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This trip had made Bi Changsheng rich overnight. These gains naturally could not compare to what the Bi Family had possessed before, but they were enough to support his cultivation for quite some time.

Moreover, Bi Changsheng's gains this time were not limited to money and valuables. The medicinal ingredients he had brought back were worth no less than that wealth—perhaps even more.

Among them, there were nearly forty portions of ingredients for All-Inclusive Great Tonic Soup alone.

After seeing off Uncle Fu, Liu Zhengqing, and the others, Bi Changsheng took a book from his robes. It was the martial arts manual he had found on Zhu Shi's body.

Bi Changsheng was extremely interested in this manual. Time had been pressing then, leaving him no chance to study it carefully. Now, at last, he could read through it at his leisure.

"As expected, this really is the forbidden art Zhu Shi used at the end."

After carefully reading the martial arts manual titled "Jade Burn," Bi Changsheng felt somewhat excited, because this forbidden art suited him perfectly.

This technique was also a forbidden art that burned lifespan. However, unlike the Body Burning Art, which burned lifespan to raise one's Cultivation Level, Jade Burn burned lifespan to grant its user a one-time enhancement, strengthening the power of a single attack. The more lifespan burned, the greater the increase.

In other people's hands, this forbidden art might not be used more than a few times in an entire lifetime. But in Bi Changsheng's hands, with his Longevity Dao Fruit, it was a powerful standard method.

Bi Changsheng silently made up his mind that he had to master this forbidden art as soon as possible.

When the time came, it would become another powerful trump card in his hand.

After all, this was attacking with one's life!

Although Bi Changsheng's current Cultivation Level allowed him to replace sleep with meditation, the consecutive battles tonight had still left him mentally exhausted.

So after finishing the manual, Bi Changsheng lay down on his bed and slept soundly.

The next day, inside a private residence in Lin'an City.

More than ten Men in Black stood ramrod-straight inside the house, and the atmosphere was oppressive.

Only a Middle-aged Man with a gloomy expression sat in the seat of honor, radiating a heavy pressure. The dozen or so people below him were drenched in cold sweat, not daring to move an inch.

"What exactly happened? I had barely arrived when such a huge accident occurred."

The Middle-aged Man in the seat of honor demanded angrily.

The three Men in Black standing at the front exchanged glances. In the end, one of them helplessly spoke.

"Reporting to Hall Master, we have recently been following your orders to create disputes and stir up conflict among the three major powers of Lin'an City."

"Last night, An Yan led a team to destroy Renxin Hall, a medical hall under the Zhao Family. Renxin Hall was destroyed, but An Yan and his men were all lost there as well."

Clearly, these people were part of the same group as the Men in Black Bi Changsheng had encountered last night.

"An Yan was already at the mid-stage of the Inner Strength Realm, and he had the Soul Severing Saber at the Great Accomplishment Realm. If he had not deliberately chosen to fight to the death, was there actually someone in Lin'an City capable of keeping him there?"

"Could it be that An Yan and his men exposed their movements and were ambushed by the Zhao father and son?"

"That does not make sense either. An Yan's public Cultivation Level was only mid-stage Bone Forging Realm. Even if their plan had been exposed, it would not have drawn the Zhao father and son into personally setting an ambush. And Renxin Hall would not have been destroyed."

After receiving his subordinate's report, the Middle-aged Man in the seat of honor restrained his anger and analyzed the situation calmly.

"This is also what puzzles this subordinate. According to the reliable information I received, Zhao Wenbai and Zhao Honglang of the Zhao Family never left Zhao Manor last night. Zhao Honglang only led men to the scene after the incident at Renxin Hall."

"Furthermore, after receiving the news, this subordinate immediately rushed to the scene. Upon examining An Yan and the others' bodies, I found that they all seemed to have been killed in a single strike."

The black-clad subordinate continued his report.

"Killed in one strike? Lin'an City actually has such a person?"

The Middle-aged Man in the seat of honor spoke with curiosity upon hearing this.

"Yes. That is why this subordinate suspects that Lin'an City may be hiding a Qi and Blood Realm expert like you, Hall Master."

The black-clad subordinate voiced his speculation.

"Indeed, only a Qi and Blood Realm martial artist could kill An Yan in one strike."

The Middle-aged Man in the seat of honor had reached the same conclusion.

"Since Lin'an City has such an unpredictable variable, postpone the plan originally scheduled for three days from now. I will first report the intelligence here to Elder Chen. We will decide when to carry out the plan after Elder Chen's instructions arrive."

"During this time, continue intensifying the conflict among those three families and drain their strength."

"At the same time, keep your eyes open and investigate whether you can uncover that Qi and Blood Realm martial artist currently hiding in Lin'an City."

"Yes."

The Men in Black below answered in unison.

"Elder Chen places great importance on this operation. All of you had better stay sharp. If anyone dares make another mistake, forget the elder—I will be the first to spare no mercy."

The Middle-aged Man delivered his final stern reprimand.

It was not only this small room that was far from peaceful. Zhao Manor, located in Lin'an City's North District, was equally unsettled.

"Honglang, have you investigated the matter at Renxin Hall clearly?"

An old man sat in the Zhao Family's council hall and asked a Middle-aged Man seated below him. This old man was Zhao Wenbai, head of the Zhao Family. The Middle-aged Man was his eldest son, Zhao Honglang, and also the Zhao Family's other Inner Strength Realm martial artist.

"By the time your son arrived, Renxin Hall had already been swallowed by a sea of flames. By the time I led people to put out the fire, Renxin Hall had been almost completely reduced to ashes..."

Zhao Honglang recounted the course of events to Zhao Wenbai.

"Did you discover who was responsible? I would like to see who has such audacity as to dare lay hands on the Zhao Family's property."

After hearing Zhao Honglang's account of Renxin Hall's miserable state, Zhao Wenbai furiously pressed for answers.

"Because of the fire, Renxin Hall left behind no traces. The martial artist guards stationed there were also killed. We only found ten mutilated corpses inside."

"However, not far from Renxin Hall, we also found seven bodies. One of them has been confirmed as An Yan, a Bone Forging Realm retainer whom the Sun Family recruited not long ago..."

Zhao Honglang had also considered investigating the true culprit at the scene.

"Good. The Sun Family again."

"No wonder even Venerable Zhu's strength could not protect Renxin Hall."

"How many times has this been in the past three months? Does the Sun Family truly think the Zhao Family is easy to bully?"

Upon hearing the words "Sun Family," Zhao Wenbai slapped the table and rose to his feet in rage.

"Family Head, Eldest Master, you must seek justice for my husband!"

A woman below, who had been quietly sobbing all along, spoke up. She was Zhu Shi's wife. Since this meeting concerned Zhu Shi, she had been invited as well.

"Rest assured. No one can simply touch a member of the Zhao Family. I will certainly seek justice for Venerable Zhu and the others."

"All of you, go gather the clan members. Later, follow me to the Sun Family and demand an explanation for all the major and minor matters of these past two months."

"Yes, Family Head."

The other members of the Zhao Family agreed one after another, then eagerly went to gather their own men. For the past three months, they had suffered under the Sun Family for far too long.

"Father, I think there is something strange about this matter."

"Upon examining the bodies, I found that An Yan and his men from the Sun Family seemed to have all been killed in one strike. Venerable Zhu's strength was not enough to accomplish that."

"Furthermore, if the Sun Family had acted, they should have taken An Yan and the others' bodies away rather than leaving them where they were."

After everyone else had left, Zhao Honglang voiced his doubts to Zhao Wenbai.

"Set those matters aside for now. The evidence is ironclad; this could only have been the Sun Family's doing."

"Although our three families once worked together to swallow up the Bi Family, we are now competitors."

"The yamen is backed by Great Gan, so the Sun Family does not dare move against it. Our Zhao Family, weaker than them, has become their primary target."

"Now that Sun Yonghua, the Sun Family's Grand Elder, has yet to recover from his serious injuries, and we have a legitimate reason, this is truly a heaven-sent opportunity."

"Only by seizing this chance and eliminating one of the Sun Family's Inner Strength Realm experts can we avoid falling into a disadvantage in our future struggle against them."

"Otherwise, I fear the Sun Family will soon stand above our Zhao Family."

Zhao Wenbai no longer wore his earlier look of outrage. Instead, he spoke earnestly.

"Then I will follow Father's words. Your son will go make preparations as well."

Zhao Wenbai nodded at Zhao Honglang. After Zhao Honglang left, he murmured softly.

"The storm is coming. These are troubled times indeed!"

"We can only take one step and watch the next."