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Chapter 28: The Hidden Sparrow

The Mu Family assembled nearly all of its cultivators. On the stage, the family head Mu Maode delivered an impassioned rallying speech for the coming campaign. The young cultivators within the family were greatly inspired, their hearts surging with excitement, and they eagerly rubbed their palms, itching for action.

Of course, the main reason for their high morale was the emergence of a new Foundation Establishment cultivator in the Mu Family.

"Big Brother Lan, this battle is a great opportunity to make merit. If not for the fact that my injuries haven\'t healed, I would have gone over to broaden my horizons." Li Ergou listened with boiling enthusiasm, eager to give it a try.

Everyone liked to fight a battle with favorable winds. In the eyes of the Mu Family cultivators, this was an assured victory. Even without the family\'s conscription, many young members were eager to volunteer, yearning to make contributions and plunder the resources of the Zheng Family.

"Brother Changan, why don\'t you join my assault team?" Mu Yunfei came over and extended an invitation. His lone arm and facial scar added an extra touch of fierceness to his appearance.

"With my shallow cultivation and meager strength, rather than being a burden on the front lines, I\'d be better suited to refining talismans and providing logistical support from the rear." Lan Chang\'an politely declined.

He had no interest in joining a battle even if it had favorable winds. He didn\'t lack spirit stones now, so why bother going to the front lines and joining the commotion?

In Lan Chang\'an\'s previous life, he had reached the pinnacle of the Core Formation Realm. In his eyes, the battles of these Foundation Establishment cultivation families were no different from skirmishes between neighboring villages.

Mu Yunfei did not insist, though he felt a tinge of disappointment. He inwardly sighed, "Lan Chang\'an has quite the talent for combat, but he\'s too cautious and overly concerned about preserving his life."

Half a day later.

The members of the Mu Family who would be participating in the campaign had gathered at Feiyue Manor.

Their cultivation bases were generally at the third layer of Qi-Refining or above, with many new faces from the younger generation, the youngest being only sixteen years old.

The Mu Family\'s high-end combat strength also was not to be underestimated. Apart from the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, there were three at the ninth layer of Qi-Refining. The family head Mu Maode had reached the ninth layer of Qi-Refining many years ago. 

As for the other late-stage Qi-Refining cultivators, including Mu Yunfei and Mu Xiuyun, there were five or six of them. There weren\'t many middle-stage Qi-Refining robust cultivators, only around a dozen or so.

However, the number of new generation cultivators at the early stage of Qi-Refining in the Mu Family was gradually increasing. The future of the family looked promising.

"In this battle, if it\'s just against the Zheng Family, it should be quite stable." Lan Chang\'an pondered.

On the Zheng Family\'s side, their Foundation Establishment ancestor was injured. There were only two left at the ninth layer of Qi-Refining. One was the family head Zheng Yuanqing, and his younger brother Zheng Yuanhua had mysteriously died after attacking the Mu Family\'s herb garden. The other was Zheng Wugong, who had previously led the attempt to assassinate the Mu Family\'s immortal seedlings.

As for the other seventh and eighth layers of Qi-Refining, there were only three or four of them.

"March!"

With a command from the family head Mu Maode, several dozen cultivators departed from Feiyue Manor.

Heading towards Bamboo Leaf Mountain, the dwelling of the Zheng Family.

Among the clouds above, the two Foundation Establishment figures provided cover.

Lan Chang\'an looked up and vaguely captured the sight of an elderly man with a decaying aura and white hair; beside him was a burly figure with falcon-like eyes, exuding a murderous aura - it was Mu Renlong.

"Where did Mu Renlong form his Foundation?" Lan Chang\'an felt curious.

For a small cultivation family like the Mu Family, the greatest difficulty in forming a Foundation was obtaining Foundation Establishment Pills. Secondly, how to preserve the Foundation Establishment Pill and successfully break through. If word leaked out, opposing forces would definitely intervene.

"It should have been that day." Lan Chang\'an recalled the time when the Mu Family Ancestor had returned to the family for a short while before mysteriously leaving again. Perhaps during that period, the Mu Family Ancestor had secretly helped Mu Renlong form his Foundation elsewhere.

...

After the main force of the Mu Family departed.

Only a group of elderly, the infirm, and the crippled remained within the family, or those like Lan Chang\'an who dared not go to the front lines, the so-called "cowards."

At this time, Lan Chang\'an remained vigilant because of the Mu Family\'s empty defenses. 

However, the Mu Family had made preparations, with the remaining cultivators on full alert, activating a first-rank protection formation. Relying on the formation for defense, as long as there were no Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, it would be difficult to break through in a short period.

Based on Lan Chang\'an\'s experience, the likelihood of the Mu Family\'s stationed location being attacked was extremely low. Because the Mu Family had practically emptied their nest, taking all their precious resources with them. Even if the enemy aimed to rob them, there was little strategic significance, and without dispatching their main forces, it would be difficult to break through the formation. For the sake of some old and weak people, it would not be worth the effort.

The most important resource for a cultivation family was the spiritual vein but the spiritual vein was deeply buried underground and practically unmovable.

As for some fixed assets, such as mineral resources or spiritual fields, they could at most be looted and damaged, but it wouldn\'t deal a crippling blow.

As time passed like the flowing years.

For several days in a row, Feiyue Manor remained calm, but the atmosphere within the family was oppressive.

The stationed family members were concerned about the battles on the front lines.

...

Another two days passed.

Ominous news arrived from the front lines - the Mu Family Ancestor had perished!

According to reports, at the Zheng Family\'s residence Bamboo Leaf Mountain, the Foundation Establishment ancestors of the two families had both met their demise.

That day, some injured members returned. Each one had a gloomy expression, suppressing their fury.

After inquiring, Lan Chang\'an learned about the situation on the front lines.

The Mu Family Ancestor had indeed perished, meeting the same fate as the Zheng Family Ancestor, which could not be considered a loss. After all, the Mu Family Ancestor\'s lifespan was nearing its end. As long as they could eliminate the Zheng Family and absorb the cultivation resources of a Foundation Establishment family, it would definitely be a gain.

However.

Just as the two ancestors had fallen, and Mu Renlong was leading the family in a desperate battle to occupy the Zheng Family\'s residence, the Bamboo Leaf Mountain, The Maple Leaf Huang Family intervened!

This was the same Huang Family that had previously intended to form a marriage alliance with the Mu Family, boasting three Foundation Establishment cultivators in their family.

The Huang Family only sent two Foundation Establishment cultivators. One was at the early stage, and the other was at the middle stage.

The sole remaining ninth-layer Qi-Refining cultivator of the Zheng Family, Zheng Wugong, agreed to submit to the Maple Leaf Huang Family under the persuasion of the Huang Family\'s Foundation Establishment ancestor.

He would rather become a vassal of the Huang Family than let the Mu Family benefit.

This outcome enraged the Mu Family cultivators who had fought bloody battles, almost causing them to clash with the Huang Family.

The Mu Family had paid a horrific price, with their Foundation Establishment Ancestor perishing. Yet in the end, they had benefited the Huang Family?

However, the Mu Family was powerless and could only accept reality.

Mu Renlong who had newly entered the Foundation Establishment Realm did not have the strength to fight when faced against the two veteran Foundation Establishment cultivators, especially the one at the middle stage.

...

"The hidden sparrow, the Maple Leaf Huang Family indeed had ulterior motives." Lan Chang\'an was not at all surprised by the final outcome.  

As early as when he was stationed at the herb garden and heard that the marriage talks between the two families had broken down, Lan Chang\'an knew the Huang Family had ill intentions.

Even if the marriage alliance between the Mu and Huang families had succeeded. After eliminating the Zheng Family, the Huang Family would have definitely found a way to absorb the Mu Family, reducing them to a vassal.

"However, the Huang Family\'s actions will come at a cost and will inevitably draw the displeasure of the Beast Taming Zhou Family." Lan Chang\'an considered another aspect.

The Beast Taming Zhou Family was one of the seven great cultivation families of the Liang Kingdom. It was the true overlord of the surrounding region!

Previously, the Zheng Family had pulled in a branch of the Zhou Family. Without the Zhou Family\'s intervention, the Zheng Family had planned to gradually devour the Feiyue Lake\'s Mu Family.

In other words.

The conflict between the two families was tacitly permitted by the Beast Taming Zhou Family. However, they did not anticipate the variable of the evil cultivator Liang Shaotian, which severely crippled the Zheng Family\'s strength.

Meanwhile, the Mu Family had unleashed their trump card, producing a new Foundation Establishment cultivator. Unexpectedly, the Mu Family was now poised to devour the Zheng Family.

In the end, the Huang Family, which had been watching for a long time, became that hidden sparrow.

With three Foundation Establishment cultivators, it allowed the Huang Family to be a formidable force, an outcome the Zhou Family did not wish to see.

However, the Huang Family did not directly participate in the battle, and the remnants of the Zheng Family willingly submitted. Therefore, the Beast Taming Zhou Family had no grounds to accuse them.

...

Some time passed.  

The Foundation Establishment Ancestor Mu Renlong led the returning cultivators from the campaign back to the family. The conflict between the two families had finally drawn to a close.

This attempt to eliminate the Zheng Family fell far short of the Mu Family\'s expected benefits. The only gain was the first-grade purple copper mine that had previously been a point of contention between the two families, now divided in favor of the Feiyue Lake Mu Family.

Later, Lan Chang\'an learned some insider information.  

After the battle, the Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Zhou Family, Huang Family, and Mu Family had held a private meeting. The Huang Family voluntarily gave up some benefits to the Zhou Family to alleviate the latter\'s dissatisfaction.

The Mu Family, which had made the greatest effort, ended up being the least beneficiary. They regained that first-grade purple copper mine. Additionally, they obtained some spoils of war from attacking the Zheng Family\'s Bamboo Leaf Mountain. 

Whether the Mu Family had gained or lost in this campaign, Lan Chang\'an could not judge. But they certainly did not profit. 

Additionally, after eliminating the Zheng Family, the Mu Family would now face an even more formidable potential adversary:

The Maple Leaf Huang Family!

...

The years were long, three years later.  

Within a secluded courtyard enveloped by a formation at Feiyue Manor.

Lan Chang\'an sat cross-legged, cultivating, exhaling a long breath of clear air. By now, he had been with the Mu Family for twelve years. Two months ago, he had just turned thirty years old.

"It will still take a year or two to reach the fifth layer of Qi-Refining." Lan Chang\'an was in no hurry, concluding his daily routine cultivation.  

For him, there was not much difference between the fourth and fifth layers of Qi-Refining. Only by advancing to the seventh layer, crossing into the late stage of Qi-Refining, would his strength see a significant increase.

Walking into the courtyard.

Lan Chang\'an received a letter, sent to him by Zhao Siyao. After briefly looking it over, Lan Chang\'an\'s expression became pensive as he put away the letter and left his courtyard.  

At this time, in the neighboring courtyard of Li Ergou, lanterns were lit, and red silk banners hung high. Lan Chang\'an had come to attend the wedding celebration. Today was the day Li Ergou took a concubine.  

In recent years, Li Ergou\'s original wife, Mu Qing, had grown old and lost her youthful beauty, causing Li Ergou\'s disinterest.  

Some days ago, Li Ergou had advanced to the fifth layer of Qi-Refining, causing his status within the family to rise. Thus, with the support of the family\'s elders, Li Ergou took two sisters from the Mu Family as concubines.

The elder sister, Mu Caiwei, was eighteen years old. The younger sister, Mu Cailin, was sixteen. Of them, the elder sister Mu Caiwei had inferior-grade spiritual roots.  

This pair of sisters, their appearance and temperament were both better than Li Ergou\'s original wife. Prettier and younger.

"Ergou, you\'ve changed." Lan Chang\'an clearly remembered that Li Ergou had previously said he liked girls like Cuihua.

"Talisman Master Lan."

"Uncle Lan."

Amidst the respectful addresses, Lan Chang\'an entered the lively, celebratory courtyard.