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Crimson palaces and halls rose up, like a sea of jewels surrounded by pure white. The snow fell in flurries. Not many pedestrians were about, and those who were on the streets wore heavy jerkins. They didn’t bother sweeping the snow off, and thus it gathered on their heads and shoulders. The falling snow and the numb expressions on the faces of the pedestrians filled the city with a pervading sense of torpor and depression.

This place embodied the spirit of the Violet Lands. It had once been the imperial capital of the entire continent of South Phoenix. Many millennia ago, there had been only one royal dynasty in South Phoenix, and it had been called the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan. It had unified South Phoenix, and had taken Flame Phoenix as its totem. Unfortunately, it wasn’t able to survive the world’s descent into chaos and brutality.

When civil unrest struck, the Sovereign Kingdom of Violet and Cyan became a thing of the past. The royal clan and its wealth was divided among the rebel factions, and its bloodline fractured and declined. The dividing of the royal clan resulted in eight new powerful clans that occupied what was now called the Violet Lands. Even now, they still used Flame Phoenix as their totem, who they worshiped as a god.

The Violet Lands’ royal capital was larger than the Seven Blood Eyes capital city, by three times over. And it was divided into eight districts, each of which was controlled by one of the eight great clans. Each district had its own royal palace, which was considered the ancestral home of its respective clan.

Some of those royal palaces stood in the middle of green, duckweed-covered lakes. The buildings had overhanging eaves carved with lifelike dragons and phoenixes with scales and feathers of gold.

Other royal palaces had golden roof tiles that glittered dazzlingly in the winter sunlight. From a distance, their dramatic architecture was reminiscent of royal glory.

This place had a very different style than Seven Blood Eyes.

The Violet Lands were like a stubborn old man in resplendent clothing. Everything revolved around traditions and bloodlines. This was their way of surviving in a chaotic world. It was different from Seven Blood Eyes, and it was impossible to say if one way was superior to the other.

However, Seven Blood Eyes was a subsidiary of the Seven Sect Coalition, and because of that, at its inception, it couldn’t measure up to the Violet Lands. But over the years, the two had come to stand on equal footing.

In fact, now that the sect’s patriarch Sir Bloodsmelter had broken through, Seven Blood Eyes had even dared to wage full-scale war on a nonhuman species.

The Violet Lands were not like that. They preferred to isolate themselves, and did not like interference from outsiders. Like the broken face in the sky that they gazed upon from below, they looked down on everyone else in the world. They didn’t even respect the Revered Ancient mainland. They believed their blood to be the most respectable, and did not think of their nation as a frog in a well.

In this place, people who didn’t have the right bloodline didn’t have any future. Such people lacked vigor, and the mindset of being a servant was so ingrained in their souls that it was passed on from generation to generation.

Throughout the milleniums-long history of the Violet Lands, there had been few people like Grandmaster Bai. He was the first who wanted to break the ancient traditions of his people, and seek friends and allies among foreign humans. He had paid a steep price for having ideas that ran counter to the ways of the Violet Lands. He had become a mortal. But that didn’t daunt him. Relying on his outstanding talent, and his understanding of plants and vegetation, he had carved out a new dao for himself despite his limited lifespan. Relying on pill formulas alone, he, a mere mortal, had surpassed any cultivator when it came to the dao of plants and vegetation.

In some respects, he was the top figure in the dao of alchemy in all of South Phoenix.

Even the peaklord of the Second Peak in Seven Blood Eyes, who was a Nascent Soul cultivator, also respected and admired Grandmaster Bai. And even someone like Master Seventh didn’t hesitate to address him as ‘Grandmaster.’

From all of that, it was obvious that Grandmaster Bai’s achievements in the dao of alchemy had reached the highest of heights. Despite that, when he was in the Violet Lands, he was still tied down by countless rules and traditions. There were many things he simply couldn’t do. And it was because of his bloodline. Grandmaster Bai was not in the direct bloodline of the Bai Clan, but rather, came from a subsidiary bloodline.

The snow fell even harder than before.

In a public graveyard in the Bai Clan, a group of a few dozen people had gathered in front of a crystal coffin, within which lay Grandmaster Bai. He had a wound on his forehead, but it had been dressed and covered. His body had been augmented with dharma force and then sealed in the crystal coffin. Despite that, his corpse was already starting to decompose. The black marks on his skin were evidence of a powerful poison that was accelerating the decomposition process. The corpse wouldn’t last for long. By this very evening, the coffin would need to be put under the ground.

Because of his substandard bloodline, Grandmaster Bai didn’t qualify to be interred in the clan’s royal mausoleum. That said, Grandmaster Bai had always disdained such matters, and had made it clear years ago that he wanted to be buried in the public graveyard.

Among the group standing silently by the coffin was Bai Yundong. [1]

The people gathered were younger relatives of Grandmaster Bai, as well as people who had a good relationship with him. There weren’t many. That said, in this world, most people didn’t need a lot of friends. Four or five was usually sufficient.

As the coffin was lowered into the ground, the atmosphere grew heavier. One young woman finally couldn’t restrain her emotions and started weeping.

She was none other than Tingyu. Two years had passed, and she had grown up in that time. She was slender and elegant, and was normally as carefree and light-hearted as she had been in the past. But when Grandmaster Bai died, her world fell apart. As she knelt in front of the grave, tears of grief spilled down her face. [2]

Next to her was a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old. He stood tall, making him seem dignified and imposing. His gown was extravagant, and he had a jade pendant at his waist that glittered with the light of a magical device. He was none other than Chen Feiyuan. [3]

He was the highest-ranking son of the youngest generation of the Chen Clan. After Grandmaster Bai was killed, he was the one who had used his authority to call for the lockdown on teleportations. Right now he stood there with his hands clenched into fists, killing intent burning in his eyes. Because of his grief and anger, he didn’t notice that there was a middle-aged man standing quietly in an alleyway nearby, gazing at the graveyard.

The man wore a rough hemp robe, and had forgettable facial features and sallow skin. His eyes, however, contained endless grief, and he trembled as he stood there, his hand clenched so tightly against the wall next to him that he had already dug a chunk of the bricks out.

Evening fell, and as the darkness spread, the group gathered by Grandmaster Bai’s grave quietly dispersed. The last to leave were Tingyu and Chen Feiyuan, along with some of Chen Feiyuan’s attendants.

That was when the middle-aged man finally approached, walking through the departing crowd and past Chen Feiyuan and Tingyu.

As Chen Feiyuan helped support the weeping Tingyu with his forearm, he noticed the man, but in his own grief, didn’t pay much attention to him. After all, grieving individuals would visit the graveyard all the time. That thought made Chen Feiyuan even angrier. How could it be that his own Master ended up buried in a place like this? Sadly, there was nothing Chen Feiyuan could do about it.

“Do you think he’ll come...?” Tingyu asked quietly, wiping the tears from her eyes.

Chen Feiyuan didn’t need to wonder who Tingyu was talking about. Grinding his teeth, he said, “Him? Hmph. If he was going to come he’d be here already. Considering he hasn’t, I’d say he’s just like everyone else. A thankless wretch!”

Tingyu didn’t respond.

The middle-aged man had already passed them and now stood in front of the grave, his eyes bloodshot.

“Teacher...” he murmured, his voice hoarse as he dropped to his knees.

This middle-aged man was, of course, Xu Qing!

The first thing he did after arriving in the Violet Lands was to determine where Grandmaster Bai was being buried. Of course, he had known that his Seven Blood Eyes daoist robe would attract attention, and would in turn make it harder to find the killer. Thus, he had disguised himself in this manner.

As he looked at the grave, pain filled his heart and spread to the rest of his body.

This was the second time he had knelt in front of a grave. The first was Sergeant Thunder’s grave. And now, he knelt in front of Grandmaster Bai’s grave.

“Teacher,” he whispered, “I’m going to catch your killer, and the mastermind behind it all.” After kowtowing, he took out a gourd of alcohol. “Sergeant Thunder told me you like to drink, Teacher. So let’s drink together.” He took a drink from the gourd then scattered the rest of the alcohol over the grave. He put the gourd down.

“Teacher, before you left, you gave me the Classic of Plants and Vegetation. I memorized the whole thing. Sir, allow me to recite it for you.

“In the dao of plants and vegetation, a myriad phenomena combine into one, and can be considered a great dao. Understand plants, grasp heaven’s law.

“First plant. Golden twistgrass, also known as three-leaf pearls or cold-dispelling grass, is a sedge plant known by the common name short-leaved kyllinga, and is useful from root to tip. It’s a perennial herb that grows in forested mountains and damp wilderness regions. In South Phoenix, it can be found in the southern prefectures of Rising Nether and Widespirit.

“Second plant. Rhino-fire blossom, also known as cloudydream silk, is a soulflame plant with a perennial soul form. It is useful in diffusing the lungs and relieving coughing, can clear heat and resolve toxins, dissipate blood stasis and reduce swelling, and can be used to treat venomous snakebites as well as injuries from falls, fractures, contusions, and strains….”

***

“One hundred and thirty-seventh plant. Meltsoul mist, also known as heaven closes its eyes, is a mutated spirit plant that exists in misty conditions. It can be used to melt markings left on the soul, and is very difficult to detect or extrude. It is a primary ingredient in twenty-four-hour rot-dispelling pills.”

Xu Qing could envision Grandmaster Bai sitting in front of him, sipping alcohol and smiling approvingly.

“Nightcorpse morning glory, also known as toxic mountain rootmottle, refers to the stalk and root of feverfew veined turtledove chrysanthemums. It is a woody vine-type plant found in ravines of the Corpse Mountains, usually in chilly streams or jungle thickets. It’s astringent but feels warm in the mouth. It also imparts a sensation of decay. It’s particularly useful in protecting against drafts and inducing perspiration. That said, it’s extremely toxic, and is a typical example of the polarity of yin and yang in medicinal plants.” [4]

The snow blew in the wind as Xu Qing’s voice drifted out over Grandmaster Bai’s grave. Eventually, darkness fell, and then his shadow suddenly quivered.

It seemed to be telling Xu Qing: I found it!

Xu Qing suddenly looked up at the gravestone. After kowtowing three times, he stood and disappeared into the night, his eyes burning with killing intent.

Shortly after he left, a group of people arrived. In the lead was Tingyu, and behind her was Chen Feiyuan and his attendants.

“You were seeing things, Tingyu,” Chen Feiyuan said. “He’s a bigshot in Seven Blood Eyes now. How could he possibly remember Teacher?”

“I wasn’t seeing things. I recognized his eyes. I just didn’t realize it until I got home. It was definitely him!”

1. We met Bai Yundong in chapter 35. ☜

2. We originally learned Tingyu’s name in chapter 21, though she was mentioned before that in chapter 18. We last saw her in chapter 29 (though who could forget the funny scene with her in chapter 28) ☜

3. Chen Feiyuan’s chapter references are basically the same as Tingyu’s. ☜

4. A number of the medicinal plants in this chapter, and their explanations, were previously mentioned in the story. Specifically golden twistgrass in chapter 21, rhino-fire blossoms in chapter 21 and 57, and nighcorpse morning glory in chapter 24 and 95. ☜