Volume 12, Chapter 788 – The Immortal Stele, I’ll Tear It Apart Before You Today (Part 1)

“Not bad. That little demoness is acting like she could be invincible in the world now. If we want to avenge Uncle Cao Hong, our only reliance is the Immortal Stele.”

“To ensure a single, killing blow, we should strike as Uncle Cao Kun suggested, suddenly and without warning. Kill her off before she can react; otherwise, if she escapes, the trouble will be endless.”

“Patriarch, you should just call on the Honghua Sect directly. If we want to save face, simply killing that demoness won’t be enough; it’s best to bring the whole of Honghua Sect under suppression.”

Members of the Cao clan shouted their advice, each more eager than the last.

“This is outrageous! You all know my father is elderly and his essence-blood can no longer regenerate. Asking him to trigger the Immortal Stele… isn’t that tantamount to harming him?”

Cao Hui beside him exploded with anger.

“I know that will injure him, but we truly have no other way. If we don’t get revenge, how will the Cao family keep its dignity?”

Cao Kun explained.

“If the clan elder is afraid to die, then step down and appoint someone vigorous to take the position. Then we can trigger the Stele without hesitation.”

Cao Hong’s son, Cao Ying, was in a bad mood and spoke bluntly.

“What did you say? You, a young junior with no respect for elders, dare demand my father step down?”

Cao Hui flared.

“If you won’t even avenge the clan’s great grievance, what right do you have to be an elder? What right to be patriarch?”

Cao Ying shot back sharply.

“Exactly. The Cao family are descendants of immortals, with noble blood and supreme status. When did we fall so low as to beg people and be slain? If Grandfather Cao Meng can’t do the job as patriarch, he should abdicate now. Otherwise the Cao family has no future.”

Cao Ying’s younger brother, Cao Zhi, added the accusation without a hint of courtesy.

“Step down? In favor of whom? You? Or Uncle Cao Kun? Trying to trigger the Stele with your level of cultivation… Forget killing that demoness, you wouldn’t even kill a flea on her.”

Cao Yang sneered.

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“Quiet!”

Cao Meng pressed his hand down with a dark expression, then spoke: “Relatives, as the Cao Clan patriarch I naturally have the duty to avenge my younger brother Cao Hong. But using the Immortal Stele to actively suppress her is far from the best plan. I’m not worried about the loss of some essence-blood, I’m worried because we lack any real guarantee.”

Cao Meng glanced around as he spoke, then continued: “An active suppression by the Stele is a dimensional crushing for ordinary people, true. But don’t forget: that demoness might be an unrivaled master in the late Heavenly Tribulation realm. With her strength she could easily escape before the Immortal Might fully descends. So such an action would only stir hatred and be meaningless.”

The clansmen exchanged looks and their faces showed helplessness. They knew Cao Hong had not been lying.

“So then, Chief, is my elder brother’s vengeance just to be left like this?”

Cao Kun twisted his face and demanded.

“Don’t be impatient!”

Cao Meng frowned and offered reassurance before saying, “If we can’t force the Stele to actively suppress, we can make it suppress passively. If we carve her name onto the Cao family’s Immortal Stele, and when the time comes she fails to enter the residence, the Stele will lock on to her. Wherever she runs, she won’t escape that calamity.”

“Carve it on the Stele? You mean make her a concubine for Cao Yang?”

Cao Kun blurted in shock and anger; the other relatives looked at one another in surprise.

“Do you not listen? Being a concubine is a pretense, killing her is the truth. The purpose is to let the Stele lock onto her, understand?”

Cao Meng said, tamping down his anger as he explained.

“Heh…”

Cao Kun gave an equivocal laugh and countered, “Then patriarch, suppose she submit, will you kill her or take her as your granddaughter-in-law? I think your intentions aren’t exactly pure.”

“What? Are you questioning my character? If you don’t trust me, find a better way. I’ll absolutely go along with it.”

Cao Meng answered ambiguously.

Cao Kun was silenced; the others were out of tricks, and the main hall fell into a dead quiet.

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“Everyone shouldn’t forget: that Qi Huang claims she’ll pull out the Lu family’s Immortal Stele on the first day of next month. Maybe we don’t even need to act. She might die by the Lu family’s hands.”

Cao Ying suddenly reminded them.

“That would be perfect.”

Cao Zhi’s face brightened with delight.

“Putting our hopes in someone else, what good will that do?”

Cao Kun scolded.

“Indeed. We are the foremost family of the cultivation world. How can we pin our hopes on others? Those who achieve great things dare not rely on luck. We must still think of a strategy.”

Cao Meng, surprisingly, chimed in agreement.

The two brothers were immediately at a loss for words, looking chagrined.

“I think the patriarch’s plan is fine. Let’s do as the old man suggests.”

“Yes. We trust the chief’s character. If that demoness refuses to submit, she’ll die; if she submits, she’ll be butchered on our chopping block, we can punish her however we like then.”

“Stop worrying. Besides this plan, what else can we do? Can we fight her on our own? Then we’d likely lose more than just Grandfather Cao Hong.”

As time passed, the people in the main hall realized the Cao family’s predicament and began to back Cao Meng.

“What do you say, Cao Kun, younger brother?”

Cao Meng smiled with satisfaction and asked Cao Kun.

“Then let’s proceed with the patriarch’s plan. I hope you’ll keep your promise and not do anything to delight our enemies by harming our own. That demoness who slaughtered Cao family members is unworthy to be a Cao wife.”

After a moment’s struggle, Cao Kun softened.

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“Rest assured, if I were that sort of man, how could I be the patriarch?”

Cao Meng swore solemnly.

Cao Yang heard that and showed a trace of worry on his face.

With the meeting over, the relatives dispersed little by little.

“Grandfather, it looks like marrying Cheng Hongling into the family won’t be easy. Cao Kun’s branch is dead set on killing her, and other relatives will probably object.”

Cao Yang fretted.

“What do you worry about? Don’t forget I’m the Cao clan chief. Once she’s in the household, I have ways to keep her.”

Cao Meng smiled confidently.

Meanwhile, Qi Huang had already wreaked havoc in the Kapok Valley treasure land, clearing much of the evil spirits there. Only after the area was largely cleansed did she take Cheng Hongling and Elder Kang and hurry back to the Honghua Sect.

The first day of the eighth month was fast approaching. Countless onlookers flocked from north and south to the Lu family, eager to see whether Qi Huang truly had the skill to pry out the Lu family’s Immortal Stele, for the Stele was far tougher to bite into than the Immortal Alliance had been.

The Lu household had, from early on, set the entire estate on guard. Thousands of powerful clan members and servants patrolled day and night, fortifying the residence like an impregnable fortress.

“We cannot become a second Immortal Alliance and make the whole cultivation world laugh!”

That was the thought on every Lu family member’s lips.

Qi Huang, however, remained as carefree as ever, waking whenever she pleased. During that time Mu Ruoyi and her mother visited several times, each time urging her to measure herself and not show off.

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Qi Huang initially humored them patiently, then simply went into hiding. She also used the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube to summon Jin Xue, Tang Yuning, and the others, asking them to go to the Lu family on the first day to watch the excitement. After all, those girls were also concubines of Lu Yi who had not yet formally married in; naturally they were very concerned.

On the first day of the eighth month, Qi Huang, as usual, brought relatives and friends to the Lu residence in the Weiyuan Empire, Central Continent.

When she arrived she found the place already packed tight with millions of spectators, almost as lively as the last time she destroyed the Immortal Alliance.

Qi Huang released her relatives and friends; the senior and junior siblings, having seen such spectacles before, each pulled out little stools to sit and cool off, waiting for the show.

But the few closest to Qi Huang were restless. They knew how powerful an Immortal Stele was, and worry churned in their hearts. They could not settle.

“Is this the Lu family’s Immortal Stele that murdered tens of thousands of our sisters from Shuiyu Valley?”

Mu Ruoyi and her mother looked up at the hundreds of zhang tall Stele within Lu Mansion. There was not an ounce of fear on their faces, only hatred visible to the naked eye.

Other senior members and disciples of Shuiyu Valley wore similar expressions; most of them had lost family in that unjust calamity.

“Rest assured. After today I guarantee this Stele will become a stepping stone in Shuiyu Valley’s latrine.”

Qi Huang reassured them.

Seeing Qi Huang arrive, Lu Yi’s unwed concubines and their families crowded closer.

“Fairy Qi, you must try your hardest! I don’t want to be Lu Yi’s concubine! You’re my only hope.”

“Yes. If you can really pull out the Lu family’s Stele and restore my freedom, you’ll be like my reborn parents.”

“Exactly. Lu Yi is a lecher. Marrying my daughter to him is jumping into a pit of fire. If you can save her I’ll repay you with everything I have.”

The girls and their families voiced their pleas.

“Hmph! You lot are all whores. If you refuse to marry me as concubines, after that demoness is executed you’ll come into the Manor to be our slaves and maids.”

Lu Yi stood at the gate and shouted his threats.