Rebirth of the Fallen Master

Patriarch's Judgment

Consciousness slowly returned to him. His entire body felt as if it had been crushed. Even lifting a single finger was incredibly difficult. His fingers were stained red with dried blood.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. His breathing remained steady as he gradually sat up.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Li Ye wondered, realizing he was still inside the Li family's secret chamber.

His gaze fell upon the Sleeping Maiden Root before him. His eyes widened as he realized he had yet to complete the final step.

Li Ye immediately sat upright. Weakly, he circulated his qi, checking the condition of his body.

He let out a sigh of relief after discovering that the formation of his dantian had been successful. Without hesitation, he reached for the Sleeping Maiden Root and completed the final step.

As Li Ye formed a hand seal, the Sleeping Maiden Root gradually crumbled and was absorbed into his body. He frowned as he felt the absorption taking place.

"Failed?" Li Ye thought. After the absorption was complete, he opened his eyes and sensed the flow of qi within his body.

"The Sleeping Maiden Root still managed to stabilize my dantian, but I've already lost the chance to use the surge of qi to break through my cultivation," the young man murmured.

"If only I had absorbed it the moment my new dantian was formed, my cultivation might have advanced by an entire realm," Li Ye thought.

He clenched his fists. "There's no need to rush. Cultivating from now on shouldn't be nearly as difficult as it was before," Li Ye thought, trying to remain optimistic.

"Enough. I have no idea how long I've been here. I'd better head back," the young man said.

He quickly packed away all of his equipment before washing the dried blood from his body in the nearby pool.

Just as he finished cleaning himself, Li Ye accidentally noticed something behind the back of one of the giant statues. He immediately walked over to inspect it.

His eyes widened when he discovered a dried skeleton. There was no longer any trace of a foul odor.

"Could this be the corpse of one of the Li family members?" Li Ye wondered as he examined the skeleton.

After inspecting it, he found no clues whatsoever. However, he noticed that one section of the skeleton's old clothing felt thicker than the rest. He tore the garment open, only to discover a piece of leather hidden inside the stitching.

Li Ye picked it up and examined it.

"This is a cultivation technique," Li Ye thought as he studied it.

"Forget it. I'd better keep it for now," the young man said as he stored away his discovery.

He examined the skeleton one last time before noticing a faded emblem of a chain entwined with a snake on the inside of the torn robe.

A faint smile appeared on Li Ye's face.

"No wonder he ended up trapped here and died. So he wasn't a member of the Li family after all," he murmured as understanding dawned on him.

"Thank you. I'll study this technique and make good use of it. Rest in peace," Li Ye said as he gently patted the skeleton before calmly leaving after finding nothing else of value.

Upon returning to the Ancestral Hall, Li Ye checked the door and discovered that it was no longer locked. He stepped outside.

The servant who was sweeping the courtyard was startled to see Li Ye and immediately turned to leave. Realizing this, Li Ye quickly stopped him.

"Young Master, you're back?" the male servant asked nervously. Li Ye carefully observed his reaction.

"Why did you try to leave the moment you saw me?" Li Ye asked suspiciously.

"W-Well... yesterday, someone from the Herbal Tower came looking for Young Master. When Master Li summoned you to the Ancestral Hall, it turned out you weren't there. So Master Li ordered anyone who saw Young Master Li Ye to report it immediately," the servant explained.

Li Ye nodded in understanding.

"Then how many days has it been since I was punished in the Ancestral Hall?" Li Ye asked.

"This is the third day. The people from the Herbal Tower came on the second day," the servant replied.

Li Ye fell silent for a moment before nodding.

"There's no need to report it. I'll go see Master Li myself," Li Ye said, receiving a nod from the servant.

"Master Li is in the study," the servant informed him.

Li Ye nodded before heading straight for the study.

***

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Li Ye knocked on the study door and entered as soon as Li Xiang's voice gave him permission.

Li Xiang, who was seated while holding an unfinished scroll, narrowed his eyes at Li Ye.

"Uncle, were you looking for me?" Li Ye asked.

Bang!

The man slammed his fist onto the table the moment he heard the question.

"You've got some nerve!" he roared angrily. He immediately stood up and threw the scroll onto the table.

"What have you done to make someone like Ma Yuan personally come looking for you?" the man demanded furiously.

Li Ye frowned. "What have I done?" he asked in confusion.

"Stop pretending. If you hadn't done something wrong, why would someone like him go through the trouble of coming for you personally?" Li Xiang accused.

Li Ye sneered.

"Perhaps he simply wanted to discuss something with me," Li Ye replied casually.

Li Xiang snorted disdainfully. "Discuss something... with someone like you?" he scoffed in disbelief.

"Enough," Li Xiang interrupted, unwilling to listen to any more nonsense.

"You caused trouble with someone like Ma Yuan and even dared to run away while serving your punishment in the Ancestral Hall."

"You are sentenced to five lashes!" the man declared.

Li Ye's eyes widened in surprise.

"I refuse! There's no proof that I've done anything wrong," Li Ye protested, causing Li Xiang's expression to darken.

"Still stubborn and completely unrepentant?" Li Xiang hissed.

"Guards! Drag Young Master Li Ye outside and give him five lashes in front of the Ancestral Hall!" Li Xiang ordered the guards standing outside.

Li Ye gritted his teeth in frustration, his fists clenched tightly.

"Stop."

Suddenly, Li Tianyuan, the current Patriarch of the Li family, appeared at the doorway.

"Patriarch," Li Xiang muttered in surprise.

Both Li Xiang and Li Ye immediately saluted him. Li Tianyuan merely gave a slight nod before taking a seat.

Meanwhile, the summoned guards remained outside the door, not daring to enter without permission.

"I've heard everything. Now, tell me, Li Ye—what do you have to say?" Li Tianyuan asked calmly as he looked at Li Ye, who stood silently in the middle of the study.

Li Ye briefly glanced at the displeased Li Xiang before turning his attention back to Li Tianyuan.

"Patriarch, it's true that Master Ma Yuan came looking for me, but his purpose is still unknown. Therefore, I refuse to accept punishment for something I don't believe I did," the young man defended himself.

Li Tianyuan gave a slight nod after hearing his explanation.

"As for the accusation that I ran away from the Ancestral Hall..." Li Ye continued, hesitating briefly.

"I never ran away."

Those words caused Li Xiang's eyes to widen.

"You didn't run away?" Li Xiang sneered. "I personally went to the Ancestral Hall, and you weren't there."

Li Ye let out a quiet sigh before looking at Li Xiang.

"Uncle, did you inspect the place thoroughly?" Li Ye asked. Li Xiang raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"I had just been seriously injured and was immediately punished in the Ancestral Hall. I was hungry and thirsty, and the night was freezing cold," Li Ye said, making himself sound as pitiful as possible before the Patriarch.

"I tried to keep myself warm in a sheltered corner of the Ancestral Hall, and at some point I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I came here immediately," Li Ye said, deliberately exaggerating the story.

Li Xiang stared at him in disbelief.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask the male servant who was cleaning the Ancestral Hall courtyard today. I truly just came out from there," he added.

Li Tianyuan nodded as he observed Li Ye's pale and miserable appearance.

Li Xiang's expression stiffened after hearing the explanation. For a moment, he was left speechless.

"Since when did this brat become so good with words?" he thought unwillingly.

"Very well," Li Tianyuan said at last. "Li Ye has already been punished for his mistake. There's no need to pursue this matter any further."

"But, Patriarch, what about Ma Yuan?" Li Xiang asked unwillingly.

Li Tianyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the table while silently looking at Li Ye. "Li Ye, go and meet Ma Yuan."

The young man raised his head, visibly startled.

"Why is Ma Yuan looking for me?" Li Ye wondered, feeling slightly uneasy.