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Chapter 23

Tang Yan's relationship with Mo Yan Jun, the eldest grandson of Mo Bo, was quite good. He smiled and asked, "Brother Mo, are you looking for me?"

Mo Yan Jun chuckled, "In the past, I was blind and didn’t show enough respect to the young master. After spending a month together, I realize that you’re far superior to all the other young disciples in the other families. Given time, you may very well be the number one among the young generation of Cloud City, and that person will be from our Tang family."

Tang Yan smiled at the compliment and waved his hand, "Brother Mo, if there's something you need, just tell me. We are family, no need for formalities."

Mo Yan Jun let out a wry laugh and said, "You brat... I’ve decided to resign from the position of the captain of the guards and focus on my cultivation. The guards’ progress has been rapid, and they are self-disciplined. They no longer need me to lead them. Besides, they respect you, so I will report to the Old Master and suggest that you take control of the guards from now on."

Tang Yan pondered this for a moment. He understood Mo Yan Jun’s feelings. Seeing the guards advance so quickly must have made him feel pressured, as if his own strength might soon be surpassed. He was afraid of being overtaken and felt unworthy of his position as the captain.

"Brother Mo, although your last name is Mo, you’re closely tied to the Tang family, and my grandfather regards you the same way. Protecting the Tang family still requires your strength," Tang Yan said seriously. "Although I’ve been in the training field for more than a month, I rarely interfered with your training of the guards. I wanted to avoid undermining your authority."

"If there are enemies outside the Tang family in the future, you’ll be able to lead the guards to defend the family more smoothly."

"But wouldn’t it be better for you to lead directly?" Mo Yan Jun asked, confused.

"My ambitions aren’t here, and I will eventually leave Cloud City. The responsibility of protecting the Tang family must still fall on you, Brother Mo." Tang Yan paused before pulling out a few vials and saying, "These are Initial Spirit Pills. Among pills that enhance true qi, these are the best below the second tier. Distribute one to each guard tonight, and tomorrow, many of them will likely advance to the Yellow Stage."

Mo Yan Jun, still in a daze, took the pills and asked, "Are these better than the Qi Gathering Pills?"

"Of course, these are much better. Keep three for yourself, and try one tonight. With your talent, if you push yourself, reaching the Celestial Stage might not be impossible!" Tang Yan said with a smile.

"I understand," Mo Yan Jun said seriously, looking at Tang Yan with new respect. "Don’t worry."

The two exchanged glances, and Tang Yan smiled as he patted Mo Yan Jun on the shoulder, then turned to leave.

Watching Tang Yan’s retreating figure, Mo Yan Jun felt a bit lost in thought. Who really is the senior here? Why does it feel like he’s the elder, not me?

The fact that Tang Yan had entrusted him with distributing the pills to the guards filled Mo Yan Jun with gratitude. He knew that Tang Yan wanted him to win the hearts of the men.

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But Mo Yan Jun wasn’t particularly interested in power. His mind kept returning to Tang Yan's words—If you push yourself, you could reach the Celestial Stage.

Previously, Mo Yan Jun would never have believed this. But after seeing Chang Tie’s breakthrough, his confidence had grown.

As the captain of the Tang family’s guard, Mo Yan Jun knew each of the men well. He had thought that Chang Tie would need years, even if he ever broke into the Yellow Stage. But after Tang Yan arrived, Chang Tie had broken through in just a month.

Tang Yan’s methods for training had indeed opened up a clear path for the guards to follow in their cultivation.

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At the Liu family’s grand hall, the atmosphere was heavy as the top leaders gathered.

The patriarch, Liu Wuhui, sat in the center. "Liu Quan, tell us what happened today."

"Grandfather, I saw Xiao Yuan being humiliated by Tang Yan, which hurt our Liu family's reputation, so I wanted to get revenge. But when I fought him, I discovered that this guy had the strength of a Yuan Stage, Eight Rank!" Liu Quan said with a distressed face.

"Humph! I’ve always told you that even when fighting a rabbit, you must use your full strength! Underestimating your opponent is the fastest way to fail. Everyone, remember this!" Liu Wuhui slammed the table, his voice thunderous. The entire hall fell silent.

"No one expected that kid to hide his true power so well. Even if his dantian had been destroyed, there were reports from several doctors confirming that it had been shattered. How did he recover it, and how does he have the strength of Yuan Stage, Eight Rank now?" Liu He, the second most powerful person in the Liu family and the patriarch’s eldest son, said with a frown.

Liu He’s words eased the tense atmosphere in the room.

"I believe that the kid has been secretly cultivating and using some secret technique that temporarily kept his dantian in a broken state, fooling everyone," said the second eldest, Liu Jing. His son, Liu Quan, was extraordinarily talented, and Liu Jing had high hopes for him. But he was furious that Tang Yan had severely injured his son’s dantian.

"That’s right, the sudden eruption of Tang Yan’s power is bad news for our Liu family. If we wait a few more years, he will become a major threat," Liu Wuhui said, sipping his tea calmly, his eyes cold. "Our family has lost face twice to him already. It’s time to eliminate this problem."

"Twenty days from now, the Mid-Autumn Festival will be held, and all the young disciples of the great families in Cloud City will gather at Mingyue Lake for the Mid-Autumn Martial Competition. If Tang Yan participates, we can take advantage of the chaos and eliminate him without anyone noticing," Liu Jing said coldly.

"Second brother, this plan is brilliant. Tang Yan is still a martial artist, but he’s not yet fully developed. Last time, my son, Zhi’er, humiliated Tang Yan in front of the City Lord’s daughter. Tang Yan must have held a grudge. When he challenges Zhi’er at the competition, we can let Zhi’er handle him," Liu He said, grinning.

Thus, a covert scheme to deal with Tang Yan was being quietly set in motion within the Liu family.

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Unaware of the Liu family’s plot, Tang Yan was busy thinking about his finances.

After a costly night of alchemy, he found himself running low on silver. With a stash of three Initial Spirit Pills in hand, he disguised himself and headed to the Tianbao Auction House.

After today, the Tang family would likely see an influx of new Yellow Stage warriors, which meant a considerable rise in monthly expenses. Tang Yan knew he had to accumulate wealth for the family to ensure its future stability.

As he entered the Tianbao Auction House, an elderly man approached him with a smile, "What can I do for you, young master?"

"I’m here to auction some pills."

"Oh? What kind of pills are you auctioning? What’s their grade? We only accept high-quality pills here, nothing below second tier," the old man explained.

He had been in Cloud City for years and was familiar with the families, even recognizing Tang Yan as the so-called “young master” from the Tang family.

But what he didn’t expect was that this young man, whom he’d previously dismissed, was none other than Tang Yan, the same person he had referred to as a pampered fool.