Chapter 152: Utterly Vulnerable

Chapter 152: Utterly Vulnerable

Although Tang Yifei was now utterly abandoned by his allies and stood completely isolated, Xu Yun saw no genuine panic in his eyes. If the Tang family members were truly about to be expelled and lose such a powerful backing, Tang Yifei’s expression would never have been so calm.

Tang Yifei seemed to be waiting for something, intending to deliver a massive surprise to everyone in the Tang family.

Tang Wanxin quietly tugged at Tang Qun’s sleeve once more, lowering his voice. "It looks like the second brother is about to break completely with the entire family. Fifth brother, do you think he’s planning to have the Ghost-Faced Asura make a move?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Tang Qun’s expression shifted. "No matter what, we are all members of the Tang family. Surely he wouldn’t go to such extremes? The Ghost-Faced Asura was probably hired to deal with outsiders."

Tang Wanxin chuckled dryly. "Outsiders? By now, the second brother treats all of us as outsiders. Why would he hire the Ghost-Faced Asura if not out of fear for the people by Grandpa Tang’s side?"

Tang Qun frowned. "The people by Grandpa Tang’s side were bought off by him long ago. Who did you see arrive today? Hmph, Grandpa Tang knows it clearly himself, which is why he didn’t even let Sable and Jackal attend the family meeting. Since he already bought off Sable and Jackal, why would he spend a fortune to hire the Ghost-Faced Asura as well? Hmph, Sima Zhao’s sinister intentions are obvious to everyone. Even if the third uncle, third brother, and fourth brother hadn’t caused a split today, he would still seize control of the Tang family from Grandpa Tang and Ninth Sister."

"Fifth brother, who said Sable and Jackal didn't come? I just saw them earlier," Tang Wanxin said.

Tang Qun was startled. It seemed the conspiracy behind today’s events ran quite deep. He had clearly overheard the conversation between Tang Yifei and Tang Long—that Tang Zhentian’s two top martial artists had been heavily bribed by Tang Yifei. Now that these two had appeared here, they certainly weren’t up to any good.

Tang Yifei suddenly threw his head back and laughed loudly, shouting toward the entrance, "Sable! Jackal!"

No sooner had the words fallen than two robust men, around thirty-five years of age, walked into the Tang family hall one after the other. The first man was of average height, but the ferocious muscle mass beneath his clothes made onlookers shudder with dread. The second man was noticeably taller than the first, with veins bulging at his temples; at a glance, he was clearly an extraordinary martial artist.

Tang Sanguo’s expression changed drastically. These two had always been the right-hand men following closely by Tang Zhentian’s side. The former, Sable, could make the entire city of Jibei shake with a single stomp of his foot, while the latter, Jackal, was a master against whom it was difficult to find an opponent in the whole of Jibei. Most importantly, both men had followed Tang Zhentian for well over a decade, showing unwavering loyalty all this time. How could they possibly be at Tang Yifei’s disposal?

Tang Zhentian watched the two incoming men with a faint, smiling gaze. Everyone in the Tang family was familiar with them, and the immense contributions they had made to the family were unmatched by most. Because of this, Tang Zhentian had always held them in high regard.

"Sable, Jackal, it really has been quite a while since I last saw you," Tang Zhentian smiled faintly, his voice serene. "What is this? Seeing that my old bones can no longer hold things together, you wish to abandon the dark and turn to the light early? Heh, in that case, I must give you a word of warning: when choosing a master, you must see clearly. Make sure you don't pledge your loyalty to the wrong place, or you might end up beyond redemption."

Neither Sable nor Jackal dared to meet Tang Zhentian’s gaze directly. They were forced into this by circumstances and had their own unspeakable hardships, but betrayal was betrayal. Regardless of any reason, they had betrayed Tang Zhentian.

Tang Jiu’s eyes were as cold as frost as she glared fiercely at the two men. "You both know very well how my father has treated you all this time! Ever since I was ten years old and you entered the Tang family, when has the Tang family ever wronged you?"

Tang Zhentian waved his hand indomitably. "Jiuer, say no more. Everyone has their own ambitions. Even your second brother could harbor rebellious intentions, let alone outsiders. Heh, it seems I truly am old."

Tang Yifei sneered. "Grandpa Tang, as the saying goes, money makes the ghosts push the millstones. But right now, what these two lack is not money; they lack a future. They followed you for more than a decade, only to remain mere servants of the Tang family. Following me is different. The status I can offer them far exceeds anything you could ever give!"

Jackal mustered his courage several times before finally opening his mouth. "Master Tang, I, Jackal, have failed you. If there is an afterlife, I am willing to serve you as a beast of burden!"

"You couldn't even maintain your loyalty and duty in this lifetime, so what is the point of talking about an afterlife?" Xu Yun smiled slightly and suddenly stood up. "I heard that twelve years ago, two people offended the Five-Poisons Wanderer Qi Qingzhu in the Northwest and were hunted down across a thousand miles, disappearing without a trace. It turns out they were hiding in the home of Elder Tang. Heh, a life-saving grace ought to be repaid with a gushing spring, yet who would have thought that those two stray dogs of the past would turn back today on the very person who spared their lives, biting the hand that fed them? Elder Tang, had you known this day would come, would you still have taken the two of them in back then?"

Xu Yun’s words left many people utterly bewildered. At the very least, those of Tang Jiu’s generation had no idea what he was talking about.

However, Tang Zhentian, Tang Zhenfeng, and the others were thoroughly shocked. Xu Yun looked to be only in his early twenties; twelve years ago, he should have been nothing more than a ten-year-old child like Tang Jiu. How could he possibly know about this so clearly?

Sable and Jackal widened their eyes in absolute disbelief that this young man could recount events from over a decade ago! Those two who had offended the Five-Poisons Wanderer were none other than them. It was hardly surprising that Xu Yun knew about this, however, because the Five-Poisons Wanderer had been captured by Wang Yi’s own hands, allowing him to understand some of the background. Furthermore, even though Xu Yun was only in his teens at the time, he was already a member of Dragon Wrath.

Tang Zhentian’s initial, lingering worries vanished instantly. Anyone capable of knowing about the underground world's affairs from more than a decade ago could only mean this young man was extraordinary. He never could have imagined that his daughter would be able to find someone like this—it completely exceeded Tang Zhentian’s expectations.

"Even so, I would still have chosen to keep the two of them back then," Tang Zhentian answered Xu Yun’s question with utter indifference. "Fate and affinity are hard to explain. Who am I to blame if I happened to cross paths with them?"

Xu Yun smiled faintly. "What a wonderful phrase—fate and affinity. Elder Tang truly lives up to your moniker of the White Cloud Scholar; your breadth of mind is indeed something we juniors cannot hope to compare with."

Tang Zhentian finally could not help but laugh out of genuine amusement. The smile hanging at the corner of his mouth was heartfelt; he hadn't heard that title in quite some time.

"Who the hell are you?!" Jackal could no longer contain his curiosity and roared angrily, his eyes flashing with a fierce, dark light as he stared at Xu Yun. This fellow knew far too many things! It left him completely devoid of any sense of security.

Sable’s eyes flashed with a chilling light as he growled coldly, "Jackal, don't forget whose side we are on now. Surely you haven't forgotten the Second Young Master's words?"

Jackal’s expression shifted, and he stopped talking, turning his full, undivided attention toward Xu Yun. "Anyone who tries to block the Second Young Master today dies!"

Tang Jiu’s heart turned icy cold to the extreme. She could never have imagined that the two men who used to be so respectful and deferential to her father would betray them so ruthlessly.

"Ninth Sister, then let us witness just how capable the man you found really is!" Tang Yifei swept a glance over, signaling for Sable and Jackal to make their move.

Qiuyan, who had been sitting quietly beside Guoguo without any reaction, stood up at the exact same moment. Her soft sword, Longyuan, carved a flash of silver light through the air as she directly intercepted Sable and Jackal.

Qiuyan’s piercing wave of murderous intent forced the surrounding crowd to step back in a hurry, terrified that stray blades might injure them.

"Those whose time has passed should stop embarrassing themselves out in public," Qiuyan’s voice was as cold as frost, completely devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Ever since following Tang Zhentian, Sable and Jackal had rarely left Jibei, naturally having no knowledge of the Violent Fox Sovereign who had shaken the martial world in recent years. However, the Longyuan soft sword in Qiuyan’s hand alone was enough to shock the two of them.

Even so, the temptation offered by Tang Yifei was still enough to make the two of them risk their lives! They obeyed Tang Yifei simply because he had given them hope of breaking through the bottleneck of top-tier mastery. No martial arts expert wants their progress to stagnate. For twelve years, Sable and Jackal had never ceased cultivating their skills, but once they reached the peak of the second-tier realm, they could no longer break through by even a fraction.

It was at that exact moment that Tang Yifei brought them hope. He had spared no expense to invite the Ghost-Faced Asura, a legendary figure who had shaken the underground world for over a decade—an absolute top-tier expert who had reached the pinnacle of his craft! Tang Yifei promised that as long as the two of them helped him seize control of the Tang family, he would definitely have the Ghost-Faced Asura help them break through their mental barriers.

Such temptation was simply too much for the two of them to resist. Coupled with Tang Yifei’s threats—that should they refuse, they lacked the ability to help Tang Zhentian resist the Ghost-Faced Asura—they relented.

Once Tang Yifei promised not to harm a single hair on Tang Zhentian’s or Tang Jiu’s heads, the two of them completely surrendered to Tang Yifei’s command. Their purpose in coming here today was to prevent any unexpected emergencies. However, they had not anticipated that the man Ninth Sister brought back would be so unfathomably profound—first the young man casually revealing their sordid past from twelve years ago, and then this woman producing the legendary sword Longyuan.

Before Sable and Jackal could strike, Qiuyan made the first move. With a technique called "Twin Swallows of Daoyan," her soft sword lashed out like a startled spiritual snake, transforming into afterimages as she simultaneously thrust toward both men. The movement was smooth and flowing like clouds and water, showing not a shred of mercy!

Sable and Jackal were taken aback. Just from the speed of the sword strike, they knew the opponent’s cultivation level far exceeded their own! Utilizing the tiger-straddle and seven-star stepping footwork respectively, the two managed to dodge Qiuyan’s strike, retreating several meters instantly to widen the distance, looking thoroughly battered and disheveled.

"Utterly vulnerable," Xu Yun remarked indomitably. "Qiuyan, since Elder Tang has no intention of blaming these two, you can stop while you're ahead. After all, this is the Tang family meeting; brandishing weapons really does damage Elder Tang's dignity."

Hearing this, Qiuyan sheathed her sword immediately, though her piercing gaze never left the two men. That single, razor-sharp glare alone was enough to make Sable and Jackal carefully weigh whether they should dare to attack again.

True experts reveal their caliber the moment they move. Setting aside Xu Yun, who calmly orchestrated the battle from the sidelines, the Violent Fox Sovereign alone was enough to put Tang Yifei to shame. The members of the Tang family were completely won over by Tang Jiu’s ability to pull off such a miracle by summoning reinforcements. She had only been away in Hedong City for a few days, yet she managed to find such a formidable master in such a small place? Telling tales like this sounded like absolute fantasy!