The Transmigrated Male Lead Confessed to Me - Chapter 20 (Part 1)

The northern part of Hanguang State.

There were few immortal mountains and blessed lands in the state, scattered across the north, south, east, and west. The noble families and immortal clans, leveraging their strength, had each claimed their territories, transforming the spiritually rich mountains and abundant rivers into their own domains.

The Fourteen States were not as vast or as resource-rich as the Five Regions, and the situation was similar throughout.

Within Hanguang State, the Zhou family stood out as one of the most powerful and prestigious families.

They had been established for more than ten generations, with a long history, and the clan boasted dozens of cultivators who had reached the Upper Seven Realm.

Though they could not compare to the formidable forces of the Five Regions, their strength was sufficient for them to hold a dominant position in a place like Hanguang State.

The Zhou clan’s residence was situated in the northern immortal mountains.

As the night deepened, snow and wind drifted at the mountain peak, clouds and mist entwined, concealing grand pavilions and waterside pavilions amidst layers of protective barriers.

In the main hall of the residence, a solemn atmosphere prevailed. The everlasting lamps on the walls cast a dim light, and a massive bronze altar was placed deep within the room, carved with intricate patterns, faint glimmers tracing over it.

Above the altar, several hundred memorial tablets floated in the air, engraved with the names of deceased members of the Zhou clan.

Most were ancestors from previous generations, with a few belonging to young members who had passed early.

A man stood in front of the altar, gazing heavily at Zhou Ziheng’s tablet, his expression grave. “He still refuses to speak?”

Besides him, more than a dozen people had gathered in the hall, whispering among themselves, silent, or looking down at jade slips.

One person who had just entered shook his head at these words, “He keeps saying he didn’t see anyone that day.”

“Uncle.”

Another person stepped forward, “We’ve already captured that demon cultivator for half an hour. If the Ganwu Spirit Orb were on him, we would have discovered it long ago…”

The man sighed, reaching out to touch the tablet, “All you care about is the treasure, yet you ignore that my son was murdered, and my eldest and second sons were injured by Xu Ling and are still recovering…”

The other person frowned, “If the Ganwu Spirit Orb isn’t with Yuchen Xianzun, given his temper, if eldest sister and second brother had said anything reckless in his presence, he definitely wouldn’t hold back. In my opinion, we should apologize to the head of Weiyun Peak. What benefit is there in offending him? The strength of Chongyun Xianzun is unfathomable, not to mention that Chaohua Xianzun has returned, so even if we align with Tiandu…”

“Enough!”

The man’s tone turned icy. “Who are you to make such accusations?”

“What? We went through all the trouble to capture that demon cultivator, and it’ll take at least ten days to half a month for my injuries to heal. You keep insisting on avenging your son, so why don’t you handle it yourself?”

The other man, not in a good temper either, sneered at his words, “If it weren’t for Aunt being unable to return from the Central Region, you, an outsider, wouldn’t even have the chance to make a scene here! You’re merely in the same realm as me—”

“You volunteered to capture him yourself—why, exactly? Deep down, you know it was only because you suspected that he held the Ganwu Spirit Orb, and you wanted to seize it for yourself.”

The man’s expression initially showed anger, as though he were about to erupt, but he restrained himself, giving her a look of disdain, “What would be accomplished if I went?”

“Oh, right, Uncle is purely a pill cultivator, barely versed in sword techniques or spells. Even if you went, it would be in vain, so could you perhaps keep quiet? Aunt only entrusted the secret talisman to you for safekeeping; she never gave you authority as the family head, did she?”

“You!”

“…Alright, alright, brother-in-law, Zixuan, stop arguing.”

The people around them finally couldn’t stand it any longer, fearing they would start a fight and rushed forward to mediate.

The Zhou clan’s family head’s husband, the father of Zhou Ziheng, came from a third-rate family. His cultivation level was average, far from the ranks of the truly powerful and his family’s influence far inferior to that of the Zhou clan’s, so he wasn’t held in high regard here.

He hadn’t intended to take charge in his wife’s absence; had it not been for the news of his youngest son’s death, he wouldn’t even want to see these Zhou family members.

After a brief commotion.

“The head of Weiyun Peak personally went to Blood Maple Mountain, but only brought back this ring.”

The man’s voice grew heavy, “With his cultivation, retrieving even part of the body, a piece or two, would not have been difficult. Do you truly believe it wasn’t intentional…”

Several of the Zhou clan elders exchanged glances.

One of them shook his head, “Brother-in-law, he initially didn’t know Ziheng went out to meet a demon cultivator from the Soul Devouring Sect. Aside from the one surnamed Liu, he doesn’t show much concern for his disciples. How could he immediately suspect Ziheng was killed? He likely just assumed Ziheng went there on his own…”

“Indeed, Su Zhen reached the Soul Transformation realm at the age of 100 years, a feat unmatched across the Nine Realms. You saw how he reacted? If it were anyone else, they’d likely keep her by their side and cultivate her with the utmost care, yet he remains preoccupied with his youngest disciple.”

Moreover, Zhou Ziheng’s talent wasn’t even comparable to Su Zhen’s.

Not to mention personality—Su Zhen wasn’t exactly likable, but Zhou Ziheng was even worse.

Although the Zhou family members didn’t say it aloud, they understood this fact in their hearts.

“That’s why, given Yuchen Xianzun’s temperament, he’s unlikely to bother bringing back flesh or limbs. Among the major sects, how many deceased disciples even have their bodies returned? Many are left with just their belongings.”

At these words, Zhou Ziheng’s father sighed again. “The issue is that if there’s no flesh or blood, we cannot confirm whether Ziheng was controlled by a curse before his death. Based solely on Yuchen Xianzun’s claim that my son was afflicted by a bewitching spell of the demonic sect, how can we tell if it’s true or false? If he wants us to believe it, he should have brought back more than just the ring—”

Another hot-tempered person scoffed, “He’s an Immortal Venerable, what are we? Does brother-in-law think he cares what we think? Does he even know who backs us? Even if he knew, he might not even care.”

He wanted to argue, but the facts left him with no argument, and his heart grew increasingly uneasy.

While the father cared about how his son had died, others cared more about the whereabouts of the Ganwu Spirit Orb. After some discussion, they decided to visit the demon cultivator.

The Zhou family had expended some resources to find the whereabouts of the Soul Devouring Sect disciple and finally captured him alive, now held in their prison.

This individual was in the Earth Immortal realm; in theory, several members of the Zhou family matched his cultivation level, so capturing him should not have been overly challenging.

However, the demon cultivator’s sinister techniques emerged one after another, nearly allowing him to escape, and he left several of them severely wounded.

The prison was constructed inside a mountain cavern. Descending layer after layer of stone steps, the surroundings gradually grew darker, with dense, flickering runes on the walls and overlapping arrays of barriers.

Even if those inside broke free of their restraints, it would be nearly impossible to escape from the prison alone.

Moreover—

Deep within the prison, in a large cell, a person lay bound to a stone pillar by multiple chains, entirely naked and covered in wounds.

A Soul-Piercing nail was embedded in his back, driven through his spine, pinning his primordial spirit firmly within his body.

Chains wound around his body and the stone pillar behind him, all carved with intricate sealing incantations and covered with dozens of golden talismans.

Blood-red patterns crossed over his exposed chest, forming a skull-like design, surrounded by secret incantations from the demonic sect.

The Demon God’s contract mark.

It was the symbol of a demon cultivator’s allegiance.

As a disciple of the Soul Devouring Sect and a pawn of the Demon God of Blood Sacrifice, the mark, drawn in blood and shaped as human bones, symbolized their creed of sacrificing life and killing to please their master.

Due to the prisoner’s unique identity, the Zhou clan did not dare be negligent, despite his heavy restraints and seals, and assigned guards to keep watch.

When the group arrived at the prison, the guards already there bowed slightly and quietly sighed in relief, moving to stand outside.

A clan elder frowned, looking at the unconscious prisoner, “This man should not remain here for long.”

“Fourth Sister, what do you mean by this?”

Zhou Ziheng’s father asked angrily, “Are you suggesting we let him go?”

“Even if he’s to be killed, we must choose a different location.”

One of the clan elders shook his head. “Brother-in-law, you know little of the demonic sects. This Soul Devouring Sect disciple may not have strong ties with his fellow sect members, but if he remains imprisoned within our clan grounds, it will inevitably bring calamity.”

“We only just captured him. Can’t we wait a little longer?”

Zhou Ziheng’s father gritted his teeth, “How did he even know my son carried a treasure?”

Right now, they were considering two possible scenarios.

One was that Zhou Ziheng had been killed, and the Ganwu Spirit Orb activated, reviving him. Although it would lose effectiveness after one use, the assailant, upon seeing this, might have taken it for further study.

The second scenario was that somehow, the assailant had learned Zhou Ziheng carried a secret treasure and, while the Ganwu Spirit Orb remained unused, subdued Zhou Ziheng and seized it.

Yet, upon reflection, both scenarios left unanswered questions.