Qishan Jiang Family

The Jiang Family is a rising power, having emerged over a hundred years ago.

The family currently has a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Body Realm holding down the fort.

Its strength in Baihe County is second only to the nine great families.

No, now it's eight great families.

The Jiang Family's base is in Qishan Town, located to the southeast of Baihe County.

The time was dusk, with the sun setting.

In front of the Jiang Family's main gate, two guards stood with their hands behind their backs, their gazes straight ahead. A few servants were leisurely sweeping the fallen leaves from before the vermilion gate.

A beggar who looked to be in his middle age hobbled closer to the Jiang Estate.

One of the guards, seeing the disheveled and unkempt beggar, showed a hint of disgust in his eyes.

He quickly stepped forward and frowned, saying, "Stop right there. This is the Jiang Family. Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to approach."

The beggar knelt on the ground, his face pleading, "Brother, please be kind. I haven't eaten in days."

After speaking, he grabbed the guard's sleeve.

The guard was about to lash out when he felt something cold being stuffed into his hand.

He opened his hand to see a beautifully crafted Jade Pendant that was clearly valuable.

"Brother, take this Jade Pendant and inform your Patriarch. Tell him an old friend seeks an audience. He will surely see me."

The guard's face showed hesitation, but seeing the beggar's earnest eyes.

He eventually gritted his teeth and nodded, adding, "Stay right here and don't move. I'll go report to the Patriarch now. If I find out you've deceived me, you'll regret it."

After speaking, he gave his companion a look, signaling him to keep an eye on the beggar. His companion understood.

"Thank you, Brother Guard," the beggar said politely.

He then leaned against the blood-red pillar in front of the vermilion gate and closed his eyes to rest.

Inside the Jiang Family Patriarch's courtyard.

The Patriarch, Jiang Chenghe, was handling the family's trivial matters.

Suddenly, a guard reported that a beggar had presented a token, claiming to be an old friend seeking an audience.

Jiang Chenghe felt puzzled.

In his memory, there was no such beggar friend.

However, when he saw the token Jade Pendant handed over by the guard, his expression changed drastically.

He lowered his voice and said, "Go and invite him in. Do not be disrespectful."

The guard nodded. Seeing the Patriarch's solemn demeanor, he secretly rejoiced that he hadn't offended the beggar earlier.

Soon...

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

After the door was shut.

Jiang Chenghe spoke, "Brother, why are you dressed as a beggar?"

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

Su Qiong sighed, "I had no choice but to do this to evade the Li Family's pursuit."

Jiang Chenghe fell silent.

After a long moment, he said dryly, "I heard about the Su Family's affairs. Brother, please accept my condolences."

Su Qiong's face was filled with grief and indignation. He gritted his teeth, "Condolences? How can I accept condolences? The entire Su Family was brutally murdered, with only a handful of survivors. I only hate my own powerlessness, unable to avenge my family."

"As long as the green hills remain, there will be wood to burn. As long as the Su Family's bloodline continues, there will be a day of resurgence."

Jiang Chenghe didn't know what else to say and could only offer such comfort.

Su Qiong, however, shook his head. "Brother-in-law, I have come with a request."

Su Qiong's younger sister was married to Jiang Chenghe, hence the address "Brother-in-law."

"Please speak, Brother. As long as the Jiang Family can help, we will do our utmost," Jiang Chenghe said, patting his chest.

"The Li Family has now blockaded all major routes and set up a net. I wish to ask for your help in sending us away from Baihe County."

Jiang Chenghe's face showed difficulty upon hearing this.

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

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

Jiang Chenghe snapped back to reality and quickly tried to help Su Qiong up, but couldn't move him an inch.

"Brother, what are you doing? You're going to kill me, kill me!"

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

Su Qiong said, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears.

After a long while...

Jiang Chenghe sighed deeply, his expression a little helpless. "Fine, brother, you get up first. I'll agree to your request."

Su Qiong was overjoyed. He quickly said, "Thank you, brother-in-law. I will surely repay this great kindness today in the future."

"What repayment? Just don't tell anyone about today's events. My Jiang Family can't afford to offend the Li Family right now. Can you get up now?"

Jiang Chenghe said in a low voice.

Only then did Su Qiong stand up.

Jiang Chenghe added, "Tomorrow morning, my Jiang Family has a batch of goods to send to the prefectural city. At that time, I'll have to trouble you, brother, to disguise yourselves as guards of my Jiang Family's merchant caravan to slip through."

Su Qiong thought about it and felt that Jiang Chenghe's method was good.

He immediately nodded in agreement.

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

The two of them had settled on a plan, but they didn't know that walls have ears.

Outside the room, a figure quietly departed.

"Is what you're saying true?"

In a large mansion, a middle-aged man asked in 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 hard and exclaimed, "Eldest Brother is being foolish! Isn't this asking for trouble? Everyone knows the Li Family's influence is soaring. Helping the remnants of the Su Family is no different than opposing the Li Family!"

The messenger's face turned pale. He recalled that those who opposed the Li Family never ended well.

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

The middle-aged man shook his head. "Everyone in the Jiang Family knows how stubborn my good Eldest Brother is. Once he's made up his mind, not even nine bulls can pull him back."

"Then are we just going to stand by and watch Eldest Brother lead our Jiang Family into danger?"

"Hmph, the Jiang Family isn't run by him alone."

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

"I'll go tell the Old Master about this. Let the Old Master see for himself what a fine Patriarch he chose. He's risking the lives of hundreds of people in our Jiang Family. Now, I want to see how my good Eldest Brother can sit on the Patriarch's throne with a clear conscience."

The Old Master the middle-aged man spoke of was precisely the Great Perfection of Body Realm expert of the Jiang Family.

"Is Chenghe really going to do this?"

The Jiang Family's Old Master said, his beard bristling with anger.

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

"Scoundrel!"

The Jiang Family's Old Master was furious. He slammed his palm onto the table in front of him, and the table instantly shattered.

"I thought he was prudent in his actions, which is why I passed the position of Patriarch to him. I never expected him to be so impulsive. The Li Family has two Qi and Blood realm experts, and their new Patriarch is vengeful. If he finds out about this, our Jiang Family will be in great danger immediately."

Seeing the furious Jiang Old Master, Second Master Jiang's eyes flashed with a hint of schadenfreude.

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

The Jiang Old Master slightly calmed his inner rage.

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

"Eldest Brother has just settled them in the east wing rooms. Father, I'll take some men to capture those Su Family remnants right now."

Second Master Jiang volunteered.

"No."

The Jiang Old Master quickly stopped him.

He shook his head and said, "These Su Family remnants, anyone can deal with them, but our Jiang Family cannot."

"Why is that?"

Second Master Jiang asked, confused.

Looking at his somewhat slow-witted second son, the Jiang Old Master couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Don't ask any more questions. You must immediately go to Green Maple Valley yourself and inform the Li Family about the whereabouts of these Su Family remnants."

Seeing the unquestionable look in the Jiang Old Master's eyes, Second Master Jiang could only nod.

"Your son will go now."

He turned and left.

"After this matter is over, you will handle all major and minor affairs of the clan."

From behind, Old Master Jiang's aged voice drifted out.

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

"Elder, people from the Jiang Family in Qishan Town just sent word that the Su Family remnants are staying with them and plan to escape tomorrow disguised as Jiang Family merchant caravan guards."

Upon hearing this news, the Second Elder, Li Xuanzhong, who had just emerged from seclusion and had a spring breeze about him, instantly turned cold.

"If I recall correctly, doesn't the Jiang Family have a close relationship with the Su Family?"

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

Hearing this, a hint of disdain flickered in Li Xuanzhong's eyes.

"Assemble a squad and accompany me to Qishan Town to eliminate the Su Family remnants."

"Understood."

Deep in the night, the moon hung high.

In a secluded side room of the Jiang Family.

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

Su Qiong looked somewhat annoyed at the young Su Family "ember" who was sitting cross-legged on the bed with his eyes wide open.

"I'm cultivating. I can't sleep. My father, mother, brother, and sister were all killed by the Li Family. I need to cultivate diligently so I can avenge them in the future."

The small boy said with utmost determination.

Su Qiong was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.

Then, a look of relief spread across his face. "Su Xun, I'm very pleased you have this ambition, but you must sleep now because we have to travel tomorrow."

"Understood, Elder."

Su Xun obediently crawled back into his covers, and there was no more movement.

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

"What is it now?"

"When can we come back?"

For some reason, at this moment, he thought of the monstrous figure who had plunged the Su Family into an abyss of despair.

Was there truly a day for the Su Family to exact revenge?

Su Qiong asked himself inwardly.

However, no one could provide an answer.

Su Qiong walked out of the side room, unable to sleep.

He looked up at the bright moon in the sky. The silver moonlight spilled onto his weathered face, and two lines of tears uncontrollably streamed down his cheeks.

"Second brother, you were too selfish. You died and that was that, but why did you leave me alone?"

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

Until a cold wind blew, and Su Qiong shivered.

He looked around, feeling that something was not quite right?

But he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Su Qiong's heart leaped into his throat.

He remembered what was wrong.

The Jiang Family today was too quiet, frighteningly quiet.

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

This was Su Qiong's first thought.

Without hesitation, he turned and prepared to return to his room to wake the sleeping Su Family embers.

"Whoosh!"

A cold arrow flew through the air, heading straight for Su Qiong.