Martial Cultivator

After patting Lu Xin on the shoulder, the Old Family Head glanced at Lu Qingling and said meaningfully, "Qingling, there are some things that old fellows like us no longer get to decide. You young people will have to do them yourselves."

Lu Qingling froze for a moment, but quickly nodded and said softly, "I understand, Family Head."

The Old Family Head smiled faintly. When he reached the entrance of the ancestral hall, he suddenly stopped, turned to face everyone inside, and sighed. "This world we have today was not easily won. Don't give it up so lightly."

Only after saying those words did the Old Family Head leave without looking back.

The ancestral hall fell into complete silence. No one had expected what had happened tonight, nor had anyone expected that, even after everything that had happened, they would not have the slightest chance to object.

Many of the Lu Family's elders silently left the ancestral hall, though quite a few came over to Lu Xin first and exchanged a few words with this future family head.

They understood very well that as long as the Great Liang Dynasty did not fall, the Lu Family definitely would not run into any major trouble under this young man's leadership.

Half an hour later, all the Lu Family's elders had left, leaving only Lu Xin and Lu Qingling behind.

Lu Xin rubbed his brow and glanced at Lu Qingling before saying with emotion, "I never expected tonight to go so smoothly. I thought I'd end up arguing with all those uncles."

He truly had not expected the Old Family Head to be so open-minded. Like the rest of the Lu Family, he had always believed the Old Family Head was old-fashioned and conservative. He had even planned how to force the issue afterward, but the Old Family Head's very first words had completely exceeded everyone's expectations.

Lu Qingling said, "The Old Family Head always had principles he wanted to uphold. Perhaps in the past he simply had no choice but to act that way. It wasn't what he truly wanted."

The head of a family, more often than not, should not act according to personal preferences. They bore responsibility for the entire family, and every decision they made had to be for the family's benefit.

Lu Xin looked at Lu Qingling and asked with a smile, "Then Elder Sister, do you think it's a good thing for me to become Family Head?"

Lu Qingling was taken aback. She had never seriously considered the question. In terms of ability, Lu Xin was undoubtedly the most outstanding candidate, but did being family head require talent alone? Or was talent by itself not enough?

Lu Xin was definitely not the sort of person who did everything solely for the Lu Family's interests. He was young, with all the passion and impulsiveness that young people should have. But was that really something a family head should possess?

Seemingly seeing through Lu Qingling's concerns, Lu Xin smiled and said, "The Family Head said it too. If young people don't step forward, are they supposed to wait until they're old? And besides, passion and impulsiveness aren't necessarily bad things. If everyone refused to do anything or change anything, the Great Liang Dynasty wouldn't be what it is today.

"As for allowing women into the ancestral hall, after this period is over, I'll begin dealing with it. There'll definitely be plenty of resistance then, so I'll need Elder Sister's full support."

After leaving the ancestral hall, Lu Xin looked at Lu Qingling. She nodded, and Lu Xin took the lantern from the servant before walking ahead with it. After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back and looked at Lu Qingling. "Elder Sister, when you met the Lord Warden Commander that day... did you fall for him?"

Lu Qingling's expression did not change. She shook her head. "No."

Lu Xin turned back somewhat regretfully and smiled. "What a pity, what a pity."

......

......

After leaving the Lu ancestral residence, Lu Xin boarded a carriage, which slowly made its way into the distance. Half an hour later, it stopped before a dimly lit long street. Lu Xin stepped out of the carriage carrying a lantern and walked forward.

After several dozen feet, Lu Xin saw another carriage parked by the roadside. He walked over, knocked on its shaft, and a young man's voice soon came from inside, "Come in."

Only then did Lu Xin set the lantern aside and climb into the carriage.

Inside sat a young man dressed in black.

Lu Xin smiled and said, "Right now, the entire Great Liang Dynasty is searching for Lord Warden Commander's whereabouts. If they found out you're here in the Divine Capital, wouldn't their jaws drop?"

The young man sitting inside the carriage was naturally none other than the young martial artist who had disappeared after the events at Dragon Horn Commandery.

Great Liang's Lord Warden Commander, Chen Chao.

Chen Chao looked at Lu Xin and said, "I'm staying hidden for now because I still want to see how many people are entertaining ulterior motives. You understand the current situation. The war in the north isn't going to end in a year or two. If we want to win this war, everyone must stand united. If anyone tries to stir up trouble at a time like this, this official truly won't show the slightest mercy."

The war against the demon race concerned the very fate of the Great Liang Dynasty. Without exaggeration, if they lost and the Northern Frontier Great Wall fell, then the Great Liang Dynasty's two-hundred-year reign might well come to an end here.

This was a matter of the utmost importance. No one could afford not to take it seriously.

Lu Xin nodded and said softly, "The more critical the moment, the more careful we have to be. Otherwise, if everything falls apart at the last moment, we'll all be sinners."

Chen Chao shook his head. "This official will be the sinner. No matter what happens, you people won't be."

Lu Xin did not dwell on that point and simply said, "Following Lord Warden Commander's instructions, the business we partnered in has been almost completely liquidated, and all the proceeds have been donated to the imperial court."

Chen Chao frowned. "This official was only talking about my share."

"Your Excellency's share is naturally yours to decide. My share is naturally mine to decide as well."

Lu Xin smiled at Chen Chao. He had already made up his mind, so no matter what Chen Chao said, nothing would change.

Chen Chao did not argue further. He merely said, "Then on behalf of those fellows in the Northern Frontier, thank you. As for the other matter, how much has been accomplished?"

The other matter was something Chen Chao had been working on ever since returning to the Divine Capital from the Northern Frontier Divine Mountain. To face the demon race's full-scale southern invasion, the imperial court needed far more money than in any previous war. That was why it had imposed additional taxes throughout the prefectures. Even so, it was still stretched thin. So after returning to the Divine Capital, the first thing Chen Chao did was seek out Lu Xin and ask to borrow money from the Lu Family, with the court issuing official documents promising repayment after the war ended.

Borrowing from the Lu Family was only the beginning. Using that as a precedent, he intended to borrow from the other great families as well.

The imperial court needed money, but it could not do something like taking it by force.

Of course, Chen Chao had never expected to successfully borrow all the money he needed. Even half would have been a good result.

Lu Xin looked at Chen Chao and shook his head. "I wasn't able to accomplish what Lord Warden Commander entrusted to me."

Chen Chao was taken aback and frowned. Based on his own estimates, even if it wasn't fifty percent, the Lu Family should at least have been willing to provide twenty or thirty percent out of respect for his name. Yet not a single bit had been accomplished?

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