Those words shocked Liu Fei and Liu Qing once again. By the time they recovered and wanted to ask what level the token actually was, Liu Shan had already walked away.
The two could only exchange helpless glances, feeling as if a cat were scratching at their hearts. Liu Fei even stomped her foot in frustration.
"The Family Head is really something else. He always does this—stopping right at the most important part," Liu Fei said, then turned to Liu Qing with a threatening glare. "Cousin, you'd better not learn from him, or else…"
"I know, I know!" Liu Qing waved his hand dismissively, though his mind was still occupied with the true identity of that mysterious token.
Seeing his distracted look, Liu Fei kicked him lightly in the leg. "Blockhead."
Under Liu Qing's bewildered gaze, Liu Fei turned and walked back into the manor.
…
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three days, aside from cultivating, Xiao Jietian and the other three spent their time exploring Tianhuang City and enjoying its various attractions.
At Xiao Jietian's instruction, the Liu Family took over all of the Cheng Family's former territory. In just three days, the entire Tianhuang City had fallen under the Liu Family's control, making them the new overlord of the city.
However, they did not grow arrogant. They knew that Tianhuang City ultimately belonged to the Burning Flame Valley. Without the Cheng Family, the Valley could easily install a Li Family, a Wu Family, or any other force in their place.
During these three days, Xuan Yi also experienced many new and interesting things. Many activities that once seemed childish became surprisingly enjoyable once she tried them—perhaps because Xiao Jietian was always by her side.
The imprint of a certain person that had once lingered in Xuan Yi's heart had long since completely disappeared.
In its place, Xiao Jietian's imprint had been deeply etched into her heart, growing clearer and stronger with each passing day.
In the northwest skies of Tianhuang City, several streaks of light shot toward the city at high speed.
When the city's defense forces spotted them, one of the guards immediately opened his mouth to shout a warning and stop the intruders. However, the captain standing behind him quickly covered his mouth.
Only after the streaks of light landed did the captain release him. The guard took several deep breaths and asked angrily, "Captain, why did you cover my mouth? Those people violated the rules of Tianhuang City!"
The captain slapped the back of his helmet. "Are you stupid or blind? Didn't you see the emblem on their clothes? That's the Burning Flame Valley! You want to stop them? If you go and get yourself killed, it'll be for nothing. If you want to die, don't drag the rest of us down with you!"
…
At the Liu Family manor, Xiao Jietian and Xuan Yi sat side by side on a wooden swing. The swing had been specially made by Xiao Jietian for Xuan Yi, Xiao Ling, and the others.
They swayed gently on the swing, watching Xiao Ling and Xiao Meng practice their Dou Techniques. From time to time, they offered pointers and pointed out areas for improvement.
Suddenly, both Xiao Jietian and Xuan Yi turned their heads in the same direction.
"After waiting so long, they're finally here?" Xiao Jietian said with a faint smile. "They really are slow. What kind of speed is that?"
Hearing his complaint, Xuan Yi shook her head gently. "Do you think everyone has a message stone like yours?"
In the past few days, Xuan Yi had witnessed the miraculous capabilities of the message stones used by Xiao Ling and the others. With her experience, she could naturally tell that although the stones appeared to be simple tools for transmitting messages, their true power was extraordinary.
Currently, most forces on the continent still relied on carrier eagles or other special methods to transmit information. None of them could compare to the speed of a message stone.
The gap between fast and slow created an information disparity—and an information gap was often the most terrifying advantage. It could determine life and death, victory or defeat, and even reshape the entire landscape of the continent.
Timely intelligence could change the outcome of a battle at any moment and even enable a crushing, one-sided advantage.
Information gap equaled a life-and-death gap. Whoever could grasp the latest intelligence first would control the situation.
"No choice," Xiao Jietian laughed heartily. "Our family doesn't have much else, but we do have plenty of good things. Who can blame me for being so outstanding?"
"Childish ghost. Narcissist," Xuan Yi muttered, looking at him. She couldn't help but pat her forehead.
"And what do you mean by 'our family'? Don't talk nonsense," she added quickly, though the corners of her eyes were clearly smiling.
"Right, right. It's not. We'll talk about the specifics later," Xiao Jietian said with an amused smile.
A mature older sister who had never been in love before truly showed a striking contrast once she fell into the whirlpool of romance.
…
The streaks of light arrived above the Cheng Family's former manor. At this moment, the once-prosperous estate lay deserted and in ruins.
It was obvious the place had been thoroughly looted. Most of the valuable items had been taken by the Liu Family, while a small portion had either been stolen by fleeing servants or simply smashed.
Among the group from the Burning Flame Valley, the leader was an old man dressed in a crimson robe. Red spots dotted his face. He glanced indifferently at the ruined Cheng Family manor below and said calmly:
"To the Liu Family."
"Yes, Elder Chihuo!" the people behind him responded with slight reverence.
From the earlier reports, they already knew that the Cheng Family's destruction had been carried out by the Liu Family, with several people of unknown origin involved.
Upon receiving this intelligence, the Burning Flame Valley had immediately dispatched Elder Chihuo, who was closest to Tianhuang City. A subordinate force being interfered with by outsiders could affect their control over other cities in the region.
This time, he had come to investigate the origins of those outsiders and to uphold the prestige of the Burning Flame Valley.
The group changed direction and flew straight toward the Liu Family manor.
Upon arrival, they did not enter through the main gate. Instead, they landed directly on the open ground in front of the Liu Family's largest building—the Council Hall.
"Who are you people? Why have you trespassed on my Liu Family's territory?" The captain of the guards stepped forward with several men, staring solemnly at the newcomers.
He had already noticed that the leader was walking on air—a clear sign of a Dou Zong expert.
At that moment, Liu Shan appeared at the entrance of the hall, accompanied by two other Dou Zong-level experts from the Liu Family.
"I didn't expect Elder Chihuo to personally grace us with his presence," Liu Shan said as he stepped forward slowly. His gaze swept over the group, and a polite smile appeared on his face.
Elder Chihuo nodded indifferently.
Liu Shan didn't mind the other party's cold attitude. After all, it wasn't his first time seeing such behavior. "You've come a long way. This isn't the proper place to talk. Why don't you all come inside? I'll have someone prepare fine wine and delicacies so we can talk while we drink."
Elder Chihuo glanced at Liu Shan and did not refuse. Although the other party's strength was far below his own, he was still a Dou Zong. "Then let's go inside and talk. Lead the way."
"Please~" Liu Shan bowed slightly and gestured invitingly.
Elder Chihuo walked past him, then suddenly stopped and said something meaningful to Liu Shan.