Chapter 214: Heart Aflutter, Winds Stir
“Older Brother, shouldn’t we communicate with the Xiahou Clan first?” After setting the grand plan, Pei Jiao asked softly.
“Mm.” Pei Qiu nodded and said: “This is inevitable. Our Pei Clan is not yet ready to establish our own sect.”
“Yes.” Pei Jiao nodded. The remaining matters no longer needed the Clan Leader to worry; they would arrange everything properly.
.
Almost at the same moment, in Sanwei Hall, the Lu Clan’s senior leaders were also holding the same meeting.
“My opinion is,” Great Elder Lu Wen said passionately: “Our Lu Clan cannot be absent this time. Even grave robbers can get their hands on the treasure. Why shouldn’t we dare to try?”
“Inappropriate.” Lu Shang shook his head resolutely and said: “This treasure that Your Majesty and the Xiahou Clan have searched for ten years without finding—how could it be found by a petty thief? There’s likely a trick to it. I disagree with taking the risk.”
“You’re always like this!” The Great Elder said in a muffled voice: “Our Lu Clan is already being called cowards, do you know that?”
“A turtle is good; it lives a long life.” Lu Shang said indifferently.
“If you want to be a coward, be one yourself. Don’t drag the clan members down with you!” The Great Elder blew his beard and glared in anger: “Shrinking back like this—what has our Lu Clan shrunk into!” At high positions, it’s hard to separate personal and public matters. The Great Elder harbored personal grudges against Lu Shang as well as public anger. He always believed that Lu Shang’s adherence to the mediocre path was the culprit behind the Lu Clan’s decline.
“…” The various stewards and elders watched helplessly as the two giants quarreled chaotically.
Lu Kan, sitting close to Lu Xin, whispered to him: “It’s always like this. They argue back and forth, and nothing gets done.”
Lu Xin nodded. Though his time as a steward was short, he had already clearly felt that the mutual checks between the Clan Leader and the Great Elder had become a major obstacle on the Lu Clan’s path forward.
In the end, no matter how loudly Great Elder Lu Wen argued, Lu Shang refused to agree to act. In the Lu Clan, the Clan Leader makes the decisions. The Elder Council can only approve or veto the Clan Leader’s decisions and cannot act without authorization. Thus, no matter how high Lu Wen raised his voice, it was futile. In the end, he could only storm off in fury.
The elders on his side hurriedly stood up to follow. When Lu Wen reached the main hall of the Ancestral Hall, he suddenly shouted at the ancestors’ memorial tablets: “Ancestors, open your eyes and see! Our Lu Clan is going to be ruined by Lu Shang!”
Lu Shang heard it clearly but remained composed, as if he didn’t take it to heart at all. Only after Lu Wen’s voice faded did he look at the various stewards, coughing tiredly twice before saying softly: “Everyone, remember my words: to repel external threats, we must first stabilize the interior. Our Lu Clan’s primary task now is to sort out internal affairs. Only when the clan is united as one can our Lu Clan truly make its mark.”
“Yes.” The Eight Great Stewards nodded, all expressing agreement. Now without Lu Jian, and with Lu Yi subdued by the Clan Leader, there was no one among the Eight Great Stewards to oppose him anymore.
This was also the only thing worth being gratified about in Lu Shang’s recent years.
“Alright, everyone get back to work.” Lu Shang raised his hand slightly. Lu Xiu hurriedly helped his father up. Lu Shang looked at the various stewards, suppressing a cough as he said: “First manage your own affairs properly. We’ll talk about other matters later.”
“Yes.” The stewards responded again, hurriedly standing to respectfully see the Clan Leader off as he left.
After Lu Shang returned to the Clan Leader’s Courtyard in the back, the several stewards also left Sanwei Hall. Stewards Lu Xia, Lu Wei, Lu Xin, and Lu Kan, whose relations had grown increasingly close, walked together and finally could speak freely.
“Sigh, if the treasure vault is real, we’ll suffer a huge loss this time.” Lu Wei said with a greedy expression: “How many wondrous treasures under heaven are in there? Just the supreme cultivation methods from various clans and sects number dozens, right?” Lowering his voice, he added: “I hear the imperial family’s own《 Mysterious Yellow Manual》 is also stored inside.”
“Impossible.” Lu Xia didn’t believe it: “The《 Mysterious Yellow Manual》 was passed down by the Founding Emperor to his descendants. How could it be stored inside?”
“Then why haven’t the Xiahou Clan and Taiping Dao found that book after all these years?” Lu Wei countered, then casually asked Lu Xin: “You were there at the time. Did you see Empress Qianming burn that book?”
“…” Lu Xin’s expression immediately turned unpleasant.
Lu Xia and Lu Kan hurriedly glared fiercely at Lu Wei. Realizing his slip, Lu Wei laughed it off and changed the subject: “How about we go take a look ourselves?”
“Don’t you dare mess around!” Lu Xia scolded in a deep voice upon hearing this: “Never mind defying the Clan Leader’s orders! If this is real, the grandmasters from various clans will probably act. If we go, won’t we just be serving ourselves up as side dishes?!”
“Heh, that’s true…” Lu Wei deflated like a punctured ball upon hearing this and sighed: “Sigh, why after so many years can’t I master Drawing Square into Circle?” Mastering Drawing Square into Circle would open the extraordinary meridians and twelve main meridians, making one a Heavenly Rank Grandmaster, free from all constraints, able to go anywhere under heaven!
“Such things can’t be forced,” Lu Kan sighed: “It’s like with Lu Jian. Lu Chou said he was on the verge of succeeding, but because of his son’s incident, he suffered a blow, and his state of mind could no longer reach perfection, so he could never take that step…” Realizing this might make Lu Xin uncomfortable too, he changed his words: “If Second Brother goes, he could take us along.”
Lu Xian ranked second among his generation.
“Right!” Lu Wei’s eyes lit up, and without another word, he pulled the others toward the Small Bamboo Forest.
Upon arriving at the Small Bamboo Forest and seeing Lu Yun guarding the gate, Lu Wei laughed: “Why are you guarding the door?”
“What can I do?” Lu Yun said helplessly: “The young attendant is sleeping too soundly; I can’t wake him no matter what. My master has gone out.”
“Ah?” Lu Wei was greatly disappointed: “What bad luck. We have something to see him about.”
“No choice; please come back later, elders.” Lu Yun smiled apologetically. Without Lu Xian’s permission, he didn’t dare let anyone in, even if they were all clan stewards, including his own father.
Lu Wei and the others didn’t make things difficult for Lu Yun and had to turn back helplessly. Lu Xin wanted to say a few words to Lu Yun, so he lingered in the bamboo forest for a moment.
“Do you know what they came for?” The bamboo leaves rustled, instantly masking Lu Xin’s voice.
“No idea.” Lu Yun shook his head. Lately, he had been oblivious to outside matters, and with Uncle Bao away on business, he truly knew nothing.
“It’s said that the Royal Treasury has been discovered.” Lu Xin said softly.
“Really?!” Lu Yun’s eyes lit up, but he quickly lowered his head to conceal it.
“Yes.” Lu Xin nodded, but then changed the subject: “But you absolutely must not get any ideas about it!”
“Yes.” Lu Yun nodded obediently in agreement.
“Can you guarantee that?” Lu Xin didn’t believe him. Ever since learning that Lu Yun had promised not to practice Imperial Extreme Profound Cave Skill yet hadn’t stopped for a single day, he held no trust in his assurances.
“I can’t.” Lu Yun had no choice but to answer honestly.
“Sigh,” Lu Xin sighed with a bitter smile: “I knew it…” He placed both hands on Lu Yun’s shoulders, looking deeply at him: “Your father only asks you to promise one thing: if you go, you must take me with you.”
“Yes.” Lu Yun nodded, feeling his throat tighten.
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Supported by Lu Xiu, Lu Shang returned to the Clan Leader’s Courtyard. Upon entering the backyard, he saw Lu Xian with long hair flowing, standing by the pond, quietly gazing at the withered lotuses filling it.
“Why are you here?” Lu Shang asked softly.
“Clan Leader,” Lu Xian turned around, looking calmly at Lu Shang: “Please help me verify the rumor about the Royal Treasury. If it’s true, I plan to make a trip.”
“You…” Lu Shang was instantly speechless. But he couldn’t control Lu Xian; no one in the world could control a Heavenly Rank Grandmaster. After a long while, Lu Shang nodded helplessly: “I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
“Thank you.” Lu Xian nodded, saluted Lu Shang, and then left the Clan Leader’s Courtyard directly.
