Chapter 19 Part 1

Lian Yunzhi did not look back.

He did not waste even a single moment on hesitation or thought.

Even though his brain at that moment could no longer properly control his limbs, his body still leaped onto the Flying Sword with the fastest speed and most graceful posture, swiftly departing. Of course, before leaving, he did not forget to flick his sleeve and collect all the paper cranes.

A Golden Core cultivator’s speed was extremely fast; in an instant, he could travel a thousand li via Imperial Sword Flight.

By the time Lian Yunzhi came back to his senses, he had already arrived at the end of Xiaoze State.

Lian Yunzhi: “…”

How utterly spineless.

Lian Yunzhi wished he could plunge his head straight into the waves at the base of the cliff.

Although Fang Tianxin had said to run as far as possible, even after reaching the farthest corner of Xiaoze State, Lian Yunzhi did not feel much safer.

Should he go to the outside world?

But the only “rift” he knew of to the outside world was the one Mu Cheng had told him about before, which was probably sealed by Mu Cheng by now.

Still, Lian Yunzhi did not give up and immediately flew over on his sword to check.

Then he came back.

—The entire Black Wind Cliff had now collapsed into a pile of rubble. Forget a rift; even the cliff itself was gone.

Lian Yunzhi: “…”

Lian Yunzhi took a deep breath, found a cliff cave by the sea, and crawled in, hastily laid out a Prayer Mat, sat down, and began dismantling the Message Paper Cranes one by one.

He started with Fang Tianxin’s.

【Yunzhi, have you come out of seclusion? I went to your Cave Mansion to find you but didn’t see you. Where did you go? Never mind, don’t tell me. You must hide well!】

【It’s too terrifying, too terrifying! Mu Cheng has gone completely mad! You have no idea how many people from the Mu Family died these past two days!!!】

【Do you know how Mu Kunrong died? Mu Cheng extracted his Spiritual Root and spine, then whipped every bone in his body to pieces, picked out the broken bones one by one with a sword, and buried him alive… And that wasn’t the end. When Mu Kunrong was about to die, he dug him up again and burned him to death bit by bit with a small flame! Mu Kunrong screamed for an entire night!】

【Mu Cheng has gone mad! He’s completely different from before!】

【Lian Yunzhi, you must hide well and trust no one! I just found out that when the Mu Family hunted Mu Cheng back then, they borrowed Black Guards from the Four Great Families and promised to give each family one Myriad Absorption Spiritual Root if they caught him, including our Fang Family! Everyone who participated back then wanted to capture you to atone for their crimes! They all knew you had humiliated Mu Cheng and used him as a Human Cauldron!】

Lian Yunzhi: “…”

Lian Yunzhi let out a soft breath, his back slumping powerlessly against the wall as if it had lost all support.

No matter what, he could not imagine Mu Cheng undergoing such a drastic change in temperament, flaying skin from bones, burying alive and slow-roasting someone.

But that did not stop every bone in his body from beginning to ache faintly.

He continued dismantling the paper cranes.

This time, they were from some fellow Daoists he knew.

Their words were similar to Fang Tianxin’s, but the difference was that they all asked where Lian Yunzhi was, expressed “heartfelt” concern and sympathy for him, and offered to provide him shelter.

Lian Yunzhi sneered and tore all those paper cranes to shreds.

Finally, he opened the ones from the Lian Family.

The Lian Family’s paper cranes were the most numerous; if all released, they could fill more than half the cliff cave where he was.

Almost every one asked where he was and urged him to come home.

【Yunzhi, where are you?】

【Yunzhi, come back soon.】

【Yunzhi, Grandpa was wrong before. Grandpa didn’t mean to make you lose your Human Cauldron; Grandpa trusted the wrong person and thought Mu Cheng was going to abduct you. Grandpa was just afraid you’d take the wrong path… But Yunzhi, you must come back now. The family is at a critical juncture of life and death. If you don’t return, you’ll only be able to collect our corpses.】

【Little Nephew Yunzhi! Stop being willful. You’re the Lian Family’s only Golden Core cultivator; you must shoulder this responsibility! Do you want to cower like a turtle and watch the entire Lian Family perish because of you?! If you hadn’t lusted after Mu Cheng’s physique back then, tormented and humiliated him as a Human Cauldron, how would the Lian Family have fallen into this situation!】

【Yunzhi, Mother is sorry.】

【Brother Yunzhi… I’m so scared, Brother Yunzhi. They say I look like you and want to send me to Mu Cheng to apologize on your behalf. I don’t want to go; I’m scared… I don’t want to die, Brother Yunzhi! Brother Yunzhi, save me—】

Lian Yunzhi abruptly stood up.

The one who said “I’m scared” was Lian Yunzhi’s youngest paternal cousin.

She was only thirteen now, at the tender age of a flower bud, naturally clever with excellent Water-Wood Dual Spiritual Root. Before falling out with the Lian Family, Lian Yunzhi had held her in the snow, listened to her softly call him Brother Yunzhi, and heard her childish voice say, “I want to cultivate well and become as amazing as Brother Yunzhi in the future!”

Lian Yunzhi’s hand trembled slightly as he drew his Long Sword.

He closed his eyes.

Then opened them again.

Finally, he stepped onto his Long Sword and flew toward the Lian Family.

.

Lian Yunzhi saw a carriage in front of the Lian Mansion gates.