Chapter 162: Bai Li

Upon hearing this, the old man in the crimson robe nodded slightly, his voice carrying a solemn tone, saying:

"This man has concealed his true strength—his actual martial cultivation is certainly not to be underestimated."

Lady Murong Feng's gaze shifted slightly as he looked at the dead Bai Li Wei and the old woman, yet his face suddenly broke into a look of satisfaction, saying:

"The Bai Li family has now picked up a stone only to drop it on their own feet—this loss is no small matter; one Tianren and two half-Tianren have simply vanished."

"Even Bai Li Wei, the second son Bai Li Changfeng cherished, is dead—I truly wish to see how the Bai Li family will react when they hear this."

……

Hu Rui'an's group, after eliminating the blocking Bai Li Wei and others, had since traveled unimpeded, encountering no further resistance.

After roughly one incense stick's time, under Lady Murong Xiaoya's guidance, they finally arrived at the Lady Murong Fu in the provincial capital.

The Lady Murong family was indeed the foremost martial clan of Shengzhou—their gate swallowed mountains, the main entrance towering over three zhang high.

The bronze gates stood wide open, flanked by two statues of xuan iron carvings, guardian beasts with pearl-inlaid eyes and wing-like walls extending on either side.

After Wu Shang announced their identity, a household steward and a noble-clad young master, radiating Gao Ang's aura, came out personally to greet them.

Upon seeing the noble-clad young master, Lady Murong Xiaoya's face lit up with clear delight; she hurried forward a few steps and called out:

"Brother Er, you're back too?"

Hearing this, the young master in snow-white robes, with a gentle face, nodded slightly, gazing at Lady Murong Xiaoya with doting affection before smiling and saying:

"It's been over a year—we haven't seen each other—and my little sister has grown even more beautiful."

At these words, Lady Murong Xiaoya's cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly.

Seeing this, Lady Murong Zhen chuckled a few times, then gently patted Lady Murong Xiaoya's head, saying:

"I won't tease you anymore—Father and Mother don't even know you're back yet, and they'll be overjoyed. Go see them quickly."

Lady Murong Xiaoya nodded and turned to rush into the mansion.

But as she had only gone halfway, she seemed to remember something and quickly turned back to look toward Hu Rui'an and the others behind her.

Lady Murong Zhen clearly read her thoughts; he waved his hand and said:

"Little sister, don't worry—I'll take good care of Lord Hu and the others."

Hearing this, Lady Murong Xiaoya turned back again and hurried swiftly into the mansion.

At this moment, Lady Murong Zhen turned and met Hu Rui'an and the others with the household steward; his smile remained, but it lacked the warmth he had shown Lady Murong Xiaoya.

Then, after greeting Hu Rui'an and exchanging polite, formal pleasantries, he ordered the steward to lead them to the courtyard assigned for their stay.

He himself quickly took his leave, clearly showing no particular enthusiasm for Hu Rui'an's arrival.

Hu Rui'an, who had observed all of this, wore a pensive expression and turned to look at Li Muxian beside him, who seemed utterly unconcerned, frowning and saying:

"Your Highness, the Lady Murong family head hasn't even indicated any intention to meet me—it seems they're not particularly interested in what the Commandant said."

Hearing this, Li Muxian glanced at the courtyard the Lady Murong family had arranged—flowering walls casting overlapping shadows, lotus ponds reflecting trees—the surroundings were indeed quiet and comfortable.

Then he glanced at Hu Rui'an and shook his head, saying:

"Don't bother me with such trivial matters, Lord Hu—it won't change anything. The journey these past few days has been tedious; I think resting here two days won't hurt."

At this, Hu Rui'an's face immediately twisted into a look of bitterness.

He had long suspected this prince wouldn't involve himself in affairs, yet he'd still held out a sliver of hope—now, clearly, that hope was dashed.

Thinking of this, Hu Rui'an could only agree aloud, while silently planning how he would handle matters concerning Vice Prefect Mei Yan and the others.

At this moment, Li Muxian paused, then reached out and patted Hu Rui'an's shoulder, saying:

"Lord Hu, rest assured—I previously promised Fu Da Ren I'd lend a small hand, so in Shengzhou, you may fully operate under my banner."

"Also, if you encounter problems you simply cannot resolve, you may come to me—but whether I help or not will depend on the circumstances."

At these words, Hu Rui'an paused slightly, but instantly felt a weight lift from his chest; he hurriedly replied:

"Thank you, Your Highness—this humble officer will certainly do his utmost to properly handle matters in Shengzhou."

Although Li Muxian hadn't explicitly promised aid, even this single statement eased Hu Rui'an's mind considerably.

At the very least, with the backing of Li Muxian's status as the Eighth Imperial Prince, his future actions would undoubtedly be far easier.

After settling into the Lady Murong Fu, Hu Rui'an hurriedly left with Wu Shang and Cheng Zhong, beginning immediately to carry out his prior plan for Shengzhou affairs.

The Lady Murong family's stance remained ambiguous, so Hu Rui'an did not rush to meet them first; instead, he went straight to the Tianjinwei branch office in Shengzhou's provincial capital.

He intended to first meet Mei Yan, the younger brother of the Empress Dowager and Shengzhou's Vice Prefect, to find out why, ever since the Tianjinwei General Office ordered all provincial branches to secretly advance toward Lanzhou, the Shengzhou Tianjinwei had never replied at all?

……

Meanwhile, in a study within the Lady Murong Fu, doors and windows were tightly shut, all windows covered with black cloth, allowing not a single ray of light to enter from outside.

Inside the dark room, only a single lamp burned—a black iron base cast in the shape of a kneeling figure offering treasures, its outstretched arms holding a tray filled with a layer of crimson lamp oil.

The wick was a segment of blood-red spine, its flame a vivid crimson, the outer flicker pulsing like a beating heart, staining the air within the room a deep scarlet.

Lady Murong Feng stood beside the lamp; opposite him stood a red pearwood desk, and behind it sat a figure in a high-backed chair.

The figure faced away from the lamp, its entire face hidden in shadow, utterly obscured.

"Second Uncle, just now, when I met Xiao Ya's return to the city, we were ambushed by the Bai Li family…"

Lady Murong Feng bowed slightly toward the shadowed figure and recounted everything that had just transpired.

After listening to Lady Murong Feng's account, the shadowed figure fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a hoarse voice:

"To kill Bai Li Xue with a single finger—Hu Rui'an's martial cultivation clearly contradicts what we know. Either he has deliberately concealed his strength, or there is another hidden expert among them or behind them."

Then the shadowed figure suddenly asked:

"Have you informed your father of this?"

Hearing this, Lady Murong Feng shook his head, saying:

"After parting from Elder Shi, I came straight to you—Father will surely hear of this from Xiao Ya."

Saying this, Lady Murong Feng paused briefly, then continued:

"The Bai Li family has willingly become the first to step forward, choosing to stand against the Lady Murong family—other families in the city will likely follow suit soon."

"However, Hu Rui'an's group unexpectedly dealt a heavy blow to the Bai family, killing both Bai Xue and Bai Li Wei; it's likely the other families in the city will now hesitate."

The shadow in the darkness said nothing; after a while, it spoke:

"Bai Changfeng, having lost his beloved son, will surely urge other clans to act against the Lady Murong family in revenge—next, the Lady Murong family's situation will not improve."

"Moreover, Hu Rui'an's purpose in coming was to pursue Mei Yan and Zhu Ziming; if this matter is mishandled, it could even make more enemies of the Lady Murong family."

Hearing this, Lady Murong Feng slightly furrowed his brow, but soon he suddenly sneered and said:

"It doesn't matter. Soon, my Lady Murong family will swallow all the families in the state capital and become the one and only martial clan of Shengzhou—this is the tide of fate; even Mei Yan and Zhu Ziming cannot stop it!"

The shadow in the darkness let out a soft sigh and shook its head:

"This is not something you can decide on your own. Without your father's approval, all of this is merely fantasy."

At these words, the blood-red lanterns flickered, casting Lady Murong Feng's face a crimson hue as if painted with blood, his pupils glinting with crimson light under the glow.

After a moment, Lady Murong Feng suddenly spoke calmly:

"Uncle, don't worry—Father will agree."

Saying this, he bowed slightly, preparing to take his leave and turn away.

At that moment, the shadow behind the desk waved its hand casually; a crimson wooden box, wrapped in martial qi, flew to Lady Murong Feng's front:

"Feng'er, don't forget to take the Queyan Dan."

Lady Murong Feng hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the wooden box, tucking it into his sleeve.

Having done this, he turned and glanced back at the shadow behind him:

"Uncle, the Queyan Dan is enough for us to take—you needn't make little sister take it."

Hearing this, the shadow in the darkness fell silent for a while, then nodded, its voice hoarse:

"I promise you."

Upon hearing this, Lady Murong Feng turned back and walked out of the study, its entrance shrouded in black cloth, without looking back.

…

Shengzhou State Capital, Bai Family Mansion.

Inside the hall, where a map of mountains and rivers hung, and an octagonal table cast in bronze stood.

A middle-aged man in black robes sat at the head; on either side of the octagonal table sat an old man and a woman.

The middle-aged man was over fifty, his face like cast black iron, cheeks sunken, square jaw carved as if by axe and chisel, with neatly trimmed gray-white stubble, exuding an aura of authority.

The old man was about seventy, clad in a dark blue robe, a yellow-wood pipe tucked at his waist, snow-white hair combed neatly, wrinkles like the rings of an ancient pine.

The woman was of similar age to the middle-aged man, round-faced, cheeks flushed with brownish-red, creases at the corners of her eyes, earlobes slightly sagging, gray-white hair coiled into a bun, a peachwood hairpin slanted through it.

"Uncle Zhu Wu, Sister Cen Luohua, I've sent my son to guard the city gate—once the Lady Murong boy returns, we'll seize him at once, and use him as leverage against the old Lady Murong villain."

Bai Changfeng glanced at the two beside the table and spoke in a deep voice.

Hearing this, the seventy-year-old man and the round-faced woman exchanged a glance, both giving slight nods.

The old man Zhu Wu bowed to Bai Changfeng and smiled:

"Bai Family Lord, wise and decisive, setting an example by standing firm against the Lady Murong family's tyranny—truly a model for all our clans to follow."

The round-faced woman also gave a slight nod and said:

"After this matter, my Cen family will unquestionably follow the Bai family's lead, wholeheartedly eradicating the Lady Murong family's poison from Shengzhou and restoring peace to this land."

At this, Bai Changfeng slowly narrowed his eyes and waved his hand:

"Since you've come to my home, why be so formal? We all know each other's intentions—no need for flowery excuses."

Zhu Wu and the round-faced woman Cen Luohua both shifted expression slightly, and Bai Changfeng continued calmly:

"General Han has already spoken: the Bai family will take the lead in the charge. As for your Zhu and Cen clans, who have long been allied with us, I hereby promise—if you stand with the Bai family, when we divide the Lady Murong family's assets, your share will not be lacking."

At these words, Zhu Wu and Cen Luohua were instantly stirred; they were about to speak, when suddenly a soldier rushed in hurriedly.

"Lord! Disaster! The Second Young Master and his party are in trouble!"

The soldier's breath was ragged, his face solemn as he reported.

Hearing this, Bai Changfeng, seated at the head, immediately frowned; he scanned the soldier, a bad premonition rising in his chest, and demanded sharply:

"What happened?"

"The Second Young Master and Elder Bai Xue went to capture Lady Murong Feng, but along the way they were… "

The soldier lowered his head, then fearfully looked up at Bai Changfeng, as if afraid to continue.

Bai Changfeng leapt to his feet, eyes fixed on the soldier, releasing a terrifying martial aura that made the man tremble like a sieve:

"What happened to Li Wei? Keep talking!"

The soldier's throat tightened, but he forced himself to answer:

"The Second Young Master and the others were all killed—and… their bodies were hung on the city gate by the Lady Murong family as a warning!"

At these words, Bai Changfeng froze, his body swaying involuntarily.

Zhu Wu and the woman beside the octagonal table also paled, clearly stunned by the soldier's report.

They knew Bai Li Wei had led a thousand soldiers and a host of martial experts, clearly setting a well-prepared ambush.

Logically, even if they couldn't capture Lady Murong Feng, they shouldn't have been wiped out so quickly.

Thinking of this, both turned to look at Bai Changfeng; now, Bai Changfeng finally snapped back from the soldier's words.

In an instant, grief and rage surged through him, his entire being brimming with killing intent.

Bai Changfeng stared coldly at the soldier, making the man feel as if plunged into an icy tomb:

"Li Wei had Bai Xue protecting him—how did Lady Murong Feng kill them?"

Hearing this, the soldier dared not hide anything; he recounted everything he'd learned from the townsfolk.

"According to what we heard, it wasn't Lady Murong Feng who struck. The group had unknown origins, but seemed to be accompanying the Lady Murong family's youngest daughter—they harbored extremely powerful experts. After killing them… they likely headed to the Lady Murong Fu."

The soldier's voice trembled as he spoke; Bai Changfeng's face grew even darker.

(Chapter End)