Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 289 [The child is going crazy from being cooped up] (6200)

Chapter 283 [The child is going crazy from being cooped up] (6200)

If you ignore the fine black feathers under his temples, Yun Zhao looks like a typical scion of a noble family.

As if he had been well-mannered by his family, and seemed to have few worldly vices—like a well-behaved child who had been given the opportunity to go out, he seemed to be very talkative, and whatever he talked about, he was very enthusiastic and full of passion.

Chen Yan sat opposite him, and Yun Zhao poured tea for Chen Yan before talking about his experiences on his journey to southern Xinjiang.

They say the journey on the ship was boring, and the days dragged on endlessly. Every day was spent either watching the clouds on the deck or practicing meditation in the cabin.

Speaking of the strict rules of the family, he was overjoyed to finally have the opportunity to go out.

However, Chen Yan noticed that when this guy talked about the demon race in the Southern Frontier, although he was trying to restrain himself, he still couldn't help but reveal a hint of disdain in his tone.

They seemed to disregard these fellow clansmen from southern Xinjiang.

"The Southern Frontier has the Ten Thousand Mountains, a natural habitat for demons. Other races are forbidden from entering and would never compete with the demons for the territory of the Ten Thousand Mountains. Even the Sendai has issued a decree that the territory of the Ten Thousand Mountains belongs to the Nanjiang demons."

They have a sense of righteousness, a legitimate reason, and it's their ancestral territory, yet these guys don't know how to manage it properly.

The Shiwan Mountains cover a vast and expansive area.

Among those countless mountains, there are countless rare and exotic beasts, rare flowers and herbs, rare and precious treasures, and blessed lands and grottoes!

Even the mineral resources are extremely abundant. The materials such as 'Dark Gold Stone', 'Broken Jade', and 'Refined Gold' that are currently circulating in the realm can all be found in the veins of the Hundred Thousand Mountains in the Southern Frontier.

For example, the 'Dark Gold Stone', a consumable material used in large quantities by all weapon-refining cultivators, is currently the best-selling one from the Central Plains. However, everyone knows that the Dark Gold Stone from the Southern Frontier is actually the most superior in terms of texture and affinity with elemental energy.

Unfortunately, these guys don't know how to manage things properly.

Ten Thousand Mountains, ha! Ten Thousand Mountains!

This is like having a treasure trove but living like a beggar.

If they could simply retreat back to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, make good use of the demon race's innate magical abilities, and properly manage the mountain's produce.

Whether it's minerals, medicinal herbs, various rare and precious treasures, or exotic animals.

With proper management, the Southern Frontier Demon Clan can become the wealthiest tribe in the realm within three hundred years!
With such a strong foundation, instead of managing it properly, they insist on leaving the mountains and going to prosperous areas to compete for some territory.

They've been fighting the demon race to the death for countless years, until their brains are practically turned to mush. Who knows how the leaders of these various demon tribes in the Southern Frontier even developed their brains?

This young master of the Black Feather Lark tribe of the demon race must have been too cooped up at home, so he couldn't help but let loose and say these things to a complete stranger like Chen Yan.

Chen Yan just smiled and didn't really respond.

After talking for a while, Yun Zhao realized what was happening, quickly poured himself a cup of tea to cover up his excitement, and then sat up straight again, smiling as he said, "I apologize for my presumptuous words, fellow Daoist."

“It’s not exactly nonsense.” Chen Yan shook his head and said slowly, “Young people, pointing out the flaws in the country and treating the powerful officials of the past as dirt, only young people have this kind of spirit.”

Yun Zhao laughed heartily: "Not bad, not bad. I am indeed not very old. The elders of my family said that I am already an adult and need more tempering, so they sent me out to let me see the world."

After a pause, Yun Zhao smiled and said, "I am forty-seven years old this year. I wonder how old you are this year, fellow Daoist?"

Forty-seven years old? Just turned 18?

Chen Yan was also wondering to himself how the Yun Que branch of the demon race calculated age.

However, Chen Yan only vaguely said, "If you calculate it that way, my age and yours are not much different."

Well, I also know someone who thinks I'm a 91-year-old monster.

"May I ask what brings you to this City of No Return, fellow Daoist?"

"It really is just a trip, a casual stroll." Chen Yan feigned helplessness and said with a wry smile, "I am a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, Brother Yun naturally knows that."

However, I am only a newcomer to the Holy Sect, working as a disciple in the Outer Sect's Weapon Refining Hall.

The so-called traveling disciples are those who travel around to find unique products from various places for the weapon refining hall and collect things that are useful for weapon refining.

To put it bluntly, he's just a hard-working errand runner.

Yun Zhao, however, revealed a hint of envy in his eyes: "This job is quite good. You can travel around and see different places, different customs and cultures, and gain different experiences..."

Unlike me, who was confined by my tribe to the southern foothills of Yinshan Mountain from childhood, forbidden to leave the tribe's mountains, and forced to practice asceticism daily before taking human form. Even after taking human form, I still study and read.

He then recounted how he met Nangong Sheng.

Several years ago, Nangong Sheng was ordered to visit the Black Feather Lark Clan. In the Lark Clan's territory, he met Yun Zhao, who had not yet undergone his coming-of-age ceremony.

Yun Zhao was a man of lively and outgoing personality. He was confined to his tribe's territory for most of the year. When he finally met a guest from outside, he treated Nangong Sheng with great enthusiasm and even personally took Nangong Sheng to tour the entire territory of the Black Feather Sky Sparrow tribe.

If it weren't for the clan rules, this eccentric young master would have almost taken Nangong Sheng to visit even the forbidden area of ​​his own tribe.

Fortunately, although Nangong Sheng also had a sense of curiosity, as an inner disciple of the Hehuan Sect, he still knew his limits and dared not cooperate with Yun Zhao's nonsense.
But after this incident, the two became friends.

At this point, Yun Zhao patted his sleeve, and a small wooden box flew out and landed on the coffee table between the two of them.

Then, in front of Chen Yan, he opened the box, inside which was a small, transparent bead.

Chen Yan recognized at a glance that the bead was a disposable storage device.

"Brother Yunzhao, what is this?" Chen Yan asked.

Yun Zhao smiled slightly: "Before inviting you into the car, I said I had something to ask you to give to Nangong Sheng, and this is it."

Chen Yan's heart stirred.

The wooden box was exquisitely crafted, and there was even a strange pattern engraved on it. The silver pattern faintly flowed with a precious light, and it seemed to be some kind of rune.

With this box, when the item was placed on the table, Chen Yan's divine sense couldn't even penetrate the wooden box to see what was inside.

That's clearly the effect of the rune.

Even disregarding what's inside, the fact that the runes on this wooden box can block a cultivator's spiritual sense from probing it makes the box itself quite valuable; it's a minor magical artifact.

Chen Yan couldn't help but sigh, gave Yun Zhao a deep look, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "I have a question in my mind, and I would like to ask Brother Yun Zhao to enlighten me."

Yun Zhao smiled and said, "Please speak freely, fellow Daoist."

“We’ve only met by chance, and we’d never even met before you invited me into your car,” Chen said slowly and seriously. “The contents of this box must be quite valuable.”

"You dare entrust something so important to someone you've only known for less than fifteen minutes?"

Yun Zhao laughed heartily: "Fellow Daoist, you are a disciple of the Holy Sect. The Heavenly Demon Yin Yang Joyful Union Sect has such a great reputation that who in the realm does not know it? The disciples under its tutelage are all selected and carefully chosen before they can enter the sect."

Now that I know who you are, I can naturally trust you.

Chen Yan shook his head: "Before we even spoke, you stopped the carriage and invited me to ride with you—at that time, I hadn't introduced myself yet, so you didn't know I was an outer disciple of the Hehuan Sect."

As he spoke, Chen Yan's gaze became even more complicated: "You traveled all the way here by car, and you only glanced at me briefly on the road before stopping the car to invite a stranger like me, whose identity I don't know, to get in. Why is that?"

Yun Zhao was stunned.

However, Chen Yan noticed that Yun Zhao's eyes did not show any panic, but rather a faint strangeness.

After seemingly hesitating for a moment, Yun Zhao lowered his head with a wry smile: "It's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just... if I say it, you might find it too bizarre and hard to believe me."

Chen Yan remained calm, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a low voice, "Why don't you tell me? Maybe I'll believe you."

Yun Zhao thought for a moment and nodded.

His expression also became somewhat strange: "Fellow Daoist, my Black Feather Lark Tribe is located on the southern slope of Yinshan Mountain in the Northern Frontier, and is also a renowned demon clan."

The surrounding demon tribes all respect the Black Feather tribe.

However, my Black Feather Tribe does not actually have a Venerable Ancestor in charge. We, along with other demon races in the Northern Frontier, remotely venerate a demon race Venerable. But in reality, the demon race Venerable we worship has no deep connection with my Black Feather Tribe.

Do you know why my humble Skylark Clan, with its relatively shallow lineage, commands such respect from the surrounding demon tribes?

Chen Yan didn't answer, but just looked at Yun Zhao, as if to say: Don't make me guess, just tell me.

Yun Zhao slowly said, "It's because my Black Feather Sky Sparrow tribe has an ancestor who is not a Venerable, but he is still a great cultivator."

That ancestor has lived for thousands of years and has even reached the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.

"It is only because of the dictates of Heaven that the number of sainthoods is limited, which is why they cannot advance to the sainthood realm and remain stuck in the primordial spirit realm."

Chen Yan frowned and asked, "What does your esteemed elder have to do with your invitation for me to get on the bus?"

“It’s extremely relevant!” Yun Zhao raised his eyebrows, his gaze towards Chen Yan seemingly carrying a hidden meaning.

He then quickly continued speaking.

"My father was the elder of the tribe, but he had many children, and I was not particularly outstanding among them."

The ancestor of my tribe is in seclusion most of the year and rarely interferes in the affairs of the tribe.

However, the tribe has a tradition of holding a remote worship ceremony once every five years.

Several families of the clan elders would bring their newborn offspring born within the past five years to the place where the ancestor was in seclusion to pay homage to the ancestor from afar. The clan leader would then report to the ancestor and introduce each of the new descendants of the family who were paying homage to the ancestor from afar.

The ancestor never showed himself.

But each time, one or two would be chosen to approach the place of seclusion. These lucky individuals would receive a blessing from the ancestor, their fortunes would increase significantly, their lives would be smooth sailing, they would turn misfortune into good fortune, and even their cultivation would be more successful than others.

Chen Yan looked at Yun Zhao: "So... when you were a child, you also went to pay homage to the ancestor from afar, and you became one of the lucky ones?"

“Uh…” Yun Zhao scratched his head, nodded first, then shook his head: “Well… I’m both.”

After a pause, Yun Zhao sighed and continued his story.

When I was four years old, it happened to be the time for the once-every-five-years-long remote worship of our ancestors.

So my father took me and went with everyone to the forbidden area of ​​the clan.

During that remote worship, we could only kneel and bow in the direction of the ancestor's seclusion from a distance of several hundred meters at the foot of the mountain where he was in seclusion.

After the ceremony, the ancestor announced that my two cousins ​​had been chosen as the lucky ones to be taken into the mountains by the group leader and blessed by the ancestor. I was young and ignorant at the time, unaware that I had missed a great opportunity. I only saw my father and the uncles around me, whose families had not been chosen, all wearing expressions of regret and sorrow.

However, who would dare to question the rules set by the ancestor?
So everyone knelt down and waited.

After a while, the two cousins ​​who had been blessed came out of the mountain with the clan chief.

The worship ceremony was about to end. According to the usual procedure, the clan leader should have led everyone to kneel and thank the ancestor for his protection, and then everyone should have left together.

However... just as the ceremony ended and I turned to leave with everyone, a sound suddenly came from the back mountain.

It turned out that the ancestor had directly used magic to transmit his voice, and the sound was so clear that everyone present could hear it perfectly!

Chen Yan laughed: "This old ancestor's telepathic message, could it be related to you?"

Yun Zhao blushed.

Chen Yan immediately became curious: "What did that ancestor say?"

Yun Zhao's eyes were strange, but he finally spoke.

"The message from the ancestor was..." At this point, Yun Zhao coughed before saying in a deep voice, "The kid with a patch of mixed white feathers on his head in the second row from the left, the one who was sticking his butt out and wiggling around when he was kneeling just now, you stay here!"

Chen Yan was taken aback, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Brother Yun Zhao! You...you didn't actually stick your butt out and wiggle around when you were kneeling and worshipping the ancestor, did you?"

Yun Zhao sighed: "The kneeling ceremony lasted a full hour! I was only four years old at the time, and I knelt there for an hour. How could I possibly kneel like that? Of course, I couldn't help but twist and turn."

Chen Yan smiled at Yun Zhao: "So, you also have a patch of mixed white feathers on your head?"

Yun Zhao looked helpless: "My mixed feathers are inherited from my father's bloodline. I don't know why, but in the Black Feather Tribe, all the other skylarks have black feathers and no mixed colors."

But only in my family branch, every few generations, there will always be one or two descendants with one or two white feathers on their heads.

However, it doesn't appear in every generation; it only happens occasionally.

I have those white, mottled feathers on my head, my father has them, but my grandfather doesn't. I heard my great-grandfather didn't have them either, but his ancestors did...

"Got it, it's just sporadic skipped-generation inheritance," Chen Yan thought to himself.

"I later asked my father, and he said that the reason why the White Feather tribe and the White Feather tribe had a marriage alliance many, many years ago was because one of my ancestors married a woman from the White Feather tribe. The descendants they had were my father's branch."

Therefore, occasionally, offspring in our lineage will have white feathers appearing on their heads.

Chen Yan nodded: "There's no need to go into such detail about this matter. Let's get back to the matter of your ancestor sending you a message."

"Okay, fine." Yun Zhao's expression became even more helpless: "You find it funny now, but when the ancestor suddenly transmitted his voice, everyone present was terrified."

From the tribal chief down, even some elders, and even my father, were so frightened that they knelt down on the spot, kowtowing repeatedly towards the back mountain, confessing their sins and begging the ancestor for forgiveness.

My father was so angry that he glared at me, thinking that I was not sincere in my worship, that I was disrespectful to the ancestor, that I offended the ancestor, and that I displeased the ancestor.

The way my father looked at me then was a mixture of anger, rage, and fear; it was as if he wanted to slap me to death.

Yun Zhao said helplessly, but continued, "...My father had already raised his hand to slap me, and I was so scared that I didn't react at all."

But at that moment, the ancestor spoke again.

He said: Why hit a child? I just like the child and I like him.

Brother, you know, that one sentence saved my life.

My father had nine sons, and I was insignificant. Looking at my father's expression back then, I really thought that if I had offended the ancestor, he would have killed me on the spot and used my life to atone for my sins to the ancestor.

When my ancestor said that, my father was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly overjoyed. He came over, grabbed me, and started banging my head on the ground!

I was so banged on my head that my head was full of dirt.

The father then loudly proclaimed that his unworthy descendants were grateful for their ancestor's favor.

Even the clan chief looked at me strangely back then.

I later learned that the ancestor had been in seclusion for several hundred years and had never transmitted his voice in public. In previous ceremonies, if the ancestor issued an order, he would only transmit the message to the clan leader alone.

That time, they used their voice to transmit their message in public, so that all the clansmen could hear it—that was unprecedented.

Chen Yan asked curiously, "This is indeed your good fortune. When I asked you earlier, why did you both nod and shake your head?"
You clearly have earned the favor of your tribal ancestor; that's a good thing.

Yun Zhao shook his head, his face smiling, but the smile was more painful than a grimace: "Such a good thing, I really... if it could be transferred, I would gladly give it to someone else!"

"...What do you mean?"

"The last thing the ancestor said that day was: 'I find this child pleasing to the eye and I like him quite a bit. Let him stay here to serve me.'"

At this point, Yun Zhao's eyes seemed to be filled with grievance: "From that moment on, I couldn't even go home anymore. The clan chief ordered my father to leave me in the back mountain."

That day, the clan chief sent someone to build a thatched hut for me to live in at the foot of the mountain where the ancestor was in seclusion.

From that day on, I lived in the thatched hut and was not allowed to leave the area behind the mountain. I was given the important task of 'accompanying the ancestor in seclusion'!

I've been accompanying them for thirty years!

Chen Yan frowned, looking at Yun Zhao with a puzzled expression and resentment in his eyes: "...Being valued by the clan's patriarch and serving by his side for thirty years—that's a good thing!"

Your ancestor must have taught you a lot of supernatural powers and spells, or given you a legacy or a blessing.

This is hardly a bad thing! It's practically a wonderful thing!

Upon hearing this, Yun Zhao smiled.

That smile... well, how should I put it?

Four words: I have no will to live!

·
"Benefits? Supernatural powers and spells? Inherited blessings?" Yun Zhao chuckled. "Fellow Daoist... if there were such benefits, why would I be in this mood right now?"

There is a prohibition in the clan that no clansman may enter the area where the ancestor is in seclusion in the back mountain except on days when they are worshipping from afar—this is an ironclad rule that has been passed down in the clan for hundreds of years.

I lived in the back mountain, and I never saw a single person there again.

Even daily necessities and food are delivered to the outside of the valley by the clan chief. They drop things off and leave without stopping!
I was in that valley, day after day, without anyone to talk to!

I was only four years old back then!
Four years old!!

Even though I am a demon, I was already able to do many things and complete daily chores when I was four years old.

But I'm only four years old!

"No, you can just talk to the ancestor. If no one is around, it will be a quiet environment where you can focus on practicing the techniques the ancestor taught you."

"What cultivation techniques?! As for speaking with the Ancestor? Absolutely not!"

Yun Zhao's eye muscles twitched as he slowly raised three fingers: "In the thirty years I spent in the valley, the ancestor and I only ever said three sentences together!"
It's always the same three sentences over and over again!

First sentence: Don't run around!

Second sentence: You stay quiet!

The third sentence: "Don't cry!"

Chen Yan was also stunned: "No... that cultivation technique..."

Yun Zhao's gaze was complicated: "I've already said it, there are only these three sentences. So, where did this cultivation technique come from, or this supernatural power or magic?"

Chen Yan's gaze toward Yun Zhao was immediately filled with sympathy!
What the hell!

His ancestor must have been acting way too crazy!

Leaving a four-year-old child alone in a valley?

For thirty years, he hasn't taught anything!
"Do you know? I miss my family, but only during the once-every-five-years remote worship ceremony can I catch a glimpse of my clansmen worshipping from afar in my thatched hut halfway up the mountain."

I could only catch a glimpse of the clan leader when he brought his children up the mountain to ask the ancestor for blessings.

I cried, I made a scene, and I begged.

But the patriarch never paid any attention to it. If he got angry, he would say those three sentences.

"Don't run around! Stay quiet! Don't cry!"

Yun Zhao said in a low voice, "Thirty years! Do you know? When I was feeling really stifled, I even learned to squat on the ground and talk to my own shadow!"

Chen Yan looked at Yun Zhao with pity in his eyes.

No wonder.

No wonder he left home for southern Xinjiang and let himself go so freely.

The kids are really going crazy from being cooped up for so long!
"Later, I only had one hope in my heart."

The tradition of my Kuroba Hibari clan is to hold a coming-of-age ceremony when someone turns thirty.

After that, I counted down the days, hoping that when I turned thirty, I could be released from the mountains and go home to have my coming-of-age ceremony.

But as I waited and waited, and my coming-of-age ceremony was about to begin, the ancestor told the clan chief that I should continue to stay with him and that my coming-of-age ceremony would be postponed.

When the patriarch speaks, how could the clan leader dare to utter a single word of dissent?
As a result, my coming-of-age ceremony was postponed, and my departure from the mountain was also postponed year after year.

It wasn't until I was thirty-four that the patriarch allowed me to descend the mountain!

Chen Yan was also impressed.

This is hardly a blessing.

He clearly spent thirty years in prison in the mountains!
But... no!
What does this have to do with me?
Chen Yan looked at Yun Zhao with a puzzled expression: "I sympathize with Brother Yun Zhao's situation, but that has nothing to do with you inviting me into the car..."

"Don't rush me, I'll get to it soon!"
Let me tell you, it's related, it's very related!

(End of this chapter)