CHAPTER 313: CHAPTER 308 PAST EVENTS

"Mo Yang."

Beside him, Meng Hong murmured, this name, so familiar...

"Li Mountain Sword Master Mo Yang?!" Meng Hong and Luo Qingyan suddenly realized, widening their eyes to look at Li Fan.

When they first heard Mo Yang’s name, they hadn’t reacted immediately, only felt it was familiar. After reminiscing for a moment, they remembered that over a decade ago, during the demon chaos, the Great Sword Cultivator from Li Mountain was none other than the Li Mountain Sword Master Mo Yang.

Sun Zhao beside him felt a chill in his heart as he glanced at Li Fan.

Indeed...

Li Fan, Li Mountain Sword Cultivator.

Li Mountain Sword Master Mo Yang was his senior brother.

And that Lu Yuan was actually Mo Yang’s disciple.

Li Fan glanced at the group and said, "Previously, Yang Qingshan was just a pseudonym. My real name is Li Fan, from Li Mountain."

"Li Mountain, Li Mountain Sword Master’s junior brother..." Luo Qingyan blinked, then her smile gradually spread at the corner of her eyes, a big tree indeed.

"No wonder, no wonder..." Meng Hong suddenly understood. Everything that happened following Li Fan now felt real.

No wonder Li Fan was skilled at killing demons and even reached Jiao Demon Island. There was the Sword Intent of a Great Sword Cultivator in him; he feared not the West Emperor Palace and dared to offend West Flame Island.

Everything connected.

Li Mountain Sword Master Mo Yang, originally from the Sun Palace, yet his achievements were extraordinarily high.

And Li Fan, was Mo Yang’s junior brother?

The two had a significant age gap but were indeed senior and junior brothers, indicating Li Fan’s status in Li Mountain.

The group recalled West Flame Island’s attitude, no wonder the Sun Palace emissary mocked.

Though they cultivated in the West Sea, they knew the foremost Sword Sect of the world was Li Mountain. West Flame Island was merely the leading Sword Dao in the sea, whereas Li Mountain was the Sacred Land of Da Li Swordsmanship.

Laughably, a cultivator from West Flame Island wanted Li Fan to perform well for an opportunity to join West Flame Island?

No wonder Wang Shoucheng was defeated so miserably.

Now, with Mo Yang’s connection, in the West Sea, the Sun Palace would naturally look after Li Fan, with no need to worry about the revenge from West Flame Island Sword Cultivators.

Unless the Island Master of West Flame Island personally intervened, but that was unlikely.

"How should I address you, senior?" Li Fan asked the Sun Palace emissary.

"My real name is Sikong. If you wish, you can call me Uncle Kong." The Sun Palace emissary smiled and shook his head, "No, no... Mo Yang is your senior brother. If you call me Uncle Kong, wouldn’t that be... Even though Mo Yang is no longer with the Sun Palace, his status there is extremely high."

"Uncle Kong, I’m used to mixing seniority, each to their own," Li Fan replied nonchalantly, smiling. "By the way, about the Sun and Moon Palace, what exactly is it, and regarding Lu Yuan, I presume you know something as well?"

Previously, Meng Hong and the others mentioned some details about the Sun and Moon Palace, but Sikong must know more specifics, as well as about Lu Yuan’s heritage.

"This is a long story." Sikong said, "The Sun and Moon Palace has a long history, existing in the West Sea long before. It was established over a thousand years ago when a group of early elite cultivators allied to combat the sea demons, forming the Sun and Moon Palace. Over the years, it grew and thrived, becoming the most powerful force in the West Sea, ruled by several major surnames, with the primary ones being Mo and Lu."

"Mo represents the sun, Lu represents the moon, corresponding to the Sun and Moon. It’s said their ancestors inherited the Immortal’s legacy during times of chaos, practicing the Sun and Moon Technique. Eventually, the Sun and Moon Palace was led by these two major families."

"But as time passed, the two families, who already practiced differently, gradually developed differences. Other families also formed factions, some aligning with the Mo name, some with Lu, and some remaining neutral. Thus, the Sun and Moon Palace split into today’s Sun Palace, Moon Palace, and West Emperor Palace."

"Mo Yang was of the Mo family, intelligent since youth, practicing Sun Palace techniques but not chosen for core inheritance. Mo Yang was steady in character, diligently focusing, obsessed with Sword Dao. Many years ago, during a demon upheaval in the West Sea, Mo Yang aspired to slay demons and travel afar seeking the way of the sword, eventually joining Li Mountain. Even the Sun Palace did not anticipate Mo Yang would become a Great Sword Cultivator of Li Mountain and the current Li Mountain Sword Master."

"After achieving success in cultivation, Mo Yang did not wish to return to the Sun Palace to contest for anything; his nature is pure. Despite being from the Sun Palace, it’s merely by origin. Now your senior brother Mo Yang represents the Li Mountain Sword Cultivators, though occasionally he communicates with the Sun Palace. Over a decade ago, he came to the West Sea during that chaos."

"As for Lu Yuan..."

Sikong looked at Lu Yuan beside Li Fan, asking, "Do you still have any memories?"

"Some." Lu Yuan nodded gently, "I was very young then, and many things are unclear. Please enlighten me, senior."

"Indeed."

Sikong nodded and said, "Your father, Lu Chengzhi, and your mother, Yu Qinghe, were hailed as a perfect pair, representing two factions. Your grandfather was a core member of the Lu family in the Moon Palace, serving as a Great Elder; your maternal grandfather was of the Yu family, also one of the Sun and Moon Palace’s founding surnames, the second family of the Moon Palace. Your parents’ union signaled the future successor of the Moon Palace, but during a demon upheaval, they perished."

"However..."

Sikong seemed hesitant.

"However, what?" Lu Yuan pressed on.

"Though your grandfather was a Great Elder and your maternal grandfather was a senior in the Moon Palace, the one wielding power at that time was not your grandfather. After your parents’ demise, your grandfather and maternal grandfather faced suppression in the Moon Palace. Your master took you away then, upon your grandfather and maternal grandfather’s wishes."

"You mean to say that it was my grandfather and maternal grandfather who entrusted my master to take me away from the Moon Palace?" Lu Yuan tried to recall the blurry fragments of past events. Her parents’ death had impacted her greatly, and being so young then, only the deepest memories remained clear.

But hearing Sikong recount the past, a series of kindly faces suddenly flashed through her mind, as though hidden in her subconscious, and when these faces emerged, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity.

She even felt a bit like crying.

"Little Yuan..." In her mind, an elderly voice seemed to call out her name, making Lu Yuan’s eyes involuntarily redden. Those forgotten memories suddenly felt alive again, those two blurry faces gradually sharpening.

In a garden, a little girl was playing with her parents, and two elderly figures appeared in turn.

"Little Yuan, come to Grandpa."

"Little Yuan, come to Grandfather here."

"You old coot, back off; she’s my granddaughter."

"She’s also my granddaughter."

The two elders started bickering, and the girl’s parents smiled.

Tears, precious like pearls, welled up at the corners of Lu Yuan’s eyes, streaming down her delicate face, evoking compassion.

Li Fan looked at Lu Yuan, thinking she might have recalled some past events. Words of comfort would be meaningless.

"Uncle Kong, how are the elders now?" Li Fan inquired, wondering if Lu Yuan’s grandfathers were still around.

"After the storm back then, they suspected some inside forces had orchestrated the downfall of Lu Chengzhi and his wife with the demons. This led to the storm of internal strife within the Moon Palace, and that power was suppressed. Although both elders are still around, they are no longer in power," Sikong continued. "After your parents’ passing, both your grandfather and granduncle were suppressed. Your master took you away on their instructions."

"So you’re saying, my parents’ death was orchestrated by someone in the Moon Palace, not really the work of demons?" Lu Yuan asked Sikong, her grandfathers’ opinions overshadowing her thoughts deeply.

Memories of those who had died, whether due to demons or not, had always lingered in her heart. But her father’s mention of the incident suddenly brought back those faces that seemed so far in the past. When those faces appeared, she couldn’t help but feel that sense of bereavement once more.

Admittedly, being Mo Yang’s disciple now, she had a somewhat uplifting identity.

"Thank you, senior, for letting me know," Lu Yuan nodded, expressing her gratitude to Sikong.

"You and Mo Yang were acquainted," Sikong with the Sun Palace said naturally and continued, "he has always regarded you as his disciple and cares for you deeply. Over the years, he has often inquired about your safety, and now seeing you practice swordsmanship at Li Mountain with Li Fan, he must be at ease."

In recent years, Mo Yang, associated with the Sun and Moon Palace, has occasionally shared news back and forth.

"The Sun and Moon dual palace was formed long ago, being one of the earliest cultivation forces in the West Sea, existing for hundreds of thousands of years already. In those days, to resist demon chaos in the sea, a group of top early cultivators in the region formed an alliance and established the Sun and Moon Palace. Over time, the Sun and Moon Palace grew to prominence in the West Sea, ruled by a few major surnames, of which the Mo and Lu families were the most significant."

"The Mo represented Yang, the Lu represented Yin, corresponding to the sun and the moon. It was said that the founders of the two surnames obtained the Immortal heritage amidst chaos many years ago, practicing the Sun and Moon Technique. Later, the Sun and Moon Palace, too, was primarily led by these two families."

"However, over time, the two families started having disagreements due to their different cultivation approaches. Other families formed their own factions, some siding with the Mo family, some with the Lu family, and some remaining neutral. As a result, the Sun and Moon Palace split into the current Sun Palace, Moon Palace, and West Emperor Palace."

"Mo Yang is of the Mo family, gifted from a young age, he practices the Sun Palace’s techniques but never obtained the core heritage, thus not a successor candidate. Mo Yang’s character is steady, with a diligent focus and a deep passion for Sword Dao. Many years ago, when the West Sea faced demon chaos, Mo Yang was determined to slay demons and sought to travel afar to improve his swordsmanship. Eventually, he left the West Sea for Li Mountain, a move not expected even by the Sun Palace, later becoming a Li Mountain Great Sword Cultivator and the contemporary Li Mountain Sword Master."

"Even after succeeding in his cultivation, Mo Yang did not wish to return to the Sun Palace to vie for anything. His disposition is pure. Despite being a native of the Sun Palace, it’s only his place of birth. Now, your senior brother Mo Yang is regarded as a Li Mountain Sword Cultivator, although he communicates with the Sun Palace occasionally. Over a decade ago, during that chaos, he visited the West Sea area."

"As for Lu Yuan..."

Sikong looked at Lu Yuan, standing next to Li Fan, and asked, "Do you still remember anything yourself?"

"A bit." Lu Yuan nodded softly. "But I was very young then, so I don’t remember much. Please could you explain further, Senior?"

"Very well."

Sikong nodded, saying, "Your father, Lu Chengzhi, and your mother, Yu Qinghe, were hailed as an exceptional couple in the Moon Palace, representing two factions. Your grandfather was a core member of the Lu family, serving as Great Elder in the Moon Palace, and your maternal grandfather was also of the Yu family, one of the founding surnames of the Sun and Moon Palace, being part of the second family in the Moon Palace. Their union signified the future successor of the Moon Palace was already determined, yet at that moment, the demon chaos occurred, leading to your parents’ demise."

"But..."

Sikong seemed reluctant to continue.

"But what?" Lu Yuan questioned persistently.

"Although your grandfather was a Great Elder, and your maternal grandfather was also one of the elders in the Moon Palace, they were not the ones in power then. After the death of your parents, both your grandfather and maternal grandfather faced suppression within the Moon Palace. Your master who took you away did so at the behest of your grandfather and maternal grandfather."

"Are you saying that my parents’ demise was orchestrated by the powers in charge at the Moon Palace, rather than solely caused by the demons?" Lu Yuan pressed Sikong for clarity, attempting to piece together the vague memories from her childhood. Her parents’ deaths had left a deep impact on her at such a young age, leaving only the most profound memories vividly clear.

As Sikong mentioned the past events, a series of compassionate faces suddenly emerged in her mind, as if they had been hidden in her subconscious, and when those faces appeared, her eyes involuntarily started to redden, and those two blurred faces gradually became clearer.

In her memory, in a garden, a little girl, playing around with two grandparents who appeared one after another as the girl’s parents watched with smiles on their faces.

Tears streamed from the corners of Lu Yuan’s eyes, flowing down her delicate face, evoking a deep sense of sympathy.

Li Fan glanced at Lu Yuan’s face and felt concerned about the memories she might have recalled. Comforting words would seem meaningless now.

"Uncle Kong, are her grandfathers still around?" Li Fan inquired, wanting to know about the current situation of Lu Yuan’s grandpa and granduncle.

"After the incident back then, they suspected that there were manipulations behind Lu Chengzhi and Yu Qinghe’s deaths, possibly by others within the Moon Palace. This resulted in an internal storm, and eventually, the power of the two elders was suppressed. Although they are still around now, they are no longer in power." Sikong continued, "Your master took you away back then under the instructions of both your grandfather and maternal grandfather."

"So, you mean my parents’ deaths were orchestrated by those in power within the Moon Palace from behind the scenes, and not solely due to the demon chaos?" Lu Yuan inquired.

Given their history, Sikong naturally felt sympathy for Mo Yang’s disciple, Lu Yuan, especially since the Sun and Moon Dual Palace began to have a subtle connection again after many years, with Mo Yang’s disciple involved.

"Yes, thank you, Senior," Lu Yuan nodded, expressing her gratitude to Sikong. # The line asks if Lu Yuan’s grandfather and granduncle are still alive. It’s now evident that they were oppressed at the time, but they are still alive. Li Fan reassures Lu Yuan that her grandfather and granduncle are alive. Has she inherited her parents’ gift, and how is she faring with the Li Mountain’s sword Dao world these days?

"Many thanks, Senior, for telling me all this." Lu Yuan nodded in thanks to Sikong.

"Your brother Mo Yang was from the Sun Palace, and you being his disciple now creates a subtle connection between the Sun and Moon Palace," Sikong told Li Fan. "No wonder there’s sympathy for Mo Yang’s disciples from my side, so it’s best not to reveal anything about your identity to the outside world for the time being."

"Yes, thank you, Senior," Lu Yuan nodded and sincerely expressed her gratitude to Sikong.