“Xiao Hei, are you sure you’re not mistaken? This is absolutely impossible. If the Fang family hired a mysterious expert, or if that old guy Fang Gaoyang wasn’t poisoned and he broke through, that would be a little bit of a possibility. But if that idiot Fang Han and those two young people Fang Qing and Zhou Chi defeated Master Qingshan and the other four, I absolutely do not believe it.”

Even the old man Zhao Banshan, who hadn't said a word until now, got excited.

He originally thought that it was a sure thing for Master Qingshan and his group to defeat the Fang family's experts.

"Master, Patriarch, my senior brother Zhao Yuanbiao and I saw it clearly, there's absolutely no mistake," the black-clad servant "Xiao Hei" said firmly.

Zhao Tiancheng frowned, his eyes filled with worry and unease. He paced back and forth in the room, and after thinking for a while, he slowly said, "Father, it seems that the two of us need to go back to the manor to see the actual situation. The current situation is unclear, and I really have no idea what to do."

At this moment, his heart felt like it was being filled with fifteen buckets of water, fluctuating wildly, with all sorts of guesses and worries swirling in his mind.

"Tiancheng, you must not act rashly."

Zhao Banshan's expression was extremely solemn. He pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "If the Fang family has set up an ambush near the manor, then it will be dangerous for my son and me if we show ourselves. I have already made an agreement with Daoist Qingshan that if they succeed, they will send a message to one of our pill trading companies. Tonight, to be on the safe side, let's wait here for news."

Zhao Tiancheng was slightly taken aback, then his face showed admiration, and he said sincerely, "Father, you are always so steady and thoughtful in your actions."

After careful consideration, he also felt that his father's words made sense, so he no longer insisted on returning to the manor immediately.

So, Zhao Banshan and his son Zhao Tiancheng stayed up all night, quietly waiting for news in the dimly lit underground chamber.

Their gazes kept drifting towards the doorway of the secret room, their eyes filled with anticipation and anxiety.

However, as time passed and the sky gradually brightened, faint morning light shone through the cracks in the basement, but they still received no news.

"Father, it seems that Master Qingshan has really failed."

Zhao Tiancheng's voice was filled with disappointment and helplessness, and he sighed deeply.

His gaze became vacant, as if all his strength had been drained from him. He seemed unable to accept this cruel reality and remained in shock for a long time.

Zhao Banshan's face was so gloomy it seemed like it could drip water. He slowly said, "Our previous judgments were all wrong. It seems that the Fang family didn't recruit any peerless experts, nor did Fang Gaoyang break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Rather, it's that Fang Han, that kid who was once called a big waste and an idiot, has become very strong. The Su family tried to refine Fang Han into a medicinal man, but failed to refine him. Fang Han must have escaped, not only absorbing the medicinal properties but also obtaining some incredible fortuitous encounter."

"Father, what should we do now?"

Zhao Tiancheng asked anxiously, his eyes burning with anger, "Jian'er must have died at Fang Han's hands. We absolutely cannot let this go unpunished. Recently, people in Yanming City have been gossiping behind our backs, saying that our Zhao family are all cowards. I really can't swallow this insult anymore."

Zhao Banshan slowly stood up and said decisively, "Jian'er is dead. We can't afford to panic. Immediately write another letter and send it to Tianyuan County, to Zhao Ziyi, so she can contact her master, Elder Jianchi. Elder Jianchi is very powerful and holds a prestigious position in the Longyuan Sword Sect. If he learns that his five disciples have been killed, given his temperament, he will definitely come to Yanming City in person. At that time, no matter how strong Fang Han is, he will surely die. For now, we can only hide here and wait for an opportunity."

"Father, Fang Han killed Zhao Jian and burned down our manor. Should I send a message to Ye Zhong in the City Lord's Mansion and ask them to take care of this matter?"

Zhao Tiancheng asked tentatively.

Zhao Banshan narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright. It's good to have the City Lord give the Fang family a warning, so they won't target our pill trading company. With the City Lord's Mansion involved, it might put some pressure on the Fang family and make them more cautious."

...

Before they knew it, the sky had brightened considerably, and the autumn sun shone down on the earth without reservation, but Yanming City was shrouded in a tense and mysterious atmosphere.

The mysterious fire that burned down the Zhao family manor caused a huge uproar in the area, and the news spread like wildfire to every corner of Yanming City.

Prior to this, Zhao Jian of the Zhao family had already been killed. These two events, one after the other, are closely linked, like an invisible thread that tightly hooks people's curiosity and imagination, inevitably leading to a flood of thoughts.

In the streets and alleys, people gathered in small groups, whispering and discussing amongst themselves.

Many people secretly speculated that the Zhao family must have inadvertently offended some extremely powerful and untouchable figure, which led to their current predicament.

After all, among the three major families in Yanming City, the Zhao family firmly occupies the second position. Its family power is enormous, and it has a very high status and influence in the city.

Moreover, the Zhao family has a close relationship with the renowned Divine Doctor Valley, and the two sides have many exchanges in business and cultivation resources, supporting each other.

In the entire Yanming City, apart from the powerful and influential City Lord's Mansion and the powerful and well-established Wu family, almost no other force can pose a substantial threat to the Zhao family.

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