The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"You're in a dire situation within Yue Kingdom's borders, aren't you?"

In a secluded area of Tongshan County, a young man clad in luxurious robes stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze was fixed on the infighting among the three clans and six families as they joined forces to attack the Tongshan Xia Clan, stripping it of its foundation and dividing its wealth. Unable to contain his disdain, he let out a mocking laugh.

"We beseech the Third Prince to take us under your protection!

We vow to pledge ourselves to the Third Prince's service, swearing on our Dao hearts never to betray you!"

"If the Third Prince could aid us in rebuilding the Tongshan Xia Clan in secret, we would pledge eternal loyalty to you, serving as a sharp blade at your command!"

The speaker was Xia Shangyun.

At this moment, he was bloodied and battered, having fought fiercely to seize resources from the family's treasury while fending off his own kin. Later, he barely escaped the relentless pursuit of the other three clans and six families.

Now, thanks to the protection of his son, Xia Changfei, and a few loyal followers, he had managed to flee with his life. His heart seethed with unrelenting anger, his only hope resting on the Third Prince of Wu Kingdom standing before him. If this prince would support him in secret, the Xia Clan of Tongshan could rise from the ashes.

"We've been in contact privately for years now. Given your current plight, how could I, the Third Prince, not extend a helping hand in secret?"

The young man turned to face Xia Shangyun and the remaining Xia Clan cultivators who had survived the massacre, their number reduced to just over a dozen. Kneeling before him in respect, they looked up in desperate hope. With a warm smile, the prince stepped forward, helping each one to their feet.

"Thank you, Third Prince!"

Upon hearing these words, Xia Shangyun's heart leapt with joy. He hurriedly expressed his gratitude and rose to his feet.

"Quietly build up your strength. All that your Xia Clan has lost today, I promise, the Wu Kingdom will help you reclaim, piece by piece."

The young prince placed a reassuring hand on Xia Shangyun's shoulder, his tone firm yet patient.

"I am at your command!"

With these words, Xia Shangyun's intent to swear fealty was clear. Even if it meant becoming someone's hound, he was determined to lead his people in rebuilding their strength and reclaiming all that had been taken from them.

When the day of reckoning arrived, he vowed, not only would the three clans and six families be obliterated, but the Yue Kingdom's royal family would fall as well!

"Come. With this matter settled, return to Wu Kingdom with me."

With a casual order, the young prince began to lead Xia Shangyun, Xia Changfei, and the remaining Xia Clan members away. At his side were two rogue cultivators from Wu Kingdom's royal family, appointed as his personal guards by the Wu King himself. Both were at the first stage of Qi Refining, their silent presence a testament to their prowess.

"Is it truly wise to take in Xia Shangyun and his group?"

On his right, a burly middle-aged man frowned as he glanced at the Third Prince.

"They still have their uses. Why wouldn't it be?"

"But supporting their rise will cost our royal family a great deal of resources," the woman on his left interjected softly. She was a graceful figure, her tone calm and measured.

"An investment is always required in the beginning. As long as the returns outweigh the costs, what does it matter?"

The Third Prince's lips curled into a confident smile.

"Helping Xia Shangyun and his kin regain power will turn them into a sharp blade for Wu Kingdom to drive into Yue Kingdom, tearing through their border defenses.

Moreover, don't forget—the Xia Clan of Tongshan knows Yue Kingdom's inner workings intimately. To waste such talent would be a grave mistake."

Hearing this, the two rogue cultivators exchanged subtle nods of agreement.

"Let us hope Xia Shangyun doesn't disappoint the Wu Kingdom. If Yue Kingdom's three clans and the Qishan Wen Clan could destroy the Xia Clan of Tongshan, Wu Kingdom won't hesitate to deliver the final blow if needed," the graceful woman murmured, glancing coldly at the Xia Clan cultivators trailing behind them.

"We'll see when the time comes."

At the Wang Clan ancestral land in Yulin County, grief reigned.

"Who… who did this?! Ancestor, tell me, who killed him?!"

Wang Zhongtian's furious voice echoed across the hall as he stood over the cold, lifeless body of his son. His eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with anguish, as though his entire world had collapsed.

"It was the Upper Three Clans and the Qishan Wen Clan," the elder replied solemnly.

"Why doesn't the ancestor declare war on them?! This hatred burns in my chest—I cannot rest until it's avenged!"

Wang Zhongtian's voice trembled with rage, his teeth clenched tightly. He had only one son, Wang Liyuan, who had always been the source of his pride. Now, that son lay dead, murdered by their enemies. How could he simply let it go?

"The royal family has intervened, forbidding us from engaging in a direct conflict with those four clans. Without their interference, the Wang Clan might suffer the same fate as the Xia Clan of Tongshan.

Do you want to see our family wiped out as well?"

Wang Qinglin's gaze bore into Wang Zhongtian as he sighed heavily.

He understood that Wang Liyuan's death was a devastating blow, not just to Wang Zhongtian, but to the entire Wang Clan.

"Are you telling me my son's death is to go unanswered?!"

Wang Zhongtian was filled with unwillingness.

"Let it go? How could I possibly let it go?! Our Wang Clan must secretly bide its time, amassing strength until the day comes when we have the power to exact vengeance for Yuan'er!

Remember, as long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. If the family is wiped out, it will all be over—our revenge will remain an unreachable dream!"

Wang Qinglin sighed deeply, unsure how to comfort the grief-stricken Wang Zhongtian. He could only try his best to persuade him with patience.

Hearing the elder's words, Wang Zhongtian fell silent. His fists clenched and unclenched several times, his emotions a tumultuous storm.

As the two conversed, something unexpected began to happen.

On the stretcher, within Wang Liyuan's lifeless body, a golden, radiant seed began to emit a soft glow.

To call it a seed was not entirely accurate—it more closely resembled a strange, golden insect shaped like a cicada.

As the faint golden light blossomed, the cicada embedded within Wang Liyuan's body let out a piercing, otherworldly cry.

This astonishing sight immediately drew Wang Qinglin's attention.

Wang Zhongtian, too, stared at his son's corpse in stunned disbelief.

"Ancestor… what is happening?"

Wang Zhongtian's voice trembled as he pointed to the golden glow radiating from his son's chest, the faint chirping of the cicada echoing eerily.

"Step back!"

Wang Qinglin grabbed Wang Zhongtian by the arm and swiftly retreated, summoning a flurry of talismans that formed a protective barrier before them, wary of any unseen danger.

He feared that some insidious trick had been left behind by those who killed Wang Liyuan, and that this golden light and the cicada's cry might foretell disaster.

But moments passed, and the anticipated calamity never came.

Instead, under Wang Qinglin's astonished gaze, Wang Liyuan's severed head, recently reattached to his body, began to mend. The torn flesh and bone knitted together at an astonishing rate, as did the arm that had been severed and reconnected.

"This… how could this be possible?!"

Wang Qinglin's voice quivered with disbelief as he watched the miraculous transformation.

Zheng!

Suddenly, Wang Liyuan's eyes flew open, gleaming with a spark of vitality.

His mouth parted, and the golden cicada darted out, its brilliance fading instantly. With a dull thud, the now ash-gray insect fell lifelessly onto Wang Liyuan's chest.

"What… what is happening to me?"

Wang Liyuan's voice was weak and bewildered as clarity returned to his gaze.

"Yuan… Yuan'er?!"

Seeing Wang Liyuan return to life, both Wang Qinglin and Wang Zhongtian felt an icy chill run down their spines. The scene before them was so bizarre, so beyond comprehension, that it defied belief.

Even Wang Qinglin, with over a century of cultivation and extensive experience, had never witnessed anyone come back from the dead.

"Ancestor… Father!"

Wang Liyuan struggled to sit up, his movements unsteady. His hand instinctively touched his neck, feeling the spot where it had once been severed. He then glanced at his arm, equally restored.

"Wasn't I… killed?"

"It was that cicada in your chest that saved you!"

Wang Qinglin suppressed the shock and joy in his heart, his gaze falling on the now lifeless, ash-colored cicada lying on Wang Liyuan's chest. Deep within, he marveled at the miraculous object capable of bringing someone back from the dead.

"So, it was that…"

Wang Liyuan picked up the gray, lifeless cicada, murmuring softly as he examined it.

"Yuan'er, what is that cicada? How could it possess such divine power, even bringing you back to life?"

Wang Zhongtian's voice wavered as he stared at the cicada, a mix of curiosity and astonishment in his eyes.

"This is something I discovered during the Hundred Clans Assembly, within the depths of the Myriad Mountain. It must have been a relic left behind by some ancient senior, known as the 'Cicada of Life and Death.'

At the time, I didn't know its purpose, so I fused it with my body to study it later.

Now, it seems its ability is to bring someone back to life… though it appears this power can only be used once."

"Haha! That's my son, truly extraordinary! Yuan'er, you are a child of destiny—who could possibly stand against you?"

"It was merely luck," Wang Liyuan replied with a bitter smile, his mind flashing back to the moment when he had been slain by the rogue cultivators serving his family.

"Ancestor, where is Master Huang?"

"Why are you asking about Master Huang?"

"He was the one who killed me!"