Chapter 3386 — The Youngster Left Home; Now the Gray-Headed One Returns

"A mid-stage Heaven Rank fighter—did we really need to make all this fuss and put together so much material for him?" Xiao Rui shook her head the moment she saw Wei Zhao's strength.

"Councilor Song, don't underestimate him. This Wei Zhao is a man who can summon wind and rain in the Central Plains cultivation world. Word has it he can kill a late Heaven Rank peak, great consummation expert in a single strike—yet when he was overseas, he didn't manage that. Maybe the climate didn't suit him, maybe something else. But his name in the Central Plains cultivation world rings like thunder in the ears! To be frank with you, Councilor Song, my own elder brother is the acting sect master of the Five Luminaries Sect and the man who launched this Heaven Rank Trial Assembly. He too wants Wei Zhao dead. The men he sent were two external-school late Heaven Rank peak, great consummation experts! One is the sect master of the Mysterious Elixir Sect, called the Silkworm Transformation—he only recently broke through to late Heaven Rank peak great consummation. The other is his disciple, Xiao Er, a top-tier great consummation expert long since famous. Even the two of them together aren't absolutely certain they can kill Wei Zhao—that's why I asked you to help!"

"This Wei Zhao is that formidable?!" Hearing He Dantou's words, Xiao Rui was somewhat dumbstruck.

"Indeed. This material records several incidents concerning Wei Zhao in detail. You must read it carefully!" He Dantou nodded gravely. The file had been compiled by the Patriarch Xuanchen—no exaggeration, no belittling of Wei Zhao, but a factual record of certain events since Wei Zhao first appeared on the scene.

Of course, some of it was conjecture, with no eyewitnesses to back it up, and so those parts were marked with question marks to show the truth had not been verified.

Even so, it was enough to astonish Xiao Rui. This Wei Zhao was truly a ruthless figure in the Central Plains cultivation world!

"President He, I'll be careful!" Xiao Rui clicked her tongue inwardly. At this moment, she finally regarded Wei Zhao as a genuine adversary. This man had offended so many powerful figures in the Central Plains cultivation world, and yet he wasn't dead—he was alive and well. That fact alone said something.

Moreover, the Five Luminaries Sect had schemed and schemed to destroy Wei Zhao and failed, losing several of their own in the bargain—which also proved this Wei Zhao was no easy target.

"Yes, so long as you're careful." Seeing that Councilor Song had finally taken the opponent seriously, He Dantou relaxed.

The car rolled slowly toward the airport. He Dantou escorted them to the security checkpoint and then departed, while Song Xianghua and Xiao Rui boarded the plane bound for Yanjing...

The Song family's foundations lay in Yanjing. In the past, the Song, Liu, and Chen families had not been particularly illustrious houses in Yanjing, for with the Yu family standing before them, dazzling beyond compare, all three were reduced to mere foils.

But ever since the Yu family fell and Wei Zhao founded the Cultivators' Alliance, the days of these great houses had grown much easier. With the infighting and suppression gone, they had all become allies, advancing together.

Such was the case with the Song family. Its head, Song Xiangwen, was faring far better than before. Nowadays the Song family had even taken over some of the Yu family's former businesses in Yanjing! Even the hidden families no longer dared to make trouble before Song Xiangwen.

There was no other reason: Qiu Lingshan had an ambiguous boyfriend named Wei Zhao, and with Wei Zhao around, who would be addle-brained enough to provoke the Song family for no reason? That would be courting death.

A taxi stopped at the mouth of an alley. Everything inside the alley belonged to the Song family—private territory. Naturally, the taxi could not drive in; the alley was blocked off.

Song Xianghua led Xiao Rui out of the car and into the alley. His attire was quite outlandish—like the upper-class dress of the thirties or forties: a bowler hat, a long gown, gold-rimmed spectacles. The getup made many passersby stop and stare.

Of course, these days there were plenty of extras running about—especially in a place like Yanjing. Who knew whether Song Xianghua was an actor?

"You two, this is private property. You can't go in. If you're here sightseeing, please turn around!" Song Xianghua and Xiao Rui had barely entered the alley when a Song family disciple blocked their path.

"You're from the Song family?" Song Xianghua halted, gazing with emotion at every tree and blade of grass here—just as it had been forty years ago when he left. Only, this young disciple before him was a stranger to him now.

"Yes. You know the Song family?" The disciple was slightly taken aback.

"Yes. My name is Song Xianghua," he said with a smile, not at all vexed by the disciple's obstruction. "I am your family head's brother—Song Xiangwen's younger brother."

"Ah?!" The disciple froze at his words. "You... you're telling the truth?"

"If Second Grandpa's words aren't true, then I suppose mine aren't either?" Xiao Rui stepped forward, pulled off her sunglasses, and shot the disciple a glare.

"You... you're... the second young miss?!" The disciple had seen Xiao Rui before, though it was five years ago, when she was only fourteen. This year she was nineteen—five years without coming home—but her features were faintly as they had been, and her voice had scarcely changed, so he recognized her at once. "Second Old Master, Second Young Miss, please come in, come in! This disciple's eyes failed him—my apologies, my apologies!"

"Haha, it's fine, no fault of yours. It would be strange if you did recognize me!" Song Xianghua waved a hand dismissively. "Is my elder brother in?"

"Second Old Master, I'll take you to see the old family head!" the disciple said hurriedly.

"Good, lead the way." Song Xianghua nodded with a smile.

The disciple walked respectfully ahead, guiding them to a courtyard house at the very back of the alley. The gate was guarded too—by a slightly stooped old man, a late Yellow Rank peak expert.

"Song Xiaowu, what do you mean by bringing outsiders here without permission? Don't you know the rules here?" The old man's face darkened as he barked.

"Old Steward, these two are..." the disciple called Song Xiaowu began hastily, trying to explain.

"Xiangda? Is that you, Xiangda?" Song Xianghua's eyes flashed with excitement as he looked at the aged man before him.

"You... you are?" The old steward, Xiangda, turned to Song Xianghua, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

"I'm Xianghua!" Song Xianghua said excitedly. It was no wonder Song Xiangda hadn't recognized him—Song Xiangda would never have imagined he could return!

After all, so many years without a word, Song Xiangda had even thought he would never see Song Xianghua again in this life!

It was just as the poem said: the youngster left home, and the gray-haired one returns; the native accent unchanged, the temple hair grown thin.