Chapter 250: Tien family.
There were a few guards positioned in front of the gates that were scattered along the wall that surrounded the doughnut-shaped Moonset city, but none of them made a move to stop Tien Huang's caravan. The streets of the city were rather lively, musicians and vendors spreading out throughout what appeared to be the main street and the smaller side streets that split off from it.
Sitting in the wagon and observing the citizens, Liang Chen realized that he looked rather out of place thanks to his current attire. The people he saw wore rather sparse clothing, mostly only covering their chests and nether regions while allowing the rest to remain uncovered so that they didn't succumb to the heat of the desert.
Of course, Liang Chen wasn't the only one wearing a robe, the young Zun twins at his side were also dressed in robes. But their robes were far lighter than his, clearly designed for the sweltering heat. Looking at how tanned most of the other citizens were, Liang Chen guessed that these robes were part of the reason the Zun twins, and possibly even the entirety of Tien Huang's caravan, were so light-skinned compared to the other citizens.
But Liang Chen was a fairly accomplished body cultivator so heat like this barely registered in his mind, it wouldn't make a difference whether or not he changed what he wore. He also didn't care too much about standing out, ignoring the few curious gazes he received from those that managed to spot him through the opening in the tarp that covered the wagon.
"What's the history behind that lake?"
Ignoring the fact that the lake was walled off despite being the centre of the city, its somewhat strange appearance had caught Liang Chen's curiosity. The way Tien Huang had grandly spoken before they entered the city also aroused his curiosity, but he guessed that the lake more than likely had some ties with his statement. And sure enough, Tien Huang swiftly proved his guess correct.
"Caught your interest, has it? Well, seeing as it serves as the centre of the city, that is only to be expected. That lake is Moonset Lake, and it is indeed both the foundation of the city and the reason it got its name. In ages past, that lake was the spot where a strand of moonlight gained sentience. It formed an elemental consisting of the dual laws of cold and light, and when that elemental ascended to the Sovereign realm, the energy it unleashed created that lake. The lake absorbs the moonlight and turns it into energy, providing a nearly endless amount of Qi to the surrounding land. But that dense Qi will occasionally spawn new elementals that consist of the law of cold or law of light, so we need to be careful that none of them enter the city and start a massacre."
This was a tale as old as the city, the founder of the city had apparently been personally present when that elemental ascended here. It wasn't every day that someone reached the Sovereign God realm, and each place that saw such an event occur would be blessed for countless years to come so it was a source of pride to all living in the area. But while Tien Huang spoke of it grandly and proudly, Liang Chen's response left a lot to be desired.
"Huh, a dual-lawed elemental, I didn't even know that those existed."
He had heard of elementals multiple times, masses of elemental Qi that had gained sentience, they were fairly common after all. But he had never heard anything about dual-lawed elementals, as fused laws weren't common in the natural world, and trying to maintain such a law in an artificial manner was far from worth it just to create an elemental.
Of course, a Sovereign God was an exalted being so Liang Chen's casual response wasn't trying to diminish the achievement of reaching that realm. The problem was simply that his own sight was set far too high. He had met Universal Hearts several times, and one of his enemies was an ancient cultivator at the Primeval Sovereign realm, he had long lost the innocent amazement that most youths had when faced with illustrious cultivators.
The reaction was disappointing to Tien Huang, but he had least had the Zun twins there with him. They were still just children and were filled to the brim with innocent excitement so even though they had heard it before, the tale still caused their eyes to light up.
The caravan followed the wide main road for several minutes before it turned down one of the branching streets, following it for several more minutes until they reached their endpoint. They arrived in front of a large estate surrounded by a solid earthen wall, but Liang Chen could still see the tops of some tall trees reach above the top of the wall so there was probably a bit of vegetation between the wall and the circular mansion serving as the central point of the estate.
The caravan didn't enter the estate through the wrought iron gate that split the nearly 50-metre tall wall in half, Tien Huang stopping the caravan. He hopped out of the wagon but left the Zun twins inside it with Liang Chen, turning to the three and cupping his hands in a slightly apologetic manner.
"I'm sorry, but I have to report our haul and return to grandfather. I'll be gone for at most two hours and then I'll meet up with you again, can't be a bad host, you know? But I'll arrange for Physician Dou to take a look at you while I'm gone, he should be able to at the very least remove any discomfort that your wounds might cause you. Zun Zhao, Zun Zhi, please keep accompanying your new Big Brother and show him to the living quarters, he can get the house right next to yours."
The report wasn't something Tien Huang could just leave to someone else, especially since he had some unusual news to report this time around. The Zun twins immediately put their hands to their foreheads in a salute, straightening their bodies so fast that their curly blonde hair bounced slightly.
"Leave it to us, Young Master!"
"We'll make sure that no one bothers Big Brother Chen!"
Tien Huang smiled softly at the two children, but Liang Chen saw him exchange a few words with another one of the caravan's members as he walked away. He pointed at Liang Chen and the Zun twins so he probably asked him to keep an eye on them to make sure that nothing happened, he couldn't really leave everything to two children.
With those things settled, most of the caravan was allowed to pass through the large gate and enter the estate. But a few of the wagons, mainly those that were carrying caravan members, didn't enter through the front and instead circled around along the wall until they reached a gate that was a bit out of sight.
As they passed through the gate and stepped onto a verdant plain covered with a few trees, Liang Chen felt a sensation similar to as if he was passing through a water curtain. The land in front of him stretched out the instant the sensation washed over him, growing to nearly ten times its original size as hundreds of houses in varying sizes appeared on the now vast plain. It was an exceedingly strange sensation that he had yet to encounter before, the young Zun Zhao proudly providing an explanation when he saw Liang Chen's eyebrow rise.
"It's super cool, right?! Young Master said that the entire place is surrounded by an enchantment that makes it bigger on the inside!"
Liang Chen wasn't an inexperienced youth any longer so he guessed that the enchantment that Zun Zhao spoke of was actually a spatial array, probably one that expanded the space within it. But such spatial arrays weren't used all that commonly, since if there was one thing that a major universe wasn't lacking then it was open space that could be used for construction.
But this was still the first time he had seen something like this so it still tugged at his interest. After all, spatial arrays were mostly only used for transportation, the other applications weren't seen nearly as frequently. The other members of the caravan all split up as they approached the scattered houses, which were all filled with windows to provide plenty of airflows to counteract the heat of the area.
The man that Tien Huang had spoken to before leaving them walked over and didn't bother with any tales or the like, straightforwardly stating that Tien Huang had asked him to keep an eye on them so that nothing happened. The excitement of the Zun twins died down slightly, but Liang Chen simply shrugged his shoulders and pat the two children on the head.
"I'm really not familiar with the area, so I'll be trusting you two to show me around and teach me where everything is."
The two lit up again the moment Liang Chen spoke about trusting them, both confidently patting their chest. Looking at the two children, Liang Chen couldn't help but smile softly. They reminded him of the little girl who had popped out of the egg he and Yan Ling picked up, the one they had named Lan Yun.
The Zun twins started excitedly guiding Liang Chen through the houses scattered throughout the area, bringing him to some of the areas they had discovered while living here. They truly acted like children, showing off their favourite spots to Liang Chen.
"This lake looks cold, but if you can get past the first few steps then it actually becomes warm and cosy! It's so nice that you can fall asleep and waste away the entire night here!"
"This tree looks like all the others, but there's a hole in it close to the top where a family of birds have started to live. They got a few baby birds a few weeks ago so it's very lively if you climb up there!"
"Old Man Viyu lives in this house, he's one of the oldest servants and has an endless supply of funny stories to tell you! But you have to bring him a pretty rock, otherwise, he won't say a single word."
"This looks like the smallest house, but Aunty Shisa has actually managed to dig beneath the house and created a large basement. She brews her smelly drinks there and shares them with the other servants every month, turning them all rowdy for a night."
Liang Chen allowed the two children to drag him around and show off every little area they could think of, maintaining a soft smile all the while. He was used to constant battle and bloodshed, his particular choices made it so that he had enemies practically wherever he went. As such, being in the company of such delightfully innocent children was refreshing. There was no scheming or plotting, just children being children.
But while the two of them were just children enjoying themselves, they weren't the only people in the area. As such, when they entered the area holding the houses reserved for newer servants, their own included, they bumped into someone since they were bouncing around in their excitement.
"Would it kill the two of you to pay a bit more attention to your surroundings while walking?!"
The shout of the girl they had bumped into while bouncing around caused the twins to wince and shrink back, Liang Chen taking a look at the girl. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had short black hair that just barely reached her ears, small bags gathering under her blue eyes and giving her a tired appearance.
Her skin was different from the people Liang Chen had seen so far, it was actually fairly pale despite the sun that battered the land. Her body was rather slim and delicate, further enhanced by her feminine features, which made her look rather similar to Tien Huang.
With the likeness and what the Zun twins had told him earlier, he guessed that this was probably the feared Elder Sister. The girl looked at the wincing children, her shoulders sagging somewhat as a faintly annoyed light flashed through her pupils.
"Well? Don't just shrink back and hide, speak up! Say someth...?"
Liang Chen took a step forward while the girl was shouting in a voice that had gone somewhat hoarse. He placed a hand on the shoulders of the two children to calm their nerves, maintaining a calm smile.
"Come on now, I'm sure there isn't a need to take out all your stress on two children."
The girl's gaze landed on Liang Chen, her eyes sliding over him for a second. The Zun twins said that Tien Huang's elder sister was constantly nasty when she came home, and if she looked like this whenever she came home then he could somewhat understand it. The girl in front of him radiated only a single thing, tiredness.
She looked as if this immense weight was bearing down on her shoulders and seemed to not have slept for weeks or months. Of course, if she wanted to use stress or tiredness as an excuse to be vile then it would be no more than excuses, excuses that Liang Chen wouldn't accept. The girl finished inspecting Liang Chen with her slightly sunken in eyes, rubbing her face while letting out a sigh.
"Ha~ah, so little Huang brought another one home. At least you seem to be harml...peaceful. You're right, I shouldn't take my stress out on children, but they should still be mindful enough to pay attention to their surroundings."
The girl swept the two kids with her gaze as she spoke, her pupils settling on Liang Chen again as she slightly altered her sentence. It was faint, but it still caught Liang Chen's attention, after all, the difference between harmless and peaceful was small but important. She left the Zun twins with a reminder before walking past the group, not even introducing herself.
The encounter with Tien Huang's sister deflated the two children, who quickly scurried to their living quarters just in case she might actually come back. Their living quarters were fairly simple, a three-room house that they shared since they were so young. Just like Tien Huang said, they brought him to the three-room house located right next to theirs, the place that would serve as his home.
When they pushed open the door and brought him into the living room, which contained a very standard set of furniture and floral decorations, there was already someone waiting for them there. The man waiting was a blue-haired middle-aged man who had reached the peak of the Soaring Immortal realm, a very thin white robe draped over his body. The man's gaze landed on Liang Chen, his black pupils sweeping over Liang Chen's body as he stood up from his seat.
"So you're the patient? Let's take a look then."
The man immediately stepped forward and grabbed onto Liang Chen's wrist in a brusque manner, pouring his Qi into Liang Chen's body to observe his innards. Only a small bit of the eroding power remained in his body after the caravan finished the return trip, but while there was only a small bit of energy left, its presence meant that he had yet to start repairing his veins. As a result, the middle-aged man's expression immediately hardened, a trace of pity flashing through his pupils as he muttered.
"...Even your Ascended Tower..."
There was no trace of an Ascended Tower in Liang Chen's body, meaning that even if they could heal his ruined veins through some miracle, he would have to cultivate from the very start. Of course, he had no idea that Liang Chen had long ago detonated his own Ascended Tower and hadn't used that cultivation style ever since, he was using the Sebettu's style of cultivation.
The man removed his hand from Liang Chen's wrist, clearly acting in a far more delicate manner after seeing just how bad Liang Chen's wounds should be. He swiped his green interspatial ring, a box filled with acupuncture needles appearing in his grasp as he explained his intent.
"I am Yau Dou, the head physician employed by the Tien family. The Young Master asked me to come here to help you in any way I could. There seems to be some foreign energy in your body so I'll use my needles to block it off, we'll then work on slowly expelling it. As for your veins and Ascended Tower... We'll see what we can do about them later, one step at a time."
Having finished his explanation, Yau Dou picked out one of the needles and brought it towards Liang Chen's arm. But as he approached with the needle, Liang Chen let out a light sigh, his poisoned Anima Essence halting the process of fighting back the eroding force and pouring out from his soul.
The Anima Essence invaded the souls of Yau Dou, the Zun twins, and the man that Tien Huang had brought along to keep an eye on them. Their gazes turned blurry as Liang Chen hijacked their souls, giving them a very simple order.
"Yau Dou, you can just leave. You finished your examination and found that there is nothing you can do with your skills, tell Tien Huang that only time will tell. As for the rest of you, if anyone asks, Yau Dou finished his investigation and came to the conclusion I just gave him."
Liang Chen had no choice but to take this course of action. There were two possible outcomes that he could think of if Yau Dou got to touch him with that needle. The first was that he simply wouldn't be able to pierce Liang Chen's body, seeing as he had reached the early stage of the Primordial Immortal realm in body cultivation.
The second outcome was that he would be able to pierce Liang Chen's body with the needle and would then suffer a counterattack by the elements Liang Chen had used to construct his body. The lightning would probably have travelled up into Yau Dou's body through the needle, either harming or immediately killing him.
Neither outcomes were ideal so he could only do this,m Yau Dou nodding his head mechanically as he stepped past Liang Chen and walked away. Liang Chen waved his hand and removed his Anima Essence from the three others, which after a short second of confusion believed everything he had told them while they were under his control, allowing him to heave a stealthy sigh of relief. He didn't want to get too involved in anything yet, he wanted to remain hidden while he finished healing his wounds and then he would take things from there.
--
While Liang Chen was being guided around by the Zun twins, Tien Huang reached the core area of the circular mansion that was the centre of the estate. He stepped into a large dining hall, a rectangular table made from blue crystal serving as the centrepiece of the room.
There was a single man sitting at the table, a white-haired old man with sharp blue eyes, the pressure of someone at the late stage of the Primordial Immortal realm radiating from him. The man glanced at Tien Huang and then waved away the maids and other servants, his voice reverberating through the room when everyone else had left.
"What's the matter, Little Huang? Seeing as you've decided to come straight to me, I take it that something rather peculiar happened during your expedition?"
The old man knew his grandson well, he had been the one to raise both him and his siblings ever since their parents passed. As such, he was confident that Tien Huang wouldn't come straight to him just for something as simple as an expedition report. And just as he expected, Tien Huang nodded his head while taking a seat at the table.
"You are correct, grandfather. We found a wounded youth and brought him back with us, and I have come to ask that you please leave him alone."
The old man's eyebrow rose in amused surprise as Tien Huang made his request. He put down his utensils and shoved aside his plate of food, resting an elbow on the table while resting his chin on his fist.
"Leave him alone? Am I that scary of a person?"
Tien Huang had made a few requests of him in the past, but never once had he actually told him to stay away from another person. It was a rather peculiar request, something Tien Huang was completely aware of while shaking his head.
"I wouldn't say that, it's just that you are rather blunt and I'm worried that you'll anger him."
Tien Huang's clarification only served to further raise the old man's eyebrow, it also served to further arouse his curiosity. Knowing that he was only arousing his grandfather's interest, Tien Huang supplemented his request with all the small details he had noticed over the last few days he had been with Liang Chen.
"It's like this. At first, I thought that he was just an unfortunate youth who got grievously wounded in a battle, but time has shown that I was probably wrong in that assessment. His wounds should leave him unable to even move, but he has no problem doing so. He had a strange and powerful energy in his body, but that has gradually started to recede as we travelled. He managed to make a Stone-Soul Scorpion at the early stage of the Soaring Immortal realm vanish without a sound, and his mere presence stopped any Demonic beasts from attacking us as we moved through the desert. I don't know who he is, but he clearly doesn't want to reveal his status and just focus on his wounds. So please, grandfather, don't provoke him with your bluntness, there is no harm in letting him recuperate here, he might even decide that he owes us a favour for it."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
ShiranuiShukumei
ShiranuiShukumei Don't ask why it's been so long since the last chapter, and don't ask about my release schedule recently. And by all that his holy, the first person asking "So are you dropping this or any of your other stories?" will get smacked. No, I'll fucking tell you if im dropping a story.
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