When my vicious stepmother mistakenly married me to the Immortal Lord

Xie Mansion, Yunyin Pavilion.

Xie Changyan was dressed in plain clothes as white as snow, his face was pale and gaunt, with a hint of sadness locked between his brows.

Lying on the sickbed, his body was as thin as paper, and his occasional cough made him look even more fragile.

His black hair was disheveled, sweat was on his forehead, and his once bright eyes were now covered with a mist, which made people feel pity.

"Young Master, you already have a calamity on your shoulders. You shouldn't interfere in the mundane world anymore, lest you create more karma and burden yourself."

"Look, seeing you get the chance to practice the mysterious technique, your health is beginning to improve, and your cultivation is also improving day by day, this is a great joy."

"But... you just happened to use the art of deducing the mysteries of heaven and foresaw the disaster that befell the Xie family. You were determined to change your fate at the cost of sacrificing your own fortune, defying heaven and seizing this glimmer of hope for the Xie family..."

Xie Ruyi's face was full of worry. He gently waved a fan to dispel the stuffiness around Xie Changyan, while giving him earnest advice.

Xie Changyan tilted his head slightly and looked at the rising sun outside the window without saying a word, but the mist in his eyes seemed to be thicker, as if hiding countless unspoken words.

"Young Master, although they are your relatives, mortals have their own fate. As an immortal cultivator, you should be detached from the mundane world. Why do you have to entangle yourself so deeply with this worldly affair?"

"Hundreds, thousands of years from now, they will all return to dust, but you, on the other hand, may rise to prominence and achieve immortality. How could this fleeting bond of family be worth such a huge price to pay?"

Xie Changyan slowly closed his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his pale lips.

"Ruyi, you and I both know that the path to immortality is long. If one has no worries in one's heart, no matter how high one's cultivation is, it is nothing but an empty shell. The Xie family is my roots, my soul. How can I watch it be destroyed?"

"Besides, deducing the secrets of heaven and changing my fate against the will of heaven, although it has reduced my fortune, it has also made me more aware of the cycle of cause and effect and the principle of retribution."

"If the price of becoming an immortal is to abandon family ties and disregard human ethics, then it's better not to become an immortal!"

Ruyi frowned when she heard this, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

In the end, he just shook his head gently and said no more.

Xie Changyan asked, "Ruyi, how is the situation in the mansion now?"

Ruyi sighed, put away her fan, and sat on the stool beside the bed.

"Ankang arrived just in time. Only the Second Master's courtyard suffered heavy losses, while the other courtyards were unharmed. The spies have all been apprehended and are awaiting the Master's decision."

"Fortunately, the young master, the young lady, and the second master's wife have been staying in the side wing of the main courtyard recently to reconcile accounts, so they were spared. Now everyone in the mansion is on high alert to prevent any further accidents."

"Although the Second Master is seriously injured, Divine Doctor Xue has examined him and said that his life is not in danger. He just needs some time to recuperate before he can recover as before."

Xie Changyan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, but his brows were still furrowed.

"Master, those spies lurking in the Xie family today were all caught by the Young Madam with her help. She also successfully interrogated and found out who the murderer was."

"From now on, as long as the young lady and Ankang are watching over us, the Xie family will definitely be safe. You don't have to worry too much. It's better to rest and recuperate. The most important thing is to recover as soon as possible."

After hearing this, Xie Changyan's mouth corners unconsciously rose, and a hint of tenderness flashed in his eyes.

This is probably all he can do for the Xie family, and he can leave the rest to them.

*

The news of the Xie family being attacked at night quickly spread throughout the imperial capital, and all the families were discussing the matter.

The revenge actions of the remnants of the Shen family not only shocked the entire Xie family, but also made the powerful people in the entire imperial capital feel threatened.

After all, the Shen family was once a big family in the imperial capital, and its influence was extensive and complex. Although it has declined now, the existence of its remaining forces still makes people feel uneasy.

The imperial court ordered the city gates to be blocked, posted notices, and offered a reward for the capture of the 32 remnants of the Shen family.

At the same time, a large number of officers, soldiers and spies were dispatched to conduct a carpet search of the entire capital, vowing to catch all the rebels in one fell swoop to prevent future troubles.

However, since those people were able to escape during the house search, they were obviously not easy to deal with.

They were like a cunning rabbit with three burrows, hiding very deeply. For a time, the government's search made no substantial progress.

Among these people, there are not only high-level warriors, but even immortal cultivators mixed in.

As long as they are on the run, the Xie family will never have true peace.

After a night of turmoil, the Xie family mansion finally welcomed a temporary calm.

The Xie family is now on high alert. If Jiang Song goes out to participate in training as he did before, his father and mother will never allow it.

So, she could only sneak out through the back door, put on a human skin mask, dress up as Luo Fenghe, and go to Tianbao Tower.

Xiuyun is a smart girl. If someone in the mansion suddenly comes to look for Jiang Song, she can definitely help Jiang Song delay time and hide from others.

Therefore, Jiang Song was not worried that anyone would discover that he had sneaked out of the house.

Tianbao Tower was still bustling with people.

Jiang Song walked to the first floor with ease, found the receptionist where Xie Gaozhao was, and knocked on the door before entering.

Xie Gaozhao was still dressed in purple, his fingers had distinct joints, and his nails were dyed a light black color. He was looking down at an account book.

Hearing the knock on the door, he looked up at the door, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, "Miss Luo, I said you wouldn't come today?"

"How could that be? I paid a deposit. If I don't come, won't it be a waste of money?"

Xie Gaozhao chuckled and put down the account in his hand. "Miss Luo, you're joking. Have a cup of tea and rest first. When the other three teammates arrive, I'll take you there."

As he spoke, Xie Gaozhao called the waiter and made a cup of fragrant tea for Jiang Song.

I had previously accepted the mission to kill ghosts in the mass grave. Not only were the ghosts difficult to deal with, but I also always encountered those ghostly teammates who were always looking to steal money and kill people.

So this time, Jiang Song signed up for the mission of hunting monsters, and also wanted to see if these monsters would be easier to deal with than those strange and changeable ghosts.

Jiang Song sipped his tea, thinking to himself.

Soon, three other teammates arrived.

They are a burly man holding a long sword, a young scholar wearing a green shirt and with a handsome face, and a mysterious woman wearing a cloak.

They each introduced their name and skills.

The big man is named Wang Qian, who is good at close combat; the young scholar is named Jiang Zhi, who is proficient in talismans and formations; the woman calls herself Youying, who is good at assassination and concealment.

Jiang Song was indifferent to these people because there might be another life-and-death battle later, and she didn't want to waste her feelings on insignificant people.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Xie Gaozhao smiled and said, "Everyone, this mission will take us to the Black Wind Mountains outside the city. There are many monsters and beasts roaming there, and it is very dangerous, but it is also rich in various rare materials and monster inner cores."