“The Hu family, the Hu family, they've really gone too far in what they're doing...”

At that moment, in Yanzhou, within the Meng family's ancestral home, people, servants, were kneeling all over the ground. Dozens of family generals and personal maids were hanging on wooden racks, exposed to the sun for days, long dead, with flies buzzing around.

These were all people who had served the Meng family's First Madam in the mansion. Meng Silang, the Meng family's eldest son, hated them for failing to protect the First Madam. He had them all hanged several days ago.

Now, that Meng family's eldest son was sitting on a Chinese scholar tree chair in front of the courtyard, his eyes red and swollen, with tears visible. He would occasionally raise his sleeve to wipe them away. Around him were a Meng family clan elder who hadn't been sent down to serve, as well as the four hall officials, the steward, the family generals, and others.

Everyone knew that the eldest son was grieving and worried about the First Madam's safety, and currently in a rage, so they didn't dare to breathe too loudly.

“The Hu and Meng families, it should have been a gentleman's contest, fighting from afar. There might have been victories and defeats, but without losing face...”

In the silence, Meng Silang, the Meng family's eldest son, spoke in a trembling voice, his eyes brimming with tears: “But why is the Hu family so ruthless in their actions?”

“Not only did they spread words outside, saying that the Hu family's young master had defeated Father in a contest of magic, but they also indulged demons to kidnap my mother...”

“Although my mother is the Meng family's madam in charge, she has always been kind and valued her reputation most. Now that she has been kidnapped by these demons and her whereabouts are unknown, how will outsiders view my Meng family?”

“……”

Hearing his words, the clan elder next to him also sighed softly and said, “Silang, a decision must be made.”

“I have always been outside, in charge of the operation of troops and supplies. As soon as something happened, I immediately rushed back, so I know the situation outside best.”

“Now, I'm afraid that our Meng family's businesses will be ruined!”

“Currently, we are also mobilizing troops from all sides to search for the First Madam's whereabouts and capture the rebellious demons. But how many troops and retainers have we raised in various parts of the world? Who would have thought that they would all say they can't find her anywhere...”

“I don't believe that there are so many powerful demons in this world who, after doing so many evil deeds, can disappear into their graves like ghosts.”

“In the end, they see that something has happened to the Meng family, and they all have ulterior motives, putting in effort but not really trying!”

“Not to mention those petty warlords, even the local City Gods and Land Spirits are probably procrastinating and disobeying orders, probably because Father couldn't create new *yinshen* (deities of the underworld) in time.”

“In my opinion, if the Meng family continues to be in such chaos, let alone plotting great things, I'm afraid we won't even be able to protect our current foundation. As the eldest son and grandson, you should make a decision.”

“Those rebellious demons, the City Gods and wandering spirits who disobey orders, the petty warlords who are late to come to Yanzhou to protect us, how should they be dealt with...”

“……”

Hearing him say this, a woman next to him, wearing a white robe that even covered her face with white cloth, immediately became worried. She was the Tongyin Meng's hall official in charge of affairs, and she said in a deep voice, “I think it's better to remain still than to act rashly now.”

“The Meng family is not like the Zhang family of nobles. If a dragon vein is destroyed, the entire clan cannot escape. The Meng family worships the ancestors, and as long as the ancestors are still here, the Meng family will not have any problems.”

“No matter how the demons cause trouble or provoke us, they have not damaged the Meng family's foundation. No matter what strange things outsiders say, ultimately, as long as the ancestors wake up, what belongs to the Meng family will still belong to the Meng family, and no one can take it away!”

“As for the Great Master and the First Madam, I think...”

“……”

As she was speaking, the Meng family's eldest son suddenly turned his head and looked at her, his gaze sinister, and the rest of her words suddenly stopped.

“Wait for the ancestors to wake up?”

The Meng family's eldest son raised his head and looked up, his eyes filled with grief: “I want the ancestors to wake up and take charge of the overall situation more than anyone else. Aren't Second Uncle and Third Uncle also in *yinfu* (the underworld)?”

“But who knows when they will wake up?”

“After all, the ancestors are in the deepest part of *yinfu*. The time it takes for them to take a nap is probably equivalent to many days in the mortal world...”

“I can wait, the Meng family can wait, you can wait, but my mother... can my mother wait?”

“……”

Hearing him grinding his teeth, everyone around him was worried and said, “Young Master, please think carefully...”

“Demons are causing trouble, and the City of the Wrongfully Dead is in chaos. Although we all suspect that it has something to do with the Hu family, and there are related rumors in the martial world, there is no evidence after all. Moreover, the Stone Pavilion Alliance is imminent. If we rashly take action against the Hu family, I'm afraid our Meng family will be criticized...”

“……”

The steward also trembled and said boldly, “Moreover, moreover, if the Great Master and the First Madam are really in the hands of the Hu family...”

“If we do anything, wouldn't they suffer even more?”

“……”

“Shut up!”

Hearing his words, the Meng family's eldest son, whose eyes were originally red and swollen, suddenly glared and said grimly, “I haven't even questioned you yet! How did you guard the house? How could the First Madam be kidnapped right in the mansion?”

The steward wanted to say that it was you who were deceived again and insisted on taking people out to find those demons, which allowed the demons to take advantage of the situation, but he didn't dare. He just shrank his neck and lowered his head, muttering incessantly, “It's all this old servant's fault, it's all this old servant's fault!”

“Then go die!”

Meng Silang stood up, no longer looking at him, but his eyes flashed with venom and he said in a sinister voice, “No matter how much you say, are we Meng family going to cower in this Yanzhou city, doing nothing, after suffering such humiliation?”

“Do you know what I hate most about the martial world?”

“It's that everyone is saying that our Meng family can only kowtow and do nothing else!”

“……”

The Fenxiang hall official beside him was already a little worried and suddenly said, “This matter is of great importance. How about inviting Second Master to come up and discuss it?”

“What for?”

Meng Silang glanced at him coldly and said, “We can't cut off the connection to the ancestors. He needs to stay in *yinfu* to handle things.”

“Do you think I can only go down to serve the ancestors and can't handle things up here?”

“……”

Hearing his words, everyone dared not speak. After saying this, a hint of sinister venom and resentment appeared on his face, and he muttered to himself, “I have been waiting for this day for a long time.”

“When that Hu family's bastard handed my brother's head to me in Mingzhou, insulting me in front of the officials and the hungry ghosts and thousands of lowly people of Mingzhou, he should have thought that there would be such a day, and he has finally fallen into my hands!”

“The Meng family can kill his father and force his mother-in-law to death. Can't we deal with him?”

“……”

Hearing his sinister words, even the taciturn Meng family's great executioner couldn't help but slowly open his mouth: “The ancestors are not receiving offerings now, the Hu family's Zhensui Manor has already opened its doors, and the wandering ghosts in various places have also greatly increased their abilities. If we want to move against the Hu family, I'm afraid...”

Before he could finish speaking, Meng Silang suddenly said, “How many of the thirty-six ghost caves are in our Meng family's hands now?”

The Shuoli hall official next to him suddenly raised his head and said in a low voice, “Seven!”

“Thirty of the thirty-six ghost caves have long been left unguarded and have been divided up by the ten families. The ones that can be dispatched by Tongyin Meng are seven, and there are three others that have not yet been clearly divided.”

“……”

“Then it's simple, isn't it?”

The Meng family's eldest son lowered his head, slowly trimming his nails, with a faint smile on his face: “The Hu family only has him left now, and our Meng family, how many descendants are there within five generations?”

“Even if we exchange ten for one, it's enough.”

“Moreover, as everyone knows, the Hu family has the fate but not the blessing, which is equivalent to having their necks exposed to someone else's knife. Why has Father always left the Hu family with this breath!”

“……”

“Young Master wants to... invite *yinfeng* (netherwind)?”

Hearing this, everyone around him suddenly guessed his intention and knelt down in unison, saying in a deep voice, “Young Master, please think carefully!”

“This is a plan of annihilation, and we also have to deal with the Zaofu Sun family. Even the Master wouldn't want to bother with that gang of demons... Moreover, even if it succeeds, the price the Meng family has to pay is too great...”

“……”

“The Zaofu Sun family has always been licking their faces, looking for our Meng family to join forces, haven't they?”

Meng Silang said grimly, “As for the price, the Hu family only has one person left, and they are not afraid of this price. Is our Meng family full of descendants, are we going to be cowards?”

“Pass down my order, choose ten people over the age of sixteen from the Meng family, each carrying a stick of incense, and go!”

“……”

“Eldest Young Master, are you... are you really disregarding the Great Master and the First Madam?”

The steward next to him finally couldn't help it and knelt down, his face covered in tears, shouting as he kowtowed.

The Meng family's eldest son turned his head and looked at him in surprise: “Oh? Why haven't you gone to die yet?”

“Thinking you might be lonely on the road, should I let your family accompany you?”

“……”

“……”

“A disaster?”

At this time, in the Old Yin Mountain, Hu Ma looked at the horrified expressions of the couple. After a long time, he just smiled slightly and said, “Listening to these words, your Meng family really has some way to deal with our Hu family...”

“More than that!”

The Meng family's Great Master had already said this, and he no longer held back. He shouted, “Which of the other nine families doesn't have a way to deal with your Hu family?”

“The Hu family was too ruthless to itself in order to take the Zhensui Manor, especially after you killed the Guanzhou City God, which made people understand even more that the current Hu family is simply carrying the Zhensui Manor on one shoulder, with the fate but not the blessing. No matter how fierce and狂you are in this world, your lifeblood is in the hands of others.”

“If that rebellious son moved other ideas, it would be fine, but if he really listened to the Zaofu Sun family's bewitchment and went to the ghost cave to burn incense and attract disaster, then... then the situation would be over!”

“Our Meng family will certainly be divided up by other jackals, but your Hu family will definitely be wiped out by our Meng family first!”

“……”

“I understand...”

Hearing this, Hu Ma was silent for a long time before slowly raising his head to look at the Meng family's Great Master: “So, the Meng family is not as stable as you said. Has the time finally come to gamble your lives with the Hu family?”