Troubles Within and Without

The creek murmured as it flowed slowly through the quiet, elegant council hall.

This council hall of the Xie Family had always been distinctive for its natural charm. Usually, only three to five, perhaps seven or eight people sat scattered within it. Rarely had it ever seemed as packed as it did today, to the point that even the clear stream appeared to flow sluggishly.

The Xie Family's Grandmaster elders were all here, whether they held official positions or drifted freely like idle clouds and wild cranes, so long as they were able to come.

Apart from the handful who could not leave, such as the Martial Guardian Elder, and the two Grandmasters who truly could not emerge from seclusion, every member of the Xie Family above the Grandmaster level had gathered here.

Looking at such a scene, the Grandmasters could not help wondering when so many people had last assembled.

At least in the past decade, there had been no gathering of this scale. Thinking back to the previous time... it seemed to have been the day Xie Yi had accepted his duty in the face of danger.

It was somewhat like today.

Without revealing it, everyone studied Xie Yuan, wanting to see how much this overly young new family head resembled Xie Yi—and how much he differed.

Back then, Xie Yi had been known for his indifference, or perhaps his laziness. He had squandered his talent, and when he was entrusted with that heavy responsibility, few had thought highly of him.

But at least he had been a Grandmaster then.

Afterward, Xie Yi had swiftly proven that, whether in governing the family or pursuing martial arts, there could be no second choice in the Xie Family. All objections had vanished.

But could this youth, not yet twenty, truly accomplish the same?

The elders, who held high status and immense prestige within the Xie Family, did not show trust in their eyes.

Upon hearing Xie Yuan's announcement, Seventh Uncle Xie Jun, seated extremely close beside him, was the first to rise and speak.

"Today, we have summoned everyone here to report on the events in the Capital City. As you have all seen, Family Head Xie Yi was injured and is bedridden. At a critical moment, he transferred the position of family head to Xie Yuan..."

Xie Jun and Xie Yi were cousins from the same branch and quite close. Naturally, his blood relation to Xie Yuan was not distant either. He had always served as something like Xie Yi's deputy, handling many of the family's miscellaneous affairs.

Xie Jun had been one of the few who knew the inside details of Xie Yi secretly taking Grandmasters to the Capital City. Most of the others ordered to remain behind, and even some of the Grandmasters who had entered the capital, were unclear on the crucial details.

Now that matters had concluded and the family had undergone great changes, Xie Jun began from the very beginning.

"Some time ago, the Emperor summoned the head of the Langya Wang Family to court to serve as Chancellor. All three families sensed the subtle implications of this move and discussed it in secret several times..."

Xie Jun explained the correspondence and decisions between the three family heads, then concluded, "That was how the three families came to enter the Capital City."

Many uninformed elders turned grave, only now learning that the Capital City upheaval had long been backed by preparations for an all-out war. It was merely that events had not developed that far in the end.

But even if the most violent outcome had not come to pass, the final result had not been much better.

"Then, for reasons unknown, the Emperor perceived the movements of the family heads and those of the other two families, and summoned the family heads into the palace for discussion."

Xie Jun said in a deep voice, "After careful consideration, the family head judged that our side held the advantage in strength. He thus decided to enter the palace, hoping it would be best to lay everything out on the table and settle it, avoiding great chaos.

"Yet what exactly happened within the palace, and why matters ended in this fashion..."

He glanced at Xie Yuan and shook his head.

"We do not know."

"Did the Cui Family say anything?" someone asked.

Xie Jun shook his head. "The few from the Cui Family who escorted the family head back merely said that Family Head Cui had saved him, then became entangled with the Enchantress all the way beyond the Capital City. They gave no further explanation."

"Is there any result from the Great Grandmaster battle?" another person asked.

Xie Jun replied slowly, "We have just received news. The heads of the Cui and Wang Families have each returned to their ancestral lands. They suffered some injuries, but neither has disclosed the outcome."

The crowd exchanged looks, their hearts tightening.

If no outcome was announced, then they must have been unable to do anything to Situ Wan. Otherwise, they would surely have spread their victory far and wide.

She had been absent for so long, yet upon emerging again, she was still so feared that members of the great clans felt their hearts tremble.

Everyone discussed the battle in the imperial palace, offering every sort of speculation, yet none could grasp the full picture.

Still, the elders gradually reached a consensus. From the moment the Emperor summoned Wang Yunzhi to court as Chancellor, everything had been the old Emperor's trap.

From the events of those years, he had seen through the conduct of this generation of great clans. Perhaps after years of calculation, he had chosen, at the end of his life, to use a scheme to Lure the Enemy into the Trap, intending to complete what had been left unfinished back then.

Yet key points remained unclear. Xie Yi was certainly not a reckless man. With strength only a sheet of paper away from Inner and Outer Unity, he should have been able to protect himself even in a Great Grandmaster battle. Since he had decided to enter the palace, he must have made airtight preparations. How had he ended up grievously injured and on the verge of death?

There were also other details that, from an observer's perspective, remained obscured by clouds and veiled in mist.

"Hmph. The Emperor wanted to harm the family head, yet in the end invited the Enchantress and lifted a stone only to smash his own foot. He was the first to die! He even threw the imperial palace into chaos and caused countless deaths. What a joke," someone sneered.

Yet some Grandmasters shook their heads. "With the scheming depth of this Emperor, how could he have failed to foresee that? He had entered the game with his own body as the stake."

The old Emperor did not have long to live. He had simply used himself as the wager, intending to drag the heads of the three families down with him, while also conveniently striking at the young hidden dragons and gifted prodigies who might disrupt the future order.

Though he had offended many people with this blow, once he died, the new Emperor could show them favor and the matter would be considered settled. So long as the others did not wish to openly oppose the Imperial Court, they could only swallow this grievance.

In hindsight, many people understood this, and could not help sighing at how ruthless the Emperor's methods were, how cruel his heart—even toward himself.

Even if his days were numbered, few emperors would not wish to live even a couple days longer. Still less would they wish to die at the hands of a demonic agent of the Stove Sect.

For an Emperor, that was a humiliation beyond measure, one that history books would surely record in heavy strokes.

Yet even so, the Emperor had wanted to drag the great clan heads down as cushions beneath him.

If he could eliminate several Great Grandmasters, then with his methods, perhaps he had further measures in reserve. He could bring the Upper Three Families down to the same level as the other great clans, then slowly divide and erode them, as had been done to the Qian and Yao Families. No one knew whether it would take ten years or a hundred, but perhaps there had truly been some chance of success.

Unfortunately, his ambitions had been too great. Even after abandoning the thought of sweeping up every great clan in a single net, he had still wanted to strike at the heads of all three Upper Families at once.

But without a Great Grandmaster among the imperial family, how could that have been possible, even with the Enchantress invited in?

That had been the Emperor's greatest mistake. In the end, apart from the Xie Family suffering disaster, the other two families had sustained no real losses.

But this was no good news for the Xie Family.

The Xie Family had already fallen behind among the Upper Three Families in recent years due to lacking a Great Grandmaster-level expert. Now even a top expert like Xie Yi, who bore the main burden, was bedridden. The disparity in strength had become even more glaring.

The elders were somewhat worried. One Grandmaster elder said in a slightly subdued tone, "Over the past twenty years, we have had more friendship and less competition with the Cui and Wang Families. In these circumstances, perhaps things will not be so bad?"

He was hesitant, but still hopeful. His wife came from the Langya Wang Clan. Though she was not a direct daughter of the main branch, it had still given him a fine relationship with the Wang Family. Such marriage alliances were not uncommon between great clans; there was reason for the saying that they were branches from the same breath.

The Grandmasters all sank into thought. Then, a voice suddenly came from the front.

"I have two letters here, one from Qinghe and one from Langya. I ask all elders to read them together. Perhaps these letters can explain what truly happened inside the imperial palace."

Xie Yuan, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

He took out two elegant letters that carried the faint fragrance of paper. Their styles differed slightly, and their seals bore the clan emblems of the Langya Wang Clan and the Qinghe Cui Clan respectively.

These were letters exchanged between family heads.

When had he received them?

The elders exchanged glances. Without showing anything on their faces, they began passing the letters around to read. Then their expressions changed abruptly.

Only after the elders had finished reading both letters did Xie Yuan slowly say, "All of you have read their contents. The heads of the Cui and Wang Families each explained the beginnings and end of the great battle in the imperial palace with utmost sincerity.

"However, the explanations of the two Great Grandmasters differ somewhat."

Xie Yuan swept his gaze across the hall. The Xie Family's Grandmaster elders wore all manner of expressions—indignation, gravity, doubt, contemplation, and more.

An old man slowly spoke. "If this old man has not misunderstood Cui Cheng's meaning, he says that Wang Yunzhi deliberately delayed the critical moment, harbored ulterior motives, and arrived late, causing the balance of strength in the battle to differ from expectations, resulting in the family head being injured by the Enchantress...

"Based on that, he suspects that everything was arranged between the Wang Family and the Emperor. Is that right?"

"That is indeed what he says."

"How could that be possible? The Emperor has always wanted to sweep away the great clans. How could Wang Yunzhi seek counsel with a tiger and disregard the safety of his Wang Family?"

It was Xie Wen, the Grandmaster who had married a woman of the Wang Clan, who spoke again.

No one answered. Another person interjected, "You have also read the other letter. Wang Yunzhi writes well. He does not use a single curse word, but between every line, he paints Cui Cheng as a sinister Old Fool. He says Cui Cheng incited the family head to use himself to break the deadlock, just as... Family Head Xie Xuan did back then."

This Grandmaster glanced at Xie Yuan and spoke slowly.

Everyone more or less knew that in the final battle of those years, Xie Xuan had stepped forward to break the stalemate, only to damage himself in the process.

But few knew that Cui Cheng had been the one to urge him into doing so.

Yet Wang Yunzhi described the battle of those years in painstaking detail, vividly bringing it to life. He even said Cui Cheng could be confronted to see whether a single word was false.

He even implied that Cui Cheng had been laying the groundwork for today ever since then.

Among the Grandmaster elders, an old man recalled matters for a moment before speaking in a distant voice. "The battle is not much different from what was passed down back then."

"The mistress was Cui Cheng's younger sister. In those early years, both families opposed the match, after all, marriage between direct-line children involved great stakes. Yet Cui Cheng seemed to have worked hard to bring the family head and the mistress together. He even helped them escape their families and live freely beyond their reach."

"After Brother Xuan met with misfortune, when Brother Yi returned to assume the position, it seems he later received considerable support from the Cui Family as well."

"And this time, if what Wang Yunzhi says is true..."

The elders went over the events of those years one by one. Suddenly, they looked at each other, a chill rising in their hearts.

"Cui Cheng says in his letter that we must guard against the Wang Family at all costs, and that we may seek his aid if needed?" someone murmured.

"How can we possibly invite a wolf into the house? He has been waiting for this very day! It is all his conspiracy."

"What the Wang Family says may not necessarily be the truth either."

The elders swiftly descended into an uproar. Even the quiet Creek Water Council Hall became noisy.

The Xie Family's Grandmasters roughly split into two factions, naturally supporting the Cui and Wang Families respectively. These made up the overwhelming majority.

The past twenty years had been a rare period of great harmony among the Upper Three Families, even among the Eight Great Families. They had visited each other often and enjoyed exceedingly cordial relations.

Because the Chen Commandery Xie lacked a Great Grandmaster, it had seemed somewhat weaker. During the process of interacting with the other families, it had inevitably been influenced by them.

Xie Yuan swept his gaze over the arguing Grandmasters one by one. Almost every elder leaned more or less toward one side. Based on the intelligence he had received in the past, he knew these Grandmasters had close dealings with the other families.

Only a very small number of elders cautiously maintained a neutral stance and had not spoken in the dispute.

Xie Yuan sighed inwardly. The influence of Great Grandmasters was even greater than he had imagined.

In a world where martial arts reigned supreme, the strongest experts carried their own dazzling halos. Heavenly Dragon experts stood above the clouds, and even Grandmasters could only look up at them.

Over these past twenty years, the absence of a Great Grandmaster in the Xie Family had affected them more deeply than Second Uncle had imagined.

Twenty years was indeed brief compared to the thousands of years of history possessed by great clans, but twenty years without a Great Grandmaster had already been far too long for the Xie Family.

Of course, it was not merely the influence of top experts. There might also have been tangible benefits involved.

When Xie Yi had been present, the people involved might have merely laughed off many things. But now, at this critical moment, with their pillar gone, the inclinations in the elders' hearts had naturally revealed themselves.

Knock, knock, knock.

Xie Yuan tapped the table.

The Creek Water Hall fell silent in an instant.

Naturally, this was not because Xie Yuan possessed any prestige, nor because wearing the family head's thumb ring truly made him the family head.

It was only because, even as the elders argued among themselves, part of their attention had remained fixed on Xie Yuan.

The subjects of today's elder council were the great upheaval in the Capital City and the succession of the family head. Today's central figure was Xie Yuan.

"Elders, why argue over who is truthful and who is false?" Xie Yuan asked slowly.

The elders were slightly startled when they heard this. Some were puzzled, though others showed thoughtful expressions.

Xie Yuan did not wait long before continuing.

"If Wang Yunzhi truly colluded with the Emperor and wished to harm our Xie clan and the Cui clan, it would not be impossible. The Emperor had indeed spent his entire life, ever since he was a prince, pondering how to remove the threat posed by great clans. Yet in his old age, he must have realized that this was not something one man could accomplish in one generation. Thus, he chose the Fourteenth Prince as his heir.

"From what I saw in the imperial palace, the Fourteenth Prince possessed both courage and strategy. He was deep-minded and capable, truly bearing the air of a great ruler. The old Emperor's choice of him showed that his ambition to eliminate the great clans had never weakened. His final act was to use the remnants of a Son of Heaven's life to strike at the great clans and clear the road for the next Emperor.

"He must have known that without a Great Grandmaster, the imperial family would be no match for even the Upper Three Families, much less the Eight Great Families. If I were the old Emperor, I too would recognize reality at this point. A man cannot grow fat from one bite; only by winning over some and dividing others could he achieve results.

"In my view, the Emperor's appointment of Wang Yunzhi as Chancellor meant the two had already reached an understanding. He intended to win over the Wang Family and deal with our Xie Family and the Cui Family. If they could eliminate the top experts of the Xie and Cui Families in one stroke, two of the Upper Three Families would be severely crippled. The rest could be left to the Fourteenth Prince, in whom he placed great hopes. There would be much to accomplish.

"As for the Wang Family, it naturally would not refuse the chance to strike at the other two families and rise alone. The Wang Clan are disciples of the sages. They have the most officials at court and place the greatest emphasis on ruler and subject each fulfilling their proper roles. Throughout history, they have rarely openly opposed the reigning imperial house. If one family had to be chosen to take the lead, the Wang Clan would naturally be the imperial family's preferred choice.

"Thus, the two sides struck it off at once. Wang Yunzhi did not need to act in secret. He only needed to arrive one step late, and within the imperial palace, Second Uncle and Family Head Cui would be at a disadvantage."

Everyone felt that his words made some sense and nodded slightly, but someone still questioned him. "What you say is merely conjecture. How can you conclude that the Cui Family's words are the truth? What if the Cui Family is the true culprit behind the scenes?"

Xie Yuan looked at the elder who had spoken and slowly nodded. "I have never said the Cui Family stands on our side."

The elders' expressions turned surprised.

After hearing Xie Yuan speak just now, they had all thought he leaned more toward the Cui Family. He had described only the Wang Family's possible schemes. After all, Cui Pingjun was his Second Uncle's wife; such influence would be perfectly normal.

Yet Xie Yuan's meaning now seemed otherwise.

"What I just spoke of was the Wang Family's wrongdoing. But the Wang family head's letter may not necessarily be false.

"I was not present for the Great Grandmaster battle, so I cannot speak clearly of it. But let us look only at the present. If I, or any of you elders, were Family Head Cui, would you have no thoughts at all?"

The elders all fell silent, even those who had marriage ties with the Cui Family or were on exceptionally good terms with them.

Two families that had originally been evenly matched—one of them had fallen into a terrible predicament, while the two also shared extremely close marriage ties. Even the mistress was a direct-line daughter of the other family.

Among ordinary households, in such circumstances, people often sought to consume a family that had no heir.

And if they were two great clans, then taking advantage of the other's illness—even if they did not take its life—to erode and infiltrate it, break it apart and suppress it, was what a truly qualified head of a great clan ought to consider.

After all, the Upper Three Families were large enough to be called feudal states in many dynasties. The status of the Upper Three Families' heads was in truth no different from that of great feudal lords.

Before today's council, Xie Yuan had sought Cui Pingjun's counsel.

The Xie Family's mistress and younger sister of the Cui Family head looked at Xie Yi on his sickbed, her expression calm.

"I do not believe my eldest brother would secretly harm Lingyun's father.

"But given my eldest brother's vision, I do not believe he would miss this opportunity.

"Xie Yuan, once you sit in that position, you must consider matters from that position. Then you will understand what my eldest brother ought to do."

Xie Yuan looked at the elders in the hall, his voice low.

"I greatly wish to avenge Second Uncle, but the Xie Family as it stands does not possess that strength.

"What we must consider now is not which of them speaks the truth, but what exactly the two families will do—and how our Xie clan should respond.

"Truth and falsehood are not important. We must prepare for the worst—both the Cui and Wang Families covet the Xie clan.

"I know that after the matter of the Prince of Western Peace, the Upper Three Families entered a peaceful period. Twenty years is not short, but all of you must understand that this harmony will eventually come to an end."

"The upheaval of those years began more than a decade ago, and only with this trip to the Capital City had it truly come to an end.

"The Upper Three Families' relationship of 'branches joined by the same breath' was no different.

"Abandon illusions and prepare for battle—that is what the Xie Family should do. From this day onward, our Chen Commandery Xie will face the oppression and challenges of the Qinghe Cui Clan, the Langya Wang Clan, the imperial family, and the other great families, just as we have for the past thousand years."

Hearing this, the elders slightly raised their heads and looked toward Xie Yuan, seated in the place of honor.

Their gazes were stirred, and an inexplicable feeling even rose within their hearts.

He suited that seat remarkably well.

"I believe that once the new emperor's enthronement ceremony is over, the Wang Family Head will become Chancellor. At that time, the Langya Wang Clan's prestige will rise again. And since the Cui Family Head suffered no harm this time, those two families will surely clash, staging a fierce contest between dragon and tiger."

Xie Yuan shook his head.

"Yet after testing one another, they will likely discover that neither can do anything to the other, and their eyes will turn toward us. The imperial family and the Wang Family will not be friendly toward us, but asking the Cui Family for help would be like seeking a tiger's skin. Everyone, we will soon face challenges. Please be careful in your respective duties. If necessary, preserve our strength above all else. We must not meet force with force."

Xie Yuan had reviewed the matter many times afterward. He believed it was most likely that Wang Yunzhi had secretly joined forces with the emperor to set up the Cui Family and the Xie Family, leading to Xie Yi's grave injuries.

Yet based on the old emperor's ruthless resolve and killing intent that Xie Yuan had sensed at the Hidden Dragon Banquet, he guessed that the old emperor's goal had likely been to lure the Holy Maiden, Cui Cheng, and Xie Yi into perishing together, allowing the relatively conservative Wang Family to grow stronger.

Then, once the Wang Family went on to contend with the Xie and Cui Families, the imperial family could bide its time and conceal its brilliance. If a Great Grandmaster emerged in the next generation, it would become a struggle for supremacy between the Xue and Wang Families. With the imperial family's foundation as ruler of the realm, perhaps they could truly suppress all the great families, then slowly work their way forward—just as they had divided the Qian and Yao Families—and bring every great family under their control.

But the Great Grandmaster battle, the one thing the old emperor had been least able to control, had indeed not gone according to his plans. Cui Cheng appeared to be largely unharmed, while in the end, only the Xie Family had suffered a devastating blow.

But perhaps this outcome had not been outside the old emperor's calculations? Now the strong would remain strong while the weak grew weaker. The balance among the Upper Three Families had been utterly shattered, and conflict was bound to arise—precisely the situation the imperial family wished to see.

The Eight Great Families had never truly been branches joined by the same breath. Their fighting one another was what accorded with the natural order, and what best served the imperial family's interests.

Xie Yuan let out a breath. Constricting their forces had been the strategy Xie Yi laid down before falling asleep. Once he had finished speaking, Xie Jun would naturally work with the elders to refine the details. He was no longer needed here.

He nodded to the elders, then slowly rose. The back of his figure beneath the Mystic Robe carried considerable majesty, making people inexplicably feel that he resembled the dignified and highly respected Xie Yi in some ways.

The old Daoist seated in the foremost seat on the left twitched his ears slightly, then stroked his white beard and smiled.

"The Xie Family has a fine son indeed."

Quite a few Grandmasters nodded faintly. Judging from his performance today alone, Xie Yuan seemed a fairly qualified new Family Head. He had even made them overlook his age.

Though no one truly believed that Xie Yuan himself had come up with all the summary and remarks, his calm bearing and orderly manner alone were far better than many had imagined.

"I thought he was some yellow-haired brat. Looks like Xie Yi hadn't chosen blindly before going to sleep."

A burly elder slapped his knee and barked.

Many Grandmasters showed faint approval. So many people had come today in no small part because they intended to "interview" Xie Yuan.

Though they had courteously refrained from posing difficult questions on such an occasion, what sort of people were these elders? A few glances were enough for them to grasp the general picture.

The elders had no objections to the policy Xie Yi had left behind or to Xie Yuan's orders. Xie Jun worked with everyone to confirm the details, and it was not until deep into the night that everything was finally settled.

No one felt lighthearted. They all knew the Xie Family was likely about to face no small challenge.

Could this young man truly lead the Xie Family?

Many people felt grave concern in their hearts.

"His performance today was not bad.

"But that is hardly a good thing. If he were an ignorant child, it would be much better for us."

Several elders with deep and powerful auras gathered in a quiet chamber.

For them, the daytime meeting appeared not to have ended at all.

"It does not matter. He has no foundation. The important family posts are all in your hands. Even if Cui Pingjun supports him, what waves can a yellow-haired boy possibly stir up? Whatever he is like will not affect the larger picture."

"Exactly. Xie Yi's branch has held the Family Head's position for far too long."

"That's right! Now that he himself is no longer capable, he wants to pass the position to Xie Xuan's son—a man who is not even a Grandmaster. Wouldn't our Xie clan become a laughingstock if word got out? I was never convinced when he took the position back then. Later, seeing that he did a decent job, I let it go. But now they want to turn this into a family kingdom for their branch?"

"The Xie Family belongs to the Chen Commandery Xie, not to his branch alone. Go back three generations, and they too took the Family Head's position from another branch. Now that they have no worthy successor, with only a child barely old enough to speak holding up the main beam, I think... it is time for them to yield their place to the worthy."

The first Grandmaster to speak said quietly.

The other powerful figures exchanged glances, then slowly spoke.

"Agreed. It is for the good of the family."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

Xie Yuan returned to his own courtyard. With Yun Zhu and Shi Jian's help, he took off the Mystic Robe and let out a breath.

This outfit was troublesome enough to wear, and pretending to be profound had made his whole body stiff.

After changing into casual clothes, he rubbed his shoulders and finally felt at ease.

Then Xie Yuan left again and went to the Family Head's courtyard to visit Xie Yi.

There was naturally no longer any need to move residences. Xie Lingyun had now moved back into her parents' courtyard as well, caring for Xie Yi together with her mother, Cui Pingjun.

When he entered the bedroom and saw Xie Yi's face, rosy with vitality yet utterly motionless, Xie Yuan sighed inwardly.

"This is Soul Loss Syndrome. When experts above the Grandmaster level fight and their souls are injured, if their bodies are too powerful and they are brought back from the brink, they end up like this."

Cui Pingjun spoke quietly.

Xie Yuan looked at the woman who had not moved a single step from the bedside and silently nodded.

"Second Uncle will definitely wake up."

"Of course. When I was young, I went to have our fortunes told with him. He is not a man blessed with scant fortune."

Cui Pingjun said softly.

Xie Yuan did not know how to respond, so he could only stand there in silence with his head lowered.

"Come. Let us go outside and discuss what opinions those old fellows have. Do not make noise here and disturb him. He never wanted to become Family Head in the first place."

After sitting quietly for a while, Cui Pingjun took the initiative to speak.

Xie Yuan followed her into the outer room. Watching his aunt gently pour him a cup of clear tea, he respectfully thanked her, then roughly recounted the events of the day.

In truth, Xie Yuan should not have been able to obtain those two letters between Family Heads.

But as the family's mistress, Cui Pingjun naturally possessed considerable influence within the clan.

She was the one who had given those two letters to Xie Yuan. Otherwise, he likely would have remained completely in the dark.

Being Family Head was no easy matter.

Afterward, Xie Yuan and Cui Pingjun read those two letters together and spoke at length.

Only then did Xie Yuan realize that Cui Pingjun was not merely flawless in managing the family's internal affairs. When it came to external matters as well, she handled them with effortless ease, able to spot the crucial point at a glance.

No wonder she had become Xie Yi's capable wife. As a direct descendant of the Cui clan, she had become the unquestioned mistress of the Chen Commandery Xie. She had even made Xie Yi—whose talent had not been much inferior to Xie Xuan's in those days—abandon everything and elope with her to roam the world. She truly was an exceptionally intelligent woman.

Though Xie Yuan was not foolish and his mind had long since been tempered into maturity, he was extremely unfamiliar with family politics.

If Cui Pingjun had not given him a starting point, he likely could not have controlled today's Elders' Council so methodically.

With Cui Pingjun's support behind him, Xie Yuan would not be a bare commander without a single soldier, unable to accomplish anything.

But Xie Yuan was also exceptionally intelligent. Cui Pingjun had not drafted his speech for him. Every word he said had been conceived in his own heart.

Cui Pingjun only needed to offer him a hint or two. With a clever person, there was no need to say more. Once he became practiced, he would understand that the essence of such matters was all much the same.

If he were not clever, then it would be better for him to step down sooner. If everything had to be explained thoroughly, then Cui Pingjun herself would be the Family Head. She did not wish for that.

Yet judging by the aftermath, Xie Yuan had done well.

Before Xie Yuan arrived, Cui Pingjun had naturally already received the news.

"The family's hearts are no longer united."

After hearing him out, Cui Pingjun nodded lightly.

"That was to be expected. With such an enormous enterprise, they were never truly united in the first place. That is why the head of a great family must be a Great Grandmaster. Otherwise, he cannot command the respect of all."

Xie Yuan sighed softly.

"I am young, my cultivation is low, and my foundation within the family is still shallow. It is only natural that I cannot convince everyone."

"But you were personally chosen by your Second Uncle. I have spent decades with him, and I know he is not someone who acts recklessly. Since he chose you, it means you are capable, and that no one in the Xie Family is more suitable than you."

Cui Pingjun fixed her bright gaze on Xie Yuan, her tone resolute.

"You must believe in yourself. You cannot give up, or you will betray your Second Uncle's intentions."

Xie Yuan nodded and said solemnly.

"I understand. Though there is pressure, I have never forgotten Second Uncle's instructions."

"Good."

A trace of a smile appeared on Cui Pingjun's face.

"Since you dared to shoulder this heavy responsibility, I will naturally help you."

Xie Yuan felt the tension in his heart ease slightly. Without an assistant like Cui Pingjun, one deeply familiar with clan affairs, he truly would have been left grasping blindly in the dark. With no one by his side, how could he sort through the countless tangled affairs within and beyond the clan, or contend against those seasoned old Xie clan elders?

"Aunt, with the family divided in heart, what should I do next?"

Xie Yuan asked humbly for guidance.

"Do nothing at all."

Cui Pingjun gave an unexpected answer.

"Leave internal affairs to me. As for external affairs... Xie Jun is your paternal granduncle, and he stands with us. You can entrust external affairs to him without concern.

"What you need to do is cultivate."

Cui Pingjun looked at Xie Yuan and continued.

"When your Second Uncle... though time was short, he surely told you everything that needed to be said. He told you to lower your head and cultivate, so lower your head and cultivate. As for clan affairs, let them make whatever fuss they wish. As your Second Uncle said, at worst we must still retain Chen Commandery. The Xie Family's vast foundation will not collapse from their meddling.

"You must raise your strength as quickly as possible and become a Grandmaster as soon as you can. In the short term, I can shield you from wind and rain, but in the end, you must rely on yourself. If you remain not even a Grandmaster, this position will likely be impossible to keep. And when that time comes, where the Xie Family will go will be unknown.

"The Xie Family is about to face an immense challenge, Xie Yuan. So are you."

With Cui Pingjun's promise, Xie Yuan knew he no longer needed to worry overmuch about other matters. He simply buried himself in martial practice.

A thousand words, ten thousand words—only this was the foundation.

Yet not long after the Elders' Council, countless rumors began circulating through the clan.

For example, that Xie Yuan did not know how to manage the family at all and was merely a brute skilled in martial arts; that Cui Pingjun had seized all authority under instructions from the Cui Family; that Xie Yi's branch was turning the family into its private kingdom and violating the Xie clan precept that "the capable shall occupy the position"; and so on and so forth.

And even more quickly, someone directly placed a difficult problem before Xie Yuan.

"Young Master, Young Master..."

Yun Zhu found Xie Yuan while he was practicing, her face troubled.

"What happened? Speak slowly."

Seeing this, Xie Yuan halted his stance and asked Yun Zhu gently.

Yun Zhu pressed her lips together.

"The pharmacy said that you do not yet qualify for the Family Head's stipend. After all, you... are not a Grandmaster. They said the family is facing difficult times, so they will absolutely ensure that your cultivation resources are not lacking, but anything extra may be..."

Xie Yuan understood immediately. Some people had already begun. This was merely a test.

Though they said they would ensure his necessities for now, it looked as though he would receive even less than before.

After some time passed, who knew whether these people would still care about the greater picture?

He sighed. When a great building was about to collapse, there were always people thinking only of fighting for power and profit, heedless even if floodwaters rose to the heavens.

Shaking his head slightly, Xie Yuan said calmly.

"It is fine. There is enough in the residence to last me for some time. You need not go anymore."

"Huh? Young Master, are we just going to leave it like this?"

Yun Zhu clenched her teeth, fury boiling in her heart. The Young Master was such a heaven-sent genius. Preventing him from cultivating was detrimental to the family as well. She truly did not know what those people were thinking.

But the Young Master would not even argue for it?

Yun Zhu felt wronged on Xie Yuan's behalf, while Shi Jian was sharpening her sword at the side.

But since Xie Yuan said nothing, there was nothing they could do.

A few days later, a matter neither large nor small suddenly arose within the clan, sparking widespread discussion.

The wife of Xie Wen, the pharmacy elder, was summoned for questioning by Cui Pingjun. Afterward, every descendant from that branch with Wang Family blood was temporarily barred from entering the clan land.

Cui Pingjun merely said mildly.

"I am not saying that the Wang Family definitely harmed the Family Head, but after asking around, I cannot shake the unease in my heart. The family is in difficult times lately, and the clan land is becoming crowded. Let them go out and relax for a while.

"When may they return? We can discuss that after Xie Yi wakes."

Xie Wen naturally exploded into curses. Everyone from his branch had been driven out of the clan land. Leaving aside the humiliation, where outside could compare to the clan land when it came to his descendants' studies, martial practice, and upbringing? This was a real and tangible delay to their development.

Yet no matter how he accused Cui Pingjun of being a spy for the Cui Family, everyone had witnessed how she conducted herself. For more than a decade, no one had ever said much against her. At this moment, she was even more cautious. She did not attend a single elders' meeting, never involved herself in external affairs, yet held the internal matters of the clan land firmly in her grasp.

But Xie Wen apparently was not alone. Other elders stood behind him, openly and secretly opposing Cui Pingjun and placing immense pressure upon her.

Though Cui Pingjun had always managed all internal affairs of the Xie Family Clan Land, whether she could continue to make every decision with a single word remained uncertain.

That was until Martial Guardian Elder Xie Fu spoke up for the first time in living memory. The Xie Family Martial Repository also temporarily barred those of the pharmacy branch from ascending its floors, and the conflict immediately subsided.

On the top floor of the Xie Family Martial Repository.

The little old man Xie Fu looked at Xie Yuan and smacked his lips.

"Xie Yuan, I will not allow anyone to make trouble over your cultivation provisions here.

"But by rights, the Martial Guardian Elder must never interfere in clan affairs. I can only manage your cultivation. I cannot help you with anything else."

Xie Yuan gave him a deep bow and said with utmost sincerity.

"Many thanks, Elder!"

Though Xie Fu had said this, he had made an exception this time after all. The other elders did not know what he was thinking, and they would certainly lower their flags and beat their drums for a while.

Even if only temporary, this alleviated Xie Yuan's pressure. More importantly, his cultivation provisions were now guaranteed to be abundant.

Xie Fu waved his hand and sighed.

"With Xie Yi falling asleep, all the family's old accumulated ailments have been dragged out into the open. Xie Yuan, you must work hard in cultivation. Practice a few more forms of the Heaven Burning World Destroying Spear, bring every one of them to the point where practice makes perfect, and who would dare look down on you then?"

Xie Fu clicked his tongue.

With the family in upheaval and pressure mounting from every side, Xie Yuan buried himself in cultivation while Xie Fu taught him everything he had without holding anything back.

Yet on the very first day after his return, Xie Fu had Xie Yuan practice and saw that his Peace in the Mortal Realm had made another breakthrough. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

In so little time, he had climbed another level in mastery?

Was this the talent of someone who had comprehended the entire spear art on his very first viewing?

Xie Fu restrained the urge to call out to the ancestors and taught Xie Yuan with even greater vigor. After all, what teacher did not like a clever student? And Xie Yuan was far beyond what the word clever could encompass. He was cheating.

Thus, with no longer any need to consider other matters and no one daring to trip him up in this regard, under Xie Fu's dedicated guidance and with abundant resources supplied, Xie Yuan's strength surged upward at a tremendous pace. To describe it as changing with each passing day or advancing a thousand miles in a day would not be an exaggeration.

Xie Fu naturally sighed every day, as though beholding a god.

In ordinary times, if the Xie Family had produced such a genius, Xie Fu would have been overjoyed beyond measure, unable to suppress his smile.

But now the Xie Family was beset by troubles from within and without. Watching Xie Yuan's spear mist follow him like a shadow, Xie Fu's approving and astonished expression concealed deep worry.

The burden on that boy's shoulders was so heavy. Would time wait for him?

More than a month passed in the blink of an eye. Xie Yuan's cultivation naturally surged by leaps and bounds, a most gratifying sight.

Yet he was still quite a distance from becoming a Grandmaster. He could not reach it in a single step.

"I still have to work harder."

Xie Yuan soaked in the medicinal bath, silently musing.

Knock knock—

The bathroom door was lightly tapped. Xie Yuan had long heard Yun Zhu's footsteps and called out:

"Come in."

Creak.

Yun Zhu pushed open the door. Before the mist-shrouded bath, she gave a slight curtsy and softly said to Xie Yuan's back:

"Young Master, the gatehouse has sent word that a guest is looking for you and is waiting at the Clan Land Gate."

"Who is it?"

Xie Yuan asked, raising a brow.

Since they were waiting at the Clan Land Gate, they were clearly neither someone familiar with the Xie clan nor one of the friends he had notified beforehand. Then who could be looking for him?

Yun Zhu said:

"It is a woman who claims to be from Zhikong Mountain."

Splash!

Xie Yuan sprang to his feet from the bath and turned to stare at Yun Zhu in astonishment.

"Zhikong Mountain?"

Zhikong Mountain?

When did I ever know anyone from Zhikong Mountain? It was clearly Yun Xing, the Torchbearer Envoy!

Why had she come looking for me? And she had come straight to Chen Commandery—wasn't she afraid of dying?

Yun Zhu looked at Xie Yuan's bare, well-proportioned upper body, water droplets trailing down the curves of his muscles. Her face reddened slightly as she lowered her gaze.

"Yes. The guest said she was Young Master's friend, and she brought something her elder wished to give you."