Chapter 156: You Can't Touch Anyone Here!

Having been injured by Tian Heng, Lu Tianhong was supported by Lu Hai as he walked over to Elder Lu Qian Santong and the rest of the Lu family disciples.

Lu Tianhong looked at Qian Santong with a strange, complicated expression in his eyes. Over the years, the two of them had shared a genuinely good personal friendship, and Lu Tianhong had never imagined that Qian Santong was actually the young master of the illustrious Qian family.

From Tian Heng’s sudden change in attitude just moments before, it was easy to tell that this Qian family was by no means ordinary. Although Lu Tianhong had never heard of them before, the fact that they did not even care to look at the Golden Sun Sect spoke volumes about the family's immense power. Lu Tianhong shuddered to think that he had been addressing such a person as a sworn brother for so many years...

"Pavilion Master Qian..." Lu Tianhong began.

Qian Santong smiled faintly.

"Brother Lu, with our friendship of so many years, there is no need to be so distant."

"It seems I was being overly rigid!" Lu Tianhong was stunned for a moment before bursting into a laugh.

"Yet, Brother Qian, how is it that you suddenly inherited the position of the Qian family's young master? Moreover, throughout all these years, the number of times you left Maple Leaf City could be counted on one's fingers?" Lu Tianhong asked.

Although Tian Heng had just said that Qian Santong came from a very prominent family, Lu Tianhong had rarely seen Qian Santong leave the city all this time. How could that make sense?

"Hehe, let this old man explain."

Tian Heng stepped forward and smiled, as if he hadn't just been fighting with the Lu family elder and Lu Tianhong a moment ago. One had to admit that an old man becomes a master of refinement; his speed in changing expressions was faster than flipping a book.

The members of the Lu family watched Tian Heng with guarded vigilance. If not for the appearance of Qian Santong, the fate of the Lu family at this very moment would surely have been entirely different.

Qian Santong made a gesture indicating it was fine, signaling Tian Heng to continue.

"Speaking of the Qian family, we must go back several thousand years to the founding emperor of the Great Xia Empire, Murong Xia. Back then, there was a martial artist surnamed Qian who followed the Xia Emperor and shared a bond as close as blood brothers," Tian Heng said leisurely.

"This man was none other than the first-generation patriarch of the Qian family!"

Qian Santong nodded without saying a word.

"The operation of an empire inevitably requires vast resources and financial wealth. It was then that Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was born, and the master of this Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was none other than the ancestor of the Qian family, the sworn brother of the former Xia Emperor. When the Qian family's ancestor took this position, it provoked dissatisfaction from many who successively submitted memorials, arguing that since the Qian family's ancestor controlled the entire national treasury of the Great Xia Empire, internal rebellion would surely arise in the long run. At a time when the Xia Emperor was troubled, the Qian family's ancestor made a decision!"

Tian Heng recounted.

At this point, even Lu Hui, standing behind Tian Heng, grew a bit curious.

The members of the Lu family were likewise filled with curiosity. Tian Heng had originally intended to keep them in suspense, but seeing Qian Santong's somewhat unsightly expression, he hurried to continue.

"To spare the Xia Emperor from difficulty, the Qian family's ancestor declared that the Qian family would never hold official posts in the imperial capital, but would merely operate behind the scenes to supply the national treasury of the Great Xia Empire. Furthermore, the Qian family's ancestor was extremely clever; overnight, every single member of the Qian residence in the imperial capital vanished without a trace, and only the Xia Emperor knew their whereabouts. From then on, while the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion continued to flourish with each passing day, the Qian family seemed to fade entirely from the public eye." Tian Heng stroked his beard, seemingly boasting about his knowledge of such a well-kept secret.

Appearing somewhat displeased by his rambling, Qian Santong interrupted and took over the conversation.

"Actually, these are not particularly top-secret matters. Any moderately prestigious family in the imperial capital knows of them, including the top-tier sects of the Great Xia Empire."

"In truth, they all know that our Qian family controls the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion from behind the scenes. Our family ancestor was a man of extreme caution, and because the true backing of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion is the Murong Imperial Household, nothing must be allowed to go wrong. Therefore, he laid down a rule back then: every successor to the young master position of the Qian family must undergo eighteen years of tempering in the outside world before he is permitted to return and take charge of the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion as a whole. Moreover, during this period, regarding all commercial matters, one is strictly forbidden to rely on the family's influence," Qian Santong said with a bitter smile.

Everyone assumed the young master of the Qian family enjoyed boundless glory and splendor, but who could possibly understand the hardships of those eighteen years spent outside?

"Now, the time limit is almost up, and I am about to return to my family. Never did I expect to take on a single task right before my departure."

Qian Santong cast a meaningful, half-smiling glance at Tian Heng as he spoke.

Tian Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly cursed in alarm. The moment he heard this, he knew the matter was tied to the Lu family. Now that both he and Lu Hui were here in the Lu family estate, this trip...

It wasn't that Tian Heng was afraid of Qian Santong. In terms of sheer combat strength, Qian Santong was not his match. However, the other party had not only a powerful family behind him, but also the Murong Imperial Household itself—a fact that filled Tian Heng with deep apprehension.

"Elder Tian Heng of the Golden Sun Sect, I am truly sorry, but today you cannot lay a hand on anyone from the Lu family!" Qian Santong said lightly.

Yet, to Tian Heng's ears, it carried an entirely different weight. For the young master of the Qian family to utter such words meant that Qian Santong was firmly resolved to protect them. Had it been before Qian Santong's arrival, it would have been of no consequence, but now that Qian Santong had spoken thus, if Tian Heng were to proceed with his attack, it would be tantamount to directly slapping the Qian family across the face. By then, Tian Heng's days in the Great Xia Empire would effectively be over.

With a rolling of his eyes, Tian Heng managed an awkward smile and said, "Actually, my visit today was merely to seek justice and vent some frustration on behalf of my disciple. Since the Young Master Qian has spoken thus, this matter naturally comes to an end right here."

Lu Hui opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped. He had heard every word concerning the Qian family loud and clear. With the young master of the Qian family present, let alone his master Tian Heng, even if the grand master of the Golden Sun Sect himself were to arrive in person, he feared they would not be able to gain any advantage.

Yet, a deep sense of unwillingness lingered in Lu Hui's heart. When he had first received the news, he had wanted to return to Maple Leaf City immediately, but knowing his own meager strength would accomplish nothing, he had chosen to wait until his master came out of seclusion.

He had expected that returning home this time would allow him to avenge his father and younger brother, only for a Qian Santong to appear out of nowhere halfway through—someone even his master dared not provoke.

Lu Hui clenched his fists tightly, his eyes turning blood-red and exuding a bloodthirsty aura. He was unwilling to accept this! Unwilling!

"Lu Hui, are you even human? When you were still in the Lu family before, how did the clan treat you?"

"That's right, your father brought that destruction upon himself!"

"Lu Hui, you've truly gone mad!"

At that moment, the disciples of the Lu family began pointing fingers at Lu Hui and denouncing him.

Meeting the hateful gazes fixed on him by the crowd, Lu Hui found that at this instant, his hatred extended even to his master Tian Heng. He hated himself, hated his own lack of strength, and hated the fact that his master was backing down at such a moment. But the look of hatred vanished from his eyes as quickly as it had appeared.

*Since that's how it is, I'll just collect some interest first,* Lu Hui thought viciously to himself.

"Senior Qian, while it is said that I cannot touch them, matters concerning our own internal affairs within the Lu family are surely not something you ought to interfere with, I presume?" Lu Hui cupped his fists and spoke respectfully to Qian Santong.

"This... well, naturally I wouldn't interfere in family matters," Qian Santong pondered for a moment and replied.

Lu Tianhong furrowed his brow, sensing that something felt distinctly amiss.

"Hui'er, what are you trying to do?" Tian Heng demanded in alarm. Qian Santong's presence was the only thing holding him back from acting rashly.

Tian Heng regarded Lu Hui as his sole disciple, and moreover, as a potential candidate who might one day defeat the young sect master. He could not afford any mishaps because of this incident, or the loss would truly outweigh the gain.

Noticing Tian Heng turning back to look at him, Lu Hui lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear. "Master, although you cannot attack the Lu family members or that young master of the Qian family, preventing them from making a move should pose no problem, right?"