The Cheng Manor was a scene of utter devastation, having been caught completely off guard in an attack whose scale of loss was undoubtedly the most grievous in a century.

Tragically, this catastrophe struck only a few days after the Old Master Cheng's birthday celebration.

The prestige the Cheng family had gained by leveraging their connection with the Lin Family of Linlang was instantly suppressed to its nadir.

How could a noble house unable to guarantee the safety of its own kin possibly protect others? Although the terrifying grey-robed figures quickly withdrew, this remained a bloody, indelible lesson for the Cheng family that they could never forget.

The chief representatives from the He and Xu families in the county seat arrived in a short time, equally horrified by the attack on the Cheng Manor.

Internally, they felt a sharp relief, recognizing that the strength of the attackers was so immense that if the incident had happened to their own houses, the consequences would likely have been little better for them.

Upon learning that the Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng had also been stolen, although they expressed sorrow verbally, they could not entirely suppress a feeling of schadenfreude.

However, witnessing the miserable state of the Cheng family elicited a sense of shared misfortune—when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves—and they readily agreed to the Cheng family's request for assistance in tracking the culprits.

※※※※ After disengaging from the Cheng Manor, He Yiming immediately stripped off the grey robe and black mask before returning home.

However, upon his arrival, he found only his mother and sister were present; his father and elder brother were nowhere to be seen.

Glancing toward the massive fire raging in the direction of the Cheng Manor, he instantly understood where his father and brother must have gone.

He touched his face, retrieved another small bottle, poured a little bit of [content redacted] into his palm, and gently rubbed it for a moment, washing away all the disguise.

Once his face was clean, he proceeded toward the main hall of the courtyard.

As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, Lin Wenyu immediately adopted a stern expression and asked, "Yiming, where did you go just now?" He Yiming habitually scratched his scalp and replied, "Mother, I just stepped out for a moment." "So late at night, why did you go out? What if something had happened, what would we have done?" Lin Wenyu’s face was filled with tender concern.

He Yiming chuckled sheepishly, "Mother, I just went out to practice my boxing forms; nothing is wrong." "Practice boxing forms?" Only then did Lin Wenyu's expression soften.

Over the past year, she had gained some understanding of her precious son's progress in cultivation.

While joyful, she was also deeply perplexed.

Hearing his words now, however, she felt a surge of emotion.

People called Yiming a genius, but no one saw the effort he poured in behind the scenes.

If every single disciple of the He family's third generation possessed his level of dedication, not even sparing a single night, then surely every one of them would have made tremendous progress.

Looking at her son’s face—slightly immature, yet possessing a touch of worldliness, a blend of two disparate sensations—her heart suddenly ached.

For the sake of rising above in the family, just how much suffering had this son endured in secret! With this thought, Lin Wenyu reached out and drew Yiming into an embrace.

He Yiming looked at his mother, bewildered.

No matter his genius, he could not fathom the depths of his mother's feelings at that moment.

Nevertheless, since he turned five, he hadn't been so openly affectionate with his mother.

Being close to her now filled his heart with warmth.

He reached out and held her waist, his mind finally settling into complete tranquility.

Even the recent terrifying events seemed to fade entirely in that instant.

He Yilong watched enviously and pressed forward to squeeze into their mother's embrace.

He Yiming shot her a glare, which she returned just as unceremoniously.

The siblings stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before both burst into laughter simultaneously.

The mother and her two children happily savored this domestic bliss; news of the Cheng Manor fire and such was forgotten.

It was not until the sky began to pale that He Quanming and his son, He Yixuan, returned from the Cheng Manor.

Their faces were extremely grave; it was clear that the sight of the Cheng Manor's devastation had deeply affected them.

The He, Xu, and Cheng families were collectively known as the three great noble houses of Taicang County.

While there were distinctions in their peak combat strength, none of them was a family to be trifled with.

If the Cheng family had fallen to such a tragic state, what might have been the outcome if those people from last night had targeted the He family instead? When He Quanming returned home, the first person he saw was Yiming, and anger immediately flared within him. "Yiming, where were you last night? Did you have any idea how dangerous it was outside?" He Yiming felt a warmth spread in his chest. "Father, I went out to train last night.

I only returned when I saw the fire break out in the city." "Train? Why couldn't you train at home?" He Quanming’s anger subsided considerably, but his tone remained sharp.

Lin Wenyu quickly stepped forward, pulling He Yiming behind her, and softly offered explanations, subtly hinting that Yiming’s current achievements were intrinsically linked to his relentless daily efforts.

Since the son possessed such dedication, the parents absolutely could not be a hindrance.

He Quanming had only been worried for his son's safety, and now, seizing the opportunity to de-escalate, he repeatedly warned Yiming to promise he would not go out late these next few nights, and that was the end of it.

He Yiming dutifully agreed to everything, offering no rebuttal whatsoever.

He felt immense relief that he had managed to slip away so easily.

However, once he returned to his room, he couldn't help but feel frustrated.

What was he to do with this Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng? Giving it to his father was out of the question, but throwing it away felt wasteful.

Should he just consume it himself? ※※※※ In the Cheng Manor, a day of tidying had restored an outward calm.

Yet, the joyous atmosphere of the preceding days was entirely absent; instead, gloom hung heavy, and sounds of desolate weeping could be heard everywhere.

Meanwhile, in the rear courtyard of the Cheng Manor, Old Master Cheng and Cheng Jiahui, the two pillars of power in the family, sat together.

They were the core of the Cheng family; as long as they lived, the Cheng family would never truly decline. "Jiahui, are you absolutely certain?" Old Master Cheng asked, his voice hoarse.

Although he had already settled the answer in his own mind, he preferred to ask one more time.

Cheng Jiahui slowly nodded, his head seemingly heavy as a mountain, yet remaining unwavering. "Father, the person used, without a doubt, the Xu family's Blazing Fire Palm technique," Cheng Jiahui's voice was low and forceful. "I have fought Xu Laosi many times; I have a deep impression of that technique.

There can be no mistake." The muscles on Old Master Cheng's face twitched subtly.

He muttered, "Blazing Fire Palm.

To injure you so easily with a single palm strike...

it probably isn't even the Eighth Level anymore." "That’s right.

When I attacked, the person was just emerging from the inner courtyard and was clearly caught off guard, yet he effortlessly shattered my full-force strike with a casual palm.

Furthermore, I myself sustained internal injuries.

If that figure had not been in a hurry, intent only on leaving, otherwise, if he had stopped..." Cheng Jiahui gave a wry smile, "If that were the case, Father, I likely wouldn't be seeing you today." Old Master Cheng's face shifted between ashen and red, completely losing his usual air of refined composure.

He scoffed, "I suspect it wasn't that the person was in a hurry to leave, but rather thanks to you being your mother's bloodline that the Xu family dared not strike a fatal blow.

If it had been anyone else in the household, humph..." Cheng Jiahui immediately lowered his head.

He had long suspected this possibility but dared not voice it in front of the Old Master. "Have you determined the origin of that group of people?" Cheng Jiahui stated gravely, "We have collected over ten bodies.

After identification, we found no familiar faces." Old Master Cheng paused, then asked, "They came from outside the region?" "Exactly.

That is the only explanation.

Otherwise, so many Internal Energy cultivators—it’s impossible that we wouldn't recognize a single one." "Outsiders?" Old Master Cheng frowned. "Could the Xu family actually be colluding with outsiders?" "I am equally perplexed, but the technique used by that grey-robed individual was undeniably the Xu family's Blazing Fire Palm," Cheng Jiahui asserted confidently.

The father and son exchanged silent glances.

While they did not truly believe the Xu family would possess the audacity to commit such an act, the Blazing Fire Palm was the Xu family's unique secret technique; outsiders absolutely could not fake it.

After a long silence, Old Master Cheng finally spoke, "Jiahui, arrange for someone to spread the word: among the thieves that night, one individual utilized the Ninth Level of the Blazing Fire Palm." Cheng Jiahui looked up sharply, astonished. "Father, if we do this, won't it be tantamount to tearing down all pretense with the Xu family?" Old Master Cheng snorted coldly, "Pretense? Since the Xu family has discarded all pretense, why should we hide anything? Should the dozens of lives lost in our Cheng Manor simply vanish without consequence?" As he uttered those words, the old man's voice trembled slightly, filled with venomous resentment.

Cheng Jiahui’s face convulsed sharply.

He stared at his father in shock; the image of the Old Master he held in his heart seemed to shatter at that moment, yet it also revealed the extreme depth of the old man's indignation.

A moment later, Cheng Jiahui finally sighed deeply. "Yes, Father.

I will go now." Old Master Cheng’s expression softened. "Jiahui, rest assured.

The Xu family won't dare do anything significant.

As long as our relationship with the Lin Family of Linlang remains unbroken, as long as your sister is alive, our Cheng family will always remain one of the three great noble houses of Taicang County." Cheng Jiahui hesitated slightly, then nodded slowly.

Old Master Cheng stood up; after the outburst, he seemed to have completely regained his composure. "Jiahui, Li'er is seventeen this year, isn't she?" "Yes, Li'er just turned seventeen." "Hmm, she is a young woman now.

It is time to find a suitable match for her," Old Master Cheng announced loudly. "Among the third-generation disciples who came to celebrate the birthday from the He family this time, He Yitian is quite excellent; he would be a fine match for Li'er.

You should make a special trip to arrange it." Cheng Jiahui was momentarily stunned.

He considered the matter seriously, but when he looked up, the Old Master had already departed.

He sighed softly, unsure what emotions were swirling within him.