"If you travel by car, it will take about a week or so. The townspeople venture into the Ten Thousand Mountains at great risk to gather medicinal herbs to sell to passing traders, supplementing their livelihoods. I'm here this time to purchase some herbs."

"Aren't you involved in some illegal activities?" Xiao Yifei could tell old Dog was lying at a glance.

Old Dog chuckled: "How could that be possible? The country is already in trouble, and I wouldn't engage in such things. That would be too much."

"It better not be. If I catch you, there will be no escaping." Xiao Yifei warned.

"Alright, alright." Old Dog agreed repeatedly, then asked: "Brother Xiao, when are you planning to return this time?" Old Dog stepped forward and asked closely.

"I haven't decided yet. I plan to stay here for another couple of days. How about you?" Considering the shifting fortunes in Beijing, coupled with the loss of his cultivation, Xiao Yifei thought to observe the situation here first before making plans.

"Leaving early tomorrow. If Brother Xiao is available, you can join us."

"No, I have some matters to attend to. Do not mention my presence here to anyone, not even your relatives." Xiao Yifei tapped old Dog's head.

"Of course, I understand."

Xiao Yifei rested in this remote town for two days, showing no signs of recovery in his cultivation. The yellow-brown liquid continues to block his meridians.

This made it impossible for Xiao Yifei to cultivate and gather Qi.

Finally, on the third afternoon, he bade farewell to old Dog and took a car heading to Beijing.

After a whole week of tiring travel, Xiao Yifei finally arrived at the capital.

He didn't even pause for rest and headed straight to the Hua Mansion.

The once bustling Hua Mansion now seemed forlorn, its doors barely visited.

The guard at the entrance also appeared listless. Shockingly, a white flower hung over the large mansion gate.

It turns out, after facing suppression from various families, Old Master Hua's funeral had to be postponed.

Now, throughout the capital, the Hua Family is branded as "traitors" and "weak and inept," truly a case of everyone striking when the wall falls. Even gossipmongers began widely writing about the Hua Family for thrills.

The once prestigious family being pushed to such a state was indeed tragic.

"Hmph, it's probably the Li Family from National Security, along with those smaller families, secretly plotting against them." Xiao Yifei thought upon seeing the Hua Family's plight, "Their aim is clearly to prevent the Hua Family from rising again!"

Xiao Yifei stepped forward toward the Hua Mansion.

"Stop! What's your business here?" The guard at the entrance quickly halted him seeing a scruffy-looking person heading straight for the mansion.

Xiao Yifei saw someone coming to stop him and realized how he looked:

After a week of tiring travels and having lost all cultivation, naturally, his mood was melancholic, radiating an aura of desolation, no wonder someone would come to question him.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yifei clasped his hands and said, "Brother, please let them know that Xiao Yifei is here to bid farewell to Old Master Hua."

"What? You're Xiao Yifei? Didn't they already say you were dead?" The guard's tone was quite shocked, as if seeing a ghost!

"Yes, I simply had urgent business and couldn't bid farewell to the Hua Family; left without warning for two months." Xiao Yifei repeated the excuse he'd told old Dog.

After hearing Xiao Yifei's explanation, the guard began to somewhat trust him: "Alright then, wait here for a moment, I'll go inform them."

"Xiao Yifei, it's really you!"

Xiao Yifei, pacing back and forth in front of the Hua Mansion, looked up and saw Hua Xiangrong coming out.

"It's really you, Xiao Yifei! I thought you went missing! Without notifying anyone at the mansion." Although her words were reproachful, Hua Xiangrong's face showed a hint of joy upon speaking.

"Ah, I had some urgent affairs at home, left in a hurry without properly explaining to you all."

Initially, Xiao Yifei wanted to share the good news of his cultivation success with his benefactor, but upon realizing he had lost all his cultivation, he couldn't help but feel sad and could only give such an explanation to Hua Xiangrong.

"Sigh, you could've at least left a note, you stirred up so many here in Beijing, causing a lot of concern." After speaking, Hua Xiangrong began to sob.

This period of family difficulties had brought so much sorrow to this woman. At the moment, upon seeing Xiao Yifei, her worries naturally wanted to be released; witnessing Hua Xiangrong's tearful face, Xiao Yifei couldn't help feeling heartache.

He comforted, "There, there, don't cry, I'm back safely, right? While at a small border town near the Ten Thousand Mountains, I met old Dog; he told me about Old Master Hua's unfortunate passing, and I thought no matter what, I should return to bid farewell to my benefactor."

Hua Xiangrong wiped her tears,

"Yes, grandfather couldn't bear the successive blows we faced, coupled with the losses at the front line, and Central rescinded all of Hua Family's national security positions; he tragically passed away overnight."

"Brother Xiao Yifei, let's talk inside, standing at the door won't do."

Xiao Yifei followed Hua Xiangrong into the Hua Mansion, although it remained magnificent, something felt missing to Xiao Yifei.

Xiao Yifei first went to the main hall, bowing before Old Master Hua's spirit tablet, then followed Hua Xiangrong into the backyard,

"Xiangrong, where is Hua Cixianxi?"

"Xixi, she... sob..." As she started speaking, Hua Xiangrong began to sob again.

"What happened? What's going on?"

"She has been missing for a while now, ever since you disappeared, I've never seen her again; even Liu Rui couldn't find her whereabouts."

"Sigh, Hua Family is indeed suffering national and family calamities one after another," Xiao Yifei lamented, patting Hua Xiangrong's hair to comfort her, but realizing no words would suffice.

"Brother Xiao Yifei, please go rest, it must have been a wearisome journey back."

"Yes, alright, Xiangrong, don't be too sad, life goes on, we must look ahead." Having endured the deaths of two dear friends, Xiao Yifei seemed to have a deeper understanding of life.

Night fell.

Lying on the bed, Xiao Yifei pondered Hua Family's recent experiences, the more he thought, the stranger it seemed:

"Such a grand Hua Family, how did it collapse so quickly? And where has Hua Cixianxi gone? No, tomorrow I must go to the Mu Residence and inquire."

With these thoughts, along with the day's exhaustion, Xiao Yifei slowly drifted into sleep.

Early the next morning, Xiao Yifei awoke quickly. Though he'd lost his cultivation, his body, once nurtured by Qilin blood, recovered quite readily. After a simple meal, Xiao Yifei headed to the Mu Residence.

"Huh? Why is there no one at the Mu Residence entrance?"

Eager to find Muyun, Xiao Yifei didn't wait and stepped into the Mu Residence. Passing through the front hall, a voice suddenly called him to stop.

"Hey hey hey! What's your business? How are you trespassing like this?"

Looking back, he saw a young man dressed as a servant, aggressively shouting.

"Ah, I'm Xiao Yifei, here to visit Brother Muyun, seeing nobody at the front door, I presumed to enter, please forgive me," being stopped by guards twice in a row, Xiao Yifei felt quite embarrassed.

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