Crossing Over: The Strongest Mage

"Truly worthy of being the head of the Fengyuan Escort Agency. Your mind is so meticulous that I can't hide anything from you! Impressive! Impressive!" Yan Huo said, then took off his mask. The moment Yan Huo removed the mask, Liu Yiqing clenched his fists tightly and said, "It's really you!"

Yan Huo's next words brought everyone into even greater surprise. Yan Huo sneered coldly, "Heh, isn't this just what you were hoping for? My dear... father."

"Son?" The others gasped in shock.

"Impossible!" The one who reacted most strongly was, of course, Yang Lue. "Father! What is going on? Why have you never mentioned this to me before?" Even the usually calm Liu Zheng started to question Liu Yiqing.

Fang Yu, however, remained composed and even smiled slightly. "Heh, this is interesting! Really, more and more interesting."

"Zheng'er, De'er, he is your fourth brother, who was thought to be dead—Liu Yan Huo."

"Ah!!! Fourth brother! Liu Yan Huo!?" Liu Zheng and Liu De exclaimed in unison, both shocked.

"Dad! Wasn't the fourth brother dead from birth? I saw you burn his body with my own eyes, how could..." Liu De asked, confused.

"That body was fake." Liu Yiqing answered simply to the panicking Liu De, then turned to Yan Huo and said, "Yan Huo, you've always wanted to know why I left you at the mountain manor, why I never let you call me 'father'? Today, I will tell you why."

Liu Yiqing slowly explained the story of how Yan Huo was born, how he used a fake body to deceive everyone. He also carefully described how he had concealed the truth for the sake of the family.

However, he didn't mention the part about the fake Liu Yan Ran, indicating his deep affection for the substitute. "So, for the family's sake, I had no choice but to do that. Do you understand?"

"Originally, I wanted to know the secret of my birth, and now I finally understand. I am the 'dragon and phoenix' body destined to rule, haha! The worst part is, from his description, that Qing Shan Daoist seems to have been my master as well, having practiced the contents of the four yellow papers. He used the 'Escape to Heaven's Five Element Array' to facilitate my dragon and phoenix body. Not only did he trap me in the mountains, but he also caused Sister Xiu Ning to lose her life for nothing."

Thinking of all this, Yan Huo couldn't help but curse his former master. Before leaving the mountains, Yan Huo had already softened his feelings about the secret of his birth and his hatred towards his father. Now, after hearing Liu Yiqing's account, his hatred toward him lessened even further.

"After all, he did it for the sake of the family's future. Why should I still hate him?" With that realization, the knot in Yan Huo's heart loosened. He suddenly felt much lighter. Now, the only thing he was concerned about was how to seek immortality.

The conversation between Yan Huo and Liu Yiqing continued. Yan Huo asked, "I don't understand. You hated me so much, wanted to abandon me, leaving me alone in the mountains. But now, why are you so willing to accept me so easily?"

Liu Yiqing smiled and replied, "When you were born, I worried that the imperial court would be a threat to our family. But after receiving a secret letter and learning about the relationship between our family and the royal family, I realized my previous worries were unnecessary. As long as we wholeheartedly support the imperial court, the royal family will not harm us."

He continued, "Besides, so much time has passed. Who would still remember that I once had a son with the aura of an emperor, the figure of the 'dragon and phoenix'? The more crucial point is that now, it's not just our family, but every other family is facing a moment of life and death. I need your powerful strength. My son. To be honest, even now, I still dislike you. However, the fate of the family is more important than my personal feelings, more important than my own life. I cannot let the Liu family's century-old legacy be destroyed by me, Liu Yiqing."

At this point, Liu Yiqing became extremely serious. Yan Huo stared at him and asked, "How do you know I will help you?"

Liu Yiqing replied, "You will. You only hate me, but your mother is innocent, and your brothers don't even know about you. You won't hate them. Just the fact that you came here today proves that. Can you really bear to watch them die?"

Yan Huo glared at his father. "Liu Yiqing! I can only say that you are despicable."

Liu Yiqing was not bothered by his son's scolding. He slowly put down his teacup and gave a dry laugh. "Heh, I've always been this way. For the family, I would even give up my soul. If you want to hate someone, then hate your birth, hate that you are my son."

Yan Huo said, "Fine! I agree, but I have one request."

"I'll let you see her, but it's best to wait until after you find the treasure and return," Liu Yiqing understood that Yan Huo's greatest desire was to see someone.

"Alright! Now, let's take a look at the four pieces of the golden jade map!" As Liu Yiqing took out two pieces of gold and jade from his robes, Fang Yu and Yang Guang also took out their respective pieces.

From a strategic perspective, Liu Yiqing was undoubtedly the strongest head of the Liu family throughout the generations. He had left Liu Zheng and Liu De behind, not for their safety, but for the greater picture.

After reading the secret letter, Liu Yiqing decisively ordered the clan elders of the various provinces and escort agencies to secretly gather in Yancheng, Luocheng, and Jiangcheng under the pretense of transporting goods. Yancheng was irrelevant, as it was where the Liu family had many people. Luocheng was the base of the Yang family, and Jiangcheng was the base of the Fang family.

Once Yan Huo and the others set off to find the treasure, Liu Yiqing immediately ordered Liu De to defend Luocheng and Liu Zheng to defend Jiangcheng. The Liu family already had a considerable presence in Yancheng, so Liu Yiqing only ordered 4,000 men to return to Yancheng. The forces in the other two cities, including those of the Yang and Fang families, were around 4,000 to 5,000 men each.

Although 4,000 to 5,000 men couldn't stop the imperial army, they at least didn't fear experts coming to attack. However, if an enemy like a cultivator appeared, Liu Yiqing would have to rely on the legendary treasure and Yan Huo's strength.

Three years ago, when Yan Huo had jumped off the cliff, he had not died but instead returned as a cultivator to stand before Liu Yiqing. Liu Yiqing believed that Yan Huo must have been saved by some cultivator three years ago, and that other cultivators were likely behind him. With Yan Huo's addition, they could count on powerful cultivators on their side, increasing their chances of defeating the enemy cultivators.

Actually, Liu Yiqing had noticed several changes in the court as early as three years ago. That was the year when the current emperor, Wen Shu Emperor Chen Jie, turned sixteen and officially began his reign. Before that, all government affairs were handled by the Empress Dowager Liu and two assisting ministers. During Empress Dowager Liu's rule, the administration was orderly, and she implemented many benevolent policies, fully preserving the late emperor's legacy.