Longevity: Starting From Getting Down The Mountain And Marrying A Wife

"The master has returned!"

"Master!"

"Husband!"

The Zhong family members rushed forward, overwhelmed with joy and tears.

Xia He even directly threw herself into Zhong Yan's arms, saying, "I thought you had abandoned us and didn't care anymore!"

She was being straightforward.

Zhong Yan smiled and helped her stand straight, gently patting her cheek. "Is this how I am in your heart?"

Xia He sniffed and smiled mischievously, her eyes cunning. "No! I was just worried and overthinking. Husband, I punish myself for making you angry!"

She deliberately emphasized the word "punish," causing the other concubines to smile and cry at the same time.

Zhong Yan asked, "If I really left, what would you all do?"

Everyone looked at each other.

Xia He smiled and said, "We wouldn't!"

Zhong Yan looked around and gave each concubine a reassuring look, then walked towards Jiang Ping, who was being supported by Xiao Huan. He held her hand and touched her belly.

"How is everything?"

Jiang Ping softly smiled and said, "Husband, you've worked hard. Everything is fine at home. General Hou and many soldiers have been outside and haven't left."

Xia He immediately stepped forward and complained, "Husband! Our restaurant was vandalized. It must be the Xue family's doing!"

"We'll talk about it after we settle this matter."

After entering the hall, Zhong Yan stayed with his wives and children for a while, then asked them to leave, leaving only Jiang Ping to discuss the details of the family's recent situation.

In the end, the image of Song Yunfei appeared in his mind. He looked at his wife in his arms and couldn't help but ask, "What does Ping'er think?"

Jiang Ping blinked and asked, "What do you mean, husband?"

"If I don't take care of all of you."

Jiang Ping was taken aback.

The two locked eyes and saw each other's faces. After a moment, Jiang Ping had an answer in her heart. At certain moments, her husband would really abandon his family.

After a moment of silence, she lowered her head and leaned her cheek against Zhong Yan's chest, whispering softly, "Ping'er understands, Ping'er has no regrets, and will be prepared."

After a pause, she looked up and smiled, saying, "Ping'er believes that there won't be such a time."

She had thought about it at home these days. With such a big trouble now, it was obvious that her husband wanted to protect his third sister.

If that was the case, how could she give up easily?

Zhong Yan sighed and rubbed her shoulder.

Not long after, Zhong Yan went to the study and said to Li Shangwen, who followed him in, "You should go home first, so that your mother and older brother won't worry."

"Yes, uncle!"

Zhong Yan frowned and pondered, going over the events related to Xu Ding'an in his mind.

If we only consider the situation described by Li Henian, all possible gaps have been filled.

"The problem lies with Xu Ding'an himself? He leaked the information to the sect in advance..."

Zhong Yan shook his head secretly. With these words, the matter would not have been delayed for so long, and it would have caused a huge uproar at the time.

And if there were any accidents during the transmission of the message, it would be too coincidental, which is unlikely.

Fortunately.

He had not directly encountered Xu Ding'an and the girl with the spiritual root. Li Henian had gone to explore Mount Mangdang, and his life or death was unknown.

Even if Song Yunfei traced all the way to Qingyang City, it would be difficult to implicate him.

"I wonder where it is hidden..."

He lent Li Henian a hundred spiritual stones, and with the resources Li Henian left behind, they should be able to hold on for a while.

But he was afraid that if it took too long and they ran out of resources, it would be difficult to cultivate in the city, and the girl with the spiritual root would not be able to endure and would run out on her own.

There were many unfamiliar cultivators in the city, which would easily attract attention.

"And what about the Forget-Worry Water? Is it reliable or not?"

Zhong Yan frowned and whispered.

At this moment, Zhong Xiaozhong walked in, bowed, and took out a letter from his pocket and handed it over. "Master, this is what I received the other day."

"After you left, Xue Shanhuthe summoned the martial alliance experts to the mansion several times, and the major martial arts halls in the city have also been acting unusually... Xue Shanhuthe has also been to the city lord's mansion twice, and each time Zhang Shun personally sent him out of the city lord's mansion."

After reading the contents of the letter, Zhong Yan burned the paper in his palm with a burst of fire. "It's normal. I know I should go and ask for reinforcements."

Zhong Xiaozhong said, "I took the liberty to inquire about the news from Li Ming. It seems that the Cao Yun Gang and the Ten Thousand People Hall do not intend to get involved in this matter. They are just waiting to watch the show."

Zhong Yan looked at him in surprise and smiled, "The Cao Yun Gang, the Ten Thousand People Hall, in their eyes, this matter is just a farce. To put it bluntly, it is a power struggle between the Zhong and Xue families. No matter the outcome, they won't gain any benefits. The interests related to the martial alliance, the city lord's mansion will not be able to share with them, and it is more likely that I will take the initiative to back down, so there is no need for them to get involved."

Zhong Xiaozhong lowered his head, puzzled as to why the master still wanted to give such generous gifts to the Cao Yun Gang and the Ten Thousand People Hall.

Zhong Yan stood up, spread out a piece of paper, picked up a brush, and wrote the four characters "Only for Immortality" four times. He then threw it aside.

Then, he took out a blank scroll from his storage bag, wrote it again, nodded in satisfaction, and said, "A backup gift, send it to the city lord's mansion later."

"Yes..." Zhong Xiaozhong raised his head and hesitated before asking, "Master, why don't you go there in person?"

"It's not time yet."

After dinner.

Zhong Yan went to the cultivation room, hung the scroll with the words "Only for Immortality" on the wall, and then stuck an "Invisibility Talisman" on himself. He left the courtyard and walked in front of many soldiers.

******

Zhong Yan returned from the market, swaggering into the city, naturally attracting the attention of those who were interested.

Xue Mansion.

All the important figures of the Xue family gathered together.

Madam Guo Qingxue, steward Guo Qinglin, adopted son Xue Hongyi, concubine Zhang Hongmei, plus two proud disciples.

Except for Guo Qinglin, who was a sickly child and had never practiced martial arts, the rest of them had reached the Innate Realm in martial arts.

Therefore, even if it was just the main branch of the Xue family, they had many powerful experts, and it would be no problem for them to surround and kill a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

Xue Shanhuthe waved his hand to send away the disciple who reported the news, frowned, and asked, "What do you all think?"

Everyone remained silent, obviously knowing that the master was seeking revenge for his only deceased son, but they were not entirely in agreement.

Xue Shanhuthe snorted coldly, "But Zhong Yan is right about one thing. If this matter is not resolved, how can I, Xue Shanhuthe, continue to stay in Qingyang City? I would have no face to sit in the position of the martial alliance leader!"

Madam Guo Qingxue was dressed in a gorgeous palace dress. Although she was already over forty years old, her figure was well-proportioned and she still had a beautiful appearance. The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes showed a hint of fierceness.

She stood up and said, "Husband, the logic is this logic. If Zhong Yan compromises and hands over the person, then this matter will be settled. But look at his attitude. He has been to the market for many days and has returned. There is no sign of retreat."

"As for the lack of companions returning together, you are not unaware of the methods of cultivators. We have no way of knowing when they entered the city. It becomes even more suspicious!"

Xue Shanhua didn't care, "Those cultivators are all cautious. If there is no great benefit, why would they get involved in muddy waters? Am I Xue Shanhua a street thug or a petty thief? What powerful help can I get by inviting someone at the fourth level of Qi Refining?"

Guo Qingxue was angry but suppressed it and wanted to speak again.

Guo Qinglin coughed and then covered his mouth with a handkerchief, coughing for a while before saying, "What the master said is correct. Cultivators are always afraid of trouble. The guest officials in the city have already shown their faces to give Zhong Yan face. They have settled in Qingyang for a long time. Unless Zhong Yan promises great benefits, they will not easily get involved."

"Although Zhong Yan is a talisman master, he is only at the first level and has not been in Qingyang for long. The only ones willing to help are probably the Li family and the Bai family, who have better relationships. Bai Siyuan has not returned, probably avoiding trouble. There is nothing to fear."

Guo Qingxue said, "Who doesn't have close friends? There must be a reason for Zhong Yan to go to the market. Husband, you have killed two cultivators before and know the pros and cons. It won't be smooth every time, but it will completely eliminate future troubles!"

Xue Shanhua snorted, "If I can kill two, I can kill a third!"

"What about the City Lord's Mansion?"

Guo Qingxue asked in return, seriously saying, "Husband, have you ever thought about why Qin Ben would come forward to protect a cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Refining? Why would he be willing to wait for Zhong Yan for so long, dragging it on? This is not just Zhong Yan's matter! Our actions over the years have already caused Qin Ben's dissatisfaction. If he takes the opportunity to attack us and the old folks in the Martial Alliance interfere, the loss of interests is small, but the position of the Xue Mansion in Qingyang will plummet!"

Xue Shanhua frowned. He also knew the importance of the matter, but whenever he met his wife's gaze, he thought that after this matter was resolved, she had never spoken on his side. In the end, Xue Peng was not her own flesh and blood.

He looked at the others, "What do you think?"

Xue Hongyi hesitated and clasped his fists, "Father, this matter needs to be handled with caution. We are not afraid of a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator, but there are more than one or two people in the Martial Alliance who want to take your position. If they secretly collude with the City Lord's Mansion, it may cause a major upheaval."

There was a moment of silence.

Another disciple looked around and stepped forward, saying, "Disciple thinks that the situation may not develop to that point. If you don't pursue it too much, those two concubines, Zhong Yan should be willing to hand them over."

Guo Qingxue glanced at him and said, "If he wanted to hand them over, he would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?"

The concubine Zhang Hongmei's eyes turned and she stepped forward, saying, "Sister is right. Zhong Yan's attitude is clear. He doesn't want to lose face. Whether it's him going to the market or Qin Ben's ambiguous attitude, there must be something fishy going on. But... in my opinion, it's better to sit down and talk before making a decision. Before that, let's prepare for war."

Guo Qinglin nodded, "Third Madam's words make sense. If Zhong Yan's attitude is strong, it will also be a blow to Qin Ben's face. Compared to that, Qin Ben won't go to war just to favor him."

Xue Shanhua asked, "How do we prepare?"

Xue Hongyi said, "Father, everything is arranged properly at the martial arts hall. The undercover agents have also been deployed. The Zhong Mansion, the City Lord's Mansion, and the various guest officials' residences are currently normal."

"I'm tired. I'll go back and rest first."

Guo Qingxue slightly bowed and turned to leave, calling out, "Hongyi!"

Xue Hongyi looked at Xue Shanhua.

Xue Shanhua waved his hand, "That's enough for now!"

He then called one of the disciples over and whispered to him.

Guo Qinglin's eyelids twitched as he looked at the departing couple, cursing in his heart, 'Such shameless couple!' At such a critical moment, they still think about those dirty affairs.

He really wanted to spit a mouthful of blood on his sister's face!

******

City Lord's Mansion.

After listening to Zhang Shun's report, Qin Ben couldn't help but frown.

Zhong Yan actually came back alone, and in the market, he ate, drank, gambled, and bought supplies, looking like he wanted to run away.

And the many guest officials in the city have shown no unusual behavior during this time, adopting an attitude of not getting involved.

Zhang Shun said, "No matter what he's up to, since he has returned to the city, this matter is not over. The City Lord needs to make a decision as soon as possible. If he doesn't resolve the Xue Mansion, we are not convenient to take action. If it continues to drag on, Xue Shanhua's face won't be easy to save. It's not yet time to tear our faces!"

At this moment, a soldier hurriedly entered, "Reporting to the Lord of the City, General Liu has urgent matters to discuss!"

Qin Ben waved his hand, "We will discuss it tomorrow."

"Yes!"

"Just a moment!"

Zhang Shun stopped him and looked at Qin Ben, saying, "It's late, there might be urgent matters. It wouldn't hurt to see him."

Not long after.

Two generals in armor entered the main hall and saluted together.

"Lord of the City, today when I returned to the city in the Maple Tree Forest, I encountered a group of bandits who killed Zhong Yan..."

After listening to the detailed account, Qin Ben narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure he was a Foundation Building cultivator?!"

"That person didn't use any Law Weapons and stood directly in mid-air. He must be a Foundation Building cultivator without a doubt. We examined the bodies afterwards, and dozens of people were killed with just one move. It must have been him alone."

Qin Ben waved his hand to dismiss the two of them, pondered for a long time, and sighed, "A Foundation Building cultivator, with Zhong Yan's connections, must have come from the Fire Cloud Sect. I'm afraid I made a wrong move by letting him be a mage attendant."

Zhang Shun was also puzzled and thought for a moment, "According to the previous investigation, he had only reached the third level of Qi Refining before leaving the mountain. He risked his life and ventured outside the sect to earn resources. It doesn't seem like he had the backing of a Foundation Building cultivator. If this Foundation Building cultivator came to help him, their relationship must be significant. To be safe, we should deal with him afterwards. Such a person is difficult for us to use."

"Let me think about it. You go back and rest first."

"What about Xue Shanhua?"

Qin Ben decisively said, "Follow the plan in the military! Send letters to the Xue and Zhong families tomorrow morning and hold a banquet in three days!"

Zhang Shun nodded and left.

Qin Ben paced back and forth in the hall for a while, went to the study, took out a talisman, and chanted an incantation to activate the communication.

After more than a stick of incense.

The white-haired old man, Li Shu, appeared mysteriously in the study, "Young Master, did you summon me for something urgent?"

"Has Li Shu seen any Foundation Building cultivators enter the city?"

"No, but two unfamiliar cultivators, a man and a woman, entered the city the day before yesterday. The man was at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, and the woman was at the seventh level of Qi Refining."

Qin Ben was puzzled and repeated what General Liu had reported earlier.

Li Shu understood, "That spell is called 'Ten Thousand Sword Blaze.' The person who used it must be an important figure in the inner sect of the Fire Cloud Sect, most likely from the Law Enforcement Hall. It probably has nothing to do with Zhong Yan and was just a convenient opportunity."

Qin Ben couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then immediately asked, "The Law Enforcement Hall? What are they doing near Qingyang? Could it be related to the mage attendant?"

Li Shu pondered for a moment and said, "Since the imperial city has issued the order and the matter of intercepting and killing has been resolved, Young Master just needs to remember that in the coming years, the mage attendants of Qingyang City should not be given any handle to hold."

"That makes sense!"

Qin Ben smiled.

...

At the same time.

Zhong Yan left the Yang residence, stuck a concealment talisman on his body, and walked through the alleyways under the cover of the night.

Turning left and right.

Finally, he stopped in front of a small courtyard gate, where there were no characters on the lintel.

Compared to the mansions in the southern district, this place appeared desolate and deserted, with no guards or decorations.

"I guess I'm sneaking into the widow's house at night..."

Zhong Yan, who was ethereal all over, smiled inwardly and reached out to knock on the door knocker.

...