From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 258 Border Warfare, Cultivation Opportunities

"Hey, what conclusion have you three reached? If you're afraid of my clan's power, let me leave immediately."

Seeing that the three had been discussing for a long time without reaching a conclusion, Tuoba Luopu grew impatient and urged them on.

Such a wicked person is still so arrogant. Xu Xiaoniu gritted his teeth in anger: "Want to leave? Dream on! We'll take you back to the Demon Subduing Division and hand you over to the Director for judgment. Let's see if he'll be impartial and put justice before family."

"Fine, I'll go with you. Even if I meet your director, he can only send me back to my family and let them deal with me according to the family rules."

Tuoba Luopu had an indifferent expression on his face.

"go!"

Xu Xiaohou pointed in the direction of Yuanli City, signaling Tuoba Luopu to set off.

Therefore, He Shoucheng led the way, Tuoba Luopu followed, and Xu Xiaohou and the other two escorted them from behind to prevent them from escaping.

After a while, the four of them flew to the Demon Subduing Division of the Prefectural Government.

Since most people were out searching for the whereabouts of the demonic cultivators, there weren't many people in the Demon Subduing Division.

However, the four of them flew back in a grand manner with one person, which attracted the attention of the others.

"He Shoucheng, what's going on here?"

"Who is this person?"

Several people asked out of curiosity.

He Shoucheng replied, "The three of us were lucky enough to catch this person outside. He is a demonic cultivator who has committed several major crimes and murdered many children."

Upon hearing the word "children," they thought of those tragedies.

"It turns out to be him!"

"This person is guilty of heinous crimes and deserves to die ten thousand times over."

"..."

Under the disdainful gazes of the others, Tuoba Luopu was led to the main hall of Director Tuoba Hongyang.

Recently, the Demon Subduing Division and the county garrison troops have joined forces to hunt down demonic cultivators. As the director, Tuoba Hongyang is stationed at the Demon Subduing Division's office to handle intelligence from various places and coordinate many affairs.

Upon seeing He Shoucheng and his two companions arrive with a stranger, Tuoba Hongyang did not recognize the demonic cultivator from his own clan.

He had never met Tuoba Luopu before.

He Shoucheng stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Chief, we have captured a demonic cultivator. The tragedies related to private schools and academies in the past two years were all committed by this person."

"Oh?"

Tuoba Hongyang raised an eyebrow, somewhat pleased: "Now that their identities have been confirmed, let's execute them, search their souls, and register their crimes."

Tuoba Luopu quickly said, "Chief, my name is Tuoba Luopu, and the Yaowu Zhenren of the clan is my uncle."

Ok?
Tuoba Yaowu's nephew?

Upon learning the identity of the demonic cultivator before him, Tuoba Hongyang's expression changed, and he cursed inwardly: "Fool."

He would rather Tuoba Luopu be killed on the spot by He Shoucheng outside than be brought before him.

How is he supposed to deal with the fact that his own clansman is a Foundation Establishment Great Demon Cultivator?

Did they kill him according to the imperial law?
What if the news gets back to the clan, especially since he is the nephew of Yaowu Zhenren?

It wouldn't be appropriate to just leave it like that; it would damage his reputation as the head of the Demon Subduing Division.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Tuoba Hongyang had long anticipated that "the Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator who wantonly killed a large number of people in Yuanli County was a member of the Tuoba family."

After obtaining the "Five Elements Stance Technique" from the Xu family, the Tuoba family renamed it "Nine Glory Stance Technique" and promoted it throughout their clan.

Since then, the Tuoba family, which was already fiercely competitive internally, has been fighting tooth and nail.

This has been the tradition of the Tuoba family since ancient times.

Intense internal competition keeps them motivated and energetic.

The Golden Elixir True Man Tuoba Yaowu was known outsiders as "the one who murdered his brother and slaughtered his grandfather," which speaks volumes about his reputation.

In their struggle for resources, they show no mercy to their own kind, resorting to all sorts of underhanded tactics and backstabbing.

If they treat their own people this way, they are even more ruthless and indifferent to outsiders.

Since they lack resources within their own tribe, they have no choice but to compete with outsiders.

As a result, many demonic cultivators were born.

The Tuoba family possesses almost all the demonic cultivation techniques in Zhennan Prefecture, and they are widely circulated in secret.

According to Tuoba Hongyang's assessment, at least half of the active demonic cultivators in Zhennan Prefecture are members of the Tuoba family.

That's why Tuoba Hongyang, as the head of the Demon Subduing Division, didn't diligently urge his subordinates to capture demonic cultivators, and he was secretive about the government's wanted notices, just because he was afraid of encountering the situation right in front of him.

No matter what he does, he is caught in a dilemma.

"Tuoba Luopu".

Tuoba Hongyang's face was gloomy, and his expression made Tuoba Luopu feel uneasy.

Sure enough, he continued, "Even according to the clan rules, your actions deserve execution."

The atmosphere of the Tuoba family is one thing, but the clan rules and reputation on the surface are another.

The clan rules cannot fail to punish demonic cultivators who indiscriminately kill innocent people.

It's one thing if others don't know, but after all, how many of the Foundation Establishment cultivators and even Golden Core cultivators in the Tuoba family are truly clean?
Since you've been caught red-handed, you have to accept your bad luck.

If you lack ability or competence, you have to accept it.

"what?"

Tuoba Luopu was startled and quickly said, "Chief, please send me back to my family and let them deal with me."

His uncle is Tuoba Yaowu; as long as he returns to the family, he will definitely not die.

"..."

Tuoba Hongyang remained silent for a moment before ordering, "First, seal his meridians and acupoints and imprison him. I will contact the clan to deal with him later. Whether we escort him back to the clan or kill him here on the spot, we will see how the clan responds."

He's just trying to save face.

By simply sending Tuoba Luopu back to his family, anyone with eyes could see what was going on, and he greatly lost prestige.

"Yes!"

Xu Xiaohou immediately responded, stepping forward and, before Tuoba Luopu could resist, he used his fingertips, imbued with spiritual energy, to seal Tuoba Luopu's meridians and acupoints. For at least three days, Tuoba Luopu would be unable to use any spiritual energy.

Xu Xiaoniu flattered from the side: "Chief, you have shown great righteousness by putting aside your own family. Your family has many members, and it is inevitable that there will be some bad apples. Even if they are not executed by law, they should be dealt with according to the family rules."

Tuoba Luopu panicked and shouted, "Chief, Senior Hongyang, according to seniority I should call you Great-Grandfather..."

Tuoba Hongyang waved his hand and said, "It's too noisy, shut it up."

Xu Xiaohou then escorted him to prison.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Not even two days passed.

As the three had anticipated, the prefect learned the news from Liu Yun.

Xiang Liuyun rushed to the Demon Subduing Bureau's office immediately to demand Tuoba Hongyang's return.

"Chief Tuoba, I was wondering why you were neglecting your duties and not doing your job properly. It turns out that those evil demonic cultivators are all members of your Tuoba family!"

In these days of joint operations, Tuoba Luopu is not the only demonic cultivator who has been captured.

Several demonic cultivators, including those in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, have been captured and killed in various parts of Yuanli County.

Besides Tuoba Luopu, there were two other members of the Tuoba family.

However, neither of them was brought back alive.

One of the Foundation Establishment cultivators was killed on the spot. It is said that the Demon Subduing Guards did not know his identity as a member of the Tuoba family before killing him. They only found out he was a member of the Tuoba family after his death by investigating his identity and looking at the items in his storage bag.

Another late-stage Qi Refining cultivator was instantly killed by a Foundation Establishment-level Demon-Subduing Guard before he could even react. His identity was also verified to be from the Tuoba family. Three of the demonic cultivators were from the Tuoba family.

When Xiang Liuyun came to demand his return, Tuoba Hongyang said, "I am still waiting for a reply from my clan. According to my clan's rules, his return to the clan would be a capital offense."

"Ha, what nonsense are you talking about? Once he returns to your family, who gets to decide whether he lives or dies?"

Xiang Liuyun is a member of the Xiang family in the ancient southern city.

The Xiang family, as one of the most prestigious families in Zhennan Prefecture, is a level above the Tuoba family.

“Your Excellency, I will only say one thing. That man’s uncle is the Yaowu Zhenren of my clan.”

Tuoba Hongyang smiled, but the smile seemed to carry a hint of mockery.

Upon hearing the title "Master Yaowu," it was Xiang Liuyun's turn to smile.

"Haha, if I remember correctly, was Tuoba Yaowu a second-level or third-level Golden Core cultivator? He's just a Golden Core early stage cultivator, not even worth mentioning in my clan."

Given Xiang Liuyun's family background, the early stage of the Golden Core realm was not something he should be afraid of.

"In that case, Tuoba Luopu will remain imprisoned. You may kill or torture him as you please."

Tuoba Hongyang pretended not to be able to persuade Xiang Liuyun, and let him deal with Tuoba Luopu as he pleased.

All of this was the result of Tuoba Hongyang's scheming.

He never sent a message to his family from beginning to end; it was all a delaying tactic.

If the message reaches his family and Tuoba Yaowu finds out, his situation will be very difficult. Tuoba Yaowu is a True Person in the clan, and on the other side is Prefect Xiang Liuyun and the even more powerful Xiang family behind him.

Tuoba Yaowu is definitely not afraid of Xiang Liuyun, who is in the Foundation Establishment stage, and Xiang Liuyun is not afraid of Tuoba Yaowu either.

The two were locked in a fierce confrontation, and Tuoba Hongyang, caught in the middle, faced the most difficult situation.

He simply pretended to be bullied by Xiang Liuyun and let him deal with Tuoba Luopu, thus resolving this scourge.

As for the subsequent inquiries from the clan, Tuoba Hongyang had his own excuse: simply push Xiang Liuyun out.

As a member of the Tuoba clan, Tuoba Hongyang wasn't particularly eager to protect his clansmen. That's just how the Tuoba clan is—they prioritize their own interests.

However, Tuoba Luopu's fate was beyond Tuoba Hongyang's expectations.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Inside the Demon Suppression Division's prison.

Tuoba Luopu was imprisoned in a cell, bound by spirit-grade chains.

Even if he were in perfect condition, it would take him a great deal of effort to break free from these magical chains.

However, his meridians and acupoints were all blocked, and he couldn't mobilize a single bit of spiritual power.

The prison guards also regularly fed him drugs that neutralized his spiritual power.

He is a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, so we must be careful when imprisoning him.

At this moment, Tuoba Luopu looked at the person in front of him and truly felt fear.

He learned the identity of the person in front of him and knew that his family could not protect him at all.

Mentioning the Tuoba family in front of your own family members? That would be like throwing an egg against a rock, making you a laughingstock.

He pleaded tremblingly, "Your Excellency, please spare me. My uncle is the Martial Immortal. If you let me go back, I will definitely speak well of you to my uncle and owe you a favor."

He couldn't use Tuoba Yaowu to threaten Xiang Liuyun, so he could only use "human relationships" as an excuse.

A favor from a Golden Core cultivator still has some value.

"Given your crimes, you should be executed on the spot."

Xiang Liuyun tilted her head slightly, speaking in a condescending tone.

"Please, Your Excellency, spare my life! I'll do anything you ask! Just don't die!"

Tuoba Luopu suddenly knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, begging for his life.

He was a Foundation Establishment Stage 3 cultivator, yet he had completely lost the pride expected of someone in the Foundation Establishment realm. He treated human life as worthless, but when it came to his own turn, he was so cowardly and begged for mercy.

He cultivated himself from an ordinary mortal to his current state at great cost, all for the sake of immortality.

Having finally reached the Foundation Establishment stage and having over a hundred years left to live, he certainly didn't want to die.

"I can give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Xiang Liuyun was only halfway through speaking.

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Luopu suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with hope for survival: "Tell me, Your Excellency, please give your orders. Even if it means going through fire and water, I am willing to do it for you."

"This is a legitimate opportunity to atone for your sins. If it weren't for the fact that your Foundation Establishment Level 3 cultivation level still has some use, you wouldn't even have this chance."

Xiang Liuyun had already planned all of this before he came.

When he took office as the governor of Yuanli County, his first task was to target the Demon Subduing Division and order them to capture demonic cultivators.

That was not his true intention.

The discovery that the Tuoba family had so many demonic cultivators was purely accidental.

His original intention was to increase the staffing of the Demon Subduing Division and the county camp, and to recruit more Foundation Establishment cultivators from outside the region, in preparation for something to come.

Before this, Xiang Liuyun was not even a celestial official.

If it weren't for the Prince of Xiaoyao, he wouldn't even be qualified to be a prefect, as he wasn't part of the imperial court system in Zhennan Prefecture.

However, with the help of the carefree prince, becoming the prefect was just a matter of a word for him.

Suppressing demonic cultivators is merely a side effect, and it also increases my prestige.

"You say so, I agree, I agree to everything."

Tuoba Luopu agreed without hesitation. He had no other choice; if he didn't agree, he would be killed on the spot.

Xiang Liuyun slowly spoke, "Do you know about the Wilderness Mountain Range?"

"I know, it's said to stretch for thousands of miles beyond the southern border of our Zhennan Prefecture."

As for the Wilderness Mountain Range, any cultivator who is older and has some understanding of the entire Zhennan Prefecture and the Great Qian Dynasty knows about it.

Xiang Liuyun continued, "The Wilderness Mountain Range separates the Great Qian Dynasty from the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty. The Baiyue Immortal Dynasty was somewhat inferior to our Great Qian Dynasty. That was a long time ago, and no one knows what it is like now."

Recently, some events have occurred in the Wilderness Mountains, resulting in a large number of cultivators from the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty operating there.

Our Zhennan Prefecture also sent a lot of people, and both sides suffered casualties.

We're short-handed. Are you interested in redeeming yourself through meritorious service, or even achieving great things?

Make achievements?

Tuoba Luopu was puzzled. How could he possibly have such a good opportunity?
"Of course, you'll have other missions in secret..."

Tell Liu Yun the real purpose.

Tuoba Luopu listened silently, growing more and more excited. Even if Xiang Liuyun hadn't forced him to go, he would have gladly accepted the opportunity.

This is a good thing; it saves him from the death penalty.

If he had known about the Desolate Marsh Mountains before, he would have tried to go there to fish in troubled waters and seek opportunities when the effects of the "Reverse Life Demon Art" were waning.

The Tuoba family believed in seizing power by any means necessary.

What resources, what opportunities for cultivating immortality—whoever grabs them gets them.

"Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will definitely go. Although this matter is dangerous for me, I am not afraid. It is my honor to serve Your Excellency."

He assured me.

"Very good. Now, swallow this Heart-Corroding Pill. If you disobey, your heart and even all your internal organs will be corroded, and you will die in excruciating pain."

Xiang Liuyun took out a pill.

"This……"

Tuoba Luopu looked terrified; he knew there was no good fortune coming his way. But he dared not resist and could only take it.

(End of this chapter)