Midnight, a figure swiftly bypassed the guards and infiltrated He Kuang's study.
He Kuang was in his study, reviewing the documents submitted that day, when he suddenly sensed a hidden yet powerful aura approaching him.
As the figure neared the courtyard, He Kuang broke through the window and lunged forward, brandishing a tiger-headed saber. "Friend, what brings you to my He family's home so late at night?"
"You little brat, daring to fight me, huh? Don't think I won't deal with you just because you've become a Lord." The newcomer was the He family's Fourth Grand Elder, He Kuang's own uncle.
"Fourth Uncle, why didn't you let us know you were back?"
"Inform who? I've been dead for years. Besides, if everyone knows I'm not dead and our He family has two Lords, will those ghosts and demons dare to show their faces?" The Fourth Grand Elder spoke without any regard for taboos.
"Go fetch that little brat Eighth and that old fellow He Fu, and bring two jars of blood wine. My mouth has been so bland for years, it feels like birds are nesting in it." With that, the Fourth Grand Elder strode into the study.
"Fourth Brother, you're back!" He Fu exclaimed, looking at the Fourth Grand Elder with excitement.
"Brother, you've aged. You've worked hard all these years. Little Fifth is busy with his advancement, and Little Eighth is still a hothead. It's all thanks to you." Although He Fu was younger than the Fourth Grand Elder, he appeared more aged.
He Fu still maintained a Diamond-level martial cultivation and had not yet stepped into the Lord realm. After all, once one reached the Lord level, they could construct a domain and touch upon the laws. From a fundamental life perspective, they could no longer be considered ordinary life forms.
At that time, those who managed the He family were either killed in battle or severely injured. It was entirely thanks to He Fu, despite his injuries, that they managed to pull through that transitional period. Moreover, due to not recuperating properly from his injuries back then, He Fu, who had exceptional talent, ultimately missed the opportunity to become a Lord.
"What are you saying, Fourth Brother? Back then, my brothers didn't treat me like an outsider. Knowing that our He family alone had to defend that spatial rift in the Changbai Mountains, they didn't let me or our two little brats go. Wasn't it to spare us, so that our three would not all die there?
But Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, and even those older nephews didn't return. Even those children who weren't married yet, our grandchildren, none of them returned.
Fourth Brother, you shouldn't have prevented me from going. Even if it meant exchanging two children, it would have been fine. I know my brothers didn't want me to be in danger, but we've always been a family. Those were my nephews, my grandchildren. My line of He Fu will always be part of our old He family!" He Fu cried, tears streaming down his face. The words he had held in his heart for fifteen years finally poured out as he saw his former brother.
In that battle, the He family alone confronted a large spatial rift. All capable members of the clan, regardless of gender or age, took up arms. As the saying goes:
"The frontier city is in urgent alarm, the barbarians migrate in numbers.
Swift couriers arrive from the north, horses are spurred up the high embankment.
Charging deep into the Xiongnu, glancing left at the Xianbei in their territory.
Throwing one's life to the sharp blades, how can life itself be cherished?
Parents are left uncared for, what of children and wives?
Names are listed among the valiant, no private concerns can be held.
Sacrificing oneself for the nation's plight, facing death as if returning home."
Everyone who heard this was choked with tears. The old and young of the He family, from three generations, faced death as if returning home and went to the nation's aid. Even the clan's Lord totem was carried to suppress another battlefield.
"Little Eighth, where is Little Second?" the Fourth Grand Elder asked.
"Second Brother is still in the library. We've had people assigned to look after him personally. He's now at Platinum middle-stage cultivation."
"Go bring Second over. Little Fifth, bring the blood wine. Tonight, we brothers will drink our fill. Have Cheng Ye and Cheng Lin returned?"
"Fourth Brother, I sent word to those two little brats yesterday asking them to lead their teams back. I must say, the lowest cultivation level in our family's hunting team is Platinum high-stage, and Cheng Ye and Cheng Lin are at Diamond peak. In another ten years, our He family will welcome a large batch of experts." The old butler couldn't help but feel proud when mentioning his two sons.
The three slowly drank the blood wine He Kuang brought. "Our He family's blood wine is still the most flavorful," the Fourth Grand Elder declared, downing a bowl.
"Fourth Uncle, you're finally back," He Family's Eighth Grandson entered the study, carrying a middle-aged man without legs.
"Little Second, not bad. You haven't disappointed your Fourth Uncle. You haven't been demoralized at all. You're a true son of our old He family."
"Haha, what are you saying, Fourth Uncle? How could the men of our old He family be demoralized? If those ten thousand races' mongrels dare to come again, I, He Lao Er, will still pick up my saber and go to battle. If not for this hothead, Eighth, carrying me away, I could have come on my own with my prosthetics." Second Master He said as he downed another bowl of blood wine. "Fifth's blood wine is still potent. It seems Fifth has some hidden stash."
He Fu, who was drinking, received a message on his communicator. "Fourth Brother, Cheng Ye and Cheng Lin are back. I need to bring them in."
"No need. Let Little Eighth go fetch them and bring them over. This way, all our old He family members are gathered."
He Eighth Grandson left the study upon hearing this. Before the remaining four could finish another bowl of wine, He Old Eighth entered with two robust middle-aged men.
"Dad, Fourth Uncle, you're back," the brothers He Cheng Ye and He Cheng Lin said in surprise, looking at the elder sitting calmly.
"Alright, now all the old He family members are here. Little Fifth, explain the situation to everyone."
"Uncle Fu and Old Eighth already know what happened. My little brat has received the Blood Tiger's inheritance for a full day, and the Blood Tiger himself told me that Da Zhuang has the potential to become a King."
"Hiss," He Kuang's words made everyone gasp.
"But with our He family's current strength, we cannot afford the resources for Da Zhuang to become a King, and we're worried he'll be in danger if the news gets out," He Kuang voiced his concerns.
"The resource problem is easier to solve. With our two Lords and the Blood Tiger totem, a quasi-King, we can surely provide Da Zhuang with the resources until he reaches the Lord realm. Afterwards, we can send him to the Human King's Palace, and the resources for his advancement to King will be handled by the Human King," the Fourth Grand Elder said slowly.
"As for safety, the Ten Thousand Races Church is almost wiped out. The remaining few, San Pao and the Qiao family, are plotting to destroy our He family when your Little Fifth reaches a critical point in his advancement. When they gather, let Little Fifth take these three lads to take care of them all.
No matter how powerful the remaining Ten Thousand Races warriors are, would they dare to come to the heartland of our Human Race and act so brazenly? Do they really think our Human Race's Human King Ancestor is a mere figurehead? Besides, the secret guardians of the Human Race have already gone to various locations to hold their ground. What kind of trouble can those mongrels of the Ten Thousand Races stir up?
You consider Da Zhuang precious; the Human Race's Royal Court considers him even more so. After all, if we had dozens of Human Kings, how many would dare to attack our Human Race during the invasion of the Ten Thousand Races?
As long as our He family prepares the resources and preparations before Da Zhuang's advancement to Lord, and allows the Human King to see Da Zhuang's talent and ability, along with our He family's full support, Da Zhuang will at worst be able to advance to quasi-King.
The rest of his path depends on his own fortune, after all, it's not just talent that makes a King.
Ginger is still the spiciest; the Fourth Grand Elder directly pushed the most difficult part onto the Human Race's Royal Court.