Luo Xuanqing resented the idea of his younger sister becoming a sacrificial pawn in a political marriage with the Zhang Clan, but at the same time, he understood how important it was for this marriage to go through. Anyone who attempted to halt this marriage would be as good as the sinner of humanity.

If there was any other alternative, there was no way he would allow such a fate to befall his younger sister.

Luo Xuanqing was silent for a moment before saying, "I have already promised my younger sister not to investigate that man's affairs, and I have no intention of breaking my promise to her. However, rest assured that I'll get someone to look into it and make a move against that man in my stead!"

"You'll get someone to do it in your place? Who is it? You should know how important it is to keep this matter confidential, or else we will be in deep trouble!" the First Elder said with a frown.

If it was found that the Luo Clan had attempted to kill the man whom the little princess loved, the Luo Clan would surely be condemned for its actions. Thus, it was imperative that they found someone trustworthy to carry out the job.

"The person I'll be entrusting this matter to is a close brother of mine, so there's no need to worry about him turning against us!" Luo Xuanqing replied. "He's none other than the person whom you told me to get close to earlier, Zhang Xuan!"

"Him?" The First Elder was startled for a moment before he nodded slowly. "It's indeed admirable how he dived fearlessly into the storm clouds in order to save you. Such relationships are hard-to-come-by, so treasure it well. However, you must make sure that the brother of yours doesn't give anything away, or else the little princess' rage will be hard for any of us to withstand!"

"Don't worry!" Luo Xuanqing nodded. "My brother, Zhang Xuan, has no ties with my younger sister at all. The both of them don't even know one another, so there's no way on earth he would possibly leak the information to her!"

"That would be for the best. This matter is of grave importance, so make sure to handle it promptly. I'll be waiting for your report."

Following which, the light barrier began flickering.

Hu!

The First Elder disappeared from both of their views.

Luo Xuanqing closed his eyes as unnerving tranquility floated in the air, reminiscent of the calm before a storm. Slowly, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, and a quivering voice came from his lips. "Elder Qi there are so many experts in the clan, why is he entrusting this mission to me?"

If his younger sister ever learned that he had sent someone to kill the person she loved, that would probably spell the end of their kinship. They would never be able to return to the good old days.

"Sigh." Knowing what Luo Xuanqing was thinking, Elder Qi shook his head and said, "I know that it's hard on you, but the First Elder has his considerations for making such a choice, too."

"Considerations? Are my feelings part of his considerations? Or am I nothing more than a mere tool to the Luo Clan?" Luo Xuanqing's voice was suppressed, but the deep emotions behind his words seemed to be on the verge of bursting forth.

Elder Qi shook his head for a moment before quietly replying, "She's your younger sister. If you are the one to make the move, she will only consider it a personal conflict between the both of you. The rest of us can feign ignorance, and there will still be some ground for reconciliation between her and the rest of the clan. However, if she learns that that man was killed by the experts of our clan, this matter will be blown out of proportion. She will become completely estranged from our Luo Clan! As one of the core members of our Luo Clan, you should be able to understand this logic."

Geji! Geji!

The sound of Luo Xuanqing clenching his fists was not loud, but it echoed conspicuously amid the still air.

As a core member of the Luo Clan, how could he possibly be unaware of all this?

As a doting brother, this was not the first time that he had made a move against those foolish men who dared approach his younger sister. That's why, if he made a move against that man, he would be able to take the full blame for doing so.

The Luo Clan would not be implicated, and its reputation would not be besmirched.

"Also, you should know what happened to the five elder brothers that came before you. Our Luo Clan owes you. Treat this as a trial. As long as you can accomplish what's asked of you, no one will dare speak another word when you rise to the position of the clan head in the future. Otherwise, there's no saying that dissidents will not start to act up" Elder Qi continued.

"Enough!" Hearing about his five elder brothers, Luo Xuanqing's eyes could not help but redden slightly.

A heavy silence drifted in the air for a while before it was broken by a sigh from Elder Qi. "Even if not for anyone else, you should think in their stead as well. I believe you know better than me what the right decision to make is."

Once again, there was a long moment of silence before Luo Xuanqing finally muttered, "I'll do it."

"That would be for the best. Don't drag it out for too long. It will only prolong your misery. And make sure that no one else hears of the matter," Elder Qi said with a wave of his hand.

Following which, his silhouette suddenly faded before vanishing from the spot.

With his departure, the sealed space around them broke open, and the callings of the cicadas and beasts around him immediately gushed in.

Hu!

However, Luo Xuanqing remained completely motionless on the spot, seemingly deep in thought. A long time later, all of his emotions eventually converged into a long sigh.

"Younger sister, I'm sorry."

Luo Xuanqing hated the notion of putting his younger sister through an arranged marriage, but admittedly, only the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan was worthy of her. On the other hand, the person she liked was a nobody from a Tier-1 Empire. Before behemoths like the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan, that man was nothing at all.

"Even if I don't make a move, the Zhang Clan will make a move, too! And once they do so, things could very well spiral out of control." Luo Xuanqing shook his head.

There was no way he could miss that implied meaning behind the First Elder's words.

The young prodigy of the Zhang Clan was as important to the Zhang Clan as his younger sister was to the Luo Clan. For the young prodigy's fiance to be stolen by another man was, no doubt, a slap to the Zhang Clan's face. There was no way they would let that man get away scot-free!

If the Luo Clan were to make a move first, at least the Zhang Clan's rage would be placated, and his younger sister would not be snubbed after marrying over.

Even though the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan were both top Sage Clans whose names were echoed in unison, those who were in the upper society of the Master Teacher Continent were all deeply aware that the Zhang Clan commanded far greater influence and power than the Luo Clan.

"I guess there's no choice but for me to play the villain." Luo Xuanqing shook his head. "I'll have to entrust this mission to someone reliable."

After regaining composure, a glint flashed across Luo Xuanqing's eyes.

Given that Zhang Xuan already knew bits and pieces of this matter, there was no one more suited than him to carry this task out.

It was just that this mission could be as good as throwing the other party into the abyss. Once his younger sister learned of the matter, there was no way she would let the other party go.

But in return, he would fully acknowledge the other party and protect him for life. As he rose in standing, he would make sure to compensate the other party for that.

This could both be an opportunity or a crisis for the other party.

Dashing straight ahead, it did not take long for him to arrive at Zhang Xuan's residence. After realizing that the latter had headed out, he quickly asked around for his whereabouts before heading off to the Hall of Erudition.

"Zhang shi isn't around anymore. He's headed off to the Tower of Master Teachers!"

"Tower of Master Teachers? Is he planning to clear his 8-star master teacher examination?" Luo Xuanqing was surprised to hear that.

As his younger sister had challenged the Tower of Master Teachers in her time as well, it went without saying that he was aware of this trial in the Sanctum of Sages. However, he did not think that Zhang Xuan would want to challenge it too.

Due to the massive uproar that happened as a result of the terrifyingly large lightning tribulation at the Hall of Integrity, it was no longer a secret that the culprit behind the incident, Zhang Xuan, was planning on challenging the Tower of Master Teachers.

Rather, it had already become public knowledge.

"It won't be easy to clear the Tower of Master Teachers. That fellow sure is daring!" Luo Xuanqing remarked with a shake of his head before rushing in the direction of the Tower of Master Teachers.

The Tower of Master Teachers was indeed the most efficient way for one to be promoted to an 8-star master teacher, but if it was easy to clear, there would not only be a handful of successful challengers in the several dozen millenniums since the founding of the Sanctum of Sages.

In fact, he had thought about challenging the Tower of Master Teachers in the past, but eventually, he had decided against it because he knew that it would be impossible for him to accomplish with his current level of strength.

That trial not only required one to possess superior fighting prowess and talent. More than that, one's comprehension of the various supporting occupations had to have achieved an extremely high mastery as well and this was exactly what had stopped many in their footsteps.

After all, not everyone was a true genius like his younger sister, capable of grasping anything in an instant.

Flitting forward, it did not take long for him to arrive before the Tower of Master Teachers. By the time he arrived, a huge crowd had already gathered around the area. Even the deputy sanctum head, Zhan Tiancheng, was standing close by with eyes filled with expectations.

At around this moment, someone amid the crowd shouted, "It's starting!"

Following which, the first floor of the Tower of Master Teachers lit up.