Chapter 30

Lingzhi, though small in stature, had great strength.

She firmly held onto Li Que and pulled Xu Manman back with her.

Thanks to Xu Manman’s eloquence, the two quickly developed a deep friendship, as though they were long-lost sisters reunited.

Only Li Que’s face was ashen.

Xu Manman soon understood the relationship between the two.

Lingzhi was the daughter of the Great Elder of the Di Luan Clan, holding an extremely high status within the clan and possessing exceptional cultivation skills.

In her own words, countless males in the clan had wagged their tails and fawned over her in hopes of winning her favor, yet she dismissed them all.

Of the vast sea of suitors, she only had eyes for one—Li Que.

She firmly declared that she and Li Que shared a predestined love from a past life.

Even before Li Que’s nirvana, they had been deeply in love, and though he lost his memories after nirvana, she was certain he would eventually remember everything and fall in love with her again.

Although Li Que had lost his Primordial True Feather, she didn’t mind his loss of chastity and was willing to marry him as her rightful husband.

“One Primordial True Feather means nothing; virtue is a man’s greatest dowry!”

Lingzhi gazed at Li Que tenderly.

“No matter how others in the clan see you, in my heart, Li Que, you are perfect!”

Li Que stared blankly into the distance.

Xu Manman applauded enthusiastically.

“Well said! I’m so moved!”

Li Que gave Xu Manman a dull glance.

Lingzhi fumed, “That Lian Yue Daozun too! If she didn’t want to take responsibility, why did she pluck Li Que’s Primordial True Feather? Now he’s ridiculed by the entire clan, and he’s still expected to stay chaste for her for a hundred years. Why?!”

“Exactly, why?!”

Xu Manman squinted her eyes and gave Li Que a cold smile.

She finally understood why Li Que had declared in Xianyun Hall that he would remain chaste for her for a hundred years—it was just an excuse to ward off suitors!

“Rules are dead, but people are alive. Why should the living be bound by the dead? If you two love each other, you should marry as soon as possible. I’ve heard that Lian Yue Daozun was quite kind-hearted. She’d surely wish for you two to be happy together.”

Lingzhi was moved.

“Right? I think so too! Li Que always insisted on finding his savior to repay her with marriage. I also wanted him to get clarity and let go. Now that we know she’s dead, he should give up. There’s no need for this century-long chastity nonsense.”

Li Que gritted his teeth. “The rules of our Di Luan Clan have always been this way. After the wife dies, the husband must remain chaste for a hundred years.”

“That applies to those who have children,” Lingzhi scolded lightly.

“The rule was set so male birds with offspring would focus on raising their chicks instead of seeking new partners and abandoning their young. You don’t even have children, so why bother? You should marry while you’re still young. Men need to marry when the time is right, or else they’ll grow old and undesirable. Especially someone like you—divorced and no longer chaste. Do you know how much effort I spent convincing the elders to approve our marriage?”

Xu Manman stood by, barely holding back her laughter.

Her eyes were brimming with tears, and her cheeks flushed red from the effort.

Li Que glared at her coldly, deeply regretting not letting Immortal Langyin beat her unconscious the previous night to keep her quiet for a few more days.

Xu Manman coughed twice, straightened her face, and said, “Li Que, we humans have a saying: ‘Priceless treasures are easy to find, but a loving woman is hard to come by.’ Lingzhi treats you so well; why are you still hesitating? Forget about this chastity nonsense. Lian Yue Daozun wasn’t from the Di Luan Clan. She wouldn’t care about these rules, and she’s no longer around to care anyway.”

Li Que glared at Xu Manman with venom in his eyes.

“You’re not her. How do you know she wouldn’t care?”

Xu Manman said seriously, “You’re not her either. How do you know she would care? Besides, the dead are gone. What matters most is cherishing the people right in front of you.”

Lingzhi grabbed Xu Manman’s hand, her voice filled with emotion.

“You’ve spoken straight to my heart. Women truly understand women best.”

Li Que sneered coldly.

“You really know how to please women.”

Xu Manman smiled faintly.

“That’s why you should learn from me.”

Li Que’s face darkened further, and he couldn’t find the words to retort.

With a sudden burst of strength, he broke free from Lingzhi’s grip, spread his wings, and flew away.

Lingzhi watched his departing figure but didn’t seem in a hurry to chase him.

She sighed lightly and said, “Li Que, you can’t escape from the palm of my hand…”

Xu Manman shivered slightly.

What a classic case of possessive love…

After finally breaking free from Lingzhi, Xu Manman followed the map to the ruins of the Mo’s Manor.

After a tragic massacre occurred there, the manor was sealed off, and no one had entered since.

Rumors swirled about it being haunted, with ghostly cries heard at night.

Xu Manman didn’t believe in ghosts.

She suspected someone was living there and deliberately spreading these rumors to keep ordinary people away.

But Xu Manman was no ordinary person.

Prince Mo, being the most favored eldest son of Emperor Jingguang, had an exceptionally grand manor. Exploring the entire place would take a full day. Xu Manman wasn’t in a hurry; she planned to scout the area during daylight and assess the situation.

If real danger arose, she wouldn’t venture in alone.

From above, Xu Manman couldn’t spot anything unusual.

However, when she tried to descend from the air, a barrier blocked her.

She had no choice but to return to the ground and look for a way through the main gate.

Such a powerful barrier could only have been set by the royal family.

Since Emperor Chengxuan was a powerless puppet, this must have been Emperor Jingguang’s doing.

With her current cultivation, breaking through the barrier was nearly impossible.

Just as she was pondering who to ask for help, Immortal Lang Yin appeared.

The sun had yet to set, so it was the white-clad immortal who stood before her.

“Immortal Lord!” Xu Manman’s heart skipped a beat.

She felt inexplicably guilty and stammered, “W-Why are you here?”

Immortal Lang Yin glanced at Prince Mo’s Manor, then at Xu Manman, and said in an indifferent tone, “Why is it that every time you see me, you look flustered and guilty? What’s your excuse this time?”

Xu Manman chuckled awkwardly.

“I’m not… I didn’t… You’ve misunderstood, Immortal Lord!”

Immortal Lang Yin didn’t pursue the matter further and simply said, “I heard you’ve been running around after regaining consciousness. It seems your health is no longer an issue.”

Xu Manman immediately bowed deeply and said solemnly, “I must thank Immortal Lord for saving my life in the Hall of No Return.”

“We were in the same boat; it was merely a passing effort,” Immortal Lang Yin said calmly.

“Why have you come to this ruin? Do you have news of the Blood Sect?”

Xu Manman hesitated briefly, then chose not to elaborate on the events of the previous night.

She nodded and said, “Over four hundred years ago, a tragic incident occurred in Prince Mo’s Manor, reportedly connected to the Blood Sect. I’ve always had doubts about this case, so I came to investigate. I didn’t expect that after all these years, a protective barrier would still remain intact. There must be something strange here.”

Immortal Lang Yin extended his right hand towards the gate, releasing spiritual energy from his palm, only to meet an invisible barrier.

“The barrier has weakened over time. It’s no longer strong enough to stop even a Nascent Soul cultivator, Immortal Lang Yin said calmly, withdrawing his energy.

Xu Manman smiled.

“It’s fortunate that Immortal Lord is here. Otherwise, I, with my measly Golden Core cultivation, wouldn’t have been able to get in.”

Immortal Lang Yin glanced at the position of the sun, frowned, and said, “It’s getting late. We must return before nightfall.”

Xu Manman asked, “Are you worried about losing control after dark?”

Immortal Lang Yin nodded.

“I must set up sleep and defensive arrays before nightfall to prevent myself from doing anything uncontrollable.”

For the spirit clan, learning arrays is no easy task.

Immortal Lang Yin must have been deeply troubled by his memory loss to have studied such formations.

“We have over an hour left. Let’s take a quick look and leave,” Xu Manman said.

Immortal Lang Yin raised his hand, pulling her behind him.

“Step back three paces.”

Xu Manman retreated to a safe distance, watching Immortal Lang Yin’s figure.

His robes fluttered without wind as spiritual energy condensed in his palm.

With one push toward the manor’s gate, the ground trembled, and the hidden barrier of Prince Mo’s Manor revealed itself.

Under the shimmering light, an opening appeared, and the gates swung open.

Xu Manman looked up at the barrier, which had now returned to its invisible state, and sighed.

“Immortal Lord, with such a commotion, I fear we’ll alarm Daxing Palace.”

Immortal Lang Yin withdrew his hand and said indifferently, “Let it be alarmed.”

This air of absolute indifference reminded Xu Manman of Demon Lord Lang Yin, making her want to kneel and call him ‘Brother.’

But while the Demon Lord exuded a wild arrogance, the Immortal Lord carried an unruffled grace.

Immortal Lang Yin stepped into the manor first.

Just as Xu Manman was about to follow, a sudden chill ran down her spine.

Alarm bells rang in her mind, and she instinctively rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a palm strike aimed at her back.

Kneeling awkwardly on one knee, Xu Manman looked up to see an enraged Li Que.

His crimson robes flared, his handsome face was filled with murderous intent, and his eyes burned as if he wanted to tear her apart with his gaze.

Xu Manman said with a wry smile, “Li Que, if you’re angry, don’t take it out on me.”

Li Que gritted his teeth.

“If it weren’t for you stopping me, I’d have escaped by now!”

Xu Manman said helplessly, “At that moment, even if I hadn’t stopped you, you would’ve run straight into Lingzhi.”

“She’s even more determined to force me into marriage because of your nonsense!”

Li Que said, shuddering slightly at the thought.

“She’s been determined for a hundred years already. My words didn’t change anything,” Xu Manman argued.

Li Que was too furious to care what she said.

Knowing he couldn’t win against her sharp tongue, he pursed his lips tightly, said nothing more, and attacked Xu Manman again.

Xu Manman was startled.

Her fragile Golden Core cultivation couldn’t withstand Li Que’s heavy strike.

Fortunately, Immortal Lang Yin stepped in front of her in time, his gaze turning sharp as spiritual energy surged, instantly forcing Li Que to retreat.

Hiding behind Immortal Lord Langyin, Xu Manman shouted, “Immortal Lord, save me!”

Li Que stepped back a few paces, glaring at Immortal Lang Yin in confusion.

“What does Immortal Lord Lang Yin mean by this? Last night, when you wanted to punish Xu Yanyue, I stopped you. Now that I want to punish her, you’re stopping me again. Do you have a grudge against her, or against me and Radiant Vermillion? Are you deliberately opposing me?”

Immortal Lang Yin raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion, “Last night, I wanted to punish her?”

Xu Manman peeked her head out from behind Immortal Lang Yin and laughed dryly.

“Immortal Lord, this is a misunderstanding. I’ll explain it later.”

The situation was indeed odd—similar yet opposite to last night.

Immortal Lang Yin didn’t want Li Que to know about his memory loss at night, so he said no more.

Xu Manman said to Li Que, “We’ll discuss your matter later. We’re here to investigate something related to the Blood Sect. Don’t delay our task.”

Li Que said coldly, “I don’t believe a single word you say. What now? Planning to sell someone out again?”

Xu Manman waved her hand.

“If you’re afraid I’ll sell you out, just leave this place quickly!”

Li Que narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“You want me to leave? Ha! Then I’ll do the opposite. I’ll stay and see what poison you’re brewing in that gourd of yours.”

Xu Manman spread her hands helplessly.

“If you insist on following, I can’t stop you. But this place is full of danger. Don’t let personal grudges ruin the bigger picture.”

Li Que sneered, “Hmph, I’m not that clueless!”

Xu Manman glanced at him, then hurried to follow Immortal Lang Yin.

She transmitted a message, “Immortal Lord, you must protect me.”

Immortal Lang Yin still seemed a bit puzzled.

He glanced at Li Que, then at Xu Manman, and transmitted a message back, “Did you do something last night to anger me? Is that why I went to punish you in the middle of the night?”

Xu Manman laughed awkwardly.

“Immortal Lord, I was sound asleep then. How could I have angered you?”

Immortal Lang Yin lowered his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

He accepted her explanation and nodded slowly.

As they stepped into Prince Mo’s manor, the temperature dropped sharply, and the light dimmed noticeably.

Everything around them seemed shrouded in a gray-black shadow.

Though abandoned for years, the manor still faintly hinted at its former splendor and extravagance.

Every piece of furniture was crafted from rare materials, meticulously carved and lacquered.

Though the lacquer had begun to peel, the lifelike craftsmanship remained clear.

Fragments of porcelain and furniture lay scattered on the ground, covered in spider webs. Xu Manman examined them carefully and said, “These furniture breaks are clean, likely cut by sharp weapons. This must be remnants from the battle back then. After the massacre at Prince Mo’s Manor, this place was sealed off, and no one has entered since.”

Li Que asked, “What battle? What massacre?”

Xu Manman glanced at him and explained, “Over four hundred years ago, a massacre occurred here. On the wedding night of Prince Mo and his consort, they were both murdered. All the guards in the manor were killed, including four Nascent Soul cultivators and thirty Golden Core cultivators. The culprit was said to be a Half-Step Dharma Aspect cultivator. Records in Tianlu Palace claim this was the work of the Blood Sect, but there are many suspicious points.”

Li Que exclaimed in shock, “Over four hundred years ago, the Blood Sect dared to act so brazenly, committing mass slaughter in Tiandu City?”

Xu Manman replied, “At that time, the Daxing Dynasty was in decline, and power had slipped away from the emperor. Even Emperor Jingguang couldn’t command the Dharma Aspect cultivators. Though the culprit escaped, they suffered fatal injuries and likely didn’t survive.”

“If it were truly the Blood Sect, they wouldn’t have left any corpses behind,” Immortal Lang Yin said, echoing a judgment similar to the Demon Lord’s.

“Moreover, four hundred years ago, the Blood Sect had not yet fully spread its wings. They wouldn’t have acted so boldly.”

“Now that the Blood Lord is in Tiandu, we have no other leads. This place is extremely suspicious, so we might as well investigate,” Xu Manman said.

“Besides, there are rumors that Prince Mo’s Manor is haunted at night. Some opportunists love to use ghost stories to scare the people and gain their faith.”

Li Que’s face suddenly stiffened.

“If it’s not related to the Blood Sect, then let’s not waste time here. We should leave.”

Xu Manman looked at him in confusion.

“Why are you suddenly so eager to leave? Don’t tell me… you’re afraid of ghosts?”

Li Que let out a dry laugh.

“How could I possibly be afraid of ghosts? The Nine Suns Li Fire is the bane of all ghostly entities. Our Di Luan’s innate divine ability comes from Nine Suns Li Fire. Ghosts and spirits fear us!”

“That’s good.”

Xu Manman patted her chest in relief.

“Immortal Lord, let Li Que lead the way. If there are any ghosts, he can burn them away with his fire.”

Li Que’s expression immediately turned even more unpleasant.

Immortal Lang Yin glanced at him, then silently stepped aside to make way.

Under the gaze of the two, Li Que stiffly walked forward with forced bravado.

His rigid movements made him resemble a puppet, even more so than the puppets in the Hall of No Return.

The deeper they went, the heavier the chill became.

The wind that blew through the cracks in the wooden beams let out sharp whistles, sometimes shrill and sometimes wailing, sounding like countless people crying—men, women, young, and old alike.

Li Que swallowed hard and asked, “Back then… how many people died here? It sounds… like a lot.”

Xu Manman, having memorized the records, recalled them clearly.

“The culprit was discovered right after killing Prince Mo and the princess consort. When she tried to escape, she was stopped by the manor guards, and both sides fought, resulting in casualties. Eighteen cultivators died within the manor. Later, the culprit escaped, and the guards who pursued her were also killed—another sixteen died during the chase. Hmm…”

Immortal Lang Yin added, “No mortals were harmed.”

“Exactly. The assassin had a very clear purpose. After killing Prince Mo and the princess consort, she intended to stop. It was only because she was obstructed that she resorted to further killing. However, she didn’t indiscriminately harm innocents. The maids and servants in the manor remained unharmed. If it had been the Blood Sect, they would have left nothing alive—everything would have been annihilated,” Xu Manman explained.

Immortal Lang Yin asked, “Were Prince Mo and the princess consort cultivators?”

Xu Manman replied, “Prince Mo was at the Nascent Soul stage, and the princess consort was likely at the Golden Core stage.”

Even in a declining dynasty, the royal family was never short of heavenly treasures and rare resources.

Producing a Golden Core cultivator wasn’t difficult, but achieving the Nascent Soul stage required a certain level of innate talent.

“So that assassin, in reality, single-handedly killed five Nascent Soul cultivators and thirty-one Golden Core cultivators. Even for a Half-Step Dharma Aspect cultivator, this would be an incredibly difficult feat,” Immortal Lang Yin remarked.

“It’s said that she used a secret technique to burn her life essence. We should head to the wedding chamber; it should be the primary crime scene,” Xu Manman suggested.

The sky continued to darken, and the mournful wails in the wind grew incessant.

Li Que began to feel a growing desire to retreat.

He was already regretting coming here, but the pride of the Di Luan clan couldn’t be tarnished because of him.

At this point, he had no choice but to steel himself and press forward.