Chapter 76: Have My Parents Disappeared?

On the surface, the Wu clan had only three hundred martial troops, but now two hundred of them surged menacingly toward the direction of Changfeng Mountain. What major event could have prompted such a display?

Thunder rumbled. The ground shook even more violently. Before the Wu troops reached Changfeng Mountain, another cavalry force charged in from the opposite side. Judging by their banners, it was the Liu clan’s martial forces.

The Liu troops' target was actually the Wu troops.

Clad in iron armor, wielding spears or sabers with longbows strapped to their backs, they looked like a herd of steel beasts, charging straight at the Wu clan’s martial troops.

“Change direction—prepare for battle!”

A thunderous roar rang out from the Wu troops. Lu Yan was startled; whoever spoke was undoubtedly a Martial Marquis.

Well-trained, the Wu troops expertly maneuvered their horses, turning as one with flawless discipline.

“Loose!”

The Wu Marquis gave another order.

The Wu troops drew their bows, nocked arrows, blood and energy surging like a tide. Their aura was mountainous, the killing intent filling the air. Even from a distance, Lu Yan felt immense pressure.

Arrows whistled, a dark rain pelting the Liu troops.

The Liu clan responded with their own volley.

A cacophony of clanging sounded as arrows struck armor. Both sides were armored to the teeth, their warhorses clad in heavy plate, so few were killed outright—only some wounded.

“Loose again!”

Another storm of arrows flew as the two forces drew closer. With bows stowed, both sides drew spears or sabers and charged into the fray.

The two streams of steel collided, exploding in deafening thunder. Shouts and screams echoed across the battlefield.

Lu Yan’s expression was grim.

The two great clans had truly gone to war. In the past, while they had frequent skirmishes, there were only small-scale clashes—never had their martial troops engaged in such direct slaughter.

Without absolute certainty of destroying the other, neither clan dared to provoke full-scale war lightly.

Something extraordinary must have happened within the forbidden land.

The battle was ferocious, and soon dozens lay dead, never to rise again.

Suddenly, Lu Yan’s gaze sharpened as he looked deeper into Changfeng Mountain.

A group of people rushed out at speed.

Leading them were Liu Yuansong and Liu Yuanfu, both Martial Marquises.

Behind them followed a contingent of the Liu clan’s core members and martial troops.

Further back, a group gave chase—Wu clan experts.

“Hand it over! Your Liu clan can’t hope to keep it for yourselves!”

Wu clan warriors roared in fury from behind.

But Liu Yuansong and his companions ignored them, charging straight toward the bloodline territory of the Liu clan.

“Intercept them!”

The Wu Marquis shouted, trying to lead his troops to cut off Liu Yuansong’s group, but the Liu martial troops engaged them fiercely, preventing any diversion.

Soon, Liu Yuansong and his party broke through the battlefield.

The Liu martial troops began to pull back, covering Liu Yuansong and the others as they headed for the Liu clan’s bloodline grounds.

Fighting and moving, both sides vanished from Lu Yan’s sight within moments.

“This is bad. I can’t stay in the Crimson Guards anymore, nor linger in Changfeng City. I must send my parents away, out of Changfeng City,” Lu Yan decided.

If the two clans truly went to war, the Crimson Guards would inevitably be caught in the crossfire, possibly used as cannon fodder.

His first choice was Qingyang City.

But he couldn’t rest easy if he sent Lu Qingshan and Wang Cui there alone. If Zhou Zhengkong found out, he might seize his parents to threaten him, forcing him to hand over the ‘evidence.’

But if he went himself, there was no need for worry. He could also rely on Zhou Zhengkong’s connections to slowly build his influence in Qingyang City.

Lu Yan hurried home.

But when he arrived, his parents were nowhere to be found.

“Could they have gone to sell bamboo wares again?”

He rushed to the marketplace, but found no sign of them. After asking other vendors, he learned that neither Lu Qingshan nor Wang Cui had come to sell bamboo wares that day.

What was going on?

A vague sense of unease crept into Lu Yan’s heart.

Normally, his parents led very regular lives, moving only between home and the market, rarely venturing elsewhere.

He searched several other places where they might have appeared, but found no trace.

He then returned home to wait for several hours, but they did not come back.

Lu Yan’s expression darkened. He shouldered his Crimson Blade and made his way to the Crimson Guard compound.

There, he encountered Wang Lin.

Wang Lin, looking anxious, asked immediately, “Lu Yan, have you seen your sister-in-law and little Yuanbao?”

Little Yuanbao was Wang Lin’s son.

“What? They’re missing too?”

Lu Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yes, I’ve searched everywhere and found nothing. Not just them, even my mother is gone.”

Wang Lin spoke in agitation, then suddenly realized, “You said ‘too’? What do you mean?”

“My father and mother are missing as well,” Lu Yan replied, his expression bleak, suspicions stirring in his mind.

Soon, more Crimson Guards arrived, and upon inquiry, it became clear that their families were missing as well.

The families of all the Crimson Guards had vanished in unison.

Anyone with half a brain could sense disaster looming.

In Changfeng City, only one power could accomplish such a feat—the Liu clan.

“Everyone gather at the Crimson Guard compound. There will be an announcement soon.”

A voice echoed from within the compound.

They entered and saw six members of the Liu clan standing side by side atop the martial platform.

Dozens of Crimson Guards gathered below, faces tense and anxious.

As the numbers swelled, within an hour, nearly all Crimson Guards had arrived.

“You needn’t worry. Your families are safe—they’ve simply been invited to the mountain as guests.”

An elderly Liu clan member, his hair white, smiled amiably.

The mountain referred to the Liu clan's bloodline territory, their headquarters.

A ripple of unrest spread through the crowd.

Invited as guests to the Liu clan’s bloodline grounds?

No one believed it.

The bloodline grounds were the Liu clan’s core. Ordinarily, even the Crimson Guards weren’t permitted there, and now, suddenly, their families had all been invited as guests?

Did the Liu clan take them for fools?

“Thank you for your kindness, but my parents are used to staying at home. They might not adapt well to a new place. Please, sir, return them, or let me fetch them myself.”

A Crimson Guard squad leader stepped forward and saluted.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be well looked after—good food, good drink, they won’t suffer,” the Liu elder replied.

“But...”

The squad leader began to protest.

The Liu elder’s face hardened. “What, you’re not satisfied with good food and drink? Then we’ll change our methods.”

The threat was clear.

The squad leader’s face changed dramatically. He bowed hurriedly. “I wouldn’t dare, sir. I thank you on behalf of my parents.”

“Rest assured—so long as you fulfill your duties and harbor no ulterior motives, your families will be safe,” the Liu elder said.

“Sir, what do you want us to do? Please state your orders.”

A company captain spoke up.

No one present was foolish; everyone realized something major had happened. The Liu clan feared they might flee, so they had seized their families first, forcing them to obey.

Lu Yan understood even more.

The Liu clan and the Martial Marquises were truly preparing for war. The hundred-strong Crimson Guards, all limit-breakers, were a significant force now to be fully exploited.

“It’s simple. For the foreseeable future, you will be stationed around the Liu clan’s bloodline grounds. Guard against outsiders approaching. Any non-Liu who trespasses will be killed without mercy.”

The Liu elder’s tone was cold, full of murderous intent.

Immediately, the six Liu clan members led the way, and over a hundred Crimson Guards followed, deploying around the bloodline territory.

It was Lu Yan’s first glimpse of the Liu clan’s bloodline grounds.

The area wasn’t vast or impressive, but a faint aura of blood permeated the air, lending the entire mountain range an eerie and mysterious atmosphere.

Clearly, the Liu clan’s experts and martial troops had returned, their presence visible at every checkpoint, sealing the area tightly.

The Wu clan had already withdrawn.

Lu Yan’s Seventh Company of Crimson Guards guarded a side mountain pass.

He noticed that most of the Crimson Guards were present. For those without families, the Liu clan must have found other means to control them.

“No time left. From now on, I’ll stop building up energy and focus all my efforts on strengthening the Barbaric Elephant Form. I must reach the unity of man and martial arts first,” Lu Yan resolved in his heart.