Chapter 28: Prophecy Fulfilled

Su Tan did not really care whether they made a bet or not. He had no need to prove anything, because it was uncertain if Xu Xiuwu would even survive this impending tribulation. Since the other party wanted to bet, he let him do as he pleased. It was Xu Xiuwu who refused to believe him and insisted on a wager, so Su Tan simply could not be bothered to decline. Whether they believed it or not was up to them; if they wanted to gamble, then so be it.

No one knew where Xu Xiuwu got the sudden interest. He rarely bet with anyone on a normal day, yet today he was actually making a wager with a "God Stick." Miss Nine and the rest of the Xu Family present were equally surprised.

"Haha, you are definitely going to lose!" Xu Xiuwu laughed heartily as he walked out of the courtyard.

For some unknown reason, he harbored a slight desire to beat Su Tan. It was not because of any bad blood between them—in fact, the two had never even met before today. Perhaps he just wanted to win because Su Tan had maintained an aura of complete calm and otherworldly detachment from the very beginning. That attitude made Xu Xiuwu want to defeat him.

Su Tan shrugged, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, and shook his head.

Disaster was looming, yet the man still refused to believe it. He had already warned Xu Xiuwu that he would be assassinated by five experts upon leaving this place, but the old man obstinately ignored the warning and left anyway. It clearly showed that he did not believe he was in any danger. Su Tan could not be bothered to persuade him further. He had done what he should and said what needed to be said. Since the other party refused to believe him, he would just let it go. There was no point dwelling on it.

Inside the Xu Family's departing carriage.

After hesitating for a long time, Jiu finally spoke up. "Grandmaster Xu, do you think Su Tan's words are trustworthy? Judging by his demeanor, he seems to possess some real skill. Should we take precautions?"

Xu Xiuwu and the other Xu Family members in the carriage dismissed her concerns.

"Jiu, do you actually believe the words of a God Stick?" someone asked. "If he truly had heaven-defying abilities, would he still be cooped up in an isolated and backward little settlement like Chen Family Village?"

"But I'm afraid of the off chance..." For some reason, Jiu felt that Su Tan's words were trustworthy. She did not know where this feeling came from. Perhaps it was because the impression Su Tan gave off was far too unfathomable. Every word and every sentence he spoke was sonorous and unhurried. No matter what he discussed, it felt as though he were simply stating an objective fact, without any embellishment or charlatanry.

"There is no off chance!" a young man from the Xu Family declared. He was a direct descendant of the family, Xu Hao.

"You haven't forgotten, have you? There is absolutely nothing wrong with Grandmaster Xu's body. The rumors spreading outside are nothing more than a trap set by our Xu Family," Xu Hao said. "Not only is Grandmaster Xu's body perfectly fine, but his cultivation has even broken through to the next level. The only reason word got out about his declining health was because our family deliberately leaked it.

"Having finally achieved a breakthrough, Grandmaster Xu wanted to use this opportunity to eliminate the hidden figures coveting our family's power. That is why he lied about his failing health—to lure those people into a trap. If his body truly had a problem, how could our Xu Family possibly let such a massive secret slip? And why else would he leave White Cloud City, giving other factions the perfect chance to assassinate him!"

It was a conspiracy. A snare designed by the Xu Family themselves.

Xu Xiuwu had achieved a breakthrough, significantly increasing his strength. He wanted to use this chance to eliminate his enemies, which was why he and the family had set up this chessboard to lure the enemy into a trap. It was a well-thought-out and clever plan.

Unfortunately, they had miscalculated one crucial detail. They had not realized it, and even Xu Xiuwu himself was completely unaware. As luck would have it, there actually *was* a genuine problem with Xu Xiuwu's body. They simply did not know it yet. If it were not for this unfortunate coincidence, the Xu Family might have been able to swallow up the resources of many surrounding hostile factions. But alas, they were too clever for their own good. They blundered!

"Qi deviation is absolutely impossible. The Xu Family's Purifying Heart Technique is linked to the Emperor's Dao Classics, so how could it possibly lead to qi deviation? Ever since we acquired the Purifying Heart Technique, not a single person in the Xu Family has suffered from qi deviation!" Xu Hao vowed confidently.

The Xu Family had immense faith in their Purifying Heart Technique. But would things truly unfold as they expected? Time would give everyone the answer.

Back at the Su Family's small courtyard.

Su Tan lay back in his chair. Whenever he had free time, he liked to sit outside and enjoy the breeze, as it was too stuffy indoors. The sun gradually slanted toward the west. Although Su Tan could not see the beautiful sunset, he could feel the shifting light and the changing temperature. The scorching sunlight in the air began to soften. High up in the firmament, birds flew back to their nests together. Basking leisurely in the sun without a care in the world—this kind of life was quite nice.

The Xu Family had been gone for quite some time now. Calculating the hours, they should have encountered their tribulation by now.

"If my estimations are correct, they should be arriving right about now if they turned back!" Su Tan said. He had total confidence in his divination.

CLACK CLACK CLACK!

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

"HIYAH! HIYAH!"

"Sure enough, speak of the devil, and he shall appear." Su Tan's lips curled into a smile.

A carriage sped down the main road. The people inside anxiously urged the beasts pulling the cart forward, wishing the creatures could sprout wings and fly. A mixture of dust and blood hung in the air. The thick stench of gore was highly unsettling.

"Mr. Su! Master Su!" Before the carriage even came to a halt, a voice rang out. It was Jiu! Xu Jiu! Her words were laced with sorrow and choked with sobs.

"WHOA!"

The carriage slammed to a stop in front of Su Tan's courtyard gates.

"Mr. Su, help us!" Xu Jiu cried out in a panic. "Please, save Grandmaster Xu!"

"The door isn't closed. I left it open specifically for you. Come in," Su Tan said.

This time, they did not dare show even a shred of disrespect toward Su Tan. It was a reverence that came from the very bottom of their hearts. That morning, although they had treated Su Tan with politeness, it was not genuine respect. In their minds, he had merely been a street-side God Stick; what was there to respect?

But now, after experiencing everything that had just transpired, they truly respected him. Or rather, they were in awe. Alongside their respect, there was deep-seated fear!

It was all because Su Tan's divination had been far too accurate. After leaving, they had indeed been ambushed. Five experts had led a team to assassinate them. At first, Grandmaster Xu fought against the five with effortless ease, secretly rejoicing that his plan was a success. But right in the middle of the battle, a problem arose in his body, and an uncontrollable mass of energy suddenly erupted! That power did not attack his enemies; it attacked him!

In an instant, Xu Xiuwu, who had held absolute superiority, was completely suppressed and thrown into mortal danger. The other members of the Xu Family were also pinned down by a horde of assassins and could not offer any support. In the end, Grandmaster Xu had to sacrifice half his life to force the enemies into a retreat. However, the ordeal left him completely drained of all his strength, like a lamp running out of oil. He was on the verge of death. It was only then that they remembered Su Tan's divination.

The Xu Family immediately carried the unconscious Xu Xiuwu inside.

"Master Su, I beg you, please save Grandmaster Xu! As long as you lend a hand, the Xu Family is willing to pay any price!" Xu Hao, whose own body was covered in wounds, knelt on the ground and pleaded.

The rest of the Xu Family members also dropped to their knees one after another. Where was the arrogance of White Cloud City's leading family now? Had they known it would come to this, they never would have acted so haughtily in the first place.

In Su Tan's arms, the White Wolf cast a look of pure disdain at the kneeling Xu Family.