Inside the An Family.
In an ordinary courtyard in the Outer Court, sat a pretty woman, hugging her knees and staring blankly at the sky.
"Miss, when are you coming back?"
Xiao Kui looked on with longing. Since An Ruoxuan went to the Black Gold Domain, she had returned to the An Family very rarely.
An Ruoxuan already held a low position within the An Family, and she was naturally no exception, often being bullied by the An Family.
Without Miss An in the An Family, she has been frequently bullied these days.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the Courtyard.
Their Courtyard was located in a corner, and almost no one came here on weekdays; usually only the people who lived there would come.
Xiao Kui suddenly realized what was happening. She quickly stood up and said with great surprise:
"Miss, is that you?"
She ran excitedly towards the door, eager to greet the visitors.
When they reached the door, they only saw An Hefeng, whose expression was cold and gloomy, with the An Family's Enforcement Elder beside him.
Xiao Kui was startled and looked at An Hefeng with some panic:
"Greetings, Second Young Master!"
An Hefeng's face was grim. He said indifferently, "Xiao Kui, three hundred mid-grade Immortal Crystal went missing from the Outer Court yesterday. Did you steal them?"
Ah?
Xiao Kui was stunned. Somewhat bewildered, she asked, "Second Young Master, what do you mean? How could I possibly dare to steal Immortal Crystal?"
An Hefeng didn't speak. He looked at the person behind him, and the person next to him immediately walked into the Courtyard.
Seeing their posture, Xiao Kui was already terrified and dared not stop them.
A moment later, the man came out carrying a large bag, which he then poured out in front of Xiao Kui. Inside were crystal-clear Immortal Crystal.
Xiao Kui's eyes widened immediately, her face filled with panic:
"How could this be? How could there be so many Immortal Crystal in the Courtyard? Second Young Master, this must be a misunderstanding. Xiao Kui didn't steal Immortal Crystal."
She had lived in the An Family since childhood and had never experienced intrigue and backstabbing, so she naturally did not understand that An Hefeng's visit today was to frame her.
An Hefeng gave a cold laugh, then shouted:
"Presumptuous!"
"A lowly Servants has actually committed such a heinous act of embezzlement; he should be severely punished. Take him away."
The person behind him immediately stepped forward, restrained Xiao Kui, and then walked away into the distance.
With Xiao Kui by his side, he wasn't worried that An Ruoxuan wouldn't speak up.
Tears streamed down Xiao Kui's face as she pleaded, "Second Young Master, it's all a misunderstanding! Xiao Kui really didn't steal the Immortal Crystal. I've been a law-abiding An Family for so many years; I would never do such a thing."
The cries and screams continued, and many people stuck their heads out to check as they passed by.
"No, what did Xiao Kui do to warrant the Second Young Master's personal intervention?"
"From what I heard, it seems that Xiao Kui stole the Immortal Crystal, which is why the Second Young Master came here specifically to punish her."
"Stealing Immortal Crystal? Pfft! I'm dying of laughter. How could a coward like Xiao Kui dare to do something like that? She's the kind of person who gets terrified even by a common mouse."
Upon hearing this, the speaker abruptly shut his mouth, exchanged glances with those around him, and their faces all showed signs of fear.
Wasn't it because of stealing Immortal Crystal?
Although the specific reason is unclear, it is most likely not because of the Immortal Crystal, but because of something else.
Even if Xiao Kui really did steal the Immortal Crystal, it wouldn't be the Second Young Master's place to personally appear, considering he's a direct Direct Line of the An Family.
And what about Xiao Kui?
She was nothing more than a Servants in the An Family.
Later, An Hefeng found Xiao Kui too noisy, so they simply sealed her mouth shut.
They arrived at the Headquarters of the Treasure Seeking Merchant Guild, and to avoid being noticed, An Hefeng entered directly through the back door.
But just as he entered the Treasure Seeking Merchant Guild, a figure stood in front of him.
Upon seeing the newcomer, An Hefeng's pupils contracted immediately, and he quickly bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Great Elder!"
The person in front slowly turned around. He stood with his hands behind his back, exuding an imposing aura without anger. His eyes were piercing, and his entire being was extremely oppressive.
This person is An Family Changtian, the Great Elder of the An Changtian.
He is also the most powerful person in the An Family besides the Family Head, with the Cultivation Level of late-stage Immortal King.
An Changtian looked at An Hefeng and said calmly, "Let him go."
His tone left no room for argument; he didn't even ask why An Hefeng wanted to do this, nor did he care about such things.
An Hefeng clenched his fists, his head bowed, his expression gloomy.
Hateful!
Why is the Great Elder here?
Seeing that An Hefeng did not take any action, the Great Elder frowned:
"Wasn't Elder I said clear enough?"
As soon as he finished speaking, an incredibly terrifying pressure instantly enveloped him, An Hefeng's body collapsed to the ground like a dead dog.
The Guardian Elder beside An Hefeng was already terrified and immediately knelt on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
An Hefeng immediately realized what was happening and quickly said:
"Great Elder, please forgive me. I've been too busy these past few days and was momentarily distracted. This Xiao Kui is just a petty person from the An Family, and the mistake she made wasn't serious. Since the Great Elder has given the order, I will release her immediately."
Although he didn't know why the Great Elder had come here, An Hefeng still felt a sense of unease.
It seems the Great Elder came specifically for him!
The Great Elder looked down coldly, then sneered, "Useless for any important task."
An Hefeng's expression stiffened, and his eyes grew increasingly gloomy, but he still smiled and said, "The Great Elder is right."
Seeing his obsequious expression, the Great Elder shook his head again, his face growing increasingly disdainful.
"The only one who would be interested in someone like you is the Third Elder."
"An Hefeng, do you know why I, this Elder, have intervened and supported someone Cultivation Level is inferior to yours and whose business acumen is not as good as Third Prince's?"
Upon hearing this, the Enforcement Elder behind An Hefeng wished they could cut off their own ears. This was not something I could possibly listen to!
This is going to kill someone!
An Hefeng clenched his fists, struggled to lift his head, and looked at the Great Elder's mocking expression. His face was full of resentment.
"I don't know."
He truly couldn't understand why the powerful Great Elder would choose to support the eldest brother, given that the eldest brother was less talented than him and less capable in business than the Third Prince.
This is completely illogical.
His talent is the greatest; he'll break through to the Immortal King soon. What will An Wushuang have to compete with then?
Before this Clan Competition, An Hefeng never imagined that the Great Elder would participate in Clan Competition, because his strength and status were too high. Even if he didn't participate in these disputes, no one in the entire An Family would dare to do anything to him.
Unlike others, he wouldn't be purged later if he didn't Taking Sides.
The Great Elder sneered, "It's not because you're too useless, but because An Wushuang has a promising Future and is worth Elder investment."