Lushan Town

Lushan Town was a small town with a population of only a little over a hundred thousand. Its two greatest powers were the Yan Clan and the Luo Clan.

Unlike the populous Yan Clan, the Luo Clan had few members and had always kept a low profile. In the eyes of ordinary residents of Lushan, the Luo Clan was no illustrious family, merely a middling household. Only powerful forces like the Yan Clan knew how formidable the Luo Clan truly was.

That evening, all the direct members of the Luo Clan gathered at the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall, in a restricted part of the back courtyard of Luo Mansion.

Many major decisions concerning the Lineage were made there.

The current head of the Luo Clan was Luo Dingyi, already past seventy. He had two sons: Luo Kaifeng and Luo Kaiyu.

Like his father, the eldest son, Luo Kaifeng, had two sons of his own: Luo Caiyang and Luo Caiguang. The second son, Luo Kaiyu, had only one child, a daughter named Luo Caiyue.

Those were all the direct members of the Luo Clan, from the oldest generation down. Luo Caiguang and Luo Caiyue were only twelve and eight, respectively. In other words, the Luo Clan's true fighting strength consisted of just four people: Luo Dingyi and his three adult relatives.

Yet those four alone were enough to make the Luo Clan the equal of the Yan Clan, whose direct lineage numbered nearly a hundred. That showed just how formidable the Luo Clan members were individually.

"Grandpa, Father, Second Uncle, the Yan Clan has gone too far! They've taken over most of Lushan's markets, and now they even want to lay hands on our Copper Mine. They're tired of living! Why don't we just go over there and wipe them out? Why bother agreeing to negotiate the day after tomorrow? With our strength, taking down the Yan Clan would be as easy as lifting a hand!"

The Luo Clan's eldest grandson, Luo Caiyang, spoke up, his voice full of scorn.

"Big Brother is right. What's the Yan Clan worth? They dare come to the Luo Clan and run wild just because they have a disciple in the Hundred Leaf Sect? What's so impressive about that?" His younger brother, Caiguang, was not yet twelve, but he had exceptional cultivation talent and had been arrogant and proud since childhood.

"Exactly, Father. I don't understand either. Our Luo Clan has clearly been stronger than that Yan Clan for years. Why do we keep tolerating them, as if we're afraid of them?" The second son, Luo Kaiyu, was just as baffled by his father and elder brother's decision.

"Second Brother, why are you joining the children in making a fuss? Our Luo Clan's ancestral instructions say that we must keep a low profile in all things. We must never reveal our true strength unless we have no other choice." Of everyone in the Ancestral Hall, only the eldest son, Luo Kaifeng, supported the head of the family, Luo Dingyi. He immediately explained the decision.

Unlike the Yan Clan, which was riding high, the Luo Clan's only foothold in Lushan was a medium-sized Copper Mine. It covered most of the family's expenses and was the Luo Clan's lifeline. Naturally, they could not let the Yan Clan take it.

"That's right, children. Those are our ancestral instructions, and there must be a reason behind them. Don't let a moment's anger make you break the Luo Clan's rules. The day after tomorrow, Kaifeng, take your two sons with you. Let them broaden their horizons. Remember, don't go too far. Just show enough strength to get the better of the Yan Clan. As long as Yan Huishan isn't a fool, he'll know when to back down."

The head of the family, Luo Dingyi, spoke calmly, as if the matter meant little to him.

"Yes, Father."

"Yes, Grandpa."

Luo Kaifeng and his two sons answered.

As the head of the family, Luo Dingyi commanded great respect within the Luo Clan. Once he had made his position clear, no one dared argue—except one person: Luo Kaiyu's daughter, the eight-year-old Luo Caiyue.

"Grandpa's playing favorites! Why are you taking Big Brother and Second Brother but not me?" Hearing that they would be broadening their horizons, Caiyue guessed it must be something fun. When she realized they were leaving her behind, she immediately ran up to Luo Dingyi, tugged at him, and pleaded.

"All right, all right. When Yueyue's a little older, Grandpa will take you himself, okay?"

Luo Dingyi, who had just looked so stern, could do little against his only little granddaughter. The frost melted from his face, and he answered warmly, his affection plain for all to see.

"No! No! I want to go with Big Brother and Second Brother!" But Old Luo's humble coaxing had no effect on her. Luo Caiyue shouted in a huff.

"Yueyue, the adults are discussing something important. Don't make a scene." Caiyue's father, Luo Kaiyu, couldn't watch any longer and hurried to stop her, his voice growing stern.

At her father's show of anger, little Caiyue shrank back. She looked from her grandfather to her father, her expression twisting as if she wanted to cry but didn't dare—or perhaps she was simply embarrassed.

The others couldn't help laughing.

"Enough, Second Brother. Don't scare Yueyue. This is a family meeting, and as a member of the family, Yueyue has every right to speak. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let her come."

"If Yueyue wants to go, then let her come along. The Yan Clan is nothing but a clown. There, are you happy now, Yueyue? Ha ha, ha ha..." Luo Dingyi's laughter set off an outburst of laughter throughout the Ancestral Hall. The others joined in, and a warm, close family feeling spread through the Luo Clan...

"What a fine clown!"

Just as the whole Luo family was laughing uproariously in the Ancestral Hall, a cold voice suddenly came from outside. The laughter in the hall stopped dead.

"Who's there?"

"What lowlife dares show himself?" they cried one after another. Luo Kaifeng immediately moved to rush out of the Ancestral Hall.

"Stop, Feng'er. All of you stay inside. I'll go take a look. Without my order, no one is to leave this room." Luo Dingyi suddenly called his son back. Then he slowly rose to his feet, his gaze fixed on the outside, grave beyond measure.

The newcomer was clearly a peerless expert. Otherwise, he could never have appeared right under Luo Dingyi's nose without being noticed. It was only when the man spoke that Luo Dingyi sensed him.

Could he be an expert hired by the Yan Clan? No wonder they dared covet the Luo Clan's Copper Mine. They had brought in a super expert to back them up. But how could a small clan like the Yan Clan possibly hire someone like that? Had Yan Huishan's grandson, Yan Wuji, brought him? They said Yan Wuji had been extraordinarily gifted since childhood and had joined the Hundred Leaf Sect, one of Yunli Kingdom's top powers, six months ago. Yes, only the Hundred Leaf Sect could have an expert like this. But what could a little town like Lushan possibly have that the Hundred Leaf Sect cared about? Could this man have come from the "North"?

That seemed impossible, too.

A thousand thoughts raced through Luo Dingyi's mind, though only an instant passed. Once he had sorted through the possibilities, he opened the Ancestral Hall doors and strode outside.

Standing before Luo Dingyi were two people, an old man and a young boy. The boy looked about ten, frail and pale, as if he were sickly, and there was no trace of spiritual energy about him. Nothing seemed amiss. The old man wore black and was short and scrawny, his face deeply weathered. The spiritual energy around him flickered faintly, hard to make out. At first glance, they both looked like ordinary people who had never cultivated spiritual energy.

But that was impossible. An ordinary person could never have appeared in front of him so silently. And though the old man showed little of his aura, Luo Dingyi sensed a deep chill in his sharp gaze. He could not see through the man's cultivation.

That meant the man's level was very likely above his own.

"Take this!" Before Old Luo could react, the black-clad elder struck. A withered hand shot toward him like a ghost.

Luo Dingyi's heart lurched. The man had attacked without a word; clearly, he had come prepared. There would be no easy way to settle things today.

"Uoooo—" Luo Dingyi suddenly let out a long howl, then lunged forward and met the withered, terrifying hand head-on.

Inside the ancestral hall, the Luo Clan members were shaken to their cores. The head of the family's howl had clearly meant that he had encountered an enemy they could not resist and that they were to escape at once through the secret passage in the Ancestral Hall.

"Big Brother, we have to go help Father!" Luo Kaiyu asked anxiously.

"Yes, Father! Let's go fight alongside Grandpa!" Caiyang and his brother shouted in unison. With Luo Dingyi gone, Luo Kaifeng was the backbone of the Luo Clan.

"Fools! If Father can't handle this enemy, what makes you think we can? We'd only be throwing our lives away. Our ancestral instructions say that when the Luo Clan faces an irresistible force, preserving the Luo bloodline comes first. We have to leave at once!" As the eldest son, Luo Kaifeng knew far more than the others. By now, he had also begun to guess what was going on.

"But Father—"

"But..."

"No buts. Father isn't here, so I'm the head of the family. I order you to leave now. I'll lead the way, and Second Brother will bring up the rear..." Luo Kaifeng finished, scooped up Luo Caiyue, who was still standing there in a daze, and quickly opened a hidden mechanism in the Ancestral Hall.

The others gritted their teeth and followed. In the blink of an eye, the lively hall that had just been filled with laughter was as still as a dead pool.

With a thud, Luo Dingyi was hurled hard against the Ancestral Hall doors.

The black-clad man was astonishingly powerful. He had barely used any Spirit Skills; a single hand had beaten Luo Dingyi until he could not fight back. The man was at least a Spirit Emperor. Even if Luo Dingyi used his secret art, he would still be no match. And if he used it, his identity would be exposed completely. No. He could not use his secret technique until he was on the brink of death. Luo Dingyi had only one thought now: hold the black-clad man back as long as he could, so Kaiguang and the others would have enough time to escape. The longer they had, the better their chances of survival.

"I wonder how long you think you can hold me off." The black-clad man seemed in no hurry. He ambled over to Luo Dingyi.

"Hmph. You can defeat me if you like, but if you want to enter the Luo Clan Ancestral Hall, you'll have to step over my corpse." Luo Dingyi slowly pushed himself upright, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and spoke through gritted teeth.