheng Jiao’s coldness. Sitting cross-legged, he grinned as if he were at home: “Don’t worry, Sect Master Sheng. I really didn’t kill anyone this time.”
Sheng Jiao’s eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of blue.
With Yu Tuishan’s mad personality, no one could tell if he came to the Sheng family to kill Sheng Zhongfeng for Yan Jianlan’s sake and then took the Tianyan earth veins for himself, or if he took the Tianyan earth veins and then tortured Sheng Zhongfeng for Yan Jianlan’s revenge.
After absorbing an entire Tianyan earth vein’s spiritual power, Yu Tuishan was lazy and relaxed, the spiritual power around him so thick it seemed ready to overflow his body and become a flowing spiritual spring.
Yan Jianlan couldn’t touch anything now, wishing he could sprout wings and fly over. He hurriedly said to Yu Tuishan, “Leave.”
Even if Yu Tuishan killed Sheng Zhongfeng, Tianyan wouldn’t condemn him.
But Sheng Zhongfeng was still Sheng Jiao’s father. Having harmed him so severely and now showing off in the Sheng family’s Tianyan ancestral hall, even a sage would be furious.
“Why are you afraid?” Yu Tuishan said with a grin. “Tianyan won’t…”
Before he could finish, the Winter Melt Sword had already left its sheath, clanging as it slashed toward Yu Tuishan.
Yu Tuishan clapped his hands and laughed. His body, brimming with Tianyan spiritual power, erupted with a powerful spiritual fluctuation, radiating out for dozens of li.
The Tianyan spiritual power of other great families also began to boil, as if scorched by magma.
“Kan Tian Dao” and “Kan Tianyan,” the two favored sons of Heavenly Dao and Heavenly Path, clashed in the brightly lit Sheng family Tianyan ancestral hall.
This time, Yan Jianlan didn’t interfere. Sheng Jiao clearly held nothing back, his face as cold as water, the Winter Melt Sword colliding with Tianyan spiritual power, sending countless sparks hissing down.
Yan Jianlan was frantic: “Sheng Jiao! Brother…”
Yu Tuishan was still at ease in Sheng Jiao’s Great Ascension stage hands. Perhaps seeing Yan Jianlan’s pale face, he suddenly said, “Don’t look.”
Yan Jianlan didn’t understand his words. The next instant, “Kan Tian Dao” and “Kan Tianyan” simultaneously unleashed spiritual power, striking the rhino horn lamp.
The hard rhino horn instantly shattered, spiritual power hissing out.
Yan Jianlan: “Wait…”
He only managed one word before the manifestation technique completely dissipated, and Yan Jianlan’s illusory figure vanished into thin air.
Back at Xiezhi Sect, Yan Jianlan suddenly awoke from the rhino horn lamp, staring at the dimmed spirit channel, still shaken.
Those two…
Why are they so in sync when it comes to dealing with me?!
Yan Jianlan was so angry his head spun. He struggled to his feet and shouted, “Juan Xunfang! Master Juan!”
Juan Xunfang, now capable of handling matters independently at Xiezhi Sect, was busy with other affairs inside the sect.
Hearing the commotion from Qingcheng Building and remembering the sect master’s instructions, Juan Xunfang reluctantly came over, grinding his teeth and saying sarcastically, “What do you command?”
“Sect Master Sheng is in danger!” Yan Jianlan had no time for pride. He hastily wrapped himself in one of Sheng Jiao’s black robes, the sleeves so long they covered his fingertips, but there was no time to choose. He grabbed Juan Xunfang, “Hurry, send me out of Xiezhi Sect.”
Juan Xunfang looked at the rhino horn lamp and frowned, “The sect master hasn’t allowed you to leave Xiezhi Sect. I can’t send you out.”
Yan Jianlan said coldly, “Is Sect Master Sheng treating me as a prisoner? Then open a jail cell for me in Xiezhi Sect, and I’ll go sit there.”
“No,” Juan Xunfang said. “The sect master just instructed me not to let you leave Xiezhi Sect.”
Yan Jianlan was incredulous.
“Sect Master Sheng is busy fighting. Why does he have time to communicate with you? Don’t deceive me!”
Juan Xunfang fell silent.
Yan Jianlan saw through his deception. Coldly, he wrapped Sheng Jiao’s crane cloak around himself and hurried out of Qingcheng Building.
Juan Xunfang rushed after him, frowning, “Let me tell you the truth. The sect master told me a few days ago: if something big happens among the Central State great families, you must stay in Xiezhi Sect and not step out.”
Sheng Jiao was still haunted by the previous injury to Yan Jianlan’s ear. This time, he’d rather break his word than let Yan Jianlan get hurt again.
Yan Jianlan remained expressionless, ignoring him.
He was tired of feeling helpless, only able to wait.
Juan Xunfang didn’t know how to stop him, only followed closely, hoping he’d give up at the waterway.
But Yan Jianlan somehow, as if with divine insight, tested a few times at the sundial and deduced the correct time for the day. With a burst of spiritual power, he activated the waterway, which roared open, leading straight out of Xiezhi Sect.
Juan Xunfang: “???”
Juan Xunfang was stunned, saying in shock, “How… how did you know which waterway is open today?”
Yan Jianlan glanced coldly, “I deduced it from Sect Master Sheng’s habits and character. Can’t you figure it out?”
Juan Xunfang: “…………”
After saying this sarcastic remark, Yan Jianlan immediately rode the wind over the waterway, leaving Xiezhi Sect in an instant.
Juan Xunfang couldn’t believe this person’s cultivation had improved so much in just a few days. He rushed to stop him, but the rhino horn lamp suddenly lit up.
Sheng Jiao’s voice came: “Don’t stop him.”
Juan Xunfang hurried, “Sect Master, did you catch Yu Tuishan?”
Sheng Jiao pinched out the flame of the rhino horn lamp, his face dark as he looked at the spot where the mat had been.
Yu Tuishan seemed to have been waiting for him. After a few exchanges, he vanished as a Tianyan light, impossible to catch even with Tianyan Pearls.
Shang Yuan was using spiritual power to treat Sheng Zhongfeng. His Tianyan had been destroyed by half. After stabilizing his condition with difficulty, he coughed up blood, his body trembling like a sieve.
Sheng Jiao just stood there, coldly watching.
Sheng Zhongfeng weakly raised his head, meeting Sheng Jiao’s cold, emotionless gaze. He paused, then whispered, “Sheng Jiao…”
Seeing him alive, Sheng Jiao turned to leave.
“Jiao’er…” Sheng Zhongfeng suddenly called.
Sheng Jiao’s steps halted.
Sheng Jiao had lost his mother young. Sheng Zhongfeng had been a kind father, never letting young Sheng Jiao suffer even as a minor clan, raising him to be gentle and pure.
Before he was twelve, Sheng Zhongfeng would affectionately call him…
Jiao’er.
Young Sheng Jiao always thought this name was too girlish, but since it was his father’s name for him, he always obediently answered, his ears turning red whenever called “Jiao’er” in front of others.
But now, when Sheng Jiao turned back to look at Sheng Zhongfeng, his face and eyes were only filled with bone-chilling coldness and emptiness.
Sheng Zhongfeng stared blankly, not knowing if it was because he had just walked through the gates of death or something else. Suddenly, he silently bowed his head, pressing his forehead to his blood-stained hand, and choked out a sob.
Sheng Jiao didn’t understand the source of his sorrow and resentment. Watching him cry with shaking shoulders, Sheng Jiao felt no emotional fluctuation.
Perhaps annoyed, Sheng Jiao gave Shang Yuan a few instructions about Xiezhi Sect matters without sparing Sheng Zhongfeng a glance, then flicked his sleeve and left.
His tall figure walked from the brightly lit area into darkness, separated completely by the heavy snowfall like an invisible chasm.
He no longer needed his father’s affection.
***
Snow fell thickly, blanketing the empty long street with a thin white carpet. Bare branches looked like blooming clusters of snow plum blossoms, scattered by a sudden gust of cold wind.
Yu Tuishan walked down the street, arms outstretched for balance, playfully trying to walk a straight line in the snow.
After walking for a stretch, Yu Tuishan hopped onto a step with a “ha,” feeling immensely accomplished at his perfect straight line. He happily turned back—only to see his footprints already covered by snow.
He’d left no trace in this world.
Yu Tuishan’s smiling face stiffened slightly. After a long moment, he recovered.
He muttered a few words, not minding, then turned and knocked on the door: “Anyone there?!”
A snowflake spun down from the dark night sky, drifting to the edge of the plaque above the gate.
—Heng.
It was the Heng family.
Initially, Yu Tuishan had set the diversionary fire at the Heng family to make everyone think his target was the Sheng family. In truth, tonight, what he wanted most was still the Heng family’s Tianyan earth veins.
After knocking several times with no answer, Yu Tuishan clicked his tongue, growing bored.
It was already late into the night. A servant boy heard the muffled sound and hurried to open the door—just a crack. Outside was empty.
Not even a footprint in the snow.
Bewildered, the servant closed the door again.
In the Heng family’s Tianyan ancestral hall, family head Heng Fenglin and Heng Qinglian sat staring silently at the candle flames.
“I’ve learned about what happened back then,” Heng Yudu said coldly. “No wonder four spirit-level xiangwen awakened that year in a row.”
They had been birthed by the true Xi Jue’s “Kan Tianyan.”
“Brother,” Heng Yudu asked, “did you know about this too?”
Heng Fenglin pursed his lips and shook his head. “I only learned in recent years.”
Heng Qinglian slowly toyed with his teacup, turning his wrist this way and that, the tea inside perfectly still without a ripple.
“What are you worried about?” he finally said flatly. “Everyone who knew about ‘Kan Tianyan’ back then is mostly dead. Only a few Heng family elders who participated remain. Even if ‘Kan Tianyan’ comes knocking, so what? At worst, I die alone. You two will be fine.”
Heng Fenglin frowned. “Uncle…”
“‘Kan Tianyan’s’ spiritual power can birth spirit-level xiangwen,” Heng Qinglian interrupted, looking up at Heng Yudu. “Back then, all the great families thought spirit-level xiangwen had no limit.”
Until Rang Chen’s “Glimpsing Heaven’s Secrets” revealed that the Thirteen States could only have thirteen xiangwen.
Heng Yudu said coldly, “You schemed so hard for that Tianyan spiritual power, only for it to birth the rather useless ‘Exchange for the Moon’ on a cripple like me. Lord Heng, that doesn’t seem like a good deal.”
Heng Qinglian said indifferently, “Why do your glass birds hate me?”
Heng Yudu: “What?”
“You’re the Thirteen States’ last xiangwen, ‘Exchange for the Moon,'” Heng Qinglian said. “‘Exchange for the Moon’ and ‘Peep Heavenly Mechanism’ are both tied to ‘Kan Tianyan.’ Do you think the great families got ‘Kan Tianyan’s’ spiritual power for free back then?”
Heng Yudu froze.
“No great family gained ‘Kan Tianyan’ spiritual power without paying a price,” Heng Qinglian said. “It was a transaction of interests.”
Before Heng Yudu could speak, Heng Qinglian added with a mocking smile:
“Just like how you know spirit beasts are living creatures, yet still choose to eat their sliced meat rather than spare that ‘meat’ out of pity for a life lost. Same principle.”
Heng Qinglian wasn’t without conscience. To him, the price of the transaction was merely Tianyan spiritual power.
He traded with the Xi family, gave something, got Tianyan. Why question where Tianyan came from or if anyone suffered for it?
Even if everyone knew Xi Jue lived worse than death because of the Tianyan spiritual power in their hands, they’d blame the Xi family for their sins—unrelated to them.
It was just a deal.
I have glass birds, so I can exchange for the moon.
Heng Yudu was stunned by Heng Qinglian’s words. After staring incredulously for a long time, he murmured powerlessly, “But he’s not a mindless spirit beast. He’s a person. He was only twelve then. Xi… Yan Ling was not yet ten.”
Heng Qinglian said, “So what? Their misery wasn’t caused by me. If I didn’t trade for Tianyan spiritual power, someone else would have gotten it.”
“They were just children!” Heng Yudu, usually so gentle, finally snapped, shouting fiercely, “In the great families’ eyes, can conscience and principles keep yielding to profit?!”
Heng Qinglian said coldly, “When you’re in my position, you’ll make the same choice.”
Heng Yudu said disgustedly, “Don’t compare me to you.”
Heng Fenglin rubbed his temples. “Stop arguing.”
“Indeed,” someone agreed. “No point arguing. Better to demonstrate right here.”
The three froze, turning their heads in shock.
Yu Tuishan had arrived unnoticed, sitting beside Heng Yudu, grinning as his hand rested on the wheelchair’s arm.
Seeing all three look over, Yu Tuishan raised a hand, eyes narrowed: “Good evening, everyone.”
Heng Fenglin and Heng Qinglian abruptly stood, faces changing.
The Tianyan ancestral hall was protected by dozens of barriers inside and out. How had he slipped in undetected?!
Heng Yudu, informed by Sheng Jiao about “Kan Tianyan,” looked at Yu Tuishan’s familiar yet strange face. He wasn’t afraid of the eerie aura, only pitying and saddened by what he and Yan Jianlan had endured.
Heng Qinglian saw the legendary “Twelve Xiangwen” for the first time, his gaze sharp and cold, hand tightly gripping the sword at his waist.
Just as he was about to move, Yu Tuishan suddenly smiled: “Uncle Heng, better stay put. Besides ‘Kan Tian Dao,’ I can control all Tianyan in the world. One slip, and your xiangwen might explode in your meridians—wouldn’t that be ugly?”
Heng Qinglian’s hand paused, slowly releasing the sword hilt, expressionless: “You’ve come to kill me?”
“Hahaha.” Yu Tuishan laughed so hard he kicked his legs, even nudging the wheelchair and nearly sending Heng Yudu rolling away—only stopped by his quick grab.
Heng Yudu, almost flung off, frowned at him.
“Don’t put it so harshly,” Yu Tuishan said lazily, draping over the wheelchair’s backrest with a grin. “Didn’t you just say that if Heng Yudu or Heng Fenglin were in your position, they’d make the same choice as you? I’m curious too, so now I give you two choices.”
Heng Qinglian frowned deeply.
The next instant, Yu Tuishan’s Tianyan xiangwen flashed in his eyes, golden gaze coldly fixing on Heng Qinglian.
An invisible pressure instantly descended from above, brutally suppressing the three men’s xiangwen cultivation.
Heng Yudu, a spirit-level cultivator, was suppressed the most severely.
Yu Tuishan hadn’t even moved, still lazily sprawled: “I told you, no need to rush. I really could kill you all easily.”
But for Heng Yudu’s sake as Yan Jianlan’s friend, Yu Tuishan wouldn’t kill unless things got out of hand.
“Listen first,” Yu Tuishan draped his wrist over Heng Yudu’s shoulder like a playful child, smiling brightly. “I’m only after those involved in ‘Kan Tianyan’ back then. So the grudge is just with Lord Heng Qinglian here.”
Heng Fenglin froze.
“Family Head Heng, Dean Heng, I give you two choices.” Yu Tuishan raised one finger, eyes narrowed in a smile. “One: hand over Heng Qinglian.”
He extended another finger over Heng Yudu’s other shoulder.
“Two: hand over the Heng family’s Tianyan earth veins.”
The three froze.
Yu Tuishan leaned forward, clapping his hands crisply in front of Heng Yudu’s face with a “pa,” making him blink.
Yu Tuishan beamed: “How about it? Great choices, right? One for life, one for death—so tempting!”
Handing over Heng Qinglian, with Yu Tuishan’s madness, meant no survival.
Choosing two would doom the Heng family to decline without Tianyan.
Most would choose family prosperity over one life.
When the Qu family was slaughtered, Heng Qinglian seemed prepared for Yu Tuishan’s arrival. He scoffed, as if knowing Heng Fenglin and Heng Yudu’s answer.
He was right.
Before absolute profit, no one willingly sacrifices for one person.
Xi Ze did it, Lady Zong did it, Sheng Zhongfeng did it.
To them, Xi Jue and Sheng Jiao stopped being mere people the moment their xiangwen awakened—mere tools and puppets forcibly bound by parental love for control.
“Kan Tianyan,” “Kan Tian Dao”—such tempting names. Who could resist?
The Xi family was vicious, the Sheng family foolish, ruining the spirit-level xiangwen bestowed by Tian Dao and Tianyan.
Heng Qinglian waited expressionlessly for Heng Fenglin and Heng Yudu’s choice.
…The answer was obvious.
Candle flames flickered in the Tianyan hall, half-open windows letting snow whirl in with the wind.
Yu Tuishan smiled, awaiting their reply.
Heng Yudu said coldly: “Take the Tianyan earth veins.”
Heng Fenglin didn’t object, clearly agreeing.
Heng Qinglian froze, snapping his head up.
Yu Tuishan was stunned too, waggling his first finger, whispering temptingly: “I only want Heng Qinglian. Not slaughtering your whole clan. Very cost-effective.”
Heng Yudu frowned: “No.”
It wasn’t spite. To him, Tianyan wasn’t great profit—it was an endless abyss devouring people.
Everyone chased it, exposing ugly greed and malice for a scrap of power.
Heng Qinglian stared as Heng Yudu handed over centuries of accumulated Tianyan earth veins, an indescribable emotion surging.
He said softly: “Do you know what Tianyan earth veins represent?”
Heng Yudu didn’t blink: “I know.”
Heng Qinglian persisted: “With Tianyan, the Heng family endures in Central State, prodigies emerge endlessly, the family era lasts…”
Heng Yudu cut in: “So? Teaching me to act by your principles?”
Heng Qinglian choked.
Heng Yudu refused to become a profit-driven shell discarding conscience—like a cold wooden puppet.
Heng Qinglian lowered his head silently, eyes dazed, lost in thought.
Yu Tuishan watched Heng Yudu quietly from start to finish. After a stunned pause, he withdrew his hand, sitting blankly and saying dryly: “Ah.”
“So only I wasn’t chosen…”
**
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152