Vortex

On the bus, Baili Qingfeng carefully examined the Nourishing Essence Soup prescription in the box.

The materials required for this prescription were quite valuable, conservatively estimated at over one hundred thousand.

Currently, the average salary in Wuhe City was around four hundred, a bit higher in Xia City, about five hundred. A decent hundred-square-meter apartment in Wuhe City cost forty to fifty thousand, a poorer one thirty thousand. A hundred thousand in medicinal ingredients…

Could buy three apartments.

"No wonder Second Grandpa kept this Nourishing Essence Soup prescription so closely guarded, unwilling to let Grandfather Baili Huang and others know. A Nourishing Essence Soup worth one hundred thousand… used on me and Uncle Baili Tianxing. They would definitely feel unbalanced knowing, and it might affect the family relationship."

Baili Qingfeng understood in his heart.

The bus quickly arrived at the hospital.

Reaching the third floor of the Inpatient Department, Baili Qingfeng entered the ward. At this moment, Uncle Baili Tianxing was giving Second Grandpa Baili Changkong a massage.

Seeing Baili Qingfeng and Baili Ruoshui arrive, Baili Changkong seemed very happy: "My precious grandson is here."

"Second Grandpa, why didn't you tell me you were hospitalized?"

"It's nothing, nothing, I'll be fine in a few days. You're a college student, you have to study and practice martial arts, you should just do your own thing."

Baili Qingfeng looked at Baili Changkong.

Perhaps when his Thunder Sovereign Spirit Refinement Visualization Method was cultivated to the Seventh Level Divine Might, possessing the means to influence reality with his spirit, he could try to alleviate Baili Changkong's pain, but now…

He could do nothing.

The matter of healing and treating illnesses could only be left to the doctors.

Baili Qingfeng chatted with Baili Changkong for a while. At this time, a white-haired, youthful-looking old man walked in from outside, accompanied by a young man of about twenty-five or six.

"Old Brother Changkong, are you feeling any better today?"

"Hmph, I won't die even if you do."

Baili Changkong glanced at the old man, not very welcoming: "If there's nothing else, just put the things down and leave."

"Don't be angry, old brother, don't get upset."

The old man said, placing the things he had bought down one by one, while also looking at Baili Qingfeng: "This one, is he Old Brother's proud junior, Baili Qingfeng? Truly, he is masculine and handsome, with an extraordinary bearing. At such a young age, he already has the aura of a master. Given time, he will surely become a master of his own."

"Hey, kid Eddie, let me tell you, don't get any ideas about my grandson!"

"What is martial arts for? Nothing more than standing out and making a name for yourself. Since ancient times, there has been the saying of learning literature and martial arts to serve the emperor. We..."

"Go, go, go, just looking at you makes me angry."

Before the old man could finish speaking, Baili Changkong had already started chasing him away.

Seeing that Baili Changkong seemed genuinely angry, the old man didn't dare say anything more, and simply said: "Then… I'll come again when Old Brother is discharged."

"Don't come again."

Baili Changkong said unceremoniously.

The old man smiled, nodded to Baili Qingfeng and Baili Tianxing, and left with the young man.

"Second Grandpa, that is..."

Baili Qingfeng asked, puzzled.

Baili Changkong didn't speak, his eyes somewhat vacant, as if lost in thought.

Baili Qingfeng and Baili Tianxing exchanged a glance, neither of them speaking.

After a good while, Baili Changkong finally sighed.

"Xia..."

He sighed, and after a long pause, he spoke again: "Alright, Tianxing, you guys go out first, I want to sleep for a while."

"Then rest well, Dad."

Baili Tianxing said, winking at Baili Qingfeng and Baili Ruoshui, and retreated out.

Once they were out of the ward, he turned to Baili Ruoshui and said, "Ruoshui, go make some kelp and pork rib soup, and bring it over this afternoon."

"Okay, Uncle."

Baili Ruoshui responded and left first.

"Grandpa really just tweaked his back?"

"Yes, and no."

"Hmm?"

"Xia City was very chaotic last month, wasn't it?"

"It was very chaotic."

Baili Qingfeng nodded.

"The royal family sent people to form a Stability Maintenance Group, led by Royal Grandson Morun, with three deputy leaders. That Eddie from just now was one of the three deputy leaders. After arriving in Xia City, the first thing the deputy leaders did was visit local martial artists. Your grandfather was General Melbourne's personal guard and disciple back then, and Allen was General Melbourne's communications officer. Because of this relationship, he came to find your grandfather, wanting him to join the Stability Maintenance Group."

"You mean Grandpa deliberately tweaked his back to avoid this?"

"That's right."

Baili Tianxing nodded: "General Melbourne is from Xia City and has a great influence in the local area. Your grandfather was always by General Melbourne's side back then, almost like his heir. They want to use your grandfather as a banner to win over General Melbourne's people and make up for their lack of strength."

Baili Qingfeng had heard his Second Grandpa talk about him and General Melbourne, so he wasn't surprised by this.

"Xia City... the vortex is very deep. The imperial capital, Hill of Light, is in the north, while Xia City is a core coastal city in the south. Even before Xia was established, it was Xia's largest trading center, occupying the Red Sun Strait, a major waterway of the East Divine Continent. Red Flame, Aurora, Never Setting Sun, Kalan, Odd, and even the Golden Eagle Empire across the ocean all have their own tentacles of power in Xia City. Right now, Xia is being held back by the Northern Aurora Empire border and has no time to care about Xia City. Sending such a group here, one wrong step, and it's eternal damnation."

Speaking of this, his tone paused slightly: "It might even affect the family."

"Red Flame is secretly supporting the secession of Xia City, right?"

"It's not just Red Flame that wants to split Xia City."

Baili Tianxing sighed at this point: "Actually, we can't say for sure whether the secession of Xia City is good or bad. The royal family's actions are indeed too disappointing. Fourteen years ago, when Xia became independent, we thought the royal family would lead Xia to glory. We never expected that the royal family and those who were overthrown would quickly become decadent, greedy, indulgent, and insatiable. Countless meritorious officials were persecuted, including General Melbourne. Your grandfather left Hill of Light and returned to his old home in Wuhe for this reason."

"The Xia royal family may have some who are greedy, some who are corrupt, and some who are insatiable, but not everyone is like that."

At this moment, a voice came from the side.

It was the old man and the young man who had left earlier, Eddie, the deputy leader of the Stability Maintenance Group, and his youngest son, Et.

"Enlightened individuals within the royal family have already recognized the drawbacks of the royal family and are making every effort to reform, wanting to save this country that is gradually sliding towards the abyss. At this time, we need to unite all the forces that can be united to lead Xia out of the darkness and towards dawn."

Eddie said.

"Then, who does Mr. Eddie represent? The First Prince, the Third Prince, the Fourth Prince, or the Sixth Prince?"

Baili Tianxing asked expressionlessly.

"I don't represent any prince. I represent the belief in saving Xia's future."

"But what I see is that Xia itself is already beset by internal and external troubles, but the four princes do not think about uniting and working together to solve the problems facing Xia. Instead, they are constantly fighting for power, pointlessly consuming their own strength? Not one or two, but all four princes are like this!"

"If our Xia wants to change, some growing pains are inevitable. The rise of any country is inseparable from countless unknown people throwing their heads and shedding their blood behind the scenes... Perhaps there will be some wrong sacrifices, but I believe that as long as it can give Xia a better future, all of this is worth it."

"So you want to drag my dad in and have him raise General Melbourne's banner to promote you?"

"We can guarantee that General Melbourne will definitely be rehabilitated afterwards!"

"I still say the same thing, the Bai Li family will no longer intervene in this matter."

After Baili Tianxing finished speaking, he said to Baili Qingfeng, "Let's go."

Eddie and Et watched the two leave, their eyes narrowed slightly.

"Dad... If we can't gather the manpower of General Melbourne's lineage and let them charge for us, it will be difficult for us to achieve anything in Xia City. We finally got this precious opportunity from the Third Prince. If we can't get things done... I'm afraid it will be difficult to have another chance to rise..."

"Don't worry, take your time. We have time. The key is to get this done beautifully."

Eddie said calmly, "He wants to stay out of it, but did he ask me if I agree?"