37: Chapter 37 One Level, One Heaven

The rain had already stopped, but the grass on both sides of the mountain path was still wet.

Zhao Xing held Xingxiu, Song Clan held Xingshi and Yutao by the hand, and Liu Zhao Zhi followed behind; they all walked with very light footsteps.

Jiang Xingchuan walked at the very front, while Jiang Shoushan brought up the rear, carrying a bundle on his back.

This path led towards Baili Mountain.

Past the grove of low mulberry trees ahead, the path began to slope downward.

If anyone were to intercept them at the slope's entrance, the elderly, weak, women, and children would all be crowded on the path, making it difficult even to turn around.

Jiang Yuhe suddenly stopped.

She raised her hand, appearing to stretch her waist.

The group immediately went silent, though they did not stop walking.

This was a strategy they had long since arranged.

Jiang Xingchuan looked back at her and immediately understood.

Jiang Yuhe circulated her Qi, expanding the range and clarity of her Listening to Rain, and closed her eyes to listen for a breath's time.

Four people.

Two at the slope's entrance, one in the mulberry grove on the left, and one behind a rock on the right.

Their Qi was suppressed very steadily, and water droplets slid from their hems, falling into the grass roots.

Zhou Family Cultivators.

Two at the Middle Stage, two at the Early Stage.

Jiang Yuhe whispered via voice transmission: "Shoushan, the mulberry grove on the left."

Jiang Shoushan nodded, walked forward a bit faster, merged into the crowd of the Jiang Family, and vanished from sight.

"Xingchuan, protect them, do not pursue."

Jiang Xingchuan tightened his palm, his Awakening of Insects Qi primed and ready.

Jiang Yuhe took two steps forward.

The two people at the slope's entrance appeared at this moment.

The leader was a forty-something Zhou Family mountain patroller at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

The other was younger, at the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Not far behind the two, another person at the third level of Qi Refining jumped out from both the left and the right.

Seeing Jiang Yuhe, the fifth-level Cultivator was momentarily stunned, then smiled and said: "Young lady, the Main Peak has issued an order requesting everyone from the Jiang Family to return to the mountain for a discussion."

His words were polite, but his gaze swept over the child in Zhao Xing's arms and then landed on Song Clan and the others.

Jiang Yuhe did not answer.

The smile on the man's face faded slightly.

"If the Jiang Family still recognizes the rules of the Qingsang Main Peak, then do not make things difficult for us."

Jiang Yuhe looked up at him, her Qi still suppressed to around the third level.

The younger fourth-level Cultivator sneered: "A mere Grain Rain third level, yet you dare to block our path."

As the words fell, he raised his hand and cast a Green Vine Talisman.

Vine shadows sprang up from the mountain mud, aiming to entangle Jiang Yuhe's feet.

Jiang Yuhe did not dodge.

She took a step forward, and the Grain Rain Qi in her sleeves crashed down.

The green vine shadow had only just reached her shoes when it was crushed to pieces by a heavy surge of true essence.

The fourth-level Cultivator's expression changed abruptly.

Jiang Yuhe was already in front of him.

It was just a single palm strike.

The Grain Rain true essence was so heavy it felt as if the entire spring rain was pressed into her palm; the lingering power of the Green Vine Talisman, the light of the protective Talisman, and the faint spiritual glow on his chest were all pierced through by this single strike.

The fourth-level Cultivator's chest collapsed, and he was sent flying backward, slamming into a rock by the slope, where he lost all signs of life on the spot.

The fifth-level Cultivator's pupils contracted violently.

This young girl had not used any offensive techniques, yet had killed his companion with a single palm strike; this caused an almost impossible thought to explode in his mind.

"Late Stage of Qi Refining?! How old are you?!"

Action erupted on Jiang Xingchuan's side as well.

The two third-level Qi Refining Cultivators lunged toward the elderly and weak, but Jiang Xingchuan stepped across in front of them, Thunder Bud firing from his palms.

The two attacked from the left and right, one wielding a short blade and the other throwing a fire Talisman.

Jiang Xingchuan poured all his spiritual power into his palms, fighting two against one; his Awakening of Insects Qi was fierce, but he remained at the second level of Qi Refining and was completely unable to match the two of them.

Just as the short blade was about to slice into his ribs, a curtain of light like fine rain unfolded before him.

The moment the blade pierced the Rain Screen, it shattered inch by inch.

Jiang Xingchuan seized this half-breath of time, Thunder Bud striking the opponent's wrist, and the man's entire arm went numb, causing the short blade to fall to the ground.

The other person saw the situation was bad and was just about to retreat when the shadow of the grass behind him suddenly moved.

Jiang Shoushan emerged from the mulberry grove, his blade silent, and his Winter Silence Qi swept across the man's knee joint.

The man's knees went weak, and he fell into the mud; before he could even cry out, Jiang Shoushan's blade struck the back of his neck, and he went limp.

The fifth-level Cultivator had already turned around.

He did not look at his companions again and ran for his life.

Jiang Yuhe raised her hand, a flash of green appearing at her fingertips.

The vegetation by the roadside was forced to sprout a line of tender shoots; these shoots connected to her feet and then extended to a small blade of grass in front of the fifth-level Cultivator.

The young girl's figure faded for an instant, and when she reappeared, she was already in front of him.

Catalyzing Green.

The fifth-level Cultivator was frightened out of his wits, and before he could even tear open the Talisman in his hand, Jiang Yuhe struck his forehead with a palm.

When he fell, his eyes were still open.

The remaining third-level Qi Refining Cultivator, who was still somewhat conscious, saw this scene, and his legs went weak.

He immediately knelt and begged for mercy, trembling as he said: "Miss Jiang, we were just following orders, spare..."

Before he could finish, the Rain Screen descended.

Jiang Yuhe killed them one by one, the Rain Screen enveloping the entire area, blocking the blood that splashed out.

Jiang Xingchuan looked at her, unable to speak for a long while.

Jiang Yuhe whispered: "Leave no survivors."

She used Catalyzing Green to roll over the grass leaves, the green Qi dragging the muddy water, pulling the bloodstains into the ground inch by inch.

Jiang Shoushan took out rough cloth, wrapped up the four corpses, and pressed them into the two wooden crates they had brought.

The crates had originally contained dry rations and clothing, which were taken out and kept on their persons, but now they held the dead.

Zhao Xing lowered her head to cover Xingxiu's eyes.

Song Clan's lips were pale, but she still tightly held onto the two children.

Jiang Yuhe turned back to look at them.

"Let's go."

They did not stop until they had left the boundary of this mountain.

Jiang Shoushan looked at Jiang Yuhe.

"I will escort them inside."

Jiang Yuhe nodded.

"I am going back to the Sun and Chen families."

Jiang Xingchuan frowned.

"By yourself?"

"I alone am enough."

She handed the family genealogy to Jiang Shoushan.

"Keep this for now."

Jiang Yuhe did not say anything more and turned into the night.

When she reached the area between North Ravine and Dihua Slope, she first heard a trace of extremely faint Qi.

A person was standing behind a rock by the roadside.

The Qi on his body was suppressed extremely low, like a mass of half-dissipated clouds.

If it were an ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator, they might not even notice anything unusual if they brushed past him.

But Jiang Yuhe had her Listening to Rain fully activated and heard a familiar Start of Spring hidden within that cloud.

"Father."

The person behind the rock shuddered and slowly walked out.

It was Jiang Chengning.

Seeing that Jiang Yuhe had seen through his Hidden Cloud Concealment Talisman at a glance, he instead breathed a sigh of relief.

"This Talisman can deceive those at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, but it cannot deceive you; that is fine."

He removed the Talisman and handed it to her.

"Hidden Cloud Concealment Talisman. If you keep it close to your body and nourish it, it can suppress your Qi and hide your figure. You have more use for it than I do."

Jiang Yuhe took it and nodded.

"The family has already been sent to the outer slope of Baili Mountain. Shoushan is negotiating, and Xingchuan is there too."

Jiang Chengning nodded.

"If the Main Peak sends people to move against the Sun and Chen families tonight, as long as the people who come are below Foundation Establishment, do your best to protect them."

His voice was very low.

"After saving them, explain the situation clearly. Take those who are willing to follow the Jiang Family. Do not force those who are unwilling."

Jiang Yuhe agreed.

She accompanied Jiang Chengning for a short distance, and waited until he disappeared in the direction of North Ravine before turning back to outside Dihua Slope.

In the dead of night, people from the Main Peak indeed arrived.

The person went to the Chen Family first.

When Jiang Yuhe heard him step onto the threshold of the Chen Family, a thick cloud of smoke suddenly rose outside Dihua Slope.

It was the Qi of an exploding Talisman.

Old Crow Chen had made preparations long ago; all the necessary paths leading to the Chen Family compound were buried with Qi-detecting Talismans.

As soon as the Zhou Family Cultivator stepped on one, black mist would spread, and at the same time, it would notify the person who used the Talisman.

The lights in the courtyard immediately lit up.

At the same time, in the distance toward North Ravine, a fire Talisman exploded in the sky.

That was a Twin Talisman that Old Crow Chen had given to Sun Changshui years ago.

When one burned, the other responded.

Old Crow Chen rose from his room.

Chen Baisheng also woke up.

"Take the people and leave through the back door."

This was what Old Crow Chen had instructed long ago.

Chen Baisheng immediately went to call the family members.

Old Crow Chen draped a garment over his shoulders and went out, already holding a Yin Talisman in his sleeve.

The person who came wore blue-gray clothes, had a cold face, and was at the Peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining.

He stood outside the courtyard, looking at Old Crow Chen.

"Chen Hui, the Main Peak invites you to the mountain."

Old Crow Chen let out a laugh.

"You bring a blade when inviting someone?"

The man did not speak further and raised his hand, firing a water arrow.

Old Crow Chen had already crushed the Yin Talisman.

Black smoke rose simultaneously from the four corners of the courtyard, and mist crawled up from the cracks in the ground, carrying a cold, evil scent.

Several small Talisman tablets that had been buried for years lit up one by one, and the Chen Family compound seemed to be covered by a black bowl.

But the water arrow was extremely fast; it struck into the black smoke, its direction deflected by an inch, and Old Crow Chen barely avoided it as it flew past his shoulder and nailed into the wall.

The old man didn't make a sound, pressing both hands to the ground, his forehead almost touching the wet mud.

A pitch-black ancient mirror slid from his sleeve.

The back of the mirror was crisscrossed with cracks, like a half-opened eye.

Old Crow Chen chanted in a low voice: "Dark Gate closes, White Path is lost. Inside and outside are exchanged, front and back have no basis. Reflection enters the mirror, the confused heart returns to dust."

This was an ancient technique.

Ancient techniques mostly require a medium.

Some borrow Spiritual Artifacts, some borrow Spirit Beasts, and some borrow incense and faith.

When Old Crow Chen was young, he obtained the relics of a Cultivator: a black mirror, a set of incantations, and a fragmentary technique.

His talent was insufficient, so he could only nourish the ancient mirror into a semi-Life Artifact, using the mirror to activate the technique.

When the technique began, Old Crow Chen's complexion rapidly turned ashen.

The black smoke in the formation swirled, and the Zhou Family Cultivator's vision suddenly went dark for a breath's time.

This technique was best at trapping people and confusing their minds, and there was a marginal note in the technique from the suspected Cultivator: Evil Qi rises with three steps, the soul faints in seven breaths.

The courtyard underfoot became doubled.

The front gate looked like the back gate, wall shadows looked like human shadows, and the lights in the house looked like eyes.

If a Cultivator at the Early Stage of Qi Refining entered the formation, they would be invaded by the Evil Qi into their heart and lungs within a few breaths, fainting to death.

But this person was at the Peak of the sixth level, and with a surge of true essence, he quickly struggled free from the confusion.

He clutched his forehead, his expression cold and sinister.

"Chen Hui, you are courting death."

Blood overflowed from the corner of Old Crow Chen's mouth, and the cracks on the ancient mirror grew longer.

He had stalled him, but only for this instant.

Yet, it was enough.

In this instant, Jiang Yuhe entered the formation.

The power of the family genealogy protected her spiritual platform, and the Rain Screen of Perception spread close around her body, blocking the Evil Qi outside.

She heard the water arrow gathering momentum in the black smoke, and she also heard the faint sound of a Magical Artifact under the Cultivator's right sleeve.

Listening to Rain brought the Cultivator's movements and the direction of the Magical Artifact's attack entirely into Jiang Yuhe's mind.

The Magical Artifact flew out suddenly.

A water-colored lotus flower unfolded; it was extremely fast, and even though the young girl anticipated it, she only barely avoided it.

But in an instant, the heart of the lotus spat out a sharp water arrow, aiming straight for Jiang Yuhe's heart, as fast as lightning.

The water arrow neatly pierced through her.

However, it only pierced through a green shadow.

To make it realistic, she had divided most of the Rain Screen to that Incarnation, and when the water arrow broke through the screen, not only the Zhou Family Cultivator, but even Old Crow Chen thought Jiang Yuhe had been hit.

Jiang Yuhe's true body used the Hidden Cloud Concealment Talisman to suppress her Qi, and used Catalyzing Green to change her position, already arriving behind him.

She only kept a layer of Rain Screen to protect her heart from being eroded by the Evil Qi.

The Zhou Family Cultivator had just sensed something was wrong when the back of his head was struck by a palm.

The Grain Rain true essence was incomparably heavy.

This palm strike landed, a full-force blow infused with the true essence of the seventh level of Qi Refining.

The man's skull shattered, and he didn't even leave behind half a word.

His headless corpse toppled into the black smoke.

Old Crow Chen stood stunned on the spot; he even forgot to put away the ancient mirror for a moment.

A bit of Evil Qi stained Jiang Yuhe's sleeve, and black lines crawled up along the fabric.

Old Crow Chen immediately regained his senses: "I have medicine to neutralize the Evil Qi."

Jiang Yuhe shook her head.

With a vibration of her Grain Rain Qi, the black lines were washed away as if by rain, turning into faint smoke and falling to the ground.

Old Crow Chen was silent for a moment.

"Each level of Qi Refining is a different heaven; so it turns out it is heavy to this degree."

He had been stuck in the Middle Stage for decades and knew deeply how troublesome the Peak of the sixth level was.

He had staked everything on the Chen Family's years of preparation, the ancient mirror, the ancient technique, and the Yin Talisman evil formation, only to snatch a single instant.

Yet Jiang Yuhe had used this instant to kill a person with such understatement.

This gap made one's heart run cold.

Jiang Yuhe did not respond to this.

"The Zhou Family has already made a lethal move."

She looked at Old Crow Chen.

"If I hadn't been here tonight, it would be difficult for the Chen Family to leave the mountain alive. The Jiang Family is leaving; are you coming or not?"

Old Crow Chen did not hesitate.

"I'm coming."

He turned and entered the house.

"Baisheng!"

Chen Baisheng had already gathered the family members from the back door; the children were not yet fully awake, the women were holding medicine chests, and the faces of several people were full of panic.

Old Crow Chen only said: "Take what you can, don't look back."

Jiang Yuhe bent down and picked up the water-colored lotus Magical Artifact.

The Magical Artifact shrank to the size of a palm, its petals icy cold and water-attributed, but she could not tell which branch it belonged to.

She also fished a Storage Pouch from the waist of the Zhou Family Cultivator.

There was a Restriction at the opening of the pouch.

She covered it with the method of Listening to Rain, the Talisman Qi of Perception and Avoiding Evil slowly circulating within her Dantian, and she immediately sensed the gaps in the flow of the Restriction.

A few breaths later, her Grain Rain true essence suddenly pressed in, seizing the rise and fall of that flow, and with a forceful vibration, the Restriction cracked open.

Old Crow Chen's eyes twitched at the sight.

Jiang Yuhe tucked the Storage Pouch into her sleeve.

"Let's go find the Sun Family."

The Sun Family should be awake by now too.

Jiang Yuhe took the Chen family members along the back road of Dihua Slope toward North Ravine.

The rain began to fall again.

She heard voices gradually rising by the water outlet in the distance, and she also heard the sounds of battle coming from the direction of the Qingsang Main Peak further away.

On the mountain, the roar of fighting echoed, while below the mountain, figures were in a panic.

Suddenly, a blazing color erupted from the mountaintop, instantly dyeing the entire sky, like the scorching sun.