Heroines, I'm Really not the Devourer
Chapter 62: The Ancestors’ Pavilion

Chapter 62: The Ancestors’ Pavilion

*’Why do I feel like something’s missing?’*

"Why should I thank you?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Don’t play dumb."

She looked away, crossing her arms.

"Hmph... The Matriarch would’ve beheaded us if you’d died because of your reckless actions... I can’t say the same for the Krakens."

*’The Krakens?’*

A bad feeling settled in my stomach.

"What? Krakens? What’s going on with them?"

Ling’er headed toward the door, visibly annoyed.

"The Matriarch went to demand an explanation."

A chill ran down my spine.

If my mother had gone herself, it wasn’t for a chat.

I tried to get up, despite the pain tearing through my chest.

"What are you doing?! You’ll reopen your wounds!"

"And you?"

My voice was hoarse, but my gaze piercing.

"Since when do you worry about me? I thought you hated me."

She sniffed with disdain.

"Who’s worrying about you?!"

She left without another word, slamming the door behind her.

"Wait— Ah damn! I didn’t think it’d hurt this much."

She was already gone.

*"She’s really strange, though..."*

But I didn’t have time to think about it.

I struggled out of bed and slipped into a robe. As soon as I opened the door, I noticed two imposing figures blocking my way.

Two guards.

Their mere presence made me uneasy.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my tone wary.

It was the first time guards had been posted outside my room. And not just any guards.

Their level was far beyond the norm. Only my mother could command them.

One of them, a man in dark armor, replied in a cold voice:

"By order of the Matriarch. We’re ensuring no one disturbs your recovery."

I clenched my teeth.

*’You still let someone who already stabbed me with a sword in... What a load of crap.’* I thought, rolling my eyes.

"Did the Matriarch leave alone?"

The guard smirked through his helmet.

"Young Master, do you think the Matriarch needs the Ancestral Hu Army to deal with those insolent Krakens?"

My heart skipped a beat.

*’Shit... If she left without an escort...’*

Chaos was brewing, and I had to stop it before it was too late. Hu Sijin wasn’t one to measure the consequences of her actions. If she decided to attack the Krakens, war would spread like wildfire, dragging the Eastern Continent into a conflict that would engulf the entire Upper Realm.

"We have to stop her!"

One of the guard captains rushed toward me, visibly worried.

"Young Master, are you alright? The Krakens have desecrated our honor by attacking our younger generation. Are you still shaken from your battle?"

I stared at him with a mix of exasperation and confusion.

*’What the hell is this guy talking about?’*

"Do you want a war involving the entire Upper Realm, with the Eastern Continent at the center of it all?"

The guard paled. He understood what I was getting at. An attack on the Krakens would mean a direct affront to the Cloud Dynasty, not to mention the alliances the Krakens had with other aquatic races across the world.

"Uh... no, Young Master."

"That’s what I thought."

He looked away, uncomfortable.

"But it’s still impossible. How can we stop the Matriarch?"

"Just take me to the Ancestors’ Pavilion as quickly as possible."

"What?! Young Master, that’s dangerous!"

"It doesn’t matter, I have to."

The guard hesitated for a second, then nodded with resignation.

"Your wishes are orders."

They could simply open a portal, but within the Hu Domain, space was sealed. My mother’s Anarchy Void prevented teleportation in certain strategic areas. I had no choice but to be physically escorted.

Exhausted, I let the guards envelop my body with their Qi and carry me across the domain. We left my residence heading for the Ancestors’ Pavilion.

*The Ancestors’ Pavilion.*

A place both feared and respected, where only the former Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Ancestral families found refuge to cultivate in isolation. The Hu family had existed for millions of years, and about twenty ancestors still lived in this sanctuary, having abandoned the management of mortal affairs.

But my mother, Hu Sijin, was different. She had reached the immortal stage far too young, barely two centuries old. She had never felt the need to retire, remaining at the head of the family, and I was far too young to take the reins.

I had no choice but to appeal to the elders. True, they hated being disturbed, but there was no way I’d let my mother start a war at such a critical moment.

Upon reaching the Pavilion’s entrance, the guards set me down abruptly.

"We can’t go any further, Young Master. Only the heir may proceed."

I nodded, regaining some strength thanks to the elixir Ling’er had given me earlier.

Taking a deep breath, I let my Qi lift me and continued alone, crossing the thick mist that covered the mountain.

Before me stretched a vast landscape, a huge green plateau dotted with ancient pavilions floating in an ocean of dense Qi. The place seemed timeless, untouched by the conflicts and intrigues of the outside world.

I clasped my hands in a sign of respect and bowed slightly.

"Venerable Ancestor, please hear your junior, Hu BaiShe, the only son of the current Matriarch, Hu Sijin."

"..."

*’No response?’*

Silence reigned, heavy and oppressive.

"Please forgive the disturbance, but this is of the utmost importance..."

"... "

Still nothing.

I sighed.

*’Are they really going to ignore me when the fate of the Upper Realm is at stake?’*

Suddenly, my mind fogged. A strange sensation overwhelmed me, as if I were being pulled out of my own body.

When my vision cleared again, I found myself in an empty room, filled with the strong smell of acrid, nauseating smoke.

At the room’s center sat an old man, holding a pipe between his gnarled fingers. He took a deep drag, then exhaled a cloud of smoke that swirled around him like living mist.

His weary eyes settled on me with an indecipherable glint.

"So, young man... how’s the family doing these days?"