anwhile, at the Yu Family estate.
In the spacious courtyard, a corpulent figure lay comfortably on a rocking chair. A gentle breeze caressed his skin as he was surrounded by a dozen or so graceful won, their incessant giggles mingling with the lingering scent of perfu.
"Young Master... have a cherry!"
"Hmm? This cherry looks lonely. Where are its two bigger companions? Xiao Yue, you're being naughty again!"
"Young Master... you're so naughty..."
"Young Master, have a drink!"
"Xiao i, I want you to feed with your mouth!"
"You're awful~"
Suddenly, soone walked through the gate.
The temperature in the courtyard plumted instantly, as if it had plunged from the dog days of sumr into the depths of a frozen winter. The lightly dressed won shuddered, goosebumps rising on their delicate, fair skin. Upon seeing the figure at the gate, their expressions changed. They scattered imdiately, fleeing without another word.
Yu Xiaolong, with his disheveled hair and reeking of alcohol, lifted his head in confusion at the sudden silence. When he saw the person standing before him, he imdiately sat up, his chubby face beaming with a smile. "Well, well, what wind has blown my dear aunt here?"
Yu Pufan was tall and slender, dressed in a warm yellow robe. Her eyebrows curved like crescent moons, and her nose was pertly upturned. It was a naturally sweet face, yet her temperant turned icy due to a pair of eyes that seed utterly void of emotion. She stared at Yu Xiaolong for a long mont before speaking.
"Wang Xiu is still alive."
Yu Xiaolong's expression shifted. The lethargy and drunkenness vanished in an instant, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes before he quickly concealed it. "Where?"
"Qingzhou," Yu Pufan answered.
Yu Xiaolong shot to his feet and rushed into the house.
Yu Pufan stood her ground and continued, "He destroyed thirteen Yi Clan outposts and killed many of their people. The Yi Clan has issued a kill-on-sight order for him."
From inside the house, where he seed to be busy with sothing, Yu Xiaolong's voice called out, "That shaless lot from the Yi Clan got what they deserved! Back then, they used their superior numbers to bully others. Now that my brother has returned, it's only right that he settles the score with them!"
"He cannot possibly stand against the entire Yi Clan alone," Yu Pufan stated.
Yu Xiaolong erged, having changed into a fresh set of clothes, his entire person looking rejuvenated. "I know, that's why I'm going to back my brother up! If those worthless scum dare to lay a finger on him, just watch this young master teach them how to behave!"
Yu Pufan stepped in front of him, showing no intention of moving aside. "Your grandfather's grand birthday is approaching."
"It doesn't matter," Yu Xiaolong retorted. "My presence or absence makes no difference. As long as my brother returns, that's all that matters!"
Yu Pufan said nothing more, simply watching him in silence. Yu Xiaolong glared back at her. They stared at each other without a word, locked in a stalemate for a long ti until a hint of helplessness flickered in Yu Xiaolong's eyes.
Despite his aunt's sweet face, which resembled that of a harmless girl next door, her thods were notoriously unyielding. The Yu Family had stood firm in the Yaoguang Domain for tens of thousands of years, relying on three great treasures.
The Jade Ruyi generated wealth from everywhere. The Ruyi Comrce Guild had branches across the Nine Heavens, its coffers overflowing with riches enough to rival entire nations.
Yu Pufan controlled all manner of unruly powers and held sway over a vast intelligence network. With informants spread across the Nine Heavens, there was almost nothing she didn't know. His young aunt had been a fad Heavenly Prodigy in her own right, casting aside her birth na at eighteen. She took on the title of Yu Pufan and beca the eyes of the Yu Family, intimidating every upstart troublemaker. By now, over six hundred years had passed.
Throughout the vast Celestial Province, heroes were countless and experts were as common as clouds. Prodigious talents erged from the great ancient sects and powerful families, yet not a single one failed to show her so asure of respect.
Yu Xiaolong knew very well that if his aunt did not approve, it would be nearly impossible for him to leave the Yu Family, let alone the Celestial Province.
"Auntie~ please let go! I promise I won't cause any trouble!" Left with no choice, Yu Xiaolong resorted to acting spoiled. Though the chubby youth was on the plump side, his features were still refined. While his pleading act was enough to give one goosebumps, it wasn't entirely nauseating. Of course, enjoying it was out of the question.
Yu Pufan imdiately frowned and chided, "Have so sense!"
"But he's my brother!" Yu Xiaolong protested.
"That boy has so tricks up his sleeve; he won't die so easily," Yu Pufan said.
"And what if ti passes?"
"If too much ti passes, it'll be useless even if you go! If he's truly headed for disaster, you won't be able to save him."
Yu Xiaolong's eyes widened. "But we have to do *sothing*, don't we?"
Yu Pufan sighed. "Thinking about doing sothing only now, isn't it a bit too late?"
Yu Xiaolong was speechless. He knew what she ant and, unwilling to continue the conversation, turned and stord into his room. He slamd the door shut, locking it and even laying down several sealing talismans over the entrance.
Gazing at the firmly locked door, Yu Pufan added, "Don't waste your effort. Your grandfather gave specific instructions. I can't possibly let you slip away under my watch."
There was no response from inside. Yu Pufan said no more and turned to leave the courtyard. A long ti passed, and the room remained deathly quiet.
That night, a maid's sudden scream pierced the air.
"This is bad! The Young Master is gone!"
「 ... 」
Similar scenes were unfolding all across the Yaoguang Domain. The news of Wang Xiu's appearance had shaken the major powers. Soon, everyone knew that the man from the Lower Realm who had truly ventured deep into Longhuang Island had returned alive.
He might very well be concealing the Dragon Emperor's inheritance, and possibly even the suprely precious Origin of Zhulong.
No one could remain idle. Even the great Ancient Clans and Di Clans were stirred into action. The potential rewards were simply too tempting. If they could truly obtain the Origin of Zhulong, the various great families were confident they could produce another Quasi-Emperor Supre, or even… so old ancestors within the Ancient Clans might just be able to break through their bottleneck. For them, advancing to the Great Emperor Realm was not out of the question.
Faced with such a temptation, even though many felt the likelihood of Wang Xiu actually possessing the Origin of Zhulong was slim, no one was willing to bet against it. Even the slimst possibility was enough to drive them to madness.
「 ... 」
The waters of the Yaoguang Domain grew murky and agitated, simring just beneath the surface. Outwardly, however, not a ripple could be seen. Even the Yi Clan remained quiet, no longer publicly proclaiming their hunt for the person who had annihilated their outposts, as if nothing had ever happened.
But an observant person would notice that in recent days, a large number of unfamiliar faces had appeared within Qingzhou. So of these people were unremarkable in appearance and moved with discretion. Others traveled in groups, making no effort to conceal their presence. Yet nearly all of them exuded powerful auras. There were no weaklings among them, and their passage through the streets drew constant sideways glances and sent chills down the spines of onlookers.
On a bustling street, a young man in plain cloth robes was eating stead buns, devouring them one by one with great relish.
"Proprietor, two more baskets!" he called out, still not satisfied after finishing one.
A waiter quickly and efficiently brought the stead buns over. As he was eating, a hand suddenly slamd down on the table before him.
"Have you seen this person?"
The young man looked up to see a ferocious-looking figure holding a Recording Orb and questioning him. The orb flickered, projecting the image of a man. He was impeccably dressed, his looks rivaling those of an exiled immortal.
The plainly dressed youth shook his head. "Haven't seen him. This fellow is quite handso, though. A real looker! Very nice, heh..."
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