Shrouding the Heavens

If he didn’t want his face to turn green, then he would have to cause other people’s faces to turn green. If he were to become a Heavenly Source Master, that sacred city tens of thousands of kilometers away would be an absolute paradise for him.

“Brother Ye, if you could really gamble over a Sacred Lady, can you also win me over a wife?” Tomfool asked naively.

Ye Fan immediately laughed. “No problem.”

“If he could win a Sacred Lady, winning a fairy wife for you would be no problem,” Wang Shu also laughed.

“Other than Fifth Daoist Zhang, is there anyone else within this stone village who has comparatively high understanding of Sources?” He wanted to learn the basics first, as becoming a Heavenly Source Master would definitely not be easy.

“All the senior members know a bit, but only Fifth Grandpa Zhang is a master.”

Ye Fan nodded. After staying in the stone village for a couple days, his understanding of Sources had risen by quite a bit and he needed to continue studying.

------

That afternoon, shouts came from outside the stone village and the people inside the village went a little crazy.

“Bandit Chen Da has come! He brought dozens of people to annihilate the village!”

“Quickly hide! Bandits will cause blood to run wild in our village!”

The many young people helped the elders and children to hide before holding cold knives as they rushed to the front of the village.

“These bandits only know how to suppress the weak. Why don’t they try looting those sects, those cowardly dogs?”

“Many of them actually came from those sects and have great powers behind them. Villains truly do work hand in hand.”

The village’s people were all very unyielding. They didn’t become afraid when they saw those roving bandits come, and each made preparations for battle.

“Today isn’t the day to fight for your lives. Calm down,” Fifth Grandpa Zhang and the other seniors chided these hot-blooded youths.

Outside the stone village, dust soared as dozens of horsemen arrived in front of them in an instant. Killing intent and roars filled the air.

All of them were mounted on Dragon Scaled Horses. The green scales shone sinisterly, each Horse carrying a bloody stench.

These were obviously a vicious group that had killed quite a few people. They were much more savage than ordinary roving bandits.

Over these last few days, Ye Fan had killed quite a few roving bandits within fifty kilometers of the village, but he had still been unable to find this group. Now they had finally arrived right on his doorstep.

One the central Dragon Scaled Horse was a forty-year old man with a great mustache, his abundant facial hair was fluffed like a lion’s mane, appearing very savage.[1]

“Everyone hiding inside the stone village better come the Hell out!” ordered quite a few of the bandits.

“To dare greet us with knives, you’ve really become delusional.” Many of the bandits had cruel expressions.

Fifth Grandpa Zhang walked out and stood within the stone village. “Calm down, sirs. Who doesn’t carry knives in the northern region? We were just always holding them, not taking them out for you.”

Some of the bandits coldly laughed. “Shut up. Have the Sources been prepared? Don’t tell me there’s not enough and you still need more time. We don’t have such patience.”

“If you can’t hand the Sources over today, your village will be completely destroyed by us. We’ll make this place into a field of blood.”

The bandits all hooted and bursts of killing intent soared over.

Fifth Grandpa Zhang knew they were all a group of indiscriminate murderers and not kidding. He opened a bag of Sources and light immediately shone out of it, attracting all of their gazes.

“Not bad. These Sources are actually passable. Old Zhang, your skill really isn’t small. You were actually able to gather so many in such a short time.” Bandit Chen Da brought the dozens of bandits up.

“With sirs ordering me, how could this old man not listen?” Fifth Grandpa Zhang cupped his hands.

The several kilograms of Sources shone in all colors, and Spiritual Qi overflowed. These were all Ye Fan’s Sources. He had just three kilograms of Sources. He didn’t wish to fight within the stone village because he sure that there was at least one sect behind this group of bandits helping them. If they were to fight here, it might implicate the small village. Thus he had told Fifth Grandpa Zhang to first hand over these Sources to them.

Bandit Chen Da laughed once the Sources landed in his hands. His laugh was like a broken drum beating and very unpleasant to listen to.

“Pretty good. There’s just slightly over three kilograms here. Looks like you guys are lucky and your village has avoided a calamity.” He grabbed his horsewhip and patted Fifth Grandpa Zhang’s head a couple times. “I’ve long since heard that this old man’s vision was amazing. With this old man’s arms and legs, he won’t be able to live for many more years, so just properly keep searching for Sources in this area for me…”

Tomfool’s eyes turned red and he rushed over. “Bandit Chen Da, where is my older sister? Give her back to me.”

A bandit vulgarly laughed and said, “Are you talking about that woman we brought away a month ago? She wasn’t bad, but she already drowned herself in a river half a month ago.”

“I’ll kill you!” Tomfool bitterly cried, and although he was a bit dumb, his strength was great. Even four or five other youths in the village together weren’t able to hold him back.

“A fool like you dares challenge us?” The bandits’ gazes immediately stood up and restrained him.

“If you dare contend against us, we’ll immediately destroy your village!” These people wouldn’t even blink when killing others. They were all extreme criminals who did whatever they wanted.

“Sis…” Tomfool cried. Although he was a bit simple-minded and carefree most days, he now felt as if his heart was being torn apart as he wept bitterly. As he struggled against them, veins bulged out all over his body.

An elder of the village walked out and pressed a finger against a certain part of his body, and Tomfool realized he was barely able to move at all anymore. The youths of the village drew their blades, prepared to charge over at any moment.

“What use is there being angry with a fool.” The bandits laughed cruelly. “I remember from last time that this fool also had a younger sister who was quite pretty. Let’s bring her away this time.”

“Fool, go bring your younger sister here.” One of the bandits brandished his whip towards Tomfool.

“Sirs, you can’t act like this. The Sources have already been paid so don’t hurt anyone else in our village,” Fifth Grandpa Zhang spoke up.

“Old thing, stop being a busybody. Later, we still have something we want from you, so just go stand to the side.” The bandits shoved him to the side and then whipped Tomfool a couple times.

“Get up and bring your sister!” One of them undid his restraints.

“I’ll kill you!” Tomfool’s lips had already been bitten through as he grabbed his dagger from the ground, about to risk his life to kill any of them.

The other youths also raised their sharp blades when they saw this and advanced forward.

“Hmph, even a group of commoners dare to resist?!” These brutes’ eyes turned cold and one of them viciously whipped Tomfool onto the ground where he spit out blood. “You fool, if you don’t want to leave then whatever, but don’t drag your village into it, too.”

“Hurry up and bring you little sister over. Otherwise I’ll massacre all of you here…”

These people were incomparably vicious and cruel.

“Can you hear me? Hurry the hell up!” Another one viciously whipped Tomfool.

The young men of the village all felt their hot blood surge and wished to immediately attack.

“Whatever, don’t make any more trouble this time.” Behind, Bandit Chen Da waved his hand. He was afraid of provoking anger because he still needed this village’s people to do something for him. He turned to Fifth Grandpa Zhang and said, “You actually are pretty good at finding Sources. Right now we urgently need them, so I’ll give you another assignment.”

“What assignment.”

“Within twenty days, hand over another three kilograms of Sources.”

“What? We just handed them over.”

Bandit Chen Da fake smiled and said, “This is the last time. Right now we really need Sources. Later we’ll give you guys some benefits.”

“But in such a short time we really aren’t able to find them…”

“Shut up!” Bandit Chen Da’s face immediately darkened, turning his horse and leaving. As he was leaving, he said one final cold sentence. “If you can’t gather three kilograms in half a month’s time, then just wait for your village to be exterminated!”

“If an old man likes you wishes to live out your final years, try to put in some more effort.” One of bandits hit Grandpa Zhang’s head with his whip as he urged his Dragon Scaled Horse forward, causing him to spit out blood.

“As for you, you stupid kid, you’re lucky this time. Try not to be so stupid next time.” Another bandit hit Tomfool a couple more times with his whip before jumping onto his horse.

“These murdering bastards!”

“Why haven’t these bloodsucking ants been struck by divine lightning yet?!”

The villages people were all furious as they watched their backs ride away. All of them were tightly clenching their fists.

Tomfool howled like a wild animal while Wang Shu held on to him tightly, not letting him chase after them.

Ye Fan walked over and patted Tomfool’s shoulders. “Come with me.”

Fifth Grandpa Zhang and the others didn’t ask anything. They knew what Ye Fan wanted to do, and bringing Tomfool along wasn’t a bad idea, otherwise that kid might be driven mad from anger.

As the bandits left the village, they passed by seven or eight other small oases and collected over ten kilograms of Sources. Only then did they urge their horses to ride far into the distance.

Ye Fan brought Tomfool along as he followed not too far and not too close behind them. He found that these group of people were very cautious and would occasionally stop to check for anyone trailing them.

They travelled two hundred kilometers before finally reaching their headquarters. They hadn’t made any moves within this area, instead going far away to plunder people.

“With this many Sources, the old man should be able to break through.” Bandit Chen Da was quietly conversing with a bandit beside him.

Not longer after, they entered a mountainous land filled with stone trees. There was no vegetation here, only a single flowing river.

“We have to send these Sources over to the old man as quickly as possible…”

Ye Fan was startled. Based on their conversation, he could confirm that there really was a sect behind them.

“Is the Qingxia sect well known in this region?” Ye Fan asked Tomfool.

“I think I have heard of them. Actually, thinking back, my grandpa has talked about them. Everything within three hundred kilometers is inside the Qingxia sect’s influence,” said Tomfool, while unwaveringly staring at the river flowing through the stone forest.

“Once people have died, there’s no reviving them. Try not to think on it too much.” Ye Fan patted him on the shoulders a couple times before extending his divine sense and finding a total of fifty-one bandits.

Bandit Chen Da and one other person had reached the Divine Bridge realm, and there were seven or eight Spring of Life realm cultivators. The rest were all in the lowest Sea of Bitterness realm.

He didn’t want a single person to be able to escape. He laid a few Dao Glyphs from the ancient animal hide scroll around the stone forest to seal this place.

“Good, now I’ll go take revenge for your sister.” Ye Fan walked into the stone forest with Tomfool and used his hand as a blade to cut a couple stone spears.

“Who are you?” shouted one of the bandits.

Ye Fan simply pointed at him and a golden light rushed out. A bloody hole appeared on the bandit’s forehead and his corpse fell to the ground.

“Who is trespassing on our domain?” Shouts rang out as those bandits all charged out.

“So it was this fool. Since you dare send yourself to our door, could it be you’ve brought your little sister?”

“No, this isn’t your sister, but a youngster…”

This group of bandits had yet to notice the corpse, so they recklessly walked forward.

In the distance, Bandit Chen Da felt that something was wrong, but he didn’t say anything and instead straightforwardly tried flying away. However he was blocked by the Dao Glyphs and had to no way to flee. He hastily shouted, “My brothers, kill them!”

“Fool, somehow you’re so simple-minded, but your sisters are actually quite smart…” These bandits still had no idea that a disaster had descended upon them.

Tomfool ground his teeth and his eyes turned red.

“You group of evil bastards, today your crimes will all stop.”

Ye Fan simply continuously pointed with his finger, and corpse after corpse collapsed, their foreheads all pierced by divine light.

“You…”

The bandits panicked. Even if they were used to killing others, when it came to their own safety, they naturally still became terrified.

Ye Fan sent the stone spears in his hand and nailed five of them into the ground. Those people had been involved in capturing Tomfool’s older sister.

Ye Fan patted Tomfool’s shoulders and let him exact his own revenge. Otherwise, he might turn twisted from being choked by his own anger.

“AHH!”

Those people all let out miserable screams as Tomfool practically turned mad, his blade slashing and his mouth tearing at their now completely bloodied bodies.

“You group of scoundrels think that just because you have a bit of power you have no more opponents?” Ye Fan glared at Bandit Chen Da.

“You are you? What’s your background?” Band Chen Da was much smarter, and having crawled out of a mountain of corpses back in his day, he knew that a disaster had befallen his group today.

“Aren’t you just doing this for some old bastard of the Qingxia sect?” Ye Fan coldly smiled. “First I’ll handle you guys, and then I’ll wait for an opportunity to eliminate that old bastard. As one of the northern region’s sects he actually secretly committed all kinds of nefarious acts. His crimes are unforgivable.”

“Before you kill us all, I hope you understand that you’ll become an enemy of the Qingxia sect, and that you’ll no longer be able to survive within this region,” roared Bandit Chen Da as he continuously fell back.

“I’m not going to shout about this all over. Heaven and earth knows, you know, and I know. But who else knows?” Ye Fan coldly laughed. “Soon I’ll have a breakthrough, and I’ll conveniently need some whetstones to hone myself. I won’t mind the Qingxia sect’s people coming looking for me.”

A green light flew out from within the stone forest and tried to cut through Ye Fan’s neck, it’s speed as fast as lightning.

But Ye Fan just gently raised a finger and the moonblade immediately shattered and fell to the ground.

He sent his fist smashing forward, and with a huge explosive sound, the huge stone forest was immediately smashed apart. Bandit Chen Da’s fellow Divine Bridge realm cultivator let out a miserable scream as his bones were crushed and he was sent tumbling over the ground.

“You guys have committed unimaginable crimes and your hands are covered in blood. It’s time you get sent on your way.” Ye Fan repeatedly waved his finger and ray after ray of golden light was shot out, looking like shooting stars.

The sound of it piercing through bodies repeatedly rang out as corpse after corpse collapsed to the ground.

“Don’t kill me!” roared Bandit Chen Da. Although he was the head of the group, at this final critical moment, he was even inferior to the people beside him.

Ye Fan used a single palm to destroy his Sea of Bitterness, then threw him in front of Tomfool.

At this time, Tomfool had long since torn apart those bandits that had been nailed into the ground by the stone spears. His whole body was covered in blood and he was continually crying.

“Give me back my big sis!” He grabbed Bandit Chen Da and viciously tore at him with his teeth.

Ye Fan eliminated all the other bandits and then walked deep into the stone forest. He found over ten kilograms of Sources. Who knew just how villages the bandits had menaced in order to get so many.

Other than this, he also found a piece of ancient jade around half the size of a palm. It was clearly a piece that had been broken off.

As soon as he grabbed it with his hand, he felt a kind of ancient and desolate air, giving him a strange feeling.

“A map…”

Ye Fan was somewhat startled. There was a map of a couple mountains and plains on the ancient jade. After so many generations, their markings had been almost erased.

There was a single word on it that caused people’s heart to shake. Although it was almost indistinct, upon careful study it was possible to recognize that the word was ‘Emperor.’

“Tomfool, don’t kill him! I still have to ask him some questions!” hastily shouted Ye Fan.

By this time, Bandit Chen Da was unable to hold back his screams as his whole body was covered in blood. But luckily he still hadn’t died.

“Where did you get this piece of ancient jade?

Bandit Chen Da had long since become terrified so he immediately replied, “While us brothers were excavating a Source mine, we found it within the Source vein.”

He repeatedly kowtowed, and hugged Tomfool’s legs, begging the two of them,”Please spare me.”

“How could it be something sealed within a Source mine, it had writing on it…”

“I couldn’t understand it. It was from an ancient mine left behind from before the Ancient Desolation, and we just happened to find it within while searching for Sources.”

“Where is that ancient mine, then?” asked Ye Fan.

An ancient jade from before the Ancient Desolation. That was definitely an interesting prospect, especially with the Emperor character written on it. It led him to come up with many theories.

After all, in this area was the purple mountain that had to do with an ancient Great Emperor, which he was thinking of entering to search for the Heavenly Source Book. Now that he had also obtained this ancient jade, he couldn’t help but relate the two.

“Don’t kill me! I’ll bring you there.” Bandit Chen Da felt as if he finally grasped a slight hope of survival.

Ye Fan kicked him aside with his leg and extended his powerful divine perception into his Mindsea to scan through his memories.

This was the advantage of having a powerful divine sense. Chen Da’s Mindsea was unable to resist at all, and Ye Fan directly broke in.

Ye Fan frowned as he learned of all the vicious crimes the bandit had done. The amount of evil things he had done were countless. He quickly found what he was looking for.

That ancient mine was a dozen kilometers away, so it wasn’t that far.

“Ok, you can continue, Tomfool.” Ye Fan stood up.

---

An hour later, Bandit Chen Da’s miserable screams ended. Tomfool cried in grief and even jumped into the river, continuously calling out his older sister’s name.

Ye Fan sighed. This was simply the northern region. It was a paradise for crime. Without power, any kind of tragic matter could befall on you at any time.

“Let’s go.”

Ye Fan let Tomfool wash himself clean in the river water, and threw him a new set of clothes. The he erased all the vestiges that had been left behind on the ground and flew into the air.

------

As they were returning to the stone village, Ye Fan stared alternatively at the huge purple mountain and the ancient jade in his hand.

Suddenly, another mountain range appeared in his eye.

“This place is…”

He immediately realized something and flew as high as he could into the sky.

Surrounding the huge purple mountain were nine mountain ranges, but the distance was too great and each of them extended so far into the distance that their ends could not be seen.

When drawing a map, it could clearly be seen that the purple mountain was the center of those nine mountain ranges.

Ye Fan lowered his head to look at the ancient jade. The mountain range on the broken map should be two of the mountain ranges in this region.

“The complete ancient jade map should have definitely contained the purple mountain. Who would have thought these mountain ranges that extend far into the horizon also have something to do with the purple mountain…” Ye Fan was shocked.

[1] ‘Bandit Chen Da’ was a difficult term to translate. The ‘bandit’ part actually usually means mustache, but it has the secondary meaning of bandit, while ‘Da’ means big. Therefore his name could also be Big Mustache Chen.

Translator notes:

Chen Dong’s naming in the past few chapters has been really strange. For example, he named some Er Bai Zi which is a name for someone dumb, but he uses it in the context of a name, so it isn’t ‘the dummy did this,’ but instead ‘Dummy did this.’ As for Bandit Chen Da, I did debate calling him Big Mustache Chen, but that definitely felt like it did not fit with the story as he rarely makes up names like that.