Chapter 223: Fate Runs Out
Fifteen years into the Great Jin, Hua Changxi had the most peaceful Lunar New Year’s Eve reunion dinner with the Hua family.
There were no lectures, no comparisons, and no demands made at the dinner table.
Yet, looking at the Hua family members chatting and laughing, Hua Changxi still felt something was missing from the atmosphere.
She wasn’t particularly happy, always feeling a barrier between herself and her family.
She couldn’t figure out what this barrier was.
Hua Changxi looked at the food her parents had put in her bowl, smiled at them, and then while eating, asked herself if she was being too picky.
Perhaps, as long as it didn’t end in an unpleasant argument like before, it would be fine to just live on like this without any fuss?
After dinner, everyone gathered in the main hall to stay up late and chat.
Old Master Hua spoke about the clan’s care for the family over the past year, and others chimed in to add details.
Old Madam Hua and the daughters-in-law discussed their interactions with the clan’s female members, Hua Minghe and his two brothers talked about their social engagements with friends and relatives, while the younger generation, led by Hua Da Lang, discussed cultivation matters within their respective families.
Everyone had a very fulfilling year.
While everyone was chatting enthusiastically, Hua Shierniang suddenly asked Hua Changxi, “Ninth Sister, we miss you and can’t see you often. Are you very busy at the Medical Affairs Department?”
Her question caused a moment of silence in the main hall. Although everyone quickly resumed their chatter, they were all listening intently to this conversation.
Hua Changxi replied, “I’m not particularly busy at the Medical Affairs Department.”
Hua Shierniang asked again, “Then when you’re not busy, are you cultivating?”
Hua Changxi said, “I also go out for experience.”
Hua Shierniang’s eyes lit up, “Ninth Sister, tell us quickly, where have you gone for experience?”
“Although the Earl’s Mansion takes us out for experience, it’s very infrequent. If we want to go out for experience on our own, besides Five Finger Mountain in Qingzhou, we don’t know where else to go.”
Most of the ruin secret realms within the Great Jin that are suitable for cultivation experience are occupied by nobles. Cultivators without backgrounds truly struggle to find places for experience.
Hua Changxi didn’t really want to talk about the Nine Netherworlds with her family, as she had been on the verge of death twice when she went there.
“The places I’ve been are quite dangerous.”
Hua Liulang immediately asked, “How dangerous?”
Hua Changxi replied, “If your strength is insufficient, you might not return.”
Hua Liulang’s eyes widened instantly.
Hua Shierniang became even more curious, “Ninth Sister, what kind of place is it?”
Hua Changxi was silent for a moment, thinking that since her family members were all cultivators, they would definitely go out for experience. Rather than letting them hear half-truths from others, it was better for her to tell them.
“The Nine Netherworlds.”
Hua Changxi looked at Hua Da Lang, “Eldest Brother, you know about the Nine Netherworlds, right?”
Hua Da Lang nodded, “I’ve heard of it.” The Demon Suppressing Army occupied a checkpoint in the Nine Netherworlds. Although he hadn’t been there, he often heard his colleagues talk about it.
Old Master Hua clicked his tongue, “Does the Nine Netherworlds really exist in this world?”
Old Madam Hua also asked curiously, “If there’s the Nine Netherworlds, is there also the Nine Heavens?”
Hua Changxi looked at the elderly couple, “Grandfather, Grandmother, how do you know about the Nine Netherworlds and the Nine Heavens?”
Old Madam Hua said, “That’s what they say in the Taoist temples and monasteries. There are immortals above the Nine Heavens and the underworld below the Nine Netherworlds.” She paused, “Are these legends true?”
Hua Changxi nodded, “I haven’t been to the Nine Heavens, but the Nine Netherworlds truly exist. However, the Nine Netherworlds I’ve set foot in are limited to the two checkpoints guarding the Demon Prison. I don’t know if there’s an underworld in the Nine Netherworlds.”
Hua Da Lang immediately became interested, “Ninth Sister, can you tell us more about the Nine Netherworlds and the Demon Prison?”
After joining the Demon Suppressing Army, he had indeed learned many things he had never encountered before, but much of the information was fragmented and superficial. For example, regarding the Nine Netherworlds, he only knew about the Demon Prison.
Seeing that her family was very curious, Hua Changxi told them what she knew.
“The realm we are in is called the Four Spirit Realm. The Four Spirit Realm was initially ruled by the Demon Race. Later, the Human Race flourished, and to suppress the extremely wicked Demon Race, the Demon Prison was built in the Nine Netherworlds.”
“The Central Continent has Five Great Sacred Lands, and the Central Sacred Land is the formation eye of the Demon Prison.”
Hua Changxi looked at Hua Da Lang, “The ruins of the Central Sacred Land are in the Heavenly Department.”
Hua Da Lang’s expression was shaken, and he looked enlightened. He now somewhat understood why there were so many conflicts within the Heavenly Department.
Hua Liulang asked, “Ninth Sister, don’t stop, what about the other Four Great Sacred Lands?”
Hua Changxi continued, “The other Four Great Sacred Lands are the four formation eyes of the Demon Prison. The Dan Sheng Hall is one of them, and the Medical Affairs Department is the ruin of the Dan Sheng Hall.”
“One of the important duties of the Four Great Sacred Lands is to maintain the stability of the formation eyes.”
Madam Yao asked anxiously, “Ninth Sister, you obtained the Divine Wood Secret Realm, does that mean you are one of the people from the Dan Sheng Hall? And will you have the responsibility of guarding the formation eye’s stability?”
Hua Changxi nodded, “Yes.”
Madam Yao became worried, “Isn’t that very dangerous?”
Hua Changxi’s eyes softened, and she smiled, “Mother, don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. Since I received the Divine Wood Secret Realm, it’s only right for me to do something for the Dan Sheng Hall.”
The Hua family members fell silent upon hearing this.
Indeed, there was no free lunch in the world. They had only rejoiced upon learning that Ninth Sister had obtained a secret realm, forgetting that she would have to pay a price for it.
Hua Changxi looked at Hua Minghe and Hua Da Lang, “Father, Eldest Brother, the Artifact Refining Workshop you were responsible for sealing is the ruin of the Artifact Saint Palace.”
Hua Minghe and Hua Da Lang exchanged a quick glance.
“So that’s why the influential nobles in the Capital City were all eyeing the Artifact Refining Workshop.”
“The artisans in the Artifact Refining Workshop were all taken away, and the blacksmith shops within the workshop were all occupied by the nobles.”
Hua Changxi frowned upon hearing the current situation of the Artifact Refining Workshop and looked at her father and brother, “After the new year, will the Imperial Court continue to seal the Artifact Refining Workshop?”
Hua Minghe nodded, “Yes, we will. After the second day of the new year, Da Lang and I will go to relieve the guard and continue to surround the Artifact Refining Workshop.”
Hua Changxi said, “Then you must be careful. Don’t rush to the front when facing trouble. The Artifact Saint Palace is a place specifically for artifact refining, and there are plenty of Spiritual Artifacts and Magic Treasures. If they are pushed too hard, the people of the Artifact Saint Palace will definitely retaliate.”
Hua Da Lang quickly asked after hearing this, “Does the Artifact Saint Palace have a successor?”
“Of course.”
Hua Changxi didn’t say much about Tong Yao and the others, but she glanced at Hua Liulang beside her.
Sixth Brother wants to learn artifact refining, but there’s no one to teach him. Perhaps he could be sent to Tong Yao?
Hua Da Lang frowned, “It’s not a solution to keep the Artifact Refining Workshop sealed. Since the Artifact Saint Palace has a successor, why don’t they come forward and talk to the Imperial Court?”
Hua Changxi looked at him, “Talk about what?”
Hua Da Lang was taken aback by the question, “Talk about the development of the Artifact Saint Palace. With the Imperial Court sealing the Artifact Refining Workshop like this, it’s hard for the Artifact Saint Palace to recruit disciples.”
Hua Changxi replied, “But talking with the Imperial Court means ceding power. Look at the Medical Affairs Department, it’s now filled with all sorts of undesirable people.”
Hua Da Lang said, “A Sacred Land cannot have only one faction. Even if other forces are involved, it’s better than being stagnant.”
Hua Changxi looked at him, “Eldest Brother, after the Spiritual Energy Revival, all four formation eyes have experienced instability, and there are also demons lurking. To maintain the stability of the formation eyes, the people of the Four Great Sacred Lands have paid a great price.”
“The Royal Family and nobles have done nothing, yet they want to get a share of the pie. Where is such a good thing in the world?”
She could understand Tong Yao’s decision. If she were the successor of a Sacred Land, she wouldn’t want the Royal Family and nobles to meddle with it either.
Hua Da Lang fell silent.
Hua Liulang asked, “Ninth Sister, what happens when a formation eye becomes unstable?”
Hua Changxi explained, “Demonic Aura will overflow, polluting the Human World. Those who cannot resist will become demonized, and then they will run rampant, harming living beings. At that time, the Human World will turn into hell.”
Upon hearing this, the Hua family members’ expressions changed drastically, and they gained a deeper understanding of the importance of the Sacred Lands.
Old Master Hua spoke, “You must cultivate diligently. Only with great strength can you fear no danger.”
Hua Da Lang nodded, “Yes, this world hasn’t really changed. It’s always been survival of the fittest. Only the strong can live better.”
Old Madam Hua said, “But in the past, ordinary people could live peaceful lives as long as they kept to their duties. Now, I hear that many places have become chaotic, and people are dying everywhere.”
“If this situation cannot be suppressed, the lives of the common people will be difficult in the future.”
Hua Changxi looked at Old Madam Hua in surprise. She hadn’t expected her grandmother to pay attention to such matters.
Old Madam Hua noticed Hua Changxi’s surprised gaze and felt a little uncomfortable, “What, am I wrong?”
Hua Changxi smiled, “No, Grandmother is absolutely right. I just didn’t expect you to notice something like this.”
Old Madam Hua gave a ‘hey’ sound, “We were ordinary people before. I often wondered, if our family didn’t have cultivators, how would we survive in such chaotic times?”
Hua Changxi lowered her eyes. Currently, the Royal Family and nobles were solely focused on seizing resources, and maintaining basic social order was no longer their priority.
The chaos in some areas might even be orchestrated by them.
For some people, the more chaotic the world, the more profitable it would be for them.
Hua Minghe, as a constable of the Six Doors, knew more about the local situation. He frowned, “With the increase in cultivators, the chaos in various regions has indeed become more severe. The Imperial Court’s governance of these areas is becoming increasingly strained.”
The biggest problem was that local officials and nobles no longer obeyed the orders of the Royal Family.
Hua Minghe sighed. The Chu Dynasty, which had stood for a thousand years, might be nearing its end.
