Starting with the creation of the Immortal Clan through the compilation of the family genealogy.

Chapter 30: Protecting the Clan Fails, Realizing All Past Mistakes

Xiao Jingzhan took in the momentary wariness in Meng Xihong's eyes, but his face showed no surprise; instead, a hint of understanding flashed across his face.

He didn't press further, and his tone softened somewhat: "No need to be nervous. Such talent may fool those fools who only know how to devour and plunder, but it cannot fool those who have truly cultivated the righteous spirit."

The sliver of righteous spirit you stirred during the fierce battle, though faint, was pure and upright, something only a person of refined character and noble integrity could achieve.

A fellow traveler? A person of noble character?
Meng Xihong suddenly looked up at Xiao Jingzhan.

The dark purple cloak the other person wore appeared particularly deep at this moment, subtly revealing an indescribable sense of weight and majestic majesty.

Could it be that this Magistrate Xiao... is also a scholar? And his level of understanding is far above mine?

“Your Excellency, County Magistrate…” Meng Xihong’s voice was hoarse.

Xiao Jingzhan did not answer directly, but looked at him with a deep gaze: "The 'Spirit Devouring and Blood Transformation Technique' that Lin Lang cultivates is an ancient demonic fragment, specializing in devouring the essence, innate talent, and physical attributes of living beings to replenish itself. In his eyes, your 'Literary Spirit and Character' and your young daughter's 'Flawless Immortal Bones' are enough to allow them to break through bottlenecks and even undergo a complete transformation."

Although he has retreated today, his greed has been ignited, and his covetousness is unlikely to be extinguished. He will not let this go easily.

Meng Xihong's heart sank to the bottom. Xiao Jingzhan not only revealed his secret, but also pointed out Lin Lang's technique and purpose.

That greedy gaze, like the blood-red eyes of an abyss, seemed to pierce through the void once more, meeting his gaze.

Xiao Jingzhan's gaze swept over the chaotic courtyard, still stained with blood, before settling back on Meng Xihong's face, which was etched with both exhaustion and determination. He said in a deep voice, "Now that things have come to this, I'll give you three pieces of advice. Whether you take them or not is up to you."

"Firstly, strengthen the foundation and nourish the source, and clean up the beginning and the end. If a person's foundation is damaged and their source is deficient, it cannot be cured by ordinary medicine."

This is the 'Green Wood Nourishing Essence Pill', made with a century-old Green Wood Ganoderma as the main ingredient, supplemented with spiritual herbs that warm and nourish the blood and qi and repair the source, which will greatly benefit her.

Take one pill daily, dissolved in warm water. Within three days, your vital energy should be stabilized, and you should be able to escape danger.

He took out a warm, lustrous blue jade bottle, its body engraved with fine cloud patterns and emitting a faint fragrance of herbs and trees, and gently placed it beside the bed.

“You are very much like me,” Xiao Jingzhan’s voice lowered, carrying a hint of complex emotion that was hard to detect, his gaze seemingly traversing time and space.

"Helping you is... a way of making up for a regret of mine. I hope you won't go astray and will use your talent for the right thing."

Looking at the jade bottle and feeling the pure vitality contained within it, Meng Xihong felt a warm current surge in his heart.

The value of this elixir is probably far beyond imagination.

He solemnly clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Your Excellency, for bestowing upon me the elix

"Secondly," Xiao Jingzhan continued, his gaze sharpening, "the commotion tonight was too great, with many dead and injured, including cultivators from the Lin family. This matter must be explained with a 'reasonable' explanation to silence the gossip and prevent the Lin family from using it as an excuse to make trouble later."

Before he finished speaking, a majestic and awe-inspiring aura rose from his body, as if it had invoked some kind of law of heaven and earth.

"All these scars of battle are illusions. Destruction and dissipation will lead to the return of the true self."

"complex!"

As Xiao Jingzhan uttered his true words, invisible golden patterns, flowing with righteous energy, appeared out of thin air.

The golden patterns spread rapidly, as if alive, covering the entire front yard and courtyard of the Meng residence.

Wherever the golden light passed, the huge cracks slashed by Lin Bao's blade, the craters bombarded by magic, and the bluestone slabs soaked in blood... all seemed to rewind time, and at a speed visible to the naked eye, they healed, repaired, and cleaned themselves.

The severed limbs turned to ashes and vanished, the spilled blood was wiped away by an invisible force, and even the strong smell of blood in the air was replaced by a fresh scent of grass and trees.

In just a short while, apart from the faint spiritual energy fluctuations remaining in the air and the traces of battle that could not be completely erased, the entire Meng residence had already returned to about 70-80% of its former tidiness.

"Words become law? The realm of words establishes the way!" Meng Xihong's mind was shaken. This was no longer a simple spell, but involved the application of power at the level of the laws of heaven and earth!
This is precisely the power that only those who have reached the "realm of establishing words" in literature can possess. Just who exactly is this Magistrate Xiao?

"That's what we'll say to outsiders," Xiao Jingzhan said calmly, as if he had only done something insignificant.

"Tonight, some evil sorcerers, coveting the people of Wufeng County, sneaked into the city to cause trouble. They were exposed by Meng Xihong, the head of the county government, and a fierce battle broke out in their residence."

Upon hearing the news, the county officials arrived promptly and killed several of the demons, while the rest were seriously injured and fled.

Meng, the head constable, and his men fought bravely against the enemy, suffering many casualties. They are truly models of loyalty and courage for Wufeng County. As for the Lin family cultivators? They have never been here. They are merely evil sorcerers in disguise, attempting to mislead the public.

Meng Xihong instantly understood.

This is to completely remove the Lin family from the picture and definitively characterize the massacre of his Meng family as a "public case" of evil intrusion and government suppression.

This not only silenced public opinion but also cut off any pretext for the Lin family to launch further attacks.

He immediately bowed and said, "This subordinate understands! I will certainly restrain my family and ensure that we all speak the same way."

"Thirdly," Xiao Jingzhan's gaze became incredibly profound once again, the solemnity within it even greater than before.

He looked at Meng Xihong and said, "And this is the most important point. Meng Xihong, you must understand that this county can protect you for a while, but not for a lifetime."

Lin Lang must be holding a grudge after this setback.

If he wanted to deal with you, he might not need to act personally. A little maneuvering within the clan would likely attract even more terrifying open and covert attacks. Perhaps even… the attention of the Lin family's main branch!

The Lin family lineage!

Meng Xihong's heart skipped a beat. Lin Lang and Qinglin Hall, a branch of the Lin family, were already so terrifying; if they attracted the attention of the main branch of the Lin family... he dared not imagine what a disaster that would be.

He looked directly into Meng Xihong's eyes, as if traversing the river of time and clearly seeing himself: "You, at twenty-four, are exactly like me back then. Equally spirited, equally sharp-willed, believing that with a surge of passion, a bit of talent, and a little effort, you could sweep away the injustices of the world and protect those you wanted to protect." His tone carried the weight of someone who had been through it all.

"But you will eventually understand that one person's strength has its limits. You know how to be patient, which is clever, but it is far from enough."

Xiao Jingzhan's words struck Meng Xihong's defenses like heavy hammer blows: "You have a sense of justice, that's understandable. But to uphold justice, you need the strength to support you. In the end, this world is all about power!"

"Ask yourself honestly, did you still intend to continue investigating the Qingyun Sect matter in depth? Do you know what kind of existence the Qingyun Sect holds in Yunzhou? The crisis of being spied on by the Immortal Bone has not yet been resolved, yet you are already eager to provoke another potentially more terrifying vortex?"

"You keep saying you're doing this for the safety of the family, but you're constantly on edge outside, making enemies everywhere! One encounter with Lin Lang has forced you to reveal all your cards, nearly killing yourself, and your wife and children almost lost their lives!"

Xiao Jingzhan's voice suddenly rose, carrying a stern tone of disappointment and a deep admonition.

"A hidden dragon lies dormant in the abyss; what it needs is patience, to lie low, and to bide its time."

"Only when you are strong enough, your family's foundation is solid, and your fortune is concentrated, can you truly earn a chance to survive in this dog-eat-dog, murderous world of cultivation!"
Otherwise, no matter how many extraordinary encounters one has or how good one's innate talent is, it is nothing more than a child carrying gold in the bustling city, only to make wedding clothes for others and bring about great disasters!

That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself!

He gave Meng Xihong one last, deep look.

“I have a place in Qingzhou where I can arrange a school, a sect, or a place to stay. Now that my whereabouts have been exposed, I estimate that... within two days at most, someone will track me down. Think it over and come looking for me.”

Before the words were finished, the dark purple figure flashed as if blending into the night, and then completely disappeared into the vast night sky.

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence in an instant.

"Heh...hehe..." Meng Xihong swayed, unable to support himself any longer, and collapsed to the ground. The night breeze brought a touch of coolness, but it couldn't dispel the bitterness and self-mockery in his heart.

“How ridiculous!” he muttered to himself, his voice hoarse and filled with endless exhaustion and regret.

My mind flashed back to everything since that mysterious "daily divination" and the serendipitous encounter with the family genealogy.

The confidence brought by the talent attribute gradually swelled into arrogance, always thinking that they could see through fortune and misfortune and control the situation; always thinking that they could turn the tide with their own strength, but completely ignoring the huge risks behind it and how vulnerable their family members are!

He looked into the room. The three children huddled in a corner, their little faces still wet with tears, their eyes filled with lingering fear. His wife, Bai Muyun, lay in his arms, her breath faint, her face as pale as paper, her life flickering like a candle in the wind.

"What kind of cheat code... what kind of innate talent... what kind of daily efforts to avoid misfortune... none of these can compare to the despair brought about by a single crushing defeat."

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, but he felt no pain. Only boundless fear and regret overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He lowered his head, gently pressing his forehead against his wife's cold hand. The sob that had been suppressed deep in his chest finally turned into a broken and heavy whisper.

"Sorry…"

(End of this chapter)