Ihe Jun Prince's Mansion, Li Yaowen and Feng Qingyang sat fag each other in silence.

  New pieces had been added to their chessboard. This time, the board was in disarray, aher of them had made a move for a long time, simply staring at the board in ption.

  "Tap, tap, tap..."

  Hurried footsteps approached.

  It was Feng lin, Feng Qingyang's only son. As he entered, he saw the two of them fag each other across the chessboard, just like when they first started pying.

  But as he approached, Feng lin's eyebrows furrowed into a frown.

  Somethi different now.

  He didn't know why, but he sensed a temosphere between his father and Li Yaowen, a subtle undercurrent of hostility and even a hint of killing i.

  He briefly wondered if it was because his children's plot to kill Li gsheng had been exposed, leading to this current tension. But then, Feng lin shook his head.

  He knew clearly that his old father was a rare benevolent person in this world, who cared deeply for his children and was very generous towards the Li family. With his father's character, he would never hold a grudge against Li Yaowen because of this.

  Taking a deep breath, Feng lin stepped forward and bowed to Feng Qingyang, paying no mind to Li Yaowen's presence.

  He grinned and announced, "Father, there's been a ge is!"

  Seeing that his father was ign him, his attention still focused on the chessboard...

  Feng lin tinued his report, his smile widening. "Excellent news!" he excimed. "There's a rumor that the nine major forces obtained a secret treasure from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, capable of trag down the Li family bloodline."

  "But for some unknown reason, their passes have all malfuned, and they o longer locate the Li family members."

  Upon hearing this...

  "Cck, cck, cck..."

  Feng Qingyang, who had finally picked up a Go stone, froze with his hand in mid-air. The white stone fell onto the board, making a clear sound in the snowy silence.

  Feng lin g the white stohen at his father's slightly stunned expression. His smile widened.

  "And there's eveer news!" he excimed.

  "Our in-ws seem to have been prepared for this."

  He g Li Yaowen, who remained calm and posed, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. "There are intelligence reports," he began, "indig the presence of Soul cultivator in the dire where the Long family went to the Li family."

  "Some have even found the corpses of Long family members who fell from the sky."

  "The Sword King, Li Yaozu's, rainbow of sword energy has appeared, along with tless flying corpses. Even Elder Tianqing of the Azure Cloud Pavilion is aiding the Li family!"

  Looking again, his father had already picked up the fallen white Go stone, gripping it tightly in his hand. His expression had returo its usual ess.

  Feng lin frowned slightly. He finally sensed something amiss. Based on his uanding of his father, he should be jumping for joy at this news...

  But he didn't dare to dwell on it and tinued his report.

  "From the Golden Dipper Forest," he tinued, "there are also reports that the Li family's red-ed giant tree has appeared."

  "The ior of the long-lost Divine Beggar has also appeared there. His Golden Source barrier formation, along with various trapping formations from the Li family, have trapped Abbot Wuyou."

  "Someone saw the Li family's old grandmother. She's outside the formation, while ihe battle is raging fiercely. The Golden Dipper Forest has even been razed to the ground."

  "I believe that once Xu Cuihua joins the battle, it will be the end for Abbot Wuyou!"

  With the report finished, silence fell over the room for a while. Feng Qingyang finally spoke, his expression slightly grim. "What about the other seven major forces?" he asked.

  "This is strange."

  Feng lin frowned. "Acc to my intelligence," he reported, "our in-w, Li Dalong, was outside the Azure Cloud Pavilion. After the Sword King arrived, they left together. That was also when the major forces were besieging the Li family."

  "The nine forces also gathered at that time, fident in their ability to crush the Li family."

  "But the moment Abbot Wuyou and Long Xuankong entered trouble, those seven forces vanished without a trace at the same time, as if they had p in advance."

  As he spoke...

  Feng lin's expression grew serious. "Father," he asked, "could this be... another one of their schemes?"

  Feng Qingyang remained silent.

  Now, it was Li Yaowen who seemed intrigued. She asked with a smile, "They? You wouldn't be referring to the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, would you?"

  "This..."

  Feng liated for a moment, waiting for Feng Qingyang's nod of approval before replying, "Yes, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is the most mysterious for our Azure Clion. For hundreds of thousands of years, they have been scheming to destroy the Azure Clion. They were even responsible for the great camity that befell Azure Clion in the past."

  "Of course, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's target isn't just our Azure Clion. Sihe establishment of the dynasty, they have been trying to destroy it everywhere. As for their reasons, those remain unknown."

  At this point...

  Feng lin's eyes flickered. "Actually, the Li family's current predit is also the fault of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion."

  "But now that the Li family and our Feng family have formed a marriage alliahe Li family's crisis has been resolved. We, the Feng family, will certainly help our in-ws elimihese schemers who plot in the shadows!"

  "They think they're so clever with their schemes, but they never expected the Li family to be oep ahead. I imagihey must be stamping their feet and fuming with rage right now."

  "They brought this upon themselves..."

  Before he could finish his sentence...

  "Have you said enough?" a voiterrupted.

  Feng lin's voice was cut off by Feng Qingyang. Feng Qingyang's expression was grim, and he even crushed the white Go stone in his hand.

  "Father..."

  Feng lin wao say more, but Feng Qingyang simply uttered the word "Scram," and he hurriedly retreated.

  As he left...

  Feng lin murmured to himself, "Did I say too much? Why was Father ag sely just now?"

  Then, he shook his head and said with a smile, "Well, it's fine. Now that the dust has settled and the Li family is safe, we, the Jun Prince's Mansion, work with them to gradually persuade the major forces. Azure Clion will once again be united, imperable to any outside enemy."

  ---

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