Xu Family's Crisis

"Disciple, your top priority now is to return home and deal with this matter."

Li Xuan reminded him.

"That's right, I have to hurry home!"

Xu Yan came to his senses and immediately said, "Master, this disciple will return home to handle this matter. Once it's settled, I'll come back and attend to you!"

"Go!"

Li Xuan nodded.

"What about them..."

Xu Yan looked toward the old man in hemp clothes and the County Magistrate, his expression darkening as he spoke.

"Don't bother with them."

Li Xuan shook his head.

"Yes, Master!"

After bowing, Xu Yan moved, and in the blink of an eye, vanished into the night.

He did not ride a horse. Instead, he directly used the Light Swan Movement Technique. With his current strength, he was much faster than a horse.

Since he was anxious to return home, naturally he used the Light Swan Movement Technique directly.

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

Could it be that he had truly found a Reclusive Master?

Could there really be such incomparably powerful masters and martial arts as those described in storybooks?

Damn it, who exactly was the fool here?

For a time, all the Tianmu Cult experts began to question their lives.

Once Xu Yan left, Li Xuan immediately broke into a beaming smile. He grabbed the old man in hemp clothes and said, "Stop standing around like idiots. Come inside and have a chat."

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

The old man in hemp clothes was drenched in cold sweat.

The young man before him looked young, but he was very likely an old monster.

Since that foolish boy Xu Yan was already so powerful, with strength that defied common sense, his master could not be judged by ordinary standards either.

"Are you truly going to help the suffering common people?"

Li Xuan smiled meaningfully.

"Yes, yes, we're going to help the common people."

The old man in hemp clothes spoke while trembling all over.

The County Magistrate crawled up from the ground and timidly edged backward, hoping to escape.

"You there, County Magistrate of Yunshan, come over here."

Li Xuan waved the Jade Ruyi in his hand and called out.

"Senior, what orders do you have? This humble one will certainly carry them out!"

The County Magistrate of Yunshan bowed and scraped, speaking obsequiously.

"Don't panic. Come inside and have a chat. What was that about the Tianmu Cult..."

As Li Xuan's Vital Energy surged, an invisible pressure enveloped everyone.

"Yes, yes!"

How could the Tianmu Cult members dare refuse? With flattering smiles plastered across their faces, they entered the courtyard.

The moment he entered the courtyard, inspiration suddenly flashed through the old man in hemp clothes' mind. He dropped to his knees with a thump.

"Senior's divine might is invincible, as majestic as Heaven itself! You are an unparalleled expert beneath the heavens. From this day forth, our Tianmu Cult is willing to honor Senior as the Great Sage Heavenly Duke!"

"Great Sage Heavenly Duke, your divine might is invincible and unmatched beneath the heavens! This humble one in hemp pays respects to the Great Sage Heavenly Duke!"

The old man in hemp clothes immediately began banging his head against the ground, his expression solemn, as though he were a devout believer.

When the County Magistrate of Yunshan and the others saw this, they hurriedly dropped to their knees with thumps as well. Their expressions were solemn, like devout believers, and they slammed their heads against the ground without sparing an ounce of strength.

Thump, thump, thump.

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

"The Great Sage Heavenly Duke's divine might is invincible and unmatched beneath the heavens!"

Li Xuan: ...

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

What was this Great Sage Heavenly Duke nonsense? A male duke and a female mother, was that it?

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

"Two paths. Either get up and speak properly, have a chat—or... die."

Li Xuan spoke in an indifferent tone.

The head-banging stopped. The old man in hemp clothes and the others wiped away the blood seeping from their foreheads and silently stood up.

Whether to chat or die—they still understood how to choose.

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

Donghe Commandery, Xu Family.

At this moment, the Xu Family was brightly lit. The guards held weapons as they patrolled the Xu residence, keeping it under alert.

A person sat atop every building, warily watching the surroundings.

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

Besides those two, there were three others standing guard in the inner courtyard.

Five Peak Jianghu Experts.

"Husband, why has the Tianmu Cult's heretical faction set its sights on our Xu Family? What did the authorities say?"

Madam Xu spoke with a worried expression.

Xu Junhe sighed and said, "The Tianmu Cult came to our door demanding most of our Xu Family's wealth. They called it aiding the suffering common people, but in truth, they were forcing us to join the Tianmu Cult.

"They're a rebellious heretical cult. Once entangled with them, it's tantamount to rebellion. The consequences can be imagined."

Madam Xu furrowed her brows. "Of course I know that. But the Tianmu Cult is causing chaos in the commandery city. Why aren't the authorities arresting them? Jiang Pingshan, the Great General of Donghe, is actually sitting by and doing nothing?"

"Because the time to act has not yet come."

Xu Junhe paced inside the hall, his brows tightly knitted and his heart heavy with worry.

"Husband, are they waiting for the Tianmu Cult to break into our Xu Family before acting? Are they going to sit by and watch our Xu Family be destroyed by that rebellious heretical cult? Isn't the Prefect of Donghe afraid of being held accountable?"

Madam Xu's face was full of confusion.

"They're waiting for a piece of news."

At this point, Xu Junhe felt that he should tell his wife.

"That band of mountain bandits suddenly disappeared without a trace, and the goods were delivered safely to Capital City. We thought we had survived one calamity, never imagining that an even greater disaster would arrive. This calamity will be hard to survive!"

Madam Xu froze. "What calamity?"

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

Upon hearing this, Madam Xu's face instantly turned pale. In a trembling voice, she said, "Husband, you mean my father..."

"Your father-in-law's teacher was Elder Chen, and Elder Chen supports the Third Prince. Your father-in-law has long been regarded as the Third Prince's trusted aide, belonging to the Third Prince's faction.

"Ever since last year, when the Third Prince was relieving disasters in three commanderies and lost the precious jade meant as an offering to the Emperor, he fell into a disadvantageous position in the Princes' Succession Struggle. Now, the matter is nearly settled."

Xu Junhe let out a sigh.

If it had been an ordinary piece of precious jade, that would have been the end of it. With the Third Prince's achievement in disaster relief, he would not have been punished.

However, that piece of jade was known as the Evergreen Longevity Stone, a rarity in this world.

Carried on one's person, it had the miraculous effect of dispelling illness and prolonging life.

After such a treasure was lost, rumors even spread that the Third Prince did not want the Emperor to live longer and had intentionally lost the treasure.

Whether the jade was genuine or not, once this happened, the Third Prince had already fallen from the Qi Emperor's favor. He was out of the running for the position of Crown Prince.

Naturally, the Third Prince's faction would be purged.

Madam Xu's face paled, and she said in a trembling voice, "Is there truly no room to turn things around? What about pledging allegiance to the First Prince?"

Xu Junhe gave a bitter smile. "Your father is Elder Chen's student and the Third Prince's trusted aide. There's no chance."

He held his wife's hand. After a moment of silence, Xu Junhe said, "Our Xu Family possesses such enormous wealth, so naturally we became the beginning of the purge. It is the will of the times and the decree of fate. I, Xu Junhe, rose from humble beginnings to reach where I am today. I have no regrets in this life."

He sighed helplessly and said, "It's just that Yan'er... Ah!"

Madam Xu leaned against him, her eyes red. "Yan'er isn't home, which is fortunate in its own way. I hope he can escape this calamity. That child is simply too foolish, believing those stories and going off to seek some master."

"As long as we find Yan'er before the authorities do, we can keep him safe. I've already made arrangements."

Xu Junhe gently put an arm around his wife.

Apothecary Pan walked in and said, "Master, everything is ready. Once we find Young Master, we'll immediately escort him to the Wu Kingdom."

Xu Junhe nodded and said, "We have some businesses in the Wu Kingdom that can ensure Yan'er a life of wealth. Elder Pan, please look after him carefully."

"Ah!"

Apothecary Pan sighed and said, "I'll take good care of him. After this incident, he should no longer be quite so foolish."