The seven individuals whom Dugu Wudi named were precisely the next generation of nephews in the Dugu family, given their names by the venerable Old Master Dugu Zongheng. The last character of the seven names, when strung together, formed the imposing phrase: "Ying Xiong Hao Jie Chong Shang Qian" (Heroes and Valiant Men Charge Forth)!

Originally, Old Master Dugu Zongheng intended this as the upper couplet, and he had prepared a corresponding lower couplet: "Long Hu Bao Lang Fei Man Tian" (Dragons, Tigers, Leopards, and Wolves Fly Across the Sky)! He had been waiting for his three sons to produce some worth and complete the matching couplet, followed by a horizontal scroll inscription. But after these seven "goods" appeared, they were immediately followed by a treasure of the Jun family: Dugu Xiaoyi.

As the Old Master continued to eagerly wait, there was absolutely no further contribution from that point onward.

This left Old Master Dugu Zongheng deeply frustrated, and the lower couplet, "Long Hu Bao Lang Fei Man Tian," had to remain trapped in his chest. As for the horizontal scroll, "Feng Yun Jiang Jun" (Wind and Cloud Generals), it went without saying—a fine couplet without a proper venue for display... Naturally, over this matter, the greatly disappointed Old Master Dugu Zongheng frequently glared with stern brows, cursing his three sons for being useless and lacking in ambition. Of course, although the Old Master was tyrannical, he knew his daughters-in-law were not people he could casually abuse, so his reprimands were directed only at his sons.

Currently in the capital, among his three sons, only the eldest, Dugu Wudi, remained. The other two, Dugu Wushang and Dugu Wutong, were stationed guarding the empire's southeast borders, refusing to return for anything—this was actually a lingering effect of being beaten by the Old Master; a general of the empire must maintain some semblance of dignity, and the pretext of guarding the frontier was the perfect excuse to avoid coming back whenever possible!

The eldest, Dugu Wudi, also wished he could escape the clutches of the old man at home. However, since both his younger brothers were outside, he truly couldn't leave. Aside from returning for the annual birthdays of the Old Master and Old Madam, he would feign deafness and play dumb to any summons the Old Master issued the rest of the year. And during these two annual visits, before Dugu Wudi and his father could even sober up, the pair would have already vanished without a trace, making a swift escape.

The other two directions of the Tianxiang Empire were guarded by forces loyal to Old Master Jun, having no connection to the Dugu family. Thus, Dugu Wugu felt deeply aggrieved in his heart: I am the eldest son, why must my fate be this miserable? How long must I endure the torment of a minor scolding every three days and a severe beating every half-month? I am, after all, a Great General at this point, a man in his forties with children!

Just as the Li family was steeped in gloom and the Dugu family was engulfed in rage, Jun Moxie, who was a progenitor of the former and the principal culprit in the latter's troubles, was happily drinking with his grandfather.

Jun Wuyi, dressed in simple cyan robes, sat beside him, his throat constantly bobbing as he swallowed hard. This was strictly following the instructions of Young Master Jun: Your injury has just healed; you must abstain from alcohol for now. Yet, the grandfather and grandson both looked utterly delighted with the experience, and upon smelling the rich aroma of the wine, Jun Wuyi could barely contain himself... "Moxie, your cultivation and that strange Heart Technique of yours—Grandfather is quite curious," Old Master Jun Zhantian said, savoring his drink, tossing out a question.

As soon as these words were spoken, even Jun Wuyi's eyes widened, and he pricked up his ears.

This was because Jun Moxie's cultivation was simply too bizarre. Both men were well-traveled and experienced, yet they had never seen or even heard of any Xuan Qi capable of such effects—not only healing injuries and repelling poisons, but doing so without emitting any grade-specific light. And yet, its power was incomparably immense!

Logically, such a miraculous power should have been famous across the Xuanxuan Continent, but no news of it had ever surfaced. It was utterly strange.

Jun Moxie fell silent for a moment, and after a long pause, finally spoke, "Grandfather, Third Uncle; can you please not ask about this matter? I truly do not wish to deceive you."

"Oh, your old man understands," Old Master Jun Zhantian realized with sudden clarity. "The eminent master who taught you the technique forbade you from speaking, didn't he? Hehe, many such masters have peculiar temperaments. Furthermore, if such a miraculous cultivation method were to spread, it would only harm you and offer no benefit; the fewer who know, the better! Haha, your old man won't ask. Yes, won't ask."

"Yes, since Moxie possesses this divine technique, not only must we not inquire, but we must also keep it as secret as possible," Jun Wuyi nodded. "Otherwise, who wouldn't covet such a miraculous art? Even the slightest rumor could have unimaginable consequences."

"Precisely! No matter what, Moxie is ultimately a descendant of our Jun family. That fact alone is enough!" Old Master Jun Zhantian burst into hearty laughter, deeply gratified, his gaze upon Jun Moxie growing increasingly affectionate.

Jun Moxie stared speechlessly. He hadn't even managed to fabricate an excuse, yet these two had already woven one for him flawlessly... "Moxie, now that your Third Uncle is recovered too, what are your plans next? Tell your grandfather," Old Master Jun Zhantian, in excellent spirits and admiring his grandson more and more, stroked his beard and inquired.

"Plans? What plans could I have? With Third Uncle healed, I am finally free?! I’ll just continue being my good-for-nothing young master; it’s perfect." Jun Moxie took a sip of wine and continued devouring the roast wild boar on the table, his hands greasy: "As for what happens after, it’s all up to Grandfather’s arrangements. However, one thing: the news of Third Uncle's recovery must not spread for a while, especially the news of his advancement to the Heavenly Rank. Uh, on this point, it depends on you, Grandfather. You should continue to go out looking troubled."

The mention of this brought a frown to Old Master Jun Zhantian’s face, causing him inner distress. He scolded, "Nonsense! My past worries were all because of you two rascals. Now that Moxie has proven himself and Wuyi has recovered, what do I have to worry about? All my former vexations are gone in one morning—how am I supposed to keep up the act!" Saying this, he let out a long sigh. It wasn't that he couldn't keep up the pretense; it was that the Old Master was truly weary of those days of constant worry. In the past, worry was necessary; now, to pretend to worry when he was clearly free of it—wasn't that depressing in itself!

"Then what should we do?" Jun Moxie held up his greasy hands. "You don't want to pretend to worry when you're not, right? That’s easy to solve. I can go out and manufacture some trouble for you later? Make you furrow your brows? Perhaps I could smash Sheng Bao Hall, catch the three Imperial Princes and beat them up, or maybe even abduct a few common women?"

"Are you looking for a beating!" The Old Master knew he was joking, yet he was still infuriated.

"I haven't settled accounts with you over the Sheng Bao Hall incident yet, and you bring it up yourself! Let me tell you, some things are truly above the machinery of the state, for example, Sheng Bao Hall! No matter when, you must not provoke Sheng Bao Hall! Even if you reach the peak of the Supreme Divine Profound realm, Sheng Bao Hall is not something you can afford to provoke! Do you understand?" The Old Master’s voice was extremely serious and his wording quite harsh!

"What is the origin of Sheng Bao Hall?" Hearing this, Jun Moxie's curiosity only intensified: "It’s so powerful that even someone at the peak of the Supreme Divine Profound realm cannot provoke it? And it stands above the machinery of the state?!"

"I can only tell you that Sheng Bao Hall is merely the tip of the iceberg of a vast power structure. But even this is enough to awe the world, and they have several experts at the Supreme Divine Profound realm! As for anything deeper, even your old man isn't entirely clear; I only know that it absolutely must not be provoked," Jun Zhantian sighed, glancing at Jun Wuyi, letting out a sigh of regret.

A flicker crossed Jun Wuyi’s expression, and a trace of pain appeared in his eyes, as if his very soul had been deeply pierced at that moment! But the look settled back to calm instantly. He sat upright, much more subdued than before.

"Since that is the case, all the family's hidden forces will be handed over to Wuyi's control, effective immediately! As for Moxie, you..." Old Master Jun pondered for a long time, unable to decide, and finally gave up, "You just focus on your own affairs. If you have time, assist your Third Uncle."

Jun Wuyi and Jun Moxie both acknowledged the order. Jun Moxie reminded them, "Grandfather, Third Uncle, before Third Uncle officially takes charge of the family assets, we must first thoroughly purge the internal spies within the household!" He paused, focusing on the two men: "Third Uncle's recovery is certainly great news for our Jun family, but to outsiders, it merely adds variables and increases threats. Especially since..." Jun Moxie smiled faintly, pointing his finger upward.

The meaning was self-evident.

"Grandfather might believe he has thoroughly cleaned out the Jun family's secret forces. I trust there are no members of the Imperial Family among the true, established lineages. However, there must still be people from the Imperial Household within the residence! And you, Grandfather, you know who they are, don't you? You've simply been turning a blind eye."

Jun Moxie smiled, "But now is a critical juncture, so these ties must be severed!"

Jun Zhantian stared at his grandson in shock. Every single word Jun Moxie spoke cut straight to the truth! He hadn't guessed a single point incorrectly! After a long silence, Jun Zhantian painfully stretched the corners of his mouth. "That's right, there are indeed people sent by the Emperor among us. And they have been here for over a decade, even providing meritorious service to our Jun family..."

"That is because our Jun family has never done anything to threaten the Imperial power, and we have always remained loyal to the Throne, so of course, they didn't need to report everything! But things are different now! Even if we remain without ill intent, the mere speculation stemming from our news spreading could be enough to annihilate the clan!"

Jun Moxie's gaze was sharp, and he spoke word by word: "Now, even if they have already betrayed the Imperial Family and become completely loyal to the Jun family, we absolutely cannot afford this risk. This is not the time for soft-heartedness! Delaying a necessary cut leads to later trouble!"

Jun Zhantian sighed, the wrinkles on his aged face seeming to deepen at that moment. After a long pause, he said, "You are right. I will give you both a list shortly. As for the specific execution, you two arrange it; you don't need to tell me again!" With that, he stood up and departed with heavy steps.

"Moxie, is doing this too cruel? Your grandfather is quite reluctant! Perhaps we could..." Jun Wuyi frowned, showing struggle on his face. If he had to strike enemies, Jun Wuyi would not hesitate for a second, but to strike those who had rendered countless services to the Jun family in the past—he truly couldn't bear it. Even knowing they were spies planted by the Imperial Family, agents within the Jun household, they had still contributed much to the family!