The Villainous Senior Brother Doesn't Want to Wash White [Transmigration] - Chapter 37

“You mean to say the Cloud Pendant is in the Ghost Realm?”

After Ji Yanqing finished speaking, the younger cultivator frowned slightly, asking with a look of disbelief, while the goateed cultivator let out several cold chuckles.

“Heh, does such a place even exist? You aren’t just making things up to deceive us, are you?”

As everyone knew, this world consisted of the Cultivation Realm (where they currently resided, rich in spiritual energy and suitable for human life), the Demon Realm (where the demon race lived), and the Immortal Realm (where cultivators ascended after their tribulations).

Besides these three, it was said there existed a place belonging to none of them: the Ghost Realm.

When ordinary people or cultivators died, they naturally went straight into reincarnation. However, among them, there were many with powerful strength or deep obsessions who lingered near the boundary of Yin and Yang. They could not go to the other three realms, yet were unwilling to reincarnate. Over time, some began to cultivate, becoming known as Ghost Cultivators.

As the number of ghost cultivators grew, a hierarchical cultivation system naturally formed. The place where these ghost cultivators resided was the Ghost Realm.

Of course, this information came from the legendary storybooks Ji Yanqing had read. Ghost cultivators in that realm could not leave unless they reached the level of a Ghost Immortal or chose to reincarnate. As for the living—except for Golden Immortals—there was naturally no way to enter the Ghost Realm.

Therefore, whether this Ghost Realm actually existed remained one of the “Ten Unsolved Mysteries” in a world that had yet to see a Golden Immortal.

By claiming the Cloud Pendant was in the Ghost Realm, Ji Yanqing was being a bit preposterous, yet no one could flatly state that the realm didn’t exist.

Ji Yanqing shot a look at the goateed cultivator, his gaze carrying several parts of “caring for the mentally disabled.”

He knew what the goateed man was afraid of, but since it concerned the Ji family’s Cloud Pendant, rushing to deny it only made him look like he had a guilty conscience.

Sure enough, before Ji Yanqing could even speak, Shen Xiao explained from the side: “Third Elder, the Ghost Realm does indeed exist. After the Young Master informed the Third Young Master, I consulted a thousand years of Ji family records and found some clues. A millennium ago, a powerful Ghost Demon would appear near Jingtian Prefecture every hundred years. From this, we can deduce that the ancestor established the Ji family here specifically to seal the passage between the Ghost Realm and our world.”

Saying this, Shen Xiao stepped before the group, lightly waving his folding fan. “Furthermore, there is an unusual fluctuation within the tomb of the previous Clan Head. It should be the entrance to the Ghost Realm.”

Shen Xiao had been with the Ji family for years, and his competence was evident to all. Not to mention, due to Ji Yanhui’s habit of sparse speech, Shen Xiao’s words represented Ji Yanhui’s stance to a certain extent.

Since Shen Xiao said so, the goateed cultivator could no longer deny the Ghost Realm’s existence. His eyes darted around as he suddenly thought of something and asked, “Then… how does Ji Yanqing know for certain the Cloud Pendant is in the Ghost Realm?”

This time, Shen Xiao didn’t even need to answer. The younger cultivator spoke directly: “Third Elder might not know, but back then, the Clan Head indeed only told the Young Master the clue regarding the Cloud Pendant.”

Speaking of which, one had to mention the previous head of the Ji family—Ji Yanqing’s father.

He was a rather miraculous existence within the family.

Before bringing Ji Yanqing back, he focused solely on cultivation and had only one son, Ji Yanhui. Later, he survived five Heavenly Tribulations and was expected to become the first Golden Immortal of this world.

However, before his “Decay of the Dao Heart,” he sensed that he was likely going to fail.

Thus, within the ancestral Ji family tomb, he summoned the clansmen staying at the residence, naturally including Ji Yanqing.

“According to the Ji family rules, whoever can obtain this Cloud Pendant shall be the next Clan Head.”

Before the other clansmen, the Clan Head produced the Cloud Pendant and spoke. Then, he turned his gaze to his only son present, Ji Yanqing.

“Yanqing, come here.”

The Clan Head spoke calmly. Instantly, nearly everyone’s gaze fell upon Ji Yanqing, filled with envy and respect. Some were already planning how to curry favor with this new head.

Everyone assumed the Clan Head was about to pass the position to Ji Yanqing. At that time, even Ji Yanqing himself thought so.

But when Ji Yanqing reached him, the Clan Head did not hand him the pendant. Instead, he whispered a single sentence into his ear. Afterward, the Cloud Pendant vanished along with the Clan Head’s spiritual essence.

Ji Yanqing was left standing there, completely bewildered.

For he had heard very clearly that what his father whispered was not about the pendant or the position at all, but rather—

“Go to the Qingmen Sect and find Qin Shu.”

Because of this, the original host spent nearly half the book’s plot searching for the pendant. From initially thinking it was in his Master’s hands to eventually leaving the sect to search elsewhere, he never found it.

He died without ever knowing that his father had sent the pendant directly to the Ghost Realm. The one who eventually obtained it was, naturally, Ji Yanhui.

In the original book, Ji Yanhui obtained it through a deal with the Ghost Lord, finally becoming the true head of the Ji family.

Of course, Ji Yanqing wouldn’t tell Ji Yanhui the truth. He simply processed the plot information he knew and used it as a condition for the Millennial Ice Stone.

All Ji Yanqing did was tell Ji Yanhui now what the man was destined to find out later, in exchange for 300 Villain Points.

Thinking about it this way, it wasn’t a bad deal.

After this explanation, the goateed cultivator was finally speechless. However, the younger cultivator asked Shen Xiao curiously, “If the Cloud Pendant is truly in the Ghost Realm, why did the Third Young Master summon us back? Is he planning for us to enter the Ghost Realm together?”

The younger cultivator spoke with a hint of eagerness. He was the youngest brother of the previous head, even slightly younger than Ji Yanhui, and he loved visiting such novel and rare places.

Shen Xiao shook his head: “The Ghost Realm does not permit the entry or exit of the living. Entering is one thing, but once inside, one needs a person of the Ji bloodline to maintain a connection within the tomb to ensure those who entered can successfully return.”

Ji Yanqing had sent this information to Ji Yanhui after obtaining the ice stone, which was why Ji Yanhui had summoned the three elders.

“Do the three elders have any further objections?”

Shen Xiao asked, though he knew the three would certainly have no complaints. This matter concerned the Cloud Pendant; according to the previous head, whoever obtained it would be the head of the Ji family.

No matter what their current schemes were, they had to wait until they entered the Ghost Realm and got the pendant before making a move.

When Shen Xiao said this, he purposefully left a hidden catch: he deliberately didn’t specify who would enter the Ghost Realm and who would remain in the tomb to provide support.

Sure enough, as soon as Shen Xiao finished, the younger cultivator and the goateed man’s eyes lit up. They replied almost simultaneously:

“I have no objection.”

“I agree.”

“Good. In that case, there is no time to lose…”

Seeing that the two elders had no objections, Shen Xiao stowed his fan, preparing to arrange the entry immediately. But just then, a third voice rang out in the Council Chamber.

“I do not agree.”

The speaker was the cultivator sitting on the center prayer mat. This was the first time he had spoken since Ji Yanqing’s arrival.

What caught Ji Yanqing’s attention even more was that while he looked like an ordinary middle-aged man, his voice was as crisp and pleasant as shattered jade.

“You’ve always wanted to find Big Brother’s Cloud Pendant. Now that we finally have a clue, why are you disagreeing?”

The younger cultivator didn’t understand. He scratched his head and asked the middle-aged man.

“Why is that?”

Even Ji Yanhui looked at the cultivator and asked. His attitude toward this man was significantly more respectful than toward the goateed elder. Furthermore, he used four words instead of his usual two, showing that this middle-aged man’s status in the Ji family was absolutely not inferior to his own.

However, Ji Yanqing searched through the important Ji family characters in his mind but couldn’t find one that corresponded to this man.

But he noticed the way the middle-aged cultivator was looking at him.

Unlike the others, whose gazes were filled with loathing or disdain, this man looked at him with unmistakable hatred—as if Ji Yanqing had stolen something precious from him.

The middle-aged cultivator slowly stood up. Despite his ordinary looks and gray Daoist robe, his aura was magnetic, drawing everyone’s eyes to him.

“Because back then, you told the Clan Head the exact same thing,” the middle-aged man said through gritted teeth, stepping toward Ji Yanqing.

Looking at his eyes, Ji Yanqing had no doubt that if they were alone in this chamber, the man would likely skin him alive.

Ji Yanqing’s heart sank.

Needless to say, this is likely another victim scammed by the original host.

But… what does this have to do with the previous Clan Head?

While Ji Yanqing was wondering, the middle-aged man continued: “Back then, you lied saying you were in trouble abroad, luring the Clan Head to rescue you, only for him to fall into a trap. If not for that time, how could the Clan Head have encountered a heart demon and later perished due to the Decay of the Dao Heart…”

Ji Yanqing: “???”

Wait, when did this happen?

Before the middle-aged man could finish, the younger cultivator hurriedly interrupted: “Second Brother! Big Brother already said that matter had nothing to do with Yanqing!”

Ji Yanqing was full of question marks upon hearing about the events of the past, but hearing the word “Second Brother,” he finally confirmed the man’s identity.

He was Ji Qidan, the younger brother of Ji Yanqing’s “cheap” father, his Second Uncle, and the Second Elder of the Ji family.

Ji Yanqing hadn’t recognized him before only because, in the description of Path of the Demon Immortal, this Ji Qidan was a great beauty clad in red.

…So, what on earth did he go through?

Ji Yanqing peeked at Ji Qidan, unable to connect this middle-aged man with the “beauty as colorful as spring flowers” described in the book.

“Is that so? I don’t recall.”

Hearing the younger cultivator’s words, Ji Qidan’s lips curled into a faint smile, pulling his ordinary face into a smirk. He reached out his hand, and as spiritual energy gathered, one could vaguely see a beauty in red within the aura, as vibrant as a blooming peony.

Unknowingly, the Council Chamber became permeated with a faint scent of peonies.

Able to gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, this Ji Qidan was a Spirit Severing Perfected Being (元神真人 – Yuanshen Zhenren) whose cultivation was not inferior to Ji Yanhui’s.

Ji Qidan shot a cool look at Ji Yanqing and said: “Since you can even scheme against your own father, I will no longer believe your words. Since you’ve already revealed the location of the Cloud Pendant, whether it’s true or false, you are of no further use. Today, you shall perish here.”

Though he spoke of Ji Yanqing perishing on the spot, Ji Qidan’s tone was incredibly calm and indifferent, as if he were discussing what to have for dinner.

Ji Yanqing: “???”

Wait, Second Uncle, let me explain!

Ji Yanqing had just learned the man’s identity and, after recalling what he had said, quickly found an abnormality.

Ji Qidan had long reached the Spirit Severing stage; his strength and temperament were formidable. Since the original host came to the Ji family, he had always feared this Second Uncle and never dared to offend him.

Furthermore, the events Ji Qidan described were even more preposterous.

Setting aside whether the heart demon the Clan Head encountered was one of the reasons for his decay, the most important point was that while the host had done countless bad things, he truly hadn’t done this.

But Ji Qidan was not about to give him a chance to explain.

A flash of five-colored spiritual light from his hand swept toward Ji Yanqing.

At that moment, a surge of sword intent shielded Ji Yanqing. It was Qi Ye, his sword unsheathed, forming an array as a barrier.

Normally, against a Spirit Severing stage cultivator, someone at the Soul Manifestation stage would be as weak as a clay chicken or a pottery dog. Fortunately, Qi Ye was using a Heavenly-grade spiritual sword, and combined with his protagonist aura, he managed to block the strike.

“A sword cultivator?”

Ji Qidan frowned slightly, hesitating: “You are not of the Ji family; you have no right to perish here.”

As he spoke, the surrounding space began to warp slightly. Since a non-Ji member couldn’t die here, he intended to move the fight elsewhere.

But then, a wave of cold air arrived, freezing the warped space solid.

Ji Qidan stopped his movements, looking quite dissatisfied: “What, Ji Yanhui, do you intend to protect him as well?”

Ji Yanhui said nothing but blurred into motion, appearing before Ji Yanqing. His intent to defend was blatant.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the Council Chamber became heavy and tense.

Ji Yanqing suddenly realized that, just like before, he had once again become the center of this storm.

“Since you insist, do not blame me…” Seeing that Ji Yanhui was unwilling to move, Ji Qidan spoke, and the scent of peonies in the hall grew even thicker.

Fortunately, at this moment, Ji Yanqing finally remembered what the event Ji Qidan mentioned was.

He hurriedly spoke up: “Second Uncle, the culprit who harmed Father is right here. Why allow yourself to be exploited and turn your spear against Father’s only remaining bloodline?”

Sure enough, hearing this, Ji Qidan froze.

Seizing the chance, Ji Yanqing looked at the goateed cultivator who was currently gloating and asked with a half-smile: “Isn’t that right, Third Uncle?”

The goateed cultivator likely never dreamed he would be pointed out by Ji Yanqing at this final moment. He instinctively denied it: “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Ji Yanqing continued: “Wasn’t it you who used my name back then to lure Father into the heart-demon trap?”

Just now, Ji Yanqing had finally remembered: in the book’s plot where Ji Yanhui goes to retrieve the pendant, the Third Elder of the Ji family betrays them halfway, nearly trapping Ji Yanhui in the Ghost Realm. Afterward, he confessed his past crimes, one of which was plotting against the Clan Head.

“You… you are framing me!”

The goateed man panicked, especially knowing that Ji Qidan abhorred the betrayal of brothers. He hurriedly denied it: “Second Brother, you must not listen to his lies! He—he has no evidence!”

“Oh, I knew you’d say that.”

With a thought from Ji Yanqing, the golden, glittering glazed lamp appeared in his hand. He looked at the goateed cultivator and said with a smile: “Do you see this artifact? The Golden Light Retroactive Glazed Lamp.”

“Do you need me to replay your actions from that day right now?”