Under One Person, your rebellious life has reached the heavens?

Behind her were four tribesmen dressed in black robes, their faces covered, who were responsible for guarding her safety.

a long time.

Granny Liu got up, kowtowed towards the cave, slowly rose, left the altar, and headed straight for the high platform.

"Mother-in-law...when does the ceremony begin? Has my father woken up yet?"

Realizing that she might never be able to leave this place again, Feng Ying did not resist, but only asked the old man about Wugensheng's condition.

"woke up."

Feeling the Qi formation she had set up in the wooden house dissipate, Granny Liu didn't pay much attention to it; all her energy was now focused on this most suitable vessel.

"The ceremony will take place in three days."

Granny Liu stretched out her withered hand, took Feng Ying's wrist, and said earnestly, "You've suffered so much, child..."

"This is the destiny of our clan. If we had no other choice, I would not have wanted you to be a vessel to coexist with our ancestors."

"But without the protection of our ancestors, those curses from other races would have made us disappear into the long river of history long ago."

With a kind face, Granny Liu soothed the anxious Feng Ying with gentle gestures and words.

"Grandma, could you please, please let me see my father?"

Feng Ying pleaded desperately, almost kneeling down.

Considering that the container's emotional fluctuations might affect the ritual, Granny Liu gently patted Feng Ying's head and said with a faint smile:

"Yes, Mother-in-law will take care of it, so you don't need to worry."

"You must promise your mother-in-law that you'll do your best, okay?"

"Whether the people of your tribe can continue their lives, or even get rid of the curse, depends on whether you can achieve symbiosis with your ancestors."

"May the shadow that has shrouded our tribe for a thousand years be lifted from you; if your aunt could know this from beyond the grave, she would be proud of you."

Dealing with a teenage girl is a piece of cake; Granny Liu's words quickly calmed Feng Ying down.

"Okay, I... will try my best."

"Relax, your mother-in-law is rooting for you."

Granny Liu let go, slowly turned around, and left behind a sentence that filled Feng Ying with anticipation.

“I will go and discuss it with the elders of the clan. No matter how it goes, your mother-in-law will bring your father to you.”

"Thank you so much!!!" Feng Ying said gratefully.

.......

After walking out of the cave through the tunnel, Granny Liu did not seek out the elders to discuss matters as agreed. Instead, she was wary and went ahead to the wooden house where Wugensheng was.

"Squeak!"

Granny Liu pushed open the door, and Li Muxuan, like a frightened bird, spoke somewhat unnaturally.

"You...you've arrived?"

"Come and see the sect leader."

Granny Liu looked at Wugensheng lying on the bed and said meaningfully, "Sect Leader, why are you keeping your eyes closed and not speaking?"

As the ceremony approached, she had to be wary of the two of them, fearing they might lose control and cause trouble, thus affecting the arrival of their ancestor.

"......"

The situation was even more desperate than imagined.

Upon hearing the aged voice, Wugensheng slowly opened his eyes and woke up. The other party did not give him any chance to resist and arrived almost the instant he released his aura.

"Rest a bit... Granny Liu, where's Ying'er?"

"The underground cave."

The old woman truthfully informed him: "The ceremony will begin in three days."

Upon hearing this, Wugensheng was not too surprised, as the situation was as he had predicted.

"Didn't we agree... there would be five more years?"

"Our ancestor was about to reach his limit and wanted to come out for some fresh air."

Wugensheng suppressed the burning anger in his chest, and his voice gradually deepened: "Then please, take me to see her?"

"You can go in."

Granny Liu's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Don't say I'm heartless, but let me make this clear: if the child fails, you'll stay underground with her."

"If you succeed, you can leave Southern Xinjiang safely. I and the old folks in the clan will not make things difficult for you."

"..."

Wugensheng remained silent. He had no other choice. Having lived here for a period of time, he was very clear about the strength of Granny Liu and the other elders.

Even if he rebelled alongside Li Muxuan, the result would only be two more corpses.

At this moment, his heart was breaking, and he was at his wit's end. All his racking and thinking were in vain.

An old monster like Granny Liu, so cautious and cunning to the extreme, wouldn't give them any chance to struggle.

"Have you thought about it?"

Seeing Wugensheng hesitating, Granny Liu urged him impatiently.

"take me..."

Wugensheng struggled to his feet, grabbed Li Muxuan's arm, and said, "And him... he carried me..."

"Once you get down there, watch your mouths. Be careful what you say and do."

"Otherwise, even if I agree to let you go, the others might not be willing."

Li Muxuan squatted down and lifted Wugensheng onto his back. He changed his usual impulsive ways and obediently agreed to Granny Liu's request.

"Don't worry, Elder, the Sect Leader and I will not cause you any trouble."

"Come with me."

Granny Liu walked out of the wooden house and led the two through the jungle behind the tribe's mountain into an underground cave.

A quarter of an hour later, they arrived at the high platform in front of the altar. When Feng Ying, who had been waiting anxiously, saw Wu Gensheng's haggard appearance, her eyes reddened and she rushed over.

"father!"

"Hey... Ying'er..."

Wugensheng spoke weakly and was too weak to stand, so he was supported by Li Muxuan and Feng Ying who had rushed over.

Granny Liu gave the following orders to the four clansmen responsible for guarding the area:

"This is none of your business. In three days, notify the elders to come over."

"Yes, then we shall take our leave."

The clansmen all retreated, while Granny Liu sighed softly, said nothing more, stepped down from the high platform, and went to the altar to meditate.

Even with her back to them, she wasn't afraid they would run away.

"Boom!!!"

As Granny Liu raised her cane, the cave walls changed, and a series of ferocious faces emerged, like evil ghosts and fierce gods, their intersecting gazes falling on the high platform.

"Dad, you're finally alright!!"

Feng Ying hugged Wu Gensheng tightly, tears gradually soaking her clothes.

"Ugh... poor baby..."

Wugensheng gently patted the girl's back, feeling deeply ashamed and remorseful. As a father, he had failed to protect his child, and he had even broken his promise to his wife...

"do not Cry."

"Dad brought you some little trinkets on his trip."

Wugensheng shakily reached into his robes and took out a 'devouring pouch' that he had previously kept with Granny Liu, and immediately opened it.

There are more than a dozen items, including rattles, marionettes, wooden horses, small boats carved from walnuts, music boxes, and more.

Feng Ying choked up and wept, speechless for a long time, not knowing what to say. She especially wished to spend more time with her father.

Soon, Wugensheng took out a canvas and paint from the food pouch, looked at Feng Ying's appearance, grabbed the paintbrush, and slowly began to paint.

The more he drew, the clearer his memory became. In a daze, he saw the essence of his wife in his daughter. His eyes welled up with tears, and his heart was filled with bitterness.

Several hours later, an oil painting was completed, and Feng Ying's image was forever recorded on the canvas.

"Sect Leader, your painting is so lifelike."

Li Muxuan was stunned. He had learned that this was an oil painting when he was with Master Dongshan at the academy, but he never expected that Wugensheng's skills would be so superb.

The girl on the canvas has eyes like deep springs, a smile as warm as the spring sun, her black hair tied into two long braids that fall in front of her shoulders, and she wears a purple dress with silver ornaments. Her appearance is very delicate and beautiful.

Hearing Li Muxuan's praise, Feng Ying couldn't suppress her curiosity and leaned closer to examine it. Looking at the canvas that resembled a mirror, she was stunned for a moment, then delighted and smiled with her dimples curving.

"Father...when did you become so amazing?"

“I learned it from an old foreigner. I thought it was interesting and wanted to learn it so I could draw some beautiful pictures for my Ying’er every day.”

Despite his grief, Wugensheng continued to chat with Feng Ying with a smile, sharing his experiences of learning his craft.

"I wish I could draw that too..."

Feng Ying gazed at Wu Gensheng with her bright eyes and exclaimed, "This way, I can paint you."

"Hey, silly girl, it's good that you mean it."

"There's this foreign gadget called a camera out there that... can take grayscale photos..."

At this point, the second half of his sentence weighed heavily, and Wu Gensheng could not hide his dejection. He had originally wanted to take photos with his daughter, but he would never have that opportunity again.

If the ceremony fails, Feng Ying will die;

The ceremony was a success; Feng Ying was no longer 'Feng Ying,' so what was the point of it all?

"Father...after I'm successful, will you take me to the city for a stroll?"

Perhaps sensing her father's disappointment, Feng Ying offered this comforting remark. However, she was unaware that the so-called 'symbiosis' was nothing but a lie told to her by Granny Liu from beginning to end.

There is no symbiosis, only death. Either the physical body cannot withstand the transfer and collapses and dissipates, or the physical body is snatched away and the consciousness is annihilated along with it.

Wugensheng pinched Feng Ying's cheek, enjoying this moment of peace and warmth.

Even though he knew the chances were slim, he couldn't avoid those gentle eyes and replied in a hoarse voice, "Okay... Father will wait for you."

This self-deceiving lie alleviated his pain to some extent, and he even put his worries aside. All he wanted to do and could do now was spend more time with his daughter.

Li Muxuan clenched his fists several times, contemplating saving the people, but the stone statue above him brought him a suffocating sense of oppression. If he made a move, he and the sect leader would definitely not be able to leave.

"Alright, Xiao Li, go take a break."

Wugensheng placed his right hand on Li Muxuan's shoulder. He knew that resistance was pointless and didn't want this hothead to lose his life in vain.

Feng Ying's bloodline, from her mother, comes from this tribe in the southern border region. A thousand years ago, they were cursed, and without the protection of their so-called 'ancestors,' none of them could survive.

As a vessel, Feng Ying's sacrifice was an unavoidable consequence of a distorted fate...

Chapter 158 Feng Ying's Death

Three days passed quickly, and these were probably the three most carefree days for Wugensheng.

He completely put aside all his worries and spent time playing with his daughter, because he knew that no matter what he did, he could not stop the overwhelming force.

If Feng Ying fails, Wu Gensheng and Li Muxuan, the two outsiders who witnessed the transfer ceremony, will have to be buried with her.

After they left Longhu Mountain and followed Granny Liu to the Southern Frontier, their lives were no longer in their own control. The only variable that might lead to their demise was that the old thing in the cave did not wake up at the appointed time.

Even if Wugensheng and Li Muxuan had not entered the cave, the result would have been the same. The vessel could not bear the power of the 'ancestor'. After death, the two of them would have lost their value and there would have been no need for them to live.

What makes Wugensheng give up the idea of ​​survival is that even if his daughter succeeds, Granny Liu may not keep her promise and let him and Li Muxuan leave the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Ultimately, it was simply that they were weak and powerless, like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of these southern barbarians.

This is probably the end of my life...

"Boom!!!"