Fantasy, starting with a treasure bowl

...

Courtyard of the mansion

"Brother Feng, Second Brother Lin."

The Third Elder, Lu Huo, stepped forward again, then bowed slightly to the two of them, and said in a meaningful tone, "Now that my niece Xiao Xiang has returned to the family, her engagement with the young master of the Jin family can be formally put on the agenda."

"As elders of the clan, my fourth brother and I will naturally not stand idly by; we must also do our part for the Lu family..."

"Third Brother is right."

As soon as Lu Huo finished speaking, the Fourth Elder, Lu Shan, also stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "After all, the marriage of Xiao Xiang's niece is no small matter. Now that the Patriarch has been in seclusion for a long time, this matter should naturally be decided by us four elders together. We must not act rashly."

"Moreover, the person who proposed marriage in the past was no ordinary person, but the young master of the famous Jin family in the Great Xia Dynasty. Such a distinguished figure is someone our Lu family absolutely cannot afford to offend..."

Although Lu Shan's words were very polite, they subtly revealed a hint of toughness, clearly indicating that he was an ally of the Third Elder Lu Huo, and did not support the Second Elder Lu Lin or the First Elder Lu Feng.

After all, his Yuan Power cultivation was the weakest, only around the seventh level of the Spirit Soul Realm. He was also ranked at the bottom among the four elders of the Lu family. He couldn't even defeat the third elder, Lu Huo, let alone contend with the second elder, Lu Lin, and the first elder, Lu Feng.

As for Lu Shan himself, if he wants to gain more benefits on the road to seizing power and at the same time ensure that his position as elder is as firm as Mount Tai, he naturally has to win over allies and cannot fight alone.

As a result, the Lu family is now divided into three factions. The strongest faction is that of the First Elder, Lu Feng, followed by the faction of the Second Elder, Lu Lin. The last faction consists of Lu Huo and Lu Shan, who are temporarily allied.

"A marriage contract? What marriage contract?"

Upon hearing the words of the four elders of the Lu family, Lu Feng, standing to the side, also raised an eyebrow, revealing a hint of surprise. "Could it be that Miss Lu already has a fiancé? Strange, how come I've never heard Miss Lu mention it before...!"

In contrast to Lu Feng's surprise, Lu Xiaoxiang's pretty face changed slightly, gradually becoming somewhat unpleasant, as if she had suddenly recalled some unpleasant memories.

"I don't care what you're trying to do. After I've finished dealing with Lu Jinyuan's funeral today, I will officially withdraw from the Lu family and have no further connection with them!"

"As for which of you old fogies wants to become the head of the Lu family in the future, that's none of my business...!"

Beneath her sleeves, a pair of delicate hands clenched tightly. Lu Xiaoxiang shifted her gaze to the four elders of the Lu family not far away, her tone resolute, clearly indicating that her mind was made up.

"No further connection? What a joke!"

However, faced with Lu Xiaoxiang's determination, Elder Lu Feng merely snorted coldly, then a sinister look appeared on his aged face. "You brat, not only did you break the engagement with the young master of the Jin family without permission and injure the messenger who delivered the betrothal letter, but you also left the family alone in a fit of pique to apply for that Falling Star Academy, thus plunging the entire Lu family into a crisis of survival!"

"Now you're just going to sever ties with the Lu family and expect us to take the blame for the mess you've made? There's no such thing as a free lunch...!"

Lu Feng's face was grim and murderous, his tone hard and cold, as if Lu Xiaoxiang was not his niece, but a criminal who had committed some heinous crime.

"Although I do not support the use of force, especially against one's own people, Brother Feng's words are true..."

As soon as the other party finished speaking, Second Elder Lu Lin stepped forward as well, then looked at Lu Xiaoxiang with a deep gaze, "Niece Xiaoxiang, you've caused quite a bit of trouble in the past, and now it's time to pay for it. This is not only your responsibility as the eldest daughter of the Lu family, but also an obligation you cannot shirk...!"

"My two older brothers are right."

"Xiaoxiang, even if you intend to sever all ties with the Lu family, you should first clean up the mess you've made, right? Otherwise, not only will we be implicated, but the entire Lu family will suffer as a result...!"

On the side, the Third Elder Lu Huo and the Fourth Elder Lu Shan also jumped out, and then they all criticized Lu Xiaoxiang in unison, and their tone was very tough, clearly not intending to let her leave easily.

"A catastrophe? That's laughable!"

Facing the targeting of the four elders of the Lu family and the accusations from everyone, Lu Xiaoxiang merely smiled coldly. Her pretty face gradually grew colder and more stern. "The marriage agreement with the young master of the Jin family was originally a scheme made by you old fogies and Lu Jinyuan, who planned to profit from the marriage between the two families. I never agreed to this!"

"As for the Lu family now being targeted and retaliated against by the young master of the Jin family, that's simply the fault of you old fogies. What does it have to do with me?"

"If it weren't for the connection with Elder Song and the fact that Lu Jinyuan's days are numbered, even if you old fogies knelt down and begged me, I would never set foot in the Lu family's residence!"

At this point, seemingly to demonstrate her determination to sever all ties with the Lu family, Lu Xiaoxiang lightly raised her hand, drew her sword from her waist, and then slashed heavily at the ground beneath her feet, instantly leaving a deep, ravine-like sword mark.

"You brat! You still dare to talk back even now!"

Seeing that Lu Xiaoxiang not only contradicted him in public but also showed no remorse, Elder Lu Feng was so angry that his beard trembled wildly, and he roared, "Today I'll let this brat experience the Lu family's rules and regulations!"

Seemingly afraid that the Second Elder Lu Lin would interfere again, Lu Feng glanced at him again before taking action, and said tentatively, "Second brother, this brat seems to be stubborn and won't turn back until she hits a brick wall. I'm afraid the only option right now is to capture her alive and then make a further decision."

Faced with Lu Feng's probing, Lu Lin merely narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not object. Instead, he nodded silently, clearly feeling that he could not subdue Lu Xiaoxiang with words alone at the moment.

"She's just a little girl at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm. There's no need for you three brothers to take action. This elder alone is enough."

Seeing that everyone's opinions were finally in agreement, the Fourth Elder, Lu Shan, who had been silent for a long time, grinned and then volunteered to step forward, his face full of confidence.

After all, Lu Xiaoxiang on the other side was just a lowly sixth-level martial artist in the Qi Opening Realm, while he himself was a seventh-level expert in the Spirit Soul Realm. Even if he only used 30% of his power, he could easily subdue the former. The two were not even on the same level!

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Fourth Brother."

"Hehe, please don't harm my niece Xiaoxiang, otherwise we'll have a hard time explaining to the young master of the Jin family..."

"Hmph! It doesn't matter if she's injured, as long as she's alive and doesn't lose any limbs. This brat used to cause trouble everywhere and bring countless problems to the Lu family. Now she needs to be taught a good lesson!"

Seeing that Lu Shan intended to take charge personally, Lu Feng and the others did not compete for credit or object. Instead, they stepped aside and spoke in unison.

After all, these people are elders of the Lu family, and they don't care to fight against a junior like Lu Xiaoxiang. Moreover, even if they win, it would easily damage their reputation if word got out, so it's better to sit back and watch the fight.

"So, when soft tactics don't work, these old fogies are going to try hard tactics...!"

Facing Lu Shan's relentless advance, Lu Xiaoxiang's pretty face also turned slightly cold, followed by a hint of apprehension in her beautiful eyes.

Although she had long anticipated that returning to the Lu family might be fraught with danger, Lu Xiaoxiang ultimately underestimated the audacity of Lu Feng and his gang. Not only did they dare to make a move in public, but they also showed no restraint whatsoever, no longer bothering to pretend!