Half the world offers sacrifices, inviting the gods to return to their altars.
These two matters alone already made the Heads of the four families restless, pacing with a mix of shock and anger. They were quickly contemplating what asures to take to prevent the young master of the Hu Family from continuing his madness, yet at this very mont, they once again felt a renewed sense of profound unease.
The loss of control over the situation seed to co in waves. The invisible roar caused their expressions to change dramatically.
"An evil spirit on the Bridge?"
"No, it's seizing the Bridge!"
"..."
Such a thing had never happened since the Bridge first ca into existence. The urgency of the situation shocked even them, catching them completely off guard.
The Bridge was a path to avoid disaster and a hope to transcend.
Ascension was a Skill, Entering the Mansion was Magic, and stepping onto the Bridge could already be called a Path.
Over two hundred years ago, when Tai Sui descended upon the world, it allowed miracle n to ponder and develop this thod of stepping onto the Bridge. The Ten Surnas were among the first to co into contact with it and among the earliest to tread upon the Bridge.
Because they were among the first on the Bridge, and because their power increased over ti, the Ten Surnas gradually ca to regard the Bridge as their own. All those who followed and stepped onto the Bridge had to kowtow and pay homage to the Ten Surnas, willingly lying low.
Especially in the past twenty years, with the absence of reincarnating evil spirits, the Ten Surnas' power on the Bridge solidified further. The Bridge beca even more privately owned by them, a fact all in the jianghu had to acknowledge.
Their transcendent status lay precisely in this.
If the Ten Surnas were rely considered prestigious families within the world, with a possibility of reshuffling, then the Bridge had drawn a clear distinction between them and all others. It even made it impossible for newcors to escape their grasp.
But now, it had all been thrown into disarray in an instant?
"It's impossible for so many people to step onto the Bridge, nor is it possible for all these events to coincide so perfectly, unless..."
"...evil spirits!"
When the Chen Family's Head cried out, his voice trembled as if he had realized another dreadful possibility. "Those evil spirits that once contended with us on the Bridge, they're back!"
"Twenty years ago, they were rely scattered across the various Bridges. Although they dueled with us repeatedly, they ultimately failed to seize the Bridge."
"This ti, they've… damn it, they've changed their strategy!"
"This ti, as soon as they acted, they targeted the ng family's Bridge directly, giving us no ti to react!"
"..."
"The most critical part is the Hu Family..." soone began, then trailed off.
If the evil spirits had such intentions, they must have been plotting for a long ti. But how could it be so coincidental? Just as the Hu Family was clashing fiercely with the ng family, drawing everyone's attention, the evil spirits suddenly moved to seize the ng family's Bridge.
"Now that things have co to this, should we go protect the ng family's Bridge?"
Finally, amidst the chaos and alarm, soone voiced this question, instantly drawing countless gazes.
"How do we protect it?"
Soone nearby retorted angrily, "This isn't so village or territory where we can just charge in and fight. Those evil spirits are on the Bridge; our strength is useless there. We have to find them in the human world..."
"But with the world in such chaos, where can we possibly find them?"
"..."
"We should first keep an eye on the ng family. Currently, no one from the ng family is on the Bridge. With this path seized, they have lost their last sanctuary. This trouble is imnse..."
As the Heads of their respective families, they were typically decisive. Even during normal discussions, their deliberations were calm and elegant, plans decided with grace. Yet this was the first ti they had panicked and argued.
But despite the flush on their faces and the anger in their hearts, they now realized the most crucial matter.
They had only just left the ng family and hadn't gone far. Now, turning their heads, they saw the sky over Salt State, where thick, dark clouds hung low. Ever since the disaster was invoked, sothing had been watching the ng Family, and now, that thing was clearly on the move.
The rolling black clouds, which had been hanging low on the horizon, were at this mont rapidly descending into the ng family compound.
Even the threshold of the ng family's main gate, as if blown by an unseen wind, silently and slowly began to fall inward into the courtyard.
This signified the collapse of the ng family's last pillar of support. The eleven paths of disaster now poured directly through the main gate, completely unobstructed.
"First, protect the lives of the ng family bloodline!"
Witnessing this scene, the Lord of the Undying Wang Family, unwilling to let matters rest, gave a deep shout and pulled a porcelain bottle from his sleeve.
Once the stopper was removed, a plump, fingertip-sized white doll leaped out.
It was a dicinal pill refined by the Wang family, which had gained spiritual properties and seed like a living creature. He quickly pointed towards the ng Family Ancestral Mansion, directing the pill-doll to save lives, while he swiftly turned to the other three. "Find the Sun Family! Quickly dispel this disaster!"
"Then, we should invite soone from the Ten Surnas who still holds so sway to co and discuss this."
"..."
Looking at the ng family compound, now shrouded in black clouds, the others knew there was no other way.
Now, it was almost certain that the eleven paths of disaster had no chance of entering Old Yin Mountain.
Invoking and sending a disaster was a process that required a price. Sending the disaster on its way also incurred a cost.
And as fate would have it, the pond god of Old Yin Mountain had erged and blocked the disaster, which ant the ng Family had to bear the full brunt of it.
As for the Hu Family, the ng Family had indeed planned for them to be the disaster's target. However, when faced with disaster—whether by hiding or blocking it—as long as they prevented it from getting near, the matter had almost nothing to do with the Hu Family.
On the surface, the ng Family had beco the world's biggest joke.
By both invoking and attempting to send away the disaster, they had squandered such a prominent family's fortune and bloodline, yet the Hu Family hadn't even caught a glimpse of the disaster.
And at this mont, they, as outsiders, had to hold their noses and deal with the ng family's ss.
News soon spread. Outside Old Yin Mountain, the eleven Disaster Senders, all with blank expressions, ca to a halt. They clutched the disaster objects, which simultaneously looked up and wailed, their cries seeming to make the heavens and earth tremble.
The disaster objects were weary and wanted to return!
Yet, on this trip, not only had they not enjoyed any offerings, but they had also endured countless lashings. The resentnt in their hearts had multiplied many tis over.
And all of this, the ng Family would have to repay.
As the dazed Disaster Senders began to turn back towards the cave, within the ng Family Ancestral Mansion, the rolling black clouds were also slowly drifting out of the compound.
However, though it was clearly a cloud, figures could be vaguely seen within. They were dressed in gold and silver, with brocade robes and jade crowns. Each looked dignified, yet they were now chained, looking pitiful and tearful as they were dragged away.
The ng Mansion was now desolate. Only a few servants, new to the ng Family, wandered aimlessly through the house and courtyards. When they t, they would only stare blankly at each other and mutter:
"Another... another one died..."
"..."
"The thing from the cave has co to the ng Family to collect its due..."
Watching this from afar, even the Heads of the four families dared not approach. Though they had advanced far on the Bridge, enabling them to avoid birth, old age, sickness, and death, they still lacked the ability to evade the three disasters. Thus, they dared not risk any association.
With their abilities, they had originally believed that no matter how fiercely the Hu and ng Families fought, they could intervene at any ti, paying so price at most.
Now, apart from sending a dicinal pill into the ng Mansion, they didn't even dare to enter and see if Young Master ng was still alive.
「In Shangjing, Northern Land, within the Ancestral Hall」
The elderly Cetery Guardian watched as, one by one, the lamps in the ng family's Ancestral Hall were extinguished, the hall seeming filled with cries, as if reluctant to depart from this place.
His lips moved slightly as he glanced at the Hu family's Ancestral Hall, where only a single lamp remained lit. He muttered softly, "Sister Bai, this outco... is this also sothing you anticipated?"
From within the Hu family's Ancestral Hall, Granny's voice finally sounded after a long silence, seemingly filled with sorrow. "The ng Family today... how is it any different from the Hu Family twenty years ago?"
"The ng Family only thought of harming others. Did they never consider that my Hu Family also has worthy descendants who would avenge this?"
"..."
The Cetery Guardian was at a loss for words. "But it was, after all, for the Stone Pavilion..."
"When you were discussing this Stone Pavilion matter, you should have considered telling the ng Family not to bully my Hu Family too excessively."
Inside the Hu family's Ancestral Hall, Granny's voice was firr than ever before. "When I returned, I told my grandson to stay alive, to learn abilities, and to seek revenge. However..."
"...I never once ntioned anything to him about your so-called Stone Pavilion!"
"..."
"..."
"Let's go! We're entering Old Yin Mountain too!"
Witnessing the yin disaster invade the residence, the Heads of the four families, despite their vast Divine Skills, felt their hearts sink as if plunged into icy well water. In their fury, they resolved to go to Old Yin Mountain. This ti, they absolutely had to find soone from the Hu Family and demand a clear explanation.
But just as they were about to set off, they suddenly heard soone nearby chuckle, "My esteed noble lords, you ignore the pond full of lotus blossoms to rush about so anxiously. For what reason, I wonder?"
The four Family Heads turned in surprise and saw the speaker: a man by the roadside carrying a divination flag.
He appeared down-and-out, his cloth robe soiled and disheveled, like a common fortune-teller who road the streets.
Yet this kind of jianghu character, even when facing the four Family Heads who possessed an inherent air of authority, rely chuckled, showing no signs of apprehension.
The four Family Heads, upon seeing him, first frowned slightly. Then, their gazes shifted to what was behind him. The man carried a wooden fra on his back, and on this fra, a piece of red cloth was draped.
From the protrusions beneath the red cloth, it seed like a Divine Statue was enshrined there. A gust of wind lifted a corner of the red cloth, vaguely revealing a wooden carving.
The expressions of the four Family Heads changed instantly. They quickly suppressed their alarm and slowly raised their hands, performing a salute towards the man—or rather, towards the wooden Divine Statue he carried on his back.
They lowered their voices, "Could it be that things have escalated to such a point that even the State Preceptor has finally deigned to show himself?"
The fortune-teller grinned, not a trace of surprise on his face. "The willing take the bait, that's all. What's there to discuss about it being a grand matter or not?"
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