"Lin Chuan, you should go to the General's residence." Tang Yumeng said with a smile, "I should spend some proper time with my parents."

"Alright!" Lin Chuan nodded.

......

The Xie family's setback left Xie Tianyi very annoyed; he felt incredibly frustrated. The prize that was almost within reach had slipped away from him. Could he not be vexed? All the way, Xie Tianyi seemed very sullen.

"Brother, don't be angry." said one of the Xie family brothers, smiling beside him, "Given your qualifications, is there any girl in Beijing city out of reach?"

However, these words sounded rather biting to Xie Tianyi, as if they were a huge sarcasm.

"Yeah!" Others in the Xie family tried to console him, "Tianyi, don't be upset. It's truly disappointing to encounter such things, but I believe you'll definitely be able to rise from this predicament."

Xie Tianyi became even more furious.

"Enough!" Xie Tianyi glared at them angrily, "Keep your mouths shut."

The group fell silent, sitting properly in the Ford caravan. Xie Tianyi fixed his gaze on the Xie family head, "Grandpa, aren't the Tang family too outrageous? We clearly had an engagement with them, yet they broke off the engagement so casually. Do they think so little of our Xie family?"

"Alas!" The Xie family head sighed, "Indeed, but the Tang family has the strength to belittle us. So, don't have any complaints. Let the engagement be broken. It's not something disgraceful. Besides, besides our two families, no one else knows about it, so don't take it to heart. Work hard, strive to strengthen the Xie family, and make it a prestigious family in Beijing, so that no one will look down on us again."

"Yes!" Xie Tianyi nodded.

The Xie family head's words were quite fair and encouraging, but Xie Tianyi didn't see it that way. He was deeply unwilling to accept it. He had been excellent ever since childhood. Compared to those playboys in Beijing, he was already quite exceptional. He worked hard to prove himself and gain prominence. But now, a marriage almost destroyed years of his efforts, all his honor—he couldn't bear it.

Revenge!

This was Xie Tianyi's greatest wish. However, the Tang family was powerful, with towering influence. It had Old Tang, the top leader in China, and several deputy ministers backing them. The Tang family was definitely among the top three families in Beijing. They had countless supporters.

Wanting to retaliate against the Tang family? Easier said than done.

Can't deal with the Tang family? Then target Lin Chuan. Lin Chuan is just the adopted grandson of Mr. Chen, clearly easier to deal with compared to Tang Yumeng.

Revenge plans are not realizable at once. To retaliate, one must carefully devise a plan. Relying solely on one person's strength is obviously impractical. It requires the combined effort of several people to accomplish such a significant matter. So, upon returning to the Xie family, Xie Tianyi immediately contacted a few close friends to discuss the matter.

......

General's residence.

Lin Chuan returned from the Tang family to the General's residence, with the guard Xiao Liu leading Lin Chuan inside. The General's residence was quaint and antique. The old General was taking a nap, so Lin Chuan didn't disturb him; instead, he returned to the guest room to rest.

Not until three in the afternoon did the old General wake up.

"Lin Chuan, the artifact matter last time was perfectly handled." The old General spoke with contentment, "I've returned those invaluable artifacts to the state treasury. But I heard there's still a peculiar jade in your possession, right?"

"Yes!" Lin Chuan immediately took out the jade and handed it respectfully to the old General.

All along, Lin Chuan kept the jade in the pocket of his most close-fitting clothes. This piece of jade warmed his body through a thin layer of clothing. Initially, Lin Chuan was not accustomed to it, but over time he made a significant discovery—this jade provided immense benefits to his body. What amazed Lin Chuan most was that this jade could mysteriously heal the meridians within his body, albeit slowly.

The old General eagerly took the jade and examined it closely, gently caressing it.

"It is indeed, indeed..." Expressing his joy, the old General quickly turned and headed towards the study, instructing, "Lin Chuan, follow me quickly."

Lin Chuan hurriedly followed.

Entering the study, the old General took out a tattered ancient manuscript from the bookshelf. The manuscript had no cover, was severely damaged, and was filled with cursive script. Ordinary people could not recognize most of the text, but for the old General, these characters posed no difficulty. He flipped through quickly and soon reached a particular page.

The book featured an illustration on one page, depicting two jade pieces forming an Eight Diagram.

"Have you discovered anything?" the old General asked.

"No!" Lin Chuan shook his head.

"Take a closer look!" As he spoke, the old General covered half of it with his hand. Surprisingly, what was left looked identical to the jade piece in his hand. In other words, this was originally not one jade piece, but two. One had disappeared under the wheel of history.

"Ah!" Lin Chuan exclaimed in surprise, "That's right!"

"Correct!" The old General nodded seriously, his face showing some excitement. He said, "This is the secret weapon used by Zhuge Liang in the Three Kingdoms to deploy troops. These two jade pieces are the key. Why Zhuge Liang could devise so many arrays and strange formations was entirely dependent on the energy of these two jade pieces. Understand?"

"Huh?" Lin Chuan exclaimed upon hearing this, "Could it be... this is something belonging to cultivators?"

"Yes!" The old General nodded, saying, "Moreover, these two jade pieces are not simple. They are said to be high-level immortal artifacts. They have strong abilities, and they also contain many mysterious elements inside. Alas..."

"General, what are you sighing about?" Lin Chuan asked in confusion.

"I regret that I've grown old." The old General sighed deeply and said, "I've pursued this for decades, and finally got a lead a few months ago. But now, what's the use of me having it? I'm already old."

"General, you're not old at all." Lin Chuan quickly reassured him, "Look at General Lian Po, he was still on the battlefield at your age, fighting through challenges."

"Forget it." The old General shook his head and said, "Lin Chuan, I'm entrusting this jade to you. Remember, the higher your status, the heavier your responsibility. Work hard, the revival of the Xuanyuan Sect depends entirely on you. Keep this Yin Yang Eight Diagrams Jade. If you get the chance, find the other piece. Meanwhile, your priority should be to quickly grasp the capabilities of this jade. I've heard that the higher your cultivation, the more you'll gain from this jade. So you need to accelerate your cultivation pace."

"But..." Lin Chuan gritted his teeth.

"I know your situation." The old General smiled and said, "But don't be disheartened. Among cultivators, many rely on physical training. It's not necessarily required to refine meridians. I believe all paths lead to Rome, right?"

"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded, saying, "I will certainly live up to the old General's expectations of me."

"Alright." The old General nodded and seriously handed over this Yin Yang Eight Diagrams Jade to Lin Chuan.

Lin Chuan put it back into the inner pocket of his shirt. The sudden coolness spread throughout his body, making him involuntarily shiver. Lin Chuan laughed, "Thank you, General!"

"Boy, why are you being polite with me?" The old General chuckled, "Are you satisfied with that girl from the Tang family?"

"Naturally!" Lin Chuan chuckled.

"I see you're quite enchanted by her," the old General laughed, "But are you really planning to let the Tang family raise your child?"

"Yes!" Lin Chuan nodded, "I trust the Tang family will train him to be a talent useful to society and the country."

"Stop with the official talk," the old General cast a disapproving glance at Lin Chuan, "How could you bear to part with your own child?"

"Although it's hard to part, if it's good for the child, why not?" Lin Chuan smiled and asked.

"Even though you say so, however..." the old General shook his head helplessly, "Having my input won't matter, half a foot of mine is already in the grave. Well, just leave it to the Tang family then. Hopefully, they'll raise someone useful. Just pray they don't turn out to be a spoiled child, or that would ruin everything."

"General, rest assured," Lin Chuan promptly said, "I certainly won't agree to my child becoming a spoiled child."

"Hahaha..." The old General laughed heartily, "Come on, accompany me for a walk in the garden."

The General's residence, the garden was beautiful, with several fruit trees, now starting to bud. Spring warmth and blooming flowers in the garden competed to open their petals, attracting bees and butterflies. A clear creek flowed around the garden. Not far away stood a pavilion, inside was a stone table and several stone stools. On the table was a chessboard. Brewing a pot of tea, playing a few rounds of chess, what joy can life offer?

"A few rounds?" The old General smiled.

"Alright, I'll accompany you." Lin Chuan sat down.

The orderly Xiao Liu hurriedly draped a coat over the old General and brewed a pot of strong tea for him. The old General did not like kung fu tea, always feeling that it wasted too much time. Years in the battlefield cultivated a habit of brewing tea in a large pot, a habit he kept until today without change.

Playing chess was originally a way to cultivate moral character. However, given the old General's temperament, he often argued with people over chess matches. Therefore, several big shots in Beijing were reluctant to play chess with him. So, he had to find people from the military district to accompany him. However, most in the military district were his subordinates. Who would dare to beat him? They all only secretly lost to him. Even if winning, the old General often played unfairly, but generally, in these cases, the subordinates wouldn't say anything, but rather enjoy the old General's antics.

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