Li Tianyi withdrew his flying sword.
Looking at his younger brother, who seemed unconcerned about life and death, he felt a pang of guilt. Tianming had been ill since childhood, and ultimately, he, as the elder brother, had failed to take good care of him.
"Why have you returned? You killed someone in the Gu family, and two villagers in Green Valley Village also died at your hands. The elders won't let you off the hook."
As he spoke, the storage ring on Li Tianyi's finger shimmered, and a table, a zither, and an incense burner appeared.
He gently lifted the zither and walked to his Granduncle's tomb.
[A generation's Demon King, kin to the Li family, and the one who raised the children of the Li clan...]
The tombstone, a full ten feet tall, could barely contain all the contributions Great-Grandfather had made to the Li family throughout his life. It still lacked a statue. He didn't want his younger siblings, nephews, and nieces to forget what Granduncle looked like many years later.
In an instant, his abundant spiritual energy surged, and the stones beside the tomb rose from the ground.
He gently tapped the strings of the exquisite magical instrument, the Cloud Tide Zither and its melody began. At the same time, the side panels opened, revealing the digging shovel, chisel, awl, and pickaxe within...
He levitated into the air and used his spiritual energy to mold a statue. Soon, the stone sculpture took the shape of the Pig Demon King, and he picked up an awl to carve the details.
"Big Brother, let me help you."
Li Tianming also rose into the air. When he left, he was at the seventh level of Qi Refining, but now he had actually reached the Foundation Establishment realm!
He held a dagger and began carving.
In the gloomy night, the two brothers were like children again, playing with mud and sand in front of their Great-Grandfather. But this time, there was no boisterous laughter from Great-Grandfather, nor could they hear his encouraging praise.
"I heard the news about Great-Grandfather from Azure Cloud region. I also know that what I did before was wrong. Big Brother and Great-Grandfather must be disappointed in me."
Li Tianming gripped the dagger tightly, his eyes welling up with tears as he forced a smile. "I'm sorry, Big Brother. I'm also sorry to Great-Grandfather. I really don't know what's wrong with me. I know many things shouldn't be done, and I've tried to control it... After killing someone, I feel so lost. I tell myself I can't continue like this, but I still do it."
Li Tianyi remained silent.
"I thought I was sick, so I went to see Second Grandaunt." Li Tianming's smile was laced with tears. "I so hoped that I was just sick, and Second Grandaunt could definitely cure me. But she said I wasn't sick, just purely bad."
"When I heard the news of Great-Grandfather's death, I even laughed. Because I realized that this place can hurt."
Li Tianyi looked at his younger brother. Two tear streaks ran down his cheeks as he pointed to his heart. It was the first time he had seen Li Tianming cry like this.
Li Tianming wiped away his tears and revealed a charming smile as if he hadn't just poured his heart out. His face was full of cheerfulness. "I was supposed to be the son-in-law of the Liu family in Azure Cloud region, a family with thousands of years of heritage and immense wealth. Even if I killed someone, they would take care of it. But I still had to come back. I couldn't see Great-Grandfather one last time, but at least I need to know who the murderer is."
The cold wind of this harsh winter grew increasingly fierce.
Snow fell from the sky, and the stone dust from the Pig Demon King statue swirled with the snow. In this gloomy and frigid weather, Li Tianyi felt a touch of warmth. He took a deep breath and glared at his brother through gritted teeth, "What are you doing?! Are Great-Grandfather's eyes supposed to look like that? That tuft of hair on his head is completely covering his eyes, you..."
"Ah? I know, stop scolding me, stop scolding me!"
Li Tianming's face was full of grievance, but when he turned back to continue carving, he smiled happily. His brother was nagging him again.
Until the moon hid itself away, the Pig Demon King's statue was finally completed with the joint effort of the two brothers. It was so lifelike, as if he were still lying there as he used to, watching the children play in the depths of the Silver Iron Forest.
Li Tianyi sat at the table, and the strings of the Cloud Tide zither gently vibrated. Melodious sounds echoed through the Silver Iron Forest, reaching the Li family residence and falling upon everyone's ears.
Li Tianming stood quietly behind his brother.
The moon was no longer in the sky, but Li Tianming knew that the sun would soon rise, just like his brother's music, illuminating the entire Li family.
...
[Li Tianyi was deeply saddened by the Pig Demon King's death. When his brother Li Tianming returned home, although he couldn't understand his brother's actions, he was still touched by the fact that his brother, after all, possessed some humanity.]
[He suddenly realized the impermanence of the world and the constancy of human nature. His years of practicing the zither finally reached a breakthrough, gaining a touch of true musicality. Gained trait: Heart's Sound Like a Zither]
[His will harmonizes with the music, allowing him to control the sound of the zither to attack enemies, increasing power by 10%]
Li Wei watched the scene.
The two brothers under the moonlight were so serene, like the most beautiful painting in the world. Listening to the music emanating from the game, Li Wei also felt much calmer.
The melodious music echoed through the Li family residence like a celestial sound.
---
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