There are no ancestors at all; I made them all up.

Chapter 25 Who says I have a good temper?

Upon hearing this, Chen Wulang and Chen Yu took a deep breath, lifted the carriage curtain, and helped their younger sister, Chen Xuan, out of the car.

Seeing this, the man in the brocade robe smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, gentlemen. As long as Young Master Chen Xu submits to the Sixth Prince, the Chen family's disgrace can be cleared. The Sixth Prince has promised that if things go well, he will not only restore the Chen family's title, but also bestow upon them a 'Marrow Cleansing Pill' to help the Seventh Miss eradicate the cold poison."

Chen Xuan trembled, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes.

Chen Yu said coldly, "Manager Zhao, my second brother is stubborn. Even when his spiritual bones were destroyed and he was expelled from the family, he never bowed his head. Now, it will probably not be so easy for him to betray Princess Xiyao."

Steward Zhao's smile remained unchanged, and he said meaningfully, "That's precisely why His Highness the Sixth Prince specially invited the two of you here. Blood ties can never be severed."

He gestured for the two to come inside.

The inn was brightly lit, and several servants had already prepared hot water and food.

Chen Yu helped his sister sit down, but he himself stood by the window, gazing in the direction of Yujing in the distance, his expression complicated.

"Fifth Brother..." Chen Xuan called softly.

Chen Yu turned around and forced a smile: "It's alright, I'll see my second brother soon."

Chen Xuan looked down at the jade pendant in her hand, which Chen Xu had left for her before leaving home.

"If Second Brother knew that we were brought here by the Sixth Prince's men, would he be angry?"

Chen Yu was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "What's the use of being angry? The Chen family has nowhere to go. Father is imprisoned, and the clansmen are exiled. If we don't seize this opportunity, there will truly be no more Chen family..."

A rainbow streaked through the twilight, revealing a vast expanse of land stretching for three thousand miles, with ever-changing landscapes and cities scattered like stars.

Chen Qing lightly traced a line in the air with his fingertips, and the wondrous scenery along the way became an invisible scroll imprinted into his sea of ​​consciousness.

Xu Zhaoying did not disturb them, but instead increased the speed of her sword light by three times.

As the sun set, the two finally arrived at the outskirts of Yujing.

In the distance, the nine-tiered city walls rise into the clouds, and a rainbow bridge spans the Milky Way.

As the sun sets in the west, palace lanterns light up one after another, illuminating the entire imperial city like a crystal world.

"arrive."

Xu Zhaoying lowered the sword light and landed at Lianshan Post Station outside the city.

Chen Qing then came to his senses. Perhaps because he had referenced the scenery of Xuandu Mountain when condensing the talisman, the layered mountain shadows now formed a scroll in his sea of ​​consciousness, which he could take out and study at any time.

"This has clearly become a visualization diagram..."

He secretly pondered that after meeting the princess, he would find a quiet place to draw this "Mysterious Capital Contemplation Diagram". If he succeeded, not only would his cultivation in the dream world be able to advance further, but he would also increase the sect's foundation after returning to the real world!

"Now that he's awake, it's about time to pass on the Great Ao Haiyue Scroll to him, helping him reach the first realm and establish the Yellow Court Palace..."

As night deepened, the lights in the inn gradually went out.

Chen Qing sat cross-legged on the couch, regulating his breathing and concentrating his mind. The life talisman circulated within his body, and the harmonious energy nourished his meridians.

A slight gust of wind suddenly stirred outside the window.

"Ok?"

He frowned, looked up, and saw a paper crane fly in through the window and gently land on the table.

The paper crane was pure white except for a dark red stain on its beak, resembling blood but not quite, giving it an eerie feel.

"A paper crane for sending messages?"

Chen Qing reached out and swiped the paper crane, which unfolded into a letter. The handwriting on the letter was neat, yet it conveyed a sense of urgency.

"Second Brother, this letter is as if we were meeting in person."

"My seventh sister and I have arrived in Yujing. Thanks to the Sixth Prince's mercy, we are temporarily staying in Qingxi. His Highness is kind and said that if my second brother is willing to submit, the Chen family's disgrace can be washed away, his title can be restored, and he will even bestow upon me a marrow cleansing pill to cure my seventh sister's cold poison."

"Second Brother, now that Father is imprisoned and our clansmen are scattered, the Chen family is on the verge of collapse. The Sixth Prince is the Holy Emperor's legitimate son, with immense power and influence. Princess Xiyao is merely of foreign blood and is unlikely to achieve great things. I hope you will reconsider, Second Brother!"

The signature reads "Fifth Brother Chen Yu".

After Chen Qing finished reading it, he rubbed the letter between his fingers, and it turned into ashes.

Princess Xiyao initially accepted the task of resettling 100,000 criminals precisely because the Sixth Prince interfered. Now that the task is nearing completion, the Sixth Prince is secretly contacting the Chen family, attempting to win them over?
"This sixth prince seems to be deliberately making things difficult for Princess Xiyao. What conflict do they have? Also, Chen Yu, Chen Xuan... there really is a Chen family, and it even involves siblings. My setting should only involve Chen Xu. Is this a proper identity arrangement?"

In my memory, these two were indeed Chen Xu's younger brother and sister-in-law. They were still young when the Chen family suffered their misfortune.

Chen Qing got up, opened the window, and looked towards the direction of Yujing in the distance.

In the darkness of night, the majestic imperial city was brightly lit, like a lurking beast.

"Using family ties to force someone to submit? That's villainous behavior!"

Chen Qing's gaze grew cold.

If he were truly "Chen Xu," he might be swayed by this, but he only came through a dream and has little affection for the Chen family. Besides, Princess Xi Yao and Xu Zhaoying and others have treated him well, so why would he easily turn against them?

Moreover, if one easily changes one's mind and path for personal gain even in dreams, it would be difficult to establish a firm belief in the Way!

"At worst, I can just make up another story about a founder starting over, allowing me to twist my thoughts at will, but that won't do."

Just as I was pondering this, I heard footsteps outside the door.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, have you taken a rest?"

It was Xu Zhaoying's voice.

Chen Qing composed himself and said, "Not yet, Fellow Daoist Xu, please come in."

The door opened, and Xu Zhaoying, dressed in plain white, held a small, dim lamp, its flame illuminating her beautiful features. Her gaze swept across the table, noticing ashes from a piece of paper: "Someone sent you a message?"

Chen Qing did not hide anything and briefly told him the contents of the letter.

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Xu Zhaoying's eyes: "The Sixth Prince actually secretly contacted your relatives and coerced you?" After a moment of contemplation, she said, "What do you intend to do about the Chen family's matter?"

Chen Qing asked, "What does Fellow Daoist Xu think I will do?"

Xu Zhaoying stared at him for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "I believe you."

Those three short words carried immense weight. She then added, "Actually, you don't need to worry. The princess will find a way to arrange things for the Chen family."

Chen Qing's heart stirred slightly, and he was about to speak when he suddenly heard a sharp whistling sound coming from outside the window!

"call out--"

A jade arrow flew through the air and landed on the window frame, with half a broken jade pendant tied to its end.

"It's already so lively before we've even entered Yujing." Chen Qing was taken aback. His gaze swept over the jade pendant and he saw the character "Yun" (cloud) engraved on it. His body's blood and qi surged uncontrollably!

Li Xiao!

This name pierced the depths of my memory like a poisonous thorn!
It was this sworn brother who falsely accused Chen Xu of treason, causing his spirit bones to be destroyed and the Chen family to be ruined!

If the real Chen Xu were here, he would probably be furious.

Outside the window, a figure seemed to flash by in the moonlight.

"Lead me out?"

He pondered for a moment, then asked Xu Zhaoying, "Is there anything we should avoid doing here under the guise of fighting in Yujing?"

Xu Zhaoying said, "As long as there are unusual fluctuations in spiritual energy, they will definitely attract the Jade Capital Guards. However, we have been summoned by the princess and are here on official business. If any emergencies occur, we can act as we see fit."

"Okay!" Chen Qing nodded, his figure as swift as smoke, and silently disappeared out of the window.

Xu Zhaoying frowned, reached into her robes, crushed a communication jade talisman, and then followed.

In the wilderness, beneath an ancient locust tree, the moonlight is like water.

A figure in white stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering, exuding an otherworldly aura, with a striking vermilion dot between his brows.

Li Xiao.

Chen Qing stopped in his tracks, his brows furrowing slightly.

Unlike the sinister and ruthless "sworn brother" in his memory, Li Xiao at this moment was gentle and refined, with a profound and unfathomable aura!
How long has it been since?

Oh, it's been over thirty years, then it's alright.

"Brother Xu, it's been a long time."

Li Xiao turned around, his gaze gentle, seemingly filled with concern.

Chen Qing stood ten feet away, his expression calm, showing neither hatred nor feigning intimacy, and said indifferently, "It has been a long time."

Li Xiao was slightly taken aback.

He had expected Chen Xu to be either furious or cold-hearted upon seeing him, but he was surprised by the other's composure, leaving him unable to fathom his thoughts.

“Brother Xu has changed a lot.” Li Xiao sighed softly, his tone sincere. “I had my own reasons for what happened back then, and I’m risking my life to meet you today only to save you.”

Chen Qing raised an eyebrow slightly: "Save me?"

Li Xiao lowered his voice: "The Tenth Princess's trip to the capital this time has many reasons on the surface, but in reality, she is to be sent to the Cleansing Pool."

He slid a secret letter from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Qing: "The Holy Emperor is currently in seclusion, comprehending the mysteries of the Heavenly Dao. The Empress Dowager is in charge of the affairs of the Immortal Dynasty. Recently, some ministers in the court jointly submitted a memorial, saying that Princess Xi Yao's bloodline has changed and she is not of our kind. Therefore, the Empress Dowager has issued a secret decree that this summons is a pretense, and the real purpose is to cleanse her bloodline!"

Chen Qing took the secret letter, glanced at it, his face remained expressionless, but in his heart he was pondering the title "Empress Regent".

Li Xiao secretly observed his reaction, feeling surprised and suspicious. If it were the Chen Xu of the past, he would have been furious or anxious upon hearing this, but the person in front of him did not even frown!
“Brother Xu,” he asked tentatively, “aren’t you worried?”

Chen Qing raised her eyes, and instead of answering, asked, "Did you come here today just to say this?"

Li Xiao paused, then smiled bitterly: "You still don't believe me." After a pause, he suddenly lowered his voice and said in a serious tone: "Actually, there is something else... Stop investigating the whereabouts of your spirit bone. Investigating everything is not good for you."

Chen Qing's eyes flickered slightly, and he finally showed a hint of interest: "Why?" He suddenly thought of what Master Taiyan of Xuandu Mountain had said about "innate talent as deep as an abyss".

Li Xiao shook his head: "Knowing too much is even more dangerous."

Chen Qing remained calm, as if none of this concerned him.

Li Xiao felt increasingly uncertain, but still pretended to be sincere and said, "Brother Xu, I heard that you are now cultivating the Taiyue Technique? This technique is not suitable for your physique. The original text of the Zhou Tian Xing Su Jie that you used to cultivate happens to be in my hands. As long as you agree to leave, this item can be returned to its rightful owner."

He took out a jade scroll and handed it to Chen Qing, but a wisp of black energy quietly rose from his fingertips.

Chen Qing lowered his gaze slightly, seemingly deep in thought, but in reality, he had already sensed the wisp of black energy.

Just as Li Xiao was about to touch his wrist—

"Zheng!"

A sword light pierced through the air, and Xu Zhaoying coldly shouted, "How dare you, you scoundrel!"

Li Xiao threw away the jade slip and retreated several feet. His feigned gentleness vanished instantly, revealing his sinister true nature: "What a pity, almost..." He looked up at Chen Qing and was slightly disappointed to see that the other party had no intention of making a move.

"Chen Xu, how could you possibly hold back from making a move?"

"I can't even gauge your strength, so naturally I won't act rashly." Chen Qing sighed, deliberately feigning a dejected expression: "At this point, what's the point of attacking you?"

Li Xiao narrowed his eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter: "So you've lost your edge! You've lost all your temper! Then there's nothing more to say. What harm is there in letting you live a little longer? Anyway, once the princess falls, you'll fall into my hands anyway!"

Chen Qing sensed something amiss: "You want to arrest me?"

Li Xiao stopped answering, formed a hand seal, and a dark, swift wind rose up, trying to envelop him...

"Actually, you're wrong. I actually have a bad temper."

Chen Qing suddenly spoke, flicked his finger, and a jet-black talisman shot out, flying towards Li Xiao with the wind!

Li Xiao waved his long sleeves, spiritual energy radiating like light, and with effortless ease, laughed, "I thought you had truly lost your mind, but it turns out you were pinning your hopes on such petty tricks. You still think you're the same darling of heaven you once were, but you don't know how fireflies can... Ah! How could it be a Yin spirit!?"

Before he could finish speaking, the talisman suddenly exploded!
"boom--"

There was no fire, no shockwave, only an extremely cold chill that erupted, like ancient ice, instantly freezing an area of ​​ten feet in radius!
Twisted human faces appeared in the air, ghostly in appearance, emitting silent shrieks, and pounced on Li Xiao!

The Yin Shen’s thoughts are lingering, and the tarsal bones are eroding the spirit!
　Please recommend and read further!

(End of this chapter)