Yesterday, I joined some groups and realized that I was confused—WeChat groups haven’t opened yet and will only be available once the book is published. This caused some of my friends to miss out, so I apologize and bow in regret.
My WeChat ID is cd44444. It took me two tries to post it yesterday because the first attempt was censored. Some of my friends might still be unaware, so please add me. This way, we can communicate directly. I’ll spend the next few days figuring out how to use it, as I haven’t used WeChat before.
In Chongyun Town, within a grand estate, a slightly plump middle-aged man paced. His name was Yu Meng. He had a pale face and eyes that occasionally flickered with a chilling aura. He was a skilled expert from the Rain Clan.
He had been sent by the clan elders to inspect the Western Region, where the clan had several interests, such as rare metal mines and tribute zones for exotic beasts.
“Has Miss Youyu appeared yet?” Yu Meng, standing on a stone bridge in a garden and watching a group of purple-scaled fish in the water, asked the official beside him. As part of his inspection, he also needed to obtain a token from the Sky Repair Pavilion to present to an outstanding genius in his clan.
The genius was highly favored by the clan elders, so Yu Meng was keen to avoid any mistakes and hoped to quickly acquire and return with the token.
The steward replied respectfully, “We’ve been searching, but Miss Xia hasn’t returned yet. We will inform you as soon as we receive any news.”
“This is truly frustrating,” Yu Meng said, displeased. “The clan elders instructed me to investigate the news about Shizi Ling, and yet you haven’t found even the slightest clue. And now, despite wanting a token, you haven’t even seen the person.” He turned and walked off the stone bridge, taking a seat in a pavilion.
The steward turned pale and hurriedly followed, bowing and apologizing, “Please forgive me, sir.”
Soon after, the steward returned to a hall, sat in a reclining chair, and rubbed his temples, his demeanor now fierce. He called out, “Come in!”
Immediately, a group of powerful figures entered, all with formidable strength.
“For years, I’ve instructed you to investigate Shizi Ling, yet you haven’t even uncovered a hint. What a bunch of useless fools!” The steward roared, his anger akin to a raging lion, a stark contrast to his previously submissive demeanor.
The group felt a chill, knowing that the steward was not only ruthless but also a powerful figure with deep cultivation, ranking high in Chongyun Town.
The steward’s face darkened. “Also, those old monsters in the broken estate are all dead. Is the child still alive?”
“Sir, we’ve investigated and found that the child is likely just a substitute and cannot be the real Shihou,” someone dared to respond.
“Fools!” The steward’s fury escalated as he slammed the wooden table, causing it to shatter, and a shockwave to spread, cracking the diamond-hard stone floor and sinking it over a foot deep. This demonstrated the terrifying nature of his power.
“Even if it’s a fake, we must find a way to kill him. The Rain Clan is an ancient and illustrious family, older than the Shihou Kingdom. It values its reputation greatly, and allowing that little brat to live is an affront to their honor,” the steward roared.
The group below showed signs of fear, unable to stop retreating, while the stern-faced man’s shout caused their eardrums to ache.
“Rest assured, once the old monsters are dead, no one will be able to protect him. We will have news soon,” the group quickly assured.
“I warn you, don’t leave any traces. If there’s an accident, I’ll tear your tendons and skin. No one will survive,” the steward threatened.
“We will handle it properly. We could arrange for him to be bitten by venomous insects or startled by a ferocious beast, leading to a slow death. We might even hire some thugs to frighten him without direct confrontation,” the group suggested.
“Enough. Just deliver results,” the steward waved his hand, dismissing them.
The broken estate became even more desolate, with the wind causing old doors and windows to creak, sounding eerily like ghostly wails at night.
With the recent deaths of the elders and no new “criminals” sent here in decades, the place felt eerily empty and lacking in vitality.
At night, even the servants were reluctant to go outside or move about the estate.
“What’s your name?” Little Dot asked, as they shared the same name.
“They’ve always called me Shihou since I was young,” the child replied softly, head lowered, with a somber expression. The recent deaths of the elders made him feel very lonely.
“If you’d like, you can keep that name, and I’ll choose another,” Little Dot said. The child had suffered much in his place, and he didn’t want to keep using the name associated with that suffering.
“No need. I’ll choose a new one. This name brings back too many painful memories. I want to leave it all behind,” the child said.
After a long consideration, he chose a new name, Shiqing Feng, hoping to live freely like the wind and escape from this prison.
The two children looked at each other with bright eyes and smiled.
“I want to see Dahei,” Shiqing Feng said, with a touch of nostalgia and reluctance, wanting to see his best friend before leaving.
For so many years, he had been truly lonely, with no peers or friends, only Dahei, the black tiger, bringing him joy. He was indeed pitiful.
“Alright.”
The next morning, before they could set off, a voice came from outside the gate. A booming voice called out, “Child, where are you? Uncle Hai has come to pick you up. Leave this cursed place before those servants bully you.”
A middle-aged man entered the estate, tall and rugged with a face full of bristly beard. Little Dot got up and stepped aside, not wanting to be seen.
“Ah, it’s Uncle Hai,” Shiqing Feng said with joy.
Uncle Hai was the son of Grandpa Hai, who had always treated him well. After the elders’ deaths, Grandpa Hai and his son decided to adopt the child, feeling he was too pitiful.
“It’s not appropriate to leave here,” a servant tried to block the way.
“Not appropriate my foot. The child will not survive here for more than three months. Don’t you know how his foot is crippled? As soon as the old man fell seriously ill, a rare venomous snake came and bit his foot,” Uncle Hai said angrily, his beard trembling like steel needles.
“Uncle Hai, I’ll go with you to see Dahei,” Shiqing Feng said, running over.
This was a village responsible for delivering game, fruits, and vegetables to the second ancestral land of the Shihou clan. It wasn’t large, with only about a hundred households.
A roar echoed as a giant black tiger appeared at the village’s edge, standing about thirty feet tall and over sixty to seventy feet long, very imposing, running quickly. Behind it were four small tiger cubs, adorable and following closely.
“Dahei!” Shiqing Feng ran over excitedly.
In the distant mountains, Little Dot was startled. This tiger was no ordinary beast; it had a vigorous aura and mysterious symbols on its body, indicating it was a formidable beast.
In the distance, a cold-faced young man saw this and said, “Damn, the Hai family has adopted him. Both father and son are powerful, living in seclusion here, and all the local villagers are loyal to them.”
That night, wild beasts roared in the mountains, and several massive black figures seemed to go mad, charging into the village, intent on a bloody massacre.
“Roar!”
“Oh no, the ferocious beasts are here. They’re going to kill everyone. Run!” The villagers screamed in terror.
“Poof,” “poof”
In the darkness, the sound of bowstrings twitching echoed as several glowing arrows with runes flew out, striking the massive shadows. The beastly roars ceased immediately as the gigantic beasts fell to the ground, lifeless.
Soon after, the villagers calmed down.
“Grandpa Hai, you’re really as strong as ever, effortlessly killing such fierce beasts like the Tiger Demons,” the villagers expressed their sincere gratitude.
Little Dot nodded from the distant forest. Indeed, the Hai family were exceptional recluse experts with remarkable skills.
“Could this old man really be a top master, able to shoot rune arrows with such depth of skill?” From afar, a group of people frowned, their eyes brimming with murderous intent.
In the following days, venomous insects and fierce birds frequently troubled the village. Although they were all slain by the Hai family, the villagers remained anxious and fearful.
“It’s despicable; they’re forcing us to hand over the child. If we return him, I’m certain he won’t live for two months,” Uncle Hai said angrily.
“Forget it, we’ve stayed here long enough. It’s time to move on. Let’s take the child with us, but before we leave, I plan to start a massacre,” Grandpa Hai said coldly.
That night, when another wave of beasts attacked, two figures moved out swiftly like shadows, disappearing into the distance.
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
Screams of agony echoed as not only beasts but also people perished. The experts sent by the steward were highly skilled and powerful, their cultivation evident. Otherwise, how could they be trusted to investigate the clues about Shizi Ling and his wife? However, they were still insufficient; over twenty of them were killed without a single one escaping.
“Impressive,” Little Dot was astonished.
Having lived in the mountains for years, fighting fierce birds and beasts, he knew how to conceal his presence and avoid detection.
In Chongyun Town, upon receiving the news, the steward’s eyes turned cold. Losing over twenty experts in one night was not something an ordinary person could achieve.
“Must I go personally?” He stood up abruptly, a powerful aura emanating, causing the walls of the room to crack.
The next morning, in the grand estate, Yu Meng got up and walked in the garden, casually asking, “I heard you lost some personnel?”
The steward immediately bent down, not daring to meet his gaze, and replied, “Yes, it turns out there are hidden masters there, extremely formidable. I’m preparing to take action myself to eliminate them.”
Yu Meng replied coldly, “Masters, I like that. I recently acquired a fierce beast and need the blood of strong individuals. Bring a few of my people along and capture that father and son for me. I suspect they might have some background.”
The steward was startled but then overjoyed. With an important figure from the Rain Clan taking action, no matter how hidden the father and son were, they would be doomed.
He knew that Yu Meng had recently faced many setbacks and was filled with rage. This might stir up a terrifying storm in the Western Region.
In the village, Shiqing Feng was grateful. “Grandpa Hai, I can’t leave with you. I need to go with my elder brother; he says he can heal my foot. You should leave quickly. Otherwise, those bad people won’t stop.”
In the end, they met in the dense forest where Little Shihou appeared.
“Thank you, Grandpa Hai, Uncle Hai. Leave this village quickly. There will be a great earthquake in the Western Region,” Little Dot said.
“You’re an interesting child, revealing such news right upon meeting us,” the elder said with a smile.
“Child, are you being alarmist?” Uncle Hai asked.
“It’s true,” Little Dot said, blinking his big eyes seriously. However, he still looked like a pretty and adorable porcelain doll, which made it hard for others to believe him.
“What’s going to happen?” the elder asked.
“All the bad people in the Western Region will face severe punishment,” Little Dot clenched his fists.
“What are you planning to do?” Grandpa Hai asked.
Little Dot dragged out a few corpses of the experts who had been killed from the forest and said, “Please wait a moment.”
He then rushed towards the broken estate with the bodies.
“What does he want to do?” The father and son, with Shiqing Feng, followed in confusion.
Soon, they felt a chill and a sense of dread.
In the distance, flames soared as a group of servants fled from the estate, which was engulfed in fire.
Uncle Hai’s scalp tingled. “This is the ancestral land of the Shihou Clan. It’s usually desolate and unregulated, but who dares to burn it down? Such an act will bring about immense disaster.”
“Let’s leave quickly. Soon, the princes will come personally,” Grandpa Hai said, his head aching. He hadn’t expected Little Dot to be so daring; it was truly outrageous.
“Ah, my elder brother actually did this,” Shiqing Feng was also shocked.
Little Dot returned calmly and said, “My ancestral land is not here. I have no further connection with the Shihou Clan of the Shihou Kingdom.”
In his childhood, he had his supreme bone taken away. The people there were indifferent and persecuted his family. Here, his substitute had suffered such a tragic fate and was ignored. Repeated incidents like this had made him feel no sense of belonging to the imperial Shihou Clan.
Though kind, he was not weak or fearful and dared to act decisively.
“Let’s go,” Grandpa Hai’s head felt like it was about to explode, and he dared not stay longer.
Soon, they disappeared.
“What? The ancestral land of the Shihou Clan was completely burned down?” The steward turned pale upon hearing the news.
“Roar!”
Upon learning this, Yu Meng let out a thunderous roar. He knew it was over; a great disaster was imminent. Being in the Western Region and having shown himself before, if an investigation was conducted, he would definitely not escape.
“Fools!” Yu Meng roared, slapping the deeply skilled steward, sending him flying, with teeth scattered and stained with blood.
“Master, it wasn’t my people who did this,” the steward trembled with fear and knelt.
“Whoever did it will bring about immense disaster. The Shihou Kingdom will at least send several princes to pursue this to the end. Your previous small actions will naturally be exposed, and we will be implicated,” Yu Meng roared with fury, his forehead veins bulging with intense fear.
“Real princes will come personally?” The steward was dumbfounded, shivering, and nearly scared to death.
It’s Sunday today, and we need to push for the rankings. The second chapter will update at midnight. Those online at that time must come to support!
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