Chi Changye agreed, "Let's observe for a bit more."
He had inquired about the situation outside Yuan Yang Town from Young Master Tian. It wasn't necessarily safer outside, so if possible, he hoped to recover most of his injuries here. With the strength of at least Foundation Building, they could leave with some assurance of safety.
As long as Foundation Building cultivators didn't intervene, he could find a way to deal with it. Moreover, it seemed the Foundation Building ancestors of the three families were all in seclusion and wouldn't easily come out.
In the middle of the night, while meditating, Chi Changye suddenly opened his eyes. Someone had triggered the array. He swiftly left the room and, in the courtyard, could "see" four cultivators in total. Two were already trapped in the array, while the other two were observing from the shadows.
Soon, Gu Yao also came out. He had been cultivating at night, eager to improve his cultivation. With such a commotion attacking the array, how could he not be aware? He asked Chi Changye, "Who? Is it from the Gu family or the Lu family?"
Chi Changye replied, "There are two groups. They likely aren't together. The first two are trapped in the array and probably don't know that two more cultivators came later. These latter two are likely letting others scout for them while they hide in the shadows."
Looking at Gu Yao, he added, "Don't worry; the commotion here is too loud. It will alert the patrolling guards from the Tian family, and they'll retreat." They were under the protection of the Tian family's patrolling team due to the special attention from Young Master Tian and Second Young Master Tian.
Gu Yao nodded, "Luckily, you were vigilant and set up protective arrays. Otherwise, if they broke through directly, even if someone came to help, it would have taken time."
Chi Changye didn't feel like he was being praised. If he weren't injured and his strength compromised, he could easily handle these petty thieves. Now, he could only rely on the array to intercept them, but that shouldn't be underestimated. He said, "Little Yao, step back. I'll deal with the two inside the array first."
Not retaliating wasn't his style.
"Be careful."
Chi Changye had set up several traps in the array, using the talismans he crafted. Sensing the positions of the two inside the array, he activated explosive and thunder talismans. The array erupted with continuous thunderous explosions, accompanied by the screams of the cultivators. The screams stopped after a short while.
"Who dares to cause trouble on the Tian family's territory?" A patrol of cultivators rushed over from a distance. They found the location to be the place that the two young masters had specifically instructed them to watch. If it were only Second Young Master Tian's orders, they might not have cared much, but it was different when it involved the eldest young master.
"Not good! The kid inside is quite skilled, using both arrays and talismans. It's not something we can handle in a short time. Let's retreat!" The two cultivators who had been observing from the shadows saw the situation and immediately left. They saw Tian family patrol cultivators coming over.
"Looks like that kid named Chi is indeed skilled. This array should be his creation. The talismans activated inside aren't basic; they should be intermediate. What's the background of this kid?"
"Go back and report to the family head immediately. Let the family head decide. But where did the two who came earlier come from?"
"Who knows? They deserved to die." If they hadn't died, and the two of them stepped in, they probably would have suffered severe injuries. The two were filled with lingering fear.
Sensing the approaching patrol team, Chi Changye dismantled the array and walked out with Gu Yao. They also carried the two bodies blasted within the array.
"We arrived a bit late. Are the two young masters alright?" The leading captain first looked shocked at the two bodies lying on the ground, then clasped his fists and asked the two. They had underestimated these two, but even if they hadn't rushed over, the thieves might not have dared to trespass into the courtyard.
"No problem. Two people escaped. They aren't with these two. Please help us investigate the identities of these two and find out who ordered them." Chi Changye politely said, pointing at the bodies on the ground.
"Alright, we'll also check on the two who escaped, but we can't guarantee results." The captain said respectfully.
"I understand. We will explain to Second Young Master Tian."
After some courteous exchanges, the other party left with the corpses. Although the corpses were in a sorry state due to the explosions, it didn't hinder identification. On the other hand, even if there were suspicions about the two who escaped, without catching them in the act, there was no way to accuse them.
Chi Changye repaired the array and went back to his room, continuing his cultivation.
The next day, at the Tian family, the father personally inquired about the incident. Actually, it was unnecessary to investigate; the attackers were undoubtedly from the Gu and Lu families. They didn't expect these families to be so brazen, directly sending people to the Tian family's territory and targeting those under the protection of the Tian family.
Second Young Master Tian was even more furious. He had assured Chi Changye and Gu Yao that he would ensure their safety. Yet, during the night, four cultivators had come to deal with them, making Second Young Master Tian appear untrustworthy.
"Dad, who on earth dares to disregard our Tian family? What kind of people dare to cause trouble on our territory?" Second Young Master Tian was indignant.
"Second Young Master, the identities of these two have been investigated. They belong to a small group with a somewhat notorious reputation. They've committed numerous acts of robbing and killing other cultivators outside the town. This time, there's evidence that they were paid to deal with the two honored guests in that courtyard." The captain of the patrol team, who had come to report, spoke up.
"So, you're saying it's not people from the Gu and Lu families? Then who else would target them?" Second Young Master Tian asked in surprise.
"It's not entirely accurate to say that. According to the investigation, the ones who hired them might have connections with certain individuals from the Fang and Gu families. I remember, Young Master Gu Yao had a conflict with the Fang family in the marketplace." The reputation of the Fang siblings was quite well-known. They relied on the influence of the Gu family and acted arrogantly. Perhaps someone had taught them a lesson, and they had shifted their anger to Gu Yao. This was the captain's speculation.
"Fang family and that stepmother of Gu Yao?!" Second Young Master Tian widened his eyes. No, how would those two fools from the Fang family know that Gu Yao had ordered someone to deal with them?
"You should go down first," Tian's father told the captain, and the captain made a salute before leaving.
"Feirong, do you have anything else to say?" Tian's father asked.
Tian Feirong rubbed his nose and explained the incident where Gu Yao had someone teach the Fang siblings a lesson, "Dad, do you think the Fang family would know it
was Gu Yao and sought revenge? They vented their anger on him because they couldn't find the real person. That wicked woman knew that the person we, the Tian family, were protecting was Gu Yao, and she still let someone attack. Dad, you can't let that evil woman and the Fang family off the hook. They clearly don't take you and our Tian family seriously. Only after stirring up trouble with the Gu family do they act arrogantly. If we don't discipline them, others might follow suit after seeing the consequences."
Tian's father and elder brother both glared at him without a good mood. Although what he said made sense, ultimately, it was for the sake of his own face.
Despite the glares, the Tian family couldn't do nothing. After some thought, Tian's father clapped his hands and called two people in, "You two, deliver these two corpses to the Fang family's Madam and express our gratitude for her concern."
"Yes, Master."
"Haha, when dad takes action, it's indeed extraordinary. Experience really matters. By the way, I'll go to Gu Yao's place and inform them about this incident, giving them some psychological preparation," Tian Feirong flattered, patting his old man's back.
Tian's father couldn't be bothered with this foolish son, waving his hand, "Go on, don't be a nuisance."
After Tian Feirong left, Tian Feiyang saw his father showing a thoughtful expression and said, "Dad, are you thinking about Chi Changye's identity? I think he didn't lie. It seems he's from a family skilled in crafting talismans. He used intermediate-level spirit talismans at night, including thunder talismans."
Thunder talismans had the highest killing power but were the most difficult to make. This was due to the violent and hard-to-control nature of thunder spiritual energy. Even the few thunder talismans passed down in the Lu family were rare and expensive.
"You're right. However, in your father's view, Chi Changye probably stayed in our Yuan Yang Town because of his injuries. This town ultimately can't retain such a talent. It's good that you've built a connection with them, but, in your opinion, does Chi Changye genuinely care about Gu Yao from the Gu family?" What kind of person is Gu Yao? He has the Four Spiritual Roots talent. How far can he progress in the future? Chi Changye's talent should be excellent. Wouldn't it be a hindrance to bring Gu Yao along?
Tian Feiyang said, "According to my younger brother, Chi Changye indeed cares about Gu Yao. However, it's hard to say what will happen in the future." Maybe it was just a temporary arrangement to take care of them for a while?
Tian's father thought it was possible. Regardless, a character like Chi Changye couldn't be retained by the Tian family. It might be better to build a good relationship. In the future, who knows, perhaps they could rely on him. The approach of the Gu and Lu families was too greedy. Forcibly keeping such a person could lead to unforeseen consequences; after all, who knows if Chi Changye had some force behind him.
Upon learning from Tian Feirong that the two who died in the array were hired by the Fang family, Gu Yao sneered. He didn't expect that even after leaving the Gu family voluntarily, that woman from the Fang family wouldn't let him go. In her eyes, he was probably someone who shouldn't exist.
"Don't worry, that woman will definitely get what she deserves," Tian Feirong said confidently. "Dad did a great job. He should warn the Gu family directly. Clearly, the family hasn't even entered the Longevity Sect yet, and they've become arrogant. Then he looked at Chi Changye with shining eyes. "Brother Chi is amazing. He actually killed those two using arrays and spirit talismans."
The two who died were a four-layer Qi Refining cultivator and a three-layer one. Although they were only mid-level cultivators, the crucial point was that Chi Changye didn't even take action personally. The woman and the Fang family probably thought dealing with Gu Yao, a second-layer Qi Refining cultivator, would be easy. Little did they know they had bitten off more than they could chew. Moreover, Gu Yao had already reached the third layer.