Family Cultivation: My entire family are Villains

Just by thinking about it, one can discern how vast the gap between Xingnan Prefecture and Guangling Prefecture truly is.

Yet even though the Tianding Sect is so powerful, what Wanyang County is most famous for is not the sect, but a river—a grand river known as the Tongtian.

Speaking of the Tongtian River, one cannot help but mention the Yunlan Ancient River.

Among the thirteen provinces under heaven, roughly demarcated by the Yunlan Ancient River to the north of it, from lower to upper regions, are Yongzhou, dominated by the Rakshasa Holy Sect, to the northwest of Yongzhou is Bingzhou, where the Blood Spirit Holy Sect resides, directly to the north borders Fenzhou of the Great Jin Dynasty, and to the northeast lies Liangzhou, occupied by the Demon Derivation Holy Sect.

The Yunlan Ancient River stretches a million li from east to west, flowing through You, Bing, Yong, Xu, Yang, and Jiao provinces. Its vast waters are seldom found among mortals, and its wide basin is rarely seen in this world. The river meanders serpentine, fraught with perilous rapids and countless countercurrents.

"Indeed, only an ancient river of such majestic grandeur could give rise to a tributary bold enough to bear the name 'Tongtian'!"

A large boat, about ten zhang wide and sixty zhang long, was sailing from east to west against the swift current. At the bow, a monk draped in a kasaya and wielding a Zen Staff gazed upon the boundless river and let out a sigh of admiration.

The monk's hair and beard had already turned white, and his movements were slow.

At first glance, it seemed as though he could enter nirvana at any moment, but a closer examination would reveal occasional flashes of sharpness in his eyes, and the mysterious and majestic aura faintly emanating from the purple-gold Zen Staff in his hand.

Behind the old monk followed more than a dozen young monks, all wearing bright yellow kasayas, each holding either a Zen Staff or a long stick, radiating vigor and their eyes brimming with spirit.

"Didn't Master Yuan Kong take a boat to Jiaozhou previously?"

Just then, a group of people wearing Taoist robes approached from the deck. Leading them was a middle-aged man with a beard about a foot long, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth, a genial face, dressed in a purple Taoist robe, holding a white horsetail whisk in hand, and carrying a Longsword on his back.

The group of young followers behind him were all dressed in white Taoist robes and mostly held Longswords in their hands, though a small number also wielded horsetail whisks like his.

"Taoist Priest Mo Xuzi!"

The old monk brought his hands together in a greeting before shaking his head and replying, "This monk came from Jizhou to Jiaozhou by water, having to first reach Xuzhou, then passing through Yangzhou via the waterways; it would not be as direct as the land route, which only requires passing through Yangzhou to get there."

Taoist Priest Mo nodded and said, "I have been to the Tongtian River once before. Compared to other parts of the Yunlan Ancient River, this area has wide banks. Normally, with a wider water area, the current should be slower, but because the terrain of Yongzhou is higher than Xuzhou, the flow here speeds up dramatically. This is why the Tongtian River has such a roaring river, spectacularly rushing past."

The old monk bowed his head and pondered for a moment before saying, "In that case, if not for the vast width of the river to accommodate the rapid waters from upstream, wouldn't Xuzhou's Xingyuan Road be prone to flooding all year round?"

Many people behind Mo Xuzi nodded in agreement.

"Amitabha, with such a great deed attributed to the Tongtian River, the River Lord from before must have been a deity of renowned fame, right?"

Mo Xuzi, observing the rapid waters, with a hint of a peculiar tint on his face, nodded and said softly, "Indeed, the divine spirit of the Tongtian River was personally conferred the title of River Lord by the Holy Dynasty, holding a third-rank Karmic Position."

Hearing of the River Lord of Tongtian and the third-rank Karmic Position, Master Yuan Kong's usually unshaken face revealed a look of surprise as he inquired, "If the River Lord of Tongtian is still present, why don't we pay a visit?"

"There's no opportunity for that now. It is rumored that toward the end of the Wuzong era, a great battle erupted here. A powerful individual tried to stem the flow to drown the enemy forces. The Tongtian River Lord manifested to save the downstream seven prefectures and perished alongside that individual!"

"Amitabha..."

Master Yuan Kong immediately voiced his admiration, clearly moved by the selfless act of the River Lord of Tongtian.

Observing this, Mo Xuzi was about to continue speaking when suddenly he sensed an abnormal fluctuation of Qi and furrowed his brow, looking toward the eastern side of the river, and asked, "Who left the boat without permission?"

A young Taoist from behind him stepped forward with a gloomy face and said, "It was Senior Sister Zhao. This morning she mentioned the rapidity of the river and feared that demons might be lurking underneath, hindering our progress. She went ahead to clear the obstacles and also took Senior Brother Zhao with her..."

Upon hearing the words "Senior Sister Zhao," Mo Xuzi's expression darkened immediately.

But before he could speak, Yuan Kong noticed something amiss as well and inquired about his own followers, "Did Bu Zheng run off again?"

"Senior Brother Bu Zheng also went out with Senior Sister Zhao this morning, saying he was worried about encountering formidable opponents and went to lend a hand..."

......

Mo Xuzi and Master Yuan Kong exchanged a glance, both wearing an expression of resignation. They shared a small smile and turned their gaze together toward the eastern side of the river.

"That young lady must be Taoist Priest Mo's beloved disciple, Zhao Qingxue. To have reached the Embracing Dan Peak at such a young age shows exceptional talent!"

Mo Xuzi was quite pleased with the praise, a hint of pride appearing on his face as he stroked his long beard and modestly replied, "You flatter her. Your Senior Disciple Monk Buyu has already appeared on the Dragon List, now that's what I call truly exceptional talent. My disciple is still too young; becoming significant will still need much time."

Clearly, Mo Xuzi's politeness carried a hint of competitiveness, but Yuan Kong didn't take it to heart, simply chuckling softly and continuing to observe the situation on the eastern side.

The eastern river surface was shrouded in mist, making it impossible for others to see clearly, but from the dialogue, it was evident that there was a battle taking place there.