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Chapter 15: The Doomed Sword Cultivator
🕑 Added 2025-01-25 09:41:02 +0000 UTCWhen the head of the Fan family rushed into the Chen household, Chen Xiao suddenly realized the situation.
No wonder the Wu family was so troubled about their son being rejected; how could such a prominent family like the Fan family remain indifferent and allow their juniors to run amok here? It turned out that the head of the Fan family was secretly supporting this behavior, which explained why the Fan family’s subordinates dared to join in the commotion.
Such cunning. Chen Xiao sighed inwardly.
If this plan succeeded, the Fan family would have gained everything without any cost. If it failed, they could simply blame it on their reckless juniors and have the family head step in to apologize later. Even though the Fan family's young master suffered punishment, it was still better than losing face in front of everyone.
However, what the Fan family head hadn’t anticipated was that the Chongxuan Sect’s master was so unyielding. With a wave of his hand, he ruined the Fan family young master’s dantian without hesitation. The elite subordinates of the Fan family, who had followed their young master, were all stunned, dropping to their knees as if their cultivation had been forcibly stripped away.
The Fan family head stomped in frustration. “This has gone too far! Immortal masters, please calm your anger! It’s my fault for not disciplining him properly. This disaster is all on my son. I beg you to forgive him, as a favor to my ancestors.”
He had seen his son writhing in pain on the ground earlier, but now, in front of the immortals, he had to put on an act of being an angry, disappointed father. He chastised his son loudly, as if unaware of what had happened. The performance was meticulously executed.
Chen Xiao, who had a high emotional intelligence, immediately understood the scene. Even the two immortals, though young in appearance, had lived far longer than the Fan family head, and they too could see through the act.
If this were an ordinary sect, the Fan family head’s performance might have been enough to avoid further conflict. In such cases, both parties would retreat, leaving the matter unresolved for the time being. However, the Chongxuan Sect was no ordinary sect.
The senior master of the Chongxuan Sect didn’t follow the usual rules. He looked directly at the Fan family head, his voice calm yet powerful enough to make the Fan family head break into a cold sweat. “Are you saying that today’s actions were done with the approval of the Fan family? If so, why mention the favor of your ancestors? Perhaps we should have them speak for themselves and explain why they intervened in our selection of disciples.”
In that moment, the pressure from the senior master radiated like an unfathomable sea, oppressive and weighty. The Fan family head dropped to his knees, his hands pressed to the ground to keep from collapsing.
He was stunned. He had heard rumors that this master from the Chongxuan Sect had reached the Golden Core stage, but he hadn’t imagined he would be so formidable. The pressure emanating from him was comparable to that of a Nascent Soul master, and no wonder he had shown no respect for the Fan family’s Nascent Soul ancestor.
It was a complete miscalculation! The Fan family head had been relying on his family’s prestige, but now, with the lack of any respect, the Fan family had no choice but to submit.
Gasping for breath, the Fan family head stammered, “It’s my fault for misjudging the situation. My son is completely in the wrong. Please, immortal masters, punish him as you see fit. Whether it’s to beat him or kill him, the Fan family will not complain.”
Chen Xiao, watching from the side, couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration for the Fan family head. The man was crafty and quick-witted. Even now, with everything falling apart, he still managed to shift the blame entirely onto his son. The earlier punishment had already been dealt to the young master, and it was clear the senior master wasn’t going to pursue him further.
When dealing with the Fan family, the most they could do was criticize the head for his poor management, without exposing the true nature of their plans.
Just then, a barely audible snort reached Chen Xiao’s ears, making him doubt if he had heard it correctly. The senior disciple of the Chongxuan Sect, standing just behind the master, suddenly took a step back, looking at the master’s back with both fear and respect.
“The Fan family has mismanaged their children, behaved irresponsibly, and allowed their son to cause trouble and speak evasively. From this day forward, no member of the Fan family will ever be accepted into the Chongxuan Sect!”
Chen Xiao stared, his eyes wide in shock. As the master’s verdict echoed, his aura intensified. The previously peaceful energy around him suddenly surged and shifted, turning from calm to violent. An eerie, ominous energy emerged from within him. This sinister aura, cold and suffocating, surrounded the Fan family head, making him shiver as if he had been thrown into an ice cave.
The different types of dragon veins: True Dragons, Branch Dragons, Sub Dragons, Sick Dragons, and the most feared of all, the Evil Dragons, were well known. The most destructive among them was the Evil Dragon, which rendered the land barren. The energy in a place could change over time, and a once-true dragon vein could turn into an evil one.
True dragons bring prosperity to their descendants, while evil dragons bring only ruin. It was an immutable truth: extreme vitality leads to decay, and after decline comes renewal.
Thus, Chen Xiao wasn’t surprised by the appearance of the sinister energy. What amazed him was the master’s ability to control both the positive and negative energies with such ease. He had never witnessed such a skill before.
Chen Xiao marveled as he watched, but the senior disciple, Zhao Fang, looked at the master with both reverence and fear.
The master, Xie Yunting, held a high position, leading a group of disciples for the once-in-a-decade recruitment event. His golden core cultivation was enough to outshine many Nascent Soul elders. The Chongxuan Sect treated him with the utmost respect, and his unique ability, which had been honed since childhood, made him a person who was feared and respected by all.
As a child, he unknowingly brought misfortune to those around him. Over time, as his cultivation deepened, this ability became even more formidable. Now, he could control his aura with his will, and whoever was targeted would inevitably face bad luck.
Who wouldn’t fear misfortune?
The consequences ranged from something as small as a failed alchemy attempt to as severe as an untimely death during meditation. Over time, Xie Yunqing became an undisputed figure within the Chongxuan Sect, a person no one dared to offend.
Within the inner disciples, he was known as the "Doomed Sword Cultivator."
At this moment, Chen Xiao looked at the head of the Fan family with a wave of sympathy in his heart. It would have been better to just admit the mistake directly, but by attempting to argue and wriggle out of it, the Fan family head only made his master angry. Now, the head of the Fan family would be tormented by bad luck for ten years, unable to shake off the influence of what is called the "Curse Technique" within the sect.
After announcing the punishment for the Fan family, the air around Xi Yunqing calmed down. He spoke coldly: "Fan family head, do you have any objections?"
The Fan family head, who seemed as if he had just been pulled out of water, was drenched in cold sweat. He could hardly respond: "I would never dare."
Xi Yunqing said, "If you have any objections, you may file a complaint with the sect’s Management Hall. I, Xi Yunqing, advise you to remember this clearly."
When he revealed his name, the Fan family head became even more terrified. His head lowered even further as he stammered, "I would never dare to offend... never dare..."
Zhao Fang, seeing that his master had asserted his dominance, dared to approach. He stepped forward and said to the Fan family head, "Enough! Take your people and leave now!"
The Fan family head scrambled to his feet, and the Fan family's subordinates, who had been motionless in the Chen family’s courtyard, dared to move and quickly followed the Fan family head out.
Nearly twenty people left, and the courtyard instantly became much quieter.
Xi Yunqing turned around, his voice flat as he said, "The matter here is settled. Hurry up and take your apprentices on their journey, there are still other things to attend to. I will go ahead. Zhao Fang, don’t waste time."
Zhao Fang lowered his head and responded, "I will send off the master. Once everything here is sorted, we will depart immediately."
In the blink of an eye, the two of them disappeared from the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Fan Shiming, who had been lying motionless outside, was helped to his feet by others. Originally planning to go and complain to his father, his legs gave way, and he ended up dragging the Fan family head to the ground. The unexpected fall caused the Fan family head to knock his head on the ground, losing a tooth in the process.
Chen Xiao, who happened to witness this through the broken wall of the courtyard, shook his head. Being tainted by the ominous energy was only the beginning of a series of unfortunate events. If the Fan family head was a cultivator, he wouldn’t be able to make any progress until the ominous energy was dispelled.
It’s important to know that ominous energy and anger don’t mix.
The Wu family had watched this whole drama unfold. Although they understood that the Fan family was using this incident as an excuse, they couldn’t help but feel some resentment toward the Chen family.
However, it seemed that this young man from the Chen family had mastered some sort of residential technique, which seemed to be a true immortal’s method. This made them not only hesitant to express their dissatisfaction but also pushed them to find ways to build a good relationship with the Chen family.
The two families exchanged some polite words. Since Wu Xinzhi was eager to join up with others, their conversation was brief before he left.
Chen Changgen had originally hoped that Chen Xiao would stay in Fancun, seeing how skilled he had become, but Chen Xiao politely declined, explaining that he had only scratched the surface of the technique.
With Wu Xinzhi having chosen his path and Ershun’s marriage settled, Chen Xiao went to the county to pick up his nameplate. He wore the new outfit made for him by Ershun, feeling much lighter with his reduced load. With the Chen family’s heartfelt farewell, he boarded an ox cart and left Fancun.
Following his original route, it took him half a day to reach the county. However, there were no cars available, so he would have to wait until the next morning. Chen Xiao rented a room in the same inn he had stayed at before. In the afternoon, he visited the local market and bought some local specialties to distribute to the shopkeepers and workers at the inn.
That evening, as he lay in bed at the inn, he finally had time to relax. Chen Xiao rubbed his belly, deep in thought. For the past few days, his appetite had significantly decreased, returning to what was typical for someone his age.
The only unusual thing he had done recently was arrange a feng shui layout for the Chen family.
The two events were certainly connected.
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Author's Note: Zhao Fang: "Master, you're the one who can't even be mentioned by name, the ‘mysterious figure’ in the cultivation world—that’s you!"
Xi Yunqing: "Seems like you don’t want your accomplishments this time."
Zhao Fang: "Master, I was wrong, QAQ."
This chapter was meant to explain Xi Yunqing’s special abilities. Not sure if everyone understands yet?
The Curse Technique, as understood by the Chongxuan Sect and Xi Yunqing, is actually related to the ominous energy found in feng shui
