Daoist Qing Shi looked at my uncle with an expression of astonishment after saying that.
Beside them, the sect leader of Longhu Mountain, Daoist Qing Shan, and three elders from Maoshan.
Also stared at my uncle with disbelief, their eyes clearly filled with shock.
In their eyes.
The Demon Palace housed over a thousand demons.
Among them, there were certainly powerful demon cultivators.
Our small group, including Sister Yun Xia, knew each other and had a rough idea of our cultivation levels.
Then there were the three juniors like myself, and a minor demon of unknown origin.
Our cultivation was certainly nothing to brag about, not worth mentioning.
The only variable, they all believed, was my uncle.
To sweep through the Demon Palace single-handedly, what kind of earth-shattering cultivation would that require?
My uncle, seeing their expressions, looked disdainful.
He even intended to continue his charade:
"What, can't it be?
When I, Tang Lin, make a move, it's as easy as a snap of my fingers!"
"Ah? It really was you who swept through it alone?"
Daoist Qing Shan was terrified.
The three elders from Maoshan also sucked in a cold breath.
My uncle grinned, stroked his eight-character mustache, looking quite smug.
He had these five Daoist seniors completely bewildered.
We, the juniors, naturally wouldn't expose him and stood by without speaking.
Sister Yun Xia, however, let out a muffled laugh:
"Alright, Brother Tang, stop teasing.
The reason the Demon Palace was eradicated was with the help of three major forces."
Upon hearing Sister Yun Xia speak, they all glared:
"Three major forces?"
"What three major forces?"
"..."
They all started asking questions.
Sister Yun Xia didn't elaborate but looked towards my uncle.
My uncle knew this was a serious matter.
Meeting old friends, a bit of joking was fine, but he couldn't really talk nonsense.
So he said to them:
"The Yin Ghost force of Princess Jiu Sheng, the Fox Clan force from the Chuan Shu region, and the Hui family force from the Bottomless Pit of Hei Ni Ling.
With the help of these three major forces, the Black Demon Palace was flattened.
Of course, the reason the three major forces came.
Was all because they gave me face.
It has nothing to do with your major sects."
My uncle finished speaking, and Sister Yun Xia nodded in agreement.
The explanation was something we had discussed beforehand.
Regarding my life curse and the three major forces, we would say as little as possible.
There were three main reasons.
First, Qing Dai is a ghost cultivator who is wanted by the Underworld.
I want to hide my relationship with her as much as possible.
To avoid outside investigation.
If it were exposed, it would not benefit me.
Second, I am just starting out, and my cultivation is still shallow.
Being noticed too early by these Daoist factions is not necessarily a good thing.
The Daoist world is not as clean as you might imagine.
You never know what people are thinking.
Not speaking is a form of protection for me.
My cultivation is too low, my strength too weak.
Being too conspicuous could lead to an early demise.
And the most important third reason is the retaliation from the Black Demon Cult.
My uncle voluntarily proposed to take the brunt of it.
This would attract the attention of the Black Demon Cult's demonic cultivators, allowing them to overlook me.
My uncle wants to shield me from all visible and hidden attacks.
Allowing me to grow in a relatively safer environment.
At first, I didn't agree.
This would push my uncle into the spotlight.
Making him a shield for us.
While I would be relatively safe, he could face countless retaliations and entanglements from the demonic forces.
It's possible he would also incur jealousy and be sabotaged by others.
But my uncle was insistent, and directly used his seniority to pressure me.
He said that my talent was excellent and I would surely soar to great heights in the future.
He was an old man with little time left, and his wish was to protect me and Old Mo so that we could grow and pass on our legacy.
Now, I am still young and absolutely cannot be too conspicuous.
I understood all of this and eventually had to reluctantly agree.
I also understood my uncle's good intentions.
The so-called attention, while appearing glorious on the surface, would not bring us any substantial help or improvement.
It would only satisfy vanity and be meaningless.
But in secret, this attention was like a gleaming steel knife.
When things are good, it brings cheers and glory.
But if you're not careful, it can cost you your life...
At this moment, after hearing my uncle's words, the five Daoist seniors were all shocked.
They couldn't help but gasp.
Their focus shifted to my uncle.
As high-ranking members of their respective sects, having mingled in the martial world for decades.
They had certainly heard of these three major forces.
They just didn't expect my uncle to have connections with all three.
Effortlessly summoning the three major forces to help, and flattening the Black Demon Palace.
From this, one could see how immense the backing of my uncle was.
Each of them looked astonished.
But their eyes revealed different emotions.
However, soon, their expressions towards my uncle became enthusiastic again.
Their attitudes clearly improved:
"Brother Tang, I never expected that you would befriend three major forces during your years of reclusion.
Our Longhu Mountain happens to be on good terms with the three major forces!"
"Regardless, with the intervention of the three major forces, eradicating the Black Demon Cult is a great deed.
Brother Tang, what is your relationship with the three major forces?"
"Brother Tang, with the three major forces as your allies.
Your reappearance in the martial world this time will surely shake the north and south."
"Bro-, Brother Tang, you, you've returned to the martial world.
Let's, let's raise a glass and reminisce about old times!"
"..."
Their tone towards my uncle had changed, and they seemed to be trying to curry favor.
But I could tell it wasn't genuine.
It was just a hypocritical attempt to build connections...
I watched from the side.
I felt it wasn't good, but rather a slight sense of repulsion.
It seems that this Daoist world is not as good as imagined.
It's not much different from the human relationships in the factory.
When workers with connections come to work.
Minor leaders in departments will pay special attention to them.
It inevitably attracts jealousy.
Workers who receive special treatment often find themselves being tripped up or targeted by other workers.
In a factory, being tripped up or targeted might at most lead to work errors or stoppages.
But this is the world of cultivation and Daoism.
Attracting jealousy and hate.
Can cost you your life.
You might even be annihilated without a trace, your soul scattered.
And my uncle is now bearing all of it for me.
All because he wants me to continue growing in a safe environment...