Family Cultivation: Rise of the Wilderness

Chapter 379 Interrogation
Two days later.

The sky was overcast, and a light drizzle was falling.

In Baolong Valley, a funeral procession moved slowly forward. Everyone was dressed in plain clothes, wearing mourning caps, and their faces showed deep sorrow. Their steps seemed particularly heavy on the muddy road, and each step seemed to tell of their reluctance to part and their grief.

Along the roadside, white banners fluttered in the wind and rain, making a "whooshing" sound, guiding the souls of the deceased on their way home.

Ordinary people kneeling by the roadside lit incense and candles, the smoke swirling in the rain and mingling with the drizzle to form a hazy veil.

Li Xiangcheng followed the procession in a daze. When he saw Chen Ling'er's coffin being lowered into the tomb, he burst into tears and felt so heartbroken that he could hardly breathe.

Suddenly, a large hand covered his shoulder.

Li Xiangcheng turned around and saw a tall figure standing behind him.

"Let's go."

"Nineteenth Brother."

Li Xiangcheng muttered to himself, stood up, but almost fell.

Fortunately, Li Xiangming grabbed his arm in time, and Li Xiangcheng then realized in a daze that the funeral procession had already dispersed, leaving only the two of them.

"The dead are gone, but the living are like this."

Li Xiangming said softly.

Li Xiangcheng remained silent for a long time, then took a deep breath, wiped away the tears on his face, and nodded.

Seeing that he had regained his senses, Li Xiangming did not try to comfort him anymore, but turned and left, heading towards the Chen family's council hall.

This place also suffered an attack from the Huang family. There were broken bricks and tiles everywhere, as well as signs of residual magic power. You could even smell a faint stench of blood.

Chen Zhonghe sat at the head of the table, coughing incessantly.

There were only two or three elderly people scattered around.

"Master Chen is unwell and need not see me."

Li Xiangming stepped into the hall and looked around at the surroundings.

Chen Zhonghe struggled to his feet and cupped his hands in thanks to Li Xiangming: "Master Li sent people to help, saving my Chen family from dire straits. I am deeply grateful and must express my gratitude in person."

Li Xiangming looked at him quietly, and after a long while he said, "Does Patriarch Chen wonder why the Li family, having rejected the Chen family's request, has extended a helping hand?"

Chen Zhonghe coughed a few more times before raising his head, a hint of pain flashing in his eyes: "I do have this doubt."

If the Li family truly wanted to help the Chen family, they should have immediately sent people south when Chen Ling'er visited them. This would have made the Huang family and the Tongbei Sect wary, and the Chen family wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

Now that Baolong Valley has been breached, Li Xiangming has only just arrived.
He certainly didn't dare to show his dissatisfaction in front of Li Xiangming.

But he is not willing to give in!

Li Xiangming was naturally well aware of Chen Zhonghe's thoughts.

Human hearts are never satisfied. Even if he disobeyed the family's orders and relieved the Chen family from their predicament, how much gratitude could the Chen family feel when they thought of the miserable deaths of those family members who "should have been saved"?

Forget about repaying him, it would be good enough if he didn't complain about how late he came.

Shaking his head, Li Xiangming sighed and said, "Every family has its own problems. The head of the Chen family has been in a high position for a long time. He should understand that even a clan is not always monolithic. The Huang family is willing to kneel, but there will always be some people in the family who will look at them differently."

"Of course, I and a group of others are willing to believe in and support the Chen family. This move is also intended to show the Chen family our attitude, and we hope that the Chen family head will not cause any rift with the Li family because of this. The most urgent task is to find a way to protect the remaining members of the Chen family and their foundation, so that they can rise again in the future."

Chen Zhonghe and the other elderly people exchanged glances.

An elderly man with long eyebrows spoke up: "What instructions does Hall Master Li have?"

Li Xiangming glanced at him and asked, "If I may ask, how many cultivators does the Chen family still have?"

The old man with long eyebrows did not speak, but Chen Zhonghe answered truthfully: "The Chen family originally had 123 cultivators, but after this disaster, only 46 people remain, including 13 children who have entered the Dao."

Forty-six people?
Li Xiangming frowned slightly. The fall of Baolong Valley had wiped out almost two-thirds of the Chen family members.

Even he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Among these survivors, many were children with shallow cultivation levels, utterly useless.

Li Xiangming bluntly stated, "Baolong Valley has lost the protection of its formation. With only these people, the Chen family has absolutely no chance of resisting the Huang family's next attack."

Chen Zhonghe remained silent; how could he not understand this?
Death would end everything, but living wouldn't be so easy either.

As the head of the family, the heavy responsibility of revitalizing the clan almost suffocated him.

Even with his serious injuries, he had no choice but to force himself to meet with the head of the Li family's Foreign Affairs Hall.

Chen Zhonghe took a deep breath and slowly said, "I hope Hall Master Li can enlighten me!"

"At this point, only the Li family can help Patriarch Chen."

Li Xiangming answered softly.

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

The long-browed old man suddenly stood up and said angrily, "The Huang family is also under the Li family's command. We will never associate with the Huang family."

Li Xiangming ignored him and calmly looked at Chen Zhonghe: "I might as well tell Patriarch Chen that my visit this time has violated the family's taboo. If the Huang family does not do anything to harm the Li family's interests, they will not be expelled from the Li family. If you do not want to be associated with the Huang family, then you should consider how to establish yourselves in Pudong."

"Are you threatening us?"

The old man with long eyebrows was filled with rage, and his hand trembled as he pointed at Li Xiangming.

Chen Zhonghe started coughing again, and it became more severe.

The old man with long eyebrows had no choice but to put down his hand and walk to Chen Zhonghe's side to transfer his magical power to him.

After a while, Chen Zhonghe slumped into a chair, his face flushed, staring blankly at the dilapidated ceiling.

"Patriarch Chen, please consider this carefully. I can promise you that I will eliminate the Tongbei Sect, but I cannot take action against the Huang family. You should be well aware of this. You only have two paths left: either join the Li family's camp, and I am willing to buy you a chance to breathe; or join other forces and fight against the Huang and Li families."

After saying that, Li Xiangming turned to leave.

After walking a few steps, Chen Zhonghe's voice came from behind: "Master Li! Please wait, I have something else to say."
-
"Master Zhang, Vice Sect Leader, what brings you here?"

Outside Baolong Valley, Yin Feng scurried up to Zhang Min.

Zhang Min glared at him. "So many people have disappeared from Xiaolan Valley, how could I not come?"

Yin Feng scratched his head, not daring to say anything more.

Both of their operations were directly ordered by the sect leader, and Zhang Min was unaware of them.

In reality, most of the disciples of Green Cloud Cave had received favors from Zhang Min and had close relationships with her.

Sure enough, Zhang Min got wind of it and rushed over immediately.

"What exactly have you all done?"

Zhang Min questioned him again, but Yin Feng didn't notice the frost on her face and replied with a smile, "He's the one who saved the sect leader's cousin, Li Xiangcheng. You might not know him; I just met him myself."

Zhang Min gave Yin Feng a sharp rap on the head: "Get to the point."

Yin Feng clutched his head in frustration: "What's the point? We just do whatever the sect leader tells us to do."

"What about Long Yang?" Zhang Min glared at him angrily. "Several people have complained to me that Long Yang is a bloodthirsty killer. You're going to kill people, not play house, do you understand?"

Yin Feng was stunned for a moment, then his expression also turned a little strange, and he replied in a low voice, "I don't know what's wrong with Senior Brother Long."

Zhang Minyu was still furious and scolded, "Tell me the whole story in detail."

Yin Feng hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not hide it.

After a long pause, Zhang Min asked in astonishment, "You're saying Long Yang killed over seventy people in Baolong Valley? He killed them all by himself?"

There weren't originally this many.

Yin Feng muttered something, then weakly added, "Mainly because he killed all the Huang family members who surrendered."

"He still killed those who surrendered?"

Zhang Min's face turned pale.

Yin Feng quickly explained, "We don't know the reason either. The sect leader's order was only to deal with the Tongbei Sect disciples because the Tongbei Sect was chasing Li Xiangcheng, and the sect leader was very angry."

"When we arrived at Baolong Valley, Senior Brother Long removed the outer sentry posts and arranged for Senior Brother Luo to set up a maze. Then, he took the lead and charged into Baolong Valley, displaying great power. The Tongbei Sect and Huang Family cultivators could not resist him. Many people tried to escape in the chaos, but they were trapped in the maze and caught like turtles in a jar by us... In short, the Huang Family surrendered quickly, leaving only the Tongbei Sect to put up a last-ditch resistance."

"But the elite of the Tongbei Sect were wiped out by us beforehand, and the rest were no match for us. We quickly cleared out Baolong Valley, and everyone said we would wait for the sect leader to come before making a decision. But unexpectedly, Senior Brother Long went berserk and attacked the captured Huang family cultivators. Nearly fifty of them died, not one was left."

"you."

Zhang Min swayed slightly, and Yin Feng hurriedly came over to support her. "We were also very surprised. After the sect leader found out, he said that Senior Brother Long had gone mad and was now being held together with the captured Tongbei Sect disciples."

Zhang Min sighed deeply: "How could he do this? Many people have told me that Green Cloud Cave can no longer keep him. Otherwise, please take me to see the sect leader first."

"Yes!"
-
Pushing open the door, the air was filled with dampness and a musty smell.

The few faint rays of light that pierced through the narrow window gaps barely illuminated the small room.

Li Xiangming covered his nose and walked in, where he saw a naked boy bound to a thick wooden stake. The rough ropes were deeply cut into his skin, leaving bloody marks.

Many of the instruments of torture scattered on the ground were stained with dried blood.

Clearly, the boy had been tortured; his face was covered in sweat and tears mixed with dust, revealing extreme pain and despair.

"Recruited?"

"No."

"not a single one?"

"No."

Upon hearing this, Li Xiangming frowned, seemingly lost in thought.

This place was originally where the Chen family punished members of their clan who had made mistakes.

Now it has been occupied by him and converted into a prison to hold captured Tongbei Sect disciples.

He needed to find out why the Tongbei Sect was hunting down Li Xiangcheng, but the Tongbei Sect disciples were extremely stubborn and refused to reveal any useful information, even when they were covered in wounds.

This made Li Xiangming feel extremely frustrated.

Long Yang, who had spent two days and two nights in the cell, also looked somewhat tired. His voice was hoarse as he said, "They are not cultivators who grew up in an ordinary environment, but brainwashed killing tools. Trying to pry open their mouths is as difficult as climbing to the sky."

As he spoke, he stepped forward, gripped the boy's jawbone firmly against the wooden pillar, straightened his head, and slowly said, "Only this guy named Zihong is likely to speak."

Li Xiangming glanced at the boy.

The boy also raised his head and stared at Li Xiangming with his swollen eyes.

"Good eyes. It seems you want to live more than the others."

Li Xiangming praised him, circled around him, and continued, "At your age, to have the cultivation of the seventh level of Qi Refining, your talent must be quite good. In the future, you may very well be able to establish your foundation, or even enter the Golden Core stage and enjoy a lifespan of five hundred years. Wouldn't it be a pity if you died here?"

The boy turned his head away, refusing to look at Li Xiangming again.

Li Xiangming was not discouraged and personally untied the ropes for him: "You are still young, and you are doing such dangerous things. Your family must be very worried. I can bring them over and relieve your worries."

The boy's expression remained unchanged.

Li Xiangming smiled and said, "No family? That means you have no worries. Our Heng Kingdom is vast, where birds can roam freely. Whether it's Baolong Valley, Tongbi Sect, the Li family of Danggui Mountain in the north, the two sects guarding Dai Mountain, the Geng family of Meiling in the east, the Liu family of Jimu Rock in the south, or the Qin family of Hongshi Valley, they are all just a corner of Pu County."

"Besides Pu County, there are also Qingshui County, Qi County, and Baliu County, which are only the territories of Shun'an Prefecture. Do you know Zhangning Prefecture? Zhangning Prefecture has six counties, each of which is a major county for cultivation. Not only is it vast and rich in resources, but it is also teeming with cultivators. Whenever there is a grand ceremony, the crowds surge, and the scene is so spectacular that it leaves people speechless."

After a pause, Li Xiangming looked directly at the boy, his voice clear and powerful: "Tell me everything you know, and I can send you to Baoquan Mountain in Zhangning Prefecture. Baoquan Mountain is the stronghold of Hengyue Sect. Although I cannot guarantee that you will be able to join Hengyue Sect smoothly, I can at least give you a safe place to stay. As long as you stay there, no matter what kind of people or forces are behind you, they cannot harm a hair on your head."

"Hengyue Sect!"

A glint of light flashed in the boy's eyes, and even his mouth twitched slightly, clearly indicating that he had heard of the Hengyue Sect's great reputation.

Seeing that he reacted, Li Xiangming breathed a sigh of relief, untied and threw away the remaining ropes on the boy's body, and continued to entice him, "I know you don't trust me, but some opportunities are once in a lifetime. I'm entrusting this to you for safekeeping for now. You can weigh it yourself."

As he spoke, Li Xiangming took out an iron token and stuffed it into the boy's hand.

This was something the Min family gave him when he sold the Green Cloud Cave spiritual vein, to facilitate communication. It was engraved with the Min family's clan emblem and the Hengyue Sect's sect mark.

Holding this thing, one can freely request an audience with the Min family cultivators, or even with the Xuanli Master himself.

In fact, it is impossible for ordinary people to obtain such a special identity token when dealing with the Min family.

But the Li family is different; three generations of family heads—Li Huinan, Li Chengkang, and Li Qianxiong—all possessed this item.

The Min family gave several pieces, not minding giving one more, to demonstrate their friendly relationship with the Li family.

The boy gripped the token tightly, lowered his gaze, and secretly glanced at it.

Then a long silence ensued.

Li Xiangming wasn't in a hurry and just waited quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, the boy finally spoke: "I can tell you where the Tongbei Sect is, but I know nothing else."

Without saying a word, Li Xiangming took out a map of the southeastern part of Puxian County and used his magic to make it float in mid-air.

The boy glanced around, pointed to a spot, and said softly, "If you go there now, you might still make it late."

Li Xiangming's expression remained unchanged. He rolled up the map and handed it to Long Yang beside him, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

Long Yang silently put on the bamboo hat on his back and disappeared into the dimly lit room.

"Your name is Zihong, right?"

Li Xiangming looked the boy over again.

"It's just an alias. My real name is Yuan Bin."

"Yuan Bin?"

Li Xiangming narrowed his eyes: "It seems that everyone else only has one name."

That's because they've forgotten their past.

Yuan Bin turned his head away, avoiding Li Xiangming's gaze, clearly unwilling to continue the topic.

(End of this chapter)