When they received the message from the Bai and Zhao families, asking them to meet at Shi Yan Zhai, they understood that the two families had decided to compromise with the Yan family.

Otherwise, why would the meeting be held at Shi Yan Zhai instead of Jin Hong Tower?

That was Yan family’s territory. Holding a meeting there was equivalent to making everything transparent to the Yan family.

Since the two families had made their decision, they had no choice but to accept this fate.

Otherwise, the fate of the Xue family today could very well be theirs tomorrow.

Carriages after carriages stopped at the entrance of Shi Yan Zhai. Those who got off were all prominent figures in Changting Town, most of whom were visiting Shi Yan Zhai for the first time.

The patriarch of the Ma family, dragging his weary body, walked into Shi Yan Zhai. He hadn’t rested all night. After learning about the fate of the Xue family, he had spent the night in fear, finally making it to dawn.

He was also weighing the pros and cons. If they really sided with the Yan family, would it really lead to better development in the future?

If they didn’t side with the Yan family, how could they protect their own interests?

By dawn, he still hadn’t figured out any solutions.

As soon as he entered Shi Yan Zhai, he saw that the entire first floor was almost full of people.

“Business is booming?” Ma Chen looked around. Several people were sitting together, chatting, with a pot of tea and many small snacks on the table. They all had smiles on their faces.

There were many familiar faces, all nobles from Changting Town.

He often dealt with them on a regular basis.

Upon closer inspection, he saw a familiar face at a single table.

Sun Yue Ru from the Sun family.

She was the only female family head in Changting Town. At the moment, she was drinking tea, staring intently at the storyteller on the stage. Her eyes were red, as if she had just cried.

Could it be that she was upset about the Sun family being annexed and couldn’t accept it, so she cried all night?

“Yue Ru, why are you still here? Didn’t you say you had matters to discuss?” Ma Chen walked up and asked curiously.

“People haven’t arrived yet, so I’m listening to the storytelling downstairs.” Sun Yue Ru wiped her eyes and said, “The stories here are so good, all of which I’ve never heard before. Come on, listen with me!”

“Is it really that good?” Ma Chen looked at the storyteller on the stage in surprise. He had heard that Shi Yan Zhai had people telling all kinds of new stories, but he didn’t care much. They were just stories, and there was nothing new about them.

But if it could move Sun Yue Ru so much, it might be interesting.

With curiosity, Ma Chen sat down. The storyteller on the stage was holding a wooden gavel, vividly telling a story. Everyone was listening attentively, like students in a school.

“It’s really good.” Sun Yue Ru said, “Today’s story is called ‘Yang Guifei Warms the Wine and Beheads Hua Xiong’. It’s simply wonderful.”

“Oh?”

Ma Chen sat down curiously.

Yang Guifei?

Was it a story about the royal family? But which country’s royal family was it?

“Yang Guifei was a concubine of an emperor in a dynasty.” Sun Yue Ru began to tell the story with tears in her eyes.

“In the story, there is a very perverted man named Cao Cao.”

“This Cao Cao is the emperor of this dynasty, but he has a strange hobby, he only likes married women.”

Hearing this, Ma Chen was speechless. How was this perverted?

His experience was really limited.

Unaware of Ma Chen’s change in expression, Sun Yue Ru continued to tell the story vividly.

“He fell in love with Yang Guifei, or Yang Yuhuan, and eventually married her as his concubine. But to satisfy his fetish, he actually let Yang Yuhuan marry a general who guarded the pass, Hua Xiong. Yang Yuhuan, being in the royal family, had no choice but to be forced to marry Hua Xiong.”

“Yang Yuhuan cried all day, but Hua Xiong was a gentle and good man. He stayed by Yang Yuhuan’s side and never touched her. One day, Yang Yuhuan felt Hua Xiong’s love for her, and they fell in love with each other. She even gave birth to a son for Hua Xiong, named Hua Tuo.”

“A few years later, Cao Cao felt that the time was right and actually asked Yang Yuhuan to return to his side. Yang Yuhuan refused, insisting on staying with General Hua Xiong till death. After years of being together, Yang Yuhuan had fallen deeply in love with Hua Xiong and had forgotten her feelings for Cao Cao.”

“But who knew that the ruthless Cao Cao would actually threaten with the lives of the people.”

“He brought a royal expert with him, whose cultivation had reached the realm of a land immortal. Cao Cao actually asked Yang Yuhuan to behead Hua Xiong herself, otherwise, the expert would cause a tsunami and flood Chen Tang Pass, burying thousands of people.”

Ma Chen was also stunned by the story. It was quite exciting.

Sun Yue Ru was already in tears.

“General Hua Xiong, for the sake of the people, smiled and let Yang Yuhuan kill him. He even said a sentence, ‘Who in life since ancient times does not die? Leave a loyal heart to illuminate Chen Tang!’”

“Yang Yuhuan was devastated, but she couldn’t do it. Cao Cao prepared a cup of hot wine and told Yang Yuhuan that if the wine cooled, the people of Chen Tang Pass would die!””In the end, Yang Yuhuan had to tearfully kill Hua Xiong for the sake of the people, wuu wuu wuu…”

Sun Yue had already turned into a tearful mess.

“Hua Xiong was indeed a great man!” Ma Chen also sighed lightly, “Who in this world has not faced death? To leave behind a loyal heart to illuminate the old pond, well said!”

At this point, the story had also come to an end.

With a clap of the wooden gavel, the storyteller laughed and said, “If you want to know what happens next, please listen to the next episode.”

“Please come early tomorrow, the story will be even more exciting.”

“Sir, did Yang Yuhuan just go back with Cao Cao like this?”

“Didn’t they say that Yang Yuhuan and Hua Xiong had a son? What happened in the end?” The crowd couldn’t help but ask curiously.

The storyteller smiled slightly, then said, “Since you all want to know, it’s no harm to reveal a little.”

“Tomorrow’s story is about the son of Hua Xiong and Yang Yuhuan, named Hua Tuo. He changed his name to Hua Yingxiong in memory of his father. He practiced divine skills, held the Divine Weapon Red Sword, and returned in anger to avenge his father. He was determined to kill all the people with the surname Cao, and the story of his accidental battle with Cao Guojiu in the Valley of Termination.”

“Alright, it’s time to go up.” Ma Chen saw that the story was over, although he was still unsatisfied, but he had to attend to his business.

So he and Sun Yue went to the second floor.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

At noon, the heads of many families came to the Yan family to show their loyalty, and agreed to join the alliance, bringing their savings with them.

Yan Botao had also discussed with Li Changqing. Li Changqing didn’t need to spend money, but he also held 30% of the shares in Changqing Trading Company.

The Yan family also held 30%.

The remaining 40% was distributed to them.

Li Changqing agreed to this, because in Li Changqing’s view, Changqing Trading Company would definitely make money. This 30% of the shares would earn much more than the 50-50 split with the Yan family before.

At the same time, Yan Botao also went to Zhanhe Residence, bringing the head of Ma Sandao.

In a blink of an eye, half a month had passed.

Dao Mountain Ancient Land.

Li Hengsheng finally came out of seclusion.

At this time, Li Hengsheng had truly reached the ninth level of the Transcendence Realm.

The Sun-Moon Immortal-Demon Divine Body had also cultivated the third bloodline.

At this moment, Li Hengsheng’s vitality had reached its peak, his strength had increased by a large margin. If he were to face the Iron-faced Man now, Li Hengsheng was confident that he could kill him with just the fourth spear.

However, thinking of the second guardian, the scholar, Li Hengsheng still felt that he had no confidence at all.

“Young Master, you’re out of seclusion.” Seeing Li Hengsheng come out, Xu Kui came up and reported the recent events to Li Hengsheng.

“Your second senior sister came to find you. But knowing that you were in seclusion, she went back.”

“But she sent a few spirit chickens, saying that after you come out of seclusion, let the kitchen stew them for you to eat.”

“She also said to look for her after you come out of seclusion.”

“Also, there’s a letter from your home.”

Xu Kui told him everything, Li Hengsheng didn’t expect Yang Tiantian to really come to deliver the chickens, he originally thought it was just a polite gesture.

Li Hengsheng didn’t know what Yang Tiantian wanted to find him for, but he didn’t go to Bailinfeng, because what he was more eager to do now was to read the letter.

He didn’t know what the result would be after testing his father in the previous letter.

In the small building of Qingyu Mountain, Li Hengsheng had been sitting here for a pot of tea’s time. The letter was lying quietly on the table in front of him. Li Hengsheng had been pondering for a long time, but he still hadn’t opened it.

It was as if there was something terrifying in the letter.

Li Hengsheng’s mood was a bit complicated, he didn’t know how to face this letter.

Or to say, he was a bit scared.

Once this letter was opened, some things might not be able to go back to the way they were.

What if Li Changqing was really possessed by someone?

Having never experienced motherly love and never seen his mother since he was a child, Li Hengsheng was very envious of other children at that time.

He didn’t want to lose his father now, even if his father was very out of tune in the past, but this didn’t stop Li Hengsheng’s dependence on his father.

If this last bit of dependence was gone, then he would really have no relatives in this world, truly alone, without even a person to miss.

After a long while, Li Hengsheng finally opened the letter.

The hand that held the Chasing Immortal Spear had never trembled, but the hand that held the letter was trembling. He read it word by word.

Fried shrimp? Are you confused, kid? Can you eat shrimp? Or are you no longer resistant to shrimp and crab as you grow older?

Your dad still remembers that you almost lost your life when you ate shrimp when you were little, so your dad never made shrimp for you to eat again.

And when you were four years old, your mother had already…

Forget it.

Some things are better left in the past. Your dad knows you miss your mom. You’ve never seen your mom, you envy other kids who have moms to love them, your dad understands you, but some things, not telling you, is for your own good.

You may not understand now, but one day, you will understand what your dad means.

Let’s look forward, you and me, father and son. As long as you’re well, that’s better than anything else for your dad.”Focus on your cultivation, don’t stress too much. Remember, your father is always there to back you up.

If you ever feel tired, just come home. You’ll have three meals a day and a peaceful sleep.

Keep going.

You are your father’s pride.”

Upon reading the end, Li Hengsheng leaned back in his chair, letting out a sigh of relief.

He started to smile, but also felt an urge to cry.

This man was indeed his father.

He remembered that he didn’t eat shrimp. Perhaps he didn’t notice it when he was writing the letter before. He was really sensitive.

Although Li Changqing didn’t mention his mother, Li Hengsheng didn’t think there was a problem. Li Changqing had always avoided this topic since he was a child.

Li Hengsheng believed that one day Li Changqing would tell him the truth. But he was too weak now, not worthy of knowing.

After resting for a while, Li Hengsheng went out to find Yang Tiantian.

Yang Tiantian obviously had something to discuss with him. For this inexplicable second senior sister, Li Hengsheng always felt a bit unclear.

Once again, he arrived at the Hundred Spirit Peak. The peak during the day was different from the night, the whole mountain was filled with a lively atmosphere, and the wind blowing from the mountain carried the scent of herbs.

“Little junior brother is here.” Seeing Li Hengsheng, Yang Tiantian was clearly very happy, and then had some strange fruits brought over.

“These are all picked by me when I was out. You can’t normally buy them. Try some.” Yang Tiantian said enthusiastically.

“Is this the Wine Immortal Fruit?” Li Hengsheng picked up a purple fruit and couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes, little junior brother knows quite a lot.” Yang Tiantian smiled, “I found it in a rift in Xuzhou. The taste is good, so I picked a lot.”

“But I heard that the Wine Immortal Fruit is guarded by Spirit Beasts.”

“Oh, you mean that monkey? It was a bit troublesome, but I killed two, and the rest ran away.” Yang Tiantian said casually, as if it was just a trivial matter.

“You killed two…”

Li Hengsheng chuckled.

He remembered the records in the books. The Wine Immortal Fruit was often accompanied by the Spirit Beast Iron Bone Monkey. The adult monkeys were incredibly strong, immune to weapons, and comparable to the Prenatal Realm.

His second senior sister was truly terrifying.

However, after eating one, the fruit contained a rich wine aroma, accompanied by a sour and sweet taste, it was really good.

“By the way, I heard Uncle Xu say that second senior sister was looking for me. What’s the matter?” Li Hengsheng asked.

“Of course there is something. You must have forgotten. You have been a direct disciple for almost two months. Direct disciples need to complete a sect task every month, but you haven’t done it. If you don’t do it for three months, you will be punished.” Yang Tiantian explained.

“Ah, right!” Li Hengsheng suddenly remembered. Zhou Jun had told him about this before.

“I forgot.” Li Hengsheng was so focused on his cultivation that he completely forgot about this.

“Master wants me to accompany you to complete the task.” Yang Tiantian said, “The tasks for direct disciples are generally difficult. After all, you are only in the Transcendence Realm, and there are almost no tasks prepared for your realm. If no one accompanies you, Master is afraid you won’t be able to handle it.”

Some people die, but they are not completely dead…