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墨書 Inktalez
In the Kunlun Secret Realm, everyone watched as Yang Xuanzong took someone away. The leaders of several major sects were furious. At that moment, Dongfang Zhen, with an expression of indignation, rushed toward the injured Dongfang Yuqing.
Dongfang Yuqing was being supported by Huzi. Just as Huzi was about to make a move, Dongfang Yuqing stopped him. When Dongfang Zhen got closer, he punched Dongfang Zhen in the ribs. Dongfang Zhen clutched his side, tears streaming from the pain, and shouted angrily,
"Arrest them!" Nangong pointed at the Five People.
The members of the Serpent Cult surrounded them. The five supported Iron Bull as they approached Dongfang Yuqing and Huzi, chanting, "Borrowing the Universe Technique, escape."
Surrounded by Dao Qi from the five, they suddenly appeared outside the Kunlun Secret Realm. Wudao said, "Hurry up! My escape technique can only take us this far."
At the entrance of the Yinshan Yang Family, I walked with everyone up the cloud ladder. I had seen the gates of Qingyun, Wudang, and Arched Eyebrows, as well as the Sword Pavilion, one of the Five Supreme Sects, but none compared to the grandeur of the Yinshan Yang Family. The architecture here was even more magnificent than that of a royal palace.
Along the way, a refined young man introduced me to some people around us. Everyone smiled at me, and I feigned a smile in response.
Yang Xuanzong said kindly, "Long, since your brother has returned, you should give up your room for him. Your brother has suffered outside all these years; you must make it up to him."
So this person is indeed Yang Yan's peer from the Yang Family and the current Legitimate Son of the Yinshan Yang Family, I thought to myself and quickly replied, "Great-Grandfather, that's not necessary; just arrange a room for me."
Yang Long said, "How about this, Great-Grandfather? Let my brother stay with me. We are brothers and can strengthen our bond while I can help him whenever needed. He is a renowned young master in the Daoist World; it would be great if I could consult him whenever I have questions."
"Then it's settled," Yang Xuanzong replied. "Great-Grandson Hao, Long is the leader of your generation; you can call him 'Big Brother.' Go with him; tomorrow morning he will take you to the Ancestral Hall to recognize your roots."
"When will I meet Old Scholar?" I asked.
Yang Xuanzong replied, "The Ancestor is still in slumber; after all, he is over one hundred forty years old and cannot remain awake all the time. As soon as he wakes up, I will let you see him first."
I felt an urge to curse; if he never woke up, would I just keep waiting like this? I respectfully said, "In that case, thank you very much, Great-Grandfather."
"Brother, come with me; I'll show you my room," Yang Long said enthusiastically as he draped his arm over my shoulder, reminiscent of when Huzi and I used to walk arm in arm around the Village.
We arrived at a splendid side hall where beautiful maidservants stood on either side. Upon seeing Yang Long return, they greeted him warmly, saying, "Young Master has returned!"
Yang Long said, "No need to be so formal with me. My younger brother Yang Hao is coming home after many years. Don't let him feel like a stranger. Clean up my room; he will be sleeping there from now on."
"No, no," I quickly interrupted everyone. "Brother, your room looks like a palace. It makes me feel like I'm being favored, which is quite uncomfortable. Why don't you just tidy up the room next door for me instead?"
Yang Long replied, "That won't do. It's filled with clutter. How about you sleep in my bed? It's the Cold Jade Bed; even sleeping on it feels like practicing martial arts. I'll sleep nearby, closer to you, so I can keep an eye on you."
"Really, it's unnecessary. Just prepare the room next door for me," I said awkwardly.
Yang Long hesitated for a moment and then said, "Alright then. You all hurry up and clean up my room. Move all the treasures to my brother's room; don't hold back, or you'll regret it."
"Understood, young master," several beautiful maidservants responded.
Yang Long pulled me out of the side hall. I glanced back at the plaque on the door, which read "Zhengxin Hall" in large characters.
Seeing me looking at the plaque, Yang Long said, "Brother, this plaque was given to me by the family head when I was twelve. It reminds me to establish my heart and principles and to study Daoist Arts for the sake of the people and to carry on the Ultimate Technique for peace in all ages. Is your old man foolish? What era are we in?"
I nodded awkwardly. Yang Long continued, "Once you recognize your roots and return to our family, I'll advise the family head to build you a palace right next to my Zhengxin Hall. I really have no friends in the Yang Family except for that annoying Yang Peng—the one you didn't kneel to at the gate earlier—arrogant and full of himself, or just a bunch of kids who are hardly worth my time."
I asked, "Why didn't you participate in this trip to Kunlun?"
Yang Long replied, "You don't know this, but I really dislike the fighting among Daoist Sect members. I've only reached the Divine Transformation Realm after all this time. Besides, our Yang Family lacks nothing. What good would it do if I snatched some Holy Medicine? It doesn't make one a master; are masters cultivated from Holy Medicine?"
I said, "You're absolutely right."
Yang Long smiled and said, "Now I'm taking you to see our Yang Family's Treasure Vault; there are plenty of good things inside."
I nodded and followed Yang Long toward the Yang Family's Treasure Vault, which was much larger than those of ordinary sects. The guards recognized Yang Long and did not stop us.
Upon entering the Treasure Vault, I saw many strange and rare items. Among them was a Taiji Bagua Stone Table with a pearl floating above it.
Yang Long noticed me looking at the stone table and said, "This is used by the Yang Family to test the disciples' talents. You must have used it too, little brother."
As Yang Long spoke, he placed his palm on the stone table. The numerous runes on the table lit up, and the jade stones floating in the air also glowed brightly, though not excessively. It indicated a good level of talent, but nothing extraordinary.
"Come on, little brother, why don't you give it a try?" Yang Long encouraged.
Recalling how my palm had shattered the jade stones when I pressed down on the table, I shook my head and replied, "No thanks. My talent is dull; I can't compare to you, brother. By the way, what is that thing over there? It looks quite nice."
I changed the subject and pointed to an ancient and intact lamp nearby. Yang Long looked at it uncertainly and said, "That should be some kind of everlasting lamp."
He gazed at the candlelight floating inside the tower-like lamp and knocked on it for a while. "If you like it, I'll give it to you. There's really nothing valuable here; there are no Taoist Sacred Artifacts, just some Ancient Artifacts and ordinary magical tools. Otherwise, those old men at home would have snatched them all away long ago."
"That's alright; I was just curious," I replied.
Without hesitation, Yang Long handed me the Ancient Lamp and said, "From now on, this place is your home. If you want anything, just let me know. After all, I'm going to be the head of the family in the future. The most important thing for our Yang Family is unity."
I looked at Yang Long and asked, "Do you know Yang Yan?"
"Yang Yan?" Yang Long appeared puzzled. "Is he one of our Yang Family members? Our family is large and powerful; we have thousands of people. Half of them are surnamed Yang, while the rest are servants of the Yang Family. We might be able to find out."
"I heard that name by chance; there's no need for you to go through any trouble searching," I said.
"Alright then," Yang Long replied. "It's been a while since anyone came here; it's a bit dull. Let me take you to our Yang Family Herb Garden. There are Holy Medicines there."
Half an hour later, Yang Long and I entered the Yang Family Herb Garden. Disciples responsible for alchemy from the Yang Family were present both inside and outside the garden. Yang Long led me to the center of the Herb Garden and pointed at three medicinal herbs protected by a barrier. "These are Holy Medicines. Someone, open this barrier; I need to collect some herbs."
A Herb Gatherer stepped forward and said, "Young Master Long, without the head of the family's order, we cannot take Holy Medicines. How about I inform Master so he can prepare some needed elixirs for you?"
Yang Long insisted, "Aren't all three Holy Medicines meant for me? I need them right now."
"Then, I'll go report to the Master. Please wait a moment, Young Master Long,"
"What are you doing, Brother?" I asked.
Yang Long replied, "Of course, I'm going to pick a Holy Medicine for you. There are three of them, and I can't use them all myself. Should I really wait until I'm old to use them?"
"Brother, there's no need to be so polite. The Holy Medicine is a serious matter. If you give it to me, I'll just refine it directly, which would be a waste," I said.
At that moment, an old man in gray robes with gray hair walked in from the Herb Garden. He asked, "Young Master Long, I heard you want to take the Holy Medicine. Do you have the family head's decree?"
Yang Long seemed a bit impatient and said, "It's all my stuff. Why do I need to report to the family head? Great-Grandfather is busy with so many matters. I just want one Holy Medicine and then I'll leave."
The Gray-Robed Elder smiled and said, "That won't do, Young Master Long. Everything must follow the rules. A Holy Medicine takes a thousand years to grow one. These three are meant for your Golden Core cultivation since your progress has stagnated. I can't find out why, but the Holy Medicine is your only hope."
Yang Long replied, "It's always about rules. I'm just picking one for my brother as a meeting gift. Will you give it or not?"
"Brother, I think it's better to forget it. With this lamp, it's enough; giving me the Holy Medicine would be a waste," I advised.
"No way! Today I must have one. Otherwise, you can find another Legitimate Son; I'm done here," Yang Long insisted.
"How about this: Young Master waits here for a moment while I go call the family head or your Three Great Ancestors to ask if it's possible. If they agree, I'll give you the Holy Medicine," the Gray-Robed Elder suggested.
"Fine," Yang Long said with his head held high.
"Wait a moment, Senior. Brother was just joking; you don't need to take it seriously. Let's go now," I said to the Gray-Robed Elder as I pulled Yang Long away.
Seeing an opportunity to back down, Yang Long reluctantly followed me out. Once we were outside, he sighed and said, "Sigh, even in our own family there are so many rules. By the way, what realm are you at, Brother?"
I replied, "I'm also at the Divine Transformation Realm."
"You are also in the Divine Transformation Realm. I heard from others that Great-Grandfather seems to be in the Mahayana Realm. Do I really have to wait until I'm a hundred years old to reach that level? What does it even mean?" Yang Long said.
I replied, "Taoist cultivation emphasizes gradual progress. Ten years of persistence is like a single day; you can't become fat by just eating one meal. The family head and the others are all experienced masters. If you can reach the Divine Transformation Realm, you've certainly put in a lot of effort. There's no need to be modest."
Yang Long waved his hand dismissively and said, "Oh, I was just practicing aimlessly. There are so many experts in the Yang Family; why would I need such high cultivation? Am I supposed to dominate the Earth or something?"
Yang Long chuckled, and I couldn't help but laugh along with him.
After Yang Long and I returned to Zhengxin Hall, the servants had already prepared a lavish feast. Yang Long looked at the dishes on the table and asked, "What about my favorite Snow Soup?"
A maid replied, "Young Master, we ran out of ingredients for Snow Soup. It won't be ready until tomorrow."
Yang Long grew a bit impatient and said, "Go call Yang Peng over and bring all the Snow Soup from his palace as well."
"Yes," the maid responded before exiting the hall.
The other maids attended to us, each one possessing bright eyes and smooth skin, moving gracefully as if they had been specially trained. I asked, "How old is your brother this year?"
Yang Long replied, "He should be twenty-seven."
"Young Master, he is twenty-six years old; he will turn twenty-seven in two months," one of the maids interjected.
Yang Long nodded and said, "Right."
I then asked, "Is your brother not married yet?"
"Married?" Yang Long's expression turned strange, then he grinned mischievously and said, "What's so good about marriage? I'm living so freely like this. Are you perhaps interested in one of these pretty girls?"
I replied, "You're overthinking it; I was just asking."
"Brother, we're all men here. Feel free to choose anyone you like; they'll definitely obey," Yang Long said.
A few of the servants blushed, and I awkwardly suggested, "Let's eat, let's eat."
Before long, the young man who had pointed at me in front of the mountain gate entered Zhengxin Hall. He said, "Big Brother, why did you call for me?"
Yang Long replied, "What else could it be? You offended my brother today, so hurry up and apologize. After you apologize, we can eat."
Yang Peng frowned and said, "Big Brother, I've already eaten."
"Apologize," Yang Long insisted.
Yang Peng lazily remarked, "Just because he's your brother doesn't mean I'm not one too."
"I'll say it again: apologize," Yang Long said darkly.
"Yang Hao, I'm sorry. I offended you today; please forgive me," Yang Peng said with a look of defiance.
I interjected, "We're all young people here; there's no need to be so polite. Please sit down and eat."
Yang Peng took a seat at the table. Yang Long had someone bring over a bottle of spirit wine, and the three of us each drank two cups. Soon after, a servant brought in a bowl of soup that looked as white as snow, filling the hall with a fragrant aroma.
As Yang Peng picked up his spoon to scoop some out, Yang Long swatted his hand aside with chopsticks and said, "No way; let Yang Hao eat first."
I said, "It doesn't matter who eats first; there's no need to be so courteous."
Yang Long urged, "Just try it."
Reluctantly, I picked up the spoon and took a scoop into my mouth. I nodded and said, "It's indeed delicious—sweet and fragrant. It seems to have Spirit Energy as well."
Yang Long smiled and said, "This is something only I can enjoy. Snow Soup is made from the millennium spirit snow found at the peak of Yin Mountain, combined with Cardamom as a supplementary ingredient. After simmering for several hours and then drying it out for storage, it becomes a block of white jade-like paste that resembles ice. When you eat it, just boil it a bit; it tastes particularly delicious. But don't eat too much; the Spirit Energy is too strong, and it can make you feel bloated."
"Cardamom," I said in confusion. Cardamom is known among common folk as the Revival herb, and it's nearly extinct—it's said to be an incredibly precious spirit herb. The Yang Family uses this to make soup.
"That's right," Yang Long replied. "The Yang Family has a few plants of Cardamom. Every year, they grow some cardamom pods as large as a cow's eye, rich in color. Ground into powder, they are used to make Snow Soup, which is especially tasty."
After dinner, Yang Peng bid us farewell. I returned to the side hall room amidst Yang Long's insistence to stay longer. The room was lavishly decorated with gold and silver carvings, jade artifacts, and silks—fit for a palace.
"This Yang Family is incredibly wealthy," I thought disrespectfully.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find two naked women standing outside, their faces shy as they rushed into my arms, saying, "Young Master Yang Hao, we are yours tonight."
One of them twisted her body gracefully around mine, her breath fragrant. I was taken aback that Yang Long would allow this. Wrapping the quilt from the bed around them, I used Dao Qi to send them out gently. I said, "It's already late; wearing so little while visiting will give you chills."
Outside the door, the two women pouted and huffed before angrily saying, "Are you even a man? We're already like this and you're kicking us out!"
"Go back now; otherwise, you'll get scolded by the young master again."
I stood inside the room, reflecting on what had just happened—it felt like an unreal dream.
At that moment under the moonlight, I stepped out onto the roof and gazed at the bright lights surrounding me, unsure of what to do.
What I saw of the Yang Family was completely opposite from what Yang Yan had described during our time at Azure Cloud Sect.
Yang Yan and the Yang Family were one of the oldest family sects in the Daoist World, rooted in Yin Mountain for a thousand years. A millennium ago, the ancestor of the Yang Family stumbled upon half a book and within three years swept through Yin Mountain without rivals. Later on, they established Yinshan Sect and gradually gained fame during the Daoist Sect wars, securing their place amidst countless talented youths flocking to them.
However, due to various reasons, internal conflicts began to arise within Yinshan Sect over a hundred years later. Some external disciples became Daoist Grandmasters themselves. The disciples from outside Yin Mountain and those from the Yang Family developed serious divisions over control of the sect. Tensions escalated until one night when the head of the Yang Family led a coup against all non-Yang disciples and killed them all; that Daoist Grandmaster was burned alive in public.
Centuries passed with ongoing power struggles. Although people from the Yang Family held power in Yinshan Sect, conflicts arose between legitimate descendants and illegitimate ones over time. The Yang Family was large and powerful; however, legitimate descendants received ten times more Daoist cultivation resources than Bastard Sons did.
Eventually, in one generation, a foolish Legitimate Son could not match up to an exceptionally talented Bastard Son who emerged after decades. Years later, that grown Bastard Son became a Daoist Grandmaster and led his clan in slaughtering all of the Legitimate Sons of the Yang Family while they controlled its lifeblood.
This awakened hidden potential within the Yang Family's lineage and summoned their Ancestor back from seclusion to eradicate the rebellion from the Bastard Son faction.
From then on, there was a rule established within the Yang Family: regardless of whether a Legitimate Son was disabled or incompetent, he would always be seen as the future leader of the Yang Family. No Bastard Son could usurp this position; otherwise, they would face merciless punishment. It was because of this rule that over centuries numerous regulations were enacted to suppress Bastard Son clans until that regulation appeared which caused great distress for Yang Yan.
The peers of the Bastard Clan cultivators are required to provide the strongest Taoist Inner Alchemy for their legitimate counterparts. Yang Yan is one of the top ten Dao Dan providers among the Bastard Sons, and also one of the offerings.
I still remember Yang Yan's furious words when he made a dying request to me: he offered his Dao Dan and the Dragon Abyss Sword, asking me to kill Yang Long.
"The Yang Family doesn't need a Bastard Son, no matter how talented. This is the rule of the Yang Family. If you were born into the Yang Family, you might end up with a fate like mine. No matter how high your aptitude, you can never reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, because reaching that realm means death or becoming a commoner. I endured for ten years and finally waited for my chance."
"A Bastard Son is born as an offering; each Bastard only needs to provide one person as a sacrifice. As the eldest son of the Bastards, with the highest aptitude, I willingly took on the punishment of having my Dao Foundation destroyed in place of my younger siblings. Yet, my Dao Dan was sent into the hands of a Legitimate Son, which left me feeling resentful."
"I once secretly studied the secret techniques of the Yang Family. To help you, I will give you my Dao Dan. Mine is unique because it is accumulated from ten years of effort; it will surely soar and bring substantial change to your Qi Sea. My only request is that you destroy the Legitimate Son of the Yang Family."
"I am one year older than you, so allow me to call you brother. As fellow Bastards, your clan should have been sacrificed instead."
"Yang Long, when Yang Hao steps into the Yinshan Yang Family, you will understand what true talent is. You hypocrites will be slaughtered by a discarded Bastard."
I still vividly recall Yang Yan's words. I understood his pain, but what I saw before me was entirely different from what he had told me.
Yang Long had excellent aptitude but was not extraordinary compared to other sects' talents; he was even inferior to Dongfang Zhen and Wudang's Grand Disciple Zhang Xing. How could he possibly absorb the Dao Dan from the top ten talents?
Moreover, the Yang Family did not seem so aggressive. So where did the problem lie?
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