Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Li Family, Annihilated!

If it hadn’t been for Lie Ruge this time, Old Man Ling would surely have come out to shield Lu Han from that fatal strike. In his current condition, Old Man Ling’s soul would likely have been extinguished had he borne it. Once a teacher, a father for life. Old Man Ling had taught Lu Han everything he knew, saving him from peril on more than one occasion. Though Old Man Ling might have been powerful once, now he was but a soul—ever since he’d forcefully intervened to slay the formidable Xuan Lord Zhang Yuanqin, his soul had dimmed greatly.

Lu Han had asked before if there might be any way to help him, but the old man only shook his head, saying the means to restore him existed only in the place he once called home. Old Man Ling needed methods to cultivate the soul, to strengthen it and restore what was lost. Such arts, it was said, dated back to ancient times, and even in the near-ancient days were already rare. The last technique—“The Ten Absolute Nether Crow Finger”—was soul-related, but in the end, it was only a martial skill and could not do much for him.

From the old man’s tone, it was clear that in his homeland, he had been a formidable figure, yet even he possessed no such soul-cultivating arts—they must be truly precious indeed.

“This is the last time. From now on, I’ll stand in front of you,” Lu Han murmured.

“Is that true?”

“Of course it is…” Lu Han replied instinctively, then realized something was amiss.

“You’re awake?” Lu Han stared in astonishment at Lie Ruge, who was half-sitting up.

“Yes, I woke up before you came in. Otherwise, how could I have known how worried you were about me?” Lie Ruge giggled.

Though her face was still pale, her smile was as transient and beautiful as the ephemeral blossom. Lu Han found himself entranced.

“Lu Han? Brother Lu Han?” Lie Ruge called, noticing how he stared motionlessly at her. Her pale cheeks flushed, and she waved a small hand before his eyes.

“Haha… Boy, didn’t I warn you earlier? I said she might already be awake. See? Was I wrong?” Old Man Ling’s mocking voice sounded in Lu Han’s mind, making his expression a little awkward.

Even Lu Han couldn’t help but blush.

“So you pretended to be unconscious to trick me? Made me worry for nothing. Looks like I can’t give you this hairpin after all.”

Lu Han drew a hairpin from his breast with a neutral expression. It was of moderate size, slender, set with a white jade magnolia. The core was a lustrous, translucent bead—smooth as congealed fat, fashioned from blood-red mutton-fat jade, exquisitely crafted.

Lie Ruge had long said she wanted a hairpin, and Lu Han had promised to give her one once he broke through to the sixth heaven of the postnatal realm. He’d found this one in the market at Bluestone Town and bought it, thinking it quite fine.

“Huh? Give it to me!” Lie Ruge immediately reached out to snatch it.

“Ah, and who was it just now that tricked me?” Lu Han quickly withdrew the hairpin.

“Brother Lu Han, I just wanted to see if you really cared about me…” Lie Ruge pouted, on the verge of tears.

Seeing tears brimming in her eyes, Lu Han hastened to say, “It was always meant for you…”

He hadn’t finished speaking before Lie Ruge deftly snatched the hairpin from his hand.

“Uh…” Lu Han realized he’d been outwitted again. Lie Ruge clutched the hairpin tightly, as if afraid he’d change his mind. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

“Brother Lu Han, these past three months, my father was in a coma, and then you fell off a cliff. If it hadn’t been for me telling you about my father, you wouldn’t have… Thank goodness you came back. Otherwise, I wouldn’t know what to do.” Lie Ruge buried her head in Lu Han’s chest.

Last time, after curing Liexiong’s poison, Lu Han had left in a hurry. Lie Ruge had had so many things she wanted to say, but at that time, he simply couldn’t stay longer.

Lu Han was at a loss from her embrace and could only pat her delicate shoulder, saying, “It’s all right now. Everything’s over.”

Inside the ring, Old Man Ling sensed the atmosphere and muttered to himself, “To think this brat won the favor of that girl. She’s bound for greatness—her future will be terrifying indeed! How does this kid have such luck? He’s not half as dashing as I was in my youth…”

…

Night was falling.

A dark, windy night, perfect for murder.

Under Uncle Fu’s lead, a dozen people hurried toward the Li family residence.

“Elders of the Lie family, we’ll need your help with the Li family’s innate elders,” Uncle Fu said, bowing to the two old men beside him.

“Our old master told us to follow your orders,” one of them replied.

These dozen included the Lu family’s guards and two elders from the Lie family.

Inside the Li family residence—

“Third brother, take your family and leave. I’ll hold them off.”

“Second brother, I’m not going. If the family is gone, where would I go?”

“Second Elder, Third Elder, the Lu family guards are here!” someone cried out in terror.

“Trying to flee? Can you escape?”

Uncle Fu vaulted over the wall and landed before the Li family.

“Elders, these two are yours,” Uncle Fu said, pointing to the Li family’s Second and Third Elders.

“Lu family guards—you are the sword and dagger of the Lu family. Tonight, let us be the villains. The Li family—destroy them!”

Tonight, Maple Leaf City would know no peace.

By dawn, the plaque of the Li residence had been removed. The scent of blood filled the compound, and passersby hurried by, covering their noses.

“The Li family was wiped out overnight!”

“One of the three great families of Maple Leaf City, reduced to ruins in a single night.”

The city buzzed with gossip.

“Make way, make way!” Two attendants from the Treasure Pavilion arrived at the city gates with a proclamation, which they posted before leaving.

“The Lu family is now the City Lord?”

“Since when does the Treasure Pavilion wield such authority?”

“Fool, look at the bottom!” One passerby smacked another on the head.

“Decreed by the princess? That… Could it be a forgery?” the other muttered.

“Forgery? Would anyone dare impersonate a princess of the Grand Summer Empire? Besides, there’s the imperial seal.”

…

At the City Lord’s Mansion—

After the City Lord Wen Hao’s death the previous day, the city guards had scattered, though some returned to the mansion. An old woman stood before them.

“You are soldiers of the Grand Summer Empire. Yesterday, each served his own master—there’s no point in speaking further of it. This is the princess’s letter. When the Lu family arrives, give it to them. They won’t make things difficult for you.”

With that, she departed.

Some city guards slumped to the ground.

“Her aura is stronger than the previous City Lord’s—I could barely breathe.”

“Anyone accompanying the princess wouldn’t be ordinary.”

Outside the city—

“Princess, it’s done,” the old woman reported.

The princess, still dressed in purple and veiled, nodded. “Good. Let’s return. My father sent me to investigate the strange phenomena from a few months ago, but there are no leads. We should head back to the capital.”

“But this trip yielded greater gains. Even if that man chooses not to support my second brother, he’ll still owe me a favor—and his favor is no small thing.” The princess murmured to herself.

“Qian Santong, maintain a good relationship with the Lu family in the future. You may return now.”

Though no one was visible, there was a swish, as if someone had departed.

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