Wang Family's Costly Victory

When Jiang Fu'an saw his wife, Su Wanqing, appear, he hurried over to the gate in a few long strides, reaching out to lightly support her arm as he asked with concern:

"Why did you come out? The wind outside is biting. Be careful not to catch a chill."

Though she had finished her confinement period, the north wind these past few days had cut across the face like little knives, carrying a bone-piercing cold.

Su Wanqing looked up and gave him a faint smile.

"I've been cooped up indoors for too long and wanted to come out for a walk, get some fresh air.

"I happened to see Xu the Elder enter the courtyard. It looked like he had something urgent to discuss with you, so I came over to find you."

Xu the Elder was back!

Joy stirred in Jiang Fu'an's heart.

He had been thinking constantly about the outcome of the bloody struggle between the Wang Family and the Rong Family over the Spiritual Vein.

"Eh, and these ladies are...?"

Su Wanqing's gaze passed over her husband's shoulder and landed on the unfamiliar women in the sitting room.

Though their clothes were plain and neat, they could not conceal their graceful figures and delicate features.

Su Wanqing's eyelids twitched slightly, and a faint unease rose in her heart.

Jiang Fu'an hurriedly composed himself, turning sideways as he introduced them with feigned calm.

"Wanqing, I haven't had the chance to tell you yet. These ladies are friends from the Bamboo Mountain Miao Family. Their family suffered a calamity, and they had nowhere else to turn.

"I saw that they all knew how to tend Spiritual Fields and make talisman paper—skills our family happens to need—so I made the decision to hire them. They will settle down here from now on."

Su Wanqing's eyes swept over her husband's face, and her gaze clearly said:

"Do you really think I would believe that?"

But she quickly shifted her gaze away, a gentle and proper smile appearing on her face.

Looking at the women who had approached, she assumed the bearing of the mistress of the household and said courteously:

"Welcome to our Jiang Family. My health had been inconvenient before, so I had been resting in the rear courtyard and was unable to come out to greet you. Please forgive the discourtesy.

"Fu'an is a man, and he has always been careless. If there is anything he has failed to attend to properly, I hope you will be understanding.

"From now on, treat this place as your own home. If there is anything lacking, or anything you are unaccustomed to, just tell me."

Yan-shi dipped slightly at the waist and replied with a smile.

"Madam has just added a new child to the family. This is precisely the time when you should rest and recuperate properly.

"It should have been us sisters who came to pay our respects to you. How could we dare trouble Madam to come out?

"We will have to rely on Madam's care from now on."

Although his wife was acting warmly, Jiang Fu'an knew she had surely gotten the wrong idea.

Seeing the women gathered together in an atmosphere that had turned subtly strange, he quickly found an excuse.

"Wanqing, ladies, you continue talking.

"Xu the Elder may have something urgent. I'll go see him."

With that, he hurried out of the small courtyard.

When he reached the front courtyard's reception hall, he saw Xu the Elder sitting with his head lowered, seemingly lost in thought, his expression unusually grave.

Jiang Fu'an gave a light cough and took the initiative to ask:

"Did the attack on the Rong Family go smoothly?"

Xu the Elder suddenly came back to himself. Seeing that it was his employer, he hurriedly rose and clasped his fists in salute.

"Master!"

Then he gave a bitter smile and answered:

"The Wang Family was stronger, and Sparrow Forest was ultimately taken.

"But the price was too high, especially for ordinary people like us who were hired to fight."

Jiang Fu'an's heart sank, and he pressed on.

"What about our Hunting Team? What were the casualties like?"

Xu the Elder's eyes suddenly reddened, and his voice caught.

"Six died. Seven are seriously wounded and lying at home. I don't even know if they can pull through. My younger brother is gone too.

"I was the only one who came back whole...

"Only because I remembered Master's earlier warning and kept an extra eye open."

Jiang Fu'an's expression turned completely serious.

"How did it become like this?! What exactly happened?"

"It was the Mountain-Calming Martial Hall!"

Xu the Elder squeezed the words out through clenched teeth.

"The Rong Family secretly hired people from the Mountain-Calming Martial Hall! That lot had been hiding in the shadows all along.

"Once we clashed with the Rong Family's guards, they suddenly came at us from behind!

"They were too fast. We didn't even have time to aim the bows and crossbows Lord Sun had issued before they closed in on us..."

"The Mountain-Calming Martial Hall?"

Jiang Fu'an immediately recalled the petty thief who had slipped into his courtyard a year ago.

That man had been nimble and reacted with astonishing speed.

Back then, the man had likely retreated only because he feared exposing his identity.

If that man really had been from the Mountain-Calming Martial Hall, then the Hunting Team—a group of men who had learned only crude fist-and-foot techniques—truly would have been no match for them.

Xu the Elder continued in a hoarse voice.

"After those murderous bastards dealt with us, they turned around and ambushed several of the Wang Family's immortal masters. Ma the Immortal Elder was caught off guard and suffered grievous injuries as well.

"Fortunately, the Qi Refining Late-Stage immortal master the Wang Family had invited this time was truly formidable. At the crucial moment, he cut down the Rong Family's ancestor with a single sword strike and managed to turn the tide..."

Jiang Fu'an listened quietly, sighing inwardly.

After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice:

"It seems that in conflicts between immortals, what finally decides everything is still the outcome between the strongest immortals."

Xu the Elder muttered:

"It's all my fault... If I had forced my brother to stay back, he wouldn't have..."

Jiang Fu'an rose and walked to his side, reaching out to pat his shoulder.

"The dead cannot return to life. Grieve no more.

"After this, we must all remember the lesson. We cannot easily involve ourselves in this kind of slaughter again."

Xu the Elder remained silent for a long while. Then he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes full of pleading.

"Master, I actually came this time to ask you for something...

"Ma the Immortal Elder was badly injured, and the reward he promised us has yet to be paid.

"I went to find the Wang Family's steward just now, but they said it wasn't their responsibility..."

"Here are twenty taels of loose silver. Take it first."

Before he could finish, Jiang Fu'an had already taken a money pouch from his robes and pressed it into Xu the Elder's hand.

"The injured brothers cannot afford to delay. Hurry and get a physician, buy medicine—that is what matters. Ma the Immortal Elder is badly hurt, so he surely cannot spare attention for this right now.

"But the Wang Family won in the end and took the Spiritual Vein in Sparrow Forest. They have a great household and a great fortune; they would not stiff you over this little bit of blood money.

"Don't worry. Once Ma the Immortal Elder recovers, what is owed will be paid."

Xu the Elder's lips trembled twice before he said hoarsely:

"Thank you, Master! Once the money from their side comes through, we will repay you immediately!"

He was so desperate for the reward because several seriously injured brothers were still lying there waiting for medicine and treatment. They truly could not wait any longer.

Jiang Fu'an waved a hand.

"Saving lives comes first. We can discuss money later. If it isn't enough, come find me for more!"

After seeing Xu the Elder off, Jiang Fu'an sat back down in his chair alone.

He silently sorted through everything he had just heard.

The Hunting Team had been nearly wiped out this time. At its root, the problem was a huge blunder in the Wang Family's intelligence beforehand.

They had never discovered that the Rong Family had secretly hired the Mountain-Calming Martial Hall.

And Xu the Elder and the others had trusted the Wang Family too much, plunging headlong into an ambush others had laid.

Jiang Fu'an silently etched the lesson into his heart:

"If I am ever forced to get entangled in such a conflict in the future, I must remember this lesson well."