Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 730 - Preparation

Liu Dashan pushed open the doors heavily as he walked in, nearly colliding with Yan Yu.

Seeing her husband safe, Yan Yu sighed in relief before her gaze fell on the youth behind her husband.

“Dear, this is?” Yan Yu asked. This courtyard belonged to Liu Dashan, where outsiders rarely visited.

“Yu’er, why don’t you take a guess?” Liu Dashan teased, calling out his wife by her affectionate name as he gestured to guess who the young man behind him was.

Yan Yu’s gaze finally fell on Liu Wuxie as she observed him. Nothing was remarkable at first glance, but something began stirring inside her as her gaze lingered and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Y-You’re Wuxie! You’re my son!” Yan Yu cried out. She was the one who had given birth to Liu Wuxie after carrying him for nine months, and a mother’s instinct could never go wrong, no matter how many years had passed.

“Mother!” Liu Wuxie suddenly went down on one knee.

“My child...” Yan Yu sobbed as she rushed over to hug Liu Wuxie, fearing she would lose him again. Even Liu Dashan secretly wiped his tears by the side watching this scene.

A reunion should be a joyous occasion, but Liu Dashan couldn’t be happy with a gnawing sadness lingering in his heart. Whenever he thought that they only had three days together, his heart couldn’t help aching. He wondered if heaven would separate them again after three days.

“Mother, please get back up,” Liu Wuxie said. As he had gone down on one knee, his mother was also kneeling on the ground when she hugged him.

When they rose to their feet, Yan Yu gently caressed her son’s face as tears streamed down her face. Liu Wuxie helped her wipe her tears, and this was the warmth brought by having a family.

Before reuniting with his parents, Liu Wuxie’s heart was heavy with questions. Why had they abandoned him and left him alone in Azure Billow City? Yet, after meeting his third uncle, the mysteries were unraveled.

His parents had left him behind to protect him, hoping he could live the rest of his life peacefully. He could imagine the pressure Liu Dashan and Yan Yu had felt when they left him behind in Azure Billow City.

They had been living with guilt for the past decade, especially Yan Yu, who washed her face with tears daily.

Two middle-aged men stood outside the courtyard, quietly watching the family reunion. They turned away momentarily to wipe their tears. They were Liu Dayue and Liu Dazhi. They should be happy to see their big brother reunited with his son.

“Child, you’ve suffered so much all these years,” Yan Yu said. She was satisfied she could see her son again in this lifetime, which was more than enough for her.

“Mother, it wasn’t hard at all,” Liu Wuxie replied with a gentle smile, trying to comfort his mother.

“Big brother!” Liu Dayue and Liu Dazhi walked in. Though they shouldn’t have come and left time for the three to reunite in peace, they couldn’t wait as time was urgent. They had to discuss how they could deal with the crisis three days later, and it would mean another separation of blood and flesh if they couldn’t resolve it.

“Yu’er, why don’t you prepare a feast tonight? We should celebrate Wuxie’s return, and we still have matters to discuss,” Liu Dashan said. He didn’t tell Yan Yu about the agreement, not wanting to worry her. Their reunion wasn’t easy, and he wanted her to enjoy their three days together happily.

Yan Yu could sense they were hiding something from her, but she didn’t press on and left the matters to the men to resolve. Now that her son had returned, she wanted to prepare a proper homecoming to cleanse his years of hardship.

“Come with me!” Liu Dashan gestured to everyone, leading them to his study room before closing the doors behind them.

“Big brother, I have already heard of the agreement. I discussed with our third brother on the way, and we’ll find a way to send you three out of the clan in the coming days to hide,” Liu Dazhi said, coughing as he spoke with a pale complexion. He had likely encountered issues with his cultivation, resulting in his clogged meridians.

Liu Dazhi and Liu Dayue had discussed among themselves before coming here, planning to let Liu Danshan leave the clan with their family. As for them, Liu Xiaotian wouldn’t dare to do anything to them and would only strip them of their authority at best—an insignificant price compared to their family’s safety.

“Why should we leave?” Liu Wuxie interrupted. He had already met his second uncle previously.

The three older men immediately turned to look at Liu Wuxie in surprise. They were curious why he would oppose their plan.

“Wuxie, I know it pains you that you have to face another wandering life after being reunited with your parents, but this is our only choice,” Liu Dayue said. It also pained him to make this decision, but they would only have hope if they survived.

“What I said in the main hall wasn’t just empty words. Time is pressing, so please take me to see grandfather,” Liu Wuxie said. He didn’t want to waste time and had to treat his grandfather immediately.

The three brothers exchanged a look. They could tell Liu Wuxie wasn’t joking from his determined gaze.

“I believe Wuxie. Liu Xing told me about his feats in Prosper City when he returned. Since he could detect a dark spirit and awaken the white tiger’s bloodline, perhaps he might be able to create a miracle,” Liu Dazhi said. Though he had just met Liu Wuxie, he already had some understanding of him through Liu Xing.

“Alright, I’ll take you to see Grandfather,” Liu Dashan nodded. They had no other options, and he also wanted to see his father one last time before they fled from the clan.

The four men left the courtyard without delay, heading to the patriarch’s residence. When Liu Wuxie traversed through the courtyard, he could sense many experts lurking in the surroundings, and they were even stopped multiple times. They were all the patriarch’s guards and wouldn’t allow anyone else to get close to the patriarch’s residence.

Liu Dashan was the acting patriarch, so he had the right to visit the patriarch’s residence. He led the group unhindered toward a modest courtyard.

The patriarch had lived a simple life, and his residence reflected his humility, appearing plain compared to the grandeur often associated with the patriarchs of the other three Major Clans.

“Dashan, what brings you here?” asked a silver-haired old man standing at the entrance. He was Elder Li, a trusted aide to the patriarch long before Liu Dashan’s time.

“Elder Li, I’ve brought my child here to look at his grandfather,” Liu Dashan introduced.

When Old Li turned to look at Liu Wuxie, there was a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

“I’ve heard of what happened in the main hall. It’s commendable to achieve such feats at your age, and your grandfather would surely be proud of you if he could wake up,” Elder Li said approvingly. If Liu Wuxie hadn’t appeared, the situation might’ve spiraled out of control.

“Wuxie, Elder Li has followed your grandfather for over a century and is closer to your grandfather than me. Quick, greet him properly,” Liu Dashan said. He was respectful of Elder Li.

“Junior Liu Wuxie greets Grandpa Li!” Liu Wuxie bowed respectfully, and Elder Li nodded in approval.

“Alright, you can go in now!” Elder Li opened the doors while standing guard outside to prevent anyone from entering.

When the group stepped into the room, they were greeted by a heavy scent of medicine. They had tried countless remedies over the years, but none had relieved the patriarch from his condition.

The room wasn’t big, but it was well-lit. A bed was at the center with a frail old man lying on it. His body had turned charred black, and his breathing was faintly perceptible.

When they stood by the bedside, the three brothers let out a sigh even though they had seen their father’s state too many times.

On the other hand, Liu Wuxie circled the bed with his brows locked together. When his sight pierced through his grandfather’s body using Ghost Eye, his divine sense began to spread out like mercury within the body.

“His meridians have turned black with some black spots in his heart, which should be the source of the poison. More troubling, there’s a mysterious force blocking grandfather’s soul sea, preventing him from using his primordial spirit to heal himself,” Liu Wuxie said after examining the condition.

The three brothers exchanged a look of shock. They didn’t expect Liu Wuxie to diagnose their father’s condition so accurately in such a short time—a feat they couldn’t achieve.

“Wuxie, how is it? Can you treat your grandfather?” Liu Dayue said urgently. They still held hope despite knowing it was impossible.

“I can, but it will be a little troublesome. I’ll need third uncle’s help,” Liu Wuxie nodded. His cultivation was too low, and it would’ve been easier if he were in the Nascent Transformation Realm.

His father was only in the Nascent Transformation Realm, and his second uncle had encountered an issue with his cultivation, so only Liu Dayue could help him.

The clan had many experts, even those in the Spirit Profound Realm, but Liu Wuxie couldn’t trust them. He couldn’t afford any mistakes; if anything went wrong, it would cost him his life, along with his grandfather’s.

“Wuxie, is what you said true? Can Father be rescued?!” Liu Dazhi grabbed onto Liu Wuxie’s arm with his breathing heavy.

“With the right materials, I can ensure my grandfather will be well and alive in two days,” Liu Wuxie said. His grandfather’s meridians were heavily corroded with poison, and he could only help his grandfather regain his consciousness at best. This was why he needed some precious spiritual herbs to treat his grandfather; his grandfather might even receive a blessing after this ordeal.

“Tell me what you need. I’ll find a way to get them even if you want stars from the sky,” Liu Dashan said. As long as his father could be treated, he wouldn’t hesitate even if it cost him his life, not to mention some resources.

“We can’t afford to delay and need to split up immediately. Father, you go search for the listed herbs while the Third Uncle helps me prepare these things,” Liu Wuxie said, recounting everything needed. After all, verbal communication was safer than writing it down, and this could ensure their plans would remain a secret.

“I’m just a useless man, and there’s nothing I can do to contribute in such a critical moment to save my father,” Liu Dazhi said with a pained expression.

“Second Uncle, there’s no need to blame yourself. I’ll help you unblock your meridians once we cure grandfather and free you from your afflictions,” Liu Wuxie said in a comforting tone.

“Really?” Liu Dazhi’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope. He had long abandoned the idea of recovery but never imagined Liu Wuxie would reignite that hope.

With everything assigned, Liu Dashan and Liu Dayue departed with the list of necessary items. The materials weren’t rare or hard to obtain; they could gather everything in almost two hours.

As the acting patriarch, Liu Dashan could gain unrestricted access to the clan’s vault, and it was easy for them to retrieve some herbs.

Liu Dayue’s task was even more straightforward. He only needed to prepare a medicinal bath, as instructed by Liu Wuxie.

Word had spread about Liu Wuxie’s bold claim to treat the patriarch within three days, but no one believed he could achieve this. When Liu Dashan emerged from the vault, it confirmed many people’s speculation that Liu Wuxie had begun his treatment.