After seeing Cheng Jiahui off, He Yiming hurriedly asked, "Father, is Eldest Brother really going to marry a daughter of the Cheng family?"

He Quanming turned back, casting him a half-smile. "What, are you interested? Should I speak to the Cheng family for you? Perhaps they wouldn't object to you taking his place for a day."

Indeed, although He Yitian was the eldest son and grandson of the He family, the person currently drawing the most attention was He Yiming, who had just sent Xu Yucai flying with a single palm strike.

At this moment, everyone outside favored this fourteen-year-old cultivator at the peak of the seventh level of Inner Strength, with some even proclaiming that he would surely become the foremost expert in Taicang County in the last century.

Therefore, if the He family made such a request, the Cheng family would undoubtedly be overjoyed to accept.

He Yiming shivered violently, forcing a bitter smile. "Father, please stop joking with me. My goal is the pinnacle of the Martial Dao. Before that, I absolutely will not consider such matters."

He Quanming nodded slightly. "That's more like it. With your talent, your future is limitless. It's best not to burden yourself with a family too early." He sighed softly. "Your Uncle used to be the same, completely focused on pursuing the Martial Dao. But his position was different; as the eldest son of the He family, he had to shoulder corresponding obligations. Otherwise, I fear he would have broken through the peak of the ninth level long ago and become a tenth-level Inner Strength cultivator like myself."

The two He Yiming brothers exchanged a look, silently mourning for their uncle for a moment.

He Quanming waved his hand dismissively. "I had intended to keep you here for a few more days, but since this incident has occurred, we must immediately report back to the Old Master. You two prepare yourselves; you will return home with me tomorrow morning. As for Yilong, let her and her mother have a few more days together."

A flicker of disappointment crossed the faces of the two He Yimings. Their hard-won family reunion was about to be prematurely broken up again.

If they had been merely curious about Cheng Jiahui's proposal just moments ago, now they were filled with resentment. However, neither dared to defy their father. They glanced at each other and reluctantly agreed.

The three father and sons had just entered the inner hall and had not yet mentioned the matter to Lin Wenyu when two manor guards rushed in as swiftly as the wind.

He Quanming frowned slightly and reprimanded angrily, "What is the meaning of this? This is not a place you can just—" He stopped abruptly, for he had noticed that one of the two men was disheveled, and his attire was different from that of the local retainers.

Of course, the main point was that he recognized this man as a steward from the main family branch.

The steward wiped the sweat from his brow and urgently stated, "Second Master, the Old Master ordered this subordinate to come. It is a matter of utmost urgency; please return quickly with the Third Young Master and the Sixth Young Master."

The faces of He Quanming and his sons changed simultaneously. The term "utmost urgency" indicated that a major event had transpired within the main family, which was why they used such a coded message for contact.

The three exchanged glances, recognizing the cold chill in each other's eyes. Even He Yiming felt a chill run down his spine at that moment.

The tragedy at the Cheng manor was still fresh in their minds, and the culprits had yet to be found. Yet, at this very moment, an urgent summons arrived from the main family. Even the dullest person would start making wild conjectures.

Although He Yiming knew those assailants were merely passing through from another region and had only decided to act upon hearing about the Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng, no one could guarantee that they had already left. Given the grim precedent set by the Cheng manor, attacking another branch of the He family would mean little to such murderers.

He Quanming took a deep breath and asked, "What has happened at home? Has someone attacked?"

The steward glanced at He Quanming with surprise. "Replying to Second Master, everything at home is well; there are no outsiders causing trouble. As for what has happened, the Old Master did not elaborate, only commanding that you, the Third Young Master, and the Sixth Young Master rush back immediately."

He Quanming and the others finally felt a slight easing of tension. He waved his hand. "Very well, we understand. You may rest now. This matter must not be spoken of, do you understand?"

The two subordinates bowed in assent. They were deeply trusted within the family and understood the saying, 'When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.' Even without He Quanming's reminder, they would certainly remain silent.

"Yixuan, Yiming, quickly pack your things. We are leaving immediately." After speaking, He Quanming took three steps to cover two, entering the inner quarters, presumably to give instructions to Lin Wenyu.

He Yiming and his brother dared not delay. Though they didn't know what had happened at the main family, the urgency implied by the summons made them anxious.

They quickly packed their belongings in their rooms and arrived at the main gate. Servants had already prepared horses for them. The three of them mounted their horses and set off toward the main family estate.

By now, the county town was teeming with the Cheng family's informants. The hurried departure of the three He family members could not possibly escape the Cheng family's notice. However, both Elder Cheng and Cheng Jiahui assumed they were rushing back to discuss He Yitian's marriage arrangements.

And Cheng Jiahui felt a surge of gratitude toward He Quanming—this uncle was so attentive to his nephew's marriage that he couldn't bear to rest for a moment. What a zealous man!

※※※※

The three He Yimings spared no effort and reached the main family estate in just half a day.

From a distance, they saw that the main family compound remained peaceful, with no atmosphere of tension whatsoever, allowing them to finally relax. However, they were simultaneously filled with confusion. If things were so relaxed, why would the Old Master issue a command of utmost urgency to summon them back?

As soon as they rode into the manor grounds, He Quanyi immediately came forward, laughing heartily. "Second Brother, I knew you would arrive around this time."

He Quanming leaped off his horse and asked urgently, "Third Brother, what has happened?"

He Quanyi chuckled, "Don't be anxious; it's good news." Then he glanced around and subtly shook his head.

He Quanming immediately fell silent, but his curiosity intensified. If even the retainers and informants within the manor had to be kept out of the loop, the matter must indeed be extraordinary.

Led by He Quanyi, the group arrived at the He family courtyard, where they saw Elder He, He Quanxin, He Yitian, and He Yihai all present. To He Yiming's surprise, an old man dressed in servant's attire was seated beside Elder He.

Upon seeing this old man, the hearts of He Quanming and his sons stirred with excitement.

This old man was He Laibao, the personal old servant who had grown up with Elder He and resided in the library pavilion. Although his Inner Strength cultivation had reached the ninth level, he had always maintained his status as a mere servant of the He family.

Of course, no one, from top to bottom, dared to truly treat this elder as a servant. Even Elder He had specially arranged for him to spend his retirement years within the courtyard of the library pavilion, and he was the only servant permitted to have a seat in the presence of the core disciples of the He family.

Upon seeing He Quanming and the two young masters arrive, He Laibao immediately rose and said, "Second Master, Third Young Master, Sixth Young Master."

He Quanming quickly stepped forward respectfully. "Uncle Bao, why have you come out? What exactly has happened at home?"

The two He Yimings simultaneously called out, "Greetings, Master Bao." Then, their gazes anxiously swept over the people in the hall.

At this moment, all the male members of the He family whose Inner Strength cultivation reached the sixth level or above were gathered here. This was essentially the entire might of the He family. For something to alarm so many people, it would not be an exaggeration to say it concerned the very life and death of the He family.

Elder He waved his hand slightly. "Sit."

He Quanming and the others dared not disobey and sat down reluctantly.

He Wude stroked his long beard. "Quanming, I heard a major incident occurred at the Cheng manor?"

"Yes," He Quanming replied solemnly. "The night before last, a group of people suddenly attacked the Cheng manor. The casualties numbered over a hundred. The city is currently gripped by fear, with everyone feeling precarious."

"Do you know who did it?"

"No. The news from the Cheng manor is that none of the corpses left behind by the thieves were recognizable; they must have been outsiders who acted." He Quanming pondered for a moment, then added, "I heard the Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng was also stolen from the Cheng manor. Perhaps these thieves were targeting that very treasure."

He Yiming glanced at his father in surprise. He hadn't expected his father's deductions to be so accurate, hitting the nail on the head.

He Wude nodded slightly, but the loss of the Cheng family's Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng was not necessarily a bad thing for the He family.

He Quanming hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "Father, Cheng Jiahui visited me today and proposed..." He paused, glancing toward He Yitian, "...he wishes to form a marriage alliance with our Yitian."

He Wude started, "He wishes to marry Tian'er."

"Yes, Cheng Jiahui's second daughter, Cheng Yanli, is seventeen this year. In terms of age, she would be quite suitable for Yitian. However, I cannot grasp why, right after suffering such a calamity, they would suddenly think of a marriage alliance. There is something strange about it; we must remain cautious," He Quanming stated seriously.

Everyone in the room looked at He Yitian with a touch of oddity, and He Yitian himself felt extremely awkward.

He Wude considered for a moment. "We will discuss this matter later. Quanxin, do you know why I summoned you?"

"Your son does not know." He Quanming and his two sons immediately listened intently.

He Wude gestured to He Quanyi, who immediately stood up. "Second Brother, ever since Yiming encountered the Fox Bear on the mountain last time, we have kept this matter in mind and have been conducting regular patrols on the outskirts of the forest. The day before yesterday, I went up the mountain and inadvertently discovered an adult Golden-Crowned Python."

Ps: Um, well, asking for recommendation votes, everyone please don't be stingy ^_^ [bookid=1425180,bookname=《Soul Drifting in the Song Dynasty》]