He had thought that by waking up early and crippling Nie Chao and Nie Chaoxing, he could prevent what happened to his sister. But he never expected the incident to have already taken place before he had even regained consciousness!
If he remembered correctly, his sister had found out about the news and grown worried that their branch couldn't come up with the silver. That was why she had gone out to borrow money, and it was then that she happened to run into Feng Xiao, the young master of the Feng Family, who was out for a stroll.
Overcome with lust at the sight of her, Feng Xiao had insulted his sister. He verbally promised to help redeem the Luoshui Golden Shield, forcing her to agree to marry him. But at the last critical moment, he suddenly went back on his word. He publicly proclaimed that she was shameless and greedy for wealth, and that she had tried to seduce him. He even reported the matter to the Nie Mansion and demanded an explanation!
At the time, his branch was in dire straits, and Feng Xiao was the sole heir to the Feng Family, one of the Four Great Families. Even though his claims were complete fabrications, the Nie Mansion actually punished them. They forced him—the one in charge of their branch—to admit that his sister was a wanton harlot. To spare him the impossible choice and to save their branch from disgrace, she took her own life right then and there, slitting her throat with her sword.
His sister was seventeen that year.
Seventeen. An age as beautiful as a flower in bloom. Yet because of him, she had suffered a terrible fate. Because he couldn't hold his ground, her young life was tragically cut short.
In his past life, what happened to his sister was his greatest regret. 'This time,' he vowed, 'that tragedy absolutely cannot be allowed to happen again!'
"What's wrong, Brother?" Seeing the look on his brother's face change, Nie Tong asked anxiously.
"It's nothing. You stay here and focus on your cultivation. I'm going out!"
With these thoughts racing through his mind, Nie Yun couldn't stay put for another second. After a quick instruction, he sprinted out of the city.
According to his past life's memories, it was on her way back from raising money outside the city that Feng Xiao saw his sister and was overcome with lust.
'But… there are so many roads leading out of the city. Which one did she take? And where exactly was she attacked?'
'Without that information, trying to find one person outside the city is like searching for a needle in a haystack!'
For the first time, a sense of powerlessness washed over Nie Yun. 'Maybe being reborn doesn't make me an omniscient prophet after all,' he thought.
'In my past life, I paid too little attention to my sister. As a result, I have no idea which road she took or where the incident even happened!'
'The only ones who still have any dealings with our Nie Tian Branch are the Nie Long Branch. That branch was implicated in some matter years ago and driven out of Luoshui City. They live at the foot of Xialuo Mountain… My sister must have gone to them!'
A sudden realization struck Nie Yun, and his expression turned grim.
'Right after my sister's incident ended, the Nie Long Branch was recalled by the family and reinstated as an inner branch. I never connected the two events before, but thinking about it now, there are too many suspicious details. Could it be… that what happened to my sister wasn't an accident, but a deliberate, premeditated plot?'
'If you really are behind this, Nie Long Branch, then don't blame me for showing no mercy!'
Nie Yun's eyes narrowed, his killing intent flaring.
Before his rebirth, he had earned the title of Blood Prison Demon Venerable for his great slaughter. Everyone knew that any family or faction that offended him, regardless of their identity or background, would face a grim end: a sea of blood and a prison of corpses.
Moving swiftly, Nie Yun's newly formed Dantian spun nonstop within his Qi Sea, absorbing Pure Spiritual Qi and propelling him forward with the speed of a galloping horse.
Despite also being an outer branch of the Nie Mansion, the circumstances of the Nie Long Branch were entirely different from the destitute Nie Tian Branch. They lived some distance from town in a grand, imposing estate.
'Even when I get to the Nie Long Branch, I can't just charge in before I understand the situation. Otherwise, not only will I fail to save her, but I'll end up dead myself. I have to think of a plan!'
As he raced onward, Nie Yun mulled over his strategy.
'The current Patriarch of the Nie Long Branch, Nie Shengyuan, is a powerhouse at the Peak of the Qi Sea Fifth Layer Body Emergence Realm. Someone at that Realm can project their True Qi, injuring a person from a hundred paces away without leaving a trace. Even with my combat experience from two lifetimes, I'm no match for him at all!'
'Besides, even if I could defeat Nie Shengyuan, I couldn't possibly slaughter every single member of their branch. If even one person escaped and spread the word, my own branch would be completely annihilated, with no one left alive!'
'For the sake of my branch and to save my sister, I can't be reckless, no matter how furious I am.'
Suddenly, the clatter of hooves echoed from nearby. A moment later, several swift horses whooshed past him, galloping on.
'Hm? Is that Nie Lin, the steward of the Nie Long Branch? What's he doing?'
With a single glance, Nie Yun recognized the man on the lead horse.
'I've never met Nie Lin in this life, and he's never met me. But I saw him once in my past life, at the council meeting where the family decided the fate of the Nie Tian Branch. He's the steward of the Nie Long Branch, a sinister and vicious man who used the family name to ruin several other branches, leaving them shattered and their families dead. My sister never said anything specific back then, but now that I think about how she hesitated, it seems she had some connection to this Nie Lin!'
'Besides, what's a head steward doing out here, galloping on the road, instead of being at his family's estate? The whole thing looks incredibly suspicious!'
'I'll follow them and see what's going on.'
The thought came to him, and Nie Yun quietly began to follow.
"How are the preparations?"
After a short while, Nie Lin and his men stopped in front of a tavern. He directed the question to a man who was walking out to greet them.
"Rest assured, my lord. Young Master Nie Liu will bring Young Master Feng Xiao over shortly. We've already put the Thousand Desire Flower in the wine. The stuff is colorless and odorless. As long as he drinks it, heh heh… I guarantee it'll work perfectly!" a man who looked like the Shopkeeper replied with a sinister chuckle.
'Looks like this whole tavern is staffed by the Nie Long Branch.'
'Thousand Desire Flower? How did they get their hands on something like that…? Could they be planning to… I see!'
Hearing the words "Thousand Desire Flower," Nie Yun's mind raced, and his expression instantly darkened.
'The Thousand Desire Flower is something that can't be found in Luoshui City. Almost no one here has even heard of it. It's rare even in the Imperial Capital—an aphrodisiac that only circulates in the most decadent dens of vice. Anyone who consumes it is temporarily overwhelmed by lust, making them capable of anything!'
'In my past life, I captured a Noble Family Young Master in the Imperial Capital and found this stuff on him. That's how I know what it is. I never expected the Nie Long Branch to have it!'
'Making Feng Xiao drink an aphrodisiac like that…'
Having lived two lives and knowing what his sister had endured, Nie Yun knew exactly what they were planning.
'I always thought Feng Xiao had just given in to his beastly nature, relying on the power of the Feng Family. I never imagined this was the real root of it all!'
'You plotted against my sister. For that, I will make your branch pay a terrible price and wipe you from the face of the earth!'
Nie Yun snorted coldly, killing intent surging in his eyes like a tidal wave.
'They plotted against my sister and my branch. If I show them any mercy now, I won't be worthy of the title Blood Prison Demon Venerable!'
'Still, to dare to plot against Feng Xiao, the sole heir of the Feng Family, and to be able to make him follow their plan… the Nie Long Branch must have some serious tricks up their sleeve. I'd better be careful.'
"Hey, you punk! This tavern's closed today. We don't have any scraps for you, so get lost!"
As he was lost in thought, an arrogant shout cut through the air. He looked up to see that Nie Lin and the Shopkeeper had vanished inside the tavern. A man who looked like a waiter stood before him, hands on his hips, glaring at him with an impatient scowl.
'It seems Nie Lin was afraid of being disturbed and sent someone to clear the area. This guy must have spotted me hiding off to the side.'
'I haven't changed since I woke from my coma, so my clothes are dirty and torn. He's clearly mistaken me for a wandering beggar.'
Looking at the waiter, Nie Yun's mind stirred. An idea began to form.
"What are you looking at? Scram!" The waiter, clearly used to throwing his weight around, barked again when he saw the young man hadn't moved.
"I'm going, I'm going…" Nie Yun responded. Then, in a sudden movement, he was in front of the waiter in a flash.
"You—" The waiter never expected the young man to be so fast. He tried to shout, but his vision went black as he collapsed to the ground, already a corpse.
"Tough luck," Nie Yun muttered with a dark chuckle. He dragged the waiter's body into a corner, quickly swapped their clothes, and then gathered some flowers and plants from the ground. He spent a few moments smearing their juices on his face.
'When it comes to the art of Disguise using simple items, if I claimed to be second best in my past life, no one would have dared claim to be first. Even the so-called master of Disguise, the Divine Thief Qianhuan, had to concede his inferiority! That's why, along with the title Blood Prison Demon Venerable, I was also known as the Hundred-Change Demon Monarch.'
"All set." After hiding the body, Nie Yun finished his preparations and stepped out. His build, appearance, mannerisms, and even his voice were now identical to the dead waiter's. Never mind the Shopkeeper or Nie Lin—even the man's own mother wouldn't have been able to tell the difference!