Chapter 22: The Patriarch Himself

At this moment, Ye Jiuyao was inside the Canglang Diagram, watching the monkey with a face full of impatience. Seeing this, Xuan Niang tossed a cultivation manual to the monkey.

The monkey received it as if it were a treasure, but soon fell into confusion and then became frantic. Ye Jiuyao sat nearby, laughing.

“Little grandson, you don’t understand, do you? Come, call me grandpa and I’ll teach you…” Ye Jiuyao said, utterly provoking. Xuan Niang chuckled at the sight and left, so the vast cave was left with only one man and one monkey.

The divine monkey carefully studied the manual but still found himself at a loss. Seeing Ye Jiuyao smiling at him, he hesitated, feeling the urge to seek guidance.

“Um…”

“Oh, don’t be shy. After all, a grandpa teaching his grandson is perfectly normal. Let me see.” Ye Jiuyao had long awaited the monkey to ask for help. As soon as he opened his mouth, Ye Jiuyao took the initiative, leaving the monkey no choice but to hand him the manual.

Ye Jiuyao skimmed through it dismissively, then burned it without a second thought, making the monkey flare up in anger.

“You bastard, give me back my manual!”

“Little monkey, you get so worked up over a worthless manual. Clearly, you haven’t seen much of the world. Claiming you’re some sort of devil lord—must be self-appointed, huh?”

Ye Jiuyao looked at him with disdain, eyes full of contempt, showing how little he thought of the monkey.

“My name is Sun Qigang, not ‘grandson,’ and I’m not ‘little.’ Wait, why did you burn my manual? If I recover my cultivation, my memories will return…”

Listening to Sun Qigang’s endless complaints, Ye Jiuyao gained a deeper understanding of the monkey. No wonder he couldn’t comprehend even a single manual—he’d lost his cultivation and his memories, but still, something didn’t add up.

“Little grandson, you say your cultivation is lost—what does that have to do with understanding a manual? I wasn’t aware that comprehension relies on memory…”

“…”

Sun Qigang was furious; he just wanted a way out, but Ye Jiuyao insisted on arguing, making him wish he’d just disappear.

“Fine, I’ll be the good guy. After all, you don’t know the principle of ‘true fragrance.’ Once you do, you’ll understand what real allure is,” Ye Jiuyao comforted him, then eloquently began explaining the manual.

At first, Sun Qigang didn’t think much of it, but as he listened, he realized how extraordinary it was, worlds apart from what he’d known. Soon enough, he gazed at Ye Jiuyao with the eager devotion of a sycophant, but then Ye Jiuyao abruptly stopped speaking.

“Well? Isn’t it remarkable? Aren’t you impressed? Do you feel the urge to praise me?”

Sun Qigang dared not say a word, nodding furiously instead. With a third of the manual left unexplained, he simply played along. Seeing his sincerity, Ye Jiuyao resumed his dazzling explanation, speaking with wit and precision, leaving Sun Qigang utterly astounded.

Afterwards, Sun Qigang felt a deep regret, much like knowing which lottery number would win a million but missing it, settling for a hundred thousand instead and wasting his time.

“So, is it alluring? Do you want to learn from me? Will you be my follower, utterly without dignity?”

“It’s irresistible—of course I want to learn from you and be your follower! If you say west, I’ll never go east. Climb mountains, walk through fire—I’ll do it all…” Sun Qigang boasted so much that Ye Jiuyao felt he’d reached the peak of life, just a moment away from being invincible.

“Stop, stop, let’s stay humble… We must uphold our usual noble conduct.” Though Ye Jiuyao said this, his face begged for more praise—a glance was enough to see through it.

“How lonely is invincibility… In the future, I must be even more modest,” Ye Jiuyao murmured sadly, then exited the Canglang Diagram, leaving Sun Qigang inside to cultivate.

“Sigh, another group seeking death. I’ll trick them a bit, then go to sleep. I skipped a meal, but I can’t skip sleep,” Ye Jiuyao spread his spiritual sense, detecting dozens of Qi Integration cultivators, sighing with reluctant pity.

The energy within Ye Jiuyao’s body stirred, and in the next moment, his appearance changed dramatically, more so than any cosmetic surgery. Once done, he became a wizened old man, his cultivation unfathomable, eyes filled with age-old sorrow.

“Ahem…” Ye Jiuyao tested his voice, and it rang out with the grandeur of the Dao itself—ancient and pure, evoking a return to the origin.

His cultivation was hidden by the Canglang Diagram, his appearance altered by a special technique. With everything foolproof, Ye Jiuyao went to shoulder the Demon Suppressing Stele, calmly walking out of the cave.

“He’s out, he’s out…”

Someone shouted excitedly. Everyone’s gaze snapped to him, seeing an old man shuffling out, seemingly so frail he might collapse if the wind picked up.

“Huh, it’s not that young man? What’s he carrying on his back?” Someone noticed the stone stele and voiced their surprise, prompting everyone to look.

“Wait, is that… a stele?”

“It’s not ‘like’ a stele—it is one. Looks just like the legendary stone stele.”

All eyes focused again, and a second later, everyone’s expression turned grave. Suddenly, they looked at Ye Jiuyao in terror.

A dreadful thought flashed through their minds, growing wild and uncontrollable. Ye Jiuyao’s smile flickered and vanished.

“Why have you all come to my home? Is there something you need?” Ye Jiuyao’s voice was calm yet carried a chilling undertone, making the others even more terrified.

“The matters of your family, Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, are no longer the concern of the Jiang Clan.”

“This…”

“Jiang Clan, withdraw!”

Before the Ancestor of the Yellow Springs could finish, the Jiang Clan’s patriarch interjected. The Jiang Clan retreated like a swarm of ants.

“We’re leaving!” Once the Jiang Clan withdrew, the Ancestor of the Yellow Springs deliberated and finally gave the order to retreat—their fear showing plainly in their eyes.

“You come and expect to leave so easily? My home doesn’t welcome uninvited guests. Since you’re here, leave something behind—unless…”

The Ancestor of the Yellow Springs sensed hope and immediately inquired, Ye Jiuyao’s eyes narrowed, knowing his prey had taken the bait.

“Senior, unless what?”

“Unless you compensate me with eight or ten million spirit stones. Then this old… ancestor will let you off.”

Ye Jiuyao nearly slipped, but recovered quickly, changing his words in an instant. The people of the Yellow Springs Hall grew even more suspicious.

“Ancestor… Let’s try it. Worst case, we pay more. If not…” The Ancestor transmitted secretly to one of his men, whose energy surged, forming a massive palm that struck down at Ye Jiuyao.

“Impudent!”

Ye Jiuyao roared, having already instructed Sun Qigang beforehand. As the palm descended, a boundless force erupted from within him, shattering the giant hand instantly.

“If you don’t value your lives, this old ancestor will oblige.”

Ye Jiuyao’s furious shout echoed, his ancient voice resounding like the music of the heavens. In an instant, a terrifying power gathered, far more dreadful than before.