I Am a Big Water Pen

"Patriarch! Those two beasts, Ding Yi and Ding Er, have betrayed the Situ family. They brought an outsider through the passageway and injured many of our disciples."

A middle-aged man stumbled and crawled into the study, his voice carrying a sob, his face full of panic.

Inside the study, sandalwood incense curled upward.

Situ Hongyi's fingers lightly traced over an ancient book, as if he hadn't heard the anxious report.

He slowly and methodically closed the ancient book in his hand, which had only the word "War" on its cover, and placed it steadily back onto the bookshelf.

Only then did he turn off the desk lamp, allowing the cold moonlight to spill into the oil-lit room.

It seemed the Situ family was lacking; they were so frugal with electricity, not even matching up to the Dragon Tiger Dojo.

Situ Hongyi slowly raised his head, his calm gaze falling on the kneeling man.

"Have you notified the Law Enforcement Hall?"

His voice was very light, yet it carried an unquestionable authority.

"They have been notified! But... but that person is incredibly bizarre! I'm afraid the disciples won't be able to stop him at all! Patriarch, this matter is of utmost importance; we might have to ask the Old Patriarch to come out of seclusion!" The middle-aged man's voice was trembling as he knocked his head against the floor.

"The Old Patriarch?"

Situ Hongyi's eyes narrowed slightly, and the temperature in the study seemed to drop a few degrees. "The Ancestor is at a critical juncture in breaking through for our family's century-long grand plan. Do you want him to suffer cultivation deviation so that the foundation of our Situ family is destroyed?"

These words were not spoken heavily, but the middle-aged man felt as if a massive mountain was pressing down on his back. Cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.

"I wouldn't dare!"

Saying this, Situ Hongyi casually took a sip of tea.

"Pass down my order: the Elder Hall is to mobilize." Situ Hongyi picked up the teacup on the table and blew on the floating tea leaves.

He took a sip, and the scalding tea flowed down his throat.

"Additionally, have the Third Elder make a trip to the Weapon Pavilion and bring the Shadow Incinerating Spear."

"Tell him that an esteemed guest has arrived at our home. Let the old man stretch his bones a bit, lest outsiders think there is no one capable left in our Situ family."

Although the Situ family was experiencing a gap between generations and hadn't produced any outstanding geniuses, they still had many trump cards.

As long as these trump cards hadn't died of old age, the Situ family could continue to nurture the next generation.

"Yes!"

The middle-aged man felt as if he had been granted amnesty and scrambled out of the room.

As soon as he left the study, he immediately rushed to spread the news.

After all, this was not the mortal world; it wasn't realistic to just move a finger to send a message out.

"Level One Alert! All inner courtyard guards, converge on the main residence!"

"The Elder Hall has mobilized! The perimeter is completely locked down; do not let a single fly escape!"

Jokes aside, the Patriarch could remain calm, but he couldn't.

If that person fought his way to the Patriarch or took a stroll through the Situ family and returned completely unscathed, then he would be the first to suffer. This was called being prepared for any eventuality; he absolutely could not end up pondering life in the water dungeon.

The middle-aged man retreated after receiving his orders.

However, he had actually notified others on his way, calling upon almost everyone he could.

He sprinted all the way to the Elder Hall. Before even entering the courtyard gate, he smelled a scent mixing aged sandalwood with the iron rust of weapons.

In the courtyard, an elder with completely white hair and beard was sitting under an ancient pine tree, slowly wiping a pitch-black long spear with a piece of silk.

The spear body was dull and lacked any luster, save for a few blood-red patterns slowly flowing across it like living creatures.

This was exactly the Situ family's heavy artifact, the Shadow Incinerating Spear.

The Third Elder didn't even raise his head; his voice was aged yet steady.

"Did the Patriarch send you?"

The middle-aged man's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly bowed in salute. "Yes! The Patriarch has ordered, requesting the Third Elder to take up the Shadow Incinerator and slay the foreign enemy!"

"Mhm."

The Third Elder gave a sound of acknowledgment, casually tossed the silk cloth aside, and stood up.

His seemingly withered hand gently stroked the cold spear, and an inexplicable light flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"This old friend has almost forgotten what blood smells like."

Before his words faded, the tip of his foot tapped lightly on the bluestone slab.

There was no loud bang and no blast of air, yet his entire body floated up like a phantom, landing silently on the ten-meter-high courtyard wall. His gray robe remained completely motionless in the night breeze.

"I can't detect a single trace of true qi fluctuation. How interesting."

He gazed into the distance and murmured softly.

The next moment, his figure flickered on the rooftop and disappeared into the depths of the night, leaving behind only a nearly imperceptible afterimage.

The middle-aged man stood blankly in place, his mouth wide open, unable to close it for a long time.

He hadn't even clearly seen the Third Elder's movements.

Was this the true strength of the Elder Hall?

He couldn't help but shiver, the slight panic in his heart instantly replaced by an inexplicable excitement.

He wanted to see exactly what kind of divine being dared to provoke the slumbering lion that was the Situ family.

In midair.

Lin Nidhogg Mo raised an eyebrow, a trace of amusement flashing in his eyes.

As if engaging in casual domestic chatter, he asked casually, "Aunt Yunshu, what is the background of that Third Elder from the Elder Hall?"

Hearing this, Situ Yunshu's elegant brows immediately furrowed. She couldn't help but look at Lin Mo, continuing to size him up, but at the mention of the Third Elder, her expression became much more solemn.

"Third Grandpa is a pure martial arts fanatic, and a man with a very heavy killing intent. I heard that in his youth, he ventured into the outside world, worked as a mercenary, and even climbed to the number one spot on some ranking list. Later, he was recalled by the family and entered the Elder Hall."

Oh?

Lin Mo chuckled softly. So he was a mercenary king.

This was getting quite interesting.

"Then was he involved in the matter of Yunlu's arranged marriage?"

Situ Yunshu shook her head, her voice slightly muffled. "I'm not sure. Third Grandpa never pays attention to these matters, but the First Elder and Second Elder have both clearly expressed their support for the marriage."

Actually, there was another person whom Situ Yunshu didn't mention.

That person was her own biological father.

At the thought of this, a wave of powerless bitterness welled up in her heart.

Looking at the young man in front of her, she didn't know why, but Situ Yunshu genuinely felt that he could achieve the things he spoke of.

Just the act of standing in front of her was not something an ordinary person could do.

"Is that so? Then things are simple." Lin Mo's tone was as relaxed as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

This heavenly paradise of the Situ family was truly not small.

Strange peaks stood tall, ancient trees reached the sky, and a thin spiritual mist lingered amidst the mountains and forests, resembling a fairyland.

Most importantly, there were no cars here.

Just the distance from the separate courtyard where Situ Yunshu lived to the entrance of the family's passageway was over ten kilometers of rugged mountain roads.

However, Lin Mo could fly, and he could bring people along while flying.

Meanwhile, the Situ family estate, built against the mountain, had now become brightly lit.

After all, the invasion of a powerful outsider was already a very serious matter for the Situ family.