Chapter 99: The Mystery of the Genealogy (Part II)

“The master is absolutely right—they were planning exactly that!” Ancestor Ouyang nodded in agreement after Zixuan’s explanation.

“Since those people have left, how does this all tie back to your family genealogies? Hurry up and tell us the rest!” Now that she understood their intentions, Tang Wei urged him to continue. She was like a child listening to a story—nervous about the twists and turns, afraid things might not go as she hoped; she desperately wanted to know both the process and the conclusion, her heart rising and falling with the tale, already completely immersed in the story.

“This actually relates to what happened next!” Seeing how anxiously she waited, Ancestor Ouyang found her utterly endearing, and was tempted to tease her a little.

“Oh! Then hurry up!” Tang Wei, oblivious to being the butt of his amusement, pressed him impatiently.

“As they say, ‘Every man for himself, or heaven and earth will destroy him.’ After being abandoned, those eight understood this principle even more clearly. So they decided, since they were already at this point, to go all in. They gathered all the resources left by the four great families and four great sects, found a secret cave rich in spiritual energy, and hid themselves away to cultivate there, hoping to break through to the Golden Core stage—perhaps then, they might have a slim chance at survival. For reasons unknown, those eight even drew a map and hid it, dividing it among the inner pages of the four great sects’ secret manuals, and set four passes, placing the tokens with the four great families’ genealogies,” Ancestor Ouyang continued.

“So, to eliminate the four great families, you’d also have to take down the four great sects? Sounds like a tough job!” Tang Wei remarked, half gloating.

“No need!” Whether he could sense his master’s thoughts or not, Ancestor Ouyang found himself growing more and more fond of Tang Wei, speaking to her as one would to a beloved junior, with a trace of indulgence. Perhaps it was also her simple nature, so easy to like.

“No need? Why? Do you know where the place is?” Tang Wei’s heart skipped a beat, grabbing Zixuan’s sleeve with curiosity.

“That’s right! I do know where it is!” Ancestor Ouyang played mysterious, just to see how nervous she’d become.

“How do you know? Did the person in charge of cleanup in your family pass it down?” The others were curious too, with Ancestor Xuanyuan’s question even quicker than Tang Wei’s.

“It was indeed left by the Ouyang ancestor responsible for cleaning up, but not exactly passed down,” Ancestor Ouyang emphasized the word “left,” making it clear there was a significant difference, only deepening everyone’s curiosity for what came next.

“Enough suspense, just get to the point! My heart can’t take it,” Tang Wei pleaded, her curiosity piqued to the extreme.

“To prevent anyone from leaking the matter, the eight of them were extremely careful. From drawing the map to stashing the tokens, they remained together at all times, never separating until everything was done and they entered seclusion in the cave together. No one could act alone. However, my Ouyang ancestor had long made preparations. Before they gathered, he drew a map and recorded the entire process, secretly hiding it on his person,” Ancestor Ouyang recounted, pride swelling in his voice, as if saying, “See how clever my ancestor was, leaving our family such a path!”

“Wow! Your ancestor was so cunning! He played them all! Truly, like father, like son!” Tang Wei’s words were entirely offhand; I assure you, she meant no offense.

Seeing Ancestor Ouyang’s awkward expression, Zixuan nudged her, laughing, “Senior Sister! What are you saying? Don’t you want to hear the rest?”

Realizing her faux pas, Tang Wei blushed and stammered, “Um… Fellow Daoist Ouyang, I didn’t mean it that way! But since your family always knew the secret, why did all the Nascent Soul cultivators from the four families and four sects still explore the Celestial Pool centuries ago? Was it just to weaken the other families? That doesn’t add up. Ouyang Qihua said you were all wiped out, so your family didn’t benefit either?” Speaking ill in front of him was inappropriate, so she quickly changed the subject.

“Back then, our family didn’t know the secret. In fact, I was the only one who discovered it,” Ancestor Ouyang replied.

“So your ancestor must have hidden the map very well then!” Tang Wei wiped her brow, glad to have shifted the topic.

“It wasn’t that he deliberately found a secure place. The eight were always together, so he had neither time nor opportunity. In haste, he simply shoved the map into a crack in the study wall,” Ancestor Ouyang finally revealed the much-anticipated location—a rather casual hiding spot.

“Wow! So you got lucky, huh? What are the odds you’d find it!” Tang Wei exclaimed, half amazed, half amused.

“It’s not quite luck. Since childhood, I was the rightful heir to the Ouyang family, and my grandfather was very strict with me. But I was restless and disliked cultivation, so I was often locked in the study as punishment.” Even recalling his childhood mischief made Ancestor Ouyang flush with embarrassment, but with his master’s earnest gaze upon him, he had no choice but to confess.

“So your grandfather locked you in there to read, but you’d rather dig in the wall than study, is that it? Haha!” It was hard to imagine his childhood self, but picturing him picking at wall cracks in his current dignified form was too much for Tang Wei.

“You guessed it exactly right!” Ancestor Ouyang was somewhat baffled by her laughter, glancing at himself as if to check for anything odd.

“It was fate, then. Lucky and clever—finding such a great secret so young, and knowing enough to keep quiet!” Zixuan shook his head, unable to watch Tang Wei’s antics any longer. Better to change the subject.

“It wasn’t that I knew to keep quiet. When I found the map, I told my grandfather first thing. He warned me repeatedly not to utter a word until we had the items in hand,” Ancestor Ouyang explained.

After Zixuan interrupted her laughter, Tang Wei fell into silence, thinking deeply about something. Sensing something amiss, Zixuan worried she was angry, but she didn’t look it. He quickly nudged her and asked, “Senior Sister, what’s wrong?”

Tang Wei returned to herself and looked up. “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking—if the eight of them swore an oath together, how could the Ouyang ancestor break it and leave a clue for his family? What kind of oath did they swear?”

“He didn’t really break it. He kept the secret—didn’t tell anyone, didn’t pass it down. The Ouyang family uncovered it on their own. It’s hardly his fault, right?” Zixuan replied, relieved she wasn’t upset.

“Oh, I see! So the Ouyang ancestor found a loophole, didn’t he?” Tang Wei mused aloud. “Given how selfish they all were, it’s no wonder none of them passed on the secret.”

Sitting beside her, Zixuan heard her clearly, but didn’t mind. He smiled indulgently and said, “You! Is this worth puzzling over so long?” Then, turning to the others, he asked, “Now that Fellow Daoist Xuanyuan knows the truth, what do you plan to do?”

Both had their own ideas, but neither spoke up. Xiao Ling was right—cultivators are never truly virtuous. They believe in survival of the fittest; all that talk of benevolence and morality is meaningless to them. Even the Xuanyuan family, proud as they are, would seize any advantage if they could. Every move is calculated for gain. Zixuan was right—there are few in this world like Long San.

Tang Wei couldn’t stand their indecisiveness; they clearly wanted the treasure but wouldn’t say so, each waiting for the other to speak first. Since they wouldn’t, she made the decision for them. “Why not invite the heads and elders of the four great families and the four great sects, and discuss it together? Whether to retrieve the resources, and how to divide them if you do, should be decided by everyone. These things belonged to the eight families in the first place, so it’s only right they return to their owners.”

Seeing their faces fall, Zixuan couldn’t help but laugh, supporting Tang Wei. “My senior sister’s suggestion is sound. If you want to revive the cultivation world of China, two families alone won’t suffice! It’s strange—you’ve spent so many years dwelling on personal grudges, but never thought to unite and find out why cultivation faded from Earth.”

Tang Wei reassured them, adding, “Don’t worry, we won’t interfere. We don’t care for those resources! We’ll just act as witnesses. As long as you keep the peace, we have no opinion on how you divide things. But the Shi family must be present—they’ve sworn allegiance to me. The past can be forgiven, but from now on, you’re the four great families again.” Any so-called treasure was worth less to her than a single Origin Spirit Pill.

Zixuan agreed, “Although Ancestor Ouyang recognizes me as master, now that the truth is out, as long as you don’t act against me, you can carry on as before and remain the head of your family. I won’t command you to harm your family’s interests. I could free you, but you’re too shrewd—I can’t be too careful. So the master-servant contract remains for now. As long as you behave, freedom will come in time.”

“You are too cautious, Master! Serving you is my honor,” Ancestor Ouyang replied willingly.

Zixuan waved him off, unwilling to say more. Who could tell if those words were genuine or just the effect of the contract? Best to stay vigilant and avoid being deceived.