From the family treasure tree to build an eternal family

Chapter 285 caused a sensation in Zhennan Prefecture

Is it all over? My family is finished?!
Tuoba Xianfeng could not believe what he was hearing. Their large family had been expelled from the government register by the prefect.

He trembled like an ordinary person and stammered, "Misunderstanding, Your Excellency, it's a misunderstanding! There must be some misunderstanding here. Our clan rules are strict, and we will certainly not tolerate our clansmen becoming demonic cultivators."

We would never betray Zhennan Prefecture or plot against Prince Xiaoyao; someone must be framing us.

Our clan numbers in the millions; Your Excellency the Prefect must investigate thoroughly and uphold justice for our clan!

Lin Shengping had already anticipated that Tuoba Xianfeng wouldn't accept his fate: "I'm giving you one last chance. Whether you can seize it or not is up to you. Which of your clan's Golden Core cultivators have been to the Desolate Marsh Mountains?"

Upon hearing "last chance," Tuoba Xianfeng became completely focused, for this matter concerned the fate of the entire clan and could not tolerate the slightest carelessness.

He quickly replied, "It's Yaowu and Jianqiu, and Zhan Tu, who has been to the Wilderness Mountains once."

All three Golden Core cultivators from the Tuoba family had been to the Desolate Marsh Mountains. Tuoba Yaowu and Tuoba Jianqiu split up, each leading a team to search for resources in the Desolate Marsh Mountains.

In the subsequent battle at Liuli Mountain, the two sent the even stronger Tuoba Zhantu to provide support.

"Whether it was done by the three of them or not, an investigation will tell."

As Lin Shengping spoke, he turned to look at a Golden Core cultivator behind him, dressed in a black robe.

That person was Jin Moqi, the most mysterious patriarch of the Jin family among the five major families.

"Chief Jin, thank you for your trouble."

Upon hearing the sound, Jin Moqi flew out of the crowd, her eyes, hidden beneath her robe, as deep as an abyss.

His voice was deep: “Come one by one, do not resist. If you resist and damage your soul, you will bear the consequences.”

After saying that, he flew to Tuoba Zhantu, who had the highest cultivation level, and looked him in the eye: "Look into my eyes and do not resist."

At the same time, he used the secret technique of the Soul Path.

At first, Tuoba Zhantu, who was "bewitched," still had some clarity in his eyes, but after a moment his eyes became dull and lifeless.

Jin Moqi's voice appeared in his ear: "Did you collude with the people of the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty and betray the intelligence of Zhennan Prefecture? Did you kill Xiang Zhiye, the Golden Core cultivator of the Xiang family?"

Tuoba Zhantu's eyes were empty, devoid of any emotion, and his tone was extremely flat: "No, I have never done any of these things."

"No?"

Jin Moqi got the answer she wanted, and then changed the target of her "bewitching" to Tuoba Jianqiu.

Tuoba Zhantu remained in a daze for a while before slowly regaining his senses.

After some questioning, it still wasn't Tuoba Jianqiu.

Of the three, only one remained: Tuoba Yaowu.

At this moment, Tuoba Yaowu was extremely nervous and fearful, because he knew that he was the one who did those things!

He was the one who betrayed the intelligence about Zhennan Prefecture to the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty, but he didn't know that the Carefree King would be there. He was also the one who killed Xiang Zhiye.

He wondered how anyone knew when he ambushed and killed Xiang Zhiye, since no one saw it.
What methods did the Jin family patriarch use?
Tuoba Yaowu's heart was pounding.

If he deliberately avoids and prevents the Jin family patriarch from investigating, then he is admitting his guilt and confirming that he was the one who did those things.

With so many late-stage Golden Core cultivators present, he didn't think he could force his way out from among them.

He only had one choice: to deceive Jin Moqi.

A Golden Core cultivator possesses an extremely powerful soul and a strong will, and is not easily bewitched.

Tuoba Yaowu had practiced the secret arts of the Soul Path, and his soul power was stronger than that of other cultivators of the same level. He had also practiced the Soul Sealing Technique. He could only pray that he could withstand Jin Moqi's "bewitching" technique.

"Tuoba Yaowu, it's your turn."

Jin Moqi flew toward Tuoba Yaowu. Before he could even begin to bewitch him, he had already sensed panic deep within Tuoba Yaowu's eyes.

This person is suspicious!

"Don't resist!"

Jin Moqi and Tuoba Yaowu exchanged glances, and Jin Moqi noticed that Tuoba Yaowu's eyes were darting around and that he was uneasy.

"Order it for me!"

Jin Moqi raised his hand and slapped a pressure point on Tuoba Yaowu's shoulder. The slap caused Tuoba Yaowu's dantian to tremble and his true energy to surge chaotically.

Heh, you think you can escape my soul technique?

Jin Moqi's lips curled up. His mastery of soul techniques ranked among the top in the entire Zhennan Prefecture. With his Golden Core Nine Patterns cultivation, which was extremely close to the Golden Core Perfection, dealing with Tuoba Yaowu was a piece of cake.

Before him, everyone in Zhennan Prefecture, except for a select few, had no secrets. Even those who had cultivated the Soul Sealing Technique could break Jin Moqi's Soul Sealing Technique as long as their cultivation level was significantly lower.

"Huh? Where am I?"

Tuoba Yaowu looked into Jin Moqi's eyes, his vision gradually blurring.

But he was unwilling to surrender so easily, and continued to struggle violently, biting his tongue to force himself to stay awake.

However, he only held on for a short while before being completely bewitched.

Jin Moqi's questions were no different from before: "Did you collude with the people of the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty and betray the intelligence of Zhennan Prefecture? Did you kill Xiang Zhiye, the Golden Core cultivator of the Xiang family?"

This time, he received a different answer.

"Yes, it's me."

Tuoba Yaowu's eyes were glazed over, and he was unconscious. He nodded and said.

yes?!

Hearing this answer, everyone felt relieved, as it at least proved that they had not wronged anyone.

After all, they did not have any clear evidence before this.

The information Lin Shengping had previously gathered, as well as what the Prince of Xiaoyao had said, were all merely "speculation," lacking concrete evidence. Seeing members of the Tuoba family at Liuli Mountain did not prove that the Tuoba family had betrayed the intelligence.

"You killed my clansman, Xiang Zhiye?!"

The speaker was Xiang Qingtian, the head of the Xiang family.

"Yes, it's me."

The bewitched Tuoba Yaowu answered truthfully in a calm tone.

"To whom did you betray the intelligence about Zhennan Prefecture? And where did you kill Xiang Zhiye?"

Jin Moqi continued to press for answers.

"I sold the intelligence to a Golden Core commander of the Baiyue Immortal Dynasty, and he gave me a Grade 3 elixir as a reward. I then launched a sneak attack on Xiang Zhiye at Liuli Mountain to seize the immortal spiritual plants."

Unconsciously, Tuoba Yaowu revealed all the truth about himself.

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.

"Shut up, you traitor!"

Before Tuoba Yaowu could finish speaking, Tuoba Xianfeng couldn't stand it anymore and slapped Tuoba Yaowu on the head.

"What is Chief Tuoba doing?"

His palm strike, imbued with true energy, was blocked by Lin Shengping, but even so, the aftershock still awakened Tuoba Yaowu.

what happened?

Tuoba Yaowu looked around in bewilderment and found that everyone was looking at him with strange eyes. Several Golden Core cultivators from the Tuoba family were looking at him with utter disgust and hatred.

The other Golden Core cultivators, however, had eyes full of schadenfreude.

"Tuoba Xianfeng, what other excuses do you have?"

"I……"

Tuoba Xianfeng knew that he had committed such a serious crime that his chances of escaping were extremely slim, but he was still unwilling to give up: "It was Tuoba Yaowu who did it alone. Our family cannot be implicated. Your Excellency, even if you cut him into a thousand pieces and scatter his soul, it is his own fault, and it has nothing to do with my clan."

Our clan has always abided by rules and regulations.

I remember our clan's previous patriarch had a very good relationship with the prefect and made great contributions in Zhennan Prefecture. Also, the Wuma family said they owed my family a favor, and…”

Tuoba Xianfeng wished he could drag out every family that was connected to his family.

Unfortunately, today is different from the past.

The families that had ties with the Tuoba family in the past were from many years ago. Those past relationships have long since vanished.

Even if they really had a good relationship with the Tuoba family, they wouldn't stand up for them at this time.

Lin Shengping was too lazy to listen to Tuoba Xianfeng's sophistry; he had already given him one last chance.

He channeled his true energy into his chest, his voice echoing throughout Jiurong City: "I am the Prefect of Zhennan Prefecture. All members of the Tuoba family, heed my command. After investigation, the Tuoba family..."

He repeated the verdict against the Tuoba family, this time addressing all members of the Tuoba family.

"Everyone stand still and await your fate. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

The sound echoed throughout every corner of Jiurong City.

All members of the Tuoba family, including the Lingshan and Jiurongshan mountains in the middle, heard it clearly.

They were thrilled.

"what's the situation?"

"The Prefect of Zhennan Prefecture has arrived?"

"This is a calamity that will wipe out our entire Tuoba family!"

"What are you waiting for? Run!"

"Don't run, those who resist will be killed without mercy."

"Heh, I was destined to die at the Foundation Establishment stage anyway, so I might as well fight for a way to survive."

"Why must one die at the seventh level of Qi Refining, while one can live at the sixth level? Just one level is a matter of life and death?"

“My family are ordinary people. We farm in Jiurong City, working from dawn till dusk every day. If this family is wiped out, so be it. We can just change our surname and make a living elsewhere.”

Those ordinary members of the Tuoba family who did not have relatives with high positions of power within the family were also exploited within the family.

Upon hearing Lin Shengping's verdict, they felt heartbroken at the destruction of their family, but also a sense of relief and even joy at surviving such a calamity.

Many of them fought back to the death.

However, Lin Shengping had already laid a tight net around Jiurong City, and no one could escape.

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.

"It's over, my family is finished~~"

The Tuoba clan perished under this patriarch.

When Tuoba Xianfeng heard Lin Shengping pronounce judgment on the entire clan, he deflated like a punctured balloon, and his golden core essence rapidly dissipated outwards.

He fell toward the ground with his eyes open.

"boom!"

He crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He never imagined that just as the Tuoba family was thriving, its momentum would suddenly come to an abrupt halt and be completely destroyed in his hands.

He was careless.

He knew Tuoba Yaowu's style of doing things very well, but he still tolerated his reckless behavior in the outside world. This time, he finally offended a powerful figure he couldn't afford to offend.

Their family's history in Jiurong City spans only a few thousand years. Before settling in Jiurong City, the Tuoba family had countless years of family history, a magnificent family history filled with ups and downs.

"..."

Tuoba Xianfeng fell to the ground silently; he was already dead.

He was unharmed and no one attacked him; however, after Lin Shengping announced the fate of the Tuoba family, Tuoba Xianfeng "died of heart."

Tuoba Xianfeng's heart was dead, so his spiritual energy leaked out.

He knew that the fate of the Tuoba family was sealed, and that no one in the Tuoba family could possibly resist Zhennan Prefecture.

However, other Golden Core cultivators in the Tuoba family were unwilling to accept this, such as Tuoba Yaowu.

Even after being sentenced by Lin Shengping, Tuoba Yaowu refused to accept his fate and attempted to resist and escape by force.

Tuoba Yaowu faced enemies among the top-ranking members of the five great families. Before them, Tuoba Yaowu was utterly weak and easily defeated; his golden core was shattered after just a few moves.

The other Golden Core cultivators of the Tuoba family did not last long either, and all perished.

After careful consideration, the Golden Core cultivators, including Lin Shengping, did not take action against the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Tuoba family.

Given their status as Golden Core cultivators, killing Foundation Establishment cultivators would be undignified, so they were too lazy to bother. Even if they didn't intervene, the Foundation Establishment cultivators and government troops from the five major families were more than enough to deal with the Tuoba family's Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The Tuoba family has many cultivators, but most of them are low-level Qi Refining cultivators. There aren't many Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The fighting throughout Jiurong City quickly subsided after the massacre by the five major families and the government army.

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.

When the massacre of the entire clan occurred in Jiurong City.

Yuanli County.

The Demon Subduing Bureau.

"Deputy Director Jin, what do you mean? You're sending people out on missions without even asking me, the director, for my opinion?"

Tuoba Hongyang questioned Jin Kuiyuan, his words utterly impolite.

He is the Director of the Demon Subduing Division. He previously went to the Desolate Marsh Mountains with the Zhennan Prefecture's celestial army, but after separating from the Zhennan Prefecture's forces, he rejoined the Tuoba family's army. Now, he has returned from the Desolate Marsh Mountains and continues to serve as the Director of the Demon Subduing Division.

During the years he was away, Jin Kuiyuan, the deputy director, temporarily served as the director.

However, after Tuoba Hongyang returned, he discovered that Jin Kuiyuan intended to replace him. This made him very unhappy.

If he doesn't step down as director, he will always be the director of the Demon Subduing Division, and no one else can take his place!
Jin Kuiyuan awkwardly explained, "Director, you've just returned and aren't familiar with the situation in various places..."

"Not familiar with me? I've been the director for much longer than you, how could I not be familiar with me?"

Tuoba Hongyang was so angry for another reason: the immortal spiritual plant that he thought was very likely to be his now seemed to be out of reach. He had heard that the clan leader was considering giving the immortal spiritual plant to a genius with earth-rooted spiritual roots within the clan.

He had been stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage for a long time, and had made great contributions in the desolate swamp mountains. Logically and morally, the ownership of this immortal spiritual plant should be considered from his perspective.

Just then, he received a message from the spirit talisman, sent by the Jiurong City family.

He didn't know what the family wanted to do with the message, so he glanced at it casually and didn't take it to heart.

However, his expression changed drastically after reading the message.

Without hesitation, he quickly flew outside to leave.

The message conveyed by the talisman: The Tuoba family has been wiped out by the prefect, and he should flee for his life as soon as possible.

He found the news outrageous, but he had no choice but to believe it. In case his family was wiped out, he could preserve the family line by staying alive.

However, just as they reached the door and were about to take flight, a Golden Core cultivator descended from the sky.

This person is a Golden Core cultivator from the Zhennan Prefecture's military force, and he had been lying in ambush nearby for some time.

The government will not let go of the Tuoba family members outside Jiurong City. Most of the preparation time of the past month or two has been spent investigating the Tuoba family members in other places.

They are determined to wipe out the Tuoba family!
(End of this chapter)