Qi Ziru: “Did that woman pass her cultivation methods to him?”
Shen Youkun: “Not really. Unlike the outside world, here in the Exile Lands, there's no shortage of exiled cultivators."
"To survive here, they have to offer something, so the locals don't lack cultivation techniques. Shi Chun started cultivating from a young age, and that woman only taught him how to read a little."
"It's laughable; after that, he pretended to be educated and fancied himself a scholar. He even got his hands on some fancy robes and often played the intellectual, which was quite disgusting…”
Qi Ziru suddenly interrupted, “Get to the point.”
Shen Youkun paused, “Through his deceitful ways, presenting one face publicly and another in private, this scoundrel swiftly took control of the Eastern Nine Plains."
"He became the Big Boss and declared that having grown up on a hundred families’ meals from the Eastern Nine Plains, he wouldn't let everyone down."
"Later, he indeed worked hard to slowly bring many people from the Eastern Nine Plains into the city. I caught him on this flaw, baited him, and swept away his eyes and ears.”
Qi Ziru expressed some surprise, “With a chance to leave the Exile Lands, why didn’t he escape? Was the incentive not enough?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the wind kicked up again.
Speaking of this, Shen Youkun's mouth twitched slightly. Leaning down, he shielded his uncle from the blowing sand with his sleeve.
It was more than enough; what we offered was by no means little. The merit he amassed was certainly enough for him to leave.
"Who knows what kind of madness took him; I was baffled too. Why wouldn’t he take the chance to leave when remaining in such a place with no power or support? After some thought, it’s likely due to a woman."
"It’s no secret that this guy fancied the daughter of the Bowang Pavilion's matron in the city. Now, running a business in the Exile Lands means having quite the background. How could she be interested in him? It’s a toad lusting after a swan, unaware of the limits of the sky. Other than that, I can’t think of any reason he would stay. There’s nothing in this wretched place worth his continued attachment.”
After stating his conclusion, he observed his uncle's expression.
Seeing no reaction, he continued, “As for Wu Jinliang, he’s a tall fellow who likes strutting around with an exaggeratedly large knife, but in reality, he’s nothing much. He relied on being Shi Chun’s lackey to bully others, and he’s no good either."
"It’s said that when he was born, he was tiny and thin, nearly not surviving. That's how he got the name 'Jinliang'. Later on, after Shi Chun learned to read, he deliberately added a 'Wu' to his name. Wu Jinliang, without weight, ha, Uncle, from the way he chose names, you can see what kind of person he is.”
Being able to describe these behind-the-scenes anecdotes showed how much effort he had put into understanding things.
He kept talking, while Qi Ziru quietly listened without making any comments. When he finished, Qi Ziru asked, “What is Shi Chun's cultivation level? Advanced Martial?”
That was already estimating low, but Shen Youkun lightheartedly replied, “Uncle, you really overestimate these Exile Lands. Cultivation resources are almost nonexistent here, barely enough to eat, let alone advance. Achieving Advanced Martial Realm here is rare, and anyone with that ability would have long left this place."
"He’s probably at the Initial Martial Realm, a bit far from Advanced Martial. Being able to exert a thousand pounds of force makes him a strong fighter in these parts.”
While mentioning “thousand pounds of force,” a hint of irony crossed his face. In his past, when his cultivation was intact, he wouldn’t have even considered this. Now, however, he had to admit that “thousand pounds of force” was indeed a feat.
The so-called Initial Martial Realm is actually not recognized as a flow stage. The proper cultivation stages are Advanced Martial, Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, and Heaven Immortal. Beyond that is beyond “immortal”.
Of course, there are countless people in this world who are not formally included in the ranks; ordinary mortals among the multitudes.
Qi Ziru's tone then hinted at a question, “If he's not Advanced Martial, then among the people you've gathered, shouldn't there be many with similar strength? Why haven't you cleared those two out? Or have they gone into hiding, and you simply can't find them?”
Only then did Shen Youkun understand why his uncle asked about their cultivation. He replied, somewhat awkwardly, “It’s not that they can’t be found…” Then he showed some embarrassment.
But as he wasn’t speaking before outsiders, he soon mustered the courage to explain, “Uncle, you might not know, but Shi Chun is truly cunning and difficult. Born and raised here, he has fought his way up through constant fighting and killing. Fearless, if we were to attack him, we can’t afford to fail. One must kill the snake with a deadly strike, or he’ll get his teeth into you. If he suffers a loss, he’ll certainly bite back.
What we are doing needs utmost secrecy. It’s not wise to get entangled with such a wretched person, which is why I’ve put in so much effort to lure him away. Such an important matter is paramount. I intended not to deal with him for now and to wait until he’s out, where there would be ample means to handle him."
"With all things considered, it should’ve been foolproof. Who knew this rascal would refuse to leave? I am quite baffled.”
Qi Ziru eyed him sideways, “Given such an unexpected situation, how do you ensure he won't discover anything happening here? After all, this is his long-held territory.”
Shen Youkun quickly bent low, promising, “Uncle can rest assured. I know exactly where they are, and I have someone in place watching them closely. They’re currently at their lair, sitting in meditation for cultivation. If anything happens, I will know immediately, and they won’t detect a thing.”
Qi Ziru glanced at the bustling workers below in the Mountain Valley. At this point, there was no point in pursuing blame, so he shifted the topic, “Are the people you've gathered reliable?”
Once again, Shen Youkun bent his waist, “Absolutely reliable, all recruited from other regions, essentially strangers to one another. They didn’t even know they were coming to the Eastern Nine Plains or what they’d be doing until they arrived.”
“As I said before, nothing that happens here should be leaked...” Qi Ziru spoke slowly as he gazed towards the sunset, pausing briefly before adding with a sullen tone, “Make sure none leave alive afterward.”
“Uncle, rest assured, I’ve arranged everything.” Shen Youkun whispered close to his ear, then stood with a sudden recollection, asking puzzledly, “Uncle, what are those Dragon Bones unearthed from the ground anyway? What can a heap of bones be used for, that you’d go to such lengths to obtain them?”
He knew well that his uncle was not really demoted due to some fault. It was just that the family back home didn’t trust his uncle's ability to manage, fearing failure, and thus sent someone more competent to take charge. The Exile Lands are not a place anyone can enter and leave lightly. The price was deliberately committing a transgression, resulting in the mandated stripping of one’s cultivation and enforced exile.
That’s years of hard-earned cultivation gone!
“Who knows what use they may hold.” Qi Ziru actually mocked himself, displaying a look of sorrow.
He raised his hand to the setting sun, reaching out to the void as if whispering to himself, “Since ancient times, there have always been doubts regarding the tales of ancient sages splitting heaven and earth. Many believe that there really is no separation of heaven and earth, that chaos remains, and that we have always lived within that chaos."
"It is just that, being mere mortals, what we see is limited, what we can touch is very little. In truth, there is much that we cannot see, cannot touch, many forces that we cannot feel.”
This sentiment left Shen Youkun puzzled, unsure of its meaning. Could it have something to do with his uncle’s mission?
Immediately, Qi Ziru gave him the answer, “Before I was assigned here, your grandmother gave me some information. There is a legend from ancient times about a mythical beast, long-bodied like a serpent, known as 'Female General', which formed from chaos and lived within it.
Later, our family inadvertently discovered an Ancient Cave Abode where an old record mentioned a certain ancient god’s mount—a giant Spirit Serpent. Although wingless and unable to fly, it could traverse the real and unreal of heaven and earth, even foreseeing disasters. Its description resembled the 'Female General', except that it was slain during a great battle.
Because of this, our family secretly expended considerable effort to search for it, finally locating the burial site of that ancient god’s mount.” He pointed towards the excavation below as he spoke.
Without his guidance, Shen Youkun, still taken aback, had already guessed, yet he remained perplexed, “What’s the point of retrieving it? Is it for refining into medicine or treasure, or does it enhance cultivation?”
Qi Ziru replied calmly, “If the 'Female General' truly exists, it could prove whether chaos has always existed.”
Shen Youkun lost his voice, “Just for that?”
Qi Ziru added softly, “That’s the talk, but do you believe it? In truth, they want to see if there are any other miraculous effects.”
Shen Youkun found it hard to believe, “For such a possibly non-existent chance, grandmother was willing to sacrifice your hard-earned cultivation and exile you here?”
“If confirmed to hold significant value, would it be our place to oversee this task? We wouldn’t even have the right to know. You think I came here willingly? You got into trouble, then your mother was crying and asking me to help you survive here. I broke the rules secretly, and the family found out. What could your grandmother do? I am moved by emotion he patted the armrest.
Shen Youkun was left speechless, realizing his uncle's demotion was due to his entanglement. He understood clearly that the claim of his uncle breaking the rules was merely an excuse by the family, as nobody wanted to be the one stripped of cultivation and sent here. Someone capable had to be forced into taking charge, leaving him at a loss for words for a moment.
“Alas.” Qi Ziru sighed deeply, “Here we are, there’s no use overthinking it. Let’s focus on completing this task properly. Your grandmother will support us from the outside, as the family has promised. Once the task is complete, they will try to rescue us ahead of time, find a way to restore our foundation, return our cultivation abilities, and reward us substantially.”
Seeing the joy suddenly light up in his nephew’s eyes, he reminded firmly, “You know what the consequence would be if any information leaks. It’s not about being concerned with the Dragon Bones underground but about violating the rules of the Exile Lands."
"Warden Nie, sent here to guard, is the kind to confront heaven's laws fiercely. If it comes to that, even our family can't bear the consequences. By then, we’d be the ones bearing the blame, and you know what that means.”
“No worries, Uncle. The Dragon Bone has already been located. At this rate, it should be fully unearthed in half a day. After months of excavation without issue, what could possibly go wrong now? My worry is rather how to get such a large piece out.”
“Our job is to secretly confirm and locate the item. As for extracting it, that's not our concern. There are others who will handle it.”
(End of Chapter)