The Xu Family's Crisis

"Disciple, the urgent matter at hand is that you should go home to handle this."

Li Xuan reminded him.

"Right, I need to hurry home!"

Xu Yan snapped back to reality and immediately said, "Master, I'll go home to deal with this. Once it's settled, I'll return to serve by your side!"

"Go then!"

Li Xuan nodded.

"What about them..."

Xu Yan looked at the old man in sackcloth and the county magistrate, his face darkening.

"Don't mind them."

Li Xuan shook his head.

"Yes, Master!"

Xu Yan bowed respectfully, then his body moved, disappearing into the night in an instant.

He didn't ride a horse but directly used the Light Swan Movement Technique. With his current strength, his speed was much faster than a horse.

He was in a hurry to get home, so naturally, he used the Light Swan Movement Technique directly.

The old man in sackcloth and the others were terrified. Why was Xu Junhe's foolish son so powerful?

Had he truly found a reclusive master?

Did powerful experts and the Martial Dao, like those in storybooks, truly exist in this world?

Damn it, who was the one with the bad brain?

For a moment, all the experts from the Tianmu Cult doubted their entire existence.

As soon as Xu Yan left, Li Xuan chuckled and pulled the old man in sackcloth, saying, "Don't just stand there foolishly, come in for a chat."

"No, Senior, we still have important matters. We need to go and help the suffering people... Yes, help the suffering people!"

The old man in sackcloth broke out in a cold sweat.

The young man before him, though appearing young, was likely an ancient monster.

If that foolish boy Xu Yan was already so powerful, with strength beyond reason, then his master couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.

"Are you really going to help the suffering people?"

Li Xuan smiled.

"Yes, yes, we are helping the people."

The old man in sackcloth trembled.

The county magistrate scrambled up from the ground, cowering and inching backward, trying to escape.

"County Magistrate of Yunshan, come here for a moment."

Li Xuan called out, waving the Jade Ruyi in his hand.

"Senior, what are your orders? I will certainly fulfill them!"

The County Magistrate of Yunshan bowed and scraped, fawning.

"Don't panic, come in for a chat, about this Tianmu Cult and such..."

As Li Xuan's Blood Essence surged, an invisible pressure enveloped everyone.

"Yes, yes!"

The people of the Tianmu Cult dared not disobey, entering the courtyard with ingratiating smiles.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, a flash of inspiration struck the old man in sackcloth's mind, and he immediately knelt down with a plop.

"Senior's divine might is invincible, as majestic as the heavens, a peerless expert in this world. From this day forward, my Tianmu Cult wishes to recognize Senior as the Great Sage Heavenly Duke!"

"Great Sage Heavenly Duke, divine might invincible, peerless in this world, Sackcloth pays respects to the Great Sage Heavenly Duke!"

The old man in sackcloth kowtowed repeatedly, his expression solemn, like a devout believer.

Seeing this, the County Magistrate of Yunshan and the others quickly knelt down with a plop, their expressions solemn, like devout believers. They didn't spare any effort when they kowtowed.

The sound of thudding echoed.

"We pay respects to the Great Sage Heavenly Duke!"

"The Great Sage Heavenly Duke's divine might is invincible, peerless in this world!"

Li Xuan: ...

What kind of oddities were these people from the Tianmu Cult?

Great Sage Heavenly Duke, was it a male and female pair?

Would they have to change their name to the "Heavenly Duke Cult" in the future?

"There are two paths: either get up and talk properly, have a chat, or... die."

Li Xuan said in a flat tone.

The sound of kowtowing stopped. The old man in sackcloth and the others wiped the blood seeping from their foreheads and silently stood up.

They understood the choice between talking and dying.

Li Xuan sat down on a chair and had the old man in sackcloth and the others introduce the Tianmu Cult, the imperial court, the Jianghu, and so on, to further understand this world.

Donghe Commandery, the Xu family.

At this moment, the Xu family mansion was brightly lit. Guards armed with weapons patrolled the estate, maintaining a state of alert.

One person sat atop each building, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

In the inner courtyard, Chen the Escort Head and Wang the Martial Hall Master sat in a pavilion, weapons in hand.

Besides these two, three other individuals were also on guard in the inner courtyard.

Five Peak Jianghu Experts.

"Husband, why are the evil followers of the Tianmu Cult targeting our Xu family? What does the government say?" Madam Xu asked, her face full of worry.

Xu Junhe sighed and said, "The Tianmu Cult came to demand half of our Xu family's fortune, calling it 'aid for the suffering masses,' but in reality, they are forcing us to join them."

"This is a rebellious cult. Once you're involved, it's like treason, and the consequences are unimaginable."

Madam Xu frowned. "I know that, of course, but why isn't the government arresting the Tianmu Cult members causing trouble in the commandery city? Why is Jiang Pingshan, the Great General of Donghe, just standing by?"

"Because it's not time to act yet."

Xu Junhe paced the hall, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"Husband, are we supposed to wait until the Tianmu Cult breaks into our home before they act? Are they just going to watch our Xu family be destroyed by this rebellious cult? Isn't the Prefect of Donghe Commandery afraid of being held accountable?" Madam Xu asked, bewildered.

"They are waiting for news."

At this point, Xu Junhe felt it was time to tell his wife.

"That group of mountain bandits suddenly vanished without a trace, and the goods were delivered to the capital smoothly. We thought we had weathered the storm, but we never expected a greater disaster to befall us. This calamity is hard to overcome!"

Madam Xu was startled. "What calamity?"

Xu Junhe exhaled and said, "The Princes' Succession Struggle!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Xu's face instantly turned pale, and she trembled, "Husband, you mean, my father he..."

"Your father's esteemed teacher is Elder Chen, and Elder Chen supports the Third Prince. Your father has long been regarded as the Third Prince's confidant and belongs to his faction."

"Ever since the Third Prince lost the precious jade meant as a tribute to the Emperor while distributing disaster relief in the three commanderies last year, he has been at a disadvantage in the Princes' Succession Struggle. Now, it's almost over."

Xu Junhe sighed.

If it were an ordinary jade, it would be fine. With the Third Prince's merits in disaster relief, he wouldn't have been punished.

However, that jade was called the Evergreen Longevity Stone, a rare treasure in the world.

Carrying it had the miraculous effect of curing illnesses and prolonging life.

With such a treasure lost, coupled with rumors that the Third Prince did not wish the Emperor to live longer and thus intentionally lost the treasure, the situation became dire.

Regardless of whether the jade was real or fake, after this incident, the Third Prince had fallen out of favor with the Qi Emperor, and the struggle for the succession was effectively over.

The Third Prince's faction would naturally face a purge.

Madam Xu's face turned pale, and she trembled, "Is there no room for recovery? What about defecting to the First Prince?"

Xu Junhe gave a wry smile. "Your father is Elder Chen's student and a confidant of the Third Prince. There's no opportunity."

He held his wife's hand and remained silent for a moment. Xu Junhe said, "Our Xu family possesses such immense wealth, it naturally became the beginning of the purge. It is a matter of time and fate. I, Xu Junhe, have lived a full life to have reached this point despite my humble beginnings."

He sighed again, "It's just that Yan'er, alas!"

Madam Xu leaned against him, her eyes red. "It's fortunate that Yan'er is not at home. I hope he can escape this calamity. This child is just too foolish, believing those storybook tales and searching for some master."

"As long as we find Yan'er before the authorities do, we can ensure his safety. I have already made arrangements," Xu Junhe said, gently embracing his wife.

Apothecary Pan walked in and said, "Master, everything is ready. Once we find the young master, we will escort him to the Wu Kingdom immediately."

Xu Junhe nodded. "We have some businesses in the Wu Kingdom that can ensure Yan'er's prosperity. Old Pan, please look after him."

"Alas!" Apothecary Pan sighed. "I will take good care of him. After this ordeal, he should no longer be so foolish."