Yunzhou, Tianzhao Divine General Mansion.
In the Wang Family, within the Pingchuan Courtyard.
Within the secluded and exquisite courtyard, serviced only by a few old servants, it was exceptionally peaceful. Birds perched on the tree branches paused in their stillness but suddenly flew away, startled by an urgent voice from inside the house.
In the main hall of the courtyard, Li Jiangying and his sister Li Rumeng were anxiously watching the elder before them.
“Grandfather, we just sensed the call of our ancestors; something has happened in Qingzhou!”
“Please, ask our parents for us.”
Both were pleading with the elder in front of them, their grandfather, the Sixth Master of the Wang Family, Wang Zhenping.
Just before, while they were cultivating in the courtyard, they had suddenly felt their bloodlines stir, perceiving the distant cries of their ancestors calling them to return.
They knew that the Li Family must be facing a desperate situation to employ the Blood Summoning Secret Skill, which sacrifices the soul of an ancestor.
When the bloodline beckons, all those with the blood of the Li Family would sense it and hasten to converge.
Wang Zhendong’s face was unsightly. He had already known about the troubles in Qingzhou from previous family reports, but he had not anticipated such a dire situation, where they were forced to resort to the blood summoning of ancestors—a path of no return.
Moreover, the Wang Family was a million miles away from Qingzhou, separated by a vast distance. Even if they dispatched an army, by the time reinforcements arrived, the dust would have settled, and the outcome would be beyond their influence, whether victory or defeat.
Although the Wang and Li Families were related by marriage, they were distant and had little contact. It was difficult to provide support in times of trouble. Relatives afar might as well be strangers, especially when they were located at opposite ends of the Dayu Dynasty.
Thinking of his precious daughter who was still in Qingzhou, his heart clenched. He had strongly opposed the marriage in the first place, but couldn’t prevail over his daughter’s determination to marry the eighth son of the Li Family.
After the marriage, things didn’t turn out as happily as she had imagined. She often wrote letters home complaining, which left him feeling uneasy.
But in this era, there was no precedent for divorce without cause after marriage. Moreover, since the Li Family was of the Divine General Mansion, and her husband was a General defending the region, any complaint about him being frequently away on campaigns and seeking divorce would likely turn the entire Wang Family into a laughingstock in the court and be despised by the people everywhere.
Since the children were grown up, they could only make the best of the situation.
But now, with Qingzhou in crisis, he feared his daughter might perish with it.
“This Li Family is simply incompetent!”
Wang Zhenping looked unwell, but as he looked at his niece and nephew before him, his anger subsided and he said,
“Now, even mobilizing the Wang Family’s army wouldn’t be soon enough. I’ll go myself to bring your mother back, hoping it’s not too late.”
Upon hearing their grandfather’s consent, both were overjoyed and immediately kowtowed in thanks.
Seeing the younger generation show such sensibility slightly eased Wang Zhenping’s anger. Over the years, these had been the only two children to bring him some comfort.
“Grandfather, we want to go too,” Li Rumeng said quickly, after she had finished kowtowing.
Wang Zhenping’s expression shifted and he decisively responded, “You both stay here, don’t go anywhere!”
“But this is an ancestral blood summons; if we don’t go, we may be…” Li Jiangying said, a hint of panic in his eyes.
Wang Zhenping took a deep breath. He too knew that if the family’s blood summons wasn’t heeded—those who had left the Divine General Mansion hundreds of years ago as cadet branches could be excused, as ties might have been severed—but for direct descendants to not show up would be disgraceful, and they would likely never be able to face their family again.
“I’m not even sure I can make it in time to save your mother; if it’s too late, you would be the last of the Li Family’s bloodline. And with your Divine Travel Realm cultivation level, rushing there would be meaningless.”
Wang Zhenping spoke gravely, “If the Li Family survives this calamity, I will personally visit and explain your absence. Given the state that the Li Family will be in at that time, I don’t believe they will refuse to recognize you!”
The siblings exchanged a look, both pale. Li Rumeng clutched her fingers nervously, her face filled with unease.
Li Jiangying, however, suddenly said, “Grandfather, what if we go to the Mo River first?”
Wang Zhenping was slightly taken aback. It was as if his own mind had become muddled—yes, why hadn’t he thought of that?
Going to the Mo River would isolate them from even the ancestral blood summons, and once there, exiting would not be easy. If they failed to attend in person, they would have an explanation.
His eyes slightly brightened as he looked at Li Jiangying and smiled,
“Good nephew, you are clever. I’ll have Uncle Xianzhou come for you right now to take you to the Mo River. Go to the Evil Level of the Mo River. You both have studied the conditions and archives of the Mo River, and with some luck and your Divine Travel Realm strength, you might have a chance to clear it. That’s worth 1000 Merit points. Try your best!”
He had brought his niece and nephew over previously in light of the opening of the Merit Treasure Vault.
The vast array of treasures that could be exchanged inside was dazzling. As long as one had Merit points, they could rapidly improve their strength, far surpassing peers of the same realm.
In recent days, their Wang Family had also become a point of contact for various powers, with countless noble families and Jianghu Martial Artists hoping to accumulate Merit through the Wang Family in the Mo River.
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Favour should not be allowed to flow into the fields of outsiders, and naturally, their younger generation was the first to be brought over to benefit from this opportunity.
This was why the Li siblings were staying with the Wang Family.
“Alright!”
Hearing Wang Zhenping’s words, Li Jiangying’s eyes shone with excitement. Just causing destruction in the Mo River could yield 10 merit points, and clearing it could garner 1000 Merit points. There were too many treasures to exchange with those points.
Sword Heart only needed 100 Merit points to enhance understanding of weaponry.
A Grandmaster’s Heart was also worth 100 points, meaning that if they cleared the challenge, coupled with the family’s resources and exchanged Grandmaster’s Heart, they could swiftly reach the Heavenly Human Realm without hindrance!