I am about to die of old age, and I have awakened the character of longevity.

Chapter 219 Prepare to retreat, He Nanfeng!
Xie An stood at the gate of Xie's mansion, watching Ye Luo riding away on his horse, the hurried horse's hooves stirring up thousands of flying snow.

Not long after, Ye Luo rode his horse and disappeared at the end of the street.

As he watched, Xie An couldn't help but recall the scene of Brother Wei riding away on horseback that day.

It's been almost nine years! But the scene of that day is still vivid in my mind, as if it were yesterday.

Xie An looked up at the falling snow, feeling a mixture of emotions. "Brother Wei, I wonder if you are doing well now. Will we ever meet again in this life..."

Xie An would never forget that Wei Dian was the first person who guided him in the art of martial arts.

At this point, Xie An felt that he might have to leave Qingwu County.

In the future, I don’t know whether I can hear Wei Dian’s free and unrestrained laughter again.

"Master."

"Master, what happened?"

He Chunli, Han Li, Chunlan and others who had just returned hurriedly surrounded them, looking very anxious.

Xie An finally recovered and glanced at his two disciples, "Don't ask any questions yet. Just stay at Xie Mansion for the time being and don't go anywhere."

Noticing Xie An's serious expression, He Chunli and Han Li didn't ask any more questions and took Chunlan to stay in the courtyard next door.

After everything was arranged, Xie An returned to the main room and simply packed his luggage, ready to run away at any time.

Although the county town has not been attacked by monsters yet, Xie An is worried about Li Hao.

He and Li Hao have always been at odds.

Li Hao had always considered himself a stumbling block. He hadn't taken action before because he was concerned that Xie An had received an imperial decree of commendation and promotion from Emperor Jingtai. Now that the Four-Party Talks were imminent, the Prince of Huainan was about to launch his rebellion.

Then it's time to fall out.

Xie An would not simply assume that when the four-party talks were held, the King of Huainan would only represent Li Hao. He could not guarantee that the King of Huainan would send a more important figure.

Without the eldest princess, it would be impossible to suppress the situation.

Running away is a retreat that must be prepared.

But Xie An was also unwilling to accept this.

After all, I have lived here for almost forty years, and I have feelings for the people and this land.

Not long after.

The door of Xie Mansion was knocked again.

Liu Chun and Xiao Hu hurried over. Upon seeing Xie An, he bowed and saluted, tears streaming down his face. "General Xie, something terrible has happened. A master-level demon has appeared in Shuideng Town. Abin is dead!"

Xie An was stunned when he heard this.

It turned out to be pretty much as I expected.

The appearance of great demons at the grandmaster level means... the large group of the four old demons has really arrived.

The situation deteriorated faster than Xie An had expected.

Looking at Liu Chun and Xiaohu lying on the ground crying, Xie An felt very uncomfortable.

This scene happened to be heard by He Chunli and Han Li. The two rushed over and heard that Abin was dead. They felt very uncomfortable.

When Xie An disappeared for four years, He Chunli and Han Li repeatedly came to Liu Chun for help. Abin and Xiaohu were very helpful. Unexpectedly, Abin died.

Only then did the two of them understand why Xie An brought them back.

The Grandmaster Demon was an existence they dared not even imagine.

Xie An sighed in his heart, stood up and helped Liu Chun and Xiao Hu up, "Brother Chun, Xiao Hu, get up and talk. I already know about this matter."

Xiaohu was very puzzled, "Why would a great master demon appear here?"

Xie An said, "I'm afraid this is just the beginning. Next, a great demon of the third-grade master will appear. We are not able to resist it. You should not spread the news to avoid causing panic. Go back and pack your bags, and then come to Xie's house to wait."

Liu Chun and Xiaohu were not ordinary people, so they naturally understood the seriousness of the words.

Liu Chun gritted his teeth and said, "Director Xie, has it really come to this?"

Xie An sighed helplessly, "Although I am the general manager, as you all know, I have long been sidelined by Li Hao. Moreover, my ability is limited, and I have no way to rescue the people of the entire county. I can only let you go first as much as possible. Go back and pack your luggage."

After sending the two away, Xie An felt uneasy.

The situation was getting worse and worse, and Xie An was worried that Li Hao could no longer sit still.

In order to verify his idea, Xie An left Xie Mansion through the back door and went to find Chen Tie, Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran.

The three of them were still staying in the inn, and were terrified. They moved a lot of their luggage and quilts from home here.

Xie An was quick to realize something. "Why did you move all your belongings here?"

Chen Tiening said, "Our house was attacked repeatedly by inexplicable men in black yesterday. For safety reasons, we quietly moved here. It also makes it easier to continue monitoring the Li residence."

what?
Chen Tie’s house was attacked by mysterious men in black?

Xie An immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and said, "We can't stay in Qingwu County any longer. Pack your bags and go to Xie Mansion immediately. Prepare to leave Qingwu County overnight."

Wei Haoran disagreed, "That won't do. Our mission of monitoring the Li residence isn't over yet. I still have merit to make."

Zhao Qing'er also said: "Li Hao shouldn't dare to attack us."

Xie An said seriously, "Your father is Prince Bao, and Wei Haoran's father is Duke of Wei. But it's useless now. The King of Huainan dared to rebel, but he didn't dare to kill you?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's heart started pounding and their backs felt cold.

Zhao Qing'er obviously understood the seriousness of the situation, but she was still preoccupied with her mission: "What about the mission of monitoring the Li residence...?"

Xie An said, "The princess hasn't returned yet, so the surveillance mission is meaningless. Pack your bags and go to Xie's house immediately. Leave overnight."

Zhao Qing'er and Wei Haoran were still hesitant, so Chen Tie said, "Listen to Chief Xie. Let's go immediately."

Xie An finally breathed a sigh of relief. "I have something else to do, so I'll leave first. You can come to the Xie Mansion later. All actions will be under Master Huang's command. If Chen Tie, Zhao Qing'er, and Wei Haoran refuse to leave, tie them up."

After leaving a word, Xie An left without looking back.

Xie An hurried back to the Xie Mansion and went to the east wing to find Master Huang. "Brother Huang, I plan to go to Shuideng Town to check out the situation."

Master Huang put away the mirror and said, "I will go with Brother Xie."

Xie An shook his head. "Brother Huang has to stay and look after Jin Xiaotang. Also, please ask Brother Huang to take the people from the Xie Mansion and Tang Family Fort and leave tonight."

Master Huang stood up nervously, "Is it that serious?"

Xie An said in a serious tone, "You've heard what happened just now. There have been large-scale demonic infestations in places like Shuideng Town and Wuqiao Town, and even great demons at the Grandmaster level have appeared. I estimate that the Four Old Demons should be here. We need to prepare for the worst."

Master Huang obviously knew the seriousness of the matter. "Brother Xie, what are your specific plans?"

Xie An said, "The four-party talks are about to begin. All sorts of monsters and demons are gathering in Qingwu County, baring their fangs. The princess hasn't returned yet, so we can't stop them. I'm worried that the Xie Mansion will fall into Li Hao's hands. Without further ado, Brother Huang will take the two families to the vicinity of Kongsang in Yunzhou tonight. I'll rush over to join them then."

Master Huang asked, "Since Brother Xie has decided to leave, why did you still risk going to Water Lantern Town?"

Xie An sighed, "I also want to leave. But Shuideng Wuqiao is my hometown after all, and there are many old friends there. I want to do something within my ability..."

When he said this, Xie An's heart twitched violently.

He also wanted to leave, but he had entered the realm of a master, and it was not dangerous to go out in a low-key manner. If he left Lin Yunliangzhi and others behind, Xie An would feel guilty.

In the face of such a serious situation, Xie An did not hesitate and comforted Master Huang, saying, "Don't worry, I won't show up publicly, so there will be no danger. Besides, Xiaobai also knows the Grandmaster Demon of Wulao Peak. He can warn you of the risks."

Master Huang stared blankly at Xie An, then at the white fox clinging to his shoulder. Finally, he bowed and said, "Brother Xie, you are so loyal and righteous. This is admirable. In that case, Brother Xie, feel free to let go. I will take my men and leave this place tonight and rush to Yunzhou."

Xie An also bowed deeply, "Brother Huang, take care. See you in Yunzhou."

Master Huang was quite reluctant to leave, "Thank you, brother, take care!"

"By the way, you should carry this magic mirror with you. Xiaobai needs it." Master Huang took out the magic mirror and handed it to Xie An.

Since it was about Xiaobai, Xie An did not hesitate and accepted it.

After explaining everything, Xie An wrote a letter and came to Tangjiabao again.

This is Xie An's second time coming to Tangjiabao tonight.

The last time I came, I just told them to get ready to leave.

But later Liu Chun gave accurate information: a great demon master appeared in Shuideng Town.

Even Chen Tie's house was attacked.

That means the situation has deteriorated extremely and we can't wait any longer.

The four old demons had undoubtedly reached the vicinity of Qingwu County, along with a dozen or so Grandmaster demons. There were likely tens of thousands of greater demons following them. If they erupted, the entire county would fall instantly.

In addition, the fact that Li Hao did not care about the four old demons committing such large-scale evil meant that the cooperation between the two sides was basically achieved.

There is no need to pin hopes on the eldest princess.

If Wei Dian was Xie An's first guide in martial arts, then Tang Zhengyang was Xie An's true guide in health-preserving exercises. Xie An absolutely did not want anything to happen to Tangjiabao.

Tangjiabao is very quiet under the night sky.

Xie An saw Xiao Hongtang in the room, sitting next to a long desk practicing writing, while Tang Linshi and Tang Qingfeng were guiding her beside her. The family of three was very warm.

Xie An stood at the door and watched for a long time. It was Xiao Hongtang who saw Xie An first. She immediately put down her wolf-hair brush and jumped out. "Little Grandpa, why are you here?"

Xie An smiled and said, "I came in a hurry and didn't have time to buy you a gift."

Little Red Sugar said with a smile, "It's great that Grandpa can come to see me. Oh, and now I've learned how to make sugar figures. Can I make one for Grandpa?"

Xie An soothed Little Red Sugar's little head: "Okay."

"Okay, little grandpa, just wait. I'll be there right away." Little Hongtang left happily.

Xie An looked at Xiao Hongtang's departing back, stunned for a long time before he retracted his gaze and entered the study.

Tang Qingfeng was very excited about Xie An's arrival and asked Tang Linshi to make tea, but Xie An stopped him and said, "Don't bother. Pack your bags immediately and go to Xie's house. Leave Qingwu County tonight."

Tang Qingfeng was shocked: "Is the situation so serious?"

Xie An said, "Liu Chun reported that a master-level demon appeared in Shuideng Town. Moreover, Prince Bao's daughter and several others were attacked by unknown men in black. It seems that Li Hao is about to take action. We must leave immediately!"

Besides, there are so many people in Tangjiabao that it's hard to take them all away. You should choose good people."

Tang Qingfeng was not vague and immediately asked Tang Lin to notify Tang Qingyun, Lu Changshui and others to pack their luggage and prepare to go to Xie's house.

After Tang Linshi left, Xie An handed another letter to Tang Qingfeng, "If possible, please give the letter to Brother Tang immediately. If Brother Tang can't get out of the confinement, I will come back to pick him up." Tang Qingfeng was so moved that his eyes filled with tears, and he thanked him repeatedly.

……

Everyone act quickly.

The people from Tangjiabao also arrived at Xie's house immediately. Liu Chun and Xiaohu arrived, and so did Chen Tie, Zhao Qing'er, and Wei Haoran, along with Chunlan, He Chunli, Han Li, Yuhe, and others.

Finally, under the leadership of Master Huang, they quietly left the city overnight.

The soldiers guarding the city asked everyone to stop and be questioned, but Master Huang knocked them unconscious and then led the convoy out of the city.

Xie An stood outside the city gate and watched the convoy leave.

In particular, I saw Xiao Hongtang holding a made-to-order sugar man in his hand, looking eagerly towards the city gate with tears in his eyes.

Xie An saw it all, but did not go out to meet him.

Now that the decision has been made, let's not get involved any further. Xie An also couldn't stand the sentimentality of parting.

Watching the convoy go away, Xie An still stood in the cold wind, letting the flying snow fall on his head and wet his hair.

The white fox lay on Xie An's shoulder, and seemed to sense Xie An's sadness, so it stroked Xie An's face with its claws, "Brother. Now that they're gone, we're safe."

Xie An nodded, "Yes. Let's go to the Xueling Market in Shuilan Town."

After saying that, Xie An led a horse over, jumped on it, and galloped towards Shuideng Town with the horse's hooves stepping on the snow.

Go! Go! Go!

The night is dark and snow is falling all over the sky.

A group of men in black rode on fine horses and arrived at the gate of Xie's house.

Clang! The men in black reined in their horses, dismounted one after another, and drew their swords. The gleaming blades were particularly dazzling in the night.

The leader raised his sword and said, "Charge in and kill everyone in the Xie Mansion. Don't spare a single one. Especially Xie An, he must die!"

Bang!
Someone kicked open the door of Xie's house and led the crowd in.

But he found that Xie's house was empty.

No one.

"Boss, everyone's run away!"

The leading man in black frowned. "Did the news leak out? Impossible! Retreat first!"

"Yes!"

The men in black put away their swords and planned to leave Xie's house.

Suddenly, a silver sword light came rushing in from outside the door, and in an instant, every man in black felt a chill in his throat, as if something had cut his throat. They all reached out to hold their throats, but felt a lot of blood.

"Hoho~"

One by one, the men in black had their throats broken and fell to the ground.

Only the leader, the man in black, remained. He drew his sword and danced wildly in fear, "Who, who is it..."

Before he could finish his words, he felt a sword beam rushing towards him, piercing through his sword and nailing him to the screen wall.

Such a powerful master made the man in black very panicked. He looked carefully and saw a beautiful woman in a light blue dress approaching. "You, who are you?"

The woman shouted, "Who asked you to come?"

The man in black gritted his teeth and said nothing.

At this moment, Li Chaosheng rushed in with a knife and grabbed the man in black and entered the room.

Soon, miserable screams were heard from the room.

After a moment, Li Chaosheng came out and said to the woman, "General Su, he is from the Nanzhou Demon Suppression Division."

Su Yuqing frowned.

Along the way, she heard about the demon plague in Shuideng Town, and she immediately realized that something might have happened in Qingwu County. She asked Li Chungang and Hua Yunfeng to rush to Shuideng Town to deal with the demon plague, while she quietly entered the city and tried to find Xie An.

result……

Xie's house was empty at night and was assassinated.

Thinking of this, Su Yuqing couldn't help but feel a little worried about Xie An.

"Li Chaosheng, I have left a secret line in the Demon Suppression Division, you know. Sneak into the Demon Suppression Division and find out the situation."

"Yes."

Li Chaosheng did not dare to delay and immediately took up his knife and left.

Su Yuqing then rushed into the main room and rummaged through the furniture, the man's face appearing in her mind.

She herself didn't know what was going on, but her heartbeat suddenly quickened and she felt a worry that she couldn't suppress.

"It's really hard for you to take on all the responsibilities in Qingwu County by yourself. I didn't expect the situation to deteriorate so quickly. Please don't let anything happen."

Soon, Su Yuqing saw that the bed was tidy.

It doesn't look like a disaster, but rather there are some signs of leaving early.

When I entered the backyard, I found that Jin Xiaotang was gone too.

But Su Yuqing still couldn't feel at ease, so she immediately left Xie's house and went to Tangjiabao not far away.

Having spent such a long time with Xie An, Su Yuqing naturally knew the reason behind the relationship between Xie An and Tang Zhengyang.

When I entered Tangjiabao, I found that it was also empty.

The central courtyard is still popular.

Su Yuqing did not hesitate and directly climbed over the wall into the central courtyard.

I saw an old man in the living room, meditating in a state of life and death.

There was also a middle-aged man guarding outside the living room, it was Tang Qingfeng.

When Tang Qingfeng saw someone approaching, he immediately drew his sword and waited patiently.

When the people from Tangjiabao left, Tang Zhengyang was in a life-or-death retreat and couldn't be distracted. Tang Qingfeng volunteered to stay and take care of him. This led to an argument with Tang Qingyun, but Tang Qingfeng finally persuaded Tang Qingyun to give up, citing his elder brother's importance.

It wasn't long before someone showed up. Tang Qingfeng instinctively thought it was Li Hao's men, and immediately made up his mind to die.

Su Yuqing saw Tang Qingfeng's determination to die and said, "Don't worry. I'm the eldest princess, Su Yuqing, and I have a life-and-death friendship with Xie An. Xie's mansion was just attacked by outsiders, and the thieves have all been killed. Where are Xie An and his men? Where are the people from Xie's mansion and Tangjiabao?"

Tang Qingfeng was half-believing and half-doubting, but he still clenched the big knife in his hand, "General Xie has taken his men out of the county. My father is in seclusion."

After hearing this, Su Yuqing breathed a sigh of relief, with a relieved expression on her face.

She knew that Xie An was not the kind of reckless man who did not know the importance of things.

When faced with a disaster, retreat is the most appropriate option.

"Is your father Xie An's sworn elder brother Tang Zhengyang?"

"Yes."

Su Yuqing turned to leave, but suddenly turned back, took out a brocade box, and threw it to Tang Qingfeng, "This is the Yuanqi Great Pill, which can help a ninth-level martial artist break through to the martial arts master level. I originally brought it for Xie An. But now Xie An is nowhere to be found, so I gave it to your father. Your father is only an eighth-level martial artist. Although he may not be able to break through the master's secret treasure, it can greatly increase his chances of success in seclusion."

Tang Qingfeng took the brocade box, opened it, and was immediately struck by a magical fragrance that was refreshing. As a fifth-level martial artist, he could tell that this elixir was no ordinary item, something he had never seen before.

Thinking of this, Tang Qingfeng became more convinced of Su Yuqing's identity and bowed to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Princess. Xie An went to Shuideng Town to slay the demons and monsters."

"Thank you for letting me know. Once your father's retreat is complete, leave this place immediately."

Su Yuqing left a word and turned to leave.

……

Xie Mansion.

Zhou Xuan brought Li Hao and Uncle Li into the place and saw corpses all over the ground.

"I am guilty. Not only did the people I arranged fail to kill Xie An, but the entire army was wiped out. Please punish me, Your Highness!" Zhou Xuan knelt on the ground, trembling with fear and asking for forgiveness.

Li Hao ignored Zhou Xuan, but walked to the door and welcomed a middle-aged man in a black robe.

The man in black robe walked in front, and Li Hao followed behind.

This shows the status of the man in black robe.

The man in black entered Xie's house and squatted down to check the wounds of the deceased.

"Master, can you tell who did this?" Li Hao asked cautiously.

The black-robed man examined the deceased's wounds and stood up. "That's the master's swordsmanship."

Li Hao was very puzzled. "Grandmaster? Impossible. There is no Grandmaster in Qingwu County. The Princess is far away in Nanyang Prefecture."

The black-robed man said, "That means Su Yuqing came to Qingwu County secretly."

Li Hao was very shocked, "Then our business..."

The black-robed man said, "That's fine. At this point, even Su Yuqing herself can't stop it. The four-party talks are imminent. The four old demons are all third-grade grandmasters, plus me, He Nanfeng, there are five third-grade grandmasters in total. As long as we finalize the cooperation with Beiliang, great things can be accomplished. The core lies in Beiliang. How are your contacts with Beiliang going?"

Li Hao heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "Beiliang wanted the Tianbao National Seal. However, with Guangchanzi's salvation, Pukong and Heipo disappeared. The national seal must have been lost. This is a difficult matter to resolve."

The dark-skinned man, He Nanfeng, asked, "You said before that the Tianan State is still ruled by the two Grandmasters, Black Water and Red Lotus?"

"Yes."

"That's fine. I'll have them detained right away. I'll tell them I've got the Tianbao Seal. As long as I meet someone from Beiliang, even without the Tianbao Seal, I can convince them to agree."

Li Hao was stunned. "What if I can't convince you?"

Humph.

He Nanfeng snorted coldly, "The one who came from Beiliang is just an envoy. You've already met him, so are you still worried that he won't agree to sign the contract?"

Li Hao immediately understood what He Nanfeng meant. "Master is truly courageous. All it takes is for the envoy to sign and seal the contract. By then, Beiliang will be in a difficult position and will have to support us even if they don't want to."

He Nanfeng said, "Yes. Beiliang and I share a common interest. There's no reason not to cooperate. Let's push for the four-party talks as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)