Shi Lang and the disciples from the Sword Peak all rounded up the people involved with the Demonic Cultivators and gathered them up on the tallest peak in the region. They spread the word for the people to gather and watch the execution. The sins of these people had been confirmed, and the Terran handled it personally.
The crowd gathered around the foot of the mountain, and Wen Lengxue cast an ice screen in the void. Bai Yan used a spell and projected the images of the peak on the screen. She said, "Junior Brother, you can proceed now."
Shi Lang nodded and stood facing the people. He said, "All these years, you have been living in fear of the demonic cultivators. However, what you do not know is that the ones who push you and your families into this darkness are not someone else but your fellow humans. Look at these people."
He pointed at people kneeling beside him. The projection moved from his face to the people. The crowd at the foot of the mountain was shocked, and they erupted in discussion.
Someone said, "That's Old Ma, how is he involved with the demonic cultivator?"
"Hey, Yuan, look, isn't that Old Gao?"
Shi Lang said, "I am not a mortal, so I do not have the right to kill these scum. The final decision lies with you. Do what you wish to do. If you wish to live in fear for the sake of humanity, then be my guest and take these people here. But if you decide to do that, look at the faces of the old and the young in your family.
If you decide to eliminate the fear, climb the mountain and kill these people. They do not deserve to live."
The crowd was dazed. They saw a dozen people atop the mountain and realized things were not good. Shi Lang sighed and took a deep breath before he said, "These past few days, we have rescued a few hundred people. They are also waiting to reunite with their loved ones. If you wish to abandon your children, you deserve to live in fear."
That said, Shi Lang left the place, and the rest of the disciples followed. The Terran moved through the clouds with Shi Ning's hand in his hand. He said, "You kid, aren't you brave, rushing to face all this alone?"
Shi Ning sighed and replied, "Big brother, I did not wish to come here, but you know that Crown Prince. He wanted to show everyone his stature, so he called me."
Shi Lang hummed and replied, "I will look into it."
Shi Ning sighed and said, "Please do. I am tired of him using the family in the name of favor."
The Terran sighed and said, "If this continues, relocate the entire family to the Spirit Heart Valley. The younger generation will have better exposure. This will also severe the karma between the family and the nation."
Shi Ning was surprised when she heard this. She did not expect Shi Lang to take things to such an extent. However, he was correct; they relied on the royal court to prosper, but they did not want to continue being exploited by the imperial family.
They returned to Tianxue City after dealing with everything in the Southern Peaks. The people in the city were shocked when they found seven of them landing before the entrance of the Shi Family Mansion.
The guards spotted Shi Ning, whose appearance had been somewhat restored by the two girls on the way. It was undignified for a young lady to appear that unsettled in public. The guards shouted, "Patriarch, Young miss has returned!"
They gave up the post and ran inside the manor shouting. The people of the Shi Family may be disciples they have accepted, but the way the real family has treated them was no different than true relatives. Shi Lang shook his head and said, "Everyone, come in."
The group entered the manor behind him. They found the family members gushing outside. They had informed the people that Shi Ning had been rescued, but they needed to settle things before bringing her back. Although calm, they still could not hide the excitement of their daughter returning home.
Shi Lang did not plan to inform the royal family this time. He would rather visit the imperial palace to see this facade's end. Shi Yulong came before him and was about to bow when the Terran waved his hand and said, "Elder, are you trying to draw lines with me?"
The people were surprised when they saw Shi Yulong bowing his head. He was the elder of the family, and bowing to a younger generation member was not justified. Shi Lang used spiritual energy to bind the man before he could bow and speak calmly.
Shi Yulong said, "You are stronger than me and saved my daughter. How can I ever repay this debt?"
Shi Lang sighed and replied, "This is my sister too. I may be a remotely related member, but I still am a family member. You all should focus on her now. Also, I have planned to leave the eastern barren and head to the central plains. So, my time here is less. I will settle things with the royal family before returning to the sect for a period."
The words dropped like a bomb on the people of the family. Shi Ting rushed out of the group and came to stand before him. This girl was two heads shorter than Shi Lang, standing on her toes to look at his eyes. She asked, "Are you joking?"
Shi Lang sighed and took out a messaging talisman from his space ring. He said, "Take this and keep it with you. If you ever need me, I will come back to you no matter what I am doing, and I will come, okay?"
with spears, too. The sword was not the only way they all had to take. Shi Yulong nodded and agreed 21:12
to the suggestion. Shi Lang also told them someone might come over and ask about him. At that Shi Ting said, "Do you have to leave?"
Shi Lang nodded and said, "I feel your sister-in-law will be coming over soon. I have to be there and find her."
Shi Ting was upset but could not do anything about the situation. Shi Lang had his obligations towards others, too. Thinking about this, the girl lowered her head. Shi Lang patted her head and said, "Take this as a gift from your Big Brother."
The next moment, a set of sword skills was imparted to the young girl. Shi Lang said, "Work hard, Ting. When I see you next time, I hope you can beat me in swordplay."
Shi Ting glared at him and said, "Hmph, just wait. I will not only beat you but all the people in the world. I will become the strongest sword fairy in this world."
Shi Lang smiled and nodded. He did not mean to dampen her spirit and said, "Never be conceited in yourself. Always respect the others until they do not want it."
The four girls had gathered behind each other and listened to his words carefully. After half an hour of instilling a few morals in the girls, Shi Lang bade farewell to the rest of the people. He was grateful to the family for supporting him when he had nothing to himself. It would be a lie if he said he was not feeling sad but knew it was not the last time they met.
Shi Lang handed down three spear techniques to Shi Yulong and told him to have the disciples train with spears, too. The sword was not the only way they all had to take. Shi Yulong nodded and agreed to the suggestion. Shi Lang also told them someone might come over and ask about him. At that time, they just had to say that Shi Lang was an enemy of the family, and all he did for them was to lower their guard and steal all the valuables they had.
Shi Yuwen did not expect Shi Lang to be this ruthless to himself. However, he also knew that the family's safety took precedence. The two agreed on things, and Shi Lang left the manor. The terran was headed to the imperial city with his fellow disciples.
Liang Ping asked, "Junior Brother, are you sure the King will agree?"
Shi Lang smiled and said, "If he did not agree, then the Imperial Palace does not need to exist."
The five people were surprised and did not expect Shi Lang to have such a rash side. This was a war attack. How can a monarch stand when the people living on their land were to stand against them?
They took a couple of hours and arrived at the imperial capital. Shi Lang did not get down on the ground like the last time and flew through the city before he arrived at the Imperial Palace.
His fellow disciples also caught up to him. They were defying all the rules that the Kingdom had established. This was an act of rebellion. If this was not all, Shi Lang spoke in a sonorous tone, "Tian Longjian, come out."