https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-258-Turning-Him-Into-an-Idiot-Part-2-/12587101/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-259-Elder-Ye-Moquan-s-Unspeakable-Secret-Part-2-/12587103/
Chapter 259: Elder Ye Moquan's Unspeakable Secret (Part 1)
Chapter 259: Elder Ye Moquan's Unspeakable Secret (Part 1)
Ye Moquan paused thoughtfully for a moment before heaving a bitter sigh and setting down his brush.
His expression gradually returned to calmness, but his gaze at the paper and brush before him was complicated.
Later in the day, two visitors arrived.
One was a middle-aged scholar, and the other, a young scholar.
They were Ye Moquan's descendants, father and son, Ye Wei and Ye Feishan.
"Father, we still have no news of my second sister," Ye Wei said softly.
The Ye Clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou had completely collapsed, but fortunately, the clan's disciples had been evacuated earlier, minimizing casualties.
On the contrary, there were breaches in several places outside the ancestral land, resulting in significant losses, and even the death of a senior elder of the Ye Clan three days ago.
The one with the highest cultivation and the most central figure among them was Ye Moquan's daughter and Ye Wei's sister, Ye Han.
When the connection to the Heavenly Light was cut off, Ye Moquan knew that something had gone wrong in Tianleshan.
With the ritual disrupted, the backlash affected Ye Han, and her situation was most likely dire. As such, the possibility of her breaking through the siege and escaping was slim.
"Keep looking, but do it discreetly," Ye Moquan sighed. "Our clan needs to lie low and recuperate for a long time. All clan members must be cautious and refrain from causing any more trouble."
"Yes," Ye Wei and Ye Feishan replied, bowing their heads.
With Ye Moquan, a Nine Heavens scholar, and the heirloom treasure, the Yi Xing Seal, the Ye Clan of Jinzhou still had a deep foundation.
However, Ye Moquan's current injuries were severe, and with the ancestral land's spiritual legacy severed, the Ye Clan had suffered a significant blow, their situation no better than the Lin Clan of Youzhou earlier.
The Lin Clan in the North could rebuild on their original site and attempt to reconnect with their spiritual legacy.
As for the Ye Clan, they couldn't return to Jinzhou for the time being.
With the unexpected events at Xuantiansi, the demon unrest in Guanlong, and the changes in Zezhou in the south, the imperial family of the Tang Court saw an opportunity to step in.
Having lost the Battle of Jinzhou, the Ye Clan had no choice but to retreat.
The large and small families of the Sanjin region, as well as local officials, had intricate connections with the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.
Even if the court didn't immediately reshuffle the Sanjin region to avoid unrest due to their consideration of the demon unrest in Guanlong, the Ye Clan's influence in the area would still decline sharply.
Ye Moquan's decisive battle with Xu Yuanzhen resulted not just in a loss of a move or two but the loss of the entire ancestral land and spiritual legacy of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.
His personal reputation aside, the Ye Clan's prestige would inevitably take a heavy hit.
If given time, the Ye Clan could remain in Jinzhou and continue to develop the Sanjin region, they would be able to regain their footing and rally the hearts of the people, just like the Lin Clan in Youzhou.
Due to an unspoken agreement, the Zhao Wang Manor turned a blind eye to the Lin Clan's ancestral land being breached, only going through the motions on the surface without truly taking advantage of the situation to suppress the Lin Clan. Thus, the Lin Clan remained a formidable force in Youzhou.
However, in Jinzhou, the court wouldn't offer the Ye Clan a similar opportunity.
If the Ye Clan could avoid turning into the model of Jiangzhou in the south within a short period, they would be able to comfort their ancestors.
"One day, we will return to our homeland. When that day comes, I, your father, will personally go before our ancestors' spirits and apologize," Ye Moquan said. "But the urgent task at hand is to ensure the survival of our clan and the continuation of our lineage, so that we may see the light of day again."
"Throughout the ages, our clan has had its ups and downs. This child will not be disheartened," Ye Wei said.
The elder nodded slowly.
Ye Feishan spoke softly, "Whether it's the Four Seasons Military Rites or the scheme of the Worry-Free Tribulation, they didn't achieve their intended effects. And there's also the Danxin Fragment..."
The turning point of the great battle was when Ye Moquan brought out the Danxin Fragment. Not only did it fail to shake Xu Yuanzhen's Liheng Spear, but it was also countered by Xu Yuanzhen's own Danxin Fragment, injuring him.
From then on, they fell behind step by step, unable to turn the tide.
The Ye Clan of Jinzhou had made ample preparations for this battle.
However, the course of events diverged greatly from their expectations.
It was as if every step they took was wrong, leading them to fall into an abyss.
"If we suspect that the Danxin Fragment was due to Lin Yuwei and the others leaking information, what about the other aspects?" Ye Wei furrowed his brows. "It can't be that everyone involved leaked information, can it?"
A single leak could be attributed to an individual's problem.
But if there were leaks everywhere, it would be baffling.
With multiple tasks handled separately, each person playing their part, even Ye Wei and Ye Feishan only knew about some of Ye Moquan's arrangements.
The only one who knew the full picture was Ye Moquan himself.
"Those with high cultivation can, on a whim, sense the heavens, communicate with nature, and gain a bit of the mystery of divination," Ye Moquan nodded slightly.
As a Nine Heavens scholar, he was well-versed in this aspect.
"But if there truly is someone who can see the minutiae and accurately predict our every move, their cultivation and strength must be immeasurably high," Ye Moquan said. "If we have such an opponent, we need not bother; we should just submit and bow down."
Ye Wei and Ye Feishan frowned, perplexed.
"In the coming days, we will step down, calm down, and quietly observe," Ye Moquan instructed.
He then ordered Ye Wei, "Although this is the case, we must still carefully screen our people in secret to prevent any mishaps."
Ye Wei and his son agreed.
"Father, in the west, the Pure Yang Palace has fallen. Huang Zhenren and some members of the Pure Yang Palace have retreated to the old capital. After that, Xiong Xue and some great demons approached the old capital, while Cang Lang and another group of great demons are currently wreaking havoc in Guanzhong."
Ye Wei reported the news from elsewhere: "However, the Shushan Sect and the Jingxiang Fang Clan have already headed north into Guanzhong, and a division of the Divine Strategy Army in the capital has also set off."
The Tang Dynasty was initially founded with its capital in Guanzhong Chang'an.
Later, due to changes in the spiritual energy of the mountains and rivers, the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty, the father of Zhang Qilong and Zhang Wantong, moved the capital to the present-day Zhongzhou, establishing the new capital of Luoyang, to supervise the transformation of the dragon veins and the country's fortune.
And henceforth, Chang'an was referred to as the Old Capital or Western Capital, still guarded by the imperial family. When the Tang Emperor left the capital, he would occasionally return to Chang'an.
The Bear and Wolf clans mentioned by Ye Wei were the two dominant demon clans in the Northern Frontier, both led by peak demons equivalent to the Ninth Heaven realm in human cultivation. They were incredibly ferocious.
The two clans stood side by side in the east and west of the Northern Frontier and occasionally clashed. It was rare for them to join forces.
This time, their rare collaboration, coupled with special assistance, allowed them to quietly move south and cross the river's treacherous terrain without alerting the outside world.
The Pure Yang Palace was caught off guard and suffered a significant setback.
Moreover, it exposed the fact that the leader, Huang Xuanpu, had never fully recovered from his injuries.
Although the western demon chaos had been resolved, the adverse effects lingered to this day.
"So Huang Xuanpu hasn't recovered yet..." Ye Moquan mused.
Ye Wei said, "Yes, his injuries have worsened after this battle, affecting his Nascent Soul and Daoist fetus. Until the news reached us, his condition was still unstable, and he was unable to defend the Old Capital, forcing him to retreat from the great demons."
He continued with a brief introduction: "With the fall of Zhongnan Mountain, it can be confirmed that there were four secluded elders in the Pure Yang Palace, including one in the Infant Transformation stage and three who had formed their Nascent Souls."
In fact, the number used to be higher than this.
However, during the Western Regions Demon Chaos, the Pure Yang Palace had already suffered significant casualties. On top of that, as Huang Laozhen was injured, many elders who had originally secluded themselves to preserve their bodies and slow down aging had to emerge to stabilize the situation.
But now, the Pure Yang Palace had suffered another heavy blow.
"Two of these four elders perished under the claws of the great demons. The remaining Infant Transformation stage elder and a Nascent Soul stage elder retreated to the Old Capital with Huang Laozhen."
Ye Wei continued, "As of now, apart from Huang Laozhen, there are only three Infant Transformation stage cultivators left in the Pure Yang Palace. Among them are Guan Jing and Lv Jinduan, who went to Jinzhou earlier and have now returned to Guanlong. There are also seven Nascent Soul stage cultivators, most of them injured."
He paused before continuing, "Among them, Yue Xiling is rather special. Before the Northern Demons attacked the mountain, he had already left to cultivate in seclusion elsewhere for a long time. During this turmoil in Guanlong, he hasn't shown himself until now."
If he had been in closed-door cultivation, combined with Yue Xiling's previous situation and talent, this young first disciple of the Pure Yang Palace might have been attempting to break through to the Infant Transformation stage of the Daoist Pill and Cauldron Sect.
If he succeeded, the Pure Yang Palace would currently have four Infant Transformation stage cultivators and six Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
That would be a small comfort amid the great disaster.
However, in just over a decade, the Pure Yang Palace had suffered two consecutive heavy blows, depleting much of its accumulated wealth over the past few hundred years.
Since Huang Xuanpu took over the Pure Yang Palace, it had gradually become the first holy land of the Daoist Sect and even the number one holy land of the Great Tang Sect.
But now, although it had not yet fallen to the same low point as the Heavenly Master's Mansion, its upward momentum had been completely halted, making it a fellow sufferer.
However...
"What about Wang Xuan?" Ye Moquan asked.
Ye Wei replied, "After the fall of the Pure Yang Palace, his whereabouts are unknown. With the great demons wreaking havoc, we have not received any definite news from him. But... both Xiongxue and Canglang have clearly replied that although there were traitors from the Pure Yang Palace colluding with them, they are not sure who it is specifically. They only know that it is a Daoist Pill and Cauldron Sect cultivator from the Upper Three Heavens."
Indeed.
Such battle results were beyond Ye Moquan and Ye Wei's expectations.
They had not anticipated that the Battle of Zhongnan Mountain would be decided so quickly and with such an outcome.
Although the result was satisfying, the process was beyond their control and understanding, which was very unsatisfactory.
Ye Moquan looked at Ye Wei.
Ye Wei shook his head slightly, "Qingzhou, Suzhou, and Jingxiang all indicated that Wang Xuan was not arranged by them.
It's unclear whether it's Wang Xuan or someone from the Pure Yang Palace who has a personal grudge against Huang Xuanpu, or if there is some other involvement..."
Speaking of this, Ye Wei raised his head, "There's definitely something going on with the Golden Temple. The Great Empty Temple took a big hit there!"
Ye Moquan asked, "What are the specifics?"
Ye Wei replied, "We're still waiting for further confirmation, but we know that an area with a radius of more than a hundred miles around the Golden Temple is shrouded in golden Buddhist light. The Great Empty Temple was almost trapped inside and barely made it out."
Ye Feishan, who was standing beside him, showed a look of surprise. He had not had time to see this intelligence before coming with his father to see his grandfather.
Hearing Ye Wei's description, Ye Feishan exclaimed, "The range of the Golden Temple's Golden World should not be that large. Such a move..."
The Golden Temple was one of the four holy lands of Buddhism, but it had always been the most mysterious and closed-off.
During the Western Regions Demon Chaos, the Golden Temple was also affected and suffered significant losses.
And when they welcomed the new abbot earlier, they were attacked by the White Lotus Sect and the Great Empty Temple, resulting in heavy casualties. Since then, they had no choice but to seal the mountain.
Indeed, the Golden Temple had a unique tradition. Each generation of abbots received the initiation, making it arguably the fastest method to cultivate an Upper Three Heavens cultivator in the present world.
Not to mention that Ye Feishan himself was incomparable, but as far as he knew, even Tang Xiaotang from the Heavenly Master's Mansion might not be able to surpass the Golden Temple abbot in terms of cultivation speed.
However, this method was too unique and could only be passed down from one abbot to the next, so only one person could benefit from it at a time.
Moreover, the focus of this method was on speed.
The upper limit still depended on the potential of the Golden Temple's disciple.
This generation's new abbot of the Golden Temple had indeed progressed rapidly, but it had not been heard that he could surpass the Great Empty Temple's abbot, Yuanmie, in just a few short years.
Yuanmie himself was one of the most outstanding geniuses among the younger generation.
And aside from his rapid improvement in cultivation, his battle prowess was also exceptionally formidable. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been possible for him to make the Grand Emptiness Temple's Ji Xiang Dharma King, who was also at the Eighth Heaven Realm, yield his position willingly.
Round Annihilation dared to venture to the Vajra Temple to probe their situation because he was confident and must have had a lot of assurance and preparation. Even if he couldn't do anything to the Vajra Temple, Round Annihilation was confident that he could at least escape unscathed.
However, the result of his investigation ended up confirming many people's speculations about the Vajra Temple. There was indeed something amiss there.
"I believe His Majesty will be even more anxious about this matter." At this moment, Ye Moquan smiled instead.
Upon hearing this, Ye Wei and Ye Feishan both fell into deep thought.
Ye Moquan said, "Continue to closely monitor the news from the Western Regions."
"Yes, Father," Ye Wei replied.
Ye Feishan glanced at the Zhao Wang Manor's garden outside before asking softly, "Grandfather, our clan has sacrificed our ancestral land. What about the Zhao Wang Manor?"
Ye Moquan fell silent for a moment, and his eyes showed a hint of loss.
Ye Wei and Ye Feishan did not look directly at him and did not notice.
After a moment of daze, Ye Moquan's eyes regained their focus, "The fierce qi condensed into a jade disc has been given to His Highness."
Ye Wei and Ye Feishan nodded slightly.
The destruction of the ancestral land was an incalculable loss for the Ye Clan of Jinzhou.
Ye Moquan would not have done this unless it was absolutely necessary.
But now that they had been forced to this step, they had to find a way to make up for some of their losses.
The "barbarians" that troubled the major scholarly families who propagated Confucian teachings originated from a strange and mysterious martial arts realm.
Ye Moquan reversed the formation of his clan's ancestral land, using Confucianism to resist martial arts. When everything was pushed to the extreme, a different kind of existence emerged.
An existence beneficial to warriors.
Sacrificing the thousands of years of literary tradition and the Ye Clan's lineage was no small price to pay.
But since things had come to this, they could only look forward.
"It's indeed fortunate that there are distractions like the great demons and the Vajra Temple, but our clan must tread carefully from now on. Aside from keeping a low profile, we must be vigilant about everything."
Ye Moquan looked at Ye Wei and then at the young Ye Feishan, "From now on, the clan's affairs, big and small, will be left to you."
His gaze shifted from Ye Feishan back to Ye Wei, "Your father is heavily injured and can only recuperate. Make preparations in the next few days, and I will pass on the Yi Xing Seal to you."
Ye Wei looked up at his father.
What he meant was not for him to temporarily take charge but to formally entrust this heirloom and clan treasure to him.
In other words, to pass on the position of the clan head of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou to Ye Wei.
"Father..." Ye Wei's heart skipped a beat.
Ye Moquan smiled, "Your father's injuries are severe, but it's not time to discuss my last wishes yet."
There was a slight pause in his words, unnoticed by his descendants, before he continued, "You've been doing well these years, and your father can rest assured to leave everything to you.
(End of Chapter)
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