Why did you provoke that old man? He's a reincarnation of a deity!

Xiao Nian walked to Ye Tianming's side, helped him up, and whispered in his ear, "Go back and tell your father, 'Dragon Palm Reflects the Milky Way, Xiao Family Accompanies Ye He.'"

"Dragon Palm Reflects the Milky Way, Xiao Clan Accompanies Ye He" is a secret code shared by the Xiao and Ye families, known only to the current heads of the two families. After Xiao Nian became a Martial Emperor who had broken through the limits, he naturally became the head of the Xiao family, but unfortunately, he died young.

Ye Tianming was taken aback when he heard this. Why was Old Man Meng suddenly reciting poetry?

Then Xiao Nian leaped onto the black cloud and turned his horse around.

The jet-black steed gleamed in the sunlight, its hooves pounding the ground silently, its eyes filled with fierceness, showing no regard for anyone present.

It snorted, exhaling two puffs of white air, and turned to glance at Yu Hu. Yu Hu was so startled by the beast's glare that his heart trembled.

"This horse?" Yu Hu subconsciously wanted to speak, because this Black Cloud was bought from the Martial Arts Academy at great expense by his hunting grounds.

It is said to be a genuine demon beast, which even Dean Chen could not tame, making it a favorite among martial artists and a veritable cash cow for the hunting grounds.

He desperately wanted to say, "This horse is mine." But at that moment, saying anything would have been superfluous.

Xiao Nian sat upright on his horse, his sunken eyes casting a deep glance at Yu Hu. Yu Hu felt a chill run down his spine; this languor wasn't from relief after surviving a disaster, but from disdain.

Yu Hu couldn't imagine who would have died after the shot was fired.

"Let's go," Xiao Nian said to Xiao Fei, gently spurring the horse's flanks.

Black Cloud reared up, carrying him through the woods, and slowly disappeared from everyone's sight.

Yu Hu knelt on the ground until the two figures were completely out of sight before he dared to raise his head.

He wiped away a cold sweat, looking as if he had been pulled out of the water.

Li Jun slumped to the side, half of his face swollen like a steamed bun, staring at Yu Hu in horror.

"What are you looking at? Get out of here right now! If anyone tells anyone about what happened today, I'll tear their mouths apart." Seeing Xiao Nian walk away, Yu Hu became fierce again.

The people behind Li Jun helped each other out of the hunting grounds...

Xiao Nian ignored the chaos behind her and quickly caught up with Xiao Fei.

The two left the hunting grounds together and headed south along the official road.

"Mr. Meng, Master Zeng originally intended to pay a visit tomorrow, but it's the same whether you come today or not," Xiao Fei said as they walked. "The Zeng family's main residence in the provincial capital is in Baihe Lane in the west of the city, which is quite a distance from here. It takes about an hour by horseback. Is your health up to that?"

"It's alright." Xiao Nian nodded. This distance used to be just a thought, but today it would take an hour of bumpy riding on horseback. Foundation Establishment was imminent.

The provincial capital of Jiangbei was several times larger than Mizhou Prefecture, and its city walls were also much higher, but for Western magicians, it was just a matter of a few spells.

As a popular saying at the end of the Great Xia Dynasty goes: "Times have changed! Magic is accurate beyond seven steps, and within seven steps, magic is both fast and accurate."

Believe it or not, Westerners also have guns and cannons, which can be equipped on ordinary people.

The western part of the city is a luxury residential area in the provincial capital. The entire western part of the city is divided into several areas by wealthy families.

After entering the provincial capital, they continued westward, and the streets became wider and the houses on both sides became more and more magnificent.

High walls made of blue bricks, vermilion gates, stone lions, and hitching posts. Everywhere you look, there are deep courtyards, clearly inhabited by wealthy and noble families.

"Is this all Zeng family property?" Xiao Nian asked as they ventured deeper into the area and saw Zeng family symbols everywhere.

"Most of them are," Xiao Fei said calmly. "The entire Baihe Lane belongs to the Zeng family, as do the shops on the eastern half of the street. When Old Master Zeng was in charge of the military affairs in Jiangbei, the imperial court rewarded him with a lot of land, and he gradually amassed this fortune."

He paused, then added, "However, the Zeng family doesn't rely on this for a living. The old master disliked business the most his whole life, always saying, 'Let's pass down the family tradition of farming and scholarship, and live an honest life.' These shops and houses in Jiangbei are merely the legacy left by our ancestors."

Xiao Nian nodded slightly.

In his previous life, his knowledge of the Zeng family was limited to Zeng Yuantu, but he had heard of the formidable reputation of Zeng Gunfa, the patriarch of the Zeng family.

That old man was a semi-saint of his time, who quelled church unrest, wiped out bandits, and fought off the Taiping rebels. His life's achievements are recorded in history.

Although the Xia dynasty was a foreign power that entered the Central Plains, they still had to treat someone like him with respect.

Is Grandpa Zeng still alive?

"Yes, he is." A hint of awe flashed in Xiao Fei's eyes. "The old master is eighty-six years old this year and has retired to his old home in Huxi. The old man is still in good spirits, but he no longer manages things; he's left everything to the other gentlemen."

"Oh? Four gentlemen?" Xiao Nian knew Zeng Yuantu before, but not the others, so he became interested.

As Xiao Fei led the way, he whispered, "Mr. Meng, you may not know this, but the Zeng family has had four masters in the current generation."

"The eldest son is Master Zeng Yuanqiao, a man of both literary and martial talents. Back then, he followed the old master to oversee the defense of Jiangbei and fought a tough battle against the Westerners. Unfortunately, although they won the battle, Master Zeng was cursed by a foreign sorcerer and fell ill with it. However, the people of Jiangbei remember him well and call him the hero of Jiangbei. As you can see, the plaque in the mansion was bestowed by the imperial court."

Xiao Nian nodded; he did indeed sense the aura of war and battle emanating from Zeng Yuanqiao.

"Second Master Zeng Yuanhong is a scholar," Xiao Fei smiled. "He doesn't like martial arts; he just enjoys tending to flowers and plants. He built a large garden in his old home in Huxi, planting over eight hundred kinds of exotic flowers and plants. He rarely leaves the garden throughout the year. The old master often jokingly scolds him for being useless, but Second Master doesn't care and lives a carefree life."

"The third son, Zeng Yuanshu, is the most promising," Xiao Fei said with a hint of admiration. "He's now the Governor of Zhili Province, a high-ranking official of the second rank. The people under his rule are peaceful and prosperous, and they often praise him as a just and upright official! The third son returns to Jiangbei every three months to visit the old master, making him the one who worries the old master the most among all the gentlemen."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Nian's brows furrowed slightly: if he remembered correctly, in his previous life, Zhiku Province was the fastest to declare independence.

Xiao Fei paused slightly when he mentioned the fourth brother, looked around, and lowered his voice, saying, "As for the fourth master, he's the one whose name you mentioned."

He hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure whether he should speak.

Xiao Nian glanced at him: "Speak freely."

"Fourth Master Zeng Yuantu," Xiao Fei lowered his voice even further, "is the most eccentric of all the masters. He doesn't like being an official, doesn't like doing business, and doesn't like practicing martial arts. He's gone to the south now, supposedly to start a revolution! The old master was so angry he wanted to sever their father-son relationship and locked him up at home for three years, but he couldn't keep him there. He ran away again a couple of years ago, and I heard he's now forming some kind of new army in the Huguang area."

Xiao Nian's eyes flickered slightly. So that's how Zeng Yuantu was regarded at home. Who would have thought that it would be many years later that Zeng Yuantu's name would be remembered by the world?

Who knows if someone who is unknown today will not become famous in the future?

"The old master least wants to talk about the fourth master," Xiao Fei sighed. "But everyone in the manor knows that every year on the fourth master's birthday, the old master would sit alone in his study until very late, with a portrait of the fourth master as a child on the table, and he wouldn't let anyone in."

Xiao Nian was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Chaos is approaching, and the path General Yuan Tu has chosen may not be wrong."

Xiao Fei was taken aback, seemingly wanting to say something, but seeing Xiao Nian's calm expression, he swallowed his words.

He always felt that the old man spoke with too much certainty, as if he could foresee things that had not yet happened.

"Let's go," Xiao Nian urged Hei Yun, "Old Master Zeng is still waiting."

As they talked, the two arrived deep within White Crane Lane. A massive mansion came into view. Xiao Fei led him through the gate.

As they passed through the triple ceremonial gate and two covered corridors, the servants along the way bowed their heads in greeting to Xiao Fei, but no one dared to approach him to speak.

Several century-old locust trees grow in the courtyard, with stone tables and benches under them. Several books are spread out on the tables, and a white cat lies lazily on the books, basking in the sun.

This is the essence of the Zeng family. They don't need a house full of gold and jade to show off their wealth. The time and heritage accumulated in every brick and tile are enough to inspire awe in anyone who walks in.

Turning through a bamboo gate, the view suddenly opened up before them. A large sandalwood table came into view, where an old man in a moon-white robe was bent over painting, with a slender figure beside him.

The old man dipped his brush in ink, wielded the brush, and sketched with unhurried and composed movements.

Zeng Yuanqiao and Zeng Zixuan.