"I don't know. I saw Great-Grandpa on my way back. He was covered in wounds, covered in blood."
Li Tianyi knelt before the grave, the Pig Demon King's blood still staining his clothes. But his earlier hysteria had vanished, replaced by a numbness that followed the extreme grief. Carrying the Pig Demon King's body back had exhausted all his spiritual energy. Now, his face was pale, his body weak, yet he seemed unaware of his own condition.
Staring blankly ahead, he mechanically answered his Second Uncle's questions. "When I found Great-Grandpa, he was in the forest outside Tailin Town. He had lost his powers and was crashing through the trees. So many people were shouting to slay the demon, and many cultivators had surrounded him. He killed so many... but he was still trying to get home."
"I carried Great-Grandpa back. He said..."
"'Take me home.'"
"'I just want to see the children one last time. That would make my life worthwhile.'"
"But..."
As he spoke, Li Tianyi's expression was a mixture of tears and laughter, but above all, it was filled with boundless guilt. "It wasn't worth it! I don't want any spirit springs, I want Great-Grandpa back! We already have so many resources, more good things than we could ever use. He didn't need to go get more for us."
"It's all my fault. If... if I could have flown faster, Great-Grandpa could have been saved, right?"
"..."
Li Yunbing's brow furrowed deeply, and he simply shook his head. He didn't want to tell Li Tianyi that when Grandpa Pig returned, his soul was already exhausted, likely on the verge of passing when he encountered Li Tianyi.
Afterwards, he left Li Tianyi and the younger generation to grieve. His responsibilities as the head of the family told him that he had to remain rational and deal with this situation.
Sensing something amiss, he walked towards his father and grandparents, who were still maintaining their composure.
Li Yaozu's eyes were fixed on the core fire within the tomb. This was a way for Golden Core cultivators to have a proper burial; otherwise, their bodies might be stolen. He had already suppressed his anger, but his expression remained icy. Sensing Li Yunbing's approach, he uttered just three words.
"Who did this?"
A few years ago, the Pig Demon King had already begun planning the construction of this "Heavenly Net Earth Spirit Pond." The Li family knew about it and even provided a lot of assistance.
Li Yaozu had even accompanied the Pig Demon King on two of its journeys.
But this time...
Li Yunbing let out a long sigh. "All of our Li family's intelligence sources have returned. Based on the information we've gathered so far, we only know that Grandpa Pig went to the Goldleaf Forest outside the Azure Cloud region. There were no signs of battle where he traveled, and none of the forces hostile to our Li family have dispatched any experts."
"I have already invited Mr. Huang Xiujin and sent messages to Fourth Aunt and Second Aunt."
Li Dalong, standing nearby, watched the children overwhelmed with grief and anger before the tomb.
He slowly closed his eyes. He had never imagined this day would come. The Pig Demon King's sudden death was unacceptable. He couldn't bear to think about the pain his children would endure.
"Find the culprit, no matter who it is."
"Yes, Grandpa."
Li Yunbing nodded slightly and turned to leave, attending to his duties, but he still glanced back at the Pig Demon King's tomb.
At that moment, He suddenly recalled the Primordial Blood Tree's words: The earth next year should be as red as the snow today.
He couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Li Yunbing knew that the Primordial Blood Tree's prediction was likely accurate.
Once they discovered who was responsible, the perpetrator would face the Li family's unbridled fury. Every member of the Li family, from the third generation onwards, had grown up riding on the Pig Demon King's back. The bond between the Pig Demon King and the Li children was closer than that with any of their elders.
No matter the cost, no matter who the enemy was, no matter how long it took, the descendants of the Li family would avenge this death.
In that instant, Li Yunbing's hair seemed to gray a little more.
The red snow continued to fall over the Li family residence.
On this blood-tinged winter day, the flames consuming the Pig Demon King's body grew fiercer, mirroring the burning rage of the Li family.
Li Wei watched silently all along.
The Pig Demon King's greatest wish was to see the valley filled with Li family children, to have countless descendants to care for.
That wish would never be fulfilled.
But the Li family would forever remember that in the depths of the Silver Iron Forest, there lived a Demon King, their kin by marriage, who accompanied them through a long period of their lives.
The children of the Li family would also remember that they had a grandfather, a great-grandfather, and even a great-great-grandfather who once carried them on his back. Even future generations would remember that the Li family had an ancestor who was a Pig Demon, one of their most cherished relatives.
"Hu."
Li Wei exhaled deeply. After the funeral, he bowed towards the Pig Demon King's tomb. As his form gradually faded, his voice rang out with conviction, "You will always be a member of our family. The children will carry the memories of your existence and grow into the soaring eagles and fierce tigers you admired, becoming proud descendants of the Li family."
With that, Li Wei's figure returned to reality.
In the depths of the night, the flames within the Pig Demon King's tomb surged upwards.