The Jiang Family of Qishan

The Jiang Family was a newly risen lineage that had emerged more than a hundred years ago.

At present, the lineage had a Great Perfection of Body Realm cultivator guarding it.

Its strength in Baihe County was second only to the Nine Great Families.

No, it was the Eight Great Families now.

The Jiang Family's headquarters lay in Qishan Town, southeast of Baihe County.

It was dusk, and the setting sun was sinking in the west.

In front of the Jiang Family's gate, two guards stood with their hands behind their backs, gazes fixed straight ahead, while several servants leisurely swept the fallen leaves from before the vermilion gates.

A middle-aged-looking beggar limped toward the Jiang residence.

One of the guards saw the slovenly, unkempt beggar, and a trace of disgust appeared in his eyes.

He hurried forward, frowned, and said, "Stop right there. This is the Jiang Family. Unauthorized persons are forbidden to approach."

The beggar knelt on the ground and pleaded, "Big brother, please take pity on me. I haven't eaten for several days."

As he spoke, he grabbed the guard's sleeve.

The guard was about to flare up when he discovered that something cold to the touch had been stuffed into his hand.

He opened his palm and saw an exquisitely crafted Jade Pendant that was clearly worth a fortune.

"Big brother, take this Jade Pendant and report to your family head. Tell him an old acquaintance wishes to see him. He will definitely meet with me."

The guard looked troubled, but when he saw the beggar's utterly confident gaze,

he finally gritted his teeth and nodded. Then he added, "Don't move from here. I'll go report to the family head right away. If I discover that you've deceived me, I'll make sure you suffer for it."

With that, he cast his companion a meaningful glance, signaling him to keep watch over the beggar. His companion understood at once.

"Sorry for the trouble, big brother guard."

The beggar spoke with an ingratiating smile.

Then he leaned against the blood-red pillar beside the vermilion gate and closed his eyes to rest.

Within the Jiang Family head's courtyard,

family head Jiang Chenghe was handling the lineage's trivial affairs.

Suddenly, a guard came to report that a beggar had brought a token and claimed that an old acquaintance of his wished to see him.

Jiang Chenghe immediately felt puzzled.

As far as he remembered, he had no beggar among his old acquaintances.

But the moment he saw the Jade Pendant token the guard handed over, his expression abruptly changed.

Lowering his voice, he said, "Go bring him in. Do not slight him."

The guard nodded. Seeing how solemnly the family head was acting, he secretly congratulated himself for not offending that beggar earlier.

Very soon...

The middle-aged beggar was brought by the guard to Jiang Chenghe's study. The guard closed the door and respectfully withdrew.

After the door shut,

Jiang Chenghe finally spoke. "Elder brother, why are you dressed like a beggar?"

This beggar was none other than the last remaining elder of the Su Family, Su Qiong.

Su Qiong sighed. "To evade the Li Family's pursuit. I had no choice."

Jiang Chenghe fell silent.

After a long while, he said stiffly, "I've heard about what happened to the Su Family. Elder brother, please accept my condolences."

Su Qiong's face was filled with grief and indignation. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Accept my condolences? How can I? The entire Su Family was slaughtered, with only a scant handful surviving by crawling on. I only hate myself for being useless and unable to avenge this blood feud for the lineage."

"As long as the green hills remain, there will be no fear of running out of firewood. So long as the Su Family's bloodline continues, the day will come when it rises again and sweeps through the land."

Jiang Chenghe did not know what else to say and could only offer such comfort.

Su Qiong shook his head. "Brother-in-law, I came here to ask you for a favor."

Su Qiong's younger sister had married Jiang Chenghe, which was why he addressed him as brother-in-law.

"Elder brother, speak freely. Wherever my Jiang Family can help, we will certainly do everything we can."

Jiang Chenghe thumped his chest as he spoke.

"The Li Family has sealed off the roads in every direction and laid a Heavenly Net and Earthly Net. I want to ask you to help us leave Baihe County."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chenghe could not help but look troubled.

Seeing this, Su Qiong hurriedly said, "Brother-in-law, for Yue'er's sake, please preserve the last few strands of the Su Family's bloodline."

With that, under Jiang Chenghe's stunned gaze, Su Qiong actually knelt straight down.

Jiang Chenghe came back to his senses and hurriedly tried to help Su Qiong up, but he could not move him in the slightest.

"Elder brother, what are you doing? You're humiliating me! You're humiliating me!"

"If you don't agree, I won't get up."

Su Qiong spoke with tears in his tiger-like eyes.

After a long while...

Jiang Chenghe let out a deep sigh. With an expression of helplessness, he said, "Very well. Elder brother, get up first. I agree."

Su Qiong was overjoyed. He hurriedly said, "Thank you, brother-in-law. For today's great kindness, I will certainly repay you in the future."

"What repayment? So long as you don't tell anyone about today's matter, that will be enough. The Li Family now is someone my Jiang Family cannot afford to offend. Can you get up now?"

Jiang Chenghe's tone was distant and weary.

Only then did Su Qiong rise to his feet.

Jiang Chenghe continued, "Tomorrow morning, my Jiang Family has a shipment to deliver to the prefectural city. At that time, you can disguise yourselves as guards of my Jiang Family's merchant caravan and slip through."

Su Qiong thought it over and felt that Jiang Chenghe's plan was sound.

He immediately nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll trouble you tomorrow, brother-in-law."

The two settled their plan, unaware that there were ears beyond the wall.

Outside the room, a figure quietly departed.

"Is what you said true?"

In a large residence, a middle-aged man asked in utter shock.

"Second Master, it's absolutely true. I heard it with my own ears."

The middle-aged man addressed as Second Master slapped his thigh and shouted, "Big brother is muddle-headed! Isn't this inviting disaster? Who doesn't know that the Li Family's influence is rising like the sun at noon? Helping the Su Family's remnants is no different from opposing the Li Family!"

The informant's face paled. He thought of how those who opposed the Li Family seemed never to meet a good end.

He immediately said, "Second Master, then we must stop the family head. Otherwise, our Jiang Family will be in danger."

The middle-aged man shook his head. "Who in the entire Jiang Family doesn't know how stubborn my good big brother is? Once he makes up his mind, even nine bulls couldn't drag him back."

"Are we supposed to stand by and watch First Master plunge our Jiang Family into danger?"

"Hmph. The Jiang Family isn't his alone to command."

A glint flashed through the middle-aged man's eyes, and he sneered.

"I'll tell this to the old master and let him see clearly what a fine family head he chose—risking the lives of hundreds of members of my Jiang Family. This time, I want to see how my good big brother can still sit comfortably on the family head's throne."

The old master mentioned by the middle-aged man was precisely the Jiang Family's Great Perfection of Body Realm expert.

"Chenghe really intends to do this?"

The Jiang Family's old master blew his beard and glared.

"Old family head, I heard it with my own ears. They've already discussed it. Tomorrow, they'll disguise those Su Family remnants as guards of our Jiang Family's merchant caravan and sneak them out."

"Bastard!"

The Jiang Family's old master flew into a rage and struck the table before him with his palm. The table shattered instantly.

"I thought he was prudent in his actions, which was why I passed the position of family head to him. Who would have thought he would act on impulse like this? The Li Family has two Qi-Blood Realm experts, and the Li Family's new family head is vengeful to the extreme. If he learns of this, disaster will soon descend upon my Jiang Family."

When Second Master Jiang saw the furious old master, a trace of delight flashed through his eyes.

He hurriedly said, "Father, please calm down."

The old master's anger gradually eased.

He asked, "Where are those Su Family remnants?"

"Big brother just settled them in the eastern Side Room. Father, I'll take men to seize those Su Family remnants right now."

Second Master Jiang asked for the assignment.

"No."

The old master hurriedly stopped him.

He shook his head and said, "Anyone can make a move against those Su Family remnants. Only our Jiang Family cannot."

"Why is that?"

Second Master Jiang asked in confusion.

Looking at his somewhat slow-witted second son, disappointment rose in the old master's heart.

"Stop asking questions. Go personally to Green Maple Valley at once and inform the Li Family of those Su Family remnants' whereabouts."

Seeing the old master's unquestionable gaze, Second Master Jiang could only nod.

"I'll go now, Father."

With that, he turned and left.

"After this matter, you will handle all affairs, great and small, within the lineage."

From behind him came the old master's aged voice, faint and hollow.

Second Master Jiang's breathing suddenly quickened, and the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably.

"Elder, someone from the Jiang Family of Qishan Town just delivered news. The Su Family remnants are staying at their residence and plan to disguise themselves as guards of the Jiang Family's merchant caravan and escape tomorrow."

The Second Elder, who had just emerged from seclusion with spring winds seeming to brush his face, instantly turned cold upon hearing this.

"If I remember correctly, the Jiang Family and the Su Family have a close relationship, don't they?"

"Yes, Elder. The two families have intermarried for generations."

After hearing this, disdain surfaced in Li Xuanzhong's eyes.

"Gather a contingent and come with me to Qishan Town. We'll exterminate the Su Family remnants."

"Yes, sir."

Late at night, the moon hung high in the sky.

In a secluded Side Room of the Jiang Family,

"Su Xun, what are you doing? Why aren't you asleep?"

Su Qiong looked angrily at a member of the Su Family's "kindling" who sat cross-legged on the bed with his eyes wide open.

"I'm cultivating. I can't sleep. My father, mother, older brothers, and older sisters were all killed by the Li Family. I have to cultivate hard so I can avenge them in the future."

The young boy spoke with incomparable resolve.

Su Qiong was stunned at first upon hearing this.

Then, with a gratified smile, he said, "Su Xun, I'm glad you think this way. But you must sleep now, because we still have to travel tomorrow."

"Understood, Elder."

Su Xun obediently crawled back beneath the covers and became still.

Just as Su Qiong thought he had fallen asleep and was about to leave, Su Xun's head poked out from beneath the covers again. "Elder!"

"What is it now?"

"When can we come back?"

For some reason, at that moment, he thought of that monstrous prodigy who had plunged the Su Family into an endless abyss.

Would the Su Family truly have a day when it could avenge its dead and wipe away its shame?

Su Qiong asked himself this question.

But no one could answer it.

Su Qiong left the Side Room, unable to sleep.

He raised his head and gazed at the bright moon in the sky. Silver moonlight spilled across his weathered face, and two streams of tears slid uncontrollably down his cheeks.

"Second brother, you were too selfish. You died and had it over with, but why did you leave only me behind?"

He stood there like a statue, motionless, for a long time.

Only when a cold wind swept over did Su Qiong shiver.

He glanced around and had the vague feeling that something was wrong.

But he could not say exactly what was wrong.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure rapidly vanishing into the darkness.

Su Qiong's heart instantly leaped into his throat.

He realized what was wrong.

The Jiang Family was too quiet today—quiet in a way that was frightening.

"We can't stay at the Jiang Family any longer."

That was Su Qiong's first reaction.

Without the slightest hesitation, he turned around, preparing to return to the room and wake the slumbering Su Family kindling.

"Whoosh!"

A cold arrow tore through the air and shot straight toward Su Qiong.