Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 857 The bigger the secret, the greater the danger it hides.

Yang Zhengshan was unaware that the Yang family had attracted Lin Daoyuan's attention, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.

His awe of Divine Soul Realm warriors was far less than that of Golden Core cultivators. No matter how strong a Divine Soul Realm warrior was, he was still just a warrior. Although Divine Soul Realm warriors possessed many of the methods of immortal cultivation, their methods were at most similar to those of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Golden Core cultivators are truly powerful beings, possessing supernatural abilities and techniques, capable of traversing the void, and even able to peer into grotto-heavens.

Therefore, Yang Zhengshan, a Golden Core cultivator, was extremely wary of him, but only had some respect for Divine Soul Realm martial artists.

After learning the details from Yang Qinting, Yang Zhengshan came to Qingyu City to wait for Yu Qingyi.

Yang Zhengshan was quite worried about Yu Qingyi going to Xuanqing Sect alone, but fortunately Yu Qingyi returned safely.

"How is it?" Yang Zhengshan asked.

"She said she needs to think about it!" Yu Qingyi sat in the armchair, took the tea handed to her by Yang Zhengshan, and smiled.

This is the reception hall of the Xuanqing Sect in Qingyu City. Although it is Xuanqing Sect territory, Yang Zhengshan is not worried about anyone spying or eavesdropping.

"I'll consider it!" Yang Zhengshan stroked his beard. "It seems she's interested!"

Yu Qingyi said softly, "I feel there will be more trouble in this matter. When I left Xuanqing Sect, I noticed that someone was watching me!"

"They're just members of the Wang family, don't worry about them. They have people watching them outside too!" Yang Zhengshan raised his chin and pointed to the outside of the reception hall.

It's impossible for the Wang family to remain silent at this point.

The men they sent didn't return for a whole day and night. Anyone with a brain would know something was wrong.

Yu Qingyi didn't hide her visit to Chu Lingxiao, so it was only natural that the Wang family received the news.

"What do you think the Wang family will do next?" Yu Qingyi asked.

Yang Zhengshan chuckled, "You shouldn't ask what they will do, but rather what we will do!"

Yu Qingyi blinked her bright eyes at him, "What are you going to do?"

What do you mean by us?

Hmph, it was clearly you!
Yang Zhengshan chuckled, "Chengye has already brought the people over. We'll go to Xuanqing Sect tomorrow to demand justice!"

If the Yang family wants to marry Li Qianqian, they must first resolve the problem with the Wang family.

We don't need to wipe out the Wang family, but we must let them know that the Yang family is not someone they can easily manipulate.

Otherwise, Yang Qinting and Li Qianqian would not be able to continue living in Xuanqing Sect.

Yang Qinting will not leave the Xuanqing Sect. The Xuanqing Sect would never allow such a thing, because it would be tantamount to betraying the sect.

This does not mean that disciples of the Xuanqing Sect cannot leave the sect, but rather that the sect can expel its disciples, while the disciples cannot voluntarily request to leave the sect.

It's easier for outer disciples to leave the sect. If their cultivation hasn't reached the Innate Realm before the age of forty, they can choose to leave the sect or stay and work as a steward after breaking through to the Innate Realm.

Inner disciples are almost never allowed to leave the sect. Even if they leave the sect to develop independently, it is not considered leaving the sect, but rather being sent outside the sect. They still need to complete some tasks for the sect every year.

Therefore, even if Yang Qinting and Li Qianqian returned to the Yang family, they would still be disciples of the Xuanqing Sect.

"Won't doing this anger the Xuanqing Sect?" Yu Qingyi asked with some concern.

Yang Zhengshan shook his head slightly, "No, the Xuanqing Sect won't make a big fuss right now!"

Compared to the Xuanqing Sect, the Lingyuan Land is much weaker, mainly because it lacks a Divine Soul Realm martial artist to oversee it, making it unable to contend with Lin Daoyuan of the Xuanqing Sect.

However, the Xuanqing Sect was not without its concerns. The Netherworld Prison Sect, the Impermanent Ghost Sect, and the Hidden Sword Mountain were already enough to give the Xuanqing Sect a headache.

Xuanqing Sect certainly doesn't want too much turmoil to occur within the Sea of ​​Spiritual Beauty. For Xuanqing Sect, destroying a powerful family is easy, but they need to come up with a proper reason.

"As long as you know it, that's fine!" Yu Qingyi said with a smile.

Yang Zhengshan grinned, "Why don't we go out for a walk? It seems like it's been a long time since we've gone shopping!"

"That's fine, I was thinking of taking a stroll around here when I came back!" Yu Qingyi's eyes crinkled with joy.

After saying that, the two left the reception hall of Xuanqing Sect hand in hand and strolled around Qingyu City.

Qingyu City is the city of Xuanqing Sect. A large part of the population living in the city are relatives of the elders and deacons of Xuanqing Sect, such as the Wang family and the Li family. They all have many properties in Qingyu City.

As the largest city under the Xuanqing Sect, Qingyu City is undoubtedly a prosperous city with countless shops and a wide variety of goods.

The martial arts market in Qingyu City is the largest in the Lingxiu Sea, where you can buy all kinds of spiritual pills and weapons, various spiritual fruits and medicines, as well as many strange and unusual items.

Yu Qingyi rarely saw such a bustling and prosperous city, and she got carried away with the sightseeing, pulling Yang Zheng to look around.

While Yang Zhengshan and Yu Qingyi were shopping, Lin Daoyuan also arrived at the Illusion Moon Sect.

Illusion Moon Lake, in the karst cave at the bottom of the lake.

Yue'e was still dressed in white, her hair as long as clouds.

"I never expected you would dare to come here!" Yue'e stood in front of the crystal water curtain, looking at Lin Daoyuan expressionlessly.

Lin Daoyuan gazed at the bizarre and beautiful underwater scenery beyond the water curtain, a faint smile on his face, and said, "I don't owe you anything!"

"Yes, you don't owe me anything, but your master does!"

"My master has been dead for over a hundred years. Even if you still hold a grudge, you should let it go by now!"

"If that old bastard were still alive, I would grind him to dust!"

Yue'e's words were completely out of character for her. Someone as high and mighty as her, someone who was not to be looked up to, should not utter such vulgar words.

Lin Daoyuan glanced at her furtively, his eyes filled with helplessness.

He had some special feelings for Yue'e, not romantic feelings, but the bond between teacher and student.

Because Yue'e almost became his teacher's wife, and even served as his teacher's wife for a period of time.

This story is a bit melodramatic; it's about an unreliable man who was having affairs and accidentally got involved with a devoted woman.

The man dusted himself off and went home, but the woman waited for him for decades.

This incident almost caused a war between the Illusion Moon Sect and the Jade Profound Purity Sect back then. If it weren't for the unexpected death of her amorous master, Yue'e would probably have become the Jade Profound Purity Sect's number one enemy.

Of course, Yue'e now has no good feelings towards Xuanqing Sect, and by extension, she has no good feelings towards him, who was once her disciple.

"I want to ask about the Yang family!"

"The Yang family, what did the Yang family do to offend you?" Yue'e glanced at him coldly.

"No, I'm just a little interested in the Yang family!" Lin Daoyuan said.

Yue'e said calmly, "The Yang family and my Illusion Moon Sect are allies. You cannot touch the Yang family!"

"What kind of allies?" Lin Daoyuan asked.

"An ally even more important than the Xuanqing Sect!" Yue'e said. Lin Daoyuan stared at her intently, as if trying to discern whether Yue'e's words were true or false.

Yue'e's words were naturally false. The three sects of Lingxiu were originally one. Perhaps there were some conflicts between them, but they had common interests to protect and enemies to face together.

Therefore, the three sects of Lingxiu maintained a very close relationship.

In comparison, the relationship between the Illusion Moon Sect and the Yang family was at best a cooperative one.

The Yang family provides goods to the Illusion Moon Sect, and the Illusion Moon Sect earns profits by selling them. Although there is a connection of interests between the two parties, the Yang family is not an indispensable entity for the Illusion Moon Sect.

As for Yang Zhengshan, this guest elder, it can't be said that he's dispensable; it's just that a guest elder is only a guest.

Yue'e's eyes flickered slightly, but she still said, "The origins of the Yang family are very mysterious. Even now, we don't know where they came from!"

"Isn't the Yang family a small family?"

Do you believe such lies?

“Indeed, they are not trustworthy!” Lin Daoyuan thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

Over the years, the Illusion Moon Sect has investigated Yang Zhengshan, but the more they investigate, the more they feel that what Yang Zhengshan said back then might be true.

It refers to the phrase, "The Jade Palace in the heavens, with twelve towers and five cities."

The reason is simple: the Yang family doesn't have many businesses in the Lingxiu Sea, but the goods they produce are endless and countless.

So many that even the Illusion Moon Sect would find it difficult to achieve.

Therefore, Yue'e and Yueqing have reason to believe that the Baiyujing mentioned by Yang Zhengshan is real.

"It seems the Yang family is hiding many secrets. Don't you intend to investigate them?" Lin Daoyuan asked.

"Why should we investigate? There are many people in this world with secrets. Is it that your Xuanqing Sect has no secrets, or that my Huanyue Sect has no secrets, or that Hidden Sword Mountain has no secrets?" Yue'e's ethereal voice echoed in the cave, filled with an unfathomable meaning.

“This is different!” Lin Daoyuan shook his head.

Yue'e looked at him, her aggressive face carrying a hint of mockery.

"What's the difference?"

"The strength they've shown isn't enough to make me wary!"

Yue'e smiled, her smile breathtakingly beautiful. "The bigger the secret, the greater the danger it holds. I advise you to be cautious, lest you ruin the Xuanqing Sect's three-thousand-year foundation!"

Lin Daoyuan stared at her for a long time before finally saying, "I understand!"

He didn't say what he understood, and perhaps that wasn't important. What was important was that he already knew Yue'e's attitude.

……

The Xuanqing Sect is located in the north of Qingyu City, at the foot of Qingyun Peak. Three tiers of jade steps descend like silver chains, leading straight to the depths of the mountain peak amidst the clouds. At the bottom is a two-zhang-high jade archway, with four coiled dragon pillars supporting the sky. Luminous pearls are inlaid among the dark scales, and the shimmering light makes the entire mountain gate seem to float in the clouds.

The plaque, carved from a single piece of Xuanbing jade, hangs in the center of the archway. On the three-foot square plaque, the three characters "Xuanqingzong" are filled with gilded background. The strokes are vigorous and powerful, like swords carving ice cliffs. From a distance, it seems as if fine snowflakes are falling from between the strokes, and a chill permeates the air.

The couplets are hung on both sides of the archway, made of jade plaques with a spiral pattern, and the engraved characters are filled with red gold.

When the mysterious female opens, it gathers all the clouds and mist from a thousand mountains into the heavenly realm.

Where the clear light rises, it illuminates the nine heavenly palaces, revealing the true nature.

On either side of the archway sits a stone statue of a blue phoenix holding a pearl, the divine bird with a bird's head and a human body spreading its wings as if about to take flight.

The top of the archway also features eaves with flowing cloud patterns, and twelve jade crane heads stand proudly at the corners of the eaves, with wind chimes hanging between their beaks. When the mountain wind blows, they make a clear tinkling sound that can be heard for miles, as if the cranes are calling out to the heavens.

On the nine jade steps in front of the archway, eighteen disciples stood with their heads bowed, their pale white Taoist robes embroidered with light blue cloud patterns on the cuffs, and jade pendants engraved with the character 'Xuan' hanging from their waists.

The two people at the very top each stepped on a semi-transparent talisman array. The array patterns matched the scales on the dragon pillars of the archway. This was the communication array of the Xuanqing Sect. If any unusual situation occurred in front of the mountain gate, the disciples on duty could instantly transmit the message to the Qingyun Hall at the top of the mountain.

There are also outer sect elders on duty in Qingyun Hall. If an enemy invades, the elders on duty can use the communication array to send the alarm message to all twenty-four peaks and activate part of the mountain protection array to block the enemy.

Today, the person in charge of guarding the mountain gate is Lu Yang, the steward of Qingyun Peak. Qingyun Peak belongs to the outer sect, but it is not entirely under the jurisdiction of the outer sect. Instead, it is directly under the jurisdiction of Tianyun Peak of the inner sect and is part of the Xuanqing Sect's defensive formation.

Therefore, Lu Yang is not an outer sect steward, but an inner sect steward, and the disciples under his command are all inner sect disciples.

Actually, guarding the mountain gate is a very tedious job. They have to stand guard there for four hours every day, and all they need to do is check the tokens of people entering and leaving the gate.

As for foreign invasion, the Xuanqing Sect has not encountered any foreign enemies for a long time.

"Ugh, so boring!"

Lu Yang stood under the archway, staring blankly at the white clouds drifting in the sky. The clouds looked just like a person dancing with a sword. Well, the sword looked a bit too thick. If it were thinner, it would resemble the Star-Piercing Strike move from the "Chasing Stars and Chasing the Moon" technique.

"What's the key to the Star Strike? The sword tip hums, condensing a three-inch sword beam!"

Lu Yang silently contemplated the sword techniques of chasing stars and catching the moon.

He was so bored that he could only practice swordsmanship in his mind.

Just then, a group of people surged towards Qingyu City on the wide avenue.

This group of people was quite unusual; each of them was armed with a long spear and was driving six men in shackles.

There seemed to be many more people following behind, surging towards the mountain gate in a great chorus.

The noise interrupted Lu Yang's boredom. He turned his head and looked over, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

"Is something interesting about to happen?"

He was still quite far away, but he seemed to see a figure that wasn't quite familiar to him.

"alert!"

Lu Yang warned in a low voice.

The disciples on duty immediately perked up, their eyes fixed intently on the approaching crowd.

They'd been bored for too long and wanted some different kinds of fun.

"Wang Shanhu, what happened to this guy? He looks so miserable, tsk tsk~"

Lu Yang recognized the person being escorted over and was secretly amazed.

He wasn't exactly familiar with Wang Shanhu, but they weren't strangers either, because they were disciples who entered the outer sect of Xuanqing Sect in the same batch.

Wang Shanhu was born into the Wang family, and Lu Yang was born into the Lu family. This Lu family was not the Lu family of Shanggu County, but the Lu family of the inner sect of Xuanqing Sect.

The two were of similar status, both being collateral descendants of the elder families. However, Lu Yang was always low-key and kept to himself. He was not good at using his family's power to bully his fellow disciples, so he had a good reputation within the sect.

In contrast, Wang Shanhu was much more domineering. He was like a little tyrant when he was in the outer sect. Although he tempered his temper a lot after entering the inner sect, he still did not take ordinary disciples seriously.

If it weren't for the Wang family protecting him, this guy would have been sent to the Enforcement Hall countless times.

(End of this chapter)