The River of Ancestors

The village night was extraordinarily tranquil. Moonlight dotted the window, and the scent of grass mingled with the earth's fragrance drifted in on the wind, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of insects—a simple yet true rural night, suffused with an extraordinary peace.

His parents had already fallen asleep. Perhaps this was the most solid rest they had enjoyed in eight years. Xiao Chen's heart was heavy with emotion; most of all, he felt he had failed them. Eight years without fulfilling his filial duties, wandering in another world—how much hardship had those two elderly souls endured?

Seeing their white hair, Xiao Chen's heart ached. Time was the most heartless thing; no one could stop it. How many more years did his aging parents have?

Now at the Sky-Mastery realm, Xiao Chen was a true demi-god in name. Barring accidents, he was nearly invincible in the Mortal World. He gently pushed open the door and slipped silently into his parents' room. Two soft beams of light extended from his fingers, plunging them into a deeper sleep.

Xiao Chen sat by the bedside, his hands tracing patterns in the air as he forced strands of life essence out from within himself. A milky white glow, soft and holy like rippling water, flowed into his parents' bodies. Then he continuously tapped their acupoints and meridians, circulating the life essence, letting the vital energy flow through their channels, entering their flesh and bones, spreading evenly throughout their forms, and merging fully into their bodies.

Having done this, Xiao Chen gently closed the door and withdrew. Back in his own room, he could not sleep. Eventually, he pushed the door open again and floated lightly onto the rooftop, gazing at the village under the moonlight.

Eight years had passed. The village had not changed at all—still as unpretentious as before.

Xiao Chen felt a sense of unreality. Was he back? The World of Immortality… all of it seemed like a dream!

Could he forget that dream?

An eight-year dream…

How could he forget?

How could he?

There was one thing, in particular, that worried him. Before the great spatial rift, had Qingqing been swept into the sea of space as well? He did not know.

Xiao Chen walked through the void, surveying the village, listening to the night insects chirping.

In the latter half of the night, he roamed like a ghost under the moonlight, wandering among the nearby hills. Finally, he rose into the air and flew toward the upper reaches of the Yellow River.

More than a dozen li away, on the banks of the Yellow River, a colossal platform stood, majestic in scale, occupying several li. Even unfinished, it was already two hundred meters high, radiating an immense pressure. By intuition, Xiao Chen knew this platform was no ordinary structure.

This was not merely a grandiose building that drained the people's resources; it was likely a fearsome sacrificial altar, with countless arrays carved inside.

Something was indeed about to happen in the Mortal World. Why else would they be doing this? Xiao Chen circled the giant platform once, then continued flying upstream along the Yellow River.

Almost every few hundred li, there was another massive civil-engineering project—towering platforms, grand palaces, great bridges reaching into the sky. The State Religion of the Nine Provinces was truly extravagant. Such vast construction would eventually drain the empire's resources to build the so-called Ancestral Dragon Platform and the Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge. They must have a grand scheme.

Xiao Chen did not continue to trace the ultimate source, because dawn was approaching. Using the Eight Aspect Worlds, he returned home in an instant.

At dawn, he once again enjoyed breakfast made by his mother. Simple though it was, it tasted better than any delicacy in the world.

But outside, a shouting voice was already calling for the villagers to assemble. Every morning, someone came to each village to call the roll. Anyone who was late would be punished.

His parents looked at him helplessly. “Stay inside and don't let anyone see you,” they said, then prepared to push open the door.

“I'll go with you. I want to see the upper reaches of the Yellow River. At the latest, I'll resolve the villagers' troubles by tomorrow.”

“No!” his mother blocked him. Having just been reunited, how could she let more trouble arise? Though he hadn't said where he'd been all these years, the two elders could clearly sense the change in him—his gaze seemed sharper. They feared that his impulsive nature would invite disaster.

“Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.” Xiao Chen smiled, reassuring them.

In the end, the whole family went out together. The reason the two elders agreed was that if they didn't, someone might report that a strong laborer was hiding in the house, which could harm Xiao Chen.

At the village entrance, everyone had already assembled, waiting to set out. A young man with a ruffian air grew impatient and glared. “Old Man Xiao, are you tired of living? Dawdling like that, half a quarter of an hour late! If you want to die, I'll throw you into the Yellow River today!”

The ruffian was a local hoodlum from a nearby village, tasked with urging this village and calling the roll each day. Glaring, he lifted his whip and stepped forward to strike.

Xiao Chen's eyes instantly sharpened. Two beams of cold light shot out. A demi-god's spiritual pressure was unimaginable to ordinary people. A soul-shaking force struck the ruffian, making his spirit tremble. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground.

Xiao Chen withdrew his gaze without even looking at him, then led his parents past. The villagers murmured in wonder, not understanding what had happened.

The ruffian, humiliated and enraged, jumped up and shouted, “You… who are you? I've never seen you before!”

Xiao Chen turned his head and gave him a cold glare. This time, the ruffian truly felt how terrifying the man was. Those eyes seemed to hold a dreadful power, slamming into his soul. He could not bear it, and his legs gave way, sending him to his knees.

The surrounding villagers were all astonished. The State Religion's massive projects had drawn many ruffians and bullies to oversee the nearby villagers, and these men were normally hateful and oppressive. Seeing one groveling before Xiao Chen like a mouse before a cat was truly bizarre.

But Xiao Chen hadn't even lifted a hand! How had he made that little thug so obedient?

His childhood friends were delighted and began talking excitedly.

“Chenzi might have been away for years, but his authority hasn't faded! Back in the day, one glare from him kept the thugs from ten villages in line for half a month. That little bastard was just a kid back then, but he must still remember Chenzi.”

These people had no idea that the ruffian had just suffered spiritual torment.

The ruffian scrambled to his feet, trembling, and slunk away without another word. He knew that this man was terrifyingly dangerous and absolutely not to be messed with.

The group walked a dozen li to reach the platform upstream.

Though the sun had just risen, the work was already in full swing. One hundred fifty thousand slaves had been driven out before dawn. Compared to them, the nearby villagers were still fortunate.

It was a waste of manpower and resources. The State Religion was hateful. Watching the slaves, bare-backed and dripping sweat, Xiao Chen felt pity for them and sighed.

The young ruffian scurried over to a man in military garb. “Brother, someone insulted me… Throw him in the Yellow River and get even for me!”

Though the man wore a soldier's uniform, it could barely hide his own ruffian demeanor. He barked, “Nowadays someone still dares to mess with my brother? He's asking for death! Which troublemaker?”

“That bastard's name is Chenzi. He's very strange, Brother. Should I find a few more brothers?”

“Chenzi?!” The soldier grabbed his younger brother by the collar. “Is that Old Man Xiao's son who's come back?”

“Yes… he's walking with Old Man Xiao. Look, over there!” The young ruffian was a little scared by his brother's expression and quickly pointed to a spot on the riverbank.

“It's him. He really is back.” The older ruffian's heart trembled.

“Brother, you know him? Hurry up and deal with him! Get even for me! Drown him alive!”

“Drown your mother!” The older ruffian slapped the younger one hard. “Do you know who he is? You keep bringing trouble on me!” Still unsatisfied, he kicked him a few more times.

The young ruffian grimaced in pain but did not dare to talk back.

At that moment, Xiao Chen looked over. The older ruffian braced himself and forced a smile, then dragged the younger one over, muttering, “Do you know who he is?”

“How the hell would I know?” The younger one was furious. “What's it to me?”

“I'll bang your wife!” The older ruffian rained a few more slaps, making the younger one dizzy. “Do you know the most vicious man in the county? That's him! One glare from him back then, and every thug in the area didn't dare breathe loud. And you want to mess with him? You looking for death? When he was thirteen or fourteen, he used to…”

The older ruffian suddenly stopped, because they had reached Xiao Chen. He kicked his brother over and said, apologetically, “Brother Xiao Chen, you're back. My brother doesn't know any better. Please… don't bother with him.”

Xiao Chen was resigned. Seeing that even the old thugs had become overseers, he knew the State Religion was no good. Using such evil forces to oppress the villagers proved it was not a benevolent organization.

“You're the Big Bald from the next village, aren't you?”

“Yes, yes, it's me. We haven't seen each other for years. Everyone in the villages misses you.”

“Miss me? More like they hope I never come back!”

In his youth, Xiao Chen had been hot-blooded. At thirteen, he had thrown the county's ten worst bullies into the Yellow River to feed the fish. On ordinary days, a single glare from him would make the local thugs tremble.

“No, no…” Big Bald denied it as he kicked his prone brother, who was wailing in pain, tears and snot streaming. The younger one cursed inwardly: Brother, I know he's the ancestor of all thugs, all right? Can you stop kicking me? You don't have to make it so real! Ow, it hurts!

Word somehow spread, and many overseers came running to see Xiao Chen. They were all former thugs who had now become government overseers and claws of the State Religion.

Xiao Chen was utterly speechless. He had somehow become the king of the crooks, with a crowd of rogues and bullies surrounding him. He swore he had never worked in that trade; it was all because of his youthful temper.

The elders and youngsters of his village stared in astonishment. Chenzi had become… He couldn't explain himself even if he wanted to.

Fortunately, those who had grown up with him knew the truth and cleared it up for the villagers.

His authority remained… but Xiao Chen was deeply displeased. How had he become the ancestor of all thugs? Looking at these men, he said sternly, “I've heard that Dazhuang from our village was beaten to death by an overseer.”

The thugs and bullies immediately swore, “We might not be good men, but we're not that depraved. We've never killed anyone from our own county. Dazhuang was beaten to death by that White-Eyed Wolf from the next county. We actually wanted to stop him, but that White-Eyed Wolf has too much backing, and nobody on our side dared to oppose him.”

“Then what about Xiaohan and Xiaohai from our village? And a dozen other villagers who died for no reason?”

Each of the three names was a childhood friend of Xiao Chen. He had only heard of their deaths upon his return.

“Those were also done by the overseers from the next county. No choice; they're too powerful and often bully and oppress people from neighboring counties.”

Xiao Chen was silent for a moment, then asked, “Is there any way to exempt my parents and friends from forced labor?”

“Leave that to us. Uncle and Aunt don't need to come anymore.” The thugs beat their chests in assurance.

“I mean the whole village.”

“That… that's really hard. One or two people are fine, but an entire village… We don't have that much authority. If it gets reported up the chain, we'll all be jumping into the Yellow River tomorrow. Unless…”

“Unless what?” Xiao Chen coldly swept his gaze over the thugs and bullies.

“Unless you bribe the higher-ups. There are precedents; some villages have been exempted.”

“Oh.” Xiao Chen nodded and waved for the thugs to leave.

The bullies and ruffians dispersed, leaving the villagers from nearby counties staring in shock, wondering if they had just witnessed a gang leader convention. Their looks at Xiao Chen—the ancestor of all thugs—were distinctly odd.

The young ruffian who had been beaten by his brother fumed, “Brother, you're too afraid of him. What good is he now? We can get someone higher up to take care of him!”

Hearing this, the older ruffian backhanded the younger one again, then kicked him four times. “Get as far away as possible! You ignorant fool! Did you see all the bullies coming to see him? Unless you can find those cultivators who fly on swords as your backing, you shut your mouth and keep your head down, or I'll personally throw your mother in the Yellow River!”

Just then, someone murmured, “White-Eyed Wolf from the next county and his crew are coming.” The group strode over, cursing, and occasionally lashing nearby slaves who were toiling.

But then, something astonishing happened. White-Eyed Wolf at the lead seemed possessed—he dove straight into the Yellow River with a splash, and the waves swallowed him. Even stranger, the bullies and ruffians behind him, one after another, all looked dazed and jumped into the churning torrent. The river swirled, and in an instant, they vanished.

In full view of everyone… No one pushed them, no one threatened them; the bullies and thugs of the next county collectively leaped into the river. This caused an immediate uproar, and all the villagers and slaves cheered.

As for the thugs of Xiao Chen's county, they all drew in cold breaths, their hearts trembling.

The young ruffian who had been beaten blurted out, “It's him… it must be him… He's a devil!”

The older ruffian slapped him, cutting off the rest. “Shut the hell up! Are you afraid now? This isn't the first, second, or third time something like this happened a dozen years ago…”

Just then, Xiao Chen's voice sounded unexpectedly behind them. “In the past, I was ridding the world of evil. Now… I'm just watching a show. I don't know anything. Talk too much, and people die.”

The young ruffian nodded mechanically, nearly wetting himself.

“Yes, yes…” The older ruffian nodded vigorously too.

Xiao Chen looked at him. “Big Bald, you have good judgment. Work hard, and don't bully the neighbors anymore.”

“Sure, sure!”

Xiao Chen's parents were escorted home. If they hadn't gone, the group of thug leaders would have knelt down and kowtowed, crying.

As for Xiao Chen's fellow villagers, though they still stayed by the Yellow River, they no longer had to do hard labor—they just had to be present.

Why doesn't our village have an ancestor of all thugs like that? was the thought in the villagers of other counties.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen sighed. For now, he could only free his own village; he couldn't change the whole environment all at once.

With a flicker, Xiao Chen vanished from the riverbank and appeared at the prefectural capital. He ransacked the treasure house of a notoriously wealthy tyrant, gathering a large amount of gold, silver, and jewels, then appeared in the rear residence of the government office.

When Xiao Chen came out, an order was issued from the office, exempting the Ancestral Dragon Village of Wu Ming County from all labor service.

When the news reached the village, the people cheered, hardly daring to believe it.

After returning, Xiao Chen went to the Yellow River again and saw the Ancestral Dragon Platform and the Heaven-Reaching Death Bridge with his own eyes. He felt that things were far from simple, and a startling conjecture formed in his mind.

Could it be that… the Yellow River itself was an Ancestral Dragon? He thought the idea was crazy. A five-thousand-kilometer-long river as an Ancestral Dragon… it was unimaginable!

The Mortal World was not as simple as it seemed! Xiao Chen felt that this seemingly ordinary world held many unknown secrets.

If the Yellow River was an Ancestral Dragon, then the Heavenly Stele that suppressed it… Xiao Chen felt he must go and see that stele now resting on the riverbed.

It was that Heavenly Stele that had made him what he was today. Without the ancient diagrams on it, he could never have achieved so much.

Besides, he had another doubt: Why was his village called Ancestral Dragon Village?

He flew downstream along the Yellow River, quickly reaching the stretch in front of his village. Xiao Chen plunged from the sky into the muddy yellow water.