I began to understand the myriad things by chopping wood

With a plop, the dead body of the Nineteenth Prince was pushed directly into the well by the Fourteenth Prince.

The Fourteenth Prince stood up, took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from his brother's hand, then looked at Xie Yuan and Situ Qin.

These two cooperated and killed a Grandmaster easily...but they were only at the Qi and Blood Transformation Stage.

Although the enemy was already seriously injured, an ordinary Qi and Blood Transformation Realm cultivator might not be able to break even the Grandmaster's protective Qi. Even though the two were not ordinary people, being able to kill them with one strike was something he had never expected.

He caught a glimpse of the long trail left by the golden-armored guard and his broken body. There was a solemnity in his eyes, but it was concealed in an instant.

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin stood side by side, frowning slightly at the scene of corpses lying on the ground before them.

Although he knew that the fight for the throne was a life-and-death struggle and that there was no family affection in the royal family, after witnessing it with his own eyes, Xie Yuan still sighed that the brothers were very straightforward with each other.

He glanced at the cold palace courtyard. There were only three of them standing there. The Nineteenth Prince and his guards, who had been so aggressive just now, had all disappeared, and blood was flowing like a river.

Situ Qin's expression was more indifferent. When she was still young, she had already deeply understood what the so-called imperial power was all about.

The Fourteenth Prince bowed to the two of them:
"Thank you, Master, Sister Qin, thank you for your help, otherwise I would have been defeated."

"It doesn't matter."

Xie Yuan shook his head. Although they were temporarily safe, it didn't mean that everything was fine.

The prince controls the entire imperial city, so even if Xie Yuan wants to go out, he has to be careful.

Situ Qin looked at the Fourteenth Prince and asked:
"Your Highness, what are your plans now?"

Now the Fourteenth Prince has become a prince alone, without even a guard around him, except Xie Yuan and two others.

However, Xie Yuan is still unsure whether to intervene in the battle for the throne. His first priority is to ensure his own and Situ Qin's safety, and everything else is incidental.

The fourteenth prince smiled with his bloodstained face:

"We'll do our best and leave the rest to fate. The only thing left is for you two to follow me, protect me for a while, and listen to the news."

What back-up plan does he have? He seems very confident.

Xie Yuan frowned, somewhat puzzled.

However, seeing that the Fourteenth Prince seemed certain that the two of them would follow him, and his domineering look made him look a little disapproving.

Upon seeing this, the Fourteenth Prince immediately restrained his somewhat proud and excited expression and said politely:

"Thank you, Young Master, Sister Qin, if my prediction is correct, the outcome is settled. As long as you two send me off one last time, I will never forget your service to the emperor. All the promises I made before will be fulfilled."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin looked at each other, exchanged glances for a moment, and then said:

"Your Highness, what are you going to do?"

"Please escort me back to the palace while I gather information."

Return to the palace?

Xie Yuan was a little surprised.

The palace he was talking about was naturally his own. However, it must have been captured by the prince now. He had just escaped, but he was going to fall into the trap again?
Considering that the Fourteenth Prince had always said that the Crown Prince was not a concern, Xie Yuan couldn't help but feel curious.

The palace of the Fourteenth Prince.

All the guards under his command had been killed, and the prince left no one alive.

All the palace maids and eunuchs were also dead. The order received by the imperial guards was to kill no living creature, even the rare birds and animals raised in the palace.

Blood flows into a river.

The Imperial Guards took over the entire palace. Every pillar, corner, and room was guarded by Imperial Guards. The entrance to the secret passage in the bedroom was surrounded by three layers of enemies, and some experts were in pursuit.

The prince walked into the bedroom surrounded by layers of guards. Looking at the entrance, his majestic face moved and his eyes became complicated.

"It turns out that in my father's heart, I have never been the crown prince."

He had vaguely guessed that the imperial city must have a huge system of secret passages, but the old emperor never told him.

Since the emperor didn't say anything, as his duty as a son and subject, he neither asked nor checked.

However, when he saw the entrance to the Fourteenth Prince's secret passage with his own eyes, the prince still felt a little resentful.

However, he quickly suppressed his emotions. This secret passage could only be the Fourteenth Prince's last escape route.

Now his situation is hopeless, his entire team has been wiped out, and even the two Grandmasters have been executed. Even if he really ran away with the will, as long as the Crown Prince is given two more days to unite all the fence-sitters, he will have the final say on whether the will is true or false. After that, there will be no place for the Fourteenth Prince in the world of Dali.

The overall situation has been decided.

The Crown Prince looked at the Fourteenth Prince's bedroom. It was his first time here. Although it was in a mess, it still showed its ingenuity and elegance.

In particular, the rockery bonsai in the corner, with its waterfall and mist, is quite elegant. In this chaos, this bonsai is particularly unique.

The prince's heart moved and he asked:

"Where is the kingdom in Fourteen's hand?"

A blood-soaked personal guard next to him replied:
"Reporting to His Highness, the artifact was found beside the main hall, and several geniuses from various families who participated in the Hidden Dragon Banquet have surrounded them."

When the prince heard this, his expression relaxed and then he showed joy:
"Old Fourteen didn't even have time to take this treasure away. Haha, Father, no matter how much you favor him, the thing will eventually return to me."

He ordered his men to chase along the tunnel, then quickly walked back to the main hall, where he found the huge bonsai shrouded in mist in the corner, and Cui Lei, Wang Qiwen and others who looked listless beside them.

The prince smiled at them:

"There has been some turmoil in the palace, and all the Potential Dragons have been frightened. But it doesn't matter, the matter has been resolved, and you should not panic. Just stay in the palace for a few days, and I will send the Prodigies out."

Cui Lei and Wang Qiwen frowned, but the Grand Masters and countless imperial guards beside them were watching them covetously. Their own conditions were already very bad, so they just nodded silently.

A group of people were about to leave while being half surrounded and half escorted by the imperial guards, when the clouds and mist of the country in their palms suddenly began to spread outwards, and soon the nearby area became a little foggy.

The Grand Master who was waiting nearby frowned. He had clearly checked and found that there was no one inside, so how could there be another abnormality?

The two masters gathered beside the prince at the same time, looking suspiciously at the turbulent world in his palm and the diffuse white mist.

Suddenly, a shadow flickered in the fog.

The two masters' eyes widened, one of them immediately rushed forward, while the other took the prince and retreated.

However, when the Grand Master grabbed the Prince's arm, he found that his body was heavy and his arm was weak, as if he was too frightened to walk. He immediately turned around and called out:

"Your Highness, please leave immediately with me... Your Highness?!"

He looked over and found that the prince was lowering his head, his eyes filled with disbelief, despair, and unwillingness as he stared at the dull tip of a dagger sticking out of his chest. He made a hoarse sound and blood foamed out of his mouth.

The prince's yellow robe, jade pendant, and various top-notch treasures shone brightly, but they shattered one by one like bubbles and were all destroyed by the sword.

In just a moment and with just one sword, the assassin broke through all the defenses of the crown prince.

The dagger was retracted, revealing a terrifying large hole. The prince's chest was shattered, and his body fell limply.

The Grandmaster's guard's eyes narrowed as he looked at a dim shadow standing behind the prince. It seemed to be a middle-aged man, but his face was unclear.

"Traitor! How dare you!"

The guard leader's eyes were bloodshot, and he rushed forward, trying to capture the assassin. However, the assassin's body was like a ghost, floating and circling around the commander as if he had no weight.

The figure was so close, but the commander couldn't touch it no matter what.

Another master turned around in the white fog in a moment and found that he had hit nothing. He turned around and saw that something had happened here. He was horrified and immediately surrounded them with his colleagues.

However, even though it was double-teamed by two masters, the shadow did not hesitate at all. It easily bypassed the two and rushed out of the hall door.

There were two of the prince's master subordinates outside the hall. One of them was secretly stopping a man and a woman, and the other was seriously injured and was recuperating nearby.

The man and woman were naturally Li Tai and Hong Yi. After they made sure that Situ Qin had left, they defended the Fourteenth Prince for a while and then started to work harder. Afterwards, the two masters of the Fourteenth Prince were no match for them and were defeated one after another.

However, when the two wanted to leave, the commander of the imperial guards would not let them leave.

They wanted to force their way in, but then they changed their minds and decided to stay and wait.

Seeing that something seemed to have happened inside, the four masters outside looked at the same time and saw a new master coming out, and the prince's two personal guards actually chased after him.

The commander of the imperial guards was shocked and asked:
"Where is your highness?"

"Your Highness has already..."

The leader of the personal guards turned pale and gritted his teeth as he chased after the shadow.

The shadow could have left in one go, but it just kept circling around them in the yard as if it was playing a game.

When the commander of the imperial guards heard his colleague say this, he was immediately frightened and hurriedly chased after the assassin with the two men.

Li Tai and Aunt Hong were watching from the sidelines, seeing that the assassin's skills were superb and he was able to deal with three people with ease, and they all had serious looks in their eyes.

Aunt Hong looked for a while and recognized the person. She said in surprise:

"Master Qiufeng? Why is he here?!"

Li Tai's face was serious, and he said slowly:

"It seems that the Fourteenth Prince has won. He or the late emperor may have made a deal with the Yao family."

The three princes' masters were all worried. Hearing the shouting and chaos inside, they didn't know what to do next.

They could only bite the bullet and capture the assassin first, and then think about other things. However, even though they thought so, they found that three people surrounded one person, but they could not do anything to this person.

"Stop it now!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out outside the palace.

The owner of Qiufeng Tower flashed and appeared outside the palace next to the voice.

The owner of the voice revealed his whereabouts.

He was about thirty years old, wearing a gorgeous robe, with a dignified face, his head slightly raised, his hands behind his back. Although the stains on his face and the bloodstains on his body were shocking, it did not affect his temperament. He stood there, with an expression on his face that seemed to look down on the world.

The commander of the imperial guards and the two guard commanders stopped at the same time, looking at the Fourteenth Prince whose aura was slightly different, and they didn't know how to respond for a moment.

The Fourteenth Prince slowly took out a roll of bright yellow silk paper from his chest, spread it out, and asked sternly:
"You are all soldiers of the Imperial Guard. How can you understand the late emperor's will?"

The imperial guards all looked at each other in silence. Most of them followed orders, but they also knew what they were doing. The crown prince was dead, and the fourteenth prince had a will, so it was difficult for them to have other thoughts.

The three masters gritted their teeth. The Crown Prince was dead, and they all knew that the situation was hopeless. However, they wanted to kill the Fourteenth Prince without mercy, so it was hard to say what would happen to him even if he surrendered.

Therefore, the three of them did not speak for a long time, and the imperial guards behind them also remained silent, and the situation was somewhat stalemate for a while.

The Fourteenth Prince glared at the situation. Even though he was alone with the Qiufeng Tower Master, he still shouted angrily:
"Are you planning a rebellion? Those who are planning a rebellion will be killed without mercy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, shouts and screams suddenly rang out in the bedroom, as if reinforcements had suddenly appeared.

The imperial guards were thrown into chaos, and then they heard the Fourteenth Prince shout again:

"Those who drop their weapons and surrender will be forgiven!"

Upon hearing this, many imperial guards dropped their weapons in panic, and the sound of weapons falling to the ground could be heard one after another.

The three commanders were in a dilemma. The commander of the imperial guards turned his eyes, swung the tip of his sword sharply, and stabbed at one of the guard commanders next to him.

The man didn't expect that his colleague who was in the same camp just now would draw his sword against him. He was shocked and tried to resist hastily, but was still stabbed in the abdomen and seriously injured.

Within a few moves, the guard leader who was seriously injured by the sneak attack died with his eyes open. The other guard leader's face turned red and white, and he had not taken any action. When he saw the commander of the imperial guards looking at him, he simply surrendered:
"Your Highness, I surrender!"

"it is good!"

The Fourteenth Prince showed a slightly relieved smile and looked at the commander of the imperial guards.

If the three grandmasters and so many imperial guards had not surrendered, there would have been troubles in the future. Now that the problem has been easily resolved, everything is really over.

The commander of the imperial guards looked at the Fourteenth Prince, clasped his fists and said:

"I am following the orders of the late emperor and am lurking in the rebel prince's camp, waiting to turn against His Highness!"

The Fourteenth Prince looked at him, his eyes twinkling, and said with a smile:
"General Wang, thank you for your hard work. I will remember your contribution."

There are countless opportunities to turn against us, and it would be better to do so, but why wait until the situation is settled before turning against us?

The late emperor has already passed away, so even if he said this, the Fourteenth Prince would not expose it.

ended.

Two figures slowly emerged from the side of Li Tai and Aunt Hong, causing the two Grandmasters to look at them sideways.

"If I hadn't sensed the young lady's location, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to break your secret technique. You've made progress again."

Aunt Hong’s voice was soft and her eyes were a little surprised.

Xie Yuan greeted the two masters, then looked at the Fourteenth Prince, or rather, at the figure beside him who was staring at him, and narrowed his eyes.

It turned out that the prince brought this great god into the palace, no, into the kingdom that he controlled.

If it was just the palace, the imperial guards would search inside and outside in three layers, and even a fly would be found.

Only this magical weapon could hide people and allow people to enter and exit at will, creating an opportunity for the world's number one assassin to get close to the prince.

However, doesn't this mean that he had once brushed shoulders with the owner of Qiufeng Tower in Palm of the Kingdom?

That feeling of being stared at didn't just come from Yun Xing, it also came from him...

Xie Yuan felt a little scared.

If he didn't have a big business to run, he would have been to the gates of hell twice in this kingdom.

Seeing the murderous look in Qiufeng Tower's eyes staring at him, Xie Yuan stepped back slightly and protected Li Tai in front of him.

A team of elite soldiers in the palace escorted the surrendered imperial guards out, along with the imperial guards who obeyed the orders of the Fourteenth Prince. The situation had been completely controlled by the Fourteenth Prince.

He issued orders one after another, and many people rushed around the palace and began to take over the imperial city.

Afterwards, surrounded by a large group of soldiers, the owner of Qiufeng Tower, the commander of the imperial guards, and the commander of the former crown prince's guards, the Fourteenth Prince turned to Xie Yuan and his companions.

The atmosphere became a little subtle again.

Li Tai faced numerous imperial guards and several masters. Feeling their gazes, his face turned hard and he snorted. He took a step forward and blocked everyone else behind him.

Although the scene was grand, General Fei, who had experienced the war to destroy a country in the Western Region, showed no fear. He came and went like the wind even among an army of hundreds of thousands.

But he was also very afraid of the middle-aged man who exuded a dangerous aura.

Yao Yuyi, the owner of Qiufeng Tower, is the best assassin in the world. His skills are just as good as his.

If a chaotic fight breaks out, Li Tai will find it difficult to deal with this one person alone, and he may not be able to use his skills to the fullest to take down Situ Qin and Xie Yuan.

Aunt Hong's voice sounded softly:
"Leave Qiufeng Tower Master to me. When the time comes, you can lead the young lady and Xiao Xie to fight their way out."

Li Tai's face was solemn and he nodded slowly.

Situ Qin frowned:

"Auntie Hong..."

Aunt Hong shook her head and interrupted:

"Miss, there is no other way. There are murderous intentions at every step in the palace. You have to be careful."

Situ Qin gritted his teeth, glanced at the several strong men on the opposite side, and whispered:
"Aunt Hong, give me the zither. I can defeat one Grandmaster. Below Grandmaster level, the Imperial Guards are nothing to worry about."

What she meant was that she wanted to stop all the imperial guards and their zithers.

Li Tai and Aunt Hong did not question it, but Aunt Hong just shook her head slightly:

"The Fourteenth Prince killed the Crown Prince and actually controlled the entire Imperial City. The more we kill the more enemies there are, the more we will have to fight. Besides the Master of Qiufeng Tower, there are three others. You, Taibo, go fight Yao Yuyi, I will stop the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guards, and the other two and the Infinite Imperial Guards, you..."

"He and I each have one."

Situ Qin looked at Xie Yuan, with a hint of apology in her eyes, as if she felt sorry for dragging Xie Yuan down. However, as long as there was a chance, she didn't want to abandon Aunt Hong who had grown up with her.

Xie Yuan nodded, smiled, and pinched Situ Qin's little hand to show that he didn't care.

Situ Qin's expression was gentle, but Aunt Hong frowned slightly:
"That's a master, not a cabbage or carrot. How can you two little guys just divide it up like that?"

Situ Qin was fine. She looked at Xie Yuan's calm expression with a suspicious look, as if this kid didn't take the person on the other side seriously at all.

"The Grand Master in the palace just killed him, but he only has one life."

Xie Yuan glanced at the masters:

"Can Tai Bo and Aunt Hong stop the Qiu Feng Tower Master and the Grand Commander and make sure they can't be distracted?"

The commander-in-chief of the imperial guards is also a powerful grandmaster at the Flying Dragon List level. He is not an ordinary person and is more troublesome than others.

Hearing what Xie Yuan said, Li Tai and Aunt Hong looked at each other, both a little shocked. These two little guys had just killed a master?
They didn't have time to ask in detail, but just said hesitantly:

"It will take only a moment. No problem. But what are you going to do?"

"That'll be easy."

Xie Yuan showed a determined look, pointed at the Fourteenth Prince among the heavy imperial guards, and said with a smile:
"I will capture this man later, and we can just walk out directly."

Xie Yuan and his friends had this discussion like dividing a dish, and they did not hide it from the people on the other side.

If it were an ordinary person, this would sound like a desperate resistance, which would only make people laugh; however, when they were counting the heads, several defeated generals, especially the one who was seriously injured, felt a little nervous for some reason. However, when they heard Xie Yuan's last sentence, the commander-in-chief of the imperial army showed anger, took a step forward, and shouted as if he needed to show off:
"Traitor! Your outrageous words have already committed the crime of deceiving the emperor! You should be beheaded!"

The Fourteenth Prince's face darkened slightly, and he looked at Xie Yuan with deep eyes.

He didn't speak.

He watched helplessly as Xie Yuan killed the seriously injured Grandmaster with a single blow of his axe. The killing power was totally unlike that of a warrior at the third level of Qi and Blood Transformation.

And all the way back to the palace from the cold palace, Xie Yuan displayed his miraculous secret skills of hiding. Under his guidance, he traveled all the way without attracting anyone's attention, just like a top assassin.

Although Xie Yuan only demonstrated a part of the Tianyin Technique, the Fourteenth Prince could see that this was an extremely extraordinary secret technique.

Even though he didn't know how Xie Yuan captured him among the three layers of imperial guards, he would never dare to underestimate Xie Yuan.

His deep gaze moved back and forth between Xie Yuan and the other three. The Fourteenth Prince's mind flashed, and he knew that he could not keep them today, and he could not help but sigh slightly.

He did not have the reasons to silence someone like the crown prince, but after seeing Xie Yuan's talent and performance, he, who had inherited the old emperor's will, had no intention of letting this hidden dragon of the Chenjun Xie family go.

However, the Fourteenth Prince remained calm and just shouted:

"General Wang, don't act rashly!"

The commander-in-chief of the imperial guards was stunned for a moment, not knowing what was going on, but he still retreated.

The Fourteenth Prince smiled:

"Master Xie, Sister Qin, how could there be such a misunderstanding? Without your help today, I'm afraid the traitors would really usurp the imperial edict and disobey the emperor's orders. I said that this is the merit of following the emperor. I will remember your contributions and will definitely reward you generously."

As he spoke, he waved his hand slightly, and the imperial guards, like a city wall, separated a narrow passage.

Xie Yuan looked at the Fourteenth Prince and bowed:

"Then thank you Your Majesty."

Seeing that the Fourteenth Prince was actually going to let them go, Li Tai and Hong Yi could not help but look at Xie Yuan thoughtfully, and then protected the two of them and walked out.

The owner of Qiufeng Tower moved and whispered something in the Fourteenth Prince's ear, but the Fourteenth Prince just shook his head and said softly:
"No matter how important he is, he is not as important as my safety."

"Your Majesty's safety, I guarantee with my life that nothing will happen to you."

The owner of Qiufeng Tower heard a vague voice, but the Fourteenth Prince just remained silent and watched Xie Yuan and the other three leave.

Then he smiled and said:

"It's okay, just let him go. It will be much easier to attack the Xie family in the future."

The owner of Qiufeng Tower was unwilling at first, but after hearing what he said, he slowly calmed down.

Being "escorted" out of the palace by several imperial guards, Xie Yuan walked out of the Meridian Gate and watched the heavy palace door close again behind him with a bang. He couldn't help but feel as if it was just another day.

A few days ago, I entered this palace thinking it was just an ordinary banquet, but I didn't expect that everything would change when I came out of the palace.

The emperor dies, the saint reappears, the dragons fight, and the princes compete for the throne.

Each one of them was a major event enough to shock the world, and when they came together they exploded.

Speaking of which, no one knew where Yun Xing had gone. Perhaps she had foreseen the trouble that was to come and used the unique method of the Kitchen God to escape in advance. As for the rest of the Hidden Dragons, did they come out? Xie Yuan was powerless to care.

Seeing soldiers on martial law everywhere in the capital and collapsed buildings visible in the distance, Xie Yuan sighed. The aftermath alone had caused so much damage, and this must have been after they had stopped.

The influence of the Grand Master is truly immeasurable.

"This new emperor's methods are indeed quite similar to those of the previous emperor."

Li Tai suddenly whispered.

Situ Qin nodded slightly:
"He must have some tricks he hasn't used yet."

Xie Yuan raised his eyebrows and said:
"Anything else? Hmm..."

He was thoughtful, thinking that the Fourteenth Prince was a heavy gambler. If it weren't for the two of them today, wouldn't he have been tricked by the Nineteenth Prince?
Situ Qin said slowly:

"Look at the elite soldiers rushing out from behind, there must be other 'kingdom in hand' in his palace. Since he has a second one, I think he must have a third or even a fourth one, maybe hidden on his body."

Xie Yuan thought about those elite troops who suddenly appeared later, and he understood.

Since there is no skill to create soldiers by throwing beans, this is undoubtedly from the country in his hands. If the fourteenth prince is not a reckless man, he must have such a trump card.

For such a major matter concerning his life and property, and the fate of the dynasty, he must have left some room for maneuver. However, perhaps there was indeed no master-level expert left, and the death of his personal guard in the attack was indeed an accident. No wonder he hated his younger brother, the Nineteenth Prince, so much in the end.

The prince's defeat was not unfair. The emperor gave such treasures and the Yao family, which he had secretly conquered, to the fourteenth prince. Even though he had been the crown prince for forty years, he could not match the emperor's wishes.

However, no matter what happened in the palace, it has now been settled, and there are only some finishing touches to be done. Next, the Fourteenth Prince will be busy ascending the throne and gathering the ministers, so he probably has no time to care about Xie Yuan for the time being. He is not as eager as the Crown Prince to silence all the mouths. In the future, he will deal with the Xie family.

Finally safe, Xie Yuan and Situ Qin stood holding hands, staring at each other silently, which made Aunt Hong smile. Li Tai scratched his square head and said:

"Xie Yuan, you'd better go back to the Xie family as soon as possible."

The two young men were interrupted, Xie Yuan was surprised:
"Tiber, what do you mean by that?"

Li Tai said in a deep voice:
"Although I didn't dare to watch the previous battle closely, it seems that the head of the Xie family suffered some losses. He was later sent back and didn't look very good..."

"what?"

Xie Yuan was startled and immediately showed an anxious look:

"How is Second Uncle?"

"I don't know either, so I suggest you go back and take a look."

Li Tai shook his head.

If something happened to Xie Yi, he would probably cheer if he stood in his position. But for Xie Yuan's sake, he still gave a reminder.

Xie Yuan was a little anxious, nodded repeatedly, and then looked at Situ Qin:

"Miss Qin, I'm just..."

"Go back quickly."

Situ Qin showed an understanding look, and then said with embarrassment:
"I should be with you at a time like this, but..."

She felt a little regretful. The positions of their families made it difficult for her to accompany Xie Yuan openly.

Xie Yuan shook his head and held Situ Qin's hand tightly:
"In the future, I will definitely bring you to my house in a dignified manner."

His words made Situ Qin blush, and she looked extremely beautiful. She smiled shyly but happily, brightly and charmingly:
"Okay, then I'll wait."

Xie Yuan and Situ Qin waved goodbye, and also said goodbye to Li Tai and Aunt Hong, then turned around and rushed to the Xie family's villa like the wind.

Naturally, few soldiers on martial law along the way could spot Xie Yuan. Occasionally, a master noticed him, but just as they were about to stop him, they found that he had disappeared. Even the grandmaster was very surprised and quickly sounded the alarm, causing a small commotion.

When they were almost at the villa, Xie Yuan saw from afar that the gate of the magnificent mansion was closed. He quickened his pace again, rushed over and knocked on the door.

The doorman cautiously opened a small gap, and seeing that it was Xie Yuan, he quickly let him in.

"Master Yuan, you are finally back!"

The doorman said hurriedly. Xie Yuan looked over and saw that the Xie family residence was on high alert during this extraordinary period, but people all looked a little gloomy.

Soon an elder came over and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xie Yuan:

"Xie Yuan, I'm glad you're back. I haven't heard any news from the palace these days, so my family has been sending people to inquire, but to no avail. Fortunately, fortunately..."

Xie Yuan nodded and asked hurriedly:

"Seventh cousin, how is the head of the family?"

The seventh uncle's expression changed slightly, and he looked a little serious:

"Not very good... go and have a look."

Xie Yuan hurriedly followed him to the backyard. When they arrived at the main house, they found that it was heavily guarded. At a glance, there were nearly ten masters of the Xie family there, standing or sitting in the yard, all of them with frowns and gloomy expressions.

Xie Yuan had a growing ominous premonition in his heart. Although the masters around him were very surprised to see him leave the palace unharmed, he just nodded perfunctorily, walked to the door of the house and gently pushed it open.

"Didn't I tell you that no one is allowed to come in and disturb us?"

Xie Lingyun's scream startled Xie Yuan.

Xie Lingyun's hair was disheveled. She turned around abruptly, looking pale and tired, with bloodshot and a fierce look in her eyes.

However, when she saw that it was Xie Yuan who came in, she was stunned for a moment, her expression instantly changed to surprise, and then became extremely sad. She seemed to be deflated, and her eyes were suddenly filled with tears.

She cried in a hoarse voice:

"Brother, why did you just come back?"

Xie Yuan rushed forward, embraced Xie Lingyun, and patted her back gently:
"It's okay, I'm back... Where's Second Uncle?"

There was a strong smell of medicine in the room and the light was a little dim.

Xie Yuan inexplicably recalled the hospital in his distant past life, which smelled of disinfectant and had pale fluorescent lights.

Xie Lingyun looked miserable, and took Xie Yuan around the screen.

Xie Yuan saw Xie Yi lying quietly on the bed with no blood on his face.

He was breathing weakly and looked very haggard.

Seeing his weak appearance, Xie Yuan found it hard to believe. He could not connect him with the sometimes cool and humorous and sometimes quite majestic patriarch of the Xie family. He could not believe that this man was the number one on the Flying Dragon List who broke into the Yao Mansion in Nanjing alone and easily took him away in front of Yao Yuzhi and the owner of Qiufeng Tower who were holding the Tian'a Sword.

"How could this be?"

Xie Yuan said with a trembling voice.

Xie Lingyun bit her lip:
"It was the Cui family who brought my father back. They said, they said that the witch had seriously injured him..."

"How heavy?"

Xie Yuan asked quickly.

Although Xie Yuan, as a warrior, had his own judgment based on Xie Yi's appearance, he felt that he must have made a wrong judgment. After all, he was not very clear about the Grandmaster's affairs.

Xie Lingyun's face was pale and she was crying:

“They don’t say…”

Xie Yuan couldn't help but sigh heavily. There were so many masters outside the door. If there were any other methods, they would have used them long ago.

"Brother, father won't, won't, never wake up again, right?"

Xie Lingyun asked with tears in her eyes.

Xie Yuan quickly patted Xie Lingyun on the back:
"No, Second Uncle is a lucky man..."

Xie Yuan had no choice but to comfort her in this way, but at this moment all his words seemed a little pale, just like the fluorescent lights in a hospital ward.

The two were silent and could only look at Xie Yi quietly, watching him almost breathe his last.

Suddenly, Xie Yi coughed violently twice, and blood came out from the corners of his mouth.

Xie Lingyun was shocked and rushed over to help, only to see that Xie Yi actually opened his eyes slightly!
Xie Lingyun was overjoyed, wiped off Xie Yi's blood, and asked quickly:

"Dad, Dad! Can you hear me? I'm Ling Yun'er! Ling Yun'er!"

Xie Yi looked at his daughter in front of him silently, and seemed to have regained some of his brilliance. He nodded slightly:

"Ling Yun'er, hey, Dad is fine."

The more he spoke, the clearer his voice became, and his spirits visibly improved.

However, Xie Yuan and Xie Lingyun's moods sank at the same time, as if they were about to fall to the bottom of the valley.

Xie Lingyun forced a smile and said:

"Dad, I'm glad you're okay. My brother has returned from the palace unharmed."

Xie Yi looked at Xie Yuan, his eyes lit up and he smiled:

"I knew this wouldn't be a problem for you."

Xie Yuan bent down in front of the bed and nodded:
"Uncle, don't worry, I'm fine, you should take good care of yourself..."

"Why should I rest? I know my situation well. Even a great immortal can't heal this kind of injury. I am still holding on to my breath, waiting for you to come back."

Xie Yi smiled carefreely. Although he was in good spirits, his face was as pale as gold paper.

Xie Lingyun burst into tears again and threw herself on Xie Yi:
"Dad, don't say that..."

Xie Yi stroked Xie Lingyun's head, his eyes full of sadness:

"Silly girl, everyone will die, even the Grandmaster is no exception. When I am gone, you must be sensible, practice martial arts well, and be filial to your mother."

Xie Lingyun just kept shaking her head and crying.

Xie Yi sighed, looked at Xie Yuan, and said in a low voice:
"Xie Yuan, time is running out. I have a few words to tell you."

"Uncle...please speak."

Xie Yuan felt a little bitter. Needless to say, Xie Yi was very good to him. He was his only relative and elder in the world. He had just felt the love of his family here for a short time, but he didn't expect to experience the separation forever.

Xie Yi looked at him and sighed:

"I broke through to the Grandmaster level at the last moment, confirming my previous speculation. Remember, don't break through to the Grandmaster level unless you are absolutely sure."

"Absolutely sure?"

Xie Yuan frowned and asked in confusion:

"What do you mean by absolutely sure? Shouldn't a breakthrough require absolutely sure? Uncle, I don't quite understand."

Xie Yi shook his head:

"Just remember it. It would be bad for you to talk too much now. You will understand when the time comes."

Xie Yuan had no choice but to take note and nodded.

Xie Yi continued:

"Second, Xie Yuan, from now on, you will be the one to shoulder the burden of the Xie family."

Xie Yuan was stunned for a moment, and said quickly:
"Second uncle, my Xie clan is full of great masters. I am only at this level of cultivation. I am afraid I cannot handle such an important task..."

Xie Yi reluctantly waved his hand to interrupt him, his complexion already somewhat gloomy:
"Listen to me, Xie Yuan, only you can bear this responsibility.

"My Xie family has lost two grandmasters in a row. It is already an extremely critical moment. In extraordinary times, extraordinary things must be done. Now the family must have a genius who can truly stabilize the morale of the army, so as to deter the heroes and subdue the villains.

"Although there are many masters in the family, only you and Ling Yun'er have the potential to be grand masters. Ling Yun'er is a girl, and she is not as old and intelligent as you. Who else can take on this heavy responsibility? This is for the family. I would not feel at ease if anyone else took on this responsibility.

"After you take the position of the head of the family, you should reduce your power and give up what needs to be given up. It doesn't matter even if there is only one Chen County left. There is no need to rush. Everything should be focused on improving your own cultivation. The backbone of the family is still there, and it should be able to support you until you can defeat all the heroes... cough cough."

He still had a lot to explain, but after saying so much in one breath, he felt a little out of breath and coughed twice.

Xie Yi sighed, knowing that time was running out, so he pressed all the other buttons and tried to take off the ring on his hand tremblingly.

The top master who used to be so imposing and domineering now had trembling hands and failed to take out the ring after several attempts, like a dying old man.

Xie Yuan looked away, unable to watch any more. He only heard Xie Yi smile:
"I still can't bear to part with this ring... Here, Xie Yuan, give me your hand. This is a treasure."

Xie Yuan hesitated, but saw Xie Yi glaring at him:
"At this moment, if you hesitate, how can you take on such a great responsibility? Do you want me to be unable to close my eyes?"

Xie Yuan pursed his lips tightly and had to stretch out his hand.

Xie Yi put the reddish-white blood jade ring on Xie Yuan's left thumb with great difficulty. Then Xie Yi took a deep breath and suddenly shouted, the sound spreading outside the house.
"Xie Yuan, the new head of the Chenjun Xie family, listen to my orders. When you lead the family from now on, you should put the family first, don't harbor selfish thoughts, don't... cough cough.

"Forget it, I won't say any more nonsense."

Xie Yi laughed again, his voice gradually becoming lower:

"Xie Yuan, there is something else... I want to tell you.

"When you become a Grandmaster and stabilize the family, and you have secured your position, you can go to... the ancestral hall. There are things I left for you.

"Also, Cui and Wang families, you, must be careful...especially, especially..."

When Xie Yi reached this point, his voice gradually became barely audible.

Just as Xie Yuan was about to move closer to listen, he saw Xie Yi lower his head and fall silent.

"father!"

Xie Lingyun's hoarse cry pierced the sky.

The masters outside the door rushed in, and they all looked sad when they glanced at the couch. But when they saw the ring on Xie Yuan's hand, they were all surprised.

Xie Yuan was in grief, clenched his fists tightly, and was a little confused for a moment.

However, his left hand felt the heavy ring, as if he felt the burden that Xie Yi had personally handed over to him, and his eyes became firm.

As everyone was crying in grief, a golden light filled with compassion shone into the room, and then a clear voice rang out:

"I seem to be late? No way? I am late?" (End of this chapter)