'The Forbidden Tome: Revised' Chapter 14 – Celebrating the Tianlong Family

Long Zongzheng was slightly stunned, his face showing a bitter expression as he sighed: "After all, we are family, from the same ancestor. Although Yan'er has committed great sins and unfilial acts, she is still my elder brother's only child, and so is Long Shang. Even if they harbor deep resentment towards me, as long as they do not repeat their mistakes, I will still strive to preserve my brother's last bloodline."

"You really, I don't know what to say about you."

Gou Chen shook his head, leaving behind a remark: "When my younger brother Zongzheng comes to his senses, let me know. I will send someone to help you resolve this. Excessive compassion will ultimately harm yourself."

"I feel truly sorry for troubling Brother Gou with this."

Long Zongzheng bowed deeply to Gou Chen with a sense of guilt. Gou Chen sighed, patted Long Zongzheng's shoulder, shook his head, and returned to the city lord's mansion.

It was only after Gou Chen and several of his trusted aides entered the mansion and the main gates were closed that Long Zongzheng finally turned toward the waiting carriage, closely followed by the corpulent Long Buren and another emaciated young man with a pale face.

Once inside the carriage, the gentle expression on Long Zongzheng's face vanished completely. His gaze became exceedingly sinister, as if he had suddenly changed into a different person. His entire aura exuded a chilling darkness. He gave a brief, indifferent glance at Long Buren and asked: "Two years ago, you went to Qitan Town. I never had the chance to ask you before, how is that family living now?"

Long Buren let out a shrill, vicious laugh: "Of course, they're not doing well. With such massive debts, Long Yan is basically working himself to the bone to earn money. When I visited two years ago, I saw that he had aged drastically. Even when I humiliated him, he didn't react at all — he was completely worthless."

Long Zongzheng frowned, his voice dark and cold as he asked: "So, you mean they are just doing badly?"

Long Buren's fat body shook slightly. He quickly composed himself, put away his smile, and said seriously: "Although I cut off all his ways to earn money, the sale of Fangye is managed by people from the Xuan Zong Hall. Since he himself is also a planter, there was no way to tamper with this. We had to rely on his identity as a Qing Tian person, letting the Qing Tian City tax office levy extra taxes under a special trade designation each year. But now, it has reached its limit — fifty percent tax is the maximum officially stipulated by the empire.""\Long Zongzheng stroked the family heir green ring on his finger, fell silent for a while, and then asked again: \"Have you investigated how my nephew, who was supposed to have died young, managed to survive?\"\
Long Buren took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, shook his head and said: 'It is said he survived on his own. I secretly had people visit many townsfolk, and no one saw anyone enter Long Yan's house that day.'\
Long Zongzheng sneered coldly and asked: 'Then why have I heard that the family actually left Qitan Town for nearly a month?'\
Long Buren was slightly stunned, then hurriedly said: 'During that month, I had my trusted men watch over them. They only went to Penghu City to look for that ghost doctor, but they didn't find him. I thought it wasn't anything significant, so I didn't report it to you, family head. This is my neglect.'\
At this time, the somewhat frail, pale-faced scholar in the sedan chair spoke: \"Family head, you can rest assured. I have investigated that ghost doctor; he is only a low-level Water Lord, has no background in the Xuan Sect Hall, and is completely alone. He has no connection whatsoever with Miss An. Moreover, I personally examined that infant that day; it was a fatal condition caused by congenital overabundance of Xuan Qi. Unless a Zong-level Xuan practitioner intervenes, there would be no chance of survival at all.\"\
The pale-faced scholar smiled slightly, adding: 'Family head, you have no need to worry about whether Miss An has any powerful background. If she truly had one, she would never have helplessly watched her husband being forced to almost die at the Long family, nor would she have watched her three-month-old son nearing death without taking action.'\
Long Zongzheng nodded lightly and said calmly: 'I don't like opponents who endure too much; it always makes me feel uneasy and unable to sleep peacefully. If that woman surnamed An hadn't suddenly appeared and her background couldn't be traced, and if that little boy six years ago hadn't suddenly survived, I wouldn't have allowed that family to live for so long.'\
Hearing this, Long Buren could not wait to say: 'Family head, are you planning to take action? That family has lived long enough; if we don't deal with them, something unexpected might happen.'\
Long Zongzheng looked coldly at Long Buren and asked in a half-hearted tone: 'I see you can't wait to take that woman surnamed An into your quarters, can you?' Hmph!"\Long Buren shivered and hurriedly defended himself: "Master of the family, you must be joking. There are plenty of women; how could I possibly keep a woman from an enemy family as a source of trouble?"

"It's good that you understand," Long Zongzheng said calmly. After a brief silence, he softly added: "Long Tao, I am leaving this matter in your hands. The day after tomorrow is when the Xuan Zong Hall will send people to test the Xuan Qi. I don't want to suddenly hear news of my grandnephew's extraordinary talent, nor do I want to see that family appear in Qingtian City two years from now. Do you understand what I mean?"

Long Tao, the thin, pale-faced scholar, nodded slightly. He raised his right palm, and a forbidden tome that shone with yellow light appeared. The tome automatically opened, revealing a page displaying a jet-black eight-legged monstrous insect. When a yellow halo appeared beneath his feet, his entire body transformed to resemble the monstrous insect on the page. With a whoosh, he flew out of the carriage, leaving Qingtian City like a gust of wind, heading toward Qitan Town.

Inside the carriage, Long Buren cautiously asked: "If... if Long Tao personally cannot solve it this time, what should we do?"

Long Zongzheng squinted his eyes and smiled faintly: "If Long Tao dies, the Xuan Zong Hall will not spare that family either. In the South Luo Kingdom, they will have no place to stand."

Long Buren was stunned and, somewhat incredulous, asked: "But Long Tao is just a low-level Insect Lord; he shouldn't be so easy to die, right?"

Long Zongzheng closed his eyes and softly said: "If that family does not die, Long Tao will."

Upon hearing this, Long Buren suddenly understood, and a chill ran through his entire body.

—Chapter Fourteen Complete.