Chapter 1833 — The Yu Family Makes Its Move

Led by Yu Yi, Yu Xiaochen once again came before the Yu family patriarch.

"Father, Yu Bing's reply has arrived!" Yu Xiaochen wasted no time on pleasantries and came straight to the point.

"Oh? What does Yu Bing say in the letter?" The Yu family patriarch opened his tightly shut eyes and asked.

"Yu Huoxing was not lying. Wei Zhao did indeed take part in the tomb robbery, and the Qi-Gathering Pill is truly in his hands!" As he spoke, Yu Xiaochen handed Yu Bing's letter to the patriarch.

The patriarch took the letter and read it in silence, seemingly with great care, while Yu Xiaochen dared not disturb him, standing solemnly to one side and waiting for him to finish.

It was plain to see that the patriarch still held Yu Bing in great affection—otherwise he would never have read the family letter he had written with such attention.

After a while, the patriarch set the letter down and let out a sigh too faint to be heard. "I had intended to let those other hidden families break the rules first and send their Earth-rank experts out into the world, but... I never imagined that the first to act would still be our Yu family!"

"Father, are you preparing to move against Wei Zhao?" A flicker of delight rose in Yu Xiaochen's heart, though he asked without betraying a thing.

If his father supported him, then the Qi-Gathering Pill might yet be recovered—and his own advancement to the Heaven rank would be all but assured! Naturally, it never occurred to him that Wei Zhao had already swallowed the pill, for it produced its greatest effect only when taken at the peak of the late Earth rank, at the very threshold of breaking through to Heaven. To take it any earlier was nothing short of squandering a treasure of heaven.

"If you too become a Heaven-rank expert, then our Yu family will have nothing to fear for a hundred years!" the patriarch said. "This is your hope, and I will naturally give it my all! Since it is confirmed that Wei Zhao took the Qi-Gathering Pill, then let us grant Yu Huoxing his wish—kill Wei Zhao and take the pill back!"

"Kill Wei Zhao?" Yu Xiaochen's brows lifted slightly. "And what of Yu Bing...?"

"Sooner or later he will understand that the interests of the family outweigh all else!" the patriarch said. "This time, let Yu Liu make the trip. Though rumor has it that Wei Zhao has suffered a qi deviation in his cultivation, who knows whether it is true or false. Yu Liu possesses the strength of a peak mid-stage Earth rank—even if Wei Zhao is feigning weakness, he can still crush him!"

"Yes!" Yu Xiaochen nodded again and again. "Then I will go make the arrangements at once..."

"Mm. Go and speak with Yu Huoxing as well. You know what to say?" the patriarch asked.

"Of course I know!" Yu Xiaochen said. "This time, in avenging the Yu family, I will make Yu Huoxing remember the debt he owes us. Consider it recompense for the injustice of blaming him before, when we thought the Zhao family had stolen the Qi-Gathering Pill!"

"Good. Go, then!" The patriarch waved a hand.

After Yu Xiaochen left the place where the Yu family patriarch cultivated, he sent someone to summon Yu Huoxing.

"I pay my respects to the Yu family head!" Yu Huoxing said respectfully. Though he did not know why Yu Xiaochen had suddenly summoned him, he was not afraid; ever since he had been made to feign that the Zhao family had stolen the Qi-Gathering Pill, he had known that the whole affair was settled. No one would pursue it any further!

And even if someone did, Yu Huoxing could deflect it all with ease—truth and falsehood alike.

"Huoxing, Yu Bing has written. He confirms your account—Wei Zhao did take part in the tomb robbery, and it was he who stole the Qi-Gathering Pill!" Yu Xiaochen said.

"Ah?" Yu Huoxing was struck dumb for a moment, doubt rising in his heart. Had Yu Bing lost his mind? What tomb robbery had Wei Zhao ever taken part in? And it was not Wei Zhao who stole the Qi-Gathering Pill—he himself had presented it to the Zhao family. How could Yu Bing have endorsed his story?

Previously, though Yu Huoxing had set his mind at ease, what he feared most was trouble from Yu Bing's side!

If Yu Bing were to set the record straight, the Yu family would surely believe Yu Bing over him. So Yu Huoxing had counted on Yu Bing being unable to write freely from the Ice Palace—but never had he expected that Yu Bing really would reply, and what was more, that Yu Bing would actually confirm his words!

Had Yu Bing taken leave of his senses?

Yet for all his bewilderment, Yu Huoxing was overjoyed at this moment! Whatever Yu Bing's reasons, his confirmation of the matter worked in Yu Huoxing's favor. So after a brief moment of astonishment, he hastened to say, "That is exactly how it was! That Wei Zhao is utterly despicable—not only did he destroy our mortal Yu family, he even came to seize the Qi-Gathering Pill that belonged to you, Family Head. His crimes are monstrous!"

"Indeed, Wei Zhao is truly despicable. That is why, after I petitioned my father time and again, he has finally agreed to send men to avenge our mortal Yu family!" Yu Xiaochen said, ever skilled at winning hearts.

"My thanks to the family head and the patriarch!" A surge of excitement rushed through Yu Huoxing. The mortal Yu family existed in name only now, and Yu Huoxing burned with resentment—but when he heard that Wei Zhao had advanced to become an Earth-rank expert, he had lost all stomach for revenge!

If the hidden Yu family would not help, then unless he himself advanced to a higher rank, he had no hope of touching Wei Zhao! And he was, besides, a man who feared death above all things; until he possessed strength that could utterly overwhelm Wei Zhao, he would never dare make a reckless move.

"No need for thanks. This is only what our Yu family ought to do. The mortal Yu family may lack successors at present, but you can raise up a few more maternal relatives. I hear that Yu Haitian is quite capable—let him and Yu Kun manage the family together!" Yu Xiaochen said. "But from now on, the Yu family will go into business. No more involvement in cultivation!"

"Yes..." Yu Huoxing let out a heavy sigh. If the mortal Yu family no longer cultivated, how were they any different from ordinary merchants? It meant that the mortal Yu family would be utterly marginalized from now on, never to know their former glory again.

Still, this was the only and the best solution. At least the hidden Yu family would continue to support them—otherwise, whether the Yu family could even survive was doubtful. Without a cultivator to hold the seat, any family with a cultivator could trample them at will!

"This time, I intend to send Yu Liu to seek out Wei Zhao and take revenge. Is there anything else you wish to say?" Yu Xiaochen asked.

"I... no, I leave it all to the family head's arrangements!" Yu Huoxing had wanted to say that he wished to join the vengeance himself, to cut Wei Zhao down with his own hand and avenge the mortal Yu family—but in the end, he lacked the courage to speak the words, because he feared death! He feared that Wei Zhao's coma was a pretense, and even with Yu Liu, a peak mid-stage Earth-rank expert, going along, he feared that Yu Liu might not be able to guarantee his safety!

And so, when the moment came, Yu Huoxing gave up after all. (To be continued)

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