Kapitel 10: Punishment

*Things like sexism and racism are purely for worldbuilding and to make it more realistic. Thank you for your understanding.*

Standing within his mansion's courtyard while overlooking his personal forest, elder Li Shan stood with a solemn expression. The forest was bustling with life. Small birds could be seen flying from tree to tree as they tweeted. Colourful fish glided along the surface of the water due to the day being warmer than usual. Their scales reflected the sunlight, making it look as though small bundles of starlight were on the surface of the clear blue water.

Less than an hour ago, he ordered his subordinate, Stage 4 Qing Jinfeng, to stall Qing Fang while Stage 3 Qing Dong Cai retrieved the gold coins from underground. However, after Qing Jinfeng reported that he was engaging Qing Fang to stall, there had been no news from him since.

Elder Li Shan had already feared the worst and believed Qing Jinfeng to have fallen at Qing Fang's hand. Trying one last time to contact him, elder Li Shan activated the communication amulet as he spoke.

"Qing Jinfeng, stall a bit longer. Qing Dong Cai is headed to your location right now." Receiving no response even after ten minutes, elder Li Shan confirmed in his mind that Qing Jinfeng was dead.

He felt a little sad. After all, he adopted all these boys and they were taught under his watch. When they died, it would be more strange if he was uncaring.

Sighing that a capable subordinate had died, elder Li Shan didn't expect the gold coins to return to his pocket from the sudden turn of events. Since even a Stage 4 fell at Qing Fang's hands, when Stage 3 Qing Dong Cai encountered him, he would most likely similarly die. If that happened, the gold coins and ring that were just retrieved would fall back into Qing Fang's hands.

How could he know that Qing Dong Cai had already secured them but was searching the forest for Qing Fang? He only had one other communication amulet which was with Qing Jinfeng. Since he has had no contact, the amulet had likely been taken by Qing Fang or Qing Dong Cai hadn't found the body yet. Either way, elder Li Shan was depressed.

The only good news was that his son, Li Guan, was successfully taken care of before he could start trouble. Since the family was safe from imminent danger, Li Shan could slightly relax. In truth, he didn't care much about the gold coins but if they could be retrieved, why would he turn down that offer?

In the eyes of others, the loss of eight gold coins and a communication amulet was immense but to Li Shan, it wasn't overly serious. He could take out a loan from the Clan to keep his businesses up and running and pay it back within ten years at the most. It had to be known that those eight gold coins were only Li Shan's liquid funds, most of his earnings were reinvested or in the form of property. Li Shan was, by far, the richest elder within the Clan. He had many means to protect his wealth. If he didn't, he would've been too stupid to make so much money in the first place.

Not planning on pursuing the matter within Tai forest any further as he didn't want to risk the death of any more subordinates, Li Shan decided to let the lucky Qing Fang escape. Stage 4 subordinates would likely fail to kill or even find him while Li Shan didn't have any Stage 5 subordinates. Stage 5 cultivators were minor elders in their own right. They wouldn't subordinate themselves when they could build their own forces.

Although Li Shan had decided he would kill Qing Fang earlier, he thought it would be a simple task. Now it had turned complicated, he didn't want to pursue it any longer than he had to. His time was valuable and he could be doing a more important thing.

The whole reason he wanted to get rid of Qing Fang in the first place aside from the gold coins were that one: he had knowledge of his schemes, and two: he was a possible danger to the Clan with his evil nature. However, Li Shan was certain that, after the current developments, Qing Fang wouldn't dare to enter any cities and would hide in the forest for a long time. Weren't his problems solved then?

Not letting the annoyance that was Qing Fang disturb his thoughts any longer, Li Shan turned around to concoct a fallacy to tell his wife how her son died. He couldn't let the family fall apart, could he? He planned on telling her that Li Guan was killed by the 'despicable rogue' Qing Fang before ordering a kill order on the same premise. Then, the Clan would clean up his mess for him. Was this not a brilliant scheme?

As he was heading toward where his wife usually rested, Li Shan practised the conversation ahead of time. He would make sure to console his wife and comfort her.

As he was thinking about this, a young man dashed up to him with hurried steps. Li Shan recognised him as one of the house servants. Indicating the servant to speak with a nod, the young man spoke.

"My lord, the Patriarch is here to visit. He has already been directed to your quarters and is waiting there currently." After saying his part, the servant bowed his head subserviently and awaited his master's reply.

Hearing this, Li Shan was unsurprised. He had already told the Patriarch the marriage unfortunately could not go ahead with his communication amulet, but they had yet to meet in person and discuss it. Li Shan expected the Patriarch to visit soon, so he was unfazed at his sudden visit, even given its timing alongside his current situation.

Waving off the young servant, Li Shan changed directions from where his wife was to his study. The study was at the centre of his private quarters so the Patriarch was probably there waiting for him.

Not wanting to leave a bad impression, Li Shan sped there quite quickly. He was very light on his feet and arrived within ten seconds. He could've been faster but wanted to keep his masterly decorum.

Arriving at one of the two doors of the study, Li Shan entered. This door connected to the courtyard of the mansion and, since Li Shan was just strolling through the forest, was the quickest route. As he entered, he saw a dignified old man chatting with an aged woman.

It was the Patriarch being entertained by his wife.

The Patriarch, Qing Xie Han, was a solidly built man between middle-aged and old. His hair was half grey, half black. He wore blue robes laced with gold and bearing the insignia of Qing Clan. The insignia was a blue lotus surrounded by golden streams of water and matched the robes. The Patriarch was quite tall, standing 6'3", but appeared smaller as his posture slightly leant forwards.

Next to the Patriarch was Li Shan's wife, Qing Ruo Nan. She looked around forty but still bore a womanly charm rich with elegance. Her skin was relatively smooth for her age while her hair was a luscious brown. She wore a beautiful white dress and had many accessories on her hands and in her hair, portraying herself as a typical woman that pursued beauty. However, there was a kind and innocent gleam in her eyes, making her seem very likeable and somewhat naïve.

Seeing her husband arrive with his usual solemn bearing, Qing Ruo Nan smiled gently toward him. In response, Li Shan had a slightly sorrowful gaze as he smiled bitterly. He still had yet to tell his beloved wife that her firstborn son was dead at the tender age of nineteen. Killed in battle and his body destroyed thoroughly by that annoying Qing Fang, anything that remained of Qing Li Guan was no more. Thinking about when he would tell her the news, he dreaded how she would look when the sadness surfaced in her. Li Shan speculated that she would be mourning for months, showing none of her usually sunny temperament during all that time. It was clear Li Shan loved his wife very dearly.

Stopping his thoughts from upsetting himself, he bowed his head in greeting Qing Xie Han and greeted him.

"Lord Patriarch, it is a pleasure for you to be within our walls once again. Might I assume that you're here to discuss the engagement?" He had a sincere tone as he paid the Patriarch his rightful respect. He raised his head from the bow he performed and had a very welcoming aura.

"It's good to see you, Li Shan. I am here for that as well as... other matters." Qing Xie Han's aged voice reverberated with vitality and power. Although he looked old, he still had more than a few thousand years of his lifespan left.

Mortals had a lifespan of 100 years at the maximum. Stage 1 cultivators weren't much higher, only at 150. Stage 2s could live for 250 years while Stage 3s could live for 500. From this, twenty-four-year-old Qing Fang had many more years to live. It wasn't strange at all that Qing Fang managed to become Stage 3 at twenty-four. Cultivating at the early stages was fast-paced and easy. Few people had trouble with it.

Stage 4 cultivators could live for 1,000 years and Stage 5s could live for 2,000. Stage 6s lived for 5,000 years while Stage 7 cultivators lived for 10,000 years. Although this seemed like an excessive amount of time, cultivation took longer and longer to progress as one got stronger. The shortest time a legendary Stage 9 cultivator spent when they were Stage 8 was a huge 25,000 years. Stage 8s had a lifespan of 50,000 years and if one didn't reach Stage 8 before they were 5,000 years old, they would have no hope of ever reaching Stage 9. This was also why so few Stage 9s emerged. The requirement on cultivation speed was immense as it was likely for a Stage 8 to die of old age before they even reached the higher stages of Stage 8.

Stage 9s didn't have a limit to their lifespan as they had successfully attained an immortal body. The only shackle on the time they had was the natural decay of the soul with time. Longevity of the mortal soul was directly linked to willpower. After the body became immortal, the only weakness was the soul residing within. Immortal souls were the aim of immortal cultivators and were far from the reach of Stage 9 mortals. Thus, when one's willpower eventually died under the ruthless grinding of time, a Stage 9's soul would die. However, since they had an immortal body, it could never be destroyed, rot or fade away. Because of this, all Stage 9 cultivators that had died still had their lifeless bodies floating around the Mortal Realm, switching in the hands of various forces and being treated like a treasure. Although useless, the body of a legendary Stage 9 was the best thing to show off.

However, it was more commonly used in study. Cultivators of the same path as the Stage 9 body would use their divine sense to study the Law fragments within the body. Although they couldn't take the fragments because the body was 'indestructible', it was a very useful reference in cultivation.

Qing Xie Han was currently 3,000-years-old and had over half of his lifespan left. The reason he appeared as an old man was because he wasted a lot of time at Stage 1 when he was younger and only broke through when he was 80. So, his body aged according to the lifespan of a Stage 1 cultivator and aged into his current appearance. Although he was technically getting 'younger' as when he increased his lifespan, the percentage he had already used decreased, his appearance wouldn't revert. Such a thing was nonsensical.

The reason for him wasting so much lifespan at Stage 1 was unknown as it occurred nearly three thousand years ago. It had long been lost in the sands of time. Few people within Qing Clan were alive at that time. Even Qing Li Shan himself was 2,300-years-old.

"Other matters..?" Li Shan was puzzled at the way the Patriarch had said that. There seemed to be an eery intent concealed within.

"Yes." Qing Xie Han continued. "I know your son, Qing Li Guan, has been causing you a lot of trouble besides the engagement cancellation." An even deeper meaning was within the Patriarch's tone this time as he stared at Li Shan with deep significance.

Li Shan shivered. From his tone, it seemed that the Patriarch already knew everything he had been up to. If this was the case, Li Guan's death was essentially meaningless. He had killed his own son to stop the Patriarch from discovering his evil deeds through Li Guan's mouth. However, if it was already known by him... Li Shan felt a feeling of dread wash over his entire body.

Beyond this, if the Patriarch knew that he intended to sacrifice his son as well as the forgotten girlfriend for his own gain, Li family's fate would not be a good one. Everything that he had worked so hard to strengthen and preserve might all fall right here. If that happened, Li Shan couldn't face his ancestors in death.

"What? Xiao Guan has been causing trouble? Dear, when were you going to tell me?" Qing Ruo Nan looked at her husband as she queried with a worried tone. She was only Stage 4, but as Li Shan's wife, she could openly speak in front of the Patriarch. Otherwise, a lowly Stage 4 would hold his tongue before a Stage 7 and an overlord of a whole planet. Hearing that her handsome young man had been up to no good again, Qing Ruo Nan was a bit upset. If his deeds even reached the Patriarch's ears then it must be something serious as well.

Seeing Li Shan's frightened temperament and Qing Ruo Nan who wouldn't stop worrying about Qing Li Guan, the Patriarch lost his friendly facade as he commanded harshly with a snarl.

"Silence!"

Under the authority of the Patriarch, a Stage 7 cultivator, Li Shan and his wife dropped to their knees with their heads touching the floor. The Stage 7 aura wasn't even released. This was entirely due to the authoritative temperament and reputation Qing Xie Han had as the Patriarch.

Continuing in a hateful voice, the Patriarch said aloud, "Qing Li Shan, do you think I'm so detached from the Clan's affairs that I wouldn't notice you sneaking around? I'm disappointed." Qing Xie Nan spoke as a father scolding his useless child for being incompetent.

"Lord Patriarch, I-" Li Shan wanted to try and plead with the Patriarch. He knew things were not looking good for him, but Li Shan could say with honesty that he never acted against the Clan.

"Hold your tongue! Li Shan, you are not the kind young man you used to be. Not only have you killed an innocent woman for political gain, but you also sacrificed your own son! And for what? Money? Power? You have betrayed everything I, as the Patriarch, stand for." There was harsh reproach in the Patriarch's words as he revealed he knew everything that Li Shan had been up to.

At the Patriarch's words, Li Shan could only shrink his head. However, when he heard the Patriarch mention the death of his son, he quickly looked to his wife. He even ignored the mighty presence of the Patriarch as he anxiously addressed his shivering wife.

" Darling... Ruo Nan, it's not what you think!" However, all he received in return was a gaze filled with disbelief. Li Shan's expression sank to the darkest it had ever been in his whole life.

"Husband... You... Killed Xiao Guan..? H-how could you do such a thing... My sweet boy... My baby boy... Dead." Qing Ruo Nan said with quivering lips and streaming tears. The words coming out of her mouth smacked Li Shan's chest with harsh strikes. He, too, didn't want to kill his son, but he felt he had to. For the power and prosperity of the Li family.

"I..." Hearing his wife ask him such a question, "how could he do such a thing?", Li Shan choked on his words as an uncomfortable feeling arose in the centre of his chest. He wanted to say he acted with purpose, that his actions were justified! However, as he tried to form the words, they didn't seem so justified anymore...

"Enough. As of today, the Li family is no more." Qing Xie Han stated coldly, uncaring at the heart-wrenching scene unfolding before him. He had lived for three thousand years; he was no stranger to the vicissitudes of life. He had even been in a situation similar to Li Shan over the course of his long and painful life. However, he sought no pity. That's what a man does. A man gets no comfort, no consolation. There is no second place for a man and his dreams. This burden is a hard one to shoulder and even many great men have been crushed beneath its weight. Qing Xie Han had seen many terrible things and done many terrible things, but they were what made him realise the path of righteousness is the path a true man takes.

"As for you, Li Shan, one thousand years of servitude. After your sentence is completed, you will regain the right to the position of elder, however, will still be banned from establishing Li family again." Hearing his punishment, Li Shan's pupils shrank to pin-size. Today, he had lost everything. His wife, his family, his freedom. All for what? Power? Qing Li Shan started to regret ever taking the path of power. This path was a cruel one. It could rob you of everything you held dear and even more. Falling into the deepest pits of despair, Li Shan could only hang his head.

As she heard her husband's sentence, Qing Ruo Nan didn't even react. She was traumatized. The man she called husband, the man that she gave five children to, the man whose arms she sought comfort from... She realized he wasn't who she thought he was. Under that layer of love and care he gave her, Qing Ruo Nan started to wonder whether she would be sacrificed 'for the sake of the Li family.' At such a thought, her gaze turned cold when she looked at Li Shan hanging his head in sorrow.

"As for now, go and get that Qing Fang or whatever he's called. You must at least avenge your son, right?" The Patriarch ordered. From the way he said it, it was a rhetorical question. The Patriarch made it clear that this was Qing Li Shan's first order as his servant. The Patriarch also wouldn't lose sleep from ordering Li Shan to kill an 'innocent' person caught up in the conspiracy, Qing Fang. The reason for this was that Qing Fang slaughtering a whole mortal village was relayed to him. Such an evil person was not welcomed by the Patriarch.

"Y-yes..." Li Shan answered quietly. Now he was a servant, any dignity and pride he had vanished. He didn't even have the pride to hate the Patriarch for his current circumstances. He passively accepted his orders from his master.

"Good. Now leave." The Patriarch said this before suddenly morphing into a body of water and disappearing at a speed even Li Shan couldn't follow.

Left kneeling on the shiny wooden floor of his study, Li Shan left without raising his head or looking at his wife. He wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

Looking at her husband shamefully leaving, Qing Ruo Nan lost her cold gaze as she burst into tears. She mourned all that she had lost today, never to be regained. As they say: ignorance is bliss...