Old Master Fan pondered for a moment, then stated, "Sect Leader Li is not someone we can afford to provoke right now." Fan Peiyao’s beautiful eyes fixed on him, as if trying to see into his heart, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Grandfather intends to pin this on Master Mingkong?"

Seeing the derision lurking at the corners of her mouth, Old Master Fan frowned. "For the sake of our Fan family, we have no choice but to shift the blame onto him. Besides, this matter is highly likely to be true."

He shook his head and sighed, "This is the trouble caused by youthful arrogance! ... I sent two men to protect him secretly, but he found out and drove them away. If not for that, he wouldn't have ended up in this state!"

"Grandfather, I don't think that’s appropriate," Fan Peiyao pressed her red lips tightly together.

Old Master Fan shook his head and sighed, "Peiyao, do you know the strength of Lei Jian Peak?"

Fan Peiyao shook her head.

Old Master Fan sighed again, "I know how terrifying Lei Jian Peak is... Peiyao, Sect Leader Li alone is enough to wipe out our entire Fan family!"

He continued, "Master Mingkong might indeed be wrongly accused, but when comparing an outsider with all the members of our Fan family, which is more important?"

Fan Peiyao’s delicate eyebrows knitted together. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head, "Master Mingkong is innocent!" Old Master Fan fell silent, staring intently at her, his gaze gradually becoming solemn, sharp, and piercing [He stared at Fan Peiyao without blinking].

Fan Peiyao defiantly met Old Master Fan’s gaze, showing no sign of yielding.

Old Master Fan let out a long sigh and said in a deep voice, "Someone come!"

"Yes," two youths entered from outside the hall, hands clasped, standing behind Fan Peiyao.

Old Master Fan turned around, waved his hand, and commanded, "Take her to the confinement room!"

"Yes!" the two youths responded in deep voices, standing emotionlessly on either side of Fan Peiyao. They cupped their fists and said, "Eldest Miss, forgive us for the imposition, please!"

Fan Peiyao glared at Old Master Fan and said sternly, "Grandfather, you cannot frame Master Mingkong!"

Old Master Fan, his back to her, waved his hand dismissively, "Take her away! Take her away!"

Fan Peiyao cried out, "To sacrifice an innocent person for the sake of the family, where is your conscience? Where is the justice of Heaven?"

Old Master Fan remained silent, his back still turned to her.

The two youths looked at Fan Peiyao with conflicted expressions and whispered, "Eldest Miss, please come with us."

Fan Peiyao’s beautiful face flushed red. After staring fiercely at Old Master Fan one last time, she finally stamped her foot in frustration, turned, and left. The two youths hurriedly followed, escorting her to the confinement chamber.

In the evening, Old Master Fan, accompanied by two others, arrived at the eastern residence to pay his respects to Li Tianlei, only to be informed that Li Tianlei was feeling indisposed and unable to receive visitors.

Old Master Fan waited for an hour until it was dark. Teacups were replaced one after another, and the grand lamps were lit before Li Tianlei finally staggered in.

Old Master Fan’s expression remained composed, showing no sign of anger or impatience.

The main hall was brightly lit by numerous candles, shining as if it were day.

Li Tianlei looked perfectly normal as he walked slowly over, nodded slightly to Old Master Fan, and sat in the main seat. A delicate young girl presented the tea.

He picked up the teacup with a cool expression, took a small sip, slowly put it down, and said lightly, "Old Fan, any news?"

Old Master Fan sighed, cupped his fists, and replied, "Sect Leader Li, I am ashamed. I secretly dispatched men earlier to protect Young Master Feng, but alas, their martial arts were too shallow, and the Young Master disliked them. This tragic event is a disaster for which I cannot escape responsibility!"

Li Tianlei raised his thick brows slightly and said calmly, "Didn't find the killer?"

Old Master Fan replied, "Within Tianlong City, there is only one person whose martial arts surpass that of Young Master Feng!"

"Who?" A flash of purple energy flickered across Li Tianlei’s face.

"Mingkong!" Old Master Fan said, shaking his head with a bitter smile. "To think it was because of my granddaughter. They say a femme fatale brings disaster; it’s truly not an empty phrase!"

"Mingkong?" Li Tianlei frowned in thought. "And who might this esteemed person be?"

Old Master Fan explained, "Mingkong is a monk from the Xiaoji Battalion, his Dharma name is Mingkong. His cultivation is truly formidable; he has slain many of the Black Eagle Knights and is renowned far and wide!"

"It's him!" Li Tianlei snorted.

Since the Black Eagle Riders also included masters from Lei Jian Peak, Lei Jian Peak was naturally aware of the Black Eagle Riders' intelligence. He had heard of this military expert, whose martial arts were exceptional—a formidable opponent.

The Black Eagle Riders hated this expert to the core, wishing they could devour his flesh and drink his blood, as the number of their brethren lost at his hands was too great. Since its inception, the Black Eagle Riders had never suffered such a heavy loss.

And Lei Jian Peak also harbored a deep hatred for this Mingkong; ten Lei Jian Peak masters had died by his hand. For the typically arrogant and peerlessly domineering Lei Jian Peak, this was a feud that demanded blood repayment.

Old Master Fan continued, "The two developed enmity over Peiyao. This Mingkong dared to be so audacious as to ambush and assassinate Young Master Feng! ... I have already confined Peiyao and left her at Sect Leader Li Yu’s disposal!"

"And Mingkong?" Li Tianlei asked coldly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

Old Master Fan smiled bitterly, "He has already hidden himself in the military camp!"

"Hmph, does he think hiding in a military camp means I can’t touch him!?" Li Tianlei sneered.

Old Master Fan sighed, "Sect Leader Li, please reconsider! ... The military camp harbors many experts. Moreover, this is Dayan. Sect Leader, you must think twice!"

Li Tianlei responded, "Mm, let Sect Leader Li Tianlei handle it as he sees fit!" Old Master Fan stated resolutely.

Li Tianlei gave a half-smile, "Old Master Fan is quite generous!"

Old Master Fan sighed again, "It's all my fault for spoiling Peiyao too much in the past, making her unaware of the immensity of the world, leading to such a catastrophe. Alas... I truly regret it now!"

Li Muzhen returned to the inner camp, causing astonishment among the crowd. They hadn't expected him to actually master the Lesser Dragon Form and generate internal gangqi (aura).

Although his gangqi was currently weak and limited in power, he had already taken the most solid step—a leap that was like an impassable chasm for ordinary people.

After this, as long as he cultivated diligently and didn't slack off, one day he would surely forge his gangqi until it was hard as steel and cast like unyielding iron.

In the early morning, after getting up, Li Muzhen sparred with Elder Ji and the others. He held his ground against four opponents, handling them with ease and showing no weakness.

His movements were faster, his strength greater, and the might of the Lesser Dragon Form was increasingly formidable. Every move and strike was deceptively simple, yet it carried immense force, shocking in its power.

His martial arts prowess had suddenly increased twofold or threefold; the speed of his progress was astonishing.

Li Muzhen enjoyed sparring with them. Since his Qi barrier had reached completion, his body had undergone many changes he couldn't fully grasp yet and needed time to explore.

The most apparent change was that his internal energy had become obedient. Previously, it was like a wild horse, powerful yet untamed; now, it was tamed, responding to his command with agility and responsiveness.

He also discovered a marvelous aspect: once his internal energy was released, it condensed instead of dissipating, remaining intact in the air like oil meeting water, allowing him to reabsorb it.

As a result, internal energy consumption was minimal, enabling a cycle of replenishment.

In between his martial practice, Li Muzhen did not neglect keeping abreast of the outside situation. Every night, Thirteenth Lady would write a letter, roll it into a bamboo tube, and have a hawk deliver it to him.

These two hawks were highly spiritual. Li Muzhen's intentions were directly imprinted into their minds; they could understand clearly and execute tasks flawlessly, much to his pleasant surprise.

Every night, the two hawks would complete a round trip. Fortunately, their speed was astonishing; it only took a moment for them to fly from Tianlong City back to Tenglong City.

On the third night, he sat in his small room reading, studying the array formations Elder Ji had taught him. The lamplight was bright yet soft, and the room was utterly quiet.

The window was open, and a cool breeze drifted in gently.

With a few rustling sounds, a gray shadow appeared. The small, exquisite female hawk landed on his desk. Li Muzhen reached out and stroked her; she rubbed her head affectionately against his hand.

Li Muzhen took the bamboo tube tied to her leg and unrolled the paper scroll. After glancing at the few lines written on the plain stationery, his expression immediately darkened.

Thirteenth Lady’s letter detailed the Fan family’s movements. Sure enough, they had begun investigating him. His original residence had already been searched, and now the entire city was being scoured.

Furthermore, they were threatening to kill Fan Peiyao. The rumor was that Fan Peiyao had colluded with him to murder Feng Baishan; otherwise, given Feng Baishan’s martial arts, he couldn't have been killed so easily.

Since they couldn't catch him now, they intended to make Fan Peiyao a sacrifice to appease Feng Baishan and allow him a proper burial first. As for him, they swore they would take revenge later.

He pondered for a long time, then let out a deep sigh.

He picked up his brush, wrote a few characters, placed them in the bamboo tube, and tied it to the female hawk's leg. He patted her, and the hawk vanished instantly from the desk.

Li Muzhen frowned, looking out at the night, shaking his head. He knew this was a trap, using Fan Peiyao as bait to lure him out.

But even knowing it was a trap, he had no choice but to comply, unless he could truly harden his heart and disregard Fan Peiyao’s life or death.

If it were any other family, he wouldn't necessarily believe they would kill Fan Peiyao, but with the Fan family, he dared not be certain, as they were too ruthless and capable of anything for the sake of their lineage.

Sacrificing one woman for the safety of the entire family—nothing more than a trifle—that was the Fan family's logic.

The next morning, he sparred with Elder Ji and the few others, then explained the entire sequence of events: he had killed Feng Baishan and brought great disaster upon himself.

Elder Ji and the others listened with great excitement. Old Man Li burst into hearty laughter, slapping his shoulder. "Good boy, you have guts! Well killed! Very well killed!"

Li Muzhen smiled bitterly, "Elder Li, killing him felt satisfying, but I've offended Lei Jian Peak. Now, Lei Jian Peak’s men are in Tianlong City, watching menacingly. The moment I show my face, they will surely hunt me down."

"Hmph, they dare to defy us!" Old Man Li’s small eyes widened, and he snorted, "This is not Xizhao; this is our Dayan! We won't tolerate Lei Jian Peak acting so arrogantly!"

"Old Man Li, what are you planning?" Elder Ji frowned, asking.

Old Man Li declared, "Of course, I'm going to help Mingkong! ... We’ll go together! Let’s see just how impressive that arrogant Li Tianlei thinks he is!"

"We cannot leave Tenglong City!" Elder Ji shook his head.

He turned to Li Muzhen, "Mingkong, we are ordered to guard Tenglong City and cannot leave it for even a moment. You had better not return either."

Li Muzhen shook his head, "I can't just stand by and watch Miss Fan meet her end."