After the path was cut off

The fierce battle was abruptly halted by an overwhelming force.

The murderous aura that permeated the courtyard was also cleared away.

The visitor was none other than Li Wangxiang.

His thin face was expressionless as his gaze calmly swept over the panting Li Jingshan and the enigmatic Wang the blacksmith.

"Jingshan," Li Wangxiang said with a hint of elder's teasing, "when did you make a friend without introducing him to your father?"

Li Jingshan looked at the figure before him, a figure that was both unfamiliar and familiar, and sighed inwardly.

Father finally came.

"Wang the blacksmith is a good man."

He only said this one sentence, and that one sentence was enough to show his attitude; saying anything more would be superfluous.

The blacksmith Wang no longer concealed his true feelings. His silent expression slowly softened, and he bowed solemnly:

"Junior Wang Yanfeng greets senior."

Li Wangxiang nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over him.

"The Qi you cultivate is intense and fierce, with a hint of rising fire, and your foundation is solid."

"What does the Crimson Bright Sect have to do with you?"

Wang Yanfeng was in a daze for a moment, a trace of regret flashing across his expression.

"The Crimson Bright Sect is the source of all the fire in the world; I dare not presume to be worthy of it."

"My ancestor was once an outer disciple of the Crimson Bright Sect, and by chance he inherited some of their teachings."

"But our ancestors died early in the war of opening up the city, and their descendants were driven out of Chiming City and could only barely survive in the countryside."

"It has been passed down to the younger generation for seventeen generations."

Li Wangxiang, however, did not think it was that simple.

Although Wang Yanfeng cultivated not the Li Fire, but the Mu Fire, both the Li Ming Flame-like intent and the surname "Wang" indicate that he had a deep connection with the Chi Ming Sect.

The peak of the Chiming Sect's true lineage has always been fond of identifying itself with the surname Wang.

If any disciple of the Crimson Bright Sect couldn't bear the loneliness, left behind offspring after descending the mountain, and then died in some unknown place, it's not impossible to find out the reason behind it.

However, it's still unclear whether this connection is actually linked to heretical practitioners.

Li Wangxiang did not dwell on the matter, but only asked:

"Tell me about it."

"Why stay in Baixi Town?"

Wang Yanfeng raised his head, his eyes filled with determination.

"Please, senior, kill me."

Upon hearing this, Li Jingshan was taken aback. Li Wangxiang's eyes also flickered slightly.

Why?

"Naturally, it will thwart Blood Butcher's scheme." Wang Yanfeng's voice seemed to come from his chest.

Li Wangxiang said:

"What's your relationship with Blood Butcher?"

Wang Yanfeng could no longer suppress his anger.

"The Blood Butcher also has the surname Wang."

His name is Wang Xiande.

"I was originally the head of the Tieyu Wang family."

"A hundred years ago, this fiend accidentally obtained a wicked scripture. In his pursuit of immortality, he secretly set up an evil array, turning thousands of my royal family members into blood food and draining their lifeblood and foundation."

"Then, that beast treated the remaining members of his tribe like lambs, raising and slaughtering them as provisions for his cultivation."

Li Jingshan suddenly remembered something.

"There is also a village in Baixi Town called Tieyuwang Village."

Wang Yanfeng said in a muffled voice:

"good."

"Most of the villagers in Tieyuwang Village are descendants of Wang Xiande."

"It's not just Wangcun."

"Many of the refugees gathered in Baixi Town in recent years are descendants of Wang Xiande."

Li Jingshan gasped.

"In other words, many residents in Baixi Town have Wang Xiande's blood in their veins."

"He herded livestock in Baixi Town to perpetuate his bloodline?"

Why?

Wang Yanfeng closed his eyes in pain.

"As far as I know, the cultivation method practiced by Wang Xiande requires the blood of his relatives as sustenance."

"That technique is very peculiar."

"No need for spiritual apertures, nor for gathering Qi."

"As long as one has sufficient blood and energy, one can cultivate."

Li Jingshan exclaimed in disbelief:

"No need for spiritual apertures?"

"How is this possible!"

Wang Yanfeng said:

"Absolutely true."

"Wang Xiande was nearly eighty years old when he massacred his relatives."

"If one possessed spiritual insight, one would have already begun cultivation; why wait until that stage?"

He looked at Li Wangxiang and bowed again.

"Senior, please kill this junior."

"Then take Jingshan and Qinghan and leave."

"These people in Baixi Town are not worth saving, senior."

Li Wangxiang's expression remained largely unchanged after hearing the news. Wang Yanfeng's information was alarming, but it couldn't change the current situation, nor could it alter his attitude towards the town's residents.

If he really cared about blood ties, he would have left with his brother long ago.

What he really needed to know was not why Blood Butcher was keeping Baixi Town under his control, but what Blood Butcher could do right now.

"I'm asking you."

"Besides Blood Butcher and Bone Chewing Demon, how many other evil cultivators are lurking around Baixi Town?"

"What level of cultivation do they each possess?"

"Do they have the means to massacre the town's residents?"

Wang Yanfeng shook his head in surprise. He hadn't expected Li Wangxiang to ask these questions.

"I have lived in Baixi Town for more than 30 years, and I rarely leave the village except when I migrate."

"I really don't know much."

"All I know is that Blood Butcher has a trusted confidant named Black Bat, who should already be at the peak of Qi Refining."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Li Wangxiang's eyes.

Wang Yanfeng seemed afraid that he would give up, and said urgently:

"You'd better kill me now, senior."

"The Blood Butcher has raised me for so many years without killing me, it must be because the blood essence of the Spirit Aperture is of a higher quality."

"I absolutely cannot let him devour me."

Li Wangxiang looked at him.

"If you want to die, you can commit suicide."

Wang Yanfeng shook his head, a hint of fanaticism in his eyes.

"no."

"Wang Xiande planted a seed of magic in my soul."

"I cannot commit suicide."

"Is that so?"

Li Wangxiang narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his hand and touched Wang Yanfeng's brow, gently guiding it outwards.

A drop of clear, water-like spiritual light was drawn from between Wang Yanfeng's brows, landed on Li Wangxiang's fingertips, and then silently dissipated.

"alright."

"The methods within your soul have been removed."

Wang Yanfeng stood frozen in place.

Li Wangxiang turned away from him and said:

"Let's go, Jingshan."

"We still have a lot to do."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve, and a gust of wind enveloped Li Jingshan, sending him flying into the distance.

Wang Yanfeng stared blankly at the departing figures of the father and son, then raised his hand and touched his brow.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

……

"Why did Father ignore that blacksmith Wang?" In the wind, Li Jingshan finally couldn't hold back.

Li Wangxiang said:

"The information Wang Yanfeng provided sounds alarming, but it's not very useful right now."

"It's better to let him be."

"Let's see if he comes into contact with other heretical practitioners afterward."

"With the master of the mirror present, his every word and action can be seen."

"Ignoring the problem at this point is actually more effective."

This reminded Li Wangxiang of the way the Hall of Mastery had treated him. It turned out this method was indeed effective.

Li Jingshan was still somewhat puzzled:

"But Father, you removed the spell that Blood Butcher had left in his soul."

"What if he really commits suicide?"

"Blood Butcher did not leave any powerful techniques in his soul," Li Wangxiang said calmly.

"That's just his own imagination."

"this?"

Li Jingshan was stunned for a moment.

Li Wangxiang's gaze darkened slightly.

This incident, however, made him feel uneasy.

Is the purpose of placing a cultivator with spiritual insight in Baixi Town merely to nurture him for future consumption?

If that's the case, why didn't Blood Butcher place a restriction?

What is he thinking?

Li Jingshan then said:

"What if that blacksmith Wang causes trouble in town?"

"If he makes any unusual moves in town, I can kill him in an instant." Li Wangxiang's words carried a chilling glint.

Li Jingshan then realized that his father was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He lowered his head instinctively.

Then he remembered the secret of his cultivation, and his heart tightened.

I don't know if my father noticed the abnormality in his physical body.

Li Wangxiang was unaware of Li Jingshan's thoughts and dared not delve too deeply into them. He felt guilty towards this son in name only.

When the Immortal of the Passing Water sent Li Jingshan here, the child was only six years old.

Jingshan Park seemed to have lost its soul at that time.

She can't speak, nor does she know how to cry or laugh; she's like a puppet.

All three, master and disciples, were cultivators.

No one knew how to take care of a child whose mind was confused and who was involved in the secret orders of the Immortal Abode.

In the end, they could only send him back to Baixi Town and register him under Li Wangxiang's name.

He was said to be an adopted son.

In truth, Li Wangxiang had hardly fulfilled his responsibilities as a father over the years. Although they were father and son, they rarely spent time together. What they had together were nothing more than those unavoidable old stories and entanglements.

When Li Wangxiang thought of his deceased senior sister, his eyes softened, and he felt even more ashamed.

Jingshan.

"You have quite a bit of talent."

"He should have stayed on Tianzhu Peak, joined the sect at the foot of the mountain, and properly cultivated himself."

"If that's true, perhaps you've already reached the Foundation Establishment stage by now."

He paused.

"But your father has blocked your path, sending you to Baixi Town, and now to this place surrounded by evil cultivators."

"Over the years... have you ever resented me?"

Li Jingshan's body trembled.

He looked up to meet Li Wangxiang's gaze, his eyes filled with filial piety as well as a complex mix of emotions that had been suppressed for a long time.

"Father, you flatter me."

"If it weren't for my father taking me in, Jingshan would have been a lonely soul in Qixia Town long ago."

How could I possibly resent you?

His voice was slightly deep.

"I know that Father sent me here to protect me."

"after all……"

"I am the only survivor in Qixia Town."

The name "Qixia Town" is heartbreaking to even mention!

A glimmer of hope appeared in Li Wangxiang's eyes.

"Have you thought more about what happened back then in recent years?"

Li Jingshan's eyes became unfocused, and his voice became very soft.

"I only remember that the moonlight was extremely beautiful that night."

"Like water pouring down."

"Aunt Wanying sat on the roof and smiled at me."

"You have a wonderful smile."

"Then, Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt, and all my playmates... they all fell asleep."

"He never woke up again."

He paused for a long time before continuing with difficulty:

"Later, Aunt Wanying's body shattered like glass."

"Turn into light dust."

"Soil, stones."

"Then it was blown away."

Those fragmented yet beautiful images were his deepest nightmare.

Li Wangxiang sighed deeply.

"It seems you don't remember much more."

He reached out and gently patted Li Jingshan's shoulder.

"But remember this."

"Your Aunt Wanying passed away with a smile on her face."

"This means that she may not have been completely unprepared for the final outcome."

"In the Qixia Town incident, she used the most beautiful way to let her people depart in peace."

"You should understand the deeper meaning behind this."

Li Wangxiang's gaze turned serious.

"Jingshan, do not dwell on hatred, nor be trapped by that night."

"This is not what your Aunt Wanying wanted."

Li Jingshan lowered his head.

In my mind, moonlight, smiles, dust, and wind intertwine in a chaotic mess.

The source of the hatred is unknown.

I hate that I have nowhere to go.

He never thought about revenge.

He just wanted to know the truth.

I'd like to ask why.

Li Wangxiang looked at him, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and relief.

"I've thought a lot about this over the years."

"Perhaps we are all too afraid."

"Since the Immortal Abode has spared your life, it tacitly allows you to grow."

"I shouldn't have been suppressing you anymore."

After saying that, Li Wangxiang took out a short blade from his sleeve and handed it to Li Jingshan.

"This is a token from your Aunt Wan Ying's Daoist partner, and also from my senior brother Mo Guyun."

"Once things are settled in Baixi Town, take this to Tianmu Mountain to find him."

"Your senior brother will teach you on my behalf."

A light suddenly shone in Li Jingshan's eyes.

Countless days and nights, he longed to escape this cage of confinement and personally seek the answers sealed within the past.

Now, the opportunity has finally arrived.

How could he not be excited?

Looking at his expression, Li Wangxiang also had a faint smile on his lips.

"alright."

"Wipe your tears."

"Right now, there are more important things to do."