The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace

"Big brother."

Yun Yunshan entered the ancestral hall, bowing respectfully to his elder brother.

"Ah, Fourth Brother, what brings you here?"

"Shuang'er has forged all the spiritual Ore you purchased from the cultivation market a month ago into spiritual weapons. I've brought them here for you to inspect," Yun Yunshan said with a smile.

Unwrapping the black cloth from the two daggers hanging at his waist, he handed them over.

Peeling away the covering, Yun Yunyang examined the daggers carefully. His eyes lit up with admiration as he beheld their fine craftsmanship.

"They're excellent! It seems Shuang'er's refining skills are advancing rapidly. These daggers are truly remarkable."

"According to Shuang'er, both are peak Yellow-tier, first-grade spiritual weapons," Yun Yunshan noted.

"I plan to submit one dagger to the family treasury and leave the other for you to sell at the cultivation market. The proceeds should more than cover the cost of the spiritual ore and leave us with a profit."

"Understood. I'll handle it as you suggest," Yun Yunyang agreed with a small smile.

"It seems our family can now consider delving into refining as an ongoing endeavor."

"Only if we have enough materials for it," Yun Yunshan sighed.

"How is the Gold-Eyed Beast that Shui'er is raising?" Yun Yunyang asked suddenly.

"It's grown quite a bit."

"Big Brother, why bring that up now? Don't tell me..."

"Exactly. Preparations are nearly complete. It's time to send a party to investigate the location of the obsidian vein in Chuyun Mountain," Yun Yunyang said with a knowing smile.

With Shuang'er's refining abilities improving daily, the family's lack of adequate refining materials had become a bottleneck. Although the family had accumulated some spirit stones recently, it wasn't prudent to spend them all on buying spiritual ores.

If an obsidian vein existed, it would save the family considerable expenses. Why pay exorbitant prices for materials that could potentially be sourced directly?

"Haha! I understand. I'll inform Second Brother about this. In a couple of days, I'll take Shui'er with me to investigate the obsidian vein's location," Yun Yunshan laughed heartily.

"Good. I'll leave this matter to you and Second Brother. I'll oversee the weapon workshop in the meantime," Yun Yunyang replied, nodding in approval.

The following morning, Yun Yanshui hugged the Gold-Eyed Beast tightly as he followed his father to the estate's entrance. There, they joined his Second Uncle Yun Yunyue and several family guards in preparation for their journey to Chuyun Mountain.

"Get in the cart," Yun Yunshan ordered.

Bending down, Yanshui ducked into the carriage with the Gold-Eyed Beast cradled in his arms.

"Hyah!"

With a crack of the reins, Yun Yunyue and Yun Yunshan led the way, accompanied by a troop of twenty guards, as they set off toward Chuyun Mountain.

After half a day's journey, the group arrived at the base of the vast mountain range.

"I spent days searching this area with the family guard before but never found the obsidian vein," Yun Yunyue said as he dismounted, scanning the endless expanse of lush forests before them.

"Let Shui'er's Gold-Eyed Beast handle it," Yun Yunshan suggested confidently. "With its keen sense of smell, it should be able to locate the obsidian vein's hiding place."

Yun Yunshan chuckled softly, turning to his son who was stepping out of the carriage with the Gold-Eyed Beast in his arms.

"Shui'er, now it's your turn to shine. Your Second Uncle and the others are counting on you!"

"Don't worry, Father!" Yun Yanshui grinned mischievously, setting the Gold-Eyed Beast on the ground.

"Alright, little rascal, it's up to you now. Find that obsidian vein, and I'll reward you with more spirit stones than you can eat!"

The Gold-Eyed Beast wagged its tail excitedly, its big, sparkling eyes lighting up at the mention of spirit stones. It bounced around happily, yipping and howling as though it understood the promise of a reward.

"Here, a little snack first," Yun Yanshui said indulgently, pulling a spirit stone from his pocket and feeding it to the eager beast.

Crunch, crunch~

The Gold-Eyed Beast devoured the stone with glee and then darted into the forest, its nose to the ground as it began sniffing for traces of obsidian.

"Father, Second Uncle, let's hurry and follow it!" Yun Yanshui called, leading the group into the dense forest.

The party trailed the beast as it moved through Chuyun Mountain, sniffing and pausing intermittently. Hours turned into days as they pushed deeper into the wild terrain.

By the second day, Yanshui began to recognize their surroundings.

"This path… it looks familiar. I think we've been here before," he murmured to himself before realization struck.

"This is the same route we took when leaving the ancient battlefield!"

"Woof, woof!"

At dawn, the Gold-Eyed Beast stood atop a cliff overlooking a deep gorge. It barked excitedly, signaling it had made a discovery.

"This gorge… so this is the ancient battlefield. Could it be that the obsidian vein is hidden here?"

"Could the battle between those two tribes a century ago have been over this vein?"

Yanshui's mind raced as he took in the familiar sight.

"Shui'er, are you sure this is the place where Shuang'er and Yantian apprehended the cultists?"

"Yes, Father! Shuang'er told me all about it. This battlefield is where they captured that Gu God Cult disciple. She also mentioned that this area was once the site of a brutal conflict between two tribes."

"Interesting… If the Gold-Eyed Beast is onto something, then the obsidian vein might truly be buried here," Yun Yunshan mused.

"Get the climbing ropes out! Everyone prepare to descend into the gorge," Yun Yunyue ordered, wasting no time.

The Yun family guards quickly unpacked their climbing gear, fastening hooks and ropes to descend the cliff.

Once at the bottom of the gorge, the group was greeted by an eerie sight: skeletal remains littered the ground, remnants of the tribal war that had taken place here a century ago.

Among the bones were newer, mangled corpses—victims of the recent battle against the Gu God Cult, including some from Yunzhang County and Lan Lin County.

Yun Yunshan and Yun Yunyue exchanged grave looks. It was clear how perilous Shuang'er and Yantian's mission had been.

"Woof, woof!"

The Gold-Eyed Beast darted through the gorge, occasionally stopping to sniff before barking to call the group forward.

"Let's move," Yun Yunyue urged, gesturing for the group to follow.

The gorge narrowed the further they went, its shadowy depths growing colder and darker. A bone-chilling wind swept through the narrow passage, unnerving even the seasoned guards.

"Stay alert," Yun Yunyue warned, gripping his spear tightly.

The group pressed on until the Gold-Eyed Beast stopped in front of a cave entrance, barking excitedly. Without hesitation, it ran inside.

"This cave… the walls show clear signs of being carved by human hands," Yun Yunshan noted, running his fingers over the stone as he entered with a torch.

"Not just that. These carvings are ancient. Shui'er might be right—the two tribes probably fought over the obsidian vein here," Yun Yunyue added, examining the surroundings.

"They must have wanted to claim the vein for themselves, only to destroy each other in the process. Their greed likely buried this secret with them for over a century."

"Even if most of the obsidian has already been mined, whatever remains should suffice for our family's needs," Yun Yunshan said, his voice brimming with optimism.

"Haha, exactly, Second Brother!"

"Let's keep moving. The vein might be further inside," Yun Yunyue instructed, raising his torch higher as they ventured deeper into the cave.