CHAPTER 331: CHAPTER 331: MASTER LU’S SETBACK _1

Qin Feiyang appeared in Ren Wushuang’s courtyard.

But with no one around, it seemed unusually desolate.

"Without Miss Ren, I feel a bit uncomfortable," the Wolf King chuckled. "By the way, Xiao Qinzi, when can you give me a Nine-Bend Yellow Dragon Pill?"

"What is this Nine-Bend Yellow Dragon Pill?" Fatty questioned, looking skeptically at the two of them.

"It’s a kind of badass pill," the Wolf King grinned slyly.

"How badass is it?" Fatty was surprised. It seemed a lot of unimaginable things had happened during his absence.

"Let’s discuss the Nine-Bend Yellow Dragon Pill later. Follow me." After Qin Feiyang said that, he strode out of the courtyard toward a guard at the junction ahead.

"Master Qin, you’re here!" Although Qin Feiyang hadn’t visited the mansion often, the guards basically all knew him. Upon seeing Qin Feiyang, that guard greeted him with a smile.

Before Qin Feiyang could speak, the guard asked again, "Are you here to see Miss Ren?"

"No." Qin Feiyang shook his head and smiled. "I’ve come to see the Mansion Lord. Where is he?"

The guard said, "The Mansion Lord is in the meeting hall, apparently arguing with the Grand Pavilion Master, the Chief Hall Master, and the Lord of the East City."

"They all came too?" Qin Feiyang was surprised.

The guard chuckled. "I find it strange too, but these are matters for high-ranking figures. A small fry like me isn’t qualified to meddle."

Qin Feiyang asked, "Where is the meeting hall?"

The guard replied, "Just go straight ahead. You’ll get there in a few hundred breaths at most."

Qin Feiyang cupped his hands. "Thank you. We’ll talk more when there’s time."

"Okay," the guard nodded.

The two men and the wolf sped off, racing along the path.

As predicted, in less than three hundred breaths, a compound, by no means gigantic but exceedingly ancient, came into view.

At this moment, the main doors were tightly closed. Surrounding the palace were guards in black armor. They stood as straight as lances, their expressions resolute, their auras profound and unfathomable.

Seeing the two men and the wolf approach, the two guards at the main door furrowed their brows, preparing to step forward.

"SHUSH!" Qin Feiyang gestured first, signaling for silence.

"Huh?" The two guards exchanged a look, a sliver of confusion in their eyes.

Qin Feiyang tiptoed to the main door, crouched down, pressed his ear against it, and listened intently.

Weren’t they supposed to be arguing? Why was there not a sound coming from within? He was instantly taken aback.

The Wolf King and Fatty also moved closer, pricking their ears to eavesdrop.

The guards looked at each other in confusion. Daring to eavesdrop on their Mansion Lord’s conversation? Weren’t they being too bold?

One of the guards was about to step forward and urge the two men and the wolf to leave, but another guard quickly pulled him back and whispered something in his ear.

Immediately, the guard’s pupils contracted. He hastily retreated to the side, turning a blind eye to the two men and the wolf.

The other guards, after glancing at the trio for a few moments, also averted their gaze, their lips pursed in a wry smile. The only ones who would dare to behave so recklessly here were probably these two men and the wolf.

Meanwhile, inside the quiet palace, sat two men and two women.

At the head was an elder with white hair, undoubtedly the Mansion Lord.

To his left sat another elder, who, despite his age, had a youthful complexion and crane-white hair. Dressed in a flamboyant, bright red robe, he appeared vigorous and lively. But his old face was currently full of anger. He was the Lord of the East City, the Ancestor of the Lu family!

On the right, two stunningly beautiful women sat shoulder to shoulder. One wore a multicolored long dress and was exceptionally beautiful; her skin was whiter than snow, making her resemble a captivating butterfly. The other woman, dressed in a purple long gown, possessed flower-like beauty and a graceful figure, renowned as a peerless belle of her generation. Both appeared to be in their mid-twenties. Clearly, however, this was not their true age. The lady in the multicolored dress was none other than the Chief Hall Master of the Holy Temple, and the one in purple was the Grand Pavilion Master of the Treasure Pavilion. Furthermore, the two bore a resemblance in their appearance, figure, demeanor, and conduct.

But right now, these two women, the Ancestor of the Lu family, and the Mansion Lord were all silent with their heads bowed, not uttering a word.

What’s the matter? Why is there absolutely no sound?

The two men and the wolf exchanged puzzled glances.

"Why don’t we go in and find out?" the Wolf King cackled, about to swing his paw to smash the door.

Qin Feiyang quickly grabbed him and whispered, "If you rush in like that, won’t the Grand Pavilion Master and the others know that we’re acquainted with the Mansion Lord?"

"Then how long do we have to wait?" the Wolf King grumbled, discontented.

"Just wait patiently," Qin Feiyang whispered.

"My Lord," the Ancestor of the Lu family finally broke the silence, standing up and looking at the Mansion Lord, he said indignantly, "I admit, this matter is indeed my Lu family’s fault. But the Holy Temple can’t just drive all the members of my Lu family out! And the Treasure Pavilion! Completely blacklisting my Lu family over such a trivial matter—isn’t that going a bit too far?"

"Too far?" the lady in the purple dress said coldly. "Master Lu, don’t take this so lightly. Over the years, your Lu family, relying on Lu Xingchen, that top-grade Alchemist, has taken no small advantage of my Treasure Pavilion. Did my Treasure Pavilion ever complain? But your Lu family has become increasingly arrogant, almost to the point of lawlessness. This time, they even blatantly provoked my Treasure Pavilion. If I don’t order your Lu family to be blacklisted, what would become of my Treasure Pavilion’s prestige?"

"Exactly," the lady in the multicolored dress chimed in. "Your Lu family even dared to lay hands on our Holy Temple’s Resource Hall. If we don’t suppress your arrogance, I’m afraid you’ll be trampling all over the Holy Temple next. Also, let me offer you a kind reminder. Those who know the situation might say that you, Master Lu, have failed to discipline your family properly. But those who don’t know might think your Lu family is attempting to seize control of State City. That’s a serious crime, you know!" The corners of her lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of playfulness.

But these words caused the Ancestor of the Lu family’s face to turn pale. He hurriedly said to the Mansion Lord, "My Lord, I harbor no such intentions, absolutely none!"

The woman in the colorful dress said, "Whether you have such intentions or not, who can say?"

The woman in purple interjected, "Perhaps that’s precisely what you’re thinking."

"Don’t you dare slander me!" The Ancestor of the Lu family’s eyes widened in fury as he glared fiercely at the two women.

The woman in the colorful dress chuckled. "Just a little joke, why so tense? Or do you actually have a guilty conscience?"

"I..." The Ancestor of the Lu family pointed at the two, his body trembling with rage.

"HUMPH. I can’t be bothered to waste words with you two wretched women." In the end, he snorted coldly, turned to the Mansion Lord, and bowed. "I implore you, My Lord, to issue an order lifting the blacklist."

The two women exchanged glances, their brows knitted tightly. If the Mansion Lord agreed, they, as the Grand Pavilion Master and Chief Hall Master, wouldn’t dare to disobey.

The Mansion Lord lowered his head, his old eyes filled with contemplation. A moment later, he looked up at Master Lu and chuckled, "Old Lu, how many years has it been since you started following me?"

Master Lu shook his head. "This subordinate doesn’t remember exactly. It’s been a very long time, in any case."

The Mansion Lord sighed. "Yes, so long that it’s hard to recall."

Master Lu frowned, not understanding what the Mansion Lord was getting at.

The Mansion Lord said, "Having followed me for so long, shouldn’t you be very clear about my character?"

At that, the two women in purple visibly relaxed. The Mansion Lord had always been fair and impartial, intolerant of any impropriety. He might not act if he was unaware, but once he discovered a wrongdoing, he would punish it severely, even if the culprit was a close relative!

Master Lu’s pupils contracted. He pleaded, "My Lord, considering all the years this subordinate has served you, could you perhaps make an exception this one time?"

"Enough!" The Mansion Lord slammed his palm on the armrest of his chair and abruptly stood up, his old face filled with rage. "Don’t test my limits! I’m speaking to you civilly; you should accept it with humility. Are you determined to force me to lose my temper?"

"This subordinate wouldn’t dare," Master Lu’s gaze flickered, and he hurriedly bowed.

"I’ve long heard about the conduct of your younger descendants from Wushuang," the Mansion Lord declared. "If it weren’t for your sake, I would have driven them out of State City long ago. In this matter, the Treasure Pavilion and the Holy Temple have acted correctly. And they should continue to do so. Instead of pleading here, you should return home and discipline them properly. If they cause any more trouble for me, don’t blame me for stripping you of your position as City Lord."

Master Lu’s eyes quivered. He quickly replied, "Yes, this subordinate will return at once and discipline them."

"Furthermore!" the Mansion Lord said meaningfully. "Let the younger generation resolve their own matters. It’s rather unfair for the older generation to interfere."

"The Mansion Lord is right. This subordinate will instruct them accordingly," Master Lu said. "But, My Lord, this incident was instigated by Qin Feiyang. He had the Treasure Pavilion and the Holy Temple assist him. Is that fair?"

Master Lu was clearly unconvinced.

"Master Lu, have you no shame?" the woman in the purple dress retorted. "Yes, we assisted Qin Feiyang, but he has the capability to earn our help. Besides, if you Old Bastards from the Lu family hadn’t schemed to eliminate him, would he have come to us?"

"I can tell you this," the woman in the colorful dress added, her tone sharp and her disdain undisguised. "With Qin Feiyang’s intellect, as long as you Old Bastards from the Lu family don’t interfere, none of your Lu family’s younger generation is a match for him. So, before you point fingers at others, go back and properly restrain your shameless descendants."

What an idiot! Isn’t this just like offering his old face up to be slapped? The two men and the wolf snickered outside. To think he’s an experienced old monster who has seen the world, yet he makes such a basic mistake. His intelligence is truly worrying! No wonder the Lu family members are all like fools. It seems to be hereditary.

Master Lu was too ashamed to remain any longer. He cupped his hands and said, "My Lord, this subordinate will take his leave."

The Mansion Lord nodded. "Discipline them well. The day I hear people praising your Lu family, I will have them lift the blacklist."

"Yes," Master Lu responded respectfully, glanced at the two women, flicked his sleeve, and turned towards the main doors.

"My Lord, we shall also take our leave," the two women stood up one after the other.

"Mm," the Mansion Lord nodded.

Outside the door, a guard turned and whispered to the two men and the wolf, "Quick, hide!"

"Too late," Qin Feiyang grumbled. The sound of footsteps had already reached the other side of the door. He waved his hand, and instantly, he, Fatty, and the Wolf King vanished into the ancient castle.

The guards looked on, their eyes wide with astonishment.

Almost at the exact next moment, the palace doors swung open, and the Ancestor of the Lu family strode out, the anger on his face yet to dissipate.

"Greetings, Lord Lu," a group of guards bowed in salute.

The Ancestor of the Lu family shot them a cold glance, then soared into the sky, disappearing in an instant.

The two women also walked out successively. The woman in the purple dress took the hand of the woman in the colorful dress and smiled. "Sister, when you’re free, come visit the Treasure Pavilion. Keep me company; it’s quite boring to be alone."

The woman in the colorful dress nodded. "Alright. Sister, if you’re free, you should also visit the Holy Temple more often to liven things up."

The two women exchanged a smile, then transformed into streaks of light, disappearing in different directions.