Family Upheaval

The Thick-Winged Bird had barely docked when Qing Lin impatiently jumped off the vessel, spread her arms, and greedily breathed in the air of her "hometown."

"Wow, we're finally back! I wonder how the Second Commander and the others are doing?"

"I sent word to Brother Xiao Li in advance. I think they should already be waiting for us outside."

Before returning, Su Heng had already sent Xiao Li a message, informing him exactly when they would arrive. When the two stepped out of the Thick-Winged Bird's flight hall, Xiao Li and the others were indeed among the crowd waiting to greet them.

Seeing Xiao Li and the Desert Iron Mercenary Group members who had come specifically to welcome him, Su Heng suddenly felt the familiar sensation of being picked up by family and friends after getting off a plane.

Having not seen each other for a long time, Su Heng immediately gave Xiao Li a big bear hug. Qing Lin likewise plunged headfirst into Xue Lan's embrace, feeling the warmth of family.

"Brother Xiao Li, it's been almost a year. You've advanced to a Great Dou Master?"

Even from afar earlier, Su Heng had sensed that Xiao Li's aura was far more powerful than before.

Now that they were standing close together, that feeling became even more apparent. Compared to Su Heng, a Four-Star Dou Master, Xiao Li was now several times stronger.

"Haha, thanks to you, Brother Su. I'm now a Two-Star Great Dou Master, and just as you said, I really cultivated Wind-Thunder Dou Qi."

Xiao Li proudly formed a Dou Qi armguard around his right wrist. It was the Dou Qi armor unique to Great Dou Masters. Moreover, the Dou Qi forming the armor had changed from its former silver to purple, flowing like wind and raging like thunder.

Seeing Xiao Li as he was now, Su Heng could not help sighing. The Xiao Family truly was talented!

He had merely made a theoretical analysis, yet Xiao Li had actually managed to put it into practice.

Su Heng had dared to imagine it, and Xiao Li had truly dared to do it.

"Alright, let's head back to the headquarters first. Tonight, we drink until we drop!"

"No problem. Everything will be as Brother Xiao Li commands."

The group set off for the return journey. Qing Lin was in high spirits, flitting and dancing like a butterfly among flowers as she weaved freely through the crowd, savoring the feeling of home.

Su Heng, on the other hand, was visiting Stone Desert City for the first time. Everything felt unfamiliar, giving him the awkward feeling of visiting his future in-laws.

Yet that awkwardness vanished without a trace when he saw the old acquaintances from the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

They had all faced life and death together. Even years apart could not weaken their bond, and their reunion was incredibly warm.

That night, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group laid out a grand feast for Su Heng. Xiao Li even brought out the fine wine he had collected for years, letting everyone drink to their hearts' content.

This time, Su Heng also officially met the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's leader, Xiao Ding, known as Cunning Fox.

Though they were biological brothers, Xiao Ding's temperament differed greatly from those of his two brothers.

Xiao Ding wore a plain white robe. His eyes were clear and bright, and his face possessed neither Xiao Li's fierceness nor Xiao Yan's innocence, but rather the calm steadiness of a wise man.

Compared to Xiao Li's boldness, Su Heng preferred Xiao Ding's wisdom. The two hit it off at first sight and regretted only that they had not met sooner.

"Brother Su, it's a pity you sent me word a day too late. If you'd written two days earlier, I would've had Third Brother stay a few more days, and we could have gotten together."

Halfway through the drinking, Xiao Li draped an arm around Su Heng's shoulder and complained with some regret.

"Indeed, Brother Su. Third Brother praised you endlessly. It was the first time I'd ever seen him praise someone like that. It seems your victory over him truly dealt him quite a blow!"

Xiao Ding also found it regrettable that Su Heng and Xiao Yan had missed each other.

Xiao Yan had left Stone Desert City a few days ago and set out for the Imperial Capital. He had only just left when Su Heng's letter saying he was coming to Stone Desert City arrived. They had missed each other perfectly.

"It really is a pity. After we recognized each other last time, Brother Xiao Yan said he had urgent matters and left first. He didn't have time to stay a few more days."

Thinking of how he and Xiao Yan had only spoken for one evening, Su Heng felt somewhat regretful as well.

"Third Brother made a three-year agreement with the Nalan Clan's young lady. The great battle is close at hand, so it's understandable that he's busy. Once everything is settled, we'll have a proper gathering."

Xiao Ding was also quite helpless regarding Xiao Yan's current busyness.

In his view, the three-year agreement was right around the corner. For the family's honor, Xiao Yan would surely give everything he had. It was only natural that he was occupied with cultivation.

"Rest assured, both of you. Brother Xiao Yan will definitely use a Buddha's Fury Lotus to blast Nalan Yanran into a sorry state and show the entire Gama Empire what a true genius is."

Su Heng was a little muddled from drink, and with the alcohol going to his head, he simply spoiled the plot outright.

However, to the Xiao brothers, those words merely sounded like Su Heng was praising Xiao Yan's extraordinary talent and formidable strength, so they paid them no mind.

"By the way, Brother Xiao Li, how are my parents and the Su Family doing now?"

The last letter Su Heng had received from his parents was over a month ago. Having heard nothing for so long, he naturally asked Xiao Li. After all, he had once asked Xiao Li to look after the Su Family, so Xiao Li should know more clearly.

"Uncle and Aunt... they're both... fine. Don't worry. Let's drink first tonight."

When Xiao Li mentioned Su Heng's parents, his expression was clearly off. He stammered, visibly flustered.

It was obvious something had happened to the Su Family, but Xiao Li did not want to ruin the current atmosphere, so he deliberately blurred the situation.

"Brother Xiao Li, your expression is far too obvious when you lie. Don't do that next time."

The moment Xiao Li's expression changed, Su Heng noticed. Half-drunk and half-sober, he felt as if someone had gripped his heart viciously, and an extremely bad premonition settled over him.

"Brother Xiao Li, what exactly happened? Tell me!"

With the alcohol rushing through him and that terrible premonition looming over him, Su Heng became anxious.

"Brother Su, don't panic. Uncle and Aunt are indeed alright, but... Uncle Wen and Uncle Li... something happened to them."

Xiao Li lowered his head in guilt. In the end, he had failed Su Heng's trust.

"What? What happened?"

The terrible news struck Su Heng's heart like a bolt from the blue. The piercing pain instantly twisted his expression, and he sobered up on the spot.

Seeing that it could no longer be concealed, Xiao Li finally told Su Heng everything that had happened over the past month.

After Su Heng and the others ambushed and killed Mo Ran and the Mo Family assassins in Desert City, Xiao Li had sent people to escort Su Wen and Su Li back to the Su Family first.

After Mo Ran died, the Mo Family's first suspect was the Su Family. But the Mo Family had no evidence, the Su Family stubbornly denied everything, and Salt City's lord Bo'er tried to mediate between both sides. Thus, the matter was temporarily suppressed.

Later, Su Heng became famous in Black Rock City as a seventeen-year-old Second-grade Alchemist, and Salt City's lord Bo'er became even more determined to support the Su Family.

Just when everyone thought it was all over and that the Mo Family had finally given up investigating Mo Ran's death—

Tragedy suddenly struck. While Su Wen was out handling business, he was surrounded and attacked by Mo Family members. At the critical moment between life and death, Su Wen used Mo Ran's Profound Tier Dou Technique!

At that point, the evidence was irrefutable, and the Su Family had no room left to argue.

What no one expected was that Mo Cheng had actually invited Yun Leng, the Grand Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, to personally come to Salt City and look into the matter.

Salt City's lord Bo'er could still say a few words to protect the Su Family when facing Mo Cheng, but before Yun Leng, the Grand Elder of the Misty Cloud Sect, Bo'er could only choose to stay out of it.

In the end, so as not to implicate the Su Family and the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, Su Wen and Su Li took all the blame and committed suicide before Yun Leng and Mo Cheng to atone for their crimes. The Mo Family also seized the chance to loot the Su Family's businesses clean.

There was no longer a Su Family in Salt City!

After the incident, Xiao Li brought all fifty-some members of the Su Family to live in Stone Desert City and arranged for Desert Iron Mercenary Group mercenaries to guard them day and night.

Originally, Xiao Li had wanted to wait until Su Heng returned to Stone Desert City and give him a few days before telling him the truth. He had not expected Su Heng to be so sharp that he could not keep it hidden for even a day.

"Take me to see Father and Mother. Now, immediately!"

Su Heng looked at Xiao Li with tears in his eyes, his gaze blood-red as he roared himself hoarse.

After hearing Xiao Li's words, he felt as though every drop of blood in his body was burning. The celadon wine cup in his hand had long since been melted into a puddle of sludge by the fierce flames he had unconsciously released. Right now, Su Heng only wanted to personally confirm that his parents were safe!

Seeing Su Heng's ashen face and surging killing intent, Xiao Li made no further attempt to comfort him. He took Su Heng that very night to the courtyard where the Su Family lived.

It was not a particularly large courtyard. After the Mo Family had looted the Su Family, Xiao Li auctioned off all the pills Su Heng had given him and exhausted the entire Desert Iron Mercenary Group's savings just to relocate the Su Family here.

Had Xiao Yan not arrived in Stone Desert City in time and refined a large number of pills to ease the mercenary group's financial crisis, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group might have been reduced to poverty and disbanded on the spot simply for helping the Su Family.

Yet even after Xiao Li had exhausted the Desert Iron Mercenary Group's savings, the Su Family's life was still extremely impoverished, barely scraping by.

Looking at the residence before him, which could house only a little over ten people, Su Heng's heart felt as though it were being cut by knives. More than fifty people had been crammed together, with five or six Su Family members squeezed into every small room in the courtyard.

When they saw Su Heng return home, every one of them burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Heng'er!"

A familiar voice rose from the crowd. When Su Heng's mother, Xue Yu, saw her son return, the dam holding back her longing broke completely. She clutched him tightly as tears streamed down her face, and mother and son wept in each other's arms.

Upon receiving the news, Su Heng's father, Su Yan, hurried over as well. Seeing his son return safely, this man as hard as steel finally let go of his resolve. Tears filled his tiger-like eyes, and he became an ordinary man.

Once the family's emotions had calmed somewhat, Su Yan told Su Heng every detail of what had happened recently. Only then did Su Heng finally understand the full truth of the matter and all that Xiao Li had done for the Su Family.

"Brother Xiao Li, I was too anxious just now. Please forgive me. I, Su Heng, will never forget this kindness for all eternity!"

Xiao Li had already done everything he could for the Su Family. Su Heng solemnly apologized to him, then directly dropped to his knees and bowed. He had no way to repay the grace of saving his entire clan.

Seeing Su Heng perform such a grand gesture, Xiao Li hurriedly helped him up and repeatedly said,

"Brother Su, you needn't do this. It was I, Xiao Li, who was incapable and failed your trust."

What else could he have done at that point? Xiao Li was not Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan could cheat by having Medicine Elder possess him and kill Yun Leng and Mo Cheng on the spot, but Xiao Li was merely a Great Dou Master.

All he could do was try his utmost to protect his friend's family. Even if he had been willing to fight the Mo Family to the death, it would only have meant throwing away his life and dragging the entire Desert Iron Mercenary Group down with him.

Xiao Li had already done everything within his power. Su Heng knew that clearly, and he was grateful from the bottom of his heart.

A blood feud had already been forged. To the Su Family, the Mo Family's existence would always be a threat. Unless the Mo Family was destroyed, the Su Family would never know peace.

Thus, beginning the day after he returned home, Su Heng secluded himself to refine pills and plan his revenge.

According to the intelligence he obtained from Xiao Ding, the Mo Family would host the birthday banquet of their Grand Elder, Mo Cheng, one month later. At that time, every large and small family in Salt City and the surrounding cities would be invited.

It could be said that the Mo Family birthday banquet one month from now would be when the Mo Family had the most people gathered together. If he wanted to wipe out the Mo Family in blood, that day would be the best opportunity.

To make the Mo Family pay a sufficient price, Su Heng spent ten days in seclusion refining enough pills to blow the entire Mo Family into the sky. And that was merely the first step of his revenge.

"Qing Lin, I had you sense the auras of snake-type magical beasts near Stone Desert City before. Have you made any progress?"

The second step in Su Heng's plan for revenge was strengthening his side's combat power, and the simplest way to do that was to find the Fourth-Order Magical Beast, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.

In Su Heng's memories, a Fourth-Order Magical Beast lived in the underground lava near Stone Desert City: the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.

It was a magical beast comparable to a human Dou Spirit. If he wanted to kill Mo Cheng, its assistance was indispensable.

"Yes, I did sense a very faint aura from a snake-type magical beast. Brother Su Heng, are we going to subdue it and use it against the Mo Family?"

By now, Qing Lin had long regarded herself as a member of the Su Family. She could roughly guess the purpose behind the tasks Su Heng gave her.

"That's right. You and Brother Xiao Li should go subdue that magical beast. If you encounter any other snake-type magical beasts, bring them all back as well."

No one would complain about having too many fighters. If they could capture other snake-type magical beasts, Su Heng would gladly welcome it.

"Also, these two Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills can raise your cultivation to a Four-Star Great Dou Master."

Su Heng handed Qing Lin the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills he had refined during his seclusion. Qing Lin would be the absolute core combatant in this battle, so before the final showdown, Su Heng needed to raise her strength as much as possible.

"You should first enter seclusion and refine the medicinal power. After that, go search for that magical beast. Be careful in everything you do. Also, travel by night and hide by day whenever possible. Avoid any potential surveillance, and make sure no one discovers your trail along the way."

"Also, have Little Gold sneak into the Mo Family's underground areas and investigate their terrain as thoroughly as possible. Find out where the secret rooms and passages are. Everything must be clearly mapped out."

"And remember, be careful. Don't get hurt."

Su Heng pulled Qing Lin tightly into his arms. He truly could not bear to have this fifteen-year-old girl shoulder such a heavy revenge plan, but he had no other choice, because this world was simply that cruel.

The Mo Family had not yet exterminated the Su Family only because Mo Cheng's birthday happened to be approaching, delaying them for a short while. Once Mo Cheng's birthday banquet was over, the day the Su Family was wiped out would not be far away.

Before that happened, Su Heng had to strike first!