The Yuan Kong Immortal Clan

Wei Zhenyue was born the eldest legitimate son of the Marquis of Jing'an's household in Jiangling Prefecture. With a Fire Three, Wood Four mortal spirit root, his clan decided from childhood that he would never get far on the path of immortal cultivation.

When he was sixteen, the black jade token left by his birth mother acknowledged him as its master. The token was called Yuan Kong. As the family grew and its fortunes flourished, and as he protected his clansmen, Yuan Kong bestowed spirit seeds, alchemy recipes, and brewing methods. It provided resources and guidance, but it would never fight for him or kill on his behalf.

He started with Qixia Manor, twenty li outside the city. He opened spirit fields, brewed spirit wine, and trained village militia, slowly bringing a near-ruined estate back to life. Then, following the half of a black jade token, a set of silver needles, and a farewell letter left by his mother, he uncovered a lead in the murder case from eight years ago: the Blood Worship Sect had established eight blood altars in Jinghu Circuit, and planned to gather eight ancient cultivator mansion keys to perform a blood sacrifice and open an ancient grotto-heaven. The spy in the marquis's household who passed messages to the heretical sect was still right by his side.

Unable to enter a sect through the mortal spirit-root assessment, he earned his way into Taihua Sect one stroke at a time, starting out in the Outer Sect's Eastern Miscellaneous Courtyard.

The paper effigies at the Mirror Lake Immortal Lady Temple already bore the birth dates of ninety-eight women. The second altar would be opened on the autumn equinox. With the copper key that heretical cultivators could sense from within three li tucked away, he accepted a mission token to investigate the matter down the mountain.

He would investigate his mother's death, catch the ghosts in the marquis's household, and destroy all eight altars, one by one. He would carry on this clan's path.