Singing with a Sword

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! Within the sect, there exist several large families. These families occupy important positions within the sect; some family members hold key positions in the main hall, while others rule over a branch hall. The clan head is the head of the branch hall. The most typical example is Huangfu Cheng's family—the Huangfu clan.

The Huangfu clan is a large family that specializes in and is extremely skilled in beast taming techniques. Therefore, they rule the Beast Taming Hall, and their clan leader, Huangfu Bei, is the hall master of the Beast Taming Hall.

Originally, the position of clan leader should have been held by Huangfu Cheng's father, but because of Huangfu Cheng's affair with Tianhu, his father was heavily criticized and had to relinquish the position, eventually dying in despair. Huangfu Bei then reaped this enormous advantage.

After Huangfu Bei ascended to the throne, he always felt that Huangfu Cheng was a threat, or to be more precise, a huge threat to his son's future succession to the position of clan leader! Because Huangfu Cheng was the number one genius of the Huangfu clan. Although he gave up cultivation because of the death of the Heavenly Fox, it was hard to guarantee that one day he would suddenly have a change of heart, start cultivating again, and then return to the Beast Taming Hall. At that time, would his son still have a chance to inherit his position?

Just as he feared, Huangfu Cheng actually made a comeback! He shone brightly in the battle between Shenfeng Hall and Xianfeng Hall!

"I didn't expect this guy to actually start cultivating again," Huangfu Bei paced around the room, muttering to himself with worry. "Besides, it was my idea to kill Tianhu back then, and I also played a part in his father's later death from depression. If this kid is allowed to continue cultivating, who knows if he'll become stronger than me one day? Then—so, I have to strike first!"

Just then, Huangfu Bei's son, Huangfu Shang, knocked on the door.

"Father! Your son has urgent business to discuss with you!"

"Come in and talk," Huangfu Bei said happily. After learning about Huangfu Cheng's rise to power, Huangfu Shang had been investigating him recently. Did he come to see him today because he had found something to use against that guy?

Huangfu Shang walked in with a broad smile. Huangfu Bei asked impatiently, "Son, tell me quickly, what news have you received?"

Huangfu Shang said, "Father, today the spies I sent to Jianling City saw a three-year-old girl in the Shenfeng Hall! This girl's appearance is somewhat similar to that of Tianhu!"

Huangfu Bei's eyes lit up, and she instinctively said, "Could it be Huangfu Cheng and Tianhu's child?" But then she shook her head and denied it, saying, "Impossible. Didn't we kill Tianhu with our own hands back then?"

Huangfu Shang said, "Father, isn't that simple? This little girl must be the illegitimate child that Tianhu had with Huangfu Cheng before she died." Huangfu Bei slapped his forehead, realizing how easily he panicked!

Huangfu Shang continued, "Father, I think this is definitely true! This little girl must be the one he and the fox spirit secretly had back then, and they've been hiding her ever since, which is why we didn't discover her at the time! And now, hehe, as long as we find out this bastard and prove that she is Huangfu Cheng's daughter, we can hold Huangfu Cheng accountable in the name of the family!" Huangfu Bei gave him a thumbs up and praised, "My son is smart! Go and do this."

Initially, Huangfu Bei truly intended to kill Huangfu Cheng outright. Although he was her nephew, for the sake of her own son and her own interests, what did that little bit of kinship matter? However, the problem was that Huangfu Cheng was now a heavyweight figure in the Divine Wind Hall, and even within the entire sect, he was considered a somewhat well-known cultivator. If he were to suddenly die one day, wouldn't that attract attention? If things were exposed, she would be in deep trouble.

So, the son's method is good! By finding a weakness in Huangfu Cheng, we can punish him and arrest him with a legitimate reason. Once he is arrested, it will be much easier for us to secretly carry out some tricks.

……

……

In the early morning of Jianling City, hurried footsteps echoed through the quiet streets as Huangfu Shang led dozens of his men toward Shenfeng Hall with imposing momentum. Upon arriving at Shenfeng Hall, Huangfu Shang first ordered dozens of his disciples to guard the main passages around the hall to prevent An'an from escaping. Only then did he lead the remaining men to "visit" Shenfeng Hall.

Dongdong~dongdong~

Huangfu knocked on the door forcefully, as if a group of constables were preparing to search a private residence.

"Who is it? Who is it?" came an impatient rebuke from inside the door. Was such a loud noise necessary so early in the morning? Couldn't you knock a little more gently?

With a creak, the door opened, and a Shenfeng Hall disciple, who had replaced Ji Yuantao, glared unfriendly at the group of people outside. But the group was even more unfriendly; seeing the door open, they barged in!

"Hey, what are you doing here?" A disciple immediately stepped in front of Huangfu Shang. Huangfu Shang replied, "I'm here to find someone."

"Who are you looking for?"

"What's it to you? Get out of the way." Huangfu Shang shoved the gatekeeper aside. Actually, Huangfu Shang wasn't trying to show off his domineering nature; he was just afraid that Huangfu Cheng inside would hide Xiao An'an after getting the news. Even though he had already deployed people to monitor the area around Shenfeng Hall, who could guarantee that there weren't those extremely secret passages inside?

Before arriving, Huangfu Cheng had already sent people to investigate. Xiao An'an was living in a small courtyard in the northwest corner of Shenfeng Hall, so the group headed straight there.

Seeing that they couldn't stop the group, the gatekeepers immediately shouted that someone had trespassed into the Divine Wind Hall. Coincidentally, the first person to arrive was none other than Huangfu Cheng!

"It's you!" Huangfu Cheng looked at Huangfu Shang in surprise. Huangfu Shang also didn't expect to see his old rival Huangfu Cheng so soon, and smiled slightly, saying, "Huangfu Cheng, it's been a long time."

Huangfu Shang and his father were the masterminds who drove Tianhu to his death! Huangfu Cheng will never forget this hatred. "Huangfu Shang, how dare you appear before me so brazenly!"

Huangfu Shang had no time for idle chatter; his purpose was to capture Xiao An'an. He immediately stepped forward, intending to pass by Huangfu Cheng. Huangfu Cheng stepped aside, blocking his way.

"This is Shenfeng Hall, not a place you can just barge into." Huangfu Cheng was very rational and did not use revenge as an excuse to stop them. He clearly distinguished between public and private matters; the public always took precedence over the private.

Huangfu Shang said, "I am here on the orders of the clan chief to capture you and Tianhu's daughter!"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Cheng's expression changed drastically. Seeing his dramatic change in expression, Huangfu Shang sneered, "It seems that little girl named Xiao An'an really is your bastard child with that vixen! Get out of the way!" Huangfu Shang shoved Huangfu Cheng aside. Since he had already stated his purpose, he had to find that little girl as soon as possible!

Caught off guard, Huangfu Cheng was pushed aside. He never expected that the Huangfu family would eventually discover An'an's existence! What to do? For a moment, Huangfu Cheng panicked, truly showing that concern can cloud judgment.

Huangfu Shang strode towards the northwest corner, but before he had gone far, he said, "Hmph, what are you? What right do you have to come and shout at my Shenfeng Hall?"

But then they saw Yi Ranxiao lying on the roof of the house to the east, holding an exquisite wine jug in his right hand, drinking with relish while shouting sternly. As the top leader of the Divine Wind Hall, when else should he step forward if not now?

Huangfu Shang was never an arrogant or domineering person. He was always rational. At this moment, he still brought up his family and clasped his hands in a fist and said to Yi Ranxiao, "Senior Brother Yi, Huangfu Shang is here on orders from the family to search for the illegitimate child of Huangfu Cheng and Tianhu. This is official business, so please forgive me, Senior Brother Yi."

Yi Ranxiao is a rational person, but he's not always rational. Sometimes, when someone bullies him to his doorstep, even if the other party is very powerful and he has no chance against them, he will not hesitate to fight back.

"Family? Hmph, even if your Huangfu family patriarch Huangfu Bei comes in person, he can't force his way into my Shenfeng Hall without my permission!" Yi Ranxiao said coldly, his eyes fixed on Huangfu Shang.

Huangfu Shang's expression turned ugly. "Yiran Xiao, I advise you not to act rashly! Our Huangfu family is not so easy to offend." In his heart, he was worried that An'an might take the opportunity to escape.

The thought that An'an might escape through the secret passage made Huangfu Shang disregard everything else. He stopped arguing with Yi Ranxiao and rushed straight towards the small courtyard in the northwest corner!

Yi Ranxiao immediately moved, leaping down from the rooftop and using the Floating Shadow Step to block Huangfu Shang's path. "I've said it before, anyone who trespasses on my Divine Wind Hall has no right to search my hall without my order!" Huangfu Shang roared, "You dare to oppose our Huangfu family!" Yi Ranxiao replied, "You were the one who was rude first!"

"Hmph, get out of my way! Otherwise I'll make my move!" This time, Huangfu Shang lost his temper. Your Shenfeng Hall has repeatedly prevented me from taking people. If I don't act now, they'll escape!

"Go ahead and try!" With that, Yi Ranxiao whistled, and hundreds of Shenfeng Hall disciples surged in from all directions, surrounding Huangfu Shang and his companions.

Damn it, I've seen stupid people, but I've never seen anyone this stupid. They actually went to someone else's territory to provoke them. Aren't they just asking for a beating?

Huangfu Shang's eyelids twitched. Were the people from Shenfeng Hall preparing to gang up on him? "Yiran Xiao, what are you doing?"

Yi Ranxiao shrugged and said helplessly, "If someone wants to hit me, my junior brothers naturally won't stand idly by, so they come to protect me. What's wrong with that?"

Huangfu Shang glanced at the hundreds of cultivators with hostile expressions, then at his own outnumbered forces, and said resentfully, "You're ruthless! Let's go!"

Hundreds of people reluctantly made way, and Huangfu Shang and his group immediately left. Watching their retreating figures, Yi Ranxiao called out loudly, "Alright, alright, everyone disperse and continue your cultivation." He then went to Huangfu Cheng's side. Huangfu Cheng's face was pale, and he murmured, "Senior Brother, what do we do? What do we do? The Huangfu family actually knows about An'an's existence, I...I..."

Yi Ranxiao smiled and said, "Don't worry, Huangfu. As the saying goes, 'When the boat reaches the bridge, it will straighten out; when the car reaches the mountain, there will always be a way.' There will definitely be a way to get through this."

Huangfu Cheng looked at Yi Ranxiao with a mixture of confusion and delight, and said, "Senior Brother, you already... have a way?" Yi Ranxiao smiled mysteriously...