"Xu Luo is back?" A crimson flame flickered in Wei Ziting's initially calm eyes. A grim, cold smile appeared on his lips as he said, "He actually has the nerve to return to the Imperial Capital? Does he think no one knows about his 'good deeds' in Hongcheng? Or does he believe his military achievements are enough to offset his crimes? Hmph. I won't even have to lift a finger this time. I'm sure his actions have crossed the line for far too many people. The ones who want him dead now are definitely not limited to just me!"
Li Tie mused, "But, Young Master Wei, we've never been able to see through this person. Judging by his past behavior, he's definitely not the type to act rashly without considering the consequences. For him to dare go on a killing spree in Hongcheng this time... could it be... that he's gotten his hands on something?"
"Gotten his hands on what? It's nothing more than some evidence of the Hongcheng Wei Family's crimes. But even if the Hongcheng Wei Family's sins were monstrous, he has no right to do what he did! Where does that place the Emperor? And where does that place the Empire's laws? In my opinion, his military achievements have gone to his head, making him think no one in this world can punish him anymore!" Wei Ziting said coldly. "This incident is a golden opportunity for us. We must seize it and cast him into an abyss from which he can never recover!"
Excitement appeared on Li Tie's slightly dark face. He nodded vigorously. "Rest assured, Young Master Wei. I will keep a close eye on him. I'll report to you immediately at the slightest sign of trouble!"
"Mm, you may go. Li Tie, I admit I haven't valued you enough in the past. Rest assured, as long as you follow me wholeheartedly, I will make sure to treat you well!" Wei Ziting said in a low voice.
A flicker of emotion showed in Li Tie's eyes. He nodded vigorously, then took his leave.
Alone in the room, Wei Ziting leaned back in his chair, lifted his teacup for a light sip, and then chuckled coldly. 'Xu Luo, I'll be right here watching to see how you'll get out of this one!'
...
In the Sixth Prince's residence, facing several of his trusted advisors, the Sixth Prince said, "Xu Luo is now a greater threat to us than his father, Xu Ji, and his brother, Xu Su. While our relationship with Xu Ji and Xu Su is mediocre, they are both loyal and staunch members of the Imperial Faction. They stand on my Imperial Father's side! That means no matter who Father chooses to take his place, there will be no problems from Xu Ji or Xu Su. But Xu Luo... he is different."
"Your Highness believes Xu Luo harbors disloyal intentions?" the gray-robed elder said with a frown.
The Sixth Prince shook his head slightly and turned his gaze to a man of about thirty-seven or thirty-eight sitting quietly to the side. The man's face was long and clean, but his eyes radiated a bloodthirsty light that made people afraid to meet his gaze.
"Yuan Jing, you ran into him at the city gate. What are your thoughts?" the Sixth Prince asked the man with a smile.
The man's voice was hoarse and low. "A young man who looks naive, but is very good at winning people over and building up his own reputation. Quite interesting."
"Oh? To receive high praise from you, Yuan Jing, it seems this Xu Luo is truly extraordinary." The Sixth Prince smiled. "And it's precisely for this reason that I'm so wary of him! Yuan Jing, you may have heard rumors, but you probably don't know the details. Ever since he failed at the Star Festival last year, this Xu Luo has been like a completely different person. He went from a ridiculed Noble Family Descendant to an absolutely outstanding talent in a very short time! This is especially true for the recent Southern campaignâhe almost single-handedly turned the tide!"
"I've heard about that," the cold man named Yuan Jing nodded. "I don't think it was luck. From what I've gathered, the man is highly intelligent and meticulous in his thinking. He's a formidable opponent. If he's on the opposing side, then... it would be best to eliminate him early."
"'Eliminate him?'" the Sixth Prince muttered, his eyes flickering. He hesitated for a long moment before slowly shaking his head. "No. At least, not now!"
Yuan Jing's face showed no disappointment. He simply nodded in acknowledgment.
"However, we can make some trouble for him, to prevent him from so easily gaining more influence at court," the Sixth Prince said, letting out a soft breath.
In fact, he had done just that today. Although Xu Luo had never intentionally done anything against him, deep down, the Sixth Prince just couldn't stand the sight of him. It was as if he felt that if he allowed Xu Luo to continue developing, he would one day become a huge threat!
The gray-robed elder, one of the Sixth Prince's trusted advisors, seemed to have a different opinion. However, seeing the Prince's resolute attitude, the elder sighed to himself and said no more.
...
ăIn Fengyue Building.ă
Crystal's expression was grim. She stared at the letter in her hand in disbelief and cried out, "How could this be? How could the Sect Leader have recovered? Who helped her?"
"The biggest speculation within the sect is that it was Martial Uncle Qiushuiduan." A pretty young woman stood before Crystal and said with a frown, "But on the day the Sect Leader recovered, Martial Uncle Qiushuiduan didn't meet with her. Xu Luo, on the other hand, seems to have been brought into the Sect Leader's room by Phoenix. Could it have been him?"
"Impossible!" Crystal shook her head firmly, a flash of disdain in her eyes. "Xu Luo does have some skill, but that's all thanks to the medicine his mother, Luo Xinlan, begged for from the sect. Luo Xinlan was likely a disciple of that sect in the South Sea. While that sect isn't weak, it doesn't have a deeper foundation than our Merak. Besides, even if she had powerful elixirs, she wouldn't give them to a secular person like Xu Luo. Luo Xinlan... doesn't have that much influence!"
"Regardless, we need to keep a low profile for a while. This is also Master's instruction," the pretty young woman said, her eyes filled with unwillingness.
"I know. The Sect Leader has recovered and broken through to that realm, reaching the same level as the Supreme Elder. And the Supreme Elder has long since passed the peak of his vitality and is now in decline." Crystal said softly, then added, "If the Supreme Elder can't break through again, then we'll have to put in a lot more effort to suppress the Sect Leader's faction."
"Yes. I heard the Sect Leader thinks highly of Xu Luo, so Master sent me to remind you not to move against him again. Otherwise, on Master's end..."
"Alright, I know. You can go and rest now," Crystal said, waving her hand impatiently.
The pretty young woman nodded and took her leave.
Crystal was left alone in the room. A cold smile appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face. 'The Sect Leader thinks highly of him? Hmph, I'd say it's Phoenix who thinks highly of him! My original guess was right. Phoenix, you're just like Luo Xinlan back then, falling for some secular brat. The one you like... is the one I'm determined to destroy!'
As she thought this, a cold light flashed in her eyes, and a sneer formed on her lips.
...
"The Young Master is back!"
"The Second Young Master is back!"
"The Second Young Master is finally back!"
When Xu Luo appeared on Vermilion Bird Avenue and returned to the National Guardian General's Mansion, the entire estate erupted in excitement.
The servants, who had been listless, were all incredibly excited to see Xu Luo.
This Second Young Master, who had once brought shame upon the Xu Family, was now the entire family's greatest pride. In the days since Lianyi left and Xu Luo had yet to return, the servants of the Xu Family had been desperately hoping for the Second Young Master's early return.
In the past... that would have been completely unthinkable.
As Xu Luo looked at the large crowd of servants before him, who stared at him with excitementâfirst flinching in fear at the sight of Xiaohai before growing even more thrilledâa sudden bad feeling welled up inside him.
"Where's my sister?" Xu Luo asked the crowd, getting straight to the point.
"Well... Second Young Master, you must be tired from your long journey. This old servant will first have someone prepare a bath for you. How about you get some proper rest?"
The one who spoke was a steward of the National Revitalization General, a very senior figure who had been with the Xu Family for decades.
"Where is my sister?" Xu Luo asked again.
A helpless look appeared on the old steward's face. He said softly, "Well... the Commandery Princess... she... she isn't at the mansion right now."
"Where did she go?" Xu Luo's expression seemed calm and his voice wasn't loud, but everyone's hearts tightened with tension.
They felt an invisible aura emanating from their Second Young Master, giving them the strange illusion that the one standing before them was the Old Master!
"Sigh... This is a letter the Commandery Princess left before she departed. The Second Young Master will understand after reading it." The old steward placed a letter in Xu Luo's hand and then respectfully stepped back.
And so, right there at the main gate of his own home, still seated on Xiaohai, Xu Luo opened the letter Lianyi had left for him.
After reading only a few lines, Xu Luo looked up at the old steward and asked, "This... happened a long time ago?"
"Yes, it's been several months..." The old steward lowered his head, looking a little guilty. "The Commandery Princess specifically instructed us not to inform you, for fear of distracting you..."
'Sigh... my foolish sister!' A pang of anguish shot through Xu Luo's heart. He pressed his lips together tightly and muttered in dismay, "Sects... it's sects again! I just never expected Sister Lianyi's identity would actually be..."
Xu Luo, who had been returning home in high spirits, could never have imagined that Lianyi, the person he most wanted to see, was gone.
This was something he had never considered.
Growing up, Xu Luo had become completely accustomed to having Lianyi around whenever he came home. Now, his mother had returned to her sect to serve for five years for his sakeâand only one year had passed. His father and older brother were both with the Northern Army. The entire Xu Family... aside from the newly returned Xu Luo, felt completely empty!
For the first time in his life, Xu Luo lost that strong sense of belonging he felt for his home.
He lifted his head and sighed at the sky. Suddenly, his voice boomed, his face filled with rage. "What? Before my sister disappeared... someone from the Wei Family was tailing her?"