Upon hearing the news, Cheng Chuan grabbed the guard by the collar, his knuckles turning white as veins bulged like writhing snakes on the back of his hand. He looked like he wanted to kill the man with a single palm strike.
"Patriarch, calm down! Don't get agitated. The family rules state that in times of crisis, one must remain composed and never fall into disarray!" The old man previously referred to as First Elder hurriedly stepped forward to advise him. "The situation is still unclear. You need him to explain everything properly."
"Who killed Shou'er? Was it someone from the Liu Family?" Cheng Chuan threw the guard to the ground and roared.
"It… it was those outsiders who came with Liu Qing," the guard stammered, trembling violently.
"What about Cheng Kun? Wasn't he protecting him? Tell me the whole story clearly!"
"Elder Cheng Kun… he… he also died. According to the news, the Young Master coveted the other party's beauty and then… he was killed. As for the other subordinates… your subordinate is not very clear on the details yet…"
The guard recounted the information relayed by the scouts. After all, every Cheng Family member present at the scene had already been killed. The news had come from observers outside, so the specific details were still vague.
"Bang!"
Cheng Chuan slapped the guard across the face with such force that the man was sent flying, crashing into a nearby shelf and causing it to collapse instantly.
"You don't know anything! What use do I have for a bunch of useless trash like you?!"
The fury on Cheng Chuan's face was almost uncontrollable. He had only this one son—his greatest hope—and he had always doted on him excessively.
He turned around, his crimson eyes locking onto the First Elder standing to the side.
The Elder's heart immediately tightened under that gaze. He couldn't possibly know that I went looking for Cheng Shou, could he? I didn't expect the boy to be so lustful that he ran out that very night before I could arrange anything.
"First Elder, have the identities of those four been confirmed?" Cheng Chuan's voice rang out.
Hearing that it was only this question, the Elder's expression subtly relaxed. As long as the Patriarch didn't know he had arranged for Cheng Shou to go out, everything was still fine.
"Patriarch, we have gathered some information so far. The man and Liu Qing both came from Jia Nan Academy."
"The man doesn't appear to be from any major power. The two little girls are his daughters. As for the woman, we have found no information yet. Among the four, the man seems to be the central figure."
Hearing the Elder's report, Cheng Chuan's eyes flickered slightly. People who chose to study at Jia Nan Academy were generally not from major powers. Although the dean had a great reputation, every major force had its own cultivation system.
A thick killing intent flashed in his eyes as he roared at the elders in the hall: "Immediately gather everyone! I want that little beast to wish he were dead but be unable to die!"
"Yes!"
At this moment, no one in the hall dared to object, lest their Patriarch use them as an outlet for his rage.
The First Elder wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Suddenly, Cheng Chuan's voice came again: "First Elder, I heard you looked for Shou'er before?"
The Elder's body stiffened. He turned and replied, "I just happened to run into him and chatted for a few words."
Cheng Chuan nodded slightly and said, "Hmm. You may go. Anyone who hasn't arrived within one minute will be treated as a traitor to the clan!"
After everyone left, Cheng Chuan stood silently in the center of the hall. His aura grew increasingly oppressive.
…
Inside the Liu Family manor, all the core members of the Liu Family had gathered.
"Father, we must hurry to help Xiao Jietian. Cheng Shou is dead, and with Cheng Chuan's personality, he definitely won't let this go. We need to move quickly. Given Xiao Jietian's past actions, he might even wipe out the entire Cheng Family."
"Although we would love to see the Cheng Family destroyed, if Xiao Jietian takes action, he will definitely clash with Burning Flame Valley."
Liu Qing looked at his father, Liu Shan, and spoke in a deep voice.
The Liu Family and the Cheng Family were both subsidiary forces of Burning Flame Valley. If the Liu Family destroyed the Cheng Family, it would at most be considered an internal struggle, and Burning Flame Valley wouldn't intervene.
But if Xiao Jietian destroyed the Cheng Family, it would be equivalent to slapping Burning Flame Valley in the face. He would then be hunted down by the Valley.
Although Xiao Jietian was already a Dou Zun, the reputation of Burning Flame Valley had long been deeply ingrained in their hearts.
"What the Young Master says makes sense, but wouldn't that mean we are completely at odds with the Cheng Family?" A Liu Family elder stepped forward.
"The Cheng Family and our Liu Family have always been at loggerheads. Are you afraid of them? When has my Liu Family ever been so timid?" Liu Qing looked directly at the elder.
"Enough. Stop arguing. Time is short—let's move quickly. At worst, we can give up some of Tianhuang City's resources to the Cheng Family."
Liu Shan directly ended the debate and made the final decision.
He had thought about this carefully. In his opinion, this was a sure-win investment.
Although the Liu Family would lose a lot of benefits on the surface, not to mention the great kindness Xiao Jietian had shown them, Xiao Jietian's potential alone was worth the risk.
A Dou Zun in his twenties—with enough time, even Burning Flame Valley might not be his match.
At that time, relying on their relationship with Xiao Jietian, the Liu Family's status would rise dramatically, and everything they lost now would be recovered many times over.
Seeing that the Patriarch had already decided, the other elders said nothing more and nodded with solemn expressions.
"Then let's head out now. Fifth Elder, arrange for the family's experts to gather and come as quickly as possible. There might be a tough battle today."
Liu Shan looked at one of the elders and instructed.
"Yes, Patriarch!"
After speaking, the elder hurried outside.
Liu Shan glanced at the sky, then took the lead toward where Xiao Jietian and the others were. Liu Qing and the Liu Family elders followed closely behind.
However, as they exited the manor, they encountered another group of people approaching aggressively.
"Liu Shan, hand over the murderer who killed my son! Otherwise, I will make your Liu Family's blood flow like a river!"
The newcomers were precisely Cheng Chuan leading the Cheng Family forces. With crimson eyes, Cheng Chuan spoke coldly to Liu Shan.
"Old Cheng, calm down first. We are deeply sorry about your son's matter. Please accept our condolences. Everything can be discussed. For this incident, our Liu Family can offer half of our shops and markets in the northern part of Tianhuang City as compensation to you."
Liu Shan landed on the ground and looked at the red-eyed Cheng Chuan in front of him.
Cheng Chuan heard Liu Shan's words and gritted his teeth as he stared at him. "Bullshit! I only had this one son—he was the future successor of the Cheng Family!"