Walking in the cycle of reincarnation

Chapter 29 Moral Depravity

The place where the torches converge is where the Meng family holds their meetings. Meng Cang's grand plan to seize power will finally begin tonight.

Would you like to take a look?

He was extremely curious and wanted to see what methods the cunning Meng Cang would use.

However... Meng Lie is a variable, and his golden skin with purple spots is too conspicuous. Once exposed, it will cause a disturbance and ruin Meng Cang's plan.

Zhang Nanfeng was caught in a dilemma.

Never mind, I'll go take a look.

He leaped down from the treetop, found the wild fruit that could be used for dyeing, squeezed out the juice, and smeared it all over his body.

With his disguise in place, he sneaked into Mengjia Village under the cover of night.

He had looked down upon the paths in the village countless times, but this was the first time he had walked them himself.

Zhang Nanfeng crept stealthily along the shadows beneath the stilted building, avoiding the patrolling clansmen, and soon reached the outside of the council building.

The bamboo house occupies a vast area and is entirely constructed of purple bamboo as thick as a child's arm. It has no walls on any side and the interior is terraced, recessed towards the center. Zhang Nanfeng could not see even a glimpse of the interior from the outside.

Zhang Nanfeng wanted to leap upstairs to observe, but he did not act rashly. Instead, he transformed the golden poison into a "hidden breath" and channeled it into his bloodline.

This variation was created to evade the detection of cultivators and to deceive mortals; it was truly overkill.

However, Meng Lie's true strength was unknown, so he dared not be careless. After all, the more layers of concealment there were, the more room for maneuver there would be.

Having done everything, he used his webbed feet to leap onto the eaves, disappearing into the shadows of the eaves, and looked down.

The interior of the building is clearly visible.

The entire bamboo building resembled an indoor arena, with the Meng family members standing on the steps, overlooking the center of the hall.

Zhang Nanfeng's gaze swept across the crowd holding torches, and he immediately spotted Meng Jinchuan.

The boy stood with his head bowed in the front row, his expression solemn. Beside him was Meng Yuanshan. The boy's left eye was wrapped in a white cloth, and his right eye, which remained untouched, was as cold as a frozen pool in the firelight. His demeanor was even more sinister than before.

At the lowest point in the hall, three figures stood in a triangle.

Meng Cang, dressed in a plain robe, stood with his hands behind his back, a familiar smile on his face. Meng Shi, his thick eyebrows furrowed, stood ramrod straight, yet could not hide the unease in his eyes.

Facing the two was a figure shrouded in a black robe.

The black robe was unusually large, and the hood was pulled down so low that it completely concealed his face in shadow, revealing only half of his dark blue chin.

Zhang Nanfeng finally met the Meng family patriarch—

Meng Lie.

This man, just by standing there, was like a bottomless poisonous pool. Yet, judging by his imposing presence, he was no less powerful than Meng Cang.

Before long, members of the Meng family took turns offering wine cups and filling them with strong liquor.

Meng Shi also held a cup of wine, walked slowly to Meng Lie, and offered it with both hands:

"Chief, let's have a council feast."

Meng Lie reached out from his robe and took the wine cup. He saw that the exposed skin was covered with snake scales, which shimmered with an eerie light in the firelight.

Meng Shi immediately turned around, picked up another cup, and handed it to Meng Cang, who accepted it with a smile.

Zhang Nanfeng, perceiving this clearly from the eaves.

The wine that Meng Shi offered to Meng Lie contained the poison of "Zhao Dan".

The show is about to begin.

After everyone's cups were full, Meng Cang raised his cup to the Meng family members, his voice echoing throughout the building:

"Let's drink the council wine!"

All the clansmen raised their glasses in unison, tilted their heads back, and drank it all in one gulp.

After the wine was finished, Meng Cang lit his empty cup, then patted his chest and recited:

"We live in miasma, clothed in poison. The sons of Meng, we fear not death, our will will never perish!"

On the steps, hundreds of people echoed in unison, their voices like a tidal wave, reverberating between the bamboo houses:

"The sons of the Meng family fear not death, their will never perish!"

......

This folk ballad of the Meng family is melancholic and desolate, revealing the unique wildness of southern Xinjiang and the vicissitudes of time.

As the rumors subsided, Meng Cang put down his wine cup, his smile fading, and got down to business:

"I have gathered you all here today because the Meng family... is facing a critical moment of survival."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly thanks to the structure of the bamboo house.

"Goods from the East Continent haven't arrived for three months, and the village's food supplies will only last two months. The Southern Ridge mines have been seized by the Red Serpent Clan, and the snake silver is insufficient to cover expenses. Meanwhile, the venomous creatures on the Northern Slope have gone berserk, already poisoning and killing three of my Meng family's skilled herb gatherers..."

One by one, these are all recent misfortunes that have befallen the Meng family.

He spoke with righteous indignation, which caused everyone on the steps to look gloomy and whisper among themselves.

In the center of the hall, Meng Lie seemed not to hear anything, his black robe remaining motionless, like a clay sculpture.

Meng Cang continued recounting the clan's predicament, speaking at a measured pace. Zhang Nanfeng understood; he was waiting, waiting for the poison to dissolve in Meng Lie's abdomen.

Half an incense stick has burned out.

Meng Lie's figure swayed suddenly, but then he stopped moving again.

A glint flashed in Meng Cang's eyes; he knew the time was right. He immediately changed the subject and raised his voice:

"With the ancestors of the Meng family above, I, Meng Cang, dare to propose a discussion today regarding the position of clan leader!"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

"As the clan leader, Meng Lie has abandoned his entire clan, indulging in poisonous practices day and night, neglecting clan affairs. Moreover, for his own selfish reasons, he has caused my Meng family to fall from the ranks of the Thirty-Six Caves, becoming one of the lowest-ranking cave clans in the Southern Frontier! Is such a clan leader worthy of the title?!"

Meng Cang's voice and expression were both stern, and his white robe fluttered even without wind.

Most people on the steps remained calm. Only a few looked astonished, glancing around in bewilderment.

In the hall, Meng Lie remained motionless, as if he had lost his soul.

Meng Cang took a deep breath, raised his arms, and shouted:

"According to the Meng family's ancestral rules, if the clan head is immoral, the clan members can jointly decide the matter! Gentlemen, if you agree that Meng Lie is unworthy of this position, then according to clan rules—extinguish the torches!"

As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of flames went out one by one.

A few people hesitated, but their clansmen pressed down on them, forcibly extinguishing the fire. Those who wanted to object, seeing the surroundings gradually darkening, ultimately fell silent.

The bamboo house was quickly swallowed up by the night, with only a few rays of moonlight filtering through the eaves, casting a hazy glow on the center of the room.

Meng Cang stood in the center of the darkness, a smile playing on his lips. Gazing at the pitch-black expanse he had created with his own hands, a surge of exhilaration welled up within him.

In truth, he didn't need the poison at all.

Over the years, Meng Lie has neglected clan affairs, leaving all matters, large and small, to Meng Cang, who has long since won the hearts and minds of the people. Even without this cup of wine, the outcome would not have changed.

He used poison simply to make his younger brother, who had oppressed him for half his life, lose face in front of the entire clan.

And that is where his joy lies.

Meng Cang turned his head and saw that the man in black robes was still silent. Anxiety suddenly arose in his heart, and his pleasure gradually turned into unease.

Why aren't you lying down? Why aren't you rolling around and howling in front of everyone like a dog?

Meng Cang could no longer contain himself. He strode forward, grabbed the hood, and yanked it off.

Black robes fluttered.

Beneath the hood, a bruised face was visible.

Bald, with snake scales covering his neck, eyes tightly closed, and a slight upturn at the corners of his lips, a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

Meng Cang was puzzled.

Meng Lie's entire body exploded with a tremendous surge of blood energy!

He forced out that drop of "Zhaodan" poison, which dissipated from his seven orifices and dissolved in the wind.

The crimson immortal aura surged forth from Meng Lie's body like a raging tide, materializing and shaking the surrounding area.

On the steps, those with shallow poison skills immediately knelt down and spat out blood.

Meng Shi's expression changed drastically, his knees buckled and he almost fell, barely managing to stay upright by bracing himself with his hands. Meng Yuanshan's one eye snapped open, his remaining right eye filled with horror, and he uncontrollably stumbled backward.

Meng Jinchuan groaned as he was pressed down to the ground by the heavy weight, his face ashen.

Even Zhang Nanfeng, who was crouching down, felt an immense pressure crashing down on him from afar, almost knocking him off the eaves.

He hurriedly activated his wind aura to steady himself, his mind reeling.

Meng Lie has entered the path of immortality!