Night had fallen, and the sky was anything but clear; thick, heavy clouds obscured the moon, and even the starlight dared not pierce through the foul weather.

A fleeting shadow flickered, and in a blink, the figure had infiltrated the inner keep of the Xu Family Stronghold without a soul noticing.

The shadow’s face was concealed by a black kerchief—it was He Yiming, who had been residing within the stronghold for five days now.

Ever since he was allotted a room, he had kept entirely to himself, indistinguishable from the other guests, showing no sign of being unique or exceptional. Yet, he understood well that the Xu family would never trust a newcomer like him, nor entrust him with any significant tasks. Only after a period of observation could he hope to gradually integrate into the massive structure of the Xu Family Stronghold.

For him, however, this was the best possible scenario. If the stronghold had assigned him a near-impossible task right now, or transferred him to the county seat, he feared he would go mad with frustration.

In five days, he had openly mapped out the terrain of the outer fort. This very openness had not only avoided suspicion but had actually earned him a slight measure of trust.

With the outer fort's layout memorized, He Yiming turned his attention to the inner keep.

He didn't have the luxury of time for a slow, drawn-out approach; a single month was nowhere near enough to gain the Xu family’s confidence.

If that was the case, breaking in to steal was undoubtedly the best option.

With a subtle shift of his body, he pressed himself flat against the wall, circulating his Neijin (Internal Energy) until he moved like a gargantuan gecko scaling the inner walls.

Though the inner keep wasn't as imposing as the outer fortress, its walls still stood about four meters high. However, in times of peace, the defenses on these walls had significantly relaxed. He Yiming scaled the inner wall successfully, disturbing not a single soul.

Reaching the top of the rampart, his eyes darted around, absorbing the entire layout of the inner keep.

Unlike the outer fort, which plunged into darkness upon nightfall, the inner keep was noticeably brighter. Faint candlelight could be seen spilling from many of the houses.

He Yiming, however, frowned slightly. Heaven knew where the Xu family’s library was located; he couldn't possibly search every single room individually.

He sighed internally, acknowledging his lack of experience. If his father or others of that generation were here, they might have devised a clever solution. Yet, a nagging doubt surfaced: had his father and the like ever stooped to such sneaky, petty thievery in their lives?

A few sets of footsteps sounded in the distance, leading the way by a single lantern as several figures hurried past.

He Yiming’s perception was exceptionally keen. He immediately recognized Xu Xiangqian among them. With a subtle impulse, he descended the wall and followed cautiously.

His Neijin cultivation had already reached the Peak Tenth Layer, and he had practiced the Breath-Holding Technique. When he focused his energy to his ears, every visible and hidden guard became mere decoration to him.

Moreover, the Xu family’s nightly curfew wasn't truly one guard every three steps and a sentry every five. With such sparse patrols, there was no hope of them detecting his presence.

Not long after, Xu Xiangqian and his entourage arrived at the largest courtyard within the inner keep.

He Yiming had intended to continue tailing them, but as he approached the courtyard, a sudden, palpable sense of danger washed over him, as if something within could pose a threat to him.

The feeling was startlingly abrupt. He halted, retraced his thoughts, and instantly understood.

Since advancing to the Tenth Layer of Neijin, this specific sensation had only ever arisen when he encountered his grandfather. He immediately knew that the person residing in this courtyard must be Elder Xu Yinjie—one of the two Tenth Layer masters who, alongside his own grandfather, commanded respect in Taicang County.

A thought stirred within him. Despite his current strength, He Yiming held no fear of this supreme master, but his objective here wasn't to fight.

He remained rooted to his spot, refraining from drawing closer. Instead, he adjusted his internal energy to its optimal state, focused his power to his ears, and began to eavesdrop.

At this distance, if he were still detected, He Yiming would have nothing to say for himself.

As his Neijin surged to its maximum potential, he suddenly felt another, strange sensation.

He had never before attempted to concentrate such a vast amount of internal energy around the acupoints of his ears. Even when he was listening to conversations in the Xu Family Town earlier, he hadn't achieved this level of focus.

If there hadn't been a figure ahead whom even he dared not underestimate, he wouldn't have started attempting to eavesdrop from such a distance.

His ears twitched slightly, as if a faint, constant breeze was blowing past them, causing them to sway infinitesimally with the subtle currents.

The sounds perceived by these ears no longer seemed like mere auditory signals. Instead, through some inexplicable sensory mechanism, they began forming a specific scene in his mind.

He heard the sounds of Xu Xiangqian and the few servants behind him walking, accompanied by faint echoes almost imperceptible to an ordinary person. From these echoes, He Yiming managed to construct a three-dimensional diagram in his mind; he could even deduce the approximate size of the room.

Thus, a colorless, flowing picture, constantly shifting like running water, appeared in his mind’s eye. Although the image remained hazy, it was enough to fill He Yiming with profound shock.

He was certain this sensation seemed to transcend the limits attainable by a master of the Tenth Layer Neijin. If his grandfather had ever experienced anything like this, he would surely have mentioned it to them.

But in his memory, there was absolutely no recollection of anything resembling this ability.

The footsteps of the servants behind Xu Xiangqian ceased, and only the Fourth Master Xu continued forward. A moment later, after stepping into a room, he stopped abruptly.

“Father, I am here,” Xu Xiangqian’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Hmm, how did the investigation go?” a slow, aged voice responded shortly after.

He Yiming’s mind instantly tightened its focus, yet the scene in his mind did not shatter; on the contrary, it grew clearer.

He could vaguely sense Xu Xiangqian respectfully bowing to an elder, who was seated imposingly in a chair. Simultaneously, he perceived an extremely powerful, terrifying aura emanating from the old man.

Of course, the elder was not deliberately projecting his aura, but since He Yiming had sensed it, it was impossible for him to remain hidden.

“Father, Yucai has returned from the county seat. The news he brought is not good. The Cheng family is absolutely determined to form a marriage alliance with the He family, and to facilitate this, word is that the Lin family of Linlang has even dispatched several masters.”

“The Lin family of Linlang? What business do they have joining this fray?”

“Because of the last bandit raid, the thousand-year Blood Ginseng that the Lin family was bringing as a birthday gift for Master Cheng was stolen. The Lin family lost face, so they sent people this time to show support.”

“And the thousand-year Blood Ginseng—any news of it?”

Xu Xiangqian’s voice carried an ineffable bitterness: “Still no news. However, it seems Master Cheng and the others have already concluded that our Xu family was behind the interception of the Blood Ginseng.”

The elder snorted in anger: “Ninth Layer Blazing Fire Art—which bastard dared to impersonate a Xu family member to commit this act.”

Xu Xiangqian hesitated for a moment: “Father, could the Cheng family have deliberately spread this rumor?”

“Impossible,” the elder stated without hesitation. “I have dealt with Cheng Ningsheng for decades; I know precisely the kind of man he is. If there hadn't truly been a Ninth Layer Blazing Fire Art master appearing and stealing the thousand-year Blood Ginseng, he would never risk shattering ties with our Xu family by spreading such a rumor.”

Xu Xiangqian’s voice grew increasingly bitter: “Father, but among our Xu family, only your son has cultivated the Blazing Fire Art to the Ninth Layer.”

“I know,” the elder sighed softly. “I wasn't implying you, but you also know that this Blazing Fire Art is not our ancestral teaching. If…”

Xu Xiangqian seemed to suck in a sharp breath: “Father, are you suggesting… the Ancestor…”

The elder gave a straightforward nod of confirmation. Outside, He Yiming listened, utterly bewildered, yet he grasped one crucial fact: the Xu family's famed dual supreme arts were not truly exclusive to the Xu lineage; at least one other power held mastery over this technique.

He was overcome with emotion. That single impulsive strike he made had unexpectedly led to this outcome. What an unanticipated consequence.

However, seeing the two Xu family members suffering this silent agony, having no choice but to swallow their bitterness, he felt nothing but pleasure, devoid of any burden.

After a long silence, Xu Xiangqian quietly asked, “Father, what should we do now?”

“What else can we do?” the elder replied fretfully. “We dare not seek verification from the Ancestor regarding this matter, so we must deny everything to the death. If the Lin family comes inquiring personally, we push the responsibility onto the Ancestor. I’d like to see if the Lin family of Linlang truly has the nerve to question the Ancestor over a single thousand-year Blood Ginseng.”

Xu Xiangqian gave a wry smile: “The Lin family certainly won’t have that courage, but they have far fewer scruples about confronting us.”

The elder waved his hand: “Forget it. Since things have come to this, nothing we do will change it. In a few days, I will personally attend the wedding between the He and Cheng families and explain the situation to those two old men. Alas…” He sighed deeply, filled with overwhelming melancholy, “What a calamitous disaster this is.”

Just then, footsteps sounded from afar. Though He Yiming could not see their faces, a faint sense of familiarity rose within him; he did not feel these two were strangers.

Soon, the two figures entered the room from another direction.

A familiar voice suddenly rang out: “Grandfather, we are back.”

Ps: Today is Thursday; I was late because I accompanied my daughter to calligraphy lessons, haha…