When the matter is done

In the western part of the Imperial City, the moon shone brightly.

Unlike the bustling city center, devoid of noisy night markets and glaring lights, this area was enveloped in profound silence.

In the small courtyard of the “Book House,” an old man sat before a stone table, a pot of cool tea resting in front of him.

Apart from the moonlight, only the gentle sway of a lantern illuminated the house behind him.

“Clack—clack—”

Footsteps crunched on fallen leaves, and as the old man lifted his gaze, a tall, burly figure slowly approached.

The old man poured a cup of cool tea, took a sip, his expression serene.

When he opened his eyes, the man was already standing before him.

“Elder, it’s quite late; shouldn’t you be resting? Sitting out here isn’t terribly safe, is it?”

The burly man bowed slightly, offering what appeared to be earnest advice.

Ignoring him, the old man simply poured another full cup of tea for himself, then pushed it forward, gesturing for the man to take it.

“Patriarch Shangguan, there’s no need for such pretense. Our relationship isn’t that amicable, is it?”

Shangguan Hóngzhì gazed at the tea, some of which had already spilled onto the table, his expression unperturbed, and offered no immediate reply.

He understood the unspoken custom of “a full cup to see off a guest,” but he also knew his purpose here was not to make friends, but to find someone.

“In that case, perhaps it would be more respectful to comply than to refuse?”

He patted his robes, gripping the hem with both hands, and with a swift flick that stirred a gust of wind, scattering a few drops of tea, he settled into his seat.

The cup, which had been full, now held only about seventy percent of its liquid.

Lifting the cup, he offered a respectful nod to the old man, then drained it in one gulp, his uninhibited manner exuding a distinct air of the jianghu.

“Ah, indeed—worthy of the renowned Xie Yi, an elder who once shook the heavens. This tea, it possesses a truly unique flavor,” he remarked, smacking his lips with lingering appreciation, his eyes narrowing. “Might I trouble you for another cup?”

“Tea is plentiful enough, but I wonder if you have the good fortune to drink it,” Xie Yi said, lifting the pot to pour another full cup.

With a gentle push that carried an undercurrent of sharp menace, he added, “Drink it, then get out.”

The Patriarch Shangguan, still with narrowed eyes, subtly raised his right hand, and a surge of the Grand Dao’s momentum began to circulate within his palm.

As if a clap of thunder had struck, the instant the teacup touched his palm, Xie Yi’s fist shot out, aiming directly for Shangguan Hóngzhì’s face.

Veins bulged on his arm, completely obliterating his usual elderly appearance.

“Bang—”

A blast of wind, yet no harm was done.

Before Shangguan Hóngzhì, a layer of grey, textured Stellar Force materialized, almost entirely neutralizing the old man’s ferocious punch.

Noticing the cracks forming in the Stellar Force, he set down the teacup and finally opened his eyes, revealing a pair of dark green pupils glowing with an eerie light.

“Elder Xie, surely we can talk things through peacefully? After all, I am still your junior,” he said, adopting a wronged expression that seemed utterly out of place, even hypocritical, on his face. “For Lín Xīzhī’s sake, you wouldn’t treat me like this, would you?”

“The hell I’m friendly with you! You bastard who caused my son’s death in the secret realm all those years ago, and now you’re laying your hands on my grandchildren?”

“Die!”

The old man roared, unleashing another punch, and this time, the defensive layer of Stellar Force shattered instantly.

With a resounding “bang,” Shangguan Hóngzhì blocked with both hands, retreating continuously until he stopped nearly five meters away.

A long gouge was left in the muddy ground beneath his feet.

“Elder Xie, your son’s death was his own doing. The investigation back then was so clear; surely you, as an elder, know the outcome? Should those who harbor enemies not be slain? And now you’re slandering me, a kind person… isn’t that truly heartbreaking?”

The richly dressed man shook his numb arms, then looked at the elder. “Oh, the rumors all claimed that you, Elder, were ambushed by villains years ago, resulting in the destruction of your meridians and the loss of all your cultivation. Indeed, these rumors can’t be entirely trusted.”

Recalling Shangguan Ce’s situation, a mischievous smile played on his lips. “Or perhaps, you received guidance from some demonic cultivators and engaged in unspeakable dealings?”

Xie Yi, enduring his old wounds, forced himself to stand upright, his left hand hanging low, pressed tightly against his abdomen, concealed behind the stone table.

He watched the man not far away, his expression grim, for his opponent had not fallen to the ground as he had anticipated.

Originally, he had planned to leverage his reputation for having crippled cultivation to catch his opponent off guard and kill him, thus avenging years of grievance.

Failing that, he would at least fight to the death, crippling the man if possible, thereby buying Shangguan Xúnyī enough time to take Yún Mù away.

However, Shangguan Hóngzhì’s strength had far exceeded his imagination, leading him now to contemplate the worst-case scenario: a desperate fight to the bitter end.

‘Alas… Xiao Chun and Xiao Qiu have already left with their grandmother. As per our agreement, it’s unlikely I’ll ever see them again.’

‘I, an old man, have lived for so long, yet my cultivation never amounted to much, and I failed to protect my own son.’

‘Even my old friend’s disciple fell into the Endless Abyss years ago, their whereabouts and fate unknown to this day.’

‘If I can’t protect little Mu now, then I truly would have lived my life in vain.’

‘At the very least, can I just buy a little more time?’

As the old man pondered, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and the six remaining meridians hummed in unison.

Behind him, several ethereal figures of varying shapes slowly emerged, the most dazzling among them a monstrous beast with a human face and a serpent’s body.

“Die!”

Without another word, he pushed off the ground, his figure blurring, and Xie Yi unleashed another devastating punch forward.

This time, however, he struck only air.

“Elder Xie, you are already crippled…”

Shangguan Hóngzhì had appeared behind him at some unknown moment, his right hand raised high before it shot out like a venomous snake, directly piercing the old man’s abdomen. “A cripple should know their place…”

Withdrawing his hand and shaking his arm, blood splattered onto the nearby grass.

He glanced at the crimson stain on his brocade robes, a frown deepening on his brow.

“Tell me… how are you going to compensate me for this garment?”

He crouched down, seizing the old man’s hair, his voice laced with indignation. “Perhaps you could trade your grandchildren for it?”

“Pah!”

Xie Yi spat out a thick glob of phlegm, which landed squarely on Shangguan Hóngzhì’s face. “Heh heh… you bloodthirsty dog… you truly don’t believe that taking little Mu’s bones will save your daughter… ngh…!”

Before he could finish, Shangguan Hóngzhì struck again with a hand-blade, piercing his left side, and blood gushed forth.

“Speak! Who told you this?”

The usually composed Patriarch Shangguan now displayed a rare fury; he lifted the old man before him high, his face ashen.

“Heh heh… I, your old man…”

“Tell me quickly, who told you? My patience is finite.”

His grip tightened, his expression contorting into a snarl. “You wouldn’t want to die right now, would you?”

He pulled Xie Yi closer, intent on hearing the old man’s words.

“Screw your ancestors…”

A searing pain shot through his ear, and Shangguan Hóngzhì’s hand instinctively tightened with violent force, followed by a thunderous crash.

Xie Yi was flung away, slamming violently into the wall of his wooden house, the immense impact causing the entire structure to collapse.

He lay amidst the rubble, unfinished chicken soup spilled beside him, and two uneaten chicken drumsticks covered in dust.

He lifted his hand, intending to move the chicken to a clean spot, but found himself too weak to stir.

He could only stare fixedly at the man still standing before him, a profound sadness welling in his heart.

‘Xiao Chun, Xiao Qiu… it seems Grandpa will fall here this time. But thankfully, you two are safe. In the future, please, never… think of avenging Grandpa… it’s not worth it…’

‘And little Mu… you foolish child, you must be far away by now, right? Haha… by the time this dog discovers it… you’ll surely have escaped to who knows where, won’t you?’

‘Little Mu, Xúnyī is a good girl. I hope you won’t disappoint her affection for you.’

‘And… forget about Grandpa…’

He murmured these thoughts, as blood trickled from his temple, blurring his vision, its metallic, bitter taste moistening the corners of his mouth.

In his fading consciousness, he seemed to see three children standing before him, calling out “Grandpa” with every breath, and a smile unconsciously curved his lips.

He tried to lift his hand to wipe away the blood, but lacked the strength.

In the end, he could only offer a wry, self-deprecating smile.

‘…Honestly, I was already prepared to die, but now that the moment’s truly here, why do I feel so sad? Ah… Grandpa seems to have shamed himself before you all. For a big man like me to be so afraid of death… haha…’

His consciousness gradually blurred, and his stubbornly open eyes finally closed, leaving behind a single phrase that scattered into the air.

“My son… your old man is coming to find you…”

****

Not far away, Shangguan Hóngzhì clutched his bitten ear, his gaze fixed on the now-dead old man.

He inhaled and exhaled several times, attempting to calm himself, but ultimately strode forward, kicking Xie Yi’s body repeatedly.

This time, he didn’t use any Stellar Force; a mere act of venting wasn’t worth expending such effort.

After about a dozen kicks, he finally released his foot, his anger somewhat appeased, and spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the body.

Behind him, several black-clad figures appeared, the leader holding a square silk handkerchief.

He took the handkerchief, gently dabbing the blood from his ear, his voice low.

“Well? Have those two brats been found?”

“Reporting to the Patriarch, we’ve searched the entire vicinity, but… no trace of the boy or girl was found.”

“None?”

Shangguan Hóngzhì furrowed his brow, finding it peculiar.

‘Strange, no one should have leaked the plan, yet everything now feels uncanny: Shangguan Ce injured by demonic energy, Xie Yi waiting for me here in advance, and even his grandchildren were settled and taken away early…’

He turned his head to look at where the old man lay dead, then waved his hand.

“Set up the barrier. I need to use a forbidden art to see what’s going on…”

“Yes!”

The black-clad figures, hearing this, asked no further questions.

In a flash, they formed a square formation, raising their hands high and muttering eerie incantations.

Stellar Force flowed from their meridians to their arms, finally converging above, sealing off this small pocket of space.

Shangguan Hóngzhì walked to the old man’s body, his brow furrowing again as he saw the ground steeped in crimson and the now-curled form.

He crouched down, closed his eyes, and when they reopened, a pitch-black hue instantly covered them entirely.

In an instant, the old man’s memories from the past few days flashed through his mind.

Whether it was Yún Mù’s arrival, or Xiao Qiu and Xiao Chun being sent to their grandmother’s house, and even… Shangguan Xúnyī’s earlier visit to this place, all became crystal clear.

He retracted his divine ability, remaining silent, as black blood seeped from the corners of his eyes.

The pain of the backlash gnawed at his entire body, yet it was far less intense than the surge of his fury.

“Shangguan Xúnyī…”