Chapter 238: Chapter 236: Calamity (Part 1) The edges of the bamboo seat were suffused with a faint white halo. On the bamboo seat sat an elder clad in a fire-red Taoist robe. His hair was simply tied with a white jade hairpin, his face free of any wrinkles, his eyes deep and emotionless, seemingly devoid of any worldly feelings. The elder sat on the flying bamboo seat, moving at a speed ten times faster than an ordinary horse. Soon, he arrived at Wangjiang County, located in the southeastern corner of Wei Kingdom. In Tai City, it was bustling with lights and festivities. "New Year, the grand New Year!" "This year’s disasters are gone, next year blessings come!" "Candied haws, three 文 for a skewer, prices won’t increase for the New Year, hurry and buy if you want to eat!" On the main city street, masked performers showcased their skills, children in new clothes pestered their elders to buy snacks, and hawkers called out as they carried their goods on poles... At the entrance of every store, large red lanterns hung, and occasionally firecrackers sounded, creating a joyous scene. Today was the first day of the New Year, and every face was filled with happy smiles. Even old enemies would exchange smiles and greetings if they met, avoiding any conflict. Yet among everyone, a red-robed elder stood out. He appeared indifferent, his eyes cold, ignoring everyone and everything around him, solely focused on a black, compass-like object in his palm. Silently, he arrived at the Drunken Immortal Tower, closed for the New Year, the tallest tavern where the Red Robe Immortal Master had met his demise, ascending to its top floor. The compass suddenly shone brightly, projecting a beam into the air, forming a colorful curtain. Like a movie, it replayed the entire scene of the Red Robe Immortal Master’s death. The elder’s eyes were like lightning, intently watching a black-robed Daoist, cloaked from head to toe, sneering, "Across the Longjiang River, only two or three families require the fusion of Spiritual Fire in their techniques, do they really think we can’t find out?" "Fine, I’ll make a note of this, we’ll settle the score later." Then, he left the tavern, stopping suddenly at a desolate place with broken houses and cracked ground. The compass for the second time projected a curtain in the air, replaying the battle between the female Daoist and Lou Yi. At first, the red-robed elder remained indifferent. But upon seeing Lou Yi forcefully drive back the Silver Armored Warrior, he couldn’t help but exclaim, "Impossible!" The Silver Armored Warrior, crafted by his own hands, boasted a strength of at least thirty to forty thousand pounds, an unimaginable power even among martial artists of Martial Artist caliber. The red-robed elder suppressed his emotions and continued watching the image. When he saw Lou Yi emerge unscathed from the female Daoist’s Spirit Fire Technique and violently kill her, his face turned exceedingly grim. "This lad must hold a great secret!" the elder murmured, his thoughts mirroring those of the female Daoist before her demise. Soon, he randomly seized a few passersby, projecting the image into the air, and pointing at Lou Yi’s face, asked, "Who is he?" Having obtained the desired answer, he casually killed them, turning into a red glow and vanishing from the spot. In the south of the city, the gate of Extreme Fist Sect was tightly closed. The interior was silent and desolate, starkly contrasting the lively exterior. The elder had appeared in the Martial Arts Arena, at some unknown time, looking at the empty venue, a mocking smile on his lips. "Did you think hiding would keep me from finding you? Foolish martial artists..." With a flick of his finger, a yellow talisman paper appeared in the air. Soon, it roamed around various corners of Extreme Fist Sect, folding and unfolding, as if deliberately collecting some information... Under the blue sky, on a muddy dirt road, a barefoot, thin, old man in green clothing was bent over, tending to something in a vegetable field. He picked away at rotten leaves, scattered plant ash, and loosened the soil, but his actions were slightly clumsy, prompting disdain from an old woman nearby. "Clumsy! You’re scattering ash on the leaves." "Hey, hey, hey, watch your step, don’t step on the vegetables again." "Go, go, go, better go home and drink tea instead of making a mess here. A martial artist who can’t even farm properly, saying it out loud would make people laugh their heads off..." Beside him, the old man chuckled and walked out of the vegetable field. Despite the scolding, he wasn’t the least bit angry. The old man was Wei Youdao. After the Extreme Fist Sect disbanded, he came to stay beside his old wife in the countryside, spending his days reading, fishing, and walking the dog. Today, feeling inspired, he decided to help fertilize the vegetables, but ended up scolded by his old wife. Yet Wei Youdao was thoroughly content with this leisurely, slow-paced life. Truly, it’s like stealing a moment of leisure amidst life’s chaos. After toiling for the sect for half a lifetime, allowing himself to relax was quite nice. Suddenly, a yellow talisman paper drifted overhead. Wei Youdao’s expression drastically changed, and he shouted angrily at his wife, "Run!" His wife stood baffled. The talisman paper suddenly shone brightly, like a miniature sun, forcing her to scream and cover her eyes. Then, a flash of silver passed. The elderly woman’s head detached from her shoulders and landed precisely in the hands of an elder wearing a fire-red Taoist robe. Like a toy, he held it by the hair. "Ah Fang, Ah Fang..." Wei Youdao stared blankly, then fury surged to his head, glowing red all over as he raised his fist and lunged at the elder. "Overestimating your abilities." The elder’s face was indifferent, and with a wave, a transparent rope bound Wei Youdao tightly, immobilizing him. Once more, a flash of silver, and a head flew into the sky! The current sect leader of Extreme Fist Sect, Wei Youdao, met his tragic end today! ... "Hide, quickly hide!" "Grandpa, you’re not allowed to peek!" "If you can’t find us, you have to buy us candy!" "And I want a new outfit!" The cheerful, innocent voices of children echoed continuously from a courtyard’s rockery. The rockery stood two zhang high, formed from numerous large and small, oddly shaped rocks. The mountain surface was filled with dark holes where children could hide. A short distance of seven or eight zhang from the rockery. A robust man with black hair growing on the sides of his cheeks and graying at the temples stood with his back to the rockery, blindfolded, and said with a smile, "Are you all hidden? Grandpa is coming to find you." Right as he finished speaking. A gigantic firebird several zhang long appeared in the sky above the rockery and then fiercely crashed downwards! ’Boom!’ The robust man abruptly turned, tearing off the blindfold, his eyes wide open The family’s rockery, renovated with a considerable sum, was now utterly devastated. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 Splintered into countless fragments, they shot across every part of the courtyard. The main structure blazed fiercely, black smoke shooting straight into the sky. ...