The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

The rain poured heavily, the cold biting through to the bone.

Yun Wenxuan sat on the ground, his eyes bloodshot and filled with despair. As he looked up, he saw his grandfather, Yun Yunyang, approaching with an oiled paper umbrella in hand. His voice choked with emotion as he called out, "Grandfather…"

"The family will avenge Yantian's death," Yun Yunyang said, crouching beside his grandson. He held the umbrella over the boy, shielding him from the rain, his expression grim and determined.

"Once we uncover the culprits, they will be torn to pieces.

"No matter who they are, the Yun family will settle this debt personally!"

Anger roiled within him, threatening to overflow. If he failed to find those responsible, he would be letting down his brother, Moxue, Wenzhan, and the entire clan.

"Grandfather… the Su family!"

Hearing Yun Yunyang's vow, Yun Wenxuan forced himself to stop sobbing. His voice turned sharp and resolute.

"Tell me everything," Yun Yunyang said immediately, his interest piqued.

Around them, Yun Yunyue, Baili Moxue, Yun Wenzhan, and the other Yun family members fixed their gazes on Yun Wenxuan, their eyes blazing with murderous intent.

Yun Yantian's death could not go unavenged. Justice had to be served.

"Uncle Yantian and I had just finished investigating the deaths of the three Sun family cultivators and were preparing to return to the clan when we were confronted by an unknown rogue cultivator…"

Yun Wenxuan recounted every detail of what he had seen and heard, leaving nothing out.

"That's why I suspect he's connected to the remnants of the Su family," Yun Wenxuan concluded. "Grandfather, if we can track down the remaining Su family members, we might be able to uncover the one who killed Uncle Yantian!"

Yun Wenxuan's gaze was fixed on his grandfather, his tone urgent.

"I understand," Yun Yunyang replied with a nod. Rising to his feet, he immediately ordered the clan members and the Sun brothers to begin investigating and capturing any surviving members of the Su family.

Baili Moxue also activated a communication talisman, pleading with her father to assist in tracking and apprehending the Su family remnants.

Her husband's death had to be explained. She vowed to personally exact retribution for him.

The Imperial Capital, Royal Palace.

"Your Majesty, a message from the Seventh Princess has arrived!"

Li Qing appeared beside Baili Xi, bowing respectfully.

"Oh? Is it good news?" Baili Xi asked with a hearty laugh.

"…No, Your Majesty."

Li Qing lowered his head, his voice tinged with sorrow.

"What happened?" Baili Xi's expression shifted as unease crept into his voice.

"It's… the Prince Consort. He's been assassinated."

After a long hesitation, Li Qing finally spoke, his voice trembling.

Crash!

The teacup in Baili Xi's hand slipped and shattered against the ground. The porcelain shards scattered, tea spilling everywhere.

Even as the hot tea splashed onto his robes, Baili Xi stood frozen, his mind reeling from the news.

"Who did this?"

After a long silence, Baili Xi's fists clenched tightly. His face darkened, his tone chilling.

"The Seventh Princess believes the remnants of the Su family may be involved. She has requested Your Majesty's aid in investigating and apprehending all Su family survivors hiding within the kingdom," Li Qing reported.

"Relay my orders to Elder Tuoxian. The Dark Alliance is to handle this investigation. I want results as soon as possible!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Li Qing bowed and quickly disappeared.

"How dare they… How bold they are! To assassinate my son-in-law? The Su family remnants have grown far too audacious!"

After Li Qing's departure, Baili Xi stormed to the pavilion railing, his eyes fixed on the gloomy sky. His grip on the wooden rail tightened until it splintered and broke under his immense strength.

Yulin County, Wang Family Ancestral Grounds.

"Patriarch."

Wang Liyuan entered the serene Lake of Tranquility, where he found his grandfather, Wang Qinglin, sitting leisurely in the pavilion, sipping tea.

"Ah, Liyuan, come, have a seat!"

Wang Qinglin smiled warmly and beckoned him over.

Nodding, Wang Liyuan stepped into the pavilion and sat down, accepting a cup of spirit tea poured by his grandfather.

"Did everything go smoothly?" Wang Qinglin asked, setting the teapot aside and gazing at his grandson.

"Everything went perfectly."

Taking a sip of the spirit tea, warmth coursed through Wang Liyuan's body. He nodded, a faint smile on his lips.

"Make sure the emperor doesn't trace this back to us," Wang Qinglin said gravely.

"Don't worry, Grandfather. I never revealed my true face. Yun Yantian was fatally injured and couldn't utter anything useful before his death.

Moreover, for the past decade, I've been secretly nurturing the remnants of the Su family, teaching them spells and divine abilities under a different identity.

Even if the emperor captures those Su family remnants, they won't be able to provide any useful information."

Wang Liyuan's tone was calm as he recounted his meticulous plans.

For ten years, he had waited patiently in the shadows.

First, he cultivated the surviving members of the Su family, shaping them into tools for his revenge.

Second, he waited for the Yun family's mysterious elder to leave.

Only when he confirmed that the elder had departed did he orchestrate the Su family remnants to assassinate the Sun family cultivators, drawing Yun Yantian—or Yun Yanshuang—out.

As long as one appeared, he could kill them.

His goal was simple: to weaken the Yun family's foundation and shake their growing power.

"Hahaha! Excellent, truly excellent! You've done well, Liyuan—careful, thorough, and decisive.

"This time, the Yun family has suffered a significant loss!" Wang Qinglin laughed heartily, stroking his beard in satisfaction.

In recent years, the Yun family's rise had been a thorn in his side. Seeing them suffer such a blow gave him a deep sense of vindication.

"Let them understand," Wang Qinglin continued, "that building a family is never a smooth journey."

Dark clouds loomed as torrential rain lashed the earth.

High above, Yun Yanshui stood firm, gripping his Azure War Bow.

He streaked through the sky, a blur of deadly intent, heading straight for the Wang family's ancestral grounds.

Releasing his divine sense, he locked onto the grand protective formation enveloping the estate.

"Open!"

Crouching in midair, he drew back the bowstring. Spiritual energy surged through him, gathering into an arrow of condensed force.

Whoosh!

The arrow roared through the storm, a destructive force tearing through the heavens, shattering the protective formation in an instant.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rippled across the Wang family grounds, sending shockwaves that shook the entire estate.

The protective array—designed to withstand a full-force strike from a fourth-stage Qi Refinement cultivator—crumbled under the sheer power of Yun Yanshui's arrow.

Over the past decade, as the younger generation of the Yun family—Yun Yantian, Yun Yanshuang, Yun Wenxuan, Yun Wenyu, and others—rose rapidly in cultivation, Yun Yanshui had not remained idle.

Once a mortal among cultivators, his strength had now reached the peak of the sixth stage of Qi Refinement, on the verge of breaking into the seventh stage.

For him, the Wang family's protective array posed no challenge.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Alarm bells echoed through the Wang family grounds as the shattering of the formation sent waves of panic through its inhabitants.

"Who dares break the protective array of the Wang family?!"

A group of Wang family cultivators emerged swiftly, their gazes locking onto the figure hovering in the sky.

There he stood—Yun Yanshui, holding his Azure War Bow, exuding an aura of unyielding dominance.

Their cries of defiance were met with cold indifference.

Without hesitation, Yun Yanshui drew his bow once more, channeling spiritual energy to manifest multiple arrows.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The arrows tore through the air like vengeful spirits, each carrying devastating power.

The Wang family cultivators barely had time to react. Just as they began channeling their spiritual energy to defend themselves, the arrows pierced their foreheads with unerring precision.

Blood sprayed through the rain, and their lifeless bodies collapsed in unison.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Even in death, their eyes remained wide open, unable to comprehend how swiftly their lives had been ended.

High above, Yun Yanshui slung his bow across his back and summoned a long spear.

Without a word, he dove toward the Wang family grounds like a thunderbolt.

At the mountain gate, a Wang family spirit-root cultivator had just arrived, only to be met by Yun Yanshui's spear.

Shhhk!

The spear drove cleanly through the man's chest, sending his severed head rolling across the muddy ground.

The rain mercilessly pelted the blood-soaked head as if washing away the last remnants of its fleeting life.

Even in his final moments, the Wang cultivator never understood who had killed him—or why.