Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 734 Scapegoat
"Tianyun!" Yang Wanqi looked up at the sky. "It's probably gone out to find food!"

Yang Zhengshan said, "I have something I'd like to discuss with you, cough cough, it's like this~"

He recounted the events of the day with some embarrassment. Yang Wanqi listened with increasing surprise, her mouth agape, her face filled with astonishment.

"Is that golden-feathered eagle very powerful?"

"Well, that's great!"

"Tianyun actually took a liking to it?" Yang Wanqi tilted her head in deep thought.

"You didn't see how they looked standing together, sigh~~"

Just thinking about that scene of a little bird nestled against an eagle left Yang Zhengshan speechless.

Just then, a loud eagle cry came from the sky, and Tianyun landed next to Yang Wanqi. Then the two of them whispered to each other.

Yang Zhengshan stood to the side watching them, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

After a long silence, Yang Wanqi said to him again, "Grandpa, will refusing affect your work outside?"

“No!” Yang Zhengshan said.

"If this goes through, wouldn't it be beneficial for you?"

Yang Zhengshan shook his head slightly, "It's not really a benefit, at most it's just forming a good relationship!"

Lan Peng is of high status and considerable strength; befriending him would naturally bring benefits.

However, he is a general of the Lu family, somewhat like a retainer. To say that befriending him would bring any great benefit would be impossible; at most, it would make things a little easier for him in Shanggu County.

Things are different now. Back in Yangjia Village, when Yang Zhengshan met Zhou Lan, he didn't have much to rely on, so Zhou Lan helped him a lot at that time.

Now, Yang Zhengshan is not without support. What he lacks, Lan Peng also lacks, and what he has, Lan Peng may not have.

Therefore, Lan Peng is not crucial to him; at most, he can open some convenient doors for him.

Yang Wanqi looked at Tianyun and said with some reluctance, "Then let's give Tianyun to him!"

Tianyun, like a child who had done something wrong, stretched out his head and kept rubbing against her.

"Give it away?" Yang Zhengshan asked in surprise.

"Yes, I'll give it away, not sell it. If I give it away, I can still see Tianyun in the future. If I sell it, I won't be able to see Tianyun anymore!"

"Besides, giving it away is better than selling it; giving it away is a good deed!"

Yang Wanqi said.

Yang Zhengshan smiled and said, "You're quite clever, but I can't just give them away for nothing. When they have babies, Grandpa will get one back for you!"

Yang Wanqi's eyes lit up, and she smiled, "That's good too!"

"You'll have to raise one of your future children, understand?" she said to Feiyun.

Feiyun made two cooing sounds, it was unclear whether it agreed or disagreed.

……

Upon entering Longxi Town, one can see the well-arranged courtyards in the distance. The gray bricks and tiles gleam with an ancient luster under the sunlight, like treasures that have been deposited in the long river of time.

The tall gatehouse stands at the street corner, with its upturned eaves resembling a soaring eagle, showcasing the majesty and grandeur of the Yu family.

The Yu family is a family that has been passed down for hundreds of years. Moreover, each generation of the Yu family has outstanding talents. The family has not declined for hundreds of years. The Yu family even had the opportunity to become a powerful family, but unfortunately, the Yu family failed in the end and suffered heavy losses.

However, the fact that the Yu family was able to preserve its lineage even after failing to become a powerful clan shows that the Yu family still has a very deep foundation.

Although the Yu family is not as powerful as it used to be, it is still considered one of the best among the many martial arts families in the area.

The eaves are covered with layers of brackets, and the tiles are arranged in a neat and orderly manner. The doors and windows of the main room are carved with exquisite patterns. Through the open window, you can see Yu Xiaoning, dressed in a plain white robe, sitting at her desk, looking at the letter in her hand with a solemn expression.

The Crimson Flame Army is here!
This is definitely not good news for the Yu family.

They hadn't expected the Lu family to send the Crimson Flame Army. In his opinion, the Lu family should have been patient at this point, patiently waiting for Lu Fusheng to break through.

Now that the Crimson Flame Army has arrived, what does the Lu family intend to do?
That's the Crimson Flame Army!

Two thousand Chiyan soldiers were enough to sweep away their Yu family.

"The Lu family shouldn't dare to overstep their bounds, otherwise the Sun family will definitely take action!" Yu Xiaoning thought to herself.

The territories of the three clans and twelve families are clearly defined. Although the twelve families often have conflicts, the division of territories has not changed for many years.

Now that the Lu family has taken over the territory of the former royal Wei family, the boundary should be divided according to the original dividing line.

As for the Yu family crossing the border, they can simply retreat.

Just as Yu Xiaoning thought the Chiyan Army wouldn't dare cross the line, a black-clad attendant hurriedly entered the gate.

"My lord, the Crimson Flame Army has already reached Emerald Garden Mountain!"

"What?" Yu Xiaoning was shocked and stood up abruptly.

Cuiyuan Mountain is the territory of the Yu family. There is a Cuiyuan Garden there, which is used to grow spiritual fruits. It is considered an important spiritual land for the Yu family.

"How dare they cross the line?" Yu Xiaoning could no longer maintain her composure and said in a fit of anger.

"Where's father?"

"The patriarch has already led people to Cuiyuan Mountain!"

Yu Xiaoning's expression changed repeatedly, growing increasingly gloomy.

"That's the Crimson Flame Army! We can't stop them! We can't stop them!"

"hateful!"

"What about the Sun family? Have they taken any action?"

The black-clad attendant shook his head. "This subordinate does not know!"

Yu Xiaoning angrily said, "Then hurry up and go ask!"

His black-clad attendant was startled by his roar and hurriedly ran out of the study.

Yu Xiaoning's face was filled with uncertain emotions, and the feelings in his eyes became increasingly sinister.

A moment later, the attendant ran back, "Sir, the Sun family has not made any move!"

"It's over!" Yu Xiaoning's heart skipped a beat.

If the Sun family doesn't step in, how can the Yu family have the two thousand Chiyan Army soldiers back then?

And why didn't the Sun family step forward?
Yu Xiaoning took a deep breath, her eyes filled with unyielding hatred.

"You go back first!"

"Here!"

After his black-clad attendants withdrew, Yu Xiaoning pondered for a moment, then turned and walked towards the inner courtyard. A short while later, he hurriedly left the Yu family with a woman and two boys.

Two hours after Yu Xiaoning left the Yu family, two thousand soldiers clad in crimson armor stormed into Longxi Town.

In the sky, Lan Peng was already locked in fierce combat with an old man in green robes. The battle between the two Heavenly Gang stage martial artists shook the clouds above. Meanwhile, after the two thousand Crimson Flame Army soldiers rushed into Longxi Town, they slaughtered the Yu family members like tigers among wolves.

Among the surrounding mountains, figures were gazing down at Longxi Town.

Chen Zhongshu stood under a tree, squinting at the soldiers clad in red armor.

"The Yu family is going to be wiped out!"

He muttered to himself, "That's really ruthless! Heh~~"

As an old eunuch who had been in and out of power in the imperial court for decades, he had seen all kinds of scenes, but he was still very interested in what was happening before him.

"Sir, they've gone in!" said a man dressed in gray close-fitting clothes standing nearby.

Chen Zhongshu looked up and saw a group of Chiyan Army soldiers rushing into a shop.

After a fight, the Crimson Flame Army left the shop.

After a long while, the fighting in Longxi Town gradually subsided, and another squad of Chiyan Army entered the shop and began searching the contents.

"Let's go!"

Chen Zhongshu then led his men away.

……

On Lingxi Mountain.

Lu Hua stood beside Yang Zhengshan and recounted the events of the Chiyan Army's attack on the Yu family.

"Two thousand Crimson Flame Army soldiers wiped out the Yu family members who had crossed the border in just one day. The next day, they crossed the border again and rushed into Longxi Town. The Yu family had one Heavenly Gang stage martial artist and four Earthly Fiend stage martial artists. Only Yu Xiaoning, the direct descendant, disappeared. The others were all killed on the spot!"

"After looting Longxi Town, the Crimson Flame Army retreated back into Shanggu County, but they are still stationed in the mountains and have not returned!"

Yang Zhengshan leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"No one from the Sun family has shown up?"

"No! I didn't see any members of the Sun family at all!"

Yang Zhengshan's lips curled slightly. "It seems that the Yu family is just a scapegoat pushed out by someone!"

Lu Hua looked puzzled. "Scapegoat? Isn't the Yu family just a tool for the Sun family?"

Yang Zhengshan shook his head. "I used to think that the Yu family was the Sun family's weapon, but now it seems that from beginning to end, the Yu family has been just a pawn!"

“Previously we only considered the struggle between the Sun family and the Lu family, but we overlooked the three major sects above us.”

"If the Lu family is supported by the Illusion Moon Sect, then which sect is behind the Sun family? Is it the Profound Purity Sect or the Formless Sect?"

"Actually, it doesn't matter which one it is. What matters is that the three major sects are using the aristocratic families as pawns, and the aristocratic families have no choice but to obey. However, the Sun family is unwilling to fight the Lu family to the death, so they withdrew from the Yu family as a scapegoat!"

"It seems that the Yu family wiped out many martial arts families in Shanggu County this time, but the Sun family and the Lu family never had a direct conflict from beginning to end. What does this mean?"

"This shows that the Sun family and the Lu family had already reached a tacit understanding, and even the battle between Sun Qingrui and Lu Fusheng in the county town was planned in advance!"

"On the surface, it seems that the Sun family wants to suppress the Lu family, but in reality, the Sun family and the Lu family have no conflict of interest at all!"

"The Lu family is not a powerful family yet. Even if the Lu family becomes a powerful family, it will not be a threat to the Sun family. Why should the Sun family take the Lu family seriously?"

"As for whether the Sun family intends to take over Shanggu County, they may have such thoughts, but such thoughts are certainly not too strong."

Yang Zhengshan's mind raced, and various guesses surfaced in his head.

Although he has not yet come into contact with these sects and families, he can tell that the three sects and twelve families are not a monolithic entity.

Their relationship is incredibly complex, with each side intertwined and restraining the others. They seem to share common interests, yet they are constantly scheming against each other.

Lu Hua also fell into deep thought. He was an extremely intelligent person, so he naturally understood immediately.

"What are the connections between those three major sects? Logically speaking, they shouldn't be able to maintain such a balanced situation!"

Yang Zhengshan seemed to be thinking, "There might be things we don't know, such as common interests or common enemies."

Lu Hua nodded slightly and said, "So what do we do next?"

"Hehe, what else can we do? We'll just focus on our cultivation. If we're lucky, the Crimson Flame Army will help us get rid of the Xiang family, and we can take advantage of the situation to seize a few more mountains. If we're unlucky, we'll just stay here on Lingxi Mountain!"

Yang Zhengshan chuckled.

They are now nobody's business, and apart from the Xiang family, the archenemy of the Yang family of Lingxi, no other entanglements or conflicts have anything to do with them.

"Should we expand our forces?" Lu Hua asked.

Yang Zhengshan glanced up at him. Lu Hua's face was covered by a mask, but his eyes revealed a lot of emotions.

He naturally knew Lü Hua very well.

Lu Hua is a ruthless man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, but he is not a completely evil person; he is still loyal and righteous at heart.

This can be seen from his treatment of Wei Cen and others.

Wei Cen and the others followed him wholeheartedly for their entire lives. Even when Lü Hua disappeared for several years, Wei Cen and the others were still willing to wait for him, which shows that he had qualities that made him trustworthy.

Lu Hua was not the kind of person who would stay put. The reason he was willing to leave Da'an and join the Yang family was twofold: first, there was no place for him to use his abilities in Da'an; second, he also wanted to follow Yang Zhengshan across the stormy sea to find a technique to break through to the Innate Realm.

Now that they have arrived at this beautiful and spiritual sea, Lü Hua's restless heart has begun to stir again.

"You're thinking?"

"There are ordinary people in the martial arts markets too. I want to recruit some people from those markets!"

"In addition, we should also train some people here. It's not good to use the people from the Spirit Source Land here, but we can select some people here to train!"

Lu Hua said softly.

The Spirit Source Land is Yang Zhengshan's biggest secret. Although there are many people in the Spirit Source Land now, not many people outside know about it.

Among Yang Zhengshan's close associates, only Wang Lei, Li Chang, Lü Hua, and Chen Zhongshu knew about it.

As for Shenmu Island, Da'an, and Dajing, only the Yang family members themselves know about them. Outsiders only know that the Yang family has another place to settle down in other places, but they don't know where that place is.

Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then said, "Then let's train some. I'll arrange for a few more people to help you!"

People from the Land of Spiritual Origin are not suitable to come here. The more people who come out, the greater the risk of the Land of Spiritual Origin being exposed.

But that didn't stop Yang Zhengshan from bringing over a few more helpers.

He knew Lü Hua's methods; Lü Hua came from the Secret Martial Guard and was most skilled at training secret agents.

Currently, the men under his command are all soldiers of the Shenmu Navy. These people are not real spies and are still very inexperienced in intelligence gathering.

Secret agents also need to be trained gradually; without three to five years of training, they simply cannot be promoted to the position of secret agent.

"I need money and spirit stones!" Lu Hua said bluntly.

"Yes, I know." Yang Zhengshan nodded. Whether it's training people or buying them, it all comes down to money and spirit stones.

Ordinary martial artists can be bribed with silver, but those with a little strength require spirit stones to bribe them.

(End of this chapter)