The Xiang family!
The current situation of the Xiang family is very embarrassing. The top executives of the Great Merchants' Country all know that it's the royal family who wants to act against the Xiang family.
However, where does the foundation of the Xiang family lie? If the royal family of the Great Merchants really forces the Xiang family into a corner, even a rabbit when cornered will bite a person.
After Xiang Wang was imprisoned, the elders of the Xiang family had to rely on a woman, Xiang Wang's wife, Lin Lian!
Behind Lin Lian is the Lin family, and the Lin family is the family that was once powerful during the peak period of the Xiang family, and the people behind the Lin family are from the royal family.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Lian actively suppressed those loyal to Xiang Wang in the Xiang family, propped up the weak factions within the Xiang family, and made them her puppets, thus controlling the Xiang family with the Lin family backing her.
In the Lin Lian's mansion:
"A bunch of useless people can't even kill a Xiang Chen. It's been how many days now and he still hasn't been found."
Lin Lian's face turned dark with anger as she looked at the group of guards kneeling on the ground, including Xia Bei and others.
Xia Bei's face turned pale and he said, "Princess, we could have killed Xiang Chen, but Xiahou Wu unexpectedly interfered, letting Xiang Chen escape."
"I don't want to hear excuses," Lin Lian said with a dark expression. "I only want results. You have disappointed me. Each of you will be punished with a hundred lashes."
After hearing this, Xia Bei and the others were scared and fell to the ground, then were dragged away by others.
Steward Zhou Ji looked at the people being dragged away and said, "The latest news is that Xiang Chen has been taken to the Xia family by Xiang Heng."
Although Xia Bei's surname was Xia, he was not a member of the Xia family, which was a powerful family.
"Xiang San," Lin Lian narrowed her beautiful eyes, showing a glint of sharpness.
"Miss, Xiang Chen is probably not as simple as we thought. He is no waste," Zhou Ji said.
"What do you mean?" Lin Lian frowned and asked.
Zhou Ji said, "After escaping from the execution ground, Xiang Chen, alone, killed a legitimate disciple of the Wang family, Wang Ying, who was a genius at the Divine Realm, and even defeated him, breaking both of his arms. How can such a person be a waste?"
"Later, the Wang family sent an advanced expert to hunt down Xiang Chen. It is said that they encountered a demon and the demon killed the Wang family's advanced expert. Xiang Heng arrived and saved Xiang Chen."
Lin Lian's face changed when she heard this. "Are you saying that Xiang Chen is not a waste who cannot cultivate?"
"Perhaps, not only that, he is also a genius. For all these years, he has been hiding," Zhou Ji said in a deep voice.
"Xiang Chen, Xiang Liang, Su Qing'er – you've raised such good sons. They've been hiding so deeply," Lin Lian said through gritted teeth, her face cold.
"Now that this kid has been taken to the Xia family by Xiang Heng, we can't openly send people to the Xia family to kill him," Zhou Ji said.
"Hmph, I don't believe the Xia family would offend me over a Xiang Chen. I will write a letter to Xia Yunlong and make him drive Xiang Chen out of the Xia family," Lin Lian said coldly.
Xia Yunlong, the head of the Xia family, was currently in seclusion, so Xia Fenghu handled the family affairs. He was the elder at the helm.
"It's not just Xiang Chen, but Xiang Heng is difficult to handle. Xiang Heng is a strongman in the Eighth Stage of the Elemental Yang Realm. Although he is just a son-in-law in the Xia family, the Xia family still values him. It's because he is an Eighth Stage strongman. With his protection, Xiang Chen is likely to seek refuge in the Xia family," Zhou Ji said with a frown.
True martial cultivation, the lowest is the Physical Realm, followed by the Divine Realm, the Pre-Heaven Realm, and then the Elemental Yang Realm. In a country like the Great Merchants' Nation, the Elemental Yang Realm was already considered a top-notch figure, capable of taking on a thousand enemies and picking the head of a general in the midst of ten thousand troops.
"Hmph, Xiang San, when your father let him marry into the Xia family, he let him off easily," Lin Lian said with a sniff, obviously disgruntled with her little brother-in-law.
"Uncle Ji, you should go to the Xia family in person and negotiate with them to hand over Xiang Chen. Xiang Liang's token hasn't been found, and it's very likely that it's on Xiang Chen. Even a waste like Xiang Chen poses a huge threat, let alone a possible cultivation genius. The border forces that Xiang Wang personally nurtured and built into a 400,000-strong army must be controlled by us, or rather, by the royal family!" Lin Lian said coldly.
"I understand," Zhou Ji nodded, gave Lin Lian a slight bow, and then withdrew.
"Xiang Liang, Xiang Liang, couldn't you just quietly be a regional prince, why do you have to pursue that realm... control that secret technique..." Lin Lian muttered to herself, her gaze gradually turning cold. "His kingdom, I won't allow anyone to threaten!"
...
The Xia family
The news of the useless second young master of the Xiang Wang's mansion coming to the Xia family also caused quite a stir.
Many disciples of the Xia family came to the courtyard where Xiang Chen resided, wanting to see for themselves the so-called second young master of the Xiang family who could not cultivate and was different from ordinary people.
The courtyard where Xiang Chen was arranged to live by Xiang Heng was a relatively large quadrangle, surrounded by walls.
Obviously, it was only because of Xiang Heng's care that he could live in such a courtyard, which was only worthy of the direct disciples of the Xia family.
Xiang Chen had removed the bandages from his body and was practicing a set of boxing techniques in the courtyard, exuding a powerful force that faintly emitted a rumbling sound, as if the roar of a tiger.
"Dragon Elephant Fist, Barbaric Elephant Shattering Stele!"
With a punch, he produced a huge force that fiercely struck a two-meter-high bronze strength-testing stele. The bronze stele hummed and lit up with twenty-six green lights in total.
"Two thousand six hundred kilograms of force!"
Xiang Chen smiled faintly as he looked at this scene, his delicate face showing a hint of a smile.
"The combined strength of two tigers is approaching the strength of three tigers. A normal person in the Physical Realm has a maximum strength of about 2,700 kilograms. Now, with only six martial channels filled with internal force, I can achieve the strength equivalent to that of the Ninth Stage of the Physical Realm. I wonder how far it will go when all nine martial channels are connected with internal force. I am afraid it will surpass the limit value, the three-thousand-kilogram strength of the Physical Realm.
Xiang Chen thought to himself. One tiger's strength is a thousand kilograms, and the enhancement caused by the internal alchemy on his body was indeed significant.
"Dragon Elephant Fist, exploiting the full power of this martial art, is truly exhilarating."
Xiang Chen was full of anticipation. He had also read many martial arts of the Physical Realm but had never seen one that could cultivate such a domineering internal force as the Dragon Elephant Fist.
"Xiang Chen, get out of the Xia family."
"Useless, get out!"
Outside the courtyard, there were waves of insults from many of the Xia family's disciples who had come to see Xiang Chen's joke.
"Master, do you need me to drive these people away?" A man still wrapped in bandages came out of a room and asked.
This was Zhao Mu, a loyal guard with a sense of duty!