A Family of Hopeless Romantics, Except for the Evil Little Junior Brother
Chapter 178: Sense of Taboo

Outside Central State.

The Happy Elder stroked his beard and looked at Bai Li across from him.

“It’s done. I haven’t forgotten what I promised you.”

Bai Li’s expression didn’t show any joy.

The Happy Elder raised an eyebrow. “What? Feeling guilty?”

“I just didn’t expect him to really shake the Demon Suppression Tower for me... and end up like that.”

“I didn’t ask you to fall in love with him!”

Bai Li shook her head and said nothing more.

The Happy Elder continued stroking his beard. “Still... that Xue Yun seemed to have realized something before he died... it’s puzzling.”

The Happy Elder snorted. “That Xue Yun isn’t someone you can judge with common sense! Forget it, he’s dead now, no point in talking about this. You’ve still got one more task.”

“What is it?”

“A sliver of my divine sense left in Xue Yun’s body sensed that before dying, he gave his life-bound flying sword to his Little Junior Brother.

That guy’s cultivation is mediocre, but I still don’t feel at ease. Go.”

“I don’t have to do the killing, do I?” Bai Li asked.

“Who asked you to kill him? Make him obsessed with you. That life-bound sword is the key to opening the Demon Suppression Tower!”

“....I’m a bit tired right now.” Bai Li still hadn’t quite recovered from Xue Yun’s death.

The Happy Elder said leisurely, “People like us aren’t worthy of saying we’re tired.”

Bai Li’s illusion vanished before the Happy Elder’s eyes.

Central State.

Inside a certain inn, a woman sighed softly at her dressing mirror.

“Little Junior Brother? That would make him... my brother-in-law? Sounds... kinda taboo. A bit exciting.”

“........”

Thus came the end of the Five Great Immortal Sects Grand Tournament in such a manner.

To preserve Mount Shushan’s reputation, they didn’t announce anything about Xue Yun.

They simply said the seal on the Demon Suppression Tower had loosened, and monsters and evil spirits had tried to break it.

Xue Yun sacrificed his life to protect the tower.

“........”

Sect Leader Hall.

Li Xuanxiao knelt below the dais.

Lingxu took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

In that moment, it was as if he had undergone a tremendous change—his once-straight back slightly hunched, his figure becoming a bit stooped.

The face that once carried a carefree attitude was now filled with exhaustion and age; even his eyes were dim, as if all vitality had suddenly drained from him.

“That’s enough. Go back. Remember this matter, and don’t speak of it to anyone—not even sect members.”

“Disciple understands!”

“Does anyone else know about your Senior Brother’s life-bound sword being inside your body?”

“Only this disciple.”

Lingxu nodded and waved his hand.

“..........”

This time, due to the scheming of those behind the scenes.

Although the Demon Suppression Tower wasn’t destroyed,

The first to third levels (Flesh Prison, Bone Prison, Karma Fire Prison) had ninety percent of their monsters and evil spirits absorbed by the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

In other words, the old emperor’s power had taken a leap forward.

And Li Xuanxiao didn’t think the old emperor was the only one targeting Shushan—there seemed to be a bigger, unseen hand behind it all, intentionally making things difficult.

This grudge, Li Xuanxiao would remember.

Dealing with the old emperor was now the top priority.

He had originally planned to wait longer before enacting his own plan.

But now, he couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

The old emperor’s Ten Thousand Souls Banner had already absorbed the monsters and evil spirits from the first to third levels of the tower.

His cultivation and strength would only grow stronger!!

Back at Silver Sword Peak, Li Xuanxiao let out a soft sigh.

He shook his head and told his Junior Sister and Senior Brother Lu that he would be going into seclusion for a while.

Possibly a very long time.

And asked Senior Brother Lu to supervise Little Junior Sister Zhao Lu’s cultivation.

“What about Feng Liuli?” Lu Ziyin asked, full of anticipation.

“I’ve already arranged for Feng Liuli to go cultivate at Little Qiong Peak,” Li Xuanxiao replied.

“Why?” Lu Ziyin asked, confused.

Obviously, to guard against fire, theft, and Senior Brother!!

Li Xuanxiao gave his Little Junior Sister a few more instructions, then began a new round of secluded cultivation.

Of course, it wasn’t a death-seclusion.

The current situation was too urgent—he couldn’t afford a closed-door session with no return.

If it hadn’t been for his Senior Brother splitting his life-bound flying sword in half before dying—one half sealing the Demon Suppression Tower, the other injected into Li Xuanxiao’s body—

Li Xuanxiao wouldn’t have had to digest this sword.

Li Xuanxiao activated the formation around the straw hut, still feeling vaguely uneasy.

Probably because the Mount Shushan Sword Formation was currently deactivated—that must be why.

The sword formation needed time to cleanse filth with sword aura.

Without the formation as protection, Li Xuanxiao couldn’t help but feel on edge.

He calmed his mind and focused on the golden flying sword within his dantian.

The dantian, after all, was the chaotic sea where heaven and earth’s spiritual energy met the flesh.

Li Xuanxiao introspected his inner world.

There, in the center of the vast Qi Sea, hung a three-inch small sword.

The sword was as clear as ice crystal, yet inside flowed blood-like golden patterns, pulsing like a living being with each breath.

Sometimes it blazed brightly like burning fire, sometimes it hid deep within the sword body.

Clouds churned within his dantian, sword intent sharp and cold.

Li Xuanxiao wasn’t a pure sword cultivator, so he had never refined a life-bound flying sword.

Now, there was a mysterious Nascent Soul forcibly inserted into his dantian.

Plus a flying sword.

Is my dantian a trash recycling station or what?

Li Xuanxiao was seriously worried something might go wrong with his body.

After thorough investigation.

He found that the flying sword had rooted itself in the depths of his dantian, its sword pattern like roots, seemingly connected to his meridians.

Each time he circulated his cultivation, sword aura would flow along his blood vessels, washing marrow and tempering bones, even producing a faint sword hum.

But the sword was restless, having just entered the dantian.

Whenever Li Xuanxiao tried probing it, he’d get hurt by its sharp aura.

Like a newly adopted pet in a strange home.

Li Xuanxiao focused and began refining the life-bound flying sword left by his Senior Brother.

“.......”

Great Sui, Shencao Mountain.

Li Xuanxiao, now disguised as Jia Sidào, stepped out from the mountain gate.

He hadn’t chosen death-seclusion. Though it could double his progress and let him cultivate with full focus.

But the current crisis was too dire.

If he shut himself away, Mount Shushan might already be doomed before he emerged.

He could only work overtime year-round.

The identity of Jia Sidào could finally be put to use.

To deal with the old emperor, Mount Shushan’s forces couldn’t be involved.

He couldn’t mobilize them to hunt down the old emperor.

Mount Shushan wouldn’t shake a mundane empire without cause.

Especially not against a reigning monarch.

So the best-case scenario was catching the old emperor red-handed using the Ten Thousand Souls Banner—then mobilize all of Shushan to strike!

That would be ideal.

But the old emperor probably wouldn’t give him such a chance.

His concealment methods were surely more advanced than expected.

If Li Xuanxiao couldn’t present evidence, and word got out, it’d backfire.

So... he had to rely on himself—enact his second plan.

Assassinate the old emperor in secret.

The emperor's identity was both his disguise and his greatest shield.

But also his biggest weakness.

If Daxia’s national fortune were destroyed, the old emperor’s cultivation would definitely plummet.

After all, his strength was closely tied to Daxia’s fate.

Thinking of this, Li Xuanxiao let out a long sigh.

Even if he succeeded, the karmic burden he’d have to bear was immense.

But if the old emperor didn’t die, he’d never have peace.

Who knew what new scheme the man might hatch next?

........

“Grandpa Sun, who do you think is secretly plotting against Mount Shushan?”

Naturally, the Great Sui was also on the invitation list for the Five Great Immortal Sects Grand Tournament.

The ones attending were the Fifth Prince Ye Yunzhou and Elder Sun, a Tribulation Stage offering of Great Sui.

They were now on their way back.

Elder Sun shook his head. “Whoever it is, this plot is no small thing. They say the sky won’t fall with someone tall to hold it up.

But if Shushan really does fall, the ones to suffer will be the common people.”

Ye Yunzhou frowned deeply.

Seeing this, Elder Sun patted him on the shoulder.

“Just think about these things. Don’t dig too deep. Even if you wanted to, it’s no use. Focus on improving your strength. Learn to govern. Make Great Sui even stronger.

If that day comes, even in chaos, Great Sui can still stand tall.”

Ye Yunzhou nodded.

He was really just thinking about how he didn’t get to talk more with Daoist Li Xuanxiao this time.

Since being enlightened by Jia Sidào last time, Ye Yunzhou had completely turned things around.

He was no longer lost in depression.

“By the way, your father said he’s going to find you a teacher.”

“I already have plenty of teachers,” Ye Yunzhou replied.

Elder Sun chuckled. “That brat thinks they’re not good enough and wants to pick new ones for you.”

As Great Sui’s Chief Offering and close ally of the royal family,

Calling the emperor “that brat” didn’t seem inappropriate at all.

Ye Yunzhou sighed helplessly.

His father placed high hopes on him, which brought massive pressure.

His teachers were all top figures in Great Sui.

But even that didn’t satisfy his father.

Suddenly, a figure flashed through Ye Yunzhou’s mind.

Jia Sidào.

But he smiled at the thought—

It was too naïve. How could someone like Jia Sidào agree to be his teacher?

As he thought that, Elder Sun’s voice suddenly sounded by his ear.

“It’s Jia Zhenren!”

“Huh?” Ye Yunzhou was stunned, then quickly reacted.

Was there really such a coincidence in the world?

He had just thought of Jia Sidào—and ran into him.

Ye Yunzhou and Elder Sun descended from Baozhou.

There they saw Jia Sidào, clad in a Daoist robe, sitting by the lake fishing with a rod in hand.

“Zhenren Jia, long time no see. Hope you’ve been well,” Elder Sun greeted first.

Jia Sidào smiled in return. “Elder Sun, hope you’ve been well too.”

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