Chapter 120: A Steadfast Heart

In Qingyuan County, the auction at Yanhui Island had just concluded when a bombshell rocked the local cultivation world: Gao Sixing, the third master of the Gao family, was dead. While Sixing himself was not a figure of great consequence, he was the younger brother of the Gao family patriarch, Gao Siyuan. His death was destined to be no simple matter.

Astute observers sensed a storm gathering. First, the patriarch of the Lu family had been wounded, and now the Gao family’s third master had been murdered. With two of Qingyuan County’s three great families suffering setbacks in such quick succession, the timing was deeply suspicious.

At Emerald Bamboo Mountain, the vast bamboo forests were filled with people moving in hurried, anxious silence. Since news of Sixing’s death at the hands of the "Corpse Daoist" arrived, the atmosphere on the mountain had grown oppressive, and even the servants dared not breathe too loudly.

Gao Zixuan, hailed as the prodigy of the Gao family, had been livid, demanding to lead a party to hunt down the Corpse Daoist and avenge his uncle. To the outside world, Sixing was a petty, vengeful man with little talent for cultivation, but to Zixuan, he had been a kind soul. Having been raised under the strict and stifling expectations of Gao Siyuan, Zixuan had found his only moments of joy in the trinkets and treats his third uncle would bring him. Now that his uncle was dead, his rage was boundless. When the Gao family’s Qi-refining cultivators blocked his attempt to leave, he vented his fury by beating three of his servants to death. The family’s cultivators, however, said nothing, merely continuing to forbid him from leaving the mountain.

Inside the Gao family’s council hall, the resident Qi-refining cultivators had gathered. Gao Mingjun, the elder with the highest seniority and a mid-stage Qi-refining cultivation, sat at the head of the table.

"Sixing was a fool to entangle himself with those evil cultivators," one remarked. "It seems he tried to hire the man for a hit and was bitten by his own hound."

"The most concerning part is that the Corpse Daoist seems to have been hiding his true strength. He killed not only Sixing but also Siwei. He cannot be underestimated."

The hall was filled with chaotic debate, yet no one could offer a viable solution. Compared to the Lu and Wen families, the Gao family’s foundation was shallow. They had fewer than ten Qi-refining cultivators in total. Aside from the patriarch, Gao Siyuan—who was at the late stage of Qi-refining—there were only two mid-stage cultivators, with the rest being in the early stages. Given the strength the Corpse Daoist had displayed, it would take at least a mid-stage cultivator to confront him, and for safety, a larger group would be needed. With the family’s vast interests and many enemies requiring their presence elsewhere, spare manpower was hard to come by.

Gao Mingjun sat at the head of the table, deep in thought, ignoring the clamor. In his eyes, dealing with evil cultivators was common practice—most families used them as "black gloves" to handle dirty work. The problem was that Sixing had been reckless, choosing an unfamiliar rogue and letting a wolf into the fold.

Just as the debate raged on, a figure appeared at the entrance. It was Gao Siyuan, who had been in seclusion. He wore a simple blue robe, his white hair hanging loose. His skin was sallow, his sunken eyes glinting with a cold, serpentine light.

"What is this chaos? Two people have died; the sky has not fallen!" Siyuan’s voice carried a powerful, intimidating pressure as he strode into the hall. The room fell silent. Everyone, including the senior Gao Mingjun, rose to show respect.

"Sixing and Siwei are dead. From this day forward, the Corpse Daoist is a mortal enemy of the Gao family. Issue a bounty immediately—a heavy reward for any clue or his head," Siyuan commanded, his tone calm and steady. "Mingjun, I must trouble you to take two other cultivators and hunt him down. If we wait, he will surely vanish. I will also contact our allied families for support and petition the County Magistrate to issue an official warrant."

The plan was clear, and the tension in the room dissipated. "Those who spill Gao blood must pay with their own," Siyuan added, his gaze sweeping the room with unwavering resolve.

As the others left to carry out their orders, Gao Mingjun lingered. "Siyuan, why have you emerged now? Did your seclusion yield results?"

A smile touched Siyuan’s aged face. "Not bad. I managed to open another aperture; I am now at seventy-four."

Mingjun’s face lit up with joy. "Excellent! You are the pillar of our family. With you, we will one day rule Qingyuan County."

After Mingjun departed, the smile vanished from Siyuan’s face. He coughed, and a spray of blood stained his palm. Forcing a breakthrough had damaged his foundation. *It is a troubled time,* he thought. *I cannot show the slightest sign of weakness. If the wolves outside smell it, they will descend upon us.*

Suppressing his internal agony, he composed himself, once again embodying the calm and unshakeable patriarch the world believed him to be.