Chapter Eight: Stirring Up Conflict

“It's a secret.” Mo Xuan couldn’t possibly tell her.

“Forget it. Hello, my name is Lin Mengyao. Pleased to meet you.”

“Hm, I’m Mo Xuan!”

“You saved me. As a token of gratitude, I can promise you one thing!”

“No need.”

Mo Xuan was also helping himself, so it wasn’t really assistance. He stood up, ready to head toward Huanxi Town.

Lin Mengyao noticed Mo Xuan seemed unsteady on his feet and hurried to support him. “You’re in no shape to be so stubborn. Forget it. Where’s your home? I’ll take you back.”

“I don’t know!” Though he was headed towards Huanxi Town, it wasn’t quite the same. Half a year had passed; did he still have a foothold there?

“How could you not know?”

Though Mo Xuan didn’t want to say much, Lin Mengyao seemed unconcerned and insisted on finishing something before leaving.

Since that was the case, Mo Xuan couldn’t refuse. Besides, having someone to look after him was a blessing. At least when he returned to Huanxi Town, he could be in his best condition.

It wasn’t long before the two arrived in Huanxi Town. Mo Xuan recalled that after Elder Yuan, his great-uncle, passed away, he was expelled here by the acting family head. Since then, Elder Qi had managed the surrounding estates. In Mo Xuan’s memory, although Elder Qi harbored some resentment toward him, Mo Xuan had frequently come here over the years. Though his cultivation talent was mediocre, he excelled in other matters.

Huanxi Town—Hongyuan Pavilion!

As he stepped inside, he saw someone at the counter, resting their head on one hand, dozing.

“Hey, what are you doing here!” Lin Mengyao’s elegant, stirring voice woke the dozing clerk. Not quite a clerk, actually; the young man was in casual clothes and not very old. At first, he thought a guest had arrived, but upon seeing Mo Xuan, he was overwhelmed with emotion, tears welling up. “Young master, you’re back! I thought you…”

He broke down in tears.

“小虎, didn’t I just come back!” Mo Xuan comforted him. This man, Zhao Hu, whom Mo Xuan called Xiao Hu, had been his assistant during his time here. His return was a warm reassurance, a kind of psychological comfort.

Unexpectedly, so much had happened within the family in just half a year: three elders of the Earth Soul Realm had been assassinated, and the Mo family’s enterprises had stalled.

The two talked at length, but Mengyao was left aside, feeling uncomfortable. She shouted loudly, “Young master, I’ve been standing here for a long time, and you’re just indulging in nostalgia—really!”

Mo Xuan wanted to quickly understand the family’s current situation, so he had neglected her and apologized immediately.

Xiao Hu mistakenly thought there was some relationship between the two.

Mo Xuan denied it, saying she was just a guest.

Afterward, Mo Xuan immediately asked Xiao Hu to take him to see Elder Qi. Though he was no longer the young master, he couldn’t simply ignore things—at least he needed to check in.

Lin Mengyao, bored, followed along.

The Rear Mountain Mining Area!

Two factions had gathered here. One was Elder Mo Zixiao of the Mo family, who had reached level seven of the Earth Soul Realm—a formidable strength in Mo Ji’aa. The current situation was grim, and he led his subordinates guarding this area. Though conditions were worsening, no major incidents had occurred yet.

But this time, things seemed different.

The other faction was also from the Mo family: Elder Mo Wu, a senior elder with considerable influence. Why was this?

Clearly, Elder Mo Wu’s strength was inferior to Elder Qi’s. Beside him stood an even more powerful elder, who was not from the Mo family but from the Chen family—one of the four great families of Luochuan City. This elder, Chen Ang, sought to claim most of the mining area's profits.

The two sides were contending for the mountain’s resources, though no outright conflict had erupted yet.

Elder Qi scolded, “How dare you, a Mo family elder, hand over our mining resources to another clan? Don’t you feel ashamed?!”

“Hmph. Mo family, I do this for the future of the clan. With the Chen family as our backing, this is Mo family’s chance to rise again amid the crisis,” Elder Mo Wu replied.

Though extreme, his approach was not without reason.

At that moment, Mo Xuan arrived. Xiao Hu, ever energetic, immediately informed Elder Zixiao about Mo Xuan’s return. The elder was pleased but hesitant. He knew the situation and feared that if word spread, it would become even more dangerous. Without a second thought, he scolded Xiao Hu and quickly led Mo Xuan away.

Though Elder Zixiao usually seemed cold toward Mo Xuan, in times of crisis he still thought of him. This touched Mo Xuan deeply. Perhaps this was why the acting family head assigned him to Huanxi Town.

Upon seeing Mo Xuan, Elder Zixiao was delighted but also tried to persuade him with some words. However, Mo Xuan had already encountered the other party.

It had only been half a year, so many within the clan still knew him. Yet, as a once discarded young master, other Mo family members were skeptical and whispered behind his back.

Elder Zixiao knew Mo Xuan’s strength was weak and was already glad he survived. Naturally, he was reluctant.

Mo Xuan gave him a hand signal, indicating he could handle the situation. The matter had become puzzling.

“As a Mo family elder, betraying your kin in a time of crisis—do you still deserve to be an elder?” Mo Xuan’s rebuke drew scorn from Elder Mo Wu, though he was surprised Mo Xuan was alive. “I thought you were dead. You’re still alive? Hmph, you useless—”

Before he could finish, Mo Xuan’s eyes flashed with a dark blue light. A psychic attack struck Elder Wu, causing his energy to weaken instantly.

Mo Xuan’s strike was sharp and fierce, stirring excitement among the gathered family members. No one expected such a change upon his return.

Mo Xuan dared to act because he had some confidence in dealing with Chen Ang from the Chen family, who possessed level eleven in the Earth Soul Realm. Though still beyond his ability to fight directly, Mo Xuan could do quite a bit.

The urgent task was to unite the people. After all, the Mo family was still a formidable force here. He understood many were acting out of necessity; everyone desired a comfortable life.

“Mo Xuan, fine, fine. Hahaha, I did what I did for everyone’s sake. The Mo family has failed to live up to its past. With our current strength, how can we protect such a vast legacy?”