"Yue Nanfeng?"
Zhu Ju asked slowly:
"What are his Cultivation and strength?"
"Are you jealous?" Zhou Ruxuan glanced sideways at him, the displeasure on her face vanishing to reveal a shy blush. She waved her hand somewhat unnaturally.
"That Yue fellow is the son of a bandit. Even if things don’t work out between us, there’s no way I could fall for him."
Zhu Ju came from a common background; for the Zhou Family, at least, it would be a case of her marrying down.
But the Zhou Family was well aware that a handmaiden of Zhu Ju’s had become a disciple of a Core Disciple from the True Martial Sect.
For the sake of this connection alone, they had to hold on to him tightly.
What’s more, Zhou Ruxuan had already entrusted her family’s businesses to the Zhu Mansion for management, tying their interests together.
As for their relationship...
Though not lovers, they were more than just friends. It was naturally impossible for her to get entangled with the son of a bandit.
"That’s not it." Zhu Ju shook his head:
"Not long ago, Earth Rat Xu Qing was hired to kill me. It was Yue Nanfeng’s doing."
"What!" Zhou Ruxuan’s expression changed:
"Are you alright?"
"I’m fine." Zhu Ju shook his head:
"Xu Qing is dead. It’s a long story. First, tell me about Yue Nanfeng’s Cultivation."
"Yue Nanfeng..." Zhou Ruxuan grew pensive:
"He just turned twenty this year and has a mid-Seventh Grade Cultivation. He cultivates the Profound Skill Celestial Eagle Transformation, a technique that leads directly to the Third Grade, and wields a Sixth-Grade Qi Blood Divine Weapon. His strength is quite remarkable."
"Zhu Ju..."
"If you plan to make a move against him, you need a long-term plan."
A mid-Seventh Grade at twenty years old would surely be able to reach the Seventh-Grade Peak Realm before thirty.
He has a chance of reaching the Sixth Grade.
Zhou Ruxuan is eighteen this year, at the low-Seventh Grade, with comparable Talent.
"Killing Yue Nanfeng wouldn’t be difficult."
Her beautiful eyes flashed as she said:
"But his father is Yue Xihong, the leader of the Celestial Eagle Thieves. Not only does the man possess extraordinary Martial Arts, but he has also mastered an Eagle Taming Secret Technique. He has two Sixth-Grade Eagle Demons by his side."
"The Eagle Demons can hover in the sky and see for miles, rendering any ambush against him useless."
"Years ago, Hong Qingyi, the Gang Leader of the Qingyi Gang, managed to bribe one of the Celestial Eagle Thieves’ leaders to lure him into a trap. Unfortunately, a disturbance broke out in the city, causing the encirclement to fall apart at the last moment."
Yue Xihong is a Sixth-Grade Peak master, and with two Eagle Demons, he can even fight against a Fifth-Grade expert.
Because of this, the Celestial Eagle Thieves have run rampant in the surrounding area for years without ever being eliminated.
"I heard..."
Zhu Ju began slowly:
"...that the Celestial Eagle Thieves have some connection to the Sanhe Gang?"
"Yes." Zhou Ruxuan nodded and lowered her voice:
"The Celestial Eagle Thieves played a part in the Sanhe Gang’s ability to replace the Qingyi Gang. But this is not a relationship that can be brought out into the open. In fact..."
"All the major families and powerful clans in the city can contact the Celestial Eagle Thieves. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to do business."
Zhu Ju understood.
Businessmen value making money peacefully and are naturally unwilling to offend the powerful figures who control the roads.
They have to pay protection fees every year just to dare to travel.
"The Celestial Eagle Thieves are an affliction, a parasite sucking the blood of Taiyuan Prefecture," Zhou Ruxuan sighed.
"For decades, many have tried to eliminate them, but none have ever succeeded."
"Furthermore, Yue Xihong is vengeful over the smallest slight. The demon beast disaster in the city two years ago was because someone killed Red Eagle Tong Zhixiang, which led to retaliation from Celestial Eagle Island. So, unless you’re absolutely certain, you must not make a move against Yue Nanfeng."
Zhu Ju rubbed his nose.
’With my current Cultivation and strength, killing Yue Nanfeng would be dangerous, but not impossible.’
’But Yue Xihong...’
’That would be impossible!’
"If you’re worried," Zhou Ruxuan said, her beautiful eyes gleaming, "you can stay at my home for a while. The Zhou Mansion has many courtyards just for entertaining guests."
"No need."
Zhu Ju shook his head:
"Will Yue Nanfeng show his face?"
"He relies on his powerful father, knowing that no one dares to touch him, so he enters the city from time to time." Zhou Ruxuan frowned:
"Are you really planning to make a move?"
"No."
Zhu Ju smiled faintly:
"Just asking."
Zhou Ruxuan looked at him with suspicion. Knowing Zhu Ju as she did, she was certain that whenever he asked about something, he had a purpose in mind.
*
*
*
The people from the Huang Family were far slower to arrive than expected.
「Half a month later.」
Dawn was breaking. Before any pedestrians were on the streets, five sturdy horses broke through the morning mist and appeared at the back gate of the Zhu Mansion.
"WHOA!"
A woman dressed in fiery red martial attire dismounted, drifting into the courtyard like a crimson cloud.
"Who’s there?"
The patrolling guards’ vision blurred, and they subconsciously drew their Weapons.
"Put them away."
Zhu Ju’s voice rang out:
"They are guests. Open the back gate and let them in."
At some point, Zhu Ju had appeared in the rear courtyard, sizing up the red-clad woman who had barged into the Zhu Mansion.
"Yes, sir."
Hearing this, the guards relaxed, bowed in acknowledgment, and the quickest among them had already hurried to open the back gate.
"NEIGH..."
With low neighs, five dark-brown horses stepped inside.
A faint gray mist emanated from their bodies, and their trotting hooves made no sound at all.
Black Nightmare Horses!
Zhu Ju’s eyes narrowed in thought.
Sixth-Grade Beasts!
The riders on their backs were fully armored, their auras condensed. Shockingly, they all had a Seventh-Grade Peak Cultivation.
Moreover.
Qi Blood Divine Weapons!
Four Seventh-Grade Peak experts wielding Qi Blood Divine Weapons and riding Sixth-Grade Beasts—a force that few in the entire Taiyuan Prefecture could withstand.
Not only that, but the woman who had landed in the courtyard first was an upper Sixth-Grade master, looking to be only in her early twenties.
Spiritual Light flickered around her body; even the boots on her feet were a Qi Blood Divine Weapon.
And of a high grade, at that.
A single glance revealed no fewer than seven Qi Blood Divine Weapons, their value worth who knows how many tens of thousands of taels.
Extravagant!
Powerful!
...
"You’re Zhu Ju?"
"I am." Zhu Ju retracted his gaze, his expression unchanged:
"And you are...?"
"My name is Huang Ying."
The woman had sharp features and a cold gaze. Her voice was not clear and gentle like that of an ordinary woman, but rather husky and deep.
"Where is Second Sister-in-law?"
"This way, please."
Zhu Ju gestured with his hand:
"Miss Liuu has been waiting for a long time."
"Mm."
Huang Ying’s eyes flickered, emotions like reluctance, pity, anger, and murderous intent flashing past in an instant.
It was such a complex fluctuation of emotions that if not for Zhu Ju’s Formless Divine Light, he would have never been able to perceive it.
"The Huang Family is fair in its dealings. Since you saved one of our own, you will be handsomely rewarded."
Huang Ying’s gaze swept over Zhu Ju, pausing on his face as if surprised by his handsome features. Even her tone softened considerably:
"Now that I’m here to pick up Second Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry about her safety."
"Yes."
Zhu Ju’s expression was calm:
"Please."
"Miss Liuu is inside."
"Mm." Huang Ying nodded. Just as she was about to step inside, she suddenly stopped and asked:
"Who was it that attacked Second Sister-in-law?"
"A bandit who was roaming the area, nicknamed Earth Rat, named Xu Qing," Zhu Ju said. "He is already dead, killed at the hands of the Zhu Mansion guards."
"A bandit?" Huang Ying frowned:
"Earth Rat Xu Qing?"
"A nobody. It’s perfectly normal that you haven’t heard of him," Zhu Ju said, his eyes flickering slightly as he continued:
"He was backed by the Celestial Eagle Thieves. They have plagued Taiyuan Prefecture for decades. Their leader is a Sixth-Grade Peak master, and he has two Sixth-Grade Eagle Demons by his side. They are extremely difficult to deal with."
"Oh!" Huang Ying raised an eyebrow:
"A Sixth-Grade Peak..."
"Hmph!"
"Understood."