Lie Zhao was struck dumb by his father's words. His hands, which held the soft leather pouch, began to tremble uncontrollably.
Was this the source of Father's rise to power?
He took a deep breath before slowly untying the string of the pouch. With great care, he extracted the item inside.
To his astonishment, it was a fragment of a mirror, irregular in shape.
"This is..." Lie Zhao's expression was one of confusion.
Mirrors were not rare or valuable to them. Nearly every household had one.
Lie Yong smiled faintly. "The 'Orifice Opening Scripture' was revealed to me by this mirror. And the secret technique I practiced, the 'Fire Gu Refinement Method,' was also taught to me by this mirror."
At that moment, the surface of the mirror suddenly glowed with faint, shimmering lights. In the blink of an eye, a line of text appeared.
'The Great Orifice Opening Scripture' requires the Holy Ant Cultivation Method in exchange.
Lie Zhao's eyes widened in shock.
"This... this..."
Lie Yong sighed deeply. "This is what I wanted to discuss with you. The mirror does not bestow its secrets freely. It demands a yao insect cultivation method, and the more powerful the method, the more it desires it.
At first, it required the Rock Ant Cultivation Method. Later, it sought the Swallow Ant and Blade Ant Cultivation Methods. Eventually, it demanded the Devouring Thunder Ant Cultivation Method. Now, it no longer finds these sufficient. It craves the Holy Ant Cultivation Method!"
Lie Zhao's mind raced. "Father, this isn't too difficult. We could secretly capture a fifteen-year-old youth from the Holy Ant Tribe, and that would..."
Lie Yong shook his head. "I tried that approach many years ago, and it didn't work. Though the fifteen-year-old youths do listen to the Wisdom of the Insects when they touch the insect statues, that wisdom is only that—mere wisdom of the insects. Without reaching the corresponding level, they cannot offer the full yao insect cultivation method."
Lie Yong continued, "In fact, lower-level insect cultivation methods can be obtained this way. For example, our Fire Ant Cultivation Method could only be cultivated to the silver rank at first. But the higher the rank of the insect cultivation method, the more impossible it is to use this approach."
Lie Yong fixed his gaze on his son, his voice grave. "There is only one way to offer the insect cultivation method to the mirror."
Lie Zhao instinctively asked, "What method?"
Lie Yong spoke slowly, each word deliberate. "You must shatter the copper statue, and retrieve the crystal stone, and only then will you be able to offer the insect cultivation method."
Lie Zhao was stunned into silence. "Does that mean you want me to destroy the Holy Ant Tribe?!"
This was no joke. The Holy Ant Cultivation Method was the very lifeblood of the Holy Ant Tribe! As far as he knew, the Holy Ant copper statues were enshrined at the very top of the Sacred Spirit Tower in the Holy Ant Tribe. No one was allowed near them.
Only once a year, during the Opening Insect Orifice ceremony, would eight strong men descend from the top of the Sacred Spirit Tower to carefully move the statue. But as soon as the ceremony was over, the statue would be returned to its place.
And this ritual had been repeated year after year, without fail.
Lie Yong gave his son a deep, lingering look. "Don't you wish to live longer? The mirror can teach you the method to extend your life."
Lie Zhao's eyes widened. "Really?!"
Lie Yong approached the crystal tube and poured a full cup of longevity wine. "Drink this."
Without hesitation, Lie Zhao raised the cup and drank it all in one gulp.
The medicinal wine coursed through his body, and instantly, he felt his blood surge with warmth. It was as though he had shed several years of age in an instant.
"This... this is the method to extend life?" Lie Zhao asked, astonished.
"Indeed," Lie Yong nodded. "This is the method of longevity the mirror imparted to me. Unfortunately, the materials I had were rather ordinary, so this cup of longevity wine will likely only add about ten years to your life."
Lie Zhao's eyes gleamed with excitement. So, the mirror was such a powerful tool!
But then, a shadow passed over his heart. The thought of eventually having to oppose the Holy Ant Tribe sent a chill through him. The heat in his heart waned slightly.
Lie Yong saw through his son's thoughts and coldly said, "Lie Zhao, I have already shared my greatest secret with you. If you refuse to take the position of clan leader, I will pass it on to your brothers. And I will tell them that you know the secret of the mirror. Do you think they'll let that go?"
Lie Zhao shuddered, immediately replying, "Father, I am willing! I will take the position of clan leader!"
What else could he do?
Of course, it would lead to infighting, betrayal, and perhaps even violence among the brothers.
Upon hearing Lie Zhao's firm response, Lie Yong finally smiled with satisfaction. "Good boy. Take it then. My time is almost up, and the inheritance must be passed to your hands. It's a pity... If I had just fifty more years—no, thirty years—perhaps I could have led the tribe to become a large-scale tribe and gone head-to-head with the Holy Ant Tribe..."
Lie Yong sighed deeply.
"By the way, Zhao'er, your Uncle Chen has been recovering from his injuries for many years, but he still can't eat meat or drink wine. It's been hard on him. Send him a big plate of deep-fried bull mushrooms. I remember that's his favorite. And there's a jar of fifty-year-old Night-Blooming Cereus wine in my cellar—send that to him too. Tell him to eat and drink heartily. Life is short, and one must learn to enjoy it."
Lie Zhao hesitated for a moment, as though a thought crossed his mind, but he did not speak it aloud. Eventually, he remained silent.
Lie Yong slowly walked back to his bedroom and lay down. After handing over the mirror, his figure appeared oddly bent, as if he had aged greatly in that instant.
Lie Zhao gazed at his father's retreating back, and within him, a surge of determination and ambition grew.
The limitless future of the Fire Ant Tribe—it was now in my hands to forge!
Nightfall.
The door of the Chen family residence was suddenly knocked upon.
The gatekeeper opened a small crack in the door and grumbled, "Who is it? Don't you know this is the residence of the Grand Elder? How dare you come knocking at such a late hour?! Do you want to die?"
The visitor spoke calmly, "The clan leader knows that the Grand Elder has not touched meat or alcohol for a long time. He specifically instructed the Young Clan Leader to send over fried bull mushrooms and fifty-year-old Night-Blooming Cereus wine."
Upon hearing the words "Clan Leader," the gatekeeper immediately stopped his complaints and quickly ushered the visitor inside.
"Please, come in! Please!" The gatekeeper's expression instantly brightened.
The Clan Leader had single-handedly elevated the Fire Ant Tribe from a small tribe to a mid-sized tribe, defeating several surrounding mid-sized tribes along the way. The Clan Leader, Lie Yong, held immense prestige within the Fire Ant Tribe.
The Clan Leader personally sending delicacies to the Grand Elder in the middle of the night was a sign of favor, a symbol of the close relationship between the two. The gatekeeper dared not be the slightest bit negligent.
At this moment, Chen He had not yet fallen asleep. Upon hearing the news, he was slightly taken aback.
"The Clan Leader sent something to me?"
However, when he saw the two items, his surprise quickly turned to a deep sense of melancholy and sorrow.
Chen He took a deep breath and looked at the messenger. "You just said... this was sent by the Young Clan Leader?"
The visitor nodded. "Indeed."
"Who is the Young Clan Leader?"
"The Clan Leader's eighth son, Lie Zhao."
Chen He smiled faintly. "So, the Clan Leader has finally chosen him."
The messenger hesitated, then asked, "Grand Elder, will you not eat?"
Chen He nodded. "Of course, I will eat. This is a gift from the Clan Leader himself."
Without using chopsticks, he reached out with his hand and grabbed the fried bull mushrooms, chewing them hungrily. Then, he picked up the Night-Blooming Cereus wine and drank deeply.
Tears and snot streamed down his face as he continued to laugh uncontrollably.
"Delicious! So good! It's been many years since I've eaten so heartily and drunk so freely! Go back and tell the Clan Leader... that the old servant is leaving first. Hahahahaha!"
The messenger respectfully bowed to Chen He before turning and leaving.
…