"What are you all doing? Has something happened that I don't know about?" Xiao Chenyi asked.
Zhou Xuan was helped up by Xiao Wushuang. "Good child, you've worked hard for so many years. This time, it's your maternal grandfather's turn to protect you."
"Grandfather??? Did I hear that right? In the time it took me to go down the mountain to buy a bun, you two recognized each other? You're not fooling me, are you?"
No one paid him any attention.
Zhou Xuan seemed to remember something and said, "Grandfather, is it necessary for you to participate in the election?"
"Are you trying to stop me from participating in the election?"
"That old fox, Yu Tongming, now regards you as his biggest rival. I am currently in his camp. Originally, I intended to use his hand to expand my own influence and annihilate my enemies!" Zhou Xuan said fiercely, punching a nearby tree.
Xiao Wushuang asked anxiously, "Who did you say your enemy is? Tell me, and I'll go decapitate them for your mother right now."
Zhou Xuan shook his head. "My forces are no match for them, nor are my people. They have been entrenched in Shangjing for many years and have developed into a colossal entity. I am now like an ant trying to shake a tree, utterly incapable of fighting them."
Xiao Wushuang grabbed his shoulder. "Who is it!"
"The Qin family, Qin Zhantian!!"
"The Qin family??? It's them!!!" Xiao Wushuang never expected that after years of deploying people in Shangjing day and night, his enemy was right under his nose.
"Could it be that Maternal Grandfather, you didn't know who our enemy was at all? Haven't you found anything out all these years?" Zhou Xuan asked in confusion.
"After all, the distance is too great, and we were spread too thin. We were trying to find your mother while also laying a good foundation here. We couldn't manage both at the same time."
"We only found out that the Zhou family was indeed massacred, and your mother's whereabouts were unknown. There were no bodies at the scene, which is why I thought of having Xiao Chenyi participate in the election and win the top spot to enter the higher command."
"Once we have this, commanding the world and gathering the Four Divine Artifacts will be as easy as flipping one's hand."
Zhou Xuan was puzzled. "How do you know about the Four Divine Artifacts?"
"This legend isn't a secret; it's just that many people in the martial world treat it as a legend!"
"But when your mother got married, we knew the Zhou family had a treasure. If it weren't for that treasure, I would have brought her back years ago and wouldn't have let the Zhou family continue to exist, let alone give birth to you."
Zhou Xuan muttered to himself, "It seems our Zhou family did not die in vain. Having such a treasure and being so ostentatious was bound to attract the attention of interested parties, otherwise, we wouldn't have suffered such a calamity."
Xiao Wushuang sighed and said, "You don't know, but every major family possesses such treasures, though not all treasures are divine artifacts."
"However, it can be confirmed that the Zhou family's treasure is indeed extraordinary, which is also the reason why the Zhou family has existed for so long. The entire Zhou family also has ancestors who ascended to immortality."
Xiao Wushuang said, "I never expected this thing to bring about the massacre of the Zhou family!"
Zhou Xuan said sadly, "I was still a minor when I was harmed by these in-laws, my family destroyed, and I was left with no relatives. If my master hadn't saved me, I still wouldn't be able to avenge the ancestors of the Zhou family or comfort the spirits of my parents in heaven."
"What pains me most is that even though the Zhou family was wiped out, the enemies couldn't clarify where the Zhou family members had gone. I haven't seen them alive or found their bodies."
After hearing Xiao Chenyi's account, he understood Zhou Xuan's predicament.
"So now you're up against the Qin family? But you don't have the strength to bring them down?"
"And you've now allied with Yu Tongming?"
"Trying to use him to annihilate the Qin family?"
Zhou Xuan nodded.
Xiao Chenyi didn't quite understand. However, Zhou Xuan told him this in front of him to block the Qin family's path. Once the Qin family couldn't get through Yu Tongming, they would have no one to turn to if they came to Xiao Chenyi. He was betting that he hadn't misjudged the person. Although Elder Fang had said this person acted erratically, Zhou Xuan felt that erratic behavior might exist, but someone trained by his own grandfather wouldn't be vicious. Perhaps there could be a win-win situation? It all depended on how he played it.
"It's windy on the mountain. Master, put on your clothes. Let's go down the mountain and find a place to talk properly. Such a big matter deserves a welcome feast, doesn't it?" Xiao Wushuang wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, his eyes red as if he had just woken from a dream.
"Yes, yes, if you hadn't said it, I would have remained dazed. Such great joyous news truly needs to be celebrated properly."
"Xiao Xuan, you come with me!" The three of them descended Fengshan.
In a private room at Wang Lai Tavern.
Zhou Xuan respectfully offered wine. "Grandfather, please!"
"Good child, if your mother could see how accomplished you are now, surpassing your elders, she would be very happy, very happy..." After speaking, Xiao Wushuang downed the wine in one gulp.
"Grandfather, may I ask why Mother was unwilling to let me return to my maiden home?"
"Need you ask? Your maternal grandmother also disagreed with your mother marrying far away. She insisted on marrying, which angered your maternal grandmother, and she passed away soon after."
"Later, when she was pregnant with you, she didn't get to see me when she returned. I was angry and said I no longer had a daughter."
"She secretly came back a few times and sent many things, all of which I threw away."
Zhou Xuan didn't expect the inside story to be like this. Did this lead to the Zhou family's misfortune, while the Xiao family in Shangjing knew nothing at all? By the time the news reached them, they discovered that by going to Cangyun, they couldn't find anything. If he hadn't returned to Cangyun himself and dug deep, he might not have known that the Zhao, Wang, and Li families were colluding. The Qin family was truly formidable.
What Xiao Wushuang said later was indeed similar to what Zhou Xuan had guessed.
"Grandfather, what should I do now? Can you tell me?"
"You don't need to worry about past matters. I will help you!"
...
After Xiao Chenyi made an excuse and left, only Zhou Xuan and his maternal grandfather remained in Wang Lai Tavern.
"You must protect yourself well and not let others bully you."
Zhou Xuan nodded. "I know. I will definitely work hard to cultivate and protect myself, so that those enemies will never dare to bully our Zhou family again."
"My child, your maternal grandfather has always believed that you will one day surpass your ancestors and unite the martial arts world of Zhonghua."
Outside Wang Lai Tavern.
A black luxury car was parked on the street opposite, constantly watching Xiao Chenyi's retreating figure. The man inside held a cigar in his mouth, his brows furrowed as if deep in thought.