Chapter 52: The Yang Family Caravan

Lu Tianxing gave a slight shake of his head:
"I do not intend to rely on my daughter either."
"Boss Xu, if you truly care for your family, then I urge you to go and make a humble apology to the Grand Preceptor."
"Even if the Grand Preceptor refuses to forgive you, since you have committed a wrong, you must bear the consequences. Do not harbor resentment for the punishment you receive."
Having said this, Lu Tianxing turned and walked away.
Yet, the direction he took was not that of the city.
His strides were remarkably light, and the lingering sorrow and depression that had weighed upon him for days seemed to have vanished entirely.
This prompted Xu Gui to call out in astonishment:
"Master Lu, where are you heading?"
Without looking back, Lu Tianxing waved his hand and said:
"Back to the Lu Family Estate, to tend the fields in peace."
His knot of worry was now untied, and from this day forward he would manage the Lu Family Estate in tranquility, ignoring all affairs beyond its walls.
He no longer had the face to confront the Grand Preceptor or others he had harmed.
And since his daughter had already chosen and walked her own path,
Lu Tianxing no longer needed to fret over her and could comfortably spend his twilight years.
...
Just as Lu Tianxing departed,
a procession of carriages slowly rolled into view from the distance.
Wherever the convoy passed, people turned their heads to stare.
For the carriages in this procession were exceptionally lavish and ornate.
Even the horses pulling them were superior steeds, chosen from a thousand.
The most eye-catching of all was an unusually large carriage in the very center of the convoy, resembling a painted pavilion carried by horses.
One need only look at the luxurious cabin to know that the master riding within was either immensely wealthy or of noble birth.
Ordinary folk naturally avoided such a convoy out of fear.
Yet the roads were currently filled with the sick and afflicted, making movement inevitably sluggish.
Despite this, the guards of the convoy were exceptionally arrogant and brutal:
"Get out of the way! Damn it! Clear the road for us!"
"If you delay our schedule, you will be skinned alive!"
"A bunch of mud-legged peasants, get yourselves far away!"
...
Not only were these guards foul-mouthed and vulgar,
but if anyone accidentally blocked their path, they were met with blows and kicks, knocked unconscious, and tossed to the roadside.
The common people dared to be angry but not speak, well aware that they could never afford to provoke those who rode in such carriages.
Even when the convoy entered the city, the guards at the city gates were a fraction too slow in opening the way and received a couple of whip lashes from the escorts.
Seeing that these guards dared to beat even government soldiers, the surrounding townspeople realized the extraordinary status of those inside the carriages and had no choice but to swallow their grievances.
Such a brutal and domineering procession naturally caught the attention of several individuals outside the city.
Three men and women clad in fur overcoats gazed coldly at the receding convoy.
"Truly worthy of the Yang family; their style of action is as overbearing as ever."
"He who commits many injustices will inevitably meet his own doom. We are here to kill them today, and they thoroughly deserve it."
A young man with a blade of grass clenched between his teeth said with disdain.
He slightly adjusted his fur coat, revealing the metallic sheen beneath.
A weapon was actually hanging at his waist.
Another woman with a face as cold as frost remarked:
"I wonder which member of the Yang family has come this time. They haven't shown their face once all the way along this journey."
"I hope it is not old man Yang. A formidable expert always stays by that fellow's side, and we are no match for him."
The woman had deliberately smeared mud on her face, making her look like a refugee fleeing a plague, which served to mask her striking features.
When committing murder, possessing an overly attractive appearance was hardly an advantage.
A robust and towering middle-aged man said in a deep voice:
"It should not be that old fellow. Unless he encounters a massive trade deal, he rarely shows his face in person."
"As for his sons, they are the backbone of the Yang family, holding down businesses across Qingzhou, and will not move lightly."
"His grandchildren, however, are quite likely candidates. A small place like Taiyang County is well-suited for his grandchildren to gain experience."
"Among that old fellow's grandchildren, only one grandson and one granddaughter are of age. Exactly which one has come is unclear."
"Yet why would the Yang family make such a great fuss to travel to this small county town? Could it be... related to that so-called Taiping Dao group here?"
These three were outsiders and had no inkling of what had transpired in Taiyang County.
The middle-aged man was named Yan Ju, the grass-chewing young man was named Yun Liao, and the woman with mud on her face was named Hua Lanyue.
Following the convoy all the way here, they discovered that an unusual number of outsiders from other counties were rushing to Taiyang County.
Upon inquiry, they learned that Taiyang County harbored an organization called the Taiping Dao, which distributed talisman water to heal the populace of plague.
To this, the three paid little heed.
Whenever pestilence raged, opportunistic and demonic cults were never in short supply.
Yun Liao, chewing on his blade of grass, said indifferently:
"Eldest Senior Brother, we have followed them all this way. You are always worrying that there are top experts in the convoy, refusing to let us get close for observation."
"Now that they've entered the city, it should be fine for us to catch up and observe closely, right?"
"Or we could simply make our move directly. I refuse to believe our luck is that terrible."
With that, Yun Liao spat out the grass in his mouth.
Hua Lanyue, her face smeared with mud, chimed in:
"Eldest Senior Brother, I also think you are being far too cautious."
"Aside from the person by that old man's side, what is there for us to fear in the Yang family? Even if we encounter others whom we cannot defeat, we can easily escape."
"If we slaughter these members of the Yang family who have strayed far from Qingzhou Prefecture, it will ensure the Yang family never dares to step foot outside Qingzhou Prefecture again."
"If the Yang family is eradicated, it will effectively sever a cash cow for the Senluo Sect, which will also give Master more leverage before his superiors."
Hua Lanyue had delicate features, yet her words dripped with murderous intent.
Yan Ju, now in middle age, furrowed his brows deeply.
At times, he felt he was indeed being overly nervous.
Yet, as the Eldest Senior Brother, he had to prioritize the safety of his junior brother and junior sister above all else.
Yan Ju raised his head and glanced at the sky.
The sky was blanketed in dark clouds, and it looked as though a heavy downpour was not far off.
Was the dim light an opportune moment for murder, or an ominous omen?
When the heavy rain fell, would it wash away the traces of the slaughter, or would it hinder their actions?
Yan Ju could not be certain.
Yet he also knew that simply tailing the Yang family convoy indefinitely without taking action was hardly a sound strategy.
It would merely waste time in vain and leave them unable to account to their master.
Ultimately, Yan Ju deliberated and said:
"I recall that Taiyang County has no martial arts sects, nor does it seem to possess any formidable local tyrants."
Those in the pugilistic world adhered to the code of not casually crossing boundaries.
Operating within the territory of another sect typically required formally paying respects at their mountain gates.
Since the three of them were here for an assassination, paying respects at a mountain gate was out of the question, but they still needed to be wary of local experts.
Yun Liao replied:
"Of course there aren't any, I remember that very clearly."
"The strongest martial artist here is probably just that county magistrate with eighth-rank cultivation."
At the mention of the eighth rank, the three could not help but chuckle.
The mere strength of an eighth-rank practitioner truly failed to catch their eye.
Since there were no other threats, Yan Ju made his decision on the spot:
"Very well, we will follow the Yang family convoy to take a look."
"Once we confirm that the person who has come is not that old bastard, we will strike immediately."
"Kill them and leave!"