Volume 7, Chapter 371 – The Immortal Alliance’s Reward, I’ve Already Claimed It

Thanks to both cultivation and procurement efforts, Qi Huang received a steady influx of ghost tomatoes nearly every day, and her divine sense continued to grow steadily.

A month later, however, Qi Huang received tragic news, the Ancestress of the Liu family, Lady Shen, had passed away. The reason? She had refused to take her medicine, causing her condition to deteriorate rapidly.

“Why did she refuse the medicine?”

Qi Huang asked Liu Yingyue through the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube. After all, Lady Shen had left an incredibly deep impression on her, she was undoubtedly a woman of extraordinary wisdom.

“Because, like everyone else in the Liu family, she couldn’t let go of her resentment toward that fickle woman, Wang Chun. She didn’t want to owe her any more favors.”

Liu Yingyue’s voice was heavy with sorrow as she explained.

Qi Huang suddenly understood. Putting herself in Lady Shen’s shoes, she probably wouldn’t have been able to forgive a woman who had betrayed her grandson either.

A few days later, Liu Yingyue returned home to attend the funeral. Worried that something might happen along the way, Qi Huang disguised herself once more as “Chen Yuzhu” to escort her. But unlike last time, the journey went smoothly, no one caused any trouble.

After returning to the Honghua Sect, Qi Huang resumed her vegetable cultivation while continuing to search for a solution to her dissociative disorder in her “dreams”.

Finally, on this night, she glimpsed another fragment of Cheng Ling’s memories. Unfortunately, most of it was still about that girl, Lu Yao. By now, Qi Huang was certain that this girl was somehow connected to the red stains on the Human Skin Mask.

On this day, Lu Hua returned home. Having endured long periods of hardship and illness, he looked utterly drained, his body noticeably thinner.

“Father, should we kill a chicken to eat? Look how thin you’ve gotten.”

Lu Yao suggested with concern.

Lu Hua fell silent for a moment before replying, “Yao Yao, from now on, we won’t kill any more livestock.”

“Why?”

Lu Yao was puzzled.

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“Haven’t you heard the rumors in the village? They say our family keeps suffering from incurable illnesses because we’ve done too many bad things, that this is divine retribution.”

Lu Yao couldn’t help but protest, “But we’ve never done anything bad! You and Mother always taught me to be kind!”

“Perhaps we did something wrong without realizing it. If not for divine punishment, why else would our family suffer such misfortune? So from now on, we must never kill again, we’ll even walk around ants if we see them. And we must do as many good deeds as possible. If we can atone for our sins, Heaven will stop punishing us. Understand?”

Lu Hua spoke earnestly, his tone resigned. Since he couldn’t find the real reason for their suffering, he could only grasp at straws.

“Okay!”

Lu Yao nodded obediently, her innocent heart taking his words to heart.

From that day on, Lu Yao remembered her father’s words. To “atone”, she did as many good deeds as she could, hoping desperately that things would get better.

Not long after, Lu Hua’s condition worsened, leaving him bedridden and unable to go out.

Refusing to give up, Lu Yao made frequent trips to the county town to fetch medicine.

“Child, don’t trouble yourself. I know my own condition best. That day at the doctor’s, I wasn’t completely unconscious, I heard what he said.”

Lu Hua smiled faintly, his expression calm.

“Father!”

Tears welled up in Lu Yao’s eyes. She had never imagined that while she thought she was hiding the truth from him, it was actually he who had been hiding it from her.

“Don’t cry, child. I’ve heard that after death, people become spirits. I’ll get to see your grandparents and your mother again. In a way, I’m happy. The only thing that pains me is leaving you behind. You’re still so young… What will you do when I’m gone?”

Gently stroking her small head, Lu Hua’s face was full of love and sorrow.

Lu Yao sobbed uncontrollably, gripping her father’s large hand tightly.

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Time passed, and another half-month went by. Lu Hua could no longer leave his bed, needing help even for the most basic needs.

Lu Yao tended to him every day. As long as her father still drew breath, her spirit remained unbroken.

Then, one night, Lu Yao was roused from sleep by strange noises coming from behind the house. Confused, she got up to investigate and found that her father had somehow left the house.

Carrying an oil lamp, she went to the back and saw him digging the earth with a hoe, pausing every few strokes to lean against a tree and rest.

“Father can get up and even weed now!”

Overjoyed, Lu Yao thought a miracle had happened.

“Father, why are you weeding so late at night?”

She walked over and asked.

“Child… I’m not weeding.”

Lu Hua took a deep breath before explaining, “I’m digging my own grave. The villagers avoid us now. If I die, you won’t be able to find anyone to help. So while I still have some strength left, I must prepare my own resting place. When the time comes, you can just roll me in. No need to beg anyone.”

Lu Yao froze, her tears flooding out once more. What she had thought was a miracle was merely her father’s final flicker of life.

Lu Hua didn’t say anything else, focusing on digging. He knew his time was nearly up.

After crying for a while, Lu Yao wiped her tears and went to help.

After an hour of labor, the grave was finally dug.

Exhausted, Lu Hua collapsed against the wall to rest.

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Lu Yao nestled beside him, savoring his familiar warmth.

“Don’t be afraid, child. Even if I die, I’ll stay by your side, along with your grandparents and mother.”

Gently stroking her hair, Lu Hua removed his outer robe and draped it over her to shield her from the cold.

Lu Yao nodded obediently, her emotions gradually settling. Exhausted and drowsy, she soon drifted off to sleep.

“When I die, bury me with your mother’s yellow dress, the one she often wore. Understand?”

“And remember what I told you, always do good deeds. We’re already gone, but you’re still young. You have a long life ahead.”

“Oh, and if you’re ever home alone and someone knocks, make sure you know who it is before opening the door. Got it?”

Half-asleep, Lu Yao faintly heard her father’s instructions and instinctively murmured an “Mm.”

The next morning, when she woke comfortably from her dreams, she realized her father’s embrace had lost its warmth, only a faint trace of heat lingered on his robe.

It didn’t take long for her to understand what had happened.

A desolate wail tore from her throat. She cried until no more tears would come. Then, with great effort, she rolled her father’s body into the freshly dug grave, placed her mother’s yellow dress inside, and began covering it with earth.

Small and weak, Lu Yao labored until sunset before finally finishing the burial.

Not a single villager came to check on her.

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When Qi Huang awoke from the dream, unlike previous times, her heart burned not just with sympathy, but with rage.

If fate was truly dictated by Heaven, she wanted to demand an answer on Lu Yao’s behalf. What crime had the Lu family committed to deserve such suffering?

But Qi Huang could neither meet Lu Yao nor interrogate the heavens. All she could do was seethe inwardly at the injustice.

Time flowed on, and another month passed.

The Immortal Alliance of Yongning Province announced the rewards for the upcoming Evergreen Conference:

“Golden-backed Celestial Sunflower, Crimson-haired Canopy, Dragon Lotus Basin, and Heaven’s Gate Grass!”

Even Qi Huang was stunned. These were all rare spiritual herbs essential for cultivators attempting to break through to the Incarnation Realm, resources almost entirely monopolized by the Immortal Alliance and impossible to obtain on the open market.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think these were the rewards for first place in the Western Radiance Dynasty’s Immortal Seed Ranking!”

Xu Mei couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.

“Well, well. The Immortal Alliance is really going all out to mess with me. But I hope they’re prepared to lose more than they gain!”

Qi Huang smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“With rewards like these, the next Evergreen Conference in Yongning will attract geniuses from other regions, maybe even other nations. The competition is going to be brutal.”

Qin Quan’s expression grew increasingly grave.

“They won’t stand a chance. The Immortal Alliance’s reward? I’ve already claimed it. “

Qi Huang’s confidence, as always, remained unshaken.