chapter 28 Stormy and cloudy ===

Lord's Mansion Commander Guo, kneeled on one knee before a middle-aged man in a purple robe, his expression somber. "Lord of the city, you must intervene for us. We were all deceived by that brat; he's no useless person at all." Sniffling, the dignified first-ranked guards of the city lord's mansion returned with torn clothes. The other guards had wounds on their necks, signs that the enemy had shown mercy. "Is what you're saying true?" The lord of Canglan City, whose real name was Lichenus Qi, had been in charge of Canglan City for over twenty years. "It's absolutely true. They can all testify." Ten guards knelt outside the main hall, not qualified to enter. They covered their necks with their right hands; this was a humiliation. "Dad..." From behind a curtain, a man and a woman walked out. The woman was relatively young, in her twenties, and there was also an old man with a sharp nose and a fierce look. The woman was named Neve Qi, Lichenus Qi's youngest daughter, who had joined the Imperial Academy two years ago. Standing beside her was the old man, Cypressia Zhao, a senior mentor at the Imperial Academy. Although his status was not as high as Sylvion Baili's, it was still significant. Those who could join a mentor's sect were not ordinary talents. Most Imperial Academy students had to rely on their own cultivation, and without a strong background, it was difficult for them in the academy. "Neve, how is the Yin Poison in your body?" Lichenus Qi changed his expression and asked with concern. "It's not a big problem now. I have to thank Master for coming all the way from the Imperial Capital and especially bringing a Ninth sun fruit. We sent people to search for the herbs that are extremely Yin and Yang, and rushed to the Imperial Capital day and night. Thanks to that, the Yin Poison has been cleared. I'll be fine after a few days of rest." "Thank you, Master Zhao, for your great kindness. I won't say much. Tonight, I will host a grand banquet to welcome Master Zhao." As the lord of Canglan City, he was only at the first stage of the Pulp-washing realm, and compared to the mentors of the Imperial Academy, he was considered inferior. "Lord Qian is considerate. Neve's health was affected, and as her Master, I couldn't just stand by." Being respected was always a pleasant feeling. Cypressia Zhao stroked his beard, looking like a transcendent figure. "Dad, what was that about the useless person you mentioned just now?" Neve Qi, born with a charming appearance, phoenix eyes, not very ugly, cheekbones without flesh, and thin lips like a thin knife, seemed like someone with a sharp tongue. Commander Guo quickly knelt down and recounted the events of the day, elaborating on how the man, in fact, was not a waste. Neve Qi's eyes showed a hint of surprise. She hadn't expected such a change in the Xu family's son-in-law after being away for two years. "Lord of the city, when should we take revenge? If we don't wipe out the Xu family, the prestige of the city lord's mansion will be lost." Commander Guo added more fuel to the fire, mentioning how they were unable to obtain the Ninth Sun fruit, ultimately resulting in offending the city lord's mansion. "Xu family? I heard that Sylvion Baili also came to Canglan City, seemingly for a girl from the Xu family." Cypressia Zhao suddenly interjected. He had left the Imperial Capital with Sylvion Baili, and the two had some interaction on the way. "That's right, it's the Xu family. I just received the news that the girl from the Xu family has already left Canglan City with Sylvion Baili, entering the Imperial Academy for cultivation ahead of time." Lichenus Qi couldn't help but hear the ins and outs. Commander Guo embellished the story, falsely accusing Verdantius Liu of insulting the city lord's mansion. All of this was pure fabrication, but for the sake of revenge, he was willing to pay any price. "Dad, what do you plan to do next? Are you just going to let this matter go?" Neve Qi's face revealed a cold and murderous intent. Fortunately, Master Zhao had arrived in time, saving her life. This Xu family son-in-law had ignored her life and death, refusing to yield the Ninth Sun fruit, making her somewhat angry. "Just let it go?" Lichenus Qi sneered. So many years had passed, and no one had dared to slap Lichenus Qi's face like this; this was the first time, how could he just let it go? "What should we do then? The girl from the Xu family has entered the Imperial Academy with Sylvion Baili taking care of her. Killing her family might not be suitable." Neve Qi's lips revealed a trace of killing intent. The position of the city lord's mansion must not be shaken. This was related to her presence in the academy. If the family had a background, the academy would pay more attention. "Three days ago, this waste offended the Wan family and the Tian family in the Beast Arena. One month later, the Xu family will be expelled from Canglan City. There is no need for us to take action; the Wan family has flattered the Xue family. It is most appropriate for them to take action." This information had long been passed to the city lord's mansion. They planned to use the knives of others to kill. Sylvion Baili is a female sorceress, unpredictable in her emotions. It's anyone's guess whether she will redirect her anger towards others for the sake of the Xu family. The best approach is to sit back and watch the situation unfold. Everyone nodded in agreement, and Cypressia Zhao also approved of Lichenus Qi's suggestion. It would be better if Sylvion Baili could be avoided, as this sorceress is truly fearsome, and her notorious name has already spread throughout the entire Great Yan Empire. ... Xu Family Courtyard! Verdantius Liu stared fixedly at the alchemy furnace; there was only one chance, and he couldn't afford to miss it. He had great confidence in his alchemy skills, but at this moment, he felt a bit nervous, fearing failure. Under the pressure from the Wan family, the coercion from the Tian family, and the tempting threats from the Pill Treasure cockloft, the Lord's Mansion hung over him like a sword. An outsider tore apart the engagement right in front of him, and a series of blows failed to crush him. The alchemical fire burned brightly, releasing a rich aura of Tai Huang energy. He manipulated the flames, enveloping the entire alchemy furnace. The Ninth Sun fruits and Scarlet Spirit Grass completely dissolved, and the other ingredients were purified a few days ago. Now, all that was left were these two medicinal herbs. As time passed second by second, sweat-soaked Verdantius Liu's body. He didn't have time to wipe it off. Suddenly, he forcefully lifted the furnace lid, and intense flames entered the interior of the alchemy furnace. This was the final step, the forging process. In normal alchemy, it was extremely rare to let the alchemical fire enter the furnace; it was too risky. Being only at the Acquired Realm, he couldn't refine third-grade elixirs, so he could only take the risk. The rich scent of the elixir filled the entire courtyard. Two crystal-clear elixirs shuttled through the flames. With each refinement, the efficacy of the medicine would be purified a bit more, and impurities inside would be continuously removed. Hands formed seals, a large number of spirit runes entered the elixir. Spirit runes could be used not only for elixirs but also for weapons and inscribing talismans. After carving spirit runes, the elixir possessed strong spirituality, emitting a spinning motion. "Retrieve the elixir!" The flames suddenly disappeared, and the alchemy furnace quickly cooled down. Using true qi to envelop them, two Prolonging Elixirs fell into his palms. "Success!" At this moment, Verdantius Liu's eyes were slightly moist. Only with reconnected meridians could he do more things and accelerate cultivation. With the elixir in hand, he returned to his room. He needed to seclude himself for some time and, with the help of the Prolonging Elixir, break through the Acquired Realm. Xu Family's Main Hall! Sylvester Hu entered with a handful of weapons, his face unable to contain the excitement. In recent days, due to the troubles in the Weapon workshop, Silvianus Xu's hair had turned considerably white. The business of the Weapon workshop was declining day by day, barely making ends meet. If no changes were made, the Xu family would collapse on its own without the need for external forces. "Lord of the House, these are newly crafted weapons. Please take a look!" Sylvester Hu presented a total of ten weapons, wrapped in green cloth to prevent revealing their secrets. Passersby wouldn't know what he was holding. The family's expenses had drastically reduced recently, and many guards resigned from their positions at the Xu family, joining the other three families. This led to a decline in the Xu family's status. "Sylvester Hu, you've worked hard. Just leave them here for now." Silvianus Xu waved his hand, allowing Sylvester Hu to place the weapons down. The masters in the Weapon workshop had been resting in recent days, and only Sylvester Hu was still researching new forging techniques. He had been ridiculed by many for the past few days, claiming that he was too arrogant. A mere apprentice in the art of forging, what advanced techniques could he possibly discover? "Lord of the House, you should take a look." Given three days by his master to research new forging techniques, Sylvester Hu had almost not slept at all. Dark circles under his eyes, his gaze was exceptionally bright, unable to contain the excitement within him. In recent days, Silvianus Xu had been paying attention to Sylvester Hu's performance. He prioritized Sylvester Hu’s cultivation, stepped down from his position, and took out a long sword. A strand of cold light burst forth, accompanied by a trace of overflowing sword energy. "This..." Just now, it was covered with green cloth, hiding the cold and sword energy. When he unsheathed it, a fierce aura was released. "Such a sharp long sword, and it even possesses a hint of spirituality!" As he swung the long sword, tables and chairs in the distance shattered, damaged by the sword's energy. The quality of this long sword surpassed the limits of approaching spiritual tools; only Thousand Forged Steel could achieve this. "Sylvester Hu, where did these weapons come from?" Silvianus Xu grabbed Sylvester Hu's shoulder. The Xu family couldn't produce such high-quality weapons, let alone believe that Sylvester Hu could forge them. "I crafted them over the past three days." Sylvester Hu, with a simple and honest appearance, scratched his head like a chicken coop. Three days without a bath, and there was a faint odor about him, but Silvianus Xu showed no signs of repulsion. "What!" This time, Silvianus Xu was shocked. He established his position in Canglan City through the art of forging. Sylvester Hu's forging skills were beyond his understanding, far exceeding ordinary forging techniques. "Sylvester Hu, did you personally research these weapons?" Silvianus Xu was extremely excited, grabbing Sylvester Hu's shoulder urgently, eager to know. "Not exactly. Someone taught me and asked me to research and create them within three days." Sylvester Hu was somewhat nervous. This was the first time he had gotten so close to the Lord of the House. He was just an ordinary forging apprentice, relying on his father's position in the Xu family to secure this job, earning a small amount of gold coins every month. "Quickly, tell me who taught you forging, and I'll personally thank them." It was necessary to find this person. By obtaining this forging technique, the Xu family would undoubtedly advance rapidly, earning a considerable amount of gold coins. Only then could they buy resources, train elite guards, and face threats from the Wan and Tian families for a chance to survive. "He... he forbade me from telling others." Sylvester Hu stammered. His master had instructed him not to reveal anything that happened. "Is he in Canglan City?" Silvianus Xu showed a hint of astonishment, secretly assisting the Xu family. Who could it be? "Yes, he's right here in our Xu family. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now. Please trouble the Lord of the House to give this scabbard to the young master." Saying this, Sylvester Hu carefully took out an exquisite scabbard from his bosom. Worried that he might blurt something out, Sylvester Hu quickly turned and left. His straightforward nature made him prone to revealing secrets, and if Silvianus Xu applied some pressure, he would undoubtedly spill the beans. "Sylvester Hu, you are now the chief forger of our Xu family. Whatever you need, just speak up. I will fully support you. The future of the Xu family's forging workshop will depend on you." Silvianus Xu was decisive. A hint of understanding flashed in his eyes, seemingly guessing something but not daring to confirm it.