"Disciple Zeng Ru Xue pays respects to Master." Upon hearing this, Zeng Ru Xue immediately knelt down and bowed respectfully towards the outside of the house. At this moment, Zeng Ru Xue appeared significantly more mature than before.
"Senior Zeng, Master is also aware of your lifespan. I will be leaving the Southern Region next, and you are inevitably concerned about your junior sister being unprotected when your time comes. Therefore, before departing, Master specifically gave me a Spirit Nurturing Yin Yang Pill. Senior Zeng, if you take this, it should extend your lifespan by another twenty years."
Li Xuan nodded. Everyone's growth requires sacrifice. Moreover, Zeng Ru Xue's maturity was inevitable. Although it seemed like a part of Zeng Ru Xue's childlike innocence was being taken away, gaining the inheritance of an ancient alchemist was well worth it.
"Spirit Nurturing Yin Yang Pill!" Zeng Ming's pupils contracted sharply. That was an eighth-grade divine pill!
"Your esteemed master can actually refine an eighth-grade divine pill. It seems my old eyes were not sharp enough." Zeng Ming chuckled bitterly, looking at the jade bottle in his hand with a face full of emotion.
Li Xuan smiled. When he heard Zeng Ming mention an eighth-grade divine pill, Li Xuan was indeed somewhat shocked. But more than that, he felt a strong curiosity towards the person who had chosen him. If someone like Yi Qin was imprisoned in the Prison of Suppression, how powerful must that person be?
Li Xuan clearly remembered that the Prison of Suppression had nine layers.
And Yi Qin was only suppressed on the first layer.
"Senior Zeng, I can stay for a while longer. During this time, Senior Zeng should take this pill first," Li Xuan said with a smile.
Actually, Li Xuan had intended to head to the Central Region after finishing his business. However, Yi Qin had instructed Li Xuan to guard Zeng Ming until he refined the Spirit Nurturing Yin Yang Pill before leaving. Since Yi Qin had given such an instruction, Li Xuan naturally had to comply.
"Then I thank you kindly, young friend." Zeng Ming nodded upon hearing this. Consuming a divine pill required time, and during this period, Zeng Ru Xue and the entire Zeng Manor would need someone to care for them. Moreover, Zeng Ming knew that once he entered seclusion, he would inevitably attract attention. Without someone to oversee things, it would be a disaster for the Zeng Manor.
"You are too kind, Senior Zeng." Li Xuan waved his hand with a smile, then bent down to look at Zeng Ru Xue. "Junior Sister, you will stay by my side during this time."
"Okay." Zeng Ru Xue blinked her long eyelashes and then nodded in agreement.
Half an hour later, Zeng Ming's order was issued. Everyone in the manor was shaken, and their gazes all fell upon Li Xuan, who was seated at the front of the Zeng Manor's main hall. As for Zeng Ru Xue, she stood quietly behind Li Xuan, holding a candied hawthorn.
"What does Father mean by this? To let an outsider manage the Zeng Manor?" Zeng Li asked in a low voice, a hint of confusion in his tone.
"What, Second Brother, are you questioning Father's decision?" Zeng Nuo asked indifferently.
"Big Brother, don't you have any curiosity? Although our talents are lacking and our strength is weak, who in Tianyun City dares to disrespect our Zeng Manor? Now, Father is handing over the entire Zeng Manor to an outsider. How will others view us three brothers?" Zeng Yi said.
"It seems you three are not as useless as Elder Zeng described if you can admit your shortcomings." Li Xuan naturally overheard the words of Zeng Yi and the other two, and then smiled slightly. "However, I believe you do not need to think about such useless matters right now. The Zeng Manor is merely being looked after by me for a few days on behalf of Senior Zeng. I will depart once Senior Zeng emerges from seclusion."
"Esteemed Senior Li, we mean no disrespect. It's just that Third Brother's words are not without merit. Although our strength is lacking, the Zeng Manor holds some weight in Tianyun City. And for just a few days, can we three brothers not manage it?" Seeing that Li Xuan had overheard him, Zeng Nuo spoke directly and said, "Besides, we are capable of managing it for a few days."
Li Xuan smiled faintly and then pondered. "Very well, since the three of you have said so, the Zeng Manor will be entrusted to the three of you for the next few days. However, Ru Xue will remain by my side. You may handle everything else as you see fit."
"Good!" The three brothers, Zeng Nuo, exchanged glances and then nodded in unison. They knew this was an opportunity. An opportunity to showcase their abilities to their father.
Li Xuan smiled. He understood the intentions of Zeng Nuo and the other two. It was not wrong for sons to seek their father's approval, but they needed to know the right time. Sometimes, recognizing oneself and reality was crucial.
"Junior Sister, let's go." Li Xuan stood up, took Zeng Ru Xue's hand, and turned to leave. Zeng Ru Xue glanced back at her parents standing in the crowd, intending to speak, but ultimately picked up the candied hawthorn and began to eat it.
"Is the information accurate?" In a mansion, an elder with a mustache suddenly stood up and asked the black-clothed man kneeling before him.
"To the Master of the House, the situation is indeed true. The origin of that young man is unknown. After Zeng Ming brought the young man back to the Zeng Manor, he immediately went into seclusion. It is rumored that Zeng Ming did not even grant the Third Prince any face at the time." The black-clothed man nodded.
"Elder Zeng is nearing his end, and he has actually gone into seclusion now..." The elder sat back down, tapping his temples with his index finger as he pondered. "The Zeng family has produced a young girl, an alchemist of the fourth grade at less than six years old. If she grows up, my Luo Manor will likely have no chance of ever rising again."
"You may withdraw. Wait for another day. Send people to closely monitor every move of the Zeng Manor, in case Elder Zeng is attempting some trickery." After thinking it over, the elder decided to proceed cautiously.
"Yes!" The black-clothed man clasped his fists in response and then stood up to leave.
"Someone!" After the black-clothed man left, the elder suddenly called out. Soon, a servant appeared.
"Go and invite the Third Prince to my mansion. Tell him that I am free these days," the elder said indifferently.
The servant quickly departed. The elder thought for a moment, then stood up and walked towards the outside.
Soon, a day passed.
Inside the Zeng Manor.
"I knew it. Father is just worrying too much. A whole day has passed, and nothing has happened," Zeng Yi said in the main hall.
"Exactly. Fortunately, that brat was sensible and voluntarily returned the authority to us. Otherwise, we would have had to take orders from him these past few days. That would have been truly stifling," Zeng Li said.
"The only ones in the city who are at odds with our Zeng family are the Luo family. Yesterday, I arranged for people to observe the movements of the Luo Manor, but there was no abnormality, just like before. It seems Father was overthinking this time," Zeng Nuo nodded and said.
"Big Brother, you are too tense. Father is still alive, would the Luo family dare to attack us? I heard that Cuihong Tower has invited Miss Yu Luosha today. Do you and Second Brother have any interest in accompanying me?" Zeng Yi said with a smile.
"Yu Luosha is actually in Tianyun City? But..." Zeng Nuo's eyes lit up, but then his expression became somewhat conflicted.
"Big Brother, the three of us brothers will go out openly. Even if the Luo family makes a move, seeing us like this, they will worry that we have contingency plans. Besides, in Tianyun City, would the Luo family dare to openly attack us?" Zeng Li immediately brightened upon hearing Yu Luosha's name and then said.
"That's true. Well, it is said that Yu Luosha is the most beautiful woman in our country. It would be a pity not to see her. Let's go and have a look. But we've agreed, we must be back by the first watch of the night," Zeng Nuo finally could not resist the impulse in his heart and nodded in agreement.
"Senior Brother, Grandpa Zeng Nuo and the others have gone out." After Zeng Nuo and the other two swaggered out of the Zeng Manor, Zeng Ru Xue walked up to Li Xuan, holding a newly bought candied hawthorn, and said.
Li Xuan nodded helplessly. The movements within the Zeng Manor were all within Li Xuan's sight. He knew as soon as Zeng Nuo and the other two left the manor. However, Li Xuan did not want to interfere.
Sometimes, if people court death themselves, even if someone below is pushing them up, they will fall down. Without a bloody lesson, some people will never grow up.
"Junior Sister, if I don't intervene with those three, will you hate me?" Li Xuan asked after some thought.
Zeng Ru Xue thought for a moment and then shook her head. "I won't hate Senior Brother, but I worry that Great-Grandfather will be sad and upset because of it."
"What a clever little girl." Li Xuan smiled wryly and patted Zeng Ru Xue's head. Then he stood up and stretched his limbs. "Fine, then let them suffer a little, but not to the point of losing their lives."