For a long time, silence filled the room. Xiao Dongcheng looked at Xiao Lin, his eyes clouded with a complex mix of hope and terror.
"Sigh... our Xiao Clan has struggled for so many years," Dongcheng finally whispered. "After so long, we finally have a Dou Wang again. Xiao Lin, do you understand? I truly cannot afford for anything to happen to you."
Xiao Lin's heart skipped a beat. The phrasing was subtle, but the implication was massive. "Finally have a Dou Wang again."
Through his Suhui (transmigrator's memories), Xiao Lin knew the truth: the Xiao Clan was once the Xiao Tribe, one of the Eight Ancient Clans of the Great Thousand World's lower plane. In their prime, Dou Saints were as common as clouds, and a Dou Wang wouldn't even have been qualified to sweep their front gates.
But that was the past. The Dou Di Bloodline had long since withered. By the time of the original plot (Xiao Yan's era), the clan head Xiao Zhan would be a mere Da Dou Shi, completely ignorant of his family's God-tier origins. However, Xiao Dongcheng—the current head—clearly knew more.
Xiao Lin pondered the "Black Hand" behind the clan's downfall. He knew it was the Soul Hall, hunting for the Tou She Ancient God's Jade. But why had the clan regressed from a Central Plains superpower to a backwater family in the Jia Ma Empire?
"Clan Head," Xiao Lin said, his voice dropping to a calm, inquisitive tone. "You speak as if there is a shadow looming over us. If there are secrets I should know before I leave for my travels, please speak plainly. I will weigh my decisions based on the truth."
Xiao Lin needed to verify if his "Gou" (low-profile) strategy was correct. If the enemy was as dangerous as he suspected, staying hidden was his only survival move. If he revealed his Dou Zong strength now, the Xiao Clan might dominate Jia Ma, but they would glow like a beacon to the Soul Hall.
Xiao Dongcheng was locked in a mental battle. His predecessor had left a dying wish: Let the glory of the Xiao Clan die with our generation. Do not tell the children of the past, for the past is a tomb they cannot escape.
He wanted the Xiao family to live as ordinary citizens of Jia Ma, safe in their ignorance. But Xiao Lin was an anomaly. Not only was he a Dou Wang at thirty, but he was also a Lao Liu—someone who naturally hid his strength.
If I keep him in the dark, his curiosity might lead him into a trap, Dongcheng thought. But if I tell him, will the weight of the Xiao name crush him?
Ultimately, it was Xiao Lin's calm, "mountain-standing" composure that broke the old man's resolve. He saw in Xiao Lin the potential for a Restoration.
"Ancestors above," Dongcheng muttered, leading Xiao Lin into the dark, incense-filled Xiao Ancestral Hall. "Forgive this unfilial son. I am breaking the vow today because Xiao Lin is the one who can lead us back to the light."
Xiao Lin followed solemnly, offering a stick of incense to the rows of wooden tablets. He felt the weight of thousands of years of history pressing down on him.
Dongcheng reached behind a hidden compartment in the central altar and pulled out a thick, leather-bound tome. The cover was nameless, but the spiritual pressure emanating from the paper was unmistakable.
"Xiao Lin, you wanted to know the secrets of our blood," Dongcheng said, handing the book over with trembling hands. "Before I speak a single word, read this. This is the Chronicle of the Fallen Star."
Xiao Lin took the book. As his fingers touched the parchment, he felt a faint resonance with his own Star Dou Qi. It seemed the connection between the Xiao Clan and the "Stars" went back much further than he had ever imagined.
Xiao Guang, a nine-star Dou Zong, died in an assassination.
Xiao Ang, a Seven-Star Dou Zong, perished together with his enemy.
Xiao Bi, a three-star Dou Zong, died at the hands of a magical beast.
Xiao Chengzhou, an eight-star Dou Zong, died of poisoning.
Xiao Hongshen, a five-star Dou Zong, died in a battle.
Xiao Kai, a two-star Dou Zong, died in an assassination.
Xiao Qiu, a Seven-Star Dou Huang, died while exploring a secret realm.
Xiao Yiyou, a four-star Dou Huang, died during his family's relocation.
Xiao Xiu, a two-star Dou Huang, died of poisoning.
Xiao Xue, a one-star Dou Huang, died in a vendetta.
Xiao Lin felt a surge of horror. In the brutal world of the Dou Qi Continent, death is common, but for every single ancestor above the Dou Huang level to die by "accident" over a thousand years? That wasn't bad luck—that was a hunting season that never ended.
"This is..." Xiao Lin's voice trembled. His face was pale, not just from the history, but from the realization of how close he had come to joining this list. Thank the Heavens I chose the Path of the 'Lao Liu'! If he had swaggered through the empire as an 8-Star Dou Huang, he would likely be the next entry in this book: "Xiao Lin, 8-Star Dou Huang, died of 'sudden cultivation deviation'."
"You see it, don't you?" Xiao Dongcheng sighed, misinterpreting Xiao Lin's horror as mere grief. "Our roots are in the Central Plains, not this backwater empire. But our bloodline is cursed. Every time a hero rises, the curse takes them. Eventually, we became too weak to even produce a Dou Wang... until you."
Xiao Lin looked at Dongcheng, incredulous. "Clan Head, you don't find these 'accidents' suspicious?"
"I did once," Dongcheng admitted with a sad smile. "But who would watch a falling family for a thousand years? Our ancestors died in broad daylight, in documented battles, or by known poisons. There was no 'shadow enemy.' Besides, the previous Clan Head died of old age. The curse only strikes those who try to be 'strong' and 'ambitious.' The world is a meat grinder for the powerful; the mediocre simply live longer."
Xiao Lin realized the limitation of Dongcheng's perspective. Dongcheng saw a "curse" because he didn't know about the Tou She Ancient God's Jade.
Xiao Lin, with his transmigrator's knowledge, knew exactly who the "Black Hand" was: The Soul Clan (Hun Clan).
The Motive: The Soul Clan wants the Jade. They didn't wipe out the Xiao Clan entirely because the other ancient clans (like the Gu Clan) would never allow one clan to possess two pieces of the Jade.
The Strategy: If they couldn't kill the clan, they would atrophy it. By "accidentally" eliminating every Dou Huang and Dou Zong, they ensured the Xiao Clan would never produce a genius capable of protecting the Jade or reuniting with the other ancient races.
The Standoff: For a thousand years, while Hun Tiandi was recovering from his wounds, the Soul Clan operated through "accidents" to avoid a full-scale war with the Gu Clan.
Xiao Lin's resolve to travel and grow stronger hardened into steel. He realized that the threshold for "assassination" might be dropping. In the original plot, Xiao Lin (the original version) died as a Dou Wang. Did the Soul Clan decide that even a Dou Wang was too dangerous to leave alive?
I have to leave, Xiao Lin thought. I need to find resources that don't belong to the Xiao Clan, in places where the 'curse' doesn't look. I need to be so strong that when the Soul Hall finally drops the mask, I can shatter their hand.
"Clan Head," Xiao Lin said, closing the book and returning it with a steady hand. "I understand now. The world is indeed dangerous for those who stand too tall. But staying in a cage won't stop the hunter; it only makes the kill easier. I will go to the Northwest. I will be careful. I will be... invisible."
Dongcheng looked at the book, then at Xiao Lin. He didn't understand the full depth of Xiao Lin's words, but he felt the weight of a new era beginning.