Chapter 223: The Fate Is Exhausted

Having arrived in the fifteenth year of Great Jin, Hua Changxi shared the most tranquil New Year's Eve reunion dinner with the Hua family.

At the table, there were no lectures, no comparisons, and no demands of any kind.

Yet, watching the Hua family chat and laugh, Hua Changxi still felt something was missing from the atmosphere.

She did not feel particularly happy; she always sensed an invisible barrier between herself and her family.

Looking at the dishes her parents had placed in her bowl, Hua Changxi smiled at them, then chewed while asking herself internally if she was being too picky.

Perhaps, as long as things did not end in a quarrel like before, simply getting by without fighting or making a scene was good enough?

After finishing dinner, everyone gathered in the main hall to stay up late and chat.

Old Master Hua discussed the clan's care for their household over the past year, while others chimed in whenever there was a pause to agree or add details.

Old Mistress Hua and the other daughters-in-law talked about their social visits with the women of the clan, the three brothers including Hua Minghe interjected with stories of their socializing with friends and relatives, and the younger generation, led by Hua Dalang, discussed cultivation matters from various families.

Everyone had lived very fulfilling lives this past year.

While everyone was chatting enthusiastically, Hua Twelve-Niang suddenly asked Hua Changxi, "Ninth Sister, usually when we miss you, we cannot see you; are you especially busy at the Medical and Pharmaceutical Bureau?"

Her question caused a brief silence in the main hall; although everyone soon resumed laughing and talking, they all pricked up their ears to listen to this side of the conversation.

Hua Changxi replied, "I am not particularly busy at the Medical and Pharmaceutical Bureau."

Hua Twelve-Niang asked again, "Then when you are not busy, are you cultivating?"

Hua Changxi answered, "I also go out for trials."

Hua Twelve-Niang's eyes lit up: "Ninth Sister, tell us quickly, where have you gone for trials? Although the Marquis Manor sometimes takes us out for trials, it happens rarely; we want to go out on our own, but apart from Mount Wuzhi in Qingzhou, we do not know where else to go for trials."

Most of the ruins and secret realms within Great Jin suitable for cultivation trials were occupied by the powerful and noble; cultivators without background truly could not find places to undergo trials.

Hua Changxi did not really want to tell her family about the Nine Netherworlds, having twice walked the edge of life and death there: "The places I went are somewhat dangerous."

Hua Six-Lang immediately asked, "How dangerous?"

Hua Changxi replied, "If one's strength is insufficient, one might go and never return."

Hua Six-Lang's eyes instantly widened.

Hua Twelve-Niang grew even more curious: "Ninth Sister, what place is it exactly?"

Hua Changxi fell silent for a moment; thinking that her family members were all cultivators who would inevitably go out for trials, she decided it was better for her to tell them than for them to hear half-true, half-false rumors from outsiders.

"The Nine Netherworlds."

Hua Changxi looked at Hua Dalang: "Eldest Brother, you know about the Nine Netherworlds, right?"

Hua Dalang nodded: "I have heard of them." The Demon-Suppressing Army occupied a checkpoint in the Nine Netherworlds; although he had never been there himself, he often heard colleagues mention it.

Old Master Hua clicked his tongue in surprise: "So the Nine Netherworlds truly exist in this world?"

Old Mistress Hua also asked curiously, "If there are Nine Netherworlds, does that mean there are also Nine Heavens?"

Hua Changxi looked at the elderly couple: "Grandfather, Grandmother, how do you know about the Nine Netherworlds and the Nine Heavens?"

Old Mistress Hua replied, "That is what they say in Daoist temples and Buddhist monasteries: above the Nine Heavens dwell immortals, and below the Nine Netherworlds lies the Underworld." She paused, then added, "Are these legends true?"

Hua Changxi nodded: "I have not been to the Nine Heavens, but the Nine Netherworlds truly exist. However, the Nine Netherworlds I have set foot in are limited to the two checkpoints guarding the Demon Prison; whether there is an Underworld in the Nine Netherworlds, I do not know."

Hua Dalang immediately perked up: "Ninth Sister, can you explain the matters of the Nine Netherworlds Demon Prison in detail?"

After joining the Demon-Suppressing Army, he had indeed learned many things he had never encountered before, but this information was very one-sided and superficial; regarding the Nine Netherworlds, for instance, he only knew about the Demon Prison.

Seeing that his whole family was curious, Hua Changxi shared what she knew.

"The realm we inhabit is called the Four Spirits Realm; initially, it was ruled by the Yao Clan, but later, as the human race flourished, the Demon Prison was established in the Nine Netherworlds to suppress the most vicious and evil Yao."

"On the Central Continent, there are five great holy lands, with the Central Holy Land serving as the formation core of the Demon Prison."

Hua Changxi looked at Hua Dalang: "The ruins of the Central Holy Land are located in the Heaven Division."

Hua Dalang's expression shook with realization; he now began to understand some of the undercurrents surging within the Heaven Division.

Hua Six-Lang urged, "Ninth Sister, don't stop; what about the other four great holy lands?"

Hua Changxi continued, "The other four great holy lands are the four formation eyes of the Demon Prison; the Pill Sage Hall is one of them, and the Medical and Pharmaceutical Bureau sits upon the ruins of the Pill Sage Hall."

"One of the responsibilities of the four great holy lands is to guard the stability of the formation eyes."

Lady Yao urgently said, "Ninth Sister, since you obtained the Divine Wood Secret Realm, does that mean you are now part of the Pill Sage Hall? Does this mean you must take on the duty of guarding the stability of the formation eye?"

Hua Changxi nodded: "Yes."

Lady Yao grew anxious: "Then isn't that very dangerous?"

Hua Changxi's gaze softened, and she smiled: "Mother, rest assured, I have a plan. Since I took the Divine Wood Secret Realm, it is only right that I do something for the Pill Sage Hall."

Hearing this, the Hua family fell silent.

Indeed, there is no such thing as a free lunch; upon learning that Ninth Sister had obtained a secret realm, they had been so focused on their joy that they forgot she would have to pay a price for it.

Hua Changxi looked at Hua Minghe and Hua Dalang: "Father, Eldest Brother, the Weapon Refining Workshop that you were previously responsible for blockading is the ruins of the Artifact Sage Palace."

Hua Minghe and Hua Dalang quickly exchanged glances.

"So that is how it is; no wonder all the prominent nobles in the capital are keeping an eye on the Weapon Refining Workshop."

"The artisans inside the Weapon Refining Workshop have all been taken away, and the blacksmith shops within the compound have been occupied by the nobles."

Upon hearing the current situation of the Weapon Refining Workshop, Hua Changxi frowned and looked at her father and brother: "After the New Year, will the court continue to blockade the Weapon Refining Workshop?"

Hua Minghe nodded: "Yes; after the second day of the first lunar month, Dalang and I must go to swap shifts with others and continue to surround and guard the Weapon Refining Workshop."

Hua Changxi said, "Then you must be very careful; do not rush to the front when encountering trouble. The Artifact Sage Palace is a place dedicated to refining artifacts, so there are countless spiritual tools and magical treasures. If pushed to the brink, the people of the Artifact Sage Palace will definitely fight back."

Hearing this, Hua Dalang hurriedly asked, "Does the Artifact Sage Palace have successors?"

"Of course."

Hua Changxi did not elaborate on matters concerning Tong Yao and the others, but she glanced at Hua Six-Lang beside her.

Sixth Brother wanted to learn artifact refining, but unfortunately had no one to teach him; perhaps he could be sent to Tong Yao?

Hua Dalang frowned: "It is not a solution to keep the Weapon Refining Workshop blockaded indefinitely; since the Artifact Sage Palace has successors, why do they not appear and negotiate with the court?"

Hua Changxi looked at him: "Negotiate what?"

Hua Dalang was stunned by the question: "...Discussing the development of the Artifact Saint Palace? With the imperial court blockading the artifact refinement workshops, it must be difficult for the Artifact Saint Palace to recruit disciples."

Hua Changxi said, "But negotiating with the imperial court means ceding power. Just look at the Medical Bureau; now all sorts of demons and monsters have infiltrated it."

Hua Dalang replied, "A sacred land cannot consist of only one faction. Even if other forces get involved, it would be better than being dead and silent, wouldn't it?"

Hua Changxi looked at him and said, "Big Brother, after the spiritual energy recovered, all four array nodes have experienced instability. Moreover, with the demon races eyeing them greedily, the people of the four sacred lands have paid a heavy price to guard the stability of these nodes."

"The imperial family and the nobility have done nothing yet wish to come and share the spoils. Where in this world is there such a good deal?"

She could understand Tong Yao's decision; if she were an heir of a sacred land, she would not want the imperial family and the nobility to lay their hands on it either.

Hua Dalang fell silent.

Hua Liulang asked, "Ninth Sister, what calamities will occur if the array nodes become unstable?"

Hua Changxi answered, "Demonic qi will spill out, polluting the human world. Those unable to resist will transform into demons, then run amok and harm living beings. At that time, the human world will become hell."

Hearing these words, the Hua family's expressions changed drastically; they now had a deeper understanding of the perils of the cultivator world.

Old Master Hua spoke up: "You must all strive hard in your cultivation. Only when your strength is great will you fear no danger."

Hua Dalang nodded: "Indeed, this world has never truly changed; it is always the weak serving as food for the strong. Only the powerful can live somewhat better lives."

Old Lady Hua said, "But in the past, ordinary people could still live peaceful lives as long as they kept to their duties. Yet now... I hear that many places have descended into chaos, with people dying everywhere."

"If this situation cannot be suppressed, the common people will face hard times in the days to come."

Hua Changxi looked at the old lady in surprise; she had not expected the old lady to pay attention to such matters.

Noticing Hua Changxi's astonished gaze, Old Lady Hua felt somewhat uneasy: "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Hua Changxi smiled and said, "No, Grandmother is quite right. I just didn't expect you to notice such things."

Old Lady Hua let out a sigh: "We used to be common folk too. I often wondered, if our family had no cultivators, how would we survive in such chaotic times?"

Hua Changxi lowered her eyes. Nowadays, the imperial family and the nobility were single-mindedly seizing resources; maintaining basic social order was no longer their priority.

The chaos in some regions might even have been orchestrated by them.

For some people, the more chaotic the world became, the more advantageous it was for them to seek profit.

As a constable of the Six Doors, Hua Minghe knew more about the local conditions. Frowning, he said, "With the increase in cultivators, the chaos in various regions is indeed becoming increasingly severe. The imperial court's governance over these areas is already stretched thin."

The biggest problem among them was that officials and nobles in various regions were no longer obeying the imperial family's commands.

Hua Minghe sighed; the fate of the Chu Imperial Dynasty, established for a thousand years, might have reached its end.