After fifteen years of cultivation, he finally reached the pinnacle of the first rank!

Chapter 297 The Dugu Family

The two children circled around Li Yuanling, both very excited.

Clearly, they liked Princess Li Yuanling very much, and there was no sign of any distance or restraint due to the difference in their social status.

"How's your marksmanship coming along, you two little ones?"

Surrounded by two children, Li Yuanling walked into the house while asking questions.

The boy named Huo Xiaoqing immediately puffed out his chest and proudly declared:

“My father and grandfather both praised my marksmanship and often said that I was a promising student.”

Another girl named Huo Xiaoyi stared wide-eyed at the other girl and said:

“You’re lying. Father and grandfather only praised you once. They didn’t praise you often. They beat you often instead.”

The boy named Huo Xiaoqing's face immediately fell, and he said:
"One compliment is enough. When you're not beating me, that's a compliment."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanling smiled gently, patted the two children's heads, and said:
"I'll examine your martial arts skills later to see if you're lying."

At this moment, the big black cat leaped down from the wall and jumped into the dilapidated house in front of it, then followed Li Musheng with its cat-like steps.

When the two children heard that Li Yuanling was going to test them, their eyes immediately lit up, and they spotted the big black cat walking with a swagger and looking majestic.

For a moment, both of their eyes were drawn to the big black cat.

Two pairs of eyes fell on the big black cat's glossy black fur and couldn't take their eyes off it.

"Your Highness, is this big cat your pet?"

The two children, their eyes brimming with excitement, eagerly asked Li Yuanling.

However, Li Yuanling shook her head, then looked at Li Musheng and said:

"The big black cat belongs to my good friend."

Upon hearing this, the two children immediately looked at Li Musheng again.

But soon, the two of them frowned slightly, scratched their heads, and said:

"Why does this older brother seem so familiar? I feel like I've seen him somewhere before."

Li Yuanling's expression shifted, her gaze falling on Li Musheng's face, but then her eyes dimmed slightly.

At this moment, Li Musheng glanced at the two little ones and narrowed his eyes.

The little one has a sweet tongue and knows how to call someone "brother".

If you call him "uncle" or "elder brother," he won't give you a warm welcome.

The big black cat beside them, observing Li Musheng's mood, meowed softly, held its head high, and took a few steps closer to Huo Xiaoqing and Huo Xiaoyi.

He basked in the intense and admiring gazes of the two children before him, appearing for a moment imposing and awe-inspiring.

"Shall we go see our three uncles first and ask if they have any clues about Miss Cang?"

Li Yuanling composed herself and continued walking with the two children.

Huo Xiaoyi and Huo Xiaoqing would occasionally turn around to look at the big black cat behind them, both wanting to reach out and touch each other's fur.

Before long, the group arrived at a small, square-shaped building with a courtyard in the back of the house.

Uncle Zhang invited Li Yuanling and the others to sit in the hall, served them tea, and then took his leave to invite the three uncles that Li Yuanling had mentioned.

A large black cat lay on a bamboo chair in the hall, its cat eyes scanning the old building in front of it, while two children, Huo Xiaoqing and Huo Xiaoyi, squatted beside it.

The two children, like the most devout fans, stood guard beside the big black cat, their eyes shining as they gazed at it.

At this moment, Huo Xiaoqing couldn't resist and reached out her little hand to touch the silky fur on the big black cat.

But the big black cat stretched out its paw and slapped the other's paw away, then glared at the two of them with its cat eyes.

That was clearly a warning to the two of them: just look, don't even think about touching it!
Just then, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly came from above the courtyard.

Then, a dazzling silver light descended from the sky and suddenly fell into the moss-covered artificial hill in the center of the courtyard, revealing a long spear shrouded in silver light.

However, the spear tip was pointing upwards, and the shaft was inserted into the rocks, tearing cracks in the rocks.

"The Huo family's spear technique is nothing special!"

A young, cool female voice came from outside the courtyard building.

Immediately afterwards, a slightly disheveled purple figure fell into the courtyard along with the spear, crashing to the ground and creating a crater several inches deep.

The purple figure was a girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old, with a ponytail and skin that was not fair but rather a healthy wheatish complexion.

She was quite beautiful, but at that moment her forehead was covered in sweat, and she gripped the silver spear beside her with one hand, breathing heavily.

The next moment, she seemed to notice someone in the surrounding hall, her eyes flickered, and she looked around.

Then she saw that Li Yuanling and the others were all giving her strange looks.

"Sister Yuanling?"

Huo Mu looked surprised, clearly not expecting to meet Princess Li Yuanling.

But just then, a group of people walked in from outside the courtyard building.

There were four people on the other side: an elderly man in a brocade blue robe, a middle-aged man in black clothes, and a young boy and girl.

One of the girls, dressed in a white dress, walked with a long sword trailing behind her, her pale face filled with a cold and aloof expression.

As soon as she entered the hall, she looked at Huo Mu, who was holding a silver spear in the courtyard, and said indifferently:
"You couldn't even withstand three of my sword strikes, do you still want to fight?"

Upon hearing this, Huo Mu shifted his gaze to the group of people who had arrived, then slowly straightened up and said:

"Of course we must compete. Your Dugu family used despicable means to steal part of my Huo family's spear manual. No matter how many times we compete, I will win and take back the Huo family's spear manual."

The girl in the white dress snorted coldly and frowned, saying:

"The title of Champion Marquis is undeserved. No matter how many times you compete, the result will not change."

As she spoke, the girl in the white dress suddenly took a step forward, drew her sword, and charged at the girl in purple in the courtyard once again.

Huo Mu was also on high alert, drawing his spear to meet the enemy's attack.

However, at that moment, a figure fell from the courtyard and casually waved his hand, creating a barrier of true energy in front of the girl in the white dress.

"There's no need to continue. Mu'er is no match for you."

The newcomer was a middle-aged man under forty years old. He was dressed in simple robes, with handsome features and slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. At this moment, his expression was extremely serious.

Upon hearing this, the girl in the white dress suddenly stopped in front of the barrier of true energy.

The white-clad youth behind him flashed a sinister glint in his eyes and shouted at the approaching middle-aged man:

"Your Huo family is shameless! An elder actually dares to interfere in the competition between juniors, bullying the weak. It's truly shameless!"

Upon hearing this, both Huo Mu and Huo Shan, who had arrived, turned pale.

At this moment, Huo Xiaoyi and Huo Xiaoqing suddenly stood up from beside the big black cat, angrily rushed to the front of the courtyard, and shouted in unison at the white-robed youth and the others:

"You're all bad people, get out of my house!" Upon seeing this, Huo Shan immediately tried to grab the two little ones from a distance.

However, he was still a step too slow, and Huo Xiaoyi and Huo Xiaoqing were instantly grabbed by an invisible giant hand.

In an instant, he appeared in front of the middle-aged man dressed in black.

"It is impolite not to reciprocate. Since Brother Huo is willing to shamelessly attack a junior, I can only repay him in kind."

The middle-aged man in black slowly spoke, while Huo Xiaoyi and the other two children were already restrained and unable to move.

Their two little faces were filled with anger, but they couldn't even utter a word.

The big black cat, lying on the bamboo chair, raised its head slightly and blinked its cat eyes. Suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable with two fewer enthusiastic fans around it.

"Let them go!"

……

At this moment, Huo Mu, Huo Shan, and Li Yuanling all spoke almost simultaneously. Li Yuanling suddenly stood up, looked at the middle-aged man in black, and said sternly:

"Dugu Yan, I order you to release them immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan, dressed in black, looked at Li Yuanling and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Upon entering the courtyard building, he naturally spotted Princess Li Yuanling immediately.

However, he didn't seem intimidated by the princess's status, and simply bowed calmly, saying:

"Your Highness, this humble servant greets you."

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, but this is a private matter between my group and the Huo family. If Your Highness wishes to intervene, I beg you to treat everyone fairly and not to favor the Huo family."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuanling frowned, and her expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.

The Dugu family is no small family or clan; rather, it is a powerful and influential clan that wields immense influence throughout the entire capital of the Great Li Dynasty.

All of this is because the Dugu family has a true figure second only to the emperor and above all others—the Great Li Wumu.

Wu Mu was the true commander-in-chief of the three armies and the undisputed number one military figure in the entire Dali Dynasty.

The other party's power was even greater than that of the current Left and Right Chancellors, as well as the Commander of the Tianjin Guard and the Director of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.

Even Zhuge Shenhou of the Six Doors was only equal to him in terms of status and rank, but far inferior in terms of the power he controlled.

"I'm taking these two nephews away. Do you intend to lay a hand on me?"

At this moment, Li Yuanling's eyes turned cold. Although the Dugu family was powerful, she was still a princess, and she did not believe that the other party would dare to lay a hand on her.

After saying that, Li Yuanling walked straight toward Huo Xiaoyi's two children.

But at that moment, Huo Shan, who was standing in the courtyard, suddenly spoke:

"Your Highness, please wait! We must not let this matter harm you."

Having said that, he turned to look at Dugu Yan and the others, and said:

"Everything can be discussed. Why threaten a child? If this gets out, what will become of the reputation of the Dugu family and Lord Wu Mu?"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan shook his head and said:

“Brother Huo, you are mistaken. I never intended to use these two children to threaten you. I was just giving this disrespectful junior a little punishment.”

As he spoke, he waved his hand, looked at Huo Xiaoyi and Huo Xiaoqing, and said:

"Any of you can take them away, but..."

"The premise is that someone in your Huo family has this ability."

Upon hearing this, the white-robed youth standing beside Dugu Yan revealed a mocking expression and said:
"If your Huo family can't even take your own descendants with you, how can you possibly preserve the Huo family's spear manual?"

"You'd be better off handing over the rest of the spear manuals and submitting to the Dugu family. That way, your Huo family can be guaranteed a safe future!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Shan frowned.

However, he ignored the white-robed youth's words and instead looked at Huo Xiaoyi and Huo Xiaoqing, who were standing motionless in the hall.

At this moment, he could vaguely sense that the two of them were enveloped by a layer of dormant, powerful sword intent, which transformed into an invisible cage that sealed off that small area.

Li Yuanling, who was originally walking towards the two children, also noticed something amiss.

She immediately stopped and glared angrily at Dugu Yan and the old man behind him, saying:
"Your Dugu family is truly despicable. I wonder if Wu Mu knows about the dirty things you've done."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure and said:

"Your Highness is too kind. It's just a small trick, nothing despicable. If Your Highness is interested, you are welcome to test the sturdiness of this sword cage."

Li Yuanling almost laughed out of anger. Her face darkened, and she was about to attack the sword cage surrounding Huo Xiaoyi and the other person.

But just then, a figure suddenly drifted in with the wind, arriving before Li Yuanling and reaching out to grab the two children.

In an instant, sword energy burst forth throughout the hall, condensing into a sword shadow about half a foot long, which hovered above the heads of the two children.

At the same time, sharp blades pierced through the surrounding space, transforming into a long spear phantom that pierced straight down towards the sword shadow.

"Buzz!"

The swords clashed and the guns fired, and an invisible shockwave suddenly spread out, turning into a gust of wind that made the courtyard building shake violently.

At the same time, a man with half-gray hair extended a hand with bulging veins and hovered it above the heads of the two children.

The hand was shrouded in true energy, as if it were holding a giant spear that could reach the sky, but no matter what it did, it could not fall even an inch, completely blocked by the sword shadow under its hand.

The slightly aged-looking man's eyes darkened, and he immediately prepared to attack again, attempting to break the sword prison that enveloped him.

"Third Uncle, you still have old injuries, you must not force yourself to fight."

Upon seeing this, Li Yuanling immediately spoke up to stop them.

At this moment, Huo Shan also immediately appeared and said:

"Third Uncle, this sword is not to be underestimated. It would be troublesome if Xiao Yi and Xiao Qing were accidentally injured!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Qifeng's expression shifted for a moment, but in the end, he still chose not to make a move.

After all, these are his two grandsons, and he cannot bear the thought of anything happening to them.

Meanwhile, Dugu Yan and the others stood quietly to the side, never making a move to stop the Huo family.

"We should ask the Marquis to take action himself. You alone cannot break this Dugu Sword Prison!"

At this moment, the old man who had been standing silently beside Dugu Yan slowly spoke.

He lowered his eyes, only glancing briefly at Huo Qifeng before looking away, clearly not taking him seriously at all.

At the same time, the girl in the white dress stood with her sword in hand and said:

"Of course, there are other ways. Either you hand over the Huo family spear manual in person, or if someone in the younger generation of your Huo family surpasses me, we will remove the sword prison!"

As she spoke, she cast a disdainful glance at Huo Mu, who was dressed in purple, across from her.

(End of this chapter)