Volcanic Age

Zhou Xuchuan took Little Ghost with him to the Tang Family Estate in Sichuan.

The Martial Alliance had offered to send an escort to assist him with his mission, but he refused, believing they would only slow him down.

"Little Ghost, just thinking about traveling with only you by my side already feels suffocating. It’s like I’ve taken a vow of silence."

"…"

"I miss Junior Sister Luo…"

While Luo Xiaoyue had accompanied him to Mount Hua after the war, she wasn't able to travel with him to the Martial Alliance.

Because Plum Blossom Swordsmen can't move around freely.

The current Sword Captain, Wei Zhijie, was seriously injured, too, making that rule even more important. Their actions were completely restricted.

So, regretfully, they had parted ways again, promising to meet later.

"I feel a sense of crisis whenever I see you recently, Senior Brother."

"A sense of crisis? What do you mean, a sense of crisis?"

"In the past, you were an introverted loner with an average face and few friends, so I didn't have to worry about women getting involved. However, that's not the case anymore."

"Aren't you being a bit harsh?"

Not only was he one of the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, but he was also the hero of the Righteous Faction and one of the Seven Empyrean Overlords, the Sword God.

He was the object of admiration and envy for men and the most eligible bachelor for women.

Even if he wasn't the most attractive man alive, his skills alone were enough to attract a line of admirers.

"You don't consider cultivating or your swords as your lovers, do you, Senior Brother?"

The image of Luo Xiaoyue standing there, puffing her cheeks, came to mind.

She had been so cute back then that he had almost fallen over.

"That’s not the case, but… I still think it’s a little too early to think about things like that."

"While we’re far past the usual age for marriage… isn’t that only because of our training?" Luo Xiaoyue asked.

Most martial artists who got married were either born into prestigious families and married for political reasons or, especially for wanderers or third-rate warriors, married late.

Disciples of great sects, in particular, often prioritized martial training and higher cultivation achievements over love.

While some would work hard for the sake of their loved ones once they fell in love, as there were still some who had the opinion that those who fell in love would become lax and their love would become a hindrance, many often stayed away from romantic relationships.

However, Zhou Xuchuan had already achieved what most martial artists dreamed of—he had not only reached the Harmony Realm, but he had even left his mark on history by reaching the legendary Coruscant Realm.

"And, there are still many people I have to save."

While it was a bit embarrassing for Zhou Xuchuan to say it himself, it was still pretty cool.

However, now that he was thinking about the previous conversation again, he was so embarrassed that he first leaped out of bed before pulling the blanket back over his head.

"Senior Brother…"

Luo Xiaoyue had blushed slightly back then, unsure of how to respond.

Moreover, I can't let someone I hold dear get targeted.

Love would quickly become a weakness. In his previous life, there had been more than one or two heroes who had lost their lives because their lovers had been targeted.

Blessed Existence could take advantage of that weakness.

I need to minimize how many people I interact with.

The more people he was close to, the more his weaknesses would increase.

Zhou Xuchuan didn't make friends not only because he had originally been a loner but also because he was afraid of being targeted by the Dark Heavens Association. There was a good reason why he had tried so hard to hide his identity from the Dark Heavens Association for as long as he did.

Zhuge Shengji and Li Yicai had actually been targeted because of him, whether directly or secretly, and had only survived thanks to the efforts of the Sword Demon, the escorts of the Gold Will Merchants, and the Phantoms.

In addition to the Dark Heavens Association, there had been more than one or two times when various hostile forces threatened them.

Tang Hui and Zhuge Xiuluan had their own personal escorts, but they also had secret escorts from the Five Great Ancient Families and the Martial Alliance. He had also assigned Phantoms from each Valley to follow them secretly.

I don't have many friends, but it can't be helped.

While he comforted himself, saying that the life of a hero was a lonely one, Zhou Xuchuan seemed unable to realize that he never had any friends in his previous lifetime, too[1].

***

Sichuan, Tang Family.

"Welcome, Sword God."

Zhou Xuchuan was welcomed warmly as he entered the Tang Family.

It was a stark contrast to the past, when he had been treated as an enemy.

Even the Family Patriarch, the Poison King, had come to greet him in person.

"It's been a long time, sir. I appreciate your hospitality, Poison King."

Zhou Xuchuan also politely greeted him with a cupped fist.

"It's the Sword God…"

"Isn't he the hero of the Righteous Faction?"

"Wow~~ How incredible must his cultivation be for him to just seem like an ordinary person?"

"What brings him here?"

"Isn't he here to see the young lady?"

"I never could have expected to see the Sword God…"

He was once called by the mocking title of Phoenix Slayer, but there was no trace of such disdain anymore.

He had not only resolved their grudge through the Tang Family's Tavern but also proved that he had the Thousand Poisons Immunity, making him the top candidate for a Tang Family Son-in-Law.

In fact, these were just trivial things.

After all, who was Zhou Xuchuan?

He was the hero who had saved the Righteous Faction murim, the Sword Dragon among the Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes, and the Sword God of the Seven Empyrean Overlords.

He was the most renowned figure of the era, admired and respected by more than half of all martial artists.

The news of Zhou Xuchuan's visit stirred up not only the Tang Family but also the entirety of Sichuan Province.

People flocked to catch even a glimpse of the Sword God.

"I've come to the Tang Family with a small gift."

"Oh, the purpose of my visit? Well… just say that I've come to see Great Hero Zhou Xuchuan."

"His cultivation is incredible, and he's a disciple of a great sect… and rumor has it that he's an investor in the Gold Will Merchants and has a lot of money, too!"

"And he's not only uninterested in courtesans, but he also purposely avoids them."

"He's so cool…"

Whenever the girls in love talked about Zhou Xuchuan, they would either burst out giggling or start daydreaming.

"Zhou Xuchuan is in Sichuan?"

"What? Let's pack our bags and go there right now!"

"Isn't Great Hero Zhou the most eligible bachelor of the Central Plains?! Hehehe!!"

Wherever Zhou Xuchuan went, women, especially beauties, would always follow him.

If they happened to meet by chance and become tied by fate, it would become the glory of their family, and even if they could make only the smallest connection, wouldn't that itself be a great success?

It was a well-known fact that young men were drawn to beautiful women.

This strange phenomenon led to old bachelors and young men from all over the world following Zhou Xuchuan.

As the number of women—and subsequently, men—gathering around him increased, merchants began following suit, eager to capitalize on the growing crowd. Naturally, this led to the formation of an entire commercial district around him.

Zhou Xuchuan had become a man who could single-handedly influence an entire local economy.

The tea served by the Patriarch of the Tang Family was exquisite.

It was often said that those who handled poisons and medicine gained a unique understanding of plants, and the Patriarch’s tea was the perfect example of that.

Mmm. I guess I'll have to ask him for some to take with me once I'm done with what I have to do.

"It's been a long time, Sword God."

Tang Youqi greeted him politely.

"Yes, it has, but… please, I ask that you speak comfortably, Patriarch Tang. You're the head of one of the Five Great Ancient Families and a great senior of the murim. Speaking so politely to a junior like me is quite burdensome."

The Patriarch's tone had changed from before, but it couldn’t be helped.

Even though he was the Patriarch of the Tang Family and is renowned throughout the gangho, wasn't the person sitting in front of him standing at the peak of the murim itself?

"That would be impossible. Junior Zh—no, Lord Sword God is one of the Seven Empyrean Overlords and a Hero of the Righteous Faction. Even if you were my son or my grandson, if I didn't treat the Sword God with the appropriate courtesy, the Tang Family would be criticized by the entirety of the gangho."

"Then I guess there's nothing we can do."

After exchanging a few pleasantries and compliments about the tea and other accouterments, Zhou Xuchuan got straight to the point and explained the purpose of his visit.

Thanks to Zhuge Xiang, who had already sent a rough explanation in advance, Tang Youqi wasn't as surprised or angry as expected.

"We will cooperate," Tang Youqi said as if he had been waiting for this moment. He answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Zhou Xuchuan asked again.

Tang Mingren had been the Little Patriarch. He was also the eldest son, who had grown up with the support and expectations of the Tang Family since childhood.

"There's no need for useless talk to gauge my intentions, Sword God."

The voice of the Tang Family Patriarch was as cold as ice.

"According to the letter sent by the Martial Alliance, you've been informed about the relationship between our family and the Black Shadow Division. Is that right, Sword God?"

"Yes."

"Then our conversation will be quick."

Tang Youqi's eyes, beneath his wrinkled eyelids, showed a deep bloodlust.

"At some point, our family began to decline due to a lack of strength and was on the verge of being eliminated from the Five Great Ancient Families. We tried everything to avoid our decline, but we were unable to produce any significant results, let alone produce the most important part of any force, an Absolute Master. That was why we had chosen to join the shadow of the Martial Alliance, the Black Shadow Division."

Considering the Tang Family's martial arts, it wasn't hard to believe that they had temporarily belonged to the Black Shadow Division or even aided them in the past.

However, such a relationship wasn't fully fledged. Since the Tang Family was also one of the Five Great Ancient Families of the Righteous Faction, they didn't want to do the work of the Black Shadow Division, a hidden distasteful force. In the past, the Martial Alliance Leader, the Black Shadow Division Chief, or even the Strategist would just reach out to them and make arrangements, giving them appropriate compensation for their work.

The only people whom the Tang Family would assign to the Black Shadow Division were either collateral branch members, people who were ostracized by the family, or criminals.

"Of course, this is something that was only passed down to a very small number of people within the main family. If this information gets out, it's obvious how the murim would treat us."

The Black Shadow Division was the shadow of the Martial Alliance, the darkness of the Righteous Faction, and a necessary evil. That was why it was never acknowledged publicly—those who valued righteousness would never acknowledge the use of such underhanded means.

Given that half of the Martial Alliance's leadership, which was already an incredibly small group, opposed the Black Shadow Division's existence, it was obvious how they would be treated if their existence was revealed to the public.

In the past, it had been enough to select only those who had committed crimes within the Family and send them to the Black Shadow Division to perform missions instead of being imprisoned, but that wasn't enough to maintain their position.

"In order to keep the corruption from being revealed, you have to be more trustworthy than anyone else, and you also have to be someone capable of managing and supervising the Black Shadow Division in conjunction with the Martial Alliance. Thus, the best candidate for such a task was…"

"One of the direct descendants of the Tang Family, the Little Patriarch."

"That's right."

Since they couldn’t entrust such a crucial role to just anyone, they had to select the most outstanding member of the direct lineage.

To be the Little Patriarch, one had to be exceptionally talented and gifted in cultivation. Moreover, since they would be supported with various elixirs and education, and, unless there was some sort of accident, they would become the next Patriarch, they had to have the accompanying responsibilities and abilities.

"Since ancient times, power and authority come with their own responsibilities and obligations."

"…Were you also a member of the Black Shadow Division?"

"Of course."

Tang Youqi's eyes looked tired. There was also a sense of emptiness somewhere.

"When you reach puberty, you receive education on the Black Shadow Division. The year you are selected as as the Little Patriarch, you are tasked with regularly visiting the Black Shadow Division to see the work they must do in the future. As a youth, you embark on a cultivation journey through the gangho until you reach maturity. Afterward, you join the Martial Alliance and live as a member of the Black Shadow Division."

Zhou Xuchuan was absolutely speechless. Suppressing the curse rising in his throat, he forced himself to ask a question instead.

"The Poison Phoenix… Is your daughter also part of the Black Shadow Division?"

Tang Hui's face appeared in his mind.

"The rule doesn't apply to girls, so don't worry."

Tang Youqi feigned concern, but inwardly, he smirked the moment Zhou Xuchuan mentioned Tang Hui’s name.

Considering that it would become a big deal if he's worried about having children because of this, I can't push too far right now. Especially since those children could be geniuses.

While Tang Hui may not have been as talented as Tang Mingren, she was still outstanding in terms of talent. She was also extremely passionate about studying and cultivating when it came to poison arts.

If she had been a son, Tang Youqi definitely would have had some expectations of her.

"If there is yin, there must be yang, and if there is shadow, there must be light. That child is in charge of the Family's external activities. She truly is a great child."

It wasn't just empty statements, either. Someone in the Family had to be active under the sun. Right now, that person was Tang Hui. Moreover, it had worked, as she had worked hard to raise the Tang Family's reputation and had even brought the family the best groom possible.

"However, in comparison, that traitor, Tang Mingren, insulted the painful sacrifices that the previous generations made for him. Not only did he take the benefits from his rights, but he also neglected his responsibilities and duties… he even betrayed the Righteous Faction. I also heard that he ambushed you, Great Hero. I sincerely apologize for his transgressions, so please forgive us. I'll take responsibility for his actions and cooperate in any way needed to slaughter that bastard."

Tang Youqi bowed his head and apologized sincerely.

Zhou Xuchuan closed his eyes tightly and thought to himself.

The Tang Family… is insane.

1. BRUH. The author is too savage. ☜