[Your descendant Li Chuyuan has joined the Peerless Hall...]
[Year 920, infiltrated Grandhaven Prefecture, joined Jade Mist Valley...]
[Year 933, completed a Peerless Hall mission, became an inner sect disciple of Jade Mist Valley...]
[Year 962, helped a Peerless Hall companion become an elder...]
[Year 967...]
[Year 1000 of the Li Clan, commanding over a hundred Peerless Hall spies in Jade Mist Mountain.]
Li Chuyuan stood among the disciples, listening to the elder's instruction.
"The Blood Moon is approaching, and the Imperial Dynasty's rescue is imminent.
The mighty figures of our Imperial Dynasty are currently engaged in a great battle with the Blood Moon within the Western Frontier.
Cursed be the methods of the Wu Tribe! When the Blood Moon arrives, Jade Mist Valley will unite with all of Grandhaven Prefecture to eradicate the Wu Tribe!"
The three major factions of Grandhaven Prefecture mostly received their foundational cultivation training from the Sage Master Martial Academy.
The most important courses there were 'Benevolence, Wisdom, Propriety, Righteousness, and Trust', as well as 'Family, Nation, and the World'.
Over the tens of thousands of years of Jade Mist Valley's existence, many of its disciples began their enlightenment at the Sage Master Martial Academy.
Hearing the elder's impassioned words, they loudly cheered, vowing to stand together with Grandhaven Prefecture through thick and thin.
"Idiots."
A trace of pity flashed through Li Chuyuan's eyes.
"More than half of Jade Mist Valley has already become members of my Peerless Hall."
He immediately exchanged a glance with the speech-giving elder, and the two gave each other a slight nod.
When night fell, a thousand people silently gathered in a secret location within Jade Mist Valley.
The dozen or so people at the front were all commanders, and Li Chuyuan was among them.
He frowned slightly as he listened to the numerous Peerless Hall members shouting about 'welcoming the arrival of the Blood Moon.'
Perhaps due to the influence of the Dao Seeds, they all wore crazed expressions.
Li Chuyuan was no exception. He grabbed the young commander beside him.
"Brother Qin, you have the most seniority here. Do you know exactly what our objective is in Grandhaven Prefecture?"
Qin Ren asked in surprise, "The Envoy Commander highly appreciates Brother Li. With the Blood Moon arriving, does the Envoy Commander not know?"
Seeing Li Chuyuan shake his head with a bitter smile, Qin Ren frowned.
"Then I know even less. On the contrary, the Azure Cloud Li Clan has sent more messages to Jade Mist Valley.
Now, everyone is saying that immortals and gods reside upon the Blood Moon in the Western Frontier, and that these immortals intend to devour people to restore their rule.
It's said that those beneath the Blood Moon will lose their minds, making it even more terrifying than our Dao Seeds.
I had an old friend who used to write to me every three years, but he has never written again."
"Sigh." Qin Ren let out a long sigh. "Perhaps you and I have made the absolute worst decision of our lives."
"The absolute worst decision..."
Li Chuyuan's face turned pale. For a moment, his mind went completely blank, and he stumbled a step backward.
Seeing this, Qin Ren beside him only shook his head.
Only those at the rank of commander and above knew that sooner or later, they would end up exactly like the people in the Western Frontier—when that time came, they wouldn't even be themselves anymore.
Whether the Blood Moon in the Western Frontier housed immortals or not, they couldn't be certain.
What they were certain of was that they were already standing in Grandhaven Prefecture, and the taint of the Blood Moon had already infected them.
That night.
Li Chuyuan knelt in his room.
He took out a wooden tablet and, mimicking the legends within the Azure Cloud Li Clan, begged the ethereal and elusive Old Ancestor for the very first time in his life.
His face was pale as he wept bitterly.
"Old Ancestor, your child was wrong. Your child should not have joined the Peerless Hall, and your child should not have swallowed the Dao Seed."
"If you truly can protect everyone and hear all of our voices, then I beg you, please save your child.
Your child does not want to be reduced to a running dog for the immortals along with the people of the Peerless Hall."
"I beg the Old Ancestor to manifest. Your child will burn incense for you every day, and your child will be exceptionally filial to grandfather."
"..."
[Your descendant Li Chuyuan has reached the Divinity Transformation realm and bows to convey his faith to you.]
[Family Will +10]
Li Wei sat on the simple altar, watching Li Chuyuan expressionlessly.
The night wind blew.
The spirit tablet on the altar appeared hazy amidst the scent of incense, not glowing with its proper brilliance in the slightest.
This pleading lasted for four hours, demonstrating his sincerity.
Li Chuyuan grew exhausted from begging.
He suddenly paused, raising his head to glare fiercely at the spirit tablet with a distorted, hideous expression.
He then viciously grabbed the spirit tablet, spewing wild, disrespectful words. "It truly is fake! You have never protected us, and you have never protected me!"
"My father died outside! My grandfather is useless! My peers are useless!
I am the most outstanding descendant of the 'Chu' generation! If you won't even protect me, who will you protect?!!"
"Why don't you open your eyes and look at me? I joined the Eternal Immortal Sect sect, I cultivated the Corpse-Stitching Art, I became a member of the Peerless Hall, and I am about to be reduced to a running dog for the immortals!
I have walked such a difficult path, yet I still haven't seen you."
"Why won't you protect me? Tell me!!!"
"Bang."
Li Wei sat quietly on the altar, watching as the crazed Li Chuyuan stomped his spirit tablet to pieces.
The unknown terror of the Blood Moon and the internal rumors of the Peerless Hall kept Li Chuyuan constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown.
After venting his frustrations, he knelt neurotically on the ground, clutching the shattered spirit tablet.
Tears dripped continuously onto the floor. "Tell me, why won't you protect me."
"You truly are a useless Old Ancestor."
Faintly, he felt an ethereal, elusive sigh.