The First Venerable of All Paths

"I've made a fool of myself in front of you, young friend Fang."

Soon, He Zhongtian invited Fang Xuan into the hall, where they took their seats.

He Yun rubbed his buttocks, looking resentful.

"Hurry up and order someone to serve tea to young friend Fang!"

Seeing this, He Zhongtian's eyes widened, and he roared at He Yun.

"oh."

He Yun responded and limped out, having someone bring tea and spiritual fruit. He then sat down beside them and warmly greeted them.

"Brother Fang, quickly try this Qingxin Tea, which is two hundred years old. It tastes several times better than anything you've had before."

Fang Xuan picked up the teacup and took a sip, finding the tea sweet and with a lingering aftertaste that made him feel pleasant.

It definitely tastes better than the refreshing tea I've had before.

"It's really good."

Fang Xuan nodded and took a few more sips.

He had been refining pills for several days in a row and had also had a brief fight with Li Xintong, which had depleted his Yuan energy and divine soul power.

Although I have recovered a lot after adjusting my breathing, I am still a little tired.

After drinking this cup of refreshing tea, Fang Xuan felt refreshed and his body felt lighter.

"Haha, I'm glad you like it."

He Zhongtian laughed heartily and said with great magnanimity, "Come on, bring me that box of tea I've been keeping."

Soon, Yuan Bo brought over a sandalwood box and placed it in front of Fang Xuan.

"Senior, what are you doing?"

Fang Xuan frowned but did not touch the box.

"Haha, since you and Yun'er are close friends and you even call me senior, consider this a small gift from your elder."

He Zhongtian waved his hand, looking indifferent.

However, He Yun's expression changed.

He knew very well that the box contained one of the He family's most prized treasures—the Cleansing Heart Tea.

Unlike ordinary refreshing tea, this refreshing tea can only be found on the ancestral tea tree of the He family.

Moreover, only ten tea leaves can grow every ten years.

Over the years, although the He family has accumulated some wealth, aside from what they use regularly, they also exchange a portion of it for other resources they need.

Even though the father was the head of the family, he didn't have much savings.

Unexpectedly, they've brought it all out at once.

"Senior, if I'm not mistaken, this should contain the He family's prized treasure, the Qingxinling Tea, right?"

Fang Xuan gently scanned the box with his divine sense and sensed a pure spiritual energy fluctuation emanating from it.

Just from smelling it, Fang Xuan's internal energy and soul were simultaneously enhanced by a slight amount.

Fang Xuan immediately guessed what it was.

It is the renowned Qingxinling Tea of ​​the He family.

"good."

He Zhongtian stroked his beard and smiled, nodding as he said, "I heard from Yun'er that he had already promised to send you some tea to try, so don't refuse."

"But this item is too valuable, and I really cannot accept it."

Fang Xuan shook his head and said, "This spiritual tea is known as the 'Minor Enlightenment Tea.' After a martial artist consumes it, there is a chance to enter a state of sudden enlightenment. Each piece is priceless. I cannot accept such a gift without having done so much!"

How about this?

Seeing Fang Xuan's resolute attitude, He Zhongtian changed his mind and said, "Just take half, consider it payment for your assistance to my He family."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xuan could only manage a wry smile.

If the He family is willing to offer the Qingxin Tea as payment for hiring a master.

It's likely that even a half-step Divine Intent Realm expert could be persuaded.

This Mind-Cleansing Tea has a very special effect on helping martial artists break through to the Divine Intent Realm.

"But......."

Just as Fang Xuan was about to refuse, He Yun said, "Brother Fang, please accept it. My little sister still needs your help."

"All right."

Fang Xuan stood up, solemnly clasped his hands in a salute, and said in a deep voice, "Then this junior will accept it with great honor."

"That's more like it."

He Zhongtian nodded in satisfaction, then got straight to the point.

"Fang Xuan, you said you could save my daughter, do you have any good ideas?"

When it came to serious matters, He Yun's expression became much more serious.

Inside the hall, the aroma of tea wafted through the air, and the originally relaxed and leisurely atmosphere was suddenly replaced by a solemn and dignified one.

He Zhongtian sat upright in the main seat, his hands gently resting on his knees, his brows furrowed with melancholy and anxiety.

How could he not be nervous when it concerned his daughter, He Yaoyao?

He Yun also stopped his playful and casual behavior, straightened his back, tightened his expression, and unconsciously clenched his fists slightly.

The younger sister was imprisoned, and the family was controlled.

This crisis had already put immense pressure on the He family, and many powerful families dared not get involved when they heard that it was a conflict between the He and Ming families.

On the contrary, Fang Xuan, a friend he had only met twice, was willing to step forward and offer advice to rescue his sister.

He Yun was excited and also somewhat moved.

"Senior He, Brother He, do you really think that the Wen family imprisoned Miss Yao Yao simply to gain leverage over the He family and force you to compromise and back down?"

Fang Xuan spoke slowly, his voice calm yet each word piercing, instantly revealing the key point.

He Zhongtian sighed and said, "Of course I know. This is Ming Yong's doing. He wants to make my He family busy and overwhelmed, so that he can defeat and devour my He family one by one."

"good."

Fang Xuan said calmly, "This is simply a meticulously planned trap."

Fang Xuan's eyes sharpened, and he said slowly and confidently, "The Wen family's imprisonment of Miss Yaoyao may seem like a threat to the He family, but it's actually a ploy to lure them out. They're certain that Senior He loves his youngest daughter and wouldn't stand idly by while Miss Yaoyao is imprisoned."

"If the He family can't hold back and sends their best members to the Wen family to rescue people, they will have fallen into the enemy's trap. The Wen and Ming families have already secretly joined forces. When the time comes, they will lay in ambush and wait for the enemy to tire themselves out, crushing all of the He family's forces that are out there, and completely crippling the He family's ability to resist."

"If either Senior He or Brother He Yun were to have an accident, it would be a devastating blow to the He family."

As soon as he finished speaking, He Yun shuddered, a cold sweat instantly breaking out on his back, filled with lingering fear.

He impulsively tried to save his sister.

We almost fell into the enemy's trap.

"No wonder the Wen family neither demanded resources nor made any demands after kidnapping our little sister; they simply detained her, clearly waiting for us to come to our deaths! If it weren't for Brother Fang's insight, our He family would have truly lost everything this time!"

He Zhongtian's face also darkened completely, and a strong sense of coldness and killing intent flashed in his eyes.

Having lived most of his life, he was well-versed in the insidious schemes and machinations of family feuds.

But this time, the Ming family found their weakness.

"That's right, this scheme is extremely vicious."

He Zhongtian nodded slowly, his tone heavy, "The other side accurately calculated my weakness and the bottom line of the He family's actions, using Yao Yao as bait to force us into a trap. Once all the clan's elite forces are deployed, it will be a situation of annihilation."

The two men initially thought this was the Ming family's entire scheme, but Fang Xuan's next words completely horrified them.

Fang Xuan slightly raised his eyes, his gaze sharp and clear, his tone carrying a chilling insight: "That's not enough. The Wen family's scheme to lure us in is just a facade."

"The real killer move is hidden in the shadows."

"Openly repair the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass."

These eight short words, each carrying immense weight, struck He Zhongtian and his son hard in the heart.

"The Wen family's 'openly repairing the plank road' strategy was to use Yao Yao as bait to attract all of the He family's attention and restrain all of the He family's combat power, so that all of our eyes were fixed on the Wen family, and we were busy dealing with the predicament of rescuing people."

"A covert maneuver—the Ming family took advantage of the He family's elite troops being ready to reinforce the Wen family at any moment, leaving the mansion undefended, to secretly mobilize their strongest forces and launch a surprise attack on the He family's residence!"

Fang Xuan spoke at a steady pace, analyzing the situation.

"What they wanted was never simply to control the He family, but to destroy them from the ground. They would ambush and crush the He family's reinforcements from the front, then launch a surprise attack from behind to cripple their foundations—a two-pronged approach to annihilate the He family in one battle!"

"Hmph, we'll see if they have the ability!"

He Zhongtian roared, and his powerful spiritual energy surged out.

But he quickly composed himself, looking dejected.

He understood everything Fang Xuan said.

However, now that the Ming family has seized his weakness, He Zhongtian is powerless to do anything about it.

Otherwise, if Ming Yong came to his door today, he would fight him to the death no matter what.

"Knowing there are tigers in the mountains, I still venture into the tiger's den."

He Zhongtian sighed deeply, his eyes filled with bitterness: "Yaoyao is in their hands. I am afraid to act rashly, no matter what kind of trap they set, my He family can only face it head-on, there is no way out."

He Yaoyao is the apple of the He family's eye and is deeply loved by He Zhongtian.

The thought of his beloved daughter suffering so much in the Wen family was like a knife to He Zhongtian's heart.

He Yun also lowered his head, his face full of anxiety: "Brother Fang, the situation is already like this, we are in a dilemma. To wait for death is certain death, to launch a rash attack is also certain death. You, as an outsider, have a clearer view, do you have any way to save my sister from this inferno!"

The father and son locked their eyes on Fang Xuan, their eyes filled with hope.

After Fang Xuan had said so much, both of them were curious about what brilliant plan he had.

Fang Xuan remained calm in the face of their eager gazes.

He picked up his teacup and took a small sip of tea.

Then a sharp glint appeared in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, word by word:

"Since they want to lure you into a trap and cut off your resources, then we'll play along and strike first!"

He Yun's eyes suddenly lit up, and he excitedly stood up: "A counter-strategy? A preemptive strike! Brother Fang, what do you mean? Explain quickly!"

He Zhongtian also sat up straight instantly, staring at Fang Xuan, waiting for him to continue.

Fang Xuan stood up, put his hands behind his back, looked out the window towards the Ming family mansion in the distance, and spoke calmly.

"The opponent relies on two things: first, using Yao Yao as bait to distract the He family; second, a two-pronged approach, with the Ming family pressing forward step by step, until the He family is forced to retreat."

Fang Xuan said, "Then let's play along and rescue Miss Yao Yao first."

"The first step, Senior He, is for you to take some men and launch a frontal assault on the Ming family residence!"

He Zhongtian was slightly taken aback: "A direct attack on the Ming family? But Ming Yong is a second-level Divine Intent Realm expert, far stronger than me. If I launch a direct attack, I won't be able to restrain him at all, and I'll only find myself in danger!"

"What I want is not for you to defeat Ming Yong, but to keep you in check."

Fang Xuan chuckled and said, "You take the initiative and make it clear that the He family is prepared to fight to the death to retaliate against the Ming family's sneak attack, forcing the Ming family to hand over Miss Yao Yao, or else we will all perish together."

"Ming Yong is a suspicious and cautious man, and he will surely doubt your purpose, senior."

Fang Xuan said, "And he won't give up this opportunity; he will definitely send people to attack the He family mansion in secret."

"At this time, the He family needs Brother He Yun to guard it."

He Yun was taken aback and said, "Me? Can I do it?"

Don't worry.

Fang Xuan said, "Your He family's formation is the work of a master. Even if a Divine Intent Realm expert attacks, it can be maintained for a short time."

"What about my sister?"

He Yun said, "Our goal now is to rescue my sister."

Fang Xuan chuckled softly.

"Leave the rescue to me."