Immortal Martial Emperor

Hong Yu opened the envelope in his hand and took out the white sheet of paper stored within.

The paper was new, and the ink had not yet completely dried. Clearly, whoever had sent this letter was watching his every move.

They even knew his schedule down to the last detail.

Hong Yu couldn’t help but wonder, ’Who on earth sent me this letter? I don’t know anyone in the Yaoyue Kingdom!’

Pushing his doubts aside, Hong Yu began to read the letter carefully. He had barely read the opening when his expression changed...

The opening lines read: My dear clan brother, Hong Yu, it has been nearly a full year since we last parted.

Do you still remember me, your senior brother from the Cyan Nether Sword Sect?

Heh heh, perhaps you no longer remember me. But no matter. You should still remember the Hong Family of Shishui City, shouldn’t you?

And you should remember the Third Elder, the one who thought so highly of you, who helped you raise your status within the family time and time again?

The old man misses you dearly!

I hear you’ve been doing quite well for yourself in the Qin Kingdom this past year. It truly makes me both envious and jealous! But after wandering for so long, you must be getting homesick, right?

Heh heh, don’t you worry!

I understand the pain of missing one’s family, so I’ve already brought the Third Elder over for you. He’s currently settled in at the West Mountain Inn, Room No. 3 of the Celestial Building, enjoying the finest food and drink.

If you want to see the old man, you should hurry. Otherwise, I’m afraid his frail, old body won’t hold out for much longer! —Your Clan Brother, Hong Renjie!

A deep sense of unease washed over Hong Yu as he read the letter.

Memories of the Third Elder flooded his mind.

Aside from his parents and younger sister, he was the only person in the entire Hong Family for whom Hong Yu felt profound gratitude and respect.

His kindness, his carefree spirit, and the immense care he had shown him.

These were feelings he had never experienced from anyone else in the Hong Family—the feeling of true kinship.

He was the only kind elder in the Hong Family whom Hong Yu would affectionately call "Grandpa."

’A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring!’

Hong Yu would never fail anyone who was truly good to him.

It was for this very reason that he had once traveled a great distance from the Cyan Nether Sword Sect back to Shishui City, all to fulfill the Third Elder’s wish for him to attend the clan assembly.

’Third Grandpa is a member of the Hong Family, after all. Surely Hong Renjie wouldn’t do anything to him?’ Comforting himself with this thought, Hong Yu said a quick word to Beichen Celestial Frost and left the magnificent inn, built and funded by the Iron Soldier Pavilion, by himself.

The West Mountain Inn was some distance away.

At his speed, it took Hong Yu about twenty minutes to reach a building in the poorest, most run-down corner of western Yaoyue City. As he walked into the West Mountain Inn, the stench of rot and mildew assaulted his senses.

Hong Yu frowned, his gaze sweeping across the establishment.

The shopkeeper, who had been dozing, jolted awake at Hong Yu’s arrival and hurried over with a smile. "Welcome, guest! Are you here for a meal, or to stay the night?"

Hong Yu arched a brow. "Where is Room No. 3 of the Celestial Building?"

"Ah? Room No. 3? You... you must be Hong Yu?" the shopkeeper stammered in surprise.

Hong Yu nodded.

The shopkeeper’s demeanor immediately turned fawning. "Please wait, I’ll take you there right now!"

The West Mountain Inn usually catered to poor and destitute guests, so its income was mediocre at best.

But earlier that morning, an exceptionally lavish young man had arrived, paid him more money than he might earn in an entire year, and booked Room No. 3 of the Celestial Building.

As the young man left, he mentioned that a friend of his would be arriving today.

Hearing now that Hong Yu was the friend of that honored guest, the shopkeeper thought to himself that this must be another big spender, and his attitude became impeccably servile.

After personally escorting Hong Yu to Room No. 3 of the Celestial Building, the shopkeeper rubbed his hands together and simpered, "Honored guest, this is the room. You see..."

Hong Yu glanced at him. ’How could I not understand the mentality of such a petty man?’

He casually tossed the man a few Gold Coins, which earned him a fresh round of flattery before the shopkeeper finally retreated respectfully.

’Hong Renjie said Third Grandpa is here?’

’The Third Elder is a Late-stage Earth Soul Realm expert. Since I didn’t deliberately conceal my aura when I arrived, he should have been able to sense me.’

Staring at the silent door to Room No. 3, the unease in Hong Yu’s heart grew ever stronger.

CREAK!

He pushed open the door and stepped inside.

He was immediately met with the thick smell of medicine, mingled with the faint stench of blood.

Hong Yu’s brow furrowed. On high alert, he followed the scent toward the inner chamber.

A gauze screen partitioned the area, separating it into two rooms. Through the screen, he could faintly make out a figure swaying, but it wasn’t moving from its spot.

Frowning, Hong Yu swept the screen aside.

The instant he pulled back the screen, the deep furrows on Hong Yu’s brow vanished. His narrowed eyes shot wide open, a cold, sharp light flashing within his dark pupils. His chest felt as if it had been crushed by a boulder, and he couldn’t even draw a breath.

PANT, PANT!

Hot, ragged breaths of fury escaped his lips.

In an instant, the whites of his eyes turned a stark, blood red.

Before him...

A large, round water cistern, about half the height of a man, stood in the room. And stuffed inside it was a person.

The man had a full head of white hair. His face was gaunt and sallow, etched with the deep lines of age. He was clearly an old man, well past his sixtieth year.

But now...

The old man’s eyes were nothing but bloody, empty sockets. They had been gouged out.

His ears had been hacked off as well, the bloody scabs sealing the holes where they used to be.

Blood trickled from his empty eye sockets and severed ears, staining his head in crimson waterfalls.

"G-Grandpa?"

Hong Yu lunged forward in a fury, his hands gripping the cistern, his whole body trembling. "G-Grandpa... you... how could this have happened to you?"

A film of moisture blurred his vision, turning the old man into a hazy figure.

That kind old man... the grandfatherly figure who had elevated him from a side branch member to the Ninth Young Master... how could he now be so horribly disfigured?

How could Hong Yu not be enraged?

But he soon realized that what he was seeing was merely the tip of the iceberg.

"Grandpa, I’ll get you out of there."

Hong Yu pressed his hands against the cistern. With a surge of Dark Force, the cistern began to crack. CRACK! CRACK! The fissures spread until it shattered completely.

But the scene that was revealed dealt another vicious blow to his heart.

Freed from the cistern, his grandfather found no relief, only greater agony. His face—missing its eyes, ears, and tongue—twisted into a hideous mask of pain.

The body that had been stuffed inside was naked. His hands and feet had been hacked off, and even his groin was a bloody, mangled ruin. The cistern had been filled with a potion to sustain his Life Force, but now it flowed out onto the floor, teeming with crawling maggots.

The stench of decay instantly permeated the room.

Staring at his grandfather—emaciated, with nothing left but a torso and a head—Hong Yu felt his eyes would split from rage. A low roar tore from his throat. "Hong Renjie, you will die a miserable death..."

’I thought that no matter how ruthless Hong Renjie was, he wouldn’t dare do this to an elder of his grandfather’s generation.’

’But now...’

"Hh... hhh..."

His grandfather’s mouth gaped open, and a series of whimpers escaped the tongueless cavity.

Though the sounds were unintelligible, Hong Yu understood what he meant.

He was begging for death.

He was pleading with Hong Yu to grant him the mercy of death.

What is a person’s greatest tragedy?

It is not poverty or sickness, but to be trapped in a state where one can neither live nor die...

When a person loses even the right to die, it is undoubtedly the ultimate punishment.

At this moment, the Third Elder was trapped in exactly that state.

"Grandpa..."

Hong Yu suddenly took two steps back and fell heavily to his knees.

He, who never knelt to heaven or earth, who knelt only to his parents, did so now without hesitation.

His grand-uncle was an elder worthy of the highest respect.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

He kowtowed, his forehead striking the floor with heavy, solemn thuds.

A look of grim resolve flashed in Hong Yu’s eyes. He let out a slow breath. "Grandpa, may your journey be peaceful. I swear I will kill that animal Hong Renjie and offer his life to your spirit!"

He placed his palm on the Third Elder’s head.

The Third Elder seemed to sense his intent and a smile of release graced his lips.

Hong Yu closed his eyes. With a tremor of his palm, the Third Elder, wearing a serene smile, finally departed from this world.

WHOOSH!

A wisp of flame leaped from his fingertip onto the Third Elder’s body. Under Hong Yu’s control, the corpse was quickly reduced to ashes.

He retrieved a precious jade box from his Storage Ring, placed the Third Elder’s ashes inside, and then stored it away, his hand lingering on the ring.

His narrowed eyes glinted with a terrifying coldness. ’Grandpa, just wait a little longer. It won’t be long before I offer Hong Renjie’s head as a tribute to you.’

Having taken care of everything, Hong Yu left the room.

He walked out under the shopkeeper’s bewildered gaze.

Walking through the bustling streets, his heart was exceptionally heavy, and his mood chillingly grim.

Hong Renjie’s actions had utterly enraged him.

His heart heavy with turmoil, Hong Yu found an inn, chose a secluded table by a window, and ordered some small dishes along with several jars of fine, aged wine. He then began to drink heavily, alone.

In the blink of an eye, three jars of potent liquor were already in his belly. The burning sensation only fueled the agitation in his heart.

The more agitated he became, the more furiously he drank.

He unsealed another jar and was about to pour himself a drink when his movements suddenly froze. His alcohol-hazy eyes instantly sharpened.

Beyond the sharpness, a trace of astonishment crept into his gaze. He stared at the newcomer in utter disbelief...

"You... what are you doing here?"