Asking for Trouble

In the depths of night, within a secret chamber of the Wang Family, three cultivators at the Qi Gathering stage were seated together.

"Have you confirmed it? Is their Patriarch really at the mines?" Patriarch Wang Xiong, clad in tiger skin, asked.

"Yes, the merchant caravan we sent, pretending to have taken a wrong turn, personally saw Yang Guanfeng guarding the mines," replied Wang Lie, the Wang Family's second-strongest expert, seated to his left.

This man was thirty-eight years old, similar in age to Yang Guanfeng. The difference was that Yang Guanfeng, at his age, already possessed the mid-stage realm of Fifth Level of Qi Gathering, while Wang Lie was still only at the Second Level of Qi Gathering.

"Then, does this mean the Yang Family only has a little brat who recently achieved Qi Gathering left in the village?" the young cultivator on the right inquired.

He was Wang Weiyang, Wang Xiong's son, the Wang Family's third Qi Gathering cultivator. He was sixteen years old and had broken through to Qi Gathering half a year ago.

"Yes, precisely," Wang Lie confirmed.

The two looked to Patriarch Wang Xiong, awaiting his decision.

The three had previously discussed that they couldn't let the Yang Family prosper so comfortably; they had to teach them a lesson and issue a warning. However, because the other party's strength surpassed their own, implementing this plan was rather difficult. But now, having learned that Yang Guanfeng and Elder Yu were both away from the Yang Family, they began to hatch a scheme.

"Hmph! It's time to beat the grass to startle the snake. Wang Lie, why wait? Let's do it tonight. Infiltrate the Yang Family, scare the little one they have left, and ideally, force the Yang Family to recall that old man from town. That way, their few shops won't amount to much," Wang Xiong decided after some thought.

"No problem, Patriarch!" Wang Lie was ecstatic upon hearing this. He hadn't sparred with anyone in a long time, and the repeated setbacks he'd experienced previously still bothered him. Facing a mere newly-broken-through Qi Gathering brat this time, he finally had the chance to be the strong one who cruelly humiliated the weak.

"Uncle, won't you be in danger alone? Why don't I go with you?" Wang Weiyang asked.

Wang Lie waved his hand upon hearing this. "Weiyang, dealing with someone who just broke through to the First Level of Qi Gathering, I'm more than enough alone. Besides, two people acting together would be too conspicuous and easily give us away."

Patriarch Wang Xiong nodded in agreement with Wang Lie's reasoning.

"Patriarch, rest assured, leave it to me. I guarantee that after tonight, the Yang Family will be on edge, mistaking every rustle of the wind for an enemy!" Wang Lie vowed, patting his chest.

This poor fellow had no idea what awaited him.

That night, Wang Lie, dressed in a black outfit, left White Stone Town under the cover of the dark night. Channeling his spiritual power to its fullest, he ran for two hours before reaching the location of the Yang Family village. As a cultivator, he easily bypassed the Yang Family's guards. He scaled the courtyard wall and headed straight for the deepest part. Upon reaching the backyard, he found no signs of cultivation. As he was wondering, he looked up and saw the cliff.

"Hehehe, interesting." With that, he leaped up, using the rock face to climb the cliff. Looking up, he saw the distinctive outer wall of the Yang Family's forbidden area. "Hiding here sneakily, but unfortunately, Grandpa found you!" Wang Lie rejoiced internally at his keen perception. He then walked along the high wall, thinking, "As expected, there's a formation. Fortunately, I came prepared." He then took out a black magnetic stone from his waist. This item was given to him by Wang Xiong before he left. After injecting spiritual power into it, it could interfere with the operation of formations at the Qi Gathering Early-stage level, causing them to temporarily malfunction. Wang Lie injected his spiritual power, and the Yang Family's forbidden area formation indeed lost its effect. He leaped up, believing he had stealthily infiltrated without a trace.

Yang Lingqing, who was on night watch, indeed did not detect his presence because the formation was disabled, and the connected token did not react. However, Wang Lie could never have imagined that within the Yang Family's forbidden area, there was another existence that was exceptionally sensitive to spiritual power fluctuations.

"Hmm? The formation is down. Is that old man useless? Did he buy a fake?" Chen Yang, looking up at the starry sky, was complaining when he suddenly felt a shift. Someone had entered. And it was someone at the Second Level of Qi Gathering. Chen Yang became cautious and immediately created a spiritual power fluctuation to awaken Yang Lingqing. Yang Lingqing immediately snapped out of her semi-meditative state and looked at Chen Yang.

"The Spirit Gathering Stone itself has fluctuated?" She stood up, intending to investigate, and casually picked up the nearby induction token.

In just a brief moment, Yang Lingqing's heart tightened as she sensed something was wrong.

The sensing token had lost its spiritual power flow!

"The formation has failed, someone has broken into the forbidden area!"

Her reaction was swift. She grabbed a Spirit Gathering Stone and woke up Lingrui and Linghu, who were resting in the room, to inform them of the situation.

Upon learning that someone had intruded into the forbidden area, the expressions of the three became serious.

This was the first time someone had broken in while the elders were away.

"Xiao Qing, what should we do?"

Yang Linghu and Yang Lingrui looked to Yang Lingqing. Among the three, she had the sharpest mind, so naturally, she would be the one to make the decision.

Yang Lingqing's thoughts raced. The outside world was not yet aware of her and Linghu's identities, so they couldn't be exposed prematurely.

"We don't know how many people have entered or their cultivation levels yet, so we'll need you, Lingrui, to take a small risk and pretend to be meditating in the courtyard."

"Yes, Sister Qing."

"Oh, and remember to suppress your cultivation to the First Level!"

"Understood."

Yang Lingrui went out into the courtyard and sat on a cushion, feigning meditation.

Yang Linghu and Yang Lingqing, meanwhile, concealed their auras and hid in the room.

Not long after, a shadowy figure crept into the courtyard.

Yang Lingrui had not suppressed his aura, making it easy for Wang Lie to find him.

"It's this kid!"

Wang Lie looked at Yang Lingrui and thought, Hoo, he looks only a little over ten years old, even younger than Weiyang.

His original intention was to scare this kid and cause some trouble for the Yang Family.

But upon seeing Yang Lingrui in person, he had other ideas.

Such a young Qi Gathering realm cultivator.

If he were allowed to grow slowly, the Yang Family would undoubtedly become even more prosperous.

That would be unbearable!

At that time, would my Wang Family still have a chance to compete?

In an instant, Wang Lie thought of many things.

His gaze gradually turned cold, and his mind changed its decision.

"Killing him would be a bit excessive, but... crippling him would be acceptable!"

Having made up his mind, he didn't hesitate. He found the right angle and charged at Yang Lingrui.

In Wang Lie's view, his realm was higher than the opponent's, and he was launching a surprise attack from the shadows. It was impossible for him to be blocked or dodged.

However, unfortunately, his judgment was completely wrong from beginning to end.

Firstly, Yang Lingrui's cultivation was the same as his, the Second Level of Qi Gathering.

Secondly, he wasn't mysterious at all. The moment he entered the courtyard, he had already been noticed by the three children.

Wang Lie raised his hand and struck at Yang Lingrui.

The latter's eyes snapped open, and he raised his hand to block the blow, his aura instantly surging to the Second Level of Qi Gathering.

"Second Level of Qi Gathering! How is that possible!?"

Wang Lie was shocked, stunned by the opponent's true cultivation.

But since he had already made his move, there was no turning back. He circulated his spiritual power and prepared to continue fighting Yang Lingrui.

Just then, the ground beneath his feet suddenly became muddy, and his entire body felt as if it were being pulled down by something.

"What the hell is this!"

Before he could react, a figure burst out of the room and punched him in the chest.

"Pfft!"

Wang Lie immediately spat out blood and fell backward onto the ground.

Speaking of which, this person was quite unlucky. Yang Linghu had only just successfully cultivated this technique to the First Level of Qi Gathering yesterday, and he was already using it on this unfortunate test subject today.

Wang Lie, lying on the ground, felt his head spin. He tried to move but found that his body was already stuck fast by the mud.