If the earlier attacks from these two Martial Artists on Ye Xiao were merely tentative, then what followed was an all-out assault on him.

After all, as the guardians of the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall, they didn't care who they faced, much less who the current clan leader of the Liu family was, because regardless of who the leader was, they had to ensure peace and safety at the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall.

Ye Xiao was just about to enter, but crossbow arrows and sword blades swiftly came his way, forcing him to retreat.

"Looks like it's unavoidable to engage in a fight today," Ye Xiao remarked, a cold smile on his face.

The two exchanged glances and immediately rushed toward Ye Xiao. What was even more surprising was that the man who had been holding a crossbow had now switched to two gleaming daggers and darted towards Ye Xiao like a black wind.

Instantly, Ye Xiao engaged in battle with the two.

Ye Xiao had no weapon in hand, but his Fire Dragon Claw was extraordinarily tough, even sturdier than most weapons, making it a weapon unto itself for Ye Xiao.

In the blink of an eye, they exchanged four or five rounds.

Ye Xiao was full of surprise. According to Liu Wenzhuo, these two should only have Mid-stage Xuan Rank cultivation, yet their combined attack was so tricky and fierce, subtly possessing Peak of Xuan Rank strength.

Bam!

The collision of two True Qi forces instantly caused a considerable ripple of True Qi, accompanied by a loud noise.

Damn it!

Ye Xiao frowned tightly. This was definitely not what he wanted; he knew the ripple of True Qi could easily alert other Martial Artists. He wasn't sure if the Liu family had other experts, but he knew from Liu Wenzhuo about Liu Shixun's prowess.

Hence, Ye Xiao knew he had to end the battle swiftly, or it would become difficult today.

With a low dragon's roar, Ye Xiao transformed into a golden afterimage.

The guardians of the ancestral hall were astonished to see Ye Xiao suddenly vanish, leaving only a faint golden afterimage. But at that moment, they heard a crackling sound from behind.

Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Fist!

Ye Xiao roared, unleashing the Nine Yang Heavenly Thunder Fist, infused with crackling Thunder Element, onto the guardian wielding the sword. The sword-wielding guardian immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, crashing into the wall, making it shake and teasing the brink of collapse.

The dagger-wielding man was stunned to see this.

It seemed he never expected this young man's power to be so formidable, ending his companion's life with just one punch. In an instant, Ye Xiao was right in front of him, his face icy cold without a hint of warmth.

The remaining guardian gasped and retreated quickly, aware that he was no match for the young man before him, though he desired to avenge his companion.

When these two guardians coordinated to attack Ye Xiao, their assault was formidable, and their speed prevented Ye Xiao from defending himself. However, after Ye Xiao killed one with a single punch, the remaining guardian dared not fight and swiftly fled, albeit slower than before.

Ye Xiao was taken aback by this.

Considering Ye Xiao's usual demeanor, this person would surely perish, but pursuing them was less important than the Azure Dragon Tripod. Therefore, Ye Xiao didn't chase the fleeing guardian but instead leapt into the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall.

The hall was quite spacious, with many tablets enshrined prominently, likely belonging to Liu ancestors. However, these were of no interest to Ye Xiao, who immediately spotted at the center of the altar an incense burner covered in ash but left unswept. It was larger and differently shaped than typical incense burners, looking like an alchemy furnace to any alchemist.

Ye Xiao stepped forward, used his Inner Strength to blow away the ash, revealing a meticulous sheen.

What a treasure!

This was Ye Xiao's immediate thought.

Ye Xiao grabbed the suspected Azure Dragon Tripod in one hand and turned to leave. However, his keen Divine Sense detected someone watching him; glancing sideways, he saw a woman hiding in the corner, appearing around forty, with tears streaming down her face, trying to conceal her presence.

Ye Xiao hesitated for a moment, then approached, asking, "Are you from the Liu family?"

The woman was trembling in fear when Ye Xiao addressed her.

For some reason, Ye Xiao found this woman pitiable, as her eyes held nothing but sorrow.

"Don't be afraid; I won't hurt you. Just answer my question truthfully," Ye Xiao said, holding the Azure Dragon Tripod and looking at the woman.

Even Ye Xiao was unsure why this woman piqued his curiosity. It wasn't infatuation; despite her well-preserved appearance, her age wasn't alluring to him.

The woman gazed at Ye Xiao for a full five seconds, apparently sensing no malice and thinking he might just be an unusual thief.

"I am the clan leader's wife of the Liu family," the woman finally replied.

Clan chief's wife?

Ye Xiao was slightly taken aback after hearing this. The person in front of him was the clan chief's wife, wasn't she Liu Wenzhuo's original spouse?

Ye Xiao didn't know how Liu Wenzhuo and Fang Chunzhi ended up together, but he knew one thing: Liu Wenzhuo and Fang Chunzhi were not originally married; in other words, Fang Chunzhi was merely Liu Wenzhuo's mistress.

"Are you Liu Wenzhuo's wife?" Ye Xiao asked.

"Yes!" The woman was still hiding in the corner at that moment.

At this time, this woman, claiming to be Liu Wenzhuo's wife, didn't look like the wife of a grand clan leader at all; in fact, her clothes were even shabbier than those of an average maid.

The sound of sobbing!

Ye Xiao suddenly recalled the sobbing he had heard earlier when approaching this place. It was clearly a woman crying. In hindsight, the sound of sobbing must have come from the person in front of him.

"Do you know Liu Wenzhuo?" The woman suddenly looked up at Ye Xiao and asked.

"Yes, he sent me here."

"So, everything you said earlier was true?" The woman voiced her confusion; she had heard the conversation between Ye Xiao and the Guardian of the ancestral hall just now.

Ye Xiao said, "The Liu family now is no longer what it used to be, and today I came here to help Liu Wenzhuo reclaim everything that belongs to him."

After all, the person in front of him was Liu Wenzhuo's original spouse, so Ye Xiao naturally felt the need to speak magnanimously. From the woman's eyes, Ye Xiao could tell that she was a pitiable woman.

Just at that moment, Ye Xiao's ears twitched slightly, and he immediately said, "I need to leave."

"Did you sense someone from the Liu family approaching?" The woman said, "If that's the case, it'll be hard for you to get away."

"What?" Ye Xiao found the woman's words strange and didn't understand what she meant.

Just then, the woman said, "I can help you leave. Moreover, I hope you can deliver a message to Liu Wenzhuo for me."

"What message?" Ye Xiao asked.

"Those who commit too many injustices will meet their own demise!" the woman said.

Ye Xiao felt even more puzzled. What did that mean?

At that moment, the woman quickly moved towards the back hall, and Ye Xiao followed along. It wasn't long before they reached a wall. The woman twisted a sconce on the wall, and the seemingly solid wall suddenly opened up, forming a door, leading out to the exterior of the ancestral hall.

"Go, and don't forget my words," the woman said with some sadness.

Ye Xiao glanced at the woman and leaped through the ancestral hall's doorway. As he jumped through the mechanism door, it slowly closed, evidently shut by the woman again.

Ye Xiao was rather puzzled at this. Why would this woman help him? Was it just because he said he was helping Liu Wenzhuo?

Ye Xiao couldn't think about it too much. He wasn't sure if he was a match for Liu Shixun, so he hurriedly escaped, but after running for half a minute, a mournful wail suddenly came from behind. It was the final cry of the woman, signifying someone about to die.

Ye Xiao was shocked!

How did she die? Suicide?

No, it was Liu Shixun!

Ye Xiao felt a pang of emotion, then quickly dismissed his thoughts and sped away from the Liu family.

At the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall!

"Father, this woman should have been dead a long time ago," Liu Wenjian said to Liu Shixun, looking at the woman Liu Shixun had killed on the ground.

Liu Shixun glanced at Liu Wenjian, then his eyes fell on the stolen incense burner. After pondering for about ten seconds, Liu Shixun's expression suddenly turned cold, exclaiming, "Something's wrong!"

Liu Wenjian found Liu Shixun's words strange and immediately asked, "Father, what's the matter? It's just an incense burner that was stolen, it's no big deal, right?"

"The Liu family has two heirlooms: one is a prescription, and the other an alchemy furnace," Liu Shixun said with a frosty expression.

Liu Wenjian said, "I've heard you mention them, but the prescription is with Liu Wenzhuo, and hasn't the alchemy furnace been lost long ago?"

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