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Chapter 356: Li Family Affairs

Yun Chaoxian sighed and added, "Me too."

Li Fujian also said sadly, "Who isn\'t?"

Although he had some relatives, his parents died when he was young, so he was technically an orphan. This statement struck a chord with him.

"I am not!" Zhuge Guanxing immediately interjected, widening his eyes. He didn\'t dare to follow along on this matter.

Great. I was just invited here as a helper but they almost made me curse my parents to death.

The Zhuge family had considerable influence in the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals. Not only were Zhuge Guanxing\'s parents still alive, but they also held high positions within the Mountain of Immortals. Like Li Shiyi, he came from a long lineage of immortal cultivators.

The three simultaneously glanced at the one who wouldn\'t cooperate and follow along. Then, they turned back and said, "Miss Yu, please continue."

Yu Xiang\'er paused for a moment. She had been deeply immersed in her sadness, only to be suddenly interrupted. At this moment, she had lost touch with that sorrow and couldn\'t find it again.

With no other choice, she nodded slightly and said, "Okay."

Then she continued, "But actually, I have a brother."

I have never heard about you having a brother, Chu Liang thought. But it\'s not like I know much about the core disciples of the South Melody Conservatory.

"My father was a notorious thief who roamed the martial world for many years, even earning the title of Saint of Thieves. In the end, he met his retribution," Yu Xiang\'er said softly. "When my brother and I were still young, he was killed after a failed attempt."

"Oh?" The people present were a bit surprised.

Saint of Thieves...

Everyone had heard of this title. It seemed that there really was a Saint of Thieves in the Northern Regions back then, who specially targeted various immortal and diabolical sects. After every successful theft, he would leave a symbol of his own.

This Saint of Thieves was extremely arrogant. Nevertheless, it was said that he died a tragic death later on.

"At that time, my brother was only thirteen, and I was only four," she said as she delved into the past, seemingly unveiling some painful memories. "When our father died, his so-called friends turned against us, hunting for my brother and me to seize our family\'s secret manual. To avoid being captured, we fled to Jiangnan."

"My brother\'s cultivation level was not high, and he had to care for me, a helpless child who knew nothing of the world. Desperate and out of options, he secretly left me at the entrance of the Jubilant Melody Hall in Donghuai City."

"That was the day that I lost track of him," Yu Xiang\'er continued, her voice tinged with sorrow. "The next day, a master from the Jubilant Melody Hall, with the surname Yu, stepped out of the door and found me at the entrance. She adopted me, and I took her surname. But my actual surname is Li."

"So..." Chu Liang interrupted, "Miss Yu, your real name is... Li Xiang?"

"Yes." Yu Xiang\'er nodded and continued, "I had no idea that I would be musically talented. As I continued on this path, I eventually joined the South Melody Conservatory. Two years ago, I began to gain some fame and organized my first tour. It was during that tour that I met my brother again."

Yu Xiang\'er explained, "At that time, I found out he had become a thief. However, he aspired to be a heroic thief. He gave himself the name Li Feiyu and was already somewhat famous in Jiangnan.

"But because of his identity, I couldn\'t acknowledge him as my brother. The South Melody Conservatory has strict requirements for us. If it were known that I had a brother who was a thief, I would no longer be able to compete for the head disciple position."

This was also well-known. During their years of touring, the core disciples of the South Melody Conservatory were held to stringent standards. They were not allowed to date, nor could they be caught breaking the law or have any blemishes on their records. In short, any flaw could disqualify them from competing for the head disciple position.

To normal people like Chu Liang and his friends, these requirements were excessively strict.

For example, if Chu Liang were in that position, being discovered meeting with Senior Sister Jiang in private could lead to harsh criticism, and he might be forced to leave the martial world forever.

If Yun Chaoxian were in that position, his frequent swearing would already warrant an apology by death.

In short, the head disciple selected by the South Melody Conservatory each generation had to be someone who was nearly perfect.

"But because my brother insisted, I began practicing our family\'s divine technique with him," Yu Xiang\'er continued. "Eventually, I also occasionally joined him in his thefts, and the name \'Li Feiyu\' became something we both shared."

As she spoke, a faint glimmer of light flashed in her eyes.

Chu Liang keenly noticed that Yu Xiang\'er had enjoyed the thrill of stealing and might even take pride in the title of a heroic thief.

Otherwise, when he had previously contacted her through the criminal world, she didn\'t actually need to respond.

The mere thought of this dual life was thrilling. By day, she was a highly respected core disciple of the South Melody Conservatory, bound by many rules. By night, she transformed into the Heroic Thief of Jiangnan, stealing from the rich to help the poor. The contrast was striking.

Yu Xiang\'er explained, "He said he named himself Li Feiyu[1] because, in his time of distress, he was rescued by a Flying Fish Demon. The esteemed Flying Fish Demon brought him underwater to escape his pursuers. Not only did this esteemed senior save him, but he also told my brother that he wouldn\'t live much longer. He instructed my brother to return to his water mansion after a few years to refine the Flying Fish Soul that would arise from his remains.

"A few days ago, my brother returned to that water mansion, but he didn\'t find the Flying-Fish Soul Essence. Instead, he encountered a group of aquatic demons. The leader of the aquatic demons had a high cultivation level. If they had been on land, my brother wouldn\'t have been captured. However, it was difficult for him to use his power effectively in the water, and so he was caught.

"The aquatic demons initially planned to kill him, but when he overheard them talking about their search for the Baxia Dual Rings, he claimed he knew where to find them and offered to retrieve the rings for them," Yu Xiang\'er said, shaking her head. "But the aquatic demons didn\'t believe him, so he had to write a letter to me. They gave me a month to steal the Baxia Dual Rings in exchange for his release.

"After I stole the Baxia Dual Rings, I felt deeply conflicted," Yu Xiang\'er confessed, her eyes flickering with emotion. "We\'ve never used Li Feiyu\'s name to steal from good people before. This precious item from the Ultimate Martial Mountain Manor is an exception.

"I could inform the sect and ask for help from the South Melody Conservatory to save my brother," she mused. "But if I did that, I\'d lose my chance to compete for the head disciple position."

She must have felt genuinely conflicted. Otherwise, she wouldn\'t have held onto the Baxia Dual Rings for days without delivering them.

Apart from the delays caused by her schedule at the Jubilant Melody Hall, the main reason was likely her internal conflict over whether to give away someone else\'s valuable item or sacrifice her own future.

Hearing about her situation, Li Fujian felt a surge of emotion.

"So you\'re actually the Heroic Thief of Jiangnan. I\'ve always admired people like you..." Li Fujian said. He paused before suggesting, "Why don\'t we hand the Baxia Dual Rings over to those aquatic demons first and get your brother back? Then, the Great Astral Sect can move in and eliminate them. Everything will turn out fine."

"That\'s not realistic. We want to save both siblings, but what if the aquatic demons take the Baxia Dual Rings and immediately escape?" Zhuge Guanxing countered. "We don\'t know how strong they are. To ensure we get the valuable item back, we need to notify the elders of an immortal sect in advance."

"That is indeed not a good idea," Yun Chaoxian nodded. "I think it\'s better if I wear the Baxia Dual Rings and go there to wipe out those aquatic demons myself."

Zhuge Guanxing stayed silent for a moment before turning to Li Fujian. "Why don\'t we discuss which elder we should ask for help?"

"There\'s no need to trouble you all," Yu Xiang\'er said with a sigh. "Before I invited you here, I had already prepared myself. With my current ability, I might not be able to win the position of head disciple at the South Melody Conservatory. I\'ll report this matter to the sect and take responsibility myself."

As she spoke, she took out the other golden ring and placed it in the center. "This is one of the Baxia Dual Rings. Please return them to their rightful owner."

As Chu Liang stored the golden ring away, he suddenly suggested, "Actually, I think what they said earlier makes sense. The four of us can keep this secret and rescue your brother. Miss Yu, you won\'t have to reveal yourself. This way, there won\'t be any negative consequences."

He wanted to do this for two reasons: firstly, to help Yu Xiang\'er, and secondly, because he had heard that there were demons.

When it came to tasks like slaying demons, Chu Liang was always the first to say yes.

"But this way..." Yu Xiang\'er looked at them incredulously, unable to believe they would actually help her.

"I think this is great." A voice suddenly came from outside the quiet room.

Everyone was startled and turned to see two figures pushing the door open.

It turned out to be Zhang Chen and Ren Hongdao, with Ren Hongdao being the one who had just spoken.

By suspending a sheet of paper over their heads, Zhang Chen and Ren Hongdao managed to conceal their presence completely. As a result, no one noticed them.

It was broad daylight, with people passing to and fro inside the Jubilant Melody Hall. Yu Xiang\'er\'s bodyguard likely didn\'t notice them either.

"Eldest Senior Brother, why are you here?" Yun Chaoxian asked.

"Brother Zhang and I noticed something was off with you," Ren Hongdao replied coldly.

Zhang Chen stood by with a smile, not saying a single word.

"After we left the Jubilant Melody Hall, we kept an eye on you. Sure enough, you came back here to see Miss Yu," Ren Hongdao said as he and Zhang Chen both sat down. "Miss Yu, rest assured. You can count on us to resolve this matter."

"You..." Yu Xiang\'er\'s eyes shimmered with emotion, clearly moved by their support.

Seeing this lineup, Chu Liang chuckled and said, "Since most of us are here, why don\'t we invite Miss Ji and Miss Tang to join the fun?"

"Hmph, we\'ve been here for a while!" a clear voice sounded from outside the window.

With a creak, the window was pushed open, revealing Ji Lingyu and Tang Shi outside the window.

"When the incident happened on stage, I knew something was off and I have been keeping an eye on you both since then," Ji Lingyu said with a laugh.

With her clairvoyant eyes, it was indeed impossible to hide from her.

"All of you have been listening..." Yu Xiang\'er felt momentarily speechless.

"Yes, Elder Sister Yu," Ji Lingyu said as she excitedly climbed in through the window. "I had no idea you were Li Feiyu, the famous Heroic Thief of Jiangnan. That\'s amazing! Don\'t worry, your secret is safe with us!"

Yu Xiang\'er stared blankly at the people in front of her.

These people were from the Great Astral Sect, the Mount Shu Sect, the Ji Family, the Ascending Dragon Academy, and the Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals.

Members of the Divine Nine, the Terrestrial Ten, and the noble families were all gathered here. It seemed that whether this remained a secret or not was now irrelevant...

For a moment, she looked at these young and passionate faces, and her eyes suddenly filled with tears.

"Thank you all."

1. Feiyu (飞鱼) means Flying Fish. ☜