The Sacred Leaves Family's Wishes for Peace-Chapter 192: Close the door and beat the dog

"Xiao Si, Xiao Wu, close the shop and turn away any new customers!"

Yun Yanling's voice was calm but commanding as she addressed the two shop attendants.

"Yes, madam!"

The young men bowed respectfully before hurrying to shut the shop doors, leaving the middle-aged man and his companions inside.

"What's the meaning of this?" the man demanded, his brows furrowing as he glanced at the now-closed doors. His companions exchanged uneasy looks, clearly displeased.

They hadn't left the shop yet, and now they were being treated as though they were invisible.

"Gentlemen, how about we continue this conversation in the courtyard?"

Yun Yanling's gaze landed on the leader, her polite smile tinged with an edge of steel.

"Hmph! Fine. Let's see what your Yun family dares to do!"

The middle-aged man scoffed, his confidence undiminished as he led his group into the shop's rear courtyard.

"Stop! Please stop! I admit my fault! I was wrong!"

The courtyard was filled with the pitiful cries of the middle-aged man and his companions. Their faces were battered and bruised, their knees pressed into the ground as they kowtowed repeatedly before Yun Wenxuan.

They had expected Yun Yanling to engage in mere talk, certain that no mere mortals, even shopkeepers, would dare touch them.

After all, no matter how wealthy or influential the Yun family might be, they were still mortals. What could they possibly do to a Embryo Breath Second Stage cultivator?

But they hadn't accounted for Yun Wenxuan—a boy of barely seven years, whose cultivation was leagues beyond their own. He had beaten them senseless with just a few effortless strikes, leaving them groveling on the ground like defeated dogs.

"Speak. Who sent you to cause trouble in my shop?"

Yun Yanling sat at a stone table in the courtyard, her demeanor calm as she sipped from a porcelain teacup. Her piercing gaze fell on the middle-aged man, now swollen and bruised beyond recognition.

"No one sent us! No one! It was all my fault. I didn't recognize your esteemed family's greatness and foolishly offended you. I deserve to be punished! Please spare us!"

The man's forehead hit the ground repeatedly as he begged, his voice quivering with fear.

A mere mortal like Yun Yanling didn't scare him, but her son—an unfathomable prodigy—was a different matter entirely.

"Wenxuan, keep hitting him until he tells the truth," Yun Yanling said coolly, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"Alright!"

Yun Wenxuan's eyes lit up with mischief as he cracked his knuckles and approached the man with a wicked grin.

"No! Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk!"

Panic-stricken, the man blurted out his confession before Yun Wenxuan could land another blow.

"It was the Su family! They're the ones who sent me!"

"The Su family?"

Yun Yanling's brows furrowed as she recalled the Su Clan from neighboring Lanlin County—a family that had risen to prominence last year amidst the collapse of the Sun family.

"Which Su family?"

"The Su Clan of Lanlin County! They paid me some spirit stones to cause trouble here.

"If you're angry, take it up with them! I was just following orders!"

His voice trembled as he spoke, his fear evident.

"Xiao Si, Xiao Wu, escort them out. And make sure they leave behind all the spirit stones on them."

"W-what?! You're taking all my spirit stones?!"

The man's face contorted in anguish.

"You don't have to, of course. Wenxuan?"

"No, no, don't hit me! I'll give them to you!"

Cursing his misfortune, the man reluctantly pulled out the meager stash of 57 lower-grade spirit stones he had left and handed them over.

Inwardly, he cursed the Su family for setting him up. This job had turned into a nightmare, and he swore never to take on another task from them again.

"Why is the Yun family's shop closed?"

"Looks like someone was causing trouble."

"Who would be bold enough to pick a fight with the Yun family in their own marketplace?"

"Hard to say. But this isn't the first time troublemakers have shown up at their shop recently."

Outside on the bustling street, passing cultivators stopped to gossip as they noticed the closed doors of the Yun family's shop.

It wasn't long before the doors opened again.

The middle-aged man and his companions emerged, their faces battered and swollen. Noticing the onlookers, they hurriedly covered their faces with their sleeves and slunk away, eager to escape the humiliation.

"I don't understand," Qin Zhan said as he sat beside Yun Yanling in the now-quiet shop. His brows were furrowed in thought. "We've had no dealings with the Su family. Why would they send people to disrupt our business?"

"I'm not sure," Yun Yanling replied, her expression thoughtful. "When my father returns, we'll need to report this to him and have him investigate the Su family.

"But I can't shake the feeling that the Wang family might also be involved in this."

"What makes you think that?" Qin Zhan asked, his curiosity piqued.

"In just one year, the Su family of Lanlin County has risen too quickly. Even with the resources and spiritual treasures they acquired from the Sun family's collapse, it's inconceivable for them to have surpassed the Sun family's former status as a prominent cultivation clan in such a short time," Yun Yanling said thoughtfully.

"From what I know, the Su family now has four spiritual root descendants. One of them, originally from the Sun family and now absorbed into the Su family, is at the Embryo Breath Fifth Stage.

"The other three spiritual root cultivators are from the Su family's branches, with cultivation levels ranging from the Embryo Breath First Stage to the Embryo Breath Second Stage.

"All four are being personally trained by two rogue cultivators. As for the strength of these two cultivators, their exact levels remain unknown."

She paused before continuing. "Over the years, our Yun family has grown steadily, establishing this marketplace and even taking a share of business from the Yulin Wang Clan. The Wang family has held a grudge against us ever since.

"But because of the presence of the old Daoist, they haven't dared to act openly against us.

"Now think—if you were the Wang family patriarch, how would you respond to this situation?"

Qin Zhan's eyes widened as he considered her words. "Cultivate a proxy force in secret—one capable of counterbalancing and restricting the Yun family's growth," he murmured, his voice tinged with realization.

"Exactly," Yun Yanling said, her expression cold. "If the Wang family cannot confront us directly, they'll work from the shadows. They'd secretly cultivate a family like the Su clan, turning them into a competitor to drain our resources and suppress our influence.

"To ensure their control over this proxy force, they'd assign powerful rogue cultivators to support the Su family's rise while keeping them under strict surveillance.

"This way, the Su family becomes their puppet, acting only in service to the Wang family's goals."

"But for now, it's just a theory," Qin Zhan said, frowning deeply.

"That's why we need to investigate. When my father returns, we'll have him look into the Su family thoroughly.

"And if we uncover the Wang family's involvement, then the Su family must be eliminated," Yun Yanling said, her gaze icy and unyielding.

Having managed the marketplace and family business for years, she had encountered countless cultivators and witnessed their ruthless tactics.

She was no longer the naive girl she once was.

The path forward for the Yun family would be fraught with challenges, and leading the family meant being prepared to eliminate any threats with decisive force.

In a world like this, where the strong preyed on the weak, compassion was a luxury few could afford.

If others dared to be ruthless, she would be even more so.

Wherever people gathered, there would be conflict. And where there was conflict, bloodshed was inevitable.

"Mother, Grandfather and the others should be returning from the capital in the next couple of days," Yun Wenxuan said, stepping forward.

"By my calculations, they should be back soon," Yun Yanling said, her expression softening as she looked at her son. The icy determination on her face melted into motherly warmth.

"Let me return to the clan and report this to Grandfather," Yun Wenxuan said earnestly.

"Alright. Be careful on the way," Yun Yanling said, her voice filled with concern.

"Don't worry!"

With a mischievous grin, Yun Wenxuan vanished in a blur, his figure disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

At Yunzhang Mountain, in the heart of the Yun family estate, Yun Yunyang and the others were greeted warmly by the entire clan upon their return.

Curious relatives surrounded them, eager to hear about their experiences at the Hundred Clans Gathering and the grand spectacle it must have been.

Yun Yunyang patiently answered their questions with a smile, sharing stories of their journey.

"Master," Yun Yantian said, stepping forward with Baili Mo Xue by his side. Together, they bowed respectfully to the blind Daoist elder.

"It seems your travels were fruitful," the elder said with a knowing smile. "Not only has your cultivation improved, but you've also brought back a beautiful bride."

"Master, you jest," Yun Yantian said, his face flushing slightly.

"Master, look what I brought for you!" Yun Yanshuang chimed in cheerfully. She approached with a wide grin, retrieving several jars of spirit wine from her storage pouch and setting them before the elder.

"Ah, excellent! Excellent!" the old Daoist exclaimed, his excitement palpable. "You've made me proud, both of you! It seems all my years of teaching haven't gone to waste."

Grinning, he grabbed one of the jars, uncorked it, and began drinking heartily.

"Where's my daughter-in-law? Where's my daughter-in-law?!"