Chapter 35: Heaven's Net.

After the steward left.

Only Lu Tianhe and a few clan Elders remained in the hall.

One clan Elder hesitated before speaking.

"Patriarch, could Wanshan's death... be related to Flying Cloud Fortress?"

"Flying Cloud Fortress?"

Lu Tianhe shook his head.

"Flying Cloud Fortress has been wiped out. Huo Tianba is dead, and even if a few escaped the net, they wouldn't have this kind of ability."

Another Elder said, "Could it be other families..."

Lu Tianhe said nothingm, he was also considering this in his mind.

The great families of Azure Sun City were polite on the surface, but who didn't want to take a bite out of the Lu Family behind their backs?

But who had the courage?

The head of the Feng Family, Feng Chongyuan, was old and cunning, but he never acted personally.

The head of the Shen Family, Shen Zhenghai, indeed had a grudge against the Lu Family, but as protective as he was, he wouldn't go as far as to kill.

Besides, what benefit would killing Lu Wanshan bring him?

Lu Tianhe couldn't figure it out, and after standing there in silence for a moment, he rose from his seat, walked to the door, and looked up at the gloomy sky, which seemed as though it might rain at any moment.

"Father."

Lu Hao's voice came from behind him, so Lu Tianhe turned around and saw him sitting in a wheelchair, pushed in by a servant.

His legs were wrapped in thick bandages, his face was pale, and his eyes were sunken, making him look as though he had aged ten years.

"Why did you come out?"

"I couldn't sleep."

Lu Hao lowered his head and stared at his ruined legs before asking, "Father, tell me... could Huo Tianba really have crippled me?"

Lu Tianhe looked at him and asked, "What are you trying to say?"

"That night... although I didn't see the person's face clearly, I could sense their aura." Lu Hao raised his head, and a trace of fear appeared in his eyes.

"It wasn't Huo Tianba. That brute Huo Tianba definitely didn't feel like that."

Lu Tianhe remained silent for a while before asking, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure! The one who injured me was definitely not Huo Tianba!"

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Lu Tianhe said nothing. Instead, he turned around and looked at the courtyard while recalling everything that had happened: Xu Zhong was dead, Chen Si was missing, the warehouse had been burned, Lu Hao had been crippled, and Lu Wanshan had been killed.

All of it had happened in less than a month.

On the surface, every event seemed to have a clear explanation, whether it was Flying Cloud Fortress's retaliation or Huo Tianba's revenge, but when Lu Tianhe considered them together, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter because he felt as though an invisible hand was pushing everything forward from behind.

"Father?"

Lu Tianhe waved his hand and said, "Go back and recover. Don't think too much."

Lu Hao opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he swallowed his words, and the servant pushed him away.

Lu Tianhe remained standing at the door with his hands behind his back as he stared at the gloomy sky.

The Lu Family had been established in Azure Sun City for decades and had never encountered anything like this before; a clan Elder was dead, the head steward was dead, one of his sons was crippled, and the warehouse had been burned, yet they still didn't even know who their opponent was.

"Investigate."

He turned around and looked at the remaining people in the hall before continuing, "No matter who it is, dig three feet into the ground if you must, but find out who is targeting the Lu Family!"

"Yes."

Evening came, and Lu Xuan closed the gate before walking home, where he found Shen Yuyan cooking at the stove.

Afterward, he went to the donkey shed and added some fodder for the thin, lame donkey before pulling several items from his robe.

These were the items he had taken from Lu Wanshan's body after killing him.

Among them was a black-iron token with a net insignia engraved on the front and a ghost mask on the back, along with a letter whose paper had already yellowed and whose handwriting was neat, as if it had been carved into the page.

The letter read:

"The Shen Family of Azure Sun City possesses a Yin-Yang jade pendant, an ancient relic. Your Lu Family is ordered to investigate secretly and must obtain the jade pendant. Upon success, there will be a great reward. If the news leaks, bring your head to me."

The signature was a ghost mask, and Lu Xuan folded the letter before tucking it back into his robe.

The Lu Family's targeting of the Shen Family was clearly no coincidence, for someone was pulling the strings from behind.

Heaven's Net.

This was the first time Lu Xuan had heard that name, but his intuition told him that it was nothing good, and it likely had something to do with Yuyan.

"Husband, dinner's ready!"

Lu Xuan quickly stowed away the letter and token, then walked inside.

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Dinner was simple but warm.

Shen Yuyan had prepared two bowls of porridge, several steamed buns, and a plate of vegetables.

Lu Xuan said nothing about the letter or Heaven's Net. He merely sat across from her and watched her eat, occasionally adding food to her bowl.

He placed a steamed bun in front of her.

Shen Yuyan stared at it.

"Husband, are you trying to fatten me up?"

"Of course not. I'm only worried that you won't have enough energy later."

She blushed, picked up the bun, and took a bite, glaring at him over the rim of her bowl.

"If I become fat, you'll be responsible."

Lu Xuan nodded solemnly.

"Then I'll take responsibility."

Her cheeks grew warmer, and she quickly lowered her head to eat.

After dinner, Shen Yuyan cleaned the bowls while Lu Xuan fed the donkey and checked the courtyard.

By the time he returned inside, she had already changed into her sleeping clothes and was sitting on the edge of the bed, combing her hair.

Lu Xuan closed the door.

He suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Shen Yuyan let out a startled cry.

"Husband!"

She struggled, but Lu Xuan held her firmly against his chest.

Her voice was full of panic, but there was no real anger in it. She tried to push him away, only for him to tighten his arms slightly.

"Shh..."

Shen Yuyan could only let out a soft whimper beneath the blanket.

She soon fell asleep, her breathing becoming slow and even.

Lu Xuan closed his eyes as well.

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[Ding! Sleep Cultivation complete.]

[Five Animals Transformation Art: Great Perfection.]

[Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade: 25%.]

[Thunderclap Hand: 5%.]

[Current Realm: Martial Artist Realm: Level Five.]