Free Web NovelChapter 23: Farewell, Turmoil in the Lu Family
Several days later, Lu Yang returned to Luoyun Prefecture City once more.
The bustling city remained as prosperous as ever, with countless cultivators continuously entering and exiting the city gates beneath the cold winter sky.
At the eastern gate, a familiar figure was already waiting there.
Without a doubt, it was Fang Chen.
The moment he spotted Lu Yang approaching through the crowd, he immediately waved his arm enthusiastically.
"Brother Lu!"
Lu Yang’s expression softened slightly.
Soon enough, the two found a nearby tavern before exchanging everything that had happened over the past several days.
Naturally, both had their own secrets and omitted many things. Still, the atmosphere remained relaxed.
For perhaps the first time since arriving in this world, Lu Yang found himself conversing with someone he considered an actual friend. freewёbnoνel.com
Not a subordinate, a clan member, or someone with ulterior motives, but simply a friend.
Unfortunately, all journeys eventually reached their end.
Several days later, after leaving Luoyun Prefecture behind, the two arrived once more at the familiar hunter’s hut hidden deep within the mountains.
The same place where Guard Zhou and Xu He had spent their final night and where the old version of Lu Yang had appeared.
Neither spoke much that evening.
A small fire quietly burned inside the hut as the winter wind howled faintly outside.
Eventually, Fang Chen suddenly broke the silence.
"Brother Lu."
Lu Yang raised an eyebrow.
"Hm?"
Fang Chen grinned.
"I won’t be coming with you."
Lu Yang wasn’t surprised, "Going somewhere else?"
"Of course."
Fang Chen’s eyes brightened immediately.
"Wuyuan City."
He clenched his fist tightly.
"That’s where true experts gather. I’ve already decided."
His expression carried complete confidence.
"When I break through to the Spirit Awakening Realm, I’ll personally visit the Lu Family."
Lu Yang looked at him before shaking his head faintly.
"You’re still only at the Sixth Stage of Body Tempering Realm."
"So what?"
Fang Chen laughed loudly.
"Sixth Stage of Body Tempering Realm today, Spirit Awakening Realm tomorrow. You’ve got to think bigger."
Even Lu Yang couldn’t help revealing a faint smile.
This fellow’s confidence truly seemed limitless.
Then Fang Chen suddenly became serious.
"When that day comes, I’ll come find you."
His gaze became firm.
"And by then, you’d better not be weaker than me."
The fire crackled softly.
Lu Yang stared at him for several moments before nodding.
"Alright, I’ll work hard too. Next time we meet, let’s see who reaches Spirit Awakening Realm first."
Fang Chen instantly burst into laughter.
"Good!"
The atmosphere became considerably lighter afterward.
The next morning, the two officially parted ways.
One headed toward Wuyuan Provincial Capital, the other toward Canglan Prefecture.
As Fang Chen’s figure gradually disappeared beyond the distant mountain road, Lu Yang silently watched for a long time.
Then, he turned around, his expression slowly becoming cold.
Upon his shoulder hung a black cloth bundle, and inside were the severed heads of the three people who had attempted to kill him.
...
Nearly two weeks later.
The familiar outline of Canglan City finally appeared upon the horizon.
The massive city walls stood beneath the winter sky exactly as Lu Yang remembered, but compared to when he left, his state of mind had changed completely.
The closer he approached the city, the colder his gaze became.
Guard Zhou’s final words still echoed faintly within his ears.
Xu He’s severed head, the blood soaked forest, and the ruthless killing intent of those servants...
Everything remained vividly clear in his mind.
Soon enough, Lu Yang arrived before the gates of the Lu Family estate.
The guards stationed outside immediately recognized him, their eyes widening in recognition.
"You-Young Master Lu Yang?!"
Several people hurriedly stepped forward, their faces full of shock.
After all, Lu Yang should still have been traveling outside according to the clan schedule, but now he had returned.
More importantly...
Where were Xu He and Guard Zhou?
One guard quickly noticed the bloodstained black cloth bundle.
His expression changed slightly.
"Young Master... what happened?"
Lu Yang remained silent for several moments before he calmly replied, "Report to the Family Head. I have something important to discuss."
The surrounding guards immediately sensed something was wrong, very wrong.
Without hesitation, one person rushed directly toward the inner clan at full speed.
Within minutes, the entire Lu Family descended into chaos.
...
At the center of the clan estate, inside the highest council hall, dozens of elders had already gathered.
The atmosphere was incomparably solemn.
Even the Family Head himself sat upon the central seat.
Several powerful auras filled the hall.
Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators, the true pillars of the Lu Family.
The moment news regarding Lu Yang’s return arrived, many elders immediately sensed something unusual.
Xu He and Guard Zhou had not returned; that fact alone was enough to trigger concern.
Soon afterward, the enormous hall doors slowly opened.
Under countless gazes, a young figure calmly stepped inside.
It was none other than Lu Yang.
His robes remained somewhat worn from travel, and several injuries had yet to fully recover, yet his posture remained perfectly straight.
Facing more than a dozen Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators simultaneously, his expression remained calm, not a trace of nervousness appearing on his face whatsoever.
Many elders unconsciously narrowed their eyes; even they couldn’t help feeling admiration inwardly.
Such a temperament, few youths possessed it.
The hall remained silent until the Family Head slowly spoke.
"Yang’er, what happened?"
Lu Yang’s gaze calmly swept across the hall.
Many familiar faces entered his vision.
The Family Head, the Law Enforcement Grand Elder, the Internal Affairs Grand Elder, various different elders, and even the elderly External Affairs Grand Elder was present.
Everyone’s gazes were fixed on him.
Then, without saying a single unnecessary word, Lu Yang directly untied the black cloth bundle.
Three objects rolled across the floor.
*Thump.* *Thump.* *Thump.*
The hall instantly froze.
Three severed heads stared upward with wide open eyes.
The expressions on many elders changed immediately, several even standing up abruptly from their seats, visible shock appearing on their faces.
"This..."
"Impossible!"
The Internal Affairs Grand Elder’s pupils contracted violently.
The Family Head’s gaze instantly became terrifying.
Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators were extremely retentive due to possessing Divine Sense; they recognized all three people.
The maid and the two servants, they were the personal attendants who had remained beside the Twin Stars’ mother for years.
The atmosphere instantly became incomparably oppressive as an invisible pressure swept throughout the hall.
The expressions of many elders turned ugly, and some even revealed traces of disbelief.
The Law Enforcement Grand Elder slowly narrowed his eyes.
"Explain."
His voice carried unquestionable authority.
Lu Yang calmly nodded.
Then, from beginning to end, he recounted everything that happened.
The journey, the ambush, the battle, the deaths of Xu He and Guard Zhou, the identities of the attackers, and finally, how he survived.
Naturally, everything regarding the Character Card was omitted completely.
Instead, he described a difficult struggle, and because of the appearance of an acquaintance he had made, who was naturally Fang Chen, he ultimately managed to counterkill the maid before he, Fang Chen, and Guard Zhou provided aid to Xu He, but Xu He was decapitated, taking down one of the servants with him in a mutually destructive attack, while Guard Zhou succumbed to his injuries by the time the other servant was exhausted to death.
As Lu Yang spoke, the atmosphere within the hall grew increasingly cold, especially after hearing that the attackers were these three people.
No one doubted his words, the evidence was right there, and they also did not say much about the story of how he escaped, it was because Lu Yang’s true limits had never been seen by anyone, and it was only natural that a person like him attracted geniuses to befriend him.
At the same time, many elders already understood the implications.
These servants did not belong to ordinary clan members, they belonged to one specific person, and that was the mother of the Twin Stars, the woman backed by the Marquis Manor.
It was not the first time she had attempted such a thing, both evidence and suspicion were already there.
By the time Lu Yang finished speaking, silence filled the entire hall.
No one spoke or moved.
The Family Head sat motionless upon his seat, but the armrest beneath his hand gradually began cracking.
Thin fractures spread across the special Mysterious Spirit Wood, a material difficult for even ordinary Spirit Awakening Realm cultivators to damage, yet now, it fractured beneath pure grip strength alone.
The Family Head’s face remained expressionless, but that expressionlessness was precisely what frightened everyone most.
On the other hand, the Internal Affairs Grand Elder’s face had already become extremely ugly.
The Law Enforcement Grand Elder slowly closed his eyes, terrifying killing intent quietly seeping from his body, causing the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees instantly.
Many elders exchanged glances, everyone understanding one thing; this matter had already surpassed ordinary internal conflict.
This was attempted murder against the greatest genius the Lu Family had ever produced, and that too with full proof this time.
Unlike last time when there was no proof and Lu Yang’s true potential was much less visible than it is now.
The future hope of the clan, the Rising Sun. fгeewebnovёl.com
And because of that attempt, two loyal clan experts had died.
Neither Xu He nor Guard Zhou could be considered insignificant figures, especially Xu He.
A Ninth Stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator represented valuable strength even within the Lu Family.
Yet now he was dead, killed by people who should have been on their side.
The implications were simply too severe.
Finally, the Law Enforcement Grand Elder opened his eyes once more, his gaze landing upon Lu Yang.
The terrifying pressure surrounding him gradually softened slightly.
"Yang’er."
His voice became unexpectedly gentle.
"You’ve suffered greatly, and your injuries have not fully healed. Return and rest first, we will summon you later for further investigation."
Lu Yang quietly nodded.
He understood that the real storm was only beginning now. There were some things that could not be discussed in front of him.
The Family Head remained silent throughout, but everyone present could feel the terrifying fury hidden beneath that silence.
Soon afterward, Lu Yang turned and departed.
The massive doors slowly closed behind him.
The instant his figure disappeared from sight, the atmosphere inside the council hall became ice cold.
No one spoke, and no one dared speak first.
At the center seat, the Family Head slowly lowered his gaze toward the three severed heads lying upon the floor.
The cracks beneath his fingers spread even further, and a terrifying killing intent erupted throughout the entire hall.
