《Ancestor, Watch Over Me》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°O, Heavens!¡± ¡°O, Earth!¡± ¡°O, our ancestors!¡± In the City of Scorpio, the Liu family clan was performing a ritual for their ancestors in front of their family tomb under the lead of the head of their family, Liu Tao. Liu Tao looked nervous. After he had said the prayers in one breath, he immediately lifted his pickax and started digging the tomb. He didn¡¯t even bother to make sure that the incense sticks had been properly placed in the incense burner. The tomb belonged to the First Ancestor of the Liu family clan! ¡°Quick! Chop-chop!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be saved when the First Ancestor is out of his tomb!¡± Liu Tao shouted as he swung his pickax at the grave with six Elders of the family by his side. He looked back at the yard gate every now and then with terror on his face. Outside the yard, there were more than one thousand people who had vowed to slaughter the entire Liu clan. They were closing in with every second that passed. ¡°First Ancestor, please forgive your unfilial descendants!¡± ¡°The family has declined ever since your demise. Our legacy is lost!¡± ¡°You are the First Ancestor of the Liu clan and the First Physical Cultivator. It was written in the family booklet that you had obtained the State of the Golden Body, and that no one could defeat you with your Protective Aura!¡± ¡°Please pardon us! Your descendants need you to fight against our enemies today!¡± Liu Tao had muttered all these beneath his breath, asking for forgiveness from the First Ancestor. His pickax had also picked up its speed. ¡°This is the 23rd time we have dug your grave. We won¡¯t forget this. We promise to send more paper money to you and burn more incense for you¡­¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes were overwhelmed with anguish and despair. They wouldn¡¯t have had to do this over and over again if they had been more talented in cultivation. Behind them, fear seized the hearts of the three hundred Liu family members. Their grip on their weapons tightened, and they were trembling uncontrollably as the enemies¡¯ battle-cry grew louder. However, sparks of hope lit up in their eyes whenever they looked at the tomb before them. This tomb belonged to an ancestor of the Liu family! Moreover, it¡¯s none other than the First Ancestor himself! His name was Liu Fan! According to the family booklet, Liu Fan¡¯s background was unknown. He suddenly appeared more than a thousand years ago and rose to the top in the blink of an eye. He was a legend in the cultivation realm. The main focus of his cultivation was his physical body. He was known as the ¡°bulldozer¡± because he had once overthrown an entire era and remained unbeatable until his death. He invented the ¡°Law of Cultivation,¡± calculated the ¡°Heavenly Cycle of Qi¡± in one¡¯s body to an incredible precision of 3.141592653 days, and introduced the important concept of ¡°the Golden Ratio in Human Bodies.¡± He pointed out that the first step to the cultivation of one¡¯s physical body was to correctly identify the four ¡°golden points,¡± which were the two ¡°golden rectangles¡± and two ¡°golden indexes¡± of the human body. He had achieved the State of the Golden Body using the aforementioned technique, which rendered him insusceptible to any form of physical harm. His achievement had thus earned him the title of the ¡°First Physical Cultivator,¡± and he was thereafter celebrated as a legendary figure among all physical cultivators. He was the true definition of ¡°unconquerable¡±! It was also he who had established the glory of the Liu family clan. After he had passed away, he was buried in the family tomb. ¡°Bang!¡± With a loud noise, the gate was breached and the enemies rushed in with swords in their hands. ¡°Hold them back!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll continue digging!¡± Liu Tao gave orders immediately. The six Elders nodded and put down their pickaxes. They picked up their weapons and led their clan members into battle. The clash of swords was intertwined with cries of pain. Many clan members collapsed into pools of blood. Due to one miscalculated move, one of the Elders fell to the ground with only half of his head still on his neck. Liu Tao¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with anger and terror. ¡°Who buried the First Ancestor last time?!¡± ¡°Why the hell did he have to bury him so bloody deep?!¡± He hadn¡¯t even seen the coffin after all the digging! ¡°AHHHHH! COME OUT, FIRST ANCESTOR!!!!¡± Liu Tao shouted, red-eyed. But he never stopped swinging the pickax. He hated whoever buried the First Ancestor the previous time for burying the body so deep, even though everyone was aware that they had had to dig the coffin out frequently¡­ ¡°Thump!¡± The pickax hit something. It was the First Ancestor¡¯s coffin! ¡°Hahahaha, the First Ancestor is finally out!¡± Liu Tao shouted and lifted the coffin lid excitedly. There was a man in a linen shroud lying in the coffin. He looked as if he was fast asleep. Despite looking as if he was in his early 20s, he was the very First Ancestor of the Liu family! The man known as the ¡°Bulldozer¡±! As he had achieved the State of the Golden Body, his skin was as smooth as jade even after one thousand years. The sparkling Spearhead Aura was still flowing around his body after all these years. ¡°Ancestor, please forgive your descendants¡¯ unfilial acts!¡± Liu Tao took a deep bow toward the man in the coffin. Then, he carried him out of the coffin and tossed him into the battlefield. ¡°Rot in hell, all of you!¡± ¡°Lius, get down!¡± Liu Tao shouted. Having heard that, the people of the Liu family immediately lay flat on the ground. Their eyes brightened up with exhilaration as they saw the First Ancestor¡¯s body fly into the battlefield. In the enemy army, the heads of clans, including the Spiritual Monkey and the King of Swords, glanced around cautiously. ¡°Swoosh¡­¡± With a shake of their wrists, poisonous daggers shot toward the falling body from afar. As the daggers approached the body, they ignited, seemingly like a gunpowder barrel. The Protective Aura around the body suddenly exploded and expanded outwards in a spherical shape like a beam of light. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Screams of anguish turned the place into a living hell. The Spearhead Aura swept across the atmosphere like the sharpest blades in the world. All those standing were instantly cut into halves. The heads of clans, including the Spiritual Monkey and the King of Swords, collapsed to their death at once. The sky was blood-stained. In the distance, there were a few survivors. Their faces were made ashen by the gruesome scene in front of them. After they had recovered from the shock, they took to their heels and tried to escape. Liu Tao swung his sword and slew all of them. No mercy! No enemies left alive! Blood flooded the floor. Piles of corpses extended beyond the end of the yard, and the air was filled with the stink of blood. The entire Liu family cheered in ecstasy. They dropped to their knees and prayed toward the First Ancestor¡¯s body that was suspended in mid-air. Again, they had survived the fight with help from the First Ancestor¡¯s dead body. The clan members started to clean up their yard. Liu Tao, together with the remaining five Elders, lifted up the First Ancestor¡¯s body and carefully placed it in the coffin. ¡°I suggest that we move the First Ancestor¡¯s coffin to the ancestral temple for easy usage in the future!¡± the First Elder said as he stopped the burial. ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°It¡¯s already unfilial of us to have moved the First Ancestor¡¯s body so many times! It will be unforgivable if we don¡¯t even allow the First Ancestor to rest in peace in the underworld!¡± It was the Fifth and Sixth Elders who objected violently. Liu Tao frowned. ¡°Fifth, Sixth, are you too old to think wisely? The glory of the Liu family is a thing of the past, and strong enemies could attack us anytime! Why should we jeopardize the safety and survival of our clan by casting aside our only powerful weapon, the First Ancestor?¡± the First Elder shouted loudly. Then, he looked at the Fifth and Sixth Elders and said, ¡°Fourth wouldn¡¯t have died today if we hadn¡¯t wasted so much time digging out the First Ancestor!¡± As the First Elder spoke, grief crossed his eyes. The Fifth and Sixth Elders fell into silence, looking guilty. It was the two of them who had buried the First Ancestor the previous time. They had buried him so deeply out of filial duty and out of their respect for the First Ancestor. However, never had they expected that it would also result in the Fourth Elder¡¯s death because Liu Tao couldn¡¯t recover the First Ancestor in time. ¡°Haish! Alright, we¡¯ll leave the First Ancestor in the temple for the moment, as what the First Elder had suggested.¡± The Fifth and Sixth Elders finally gave their agreement with a heavy sigh. The First Elder then turned to look at the Second and Third Elders, waiting for their opinion. The two nodded in agreement too. The First Elder smiled. Lastly, he turned to Liu Tao. The latter nodded and said, ¡°I agree too!¡± The First Elder let out a long breath and said, ¡°Given the unanimous approval by the head of the family and by the Elders, the First Ancestor will not be buried. His coffin will be moved and worshipped in the ancestral temple!¡± ¡°In addition, it¡¯s really rude to throw the First Ancestor¡¯s body into the battlefield every time we need him. How disgraceful!¡± ¡°I suggest that we refine the First Ancestor into a battle puppet¡­¡± Suddenly, a loud thunder exploded in the sky. Rain clouds gathered on top of them, blocking out all sunlight. In the next instant, a heavy downpour ensued. At the same time, there was a cracking sound from the coffin lid. Liu Tao and the five Elders were startled. They turned to look at the First Ancestor¡¯s body in the coffin. An unspeakable feeling crept into their hearts. ¡°Did we enrage the First Ancestor¡­?!¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Fan was lying in the coffin. He had been there for one thousand years, until¡­ One day, he heard a crash of thunder, followed by a mysterious voice inside his head. ¡°Scanning for the host¡­¡± ¡°The host is the dead body of a 1000-year-old Ancestor. According to the System of Ancestors, you are eligible for our service. Connecting you to our system¡­¡± ¡°Connection successful. Your descendants are digging your grave continually. Unfilial points +1, unfilial points +1, unfilial points +1¡­¡± A while later¡­ ¡°Your descendants tossed your body into the battlefield and killed 1013 enemies. Your peace has been disrupted because you were forced to fight after death. Instead of being repentant, your descendants are celebrating. Unfilial points x 10,000!¡± ¡°The Elders have decided not to bury you and leave you in the ancestral temple. No one spoke up for you. Unfilial points x 10,000, unfilial points x 10,000¡­ Unfilial points have reached one quintillion!¡± ¡°Your descendants find you disgraceful. They intend to refine you into a battle puppet¡­ Unfilial points have exceeded the upper limit. System activated!¡± ¡°Initiating revival¡­ Successful revival of consciousness¡­¡± ¡°Unfilial points zeroed¡­ Complete revival has failed because the host¡¯s body is too powerful!¡± Still lying in the coffin, Liu Fan opened his eyes. He was confused. Had the System just revived him?! He tried to get up but realized that he couldn¡¯t budge at all. ¡°System reminder: You have been dead for 1000 years. Only your consciousness and senses have been brought back. Your physical body is still dead!¡± Liu Fan¡¯s mind went adrift. ¡°It¡¯s been one thousand years¡­¡± Never had he imagined that he would be brought back to life 1000 years after his death. Thrill and loss filled his mind. But in the next instant, those emotions were replaced with dismay. ¡°If I have only my consciousness and senses but am unable to move, am I not just a thinking corpse?!¡± A thousand years ago, he had focused on training his physical body. After the trials and tribulations across years of cultivating, he had finally achieved the unbeatable Golden Body. He summarized the laws of physical cultivation and earned his name as the First Physical Cultivator. He revolutionized the world of his time and was thus known as the Bulldozer! In the end, he died from his exhausted soul. One thousand years later, the interference of the System had revived his consciousness. Liu Fan inspected his body. It was completely silent. All of his organs had degraded, and his bones and flesh had blackened and rotted. Perhaps he would be reduced to a pile of bones in a few years¡¯ time. Although he had obtained the State of the Golden Body, it didn¡¯t mean that his body could be preserved permanently. That was just a saying to describe his marvelous physical abilities, not to be taken literally. Despite his Protective Aura still circulating around his corpse, it had lost its consistency and intensity. The aura had been dispersing with the rotting of his body. ¡°Your body is on the brink of breaking down. A second death will be inevitable if your soul is not trained well by then¡­¡± Liu Fan fell into deep thought. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t know how to train his soul. This world was a place for fighters. He had heard of neither fairies nor deities. In spite of his unsurpassable physical power, he was clueless about cultivating his soul. As a result, he died due to the shortcomings of his soul. ¡°Perhaps after one thousand years, the world has found its way to soul cultivation¡­¡± Liu Fan thought expectantly. At this moment, the System spoke again¡­ ¡°Advertisement time. The System of Ancestors is extremely useful, specially designed for the deceased who have made extraordinary contributions to mankind in their lifetime. It aims to empower these ancestors to continue their noble cause in the world, to fight for peace, and to act as models for future generations¡­¡± It¡¯s a well-written advertisement. Liu Fan finally understood. In his previous life, he had transmigrated from Earth with an obsession with building muscles. Then, he had chanced upon physical cultivation and bestowed numerous physical cultivators with his knowledge and experience. Eventually, he was celebrated as the First Physical Cultivator. ¡°In that case, I indeed have made huge contributions to mankind!¡± Liu Fan now understood that his revival by the System made perfect sense! The System existed in the form of a ¡°control panel.¡± Liu Fan willed the panel to pop up. ¡°Host: Liu Fan, physical cultivator.¡± ¡°Identity: First Ancestor of the Liu family of the City of Scorpio.¡± ¡°Achievements: Calculated the Heavenly Cycle of Qi in human bodies to an incredible accuracy of 3.141592653 days, introduced the important concept of the Golden Ratio of Human Bodies, pioneered physical cultivation; experienced in combat, possesses rich knowledge in many cultivation techniques and skills that have been lost (300 close-combat skills and cultivation techniques that involve the use of weapons, 100 secret recipes, and 99 fighting techniques), familiar with many secrets known to few in the world.¡± ¡°Respect points: 20.¡± ¡°Task objective: Your descendants are morally degraded to have dug up your grave. Please discipline them. Firstly, teach them to respect the old and care for the young. Educate them to honor their ancestors and love one another.¡± That keyword caught Liu Fan¡¯s attention ¡ª ¡°respect points¡±! ¡°What are respect points?¡± Liu Fan clicked on the link for ¡°respect points¡± and a line of words appeared. ¡°How to generate respect points: Respect points can be generated directly from memorial rituals held for you. The number of points produced depends on how dutiful your descendants are during the rituals.¡± ¡°Uses: Extend your awake time; redeem the Ancestors¡¯ Incantations.¡± ¡°Exchange rate: 1 respect point = 1 minute of awake time.¡± Liu Fan was impressed by the clarity of those explanations. It seemed that this system was rather professional. Now, he was finally convinced that he had truly been revived. However, he would fall into slumber again once he ran out of respect points. Respect points, in other words, acted as the source of energy that kept him awake. ¡°As for the incantations¡­¡± Liu Fan pondered. He hadn¡¯t heard of that before. He clicked on ¡°Ancestors¡¯ Incantations,¡± and the relevant information was displayed immediately. ¡°The Ancestors¡¯ Incantations has two parts, The Love of the Ancestor and The Rage of the Ancestor. The exchange rate varies according to the level of the spell.¡± At this moment, the screen beeped. ¡°Your descendants are performing a worship ritual for you, respect points +1, +1, +1¡­¡± The total amount of respect points reached 50 in no time! Liu Fan was surprised. He wanted to take a look at his descendants, but he was unable to sit up. ¡°System reminder: Only your consciousness has been revived. Insufficient respect points for you to step out of the coffin and walk in the world.¡± That was good news. It meant that there was a way for him to revive fully and get out of that coffin. Hence, he asked hastily, ¡°How many respect points will it cost?¡± A series of calculations were kick-started immediately. After a while, a line of question marks appeared on the screen. ¡°What sort of answer is this?¡± Liu Fan was disappointed. It seemed that it was impossible to rely on the system to revive his body. Hence, he had to count on himself. Apart from opening his eyes, he couldn¡¯t do anything at the moment. He was surrounded by total darkness because he was still in the coffin. However, as the First Physical Cultivator, a mere coffin lid wouldn¡¯t block his vision. When he gazed out, everything outside the coffin became clear at once. He was in the ancestral temple of the Liu family. His coffin was placed in the center of the temple. The ancestral temple, also known as the ancestral shrine, was a place dedicated to the deified ancestors of the family. People of the Liu family came here to worship their progenitors, and some were also brought here to receive punishment if they had breached the family rules. ¡°As far as I can remember, I was the one who set the rules¡­¡± Liu Fan thought as he reminisced about the past. ¡°When I was alive, I set 108 family rules, including one about disrespect toward ancestors. Those who dishonor the ancestors shall be sentenced to death by canes, their bodies shall be hanged on the top of the building for birds and bugs alike to maim, and they shall be buried not less than three months after death. ¡°Judging from the situation today, these unfilial brats have totally forgotten about this rule!¡± Liu Fan sighed. The ancestral temple of the Liu family was one that had withstood the vicissitudes of time. The black bricks on the floor had been flattened by numerous visitors over the years. Outside the temple, two red pillars stood by the door, each carrying a banner that read, ¡°The tortoise of the northern sky protects us¡± and ¡°The tiger of the western sky guards us.¡± The size of the temple was just right at around 100 square meters. There was only one main hall which had four niches. A spirit tablet was displayed in the central niche. The tablet was three inches in width and seven inches in height, which symbolized that it was the resting place of the three spirits and seven souls of a man1. Liu Fan saw his name on the tablet. ¡°Liu Fan, an esteemed and well-loved ancestor, First Physical Cultivator¡± Simple yet full of respect. It had been a thousand years since his demise. Hence, his spirit tablet was more sacred than that of others. Right below his tablet was his coffin. The altar table had been shifted forward to make space for the coffin. ¡°O, our ancestor!¡± Someone spoke beside him. The man¡¯s voice was loud and clear. Liu Fan looked over and saw that Liu Tao, together with five Elders, was leading the Liu family in worshipping his spirit tablet. ¡°Incense!¡± ¡°Kowtow!¡± Liu Tao looked pious and serious. He raised the three incense sticks in his hands high above his head. Then, after three kowtows, he inserted the sticks into the incense burner. Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After that, Liu Tao fetched a huge pot of wine and a roasted pig¡¯s head. He placed them on the altar table with all sincerity. ¡°Please help yourself, Ancestor!¡± ¡°We once again borrowed your body to kill some enemies today. Thank you for lending us your strength!¡± Liu Tao said loudly and respectfully. Soon, the fragrance of incense filled the air and a peaceful atmosphere surrounded the ancestral temple. The roasted pig¡¯s head glowed with oil, looking fierce. A six-year-old kid was biting his fingers with his eyes glued to the pig¡¯s head, which made his mouth water. He mumbled, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, I wanna eat piggy, I want that piggy¡­¡± The Fifth Elder heard him and turned to chide him at once. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®pig,¡¯ not piggy!¡± Then, he scolded the kid¡¯s parents too. ¡°Please teach your child to respect our ancestors! What blatant disrespect to cry ¡®eating piggy¡¯ in front of the ancestors1!¡± Shocked, the couple covered their child¡¯s mouth immediately. The child was displeased. He was about to cry! The couple bowed down and whispered something in his ears. In the next second, the kid was suddenly beaming with joy. ¡°Haish! Have my descendants really become like that?!¡± Liu Fan sighed over what he had just witnessed. He would have suspected that his coffin had been placed with the wrong family if not for the bloodline connection he had felt. He glanced around at his descendants and realized that green-colored numbers were produced whenever they worshipped him. The numbers would fly from the top of their heads to his spirit tablet. Some numbers were big, but some were small. At the same time, he noticed that his ¡°respect points¡± were increasing on the system screen. ¡°The head of the clan, Liu Tao, worshipped you; respect points +50¡­¡± ¡°The First Elder Liu Dahai worshipped you; respect points +10¡­¡± ¡°The Second Elder Liu Erhai worshipped you; respect points +12. The Third Elder Liu Sanhai worshipped you; respect points +13. The Fifth Elder Liu Wuhai worshipped you; respect points +100. The Sixth Elder Liu Liuhai worshipped you; respect points +100¡­¡± ¡°A clan member Liu Daquan worshipped you; respect points +6. A clan member Liu Erquan worshipped you; respect points +5. A clan member Liu Xiaoquan worshipped you; respect points +0¡­¡± ¡°I see now. The green numbers on their heads are respect points!¡± Liu Fan understood. The more numbers there were, the more serious and pious the person was during his worship. Apparently, the Fifth and Sixth Elders respected him the most. They had contributed 100 respect points each, even higher than the head of the clan. They were much better than the First Elder and the Second and Third Elders. The total points from the three of them combined were less than 50. That explained why they had suggested that the coffin should be placed in the ancestral temple and that Liu Fan should be trained into a battle puppet. ¡°How arrogant of them to look down on me, old fellows!¡± Liu Fan decided that he would focus on educating those three about respect in the days to come. As for those who had made zero contributions, all of them were kids. Their bright eyes couldn¡¯t leave the roasted pig¡¯s head at all as they sucked on their fingers. Judging from their expressions, Liu Fan felt that they respected the pig¡¯s head even more than they respected him. ¡°What?! Why¡¯s there a ?50?!¡± Liu Fan was stunned. It came from a clan member who was standing in the corner. He was dressed in gray, and a bright red ¡°?50¡± was floating over his head. The man was young and tanned. He looked like he was in his early 20s. When it was his turn to worship, his bows were 90 degrees and his face was solemnly serious. There was no trace of disloyalty at all. The head of the clan and the other Elders seemed pleased with him. They nodded gently as the young man came forward. ¡°Liu Chao is the most extraordinary man in our family, and I agree with that. At the tender age of 21, he¡¯s mature, respectful toward the ancestors, and exceptionally talented in cultivation. So far, he has successfully refined his bones. He will be able to achieve the Body Tempering realm once he¡¯s done refining his muscles. By that time, our Liu family will have another martial art expert of the Fish Dive State!¡± said the Second Elder, Liu Erhai, smiling. Liu Tao nodded and turned to the First Elder. He commended, ¡°It is thanks to you, First Elder. I knew that you were a great teacher!¡± Liu Dahai was beaming with joy and pride, but he replied humbly, ¡°I don¡¯t deserve such a compliment. It¡¯s all thanks to our ancestor. He answered our prayers!¡± Then he turned and bowed at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. But this time, he contributed zero respect points. Liu Fan was furious inside his coffin. What a hypocrite! Despite his nice words, that old fellow must have been thinking about himself when he worshipped his ancestor! As for his disciple, Liu Chao, every worship of his came with a bright red ¡°?50¡± flying off from the top of his head. Whenever the ¡°?50¡± landed on the spirit tablet, Liu Fan noticed that the total number of respect points on the system screen would reduce. At that moment, all of the other clan members were done worshipping. Hence, there were no more contributions of green-colored respect points. Annoyingly, only this guy continued to worship Liu Fan non-stop, again and again! The respect points went down by 50 every time he took a bow. ¡°Damn it. I¡¯ll die at this rate!¡± Liu Fan cursed. He looked at the screen. He¡¯d had more than 500 respect points a short while ago, but now he had only 250 left! At this moment, the system beeped. ¡°The system detected that this man is not from the Liu family. He is a spy from the Lu family and his real name is Lu Wushuang. He has blended in to steal the cultivation techniques of your family and to assist the Lu family into wiping out your clan!¡± When he heard that, a cold, murderous look emerged in Liu Fan¡¯s eyes. However, the system hadn¡¯t revived his body. He couldn¡¯t even lift his fingers, let alone walk out of his coffin. The system reminded him again that he didn¡¯t have enough respect points. ¡°How? I can¡¯t just sit and watch as this spy destroys my clan!¡± Liu Fan cried. Suddenly, the system beeped again. ¡°Advertisement time. The Ancestors¡¯ Incantations is a set of useful spells crafted carefully for the System of Ancestors. There are two parts to it ¡ª The Love of the Ancestor and The Rage of the Ancestor!¡± ¡°The Love of the Ancestor can shower the target with your love.¡± ¡°For instance, the Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Start-Cultivating-at-the-First-Crow-of-the-Cock1 can be used on lethargic members of the clan. The spell will help the target get rid of his bad habits and motivate him to cultivate with the sword every morning. He will become diligent and hardworking under his ancestor¡¯s heartfelt love!¡± What a magical spell! Liu Fan was surprised. The advertisement continued¡­ ¡°The Rage of the Ancestor can curse the target with your anger.¡± ¡°For example, the Rage of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Treat-Everyone-with-All-Sincerity can be cast on dishonest clan members. Under this spell, the target must speak the truth and be frank with others. He must make known his true self, no matter how ugly it is. This way, he will endure his ancestor¡¯s fury and bear the consequences!¡± Liu Fan burst with joy immediately. That¡¯s wonderful! He looked at Lu Wushuang, who was still bowing at 90 degrees to him. Liu Fan told the System, ¡°Redeem the Rage of the Ancestor: Treat-Everyone-with-All-Sincerity!¡± ¡°Redeemed successfully. 100 respect points deducted.¡± That¡¯s expensive! But Liu Fan didn¡¯t have time to mourn for his loss of respect points. Locking his eyes on Liu Chao, he was ready to cast the spell. ¡°System reminder: The target is not a member of your clan. Hence, the effect of the spell can last for only two hours. Do you confirm the use of the spell?¡± ¡°I confirm!¡± ¡°The Rage of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Treat-Everyone-with-Sincerity. Go!¡± Liu Fan willed. A white flash crossed the screen. In the next instant, Liu Fan saw that Liu Chao, who was about to bow to him again, suddenly shuddered and stood up straight. He turned to look at the crowd. His eyes were full of sincerity and honesty! ¡°Attention, please. I would like to share a secret with you all!¡± Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°For so many years, everyone has been under the impression that they knew me well, but I want to tell you that you don¡¯t understand me at all!¡± ¡°Today, I want to be honest with you. I shall share with you my biggest secret, which I have carried with me for more than 20 years!¡± Outside the ancestral temple, Liu Chao spoke passionately, his saliva spluttering over where he stood. All of the Liu clan members pricked their ears curiously. At his side, the First Elder looked at Liu Chao dotingly and smiled kindly. ¡°My dear disciple, you can keep your secret to yourself!¡± ¡°No!¡± Liu Chao waved his hand seriously. ¡°I want to say it! Please don¡¯t stop me!¡± Seeing that Liu Dahai was still trying to persuade him, Liu Chao¡¯s eyes widened and he drew his sword immediately. He shouted loudly, ¡°If you stop me again, there¡¯ll be consequences!¡± Liu Dahai was taken aback. ¡°What has happened to my lovely disciple?!¡± Liu Tao, several other elders, as well as the clan members under the stairs all revealed a strange look. They wondered what had happened to the usually quiet Liu Chao. In the coffin, Liu Fan watched what was happening outside, confused. ¡°This spell is somehow overly powerful!¡± At this moment, Liu Chao looked as if he had been possessed by someone else! Liu Fan continued his observations¡­ On the stairs outside the ancestral temple, Liu Chao cleared his throat and raised a finger. He pointed at the crowd and shouted loftily, ¡°Forgive me for being frank, but everyone here is scum and rubbish!¡± Liu Chao revealed the secret that he had kept in his heart for years. He then started to taunt everyone! The clan members were at first taken aback, but they became angry at once. How could Liu Chao curse so casually at them? There was a commotion in the crowd. Liu Dahai was startled. He hurriedly signaled Liu Chao to speak no further nonsense. What Liu Dahai had not expected was that Liu Chao despised him too! Liu Chao turned around and his eyes fell on his teacher. Then, with his lips curling upwards, he sneered, ¡°Old fellow, what are you mad about? I¡¯m telling you that you are actually a big idiot!¡± His eyes looked incredibly sincere as he spoke, staring straight at Liu Dahai, who was looking back at him absently. Seeing that Liu Dahai didn¡¯t respond, Liu Chao intensified his tone and said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m being perfectly honest with you. In my heart, you are really a big idiot!¡± ¡°The most important thing between people is to treat each other with sincerity. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t lie to you! I¡¯m telling you my honest thoughts!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Liu Tao yelled, ¡°How dare you talk nonsense in front of our ancestor¡¯s tablet!¡± Liu Chao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How is he my ancestor?! In fact, I¡¯m not Liu Chao. I¡¯m Lu Wushuang, the true heir of the Lu clan!¡± ¡°Twenty years ago, the head of the Lu clan killed a couple from the Liu clan who¡¯d had difficulty giving birth and replaced their child with me. Liu Dahai thought I was the couple¡¯s child, so he took me under his wings and raised me up!¡± ¡°In short, I¡¯m from the Lu clan, and my name is Lu Wushuang!¡± ¡°The head of my clan promised me that as long as I¡¯ve learned the cultivation techniques of your clan and got elected as the head of Liu clan, he will collaborate with me and take over the Liu clan completely!¡± When Liu Chao finished speaking, all the members of the Liu clan froze in place. They didn¡¯t know how to react. ¡°The spell is so strong! Liu Chao has spilled the truth, hiding no details at all.¡± Liu Fan was shocked. The power of this spell was beyond his expectation. It seemed that Liu Chao was not holding anything back! Outside the ancestral hall, Liu Tao¡¯s face was overwritten with disbelief. No one had seen it coming! The Elders¡¯ mouths were agape too. Among them, the First Elder was shuddering all over and his face was pallid. He tried to speak, but anger had taken his tongue. He couldn¡¯t utter a complete sentence for a long while. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Why did you suddenly want to reveal your secret plan to the public?¡± Liu Tao¡¯s complexion had recovered to equanimity. There was a murderous look in his eyes, but he still posed this question. The other clan members also looked over. Why would Liu Chao reveal this biggest secret so openly?! Could it be a fraud?! Liu Chao met Liu Tao¡¯s eyes, and then glanced at all the other members of the Liu clan. With his eyes filled with absolute sincerity, Liu Chao said, ¡°As I¡¯ve said, the most important thing between people is to treat each other with sincerity. If you have any secrets, you should say it out loud. Isn¡¯t that right?!¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Liu Tao blinked, a little confused. He turned to look at the other elders, who all looked perplexed. Liu Chao¡¯s words had dealt a huge blow to their world views and values! ¡°Traitor! Go to hell!¡± At this moment, the First Elder felt that he could not stand it further. With a loud scream, he dashed forth and smashed his palm heavily on Liu Chao¡¯s chest. In the past, he had always been proud of Liu Chao. But at this moment, Liu Chao had brought him immense shame. He had been humiliated in front of his clan members. Liu Chao spouted a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground. He looked at Liu Dahai, whose eyes were full of murderousness. Dying, Liu Chao said in a serious tone, ¡°Remember, the most important thing between people is to treat each other with sincerity¡­¡± Then, he died! The Liu clan members remained speechless as they looked at Liu Chao¡¯s dead body. For a long while, they were unable to speak a word. Many people were still puzzled over what had happened. ¡°Liu Chao was acting so weirdly today!¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like him!¡± ¡°He was telling us to treat each other sincerely even when he was dying¡­ How creepy!¡± In the courtyard, the clan members whispered among themselves. The wind blew, and yellow leaves fell off from the big willow tree in the yard. The clan members looked up at the sky and then at Liu Chao¡¯s body. Finally, their eyes landed on the coffin in the ancestral hall. ¡°Could it be our great ancestor!?¡± someone yelled from the crowd. The crowd was stirred into a commotion at once. A while later, all of them cheered at the awakening of their great ancestor. Then, one by one, they knelt on the ground and started to kowtow at the coffin in the ancestral temple. At the entrance of the temple, Liu Tao and the other elders suddenly recovered from the shock. Gazing at one another, they said simultaneously, ¡°Perhaps it was really our great ancestor!¡± The Fifth and Six Elders cried in excitement, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®perhaps¡¯? It must be our great ancestor!¡± They hurriedly bowed down. Liu Tao and the rest also followed. Meanwhile, inside the coffin, Liu Fan was excited as well. At this moment, green respect points were constantly produced from the top of the clan members¡¯ heads. All of them were large in number. ¡°Clan member Liu Daquan worshipped you; respect points +50¡­¡± ¡°Clan member Liu Erquan worshipped you; respect points +45¡­¡± ¡°The head of the clan, Liu Tao, worshipped you; respect points +100¡­¡± ¡°The Fifth Elder, Liu Wuhai, worshipped you; respect points +200¡­¡± Liu Fan felt cheerful as he watched the respect points increase on the system panel. However, he sulked again when he saw the points above the First Elder¡¯s head. It was still 10, the same as before. The Second and the Third Elders also had the same respect points as before ¡ª one was ¡°12¡± and the other was ¡°13.¡± ¡°These three old fellows¡­¡± Liu Fan clenched his teeth. He wanted to punch them! As for those kids, there were still no respect points above their heads. The roasted pig¡¯s head was all there was in their eyes¡­ Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Night fell. The Liu family left the ancestral temple one by one. In the coffin, Liu Fan was counting the respect points excitedly. ¡°Respect points: 2520.¡± In other words, he could use the respect points to exchange for 2520 minutes of awake time. That was equivalent to a day and a half. With that, Liu Fan heaved a sigh of relief and did not have to worry about falling back asleep. The coffin was pitch black. Apart from opening his eyes, Liu Fan could not do anything else. He asked the System again, did he really have to remain as a living dead in the coffin for the rest of his life? ¡°As long as there are sufficient respect points, the dead will be able to walk out of the coffin and reappear on earth!¡± Liu Fan felt helpless when he heard that! The System needed respect points. However, goodness knew how many respect points he needed! The only thing he could do was to attract more people to pay respects to him to accumulate his respect points. ¡°However, how should I get them over¡­¡± Liu Fan thought about it. Then, he remembered how he made use of The Rage of the Ancestor that afternoon¡­ Night fell. When the moon rose above the tree, the ancestral temple¡¯s door creaked and opened! Two figures scurried into the garden sneakily. When they realized there was nobody in the ancestral temple, they rushed in and began to pay respects to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. ¡°Ancestor, please forgive us. Our children are really hungry and want to eat, please lend us your pig¡¯s head to feed our children. After they grow up, we will rear more pigs to pay respect to you¡­¡± Then, they began to wrap the roasted pig¡¯s head on the table. In the coffin, Liu Fan opened his eyes and recognized the two of them. One of them was Liu Daquan and the other was Liu Erquan. They were biological brothers and each had a child. When Liu Fan heard what they said, he was shocked. Was the situation of the Liu family so bad that they had no money to buy food?! Under his lead a thousand years ago, the Liu family was renowned across the nation. There were many experts in the family, and they were deemed a ¡°royal family¡± by the dynasty back then. The Liu family owned many territories all over the City of Scorpio and was extremely honorable. ¡°Looks like I have to understand the current plight of the Liu family!¡± Liu Fan kept silent. Then, at this moment, a cough was heard from outside the courtyard. Liu Daquan and Liu Erquan were shocked. They turned around and saw Liu Wuhai, the Fifth Elder, standing there with his walking stick. ¡°Fifth Elder, we¡­ we¡­¡± The two of them panicked and did not know what to do with the pig¡¯s head in their hands. Liu Wuhai sighed and waved his hands. ¡°Take it, take it! The kids are still growing. If anyone asks about the pig¡¯s head, just say that the cat took it away in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± The two of them replied excitedly and was about to leave when Liu Wuhai said, ¡°After taking our ancestor¡¯s food, are you not required to pay your respects to him?!¡± Both brothers turned around and paid their respects to Liu Fan by praying, burning incense paper, and kowtowing to him. Then, they left hurriedly with the pig¡¯s head. Liu Fan received 50 more respect points in the coffin. Liu Fan liked Liu Wuhai. This descendant was very respectful. He was very sincere when he paid his respects in the afternoon and had contributed the most respect points. However, he did not know why he came to the ancestral temple in the middle of the night. It was already autumn and wind blew in the night, causing the leaves to fall to the ground. Liu Wuhai stepped on the leaves and walked over. Under the moonlight, his body seemed to be more hunched. He walked into the ancestral temple and added oil to the oil lamp. Then, he lit three more incense sticks for Liu Fan, burned some incense paper, and kowtowed. After that, he sat on the praying mat as he touched Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. His respect points increased by 200. Liu Fan felt relieved. Liu Wuhai, his descendant, was very respectful to him. He was very sincere whenever he paid his respects. Liu Fan looked past the coffin and examined Liu Wuhai carefully. Liu Wuhai, who was in his 70s, had a face wrinkled like a tree bark. Under the oil lamp, he looked extremely tired as he sat beside Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. He slowly took out a pipe bowl, lit it with the oil lamp, and smoked. As he huffed and puffed, the fire lit up and dwindled in the pipe bowl. It was extremely obvious in the dark ancestral temple. ¡°Ancestor, the Liu family is getting worse! It is almost winter, but we have very little rice left in the storeroom. Our business is also dwindling. How can we get through this winter? Sigh!¡± ¡°Although we killed many people with your dead body, the money we got from that is not enough at all!¡± Liu Wuhai sighed and puffed out smoke, blurring his face. ¡°During winter two years ago, seven family members died from the cold. Last winter, six more family members died. I wonder how many more people will freeze to death this year.¡± ¡°How is it possible for our family clan to end up in this plight?!¡± ¡°Our generation is dwindling. If not for your body, goodness knows how many times the Liu family would be attacked.¡± ¡°Today, our Fourth brother died. It¡¯s all because of me. If I had not buried you too deeply, he would not have died.¡± ¡°Fourth brother, I am sorry!¡± Liu Wuhai¡¯s eyes turned red when he talked about this. He wanted to cry but choked on the smoke and began to cough violently. After a long time, he recovered. He took deep breaths while sitting on the praying mat and made grumbling sounds. ¡°It was written in the clan book that you are the first generation of the Liu family. You are extremely well-trained and will never die. If you are listening to this, please advise your descendants!¡± Liu Wuhai put down his pipe and kowtowed repeatedly to Liu Fan. ¡°Ancestor!¡± ¡°Ancestor!¡± ¡°Ancestor!¡± ¡­ He sobbed as he kowtowed. He had completely given up hope in the Liu family. In the coffin, Liu Fan was agitated. ¡°What exactly happened during these thousand years? Why did our family end up like this?¡± He was depressed. He could not believe that even after he died, his body was still helping the Liu family kill their enemies. He looked at Liu Wuhai and got a shock when he saw him crying and looking extremely disappointed. ¡°He is carrying a lot of burden. He also seems to be suffering from depression ¡ª severe depression ¡ª this is terrible¡­!¡± He called out to the System and spent 100 respect points to exchange for a spell. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of High Spirits! Go!¡± Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the ancestral temple, Liu Wuhai, who was in the midst of kowtowing, suddenly felt enlightened. Then, an inexplicable sense of confidence exuded from his heart and overwhelmed him. He felt that his mind was clear and he became more energized. Most importantly, he suddenly figured out something ¡ª as long as one is alive, there will be hope. ¡°I can choose to get through a day by being depressed, or I can choose to get through a day by being in high spirits. Why should I make my life so difficult?!¡± Liu Wuhai talked to himself as his eyes lit up. ¡°Hahaha, the ancestor must have spoken. Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Liu Wuhai had figured it out. He laughed and kowtowed to Liu Fan again. At this moment, the door of the ancestral temple creaked and opened. Liu Liuhai, the Sixth Elder, walked in. He looked anxious, and before he could fix the buttons on his shirt, he ran into Liu Wuhai and was shocked after seeing how Liu Wuhai was laughing in excitement. ¡°Fifth brother, don¡¯t scare me! You mustn¡¯t go crazy!¡± He thought Liu Wuhai had gone mad. Liu Wuhai stood up and smiled, showing his yellow teeth. ¡°Sixth brother, don¡¯t be so clumsy at this old age. I suddenly figured out that we should be hopeful for the future and fight for the better as long as we are alive!¡± ¡°Everything is possible in the future!¡± After he said that, he waved and left in high spirits while humming a tune. Liu Liuhai was stunned. He suddenly sprawled down in front of Liu Liuhai¡¯s coffin and bawled. He said as he cried, ¡°Our family is really unlucky. Our Fourth brother died in the morning, a spy who was undercover for 20 years revealed himself in the afternoon, and our Fifth brother went crazy at night!¡± ¡°Sob sob sob, Ancestor, please tell me if our family line is about to end just like this¡­¡± Liu Fan was speechless in the coffin. His descendants were too pessimistic. All of them looked as though they were under a cloud of depression! Without hesitation, he made an exchange for The Love of the Ancestor spell again! ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Motivation, go!¡± The spell was cast. Let this descendant experience the love of his ancestor! Instantly, Liu Liuhai¡¯s body shook. He felt as though the spirit of motivation was exuding from his soul and spreading throughout his entire body. He shuddered uncontrollably and suddenly felt energized. ¡°Yes. As a man, I should be motivated and confident.¡± ¡°Why must I live in depression and pessimism?¡± He asked himself those questions and felt that he was living too pessimistically in the past. As an Elder of the family clan, he should be leading the family instead of feeling depressed. As he thought about that, his eyes lit up. In the end, he suddenly raised his fist and roared, ¡°I am a man, I should work hard! From now on, I want to be a man with aspiration and motivation!¡± He turned and made three kowtows to Liu Fan. ¡°Thank you for the enlightenment, Ancestor. I will definitely be a motivated leader!¡± Liu Liuhai said loudly as he left in confidence. With the wind due to the movement of his pants, the fallen leaves in the courtyard were blown aside¡­ Liu Fan was extremely pleased. The spells The Love of the Ancestor and The Rage of the Ancestor were extremely powerful. It could change the personality and character of an individual instantly, as well as how they do things and what their attitude toward life was. ¡°How long does the effect of the spell last?¡± Liu Fan wondered. He then checked it out in the System. ¡°The spell works for only two hours for people who are not members of the clan. For those from the Liu family, the spell will be valid for an unlimited period of time. As long as the person who has cast it does not remove it, the effect of the spell will continue to be valid!¡± Liu Fan was extremely glad when he saw the details of the spell in the System. After that night¡­ The sun lit up the City of Scorpio as it shone through the foggy sky. The City of Scorpio, situated on the Scorpio Island, was one of the 13 kingdoms in the Naiyun continent. The City of Scorpio had an abundance of resources and had a lot of famous families. These families started many towns and villages around the City of Scorpio. They built banks, started trades, formed gangs, sold medicine, and produced weapons, causing the City of Scorpio to be extremely populated. There were millions of people in the entire city. Meanwhile, outside of the City of Scorpio, at the deep corner of the Scorpio Island, there were a few martial arts clans living in the mountains. They owned many weapons and shared the resources of the City of Scorpio with the rich families. The Liu family used to be the only royal family in the City of Scorpio more than a thousand years ago and had a higher rank than all the other families. However, the Liu family had fallen and was forcefully suppressed. The Liu family had ended up in Black Street with fewer than 100 members. Perhaps, after a few years, there would no longer be any members of the Liu family left in the City of Scorpio. However, the fight the day before caused the Liu family to become extremely famous in Black Street. The heads of clans, including the Spiritual Monkey and the King of Swords, and over 1000 people had died under the Liu family. Their heads were severed by the Liu family and hung on the wall. Black Street was in chaos! Countless people were afraid! The Spiritual Monkey clan and the King of Swords clan, as well as a few other clans, left their territory and were afraid to show themselves again. Meanwhile, the Zhang family and the Li family, who were the neighbors of the Liu family, brought many gifts to the Liu family in the morning. They pretended to be showing gratitude but were checking out how the fallen Liu family could possibly kill more than 1000 strong warriors. The two families were extremely afraid as they had quite a bit of stake among the stalls in Black Street as well. Liu Tao began to chat with the head of the clans of the Zhang family and the Li family about aspirations and everything under the sun. They drank a lot of tea while chatting but did not bring up the incident that had happened the day before. The head of the clan of the Li family could not stand it any longer and asked about it. Liu Tao smiled mysteriously and pointed to the sky. He said, ¡°It was all thanks to the protection of our ancestor!¡± Hearing that, the head of the clan of the Li family and the Zhang family internally cursed Liu Tao for being sly. ¡°Haha, Clan Head Liu, you are becoming more and more youthful. You make interesting comments!¡± Both of them made replies to Liu Tao with a fake smile and left. When they passed by the door of the courtyard, two people walked toward them. The Fifth Elder Liu Wuhai and the Sixth Elder Liu Liuhai. Liu Wuhai had combed his hair back and had a cleanly shaven face. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and was in high spirits. Liu Liuhai was in armor and had a sword in his side. He had his chest up, brimming with confidence. Both of them were over 70 years old, but their spirits stunned the Li and Zhang families¡¯ heads of the clan. ¡®Did they take some special medicine?!¡¯ ¡°Elders, you are becoming more and more lively!¡± Both heads of clan greeted the elders. Liu Wuhai swung his head and smiled. ¡°We should be hopeful for the future!¡± Liu Liuhai slapped his sword and said with confidence, ¡°As a man, I have to take action!¡± Both the heads of clan waved and thought they were insane. They left immediately. In the room, Liu Tao was shocked when he saw Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai. He asked worriedly, ¡°Fifth Elder and Sixth Elder, are you okay¡­?¡± He thought that they were behaving weirdly. ¡°Clan Head, we should be hopeful for the future!¡± Liu Wuhai walked over and patted Liu Tao¡¯s shoulder in high spirits. ¡°I have decided to follow the rules set by our ancestors. I will monitor the training of our people personally. Three times a day, morning, noon, and night.¡± ¡°Clan Head, as a man, I have to take action!¡± Liu Liuhai was extremely confident. He said, ¡°Our ancestors led a strong army. Now, I want to continue the legend and raise a new army!¡± After saying that, both of them left, taking big strides. Clan Head Liu Tao looked around and looked up to the sky in confusion. At this moment, footsteps were heard behind him. The First Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder had arrived. The First Elder¡¯s disciple died yesterday and, hence, he looked depressed. The Second Elder was cutting his fingernails and keeping silent¡­ The Third Elder rubbed his ears again and again¡­ When Liu Tao saw that, he nodded and sighed. ¡°Thankfully, these three are behaving normally¡­¡± He coughed and said, ¡°Elders, let¡¯s go and pay our respects to the ancestor!¡± ¡°Also, please hide those things well.¡± ¡°Those things!!!¡± The three of them became serious. If not for those couple of things, the Liu family would not have been attacked by their enemies, nearly perishing in their hands! Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Fan, who was lying in the coffin, could tell that it was daytime when he saw the light rays that were shining through the opening of the coffin lid. It was the second day after he came back to life! There was a young man cleaning the courtyard outside the ancestral temple. He yawned with sleepy eyes while holding a broom. He was sweeping the leaves while cursing to himself. ¡°I merely accidentally farted when we were paying our respects to our ancestor. Why did they accuse me of being disrespectful?!!¡± ¡°The Ancestor is kind, so why would he find fault with his descendant¡¯s fart?!¡± ¡°Hmph! Asking me to sweep the courtyard as a punishment, this is too much!¡± Liu Dongdong was annoyed. After he swept the courtyard, he turned and saw another layer of leaves on the floor which he had already swept. The willow had been growing for decades. It was tall, and the yellow leaves fell when the autumn wind blew. This scene was extremely beautiful under the evening sun. However, Liu Dongdong could think of only three words¡­ ¡°What the f*ck¡­¡± He was extremely frustrated. Why was this tree bullying him too?! His efforts that morning were wasted! He threw the broom aside and climbed up the tree while carrying a bamboo stick. ¡°Bump bump bump¡­¡± Liu Dongdong swung the bamboo stick and hit the tree branches in order to make the tree leaves fall. After a moment, the tree was left with leafless branches. Liu Dongdong jumped down from the tree. He put his arms across his waist proudly. He turned around and bowed to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet as he said, ¡°Ancestor, what do you think? Is your descendant smart? Hahaha¡­¡± After he said that, he swept all the leaves in a pile and crawled into the pile of leaves. ¡°Hmm, let me have a good sleep. This is so comfortable¡­¡± In the blink of an eye, snores could be heard. Liu Fan was speechless. Why were all of his descendants so extreme?! The head of the clan dug up Liu Fan¡¯s grave and the Elders had a discussion to make him a puppet. Liu Daquan came last night to steal the pig¡¯s head. And this morning, Liu Dongdong buried himself in the pile of leaves to sleep¡­ In the past, Liu Fan would wake up early to train and go to the mountains to hunt tigers before daylight. When the sun rose, he would compete with other martial art experts. At night, he would run a marathon while carrying a stone mill¡­ ¡°Sigh! There must be a reason for the fall of my family¡­¡± Liu Fan sighed in his heart. The entire Liu family seemed to be helpless! How should he, as an ancestor, save them?! At this moment, the System was heard¡­ ¡°A short advertisement is forthcoming.¡± ¡°The Ancestor System is an extremely user-friendly system. It is modern and advanced. In order to help the ancestors keep up with the times, we specially published a ¡®Normal Distribution Calculation¡¯ to help the ancestors.¡± ¡°Please confirm if you want to proceed with the calculations for the Liu family members.¡± Liu Fan was stunned. He gave his confirmation and was looking forward to the results. ¡°This Normal Distribution Calculation sounds like an extremely advanced method!¡± At that moment, the System¡¯s screen blinked continuously, and a moment later, lines of messages were displayed on the screen¡­ ¡°Target: The Liu family.¡± ¡°Total number of members: 316 people.¡± ¡°Calculation method: Normal Distribution Calculation.¡± ¡°Calculation results: All of the members fulfill the normal distribution.¡± ¡°The potential of the Liu family members fulfill the normal distribution.¡± ¡°The ability of the Liu family members fulfill the normal distribution.¡± There were three charts attached at the bottom of the screen. ¡°Sensitivity normal distribution chart.¡± ¡°Potential normal distribution chart.¡± ¡°Ability normal distribution chart.¡± The charts had a normal distribution. The two ends were low and the center region was high. It was symmetrical. Liu Fan was amused and continued to look at the results¡­ ¡°Of the clan members, 95% (300 people) has a sensitivity score of approximately 65 (out of 100 points), 2.5% (8 people) has a sensitivity score of below 50, while 2.5% (8 people) has a sensitivity score of above 90.¡± ¡°Of the clan members, 95% (300 people) has a potential score of approximately 70 (out of 100 points), 2.5% (8 people) has a potential score of below 50, while 2.5% (8 people) has a potential score of above 90.¡± ¡°Of the clan members, 95% (300 people) are warriors with the three Body Tempering states1, 2.5% (8 people) do not know martial arts at all, and 2.5% (8 people) are experts with better skills than the three Body Tempering states.¡± There was much more to the interpretation of the results. After Liu Fan looked through all of them, he was in deep thought. The current state of the Liu family was as follows: low sensitivity, low potential, and low ability! Three lows! It was impossible for the Liu family to become powerful again. ¡°The only way out is to make the 2.5% of members who have outstanding sensitivity, potential, and abilities to become more powerful. Then, they could lead the majority of the family to eventually reach the goal of empowering the entire family clan!¡± Liu Fan kept silent. He thought of plans to help empower the Liu family. The specific plan was as such: Empower the minority of the people ¡ª allow the first batch of people to rise immediately! Then, allow the minority to lead the majority, helping the second batch of people to rise gradually! Then, the entire family would rise vertically! ¡°So, how many family members have both sensitivity score and potential score of above 90, as well as an expert state in martial arts?¡± Liu Fan looked at the chart and the system began to calculate¡­ ¡°After calculation, there are no members who fulfill this requirement.¡± Liu Fan was disappointed. ¡°Then, how many members fulfill at least two of the three conditions?¡± Liu Fan asked further. ¡°After calculation, the members who fulfill the requirements of having both sensitivity score and potential score of above 90 are the following: Liu Dongdong, Liu Meimei, and Liu Xiaoxiao.¡± There were three descendants, not too bad! Liu Fan was satisfied. However, he was surprised that Liu Dongdong, who was currently sleeping in the pile of leaves in the courtyard, had a score higher than 90 for both sensitivity and potential. As for Liu Meimei, he vaguely had some impression of her. Because she was a tall and beautiful young lady. 175 centimeters tall. 36D. 55. 94. Liu Xiaoxiao¡­ Liu Fan thought about it and suddenly widened his eyes speechlessly. He recalled that Liu Xiaoxiao was the child of Liu Daquan. The kid who¡¯d shouted the loudest that he wanted to eat food when the family was paying their respects to him yesterday! If Liu Fan could move, the move that he wanted to do was to ¡°facepalm¡±! At that moment, the next batch of results was calculated¡­ ¡°Based on calculations, the members who fulfill the requirements of having a sensitivity score of above 90 and an expert state of martial arts are the following: Liu Tao and Liu Dahai.¡± ¡°Based on calculations, the members who fulfill the requirements of having a potential score of above 90 and an expert state of martial arts are the following: Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai.¡± Liu Fan was stunned. If he remembered correctly, both Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai liked to bite on fingernails and smell earwax, respectively. How could the two of them have a potential score of higher than 90? Unless¡­ all indecent people were geniuses? Did their indecency merely cover their potential? ¡°Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai, who were the most respectful descendants, did not fulfill the requirements!¡± Liu Fan was speechless. At this moment, the door creaked and opened. Liu Tao and the five Elders entered. Liu Wuhai was in high spirits and had his hair combed back. He was wearing a black martial arts costume and looked extremely energized. He looked as though he was more than ten years younger. Liu Liuhai was motivated and confident. He had a sword in his side and looked as though he was in high fighting spirits. Liu Tao, Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai looked the same. They were gloomy and low-spirited. Liu Fan shook his head when he saw them. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The group arrived at the ancestral temple at the same time and stood in a row. Burn incense stick. Burn incense paper. Kowtow. ¡°Respect points +550.¡± Instantly, Liu Fan felt extremely relieved. He was looking at Liu Tao and Liu Dahai. Both of them had important roles in the Liu family. And since Liu Tao was the head of the clan, his ability could be developed and he had to represent the Liu family. Liu Fan began to think about how he could boost their abilities¡­ At this moment, Liu Tao knelt in front of his spirit tablet and took out a package from his pocket. ¡°Ancestor, the Liu family is suffering because of this item!¡± ¡°This item is so important that it is not safe to place it anywhere. After thinking about it, we¡¯ve decided to place this item with you. Please forgive us.¡± After that, he kowtowed. Liu Fan was wondering, what did his descendant mean by that? Couldn¡¯t he be clearer with his words? What was in the package? At that moment, Liu Dahai and the four other Elders opened Liu Fan¡¯s coffin together. Liu Fan hurriedly closed his eyes in the coffin. ¡°Ancestor, please forgive us!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai were chanting. They were very respectful every single time they touched Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai were not so respectful. One of them clutched Liu Fan¡¯s head while the other clutched his waist. The last one held Liu Fan¡¯s thighs and shouted, ¡°One, two, three, lift!¡± Liu Fan felt his body shake and he was turned over! However, because the movement was too drastic, his clothes were torn and a large part of the skin on his back was exposed. There was a mysterious tattoo on his back. As the protective aura had faded, it exuded a different intensity and some warmth. ¡°Wah! Clan Head, come and take a look ¡ª isn¡¯t this the ¡®Three Suns Body Tempering Method¡¯ that failed to be passed down in our family?¡± the First Elder shouted in surprise. Liu Tao was shocked and came closer to take a look. Meanwhile, the Second, Third, Fifth, and Sixth Elders all crowded around. They stretched their necks to look at the mark on Liu Fan¡¯s back. ¡°I don¡¯t remember our Ancestor having these marks on his body when I changed his clothes for him. Why did the marks suddenly appear today?¡± The First Elder was confused and the other Elders shook their heads. In the coffin, Liu Fan was holding in his anger. What did his descendants want to do to him?! Yesterday, he was thrown to kill people. Today, they stripped off his clothes to examine the marks. What else would they want tomorrow?! ¡°However, the strange thing is, why did my tattoo turn into the Three Suns Body Tempering Method?!¡± Liu Fan was curious. Then, he suddenly recalled how in the latter part of his life, he trained by doing a strange set of skills called ¡°Remains After Death.¡± ¡°Could it be because of that?¡± Liu Fan was unsure and continued to think about it. ¡°Get lost, let me touch it!¡± At this moment, Liu Tao pushed the heads of the Elders aside and stretched out his hand to touch Liu Fan¡¯s back. Liu Tao¡¯s expression changed as he touched the tattoo. His face became red. He became excited. He was exhilarated! ¡°I figured out the movement path of the Three Suns Body Tempering Method, the fist technique of the ¡®Fist and Sun,¡¯ as well as the finger technique of the ¡®Yi Yang Finger.¡¯ Eh¡­ this¡­ this is¡­¡¯Secret Technique of the Bulldozer¡¯!!!¡± Liu Tao exclaimed. ¡°What?! Secret Technique of the Bulldozer?! Oh my goodness!¡± Liu Dahai shouted in excitement. ¡°The records stated that the so-called Bulldozer was a term given to someone who used the Secret Technique of the Bulldozer to train after their bodies have reached the peak performance. This technique allows their bodies to expand like a king kong. It could not be harmed by weapons or hurt by fire and water. It¡¯s said to be undefeatable!¡± Liu Wuhai¡¯s voice trembled and he looked at the body in admiration and respect. In the coffin, Liu Fan was shocked. Did his technique Remains After Death really work?! Or else, why would the techniques he had cultivated in his life show up on his back? Could someone explain that?! ¡°Clan Head, please step aside, I want to touch our ancestor too!¡± Liu Liuhai said in excitement. Liu Tao smiled and stepped aside to grant him his wish. Liu Liuhai took a deep breath and placed his hand gently on Liu Fan¡¯s back. ¡°Wah! The Three Suns Body Tempering Method and the fist technique of Fist and Sun are really here¡­ Hmm?! Strange, but I don¡¯t feel the Yi Yang Finger and the Secret Technique of the Bulldozer!¡± Liu Liuhai frowned. ¡°Impossible!¡± Liu Tao said in denial. He pushed Liu Liuhai aside and touched Liu Fan again. ¡°It¡¯s there. Isn¡¯t this it?!¡± Liu Tao said as he pointed at a mark on Liu Fan¡¯s back. Liu Liuhai went to touch it but could not feel anything. ¡°My fellow Elders, do you want to feel his back too?¡± The other Elders nodded and went ahead to touch Liu Fan¡¯s back in order. After touching his back, they were shocked. Everyone felt different things. Some of them felt fewer things than the others. ¡°Strange, why is it like this?¡± ¡°Could it be because of the differences in our luck, sensitivity, and abilities?¡± When Liu Dahai expressed his analysis, the other Elders¡¯ eyes lit up and they nodded. Liu Fan had figured things out in the coffin too. The marks on his back were definitely the techniques he had cultivated when he was alive. However, whether one could feel them depended on one¡¯s sensitivity. Liu Tao and Liu Dahai were more sensitive than the other four Elders and, hence, they could feel the most number of techniques. ¡°I thought the techniques of the Liu family were lost. I didn¡¯t expect them to reappear suddenly!¡± ¡°This is a secret of the Liu family, it cannot be exposed.¡± Liu Tao instructed with a strict expression, ¡°Other than that, check the marks on our ancestor¡¯s back every other day to see if there are any changes in them.¡± ¡°Record down all the techniques you have felt earlier¡­¡± After saying that, Liu Tao froze. The others were also shocked. That was because they suddenly realized that just as they were about to write down the techniques they had felt earlier, they could no longer remember the flow of the techniques. Their minds were blank! It was as though their memories were forcefully erased. ¡°It cannot be recorded down on paper!¡± ¡°We can only figure it out ourselves and cannot pass it to others!¡± ¡°This must be the precautions taken by our Ancestor!¡± The small group took a deep breath after saying those words. They were shocked and looked at Liu Fan¡¯s body with respect. ¡°Ancestor, you are indeed the Bulldozer that conquered the world. You have set up this precautionary measure some thousand years ago! This is so terrifying!¡± ¡°Yeah. Thinking about it now, I don¡¯t think the disappearance of the protective aura and the appearance of the marks on our ancestor¡¯s back is a coincidence. Our ancestor had specially prepared this for us!¡± ¡°Ancestor, you are so powerful and amazing!¡± the Elders exclaimed and fell on their knees. They paid respect to Liu Fan and kowtowed repeatedly. ¡°Respect points +300.¡± ¡°Respect points +400.¡± ¡°Respect points +500.¡± ¡­ Liu Fan was speechless in the coffin. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I know that I was so amazing as to have set up so many precautionary measures for the future generation?!¡¯ ¡°The god of destiny makes fools of the people!¡± Liu Fan exclaimed. However, he was extremely happy when he saw the gain in respect points. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Tao paid his respects to his ancestor and said after thinking for a while, ¡°Initially, we wanted to put this package under Ancestor. However, I think this is unsuitable given the situation. We shall just put it on our Ancestor¡¯s stomach!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The other Elders agreed with Liu Tao¡¯s suggestion. They began to move Liu Fan¡¯s body again. ¡°One, two, three, drop!¡± Liu Dahai, along with Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai, shouted and Liu Fan¡¯s body was flipped back. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere more reassuring to put it than above our Ancestor¡¯s stomach.¡± Liu Tao smiled as he spoke while the others nodded in agreement. In the coffin, Liu Fan was bothered. ¡®It is really tiring to be your ancestor!¡¯ At this moment, Liu Wuhai suddenly asked, ¡°Clan Head, what are the things in the package? It must be related to why the Liu family is constantly attacked by our enemies, right?!¡± A month ago, Liu Tao left the family with the First Elder and more than ten experts from the Liu family. In the end, only Liu Tao and the First Elder returned covered in blood. All of the other experts died. After this encounter, the Liu family was heavily impacted. This had been on Liu Wuhai and the few Elders¡¯ minds for a very long time. ¡°Today, in front of our Ancestor, I hope you can explain what happened,¡± Liu Liuhai said with confidence. Liu Tao sighed and said, ¡°This is extremely sensitive. It would be safer if fewer people knew about it. However, since all of you insist on knowing the details, I will let you know¡­¡± In the coffin, Liu Fan was listening quietly too. He was curious about what exactly happened to his descendants. In the ancestral temple, the incense was lit and the sun rose, shining a beam of light through the door of the ancestral temple. The beam of light fell on Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and on the bodies of Liu Tao and the five Elders. Liu Tao narrated the details while Liu Dahai added on occasionally. As the two of them talked about the incident, Liu Wuhai and the other Elders were stunned and speechless. Liu Fan was extremely shaken as he listened¡­ ¡­ One hundred years ago, a mysterious spaceship crashed from space. It landed in the Wufeng Sea, which did not have boundaries. That day, countless people around the sea died. This spaceship was named 007. It was extremely mysterious. The ruling emperor ordered the imperial astronomer to inspect the details. However, the sea was extremely dangerous. It was named the restricted danger zone. Moreover, the weather patterns were extremely complicated and there were violent winds on the sea. Even the most experienced fishermen were unwilling to enter. The imperial astronomer was afraid of death and refused to head over personally. He ordered his subordinate experts to head down and recruited several fugitives, gang members, priests, as well as experienced individuals from the clans. They were willing to enter the Wufeng Sea to look for the mysterious spaceship. Many of them died in the Wufeng Sea, but those who survived and managed to step onboard the spaceship obtained countless scrolls, medicine, and weapons. After translation, they realized that many advanced techniques were written on the scrolls. These techniques did not belong to Earth and there were no historical records. They seemed to have come from another advanced world. There was an abundance of cultivation techniques, way more than the secret martial arts techniques recorded by all the clans in the country. Meanwhile, the weapons on the spaceship were extremely sharp. The medicine was sampled by the ailing elder population of the clans. Instantly, they were rejuvenated and their hair turned black. One month later, the spaceship sank. And vanished. All the people who had obtained treasures returned to their own island, and after a series of fights over the treasures, they returned with their own possessions. In a few years¡¯ time, a few mysterious clans rose in power. On Scorpio Island, there were a few holy martial arts sites within the mountains. These were built by the older generation of clan members who returned from the spaceship. Meanwhile, in the City of Scorpio, the ¡°three major martial arts clans¡± rose to power during that time period as well. They¡¯d obtained treasures and martial arts techniques from the spaceship. Some obtained medicine and weapons too. In those hundred years, countless people had risked their lives to look for the spaceship. That included the few major martial arts clans and experts. They wanted to further improve their skills and obtain more treasure from the spaceship. That was because they merely searched the outer layer of the spaceship back then. One month ago, someone discovered the traces of the spaceship. It was located in the sea 3000 miles away from Scorpio Island. Scorpio Island erupted in action and countless martial art experts headed out. ¡°First Elder and I received news and thought that it was the best opportunity for the Liu family to rise again!¡± Liu Tao said, ¡°As long as we obtained the treasures from the spaceship, the Liu family would be able to revive its past honor!¡± The First Elder nodded and continued, ¡°Therefore, we left secretly along with the experts of the Liu family.¡± ¡°We were too weak and could not fight against the martial arts clans. Therefore, we occupied a restaurant near the sea and planned traps around. We used traps, secret weapons, poison, and more.¡± ¡°This plan was termed ¡®the Dragon Inn Plan¡¯!¡± ¡°Finally, after killing the Spiritual Monkey clan and the King of Swords clan, as well as some other people from other clans, we seized the treasures they had obtained from the spaceship.¡± ¡°We thought we had hidden our plan very well, but news of it was leaked eventually. That is the reason why those people gave chase even to our residence¡­¡± Liu Fan was extremely emotional when he heard about this. He could hardly suppress his feelings. The package underneath him was exchanged for the lives of his descendants. Liu Wuhai and the other Elders could hardly believe their ears. ¡°There are three items in the package. A map of the exterior of the spaceship, a scroll of martial arts technique, and a piece of jade,¡± Liu Tao said awkwardly. ¡°We don¡¯t need the map for now. We cannot understand the words on the scroll and the jade seems useless. Sigh¡­¡± Liu Tao sighed. The First Elder sighed as well. Hearing that, the other Elders shook their heads in disappointment. The translation of the words obtained from the spaceship was present, but they were in the hands of the major martial arts clans and the Liu family were not able to get hold of it. ¡°So, the spaceship is still in the sea?¡± the Second Elder suddenly asked and spat out the half-bitten nail. Liu Tao nodded. ¡°From observations, there would be a strong wind near the sea. The spaceship might be have been blown out of the region and landed near the coastal lines of the Scorpio Island.¡± When they heard that, the expressions of the Elders in the ancestral temple changed. Liu Liuhai gripped the long sword in his pocket and roared, ¡°Come on, as a man, let¡¯s fight for it!¡± ¡°As long as we are able to get hold of the treasures on the spaceship, the Liu family will be able to recover the honor we had a thousand years ago!¡± Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Dahai laughed when he heard that. At that moment, he seemed to have gotten over the pain of losing his disciples and regained the charisma of the First Elder. ¡°So, I recommend that we refine our Ancestor into my battle puppet. I will bring him along to check out the spaceship!¡± ¡°With the Ancestor¡¯s Aura of Protection, we would be able to block off the enemies and nobody would be able to stop us!¡± ¡°And then, the spaceship would be the Liu family¡¯s!¡± Liu Dahai was excited and his face turned red. He turned toward Liu Fan¡¯s coffin and bowed deeply. A rare 700 respect points floated out of his head! Liu Fan was speechless. He did not expect that Liu Dahai¡¯s reason for wanting to refine him into a battle puppet was so they could explore the mysterious spaceship. However, Liu Fan felt a little insecure. That was because his body was decaying. And although it looked fine, the veins and flesh were rotting and the protective aura could disappear anytime. By then, he would be merely a decayed body and it would be impossible for him to kill anyone. The martial arts clans had mastered the cultivation techniques and obtained the weapons on the spaceship 100 years ago. Would he really be able to resist their attack?! Times were changing! The world of martial arts was also changing! Liu Fan, who was the Bulldozer who ruled over the world in the past, had been lying in the coffin for 1000 years. His skills were dropping instead of improving. Liu Fan was worried. In the ancestral temple, Liu Tao, Liu Dahai, and the other Elders, including Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai, were extremely confident and began discussing¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right, with our Ancestor, we don¡¯t need to worry!¡± ¡°We will use our Ancestor to kill whoever dares to stop us!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find an auspicious day to refine our Ancestor into a battle puppet.¡± The group of men discussed this in front of Liu Fan¡¯s coffin and settled the date to be on the day after the next. ¡°Come, let¡¯s burn another incense stick for our Ancestor!¡± Liu Tao led and the group of Elders queued up to pay respect to Liu Fan before leaving¡­ In the courtyard, in the pile of tree leaves under the willow. Liu Dongdong had already woken up long ago but was too afraid to come out. He missed out on the marks on Liu Fan¡¯s back, but he saw the head of the clan and the Elders put a package inside the ancestor¡¯s coffin. Lastly, he heard how they wanted to turn him into a battle puppet and bring him to check out the mysterious spaceship. At this moment, Liu Dongdong was shaken. He was excited and nervous at the same time. Eventually, he swept the leaves aside and ran into the ancestral temple. After bowing down to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet, he opened Liu Fan¡¯s coffin lid. ¡°Hey, Ancestor, sorry to disturb you. Please forgive me!!¡± As he said that, he took out the package on top of Liu Fan¡¯s stomach. Liu Fan suddenly felt extremely angry. His descendants were so disrespectful. They kept disturbing him. He was their ancestor, not their toy! If he were able to move, he would definitely hang his descendants on the top of the building at the City of Scorpio for three days and three nights. Liu Dongdong opened the package and saw the contents. A map. A scroll of cultivation technique made out of sheepskin. However, the words were weird symbols that he could not decipher. The last item was a piece of jade. It was shaped like a crescent and was black as ink. It exuded an evil aura. When he held it, he shivered uncontrollably and quickly put it back into the package. He looked at the three items and his gaze fell on the map. ¡°Since this map is the map of the outer ring of the spaceship, it must be worth a lot!¡± Liu Dongdong was motivated and began to memorize the map. His sensitivity score and potential score were above 90, and he had a photographic memory. Instantly, he memorized most of the complicated map. Then, he wrapped the map, the scroll of cultivation technique, and the black crescent jade inside the package and placed it back on Liu Fan¡¯s stomach. ¡°Hey! Ancestor, please rest well and don¡¯t sprain your back!¡± After he said that, he stroked Liu Fan¡¯s hair and closed the lid of his coffin. Perhaps it was because of his uneasiness, but he returned after reaching the door and burned an incense stick and kowtowed to Liu Fan before leaving. ¡°Respect points +60.¡± Liu Fan, after receiving the respect points, felt less frustrated. ¡°At least you have some conscience and know how to pity your ancestor.¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I shall let you feel the love of your ancestor!¡± Liu Fan made up his mind and made an exchange for The Love of the Ancestor spell. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª Start-Cultivating-at-the-First-Crow-of-the-Cock, go!¡± Liu Dongdong¡¯s sensitivity score and potential score were above 90. However, he was extremely lazy. How would he become more powerful if he did not train like a horse?! Therefore, the Start-Cultivating-at-the-First-Crow-of-the-Cock curse was a special curse made for Liu Dongdong! At the front of the temple, just as Liu Dongdong had stepped out of the door, his body shook. He breathed. He shivered. His eyes teared up and he cried. That was because, at that instant, he felt a strong intense wave of love that rose from the bottom of his feet, spreading through his entire body. He felt the love of the Liu family. Then, he looked around and felt that the love came from the ancestral temple, from the ancestor in the coffin! ¡°Sob!¡± He cried loudly and extremely sadly. At a distance away from the ancestral temple, Liu Tao and the five other Elders were chatting while on the path. Suddenly, they heard a loud cry from the ancestral temple that shocked them. ¡°Who is crying?¡± ¡°What happened?!¡± Liu Tao was shocked. He looked at the five Elders and ran toward the ancestral temple. When they arrived, they realized that a crowd had formed outside the ancestral temple. When the clan members saw the head of the clan and the Elders arrive, they gave way while telling them that Liu Dongdong was crying. They were not sure of the reason, but he was crying extremely badly. Liu Tao squeezed into the crowd and verified that it was really Liu Dongdong. He was kneeling on the ground with his hair down. He cried miserably as he kowtowed to the ancestral temple. He looked extremely sad. Liu Tao was concerned. ¡°Dongdong, what happened? Did someone bully or mistreat you? Tell me, I will settle it for you!¡± Liu Tao said as he touched Liu Dongdong¡¯s head. Liu Dongdong cried and replied, ¡°I was not bullied or mistreated, I suddenly realized something!¡± ¡°You realized something? What did you realize?¡± Liu Tao was curious. The other Elders and clan members felt confused when they heard that. Someone even laughed out loud. Liu Dongdong was a parasite in the Liu family. He was lazy, and he liked to pilfer and peek on girls when they were showering. What was worse was that he loved to fart. Yesterday, he farted while they were paying their respects to their ancestor. Humiliating! Being disrespectful to Ancestor! Because of that, everyone in the Liu family disliked him. But now, he was saying he had come to a realization. Nobody believed his words. Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Dongdong cried and said loudly, ¡°I¡¯ve really come to a realization this time ¡¯round! ¡°Our family used to be showered with so much honor a thousand years ago. We were the top family in the City of Scorpio. However, now, we are just trying to make a living in Black Street and have barely enough food. For our family, our head of clan and Elders worried so much that their hair turned white. Yet I only knew how to enjoy myself and did not share the burden. ¡°My parents passed away early, and the Clan Head raised me up. I grew up without suffering from hunger, and the Clan Head never mistreated me. However, I did not make any progress in life. How can I face the Clan Head like that?! ¡°Therefore, in front of the spirit tablet of our Ancestor, I, Liu Dongdong, vow to train seriously from today on. I will get rid of all my bad habits, start cultivating upon hearing the crow, and fight for the prosperity of the Liu family!¡± After he said that, he stopped crying. He was extremely serious and sincere. At this moment, a rooster crowed in a chicken cage nearby. ¡°Ow ow¡ª¡± When he heard the call of the rooster, Liu Dongdong shuddered and stood up from the ground as though he was called. ¡°Cultivate upon hearing the crow, fight for the prosperity of our family!¡± he roared with tears in his eyes and began waving his fist. He stretched his legs and began to train. ¡°The first set of Body Tempering Pattern!¡± ¡°The second set of Body Tempering Pattern!¡± ¡°The third set of Body Tempering Pattern!¡± ¡­ Liu Fan was distracted in the coffin. This set of fist patterns was created by him. It was named the 18 Sets of Body Tempering Patterns. As long as one cultivated seriously, one could build a firm foundation of martial arts. At this moment, Liu Dongdong was cultivating the 18 Sets of Body Tempering Pattern. He looked extremely serious. He narrowed his eyes and his breath lengthened. He had evidently entered the state of training. ¡°Hmm?!¡± Liu Tao was extremely shocked. He did not expect Liu Dongdong to start training immediately. That characteristic of Liu Dongdong surprised him. The eyes of the First Elder and the other Elders also lit up. ¡°Get moving, get moving, don¡¯t disturb him.¡± The First Elder waved his hands and said to the surrounding clan members, ¡°If Liu Dongdong can suddenly gain this realization, it is a blessing for our family. I hope that everyone can learn from Liu Dongdong and fight for the prosperity of our family. In the future¡­¡± Just as he said that, a strong wave of aura was felt from Liu Dongdong. ¡°Kakaka!¡± Then, his bones began to crackle like the sound of frying beans. ¡°Oh my goodness! He has broken through to the refinement of bones!¡± one of the clan members exclaimed. Everyone turned around in shock. Liu Tao, Liu Dahai, and the others looked at Liu Dongdong in astonishment and disbelief. Among the crowd, a tall lady had arrived. She was Liu Meimei. She was the daughter of Liu Tao. She was also the person with the highest state of cultivation among the younger generation of the Liu family. Although she was female, her gift embarrassed many males from the Liu family. She was also very confident. She was at the third Body Tempering state. She took three years to refine her skin, five years to refine her bones, and was currently refining her muscles. Her speed was considered extremely fast, especially since their family lacked resources. Yet today, at the front of the ancestral temple, the incident that happened to Liu Dongdong shocked her so much that her mouth hung open. ¡°He really made a realization?!¡± She was stunned and could not believe it. After a long time, Liu Dongdong stopped what he was doing and took a deep breath. The aura within him had grown a lot and he was a completely different person from before. When he saw the other family members looking at him, he was shocked initially but said with a serious face, ¡°I said that I will work hard for the prosperity of the Liu family. From today on, I will cultivate upon hearing the crow!¡± When the clan members heard that, they were shocked and did not know how to react. Liu Tao and the First Elder looked at each other and smiled. ¡°Good, good, this is very good. Dongdong¡¯s determination is praise-worthy. We should¡­¡± As Liu Tao was speaking, he took out a piece of handkerchief and wiped Liu Dongdong¡¯s sweat. At this moment, the rooster from the cage nearby began to crow again. ¡°Ow ow¡ª¡± Liu Dongdong shuddered and walked towards a spacious ground as though he was being called. Then, he roared loudly, ¡°Cultivate upon hearing the crow, fight for the prosperity of our family!¡± After saying that, he began to cultivate while chanting again. After he finished the 18 Sets of Body Tempering, Liu Dongdong¡¯s face was pale and he was extremely weak. The people from the Liu family were extremely impressed. Liu Tao and the rest also nodded their heads in admiration. ¡°Alright, Dongdong, take a break, don¡¯t overtire yourself. We should take training step by step, we¡­¡± Liu Dahai spoke as he smiled. However, before he could finish his sentence, Liu Dongdong shuddered again and began to cultivate. That was because the rooster from the cage crowed again! ¡°Cultivate upon hearing the crow, fight for the prosperity of our family!¡± Liu Dongdong roared. His voice was slightly hoarse, but he continued to cultivate. His body began to shake and his legs were now jelly. He was drenched in sweat. ¡°Pang!¡± He was too tired and fell on the ground. He banged his head on the sill of the door and bled. However, Liu Dongdong did not complain or shout. He got up and continued cultivating. ¡­ All of the Liu family members were touched. Liu Dongdong was too hardworking, he was training so hard. Liu Tao, the First Elder, and the other Elders were astonished. However, they were confused too. ¡°What triggered Liu Dongdong?¡± ¡°Why did he change so drastically so suddenly?!¡± They wondered and began to ponder over it. Among the crowd, Liu Meimei took a look at Liu Dongdong, who was covered in sweat, and looked back at the chicken cage. She seemed to be deep in thought. There were three hens in the cage and one rooster. After a while, Liu Dongdong finished his cultivation and fell flat on the ground in exhaustion. His muscles were trembling and his lips were cracked because of dryness. Liu Tao was concerned. He immediately went over and gave him some water. At a distance away, Liu Meimei smiled sneakily. ¡°Cultivate upon hearing the crow?!¡± ¡°Let me try!¡± She flicked a stone and hit the hen in the chicken cage. The hen flew in shock while the rooster made a loud crow. ¡°Ow ow ow¡ª¡± ¡°Thump!¡± At that instant when the rooster crowed, Liu Dongdong toppled the bowl of water in his hand and struggled to get up. With his hoarse voice, he shouted, ¡°Cultivate upon hearing the crow, fight for the prosperity of our family!¡± After saying that, he began to cultivate again. ¡°Oh my goodness, is Liu Dongdong crazy?¡± ¡°Clan Head, hurry up and stop him. He will die if he continues to cultivate!¡± The clan members were worried. Liu Tao nodded. He stepped forward and knocked Liu Dongdong out. Then, he instructed some people to bring him to rest in a room. Nearby, Liu Meimei touched the rooster and said to herself, ¡°Is the crow of the rooster really something that controls Liu Dongdong?!¡± She was shocked and could not believe it. Then, Liu Meimei carefully took the rooster and went to Liu Dongdong¡¯s house. She tied the rooster on the stone knob outside of Liu Dongdong¡¯s room¡­ Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the ancestral temple, within the coffin, Liu Fan witnessed what happened after Liu Dongdong received the spell. He was amazed by the powers of the spell. At this moment, the sound of the System was heard¡­ ¡°Advertisement time.¡± ¡°The System of Ancestors is a system that is pricey and designed for hosts who are ancestors. Hosts can use items that their descendants have used to pay their respects to them.¡± ¡°After scanning, we discovered three items that your descendants have used to pay respects to you.¡± ¡°The map of the outer region of the spaceship ¡ª currently not useful for the host!¡± ¡°Sheepskin scroll ¡ª based on the interpretation by the System, this is a type of spiritual cultivation technique. Does the host want to cultivate it?¡± ¡°The black crescent jade ¡ª it is a jade that is fused with the aura of ghosts. It can be used to exchange for spiritual points and help the host with the cultivation technique.¡± Liu Fan was excited. He was troubled over where he could look for a spiritual cultivation technique until he realized that the scroll that his descendants had placed with him was a spiritual cultivation technique. ¡°I confirm that I want to cultivate this!¡± Liu Fan said to the System. The System¡¯s display board blinked and the details of the cultivation technique were displayed. ¡°Cultivation technique name: Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra. Total, 13 layers.¡± ¡°Type of cultivation technique: spiritual cultivation technique.¡± ¡°Level of cultivation technique: fifth grade1.¡± ¡°Completion level of cultivation technique: the cultivation technique has three parts. The current scroll has only the content of the first part.¡± ¡°Usage of cultivation technique: 1. Longevity; 2. Increase sensitivity; 3. Increase of host¡¯s charisma.¡± After seeing the information, Liu Fan was extremely happy. ¡°The System advises that exchanging respect points can help the host with the cultivation of this technique.¡± Liu Fan was shocked when he heard that. The respect points were very useful. He opened his personal information page and his eyes lit up. ¡°Host: Liu Fan, physical cultivator.¡± ¡°Identity: First Ancestor of the Liu family of the City of Scorpio.¡± ¡°Achievements: Calculated the Heavenly Cycle of Qi in human bodies to an incredible accuracy of 3.141592653 days, introduced the important concept of the Golden Ratio of Human Bodies, pioneered physical cultivation; experienced in combat, rich in knowledge in many cultivation techniques and skills that have been lost (300 close-combat skills and cultivation techniques that involve the use of weapons, 100 secret recipes, and 99 fighting techniques), familiar with many secrets known to few in the world.¡± ¡°Respect points: 5830.¡± ¡°Currently cultivating: Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra (exchange 4000 respect points to be promoted to level seven).¡± ¡°Task objective: Your descendants have become morally degraded to have dug up your grave. Please discipline them. Firstly, teach them to respect the old and care for the young. Educate them to honor their ancestors and love one another.¡± Liu Fan skimmed through the rest of the information. His vision was fixed on the line ¡°exchange 4000 respect points to be promoted to level seven.¡± ¡°Promote to level seven of the Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra!¡± Liu Fan did it. At that moment, a huge amount of information was inputted. These included the Dharmic formulation and the experience of the Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra. Liu Fan understood the cultivation technique almost immediately. He also successfully attained the technique. A warm gust of air flowed through his spirit. It was very comfortable, refreshing, and slightly cool. It made his spirit tremble in excitement. ¡°Buzz.¡± With a ripple within his spirit, seven white celestial bodies appeared. They were mysterious like the seven stars of the Big Dipper and were infused into this spiritual library. Liu Fan was astonished. His spiritual library had expanded by a hundred times. It was like a miniature of outer space. ¡°The spiritual library of humans is so amazing,¡± Liu Fan exclaimed. The enhancement of his spirits had caused his sensitivity to increase. He also saw each and every inch of his flesh clearly. When he attempted to communicate with every single muscle and vein, they seemed to reply immediately. ¡°I can interpret my own flesh?!¡± Liu Fan was excited and turned to the Three Suns Body Tempering Method that he had cultivated in his past life. Instantly, spiritual energy was being absorbed and entering his body, spreading through his dry and withered limbs. Being a thousand-year-old corpse, his body had already dried up and his muscles were decaying. Because of the replenishment of the spiritual energy, his body and muscles began to liven up and his blocked veins were being unblocked. His blood was flowing again. The decaying flesh in his body disappeared and was replenished by new flesh. Metabolism! Regrowth of flesh! This was not exactly body reconstruction, but it was not different from it either! ¡°I cannot move my body, but as long as I can continue to train, I am not a useless corpse!¡± ¡°I am becoming stronger even though I am lying here!¡± Liu Fan¡¯s eyes lit up. One day, as the Bulldozer of the world, he would be able to make a comeback! With this in mind, he looked at the summary of his personal information. ¡°Host: Liu Fan, physical cultivator.¡± ¡°Respect points: 1830.¡± ¡°Currently cultivating: Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra (Seventh Level).¡± ¡°Spiritual level: Seven-starred spirit (Mortal, Grand Master, King, Honorable Lord, Emperor¡­)¡± ¡°Special effect: Able to rule over others and invoke fear and respect.¡± ¡°Useful item: black crescent jade (a jade that is fused with the aura of spirits. It can be used for exchange for spiritual points and help the host with the cultivation technique).¡± Liu Fan shifted his attention back onto the black crescent jade and was confused. ¡°Why was the jade stained with the aura of ghosts? Were there ghosts in the world?¡± He could not understand! A thousand years ago when he ruled the world, he never heard about ghosts. Did the world change after 1000 years?! ¡°I confirm that I want to exchange the spiritual points!¡± Liu Fan confirmed. The display board displayed a few lines of information. ¡°Spiritual points: 300 (Exchanging spiritual points can help the host with the chosen cultivation technique).¡± ¡°Crescent jade: the purified crescent jade is white. It has the effect of calming one¡¯s soul. Wearing it while cultivating can help to prevent one from being too obsessed.¡± Liu Fan was happy and thought about what cultivation technique he should choose. He had cultivated too many cultivation techniques. Three hundred types of fist techniques and all sorts of weapon techniques. One hundred secret techniques, and 99 tactical techniques. For example, the Three Suns Body Tempering Method, Yi Yang Finger, Fist and Sun, Secret Technique of the Bulldozer, Sword Technique of Leaves¡­ and the Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra, which he had just begun to cultivate. ¡°Out of all the other cultivation techniques, the Three Suns Body Tempering Method is the main one. I have already maximized the training for it in my past life but will need to train again. However, the Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra is the most important cultivation technique now as it determines if my body can recover and if I can walk out of the coffin¡­¡± Liu Fan sighed and decided to proceed with the Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra. ¡°System alert: Insufficient spiritual points!¡± Liu Fan had no choice but to change to the Three Suns Body Tempering Method. ¡°System alert: Success for the upgrade of Three Suns Body Tempering Method, upgraded to Four Suns Body Tempering Method. The host¡¯s physical strength had increased by a few times, and it is as though there are four suns in his body. Charisma increased by a few times, and the color of the protective aura has darkened¡­¡± Instantly, Liu Fan felt that his body was scorching hot. His arm and leg joints had four sources of energy like four small suns that provided him with a warm physical energy. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Fan exercised the Four Suns Body Tempering Method. Instantly, spiritual energy flowed throughout his body rapidly. In the next second, his clogged veins were cured and his blood flowed again as the impurities had been dissolved at a much faster rate. The decayed and blackened muscles deep in his body were also disappearing at an accelerated speed, and they were soon replaced with new ones¡­ ¡°How unfortunate, I still can¡¯t move!¡± Liu Fan tried to move, to no avail. After a thousand years of lying in the coffin, his flesh had decayed too much, and even his internal organs were starting to smell like a corpse. How difficult it would be for him to have a real rebirth! Liu Fan sighed, but he was not disappointed, because the decay of his flesh and blood had been contained, and new tissues were replacing them. The day when he could truly walk out of the coffin would not be too far away! At this moment, Liu Fan suddenly felt that the middle finger of his left hand had become extremely numb and itchy, after which, it trembled lightly. ¡°Is my left middle finger moving?!¡± Liu Fan mobilized all his spiritual energy. With all his strength, he pushed the spiritual energy against the acupoints on his left middle finger. This was to stimulate the regeneration of flesh and blood in his left middle finger. It was difficult for the flesh, blood, and nerves of the whole body to get through a remodeling within a short period of time, but there were evident signs of recovery on his left middle finger. At this moment, under the full impact of Liu Fan¡¯s energy, the blood vessels at his fingertips were becoming unclogged, his flesh and blood were rejuvenating, and even his fingernails were growing. ¡°At this rate, it would take less than three days for my left middle finger to recover!¡± Liu Fan was excited. ¡®The middle finger is a very crucial finger for anyone¡¯s hand, but this is especially so for men! ¡®Isn¡¯t it?!¡¯ ¡°The soul of the Seven-Star Master¡­¡± Liu Fan exercised the power of his soul. His will penetrated his body and he tried to spread it outwards. One meter. Two meters. Five meters. ¡­ Finally, it reached a hundred meters! The spiritual power of a master-level soul could perceive anything within a hundred meters. Although Liu Fan was unable to move and he was still lying in the coffin, he seemed to have a pair of eyes in the sky, overlooking everything within a radius of 100 meters centered upon him¡­ Willow trees that danced along with the wind in the courtyard of the ancestral hall¡­ The spiders spinning webs in the corner¡­ The snotty baby Liu Xiaoxiao who was with Liu Daquan in the nearby courtyard, hiding in a clay jar and stealing bites of pig ears¡­ Liu Dongdong was staring at the red-crowned rooster in the yard with bloodshot eyes, panting. Liu Meimei was sitting on the steps next to him, eating sunflower seeds¡­ Liu Erhai was eating his fingernails, and Liu Sanhai was smelling the mound of earwax in his hands¡­ Whew, the smell of salted fish. That¡¯s so fragrant¡­ At this time, Liu Fan ¡°saw¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai coming. Both had their hair combed behind their heads and both were full of spirits. Their swords were hanging from their waists, and leaves rolled up from the ground as they walked. ¡°I will burn some incense sticks for the great ancestor!¡± The duo walked into the ancestral hall. Standing side by side and holding a solemn expression on their faces, they paid respect to Liu Fan. ¡°Respect points +600.¡± ¡°Respect points +600.¡± Two big green 600s emerged on their heads. Liu Fan felt delighted. Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai, these two descendants of his, were indeed very good. They had been coming to worship him three times each day, once in the morning, once at noon, and once in the evening. They had been very sincere and would always contribute a lot of respect points. Thinking of the other descendants, Liu Fan could not help but feel angry. The head of the clan, Liu Tao, had come here once this morning and left after giving perfunctory worship. The First Elder Liu Dahai was busy preparing to refine this great ancestor of his and had no time to come. The Second Elder and the Third Elder didn¡¯t come either on the excuse that they wanted to help the First Elder, but Liu Fan¡¯s consciousness ¡°saw¡± one of them eating fingernails to supplement his calcium, and the other intoxicating himself by smelling earwax. As for the other clan members, no one had even bothered to take a glance at the ancestral hall. This great ancestor who was lying in the coffin felt that the longer he was to lie in here, the more bleak his future would be! In such a situation, it was impossible for his respect points to grow quickly. Liu Fan pondered¡­ ¡°As an old ancestor who lies in the coffin and can¡¯t show up in front of my people, how am I different from a real dead corpse?!¡± ¡°The Rage of the Ancestor and the Love of the Ancestor are very useful spells. I must use them wisely!¡± ¡°My soul level has been upgraded to the Soul of the Seven-Star Master. I can now exert my master-level coercion and make my people respect me even more!¡± Liu Fan¡¯s plan gradually became clearer¡­ At this time, Liu Tao came to the ancestral temple. As the head of the clan, he was a busy man every day. Originally, he had wanted to visit Liu Dongdong at this time. But when he was passing by the gate of the ancestral temple, to his surprise, he saw Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai worshipping their great ancestor. After some hesitation, he also walked into the ancestral hall, wanting to pay his respects to the old ancestor. The great ancestor could have stayed lying comfortably in his grave, but Liu Tao had dug him out and left him in the ancestral hall. Liu Tao would feel really uneasy if he didn¡¯t pay enough respects to the great ancestor. Moreover, the great ancestor had left many of the Liu clan¡¯s cultivation techniques on his body. He must look after the ancestor carefully, and then find a way to select some suitable clan members to touch the ancestor and learn the techniques. With that in mind, he stepped into the ancestral temple. When Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai saw Liu Tao, their eyes flashed with joy. They said, ¡°Sir, can you open the coffin again? We still want to touch our ancestor!¡± Liu Tao turned and glanced outside the ancestral temple. He saw some clan members cleaning the yard. So he shook his head and said, ¡°Not now. There are too many clan members outside and they will see us. Wait for the evening!¡± ¡°At midnight, call the First Elder, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder, and we shall touch him together!¡± ¡°Great!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai rubbed their hands in excitement. ¡°I will burn some incense sticks for the great ancestor!¡± Liu Tao began to worship Liu Fan, and a respect point of ¡°500¡± floated above his head. Ever since he found out that Liu Fan had harbored many physical cultivation techniques which were likely to be a contingency that this great ancestor had arranged a thousand years ago, Liu Tao had become far more sincere when he burned incense to Liu Fan. The respect points that Liu Tao contributed was also becoming higher and higher. In the coffin, Liu Fan looked at Liu Tao and wondered what kind of spell he should give this offspring. As the leader of the Liu clan, Liu Tao must be excellent in both martial arts and clan management. Otherwise, how could he be able to lead the Liu family to become stronger and flourish? In the spell library of the System, Liu Fan picked two spells. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Circumspection and Foresight: It can make the person under the spell scheme carefully, make long-term plans, and become shrewd and sophisticated!¡± ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Trickery and Deception: The person under the spell shall become more versed in the ways of the world, more sinister and cunning. He shall achieve his aim by fair means or foul!¡± Obviously, both of the spells were extremely powerful, and Liu Fan wanted to use both on Liu Tao. ¡°System reminder, only one spell can be used on each clan member!¡± Liu Fan pondered. Only one spell could be used?! Currently, the Liu clan was facing enemies from all sides, and the situation was made worse by their location in Black Street, which was the worst place in the City of Scorpio. The clan was making a precarious living and facing the danger of extermination. Under such circumstances, what the Liu family lacked was a fox-like leader who would be treacherous and cunning and willing to do whatever it would take to make the Liu clan stronger. If that was the case, the Spell of Trickery and Deception would be the most suitable spell! ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª The Spell of Trickery and Deception, go!¡± Liu Fan exercised his will and used 100 respect points to cast the spell. In front of the coffin, Liu Tao looked solemn as he paid homage to Liu Fan. Next to them, Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai smiled, because they had realized that the head of the clan had become more and more respectful towards the great ancestor. This was a good thing. But suddenly, Liu Tao, who was burning incense to Liu Fan, smiled. The smile was fox-like. His two dimples made their faint appearances, his brows bent downward, and his eyes were shining brightly. Stroking his mustache, he shook his head and said slowly: ¡°I have a plan to make the Liu family the dominator of Black Street!¡± Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The City of Scorpio was ablaze with lights as the dusk gathered. Along Black Street, people indulged in feasting and revelry. Warriors armed with weapons came and went as curbside vendors and peddlers hawked their wares. Along Liu Alley, a dozen Liu clan members were distributing leaflets to every pedestrian on the streets. ¡°Good news, good news!¡± ¡°Tie the knot with Liu Meimei, the daughter of the head of the Liu clan, through a tournament! The final winner gets the beauty!¡± ¡°Wherever you are from, whatever clan you¡¯ve pledged to, and however old you are, you stand a chance of wedding this beauty! You don¡¯t have to own a house nor a horse!¡± ¡°You will become the future son-in-law of the Liu family as long as you are the strongest! Come and join even if you are 70 years old!¡± ¡­ This created a commotion in Black Street. People were shocked! There¡¯s no restriction on age! They would even accept a 70-year-old grandpa! The news excited all the strongest fighters in the streets. Those who had admired Liu Meimei¡¯s beauty and grace for a long time almost fainted in joy. ¡°Why did they not set any restrictions on age? They should be well aware that this city is not short of old, shameful perverts!¡± ¡°Liu Meimei is the most gorgeous girl in Black Street!¡± ¡°Please, that¡¯s an insult to her beauty! She¡¯s the fifth prettiest girl in the entire City of Scorpio, and her body is flawless!¡± ¡°Has the Liu family lost their minds? Choosing their future son-in-law through a tournament?! Moreover, how can they accept any man of any age?!¡± Meanwhile, a bunch of drunk old men was clapping their hands excitedly in a tavern. ¡°Ha! The Liu girl! I remember her. She¡¯s an extreme beauty. You won¡¯t meet another one any time soon! Hahaha, I¡¯m so lucky to have her as my wife!¡± ¡°Forget it, Zhang. You are 80 years old! You can¡¯t do anything with her even if you have her. She¡¯ll be wasted on you. You should give her to me!¡± ¡°Li, all you have is that big mouth of yours. Back in my golden days, people called me ¡®the Handsome.¡¯ Even now that I¡¯m 67 years old, I still have strong legs and a healthy waist. I have a good appetite too. I¡¯m the one who deserves her the most!¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± ¡­ The old men laughed. They were grizzled and dirty. Their teeth had turned yellow. Many of them had already lost all their hair. Despite their age, they were annoyingly loud and noisy. After they had a good laugh, the flies on the windows of the tavern struggled and fell to the floor. The flies had died from a concussion. Around them, many young men were angered by their arrogance and shamelessness. But none of them dared to express their displeasure. In fact, those old men were very powerful indeed. Countless men had died under their swords. Decades of fighting experience had given them an intimidating vibe and a pair of bloodshot eyes. ¡°Haish! What¡¯s wrong with the Liu family? They¡¯ll be doomed if any of those old men ended up being their son-in-law!¡± People in the tavern sighed and complained quietly. Outside Black Street, a fighter in gray hurried into the gate of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. After passing through many halls and checks, he came to a pavilion. On the ninth floor of the pavilion, the young lord of the Mansion was playing the Guqin1 by the window. The messenger took a bow outside the pavilion and passed a leaflet to the white guard stationed outside the door. The guard went up and delivered the leaflet to his lord. The young lord glanced over the paper. Then, with a curl of his finger, the string snapped. ¡°Ink!¡± the young lord commanded. The guard brought him ink, an ink brush, and a scroll immediately. After some thoughts, the young lord began to write. His handwriting was beautiful. However, as soon as he had finished writing, he tore the paper apart. The white guard kept his head low obediently. Without hesitation, he passed another scroll to his lord. But the young lord destroyed this letter again after he was done writing¡­ Finally, he snapped the ink brush. As he gazed in the direction of Black Street, a faint smile flashed across his frosty face. A tint of nostalgia welled up in the depths of his eyes¡­ He had met her half a year ago. In an attempt to get close to her, he had staged a show for her. On their way to the Than Hsiang Temple, he saved her from a ¡°threat¡± planned by himself. However, she saw through his trick and gave him a hard slap on his face. Her eyes were as sharp as those of tigers, and her temper as hot as pepper. The way she had hurled accusations at him had reminded him, for the first time in years, of his late elder sister. His sister had been gone for so many years! In contrast, the girl he had just met was young and short-tempered. She was not a noble lady from a distinguished family. She was simply the daughter of the head of a declining clan. Unlike other women who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to throw themselves at him, this girl dared to hit the young lord of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. From then on, there had been a space in his heart reserved just for her. He had tried to suppress his feelings and even to forget her. As the heir to an esteemed House, he had been deprived of the freedom of choosing his own bride. Hence, he knew that he would never be allowed to fall in love with a girl from a fading family clan. A few days ago, he had maintained his composure when the Liu house was under attack. But today, he was no longer able to remain calm when he saw the leaflet about the tournament. ¡°Seriously? Choosing her husband this way?¡± ¡°She¡­ Haish, forget it. I shall do it myself!¡± Having said that, he leaped out of his window like an eagle and landed gently on the ground. Soon, his figure blended in with the thickening night after a few jumps. The white guard picked up the paper balls from the floor and scurried towards the main hall of the Mansion. In the candle-lit room of the main hall, the lord of the Mansion read his son¡¯s letters, his eyebrows knitted together¡­ ¡°Go and check on this Liu family¡­¡± ¡°At once, my lord!¡± ¡­ In the ancestral temple of the Liu family, the candle flames flickered in the breeze. Liu Fan was still lying in the coffin. He kept looking at Liu Tao. His heart was filled with astonishment. The Spell of Trickery and Deception was truly powerful. Liu Tao had totally turned into a sly old fox. No one could decipher the true intentions hidden under that smiling facade of his. A few Elders had confronted him about the decision to marry his daughter to the winner of the tournament, but he had remained tight-mouthed. He only said that it was a secret that should not be spilled. Liu Meimei had got down to her knees and begged him to change his mind. But instead of listening to his daughter, he slapped Liu Meimei and ordered his men to imprison and guard her well. ¡°The head of the clan has indeed made up his mind!¡± The entire clan was shocked. The five Elders had fallen silent too. Liu Fan was dumbfounded. Even he couldn¡¯t decide what Liu Tao was actually up to. ¡°Is he really going to sacrifice his own daughter, just to make his clan powerful again?¡± ¡°Or is he trying to achieve something else¡­?¡± Liu Fan couldn¡¯t understand. He felt that his wisdom had failed him in the face of a spellbound Liu Tao! At this moment, Liu Tao and the five Elders first worshiped Liu Fan, and then opened his coffin. ¡°Come and touch our ancestor!¡± Liu Tao said with a sly grin on his face. The First Elder was taken aback by his smile; the Second Elder had stopped biting his fingers; the Third Elder no longer dared to smell his ear wax; and the Fifth and Sixth Elders were nervous too. ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± The First Elder Liu Dahai volunteered since no one else moved. He put his hand on Liu Fan. After a while, he stepped backward. His face was beaming with joy. After touching the ancestor, he had finally understood the full set of cultivation techniques of the Three Suns Body Tempering Method. With practice and perseverance, achieving the Fish Dive State could become a reality for him. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Second Elder had begun touching the ancestor too. Then, the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Elders followed suit. After the five of them were done, Liu Tao rolled up his sleeves and put his hand in the coffin. He had applied a special herbal balm on his fingers to enhance his sensitivity. Hence, although he didn¡¯t spend much time touching the ancestor, he had gained more than any of the Elders. Not only had he understood the entire set of the Three Suns Body Tempering Method, but he had also mastered the Yi Yang Finger. A few minutes later, he withdrew his hand from the coffin. Then, he turned to the door of the ancestral temple and said, ¡°Come in, Dongdong!¡± Under his command, a person emerged from the shadow behind the willow. It was indeed Liu Dongdong. That took all the Elders by surprise because none of them had noticed his presence earlier. It seemed that Dongdong had fully mastered the Art of Hiding, known to no one but Liu Tao in the entire family clan. ¡°Dongdong is talented and hardworking. I will take charge of his training personally!¡± Liu Tao explained with a smile. The Elders were still in shock. They looked at Dongdong, wondering if the head of the clan had chosen this boy to be his heir. Liu Tao had never been a man of such foresight! ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Clan Head, Elders!¡± Dongdong stepped into the ancestral temple and greeted them with a bow. Under the oil lamp, he looked lean and shriveled with his high cheekbones and sunken eye sockets. He was as skinny as a bamboo stick. However, there was an unusual aura around him. After careful inspection, the First Elder cried out in surprise, ¡°He¡¯s achieved the perfected state of the Body Tempering Realm!¡± Dongdong returned a humble smile. Then, he released the true strength of his cultivation power. Without a doubt, it was indeed the perfected state of the Body Tempering Realm! ¡°The three stages of Body Tempering, namely the refinement of one¡¯s skin, bones, and muscles. Those are the main challenges of martial cultivation. But even Meimei wasn¡¯t able to complete it as fast as you¡­ How did you do it?!¡± the Second Elder asked after spitting out the bitten fingernails. In fact, Liu Fan had sensed Dongdong¡¯s presence a long time ago. He had also noticed the change in the level of his martial arts abilities. Nevertheless, even Liu Fan hadn¡¯t expected that his progress would have been so rapid. ¡°The Spell of Start-Cultivating-at-the-First-Crow-of-the-Cock is indeed a powerful one in turning lazybones to diligent students!¡± Liu Fan smiled. Dongdong lowered his head and remained silent in front of the coffin. Liu Tao smiled. Without any explanation, he pointed at the coffin and said, ¡°Dongdong is indeed a rare genius. I will allow him to touch the ancestor today. Through this, his name may soon appear on the legendary List of Heroes!¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± ¡°Wonderful!¡± ¡°Very reasonable!¡± The Elders nodded their heads. Dongdong¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. A few hours ago, Liu Tao had talked to him in private and told him that he would invest a great amount of time and resources on him. He had even used the only body tempering pill left in the family on him to assist him in achieving the perfected state of the Body Tempering Realm. After that, Liu Tao had also told Dongdong that the ultimate cultivation method of the Liu clan lay inside their great ancestor¡¯s body, and that he would give Dongdong a chance to touch their great ancestor. He had fulfilled his promise. ¡°Please accept my respect, great ancestor!¡± Dongdong prayed with three incense sticks in his hands. Then, he burned some paper money and kowtowed at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. He looked sincere and serious. ¡°Respect points +300.¡± After he had performed the worship ritual, he turned to look at Liu Tao for his approval. ¡°Go ahead!¡± ¡°Remember to be gentle and slow when you touch our great ancestor!¡± ¡°Treasure this opportunity and pay full attention to what you will learn!¡± Liu Tao encouraged. Dongdong understood that Liu Tao was implying that not every member of the family clan was allowed to touch the great ancestor. It was indeed a rare opportunity! Dongdong drew a deep breath and rolled up his sleeves. He then walked towards the coffin and started to touch Liu Fan. ¡­ In order to make it convenient for everyone, Liu Tao had ripped an opening on the back of Liu Fan¡¯s clothes, revealing his back. Dongdong studied Liu Fan¡¯s back. He marveled at the jade-like, fair, and smooth skin. The great ancestor had truly lived up to his name of being the Bulldozer. His body was still in a perfect state even after more than a thousand years. Moreover, his skin was as flawless as a teenage girl¡¯s. That¡¯s so impressive! The complex pattern on Liu Fan¡¯s back looked like a special tattoo. Waves of protective aura flashed across his skin like silvery electric impulses. They marked out the movement path of various cultivation techniques. Dongdong touched the pattern gently as he tried to capture the movement paths and pick up the pulses of the cultivation techniques. ¡°This is the Three Suns Body Tempering Method¡­ This is the Fist and Sun¡­ And this is the Yi Yang Finger¡­¡± With his high sensitivity and potential, he had mastered three cultivation techniques only seconds after he had laid his fingers on the great ancestor. ¡°But I can do more than this.¡± ¡°Please allow me to touch the great ancestor more!¡± ¡°The family booklet recorded that the great ancestor had mastered many tactical skills and secret techniques, any of which could easily defeat the strongest heroes of his time. I want to learn at least one of his most powerful techniques!¡± Dongdong muttered. Then, he closed his eyes and concentrated all his attention on his fingertips. Meanwhile, Liu Tao, Liu Dahai, and the other Elders stood still beside him, waiting for Dongdong to master those techniques. Dongdong¡¯s facial expressions were constantly changing. Sometimes, he would relax and smile, but other times, he looked confused and tense. The head of the clan and the Elders wondered how many techniques Dongdong would eventually learn. Anyway, Dongdong had limited experience in martial arts, and his understanding of martial skills was relatively shallow too. Lying in the coffin, Liu Fan was also curious about what Dongdong could get from touching him. In the past, Liu Fan had indeed mastered countless advanced cultivation techniques, some of which were trump cards he had stolen from clans and houses slaughtered by him. The flames of the oil lamp flickered in the wind, and the shadows of those in the ancestral temple swayed with it. Time ticked away. The incense sticks in the burner were burning out too. Suddenly, Dongdong shivered and regained his consciousness. ¡°How was it?¡± Liu Tao asked. Although he was under the Spell of Trickery and Deception, he expressed eagerness and sincere concern. The other Elders turned to look at Dongdong too. Dongdong drew a deep breath and answered, ¡°The great ancestor¡¯s wisdom is truly incredible. He was a god of his time. Words have failed me in expressing my great respect for our ancestor.¡± After that, he turned to pay respect to Liu Fan. ¡°Respect points +1000.¡± Liu Fan was satisfied. He needed pious descendants like this one! ¡°You are a good lad, Dongdong!¡± ¡°The spell wasn¡¯t wasted on you.¡± Liu Tao and the other Elders followed Dongdong immediately in paying respect to Liu Fan. After that, they tidied up Liu Fan¡¯s clothes and closed the coffin lid. Taking care of the great ancestor was of the utmost importance. After everything had been settled, they turned to look at Dongdong again. ¡°I¡¯ve mastered the Three Suns Body Tempering Method, the Fist and Sun, and the Yi Yang Finger.¡± Excitement was burning in Dongdong¡¯s eyes as he announced this with a deep bow. The Elders were pleased. Now they agreed that Dongdong was a true genius. He had mastered the three cultivation techniques after touching the great ancestor only once. He¡¯s so much stronger than the Elders themselves. Those old fellows had touched the ancestor several times! The Elders said to Liu Tao, ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve successfully fostered a new genius for our clan!¡± Liu Tao was beaming with joy. Meanwhile, Dongdong bowed down humbly, showing no signs of arrogance at all. After the Elders had walked away, Liu Tao closed the door of the ancestral temple. Then, he asked Dongdong with a cunning grin, ¡°What else have you learned?¡± Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Dongdong was surprised. He said, ¡°Clan Head, you¡¯re so perspicacious! I can¡¯t hide anything from you!¡± ¡°I have also mastered a technique called the ¡®Nine-Fold Strength¡¯! It can increase one¡¯s martial strength by at most nine times.¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes widened. He held his breath in astonishment. His hand, which was originally stroking his beard, trembled involuntarily and tore off a few strands of beard. Liu Fan was also surprised in his coffin. He hadn¡¯t expected that Liu Dongdong would comprehend this combat technique. This unique technique was what had brought fame to Liu Fan during his time. As the manifestation of the highest physical strength, it was extremely powerful. When used in conjunction with the Secret Technique of the Bulldozer, one would become literally unbeatable. In the ancestral temple, Liu Tao urged that Liu Dongdong must cultivate harder and ascend to the Fish Dive State as soon as possible. ¡°You must be patient and focused when learning that Nine-Fold Strength combat technique. That¡¯s the one that made our ancestor famous.¡± Speaking of that, Liu Tao suddenly paused and said with some hesitation, ¡°According to our family booklet, this combat technique originally belonged to the Nine-Fold Clan, which was later exterminated by our great ancestor. The clan¡¯s Nine-Fold Strength technique was then stolen away by our ancestor. Today, there¡¯s a Nine-Fold Holy Land located in the depths of the City of Scorpio. I don¡¯t know if these two clans are related. ¡°You¡¯ll have to use it with caution! If you¡¯re seen using it, you must kill those who saw you. It¡¯s dangerous to allow any witnesses to live!¡± Liu Tao exhorted Liu Dongdong solemnly, with murderousness in his eyes. ¡°Even if the witness is a beautiful woman, you¡¯ll have to kill her! You mustn¡¯t be merciful.¡± Liu Dongdong¡¯s heart shuddered. He engraved Liu Tao¡¯s words into his heart. Having heard Liu Tao, Liu Fan began recalling what had happened more a thousand years ago¡­ He remembered that he had indeed wiped out the Nine-Fold Clan back then. It was an utter bloodshed, and even chickens and dogs were not spared. Could it be that there were members from this clan who had slipped through his hands? ¡°If there was, it would cause big trouble.¡± ¡°When one has fully mastered the Nine-Fold Strength, it will evolve into an extremely terrifying palm technique, which can topple mountains and overturn seas. It will become an unstoppable disaster unless I am revived¡­¡± Liu Fan was worried. Luckily, the Liu clan was now in decline. If the descendants of the Nine-Fold Clan really wanted to take revenge on the Liu Clan, they would have done so long ago. The fact that there had been no news after so many years revealed that there might be other reasons that he did not know of. In the ancestral temple, Liu Tao was giving extra lessons to Liu Dongdong, explaining to him the gist of martial arts cultivation. Liu Dongdong was a talented student. With little help from Liu Tao, he was already able to comprehend and draw inferences from what he had learned. Liu Tao was delighted. He looked at Liu Dongdong with extreme fondness in his eyes. At this moment, a clan member ran over from outside the courtyard and reported, ¡°Clan Head, someone has just entered Lady Meimei¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°The young lord of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, Zhuo Tianyou!¡± ¡°The fish has gone on the hook!¡± Liu Tao smiled. Liu Dongdong was anxious. He urged, ¡°Clan Head!!!¡± Meimei was a beautiful girl. With Zhuo Tianyou coming to meet her in the middle of the night, Liu Dongdong would not believe that the two had no feelings for each other. ¡°Do you like Meimei?¡± Liu Tao suddenly turned to look at Liu Dongdong. The flurry in Liu Dongdong¡¯s eyes vanished in an instant. He hurriedly waved his hand and said, ¡°You must be joking, Clan Head. She¡¯s my paternal cousin. I dare not develop such feelings for her.¡± ¡°But Zhuo Tianyou is a dandy who has always been engaging in romantic affairs and visiting the brothels. I¡¯m afraid that he will ruin Meimei¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Well, your worry is reasonable. Go and protect her well!¡± Liu Tao said. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll protect Meimei!¡± With a serious look on his face, Liu Dongdong hurried out of the courtyard. ¡°Forgot to tell you that Meimei is actually your maternal cousin¡­¡± Liu Tao said when Dongdong had already reached the gate of the courtyard. Liu Dongdong staggered. ¡°I¡¯ll protect my cousin!¡± His voice was loud, with a hint of joy. Outside the ancestral temple, as Liu Dongdong ran farther away, Liu Tao stroked his beard while smiling and muttered to himself, ¡°Actually, Meimei is your sister¡­¡± ¡°Silly boy, wait until you¡¯ve experienced love, pain, and hurt. You¡¯ll grow up. Once your state of mind has matured, it¡¯ll be time for you to advance to the Fish Dive State!¡± In the coffin of the ancestral temple, Liu Fan witnessed this scene and couldn¡¯t help worrying about Liu Dongdong. If Liu Tao¡¯s move was successful, a real martial arts hero would emerge from the Liu clan. If it failed, Liu Dongdong would be driven into the abyss of no return. ¡­ Zhuo Tianyou came to Liu Meimei¡¯s yard. With his excellent Qinggong1, he landed silently at Liu Meimei¡¯s window, which was situated on the second floor. Through the window, he saw Liu Meimei crying with her head hung low. Her crying face looked sad and mournful, striking on his heartstrings. It was just like that feeling when the two had met for the first time on their way to the Than Hsiang Temple this year. He sighed. A burst of energy shot out from his palm and shattered the window catch. He broke in through the window. ¡°Ahh?¡­¡± ¡°Ahh!¡­¡± ¡°Ahh¡ª¡± Shouts of different tones came from the room. Liu Meimei¡¯s mood changed within an instant. She felt as if she had gotten on a roller coaster. Then, the couple started to talk to each other quietly. After a while, Liu Meimei¡¯s charming laughter came from the room. ¡°That pretty boy really knows how to please girls!¡± Liu Dongdong had arrived at the garden downstairs. Liu Xiaoxiao, the snotty boy, was gnawing at a pig¡¯s tail at his side. ¡°Brother Dongdong, who¡¯s with Sister Meimei in the room? They sound so happy!¡± Liu Xiaoxiao asked, his eyes blinking. ¡°Someone who¡¯s a liar, a very bad guy. He¡¯s fooling your Sister Meimei at this moment. He¡¯ll come after your pig¡¯s tail and eat it later,¡± Liu Dongdong explained bitterly. He looked up at the two figures on the second floor. No matter how he looked at them, he felt that one of them was unpleasant to his eyes. When Liu Meimei laughed, he felt even more unhappy. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± He coughed vigorously and loudly. The laughter in the attic stopped abruptly. A smug smile appeared on his face, but in the next second, his smile froze. He had just seen the light upstairs go out. They¡¯d also closed the curtains! ¡°What¡¯s going on inside?¡± ¡°Why did they blow off the candles? Why did they draw the curtains?¡± Liu Dongdong was confused. ¡°Daddy and Mommy blow off the candles and draw the curtains too when they sleep together¡­¡± Liu Xiaoxiao mumbled. Liu Dongdong¡¯s expression changed. He wanted to rush up to the attic but felt that it would be inappropriate. He looked at Liu Xiaoxiao. He fished out a pig¡¯s ear from his pocket and shook it in front of him. ¡°Xiaoxiao, do you want to eat piggy?¡± Liu Xiaoxiao snorted hard and corrected Liu Dongdong with a scowl. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®pig,¡¯ not ¡®piggy.¡¯ The Elder said, saying ¡®eat piggy¡¯ is disrespect to the ancestor1!¡± While speaking, he couldn¡¯t remove his eyes from the pig¡¯s ear Liu Dongdong was holding. The boy swallowed his saliva secretly. Liu Dongdong didn¡¯t like kids, but the sight of the dark attic made him anxious. He said hurriedly, ¡°Take this pig¡¯s ear to your Sister Meimei and ask her if she wants it. If she doesn¡¯t, it¡¯ll be yours!¡± The boy bit his lips and asked very seriously, ¡°But what if Sister Meimei wants it? Do I still get some pig¡¯s ear?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask too much, just go now!¡± Liu Dongdong pretended to be angry, raising his hands as if he was going to spank the boy. The kid took the pig¡¯s ear and hurried up the attic. When he was going around the corner, he realized that Liu Dongdong was not following him. Seeing that there was no one around, he spit on the pig¡¯s ear. ¡°This is Liu Dongdong¡¯s saliva!¡± His small eyes were sparkling with slyness. He rushed up the stairs and pushed open Liu Meimei¡¯s door without knocking. ¡°Sister Meimei, Brother Dongdong wants to give you this pig¡¯s ear!¡± ¡°But let me tell you a secret. He had secretly spit on the pig¡¯s ear. If you don¡¯t believe me, look at it. It¡¯s still wet. Eww¡­¡± Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the room, it was pitch black. Liu Xiaoxiao did not care and began to shout loudly. Downstairs, when Liu Dongdong saw Liu Xiaoxiao barge into the room like that, he smiled proudly. Trying to do interesting things in the room, dream on! However, at this moment, Liu Xiaoxiao¡¯s voice was heard from upstairs. ¡°Brother Dongdong, Sister Meimei is not in the room¡­¡± ¡°Swoosh!¡± Liu Dongdong rushed up the building and found that Liu Meimei was not in. Meanwhile, the window on the other side was open. Under the window was the back door of the Liu family. The back door led to the streets outside. Meanwhile, two guards of the Liu family had fainted on the ground at the area behind the door. ¡°Oh, no! Zhuo Tianyou took Meimei away!¡± Liu Dongdong was astonished and rushed over to look for the head of the clan, Liu Tao. Liu Tao was still in the ancestral temple. Under the oil lamp, he took out the package from Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. He realized, to his surprise, that the black crescent jade had turned white. The white crescent jade was cold to the touch. He became calmer unknowingly and felt as though his soul had been cleansed and become extremely clear. ¡°This jade has the power to calm the mind and heart!¡± Liu Tao was surprised and excited. If he brought the jade along with him during training, it could prevent him from overdoing it. He had reached the Fish Dive State many years ago but did not dare to make a breakthrough to the Dragon State. Apart from his lack of ability, he was worried about overdoing the training. Yet now, after touching the Three Suns Body Tempering Method on his ancestor¡¯s body and obtaining the crescent jade, Liu Tao felt that it would not be long before he could make a breakthrough to the Fish Dive State. ¡°Heaven is helping me!¡± Liu Tao was excited. As long as he was able to make a breakthrough to the Dragon State, he could be considered a martial arts master. In this chaotic dark world, one would only be powerful if one had the status and power of a martial arts master. At this moment, outside of the ancestral temple, Liu Dongdong ran, feeling distraught. ¡°Clan Head, something bad has happened!¡± ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? Take your time!¡± ¡°Zhuo Tianyou, the young lord of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, took Meimei away!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liu Tao kept silent for a moment and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Meimei will be back tomorrow morning!¡± Liu Tao smiled calmly and persuaded Liu Dongdong to continue his training. Liu Dongdong was only thinking about Liu Meimei and could not calm down. He walked back and forth in the courtyard anxiously. When Liu Tao saw that, he gestured to a clan member beside him. ¡°Go to my room and bring the rooster under my bed here!¡± Liu Tao instructed the clan member softly. ¡°Secretly, though. Don¡¯t let Dongdong see you!¡± These last few days, Liu Dongdong suddenly loved to eat chicken. Roosters, especially. He had killed and eaten all of the roosters he could find. He did not even spit out the bones. Liu Tao found the way Liu Dongdong ate the chicken strange. Meanwhile, Liu Meimei had accidentally revealed that the rooster was a tool that controlled Liu Dongdong. Although Liu Tao did not really understand that, he still kept a rooster secretly. The clan member brought over the rooster very quickly. It had a bright red comb. It was very beautiful and looked at Liu Tao with a side glance. ¡°Slap!¡± Liu Tao gave the rooster a slap. ¡°Ow ow¡ª¡± The rooster crowed. Liu Dongdong, who was pondering around in the courtyard anxiously, suddenly froze. Then, his gaze changed and he immediately sat down on the ground and began to cultivate¡­ Liu Tao was shocked and then smiled. If Liu Meimei had not unintentionally told him about the secret, he would have never believed that Liu Dongdong could be controlled by the crows of a rooster. ¡°Ancestor, are you really showing your powers?!¡± he exclaimed as he looked at Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. Ever since he¡¯d placed the ancestor¡¯s coffin into the ancestral temple, strange things had begun to happen to the Liu family. Firstly, Liu Chao, the spy of the Lu family, revealed himself and used his life to let others know about how one should be honest. After that, Liu Wuhai, who originally had a pessimistic outlook in life, suddenly began to live with high spirits and often asked his family members to cultivate. Liu Liuhai, who was originally a yes-man who had no opinions, suddenly became very motivated and began to build the army of the Liu family eagerly. When he walked, his pants caused the leaves on the ground to rustle. Now, Liu Dongdong, who was originally lazy, suddenly changed. When the rooster crowed, he would enter his training mode. That was unbelievable. ¡°Thank goodness, I am normal¡­¡± Liu Tao suddenly thought about himself and heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. Under the oil lamp. Liu Fan¡¯s coffin was placed horizontally; the spirit tablet read, ¡°Liu Fan, an esteemed and well-loved ancestor, First Physical Cultivator.¡± The light dimmed and brightened up repeatedly, and this along with the smoke from the incense made the spirit tablet seem more mysterious. ¡°Ancestor, I¡¯ve decided to enter seclusive cultivation tonight.¡± ¡°If you are really listening to me, please watch over me. I have been stuck in the Fish Dive State for three years.¡± ¡°Please watch over me, allow me to make a breakthrough and advance to the Dragon State!¡± He paid his respects to Liu Fan sincerely. Then, he gave instructions to the clan members. After that, he went into the secret room with the crescent jade and hung a ¡°do not disturb¡± note. ¡°Respect points +800.¡± Liu Fan received the respect points that Liu Tao contributed and opened his eyes. ¡°My good descendant. Since you are so respectful to your ancestor, I will definitely look after you!¡± ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Trickery and Deception, leave!¡± ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª Smooth Sailing Spell, go!¡± If his respectful descendant wanted to make a breakthrough, as the ancestor, he would ensure that he made his breakthrough smoothly. ¡­ In the secret room, Liu Tao sat with his legs folded and frowned. His expression changed continuously. A year ago, he¡¯d tried to make a breakthrough but overdid it and almost died. This incident was a traumatic one for him. He was not afraid of death, but he was worried about leaving behind the Liu family. Now, the Liu family was in a critical state. The spaceship could have landed somewhere near the shorelines of the Scorpio Island. If anything happened to him, the Liu family would be in deep trouble and completely lose the chance to make use of the opportunity. ¡°No, I have to make a breakthrough to the Dragon State. If the Liu family wants to rule over the chaotic Black Street, we have to have a martial arts master!¡± Liu Tao gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. He was ready to begin cultivating. However, at this moment, he suddenly felt chills down his body. For some strange reason, a strong sense of confidence spread through his body. He suddenly felt extremely strongly that his breakthrough would be extremely successful! ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Why am I so confident?¡± ¡°Who gave me the confidence?¡± Liu Tao was confused. The feeling of ¡°very successful¡± was becoming stronger. It felt like the waves of the ocean, hitting him wave after wave. ¡°Woosh!¡± Liu Tao took a deep breath and adjusted his breathing. He began to cultivate the Three Suns Body Tempering Method and attempted to make a breakthrough. ¡°Thump!¡± Just as he began, a loud sound was heard from his body. The bottleneck was broken! Then, a powerful aura exuded from Liu Tao¡¯s body. There was the power of a Grand Master mixed in the aura. ¡°This¡­ this is the Grand Master state?!¡± ¡°I managed to break through?¡± Liu Tao was shocked beyond words. He had not even trained for one day and yet already managed to break through?! Why was the process so smooth?! What happened?! Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Confused, Liu Tao raised his hand and made a move with his palm. ¡°Bang!¡± His palm mark flew along with a beam of white light and the roar of a dragon. The walls of the secret room vibrated, and a deep palm mark was indented on the wall, along with cracks. ¡°I really made it to the Dragon State!¡± ¡°Moreover, it is a Major Perfection!!¡± Liu Tao was astonished. He looked at his palm then towards the palm mark on the wall. The palm mark was 9.9 inches. That was the sign of a Major Perfection. The Liu family was a family of physical cultivators. They trained their physical strength instead of spiritual energy. Every single bottleneck was very difficult to transcend. However, once a breakthrough was made, it would be the most powerful of the equivalent level. At this moment, Liu Tao had made a breakthrough to the Dragon State and achieved Major Perfection. With this ability, he could be considered a ¡°martial arts master¡±! ¡°Our Liu family now has a martial arts master!¡± Liu Tao was in a daze. However, when he suddenly recalled the strange scene earlier on, he felt that something was wrong. ¡°Could it be¡­ could it be that our ancestor showed his power?!¡± Liu Tao froze with his mouth agape. With some confusion and curiosity, he rushed out of the secret room and went to the ancestral temple. He knelt in front of the spirit tablet of Liu Fan and began to pay his respects to him. ¡°Liu Tao thanks you, Ancestor, for watching over me!¡± ¡°I will burn incense sticks for you!¡± ¡°I will burn incense paper for you!¡± ¡°I will kowtow to you!¡± ¡°Thank you, Ancestor, for helping me with the breakthrough to become a martial arts master!¡± Liu Tao was very sincere. He kowtowed and paid his respects to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet with excitement and respect. If this was not his ancestor¡¯s doing, what else could be the reason behind his strange breakthrough? At that moment, his respect level for Liu Fan had peaked! The incense paper was burning in the basket. With the wind blowing in from the window, the smoke began to fly around and the ashes fell on Liu Tao. In the coffin, Liu Fan saw a huge number of respect points flying out of Liu Tao¡¯s head. It was a huge patch of green¡­ ¡°Respect points +3000.¡± Liu Fan was delighted. He did not dote on Liu Tao for nothing. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª Smooth Sailing Spell, leave!¡± ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Trickery and Deception, go!¡± Liu Fan lifted the Smooth Sailing Spell from Liu Tao and once again put the Spell of Trickery and Deception on him. The progress of a family depended on a cunning Clan Head. He had to have a mindset as sly as that of a fox and deal with things unscrupulously. The Spell of Trickery and Deception acted upon Liu Tao. At that moment, Liu Tao, who was in the midst of paying respects to Liu Fan, suddenly froze. His gaze changed and he gave a sly smile. Outside the ancestral temple, footsteps were heard. From the sound, it appeared there were many people approaching. Liu Tao rolled his eyes and bit his lips until a trace of blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. Meanwhile, he disrupted his blood flow and caused his face to turn extremely pale. He also made use of his powers to control the aura of the Dragon State and instead exuded the aura of the Fish Dive State. Outside the ancestral temple, Liu Dahai and the group of Elders had arrived. A group of members of the Liu family followed along. They were very anxious and worried. When they saw Liu Tao paying his respects to their ancestor, their heart skipped a beat. Oh, no! Did our Clan Head fail in his breakthrough again?! Making a breakthrough required at least several hours. However, it had only been nearly an hour since Liu Tao began his attempt. ¡°Clan Head!¡± ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± Liu Tao turned around. His pale face, weak breath, and trickling blood caused Liu Dahai and the members of the Liu family¡¯s expressions to change drastically. ¡°Clan Head, you¡­¡± This scene obviously showed that he had failed! Liu Tao began his cultivation and came out very quickly. Some family members went to report this to Liu Dahai and the rest. They knew that something was amiss and rushed over. However, it was too late! Liu Tao had really failed and suffered heavy injuries. Liu Tao got up trembling and said weakly, ¡°Sigh! I am old and useless. Looks like I can never make a breakthrough past the Fish Dive State in my life!¡± ¡°Clan Head!!!¡± Liu Dongdong ran over in concern. He held Liu Tao and was tearing up. He was blaming that damned rooster. Liu Meimei got into trouble that night and the head of his clan attempted a breakthrough. However, the rooster crowed and he could neither save Liu Meimei nor take care of Liu Tao. Instead, he had been cultivating upon hearing the crow the entire night. He remembered that he had killed and ate all of the roosters in the Liu family. Where did this rooster come from?! ¡°Dongdong, you are here¡­¡± Liu Tao smiled and spoke when he saw Liu Dongdong, but he was broken off by the youngster. ¡°Clan Head, please don¡¯t speak and drink some chicken soup!¡± Liu Dongdong made a gesture and a family member walked over with a bowl of hot chicken soup. Instantly, the smell of chicken soup wafted through the ancestral temple. Liu Xiaoxiao and the other children¡¯s eyes lit up and looked at the bowl of chicken soup. ¡°Clan Head, you are injured. Drink some chicken soup to replenish your body!¡± Liu Dongdong said in concern. Liu Tao was touched and took a sip of the soup. There was a huge chicken head floating in the soup. It had a huge comb and was very beautiful. It also looked very familiar. Liu Tao froze for a moment and asked, ¡°Where did this chicken come from?¡± ¡°I caught it. It was fat. Clan Head, just enjoy it!¡± Liu Dongdong replied with a smile. He felt extremely good as he looked at the chicken in the bowl. ¡®Damned rooster, you made me cultivate upon hearing the crow for one entire night. ¡®You deserve to be made into chicken soup!¡¯ Liu Tao¡¯s heart ached as he ate the chicken head. ¡®My poor rooster with a big red comb. ¡®You died for a good cause. ¡®You died honorably!¡¯ Liu Tao was sad, but he looked heartened as he was very satisfied with Liu Dongdong¡¯s respect towards him. ¡°Come, bring the chicken drumsticks and give them to our ancestor!¡± Liu Dongdong shouted loudly. Soon, the family members brought over two chicken drumsticks. ¡°Please enjoy, Ancestor!¡± Liu Dongdong paid his respects to Liu Fan and placed the drumsticks on Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. ¡°Respect points +500.¡± Liu Fan was very heartened when he saw the increase in respect points. However, he was shocked when he saw the two chicken drumsticks. He did not expect that Liu Dongdong would break the curse. That was too inhumane! All of the roosters in the Liu family had been killed and eaten by him! That night, Liu Tao¡¯s hidden rooster was also found by him and immediately dealt with. In the ancestral temple, the clan members left after the First Elder had instructed them to do so. Only a few of them were left in the ancestral temple. ¡°Dongdong, you can go back first!¡± Liu Tao told Liu Dongdong to leave too. He closed the door of the ancestral temple and only a few Elders were left. Liu Dahai took Liu Tao¡¯s pulse and felt that Liu Tao¡¯s breath was indeed very weak. He had definitely suffered some serious injuries. ¡°Clan Head, you are too rash!¡± Liu Dahai sighed and said, ¡°It is not easy for one to make a breakthrough from the Fish Dive State to the Dragon State! Or else, we won¡¯t have only three martial arts masters among the clans in Black Street!¡± The other Elders nodded in agreement. ¡°Our family cultivates physical cultivation techniques!¡± ¡°Physical training is very difficult. This is even more so for the Dragon State, a critical stage!¡± After saying that, Liu Dahai shook his head and sighed. Liu Erhai cut another piece of nail cover while Liu Sanhai dug his earwax. Liu Wuhai touched his forehead while Liu Liuhai took out a tobacco pipe and began to smoke. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Liu Tao saw the reactions of the five Elders, he smiled. He stopped hiding and released the aura of a martial arts master. Instantly, the clothes on Liu Tao moved even though there was no wind. A powerful aura appeared from Liu Tao¡¯s body and created a gust. It caused the oil lamps in the ancestral temple to sway, and the room dimmed and lit up repeatedly. Meanwhile, a powerful force caused Liu Dahai and the rest to wobble, and they were forced to take a few steps back. Their expressions changed drastically. They looked at Liu Tao in disbelief. ¡°Martial arts master¡­ The grand martial arts master¡­¡± Liu Erhai spat out the nail in his mouth and exclaimed, ¡°You are not injured, you managed to break through!¡± Liu Sanhai flicked his earwax and his eyes lit up. Liu Dahai, Liu Wuhai, and Liu Liuhai crowded over in excitement and carefully felt the aura on Liu Tao. The aura was extremely powerful, and it caused them to fear Liu Tao. ¡°Indeed, he is a grand martial arts master!¡± ¡°No, he is even more powerful than a grand martial arts master!¡± Liu Dahai said in affirmation and was in disbelief. Among the Elders, his martial arts status was the closest to Liu Tao¡¯s. However, Liu Tao managed to make a breakthrough faster than he did and had reached the grand martial arts master state! That made him very excited. ¡°How did you manage to make a breakthrough?¡± Liu Tao smiled mysteriously and pointed to the spirit tablet of Liu Fan. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to our ancestor, who watched over me!¡± Liu Dahai frowned and clearly did not believe him. The other Elders also refused to believe it. ¡°Our ancestor has been extremely responsive today. Do you guys want to give it a try?!¡± Liu Tao suggested, and a look flashed across his eyes. He thought that his breakthrough that day felt extremely strange. Therefore, he wanted to persuade Liu Dahai and the other Elders to give it a try to prove his somewhat childish conjecture ¡ª that paying respects to their ancestor would help them break through their bottleneck. ¡°Give it a shot! If you don¡¯t feel like you are making a breakthrough, then don¡¯t force yourself. You won¡¯t get injured either!¡± Liu Tao continued to encourage the rest and intentionally showed his aura as a grand martial arts master. That caused Liu Dahai and the rest to be extremely envious. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s give it a shot!¡± The group made up their mind and turned around to pay respects to Liu Fan. They burned incense sticks and incense paper, kowtowed, and prayed¡­ Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai were the most serious. They looked very serious as they made 90-degree bows. When they kowtowed, they were almost flat on the ground and made knocking sounds when their heads hit the floor. ¡°Respect points +1000.¡± Liu Fan felt relieved as he witnessed this from the coffin. These two descendants were very sincere. However, Liu Fan was not happy when he turned to look at Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai. The three of them acted as though a metal board was implanted onto their waists. The maximum angle of their bow was 60 degrees, and they simply nodded their heads when they were supposed to kowtow. ¡°Respect points +300.¡± Liu Fan was frustrated. ¡°These three do not even care about my existence!¡± At this moment, Liu Tao also could not stand it anymore. ¡°If you want to attempt to make a breakthrough, you will have to calm yourself down and pay respects to our ancestor sincerely!¡± ¡°The old saying goes, your dreams will come through if you are sincere!¡± After saying that, he took a look at Liu Fan¡¯s coffin and said, ¡°Our ancestor can see all of this from heaven.¡± As he said that, he purposely took a glance at Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai. However, the three of them did not care. After paying their respects to their ancestor, they immediately went into the secret room and began their attempts. In the coffin, Liu Fan took note of the performance of the five descendants. ¡°Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai are very respectful. Both of them shall be awarded the Smooth and Sailing Spell ¡ª go!¡± ¡°Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai do not treat their ancestor seriously, so they do not deserve the love of their ancestor either!¡± ¡°The Rage of the Ancestor ¡ª the Curse of Anxiousness, go!¡± ¡°Trying to make a breakthrough, I am doing you a favor by not making all of you overtrain!¡± The ancestor had feelings too! In the secret room, Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai sat with their legs crossed. They were also at the peak of the Fish Dive State and had been stuck at the bottleneck for many years. Both of them were extremely excited to make a breakthrough and they were mumbling as they trained. ¡°Ancestor, please watch over me. Ancestor, please watch over me¡­¡± Perhaps it was because of their excitement, they took a long time to adjust their breathing and sat there for a long time. ¡°It seems that we are unable to make a breakthrough this time!¡± However, at that moment, they shuddered, and the force of martial arts began to flow. Then, with a boom, they broke the bottleneck. Both of them made the breakthrough one after another and became martial arts masters immediately. Because of their own experience and skills, they could only advance to the martial arts master instead of the grand martial arts master like Liu Tao. However, even that made them extremely excited. After being stuck in the Fish Dive State for many years, they finally made a breakthrough! The martial arts master was considered an expert in the martial arts scene of Scorpio Island. They ran out of the secret room into the ancestor and began to pay respects to their ancestor. ¡°Thank you for watching over me, Ancestor!¡± ¡°Ancestor, I love you!¡± Both of them were so excited that their faces turned red as they burned incense sticks and incense paper and kowtowed to Liu Fan. Liu Tao looked at the two of them in the ancestral temple and felt the changes in their aura. That caused his breath to quicken, and he looked up at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet in extreme respect. ¡°Ancestor has never left. He has been watching over us from heaven all along!¡± ¡°Today, he has shown his powers!¡± ¡°Thump!¡± He knelt down in front of Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and shouted loudly, ¡°Thank you for showing your powers from heaven, Ancestor!¡± Then, he kowtowed. The sincerity and seriousness in his expression shocked Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai. They proceeded to nod and said, ¡°Yes, Ancestor has shown his powers today!¡± Liu Fan was surprised. A huge 2000 respect points floated out of Liu Tao¡¯s head. Meanwhile, both Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai each contributed 1000 respect points. He obtained 3000 respect points just like that! He was rich! At this moment, Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai returned to the ancestral temple. The three of them looked extremely disappointed. Evidently, they had failed in the breakthrough! When they saw Liu Tao, Liu Wuhai, and Liu Liuhai madly paying respects to their ancestor, they were shocked and wanted to tell them not to be too superstitious. However, after that, they froze. That was because they felt the changes in the aura of Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai! Their aura had become powerful. Those auras had way surpassed Liu Dahai and made him feel suppressed. Those auras were clearly those of a martial arts master! ¡°You guys¡­ managed to make a breakthrough?!!¡± Liu Dahai said with a trembling voice and widened his eyes in disbelief. Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai were stunned too. ¡°How did you guys manage to make a breakthrough?¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai looked at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and said respectfully, ¡°We sat cross-legged in the secret room and were adjusting our breathing. Then¡­ we managed to make a breakthrough!¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s right, it happened suddenly!¡± Liu Dahai widened his eyes and looked at Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai. Then, he turned his gaze to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and, after a long time, he shouted as though he was unfairly treated, ¡°Ancestor, you are too biased!¡± Chapter 20 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Tao shook his head when he saw this scene. ¡°Don¡¯t blame our ancestor for being biased. The three of you did not even pay your respects to our ancestor sincerely. You should know that yourselves best!¡± Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai opened their mouths and wanted to defend themselves but were not able to say anything. That was because it felt too surreal! It was unbelievable! They were not able to make a breakthrough because they were not sincere enough?! ¡°However, that being said, when I was attempting my breakthrough earlier on, I was very confused as to why I felt extremely distracted!¡± Liu Erhai grumbled softly. ¡°Hey! Me too!¡± Liu Sanhai was surprised. They were unable to calm themselves down and felt extremely distracted and restless. Liu Dahai did not make any comments but was shocked too. That was because he felt the same way as Liu Erhai. He was extremely distracted and restless. He was not even able to concentrate and hence was not able to make a breakthrough. Compared to Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai¡¯s, their experience was evidently different. ¡°Could it really be because of our ancestor?!¡± Liu Dahai shuddered. He turned and looked at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and was shocked. From the coffin, Liu Fan exuded his aura of supremacy. The supremacy of a seven-starred spirit caused the mood of the entire ancestral temple to become more serious instantly. The air seemed to have stopped. Liu Tao, who was the most experienced in martial arts, felt the changes in the ancestral temple first. He could not explain how the suppression felt like, but he began to lean forward uncontrollably. Meanwhile, something popped up in his mind. He should not joke around in front of his ancestor in the future! Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai bowed slightly and were both excited and serious. That was because they could feel their ancestor becoming more powerful. On the other hand, to Liu Dahai, it felt that Liu Fan had become extremely powerful, and the smoke that came from the incense burner showed signs of holiness. He felt scared because of his ancestor¡¯s powers. ¡°Ancestor, please forgive me for my disrespectfulness.¡± Liu Dahai was drenched in sweat and immediately burned incense sticks for Liu Fan. Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai immediately followed suit. All three of them contributed 300 respect points each. Liu Fan was disappointed in the coffin. It was too late for them to realize that they had to be respectful to their ancestor! Their ancestor would not accept this! ¡­ In the ancestral temple, after paying their respects to their ancestor, Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai hesitated for a long while and refused to leave. ¡°Let¡¯s hold a meeting!¡± Liu Dahai suggested with his eyes lit up. ¡°Since paying respects to our ancestor helps with making a breakthrough, shall we get all our family members over to pay respects to him?¡± ¡°Let everyone experience the holy spirit of our ancestor!¡± Liu Dahai smiled as he stated his plan. If he was able to pay respect to his ancestor sincerely along with the rest of the family members, he¡¯d have another chance to make a breakthrough. However, this suggestion was rejected by Liu Wuhai. ¡°Our ancestor is the treasure of our family, our most important wealth. We have to protect him!¡± ¡°If we ask the entire family to pay respects to him and the news gets leaked out, we cannot afford the consequences,¡± Liu Wuhai replied firmly. After breaking through, not only did his martial arts skills improve, he also became more certain with his words. ¡°Nothing can compare to our ancestor!¡± Liu Liuhai said loudly. In the coffin, Liu Fan approved what Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai had said. They were good descendants as they knew how to protect their ancestor and make considerations for him! However, Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai all insisted on inviting the entire family over to pay respects to their ancestor. They really wanted to make a breakthrough. Once they¡¯d made a breakthrough, they would at least have the status of a martial arts master. In Scorpio Island, a martial arts master was considered an expert! Meanwhile, among the martial arts clans, a martial arts master that had attained the Dragon State would be considered an expert of the Elder standard! It was extraordinary! ¡°No more negotiations! Our ancestor is not a tool for training. If you want to become stronger, you will have to put in the effort and train by yourself!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai shook their heads in unison. Liu Dahai was frustrated. ¡°Both of you are so stubborn!¡± ¡°None of the family members are good in martial arts, and many of them have been stuck in the Body Tempering Realm for many years. Some of the older and experienced family members have been stuck at the Fish Dive State for a long time too.¡± ¡°Once they make a breakthrough, the overall capability of the Liu family would increase tremendously.¡± ¡°By then, we will rule over Black Street easily.¡± When he said that, Liu Dahai suddenly turned around, made a 90-degree bow to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet, and said sincerely, ¡°As long as we become more powerful and rich, we will be able to burn the most expensive joss paper and incense sticks for our ancestor!¡± ¡°Ancestor can live in the lap of luxury in heaven! Moreover, he can marry many wives!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liu Wuhai was stunned. Liu Liuhai opened his mouth in shock and did not know how to counter. Liu Dahai made a lot of sense. Every single sentence meant well for the ancestor, so how could they reject his suggestions?! ¡°Please decide, Clan Head!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai looked at each other and pushed the decision-making to Liu Tao. Liu Tao paced around as he thought about what Liu Dahai had said. That was because what Liu Dahai said made him recall their ancestor¡¯s personal love life¡­ ¡°Based on the records, our ancestor had seven wives!¡± ¡°The first wife was a slut who gave birth to another man¡¯s child!¡± ¡°The second wife was hyperactive and wanted to compete with our ancestor every day. Eventually, she shut herself in a cave in the mountain and created her own Ancient Tomb Sect1. She claimed that she would not leave the cave if she did not create a form of martial arts that was more powerful than the ancestor¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°The third wife was already married. It was rumored that that night was a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡­ Liu Tao recalled the contents in the records and sighed. The love life of his ancestor was really rough! ¡°Ancestor is a man too!¡± ¡°A man has his needs!¡± ¡°Perhaps we should really burn more money and more paper women, so as to ensure that our ancestor doesn¡¯t feel lonely in heaven!¡± As he thought about that, Liu Tao¡¯s gaze became certain. The Liu family had to grow powerful as soon as possible. The main focus being the development of their economy, the improvement in their martial art skills was the pre-condition. Through both prongs, they would improve the status of the Liu family. Finally, he slammed the table hard. He said, ¡°Gather all the clan members who are stuck in bottlenecks. Get them to pay their respects to our ancestor and attempt to make a breakthrough. Don¡¯t disturb the other family members!¡± ¡°Everyone has only one chance to pay their respects. Whether our ancestor likes the family member really depends on our ancestor himself!¡± ¡°Then, distribute a pill to each member and say it¡¯s our newly-invented breakthrough pill.¡± Liu Tao spoke in detail. All of them understood what he meant. They could not expose the details about how their ancestor helped with the breakthrough. Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai smiled. They were very satisfied with the outcome as the three of them would have another chance to make a breakthrough. ¡°We have to pay respects to our ancestor sincerely.¡± ¡°Ancestor, please don¡¯t be biased anymore!¡± Chapter 21 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The night passed and the sun rose. More than 100 members of the Liu family had gathered outside the door of the ancestral temple. They had been stuck in a bottleneck for many years. The family members talked to each other. Many of them had just woken up and did not know why they were called over. Liu Dongdong was among the crowd. His dark eye circles were bad and his hair was in a mess. That was because Liu Meimei had been taken away by Zhuo Tianyou. It was already morning and he still had not seen Liu Meimei. That made him extremely anxious. ¡°Clan Head, Meimei¡­?¡± Liu Dongdong saw Liu Tao exit from the ancestral temple and rushed over to ask. Liu Tao waved and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Meimei, she will return.¡± ¡°This morning, we have more important things to do.¡± After saying that, Liu Tao coughed and caused the family members to quieten down and turn to look at him. Liu Dahai and the four other Elders were standing beside Liu Tao. When they saw the head of the clan and all the Elders, the family members became nervous. Did something major happen in their family again?! Which other enemy wanted to attack them now?! Liu Tao said loudly, ¡°I gathered everyone over because we invented a new breakthrough pill. This pill can help everyone with your breakthrough.¡± After he said that, the family members broke out into a commotion and were extremely excited. This was a massive good news! Some of the sleepy family members immediately woke up too. Liu Erquan was one of them. Yesterday night, his had child peed in his sleep and he had to wake up in the middle of the night to change the bedsheets. That had disrupted his rest and he was extremely tired. However, after hearing what the head of the clan said, he suddenly woke up and was more alert than ever. ¡°A new breakthrough pill?! That helps one with breakthroughs?!¡± His eyes lit up in excitement. Apart from Liu Tao and the five Elders who were at the peak of the Fish Dive State, only Liu Erquan and another family member who was out to run errands were at the peak of the Fish Dive State. In the past, he was a gifted individual who had the most chances of making a breakthrough. He was also a candidate to become the next head of the clan. However, his wife passed away while giving birth to Liu Xiaoxiao, and that almost caused him to give up martial arts. Ever since then, although he¡¯d regained his skills, he was unable to make a breakthrough. That was because his mind was not in a peaceful state. He was a physical cultivator who specialized in physical strength. He¡¯d made a promise to follow the footsteps of his ancestor and be the second-generation ¡°Bulldozer¡±! However, it was extremely difficult to break through the bottleneck, and he had been stuck at the Fish Dive State for more than ten years. He was on the verge of giving up. Yet now, after hearing what the Clan Head said, he was enticed and looked extremely excited. ¡®Liu Xiaoxiao is still young and I have to take care of him. I have to become more powerful,¡¯ Liu Erquan thought to himself. He wanted to train Liu Xiaoxiao such that he¡¯d grow up to be a powerful martial arts cultivator and could intimidate others. He did not want to continue living a life where he lived in fear and was constantly attacked by others. Liu Tao continued, ¡°This batch of pills are very precious. Its development was inspired by our ancestor. Therefore, before eating it, everyone has to queue up and come forward one by one to pay respects to our ancestor. Then, after receiving the pill, you will consume it on the spot and you are not allowed to save it for later. ¡°The breakthrough pill has a very long effectiveness period. After paying your respects, you can return home to cultivate and attempt to make a breakthrough. There is no need to be anxious!¡± The family members could not stand still. They exchanged gazes in extreme excitement. ¡°Remember, when you are paying your respects to our ancestor, you have to be sincere. You cannot do it half-heartedly.¡± After he said that, Liu Tao¡¯s expression changed and he became extremely serious. He pointed at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet, then at the sky. ¡°Our ancestor is watching us from heaven. Whoever does not pay respects to him sincerely may fail in the attempt. Don¡¯t regret it!¡± After hearing that, the family members shuddered and queued up to pay respects to Liu Fan one by one. They were extremely serious and sincere. ¡°Respect points +200.¡± ¡°Respect points +150.¡± ¡°Respect points +210.¡± ¡­ Liu Fan was extremely happy in the coffin. Ever since he came back to life, this was his happiest day. He looked at all the incoming respect points. After a short while, it amounted to more than 1000. It was Liu Erquan¡¯s turn now. Liu Erquan took a deep breath and looked up to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. ¡°Have to be sincere?!¡± ¡°Alright, I will give my all!¡± His gaze became extremely serious. He took a step forward and fell to his knees when he was about ten steps away from the entrance of the ancestral temple. ¡°Descendant Liu Erquan kowtows to Ancestor!¡± Then, he kowtowed. His head hit the ground. It made a sound. When he lifted his head, his forehead had already turned red. The other family members were shocked and took a deep breath. Liu Tao and the other Elders were shocked. ¡°Liu Erquan, please control yourself, don¡¯t die because of this!¡± Liu Sanquan reminded him from the side. Although the head of the clan was serious when he spoke, they did the rituals for the symbolism. The real determinant of the breakthrough was the breakthrough pill! On the table of the ancestral temple were the pills. The smell of the pills was very enticing, and Liu Sanquan was extremely attracted by it. Liu Erquan ignored Liu Sanquan. He got up and took a step forward. Then, he fell to his knees again and kowtowed. Similarly, his bow made a loud sound. It even caused the dust on the ground to fly. ¡°Descendant Liu Erquan kowtows to Ancestor!¡± he shouted loudly, his face flushing red. Then, he got up and took another step before kowtowing. At the end of it, he¡¯d taken 13 steps and made 13 kowtows! He was now right in front of the spirit tablet. His hair was in a mess and there was blood on his forehead. However, his expression was even more serious, and he widened his eyes and stared at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet in respect. He bowed 90 degrees and placed the incense sticks into the incense burner. He proceeded to make a 180-degree kowtow. When he hit his head on the ground, a loud sound was heard. He burned the incense paper seriously. He did not blink even when the ash went into his eyes. At the end, an extremely high respect point floated out from the top of his head. ¡°Respect points +1500.¡± Liu Fan was astonished. The respect points from one person had reached 1500. That was extremely high! Liu Erquan was seriously giving it his all. His forehead was bleeding, and he kowtowed with every step he took. The contribution of his respect points was equivalent to that of 10 others. ¡°A descendant who is so respectful deserves the greatest love from his ancestor!¡± Liu Fan thought about it and chose a spell. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Sudden Realization, go!¡± After paying respects to his ancestor, Liu Erquan stood up and swallowed a breakthrough pill. At that moment, his body shuddered. In a daze, all the times he had cultivated in the past flashed across his mind, and all the confusion he had faced suddenly became extremely clear. It was as though he had broken through a window and seen the light. Everything became clear. After his enlightenment, he began to do the Body Tempering Fist Pattern, and the blood in his body began to make loud noises as though it was on fire. An extremely powerful aura exploded from his body and caused his clothings to make loud sounds. After he did the first set of the Body Tempering Pattern, his body began to make sounds of fried beans. After he did the second set of the Body Tempering Pattern, his white hair turned black. After he did the third set of the Body Tempering Pattern, his wrinkled face became smooth and his blurry eyes became extremely attractive. After he completed the 18 sets of the Body Tempering Pattern, he was drenched in perspiration. His hunchback was gone and his skin was smooth and silky. He looked as though he had aged ten years backward. He became a middle-aged man! He looked as though he was only 30 years old! Meanwhile, a strong suppressive aura began to exude from his body. This sense of suppression spread outwards and turned into a distinctive aura. It caused the oil lamps in the ancestral temple to sway in unison. The family members around him watched in fear and lowered their heads and moved back. Liu Dahai and the other Elders were also unable to go near. They looked at Liu Erquan in disbelief and shock. ¡°Grand¡­ grand martial arts master!¡± they said with a quivering voice as they looked at Liu Tao with a questioning gaze. That was because the aura from Liu Erquan was extremely similar to that of Liu Tao. It was as powerful and unpredictable. It caused them to quiver in fear. Liu Tao nodded his head in astonishment and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, he is a grand martial arts master!¡± Liu Dahai and the rest shook and were in a daze. Liu Tao took a deep breath and looked at Liu Erquan in astonishment. He did not expect Liu Erquan to make a breakthrough on the spot, not even needing to go in seclusion to cultivate. He became a grand martial arts master just like that. That was even more unbelievable than his own breakthrough. ¡°It must be the Ancestor!¡± Liu Tao turned around immediately and looked at the spirit tablet of Liu Fan in respect. His face had turned red. The secret hidden within him seemed to be answered. Although the Ancestor had been dead for 1000 years, he was still looking after the Liu family from heaven. Moreover, if a family member was respectful to the ancestor and treated him nicely, the ancestor would reward that person. Liu Erquan kowtowed with every step he took. In order to pay respects to his ancestor, he made his forehead bleed. Although it looked very stupid, he received a reward from his ancestor. That allowed him to make a breakthrough immediately and become a grand martial arts master. Liu Tao had figured out this point and thought that his analysis was accurate. He began to reconsider the development of the Liu family in the future. And this plan involved paying their respects to their ancestor! He looked up, turned around, and congratulated Liu Erquan in joy. Liu Erquan was so excited that he could no longer speak. He was still in disbelief despite the congratulatory messages from his family members. However, he had to believe it because of the powerful energy in his body. He had indeed made a breakthrough ¡ª a breakthrough to become a grand martial arts master. He looked around and froze. That was because he saw Liu Tao was also a grand martial arts master. Meanwhile, Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai were martial arts masters. ¡°Since when did our family become so powerful?!¡± Liu Erquan was astonished. He wanted to ask but saw Liu Tao shake his head. Therefore, he decided to not ask them anything further and kept his question to himself. With the example of Liu Erquan, all the other family members became excited. Liu Tao took this chance to comment, ¡°Everyone has to learn from Liu Erquan and pay their respects sincerely. This is to allow you to make a breakthrough successfully after swallowing the breakthrough pill, and perhaps end up with miracles!¡± However, everyone misunderstood Liu Tao¡¯s words. All of them turned to the breakthrough pill fervently. That was because they thought Liu Erquan made a breakthrough after swallowing the pill. Therefore, the breakthrough pill was the critical factor. The part about paying respects to their ancestor was supplementary. When Liu Tao saw the expressions on the family members¡¯ faces, he knew that something had gone wrong. He should not have made them swallow the pill immediately. Indeed, the other family members only casually paid their respects as they were only fixated on the breakthrough pill on the table instead of on their ancestor. ¡°Respect points +10.¡± ¡°Respect points +5.¡± ¡°Respect points +13.¡± ¡­ Liu Fan was speechless. Liu Tao! He did it on purpose! That Spell of Trickery and Deception, what had it done to him?! Look at how the other family members acted! All of them hurriedly paid respects to Liu Fan. Before they even completed their kowtow, they got up and swallowed the breakthrough pill. Then, they looked up to the sky and waited for a miracle to happen, wanting to be the second Liu Erquan. ¡°The Fury of the Ancestor ¡ª the Curse of Nightmares! Go!¡± Liu Fan awarded every single one of them with the ¡°Curse of Nightmares,¡± causing all the descendants who did not pay their respects sincerely to have one month¡¯s worth of nightmares! Do not think that the Ancestor would be nice to everyone! The Ancestor had feelings too! He had a bad temper! Chapter 22 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The ceremony in the ancestral temple had ended. Liu Erquan made a breakthrough and attained the status of a grand martial arts master on the spot. Liu Dongdong got the hint from Liu Tao and copied Liu Erquan. He had his face on the ground and did that all the way from the door of the ancestral temple to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. He contributed respect points that were comparable to Liu Erquan¡¯s. Liu Fan was not stingy with the Love of the Ancestor and rewarded him with the Spell of Sudden Realization, allowing Liu Dongdong to make a breakthrough from the Body Tempering Realm to the Fish Dive State. His powers increased tremendously! He became the first person from the younger generation of the Liu family to do that. It was extremely stunning, and the Liu family members exclaimed. ¡°The Liu family should now be on the top ten of the List of Heroes in Scorpio Island!¡± Liu Tao smiled and looked at Liu Dongdong. ¡°Meimei often told me about the top ten experts on the List of Heroes. She treated that very seriously. After all, girls like handsome, muscular, and powerful men!¡± Liu Dongdong was motivated. If he was able to defeat any of the men on the top ten rankings of the List of Heroes, he would become one of the top ten, and Liu Meimei would definitely look at him differently. Coincidentally, Zhuo Tianyou from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion was one of the top ten on the List of Heroes. ¡°Alright, you are the one!¡± Liu Dongdong rubbed his hands and left, feeling motivated. He was going to declare war against Zhuo Tianyou! When Liu Wuhai saw that, his expression changed and he wanted to stop Liu Dongdong. That was because Zhuo Tianyou was not easily defeatable; he was one of the top three on the List of Heroes. His skills with the sword came from the mysterious spaceship and were extraordinary. Liu Dongdong would probably suffer a huge loss. ¡°Let him be!¡± Liu Tao waved his hands and stopped Liu Wuhai. People from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion had the sword skills from the mysterious spaceship, but Liu Dongdong had the skills from his Ancestor. Liu Dongdong might not lose. All the other family members left to cultivate in seclusion and attempted to make a breakthrough. Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai finally paid their respects to their ancestor. They had witnessed the miraculous breakthroughs of Liu Erquan and Liu Dongdong. Therefore, they learned how to pay respects to their ancestor. That was basically to hit their head on the ground and rub their faces against it. The three of them kowtowed from the courtyard of the ancestral temple all the way to the front of Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet, and their faces were smeared with blood. Liu Tao was shocked. Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai watched while swallowing their saliva. Liu Erquan was still around. He had become a grand martial arts master and was now the seventh Elder of the Liu family. He had the eligibility to remain there. When he saw how the three of them paid respects to their ancestor, he was ashamed. Liu Dahai¡¯s face was full of blood. Along with Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai, they teared up while burning incense sticks and incense paper and kowtowing to Liu Fan. Then, they stayed on the spot and looked at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet, waiting for him to activate his powers. Liu Fan was speechless. That was because all three of them contributed only 100 respect points each. That was way fewer than Liu Erquan and Liu Dongdong. Although the three of them acted very well and kowtowed until their faces were smeared with blood, they were never respectful of their ancestor. ¡°The Fury of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Safe and Daunting Experience! Go!¡± Liu Fan gave the three of them the Spell of Safe and Daunting Experience, hoping that they would make a breakthrough. However, they had to suffer from immense fear as they did that. The three of them stood in front of the spirit tablet for a long time, but their ancestor had yet to show his powers. They looked at each other in worry! Did we not act enough?! Or did our ancestor know that we are blaming him for being biased?! At this moment, the three of them suddenly became happy. That was because they could sense that their breakthrough was coming and they had to go into seclusion and cultivate immediately. ¡°Clan Head, we have to take our leave now, hahaha!¡± Liu Dahai laughed. Liu Erhai chipped off two of his fingernails excitedly while Liu Sanhai dug out a lot of earwax in excitement. The three of them rushed out of the ancestral temple like a whirlwind and ran to their own secret rooms. In the ancestral temple, Liu Tao was delighted and heartened. ¡°It seems that those three Elders finally know how to respect our ancestor. This allowed them to get blessings from him!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai nodded in agreement beside him. Liu Erquan felt strange and looked at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. After hearing what the head of the clan had said, he suddenly realized that the so-called breakthrough pill was a disguise. The real factor that determined the breakthrough was the protection of the ancestor. ¡°A person who has been dead for 1000 years can still show his powers?¡± ¡°Is our ancestor really so amazing?¡± Liu Erquan was a little lost. At this moment, he saw Liu Tao shut the door of the ancestral temple and look at him with a serious face. ¡°Erquan, you are now the seventh Elder of the family. In that case, you are eligible to have the physical cultivation of our family passed down to you!¡± After hearing that, Liu Erquan was stunned and asked in confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t the passing down of our physical cultivation stop?!¡± Hearing that, Liu Tao smiled. Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai smiled too. The three of them pointed to Liu Fan¡¯s coffin and said proudly, ¡°As long as our ancestor is here, the physical cultivation will always be passed down!¡± As they said that, they pulled Liu Erquan over and bowed to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. ¡°Ancestor, the new Elder Liu Erquan will be touching you today!¡± ¡°Ancestor, please forgive us!¡± After that, they opened the lid of the coffin. Liu Fan hurriedly closed his eyes. Pretend to be dead! Liu Tao and the three others came forward and looked at Liu Fan¡¯s body from a close distance. ¡°Aiya, whenever I see the smooth skin of our ancestor, I always feel that he never passed away to begin with!¡± Liu Wuhai exclaimed as he touched Liu Fan¡¯s arm. Liu Fan was shocked. ¡®My dearest descendant, you spoke the truth!¡¯ ¡®I am still alive!¡¯ Moreover, he was becoming more and more alive. His blood was flowing, his veins were being connected, and his flesh was reforming. Moreover, a day from now, his left middle finger would be revived too! ¡°Ancestor is the founder of physical cultivation. His body will never be harmed. If his skin becomes imperfect, that means something is wrong!¡± Liu Liuhai glared at Liu Wuhai. Liu Tao waved his hand and stopped their conversation. He signaled them to flip their ancestor over. ¡°Release the button of our ancestor¡¯s clothes and show his back. Let¡¯s see if the marks have changed!¡± Liu Tao said. He took a look at the changes on the marks on Liu Fan¡¯s back every other day. His clothes were unbuttoned. Liu Fan¡¯s back was revealed. That back was smooth and its skin was bouncy and silky. There was a mysterious mark that looked like a complicated diagram. It morphed continuously along with the protective aura. After seeing the marks on Liu Fan¡¯s back for the first time, Liu Erquan was in shock. His martial arts status was high and he saw much more. Therefore, he was even more surprised. He saw more than ten cultivation techniques. ¡°Hurry, let me touch our ancestor!¡± Liu Erquan was eager. Liu Tao smiled and gave way. Liu Erquan placed his hand on Liu Fan¡¯s back in excitement and closed his eyes as he carefully felt his back. After a while, he took a deep breath and retracted his hand in excitement. ¡°It felt so good! So good! So good!¡± ¡°Touching Ancestor feels so good!¡± ¡°I felt the Three Suns Body Tempering Method, Fist and Sun, and the Secret Technique of the Bulldozer!¡± Liu Erquan was so excited that he jumped. He could not believe that he became the Liu family¡¯s second-generation Bulldozer. Like his ancestor, he would be able to rule over the martial arts realm in this world. Yet now, after obtaining the Secret Technique of the Bulldozer, he had also mastered other cultivation techniques. He could not control his excitement. Chapter 23 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Clan Head, we want to touch our ancestor too!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai said as they licked their lips, ¡°Although we have touched his back a few times, now that we¡¯ve become martial arts masters, perhaps we can sense more cultivation techniques!¡± Liu Tao nodded. Both of them rolled up their sleeves and began to touch. Liu Fan was not angry either. The descendants in front of him were very respectful and contributed a huge amount of respect points. There was no harm in letting them touch him. After a while, Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai stopped and looked satisfied. Both of them did not reveal what they felt. Liu Tao also did not ask. However, from their excitement and pleasure when they were touching the marks, one could tell that they¡¯d managed to sense something good. Liu Tao looked on in envy. He rolled up his sleeves and touched his ancestor. After a while, his entire body shook and his face flushed red in excitement. Then, he retracted his hand, evidently having obtained a lot. ¡°Come, let¡¯s put back the clothes for our ancestor!¡± Liu Tao told the rest to move Liu Fan back in place and closed the lid of the coffin. Then, they paid respects to Liu Fan. ¡°Respect points +3000.¡± The four of them contributed 3000 respect points in total. Liu Fan was very happy. As long as he was able to receive respect points, he did not mind being touched by his descendants every day. ¡­ Liu Dongdong walked along Black Street after he walked out of the house. Black Street was very busy. Martial artists constantly came into contact with each other, and once conflict broke out, they would break into a fight. In the dark alley, gangs had gathered together and were fighting. The ground was strewn with casualties. The people on the streets were not afraid. They gathered around to watch the fight and added to the huge commotion. That was Black Street. There was no order, and fights took place all the time. When Liu Dongdong walked past a tower, the girls waved to him crazily. ¡°Brother, come, come!¡± Their soft and gentle voices were very seductive. However, Liu Dongdong¡¯s gaze was focused and he left. He arrived on the main street of Black Street, which was Scorpio Street. Then, he sounded the Hero Drum! The Heroes¡¯ Drum was the drum made after the City Lord of the City of Scorpio killed a gigantic bull on Scorpio Island. It was ten meters in diameter, had a drum stick of eight meters, and weighed 1500 kilograms. One had to be a martial arts expert to sound it. Liu Dongdong was unable to reach the drum stick of the Heroes¡¯ Drum in the past. However, after becoming a martial arts expert, he was now able to hit the drum with one hand. ¡°Dong dong dong!¡± The sound of the Heroes¡¯ Drum came from Scorpio Street and echoed throughout the entire Black Street. Then, it spread even farther. Martial artists arrived from all directions. ¡°Rumble¡­¡± An army troop in black rushed into Scorpio Street, causing the dirt to fly from the ground. At the head was General Jun Wushuang, the leader of the street of the City of Scorpio. Jun Wushuang was wearing a black mask and his eyes looked extremely emotionless. Ever since the news regarding how the mysterious spaceship might end up at Scorpio Island was spread, a wave of experts had come to the City of Scorpio. There were fights every day, and he¡¯d been extremely busy dealing with them. Earlier on, he was in the midst of settling an incident of sexual assault. The victim was his neighbor whom he¡¯d had a crush on for many years. He swore that he would kill the culprit if he found him. However, the Heroes¡¯ Drum was sounded. As the General of the City of Scorpio, he had the responsibility of being the Team Leader of the security forces. He also had the right to monitor every competition of the ¡°Heroes.¡± ¡°Who sounded the Heroes¡¯ Drum?¡± ¡°I am Liu Dongdong from Black Street!¡± ¡°Why did you sound the drum?¡± ¡°I want to challenge the third on the List of Heroes ¡ª Zhuo Tianyou!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The entire place fell silent. The leaves on the pavements flew in the air. On the street, from the tea shops nearby, countless martial artists looked over in anticipation while the experts held their breaths. Zhuo Tianyou, the young lord from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. He was gifted and extremely good at martial arts. He was nicknamed ¡°Junior Lord Governor.¡± Although he was ranked third on the List of Heroes, his sword skills and martial art skills were feared by many experts. Yet Liu Dongdong wanted to challenge Zhuo Tianyou. Many people started to examine Liu Dongdong. He was as skinny as a monkey. He was as tanned as charcoal. His eyes looked like that of a rat. He definitely looked indecent! He did not have the aura of a martial arts expert! However, he was smirking and had his arms across his chest. He looked extremely confident! ¡°What right do you have to challenge Zhuo Tianyou?¡± Jun Wushuang asked emotionlessly. Was the skinny guy joking? ¡°Swoosh!¡± Behind him, the army of soldiers whipped out their weapons and rushed towards Liu Dongdong. Liu Dongdong did not panic at all. He unbuttoned his clothes and took them off, displaying his muscles. V-line abs! Eight packs! He engaged his muscles, and the eight packs on his stomach made rumbling noises. ¡°Rumble¡­¡± Eight sounds in total! The rumbles were very deep and terrifying. Although it was only the aura of a martial arts expert, it felt as though a beast had revived and caused one to fear uncontrollably. ¡°Pfft pfft pfft!¡± The soldiers who had come forward felt uncomfortable and spat out blood. They retreated in shock. ¡°Physical cultivator!¡± ¡°You are a physical cultivator!¡± ¡°Only physical cultivators can make their muscles rumble!¡± the people around Liu Dongdong exclaimed. The expressions on the faces of the martial arts experts changed. According to rumors, physical cultivators were terrifying. Now that they had witnessed it with their own eyes, they knew that it was the truth. ¡°So you are from the fallen Liu family along Black Street!¡± Jun Wushuang¡¯s expression changed and he became firm and serious. He admitted that he had been disrespectful! That family used to be the royal family, and 1000 years ago, an undefeatable Bulldozer emerged from their ranks! People called him the pioneer generation of physical cultivators! ¡°You are impressive! I hope you can live up to the name of your bulldozer ancestor!¡± Jun Wushuang exclaimed, ¡°You have the right to challenge Zhuo Tianyou!¡± After saying that, he threw his pass to the soldier nearby. The soldier rode on the horse and shouted, ¡°The Heroes battle, Zhuo Tianyou to receive the battle!¡± This sentence had to be shouted all the way from the Hero Drum to the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. He had to let everyone hear and have every single person know about it. At the same time, the challenged individual would be forced to take up the challenge. The Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion was beautiful and grand. In the room, Liu Meimei was washing up and getting ready. Outside of the room, Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s expression was dark and he coughed. Ever since they left the Liu family and reached the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, they¡¯d drunk some wine and listened to some songs. However, Liu Meimei wanted to sleep in separate rooms! Zhuo Tianyou was not anxious. He was a talented man ¡ª a young man who was ranked third on the List of Heroes. Many girls would get a nosebleed from seeing him. Liu Meimei must also not be able to resist the temptation. Moreover, he had patience and confidence. He believed that Liu Meimei was just acting. He guessed that Liu Meimei would knock on his door at night. Girls were probably shy. Even though they loved someone else so much, they pretended to not care about the other party! Therefore, he did not shut his door completely yesterday night when he slept. He wanted to give Liu Meimei a chance! However, Liu Meimei did not go to his room. He caught a cold because of the cold wind. ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± He coughed as Liu Meimei walked out of her room. She was shocked that Zhuo Tianyou was ill. ¡°There¡¯s no use seeing the doctor. Let me bring you to my house. My ancestor is very powerful ¡ª whenever the people from my family fell ill, they would pay respects to my ancestor and recover immediately!¡± Liu Meimei said in a serious tone as she blinked. That was what Liu Tao had told her yesterday. Zhuo Tianyou would definitely seduce Liu Meimei if she followed him to the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. She had to resist and wait for Zhuo Tianyou to fall ill before bringing him back to the Liu family so he could pay his respects to their ancestor. After Zhuo Tianyou and Liu Meimei had paid respects to their ancestor, based on the rules of the Liu family, Zhuo Tianyou would become a son-in-law who had married into the Liu family. Chapter 24 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhuo Tianyou rejected Liu Meimei. A doctor had rushed over from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion and offered him a bottle of cold-relief potion. After Zhuo Tianyou had consumed all of the medicine, his symptoms were cured. ¡°You are such a cute girl, Meimei. You are the first person who¡¯s ever told me that paying respects to ancestors cures illnesses!¡± Zhuo Tianyou teased her. His heart softened when he saw Liu Meimei pout. He replied, ¡°Sure. Take me home one day.¡± Liu Meimei smiled, her eyes narrowing into two crescents. At this moment, a warrior in white hurried over. He took a glance at Liu Meimei and whispered to Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s ear, ¡°The Lord Governor wants to see you.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the details, my lord. I only know that an arrogant man named Liu Dongdong has sounded the Heroes¡¯ Drum and said that he wants a single combat with you! The man is from the Liu family of Black Street, and I believe that he has mentioned your full name.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhuo Tianyou fell silent. He turned to look at Liu Meimei, wondering how she could be related to this Liu Dongdong. Liu Meimei¡¯s eyelashes danced as she smiled. She said, ¡°Hey, are you going to take me to the streets? I¡¯ll wait for you at the main gate!¡± Before Zhuo Tianyou could reply, the girl had already walked away cheerfully, her long hair swaying behind her. The white warrior frowned. ¡®Who is this wild girl? So insolent!¡¯ he thought. ¡°Who do you think you are to give orders to the junior Lord Governor? You only have the right to ask me!¡± ¡­ Zhuo Tianyou tidied his attire and went to the main hall of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. It was solemn and magnificent. Two lines of white warriors stood in the courtyard with swords in their hands. All of them had reached the Fish Dive State. In the center of the main hall, the Lord Governor was studying a painting on the wall with his hands folded behind him. In the painting, a ferocious tiger was howling at the mountains. ¡°You have to accept the challenge and defeat him in combat!¡± the Lord Governor said, as though it was a military order. Zhuo Tianyou acknowledged the order and walked away. A woman strode out of the inner room of the main hall. She gazed on as Zhuo Tianyou walked farther away and sighed. ¡°Does he know about us?¡± ¡°Yes. But he doesn¡¯t want you to be his step-mother. He wants you to be his wife!¡± ¡°Hai, this boy¡­¡± The woman sighed. She tried hard to suppress a smile, but there was a curl in the corner of her lips. The Lord Governor said, ¡°Stay in the room. I¡¯ll be back later.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Someone sounded the Heroes¡¯ Drum and called out Tianyou to single combat. I¡¯m going there to take a look,¡± the Lord Governor said. Then, he left. At the gate of the mansion, a carriage was waiting for the governor. He would be well-guarded by armed white warriors. Meanwhile, along Scorpion Street, the main street of the city, the chief general Jun Wushuang had cleared the area and demarcated the combat field in front of the Heroes¡¯ Drum. Liu Dongdong was sitting in the field with bare arms and crossed legs. His eyes were closed. His eight packs were moving visibly beneath his skin. The fall winds were blowing, and an unlucky leaf fell on his abdomen. With a crash, the leaf immediately shattered into pieces. Everyone around him was dumbfounded. He broke a leaf with his muscles! That¡¯s enough evidence for his incredible physical cultivation abilities. ¡°Clop, clop, clop¡­¡± It was the approaching trot of horses. Zhuo Tianyou had arrived at the street. He was dressed in white with a sword slung across his back. Liu Meimei was sitting at his side. Her beauty was beyond words. Suddenly, a frosty look welled up in Liu Dongdong¡¯s eyes. Zhuo Tianyou smelled jealousy in the air. He looked at Liu Meimei and then turned to Liu Dongdong, who was glaring fiercely back at him. Then, Zhuo Tianyou smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s get started!¡± Zhuo Tianyou leaped off his horse, his white robe rustling in the breeze. He was graceful and handsome, and the ladies in the crowd welcomed him warmly with cheers and screams. Liu Dongdong was a ruthless and quiet man. Without any hesitation, he charged towards his opponent. He had fought in Black Street for years. He had even come to blows with warriors of the Liu family many times. Hence, he was a true man who knew how to wield a weapon, a man who had cut down lives. The first punch of his came with clear murderous intent. Everyone around the field was surprised. This pair of fists had seen blood! Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s pupils constricted, and he countered the attack with his palms. It was a fast-paced close combat. They had made more than ten moves in the blink of an eye. Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s wrists were getting numb and his hands felt painful. The parts of his body that had been hit were shaking slightly. Liu Dongdong sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve got a long way to go before you can fight me in close combat!¡± Then, he gave Zhuo Tianyou a thumbs-down! That caused a commotion in the audience. They had started to look at Liu Dongdong more seriously. The chief general Wushuang secretly admired Liu Dongdong for his extraordinary power. After all, Liu Dongdong was a physical cultivator who had shattered a leaf with his abs. It was clear that he had an upper hand against Zhuo Tianyou in close combat. In the far distance, Liu Meimei¡¯s eyes had widened in disbelief. Liu Dongdong had become a martial arts expert within one day. Now, it seemed that his power was comparable to Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s. What made him progress so fast? Who gave him such strength?! At this moment, a carriage arrived, surrounded by armed white guards. ¡°It¡¯s the Lord Governor! I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s coming!¡± some veterans whispered to one another as they retreated away, frowning. There had always been enmity between the government and wandering fighters. The governor lifted up the curtain and watched the combat from his carriage. ¡°Tianyou is a strong swordsman. The Liu lad will be defeated once Tianyou uses his sword!¡± the Lord Governor muttered to himself. He was very confident about Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s sword skills. That¡¯s because he had learned the skills from the mysterious spaceship, which made him an unconquerable swordsman. Meanwhile, Zhuo Tianyou had started to realize that he wouldn¡¯t win in close combat. Suddenly, he drew his sword with a clang. His sword moved swiftly like a vicious snake, aiming straight at Liu Dongdong¡¯s throat. Liu Dongdong roared and pointed with his finger. It was the Yi Yang Finger! He had learned it from touching the great ancestor. Hence, when he used the skill, he had to recite, ¡°Please watch over me, Ancestor. Keep me safe. I¡¯m going to use my ultimate skill!¡± At the same time, Liu Fan was lying in the coffin in the ancestral temple. He heard Liu Dongdong¡¯s prayer and opened his eyes. He soon realized that Liu Dongdong was battling his rival and fighting for a place on the List of Heroes. That¡¯s important. It would bring glory to the Liu family if he won. That¡¯s a good thing for him too as the ancestor of the family clan. He concentrated his mind and sensed that Liu Dongdong wanted to use his ultimate skill! Moreover, it was the Yi Yang Finger! ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Over-performance! Go!¡± The spell had been cast. At the same time, Liu Dongdong¡¯s finger changed. Due to his over-performance, a blinding light emitted from Liu Dongdong¡¯s finger. Unable to open his eyes, Zhuo Tianyou paused for a second. Liu Dongdong seized the opportunity and charged forward with his finger pointing out. All of his energy was concentrated on his fingertip, and he could feel the heat building up. A fly flew past and clashed with Liu Dongdong¡¯s fingertip due to the surrounding wind. The poor pest was instantly cooked to death by the heat. Liu Dongdong continued to advance forward at a high speed. In the next instant, his finger touched Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s sword. Crack! The sound came from Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s sword. The sword was broken into two pieces by Liu Dongdong¡¯s fingertip. Liu Dongdong didn¡¯t stop. In the next second, his finger created a bloody hole in Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s shoulder. Horrified, Zhuo Tianyou stepped backward with his hand covering his wound. His eyes were full of terror when he looked at his opponent. He would have been killed if Liu Dongdong¡¯s finger had hit his forehead! ¡°Thank you for your mercy!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve lost!¡± Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s face went pale, but he humbly admitted his defeat. As expected of the young governor from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, he was indeed a gentleman. ¡°Please pardon me!¡± Liu Dongdong saluted. He felt excited yet confused. He didn¡¯t know what had happened a moment ago. He wondered why his finger had suddenly become so powerful. It was beaming out light and even killed a fly with its heat. That was totally different from the Yi Yang Finger he had cultivated. It was almost godlike. Chapter 25 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Outside the combat field, members of the Liu family had come to celebrate Liu Dongdong¡¯s victory. Beaming with joy, Liu Dongdong bowed and saluted to the audience. All the fighters in the street were still in disbelief. They didn¡¯t expect that Liu Dongdong would win. Moreover, his victory was so easy and swift. He had defeated Zhuo Tianyou, the third hero on the List of Heroes, with only his fingertip. The chief general Wushuang patted Liu Dongdong¡¯s shoulders and said admiringly, ¡°Bravo, Dongdong! I¡¯ve seen the hope of the second Bulldozer in you!¡± In the far distance, the governor looked stern. He couldn¡¯t believe that Zhuo Tianyou had been defeated so badly. His face grew grave when he recalled Liu Dongdong¡¯s finger. ¡°That certainly looked like the legendary Yi Yang Finger!¡± ¡°Maybe the Liu family has passed down their physical cultivation methods¡­¡± He turned to look at Liu Meimei, who was attending to Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s injuries carefully. Suddenly, a thought came across his mind. In the combat field, Liu Meimei¡¯s eyelashes were trembling as she looked at Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s wounds. Her face was full of concern. She said, ¡°You are severely injured! Do you want to follow me home and pay your respects to our ancestor?¡± ¡°It will help, really! People of my family clan always go and pay respects to him when they fall sick. After that, they always recover!¡± The doctor from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion heard her. He couldn¡¯t help but rebut bitterly, ¡°Is your great ancestor a pack of blood-clotting powder or healing herbs?!¡± Liu Meimei rolled her eyes and ignored him. She continued to take care of Zhuo Tianyou. Zhuo Tianyou had always looked down on the Liu family before. But today, he had no choice but to see them in a different light after Liu Dongdong had stripped him of the glory of the third position on the List of Heroes. ¡°I¡¯m going to inform my father!¡± Zhuo Tianyou didn¡¯t reject Liu Meimei this time. He stood up and walked towards the carriage. ¡°Sure, go! Take a good look at the Liu family!¡± the governor said, hinting to Zhuo Tianyou that he should perform a thorough investigation of this clan. Zhuo Tianyou understood his father¡¯s hidden intention. He turned and saw Liu Meimei looking at him expectantly. He nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Liu Meimei smiled. She looked like a blossoming flower. In the distance, Liu Dongdong smiled too. But his smile was frosty. ¡°How dare you flirt with my girl, you loser. Seems like I went too easy on you!¡± ¡­ Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai had returned to the ancestral temple. But they still looked frightened and their shirts were wet with their cold sweat. Liu Tao was confused. It was obvious from their aura that their power had grown significantly, which meant that they had succeeded. Now, all of them were martial arts masters of the Dragon State. That couldn¡¯t explain why they looked so pathetic. Liu Dahai drew a deep breath and said, ¡°After I paid my respects to the ancestor just now, I had a strong feeling that I would be able to break through. Hence, I locked myself up and prepared for the breakthrough.¡± ¡°However, my energy and blood suddenly started to flow backward and I almost lost it. But at this very moment, I successfully overcame it somehow. After that, I ran into issues again when I was trying to refine my muscles to the state of the martial arts master. I was out of energy, which almost got me killed¡­¡± ¡°When I was about to break through, there was a sudden turbulence and I almost dropped from my current state!¡± Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai nodded beside him. They had encountered the same thing as Liu Dahai. Fear seized them as they recalled what had happened. Liu Tao was dumbfounded. Their journey wasn¡¯t smooth at all. ¡°I thought you¡¯ve paid respects to the ancestor? Why was it so dangerous during your breakthrough if you were sincere in front of our ancestor?¡± Liu Erquan asked curiously. Liu Dahai glanced at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and mumbled, ¡°Who knows, maybe the Ancestor is biased!¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s biased!¡± Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai nodded in agreement and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe the Ancestor has helped us at all during our breakthrough this time. We¡¯ve succeeded simply because we are talented, experienced, and lucky.¡± Liu Fan was furious inside his coffin. ¡°Do you really think you would have succeeded if I hadn¡¯t cast the Spell of Safe and Daunting Experience? You ungrateful idiots!¡± At this moment, they heard the sound of drums. A distant voice came with it. ¡°Congratulations to Liu Dongdong of the Liu family for achieving the third place on the List of Heroes!¡± Liu Fan smiled in the coffin. This Liu Dongdong had finally begun to shine! In the courtyard, Liu Tao and the Elders exchanged a look of pleasant surprise with one another. ¡°For real? Dongdong defeated Zhuo Tianyou?!¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go welcome our Dongdong!¡± The group scurried out of the courtyard and saw a crowd marching towards them. They were led by the chief general Jun Wushuang. The general was wearing a mask and holding a red flag, on which was sewn a giant scorpion, the sigil of the City of Scorpio. On top of the scorpion rode Liu Dongdong. The man rested his hands on his hips, and he looked impressive on the flag. ¡°Dongdong is riding the giant scorpion too! Hahaha¡­¡± Liu Dahai laughed. The other members of the Liu family started cheering too. It wasn¡¯t a casual thing to draw Liu Dongdong on the city flag. There were procedures behind it! First, they had to obtain the City Lord¡¯s approval, and the man must be on the top three in the List of Heroes. Hence, this flag symbolized that the City Lord had acknowledged Liu Dongdong¡¯s martial arts abilities, and the Lord believed that Liu Dongdong had the potential to be the strongest fighter in the City of Scorpio. That was why the City Lord was willing to present this flag to him. ¡°As of this moment, the City of Scorpio has a population of millions of people, but only ten have had the honor of receiving the scorpion rider flag. Therefore, I would like to congratulate Liu Dongdong and the Liu family!¡± Wushuang said loudly. When he saw Liu Tao and the six Elders, his pupils suddenly constricted. He had sensed that five of them were martial arts masters, and the remaining two¡¯s true abilities were unfathomable. ¡®The Liu family is indeed a dark horse!¡¯ General Jun Wushuang thought. ¡®If they are this powerful, then they are comparable to the established houses of the City, and not so far away from the top clans of the world! ¡®I must report this to the City Lord. Despite their immense power, the Liu family has decided to hide in this small alley of Black Street. That¡¯s suspicious. They may have some unexpected secrets!¡¯ Hence, after he had presented the flag, he left with his black knights. At the gate of the courtyard, Liu Tao lowered his voice and said to Liu Erquan, ¡°I saw Jun Wushuang¡¯s eyes rolling just now. I¡¯m afraid he has already noticed our true abilities.¡± ¡°Jun Wushuang is the City Lord¡¯s most trusted advisor. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s not reporting this to the City Lord today. Given the City Lord¡¯s paranoid nature, I¡¯m sure he will start to investigate us.¡± ¡°Then give him a reason. Let¡¯s raid Black Street today and unite the scattered powers in the area.¡± Liu Erquan felt a chill down his spine, but he agreed. Now, the Liu family had two grand martial arts masters and five martial arts masters. Their power would grow significantly if those who were trying to break through succeeded. By that time, the Liu family would be more powerful than the rest of the Black Street clans combined. ¡°I hope Meimei can convince Zhuo Tianyou to come. If she succeeds, we¡¯ll have a talisman with us¡­¡± Liu Tao murmured, his eyes glimmering cunningly. Chapter 26 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Dongdong returned soon. He had returned with glory. The entire family clan cheered for his victory. Liu Dahai enfolded Liu Dongdong with a red robe and pinned a red flower on his chest. His eyes were full of approval as he looked at him. When Liu Dongdong arrived at the main hall, Liu Tao poured a cup of tea for him. Flattered, Liu Dongdong stood up at once. ¡°You¡¯ve gained many benefits from the Ancestor; thus, I had faith in you when you challenged Zhuo Tianyou to a fight. But I didn¡¯t expect that you would defeat him so effortlessly!¡± Liu Tao complimented Liu Dongdong as he touched the latter¡¯s head fondly. But Liu Dongdong shook his head. He told the rest about his over-performance during the fight. Everyone in the main hall was shocked. ¡°My Yi Yang Finger finger was glowing with light and heat, and it even killed a fly with that. After that, I broke Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s sword and dug a hole in his shoulder with the same finger¡­¡± Liu Dongdong explained. Liu Tao was amazed at the miracle, whereas Liu Dahai and the rest were still in disbelief. This ¡°over-performance¡± was incredible! The Elders had also learned the Yi Yang Finger from the Ancestor, and all of them were still cultivating this technique. Nevertheless, none of them had achieved the same power as Liu Dongdong. Besides, Liu Dongdong had ascended to the Fish Dive State only recently, so it was almost impossible that his Yi Yang Finger was this powerful. ¡°Did you say anything during the fight? How did you exercise the Yi Yang Finger?¡± Liu Erquan asked. Liu Dongdong recalled that time and answered, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything special. I simply prayed to the Ancestor in my heart!¡± Suddenly, Liu Dongdong¡¯s eyes brightened up. He exclaimed, ¡°Perhaps the Ancestor did answer my prayer!¡± Liu Tao, Liu Wuhai, and Liu Liuhai looked at one another and all nodded. ¡°It seems that our Ancestor is indeed watching over us!¡± With that, the three of them got down on all fours and kowtowed to the ancestral temple. Liu Erquan was still skeptical. Meanwhile, Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai shook their heads, thinking that Liu Dongdong was talking nonsense. They believed that their breakthrough would have been much smoother and less scary had the Ancestor been truly watching over them. Liu Dongdong didn¡¯t argue any further. He took a bow and walked towards the ancestral temple. He wanted to pay his respects to the ancestor and thank him for answering his prayer today, no matter what others might think of this. ¡°Dongdong is truly a respectful child!¡± Liu Tao said with a smile. Then, he rolled out a map of Black Street and started to discuss the night raid plan with the Elders. All these years, the Liu family had been through unthinkable hardships and bloodshed. Hence, no one was afraid of fighting. ¡­ Liu Meimei returned home in the afternoon together with Zhuo Tianyou and an old servant. The servant was partially blind. His back was bent, but there was a frightening aura hidden in his body. When he saw Liu Tao and Liu Erquan, a light flashed across his cloudy eyes. ¡°Two grand martial arts masters!¡± His heart shuddered. Now he understood why the governor had ordered him to come along to protect their young lord and investigate the Liu family at the same time. The Liu clan was indeed more powerful than they seemed. Hence, he secretly jabbed Zhuo Tianyou with his elbow and shot him a warning glance. Zhuo Tianyou took the hint at once. When he came before Liu Tao and the Elders, his upper body was already tilted forward to a 60-degree bow. ¡°I am Zhuo Tianyou from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you all, the masters of the Liu clan!¡± Tianyou greeted with a gentle and humble smile. Then he took a bow and continued, ¡°Meimei told me that the ancestor of the Liu family answers to people¡¯s prayers. This is why I am here, hoping to pay respects to your ancestor. I caught a cold and was injured during the combat earlier. Hence, it is my sincere hope that your ancestor can watch over me and I would pray hard for a fast recovery.¡± Liu Tao stroked his beard and smiled. He looked at Liu Meimei with approval in his eyes. Good girl. It had taken her only one night to fool the young lord of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion into coming to the Liu house. In that case, no one would be standing in their way during their raid tonight. The Liu clan would be able to unleash their killing desires, and no one could stop them now that the young governor would be staying over at their house. Liu Tao looked even happier. He held Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s hands and treated him fondly. He even ordered his servants to prepare a feast for his guest. After the feast, instead of leading Zhuo Tianyou straight to the ancestral temple, Liu Tao showed him around Black Street while holding his hand and talking to him with great hospitality. Then, he told Zhuo Tianyou that he had to buy paper money and incense sticks on his own if he wished to pay his respects to the Liu Ancestor, because only this way could he show his sincerity. Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s old servant followed them and watched Liu Tao¡¯s every movement. His instinct told him that this smiling old fox had ulterior motives. Therefore, he had been jabbing Zhuo Tianyou the whole time, reminding him to be cautious. Zhuo Tianyou remained calm and responded to Liu Tao with equal friendliness and courtesy. They caught the attention of many wandering fighters on the streets. They wondered when the Liu clan and the governor¡¯s family had become so close. At the same time, a black knight, whom Jun Wushuang had ordered to stay, saw them. The man immediately sent a messenger pigeon to the sky. Liu Tao had noticed the reactions of those around him. He thought to himself that it was time for the Liu clan to dominate Black Street. ¡­ At dusk, Liu Tao brought Zhuo Tianyou back to the ancestral temple to pay his respects to Liu Fan. To Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s surprise, every member of the Liu clan was there. Moreover, a feast had been prepared outside the ancestral temple. ¡°I¡¯m just here to pay respects to your ancestor. What is all this?¡± Zhuo Tianyou asked cautiously. He glanced over the crowd and realized that almost half of them were martial arts experts of the Fish Dive State. Their temples were bulging, and light flickered in their eyes. Undoubtedly, they were strong. The Liu clan was a declining family. They couldn¡¯t even be counted as an esteemed house. Hence, it was surprising that they were this powerful. Zhuo Tianyou exchanged a look with his servant. They had become more suspicious of this family clan. Liu Tao was standing by their side, and he had noticed their confused look. But he chose to remain silent. All of those clan members had broken through only a few hours ago. Hence, he had called them here on purpose to show Zhuo Tianyou. ¡°Our ancestor is different from any ancestor from other family clans. Ours is very precious!¡± Liu Tao said. Zhuo Tianyou nodded in awe. He said, ¡°Indeed. Your ancestor was a living legend.¡± ¡°Father told me that one thousand years ago, your ancestor was the strongest in the world. His achievements were celebrated by the entire martial arts scene, and he was famously known as the Bulldozer.¡± ¡°After that, he had successfully calculated the Heavenly Cycle of Qi in one¡¯s body to an incredible precision of 3.141592653 days, and he introduced the important concept of the Golden Ratio in Human Bodies. He was the pioneer of physical cultivation!¡± ¡°He was a legend sung and told by generations of fighters, a milestone of martial arts cultivation. Although he has long since been gone, the world hasn¡¯t forgotten him at all¡­¡± Zhuo Tianyou paused. He turned to look at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet with awe and respect on his face. Then, he let out a heavy sigh. ¡°It is my regret not to be born in his time! It is the regret of all fighters of the current generation!¡± His speech made every member of the Liu clan proud and emotional at the same time. Zhuo Tianyou was indeed an honest man! He had proved himself to be a valuable addition to the family by passionately praising the ancestor of a clan not his own. Many clan members shared the same opinion. They turned to look at Liu Meimei with expectations glowing in their eyes. Liu Dahai lowered his voice and ordered Liu Meimei, ¡°Meimei, you have to lure Tianyou to our house. Make him stay here and be our live-in son-in-law!¡± ¡°Tianyou was born with a silver spoon. The Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion has power over half of the City of Scorpio. If you can make Tianyou willingly become our live-in son-in-law, he will be part of our clan too. Our ancestor is watching over us. He will be happy to see such a good man under our roof!¡± ¡°Meimei, you have to sacrifice yourself, for our ancestor and for the interest of our clan!¡± Liu Meimei looked at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and stole a glance at the handsome gentleman, Zhuo Tianyou. She smiled shyly and replied, ¡°I am willing to sacrifice myself for our clan!¡± Liu Dahai smiled. But Liu Dongdong was furious. ¡°Why do you have to sacrifice my Meimei? Our clan has so many pretty girls for you to choose from!¡± Chapter 27 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the banquet, it was time to pay their respects to the Ancestor. Zhuo Tianyou looked at Liu Tao. Liu Tao signaled to Liu Meimei. Liu Meimei walked over and held Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s hand. She smiled and said, ¡°Come with me, I will bring you to pay your respects to our ancestor!¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± The servant stopped Zhuo Tianyou and looked around cautiously. ¡°I feel that something is wrong, be careful!¡± The Liu family members were all smiles, and a coffin was placed in the ancestral temple. As the wind blew, the oil lamp dimmed and brightened up again. The atmosphere was eerie. Then, the servant took a few steps forward and asked cautiously while pointing at the coffin in the ancestral temple, ¡°Is the ancestor of the Liu family in the coffin?!¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°I want to check!¡± ¡°How dare you! How can an outsider look at our ancestor?¡± The members of the Liu family were enraged. The expressions on Liu Tao and the rest changed. Clearly, the servant was not persuaded. He stood in front of the ancestral temple and showed a look as though he would not let Zhuo Tianyou enter to pay his respects if he did not see the body. That was because before they went over, the Lord Governor had instructed him to figure out the secret of the Liu family. He had observed everything and thought that the most suspicious place was the ancestral temple, especially the coffin. Therefore, the servant made up his mind to open the coffin to take a look. ¡°Our young governor has a high status. What if a killer is lying in ambush in the coffin and injures our young governor? Who is going to take responsibility for that?!¡± the servant said firmly. Liu Dahai and the rest were at a loss for what to do and turned to Liu Tao. Liu Tao kept silent for a while before smiling and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we can open the coffin and let you take a look.¡± As he said that, he made a ¡°kill¡± signal with his hands behind his back. Liu Dahai, Liu Erquan, and the rest saw it and shuddered. Since when did the head of the clan become so merciless? In the coffin, Liu Fan saw the gesture made by Liu Tao and felt heartened. Liu Tao, who had the Spell of Trickery and Deception cast on him, had a lot of potential and deserved to be developed further. ¡°Creek¡­¡± The lid of the coffin was opened. The servant was not too anxious to approach the coffin. Instead, he walked around and looked about as he took some sniffs. ¡°No sounds of booby traps, safe!¡± ¡°No signs of hidden poison needles, safe!¡± ¡°No strange scents, safe!¡± The servant used the method of ¡°Listen, Look, Smell¡± to eliminate all the possibilities of danger. After confirming that it was safe, he walked towards the coffin. Liu Fan was astonished when he sensed this. This old brat was an experienced individual! He began to think about how he could keep the servant within the Liu family to help them. ¡­ The servant walked towards the coffin. When he saw the body in the coffin, he was shocked as he saw a young man. He instinctively raised his hands and was ready to make a move. The aura of a grand martial arts master could be felt on him. After realizing that the young man had no signs of life and was a dead body, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. ¡°This is your ancestor? After 1000 years, his body is still intact. He is indeed a physical cultivator!¡± the servant exclaimed in disbelief as he looked at Liu Fan¡¯s body. Liu Tao smiled and did not speak. He was becoming more tempted to kill the servant. The servant walked around the coffin and looked at Liu Fan¡¯s body. He was shocked. That was because Liu Fan¡¯s body still had some silvery protective aura. He narrowed his eyes and shuddered. ¡°After reaching the ultimate state of martial arts, one can really exude a protective aura!¡± The servant was raging internally. His face had turned red from excitement, and he wanted to tell his master about this discovery immediately. His master¡¯s hair had all turned white. His martial arts skills were extremely good, and he was nicknamed the ¡°White-haired Demon.¡± The White-haired Demon had killed many gangs and learned their martial arts techniques in order to obtain the protective aura. However, until now, he had never succeeded. Yet today, the servant saw a living example in the Liu family. He was extremely stunned and surprised. Meanwhile, Liu Tao signaled Liu Erquan to take his spot and kill the servant. This brat had seen and learned too much! He had to die! In the coffin, Liu Fan used a spell. ¡°The Fury of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Betraying the Master for Glory! Go!¡± When the spell was cast, the servant shook and the excitement on his face disappeared as he looked calm again. He turned around and looked at Liu Tao. He said, ¡°Brother Tao, does the Liu family still need any fighters? A fighter who is a grand martial arts master!¡± ¡°Hmm?!¡­¡± Liu Tao was stunned. He waved his hands and stopped Liu Erquan. Seeing how Liu Tao did not react, the servant got a little anxious and said, ¡°As long as Brother Tao is able to pay me, I am willing to be your fighter.¡± ¡°50,000 taels of silver, or a powerful cultivation technique are both acceptable!¡± ¡°You can hire me for a month or a year. I am alright with installments too!¡± The servant promoted himself excitedly and was worried that Liu Tao would reject him. ¡°You¡¯ll get what you pay for! Brother Tao, let me know your decision!¡± Liu Tao asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you betraying the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion by doing this? You will die!¡± The servant sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t say it that way. One has to live for oneself!¡± ¡°Perhaps you think I am betraying my master for glory, but let me tell you, what¡¯s wrong with that?! As physical cultivators, we are already going against the rules and living for ourselves!¡± Liu Tao took a deep breath and did not know how to respond to that! He took a look at the servant who was being extremely sincere. He felt as though he had turned into another person. He really looked like a betrayer who was stabbing his master¡¯s back for glory. This servant was a little strange! However, this scene made Liu Tao think about Liu Chao, the spy who was sent over by the Lu family. At that moment, Liu Chao seemed to have become another person. He revealed that he was a spy, and before he died, he told the rest to be sincere to each other. When he thought about that, Liu Tao looked up at Liu Fan who was in the coffin and shuddered. ¡°Did the Ancestor use his powers?!¡± ¡°The Ancestor is hinting at me not to kill this person but use him for our family¡¯s gain?!¡± Liu Tao kept silent and thought that it made sense. He said to the servant, ¡°I am alright with it!¡± The servant was overjoyed. ¡°However, in order to show your sincerity, you have to kill someone with us tonight!¡± Liu Tao was testing him. ¡°Of course! I love to kill!¡± The servant laughed cunningly and said mysteriously, ¡°I know where the treasure of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion is ¡ª are you interested? We can go and take it together¡­¡± Liu Tao looked at the servant with a strange look. His ancestor must really have used his powers. In the coffin, Liu Fan heard the transaction made between Liu Tao and the servant. ¡°The Spell of Betraying the Master for Glory is very effective. However, I am not sure whether there are any loopholes!¡± Liu Fan thought about it. He was worried that someone would offer a higher price and the servant would betray the Liu family just like how he betrayed the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion! Chapter 28 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios While Liu Fan was hesitating, Liu Tao took out a pill and placed it in front of the servant. ¡°This is the Seven-Day Intestinal Damage Pill, the poison invented by our ancestor in the past. You have to take the remedy pill every seven days or you will die immediately!¡± ¡°No problem! I will take it!¡± The servant immediately swallowed the pill. ¡°Anything more? It seems that you still don¡¯t trust me. You can do anything you want to me!¡± the servant said upon raising his head. Liu Tao took out another pill from his pocket. ¡°Seven-Day Death Pill!¡± Without even looking at it, the servant swallowed that as well. ¡°Give me a few more. If I don¡¯t take at least ten pills, you will definitely not trust me!¡± the servant said as he smiled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I shall not hold back!¡± Liu Tao said and took out a few more poisonous pills. One of them was from a type of poisonous insect. The servant ate all of them, willingly letting Liu Tao feed him poison. After seeing how Liu Tao felt insecure, the servant smiled and took the pen and paper on the table as he wrote a letter of complaint. The letter read, ¡°I, Zhao Laosan, on the XXXX year, XX month, and XX day, entered the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. On a windy night, after drinking some alcohol, I decided to betray the Lord Governor of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion!¡± ¡°Ouyang Yue¡¯er, the wife of the governor, was a good person. The first night was beautiful. The details are as follows¡­ In the end, Ouyang Yue¡¯er got pregnant and gave birth to a boy. He is Zhuo Tianyou¡­¡± ¡°Everyone thought that I am loyal and I am willing to be the slave of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion even though I am a grand martial arts master. However, nobody knows that I am actually accompanying my wife and son¡­¡± The letter of complaint was packed with words. There were at least 1000 words. He wrote clearly about how he¡¯d made the Lord Governor a cuckold. After reading the letter, Liu Tao was astonished. After a long time, he held the servant¡¯s hand in joy and shook it hard. ¡°Brother Zhao, I believe you!¡± Zhao Laosan was being so cooperative that Liu Tao felt embarrassed. Zhao Laosan was also very excited. He shook Liu Tao¡¯s hand and patted his shoulder, his smile blooming like a flower. ¡°When I first entered the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, apart from taking care of my wife and son, I wanted to cultivate the extraordinary sword technique that the Lord Governor obtained from the mysterious spaceship. However, the Lord Governor was very cautious. He did not pass down the mind cultivation despite passing down the sword technique! How shameless!¡± ¡°Moreover, he did not even pass it down to Tianyou! He is too selfish!¡± Zhao Laosan looked extremely angry when he recalled the incident. He spoke honestly. ¡°Today, after seeing the protective aura around your ancestor, I suddenly realized that this is the martial arts I am looking for. it is also the realm that my master had been looking for his entire life!¡± His eyes lit up as he looked at Liu Fan¡¯s coffin again. Liu Tao said, ¡°Our ancestor was born and died in glory. He is our glory and is a role model for all the descendants of the Liu family!¡± ¡°I agree!¡± Zhao Laosan added seriously. He took a deep sigh. ¡°However, I hate myself for being in the Zhao family instead of the Liu family!¡± After that, he burned an incense stick for Liu Fan. In the coffin, Liu Fan was shocked by the story of Zhao Laosan! Zhao Laosan was too f*cking awesome! After making a cuckold of the Lord Governor of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, he even had a son. He was really ¡°loving another¡¯s wife as his own¡±! The Lord Governor would never believe that the next Lord Governor he had been bringing up for decades was the son of another man. Liu Fan was exuberant. Zhao Laosan was a talent! After scheming for decades, Zhao Laosan was not worried at all and was waiting for the Lord Governor to pass away so that he could take control! This talent was someone whom the Liu family needed! Liu Fan looked at Liu Tao. He was extremely pleased with him. Liu Tao was a descendant who was reliable and knew how to make use of the ancestor to check for loopholes. That was amazing. The Spell of Betraying the Master for Glory had only two hours of effect. After two hours, Zhao Laosan would wake up and that would be troublesome. However, after Liu Tao fed him poison and made him write the ¡°letter of complaint,¡± he had securely got hold of Zhao Laosan. Zhao Laosan would have to listen to him. ¡­ Zhuo Tianyou had been waiting for a long time outside the ancestral temple. He saw Zhao Laosan talking to Liu Tao secretly in the ancestral temple. They were excited at moments, trembling at moments, and blushing at moments. Eventually, both of them smiled and shook hands with pleasure while also patting each other¡¯s shoulders. They behaved as though they were good friends who had not met in years! That was extremely strange! Zhao Laosan was a very cold and emotionless person. Why did his emotions change so much today?! ¡°Zhao Lao?! Zhao Lao?! Are you okay?!¡± Zhuo Tianyou shouted worriedly. Zhao Laosan turned around and smiled while showing his teeth. ¡°I am perfectly okay!¡± Then, he waved his hands and said, ¡°Come in, and pay your respects to our ancestor!¡± Zhuo Tianyou walked in as Liu Meimei followed. Both of them paid respects to Liu Fan. He saw Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet, which read ¡°Liu Fan, an esteemed and well-loved ancestor, First Physical Cultivator.¡± It gave off an interesting vibe as it was surrounded by the smoke. Liu Fan somewhat exuded the aura of a master from the coffin. This was the aura of the spirit of a Seven-Star Master. Unlike that of a master physical cultivator, it gave off a heavenly feel. Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s expression changed. He felt a strong stern vibe shrouding him from all directions. That feeling was even stronger than that of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. At that moment, he felt as though he had come to the Scorpio Palace of the City of Scorpio. He had attended the meeting of the City of Scorpio with his father in the past and entered the Scorpio Palace once. He could not forget the solemn aura. Yet today, he felt a similar aura in this ancestral temple. That stunned him. How could a small ancestral temple exude such a huge amount of aura?! He felt his body become heavier, and he could not breathe properly. His body bent more and more until he reached a 90-degree bow. At the side, Liu Meimei¡¯s beautiful face was pale. She could not take the suppression and fell on her knees uncontrollably. ¡°O, Heavens!¡± ¡°O, Earth!¡± ¡°O, our ancestors!¡± Liu Tao shouted loudly at the door of the ancestral temple, signaling Liu Meimei to pay respects to their ancestor as soon as possible. ¡°As long as they¡¯ve completed that, following the rules of the Liu family, Zhuo Tianyou will be married to Liu Meimei.¡± ¡°A matrilocal residence!¡± ¡°In the future, we will be in-laws!¡± Liu Tao said to Zhao Laosan. Zhao Laosan¡¯s eyes lit up and he said in excitement, ¡°You are saying that your ancestor will also be my ancestor?!¡± ¡°You are right!¡± Liu Tao nodded. ¡°Then the Zhao family is really honored!¡± Zhao Laosan said happily but with a tinge of regret. ¡°However, we cannot let Tianyou know about this yet. We have to think about it carefully!¡± ¡°The Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion is unlike any normal family clan. The Lord Governor only has one son and he is my biological son. We have to take caution if we plan to do this!¡± Zhao Laosan reminded him with a stern look. He had changed his mindset and began to make considerations for the Liu family. Chapter 29 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhuo Tianyou and Liu Meimei began to pay their respects to the Ancestor in the ancestral temple. The members of the Liu family thought that it was their marriage ceremony and looked happy. Liu Dongdong, however, was going crazy with envy. He stared at Zhuo Tianyou and killed him 100 billion times with his killer gaze! Liu Tao looked at Liu Dongdong and kept quiet. Initially, in order to cultivate Liu Dongdong¡¯s state of mind and allow him to make a breakthrough as soon as possible, he had lied that Liu Meimei was his cousin. However, today, Liu Tao¡¯s mindset had changed. He was much more emotionless and unpredictable. The Spell of Trickery and Deception was indeed merciless! In order to make the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion side with the Liu family, he was willing to sacrifice Liu Dongdong. If Liu Dongdong had had the ability to rule over the entire City of Scorpio, Liu Tao would have made another choice. However, at this moment, their most important concern was to gather every available resource. Zhuo Tianyou was a very good entry point. Now, they had Zhao Laosan to spy for them, and he himself had initiated the betrayal of his master. Liu Tao felt that there was now a much greater chance for the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion to take the burden for the Liu family. Liu Dahai could no longer take it as he watched from the side. He felt that Liu Tao did not think through and settle the matter properly. It made Liu Dongdong sad. He walked to Liu Dongdong and comforted him. ¡°They simply paid respect to our ancestor. Zhuo Tianyou might not end up with Meimei. You still have a chance!¡± ¡°But when will my chance come?¡± ¡°You had already defeated Zhuo Tianyou and replaced his third position on the List of Heroes. So, how about taking it a step further?!¡± Liu Dahai reminded him with his eyes lit up, ¡°When your skills have surpassed mine and the head of the clan¡¯s, that¡¯s your chance!!¡± That was a cunning move! However, Liu Dongdong fell for it! His eyes lit up and he became energized! ¡°Thank you for the golden advice, First Elder, I understand now!¡± Liu Dongdong made a bow and walked away in huge strides. He returned to his own courtyard and took out a red-feathered rooster from the chicken cage. ¡°Rooster, start crowing for me!¡± ¡°I want to cultivate upon hearing the crow so that I can become stronger and marry Meimei!¡± Liu Dongdong¡¯s eyes were red as he shouted at the rooster. When he saw no reactions from it, he sneered and took the most beautiful hen from the cage and placed it below his knife blade. The hen made clucking noises in fear. The rooster looked up and crowed in worry, ¡°Ow ow ow¡ª¡± Liu Dongdong¡¯s expression turned serious. Following the curse of cultivating upon hearing the crow, he began to cultivate¡­ He had made up his mind. As long as the rooster was not yet tired to death, he would not stop cultivating. ¡°Nobody can stop me from becoming powerful ¡ª all the roosters in this world would first have to die!¡± Liu Dongdong vowed! In the coffin in the ancestral temple, Liu Fan was shocked when he saw this. Although Liu Dahai was disrespectful to him and paid respects to him insincerely, he¡¯d made a good move. Liu Dongdong had initiated cultivation upon hearing the crow. That was a good start! ¡­ In the ancestral temple, Zhuo Tianyou finished paying his respects to Liu Fan and walked out of the ancestral temple covered in perspiration. His legs had turned to jelly, and he almost fell. ¡°The Ancestor of the Liu family is really terrifying. Although it has been 1000 years since he passed away, his aura is still intact. This is very stunning!¡± Zhuo Tianyou exclaimed in respect and fear. When Liu Tao heard that, he turned around and looked at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. ¡°Did our ancestor use his powers?!¡± That might be very likely. It seemed that their ancestor placed great emphasis on the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion! ¡°Come, take the young governor somewhere to rest!¡± Liu Tao ordered. He then instructed Liu Meimei that she had to stay in the Liu family home for the night and was not allowed to leave. Liu Meimei nodded and left with a handful of seductive powder. Night fell. In the courtyard of the ancestral temple, the Liu family members were carrying knives and swords. Their murderous aura was very strong. Liu Tao stood on the steps and looked at the people. ¡°One thousand years ago, our ancestor defeated countless enemies the world over and made the Liu family the best clan!¡± ¡°Back then, our family received such great honor and respect! All the women on the streets came running to us!¡± ¡°Yet today, our family has lost and we are staying in Black Street. We are attacked repeatedly by our enemies! This is so shameful!¡± Liu Tao was extremely agitated. The people watched him while breathing heavily. ¡°In order to help the Liu family, the handful of Elders and I dug our ancestor out countless times to defend us against our enemies. This is extremely shameful ¡ª our ancestor is the Bulldozer of the Liu family!¡± ¡°Yet today, our ancestor is lying in the ancestral temple. In front of our ancestor, I ask all of you, are you guys ready for the massacre tonight?! Have you sharpened the knife you are holding?¡± ¡°Yes, we are ready, our knives are sharpened too!¡± The clan members waved their weapons and roared. ¡°Follow our plan. After tonight, our family shall rule over Black Street!¡± Liu Tao shouted loudly and looked extremely determined. ¡°Roger!¡± the people responded in high spirits. Under the lead of Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, Liu Sanhai, Liu Wuhai, and Liu Liuhai, five teams began their operation at the same time. Liu Erquan had an idea! Zhao Laosan had an idea too! Both of them were grand martial arts master. They were able to get help from different parties. If they met a difficult person, they would kill him immediately. Instantly, in the night, a fire was lit along Black Street. Sounds of fighting and screaming echoed through the City of Scorpio. It woke countless fighters up as they climbed onto their roofs and looked at Black Street. There were countless weapons and bloodshed. Black Street had never been quiet. However, the Black Street that night was especially chaotic. It made the cold autumn even more solemn. ¡°Bang!¡± One of the courtyards exploded. Two shadows fought as they moved from the rumble up to the sky, then back to the building. The grand martial arts masters¡¯ aura was felt in the area. It made many people tremble. ¡°Grand martial arts masters are participating too!¡± ¡°Black Street is in too much chaos!¡± Fighters were gasping in surprise across the City of Scorpio. However, at this moment, a bright beam of light shot up into the sky. It was a fist. However, it was as bright as the sun! It was so blinding in the dark! The grand martial arts master¡¯s aura filled the air. The fist landed, and the other grand martial arts master died in midair. ¡°Who is that?! Did an ancient grand martial arts master attack?¡± Many people were stunned. Some grand martial arts masters were frozen in fear as well. That punch was too terrifying! They were not confident that they could have taken that blow. In the Star-Picking Room of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, the governor looked at Black Street and his gaze froze. He exclaimed in disbelief, ¡°The physical cultivator¡¯s cultivation technique, Fist and Sun?!¡± In another direction, on the Moon-Gazing Tower of the City Lord¡¯s Mansion, Jun Wushuang accompanied the City Lord and watched the massacre along Black Street. When the City Lord saw the punch, he trembled and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Prepare a huge amount of gifts and send them to the Liu family tomorrow!¡± Jun Wushuang nodded and followed the order. Similarly, the other gangs were also watching the massacre in Black Street. That was because grand martial arts masters had appeared. It had been a long time since such a large scale battle was fought. Moreover, earlier on, a grand martial arts master had died. This was an astonishing piece of news that shook the entire city. A strong fighter who was a grand martial arts master could be regarded as an Elder with great powers in the family. Chapter 30 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios That night in the City of Scorpio was not a peaceful one. The bloody scent from Black Street filled the air of the City of Scorpio. Under the leadership of the five martial arts masters, the members of the Liu family fought with their lives. However, because the Liu family had too few members, they were surrounded very quickly. Meanwhile, Liu Erquan and Zhao Laosan were fighting with the old family head of the Black Dragon Family. The old family head was a grand martial arts master who¡¯d been famous for many years. He was wearing a mysterious and extremely protective armor obtained from the spaceship. Moreover, he himself was extremely powerful. The outcome of the fight between the three of them was unclear. Even though Liu Erquan had killed the leader of the Red Whale Gang, when fighting against the old family head of the Black Dragon Family, he felt as though he was unable to use any force. When he punched the old family head, the attack power was insufficient. Without the assistance of the grand martial arts master, the situation was not in favor of the Liu family, and their condition deteriorated quickly. ¡°There are too many enemies! Let¡¯s retreat!¡± Some of the members were fearful, and under the chaotic situation, many clan members had died or suffered severe injuries. Liu Dahai was covered in blood and did not look well. He could not bear to watch his people die and said loudly, ¡°We either ask our Clan Head for assistance or we take our ancestor out from the coffin and kill all of them using our ancestor!¡± With this comment, many clan members responded. Most of them did not know Liu Tao was a grand martial arts master, but they knew how powerful their ancestor was. Imagine this ¡ª if they were able to get their ancestor out from the coffin and throw him towards the crowd, the enemies would die just from the Ancestor¡¯s protective aura. That would be amazing! The clan members¡¯ eyes lit up. However, Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai did not agree to that. ¡°Our ancestor is the source of the legacy of the Liu family. If he gets injured, we are doomed!¡± ¡°What doomed? Why would you need our ancestor if all of our people have died?!¡± Liu Dahai shouted angrily, quarreling with Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai. Some of the family members saw this and ran back to the Liu family home to report the battle situation to Liu Tao. Liu Tao was shocked and frustrated and did not expect Liu Dahai and the rest to be so useless. Five martial arts masters were surrounded and attacked by their enemy. When Liu Fan heard this in the coffin, he immediately used almost 5000 respect points to upgrade his spiritual power to a Nine-Starred Master state. His sensitivity range had increased to 1000 meters. He managed to sense the battle situation. The situation was not too bad. Although their enemy was large in number, they were not very strong. On the other hand, although the Liu family was inferior in number, because of their higher levels of cultivation and the presence of five martial arts masters, they were much stronger. If they attacked their enemies with confidence, they had a high chance of winning! ¡°The culprit is the fear within our people!¡± Liu Fan exclaimed, slightly angry. He was nicknamed the Bulldozer in the past and never knew what fear was. However, his descendants were in fear because of a battle. ¡°The Fury of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Death Fearlessness! Go!¡± Liu Fan nearly exchanged all of his respect points for the Spell of Death Fearlessness in order to cast the spell on all the clan members. On the streets, the clan members who were initially retreating out of fear suddenly shook and felt a strong wave of urge running through their bodies, from the bottom of their feet to the top of their heads. Their aura changed dramatically. They became fierce! They became brave! They became fearless of death! The fear in their eyes disappeared and a fierce look replaced it. There was even an eerie red light coming out of their eyes. ¡°Attack!¡± The clan members roared and rushed forward to take the offensive stance from their enemies. They were fearless of death! ¡°What are all of you doing? Do you want to die? Come back!¡± Liu Dahai¡¯s expression changed. He was confused as to why his people had gone crazy. However, the clan members continued to attack while shouting. ¡°Slash slash!¡± The sound of stabs from weapons was heard. Liu Dahai¡¯s eyes turned red, and the expressions on the other Elder¡¯s faces changed too. However, the clan members began to laugh crazily. ¡°Hahaha, the feeling of being stabbed is amazing!¡± Then, before they died, they used their sword to sever the head of their enemies. This fearless and sacrificial move caused the surrounding enemies to be afraid and retreat! Liu Dahai and the other Elders rushed over and began to kill. The enemies finally retreated, and the outcome of the battle changed. ¡­ The cries and shouts finally subsided after the sun rose. The Liu family had been suppressed for many years and had had many enemies in Black Street. Last night¡¯s attack was to take revenge on and kill all of their enemies. When the sky brightened up and people strolled into Black Street, they saw bodies all over the ground. Those notorious gang members were almost all wiped out. Meanwhile, locations where the fighting took place had collapsed and were strewn with debris. There was a body that was penetrated by a spear left on a half-demolished wall. The body had the remnant of a terrifying grand martial arts master¡¯s aura. ¡°This is the old family head of the Black Dragon Family. He had been a grand martial arts master for more than ten years. I didn¡¯t expect him to die like that!¡± The crowd was shocked and felt nervous. ¡°Who was it who was so powerful as to kill the entire Black Dragon Family?!¡± There was a commotion as many made speculations. At this moment, one of the disciples of the Black Dragon Family climbed out of the debris and began to cry miserably. ¡°It was the Liu family. They are crazy ¡ª they killed so many people across Black Street.¡± ¡°The despicable Liu family brought expert grand martial arts masters and Zhao Laosan from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion to attack our family leader. They are so shameless!¡± The people who had gathered around were shocked and in disbelief. ¡°There are grand martial arts masters in the Liu family? How hidden must they have been!¡± ¡°The Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion must be in cahoots with the Liu family. Didn¡¯t the young governor go to the Liu family yesterday? I heard that he stayed over! Their relationship is complicated!¡± ¡°The Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion most probably collaborated with the Liu family to take control of Black Street.¡± There were speculations about whether or not the massacre last night was a planned move by the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. However, some people discovered that the Spiritual Monkey and the King of Swords¡¯ residences were attacked too. The disciples of these two clans were dead, and the buildings were burned down. Smoke could still be seen. The crowd was astonished, but none of them were daring enough to crowd around. They left silently. That was because be it the Spiritual Monkey or the King of Swords, both clans were supported strongly by powerful martial arts clans, and none of the people were willing to be enemies with them. Yet last night, all of their disciples died. The Spiritual Monkey clan had all of their monkeys killed too. The Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion and the Liu family were despicable! They did not even let the monkeys live! Jun Wushuang arrived with the soldiers in black and was shocked by the scene. He immediately ordered the army to move the bodies away and clean up the streets to prevent a plague from spreading. He had also heard the commotion among the crowds. When he heard that the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion was involved in this massacre, he was shaken and immediately reported this to the City Lord of the City of Scorpio. After a while, he brought a pricey gift from the Residence of the City Lord to Black Street and knocked on the door of the Liu family. Chapter 31 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the ancestral temple, Liu Tao was standing in front of Liu Erquan and the Elders. Behind them stood all the clan members who had fought in the battle last night. Many of them were injured and covered in blood. But the bloodshed had given all of them high spirits. As of this moment, they could finally stand tall with their heads held high because they had slaughtered every single enemy of the Liu clan. They had avenged their brothers, sisters, and friends who had died by their enemies¡¯ hands. ¡°Hear our prayers, o Fourth Elder. We have avenged you!¡± Liu Tao said loudly. He took a bowl of wine and poured it on the floor. After that, Liu Tao paid respects to Liu Fan with three incense sticks in his hands. ¡°Ancestor, we have used your body to defend our enemies many times. Please forgive us for such disrespectful acts!¡± ¡°Last night, our family rose again. Our people fought bravely, and we¡¯ve slaughtered the entire Black Street. No enemies were spared!¡± ¡°We did it in your honor, Ancestor!¡± ¡°Hear our prayers, Ancestor. We know that you¡¯ve seen our victory. Please feel happy for us!¡± Liu Tao spoke proudly. He was blushing with enthusiasm. With a wave of his hand, three huge pig¡¯s heads were delivered to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. Then, he led his entire clan to get down on all fours and pay their respects to Liu Fan. All of them looked very sincere. Last night during the fight, they had all felt a surging heat wave from the bottom of their feet that gave them the courage to fight their enemies with their lives. It was this courage that helped them win. Many people were discussing this strange matter after the fight, but no none could reach a sensible conclusion. In the end, they had all agreed that it was their ancestor. ¡°It must have been the Ancestor!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai actively sought for any opportunity to encourage the clan members to idolize their ancestor. Hence, even though they themselves were not certain whether it was the truth or not, they declared, ¡°Only the Ancestor has such mighty power!¡± The family members were convinced. They put in all their heart when they worshipped Liu Fan. ¡°Respect points +100, +110, +1300, +100, +180¡­¡± Liu Fan was delighted when he saw the green respect points floating over people¡¯s heads. Soon, the incoming respect points made up for the loss last night! In fact, now he had more respect points than before! However, Liu Fan couldn¡¯t help but worry when he recalled what had happened last night. The Liu family was not a big clan. There would be no one alive if they fought with such fearlessness for a few more battles. By that time, who would pay respects to him? Who could contribute respect points?! How many years would it take for him to finally walk out of the coffin?! Liu Fan was concerned. He decided that the Liu family must have their own armed forces. An army like the Lord Governor¡¯s white warriors, or the City Lord¡¯s black knights! That way, they wouldn¡¯t have to sacrifice their own people during the next fight. Liu Tao was done paying his respects while Liu Fan was pondering about the plan. Liu Tao cast his eyes over all the clan members and said, ¡°The battle has proven to us what terrible fighters we are. How many of us would be standing here today if not for the Ancestor¡¯s assistance last night to confer courage and strength on us?!¡± He suddenly turned and kowtowed again at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. ¡°Thank you for watching over us, Ancestor!¡± ¡°Respect points +5000.¡± Another huge sum of respect points! Liu Fan felt relieved as he witnessed this from the coffin. ¡°I like descendants who like to pay respects to me every now and then!¡± After that, Liu Tao turned back to his people and continued, ¡°We are the future of the Liu clan, the descendants of the Bulldozer. We are strong physical cultivators. We must not rely on the Ancestor for everything we do!¡± ¡°Therefore, the Sixth Elder Liu Liuhai has proposed to rebuild the Scythe Army for our clan. The recruitment and training will start today!¡± His words set the crowd boiling with excitement. ¡°A thousand years ago, we were a royal family because we had a powerful army ¡ª the Scythe Army!¡± ¡°The Scythe Army held the world in awe. They slew whoever stood in our way!¡± ¡°Yes, the Scythe Army back then was organized by our Great Ancestor!¡± Everyone looked at Liu Tao expectantly. Liu Fan felt even more heartened when he looked at Liu Tao. ¡°Liu Tao can almost read my mind now that he¡¯s under the Spell of Trickery and Deception!¡± Afterward, Liu Tao and the Elders discussed the Scythe Army matters in detail. The source of funding, which was the most important aspect, would come from the loot from the night before. Liu Tao gave Liu Liuhai 10,000 taels1 of silver without any hesitation. Thrilled, Liu Dahai recited the Scythe Army pledge in front of Liu Fan. ¡°My black sickle reaps lives.¡± ¡°I shall protect my clan and remember the ancestors.¡± ¡°I shall be loyal and brave, and uphold the good name of our clan.¡± ¡­ Liu Liuhai was appointed as the chief commander of the Scythe Army. Some family members would be chosen to be the core soldiers, and swordsmen from outside their clan would then be recruited to form the bulk of the army. He suddenly had a lot of work to do. Liu Dahai was responsible for taking care of the casualties. He would deliver inspirational speeches every now and then to boost people¡¯s morale. Liu Daquan would bring the remaining forces of Black Street under control. Last night, the leaders of all the opposing Black Street forces had been slain. Liu Daquan had selected a few ambitious new leaders and forced a potion down their throats so that they would listen to the Liu family unconditionally. This way, all those forces would be loyal to the Liu family! Meanwhile, Liu Erhai, Liu Sanhai, and Liu Wuhai were sorting the loot and carrying them into the storehouse. Liu Tao could finally have some time to himself. But before long, he was informed that Jun Wushuang had come to see him. Jun Wushuang had come with expensive gifts. His eyes were smiling. He had a good chat with Liu Tao in the visitors¡¯ hall and didn¡¯t mention a single word about the bloodshed. Everything seemed to be going well. When he was about to leave, he said, ¡°The City Lord hopes that the Liu clan does not get too involved with people from the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. It¡¯s dangerous. Don¡¯t forget that they are enemies with people from the Presidential Palace!¡± Liu Tao nodded. The Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion and the Presidential Palace had had long-standing enmity for centuries. If the Liu family were to form an alliance with the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion, it would make them an enemy of the Presidential Palace. Furthermore, both the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion and the Presidential Palace were pillars of the City of Scorpio. ¡°Please thank the City Lord for his kind reminder and good wishes. We will be careful!¡± Liu Tao said. Jun Wushuang¡¯s eyes suddenly went cold, and his smile was gone too. He stood up immediately and left without another word. He had understood that Liu Tao had rejected the City Lord¡¯s proposal and that he was determined to forge ties with the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. Initially, there was no clear winner between the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion and the Presidential Palace. Now that the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion had the support of the Liu clan, the balance would be disrupted. The City Lord certainly didn¡¯t want to see more bloodshed in his city. There was an imminent storm in the seas surrounding Scorpio Island, which meant that the mysterious spaceship could run aground on the coastline of the island any time soon. Busy with capturing the spaceship, the City Lord didn¡¯t want any more trouble on his plate right now. Liu Tao rubbed his throbbing temples. It¡¯s too complicated! He didn¡¯t want to get too close with the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion either. However, the fact that Zhao Laosan was Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s biological father had strategic values that were too important to let go. So long as they could bring Zhao Laosan under their control, the future Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion would belong to the Liu family! The thought made Liu Tao hurry to the backyard. At that time, Zhao Laosan had already woken up. Now that the effect of the Spell of Betraying the Master for Glory had worn out, he immediately realized what he had done the day before. ¡°I betrayed the Lord Governor! I spilled my greatest secret to Liu Tao through a letter of complaint!¡± ¡°Was I out of my mind?!¡± Furious with himself, Zhao Laosan slapped himself hard. After remembering that he had voluntarily swallowed so much poison the day before, his regret almost made him smash his head against the wall! ¡°I must have been possessed yesterday!¡± Angry and scared, he had locked himself up in the room since morning and refused to see anyone. ¡°What happened? Things started to go haywire the moment I stepped into that ancestral temple¡­¡± Chapter 32 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhao Laosan knelt on one knee in the dimly-lit room. He put his hand to his forehead, feeling anxious and miserable. The night before, not only had he sold himself cheaply, but he had also fought for the Liu clan and betrayed the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. He had put himself in deep trouble. ¡°There are beasts lurking in the shadows everywhere in this world!¡± Zhao Laosan sighed. He hadn¡¯t expected that a sophisticated person like himself would have come to this stage one day. ¡°Creak¡ª¡± At this moment, the door opened. It was Liu Tao. He walked in, smiling, with a bowl of herbal soup in his hands. ¡°Do you have a moment?¡± asked Liu Tao, who placed the bowl in front of Zhao Laosan. Zhao Laosan glared back with hatred in his eyes. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles were squeaking. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like talking?¡± Liu Tao asked. Zhao Laosan¡¯s eyes were cold. He refused to utter a word. Liu Tao smiled gently and muttered a series of numbers. ¡°173, 37D, 56, 95.¡± Zhao Laosan¡¯s body jolted. His eyes were as round as pancakes. That¡¯s Ouyang Yue¡¯er¡¯s height, as well as her bust, waist, and hip measurements! By right, only two people in this world would ever know those statistics ¡ª Ouyang Yue¡¯er herself and her husband, the old governor. But Zhao Laosan was lucky to be the third one to find that out 20 years ago. Regrettably, Liu Tao had become the fourth. Moreover, he had said it right in front of Zhao Laosan! ¡°You¡­ are shameless!¡± Zhao Laosan blushed with anger. He sprang up from the floor as if an electric shock had just run through his body. His reaction was drastic because this incident had gotten on his nerves! Liu Tao sneered. ¡°You gave the measurements yourself. I¡¯m afraid my level of shamelessness is no match to yours!¡± Zhao Laosan stared at Liu Tao. He agreed with this despicable man, and he was even feeling a bit proud of himself. ¡°Who else in the entire world would dare to measure the old governor¡¯s wife¡¯s body statistics?!¡± ¡°Only me, Zhao Laosan!¡± Zhao Laosan smirked. He held his head high in pride. Liu Tao leaned in and asked with a grin, ¡°Brother Zhao, can we talk now?¡± Zhao Laosan looked at him. A light flashed across his eyes. ¡°Fine. Close the door and let¡¯s have a deep talk.¡± ¡­ It was noontime. The sun was hanging high in the sky. Many wandering fighters had arrived outside the Liu house one after another. Some of them were young, some were old. But all of them were men and strong fighters. A few bald old men stood out. Despite their dirty teeth and perverse looks, they had bulging temples. The vibe around them was frightening. The old men were in high spirits. They peeked into the courtyard with their eyes glittering in green. ¡°Where is Liu Meimei?¡­¡± All of them were here for Liu Meimei. Three days ago, the Liu clan had announced that they would organize a tournament and the winner would marry Liu Meimei. The news had spread throughout the entire city and flitted into every wandering fighter¡¯s ears. Therefore, many had come to check on the conditions of the Liu clan. Gossips surrounding the night raid had already traveled far. Now, people knew that the Liu family had joined hands with the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion and slaughtered Black Street residents the night before. Moreover, they had heard that there were grand martial arts masters present at the fight. Grand martial arts masters were powerful figures even among the major forces of the city. Usually, only royal families and established houses would have grand martial arts masters. Even an average upper-class clan wouldn¡¯t normally have such honor. That¡¯s why it was surprising that a declining clan like the Liu clan would have their own grand masters. It was widely known that the Liu family had led a humble existence in Black Street for years and that they had almost been wiped out on multiple accounts when their enemies fought them in their nest. However, this clan had suddenly risen last night and dominated Black Street overnight. Therefore, many wandering fighters viewed this as a rare opportunity. ¡°Other family clans all have their own retainers1, so I suppose the Liu clan will recruit some too. After all, they need people to manage Black Street,¡± the wandering fighters discussed. They had come in the hope that the Liu clan would recruit them as their retainers. ¡°Pang, pang, pang¡­¡± The drums caught everyone¡¯s attention. They thought that Liu Meimei was going to come out. However, to their dismay, it was not Liu Meimei. An old man walked out, accompanied by Liu Dongdong. Leaves rolled up from the ground as the old man walked. ¡°My name is Liu Liuhai, the Sixth Elder of the Liu clan!¡± Liu Liuhai said loudly. That caused a commotion in the crowd. People had started to question why Liu Meimei hadn¡¯t shown up yet. ¡°Sorry, but you guys are late. Meimei is already taken by the young lord of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion!¡± Liu Liuhai said with a raised voice. Liu Tao had told him to phrase it this way. They were determined to create the impression that the Liu family now had unshakable connections with the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. This was because they knew that their enemies might come at them again, even though they had won the fight last night. Therefore, the tournament was actually a lie. What they truly wanted was to gather wandering fighters and recruit soldiers for their Scythe Army. Simply put, they wanted to enroll people who would willingly fight battles in the name of the Liu clan. They wanted martial arts experts who had never pledged loyalty to anyone. People from complicated backgrounds were not trustworthy. The crowd outside their door was angry. But they didn¡¯t have a choice. Even those old men had become quiet. None of them wanted to challenge the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. Besides, many of them had seen Zhuo Tianyou walk into the Liu house with Liu Meimei the previous day. They looked like a lovey-dovey couple. ¡°As expected, this Liu family is hiding many secrets. They must have been allies with the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion for a long time!¡± ¡°This marriage alliance must have been brewing for quite a while¡­¡± ¡°Agreed. This Liu clan is not that simple, after all¡­¡± The fighters discussed. Liu Liuhai was pricking up his ears to their discussions. After a few moments, he felt that it was time to recruit for the Scythe Army. He closed his eyes and recalled the chapter in the Story of Ancestors that recorded how the ancestor had enlisted soldiers for the Scythe Army. The book said that the Ancestor was a ¡°talker¡±! An impressive one! It¡¯s said that he could talk roosters into laying eggs and talk ducks into swimming in the sea. There was even one time when he made a man pregnant with that mouth of his! What a frightening skill! Therefore, the Ancestor managed to recruit 3000 soldiers once he had started talking. As Liu Liuhai tried hard to remember every detail from that chapter, he recited silently, ¡°My ancestor, please listen to my prayers. Please give me a mouth like yours, one that can make men pregnant!¡± Meanwhile, Liu Fan was lying quietly in the ancestral temple. Suddenly, he sensed that Liu Liuhai was seeking him for help. His mind swept across the area and he immediately understood what Liu Liuhai was asking for. ¡°A mouth like mine? Sure, your wish is granted!¡± ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Great Talker Spell. Go!¡± Liu Liuhai was still praying to the ancestor in the yard. Suddenly, he felt numbness on his lips, as if there had been an electric shock. His lips shuddered, and it occurred to him that something strange might have happened. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something. However, a long chunk of words blurted out the moment his upper and lower lips touched¡­ ¡°My lords, my friends, I am very grateful that you¡¯ve made time to come to this tournament. I would like to express our sincerest gratitude and heartfelt wishes to you on behalf of Meimei and our Liu clan. We wish you health and good progress in your cultivation training. It is my pleasure to see you all today¡­¡± Liu Liuhai was speaking increasingly faster. He wanted to stop, but he couldn¡¯t control his mouth anymore! It was as if his lips were moving according to their own free will. There was a certain magic in his words. His audience couldn¡¯t help but listen to him attentively. Every single person inside and outside the yard was looking at Liu Liuhai absently, fully engrossed in his speech. ¡°Blah blah blah¡­¡± ¡°Blah blah blah¡­¡± ¡°Blah blah blah¡­¡± Liu Liuhai¡¯s mouth was moving like crazy. Blisters and cracks had started to form on his lips due to their high movement speed. His lips were bleeding, but Liu Liuhai couldn¡¯t stop talking. Blood was splashing out from his lips. After a while, streams of blood started to gush out of the corner of his mouth like a fountain. His blood wet his clothes and stained the ground in bright red. It was a huge pool of blood. The audience was moved. This Liu Liuhai was trying so hard! He was spitting blood from talking too much just to recruit retainers for his clan! Liu Liuhai¡¯s body was swaying. He felt weak. He felt that he was going to die from the loss of blood! But his mouth couldn¡¯t stop moving! His lips were no longer under his control! As he spoke, more blood was oozing out of his lips. ¡°Is this how the Ancestor trained his magical mouth?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what kind of talker can talk roosters into laying eggs and talk ducks into swimming in the sea?¡± ¡°Moreover, the Ancestor could talk men into getting pregnant. What kind of mouth did he have?!¡± Liu Liuhai was in awe. The ancestor was hardly a human! Meanwhile, Liu Liuhai was already dying from talking for a short while. So how did the Ancestor talk men into having babies?! Liu Liuhai didn¡¯t dare to talk any longer. He was scared! He didn¡¯t want to die! Without any other choice, he cried in his heart, ¡°My ancestor, please stop! I don¡¯t want your mouth anymore. Please give me back my mouth¡­¡± Despite sensing Liu Liuhai¡¯s situation, Liu Fan didn¡¯t withdraw his spell. ¡°Liu Liuhai will prove himself useless if he can¡¯t even recruit a full Scythe Army while under the Great Talker Spell!¡± Liu Fan thought. In the meantime, Liu Liuhai was still talking with his lips covered in blood since the Ancestor didn¡¯t answer his prayers. He looked at Liu Dongdong, hoping that he would start the enlistment soon. Liu Dongdong took the hint. He assigned a few clan members to help with the enlistment. The audience had already been moved by Liu Liuhai¡¯s sincerity. Once Liu Dongdong had set up a table, people rushed forward to sign up for the Scythe Army. ¡°Name, age, place of birth, martial arts status. Fill in everything¡­¡± Under Liu Dongdong¡¯s instructions, the fighters started to fill in the enlistment form. Five hundred people had signed up in no time. That included two bald old men. Once they¡¯d unleashed their aura, people were shocked to realize that they were martial arts masters of the Dragon State. Liu Dongdong immediately came forward to personally attend to the two old men¡¯s registration and promised that he would introduce them to the head of the clan. However, the remaining people outside the yard didn¡¯t seem interested. All of them had been sent to gather intelligence by other forces in the city. Having seen that the Liu clan had recruited so many Scythe Army soldiers, they couldn¡¯t wait to report the situation to their masters. ¡°Puff!¡± Liu Liuhai vomited blood. The intense movement of his lips had touched his nerves, which made him vomit blood involuntarily. Having lost all his strength, he collapsed to the ground. But his lips were still moving. The crowd was deeply touched. Tears welled up in their eyes as they cried, ¡°Sixth Elder, please stop talking! We pledge our allegiance to the Liu clan, now and forever!¡± Liu Liuhai cried in his heart too. ¡°I want to stop talking, but my ancestor doesn¡¯t want me to!¡± Chapter 33 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the gate of the yard, Liu Liuhai was twitching. His body started to become arched like a cooked shrimp, but he was still gibbering. The moment Liu Dongdong finished registering the line of people¡­ Liu Liuhai¡¯s body suddenly shuddered. His legs straightened, and he passed out. ¡°My dear child, I¡¯ll care for you more in the future!¡± Liu Fan withdrew his spell and sighed. ¡°The First Elder worked too hard!¡± Liu Dongdong sighed with mixed emotions. He had once thought that he himself was already very diligent, but his effort was nothing in comparison with the Sixth Elder¡¯s. He bowed and saluted, and those newly recruited soldiers behind him also bowed sincerely. This group of fighters would form the Scythe Army of the Liu clan, and its nature was similar to the retainers of other clans. Liu Dongdong watched as Liu Liuhai was carried away. Then, he began to teach the recruits about the clan rules and the creed of the Scythe Army. The focus of their learning was ¡°The Story of Ancestors.¡± ¡°The Story of Ancestors¡± was a record of all the Liu clan ancestors and what they had done in the past thousand or so years, and 98% of the content was about the heroic achievements of the founding ancestor, Liu Fan. Each recruit received a copy of this book. Sitting on small wooden stools, the recruits flipped the pages. The illiterate ones looked at the pages blankly. Liu Dongdong smiled slightly. Wagging his head, he began reading aloud¡­ ¡°Chapter One, Part One, ¡®The Style of the Founding Ancestor''¡± ¡°The Liu clan has a long history and has been around for more than a thousand years. These relentless years have taken away too many regrets and buried countless truths.¡± ¡°The founding ancestor of the Liu clan, Liu Fan, is noble and dignified, like the sun in the sky. His glory will never be forgotten, and his merits in this world are immeasurable!¡± ¡°He calculated the Heavenly Cycle of Qi in one¡¯s body to an incredible precision of 3.141592653 days, and he proposed the important concept of ??the Golden Ratio of Human Bodies. He clearly pointed out that physical cultivation requires the accurate pinpointing of the 14 golden points, 12 golden rectangles, and 2 golden indexes within the body!¡± ¡°He was invincible. Thus, he earned the name of ¡®Bulldozer¡¯ in his time. He left many physical cultivation techniques, which have benefited his descendants for generations¡­¡± Liu Dongdong read the book slowly. The stories mesmerized the recruits. They were held in awe to the extent that they did not notice the passing of time. Before they knew it, the sun was already setting. Even the two old and bald martial arts experts of the Dragon State were in a trance, and their faces were overwritten with emotions. ¡°The founding ancestor of the Liu clan was indeed a legendary man!¡± ¡°He¡¯s next level compared to all of us. The difference between us is like the difference between a firefly and the Moon!¡± Liu Dongdong noticed everyone¡¯s expressions and was satisfied. Today¡¯s brainwashing was very successful! ¡°We¡¯ll stop here today. Write a reflection as your homework today. The topic will be to sing praises for the founding ancestor¡¯s great achievements. Hand it in next morning!¡± Liu Dongdong said, as if he¡¯s really a teacher. The recruits frowned, a little dissatisfied. Liu Dongdong waved his hand, and each recruit received some silver ingots. The poor immediately beamed with joy, but the wealthy ones curled their lips in disdain. Liu Dongdong didn¡¯t care much. He said, ¡°This is your monthly allowance. Don¡¯t lose it!¡± ¡°The Clan Head has said that the Liu clan will be expanding its facilities very soon. When the time comes, all of you will be accommodated in the Scythe Army Apartment, and there will also be a Martial Arts Library where you can learn and cultivate martial arts. Black tuxedos will be tailor-made for everyone. You will also be equipped with sophisticated weapons and armors¡­¡± ¡°Our clan is planning to invest heavily on the Scythe Army. You won¡¯t have to pay for accommodation or food, and each meal will certainly come with enough meat. Those who perform well will be promoted and rewarded with cultivation pills!¡± While speaking of this last part, Liu Dongdong raised his voice. Everyone looked at him with fiery eyes. ¡°What cultivation pills?¡± Liu Dongdong narrowed his eyes and smiled. He didn¡¯t utter a word, only revealing a ¡°guess-it-yourself¡± expression. Everyone, including the two bald old men of the Dragon State, stared at Liu Dongdong. Their eyes were glowing intimidatingly. The Liu family was previously declining and had experienced several attacks at their very own doorstep. But recently, it had suddenly risen. They had more than one martial arts master guarding the clan, and the clan members had suddenly become very powerful too. The Liu clan seemed to have changed overnight! Liu Dongdong used to be a gangster in Black Street. However, just yesterday, he had actually defeated Zhuo Tianyou, emerging third in the legendary List of Heroes! ¡°The Liu clan definitely has cultivation pills that can improve one¡¯s martial arts realm!¡± ¡°And the pill must be an effective one!¡± The crowd was excited. They felt that joining the Liu clan was really a wise move. There were secrets about this clan that no one knew. The two bald masters glanced at each other and communicated with each other quickly. ¡°Blend into the Liu clan, wait for an opportunity to steal the pills, and then escape!¡± ¡­ The crowd dispersed in a hurry as they still had to write their reflections. The two bald old men stayed behind. Liu Dongdong brought them into the courtyard of the ancestral temple and introduced them to Liu Tao. Liu Tao was wiping the dust off of Liu Fan¡¯s coffin with great care. The two bald masters could not help being surprised upon seeing this. ¡°Why was there a coffin in the ancestral temple?! Has anyone from the Liu family just died?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Zhang San! Also known as the Black-Handed Zhang!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Li Si! Also known as the Iron-Footed Li!¡± The two bald old men revealed their nicknames. Then, they took a bow and said, ¡°It¡¯s our honor to meet you, Clan Head!¡± They were smiling, and they looked neither arrogant nor restrained. After all, the names ¡°Black-Handed Zhang¡± and ¡°Iron-Footed Li¡± were very well-known in the martial arts realm! From the side, Liu Dongdong was surprised. He did not expect that he had recruited these two experts into the Scythe Army! Black-Handed Zhang was extremely good at hands-on kungfu, and he liked to stab others in the back. Iron-Footed Li had extraordinary leg and foot martial skills and was similarly well-known among the martial arts fighters. ¡°Black-Handed Zhang?! Iron-Footed Li?!¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes lit up. He didn¡¯t expect that the Sixth Elder could recruit such experts. These two people had been famous in the martial arts realm for many years! With the two of them joining the Scythe Army, it would be a huge boost to the strength of the Liu clan¡¯s retainers! He cupped his hands together and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about the both of you! Welcome to the Liu clan¡¯s Scythe Army!¡± Black-Handed Zhang and Iron-Footed Li waved their hands and shook their heads humbly. At the same time, they secretly observed Liu Tao. However, they could not see through his aura! His aura was as unfathomable as an abyss. This terrified the duo. ¡°Could it be that Liu Tao is a grand martial arts master?!¡± Liu Tao looked at the two with a smile and told Liu Dongdong to take good care of them. Black-Handed Zhang and Iron-Footed Li thanked him. They glanced at Liu Tao deeply, then left the place under Liu Dongdong¡¯s guidance. Liu Erquan walked out from the shadow of the ancestral temple. ¡°So? Are these two people trustworthy?¡± ¡°Wily old foxes, not reliable at all!¡± ¡°Then feed them poisons. Both Seven-Day Intestinal Damage Powder and Three-Day Soul Capturing Pill!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Liu Erquan turned around and walked away. Liu Tao watched as Liu Erquan walked away. He nodded slightly. Ever since Liu Erquan became a grand martial arts master, he had gradually regained the self-confidence he¡¯d had in the past. He was decisive yet ruthless in his actions. This made him qualified to be Liu Tao¡¯s most capable assistant. Liu Fan was very satisfied with Liu Tao¡¯s strategy. As for Liu Erquan, his progress had also been great. As the second grand martial arts master within the Liu family, he would play a very crucial role. He deserved more love and care. ¡°What spell can I give him?¡­¡± Liu Fan thought. Chapter 34 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Just like how a doctor had to prescribe medicines depending on the symptoms, Liu Fan had to judge the situation first before casting any spells. Liu Fan began to observe Liu Erquan. He would cast a suitable spell on him to make him invincible after he had found out Liu Erquan¡¯s weakness! ¡°The true Era of Bulldozers will come only when every member of our Liu clan is unbeatable!¡± Liu Fan thought. Although it was dark inside the coffin and he couldn¡¯t move, Liu Fan felt warmth rising in his heart. ¡­ In the afternoon, Zhao Laosan and Zhuo Tianyou returned to the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion after taking their leave from Liu Tao. Before they left, Liu Tao passed a book to Zhao Laosan. ¡°This is the Yi Yang Finger, a technique that has been passed down in my clan for 1000 years. I hope it will be of use to you,¡± Liu Tao said quietly. The Yi Yang Finger he had learned from Liu Fan was never recorded in words, which made it impossible to be leaked to outsiders. In fact, Liu Tao had written this book himself based on his understanding of the technique. Despite the loss of authenticity and the decrease in power, the book was still a valuable documentation of a powerful skill. Zhao Laosan¡¯s eyes brightened up in pleasant surprise. He said, ¡°Entrusted with this secret, the Lord Governor will certainly put serious thoughts into forming an alliance with the Liu family!¡± Zhao Laosan promised Liu Tao that he would help with the marriage alliance between the two houses. Should the marriage fail, he would do his best to make Zhuo Tianyou the next governor. By that time, all the treasures that the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion had harbored for years, including the mansion itself, would all belong to the Liu clan. Satisfied, Liu Tao smiled. Beside them, Liu Meimei was reluctant to part with Zhuo Tianyou. Her eyes were red from crying, and sadness was written all across her face. She even cut a strand of her hair and put it in Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s hands. Zhuo Tianyou accepted this parting gift with a smile, but his heart was as cold as ice. ¡°This woman is a shameless liar.¡± Last night, Liu Meimei had drugged Zhuo Tianyou before they went to sleep together. After that, she removed their clothes, messed up her hair, and left bite marks all over her own body to make it seem like they had done the deed. Not only that, but she even cried in the morning and insisted that he must take responsibility. But what she didn¡¯t know was that he had been with so many girls that he had seen through her trick immediately. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will take responsibility! I will love you until the last day of my life!¡± Zhuo Tianyou promised. But deep down in his heart, he was planning to ask his father to slaughter the Liu family and sell Liu Meimei to the brothel. ¡°That will be the punishment for your dishonesty!¡± he sneered in his mind. Men¡¯s words could never be trusted! But Zhuo Tianyou didn¡¯t care. His eyes were cold. That¡¯s the price Liu Meimei had to pay for fooling with the young governor of the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion! At the same time, he stole a quick glance at Liu Erquan, Liu Dahai, and the other Elders standing on the stairs, as well as at Zhao Laosan, who was whispering in Liu Tao¡¯s ear. Zhuo Tianyou was instantly on the alert. ¡°Perhaps Zhao Laosan has already been corrupted by the Liu clan! He¡¯s betrayed us!¡± Ever since they got up, Zhao Laosan had been hinting to him what a good couple he and Liu Meimei would make. He had been speaking in favor of the Liu clan too. ¡°A treacherous old dog!¡± Zhuo Tianyou cursed silently. He would make sure Zhao Laosan would be skinned alive once they reached home! At this moment, Zhao Laosan turned to look at him. Zhuo Tianyou smiled gently and nodded. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Uncle Zhao!¡± He came forward respectfully and put a hand on Zhao Laosan¡¯s arm to support him. Liu Tao¡¯s eyes were smiling. He waved as he watched his guests leave. ¡°Tianyou oppa, I will miss you¡­ sob¡­¡± Liu Meimei was beautiful even when she was weeping. She ran out of the yard to send Zhuo Tianyou off. Zhuo Tianyou squeezed out a few tears and walked away reluctantly. When he had walked far enough, his eyes suddenly turned cold. He cursed under his breath, ¡°Crazy b*tch!¡± Zhao Laosan heard him. He had also caught the subtle changes in Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s eyes, which made him startled. ¡®Oh no!¡¯ ¡®This brat may go out of my control!¡¯ he thought. ¡°My lord, I would like to tell you something before we return home¡­¡± ¡°Tell me after we get home!¡± ¡°It¡¯s about your mother and me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zhuo Tianyou¡¯s expression changed. He looked at Zhao Laosan with complicated emotions. Then, he walked into an inn, and Zhao Laosan followed behind closely. ¡­ After Zhuo Tianyou and Zhao Laosan had left, Liu Meimei returned, skipping happily like a lively sparrow. Her sadness from earlier was nowhere to be found. Liu Tao looked at Liu Meimei approvingly and said, ¡°Smart girl. Our Meimei has become such a good actress!¡± Liu Meimei grinned. ¡°Men are easy to manipulate, especially after they got some fun from women!¡± Her words made Liu Erquan frown. He couldn¡¯t help but chide, ¡°Girls should be pure and innocent. Don¡¯t let those schemes corrupt your mind!¡± He looked up at the sky and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Nowadays, even women have resorted to trickery too. You won¡¯t find another woman as kind as Xiaoxiao¡¯s mother!¡± Everyone fell silent. Liu Erquan¡¯s wife was the woman who died after giving birth to Liu Xiaoxiao. She was indeed a fine woman, but sadly, she died young. Liu Tao wanted to comfort Liu Erquan, but he was at a loss for words. He felt worried when Liu Erquan started gulping down wine from his wine calabash. Given Liu Erquan¡¯s current state of mind, Liu Tao didn¡¯t want to entrust him with any important matters. ¡°Erquan, come and pay your respects to the Ancestor. Let the Ancestor give you some guidance!¡± Liu Tao said as he dragged Liu Erquan to the ancestral temple. ¡°You need to get things off your chest. Tell them to the Ancestor!¡± Liu Tao patted on Erquan¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Our ancestor will listen to you. Not kidding!¡± Before he left, he closed the door, leaving Liu Erquan in the ancestral temple alone. The flames of the oil lamps were flickering in the temple. On the altar, incense smoke was rising in volumes. Liu Fan opened his eyes and looked at Liu Erquan from inside the coffin. Liu Erquan was kneeling on a praying mat. He poured a bowl of wine on the ground. ¡°Ancestor, your descendant Liu Erquan offers you a bowl of wine!¡± ¡°This is a 100-year-old nu¡¯er hong1. Please enjoy!¡± he said loudly before taking a gulp himself. ¡°When I saw Meimei and Tianyou today, they reminded me of Xiaoxiao¡¯s mother and me. Back in those days, we were a fine and loving couple. We held each other¡¯s hands wherever we went¡­¡± ¡°She loved osmanthus cakes and scallion pancakes. Sometimes, she would get up in the middle of the night just to steal a few bites of spicy gluten sticks¡­ She loved eating, but she was the love of my life!¡± ¡°Ancestor, I learned from the family booklet that your relationship journey wasn¡¯t smooth. I don¡¯t know what kind of experience you¡¯ve been through that made you claim that women are tigers. But to me, women are spring flowers. Xiaoxiao¡¯s mother was the most beautiful flower of all¡­¡± Liu Erquan was drunk and started to confess his true feelings. He also questioned Liu Fan¡¯s opinions of women! Liu Erquan¡¯s words reminded Liu Fan of the memories he had buried so deeply. His mind began to drift away. It was a thousand years ago, truly a long time ago. He could only remember that many girls had fallen for him for his looks and martial arts power. Countless women had done everything they could to pursue him, hoping that they could marry him. There were even some married women who had gone to the extent of abandoning their families and becoming nuns just for him. In order to block out all the unwanted attention, he had gone into seclusion. As a result, numerous women fell sick from missing him too much. In the end, some committed suicide, and some grew thin and frail. ¡°I remember that when I died, there were so many women who were willing to die and be buried with me that they couldn¡¯t fit in the City of Scorpio. But why did I not see any of them when I revived?¡­¡± ¡°Where did they go?! Who were they buried with?¡­¡± Chapter 35 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Fan was still lying in the coffin. He was very lonely! None of the women who were willing to die with him kept their promises! Indeed, all women were liars! He changed his focus and saw Liu Erquan talking about how good women were. Liu Fan was disappointed! If a man really loved a woman, he should become stronger. Simply talking about it did not mean anything. Women could feel the love when the man had a house, car, and money. Many years ago, Liu Erquan was considered a genius among the Liu family. Liu Erquan had suffered a huge emotional blow when Liu Xiaoxiao¡¯s mother died from childbirth. That caused him to be stagnated in terms of his martial art skills, and his potential deteriorated. He was not included in the outcome of the normal distribution. Today, after receiving help from Liu Fan, Liu Erquan had managed to break the bottleneck and enter the grand martial arts master state. That activated his potential as a genius. ¡°He still loves the mother of Liu Xiaoxiao. This love is obstructing him from pursuing what he wants.¡± Liu Fan kept silent. Liu Erquan was too emotional! He was lacking the hypocrisy like the ladies who put on a show. They were extremely nice with their words but were actually extremely mean! Liu Fan¡¯s eyes lit up at this moment. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Kind Words and Evil Heart, go!¡± Those who were bestowed with this spell would have a mouth that uttered kind words like a buddha and manage to trick people around them. However, their hearts would be extremely evil and emotionless. They would place their family first and love second. The Liu family especially needed people like that. Liu Erquan deserved it! When the spell was cast, Liu Erquan suddenly woke up as though his brain had been struck by something! He felt as though he had been awakened! Or that he had finally understood things! He was shocked and recalled how he used to think too much about Xiaoxiao¡¯s mother and hence neglected Liu Xiaoxiao and the Liu family. He felt extremely guilty for it. ¡°Xiaoxiao¡¯s mom has been gone for many years. I should let it go!¡± ¡°While I am still young, since Xiaoxiao still needs someone to take care of him, I have to marry another woman. I cannot stay like this!¡± Liu Erquan talked to himself and his eyes lit up. He looked up at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and was extremely worked up. ¡°Ancestor ¡ª it must be him!¡± Burn incense stick. Burn incense paper. Kowtow! Respect points +1000! Liu Fan was satisfied. The Spell of Kind Words and Evil Heart¡¯s effect was desirable. Liu Tao, Liu Dahai, and the other Elders were waiting quietly outside the ancestral temple. Liu Erquan was in a bad condition and they were worried about him. At this moment, the door of the ancestral temple opened. Liu Erquan walked out. His body reeked of alcohol, but he was clear-minded. ¡°Clan Head, can you introduce a woman to me? I am trying to find a stepmother for Xiaoxiao!¡± ¡°Oh?!¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes lit up and he proceeded to nod his head while smiling. Liu Erquan¡¯s condition was perfect! The others heaved a sigh of relief. Liu Erhai looked at Liu Erquan before looking at Liu Tao and said, ¡°There are too few people in the Liu clan. Many family members are over 30 years old but still single!¡± ¡°In the past, we were broke. Now that we rule over Black Street and have gotten rich, we should increase the number of members in the family!¡± ¡°Those without a wife shall marry and those without a second wife shall get a second one! Then, encourage everyone to give birth to a few more children. After a few years, our Liu family would become a true big clan!¡± Liu Erhai said that in one breath and realized that everyone was staring at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is anything wrong with that?!¡± Liu Erhai asked, slightly worriedly as he bit the fingernail in his mouth. ¡°No problem, you are right, Second Elder!¡± Liu Tao exclaimed. He had underestimated Liu Erhai in the past. His thought processes were actually very clear. It was also very fitting with regard to the current development in the Liu family. Liu Dahai, Liu Sanhai, Liu Wuhai, and Liu Liuhai nodded in agreement and looked at him in admiration. Ever since their skills had improved and the few of them had managed to break through to the martial arts master state, they¡¯d felt more youthful and energized. When they saw beautiful women, they were unable to fall asleep, and that caused them to go to watch the performance by the ladies secretly a few times. The suggestion that Liu Erquan had brought about in front of the ancestral temple and the ancestor¡¯s coffin definitely matched their desires! The handful of men were actually overjoyed. Liu Fan sighed in the coffin, and his gaze fell upon Liu Erhai. He felt surprised. This descendant was very disrespectful to him and did not take paying respects seriously. He appeared to be someone without his own opinions and always bit his fingernails behind Liu Dahai. However, today, his suggestion was shocking. It hit the core of the population problem of the Liu family! It also hit the respect points, something that Liu Fan cared about the most! It was only if the population of the Liu family increased that he would be able to receive more respect points. ¡°Did he get more calcium from eating fingernails and become more intelligent?!¡± Liu Fan thought about it and decided to reward Liu Erhai. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Matchmaking! Go!¡± Matchmakers loved matchmaking singles! These matchmakers were very annoying as they kept asking one about how old their children were and whether they wanted to marry. ¡­ When the spell was cast, Liu Erhai, who was still biting on his fingernails at the door of the ancestral temple, suddenly shuddered and his fingernails fell out of his mouth without his knowing. He looked up into the sky and realized that the sky was blue and full of white clouds! Two sparrows were making love on the tree and made a lot of noises. He looked at the head of the clan, Liu Dahai, Liu Erquan, and the rest. He realized that everyone looked normal, but it was difficult to hide the loneliness in their eyes. They had been single for too long. He took a deep breath and felt that he should do something. ¡°Clan Head, please make me in charge of the task of helping with the booming of the family clan!¡± Liu Erhai said as he slapped his chest. ¡°I promise, within one month, I will let those single men marry a wife and those without a second wife get a second wife. After one year, the Liu family members will double!¡± After saying that, he realized that Liu Tao looked shocked. He sneered and walked into the ancestral temple to retrieve pen and paper. ¡°In front of our ancestor, I, Liu Erhai, will write this down on paper!¡± After that, he wrote whatever he promised on the paper and stated that if he was unable to fulfill his promise, he would resign from his position as an Elder and join Liu Daquan in rearing pigs. Liu Daquan was Liu Erquan¡¯s brother. He was bad at martial arts but talented in rearing pigs. All the pigs he reared had meat that was fat but not too oily. They were known in the Black Market. Liu Fan felt relieved as he witnessed this in the coffin. After the Spell of Matchmaking was cast, Liu Erhai, who used to not have any opinion, began to contribute to the family. He also became willing to take up responsibilities. Liu Tao and Liu Dahai began to look at Liu Erhai with a strange expression. They looked at him and thought that Liu Erhai had changed and become a different person. ¡°Second Elder, you have changed!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai said in a straightforward manner while giving a stern look. ¡°Hehehe, really?!¡± Liu Erhai smiled and bit his fingernails, making a crisp sound. Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai smiled when they saw that. ¡°You are still the Second Elder we know, you didn¡¯t change!¡± At the corner, Liu Tao, Liu Dahai, and Liu Erquan gave a sigh of relief. Liu Erhai was normal like that. Earlier on, he was a little terrifying! ¡°However, since Second Elder wants to be the matchmaker for our people, then I shall let the Second Elder take the lead!¡± Liu Tao said, ¡°Everyone shall cooperate with the Second Elder. Make sure that the number of family members in the Liu clan doubles and that there shall soon be a full house of babies!¡± Chapter 36 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The plan about marriages and births was confirmed. After many years, whenever Liu Erhai recalled it, he¡¯d be very happy that he had made this decision. At the door of the ancestral temple, Liu Tao called for a meeting after seeing the handful of Elders. ¡°Liu Dahai will be in charge of the task regarding the expansion of our family clan! This has to be completed before winter,¡± Liu Tao said. Liu Dahai acknowledged the order. ¡°Liu Liuhai shall be in charge of the recruitment for the Scythe Army. You have to make sure you get 3000 recruits and form an army before winter.¡± ¡°Liu Wuhai will be in charge of the weaponry of the Scythe Army, their housing accommodation, welfare, and so on. Work together with Liu Liuhai to settle the behind-the-scenes tasks. Meanwhile, when you are free, have discussions with Liu Daquan. Apart from rearing pigs, you can rear pythons, tigers, or lions too. These beasts are very powerful creatures. Since our family is made up of physical cultivators, we have to make sure we get more powerful physically.¡± Liu Wuhai widened his eyes and was in shock. Rearing pythons, tigers, and lions? Clan Head, what are you thinking about?! You didn¡¯t eat your fingernails, but why are you coming up with stuff like that too?! ¡°Submit a feasibility report tomorrow, no delays!¡± Liu Tao said fiercely to Liu Wuhai. Liu Wuhai touched his head and shouted loudly, ¡°Yes! Clan Head!¡± Liu Tao smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Liu Erhai will be in charge of the plan for marriages and childbirths. Print out a notice and display it: every single family member has to give birth to at least three children! If they don¡¯t meet the requirement, their allowance shall be deducted.¡± Liu Tao gave this instruction to Liu Erhai and he took the orders. ¡°Liu Erquan will be in charge of Black Street. The manpower will be deployed from the Scythe Army. You have to secure the entire Black Street and make sure you don¡¯t lose what we¡¯ve obtained from our hard work!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Liu Erquan took the order. Liu Sanhai panicked when he saw each of the Elders getting their own tasks. ¡°As a member of this family, I want to play a part too. Clan Head, please give me a task to do!¡± Liu Tao kept silent for a while before saying, ¡°The Liu family does not lack money, but we lack intelligence. Back then, it was only after the news had spread and our enemies were at our gates that we realized we were in danger. I don¡¯t want to see such things happening again!¡± ¡°A thousand years ago, our ancestor built two armies that shocked the world. One of them is the black Scythe Army, and the other is the Silent Shadow Army. The black Scythe Army was in charge of the main attack while the Silent Shadow Army was in charge of the backhand moves. These include obtaining intelligence and information.¡± After he said that, Liu Tao¡¯s expression became serious and he shouted, ¡°Elder Liu Sanhai, do you have the confidence to rebuild the Silent Shadow Army for our family?!¡± When Liu Sanhai heard that, he developed a headache and complained internally. ¡®What the f*ck!¡¯ ¡®Why am I left with the tough job?¡¯ The Silent Shadow Army was a killer in the dark. He was a handsome old man who liked to dig his earwax in broad daylight. He also did not have any prior experience, and it was almost impossible for him to build the Silent Shadow Army. Moreover, the death rate of the Silent Shadow Army was very high as they were usually doing extremely difficult tasks. Liu Erhai had just brought up the topic of getting them new wives. Before they could even enjoy their happy lives, they had to sacrifice themselves?! ¡°Clan Head, I¡­¡± Liu Sanhai opened his mouth and wanted to reject the task. However, Liu Dahai widened his eyes. Old brat, don¡¯t be embarrassing! Liu Sanhai had no choice but to shout with his neck stretched, ¡°Reporting to Clan Head, Liu Sanhai promises to complete the task!¡± Liu Tao nodded in satisfaction. He looked at the rest and said, ¡°Today¡¯s meeting is very important. Everyone has to try his best to complete the tasks assigned to him.¡± ¡°If you do it well, Liu Erhai, the matchmaker, can arrange for a few more wives for you guys. If you fail, you won¡¯t get any woman!¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning, everyone has to submit a feasibility report and gather at the ancestral temple. In front of the ancestor, you shall take up your tasks!¡± Liu Tao said. Because of the Spell of Trickery and Deception, he was always smiling, making it hard to tell what was on his mind. However, when he became serious, everyone would fear him. The charisma of the head of their clan was getting stronger! Liu Fan felt relieved as he witnessed this from the coffin. Liu Tao, the head of the clan, was becoming more charismatic. He also had long-term plans for the development of the Liu family. Perhaps soon, the Liu family would become rejuvenated. Liu Fan was looking forward to it. The people in the courtyard left hurriedly. Liu Tao did too. Liu Fan was left lying in the coffin alone. He used his spiritual sensitivity to sense the things happening within the Liu family house. He saw all the busy family members and a corner of Black Street. Although he did not leave the coffin, he could still be aware of many things. Liu Fan activated his Four Suns Body Tempering Method, and the physical energy began to move throughout his body. His blood and flesh were still getting replaced, and more new blood and flesh were being created. The smell of decay was fading as well. Soon, he would return with a real body! Suddenly, he felt a numbing and hot sensation on his left middle finger. The acupuncture point turned into a whirlwind of energy. Liu Fan was surprised. Was his left middle finger reviving?! He used his refinement technique to activate the acupuncture point of his left middle finger so as to trigger the transformation of the flesh. ¡°Thump!¡± came a soft sound. It was as though he had snapped his fingers! His left middle finger moved and the blood began to flow. Then, his entire finger trembled and he began to regain his senses. ¡°My middle finger¡­ can move?!¡± Liu Fan was excited. He moved his left middle finger and it finally reacted. Bend! Straighten! Make a hook! All these movements were made. He used his energy and diverted them to the middle finger. Occasionally, the fingertip would produce bright beams and begin to shine like the sun. That was the Yi Yang Finger! He had a feeling that if he flicked his finger, he would be able to produce a force like a missile and destroy the entire Black Street. As compared to Liu Dongdong¡¯s Yi Yang Finger, this was completely different. ¡°When I was alive, my Yi Yang Finger can cause half of the City of Scorpio to die. Yet now, after 1000 years, my powers had deteriorated by so much!¡± Liu Fan sighed and missed the days when he was a bulldozer. He would beat up anyone whom he did not like! ¡°As long as the Liu family becomes more powerful and gathers more members, my respect points will increase to a sufficient amount and I will be able to recover completely. But for today, I can only recover one of my fingers!¡± ¡­ Night fell. There was no moon. The sky was dark and it was very windy. The leaves fell because of the wind. The lights lit up in the Liu family house and gradually dimmed. Everyone was asleep. Occasionally, one could hear the cries of a baby, but he would be coaxed back to sleep soon after. That was because it was late at night! ¡°Creak¡ª¡± The door of the ancestral temple suddenly opened. Liu Dahai brought Liu Sanhai over. They sneakily looked around and were carrying a gunny sack. ¡°What are the two of them doing?¡± ¡°Are they paying respects to me in the middle of the night?! Or are they planning to do something sneaky?!¡± Liu Fan opened his eyes in confusion in the coffin. Chapter 37 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai walked into the courtyard. Liu Sanhai looked out while Liu Dahai placed all the leaves in the sack over the ground of the courtyard. ¡°If anyone enters, the leaves would make sounds!¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s just the wind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. The sound made when someone steps on the leaves is ¡®rustle, rustle, rustle,¡¯ but the sound of the wind would be ¡®rustle rustle rustle¡¯!¡± ¡°Oh! I am impressed!¡± Liu Sanhai gave Liu Dahai a thumbs up and thought he was impressive! The details of life make up experiences! After dumping all the leaves, they sneaked into the ancestral temple. After checking the surroundings and confirming that there was nobody around, they hurriedly closed the door. ¡°You confirm that the Head is in seclusion right now?¡± Liu Sanhai asked nervously. ¡°I am very sure!¡± Liu Dahai said as he looked at Liu Fan¡¯s coffin enthusiastically! ¡°Are we really going to refine our ancestor into a battle puppet?! What will the Clan Head do if he finds out?!¡± Liu Sanhai was worried. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. I have received news that there will be a thunderstorm in a few days. The mysterious spaceship will be blown to the shores of Scorpio Island,¡± said Liu Dahai. ¡°By then, there will be many experts trying to snatch the treasures from the spaceship. The martial arts gangs from the deep corners of Scorpio Island will also head over. If we do not make use of our ancestor and instead depend on the Clan Head and Liu Wuhai, we will miss this opportunity!¡± Liu Dahai was very certain. Liu Sanhai was moved and also became very certain. ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± They looked at each other and opened the lid of Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. Easy! Rough! They did not pay any respect to their ancestor. Liu Fan was cursing internally. His disrespectful descendants really did not care about him at all. ¡°Come, stick three inches of the silencing talisman to our ancestor¡¯s forehead!¡± Liu Dahai instructed. Liu Sanhai spat out some saliva to wet the talisman and smacked it on Liu Fan¡¯s forehead. Liu Fan was so angry that the power in his body began to surge and his spirit moved. The oil lamp in the ancestral temple began to flutter as the wind blew. He began to impose his powers. ¡°What is happening?!¡± Liu Sanhai was shocked. He felt the air in the ancestral temple become stifling. He could not breathe properly. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, it¡¯s just a corpse!¡± Liu Dahai was very calm and took out a black donkey hoof from his pocket. ¡°Come, stuff this into the ancestor¡¯s mouth!¡± Liu Sanhai took the donkey hoof and compared its size to Liu Fan¡¯s mouth. He frowned and said, ¡°This donkey hoof is too big, I cannot stuff it in!¡± ¡°Then force open his mouth and stuff it in!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good. After all, he is our ancestor¡­¡± Liu Sanhai shook his head and placed the donkey hoof over Liu Fan¡¯s body instead. Liu Fan felt slightly calmer. If the two of them had dared to stuff the donkey hoof into his mouth, he would definitely have taken their lives. Then there would be two more spirit tablets under his own. Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai had made the necessary preparations. Afterward, they helped Liu Fan up from the coffin and began the refinement. ¡°This secret strategy of refining a battle puppet was purchased from the Chasing Body Clan with a large sum of money. If we succeed, the body will be able to expend 60% of the energy it had when it was alive!¡± Liu Dahai said as he stared at Liu Fan¡¯s body fervently. ¡°Our ancestor is a physical cultivator who ruled over the world with his physical powers. Even if it is only 60% of the power, it¡¯ll be enough to kill all our enemies!¡± ¡°In time, all the treasures on the spaceship will be ours!¡± Liu Sanhai was extremely excited as he heard those words and began to drool uncontrollably. Liu Fan closed his eyes and allowed Liu Dahai to carry out his cultivation. That mysterious spaceship sounded really almighty. The black crescent jade that Liu Tao brought back last time was filled with an eerie energy that had helped Liu Fan obtain spiritual points, allowing him to upgrade from the Three Suns Body Tempering Method to the Four Suns Body Tempering Method, drastically increasing his martial arts skills. Today, he¡¯d even managed to recover his middle finger. If he could obtain more spiritual points, he would be able to further upgrade his Body Tempering Technique, further shrinking the time it would take for his body to recover. Meanwhile, the sheepskin scroll where the Baishou Tai Xuan Sutra was recorded was also obtained from the mysterious spaceship. It had prevented Liu Fan¡¯s spiritual powers from depleting. ¡°This mysterious spaceship must be filled with a lot of opportunities!¡± Liu Fan exclaimed and was tempted. As for the danger, he was willing to take a gamble. Moreover, he still had his middle finger¡­ In the ancestral temple, the oil lamp flickered and the incense stick in the incense burner had almost burned out, leaving behind a layer of ash. Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai took turns to refine Liu Fan. Liu Fan controlled his protective aura. If he didn¡¯t, the protective aura would have killed the two of them the instant they began to refine him. Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai used all their energy to refine Liu Fan. Their clothes were moving due to the energy from their body, and both of them were covered in sweat. However, they only managed to refine one of Liu Fan¡¯s arms. ¡°Our ancestor¡¯s body is too strong. At this rate, we will need at least one month to complete the refinement!¡± Liu Sanhai exclaimed. ¡°No! We have to complete this as soon as possible. Otherwise, when the Clan Head comes tomorrow to touch our ancestor, he would realize something is wrong!¡± Liu Dahai roared in a low voice, ¡°The Grand Blood Refinement Method!¡± He slammed his heart and spat out a mouthful of blood on Liu Fan¡¯s body. Using the energy from his body, the blood turned into a haze and enshrouded him and Liu Fan. Liu Sanhai¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°Are you mad?! If you use blood refinement, once our ancestor¡¯s body meets any mishaps, you will suffer too!!¡± Liu Dahai did not speak. He continued with the refinement with his eyes red. His body shook and his breath became weaker. Liu Sanhai struggled and began to dig his earwax. Then, he clenched his teeth and slammed his chest, spitting out a mouthful of blood on Liu Fan¡¯s body in the process. He joined Liu Dahai in the refinement. Instantly, the speed of refinement increased drastically. However, soon after, both of them were unable to keep up as they had depleted too much of their own energy. The Bulldozer that ruled the world was not so easily refined! In the end, both of them fainted and fell beside Liu Fan¡¯s body. Liu Fan wanted to kill them both with his finger. ¡®I have already cooperated with the two of you, yet you are still unable to complete your refinement?¡¯ ¡®Forget it, I shall do it myself!¡¯ Liu Fan felt helpless! It was so tiring to be their ancestor! He used one of the refinement methods he had used in the past to bring along the energy of the two descendants to refine himself. In doing so, he had the control! ¡°Meanwhile, I can also take action with the energy of the battle puppet!¡± Red beams started flashing on his body. At the same time, Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai also had red beams flashing on their bodies. This was the unison of their bloodline; it was a sign of the refinement technique that Liu Fan was using. After that, whenever Liu Fan had any injuries, Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai would suffer too, but in multiple magnitudes of severity. ¡­ The rooster in Liu Dongdong¡¯s courtyard crowed. It was daytime! Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai just woke up in the ancestral temple. When they heard the sound of the rooster, they jumped up in shock. ¡°Where¡¯s our ancestor?! How is he?!¡± Liu Dahai asked anxiously. Liu Sanhai took a closer look and exclaimed in shock. Liu Dahai¡¯s expression changed. He remembered that they fainted last night and failed with the refinement. Instantly, his face showed his horror, and he began to think about a reasonable explanation to make to Liu Tao and the rest. However, Liu Sanhai pulled him over and pointed at Liu Fan in excitement. ¡°Look, look! We succeeded in the refinement!¡± Chapter 38 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Sanhai and Liu Dahai gathered around the coffin and looked at Liu Fan with their eyes lit up. They had established some mysterious tie with Liu Fan based on their telepathy. ¡°Let me try!¡± Liu Dahai shouted expectantly, ¡°Rise!¡± Liu Fan had no choice but to cooperate with Liu Dahai¡¯s strength and stood up from the coffin. Liu Fan was unable to move initially. However, after the refinement, he was able to move as a battle puppet thanks to the energy of the person who refined him. He was too powerful physically. A simple move like standing up caused Liu Dahai to use up all his energy, so he fell onto the ground. However, Liu Dahai did not mind at all. Instead, he laughed excitedly and was so excited that his entire face flushed red. ¡°Hahaha, we really managed to refine our ancestor into a battle puppet!¡± Liu Sanhai nodded and was also extremely excited. He carefully sensed that he too was able to control the ancestor and tried it out. He shouted, ¡°Lie down!¡± Liu Fan fell back into the coffin. ¡°Wow, I can control our ancestor!¡± Liu Sanhai was excited. He exchanged glances with Liu Dahai and continued to try it out, but then they realized that Liu Fan was not moving. ¡°What¡¯s happening?!¡± ¡°Why does it only work occasionally?!¡± Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai stared at each other. They were confused! Liu Fan lay comfortably in the coffin and was watching his descendants in disdain. ¡®I cooperated with you two because I didn¡¯t want to embarrass you.¡¯ ¡®If I didn¡¯t want to move, you will never be able to control me.¡¯ ¡°It seems that we made some mistakes during the refinement. Our ancestor tends to malfunction occasionally!¡± Liu Dahai made a conclusion. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Whenever we have time in the future, we can try and refine our ancestor!¡± Liu Sanhai suggested. ¡°Practice makes perfect!¡± ¡°Smart!¡± ¡°Haha, this Elder of ours is really smart!¡± Both of them laughed and closed the coffin cover. They packed up and opened the door of the ancestral temple. At this moment, Liu Tao arrived. Both of them hurriedly burned incense sticks and incense paper and kowtowed to pretend that they were paying their respects to their ancestor. ¡°Wa! First Elder and Third Elder, both of you are really early today!¡± Liu Tao was surprised as he did not expect the two of them to arrive earlier than him. ¡°All thanks to our ancestor, our family was able to avoid getting into trouble multiple times. We should come earlier to pay our respects to our ancestor!¡± Liu Dahai said sincerely and gave a stern look. They made a bow to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. Liu Fan was speechless. That was because there were no respect points from either of them at all. That meant that they were not sincere at all when they said that sentence! However, Liu Tao was very satisfied. All this while, it had seemed that Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai did not respect their ancestor. Now, it seemed that they had changed a lot. That was a good sign. ¡°Our ancestor is the treasure of our family. We have to treat him well! We will pay our respects to him whenever we are free!¡± Liu Tao said, and Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai nodded in agreement. They volunteered to stay overnight as watchmen for their ancestor for the next month. ¡°It must be very lonely for our ancestor to sleep alone in the ancestral temple. We will stay with him as his watchmen from now on. We can also keep a lookout of the surroundings,¡± Liu Dahai suggested. Liu Tao was very heartened as he agreed. Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai exchanged gazes and saw the smirk in each others¡¯ eyes. As long as they were able to stay with their ancestor every night, they would have enough time to practice controlling their ancestor. Very quickly, they would be able to control him easily. The sky brightened. The Liu clan began to get to work. In the courtyard, some family members began to sweep the leaves on the ground. The sound of the Scythe Army was heard from the neighboring unit. Farther away, one could hear the sound of construction for the expansion of the houses. The whole place felt extremely lively. The handful of Elders had arrived in the ancestral temple. They were holding the feasibility reports that they had produced the previous night. Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai had completed theirs after they returned home the previous night. They took their reports out too. ¡°Read it in front of our ancestor! State your commitment and put your thumbprint on it!¡± said Liu Tao. He looked at Liu Dahai and said, ¡°Starting from our First Elder!¡± Liu Dahai stepped forward in front of the spirit tablet of Liu Fan and began to read his feasibility report. He was in charge of the expansion of the Liu family. In his report, he mentioned his ambitious plan of wanting to rebuild the Liu family home into a grand and spectacular mansion like the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion. He also wanted to build three fortresses and have 1000 soldiers to guard the Liu family. He wanted to build a nine-story stone tower for the ancestral temple and build a nine-step altar under the tower. ¡°Then, we can put the spirit tablet of our ancestor on the ninth level of the stone tower, so he can bless our Liu family for 1000 more years!¡± After reading that, Liu Dahai made his vow. In order to prove his sincerity, he said after thinking about it, ¡°Please witness this, Ancestor! I, Liu Dahai, will definitely complete the task!¡± This was said for Liu Tao to hear. In the coffin, Liu Fan was happy after hearing what Liu Dahai had described. According to Liu Dahai¡¯s description, Liu Fan would be able to relocate soon. His new residence would be a nine-story stone tower. He would be able to see in all directions the entire City of Scorpio. He had the right to stay in a luxurious house even though he was a corpse! ¡°Liu Dahai is a good man. However, he only pays lip service. I should give him a warning.¡± Liu Fan kept silent and his spirit swept over the ancestral temple. Immediately, the wind blew and the oil lamps in the ancestral temple began to flicker. The people were shocked. Liu Wuhai shouted in surprise, ¡°It must be our ancestor!¡± Liu Liuhai continued, ¡°Indeed, First Elder wants to build a nine-story stone tower for our ancestor. Our ancestor is very heartened to hear this and responded!¡± Liu Dahai sneered. Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai were both fools. The ancestor had already become a battle puppet, so how would he be able to do that? Although that was what went through his mind, he still pretended to be shocked and excited and bowed to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. That was because Liu Tao was looking at him while smiling. He was not sure when he¡¯d begun to fear Liu Tao. Liu Fan looked at the top of Liu Dahai¡¯s head and did not see any respect points. He immediately came up with a plan. ¡°The Rage of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Promises! Go!¡± With the Spell of Promises cast on him, Liu Dahai would have to fulfill everything he¡¯d promised! Liu Dahai liked to boast but did not put words into action. This spell was the most suitable for him. Liu Dahai suddenly felt that his body was warm, and his head was bombarded by memories when he straightened his body from a bow. He suddenly realized that he had made too many promises in the past but had not fulfilled them. Strangely, he felt extremely remorseful. This emotion grew rapidly and swallowed him up in the end. ¡°Thump!¡± He suddenly slapped himself, raised his head, and shouted, ¡°F*ck, I am really terrible! I have made so many empty promises! I am only good at talking!¡± Chapter 39 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Dahai scared the rest in the ancestral temple. He kept slapping himself until his face was swollen. He shouted and cried in front of Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet as though he was crazy. Liu Sanhai ran over anxiously and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Dahai?! Are you possessed?¡± Liu Erquan took a step closer and placed his palm on Liu Dahai¡¯s shoulder. He frowned and said, ¡°His breathing is alright. He is not possessed!¡± Liu Erhai said, confused, ¡°Did he finally grow a conscience after committing many evil deeds?!¡± After he said that, everyone turned to him. Liu Sanhai looked at him with a fierce look. Apart from the refinement last night, Liu Erhai had participated in all the evil deeds Liu Dahai had done, like himself. Liu Sanhai shuddered in fear. Could their ancestor have faulted them because of that?! Liu Sanhai was extremely scared and his head was in a mess. He was unable to comfort Liu Dahai anymore. At this moment, Liu Tao walked over and said as he patted Liu Dahai¡¯s shoulders, ¡°Speak if you have any concerns. Don¡¯t hide them and torture yourself!¡± He had spoken very slowly but extremely powerfully. Liu Dahai cried when he heard those words. He said while shaking his head, ¡°I just realized that we have to fulfill our promises and not give empty ones. After thinking about what I have done in the past, I feel that I am too embarrassing. I have not fulfilled anything I promised¡­¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Liu Tao looked at Liu Dahai in disbelief. The other Elders were shocked too when they heard that. Since when did pigs fly?! Did they really just hear that? The First Elder was reflecting?! He seemed to be genuinely and deeply reflecting too. What happened?! Liu Wuhai and Liu Liuhai exchanged gazes and said in unison, ¡°It must be the Ancestor!¡± The others heard that and shuddered uncontrollably. Liu Erquan also felt chills going down his back. He looked at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, our ancestor is really showing his powers¡­¡± After that, the rest continued to recite their feasibility reports. After Liu Dahai¡¯s demonstration, everyone recited it seriously and promised that they would complete the task enthusiastically. Liu Tao was satisfied when he saw this. He looked over at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and thought about how he should have conducted all his meetings in the ancestral temple¡­ The meeting ended. Everyone left and began to do their own things. After everyone else had left the ancestral temple, Liu Tao opened the lid of Liu Fan¡¯s coffin and touched Liu Fan to feel the cultivation techniques. Ever since he¡¯d obtained the purified crescent jade, he got into condition very quickly when he was cultivating. His improvement was tremendous, and he had mastered some of the cultivation techniques. The aura he exuded caused the people around him to feel suppressed. Now, he wanted to learn a few more cultivation techniques to improve further. He touched Liu Fan¡¯s back and began to push and feel the techniques. After a while, he stopped in satisfaction. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to feel the ¡®Wind Walker¡¯!¡± Liu Tao was surprised and happy. The Wind Walker was an extremely advanced Qinggong. After mastering it, he would be able to move with the wind and at extremely high speeds without making any sounds. This technique was recorded in the clan records. ¡°Thank you, Ancestor!¡± Liu Tao bowed to Liu Fan, and a thousand respect points floated from his head. Liu Fan was satisfied. Liu Tao was a very suitable Clan Head. His martial arts skills were improving; he was becoming less talkative, and that made him extremely mysterious. He was also becoming more and more charismatic. He was able to control the situation, and others were willing to follow him. Liu Tao left and began to cultivate the Wind Walker. With the help of the crescent jade, Liu Tao was able to calm himself down and be immersed in the Wind Walker technique. By the third day, he had mastered it. He walked without any sound and at extremely high speeds. He was like a ghost, leaving behind flashes as he walked. Liu Erquan narrowed his eyes when he saw that. Liu Dahai and the other Elders were also shocked. That was because they realized that Liu Tao¡¯s powers had surpassed theirs tremendously. They seemed to be triggered by this and began to cultivate after they completed their tasks on hand. Time passed quickly. It had been over a month since then. Overnight, the snow fell over the entire City of Scorpio. The whole place looked boundless. Winter had arrived! Black Street had been expanded more than three times by the Liu clan. The new palace stood in the snow, appearing extremely grand. The three fortresses were built in three directions and formed a triangle around the main courtyard of the Liu family. The Scythe Army patrolled around the area. At the deepest corner of the courtyard, on a nine-step altar, there was a nine-story stone tower. It was named the ¡°Ancestor Tower.¡± The Ancestor Tower was the ancestral temple of the Liu family. Liu Fan¡¯s coffin and spirit tablet were placed at the top. An expert from the Liu family guarded every story. Liu Dongdong, being the future hope of the Liu family, guarded the ninth story, wherein Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet was placed. He also got Liu Tao¡¯s authorization to touch Liu Fan and feel his cultivation techniques anytime he liked. When Liu Dongdong sat on the ninth-story of the stone tower, he could see almost the entire City of Scorpio. His state of mind changed every day and he began to exude an undefeatable aura. His skills were nearing perfection, and he had already reached the peak of the Fish Dive State. He began to attempt breaking through to the Dragon State. In the coffin, Liu Fan looked at Liu Dongdong in anticipation. He could see himself in Liu Dongdong. Liu Dongdong¡¯s aura was also becoming like Liu Fan¡¯s. ¡°Swoosh!¡± The wind blew. Another person appeared on the nine-story stone tower. ¡°Clan Head!¡± Liu Dongdong greeted Liu Tao and was extremely envious of the older man¡¯s Qinggong. However, he was unable to feel this technique despite having touched his ancestor several times. Liu Tao seemed to have read Liu Dongdong¡¯s mind and comforted him, ¡°I am unable to pass the technique to you since it can¡¯t be written or spoken. Even if I am able to, the effect will be greatly depreciated. Therefore, you can only try it yourself! Feel our ancestor a few more times when you are free and I believe you will be able to feel the Qinggong that suits you!¡± ¡°Thank you, Clan Head!¡± Liu Dongdong said in appreciation. Liu Tao smiled and walked into the ancestral temple to pay his respects to Liu Fan. The ancestral temple was big and grand. Liu Dahai had fulfilled his promise after being cast with the Spell of Promises. He had built the ancestral temple like a stone palace, and every floor was at least a few hundred meters squared. ¡®Our ancestor must be very comfortable here!¡¯ Liu Tao thought. He kowtowed to Liu Fan and walked to other levels. The nine-story stone tower had Liu Fan, the first-generation ancestor, on the very top floor. The other eight floors were empty. According to Liu Dahai, they were reserved for the descendants. If anyone became as extraordinary as Liu Fan, they would be eligible to enter the stone tower after death and be paid respects to by future descendants. Chapter 40 Snow covered the entire city. A lady arrived at Black Street. Wearing a white mink coat, she looked around with her shining big eyes. She was cute and pure and looked like a flower in winter. The people on the streets turned around and flirted with her. If a beautiful woman like her had walked on Black Street in the past, she would have been kidnapped by others. Yet now, with the Scythe Army patrolling Black Street, making piapiapia sounds as they marched, nobody dared to do so! It was extremely orderly! The tea shops, wine shops, pawnshops, and trading associations were full of customers and bustling with activity. The street was crowded, but there were no fights. ¡°Black Street seems to really be under the Liu clan now!¡± ¡°Master¡¯s speculation was accurate. The Liu family really had physical skills passed down to them!¡± the lady said softly as she looked around and walked. She¡¯d been ordered to investigate the Liu family. At the corner of the street, Yang Shou¡¯an, the leader of the third team of the Scythe Army, was patrolling along with nine soldiers. As they walked around, the passers-by shrunk their necks and looked on in fear. The expression on the bosses of the tea shops changed and they looked on in envy. Yang Shou¡¯an, the hawk of the Scythe Army! He had eyes as sharp as an eagle¡¯s, a vision as scheming as a snake¡¯s, and a nose as sensitive as a dog¡¯s. He was nicknamed ¡°Dog Yang¡±! Whoever he spied on could never escape. They would be brought back after their legs were broken. Within a month¡¯s time, Yang Shou¡¯an had caught 113 people, all of whom were spies sent by other clans. This had caught the attention of the leader of the Scythe Army, Liu Liuhai. Liu Liuhai gave him an Eagle Snake Badge, promoting him from being an ordinary soldier of the Scythe Army to being a team leader. He also appointed nine skilled elite soldiers to follow him and assist him in his mission to sweep clean the betrayers within Black Street. ¡°The chief commander promised to sing my praises to the Clan Head and let me obtain a physical cultivation technique if I make another achievement!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an was excited when he thought about this promise that Liu Liuhai had made. He turned around and instructed the nine followers to disperse, take off their jacket, and move about in plain clothes. Their mission was to look for suspicious people among the pedestrians. Yang Shou¡¯an entered the highest floor of the Crane Tower. He stood in front of the window and looked at the people. Gradually, the sky turned dark. The snow began to fall again. People began to hurry on the streets, and the shop owners began to close their shops. The street that used to be bustling with activity became quiet and desolate. Only the shops that sold alcohol had occasional noises. Yang Shou¡¯an frowned. Seemed like he had to return empty-handed. For the entire month, the Scythe Army had been patrolling regularly, and many people feared them after seeing several arrests. They had established their name in Black Street. Black Street had become orderly and everyone behaved. There were no longer fights on the top of the roofs. However, Yang Shou¡¯an was unhappy as he was unable to make more arrests and add on to his accomplishments. Without those accomplishments, he would not be able to be commended to the chief commander and hence be unable to learn the physical cultivation techniques of the Liu family. ¡°Grumble grumble¡­¡± The chef was carefully brewing wine. The smell was amazing, but the chef was afraid to make any other noises. That was because the shopkeeper had instructed him to treat Yang Shou¡¯an well and keep his mouth shut. At this moment, Yang Shou¡¯an suddenly turned around and looked at the waiter. His eyes narrowed as he began to examine him. The waiter¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but he casually took the kettle and poured a cup of tea for Yang Shou¡¯an. ¡°Master Yang, please enjoy!¡± the waiter said as he passed him the cup of tea respectfully. Yang Shou¡¯an frowned and looked at the waiter. The waiter was calm and held the tea stably. Unless his gut feelings were wrong¡­ wasn¡¯t this waiter a spy?! Yang Shou¡¯an was suspicious. He took the cup but did not drink the tea. He began to sniff the area that the waiter had touched earlier on. ¡°Scent of rose¡­¡± Yang Shou¡¯an smiled. He smelled the light scent of rose in the area that the waiter had touched. The panic in the waiter¡¯s eyes disappeared and he said, ¡°Please don¡¯t tell the shopkeeper, I merely went to look for my lover¡­¡± Yang Shou¡¯an shook his head and stared at the waiter¡¯s eyes. He said affirmatively, ¡°Stop pretending, Snow Rose from the Living Dead Clan!¡± After that, the waiter¡¯s expression changed drastically. Dog Yang¡¯s nose was too good. He merely shook the Senior Sister of the Living Dead Clan¡¯s hand once and Dog Yang could already detect the scent. The waiter turned his wrist and shot out poisonous needles from his sleeves. Yang Shou¡¯an blocked the poisonous needles using his agile skills. The waiter took the chance to escape and made a signal as a warning. In the tower, the sound of weapons could be heard. Meanwhile, someone shouted, ¡°Retreat! All the rest, follow me and kill Dog Yang!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an leaped out of the window and shot out a flare as he did so. It exploded and made extremely eye-catching signals. Instantly, the Scythe Army rushed over from all corners of Black Street. They surrounded the entire tower and aimed their arrows. ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone live!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an commanded, Riding the wind, the arrows began to hit the tower. Instantly, shouts of pain were heard. Some customers shouted anxiously. They were innocent. ¡°I would rather kill the innocent than let the culprits escape!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an replied emotionlessly. He shot an arrow and killed the shopkeeper of the tower. He fell from the window and died. Then, he gestured for nine plain-clothes soldiers to follow him as they headed towards the deep corners of the alley. Along the way, Yang Shou¡¯an stopped occasionally and went to the floor to sniff. Even though it was snowing heavily, he captured the scent of the rose. He was nicknamed Dog Yang! It was for a reason! The nine soldiers surrounded Yang Shou¡¯an and protected him while looking at him in anticipation. Indeed, Yang Shou¡¯an got up and pointed at the Stone Horse Alley. ¡°Walk quietly and follow me. Target: Stone Horse Alley!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± The small group moved quickly but quietly. Three of the soldiers went up to the roof while two went into the snow. The rest followed behind Yang Shou¡¯an and ran into one of the houses in the Stone Horse Alley. ¡°Who is there?!¡­¡± Cling Clang! Sounds of a fight were heard. Someone escaped but was attacked by the soldiers hidden in the snow. Soon after, Yang Shou¡¯an walked out of the courtyard with blood dripping from his sword. Only two soldiers followed behind him. They held a lady dressed in white mink coat. There was a cloth stuffed in her mouth to prevent her from committing suicide. ¡°I caught a big fish, but two brothers died because of that!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an sighed and looked at the lady. He said in anticipation, ¡°You are from the Living Dead Clan, but you are here to investigate the Liu family. I am sure that our chief commander will be interested!¡± ¡°I hope I can use her in exchange for our promotion!¡± ¡°The chief commander will definitely reward you, Team Leader!¡± The soldiers comforted Yang Shou¡¯an and Yang Shou¡¯an nodded. Liu Liuhai, as the Sixth Elder and the leader of the Scythe Army, kept his promises. When he thought about how he would be recommended to the Clan Head and awarded the cultivation technique of the Liu family, Yang Shou¡¯an laughed and pinched the lady¡¯s face, leaving behind a bruise. To have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex?! Sorry! There was no such thing in Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s vocabulary! Chapter 41 Liu Dongdong was cultivating on the open platform on the ninth floor of the Ancestor Tower with his legs folded. Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai were paying their respects to Liu Fan in the ancestral temple. Liu Liuhai looked extremely sincere. Every bow of his was 90 degrees. ¡°Hear our prayers, Ancestor. Please help us understand the sickle cultivation technique. We have more than 1000 Scythe Army soldiers at the moment. But they will never be a true Scythe Army without the sickle technique!¡± Liu Liuhai lowered his head and prayed. Then, he kowtowed to Liu Fan. In order to make the Scythe Army even more powerful, Liu Liuhai had come to touch Liu Fan after obtaining Liu Tao¡¯s approval. He was hoping to master the sickle cultivation technique this way. Liu Fan felt worried. He wasn¡¯t the original creator of this technique. In fact, he had taken it from the Sickle Clan after he wiped them out. The weapon used for this technique was a crescent-shaped sword. The technique would be even more powerful when used under the moon. In the beginning, Liu Fan thought that it was just a strange but impressive technique. It was only later that he realized the mysterious connection between the cultivator and the moon in the late-stage. Moreover, this method could enable strong cultivators to control their weaker counterparts. In addition, if the cultivator lacked a strong will, he might easily lose control in the late-stage of cultivation. He would be possessed by the sickle technique and become an unstoppable killing machine. ¡°This sickle technique is more like a Fiendish cultivation method,¡± Liu Fan thought. Regrettably, he had killed every single member of the Sickle Clan before he¡¯d had a chance to ask where they had learned the technique from. ¡°Creek¡­¡± Liu Tao opened Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. ¡°Come, Sixth Elder. Touch him!¡± Liu Tao said. Liu Liuhai was excited. He bowed again at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet before approaching the coffin. Then, he began touching Liu Fan¡¯s back. This time, he touched him for a long time. He stopped only when the incense was about to burn out. ¡°How was it?!¡± Liu Tao asked hastily. Liu Liuhai looked delighted yet disappointed. He said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t master the Sickle technique, but I¡¯ve learned the Wind Walker!¡± ¡°Congratulations! You will be able to cultivate this Qinggong technique!¡± Liu Tao said as his eyes brightened up. Liu Liuhai nodded happily. He had always admired it whenever he saw Liu Tao flying around using Qinggong. Now that he had learned this technique, he could show off in front of his soldiers too. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t find the Sickle technique. Is it because it¡¯s not meant to be mine?!¡± Liu Liuhai sighed. Liu Tao didn¡¯t know how to comfort him either. Liu Tao had begun to question whether this technique had truly existed when, one time, he almost found it when touching the Ancestor. Besides, it was recorded in the family booklet, so it couldn¡¯t be a lie. At this moment, a Scythe Army soldier came to report that they had captured a scout from the Living Dead Clan. ¡°The Living Dead?!¡± Liu Tao looked thrilled. He said, ¡°According to the family booklet, one of the women who loved the Ancestor was a belligerent warrior. She founded the Living Dead Clan so as to match up with the Ancestor¡¯s invention of the Law of Cultivation. She then challenged the Ancestor to single combat once every ten years.¡± ¡°The woman lost for the first 13 times, but she didn¡¯t give up. After years of laborious training, her hair turned white.¡± ¡°The Ancestor felt sorry for her. They had their final combat before the Ancestor died. That time, the Ancestor deliberately let her win. However, the woman died from excitement immediately after she had won.¡± Liu Liuhai was astonished. He said, ¡°In that case, the Living Dead Clan is our family! What a lovely story!¡± Liu Tao smiled wryly and said, ¡°Not at all. At that time, the Living Dead had already become a powerful clan. Their clan members blamed the death of their founder on us. Luckily, they didn¡¯t see us as enemies, but they had since cut their connection with us.¡± ¡°Then this time, why did they¡­?¡± ¡°My guess is as good as yours¡­¡± Liu Tao said as he looked at Liu Liuhai. Then, the pair walked downstairs. They saw the Living Dead scout in the dungeon. It was a woman dressed in a white mink coat. She was a true beauty. But her mouth was blocked with a rag and her fair skin was besmirched by whip wounds and blood. When Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai entered the cell, Yang Shou¡¯an was torturing the woman with a whip to make her reveal what her intentions were for coming. Beside them was an iron bar that was glowing red under high heat. Yang Shou¡¯an was ordering his people to burn the woman¡¯s pretty face with the iron. Liu Liuhai coughed to draw their attention. Yang Shou¡¯an turned and was shocked to see Liu Liuhai and Liu Tao. ¡°My name is Yang Shou¡¯an. It¡¯s my pleasure to see you, Clan Head and Chief Commander!¡± He knelt down on one knee. The Scythe Army soldiers and jailers immediately knelt down with him. ¡°I heard that you captured her and that you destroyed their secret meeting place at a tavern. Is that true?¡± Liu Liuhai asked. Yang Shou¡¯an answered humbly, ¡°I will not take all the credit to myself. Our mission was successful thanks to our Scythe Army brothers, and two of our brothers have sacrificed themselves!¡± When he said that, he rocked his eyes with physical energy, which immediately caused his eyes to tear profusely. He had spent a long time cultivating this trick. There were even a few times when he had almost rocked his eyes out by using too much energy. Therefore, this trick wasn¡¯t a no-brainer at all! When commoners wanted to fake a cry, they sprayed chili juice in their eyes. But that couldn¡¯t fool those wily old birds. Liu Liuhai supported Yang Shou¡¯an to stand up. Then, he told Liu Tao, ¡°Clan Head, this is the Yang Shou¡¯an I told you about. He has a sharp nose which has helped him accomplish many missions. It¡¯s said that he has captured more than 100 scouts and spies! People call him Dog Yang!¡± ¡°Oh?! Dog Yang?¡± Liu Tao smiled, his eyes shining. He looked at Yang Shou¡¯an and said, ¡°It¡¯s not a nice name, isn¡¯t it? It sounds as if you are a dog raised by our Liu clan[1]!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an felt a chill down his spine. He immediately realized that Liu Tao was insulting him on purpose and that he would die a miserable death on the spot if Liu Tao found him untrustworthy. Without a word, he got down on all fours in front of Liu Tao and started barking like a dog. ¡°I will serve the Liu clan until the last day of my life because I, Yang Shou¡¯an, am a dog in the Liu family house! I will serve my master well!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an knelt on the floor and said loudly, ¡°If it pleases my master, I will rename myself to Liu Yanggou[2]!¡± ¡°Liu Yanggou! What a brilliant name!¡± Liu Tao laughed. Liu Liuhai helped Yang Shou¡¯an get back on his feet and patted his shoulders. He looked satisfied and pleased. ¡°Good name!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an was happy that he had found the right master. He was expecting a pay-raise, a promotion, and a new cultivation technique to be rewarded to him soon. But he didn¡¯t see the disdain and scorn in his prisoner¡¯s eyes. The woman was almost pitying him. At the same time, she was angry that she had been captured by the Liu family¡¯s dog! After all, she was a core disciple of the Living Dead Clan. She knew that she would become a laughingstock once her clan members found out. [1] In Chinese, ¡°Yang¡± and ¡°raise¡± share the same pronunciation [2] Literally means Liu¡¯s dog, as ¡°gou¡± means dog Chapter 42 Some women are uneducated, but they may fare better than you by winning over a successful man with their pretty face, good fashion sense, and sweet, flirty voice. Some men dropped out of primary school, but he can still look down on you from his fancy sports car by clinging onto a sugar mommy using their sexy voice and handsome appearance. Most people despise them and disapprove of their way of life. But when we become fathers and mothers, we will have to wake up early and stay up late every day to take care of our children, to make breakfast and do other house chores. At that time, we may come to the realization that there is no ¡°correct¡± way of living. We all have different experiences, which lead us to different lifestyles. Hence, none of us is in a position to judge someone else¡¯s way of living. So it was with Yang Shou¡¯an. In his early days, he was a homeless man, searching for a living on his own. People ridiculed him and sent assassins for his head. The woman he had loved for years didn¡¯t love him back. He saw her flirt with another man. He was once desperate and jumped off a cliff because he believed that there might be opportunities and treasures hidden under the cliff. However, he only found hungry vipers and wolves at the end of his fall. With great difficulty, he survived. But he had also become a completely different man. After years of hardship, he joined the Scythe Army in the end. The first night after he had become a Scythe Army soldier, he killed the woman who had broken his heart and her man. He butchered them for the jealousy he had suffered. Today, he barked like a dog in a cell and voluntarily changed his name to Liu Yanggou. He felt proud of himself. ¡°The change of my name is a change of my destiny!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an believed. He waited at the entrance of the dungeon. Meanwhile, Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai were interrogating the captive. But the woman remained tight-lipped. She simply sneered all the time. Liu Tao gave up and walked out of the dungeon. He told Yang Shou¡¯an, ¡°Make her talk. I don¡¯t care what you do to her, but I want to know why the Living Dead is investigating my clan!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an answered. ¡°If you can do it well, I will take you as my adopted son and your name will appear on our family booklet!¡± Liu Tao said. ¡°Ah¡ª! Yes, my lord! I will not let you down!¡± Surprised, Yang Shou¡¯an knelt down on the ground. His whole body was shaking in excitement. This was a chance to finally get rid of his past miserable life. He must seize it! After Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai had walked farther away, Yang Shou¡¯an returned to the dungeon. A cruel smile appeared in the corner of his lips as his eyes met that of the woman in chains. Meanwhile, Liu Fan was observing the cell using his sensitivity. ¡°This Yang Shou¡¯an is an interesting man!¡± ¡°He has great potential for a lackey!¡± Liu Fan thought. He wanted to see how this man would make his captive talk. He knew that people like Yang Shou¡¯an would play a pivotal role in helping the Liu clan rise to power. ¡­ Liu Liuhai accompanied Liu Tao and walked out of the dungeon. ¡°Clan Head, why do you intend to take Yang Shou¡¯an as your ward?¡± ¡°That man has no self-respect. He stops at nothing to achieve his goal. A cunning and ruthless person like him is like a sharp blade. Don¡¯t you think he is a perfect candidate for the Silent Shadow Army?¡± ¡°The Silent Shadow Army¡­¡± Liu Liuhai pondered. Liu Sanhai was in charge of the enlistment of Silent Shadow soldiers, but he hadn¡¯t been able to make any progress, which had severely impeded the development of the Liu clan. Hence, perhaps the head of the clan wanted Yang Shou¡¯an to assist Liu Sanhai. Liu Tao met Liu Liuhai¡¯s eyes. He put on a faint smile as a cold light flashed across his eyes. Liu Sanhai wasn¡¯t doing his share of helping the family. He had been following Liu Dahai closely every day, not doing anything useful. Indeed, he¡¯s a man who wouldn¡¯t improve! If Yang Shou¡¯an could prove himself useful, Liu Tao would replace Liu Sanhai with Yang Shou¡¯an and let this loyal dog build the Silent Shadow Army for him. As for Liu Sanhai¡­ He could make a decent swineherd! ¡°But we have to watch Yang Shou¡¯an before any decision is made. Then, I¡¯ll bring him to the Ancestor. The Ancestor will know whether he is truly loyal!¡± Liu Tao said. He was reminded of Liu Chao, the spy from the Lu clan, and of Zhao Laosan. They had somehow revealed their true selves once they had entered the ancestral temple. Liu Tao couldn¡¯t explain why, but he believed that there was a mysterious force wandering in the ancestral temple. At this moment, night had fallen. The snowflakes were falling thick and hard, decorating the Liu houses. Liu Tao spotted Liu Erhai. The Elder was checking on their clan members¡¯ nightlife in the company of a few subordinates. He told the man of each household, ¡°Come on! Make your wives pregnant by winter!¡± Ever since Liu Erhai had become the matchmaker, he had fully utilized the wealth and power they had gained to allocate wives and concubines for every man in the clan. Hence, he would supervise and urge people to get on with the deed every night. ¡°The Second Elder used to be a lazy man. Look how hardworking he is now!¡± Liu Tao praised. ¡°Agreed! He¡¯s a good man!¡± Liu Liuhai said. As he thought of the girl assigned to him, Liu Liuhai felt his desires coming. The girl was his concubine. He had had a wonderful time during the past few nights. As he recalled what he had done with the girl, he couldn¡¯t hold it any longer and hurried back to his room. ¡°This old man¡­¡± Liu Tao couldn¡¯t help but laugh. He also felt jealous. Liu Meimei had chased away the girls Liu Erhai had found for him. ¡°I¡¯m destined to be single!¡± Liu Tao sighed. Then, he started cultivating the Wind Walker on the snow. ¡­ Meanwhile, Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai came to the ancestral temple. They were here to refine Liu Fan! After they had refined him into a battle puppet, the pair would come and control Liu Fan once every few days in an attempt to improve his sensitivity. But today, Liu Dongdong was guarding the door of the temple. He studied the two men cautiously. ¡°You may pay your respects to the ancestor, but you shall not open his coffin!¡± Liu Dongdong said. His eyes were cold. ¡°Of course! What are you thinking?¡± Liu Sanhai deliberately put on an angry face. Then, he mumbled, ¡°Meimei and Tianyou are having a date tonight. Yet you are standing here guarding the temple as if it¡¯s none of your business!¡± He¡¯d said it to make Liu Dongdong leave. As expected, Liu Dongdong¡¯s expression changed. But he soon regained his cool and showed no intention of leaving. ¡°Oh? Are you not worried?¡± Liu Sanhai was surprised. He winked his eye at Liu Dahai. Liu Dahai took the hint and said, ¡°Dongdong, I know you must be worried. Go and find her! I¡¯ll guard the temple for you tonight!¡± Liu Dongdong looked at them and shook his head. He then gazed at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and said, ¡°Yes, Meimei is beautiful. But no one can compare to the Ancestor!¡± ¡°I have decided to be a watchman. I will guard the Ancestor every night until my last night in this world!¡± Liu Fan felt touched. He opened his eyes. ¡°What a good lad!¡± ¡°He has abandoned his love just to protect me.¡± ¡°What a great man!¡± Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai frowned. They left grumpily after pretending to have paid their respects to Liu Fan. ¡°In the next clan meeting, we should push for a change. We can¡¯t let Dongdong guard the temple every night!¡± ¡°You are right! This boy is still young. He should be fighting with all the great fighters out there and challenge those on the List of Heroes. He¡¯ll literally become a living dead if he continues being a watchman!¡± The pair mumbled as they left in the snow. ¡­ Liu Dongdong glanced around. After he was certain that no one else was coming, he walked into the ancestral temple and opened Liu Fan¡¯s coffin. His eyes were filled with sincerity and admiration. ¡°Ancestor, I have decided not to go after Meimei just because I want to touch you. Please watch over me, Ancestor! Help me understand more of your powerful cultivation techniques!¡± Liu Dongdong held his palms together as he prayed to Liu Fan. Then, he reached into Liu Fan¡¯s coffin¡­ After his recovery, Liu Fan was now able to selectively hide the techniques he didn¡¯t wish people to learn. He had also hidden some methods from Liu Dongdong because he was too young and too inexperienced to control certain advanced techniques. Therefore, Liu Dongdong hadn¡¯t learned much though he had seized every opportunity to touch Liu Fan. Instead, the improvement in Liu Dongdong¡¯s state of mind had resulted in rapid progress in his cultivation. The snow had finally stopped at dawn. Servants were sweeping snow in the yard, and members of the Liu family were cultivating on the training court near the altar. Even kids of Liu Xiaoxiao¡¯s age were also cultivating. The Liu clan specialized in physical cultivation, which focused on refining body structures, building strength, and improving blood circulation. Hence, their cultivation regime consisted of rolling in the snow, rubbing ice cubes against their muscles, and bathing in icy water¡­ At this moment, they heard a commotion from afar. Liu Liuhai was laughing, holding the hands of a young squad leader of the Scythe Army. ¡°Sickle soldier Yang Shou¡¯an has performed an exceptionally meritorious deed. He cracked our enemies¡¯ evil plan. Today, the head of our clan will take him as his adopted son. All of you are welcome to join us at the ceremony!¡± His voice was loud and traveled far through the morning air. Chapter 43 In front of the altar, many people got down from the training court and gathered around Yang Shou¡¯an. They sized him up curiously. Yang Shou¡¯an was a young man in his 20s. He smiled and greeted the crowd around him. Despite his amicable appearance, there was a tinge of cruelty and ferocity in his eyes that made people frown instinctively. ¡°He looks like a betrayer!¡± ¡°Why does the Clan Head want to take him as his adopted son?!¡± At this moment, Liu Dongdong also arrived. Yang Shou¡¯an instantly recognized him. Knowing that Liu Dongdong was the most powerful fighter in the Liu clan at the moment, Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s expression changed slightly. He put on a sycophantic smile and called out to him, ¡°Good morning, Brother Dong!¡± Liu Dongdong nodded but didn¡¯t say anything. Then, Liu Liuhai introduced Yang Shou¡¯an to the crowd. He told them about the many contributions this outsider had made for the Liu clan, which greatly improved the family members¡¯ impression of him. Just like the others, Liu Dongdong was surprised that Yang Shou¡¯an was such a competent man. Yang Shou¡¯an cupped one hand in the other in front of his chest and said humbly, ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done all that without the chief commander¡¯s wise strategies and excellent leadership.¡± The flattery made Liu Liuhai shine with happiness. He grew even fonder of Yang Shou¡¯an. A short while later, Liu Dahai, Liu Sanhai, and Liu Wuhai also arrived. Liu Erhai was absent because he was busy with his matchmaking duty. Liu Erquan, meanwhile, was in seclusion. Except for a few family members who were not at home for other reasons, most of the Liu clan had shown up. Yang Shou¡¯an observed his surroundings with narrowed eyes¡­ ¡°The Clan Head Liu Tao is a grand martial arts master, and the Elders are all martial arts masters. All of the clan members here have an intense aura, and there are energy and light lurking in their eyes too. Truly, none of them is weak¡­¡± ¡°There are bound to be secrets about this Liu family. It¡¯s enough evidence that their clan now has such great power even though they were originally going downhill.¡± As Yang Shou¡¯an pondered, he became even more determined to join the Liu clan. At this moment, the First Elder Liu Dahai walked out of the crowd and climbed onto the nine-story altar. ¡°Pass me the family booklet, please!¡± Liu Dahai said loudly. He would administer the ceremony. Under his command, two men carried a red sandalwood box onto the altar. Liu Dahai opened the box to reveal the family booklet. All the words inside were written in gold, which gave the booklet a dignified look. Yang Shou¡¯an was breathing heavily. His eyes were shining. ¡°Is this the family booklet of the Liu clan?!¡± He swallowed his saliva nervously. Today, his name would be added to that booklet too. This was a huge disrespect to his own ancestors. The act would bring shame to his family. But he firmly believed that he had made the right choice, a choice that would change his fate from today onwards. Standing tall on the altar, Liu Dahai started the ceremony with three solemn questions. ¡°Yang Shou¡¯an, you shall join our family booklet today and rename yourself to Liu Yanggou. Do you have any objections?¡± Yang Shou¡¯an knelt down and answered loudly, ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Your children shall bear the surname of Liu and you shall never name them with your original family name Yang. Do you have any objections?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an answered. His pupils constricted. ¡°From today onwards, you shall not pay respects to your Yang ancestors. You shall be loyal only to our Liu ancestors. Do you have any objections?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an replied. His eyes grew distant. Liu Dahai looked down at Yang Shou¡¯an and said, ¡°One sentence to show your determination in joining our Liu clan!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an went silent. The crowd looked at him, awaiting his answer. Liu Tao¡¯s eyes narrowed as he waited quietly. The scene had captured Liu Fan¡¯s attention too. It was a trial. A rule he had set in his days! Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s name would not be recorded in the family booklet if his answer was not sincere enough to convince every clan member present at the ceremony. Yang Shou¡¯an knelt in the snow before the altar. He pondered in silence. He didn¡¯t know it was a trial, but he could guess that his future and fate would be decided by this. A while later, he raised his head. He answered loudly, ¡°I once let a golden opportunity slip away from before my eyes, only to find myself regretting it when it was too late. Nothing in the world can be as painful as this. But today, I am entrusted with another opportunity, and I will cherish it with all my heart. Here and now, I pledge myself to the noble cause of the Liu clan for eternity!¡± The crowd nodded their heads in approval. Liu Tao and the other Elders smiled too. This answer had a personal touch to it, and it also conveyed Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s well wishes for the future of the clan. It¡¯s excellent. ¡°You are accepted!¡± Liu Dahai said. Then, he bowed towards the nine-story tower. After that, Liu Dahai turned back and said with a serious look on his face, ¡°The secret to our long-lasting history is the blessings from our First Ancestor. He has been watching over us all this time!¡± ¡°From this moment onwards, Yang Shou¡¯an shall rename himself to Liu Yanggou and join the family booklet. He shall be a new member of our Liu clan and pay his respects to our ancestors. He shall be protected and blessed by the Great Ancestor.¡± Overjoyed, Yang Shou¡¯an almost burst into laughter. But he mustn¡¯t be so insolent in the current situation. He must cry out of heartfelt gratitude. People were watching him! Hence, he hurriedly rocked his nostrils and eyes with physical energy. In the next instant, he was crying with tears streaming down his face. He looked as if he was dying from excitement and appreciation. Liu Liuhai strode towards him and helped him get up. He even wiped away Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s tears out of kindness. Then, he announced to the crowd that Yang Shou¡¯an had officially become Liu Tao¡¯s adopted son. The crowd congratulated Liu Tao and Yang Shou¡¯an. Yang Shou¡¯an knelt before Liu Tao and called him ¡°Father¡± for the first time. Liu Tao smiled in gratification. He exercised his energy and forced tears to his eyes too. He patted Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Keep it up. I believe in you!¡± After that, he signaled Liu Wuhai to bring him a long box. He opened the box to reveal a curved knife. Its blade looked like a crescent moon, but it didn¡¯t have a sheath. There was nothing masking its sharpness! ¡°It¡¯s a gift for you!¡± Liu Tao said. When Yang Shou¡¯an received the weapon, he noticed that there was something strange in the way Liu Tao was looking at him. Alarmed, he said immediately, ¡°The sheath hides the sharpness of the blade. Father is telling me that I have to be decisive and straightforward!¡± ¡°I am Father¡¯s sharp blade from this moment onwards. I will kill whomever Father wants dead!¡± Liu Tao smiled in satisfaction. As expected, Yang Shou¡¯an was a good knife! Regrettably, he wasn¡¯t strong enough. He had only achieved the peak of the Fish Dive State, which was similar to Liu Dongdong. He had to improve more before he could become useful. ¡°Go pick a knife style from the Martial Arts Library!¡± Liu Tao said and ordered his subordinate to lead the way for Yang Shou¡¯an. Yang Shou¡¯an rejoiced. He knew that the Liu family had taken many secret cultivation methods from the other clans of Black Street after the raid. Now, all of them were stored in the newly built Martial Arts Library. Yang Shou¡¯an had been coveting them for a long time, and he finally got the chance to read all of them today. ¡°It¡¯s said that the Liu clan has a mysterious pill that enables one to make a breakthrough in no time, and that they have superior physical cultivation techniques created more than 1000 years ago. I wonder if I can get my hands on those too¡­¡± Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s eyes were shining as he pondered. He picked up his pace as he walked. People of the Liu clan had returned to their training after the ceremony. Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai came to see Liu Tao before the altar. ¡°I am impressed by Liu Yanggou¡¯s various achievements. He is indeed a rare genius and also a suitable candidate for the Silent Shadow Army. Do you think we could send Liu Yanggou to assist the Third Elder with Silent Shadow Army matters?¡± Liu Tao frowned. He wanted to get rid of Liu Sanhai due to his slouchy attitude. However, Liu Dahai had seen through his intention and made a move first. ¡°Liu Yanggou is cunning and clever. It¡¯s hard to gauge his sincerity. We will hold a high-level clan meeting tomorrow after I bring him to our ancestor. Then, we¡¯ll decide on what to do next,¡± Liu Tao said. He had rejected Liu Dahai¡¯s proposal. Liu Dahai was disappointed. At his side, Liu Sanhai lowered his head nervously. According to the military order Liu Sanhai had made in front of the ancestor a month ago, he would be stripped of his command over the Silent Shadow Army and feed the pigs with Liu Daquan should he fail to meet the deadline. ¡®Pigs stink!¡¯ he thought. He opened his mouth and tried to persuade Liu Tao to give him another chance. But Liu Tao stopped him. Without another word, he turned and walked towards the ancestral temple. Liu Liuhai was talking to Liu Dongdong in the temple. They both looked serious when Liu Tao entered. Liu Dongdong understood that the Clan Head wanted to discuss serious matters with the Sixth Elder. Hence, he excused himself at once. ¡°Based on the information gathered by Yang Shou¡¯an, the Living Dead Clan wants to steal the Ancestor¡¯s body and bury him with their founding ancestor. That way, they will be able to unlock the treasures of their clan.¡± Liu Liuhai continued, ¡°I¡¯ve confirmed with other sources, and it seems very likely to be the case. Besides, some of their greatest fighters have already infiltrated our clan.¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes went cold. He said in a solemn voice, ¡°The Ancestor¡¯s body has cultivation techniques unique to our clan. We must not allow any outsider to lay their hands on him.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t sit here and wait. We must be proactive!¡± ¡°What do you suggest, Sixth Elder?¡± ¡°Kill! We can send Liu Erquan to the Living Dead Clan and destroy their founding ancestor¡¯s body. Then, he¡¯ll slaughter their clan to put an end to their fantasies!¡± Liu Liuhai said unfeelingly. Liu Tao squinted at him. Then, he said, ¡°Yang Shou¡¯an was the one who gave us this information. But is he really reliable?!¡­¡± Liu Liuhai hesitated and frowned. ¡°We¡¯ll bring Yang Shou¡¯an to the ancestral temple tomorrow!¡± Liu Tao said with a mysterious smile. He turned to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and said thoughtfully, ¡°No man or ghost can hide their true self under the witness of the Ancestor!¡± Chapter 44 There was no sunshine in winter this year. The sun was veiled by endless snowstorms. There was hardly anyone on the streets of the City of Scorpio. Warriors and street fighters who used to roam the streets to challenge each other were now a rare sight. Members of the Liu clan could still be seen training in their own training court. Not fearful of the cold, they cultivated hard. They exercised by lifting and carrying stone weights as the snowy wind washed upon their bodies and produced ice crystals on their hair. Nevertheless, their spirits were high. They were like volcanoes that would erupt any second. Their atmosphere drove away the cold. Yang Shou¡¯an came. He was shocked upon seeing their exercise. ¡°So¡­ this is physical cultivation?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s nuts!¡± Hyped up by the atmosphere, Yang Shou¡¯an quickly found a crowded corner in the training court to begin his cultivation. As a newcomer, he had to demonstrate his capabilities, or it would be difficult for him to hang out with the family members in the future. Yang Shou¡¯an purposely made many mistakes as he cultivated. He would often scratch his head in bewilderment and shake his head in distress. Finally, he would let out a booming sigh of disbelief to capture the attention of those around him. The family members looked over at him. He instantly looked back at them with admiration while looking very down and demoralized. The family members could not resist helping him. They laughed and helped Yang Shou¡¯an with his cultivation. They taught him how to use the knife and gave him insights on cultivation. Of course, Yang Shou¡¯an knew all of them, but he had to act like he was a total amateur. He listened very carefully and occasionally showed his ¡°sudden realizations¡± by slapping his thighs in excitement. He would then ask some questions that were just hard enough so that the family members could still answer, and he would show that he was learning. The family members became very excited. They all looked at Yang Shou¡¯an with satisfaction and care. ¡°Liu Yanggou, work hard! We have faith in you!¡± The family members patted Yang Shou¡¯an on the shoulder and grinned. Yang Shou¡¯an bowed 90 degrees and drove out tears of gratitude with his physical energy. He was delighted that he was able to gain approval from the family members. It was another great step towards achieving his plan. He took out another set of knife cultivating instructions and continued cultivating. ¡°Gut-Piercing Skull-Boning Style!¡± It was a knife style he had found in the Martial Arts Library. It was a very fierce style. With merely one move, the opponent would either have his abdomen pierced through or his bone exposed to the cold air. Shyu! Shyu! Shyu! The sound of him brandishing the knife could be easily heard. The curved knife Yang Shou¡¯an was using was made from extraterrestrial metals. Flashes of the sword could slice a snowflake in half. However, it was very difficult to control and he almost cut himself many times. ¡°Why did Father give me a curved knife out of all the knives out there?¡± Yang Shou¡¯an frowned. After all, he was straight! The knife could chop up metal as if it was tofu, but it was curved almost into a scythe. It was exceptionally dangerous to use! He conscientiously cultivated his style from the fundamental moves to allow himself to be more familiar with the knife. He gradually indulged within¡­ Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s display of diligence brought him up another level of recognition among the family members. Dusk fell. Dinner time. Blood and meat stew had been prepared in the clan cookhouse. Herbs that could strengthen their cultivation foundation were added into the stew. Yang Shou¡¯an made the family members really pleased today, so he got a bigger share. After the meal, he was drenched in sweat. It felt as if his blood was boiling within him. He knew that he had advanced in his cultivation. ¡°The Liu clan really got rich after they conquered Black Street. They eat so well! No wonder they are getting so strong!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an smacked and licked his lips. There was a glimmer of shrewdness in his eyes. At this moment, a family member patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Liu Yanggou! Clan Head wants you to worship our ancestor in the shrine.¡± Yang Shou¡¯an felt his heart shudder. The big show was coming. All his efforts to infiltrate the Liu clan was for this very moment. ¡°Alright. I will get changed and go there immediately!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an dashed back to his room and put on formal attire. He lifted up one of the floor tiles and took out a small box from beneath. It contained a green pill. The Awakening Pill: the antidote to any mind-bending drug and poison. ¡°I¡¯m very confident that I have made them happy. But Liu Tao is way too good to me. He¡¯s like a cunning fox luring his prey. OMG, I¡¯m soooo scared.¡± Yang Shou¡¯an talked to himself in his head as he swallowed the pill. ¡°I¡¯m always prepared!¡± He opened his door and walked into the snowstorm towards the training court. The nine-story stone tower could barely be seen through the curtain of white. The Black Scythe Army was prowling, and from the opening of three forts, arrows were always pointed in the direction of the tower. The solemn atmosphere had never been lifted from this place. Yang Shou¡¯an took a deep breath and walked up the stone steps. There were nine layers of security. The guarding clan members were clearly the best in the clan as their temples bulged out. They were the truly experienced ones that had seen blood and killed enemies before. The threat here was real. Yang Shou¡¯an could feel death looming over him and his fate being snatched away from his hands. ¡®Shang Feng¡¯s right. There must be secrets hidden in their ancestral temple.¡¯ As Yang Shou¡¯an thought this to himself, he came to the ninth level. Liu Dongdong glanced at him but didn¡¯t say anything and continued cultivating on the open platform. Yang Shou¡¯an bent forward and lowered himself by bending his knees before scuttling into the temple. ¡°Greetings, Father, and greetings, Chief Commander!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an knelt down and greeted Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai with utmost respect. Liu Liuhai smiled and helped Yang Shou¡¯an get up. He asked how the latter was doing before pointing at Liu Fan¡¯s spiritual tablet. ¡°This is our First Ancestor!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an peered up at it. There was a tablet in the central niche. It was three inches broad and seven inches tall, which symbolized that it was the resting place of the Ancestor¡¯s three spirits and seven souls[1]. Carved on the tablet was ¡°Liu Fan, an esteemed and well-loved ancestor, First Physical Cultivator.¡± Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the name ¡°Liu Fan.¡± ¡®It¡¯s the target!¡¯ His heart pounded hard as he dragged his line of sight down. Below the niche was a very out-of-place coffin. ¡°Our ancestor is lying inside¡­?!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an asked. There was a quick glimmer in Liu Tao¡¯s eyes before he slightly nodded his head. Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s heart pounded again, but he soon broke out into tears and cried out loud. ¡°O my ancestor! I finally get to see you!¡± ¡°Since the day I joined the Scythe Army, I have been hearing about your great doings. Inventing the way of physical cultivation, deriving the period of the Heavenly Cycle of Qi, and roaming the lands as the Bulldozer¡­¡± ¡°You are my role model. You are the beacon of my life. You are the source of my fighting spirit. Being able to see you today, I have no more regrets in life. If there¡¯s a next life, I still want to be by your side, even if as a cow or a dog¡­ Wuuuu, waaaa¡­¡± He cried as he spoke. He drove out tears and mucus as he shook his body furiously. He was almost suffocating from crying. The crying woke Liu Fan! He opened his eyes from his cultivation and scrutinized Yang Shou¡¯an. He had entered the Liu clan lineage and changed his name to Liu Yanggou. Hence, he was half qualified as a member of the clan. As an ancestor, he was very willing to love his descendants. He was willing to help any clan member with potential and a positive attitude. But at the same time, he was intolerant of any wrong-doings! [1] According to Taoism, every man has three spirits and seven souls Chapter 45 Yang Shou¡¯an was fully engrossed in his own acting. He was almost out of breath from crying, and the front of his shirt was wet with tears. Liu Tao was moved. And Liu Liuhai was shocked! The two exchanged a confused look with each other. ¡°Is he really a spy?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem so! He¡¯s such a respectful child!¡± Liu Liuhai wanted to comfort Yang Shou¡¯an, but Liu Tao stopped him. ¡°Let him cry. I want to see how long he¡¯ll cry for!¡± Liu Tao said under his breath. Liu Liuhai nodded in acknowledgment. Hence, they folded their arms and watched Yang Shou¡¯an cry. Yang Shou¡¯an continued crying for a long time, but neither Liu Tao nor Liu Liuhai came to comfort him. ¡®Damn you, you sly old birds! I wouldn¡¯t have cried so hard if I¡¯d known you were testing me!¡¯ he cursed in his heart. However, his anger triggered a surge of physical energy and blood began to ooze out of his eyes. ¡°Wuuu waaa¡ª!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an screamed in pain, which made him look even more in grief. Liu Liuhai was worried. He was certain that this young man wasn¡¯t a spy. His eyes were bleeding from crying! Liu Liuhan looked at Liu Tao anxiously. ¡°Come over, boy. Shh¡­ Stop crying. Let¡¯s worship the Ancestor!¡± Liu Tao stepped forward while smiling and comforted Yang Shou¡¯an by touching his head gently. ¡®Took you long enough!¡¯ Yang Shou¡¯an felt touched by his consolation, but he was still angry! He stood up and staggered towards Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. He lit up three incense sticks, burned some paper money, and kowtowed. ¡°My ancestor, please accept my respect!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an bowed 90 degrees and held the pose for three seconds before standing straight again. He looked sincere and solemn. When he kowtowed, his head banged on the ground so hard that even Liu Dongdong heard it from outside the ancestral temple. Liu Liuhai looked at Liu Tao with a heartened smile and whispered, ¡°Look! I knew he¡¯s a good lad!¡± ¡°Decades of social experience has taught me how to read a man. I knew that Yang Shou¡¯an could never be a spy!¡± Liu Liuhai raised his eyebrows proudly. But Liu Tao didn¡¯t respond. He squinted at Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. ¡°Ancestor, please tell me whether Yang Shou¡¯an is a spy¡­¡± Liu Fan stared at the top of Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s head from inside the coffin. The color of one¡¯s respect points was the most direct way of determining where his loyalty lay. Yang Shou¡¯an looked very serious during his worship. Then, a bright red ¡°?800¡± appeared on his head. Liu Fan¡¯s total respect points were reduced by 800 at once. ¡°Interesting. He¡¯s really a spy, but who does he serve?¡± Liu Fan remained calm. His state of mind had improved recently. ¡°The Rage of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Total Honesty! Go!¡± Under this spell, one would confess his true intentions in the most straightforward way possible. Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s acting was flawless. He had successfully fooled Liu Liuhai. Hence, Liu Fan was very curious about which clan had the ability to recruit such a talented man. There wasn¡¯t any other spell that¡¯s more suitable for Yang Shou¡¯an! Liu Tao¡¯s eyes narrowed into a fine slit. His line of sight shuffled between Yang Shou¡¯an and Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet. He could sense that something was happening! Suddenly, Yang Shou¡¯an sprang up from the floor, sweeping up paper ashes with his swift movement. He straightened his back and faced Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai. With his chin held up high, he said with utmost sincerity, ¡°I am an honest man. I do not lie!¡± ¡°Attention, please. I would like to share a secret with you both!¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes narrowed in alertness. Liu Liuhai¡¯s expression changed. He said hesitantly, ¡°Clan Head, do you feel deja vu somehow¡­?¡± ¡°The Lu spy, Liu Chao, started his confession in exactly the same way¡­ Then, he died¡­ Before he died, he was still telling the First Elder to treat everyone with sincerity!¡± Liu Tao reminded Liu Liuhai. Liu Liuhai¡¯s eyes widened at once. His body was shaking, and he looked at Yang Shou¡¯an with utter disbelief in his eyes. ¡°Is this honest-looking man really a spy?!¡± Hence, he demanded loudly, ¡°Tell me all your secrets!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an nodded and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve been here for so many days. The Chief Commander may think that he knows me well, but I¡¯m telling you that you don¡¯t know me at all!¡± ¡°An honest man does not lie. Now, I¡¯ll be totally honest with you!¡± Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai looked at each other. The time for the truth! Yang Shou¡¯an strode out of the ancestral temple and walked to the balcony. Gazing into the misty snow, he said, ¡°In fact, I am the head disciple of the Living Dead Clan. I have come here to steal your founding ancestor¡¯s body!¡± ¡°I joined the Scythe Army to infiltrate your family. Then, I successfully gained the Chief Commander¡¯s attention by continuously solving cases under the help of my clan. Finally, my clan sacrificed a member so that I can be brought to the head of the Liu clan.¡± ¡°Our plan went surprisingly well. And here I am, standing in your ancestral temple. I can see the target of my mission ¡ª the founding ancestor of the Liu family, Liu Fan!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an was blushing from excitement. He said, ¡°If I complete this task, the head of my clan promised to grant me a wish!¡± ¡°What wish?¡± Liu Tao asked. ¡°An honest man does not lie. I¡¯ve admired my headmaster for years and now I am in love with her. I will propose to her after I¡¯ve brought back your ancestor¡¯s body!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an said. He was full of passion. Liu Liuhai raised his eyebrows in suspicion and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that the headmaster of the Living Dead Clan is more than 50 years old. How can you love a woman this old?¡± Yang Shou¡¯an glanced at Liu Liuhai with scorn in his eyes. Then, he waved his hand and emphasized again, ¡°An honest man does not lie!¡± ¡°Once I¡¯ve married the headmaster, the entire Living Dead Clan is mine, and so are the 3000 beautiful Living Dead disciples. I¡¯ll get to pick any girl I want every night!¡± ¡°Moreover, although the headmaster is more than 50 years old, don¡¯t you agree that older ladies are more attractive?!¡± Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai were dumbfounded. ¡°Really? Older ladies are more attractive?!¡± ¡°How did he arrive at that conclusion?!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an laughed out loud, claiming that they didn¡¯t understand the beauty of old women. Liu Fan was stunned too. He looked at Yang Shou¡¯an in astonishment. ¡°This man is a true genius!¡± He was ambitious, and he was even willing to cast away his honor and pride to bark under Liu Tao¡¯s feet just to get what he had wanted. He had even voluntarily renamed himself Liu Yanggou. ¡°I wish my people can learn from him, to get what they want by fair means or foul. If that were the case, our Liu family would have more ¡®bulldozers¡¯ than you could count!¡± Liu Fan sighed. It would be more useful to tame Yang Shou¡¯an rather than kill him. ¡°The Rage of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Total Honesty, leave!¡± ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª Voluntary Lackey Spell, go!¡± Liu Fan canceled the Spell of Total Honesty and replaced it with the Voluntary Lackey Spell. He would be willing to be a lackey for the Liu clan! Yang Shou¡¯an had extremely low self-esteem, which made him sensitive and crazy. His life had been far from smooth-sailing. He had joined the Living Dead Clan with the sole purpose of marrying their headmaster. He didn¡¯t mind that she was about 30 years older than he was. Moreover, he even dreamed about having the 3000 pretty Living Dead disciples all to himself. He¡¯d dared to dream big and take concrete steps towards his goal. He¡¯s already a successful man in this aspect! Chapter 46 Liu Liuhai was pondering over a question: Was a 50-year-old woman really amazing?! What was amazing about her? Liu Tao shook his head and said, ¡°I am unable to answer this question. You can try it out when you are free.¡± After saying that, he looked at Yang Shou¡¯an with the intention to kill. A person who was willing to marry a 50-year-old woman was terrifying. He should die! He began to direct all the physical powers into his palm. As long as he attacked with his palm, he would be able to kill Yang Shou¡¯an. However, at this moment, Yang Shou¡¯an suddenly jerked and his face turned pale. He looked terrified, alarmed, and lost, then he trembled again before his gaze became fervent. The Voluntary Lackey Spell was acting up! Liu Fan opened his eyes in the coffin and looked at Yang Shou¡¯an. He saw Yang Shou¡¯an turn around and fall to his knees in front of Liu Tao as he kowtowed three times. ¡°Father, I was wrong. From today on, I will definitely do my best for the Liu family and be the lackey of the Liu clan. Please forgive me, Father!¡± ¡°Hmm?!¡± The turn of events was so quick that Liu Tao was unable to react. He was in a daze. He stared at Yang Shou¡¯an while Liu Liuhai came over and blocked Liu Tao. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for him to finish his sentence.¡± Liu Liuhai continued after seeing the pulses in Liu Tao¡¯s palm, ¡°Perhaps this is a hint from our ancestor! Don¡¯t be rash!¡± Liu Tao trembled and nodded his head slightly. He felt that Liu Liuhai made sense. Yang Shou¡¯an was very good at acting, but he suddenly laid his cards on the table earlier on and revealed all his secrets and ambitions before kowtowing and showing his loyalty to the Liu clan. That was extremely strange! If this required an explanation, the only explanation was that the ancestor had been involved in all of this! ¡°Alright, in front of our ancestor, tell us, how will you make yourself useful for the Liu family? I don¡¯t believe that you will be willing to give up on that 50-year-old woman!¡± Liu Tao said to Yang Shou¡¯an, ¡°She is your one and only love! You said that the older the woman, the more lovely she is¡­¡± Liu Tao spoke casually as he examined Yang Shou¡¯an. Yang Shou¡¯an took a deep breath and began telling his story¡­ ¡°I am 29 this year. After the new year, I will be 30!¡± ¡°I was in a hurry and was muddleheaded. Before I could even prepare myself, I¡¯ve become a 30-year-old middle-aged man.¡± ¡°It should be an age of accomplishment! However, I am not famous!¡± ¡°I am very worried because I am 30 but I haven¡¯t accomplished anything!¡± ¡°Without fame, skills, or money, I fell in love with a woman who was 20 years older than I am and was forced to lose my dignity and become a spy. Moreover, I have to endure being mocked by the younger female disciples. I do not know what my future will be like and I feel lost¡­¡± Yang Shou¡¯an began to sob. He really cried! He spoke of things that had hurt him. Snow began to fall from the balcony. It fell on his tears and melted, turning ice cold. He looked up in despair and his gaze became firm. ¡°The martial arts realm is dangerous and brutal. One had to be selfish to survive. Today, I will be a lackey for the Liu clan and play my part. I will be the sharpest knife and kill all our enemies. Please grant me my wish, Father!¡± ¡°In the future, when I marry the head of the Living Dead Clan and gain control over them, the Living Dead Clan will be able to help the Liu family!¡± Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai looked at each other and were moved. If Yang Shou¡¯an was able to take control of the headmaster of the Living Dead Clan, the Living Dead Clan would really become a powerful clan that the Liu family could tap on, provided that Yang Shou¡¯an was loyal to them. This would be a powerful weapon to help the Liu clan obtain the treasures in the mysterious spaceship! ¡°You make it sound good, but I still don¡¯t believe you!¡± said Liu Tao as he took out three pills and placed them in front of Yang Shou¡¯an. He was making it clear! Yang Shou¡¯an clenched his teeth and swallowed all the pills. Liu Tao smiled and helped Yang Shou¡¯an up. He said, ¡°Actually, all of us believe you. If not, we wouldn¡¯t have accepted you as our foster son!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an teared up and said in appreciation, ¡°Thank you, Father. I won¡¯t be able to repay you, but once I get hold of the leader of the Living Dead Clan, I will hand her over to you if you¡¯d like!¡± Liu Tao widened his eyes and berated, ¡°Don¡¯t say that, that is corruption!¡± After that, he bowed to Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and said, ¡°Actually, the ancestor of the Living Dead Clan was both enemies and friends with our ancestor. Their relationship was complicated, and hence, we treated the Living Dead Clan kindly. Unless necessary, we would not attack them.¡± ¡°Our ancestor who is watching us from above also don¡¯t wish to see us killing his former good friend!¡± Liu Tao sighed. Liu Liuhai and Yang Shou¡¯an nodded and remembered that detail. Liu Fan felt relieved as he witnessed this from the coffin. Liu Tao was becoming more and more caring. He was becoming Liu Fan¡¯s caring descendant! At this moment, Liu Fan recalled something from the past. ¡°A thousand years ago when I was training, I once dug some ice from the North and made them into an ice coffin.¡± ¡°With this ice coffin, a body can be stored without the flesh decomposing. Initially, I¡¯d wanted to keep it for myself, but that woman snatched it away. She vowed to commit suicide after I died and the two of us would be buried together.¡± ¡°However, after I woke up, I didn¡¯t see any ice coffin, and I did not see the dead body of the woman who promised to be buried with me¡­¡± Liu Fan was in deep thought. The ice coffin was missing and the descendants of the woman wanted to steal his body to open the treasures of the Living Dead Clan. ¡°Could these points be related¡­?¡± Liu Fan could not understand. At this moment, Yang Shou¡¯an suddenly said to Liu Tao, ¡°Father, since the Living Dead Clan wanted to steal our ancestor¡¯s body, we should return the favor by stealing their treasures!¡± ¡°I have once heard from the headmaster of the Living Dead Clan that among their treasures might be the cultivation technique left behind by our ancestors.¡± Hearing that, Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai shook and their eyes lit up. It was a huge matter if it concerned their ancestor¡¯s physical cultivation technique! The Liu family was able to progress so quickly largely because of the fact that they were able to feel the physical cultivation technique on their ancestor. ¡°This might be true!¡± Liu Liuhai said firmly, ¡°Our clan record states that our ancestor was a dazzling figure who was idolized by the ancestor of the Living Dead Clan. However, they were unable to move our ancestor and they decided to seduce our ancestor using their own methods!¡± ¡°By this deduction, there is a huge possibility that the cultivation technique is hidden among the treasure of the Living Dead Clan!¡± Liu Fan tried to recall in the coffin¡­ Back then, he was extremely powerful and ruled over the world as the Bulldozer. However, he was also extremely handsome, and every move he made and every smile he gave dazzled everyone. The woman from the Living Dead Clan was dazzled by him and planned for a long time to drug him. Then, after forcefully having her way with him, she stole a few martial arts books. One of them was the ¡°Scythe Technique¡±! ¡°Although 1000 years had passed, I cannot forget the pain from the loss!¡± ¡°A thousand years ago, you stole that most precious item of mine. Now, my descendants will be taking your treasures from you. Haha¡­ This is retribution!¡± Liu Fan was overjoyed in the coffin. In the ancestral temple, Liu Tao felt that Liu Liuhai made a lot of sense. Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s tip-off was very important for the Liu clan! Therefore, he turned around and instructed Liu Dongdong to inform the Elders to hold a family meeting immediately. They had to discuss the matter since it involved their ancestor! Chapter 47 The snow fell and it was freezing cold. On top of the nine-story stone tower, a firepot was set up in each of the side alleys of the ancestral temple. It burned and made the ancestral temple warm, producing a pine-nut smell that calmed one¡¯s mind. After being called over by the Clan Head Liu Tao, all six Elders of the Liu family came over and each of them sat on one stool. Liu Erhai ate his nails to replenish the calcium in his body while Liu Sanhai was immersed in digging his earwax. Liu Dahai, Liu Wuhai, and Liu Liuhai had a cigarette pipe each and were busy smoking. The spark in the smoke pot was flickering, and the smoke that was produced shrouded their faces. Liu Erquan did not smoke. Neither did he eat his fingernails and dig his ears. That was because Liu Xiaoxiao was still young and, as a father, he could not be a bad example. Therefore, what he liked was to smell his armpits. Occasionally, he would raise his arms and take a deep sniff of the pits. Woe! It was smelly, very smelly. He had not showered for three days¡­ it smelled really good! Yang Shou¡¯an was the topic of the meeting and was waiting at the ancestral temple. That was his first time meeting all the Elders of the Liu family. He looked at them in respect and was fearful. The experts had some weird habits. The six Elders were extremely weird. They liked to eat their nails, smell their earwax, and some liked to smoke. He had never encountered people with these weird behaviors. Especially Liu Erquan, the Elder who liked to smell his own armpits. He exuded a strong aura of a grand martial arts master and caused Yang Shou¡¯an to fear. ¡°The Liu clan is really powerful!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an exclaimed. Counting Liu Tao, there were two grand martial arts masters in the clan. At this moment, Liu Tao knocked on the table and began the meeting. In the meeting, Liu Tao praised the Elders who¡¯d completed their tasks on time and affirmed their efforts positively. ¡°Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, Liu Wuhai, and Liu Erquan shall be awarded 2200 tales of silver each!¡± Upon Liu Tao announcing the rewards, they were exhilarated. Only Liu Sanhai frowned and looked disheartened. That was because he did not complete his mission and was unable to receive any reward. Liu Tao looked at Liu Liuhai and smiled. ¡°I would like to praise our Sixth Elder, Liu Liuhai!¡± Liu Liuhai¡¯s excited face flushed red. He raised his chest and was ready to be praised! Liu Tao said loudly, ¡°The Sixth Elder was a responsible and serious worker. He takes note of details. The Scythe Army has now expanded to 3000 soldiers. He even managed to recruit Black-Handed Zhang and Iron-Footed Li. He has accomplished a huge feat.¡± ¡°I heard the people say that on the day when the Sixth Elder recruited the Scythe Army, in order to persuade the fighters to join the Liu family, he spoke until he spat out blood and fainted on the ground!¡± After hearing that, Liu Dahai and the rest took a deep breath. Sixth Elder was too crazy! Liu Liuhai saw the astonished look on the rest¡¯s faces and wanted to say, ¡°I also didn¡¯t want that to happen. It was forced by the Ancestor!¡­¡± Liu Tao continued. ¡°In the past month, the Scythe Army led by the Sixth Elder had caught 312 spies in Black Street and avoided 13 riots plotted by our enemies. They had also stopped violence more than 1000 times and helped establish the Liu clan¡¯s name in Black Street!¡± ¡°Come, everyone, clap for our Sixth Elder!¡± ¡°Clap clap clap!¡± Everyone clapped for Liu Liuhai. ¡°Since he did a good job, he shall have a reward!¡± Liu Tao said as he looked at Liu Wuhai and Liu Erhai. Liu Wuhai walked out and took out 3000 tales of silver. He said as he placed them in front of Liu Liuhai, ¡°Congratulations, Sixth Elder!¡± He was in charge of the finances for the Liu clan. Liu Liuhai accepted the silver excitedly. Three thousand taels of silver could allow him to drink many bottles of alcohol! At this moment, Liu Erhai walked over. He was holding a thick book of paintings of beautiful women. Some were sexy! Some were slutty! Some were chubby! Some had a baby face! ¡­ The women ranged from teenagers to 60-year-old ladies. There were over 3000 beautiful ladies of all types. ¡°All of the ladies in this book exist in real life. Pick a lady you like, Sixth Elder, I will matchmake for you!¡± Liu Erhai said. After he said that, Liu Dahai and the rest looked at Liu Tao, faces full of envy. Since when did the Liu clan provide such welfare? Why didn¡¯t they receive it?! Liu Tao explained, ¡°This is a secret welfare that is given only to the best-performing individual!¡± He was the head of the clan. He held the most powers. He was the one who made the final decision! Liu Dahai and the rest were extremely envious when they saw Liu Liuhai picking among the ladies. Liu Liuhai was so excited that his fingers were trembling, rendering him unable to flip the booklet. Liu Erhai smiled and helped him. Liu Liuhai began to take his pick and would exclaim occasionally. ¡°Wa! This one is 18 years old. She has phoenix eyes and has a good figure. She is also a virgin¡­¡± ¡°Wa! This one, so young, really¡­¡± ¡°Oh oh oh! There are even widows ¡ª no wonder she looks like she will bring bad luck to her husband, no way, no way¡­¡± ¡°Tsk tsk tsk! Although Niu Cuicui from Xiawa Village is a little ugly, she is the motherly and virtuous type¡­¡± Liu Liuhai¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. He looked at the book as though he was looking at Shunga[1]. He was overjoyed. He began to pick on the ladies while commenting. That scene caused Liu Dahai and the rest to grit their teeth in anger. ¡°Finish your selection in three breaths or I will nullify your reward!¡± Liu Tao said with a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t embarrass yourself in front of our ancestor!¡± Liu Liuhai panicked. He was getting dizzy from over 3000 beautiful ladies! Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he remembered what Yang Shou¡¯an had said. The older the woman, the better! Liu Liuhai pointed at the last woman in the book and said excitedly, ¡°There! I choose her!¡± Liu Erhai looked at the woman and said in shock, ¡°Are you sure?!¡± ¡°Ma Fangfang, 53 years old, the master of the Ma family. She likes to eat red chili and garlic, has a bad temper, doesn¡¯t like to shower, and even said that she hasn¡¯t showered for 30 years. She hopes to find a guy who does not like to shower to spend the rest of her life with¡­¡± Liu Wuhai read the description word for word. In the end, his eyes widened as he looked at Liu Liuhai in disbelief. Despite having known the Sixth Elder for so many years and smoking with him, they did not know that he was someone with that kind of taste! Liu Erquan, Liu Sanhai, and Liu Dahai were in disbelief too. Liu Tao looked at the Sixth Elder, then at Yang Shou¡¯an. He was deep in thought. ¡°Yang Shou¡¯an is really something. He managed to spread the ideology of how women are better when they are older to Sixth Elder!¡± Liu Liuhai felt diffident when he saw the expressions on the others¡¯ faces. He looked up at Yang Shou¡¯an and said with a quivering voice, ¡°Is this woman I picked very bad?¡± ¡°From my experience, the woman you picked is amazing!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an paused before continuing, ¡°However, she is a little too young!¡± ¡°Fifty-three years old, and she¡¯s too young?¡± ¡°A little!¡± ¡°Sigh! I should have chosen Wang Caifeng, the 60-year-old lady¡­¡± Liu Liuhai slapped his knees and sounded as though he regretted it. When Liu Dahai and the rest saw that, they thought Liu Liuhai regretted not choosing a young and beautiful woman. Liu Erhai put away the book and made a promise to Liu Liuhai. ¡°One month, that¡¯s the maximum amount of time I¡¯ll need to help you settle this marriage. I promise you will get the girl you want!¡± [1] The Japanese term for erotic art Chapter 48 Liu Liuhai was extremely appreciative and could not hide his smile. Yang Shou¡¯an went forward to congratulate him and said that the chief commander definitely struck the lottery! Liu Tao knocked on the table and continued the meeting. He called Liu Sanhai out and scolded him. ¡°The formation of the Silent Shadow Army is extremely important to the progress of our clan ¡ª it cannot be delayed! Liu Sanhai, the Third Elder, is very slow in his progress. This is very disappointing!¡± ¡°From today onwards, Liu Sanhai shall be dismissed to the rearing land and raise pigs along with Liu Daquan. The formation of the Silent Shadow Army will be handed over to Liu Yanggou, and Liu Yanggou shall take charge!¡± Liu Sanhai turned pale and nodded. Liu Yanggou accepted the job excitedly and took over the role of the commander of the Silent Shadow Army. ¡°The Silent Shadow Army will be deployed under me. Liu Yanggou will report to me. If anything goes wrong, I will mete out punishment severely!¡± Liu Tao made sure to remind Liu Yanggou of this and to give him a warning. He hinted to Liu Yanggou that Liu Yanggou¡¯s life was still under him and Liu Yanggou should watch out. After saying that, Liu Tao brought up the treasure hidden by the Living Dead Clan. This was the main topic of that meeting. Yang Shou¡¯an repeated what he¡¯d said to Liu Tao and Liu Liuhai. Then, he revealed the capabilities of the Living Dead Clan. ¡°The Living Dead Clan has one Grand Elder who is a grand martial arts master and eight martial arts masters. The head is also a martial arts master, and there are 3000 female soldiers under them. All of the soldiers are skilled!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an said, ¡°Although the Grand Elder is a grand martial arts master, she is always in seclusion. As long as we act fast, we will not alert her!¡± As he said that, he took out his pen and drew out the defense map of the Living Dead Clan. Then, he pointed out a secret path. ¡°This secret path is extremely secretive. Only the woodcutters of the forest know about it. I happened to chance upon it. I was able to avoid the Living Dead Clan and infiltrate the clan,¡± Yang Shou¡¯an said. Liu Tao looked around and said, ¡°Everyone can speak your mind and contribute your thoughts. If you are able to infiltrate the Living Dead Clan, steal their treasures, and take back the cultivation technique that belongs to our family, you will be rewarded generously!¡± ¡°Everyone will be able to choose from the book of the Second Elder!¡± After he said that, Liu Dahai and the rest quickened their breaths and their eyes lit up. Everyone was able to speak their minds and provide different strategies for attack. In the ancestral temple, the discussion was intense. Liu Fan was happy to see this from the coffin. His descendants were discussing it as a team. They were clear-minded as they talked about schemes. As an ancestor, he definitely felt assured. After five minutes, the plan of stealing the treasure from the Living Dead Clan was laid out. ¡°Liu Erquan shall be in charge of this mission. Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai will assist. Liu Liuhai shall pick 300 soldiers from the Scythe Army and move ahead. Follow the route given by Liu Yanggou and infiltrate the Living Dead Clan!¡± ¡°Prepare a coffin first. Liu Dongdong will dress up as our ancestor and lie inside. Tonight, Liu Yanggou will steal the coffin then get discovered and be chased after.¡± ¡°After Liu Yanggou has escaped from the Liu clan, he will be assisted by the experts from the Living Dead Clan who¡¯d infiltrated the City of Scorpio. Liu Dongdong shall take this chance to infiltrate the Living Dead Clan and be our spy.¡± ¡°Liu Dongdong will bring the Thunderstorm Needle. If you are found out, you will shoot it!¡± ¡°We will move tonight at 11 PM. This is a secret mission ¡ª nobody can leak it out!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Everyone acknowledged the order. At this moment, Liu Liuhai suddenly said, ¡°This mission is the first large-scale mission after the Liu family took over Black Street. This also concerns the physical cultivation technique left by our ancestor. I suggest that we bring along our ancestor¡¯s spiritual tablet!¡± When he saw the confusion on the people¡¯s faces, Liu Liuhai said, ¡°Our ancestor makes his powers felt. With his protection along the way, we may be able to avoid disasters and succeed more easily!¡± Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai exchanged glances and did not speak. It was not convenient for them to comment on this issue as the Ancestor had already been cultivated into a battle puppet by them. How would he be able to show his powers?! Liu Tao said, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a problem if we bring only our ancestor¡¯s spiritual tablet. Let¡¯s bring it along!¡± In his eyes, their ancestor was really very powerful. He¡¯d always feel that something was off whenever he paid his respects to his ancestor in the ancestral temple. It felt as though an invisible pair of eyes were staring right at him from the dark¡­ ¡°Come, follow me and pay respects to our ancestor!¡± said Liu Tao. ¡°We have to pay respects to our ancestor before touching his spiritual tablet!¡± Liu Tao led everyone in paying their respects to Liu Fan. Burn incense sticks. Burn incense paper. Kowtow. Then, he took down the spiritual tablet and passed it to Liu Liuhai. ¡°Remember to carry it well and don¡¯t drop it!¡± Liu Tao instructed gravely. Liu Liuhai nodded seriously. He received the tablet respectfully. The meeting ended and the people left to make the necessary preparations. Liu Wuhai was kept behind by Liu Tao. Liu Dongdong was also called over. ¡°This news came from Yang Shou¡¯an. Although he¡¯d revealed everything and betrayed the Living Dead Clan, we still have to take precautions that he may be a pawn of the Living Dead Clan!¡± ¡°Based on his words, the treasure could only be opened with our ancestor¡¯s body and the body of the Living Dead Clan¡¯s ancestor. You have to verify the validity of this statement after infiltrating the Living Dead Clan,¡± Liu Tao said as his eyes lit up. The Spell of Trickery and Deception was showing its effect! ¡°If the Living Dead Clan purposely sent Yang Shou¡¯an to our family and knew that Yang Shou¡¯an would fall in our hands, this would all be going according to the Living Dead Clan¡¯s plan. Then, we would probably lose in this mission. We have to take precautions!¡± ¡°Liu Wuhai sent a message to Zhao Laosan and told him to bring some experts over to hide around the ancestral temple!¡± ¡°Liu Dongdong, you are probably in the most dangerous position. Bring a few more Thunderous Needles and apply the poison on them. When you sense that something is wrong, shoot the needles!¡± ¡°Roger, Clan Head!¡± Liu Wuhai and Liu Dongdong left and began their own preparations. The ancestral temple quietened down immediately, and the sound of crackling was heard from the firepot. Liu Tao lit up an incense stick and paid respects to Liu Fan. ¡°Please watch over us, Ancestor. We have to succeed!¡± he said softly as he burned incense paper and kowtowed. Three thousand respect points floated out from his head. Liu Fan was very satisfied with Liu Tao¡¯s attitude. ¡°Rest assured, I will definitely watch over my descendants!¡± ¡­ Night fell. The wind and snow got heavier. Sounds of the wind could be heard when the wind blew past the eaves. A figure was seen traveling through the snow. He was wearing a black suit and had his face covered with a mask. He was moving at an extraordinary speed and was good at Qinggong. He rushed up the nine-story stone tower, picked up the coffin, and leaped out. The instant he landed on the ground, the Scythe Army soldiers who were patrolling discovered him and a fight broke out. The person carried the coffin and killed everyone along the way. He managed to escape from the Liu clan. In the dark, a few shadows moved closer immediately. ¡°Have you gotten hold of their ancestor?¡± ¡°In the coffin!¡± The handful of people opened the coffin and saw the ¡°corpse¡± in the coffin. They matched it with the drawing they had and confirmed that it was the correct one. ¡°Good job, let¡¯s leave!¡± A whistle was sounded and more people rushed out from the dark. The horse carriage was already prepared, and they left immediately. On the other end, Liu Erquan had begun his mission one hour ago. He brought the troop through the shortcut and disappeared in the snow. Chapter 49 A trap had already been set up in the ancestral temple of the Liu family! Liu Tao, Liu Wuhai, and Zhao Laosan were lying in ambush. There were also more than ten experts brought by Zhao Laosan. The powerful individuals from the Liu clan were all ready. However, although the sun had risen, there were no signs of their enemy. ¡°It seems that our plan has succeeded, the Living Dead Clan has yet to find out about Liu Yanggou¡¯s identity!¡± Liu Tao said. He looked at Zhao Laosan. ¡°There is a First Elder in the Living Dead Clan who is a grand martial arts master. Liu Erquan has already headed over. I am afraid of some mishaps and hope that Brother Zhao can assist!¡± After saying that, he passed the remedy for the month to Zhao Laosan. Zhao Laosan looked moody. He walked away after receiving the remedy and did not want to talk to Liu Tao or stay any longer in the ancestral temple. The things that had happened in the ancestral temple were too terrifying. It felt as though he was possessed by a ghost. He revealed his biggest secrets without knowing and was now controlled by others to follow instructions. That made him extremely angry. After Zhao Laosan had left, Liu Tao asked Liu Wuhai, ¡°How are things in the Lord Governor¡¯s Mansion?¡± Liu Wuhai said, ¡°Zhuo Tianyou and Zhao Laosan have reconciled. After losing to Liu Dongdong, Zhuo Tianyou entered seclusion. I heard that the old Lord Governor intends to send Zhuo Tianyou for the disciple selection of the Holy Ground of the Heavenly Sword¡­¡± ¡°Holy Ground of the Heavenly Sword?! That¡¯s one of the four biggest martial arts holy grounds in Scorpio Island!¡± ¡°The old Lord Governor wants to help Zhuo Tianyou! It seems like Zhuo Tianyou is going to take over as the Lord Governor soon!¡± Liu Tao¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at Liu Wuhai. ¡°Don¡¯t be stingy. Be it money or martial arts books, give everything you have to Zhuo Tianyou and assist him as much as you can.¡± ¡°Apply poison on the martial arts books, though. Both Zhuo Tianyou and his father has to be in our control.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± ¡­ When the sun rose, Black Street returned to its normal state. Troops of the Scythe Army ran out of the Liu family house. The atmosphere was extremely serious. The Scythe Army went to each household to check on suspicious individuals and caught every person who was not a local resident. When the fighters saw that, they began to gossip among themselves. ¡°Who triggered the Liu clan again?!¡± ¡°Last night, a thief attacked the Liu family house. I heard from my cousin¡¯s second uncle¡¯s relative that the thief was extremely daring. He took the Ancestor of the Liu family away and killed many people!¡± ¡°Oh my! No wonder the Liu clan is catching people in the early morning.¡± ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t discuss it too loudly. The Scythe Army is extremely sharp of hearing¡­¡± The drinkers were gossiping too. In the room, a few beautiful ladies looked at each other and smiled. ¡°The Liu family is so anxious. It seems that Yang Shou¡¯an has really succeeded. Let¡¯s go back and report this to our headmaster!¡± ¡°Great!¡± The handful of them dressed up and left Black Street¡­ The City of Scorpio was the only giant historical city in Scorpio Island. Countless villages were scattered around the City of Scorpio, and many ordinary citizens, fishermen, or farmers lived in these villages. They belonged to various forces. Some belonged to a certain large family while some belonged to some martial arts gangs. They exchanged their offerings for the protection of the gang or family, who chased away wild beasts and was able to scare away thieves. Liu Erquan was rushing in the snow with the army troop. In order to prevent any leaks of their arrival, they avoided the towns when they passed by them. When they felt sleepy, they would rest in the caves. Following the map drawn by Yang Shou¡¯an and the affirmation of an expert in the Scythe Army who was familiar with the geography, they reached the bottom of a huge mountain on the evening of the third day. The mountain was towering, and they felt an aura of suppression. The mountain was called the White Sun Mountain. There were many hills around the White Sun Mountain. It looked like a gigantic dragon that was lying on the ground. The mountain was very quiet, but roars of beasts could be heard occasionally. It caused the birds in the forest to fly in fear. ¡°The Living Dead Clan is in the White Sun Mountain, and one can see them by climbing to the top,¡± Black-Handed Zhang, the commander of the Scythe Army, said. He had been in the fighting scene for a long time and went to that place when he was younger. Following the symbol in the map drawn by Yang Shou¡¯an, he managed to find the hidden route very quickly and felt extremely amazed. ¡°From here, how long do we need to infiltrate the Living Dead Clan?¡± asked Liu Erquan. Black-Handed Zhang made an estimate. ¡°I think we can enter within three hours if we are fast.¡± Liu Erquan looked up to the sky. The sun was setting in a few hours¡¯ time, and it would be hard to travel in mountainous areas at night. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Infiltrate the Living Dead Clan before the sun sets!¡± Right after he gave his command, the rest moved. The followers of this mission were at least martial arts experts of the Fish Dive State. They were extremely powerful and moved extremely quickly in the mountainous area. After passing through the dangerous caves and deep valleys, rounding about the dangerous swamps, they climbed up to the peak of the White Sun Mountain along the cracks of the slope. Night fell. The White Sun Mountain was a mountain that was shaped like a funnel. There were many light sources in the mountain. That was the Living Dead Clan! There were many sarcophagi in the slope. Some of the sarcophagi were like a palace that was situated right in the middle. Some were placed in the uneven rocks. Some were hanging in the middle of the mountain. When the wind blew, the sarcophagi would move and howling sounds would be heard. These sarcophagi had beds, tables, chairs, and stoves, just like any house. There were shadows moving in the sarcophagi. The sarcophagi were built along the geographical curvatures of the mountain. The walkways were connected, and if there were cliffs, hanging bridges were built. The over 3000 disciples of the Living Dead Clan lived in these sarcophagi. Night fell, and disciples of the Living Dead Clan began to patrol the hanging bridges. They were equipped with weapons and held torches. They called out to each other and were extremely equipped. There were dozens of iron cables hanging in the middle of the cliff. They swayed in the wind. Normal people could barely stand on those bridges, but there were thousands of disciples training on them. They were extremely light and agile in their movements. ¡°I haven¡¯t been here in ten years. The Living Dead Clan has become so much more powerful!¡± Black-Handed Zhang exclaimed. The others around him were also extremely astonished. They had encountered many martial arts gangs. The size of the Living Dead Clan could be compared to some first-class gangs. Liu Erquan, Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, Liu Sanhai, and the people who participated in this mission looked at the Living Dead Clan in envy. However, they were also worried about their mission. Liu Liuhai said, ¡°Rest assured, our ancestor will watch over us!¡± Liu Erquan shot him a glance and wanted to say something. However, he sighed eventually and his sigh was swallowed by the sound of the cold wind on the mountain peak. Recently, some strange things had happened to the Liu family. They were unexplainable, and hence, they thought it was the Ancestor¡¯s doing. However, the mission that day was extremely important and must be done perfectly well or it might be life-threatening. It was too idealistic to place all the bets on the blessing of their ancestor! Liu Erquan was very worried. He decided to warn the rest to be careful during the mission later. Liu Liuhai, especially, who always spoke about their ancestor, Liu Erquan decided to warn him to not be so superstitious! That was because their ancestor had already been dead for 1000 years! Chapter 50 A group of them were at the top of the mountain and secretly observing. There was a long and narrow path on the peak of the mountain that allowed for only one person to cross. A mountain wall was on one side while on the other side was an extremely deep valley. The end of the road was dark and quiet, and nobody could see if there were any enemies hidden. They could only hear the sound of the wind. This road was the secret path drawn by Yang Shou¡¯an. It was the only path that one could take to infiltrate the Living Dead Clan without being exposed. It was extremely dangerous. Any mishaps would send the person falling down the cliff to his death! ¡°Let me go and check it out. We can still retreat if there are any traps!¡± Liu Liuhai said bravely. Seeing the hesitation and worry on Liu Erquan¡¯s face, Liu Liuhai slapped his chest and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have our ancestor with us. He will be watching us from heaven and he will protect me!¡± Liu Erquan could no longer resist when he heard that. ¡°Some words cannot be said at home, but today, I have to say this!¡± Liu Liuhai raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Speak! I¡¯m listening!¡± Liu Erquan said, ¡°You and Liu Wuhai are very respectful to our ancestor. This is good, and all of us see it. As descendants of the Liu family, we should be respectful. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that¡­¡± Liu Liuhai waved and interrupted, ¡°Continue with the ¡®but¡¯!¡± Liu Erquan stared at him angrily. However, he continued, ¡°But blindly believing and worshipping our ancestor, always saying how our ancestor will watch over us, you make it seem as though we cannot do anything without our ancestor!¡± ¡°We are all Elders ¡ª we have to live with a clear mind! Our ancestor had already died and his body is in the coffin now. How will he be able to protect you? Which ancestor could look over someone into becoming a scholar or meeting miracles? Or striking the lottery?¡± Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai nodded their heads and said in unison, ¡°Erquan is right. Our ancestor is a spirit and the symbol of the continuity of the Liu family. When our enemies attack, our ancestor is the best weapon to kill them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all!¡± Both of them lowered the status of their ancestor. They wanted to say, ¡°Don¡¯t place too much emphasis and hope on our ancestor!¡± Their ancestor was like a weapon. They said this to prevent themselves from having a hard time after the others found out that they had refined their ancestor into a battle puppet. That was their stand and their plan. However, after he heard that, Liu Liuhai¡¯s expression changed drastically. He became extremely frustrated and he breathed heavily. Liu Erhai immediately mediated the situation. After recently becoming a matchmaker, he was not very clear about the powers of the ancestor. Therefore, he decided not to speak! Liu Liuhai took a deep breath, and after closing and opening his eyes, he had become calm again. He looked at Liu Erquan, Liu Dahai, and Liu Sanhai in disappointment. ¡°No matter what you feel about our ancestor, to me, our ancestor is like the heaven of the Liu family!¡± Liu Liuhai said as he pointed to the sky. ¡°I strongly believe that our ancestor is watching us from above!¡± After pausing for a while, he said, ¡°I shall stop talking about useless things. I am going to check out the path now!¡± ¡°Fine! Choose some experts in Qinggong to go with you!¡± Liu Erquan said in agreement and picked seven Qinggong experts. ¡°Please wait, I want to pay my respects to our ancestor first!¡± Liu Liuhai took out Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet from his pocket and placed it on the ground. He began to kowtow to Liu Fan respectfully while saying softly, ¡°Your descendant Liu Liuhai is going to enter our enemy¡¯s place. Please look after me for a safe journey!¡± Liu Erquan, Liu Dahai, and Liu Sanhai frowned when they saw that. Liu Liuhai was so stubborn! He could not be convinced. They just wasted their breaths earlier on! He was placing all his hopes on the protection of his ancestor. That was extremely risky! ¡­ In the ancestral temple of the Liu clan a few hundred miles away, Liu Fan was lying in the coffin. Suddenly, he heard Liu Liuhai¡¯s voice. Liu Liuhai was praying to him, asking for protection for the journey! He was shocked. Liu Liuhai had brought along his spirit tablet, and he was able to sense it from a few hundred miles away. ¡°Is the spirit tablet a medium?!¡± ¡°However, I wonder if the spells could be cast over such a distance away.¡± Liu Fan sighed and tried to use a spell. ¡°The Love of the Ancestor ¡ª the Spell of Safe Journey! Go!¡± Instantly, 500 respect points were deducted! That was five times the points compared to it being used within the circumference of the Liu family house! ¡°The spells can be used, but much more respect points are needed!¡± Liu Fan figured it out. It seemed that he could use his spells from any distance. However, the respect points required would increase accordingly. That meant that as long as he had sufficient respect points, he could protect his descendants even from an extremely far distance. The spirit tablet that worked as a medium was like a ¡°remote control¡± or ¡°Huawei phone¡±! His descendants were paying their respects to him wherever the spirit tablet was. He could receive their respect instantly from his coffin. ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, this is rather advanced!¡± Liu Fan said. ¡°However, it only works through audio instead of video¡­¡± ¡­ At the peak of the White Sun Mountain, the wind was very strong. As it was snowing, it was extremely painful when the snowflakes hit one¡¯s face. Liu Liuhai, along with seven Qinggong experts, flew out of the cliff like a bird and went along the narrow path. His Qinggong was great and he seemed to be able to travel faster in the air. He seemed to be flowing with the wind and was able to take a light but stable step. ¡°Is this the Wind Walker?! The Qinggong passed down from our ancestor is indeed extraordinary!¡± From a distance away, Liu Erquan, Liu Dahai, Liu Erhai, and Liu Sanhai were astonished. They had underestimated Liu Liuhai. Black-Handed Zhang and the other experts of the Scythe Army watched in astonishment. They did not expect their chief commander to be so excellent in terms of Qinggong. Liu Liuhai used his Wind Walker and disappeared on the narrow path very quickly as he moved like the gentle breeze. Seven Qinggong experts followed behind him and had to travel at full speed in order to barely catch up with Liu Liuhai. When they reached a protruding rock, the seven of them looked at Liu Liuhai with respect. Liu Liuhai was very satisfied with the changes in their expressions and said with a low voice, ¡°Rest for a while before we continue.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± In the dark night, the mountain paths were getting narrower and only one person could pass at a time. They were beside an extremely deep cliff. It was very windy, and one could barely open one¡¯s eyes. Someone flew up and a powerful gust of wind immediately blew at him. He lost his footing and fell down. He was shocked and screamed. ¡°Swoosh!¡± Liu Liuhai threw out a dart and it hit the center of that person¡¯s forehead. The dart was smeared with poison. That person died immediately without making any more sounds. Like a gigantic rock, he fell into the endless cliff. The remaining six of them turned pale. They did not expect Liu Liuhai to be so cruel. Liu Liuhai scolded in a low tone, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t killed him, the sounds he made would have attracted the experts of the Living Dead Clan. If that happened, all of us would die here!¡± Liu Liuhai took a deep breath and said seriously, ¡°If I fell from the cliff accidentally, be merciless and kill me too!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± They continued to move again. Chapter 51 Liu Liuhai followed the path drawn by Yang Shou¡¯an and arrived at their destination ¡ª a cave in the middle of the mountain. This cave was in the center of a cliff along one side of White Sun Mountain. It was hot and humid and was like a separate world from the freezing cold air outside. The hot air rose rapidly and melted the ice on top. A fountain was formed and the water flowed non-stop. Liu Liuhai and six Qinggong experts entered the cave and was hit by the waves of warm air. It warmed their cold bodies up and they felt very comfortable. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be such an interesting place on this White Sun Mountain!¡± Liu Liuhai exclaimed and instructed the rest to do a search. They found a pool at the deep corner of the cave. ¡°Based on what Yang Shou¡¯an said, if we enter the pool, we will be able to reach the Living Dead Clan,¡± said Liu Liuhai in excitement. He immediately instructed two soldiers with the best Qinggong skills to inform Liu Erquan about the discovery. After another hour, Liu Erquan had been informed about the safe arrival of Liu Liuhai. He was extremely surprised. ¡°Liu Dahai shall stay here to handle any emergencies. The rest shall follow me!¡± Liu Erquan ordered for Liu Dahai and three other family members to stay back as he brought the others to follow behind the two Qinggong experts to the cave safely. They entered the cave and felt extremely surprised when they felt the warm air. They began to look around. Liu Erquan looked at the pool. Suddenly, his gaze froze. He found a black scale at the side of the pool. There was also a mark that it had been scratched by a pail. This scratch mark came from outside of the cave and disappeared in the pool. ¡°Is this mark made by some strange hydra?¡± Black-Handed Zhang said with a deep tone. The expressions on the rest¡¯s faces changed slightly and they became anxious. Scorpio Island was surrounded by water. There were many plants, and the forest had been around for countless years. Nobody knew how many beastly creatures were hidden there. That was the forbidden area of the martial arts experts. Through all these years, countless experts had entered the area to look for opportunities. However, nobody had ever walked out of it alive. The four major martial arts clans were powerful and had the weapons from the mysterious spaceship to suppress the rest. However, they merely moved around Scorpio Island and did not step foot into the forbidden area. At this moment, the trace on the ground was as thick as a bucket. One could imagine how gigantic the creature was. Everyone began to wonder if the creature had left the White Sun Mountain to hunt for prey. The scales it had shed was as hard as steel and gave off a dark shade of light, exuding a cold and eerie feeling. Those who saw it felt fearful. ¡°No wonder nobody from the Living Dead Clan was guarding this pool. There were hydras around!¡± Liu Sanhai said strictly, ¡°Perhaps the Living Dead Clan really does not know about the existence of this place. The hydra might have been around for just a few days. Or else, the Living Dead Clan would have been killed by it!¡± Liu Liuhai¡¯s expression changed when he heard that. ¡°That means the Living Dead Clan might perish anytime!¡± Liu Sanhai and Liu Erquan nodded. The rest fell silent. ¡°What shall we do? Erquan? You make the decision. Shall we retreat?¡± Liu Liuhai asked. Liu Erquan frowned and kept silent. They had reached this stage and could not continue. The unknown hydra was an unsolvable question mark. However, if they gave up now, Liu Dongdong would be in danger. He and Yang Shou¡¯an would definitely be killed by the furious Living Dead Clan experts. After that, the Liu clan would face an attack from the Living Dead Clan. Moreover, there was the existence of a hydra. Suddenly, Liu Erquan was caught between the choices. There seemed to be only one choice. That was to let the Living Dead Clan know about the existence of the hydra and exchange it for Liu Dongdong. However, at this moment, ripples were suddenly seen in the pool. Bubbles started to emerge from the water too, as though the water was boiling. ¡°Oh no, the hydra is coming out!¡± Liu Erhai¡¯s expression changed drastically as he shouted in surprise. The rest turned and saw two thin and long feelers protruding from the water surface. The speed at which the monster came out from the water was too fast. Everyone ran for their lives. Liu Liuhai carried Liu Fan¡¯s spiritual tablet. He looked around and saw a crack at the top of the stone wall of the cave. He immediately turned and jumped into it. Liu Erhai saw that and squeezed in. Liu Erquan was faster. Liu Sanhai also found a crack and hid inside. The others tried to copy them and found cracks to hide in. However, there were too few cracks and some people were unable to hide. They were scared to death as the hydra was almost out of the water. They followed some of the Qinggong experts and rushed out of the cave to return to the original path. Some people panicked and slipped from the path, causing them to fall off the cliff. Their shouts echoed throughout the mountain and attracted the attention of the Living Dead Clan. ¡°Enemies are attacking the mountain from behind!¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± The shouts were heard from the hanging bridge. Sharp whistle sounds were used to pass messages and fire torches swayed in the dark, forming an entire line of light that lit up the mountain like the sun. ¡°They are in the cave, rush over and catch them alive!¡± one of the commanders ordered. The switch was activated and the hanging bridges were set up. It expanded across the mountains, and sounds of hurried footsteps were heard. The disciples of the Living Dead Clan were rushing over. They were carrying all sorts of weapons and were approaching with a killing aura! However, at this moment, a deep growl was heard from the cave. The growl was so powerful that the hanging bridge began to swing and the metal cables began to make noises. ¡°What is that?!¡± The experts from the Living Dead Clan began shouting on the hanging bridge. They were grand masters, and they shouted with their powerful voices. The response was a gigantic head that poked out from the cave. It took a bite, and more than ten disciples were swallowed by it. It broke the hanging bridge as well. The hanging bridge fell because the cables broke. The disciples on the bridge leaped up using their Qinggong and attempted to run away. However, they were swallowed by the hydra. ¡°What creature is that?! Kill it now!¡± ¡°Inform our head, hurry! Ask for assistance!¡± The voice of the grand masters were trembling. Although they were grand masters and had a superior rank, they were fearful now. That was because a gigantic head had peeped out from the cave. It looked like a python and a crocodile, which was extremely terrifying. Its eyes were as huge as a basin, and its teeth were three inches long. Bloody bodies hung from its teeth. Two long feelers extended from its head like two long snakes. When it curled its feelers, the disciples on the hanging bridge were caught and swallowed. Knives and swords hit its feelers, and loud metal clanging sounds were heard, but they did not cause any injuries at all. A commotion broke out among the Living Dead Clan. Screams and cries, accompanied by whistling sounds and the roar of the hydra, echoed through the mountain. This was the darkest and most terrifying night of the Living Dead Clan. The disciples died in batches. Although the Living Dead Clan shot poisonous arrows and fire arrows, the hydra was not harmed at all. The hydra dashed out of the cave. It was like a snake that was several hundred meters long. It also had sharp claws which it used to crawl along the cliff. Looking like a gigantic version of a lizard, nimble but cruel, it killed everything in its way. The hanging bridges fell, and the sarcophagi were turned over. The metal cables broke, and one could hear cries from the Living Dead Clan. In the chaos, a few people who¡¯d escaped from the cave fell down the cliff after being hit by the hydra¡¯s swinging tail. Meanwhile, the people who¡¯d hidden in the cracks of the caves turned pale and began to tremble. When the hydra came out of the pool, its gigantic body and its black scales moved across them. The strong killer aura almost caused them to lose their souls. Hearing the chaos caused by the hydra, Liu Erhai said with a trembling voice, ¡°What do we do? If the hydra comes back, we are doomed!¡± ¡°We cannot stay here, we have to leave!¡± Liu Erquan said in a determined voice. ¡°Where do we go?¡± The rest were worried. The shouts outside were decreasing. The hydra might return anytime. ¡°There is only one way out!¡± Liu Liuhai suddenly said. He jumped down and pointed to the pool. ¡°The only way out is the bottom of this pool!¡± The expressions on the rest¡¯s faces changed. From what Yang Shou¡¯an had told them, there was an opening at the end of the pool that would allow them to enter a sarcophagus of the Living Dead Clan after they opened it. However, the pool had now become the hydra¡¯s habitat. Nobody could be sure whether or not the opening was still there. ¡°This route is extremely risky! Liuhai, are you sure?¡± Liu Erquan took a deep breath and looked at Liu Liuhai. Liu Liuhai was extremely certain. He patted Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet and said, ¡°Before I came, I paid respects to our ancestor.¡± ¡°Our ancestor is watching from above ¡ª he will make sure that we are safe!¡± Chapter 52 Time was running out and they were not at liberty to think about it further. Liu Liuhai led the rest and dived into the pool. Liu Erquan and the others followed behind. The water in the pool was warm and one could see the steam. It was like a hot spring ¡ª the more they walked down into the pool, the colder the temperature and the wider the pool became. The stone walls around it shone, and the stones lit up the water. Everyone was physically trained and could travel through the water while holding their breaths. The lower they went, the more pressure they felt. At this moment, they finally saw the bottom of the pool. What shocked them was the fact that there was a nest made up of gigantic rocks. There were two black eggs in the nest. The eggs were the size of a basin. They were as black as ink. ¡°Are these the eggs of the hydra?¡± Liu Liuhai and Liu Erquan exchanged gazes and made a decision. ¡°Find the entrance of the Living Dead Clan first! Then we take the eggs!¡± Everyone spread out to find the entrance. The bottom of the pool was occupied by the hydra and the walls were full of marks made by it. Everyone was extremely serious, worried, and anxious. They would be in danger if they could not find the entrance to the Living Dead Clan. Liu Sanhai and Liu Erhai checked the cracks of the stones. Liu Erquan was looking for it in the seaweed while the rest spread out in the pool and tried their best to look for the entrance. Liu Liuhai prayed at the bottom of the pool, ¡°Ancestor, please help your descendant find the entrance!¡± Then, he moved. He moved towards the stone wall in front of him. Liu Erquan saw this from a distance away and told Liu Liuhai that he had already checked that stone wall. The entrance was not there. However, when Liu Liuhai placed his hand on it, a six-sided object protruded from the wall and it was able to be turned. ¡°Hmm?¡­ This is¡­ the entrance?!¡± Liu Liuhai widened his eyes in surprise. Nobody could find it but he found it just by touching the wall. What luck was that?! So lucky! Liu Erquan widened his eyes in disbelief when he saw that. ¡°I touched that stone wall many times but did not find anything. Liu Liuhai managed to find it with one touch? Could it be because he has double eyelids?!¡± ¡°It must be the Ancestor!¡± Liu Liuhai touched the spirit tablet in his arms and his respect for Liu Fan grew. Before he descended the mountain, he¡¯d prayed to his ancestor to protect him for the entire journey. It seemed that it was very useful! ¡°Muah¡ª!¡± He kissed Liu Fan¡¯s spiritual tablet. Meanwhile, the six-sided object began to make noises. Everyone realized that a crack had appeared in the stone wall. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Liu Liuhai entered first. Liu Erquan gestured to the rest and led them into the stone wall. Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai were in charge of carrying the eggs. One each. They hugged it and ran. The gigantic hydra was still massacring in the White Sun Mountain. Most of the disciples of the Living Dead Clan were severely injured; they were trapped within a gigantic sarcophagus and shivering in desperation. However, at this moment, the hydra in front of them suddenly raised its head and roared. It turned and swam away immediately, charging into the cave like a madman. The disciples of the Living Dead Clan shouted after realizing that they had escaped unscathed, ¡°Hurry, leave now, go to the Living Dead Mausoleum!¡± They charged out of the sarcophagus and turned a knob on the stone wall. A secret path was activated. The path led to the core region of the Living Dead Clan ¡ª the Living Dead Mausoleum! The Living Dead Mausoleum was built in the inner part of the White Sun Mountain. It was extremely complicated and had multiple traps. Like the Lo Shu Eight Trigrams, every step was planned. After Liu Liuhai entered the stone wall with the rest, they moved along with the water flow. When they got to the surface of the water, they realized that they were in a gigantic underground world. It was silent. There were no caves or doors on the stone walls. Clearly, a knob or something like that was needed. Countless sarcophagi hung from the metal cables on top of their heads. There were oil lamps on the sarcophagi, but all the oil had been burned away. Only a night-shining pearl that was installed on the wall was glowing faintly. There were no signs of the Living Dead Clan, and dust had collected on the sarcophagi. Clearly, the place had been abandoned for years. When the sarcophagi were opened, there were many skeleton remains. The identification card beside the remains showed that they were the Elders who had died in battles or who had fallen from their positions. ¡°We must be in the home of the Living Dead Clan! The Living Dead Clan used to be called the Mausoleum Clan! No wonder, this entire place is like an underground mausoleum!¡± Liu Sanhai said in surprise as he carried the hydra¡¯s egg. For some reason, he felt that the egg was trembling. However, when he listened, there were no movements in the egg. Liu Erhai, who was beside him and carrying the other egg, sniffed it. The egg emitted a light fragrance. As he sniffed, he felt that his martial arts skills had improved slightly. His eyes lit up and he swallowed his saliva. ¡°If I ate this egg, will I advance to the grand martial arts master level immediately?!¡± Liu Erhai was excited when he thought of it. At this moment, a thunderous sound was heard in the pool in the room underground. There were growls occasionally as well. ¡°Oh no, the hydra is here!¡± Liu Erquan¡¯s expression changed. The rest panicked. They still had not found the way out. At this moment, Liu Liuhai shouted, ¡°The knob is here!¡± He found the knob in one of the coffins. When he turned the knob, another secret path appeared on the other side of the cavern. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Everyone rushed towards it. Liu Erquan looked at Liu Liuhai with a strange gaze. Why was his luck so good?! Did he step on dog poop that day?! Liu Liuhai saw Liu Erquan¡¯s gaze and smiled. He slapped the hidden spirit tablet in his chest and said, ¡°I told you, our ancestor shows his powers! Now you should believe me!¡± Liu Erquan¡¯s eyes lit up but he did not speak. Liu Liuhai had always been the first one in since they reached the White Sun Mountain. However, he¡¯d managed to come all the way here safely. Moreover, they¡¯d obtained two eggs of the hydra! That kind of luck caused Liu Erquan to feel very shocked, but it was understandable. Then, Liu Liuhai led the rest of the journey. They passed through many stone rooms, and Liu Liuhai managed to find the entrance through the knobs just by extending his hand. Moreover, there were many traps in the rooms, especially the arrows from the walls. Others freaked out upon seeing it, but when Liu Liuhai stepped over it, the rocks below him moved and the holes closed up. Everyone was extremely shocked and looked at Liu Liuhai in disbelief. Liu Erquan took a deep breath. Although he did not want to admit it, he had to. Liu Liuhai was shining! His life was so smooth-sailing! Chapter 53 Many would have died if it was Liu Erquan who had led the way. Luckily, with Liu Liuhai in the front, everyone came out safe and well. At the end of the journey, some people had lowered their guard and started to glance around casually. Liu Erquan chided, ¡°Don¡¯t drop your guard! We are in enemy territories! Hold on to your weapons and watch around you carefully!¡± Liu Liuhai unlocked another door once Liu Erquan had finished speaking. The giant stone door boomed open, bringing down a thick layer of dust. It seemed that this door had remained shut for ages. ¡°Look! There are special martial arts techniques on the wall!¡± Black-Handed Zhang exclaimed. The rest gathered around him and saw paintings of men and women cultivating together. It didn¡¯t look like any common cultivation techniques. Instead, it appeared extremely obscure and sophisticated. Liu Erquan studied the paintings carefully. Certain that it was not the dual cultivation method founded by the Liu ancestor, he let out a sigh of relief. Hence, he didn¡¯t stop the curious men from learning the technique. After all, they had chanced upon it by pure luck and it was indeed something useful to know! ¡°We¡¯ll get going after two minutes!¡± Liu Erquan said. Then, he sat down with his legs crossed and began learning the dual cultivation technique. The crowd was fully engrossed in the paintings and tried to remember every detail by heart. They moved on once the time was up. Liu Liuhai was still the one leading the team. All of them were in high spirits, hoping to learn more of such cultivation techniques in the journey ahead. However, to their disappointment, there were no more cultivation paintings on the wall. ¡°Rumble¡ª¡± Liu Liuhai unlocked another stone door, which was more than ten meters tall. It was the biggest one they had seen so far. As the door lifted up, it raised clouds of choking dust. In the next second, an enormous underground palace unfolded behind the stone door. The palace was well lit. Thousands of Living Dead disciples were gathered inside. A few elders were arguing on the elevated platform. It looked like they were having a serious meeting. When the stone door rumbled open, everyone drew their weapons and turned to look in the direction of the door. The guards on the second floor of the palace pulled their bows immediately, locking their arrows at the intruders. Liu Liuhai looked shocked, and the rest was too scared to move at all. Liu Erquan glared at Liu Liuhai. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the Ancestor is watching over us? Why are we in the enemies¡¯ base?!¡± ¡°Drop your weapons!¡± ¡°Put your arms around your heads!¡± ¡°Squat down and jump forward!¡± A woman flew towards them from the elevated platform. It was obvious from her aura that she was at least a martial arts master, and few could compare with her extraordinary Qinggong skills. Under her command, thousands of Living Dead disciples immediately pointed their swords at the intruders in an intimidating manner. The Liu members looked at Liu Erquan. Their faces turned pale. Liu Erquan was a grand martial arts master with exceptional sensitivity. He instantly noticed that the palace was full of powerful fighters. There were eight martial arts masters, hundreds of martial arts experts, and over 2000 fighters of the Body Tempering Realm. Moreover, there was also an unfathomable aura of a grand martial arts master from the elevated platform in the far distance. Liu Erquan was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected that the Grand Elder of the Living Dead Clan had come out of seclusion! Thinking about it, it was understandable. With the hydra wreaking havoc in the region, the Living Dead Clan had lost many of their members. This certainly had concerned the Grand Elder. When Liu Erquan sensed her presence, the Grand Elder had also noticed Liu Erquan¡¯s powerful aura. Surprised, she stood up and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were coming. Treat our guests with courtesy, everyone! Don¡¯t be rude!¡± ¡°Ye Qing, bring them to me!¡± At the stone door, the Qinggong warrior and martial arts master, Ye Qing, waved her hand. The disciples obediently stepped aside to clear a way for them. Liu Erquan stepped forward first, followed by Liu Erhai and the rest. Most of the Living Dead disciples were women. All of them were valiant fighters dressed in white gowns. Their swords were half pushed out of the sheaths as they watched the group pass with clear enmity in their eyes. Liu Erquan went to the platform and saw the Grand Elder face to face. It turned out that she was an old lady in her 90s! Gray-headed and supporting herself with a stick, she looked kind yet dignified. Her deep eyes stayed close to Liu Erquan and his men. ¡°One grand martial arts master, four martial arts masters, and none below a martial arts expert! It seems to me that you are not here to have a cup of afternoon tea with me. You are here to stir trouble!¡± The Grand Elder¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. She glanced at Ye Qing. Ye Qing was the Grand Elder¡¯s apprentice and the clan master of the Living Dead Clan. With the clap of her hands, two men were escorted to the platform. To their astonishment, they were Liu Dongdong and Yang Shou¡¯an! Both of them were severely wounded. Their shirts were covered in blood. Apparently, they had been through tough interrogations and tortures. They raised their heads and were surprised to see Liu Erquan and the rest. But they hid their emotions swiftly and asked, ¡°Who are they? I didn¡¯t know you Living Dead girls had a taste for wild men!¡± ¡°Slap!¡± The disciple escorting Liu Dongdong glared at him and threw a hard slap on his face. Blood dripped down his mouth at once. ¡°One more word and I¡¯ll make you a eunuch!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an grinned but kept silent. He was wondering how Liu Erquan had messed up even though he had already drawn a map for them. At this moment, the Grand Elder smiled. She said, ¡°Your clever tricks won¡¯t work on me!¡± As she stood up, Ye Qing stepped forward to support her at once. ¡°You are from the Liu clan of the City of Scorpio!¡± the Grand Elder said firmly with contempt in her eyes. Having assessed the situation, Liu Erquan knew that there was no point in acting anymore. He answered loudly, ¡°You are right. We are from the Liu clan. But none of this matters now!¡± ¡°Your clan is suffering from the hydra attack. It¡¯s uncertain whether you can survive this crisis!¡± ¡°However, you may have a better chance if we worked together!¡± The Grand Elder laughed. The seven Elders on the platform and the other Living Dead disciples laughed too. Ye Qing pointed at the underground palace. ¡°This Living Dead Mausoleum was built by our founding ancestor. She and her disciples had spent decades designing and constructing it and they had set numerous traps and killing gears everywhere. The hydra can never reach here no matter how strong it is!¡± Liu Liuhai mumbled, ¡°But here we are. We made it through.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ye Qing¡¯s eyes suddenly turned cold. She shot daggers at Yang Shou¡¯an. ¡°I doubt you¡¯d have if it weren¡¯t for this traitor!¡± Liu Erquan and the rest were shocked. They didn¡¯t know that this martial arts master they were talking to was actually Yang Shou¡¯an¡¯s master. Yang Shou¡¯an had been emphasizing that his master was over 50 years old and that she had only become more attractive as she aged. But Ye Qing looked like a fine young woman. Her skin was smooth and her voice was melodious. Combined with her voluptuous curves, she definitely didn¡¯t look like a 50-year-old woman! ¡°You liar, Yang Shou¡¯an!!!¡± Liu Liuhai roared. He was fuming with anger as he recalled the Ma Fangfang he had chosen from the book. He pointed at Ye Qing and shouted, ¡°So she¡¯s the old woman you were talking about? Tell me, how is she old? How is she 50 years old? She¡¯s clearly 18!¡± Ye Qing was stunned. After a few seconds of silence, she giggled, but her laughter was extremely terrifying. ¡°Take this old man and castrate him!¡± ¡°How dare you tease the head of the Living Dead Clan in public? You shameless old bird!¡± Chapter 54 Two disciples grabbed Liu Liuhai¡¯s arms and took away his weapons. Then, they searched his pockets. ¡°Pang!¡± Suddenly, Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet dropped to the floor. ¡°Wahhhh¡ª! How dare you throw away my ancestor, you damn women!¡± Liu Liuhai was enraged. His aura exploded into a gust of strong wind, hurling the two disciples backward. Then, he hurriedly picked up Liu Fan¡¯s tablet with a sorry look on his face. ¡°Ancestor, I am so sorry! I will burn more incense for you once I reach home!¡± Liu Liuhai mumbled as he hugged the spirit tablet tightly. His eyes turned cold when he looked up. ¡°I wanted to have a peaceful talk with you. But it appears to me that only bloodshed can resolve this issue!¡± Liu Erquan waved his hand. In the next instant, the Liu members fanned out behind him, ready to fight anytime. The Liu Elders and the rest of the clan members activated their internal energy. Suddenly, their muscles swelled and bulged, ripping their shirts apart. They stood topless in front of the thousands of Living Dead girls, flexing their eight packs. That was the true form of physical cultivators. A few steps away, Liu Dongdong let out a loud roar. His powerful internal energy instantly shattered his shirt and the chains around him, revealing his perfect body shape. Liu Dongdong was born with a handsome face. Many Liu clan members had commented that his looks were one of the prettiest of all time, only second to the founding ancestor¡¯s. His charm was further strengthened by his untamable vibe. At this moment, the bloody wounds on his body became the most fitting tattoos on his tanned skin, making him look even more masculine! ¡°Ahh¡ª¡± The two disciples beside Liu Dongdong screamed and blushed. It was as though the scream was infectious. Every other girl in the palace started screaming too. The girls stared at the muscular men in the center of the palace. Their breathing was getting heavy and their cheeks were flushing bright-red. Their clan rules forbid any Living Dead disciples from getting familiar with men. Some of them had never touched a man¡¯s finger in their decades of life. But now, they had seen it all! They were shocked! The wild horse in their mind was going out of control. Ye Qing shook her head. She forcefully drove away her innate desires and regained her composure. She murmured, ¡°Now I understand why our founding ancestor had made it a rule thousands of years ago that we must kill descendants of the Liu clan the second we saw them, and that we should never give them the chance to use their cultivation skills.¡± ¡°Now I know, our Living Dead ladies can¡¯t even function properly in the face of physical cultivators from the Liu clan!¡± ¡°Hey¡ª!¡± Ye Qing shouted sternly. Her voice had the spirit of a martial arts master. Her voice finally woke up the Living Dead disciples from their daze. ¡°Swoosh!¡± All of them drew their swords. Suddenly, flashes of cold blades shone through the palace. They closed in towards Liu Dongdong, Liu Erquan, and the others. However, their grip was unsteady with their shaking wrists and uneven breaths. On the elevated platform, Ye Qing led seven other martial arts masters forward. They trained their cold eyes on the Liu men¡¯s eyes, ignoring their bodies. Even so, what fell within their peripheral vision still stirred warm and foreign emotions in the depths of their hearts. Their eyelashes were trembling uneasily. Liu Erquan¡¯s sharp eyes saw it all. His initial astonishment was soon replaced by a sly grin. He whispered to his men under his breath, ¡°Let your internal energy flow along your muscles! Make your muscles move!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Liu Dongdong asked in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s the way!¡± The married men laughed softly. Only they understood Liu Erquan¡¯s logic. They told Liu Dongdong, ¡°You¡¯ll know it when you have a wife.¡± The next moment, they imbued their muscles with internal energy. Beads of sweat rolled over their tanned skin and their scars, intensifying the air of masculinity! The most attractive men are found in gyms, basketball courts, and swimming pools. There¡¯s no shortage of pretty girls who use doing workout or yoga at the gym as an excuse to meet buff guys. Nowadays, slim and fair-skinned oppas are no longer popular. The hottest guys are those with abs and distinct muscles! Moreover, physical cultivators of the Liu clan had much better bodies than muscular men at the gyms. The battles they had fought had left many scars, but they were actually a bonus touch to their dazzling bodies. ¡°Gulp!¡± ¡°Gulp!¡± ¡­ A girl couldn¡¯t help swallowing her saliva at the sight of hot guys. It was loud enough to be heard in the quiet palace. In the next instant, many others lost it and the sound of saliva-swallowing and heavy panting filled the underground space. ¡°Hmph!¡± The Grand Elder snorted and released the aura of a grand martial arts master. The energy wave brought all of the disciples back from the daze. They looked at the Liu men with embarrassment and anger on their faces. They had actually fallen for their bodies! How shameless those men were to tempt them this way! ¡°How brazen!¡± Hatred flashed across Ye Qing¡¯s and the martial arts masters¡¯ eyes. They glared at the Liu men fiercely. This bunch had ripped their clothes and exhibited their muscles before the fight had even begun. The Grand Elder let out a heavy sigh and shook her head in disappointment. To her dismay, the entire Living Dead Clan had been successfully seduced by the physical cultivators of the Liu clan, except for herself and a few male disciples who had been trained for special purposes. ¡°Now I understand why the founding ancestor wrote that the physical cultivators of the Liu clan will always be our greatest foes. Indeed, we have no other choice but to keep the peace with them if we can¡¯t kill them the second we meet. I didn¡¯t believe it at first. But now I¡¯ve seen it with my own eyes, and I have to admit that the physical cultivators of the Liu clan know instinctively how to seduce our disciples without warning!¡± The Grand Elder sighed again. She waved her hands, gesturing all of her people to put away their weapons. The Grand Elder said, ¡°The hydra is wreaking havoc in the White Sun Mountain, and I¡¯m afraid that my Living Dead Clan will never make it out!¡± Then, she turned to look at Liu Erquan and asked, ¡°Gentlemen, you are descendants of the First Physical Cultivator. I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter.¡± Liu Erquan and the rest shook their heads. They still shuddered in fear as they thought of the hydra. They knew that the monster could not be defeated with mere martial arts. The palace plunged into silence. Liu Liuhai glanced at Liu Erquan as if he wanted to speak. But something was holding him back. Ye Qing and the Grand Elder both noticed that. They exchanged a look of confirmation with each other and immediately knew that Liu Liuhai had a way to beat the monster. The Grand Elder nodded. Having gained her approval, Ye Qing strode towards Liu Liuhai elegantly, bringing with her a fragrant breeze. She smiled softly and called, ¡°Brother!¡± Liu Liuhai looked around and realized that everyone had locked their eyes on him. The head of the Living Dead Clan was only one meter away. Astounded, he asked, ¡°Are you¡­ calling me?!¡± Ye Qing let out a charming smile and said, ¡°Yes, Brother, I¡¯m calling you!¡± Her breath smelled sweet. ¡°Ah hahahaha, there must have been a mistake!¡± Liu Liuhai rubbed his hands in excitement. His face turned red. A glitter flashed across Ye Qing¡¯s beautiful eyes. She put her slender hands gently on Liu Liuhai¡¯s hands and led him to the open area behind the palace. ¡°Brother, I want to ask you something¡­¡± Ye Qing said with pleading eyes. ¡°I know you must know a way to save our Living Dead Clan. Please teach me!¡± Liu Liuhai went quiet. The hydra was hundreds of meters long and as thick as a barrel. Swords and knives couldn¡¯t even scratch its scales, and its violent temper made it almost invincible. ¡®There¡¯s only one way out ¡ª bring over our ancestor!¡¯ Liu Liuhai thought. He touched Liu Fan¡¯s spirit tablet which he had kept dearly in his chest pocket. But he wasn¡¯t so sure either. Although the Ancestor was able to slay any humans with his protective aura, the hydra was not like any enemies they had encountered before. Blades were useless to its tough scales. ¡°If we throw the Ancestor out and he didn¡¯t manage to kill the hydra in one go, the hydra could easily swallow him with that big mouth of its¡­¡± Liu Liuhai¡¯s eyebrows knitted tightly. Chapter 55 Not knowing what was on Liu Liuhai¡¯s mind, Ye Qing kept pleading. Yang Shou¡¯an frowned at the sight. As far as he could recall, Ye Qing had always had a poker face and an indifferent heart. A lady who was widely feared, she had never acted sweetly in front of anyone, nor had she made any attempt at pleasing anybody. Any men she had met either ended up dead or castrated. But now, she seemed to be a different woman in front of Liu Liuhai. Even Yang Shou¡¯an felt as if he didn¡¯t actually know her. Yang Shou¡¯an glanced at Liu Liuhai, his eyes full of concern and jealousy. ¡°Does she have feelings for the chief commander? Please, don¡¯t!¡± The chief commander was a terrific fighter with excellent Qinggong skills. Moreover, he had the third most attractive body, which was only slightly less charming than Liu Dongdong¡¯s and Liu Erquan¡¯s. Yang Shou¡¯an felt anxious and nervous. Clenching his teeth, he made up his mind. ¡°If I can return alive after this mission, I will stop at nothing to please my father. I want him to teach me the secret techniques of physical cultivation too.¡± ¡°With proper cultivation, I will also have eight packs and a perfect body shape. By then, I can also win over Ye Qing just like how the chief commander did!¡± Yang Shou¡¯an immersed himself in the sweet prospect. Not far away, Liu Liuhai was still indecisive under Ye Qing¡¯s relentless plea. ¡°This is an important matter. I have to discuss it with my clan members!¡± Liu Liuhai said. Ye Qing was delighted at the possibility. She hurriedly ushered the group into a stone room. Sitting around a small table, Liu Erquan, Liu Erhai, Liu Sanhai, and Liu Liuhai were discussing the details. Other clan members, together with the Black-Handed Zhang, were guarding outside the room in case of a surprise attack by the Living Dead Clan. ¡°Liu Dahai parted with us when we headed down. He stayed at the top of the mountain. Hence, he¡¯d have informed the Clan Head and come to our rescue as soon as the hydra had appeared!¡± Liu Erquan said. ¡°How can they possibly save us? No one can beat that monster. I suspect that the hydra came from the ancient forest in the depths of Scorpio Island, and it had deliberately chosen this secluded place to lay eggs!¡± Liu Erhai said. Then, he shook the egg in his hand and continued, ¡°There¡¯s been movement inside this egg. I think the little creature inside is ready to visit our world!¡± Everyone gasped in shock. They passed around the egg and paid close attention to the movement inside. The unborn creature was very cautious. Having sensed the situation, it stopped moving at once. However, given their high sensitivity and cultivation powers, the group easily picked up an incredibly strong internal energy brewing inside the shell. The power of the energy was comparable to a martial arts master¡¯s! ¡°What about your egg?¡± Liu Erquan gestured at the egg in Liu Sanhai¡¯s arms. ¡°I figure it¡¯s dead. Or perhaps still not hatched yet!¡± Liu Sanhai explained, passing the egg to the others. They held the egg in their hands and sensed the inside. Then, they concluded that it¡¯s more likely to be an unhatched egg because there was a strong fragrance wafting from within the shell. Dead eggs would stink. ¡°Our clan will become the boss of the City of Scorpio if we can tame the little creatures inside these two eggs!¡± Liu Erhai said excitedly. Liu Liuhai shot him a glance and said, ¡°The hydra may forgive others, but she¡¯ll never forgive the man who stole her eggs!¡± Liu Erquan waved his hand and dismissed the argument. He urged, ¡°Let¡¯s not digress. So long as we live, I don¡¯t care how you want to deal with the eggs, even if you want to eat one of them!¡± The group started the discussion at once. But they couldn¡¯t think of any method that could defeat the hydra. The hydra was way too powerful. ¡°The only plausible solution now is to forge an alliance with the Living Dead Clan and block the hydra out with the traps inside the Mausoleum. Then, we wait for Liu Dahai¡¯s assistance!¡± Liu Erquan said. He then gazed at the others and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be safe after Liu Dahai has brought our ancestor here!¡± After a moment of hesitation, Liu Liuhai voiced the main concern on his mind. ¡°But what if the ancestor¡¯s protective aura fails to kill the hydra?¡± ¡°That monster will surely swallow our ancestor whole!¡± The remark knitted everyone¡¯s brows. Liu Liuhai¡¯s concern was valid. Although the Ancestor¡¯s protective aura could cut down any human, no one had tested it on a hydra. ¡°There¡¯s no record in the family booklet that the Ancestor had tried to slay monsters of similar ranks. But the Story of Ancestors did mention that the Ancestor had once ventured into the very ancient forest of Scorpio Island in his twilight years. He had gone with a group of founding ancestors of other clans in search of immortality.¡± ¡°A few months later, our ancestor returned alone, his body covered in blood. Everyone else had died in the forest,¡± Liu Liuhai said as he recalled. He gazed at the other people and continued, ¡°Hence, I suspect that our ancestor probably encountered similar monsters before. And he survived!¡± Liu Erquan shook his head. ¡°Everyone knows that after our ancestor returned, he dominated the entire martial arts realm on Scorpio Island. He slaughtered all the forces whose leaders had died in the expedition. After that, he took their secret cultivation techniques and emptied their treasure houses.¡± ¡°In other words, our ancestor might not have gone to the depths of the ancient forest at all. It could have been an excuse to exterminate all those clans who could potentially pose a threat to ours. Besides, no one could possibly reject the allure of the cultivation techniques and treasurers of other clans.¡± The rest nodded in agreement. They were impressed and held in awe by the Ancestor¡¯s wisdom and cunning. Indeed, the Ancestor was a legendary hero. Only he had the foresight and patience to plot such a grand scheme in the last years of his life. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s talk to the Living Dead Clan. They must have some good cards up their sleeves to have survived and become prosperous these last thousand years!¡± Liu Erquan said as he led his people out of the room to report to the Living Dead leaders. ¡°Our Liu clan has sent a message back to request for assistance. We believe that help will soon arrive,¡± Liu Erquan told the Grand Elder. ¡°But we¡¯ll need two days at least!¡± ¡°Can the Mausoleum traps hold off the hydra for two days?¡± The Grand Elder replied with a confident smile, ¡°Two days? That thing won¡¯t reach us in two months!¡± However, as soon as she had finished speaking, the entire palace suddenly started to shake and the walls began to crack. ¡°Oh no! The hydra is here!¡± The Living Dead disciples in the other stone rooms sent the alert through special gears. The essence of the construction of the Living Dead Mausoleum was the eight trigrams[1], which enabled message transmission from hundreds of meters away with the use of inbuilt gears. The Grand Elder asked anxiously, ¡°Where is the hydra? Which area?¡± ¡°She¡¯s already reached Wind! AHH¡ª!¡± The disciple¡¯s scream was abruptly cut short by the sound of stones collapsing. ¡°The hydra is not far away!¡± Ye Qing said. She looked at the Grand Elder, apprehension burning in her eyes. The other seven Elders had looked over too. The Living Dead Clan had survived for more than a thousand years not only because of their well-defended Mausoleum but also because they had a secret hiding place ¡ª the Valley. ¡°Go to the Valley!¡± the Grand Elder ordered. Then, she turned to the Liu members and said in a harsh tone, ¡°Please cover your eyes.¡± She didn¡¯t want outsiders to know the route to the Valley, especially members of the Liu clan. That was one of the most important secrets of the Living Dead Clan. Having their eyes covered, the Liu group was guided out of the palace by a few disciples. They turned around a few corners, moved forward and backward, and even walked in circles sometimes. The Living Dead disciples had purposely made them do it to disorientate them. That worked very well. Liu Liuhai and the rest were soon feeling dizzy. Liu Erquan managed to roughly memorize the route, but his memory was cloudy too. [1] Eight symbols used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality Chapter 56 When their blindfolds had been removed, the group realized that they were in a paradise-like village. Rising high into the clouds, tall mountains closed in on them from all directions. The village was situated on the only flat ground among the mountains, stretching over hundreds of miles into the valley. The village houses were simple and unsophisticated, lining up along the roads. A dozen children were chasing after dogs in the streets while roosters ran after hens in the chicken farms. A gray-haired nanny collected a few freshly-laid eggs from the chicken nests and joyfully put them in her basket. ¡°Welcome home, girls! I¡¯ll cook fried eggs for you today!¡± The nanny called out to the Living Dead disciples warmly. It¡¯s apparent that they had known each other for a long time. Ye Qing politely declined her offer and led her disciples behind the Grand Elder, walking through a long street to the other end of the village. Meanwhile, Liu Erquan was walking in front of the other Liu members. All of them were held in awe by this eye-opening experience. None of them had known about the existence of a village in the White Sun Mountain ¡ª a populous one of more than ten thousand residents. A while later, they arrive at their destination. It was a magnificent ancestral temple! At the entrance of the temple stood a statue. With his hands folded behind his back, the statue gazed into the distance with an imposing look in his eyes, as if the entire world was under his control. Moreover, the extraordinary details seemed to relay that this was a masterpiece by the hands of a talented sculptor. It was of a vivid young man with well-defined facial features and stern expressions. Few living men were as handsome as he was! However, as the Living Dead disciples walked past the statue, all of them had stopped to spit at it, including the Grand Elder, Ye Qing, and the remaining martial arts masters. It was as if spitting at the statue was part of a ritual before entering the ancestral temple. ¡°Tsk, why does the Living Dead Clan have such strange rules? Why spit at a statue?!¡± Liu Sanhai laughed. He walked forward and wanted to spit too. ¡°Wait!¡± Liu Liuhai suddenly dashed forward and covered Liu Sanhai¡¯s mouth. Liu Sanhai swallowed the saliva back and shouted at Liu Liuhai angrily, his face bright red, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Liuhai? Why are you so fond of causing me trouble?¡± Liu Liuhai widened his eyes in fury and said, ¡°Open your damn eyes and look at this statue!¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s with the statue?!¡± Liu Sanhai smacked his lips and turned to the statue. A few seconds later, he said, bewildered, ¡°Hmm, he does look familiar. Who is this man?¡± His words were met with unanimous agreement. Liu Erquan, Liu Erhai, and the other Liu members nodded and started discussing who the man could be. Having seen this, Liu Liuhai raised his head and roared, ¡°My goodness! Are you all blind? This man is our very first ancestor!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡ª¡± Astounded, they gazed up to take a closer look. ¡°He¡¯s right¡­ It¡¯s our ancestor!¡± ¡°Holy moly!¡± Liu Erhai cried in astonishment. In an attempt to learn more cultivation techniques, Liu Erhai had been touching the Ancestor recently. Hence, he couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the Ancestor¡¯s looks. The statue was of a young man with a handsome face, an intimidating air, and a frosty expression. Who else could it be if it wasn¡¯t their ancestor?! ¡°My distinguished ancestor, why is your statue here?!¡± Liu Sanhai was shocked, but at the same time, he felt grateful to Liu Liuhai for stopping him in time. Had he spat on the Liu ancestor¡¯s statue, he would be remembered forever as a sinner among the Liu family. Flaying him alive wouldn¡¯t be enough punishment for this crime. At this moment, a girl walked by elegantly. She puffed up her pretty cheeks and spit out sparkling saliva. Her saliva flew towards the statue following a trajectory. ¡°STOP!¡± Liu Sanhai roared in a thundering rage. He suddenly leaped forward and slapped the saliva back onto the girl¡¯s face. ¡°Ahh¡ª!¡± The girl screamed and drew her sword immediately. The commotion attracted the attention of every Living Dead disciple around them. They glared at Liu Sanhai, fury boiling in their eyes. ¡°Step aside, damn women!¡± Liu Liuhai shouted as he sprinted towards the statue, followed by Liu Erquan, Liu Erhai, other members of the Liu clan, and a bunch of fighters led by Black-Handed Zhang. The atmosphere grew tense instantly. Wondering what was going on, the Grand Elder and the eight martial arts masters stepped out of the ancestral temple to check on the situation. The girl reported what had just happened as she knelt on the ground, her saliva still on her face. Liu Sanhai held his chin high, showing no sign of remorse. Liu Liuhai took out the spirit tablet from his chest pocket and questioned them loudly, ¡°Why do your Living Dead people have to spit at our Liu ancestor¡¯s statue?!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t give us a proper explanation, we¡¯ll fight you to death today!¡± Liu Erquan stepped forward too. He said in a cold voice, ¡°You can insult us. But you are looking for death if you dare humiliate our First Ancestor!¡± He turned around and saw wet marks of saliva all over the statue. To his abhorrence, there was snot dangling on the statue too. Who shamelessly blew their nose at the Ancestor¡¯s statue?! Liu Erquan had lost his composure. His chest was heaving rapidly and his eyes were bloodshot with rage. However, the Grand Elder did not answer them. Her bright eyes stared at the tablet in Liu Liuhai¡¯s hand. ¡°Liu Fan, an esteemed and well-loved ancestor, First Physical Cultivator!¡± She recited it word by word. Her face grew grimmer as she read it. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have allowed you to come here!¡± the Grand Elder thundered. Then, she gestured at the Living Dead disciples to move back, revealing the stone slab beside the temple door. There was a prominent line of words written on the slab. ¡°No Lius and Dogs Allowed!¡± The Grand Elder raised her head and said to the furious Liu men, ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, but this is the rule set by the founding ancestor of our Living Dead Clan!¡± ¡°Before our ancestor passed away, she wrote ten clan rules. First, before entering the ancestral temple, every Living Dead disciple must spit at the Liu ancestor¡¯s statue and recite a line in their heart!¡± ¡°What line?¡± Liu Liuhai asked. ¡°Every man is a jerk, and every physical cultivator of the Liu clan is trash!¡± the Grand Elder replied. ¡°Ahh¡ª!¡± Liu Liuhai roared, ¡°We can¡¯t call ourselves descendants of the Liu family if we don¡¯t tear down your ancestral temple today!¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Liu Erquan pulled Liu Liuhai back by his arm as the latter was about to leap forward. He stared straight into the Grand Elder¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°The First Ancestor of our clan was kind and gentle. He was well-loved by the people of his time, who politely called him the First Physical Cultivator. Please enlighten us how such a dignified man deserves the humiliation received under the roof of your Living Dead Clan!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t give us a reasonable explanation, please forgive our rudeness for fighting you to the death!¡± The Grand Elder laughed, and so did Ye Qing and the other seven martial arts masters. ¡°I will only need to tell you one name, and you¡¯ll know how unspeakably despicable your ¡®honorable¡¯ First Ancestor was in the past!¡± the Grand Elder said, fuming with anger. ¡°Bai ¡ª Lian ¡ª Hua[1]!¡± the Grand Elder said, pausing between each word. Liu Erquan¡¯s face changed as soon as he heard the name, and so did the others. ¡°It¡¯s the Ancestor¡¯s second woman!¡± ¡°According to the Story of Ancestors, Bai Lianhua was a real beauty, but she couldn¡¯t stay still and kept challenging our first ancestor to single combat. In the end, she sealed herself in a cave and vowed that she would only come out of seclusion after she had found a way to defeat our ancestor¡­¡± Liu Liuhai recalled. Then, his eyes froze. He shouted, ¡°Is Bai Lianhua the founding ancestor of your clan?¡± ¡°Correct. Bai Lianhua is exactly the founding ancestor of our Living Dead Clan!¡± the Grand Elder said proudly. Her eyes then turned to the spirit tablet in Liu Liuhai¡¯s hand with a furious look. ¡°Our ancestor, Bai Lianhua, was a sweet and pure lady. She was respectfully known as Saint Lotus. However, your ancestor seduced her and took her virginity. She regretted it and hated him for this until she finally died from depression. This can never be forgotten nor forgiven!¡± Liu Liuhai and the other Liu members snorted. ¡°Ridiculous! Our ancestor Liu Fan was a handsome fighter. Women who fell for him could line up three rounds around the City of Scorpio. Your accusations are impossible!¡± Liu Erhai nodded in agreement and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Our ancestor is not a dishonorable man!¡± Then, he shifted his eyes and taunted, ¡°Both the Story of Ancestors and our family booklet documented how charming our ancestor was back then, and how crazy your founding ancestor was about our ancestor. However, she had never managed to win over his heart. That¡¯s why she came up with the idea of single combats so that she could spend more time with our ancestor.¡± ¡°Shameless!¡± ¡°Therefore, it¡¯s more likely that your ancestor drugged our ancestor and took our ancestor¡¯s virginity!¡± Having said that, Liu Erhai turned to Liu Dongdong and said in a serious tone, ¡°Dongdong, when you grow up, don¡¯t forget that there are bad women too. Remember to protect yourself when you are out alone!¡± The Living Dead disciples were outraged at his provoking remarks. The swords in their hands were shaking in their anger, sending off a murderous vibe. [1] Literally means ¡®the white lotus,¡¯ a symbol of purity and innocence in China Chapter 57 Upholding the reputation of the first ancestor was of utmost importance to both the Living Dead Clan and the Liu family. ¡°Our Living Dead Clan will not let this slip. We¡¯ll get back at you after the hydra is defeated!¡± the Grand Elder said coldly, thinking that the Liu clan was a bunch of scoundrels. The Liu men did not back down either. Their lips twitched in annoyance, not at all convinced by the story told by the Living Dead Clan. A few Living Dead disciples were ordered to guard outside the ancestral temple, watching the Liu men. Meanwhile, the Grand Elder, together with the eight martial arts masters, all entered the temple. There was a spirit tablet in the center of the temple, which belonged to the founding ancestor of the Living Dead Clan, Bai Lianhua. Beside the tablet, a scarlet spear was stabbed into a stone altar. Crooked as a snake, the spear was sending off a terrifying air. The Grand Elder and the others gazed at the spear, their eyes filled with mixed emotions. ¡°Although the first ancestor of the Liu clan betrayed our founding ancestor¡¯s deep love, it¡¯s undeniable that his martial arts cultivation skills were invincible and unfathomable!¡± ¡°His physical body perished thousands of years ago, but his weapon has protected our Living Dead Clan ever since!¡± The Grand Elder sighed. The scarlet spear in the stone altar was the very weapon Liu Fan had used in his time. The Blood Viper Spear! The weapon was 9.9 inches long and 99,999 kilograms in weight! It was made from glazed blood essence and was called the Most Legendary Weapon in the world. More than a thousand years ago, Liu Fan had wielded it to harvest countless souls. ¡°Master, I have always had a question. How did the Liu ancestor¡¯s weapon end up in our hands?¡± Ye Qing asked. Her question drew curious glances from the other seven martial arts masters. The Grand Elder answered proudly, ¡°That¡¯s naturally because this Blood Viper Spear was a loot taken by our founding ancestor!¡± The corner of her mouth was curling upwards slightly as she spoke. ¡°Loot?¡± Ye Qing and the rest were in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s right. A loot!¡± The Grand Elder smiled and continued, ¡°Although the physical cultivators of the Liu clan are indeed abominable, they were right about one thing. Thousands of years ago, the first ancestor of the Liu clan was truly a beautiful man. It¡¯s no exaggeration to call him the prettiest man in the City of Scorpio. His excellent cultivation abilities and likable personality only added to his charm. As a result, numerous women fell for him.¡± Ye Qing and the others nodded in agreement. They could tell from the statue outside the ancestral temple that this man¡¯s face was terrific. ¡°To spend more time with the Liu ancestor alone, our ancestor cultivated hard and often invited the Liu ancestor out in the name of single combats.¡± ¡°Over years of combat, they gradually developed feelings for each other. In the end, on a fine night, our ancestor used certain tricks to¡­ well, you know what I mean¡­ Yes, those kinds of tricks¡­ I believe you¡¯ve heard about the details too¡­ After the incident, the Liu ancestor left and denied everything that had happened between them. Furious, our ancestor threatened him with death. Hence, in order to protect his own reputation, the Liu ancestor left his weapon, the Blood Viper Spear, with our ancestor as a form of compensation¡­¡± After the Grand Elder had revealed the truth, Ye Qing and the others were dumbfounded. ¡°If that¡¯s what happened, our ancestor was the one at fault!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The Grand Elder snorted and said, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years. No one knows what actually happened. No matter what, we are the rightful owner of their Liu ancestor¡¯s Blood Viper Spear!¡± ¡°Yes! You are right, Master!¡± Ye Qing nodded with all seriousness. Living in the White Sun Mountain, the Living Dead Clan had encountered multiple sieges or waves of attacks by enemies and beasts, yet the Blood Viper Spear had helped them survive every crisis. In other words, the Living Dead Clan would have been wiped out during the beast riot hundreds of years ago if not for the Blood Viper Spear. The Grand Elder urged, ¡°Our Mausoleum can¡¯t hold back the hydra for long. We need to awaken the Blood Viper Spear now!¡± Having heard her, the martial arts masters sat down in a circle around the Blood Viper Spear. They slit their fingers and let the blood drip on the spear. ¡°Ring¡ª!¡± The spear absorbed fresh blood and started to vibrate. Traces of red light flashed across the shaft of the spear. Suddenly, a striking wave of energy burst from the blade, as if signaling the comeback of the incomparable weapon. The energy wave swept through the Grand Elder and the other masters, instantly making their faces pale. The shifting light on the shaft looked macabre, the mere sight of which made one shiver in fear. They couldn¡¯t imagine how many lives it had to take to turn an ordinary weapon to one that thirsted for blood! This spear was too heavy to be lifted by any normal person. Hence, they had to awaken it with blood before using it every time. The blood ritual was a technique taught by their founding ancestor. However, this ritual consumed an immense amount of inner energy. Therefore, the Living Dead Clan would only awaken the Blood Viper Spear when absolutely necessary. Outside the ancestral temple, the Liu men were still under the watch of the Living Dead disciples and they were not allowed to move around freely. Food was delivered to them during mealtimes. ¡°Hmm?!¡± Suddenly, Liu Erquan looked up from his food. He felt a sudden grip in his heart and turned to the ancestral temple at once. He¡¯d sensed that something frightening was slowly coming back to life. ¡®Is that their trump card?!¡¯ Liu Erquan thought to himself. As expected, the Living Dead Clan had many secrets. They were here by Liu Tao¡¯s order to steal the treasure of the Living Dead Clan and to retake the physical cultivation techniques left behind by the First Ancestor. But it seemed that things were not that simple and might require more deliberation. ¡°I wonder if Liu Dahai has informed the Clan Head about the hydra. Will they bring the Ancestor here?¡­¡± ¡°Once the Ancestor is here, no one can stand in his way! The hydra and the Living Dead women are nothing compared to him!¡± Two days had passed in the blink of an eye. One night, Liu Erquan and the others were sitting in front of the ancestral temple, cultivating. Suddenly, they heard a loud boom from the mountain in the east. Startled, everyone stood up and gazed towards where the noise was from. Moonlight shone above the mountains. They could see that the mountain range was collapsing, bringing up clouds of dust. The ground was shaking. It was as if the apocalypse had befallen them. Horrified, a Living Dead disciple shouted, ¡°No! The Mausoleum is down! The hydra is coming at us!¡± She hurriedly rushed into the ancestral temple to report to the Grand Elder. At that time, the blood ritual had been completed, and the Grand Elder and the martial art masters were resting. The Blood Viper Spear beside them had been fully activated. Energy menacingly concentrated at the tip of the spear, ready to deal a fatal blow any moment! The loud noise of mountains collapsing was hard to miss on a quiet night even from inside the temple. The Grand Elder told the disciple who had rushed in, ¡°Tell everyone that the Blood Viper Spear has been activated. Stay calm!¡± The fluster on the disciple¡¯s face vanished at once. She breathed a sigh of relief and relayed the message to the other members. Upon hearing the news, everyone had calmed down. An expectant look emerged in their eyes. The hydra could never defeat the guardian weapon of their clan! Liu Erquan and the other Liu members watched in astonishment and confusion. ¡°So the trump card of the Living Dead Clan is a weapon? But what kind of weapon can give them so much confidence? Could it be something from the mysterious spaceship?¡± Liu Liuhai frowned and mumbled to himself, ¡°I heard them saying the Blood Viper Spear¡­ Why does it sound so familiar¡­¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, on the other side of the White Sun Mountain ten miles away, a group of people was marching forward at the top of their speeds while carrying a coffin on their shoulders. Behind them, an army of thousands of black soldiers was advancing forward. They were armed with swords and bows, and their intimidating air had driven all the animals out of the surrounding forest. It was Liu Tao¡¯s army. Earlier, Liu Dahai had reported to Liu Tao about the appearance of the hydra in the White Sun Mountain and that Liu Erquan¡¯s group had been captured by the Living Dead Clan. Upon hearing this, Liu Tao carried Liu Fan¡¯s coffin out of the ancestral temple immediately and came to their rescue. They pressed forward day and night, taking no rest at all. He had deployed close to 2000 out of the 3000 Scythe Army soldiers in this mission. He was making use of almost all of his forces. When they were ten miles away from the Living Dead village, they felt the ground shaking too. Then, they heard the faint cry of the beast. The sound provided them with the exact location of the Valley. From inside the coffin, Liu Fan had started to sense his surroundings. He was somewhat surprised when he picked up the malicious air hidden in the mountains. The air was so intensely hostile that it could only come from the most feared beast from the ancient forest of Scorpio Island. However, those monsters had their own territories and rich resources in the ancient forest. They wouldn¡¯t normally leave for anywhere else. So then, why did this one suddenly appear in the White Sun Mountain¡­? ¡°Did something unusual happen in the far lands of Scorpio Island?¡­¡± Chapter 58 The atmosphere that shrouded the White Sun Mountain was one of terror, driving animals out of the forest. Carrying Liu Fan¡¯s coffin on his shoulder, Liu Tao felt increasingly nervous as he walked on. Other members of the Liu clan and the Scythe Army soldiers were feeling unease too, their faces turning pale. ¡°Right there! This way!¡± Liu Dahai led everyone to the top of the mountain range. There, strong winds were howling. They saw a giant rock standing tall on the mountain peak. The rock was 30 meters tall. Liu Tao leaped onto the top of it effortlessly. As he gazed at the mountains around them, his expressions changed slightly. ¡°The Living Dead Clan has indeed picked a perfect spot!¡± ¡°Oh?! Is the geographic location favorable?¡± Liu Dahai asked. Liu Tao nodded and said, ¡°The terrain here is a typical Scorpio Map. Look, the claws are over there, each characterized by steep peaks and sheer cliffs. Phantoms wander on the ground at night, and mists cloak the mountains in the day. The Death Gate surrounds the scorpion, and the Life Gate is situated in its stomach.¡± ¡°I presume the Living Dead Mausoleum is located in the stomach of the scorpion. A perilous a place as it is, no one has managed to access the Life Gate alive. However, now that the hydra has shaken the mountains and destroyed the Mausoleum, the Living Dead Clan is in grave danger.¡± Liu Tao turned to look at Liu Dahai, only to realize that the latter was staring back at him blankly. Liu Tao chided, ¡°All the Feng Shui knowledge has been explained in full detail in the Story of Ancestors. You should read it when you have the time. Everything that the Ancestor has left for us is a precious treasure of our clan. Don¡¯t take them for granted!¡± Liu Dahai nodded with utmost sincerity, as if he had learned his lesson. Having heard Liu Tao lecture Liu Dahai, Liu Fan felt heartened. Back in his day, he had learned about Feng Shui to aid with his treasure hunting adventure in the graves. He hadn¡¯t expected that his expertise and knowledge would have been recorded in the Story of Ancestors. Moreover, he was pleased to hear that Liu Tao had benefited a great deal from it. Liu Dahai asked Liu Tao, ¡°So what should we do? How do we save Erquan¡¯s team?¡± Liu Tao studied the terrains and decided on a path. They followed the path to walk outside the range of the Living Dead Mausoleum, finally arriving before a cliff. They looked down and saw a village at the foot of the cliff. Fire was raging through the village, which was now boiling with whistles, screams, and scurried footsteps. Among the commotion, Living Dead disciples dressed in white robes were trying to activate a mechanism. Suddenly, a huge explosion was triggered beside the hydra, which had just escaped the mountains from the Mausoleum. A mushroom cloud rose high into the sky with a boom. In the next instant, the ground started to shake. Hurt, the hydra roared in the dense clouds. Unfortunately, her wounds, which were not fatal, had incited her aggressiveness. The hydra swept her gigantic body on the ground, instantly flattening houses, trees, and farmlands to the ground with a cyclone. People fled in terror. At the top of the cliff, Liu Tao was dumbfounded by the enormous size of the hydra. The other members of the Liu clan and the Scythe Army soldiers were shivering in fear. Their minds went blank when the hydra let out an intimidating roar. ¡°Clan Head, look! Liu Erquan¡¯s team is over there!¡± Liu Dahai exclaimed as he pointed down. Liu Tao followed his finger and saw them outside a majestic building. They were with many Living Dead disciples, who were building a giant crossbow and aiming it at the hydra. ¡°Woosh!¡± The arrow screeched and pierced through the air towards the hydra, sending off a gust of wind. The hydra swayed her tail and deflected the arrow, which was then sent into the forest. In the next instant, the hydra suddenly sprang towards her aggressors. ¡°They are in danger!¡± Liu Dahai cried. Together with Liu Tao, he opened Liu Fan¡¯s coffin and was ready to use their ancestor. However, at this moment, they felt a sharp energy wave exploding from within the Living Dead ancestral temple. The energy wave immediately sent off black cyclones in the surrounding area, and a black cloud was starting to form. Liu Fan was startled by the energy wave¡­ ¡°That¡¯s my Blood Viper Spear!!!¡± He¡¯d sensed it. His master-level spiritual sensitivity allowed him to recognize at once that the energy wave was from the weapon he had wielded to dominate the world thousands of years ago. At the same time, Liu Fan realized that his Blood Viper Spear had undergone some inexplicable changes over the years. It seemed that the spear now had some kind of consciousness¡­ ¡°Buzz¡ª!¡± The tip of the spear vibrated, making a low yet deafening sound. The Blood Viper Spear had been awakened! ¡°Swoosh!¡± In the next second, the spear burst into the sky towards the hydra like a flash of scarlet lightning. Astonished, the hydra suddenly raised her head. A surprised look appeared in her eyes as though she had emotions and consciousness like a human. However, she was not afraid, clearly in disbelief that humans would be able to harm her. Two tentacles stretched out of the head of the hydra, ready to defend the incoming attack. Then, she raised her tail and swung it towards the Blood Viper Spear. In the next instant, the spear emerged through the tail with a flash of blood. ¡°Puff!¡± The hydra¡¯s tentacles were shattered into pieces. Not slowed down by the impact at all, the Blood Viper Spear pierced right through the hydra¡¯s scales and nailed her on the ground with immense force. Blood gushed out of the hydra¡¯s wounds like a fountain. The hydra cried out in pain. The ground caved in under her, and the valley collapsed due to her relentless struggling. Liu Erquan and the rest were dumbfounded at the sight of this. Never had they imagined that the Living Dead Clan was in possession of such a powerful trump card which had severely wounded the hydra in merely one shot. It was unthinkable! They would surely be able to kill the hydra with a few more blows like this. However, the expression on the Grand Elder¡¯s and the martial arts masters¡¯ faces was more of despair and fluster than joy. They said, ¡°The Blood Viper Spear can only be cast once. Since the hydra is still alive, we are doomed!¡± ¡°Ahh!?¡± Shocked, Liu Erquan and the others asked, ¡°Only once? Why?! If you use it a few more times, we surely can defeat the hydra!¡± The Grand Elder¡¯s expression grew even graver. She looked at the Liu men and sighed. ¡°In fact, this Blood Viper Spear belongs to the first ancestor of your clan. We are unable to wield it at its full strength. Hence, we can only forcefully activate it by blood ritual, which provides sufficient energy for only one shot!¡± ¡°What?! This weapon belongs to the First Ancestor of our clan?!¡± Liu Erquan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Liu Liuhai had come to a realization at once. He exclaimed, ¡°That¡¯s right! I was wondering why the name Blood Viper Spear sounds so familiar! So it turns out to be our ancestor¡¯s weapon!¡± Ye Qing supported the Grand Elder by her arm and shook her head. She forced a smile and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of bringing all that up now? None of us is strong enough to wield the Blood Viper Spear, not unless you are able to bring your first ancestor back to life. Otherwise, this killer spear can never manifest its full power!¡± On top of the cliff, Liu Tao had also witnessed the strength of the Blood Viper Spear. He was astounded to see how much damage it could deal to that monstrous hydra with just one blow. At his side, Liu Dahai stared open-mouthed for a long time. Liu Fan felt surprised too. ¡°When did my Blood Viper Spear become so powerful?!¡± ¡°Its color has changed too!¡± ¡°I remember that it was glistening red thousands of years ago. Despite its chilling-looking blade, it was nothing more than a weapon that had cut down many lives.¡± ¡°But now, the spear is blood red in color. Honestly speaking, I¡¯m terrified by its power. Its aura has materialized in the form of black clouds and it is almost capable of destroying the world!¡± Chapter 59 The Blood Viper Spear had pierced through the hydra, causing her to be stuck on the mountain. She roared in frustration and agony and struggled with all her might. The ground cracked open, the mountains shook, the aura of fury spread throughout the entire place. Boom! The hydra hit herself and tried to break free. The Blood Viper Spear was still on her body, and blood flowed non-stop. However, that triggered her beastly nature and intention to kill. She roared to the sky. With a killer aura, she charged towards the direction of the Living Dead Clan¡¯s ancestral temple. She¡¯d sensed her eggs in the temple. Her eyes, which were as huge as basins, lit up with green light. They stared at Liu Erhai and Liu Sanhai among the crowd. Both of them were carrying an egg each. ¡°Roar!¡± The hydra roared furiously, and both of them ran in fear when they saw her furious gaze. Both of them threw the egg to the left and right at the same time. The egg that Liu Sanhai was holding on to was thrown towards Liu Tao, Liu Dahai, and the rest near the cliff. ¡°F*ck! That bastard Liu Sanhai!¡± Liu Dahai shouted in anger. Liu Sanhai must have seen them coming over with their ancestor and decided to force them to use their ancestor to kill the hydra. Liu Tao¡¯s expression changed drastically and he shouted, ¡°Run!¡± The second he finished saying that, a black shadow had charged over and its shadow was cast over the cliff. The hydra was here. She caught the falling egg with her feelers. Meanwhile, it saw Liu Tao and the rest. She stood upright with her 100-meter long body. Staring at Liu Tao and the rest with her green eyes, her gaze was cruel and cold, and gooey liquid began dripping down her sharp teeth. ¡°Clan Head, help us!¡± the members of the Liu clan began to shout in fear. The other soldiers from the Scythe Army had fallen to the ground. They nearly fainted when they saw the hydra approaching. ¡°Hurry, bring out our ancestor!¡± Liu Dahai shouted in fear. He had already cultivated his ancestor to become a battle puppet. However, he was drained of energy and could not control his ancestor. Liu Tao used all his strength. He carried the coffin and threw it out. ¡°Ancestor, please forgive your unfilial descendant!¡± he roared, then watched in desperation, waiting for the hydra to destroy his ancestor¡¯s protective aura. With his massive strength as a grand martial arts master, he had thrown the coffin towards the hydra¡¯s eyes. If the hydra broke the coffin and it fell on their ancestor¡¯s body, the protective aura would be activated and everything would be killed. However, the hydra opened her mouth, swung her head, and swallowed the entire coffin. Then, she sucked in air and the rocks, trees, and everything around them rose into the sky. The Scythe Army shouted in fear and were thrown up into the air instead of entering the hydra¡¯s mouth. Liu Tao and Liu Dahai hugged an ancient tree and struggled to stay still amid the strong wind. They shouted in agony when they saw the surrounding clan members and the Scythe Army getting swallowed by the hydra. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the protective aura of our ancestor activated yet?!¡± ¡°Is it not working anymore?!¡± In the stomach of the hydra, the coffin had cracked open. Liu Fan opened his eyes and flicked his left middle finger! ¡°Swoosh!¡± A beam of light was shot from his finger. It was the Yi Yang Finger! The light grew brighter and stronger. Instantly, like a bomb, it penetrated the hydra¡¯s heart and internal organs before passing through her head and into the night sky without weakening. Boom! The Yi Yang Finger exploded in the night sky. The blinding white light disappeared after lighting up the mountain, causing many creatures to tremble in fear. On the cliff, the hydra suddenly fell to the ground and fell off the cliff. Liu Dahai and Liu Tao, who had managed to escape unscathed, were pale but looked on in excitement. ¡°What happened?!¡± ¡°That white beam of light was like the Yi Yang Finger!¡± ¡°However, our ancestor had died. Why was there the Yi Yang Finger?!¡± Liu Tao was confused and ran down the cliff. Liu Dahai followed behind and saw Liu Sanhai and the rest running from the mountain. He thought, could it have been Liu Sanhai who made their ancestor use his Yi Yang Finger?! ¡°Yes, it must be so!¡± Liu Dahai was deep in thought. Both Liu Sanhai and himself had cultivated their ancestor. At this moment, the Grand Elder of the Living Dead Clan and the rest came over. Liu Erquan and some others also followed. They had lost hope. However, a terrifying beam of white light shot out of the hydra¡¯s head and saved their lives. They were surprised but confused. When they saw Liu Dahai and Liu Tao but not the Ancestor, they immediately figured it out. ¡°It seems that their head of clan had sacrificed their ancestor to save us, hahaha!¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to the Ancestor, we are saved!¡± Liu Tao and Liu Dahai exclaimed. Liu Erquan was proud and excited when he heard this. They hugged and laughed happily. Only Liu Liuhai frowned and was deep in thought. That was because the beam of light that killed the hydra was not like the protective aura of his ancestor. Instead, it was more like the Yi Yang Finger. However, that Yi Yang Finger was too terrifying. He could not imagine anyone being able to train their Yi Yang Finger to that level. Liu Liuhai shook his head and decided not to think about it anymore. He looked around but did not see his ancestor¡¯s body. He asked anxiously, ¡°Where is our ancestor? Where did you put him?¡± ¡°There!¡± Liu Tao pointed to the hydra¡¯s body. ¡°Our ancestor is in her stomach!¡± ¡°What?! You guys¡­!¡± Liu Liuhai stomped his feet in anger. ¡°Hurry up and get our ancestor out of there. He saved our lives and we are keeping him in this hydra¡¯s stomach?!¡± Liu Tao felt embarrassed when he heard that. As the head of their clan, he seemed to be less filial than Liu Liuhai. He immediately ordered everyone to cut open the hydra¡¯s stomach to get their ancestor out. The Grand Elder and the other members of the Living Dead Clan were stunned when they heard this conversation. They heard that the ancestor of the Liu clan had killed the hydra and saved everyone! However, wasn¡¯t the ancestor of the Liu clan dead for 1000 years? How could he still kill the hydra?! ¡°You¡­ Your ancestor is still alive?!¡± asked the Grand Elder with a trembling voice. ¡°Of course! Our ancestor will not die!¡± Liu Liuhai replied loudly as he cut the hydra with a knife, ¡°To me, our ancestor never died!¡± When they heard that, the Grand Elder and the other experts from the Living Dead Clan heaved a sigh of relief. They were extremely scared earlier on. They had been spitting at the Liu family¡¯s ancestor for 1000 years¡­ If their ancestor was still alive, they would be killed. ¡°No way! Since their ancestor had died, how could he kill the hydra?!¡± Ye Qing suddenly realized. The beam of light must have been the killer move. Since the ancestor of the Liu family had died, how did he execute that killer move?! This question puzzled Ye Qing and the rest of the Living Dead Clan. The members of the Liu clan were also puzzled. Could they have been fooled by their ancestor, and he was actually not dead?! Liu Dahai observed Liu Sanhai. Liu Sanhai felt it, and when he looked up, their gazes met. Liu Dahai wanted to use his message transmission skills to ask if Liu Sanhai had used his powers to make their ancestor use his Yi Yang Finger. However, Liu Sanhai suddenly smiled mysteriously at him and gave him a thumbs up secretly. Liu Dahai was stunned and did not understand. Liu Sanhai transmitted a message, ¡°Dahai, stop pretending. You used our ancestor to kill the hydra earlier on. It must have felt very amazing!¡± ¡°What?! I didn¡¯t!¡± Liu Dahai transmitted back in innocence. Liu Sanhai did not believe him and smiled as he transmitted another message. ¡°If you didn¡¯t do it, then how do you explain what had happened? Don¡¯t tell me our ancestor came back to life and attacked personally!¡± Liu Dahai was so frustrated that he stared at Liu Sanhai with his eyes wide open. He did not expect Liu Sanhai to accuse someone so well. Liu Sanhai was the one who did it, but he refused to admit it. However, he suddenly had an idea. ¡°Liu Sanhai was punished by our Clan Head a few days ago to rear pigs with Liu Daquan. Today, he controlled our ancestor and does not dare to admit it. Otherwise, he would probably lose his position as an Elder!¡± ¡°He is afraid to be investigated by our Clan Head and hence wanted to frame me.¡± ¡°Liu Sanhai, Liu Sanhai, I had underestimated you!¡± Liu Dahai¡¯s thoughts were becoming clearer as he gritted his teeth. However, no matter what, he could not let the Clan Head know about the cultivation of their ancestor. Liu Liuhai too. He worshiped their ancestor too much. If he knew about the matter, he would definitely kill Liu Sanhai and Liu Dahai. Therefore, he moved closer to Liu Sanhai as he cut the hydra. He was trying to calm down and begin to discuss with Liu Sanhai¡­ ¡°Sanhai, we are on the same boat. If I am doomed, you are doomed too. Why don¡¯t we make this a win-win situation¡­¡± ¡°No! The Ancestor who¡¯s been dead for 1000 years suddenly shot a Yi Yang Finger! That was too scary! Our Clan Head will definitely investigate!¡± ¡°Stupid! Liu Liuhai always talks about how our ancestor works. Let¡¯s just say that our ancestor blessed us, or perhaps he was pretending to be dead. Doesn¡¯t that solve the problem¡­?¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ Dahai, Brother, you are witty¡­¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ Sanhai, Brother, you are smart too¡­¡± Liu Sanhai and Liu Dahai began to smile as they tried hard to cut the hydra¡¯s body. Chapter 60 The sky brightened up. A thin layer of fog shrouded the mountain. At the cliff of the mountain, a black-scaled hydra was laid on the ground, and its aura filled the entire place. Even though the hydra was dead, its body still exuded a terrifying aura, causing some disciples who were less skilled to turn pale and tremble. Its body was 100 meters long and as thick as a bucket. Its head was a big as a millstone. It looked like both a python and a crocodile, it was terrifying and its eyes were as big as lanterns. Its teeth were at least three-foot-long, white, and extremely hard. ¡°We can make a weapon with its teeth!¡± Liu Liuhai exclaimed in excitement when he touched its teeth. When he hit the teeth with his sword, his sword chipped, but no marks were left on the teeth at all. As the chief commander of the Scythe Army, he did not have any weapons like that! ¡°Not only its teeth, we can also manufacture a large batch of armor from this creature¡¯s scales. If everyone from the Liu family and the Scythe Army has one of this, nobody in the City of Scorpio will dare to go against us anymore!¡± ¡°By then, Chief Commander¡¯s name will be renowned in Scorpio Island!¡± Black-Handed Zhang sucked up to Liu Liuhai as he followed along. Liu Liuhai smiled, and seeing that he had done enough, Black-Handed Zhang hinted to Liu Liuhai to give him the hydra¡¯s feeler. ¡°To be honest with you, I have learned a type of whipping technique. However, this technique requires extremely good weapons or it would greatly limit my capability. ¡°If I can turn this hydra¡¯s feeler into a powerful whip, my skills will improve tremendously and I will be able to serve you better, Chief Commander!¡± Liu Liuhai nodded when he heard that. ¡°I have noted that. I will discuss it with our Clan Head!¡± Black-Handed Zhang was extremely happy. He thought of how Iron-Footed Li had made up an excuse and stayed behind as he was afraid of the dangerous mission. He wanted to use the whip to provoke Iron-Footed Li and make him jealous. ¡°However, the Ancestor of the Liu clan is too terrifying. He¡¯s been dead for 1000 years, yet he was still able to make that terrifying killer move!¡± Black-Handed Zhang trembled when he recalled the blinding beam of light from last night. He looked up at the hydra¡¯s head and saw the bloody hole in it. Blood dripped down, and one of the disciples of the Living Dead Clan was collecting the liquid with a basin. ¡°This creature is priceless. Its blood is a good supplement too. We can¡¯t let it go to waste!¡± The Grand Elder of the Living Dead Clan discussed with Liu Tao. They were smiling and very polite to each other. She was especially tempted when she saw the hydra. If she was able to get the hydra¡¯s flesh and blood, scales or bones, her clan¡¯s ability would increase tremendously. However, the hydra was killed by the Liu clan. The Living Dead Clan only managed to injure the hydra. As a result, she could only discuss the terms and conditions with Liu Tao. ¡°There is a huge pond in our ancestral temple. We can put the hydra¡¯s blood inside and share. Are you agreeable?¡± Liu Tao kept silent. He touched the hydra¡¯s blood and licked it. His eyes lit up. Although the hydra¡¯s blood had a fishy smell, after entering his mouth, it turned into a strange energy that melted into his body. He could sense that it was beneficial for his body. ¡°This blood is extremely important to our family¡¯s physical cultivators!!!¡± Liu Tao reached that conclusion immediately. The blood and flesh of the hydra, the Liu clan must have all of them! They would not split it with the Living Dead Clan! He sighed as he turned his head and said to the excited gaze of He Lanxin, the Grand Elder of the Living Dead Clan, ¡°Our ancestor is still in the hydra¡¯s stomach, I am in no mood to discuss this right now!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this later after our ancestor is out!¡± Liu Tao did not agree to He Lanxin¡¯s suggestion but did not reject it either. He was afraid that the Living Dead Clan would become anxious. After that, he began to cut the hydra with his weapons. ¡­ Meanwhile, in the hydra¡¯s body, Liu Fan floated on its blood and heard the conversation between Liu Tao and He Lanxin. He was impressed by Liu Tao¡¯s response. The Clan Head who was concerned about benefiting his family was a good Clan Head! Liu Tao did it correctly! The hydra was not a simple thing to deal with! ¡°I wonder what this hydra ate? Her blood has some traces of treasure!¡± ¡°This is an opportunity for the Liu family. After the physical cultivators of our clan have drunk its blood, everyone would be able to secure a solid foundation!¡± Liu Fan thought that if the entire Liu clan was able to drink the blood of the hydra, their skills would improve tremendously. Liu Fan could sense how Liu Tao and the rest were trying their best to cut the hydra up. Everyone was sweating profusely. ¡°It should be some time before my descendants can cut the hydra open. If that¡¯s the case, let me drink a few sips of blood to replenish my weak body!¡± Liu Fan smiled. Then, he turned the blood in the hydra¡¯s stomach into a whirlpool and absorbed it. His veins were softening; dried up blood was recovering gradually. The protective aura outside his body also began to activate. With the help of his Four Suns Body Tempering Method, the speed of digesting the hydra¡¯s blood increased dramatically. Suddenly. His right thumb began to burn, itch, and turn numb. Meanwhile, the bright eyespot, wind spot, and empty bones began to form three energy swirls, sucking in the energy of the hydra. ¡°The right thumb is recovering!!!¡± Liu Fan was excited. He diverted all his energy to the right thumb! ¡°If my right thumb recovers, I will gain a new killer move!¡± ¡°This killer move is the Six Meridian Divine Swords[1]!¡± The Six Meridian Divine Swords was created on a stormy night after he¡¯d stayed in seclusion for nine years. It was created based on the human¡¯s veins and energy and was suitable for a physical cultivator to conduct a long-distance attack! The Six Meridian Divine Swords was controlled by six fingers. The right thumb controlled the Shaoshang Sword, which was able to break through heaven and cause a heavy storm. Its energy was similar to the Yi Yang Finger! Liu Fan closed his eyes and began to concentrate on the recovery of his thumb¡­ Outside the hydra¡¯s body, Liu Tao indirectly rejected He Lanxin¡¯s suggestion. He Lanxin was cursing internally. She turned around and ordered the disciples of the Living Dead Clan to cut the hydra too. Meanwhile, she told Ye Qing and eight other martial arts masters through their own secret transmission that if they dug out any scales, keep them for themselves. ¡°These scales are extremely hard. If we make them into a secret weapon, we can improve our own skills!¡± Ye Qing and the rest nodded and began to dig with all their might. However, everyone underestimated the hydra¡¯s protection. The black scales were as packed as fish scales. Clanging sounds were heard when the knives and swords hit them. Sparks were produced. It was as though they were hitting a metal surface. Liu Tao used his energy as a grand martial arts master. His sword shone, and after more than ten consecutive attacks, he finally managed to cut off one scale. The other people around him could not achieve anything despite using all their energy. He was shocked by the hydra¡¯s defensive skills. He leaped up. He jumped onto the head of the hydra. The bloody hole on the hydra¡¯s head was as thick as his right arm. He could see the white brain mash. Liu Tao touched the scales on the hydra¡¯s head. Even though he was a grand martial arts master, the scale did not change its shape at all. ¡°The scales here are at least ten times as strong as the other scales on the hydra¡¯s body!¡± Liu Tao was shocked. He looked at the edges of the bloody hole. The terrifying aura remained. This caused him to tremble in fear, but he found that it was somewhat familiar. The scale was penetrated, and a burnt smell was left behind. There seemed to be something burning too. ¡°This was a real Yi Yang Finger attack!¡± Liu Tao was stunned. He touched the edge of the hole and felt the power of the terrifying Yi Yang Finger. ¡°However, our ancestor has been dead for 1000 years already. How did he make this attack?!¡± Liu Tao was confused and looked serious. He felt that the answer to his question was extremely important. It might have to do with the future and fate of the Liu clan! ¡­ A distance away at the tail area of the hydra, Liu Dahai and Liu Sanhai panicked when they saw Liu Tao squatting near the head of the hydra. ¡°Did our Clan Head find out?!¡± ¡°As long as we say that our ancestor pretended to be dead, we will be fine!¡± ¡°Hmm, you are right. Liu Liuhai is a foolish guy who keeps claiming that our ancestor is real. He should agree with us¡­¡± ¡­ Both of them exchanged gazes again and confirmed their thoughts. They smiled and thought that everything was settled! However, when each turned around, they could not help but feel angry about how the other party refused to admit that they had triggered the Yi Yang Finger using their ancestor. How shameless! [1] One of the most powerful moves in Jin Yong¡¯s martial arts