Chapter 4: Annihilation of the Clan and Revitalization of the Cultivation World (4% progress)
Jiang Yun huddled in the secret passage.
Calling it a secret passage isn't accurate; it's just a hidden compartment in a lacquered wooden clothes chest. He hid in there when he was eight years old, while his mother and he were playing hide-and-seek with the cat. Now, at thirteen, he's completely stuck inside and can't move.
He didn't dare to move.
Jiang Yun bit his lower lip tightly to keep himself from crying out. The only sound in his ears was the thumping of his heart. He stared intently outside through the gap in the partition. The butler who had told him not to make a sound was suddenly decapitated. His blood-soaked head rolled over, staring wide-eyed in death.
Jiang Yun's eyes were bloodshot.
Through the narrow gap, he watched several bandits chatting and laughing with a man who looked like a scholar.
"You've handled this matter beautifully. Rest assured, not a single spirit stone will be missing from the promise." Wang Yikun shed his refined facade, a ruthless look flashing across his face.
The bandits adopted a humble posture, bowing and offering their congratulations: "Congratulations, Lord Wang, on obtaining the secret treasure."
Wang Yikun fiddled with the white jade bottle in his hand, too lazy to hide his burning ambition: "The Jiang family is blind and ignorant. The immortal master asked for a super-grade body tempering pill. They should just obediently offer it up. They dare to refuse after eating a bear's heart and a leopard's brain. The immortal master is kind and does not want to argue with mortals. So I will act on behalf of heaven."
"What you say is absolutely right, Lord Wang. That Jiang family head, relying on his status as a wealthy merchant in the city, is arrogant and domineering, committing all sorts of evil deeds. It is thanks to you that we have rid the people of this scourge." The bandit leader said with a fawning expression.
It sounds ridiculous for a bandit to say "eliminating harm for the people," but Wang Yikun didn't care. He knew the bandits were just flattering him and even enjoyed it.
The immortal master said he had a destiny to become an immortal, implying that as long as he took the Jiang family's secret treasure, the Super Grade Body Tempering Pill, to the immortal mountain, he would be accepted into the mountain gate, and from then on he would become an immortal. Therefore, he thought it was only right that these mortals would fawn over him.
The bandit leader only heard Wang Yikun say that he was the new disciple of the immortal master and was ordered to take the secret treasure that the Jiang family had just acquired. He thought that the immortal master was kind-hearted and did not want to argue with mortals, so he thought that the immortal master did not want to bear the bad reputation and that Wang Yikun would bear the consequences.
He didn't want to know the truth; he only knew that the spirit stones Wang Yikun gave him were real, that he had the token given by the immortal master, and that it was true that he was going to the immortal sect to become an apprentice.
He wasn't afraid of Wang Yikun, but he was afraid of the immortal master behind him.
Just as Wang Yikun was about to leave, he asked another question: "They're all dead? Not a single one survived?"
Before the bandit leader could answer, his henchman spoke up: "We just counted the bodies; everyone except the young master of the Jiang family is here."
"Hmm?" Wang Yikun retracted his foot. "To cut the weeds, you must nip them in the bud. Where is the young master of the Jiang family?"
The bandit leader glared at his subordinates.
Why are you being so talkative! Just tell him they're all dead; he won't even know if one is missing!
The subordinate, realizing he had spoken out of turn, shrank back and dared not reply.
The bandit leader, with a fawning smile, stepped on the butler's corpse: "The old man said that the Jiang family boy went out to play, probably on this street. The kid is young and sickly, he can't have gone far."
Wang Yikun glanced at him: "You believed him just because he said so?"
The bandit leader hurriedly said, "He wouldn't lie to us. Look at how cowardly he was just now. Before we could even scare him, he knelt down and begged for mercy, spilling everything out like beans. How could a coward like him have the guts to lie to us?"
"Stupid!" Wang Yikun sneered. "Would the only son of the Jiang family go out to have fun without servants? He must still be hiding in the Jiang residence. Search!"
"Lord Wang is right." The bandit leader wiped the cold sweat from his brow and winked at his men. "Didn't you hear what Lord Wang said? Hurry up and go!"
The footsteps faded away quickly, and Wang Yikun slowly walked out of the room. But he paused slightly just before stepping out the door. He glanced sideways at the room and slowly walked out.
The conversation of the bandits could be heard outside the door.
"The boss said that whoever gets the head of the Jiang family's young master will be rewarded with one hundred low-grade spirit stones. That's spirit stones!"
"Why is this kid's head so valuable?"
"Because he's hard to catch. He's the only one left. If we catch him, we can finish our mission. This trip will keep us from making any business for a year."
"I wonder which important figure the Jiang family has offended."
"I heard it was to silence them for some kind of treasure."
"You've got them, why kill them off?"
"He's just unlucky. There were rumors that the young master of the Jiang family was weak and sickly. When he was born, a wise man predicted that he was cursed. Look, his whole family was killed by him. If I were him, I would have obediently accepted my death instead of shamelessly living on."
"There's another one like this."
“You’re from out of town, so you don’t know. The Jiang family doesn’t allow this to be spread, but the whole of Linyang County knows about it.”
"Who cares? I'll just take the money and use it to buy some alcohol."
"Let's go, let's catch the young master of the Jiang family and go back to collect the reward."
As the noise faded into the distance, Jiang Yun, her eyes red and swollen, sobbed, large tears falling onto the wooden board.
He remembered his parents looking worried a few days ago, saying that they had accidentally obtained a magic pill that could not only make him, who had been sickly since childhood, as healthy as a normal person, but also allow him to embark on the path of immortality. However, the news could not be kept secret, and a great figure came to their door demanding the magic pill.
Despite their hesitation, they refused to give it up. This was their only hope for their son to recover from his illness. It was extremely difficult for their merchant family to obtain a magic pill. This time, they had obtained it entirely by chance. Therefore, they offered the important figure many treasures to appease him and leave him the magic pill in exchange.
Worried that his body couldn't handle the effects of the medicine, his parents spent a lot of money to invite Wang Yikun, the county clerk who was rumored to be obsessed with cultivating immortality and had a good understanding of the cultivation world, to learn how to take the elixir.
Unexpectedly, unexpectedly, Wang Yikun dared to openly poison the food, thus opening the gates of the Jiang residence for the bandits...
It was his fault! If he hadn't been born with a cursed fate, weak and sickly, his parents wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find a cure for him, wouldn't have come across the superior-grade Body Tempering Pill, and wouldn't have brought about their own demise!
He killed 120 members of the Jiang family! He is the root of all evil!
He hated his enemies who coveted the Jiang family's secret treasure, but he hated himself even more for bringing disaster upon himself.
He was overwhelmed by heart-wrenching grief and pain, and tears streamed down his face.
[Silence]
Just as he was beginning to release his emotions, a stiff, monotone voice rang in his ears.
The tension in his mind made Jiang Yun reflexively cover his mouth.
The barely audible rustling of fabric filled the quiet room when Wang Yikun suddenly turned back like a ghost.
Jiang Yun shuddered and swallowed his doubts.
The villain is back! Who warned him? Didn't the villain hear the voice telling him to be quiet?
“He really isn’t here.” Wang Yikun kicked the butler’s corpse and sneered disdainfully, “A sick and troublesome fish that slipped through the net probably can’t cause any trouble, but we can’t be too afraid of the unexpected.”
"Then what do you say?" The bandit leader followed in and carefully served him from the side.
Wang Yikun's eyes were fierce: "Keep searching. Dig three feet into the ground and find it for me. If you don't find it here, go look there. Cut the weeds out to prevent future troubles."
He wanted to be a righteous and upright cultivator, and he absolutely could not leave any future troubles that would affect his path to immortality.
"yes."
This time the person was really gone, but Jiang Yun didn't dare to move an inch.
He had to live; only by surviving could he avenge his family.
He closed his eyes, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead from tension and anxiety.
There's no one outside, go out, turn left, and run.
Jiang Yun hesitated for a moment.
What are you standing there for? You'll get caught sooner or later if you stay here. Run!
Jiang Yun's intuition told him that the voice didn't mean him any harm, so he could only hope to believe it, otherwise the bandits would eventually find their way here.
Moreover, with the Jiang family wiped out, he was a sickly man all alone, and had nothing left for others to covet.
He crawled out of the clothes chest using both hands and feet. Exhausted from being trapped in the cramped space for too long, he staggered and almost knocked over a vase next to him.
A push just in time stabilized his body and the teetering vase.
[Damn it, I got a warning for violating the rules. I'm doomed. I definitely won't get first place in the system rankings this time. Although with that damned '996 King' around, I wouldn't have gotten first place anyway, but what if? What if 996 gets matched with a lazy host?]
[Sigh, forget it. It's better to be the first system to break the rules this time than the first system to change hosts.]
Hey, hey, hey, turn left after you go out. See that gate? Run past it and turn left again, then charge!
Jiang Yun, her face pale, buried her head and ran in the direction the voice indicated.
They've spotted you. Don't turn around. Run across the connecting corridor ahead and let me see... There's a dog hole in the wall; they can't crawl through it, but you can.
He ran to the wall and stared blankly at the waist-high flowers and plants in front of him.
What are you standing there for? You don't even know where your own dog hole is? It's in the bottom left corner, it's very well hidden.
Finding the direction the voice indicated, Jiang Yun indeed saw a small hole.
The entrance to the cave was narrow, and only someone as frail and thin as him could pass through.
The patrolmen outside just passed by! Right now! Run! Run for your life! I don't want to set a record for the fastest host change in the entire system! I can't afford to lose this system!
Jiang Yun didn't understand the meaning of his last sentence, but she couldn't care less and could only do as he said.
He fled with all his might, his limbs numb and weak, but he dared not stop. The bandits chasing him and the incessant chatter in his ears brought out his unlimited potential.
[Window, window, climb in, yes, yes, the one that's all broken and open.]
He staggered to the window, his legs feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds, his head spinning. With his last bit of strength, he struggled to climb over the window of the dilapidated hut, letting himself fall to the ground as he lost his balance.
The bandits, arriving a beat too late, stopped and talked as they faced the three roads leading in different directions.
Jiang Yun was separated from them by only a wall.
His heart raced, and he suppressed the urge to gasp for breath, afraid that the sound of his breathing would attract the attention of the bandits.
"That kid can really run! We'll split into three groups and chase him!"
“There’s a dilapidated thatched hut over here, and the window is open.”
The approaching footsteps pounded on Jiang Yun's heavy heart.
[Sigh, since you've already broken the rule once, it doesn't matter if you do it again. You'd better work hard to earn more points to make it up to me.]
A loud "clang" came from not far away.
"there!"
The bandits were distracted by the noise and ultimately did not find Jiang Yun.
Having completely escaped the pursuers, Jiang Yun lay wearily on the dirty ground.
Just a day ago, he was the pampered young master of the Jiang family, and the whole family was overjoyed that he was about to undergo a physical transformation.
Today, the Jiang family was wiped out, and he is the only survivor of the 120 members.
He covered his face and wept, tears streaming down his face and soaking the ground.
The surroundings were silent. He was crying until he had no strength left, and then he remembered the strange voice that had suddenly appeared.
"Are you still there? Who are you?" He struggled to his feet, his voice hoarse as he looked around anxiously.
After losing everything, he desperately wanted to grasp the only remaining light as a source of spiritual support.
Have you cried enough? Then please allow me to finish reading the pre-set opening remarks.
The eerie voice cleared its throat, its emotionless, cold tone speaking quickly and hastily.
[Suitable life form detected. System 444 requests binding.]
Please decide within one second whether you agree or disagree.
【1】
[No response within one second, default binding has been established]
It's like a rogue businessman who forces sales and completes the process rather casually.
Jiang Yun felt as if something had appeared in his mind.
The moment the thought crossed his mind, a transparent panel appeared in front of him.
Personal Panel
Name: Jiang Yun
Gender: Male
Age: 13
Race: Human
Talent: Mutated Lightning Spirit Root [Not yet activated due to a curse]
Realm: None
Status: Cursed, a cursed fate of being a lone star.
Deputy position: None
Level: Lv0 (Experience Points 0/10) [This is related to the system assessment; please complete the task actively.]
After reading the text, Jiang Yun didn't bother to figure out what it meant and blurted out:
"What does 'curse' mean?!"
[Literal meaning]
Not getting the answer he wanted, Jiang Yun then remembered to ask, "Who are you, and how do you know these things?"
I am not human; I am a highly intelligent program developed by the Main God Space, from another small world. I need you to complete tasks to provide me with operating energy, and in return, I will help you cultivate.
Jiang Yun said dejectedly, "I am very grateful to you for saving me, but I have to use my worthless life to avenge my family."
No conflict
444 paused for a moment, then recited the advertising slogan with great emotion and dramatic intonation:
Want to know who slaughtered your entire family? Great news! Not 19998! Not 1998! Order now for only 998! Take home the truth for 998!
[At 998, you won't regret it! Don't miss this opportunity!]
Jiang Yun could barely understand that System 444 was indicating that it knew the truth about the Jiang family's massacre, but he still shook his head: "I recognize the murderer who killed my whole family. He is Wang Yikun, the registrar of the county government. Once I find him, I will know who ordered it."
Is that so?
444 was not annoyed by the repeated rejections and casually opened the backstage area.
Jiang Yun's heart skipped a beat.
He sensed a hidden meaning in 444's words.
Aren't you surprised that you, an ordinary person, are cursed? Aren't you surprised that a so-called master would specifically come to the small county of Linyang, and precisely pass by your house just to point out that you've been cursed? Aren't you surprised that your parents, mere mortals, were able to obtain a top-grade Body Tempering Pill coveted by cultivators, and that this matter could spread from a small county in the mortal realm to the cultivation world?
Do you really think the truth behind your family's massacre is that simple?
Jiang Yun was stunned into place by 444's series of rhetorical questions.
After a long pause, he finally managed to speak: "This is... a conspiracy that has been targeting me since birth?"
444. That's enough.
Regarding the massacre of the Jiang family, its backing can only unlock up to this point. Anything beyond that would require Jiang Yun to exchange points, but it would never openly admit that it knew nothing about it.
[The rest is about points redemption; how about 998?]
Jiang Yun's eyes were vacant, his lips slightly parted: "It's my fault that I harmed my parents, it's my fault that I harmed Uncle Wu, it's my fault that I harmed everyone... If I hadn't been born, the Jiang family wouldn't have been targeted by evil people. It's all my fault..."
Are you sick in the head?
444 said out of the blue.
Jiang Yun raised his head blankly.
【You are truly the worst class I've ever taught!】Although I only taught one class in total.
444 said angrily.
[Did you order the mastermind behind the conspiracy? Did you beg the cultivator who coveted your treasure? Did you encourage Wang Yikun, who is wicked, to act as his accomplice?]
No, no, no! It wasn't you! Since you didn't do it, what wrong have you done?
[Stop taking on all the good stuff and all the trivial matters. Cheer up, focus on your cultivation, complete your mission, and reach the pinnacle of life. Only with strength can you take revenge! What kind of behavior is it for my System 444's host to wallow in self-pity?!]
Jiang Yun was stunned by its barrage of attacks. He lowered his eyes and murmured softly, "Only with strength can one take revenge."
Seeing that his emotions had calmed down, 444 went her own way and started the next binding step.
[Congratulations, host, you have received a newbie gift pack x1. Please decide within one second whether to use it immediately.]
【1】
[If there is no response within one second, the default setting has been activated.]
[Newbie Gift Pack used, obtained items: Beginner Appraisal Skill x1, Beginner Portable Storage Space x1, Basic Qi Refining Cultivation Technique x1, Random Item x1]
Random items will be drawn from the daily prize pool. Do you wish to start the draw?
444 did not make any decisions on matters related to luck.
You click the lottery button in the middle of the wheel.
It gave orders in a tough manner.
Holding the cultivation manual that had appeared out of thin air in front of him, Jiang Yun was still in the midst of immense grief. His heart and eyes were completely focused on relying on the irritable but genuinely helpful 444, so he blankly followed the system prompts.
He clicked on the floating image of the rotating wheel in front of him.
[Random items are being drawn...]
[Draw complete. Congratulations, host, you have obtained 1 Superior Body Tempering Pill]
A flash of white light appeared, and a pill emitting a strong medicinal aroma landed in his palm.
444 quickly closed the follow-up broadcast, the words of comfort that were on the tip of her tongue remained unspoken, and she could only return to a state of silence.
Jiang Yun smelled a familiar fragrance.
The Super Grade Body Tempering Pill was his hope for regaining a healthy body. He had smelled this scent countless times in recent days, hoping to make a deep impression on it as soon as possible.
Staring blankly at the pill in his palm, which was now fuller and brighter than before, a wave of intense sorrow washed over him.
What it gave him so easily cost him the lives of his entire family.
The boy could no longer control his emotions and burst into tears.
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