My enemies became my companions

Chapter 622 Never Forgot (Part 2)

"I never expected that a living City God would emerge from among the sons-in-law of the Qin family."

A slightly surprised voice came through; although the tone sounded somewhat ancient, it also sounded exceptionally warm.

The stale smell of incense filled his nostrils, causing him to cough incessantly, as if his throat was blocked. But after only a moment, he absorbed all the incense smoke into his arms, and Chen Yi felt as if he were enjoying a delicious meal.

This is the divine power brought about by the living City God's body. It can digest earthly food and even absorb incense that is only for immortals and gods, only its efficacy is not as great as that of immortals and gods.

Before me stood a temple, ancient and majestic, with red-painted pillars supporting its four corners.

Incense smoke wafted all around, and the walls were painted with continuous patterns, some like pythons, some like dragons, and some like unicorns, most of which were auspicious scenes. Upon closer inspection, its square layout resembled an enlarged version of the Qin family ancestral temple.

The ancestral temple was called "Shishi" in the Xia Dynasty, "Chongwu" in the Yin Dynasty, "Mingtang" in the Zhou Dynasty, and "Taimiao" from the Qin and Han Dynasties onwards. As a demon from beyond the realm, Chen Yi had no ancestors in this life. Even though he had lived two lives, this was the first time he had entered such a place.

After looking around, Chen Yi finally shifted his gaze to the source of the voice.

The fog was thick and white, so thick it seemed impossible to dissipate. Suddenly, a hand emerged from the fog, and with a slight movement, a clearing appeared.

Deep inside, a gray-haired man smiled and said, "Chen Yi, is that your name?"

"Who is your Excellency?"

Perhaps because he had severed his three corpses, Chen Yi was not too surprised, and he already knew the identity of the person in front of him from that crimson brocade robe with gold pythons.

"I am Qin Xuzhi."

Chen Yi clasped his hands in a salute.

The emperor has nine temples, and feudal lords have five. Qin Xuzhi, the ancestor of the Qin family, was enfeoffed as a king in the southern border region and was granted the right to build an ancestral temple. He has been worshipped for more than three hundred years, and even today, seven or eight tenths of his spirit and vitality from his lifetime remain.

Qin Xuzhi descended from the altar and carefully examined Chen Yi. Her gaze was extremely casual, yet it possessed an air of authority that commanded respect without anger.

With a casual wave of his hand, the ram's head on the altar suddenly flew to Chen Yi's side.

Among the three sacrificial animals offered to ancestors, the sheep's head is second only to the ox's head.

Chen Yi was not flattered at all; he picked up the sheep's head and swallowed it whole in one gulp.

Because it is formed from qi, it is unusually smooth to swallow.

Upon seeing this, Qin Xuzhi burst into laughter and said, "You're at a disadvantage being a live-in son-in-law."

Chen Yi replied indifferently, "I'm afraid he wouldn't even qualify as a live-in son-in-law."

"Oh? Really?" The Qin family ancestor looked at him with suspicion. Seeing that Chen Yi did not seem to be lying, he asked suspiciously, "How come that junior Qingluo comforted the ancestors by personally writing your name along with your hair and burning it for me, saying that you had a daughter with her? Could it be that she even deceived the ancestors?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi suddenly looked up, his fingertips twitching slightly.

This subtle movement could not escape Qin Xuzhi's notice. This ancestor's insight was extremely sharp. Chen Yi suspected that Qin Xuzhi had already noticed his identity as a living City God before he appeared at the ancestral temple.

But that's exactly what he wanted.

When the Sun in the Spouse Palace is transformed into a negative aspect, it has substance but no name, which is a prophecy. A prophecy is a prediction, and most prophecies come true, which is something that cannot be changed by ordinary power.

But why did I go through all those hardships to enter the southern border, only to fulfill the prophecy?

It has substance but no name?

I have always been greedy, always trying to swallow an elephant whole, wanting a perfect ending, wanting to be rightfully in the right.

Therefore, Chen Yi said, "Junior Chen Yi greets the Ancestor."

Qin Xuzhi was very satisfied, and with a wave of his hand, he also gave the pig's head that Qin Qingluo had offered to Chen Yi.

Chen Yi naturally didn't stand on ceremony. He opened his blood-red maw and swallowed the pig's head formed from incense smoke.

The sheep's head and the pig's head were both put into the Qiankun Belly, and the pure and rich incense and divine power filled the surroundings, gathering and nourishing the heart lake, making one feel lightheaded for a moment.

The feeling was indescribable. After carefully savoring it, Chen Yi discovered that the golden pill, which had been as small as a mustard seed due to Zhou Yitang's forced growth, had actually grown to the size of a fist.

Now that his meridians are broken, his martial arts level has been greatly reduced, while the growth of his Taoist cultivation has become more important.

Chen Yi looked up at the ancestor of the Qin family, but before he could express his gratitude, Qin Xuzhi waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities. We'd get tired of eating the same three dishes for hundreds of years."

The words sounded light, and an ordinary person would have just let it pass. However, Chen Yi knew that the sheep and pig heads were not only delicacies offered at the autumn sacrifice, but also contained the divine power of incense that had been condensed over many years.

Qin Xuzhi looked at him, chuckled again, and tapped the bull head in front of her, saying, "How about we accept this bull head as well?"

Chen Yi blinked. During the autumn sacrifice, animals were offered to the ancestral temple. The three sacrificial animals were all offered to the ancestors, with the ox head being the most honored. It was likely that the incense and divine power contained in the ox head was far superior to the other two. Moreover, all three were absorbed into the body, complementing each other, and there might even be other benefits.

If he were to accept all of them, wouldn't Qin Qingluo's autumn sacrifice be an offering to himself?
Thinking of this, Chen Yi shook his head and chuckled, but without the slightest hesitation, said, "Why not?"

"Sure." Seeing that he didn't pretend to refuse, Qin Xuzhi said directly, "I'm giving you three sacrificial animals not because I want you to eat and drink for free. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I'll let the first two sacrificial animals go because you're a junior. I won't blame you for leaving like this. But after you eat the third sacrificial animal, you'll have to go and do your job."

Perhaps because he rose from humble beginnings and was a veteran of the military, the ancestor of the Qin family spoke without any beating around the bush or rambling, but was extremely approachable.

"I can get things done," Chen Yi said slowly, "but I won't sell my life."

"If I don't sell my life, where else can I stay?" Qin Xuzhi said with amusement.

"Qin Qingluo".

"A good place." After praising it, Qin Xuzhi revealed, "You young man are so glib. You probably say one thing to one person and another to another."

Chen Yi showed no embarrassment and said, "I'm just telling the truth. I won't sell my own life or the lives of those around me, but I can sell other people's lives."

"You're selling it just because it's yours?"

"I'll only sell what isn't mine."

Qin Xuzhi found this junior quite agreeable, so she lowered her head slightly and slowly explained, "I wonder if you have heard of my Qin family? Whether you have or not, it doesn't matter. Just know that for the past three hundred years, my Qin family has never had a truly peaceful day."

The Qin family, having settled in the southern borderlands, had practically become local tyrants. Yet, the Qin family ancestor claimed that he had never had a peaceful day. Chen Yi remained silent, his mind filled with speculation.

“We have a… maggot clinging to our bones.”

After saying that, Qin Xuzhi raised her head and looked straight ahead, her gaze chilling.

Those were a pair of blood-red snake eyes.

Chen Yi lowered his gaze slightly. He had heard about the origin of the snake eyes from Zhu E. It was obtained by the Qin family's ancestor during his travels to India. It was passed down from generation to generation only to the hereditary King of Annam. As for its effects, they had long been lost to time. Even Zhu E couldn't explain it clearly, and Qin Qingluo only had a vague understanding of it.

"Born in a chaotic world, the reason why I, Qin Xuzhi, have risen to power is by killing. If I kill ten people and survive, I can become a vanguard. If I kill a thousand people and survive, I can become a general. If I can survive, I can emulate Emperor Wu of Song and achieve unparalleled feats."

The first few sentences could be called bold words, but the last sentence, while grand and heroic, was also treasonous. Chen Yi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. This Qin family ancestor was not quite as loyal and devoted as described in the history books.

Seeing this, Qin Xuzhi smiled and asked in return, "I did what Yi Yin and Huo Guang did to depose and install emperors, just to be a loyal and virtuous minister?"

Chen Yi immediately understood.

It turns out that this rebellious spirit had flowed into the blood of the Qin family since their ancestor, and continued until Qin Qingluo.

Qin Xuzhi pressed down on the bull's head and continued, "I killed ten thousand people after ten thousand, wanting to pacify the world and establish unparalleled achievements, but I just happened to die. It would be fine if I died, but I just didn't want to die like this."

"Oh?"

"On the way to my fief, Emperor Gaozu ordered his men to ambush and kill us. I was seriously injured and my life was nearing its end. At that time, a high monk came from India and said that there was a way to prolong life in India. I seized this chance and forced myself to go despite my illness." Qin Xuzhi said slowly, "You have probably heard about what happened next. I met the Indian python god, who was also one of the eight classes of gods and dragons, Mahoraga. He called himself the Boundless King and gave me python blood and the light of the eye."

The high monk was actually Mahoraga himself in disguise.

I am naturally grateful for this, and I swore a blood oath to repay it handsomely, promising to build a temple for it. I never imagined that it would neither want the temple nor the incense offerings, but rather that it cherishes the three-hundred-year fortune of my Qin family, wanting us to coexist with it.”

Chen Yi remained silent and listened quietly.

"For the past three hundred years, except at the very beginning, Mahoraga has been parasitic on my Qin clan. To prevent my Qin family from biding its time and getting rid of its parasitism, it has secretly caused chaos within my Qin clan. Internal strife, assassinations, and armed conflicts are mostly due to this. In recent decades, seeing my Qin family growing stronger, it has resorted to curses, ensuring that the direct line of succession has had children late in life for three generations. As for it, with my Qin family as its backer, it has been gathering demons and evil spirits for nearly three hundred years, and it has become too powerful to control."

I'm not asking you to risk your life to eliminate Him; you may not have the ability. I simply need you to venture deep into the demon's lair and find out for yourself.

After listening, Chen Yi roughly understood Qin Xuzhi's purpose and pondered for a moment.

He slowly asked, "Ancestor, why haven't you eliminated Him in these three hundred years?"

“With the blood oath on my body, even if I had extraordinary abilities, I would have no way to do it. And the younger generations of all generations have no such ability, let alone know of its existence,” Qin Xuzhi said, lifting the bull’s head and handing it to Chen Yi. “Moreover, for the past three hundred years, I have preferred to use it for my own purposes rather than to exterminate this monster.”

He suddenly smiled.
"Even posthumously honoring him as emperor would be fine."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi remained silent for a moment, then swallowed the bull's head whole.
"Okay, I agree."

"Then let us drink this farewell toast."

Qin Xuzhi then presented the wine that had been offered.

Chen Yi drank it all in one gulp.

Qin Xuzhi reached out again, and the surrounding mist dispersed and then gathered again, gradually revealing a picture. He raised his finger to show Chen Yi the way.

Chen Yi didn't delay any longer and immediately turned and left.

"Wait a minute," Qin Xuzhi called out.

Chen Yi turned his head in confusion. Could it be that there was something he hadn't explained yet?

“If you don’t come back,” the Qin family patriarch paused, “I will convey those words to her in a dream.”

"What?"

"If I don't sell my life, where else can I go?"

...............

The punch landed, but missed.

Qin Qingluo slowly withdrew his hand, and when he looked at the woman in front of him again, her figure was both solid and ethereal, like a fist sinking into water and creating ripples.

"Nascent Soul?"

Yin Weiying smiled slightly, tacitly agreeing to the matter.

The tall woman was not angered by this. This female Taoist priest dared to appear so openly in front of her, so she must have something to rely on. And that person could not be without any backup plan. Therefore, from the moment she entered the inn, Qin Qingluo had already anticipated what was going on.

"Where is he?" she asked again, her voice low and carrying an undeniable air of authority.

“You are a regional prince, if you don’t know, how would I know? And given his caution, he certainly didn’t tell me where he went,” Yin Weiying said shrewdly, responding calmly. “Perhaps he’s on Gaoliang Mountain, perhaps he’s already left the southern border, or perhaps he’s even hiding in your house…”

...Qin Yue?!

Qin Qingluo's snake eyes suddenly shrank into two cold vertical lines.

The surroundings suddenly turned several degrees colder, and Yin Weiying saw that the tall figure was emanating a violent aura, for reasons unknown.

It seems that she had inadvertently touched the dragon's Achilles' heel.

The female Taoist priest silently recited the Supreme Method of Forgetting Emotions, calming her mind.

But then the woman prince took another step closer, lowered her head as if looking down, and her golden vertical pupils flashed with a cold, predatory light in the dim light, like a giant dragon from the abyss staring at her!

Yin Weiying was the first to be hit, as if his throat was being gripped by an invisible giant claw.

"How...how did you know it was him who appeared in the ancestral temple? Did he give prior instructions?" Qin Qingluo's voice was almost flat.

Yin Weiying's breathing quickened as he tried his best to remain calm, "Didn't you... already have this idea... but you just didn't dare to face it?"

"I can't face it, haha..."

Qin Qinglu nodded.

In the next instant, a palm struck down, and the fine locust wood table and chairs in the inn, along with the teacups on them, shattered into pieces.

A strong wind blew across his face, causing Yin Weiying's nascent soul to sway.

This tall woman was incredibly unruly, like a dragon that was difficult to tame. Even she was almost overwhelmed by her during the confrontation.

I really don't know how Chen Yi managed to ruin this female prince in the past...

Just as he was thinking about it, Qin Qingluo glanced over.

Yin Weiying stopped his thoughts, tightened his expression, and showed no fear whatsoever.

Slowly, I heard faint footsteps.

Qin Qinglu looked up and saw a figure that was all too familiar descending the stairs.

She had already anticipated this, and her furious gaze softened slightly.

The storm gradually subsided.

Qin Qinglu raised her hand and made a gesture. Without saying a word, the Iron Scale Army, whose orders were strictly obeyed, quickly withdrew from the encirclement and moved away from the inn to wait in the streets and alleys.

At this moment, Qin Qingluo finally uttered, "Aunt Zhu."

Zhu E descended gracefully in a flowing red dress, still as gentle as ever, yet a lingering fervor flickered in her eyes.

"No wonder Princess Jing knew about this," Qin Qingluo said coldly.

"Qingluo, your aunt has never hidden anything from you,"

May I smile bitterly.
“But he is the Mingzun, and I have to keep things about him from you.”

After hearing the words, the female prince remained silent for a long time, but finally smiled, a smile filled with sorrow and helplessness.

After a long silence, she said, "Let's go."

Yin Weiying sensed a hint of the vassal king's magnanimity in his words and finally breathed a sigh of relief. After a while, she raised an eyebrow and glanced at the tall woman. This woman, seemingly magnanimous, was merely going along with the flow. If she were truly present, no matter how much influence Zhu E had, she wouldn't escape imprisonment…

If Chen Yi hadn't secretly contacted Zhu E beforehand, even with the title of First Madam, he would have been utterly unable to stand up to Qin Qingluo if he had truly faced her directly.

That female prince just now was truly imposing...

Thinking of this, Yin Weiying slightly lowered his gaze.

In the thick, impenetrable darkness of the night, a seemingly detached female Taoist priest slowly walked past Qin Qingluo, like a scene of encountering a celestial being.

She paused slightly beside Qin Qingluo.

"His affairs need not be of concern to Your Highness."

The Goddess of Taihua turned her head slightly, her clear, cold eyes filled with pity.

"To be honest, in the three years we've been together, he has never thought of you."

After speaking, the female Taoist priest walked past her.

Qin Qingluo clenched her fists slightly.

(End of this chapter)