Chu Fan hadn’t expected a Cultivator’s status in the mortal world to be so incredibly high. A Noble Family like the Lü Family, prominent in a prefectural city, treated a mere Steward Elder from the Red Blood Mansion like a god.
At the same time, he knew that the Red Blood Mansion’s rise to prominence over the past two hundred years was largely due to their schemes and plunder, but he hadn’t imagined they could be so shameless.
But there was also a silver lining. He had originally planned only to kill this so-called Steward Elder to collect some interest, but now it seemed he had caught a much bigger fish.
The letter Zou Tinggui had sent out with a disciple was surely a summons for their Young Sect Leader, Yan Ji, to come to Yunzhou as soon as possible.
After taking Ye Xiaohan and the others back to their residence, Chu Fan headed to the Chen Family’s estate alone. After some inquiries, he had a general understanding of the Chen Family’s situation.
The Chen Family was a considerable Noble Family in Yunzhou City. The current Patriarch was the Commander of Yunzhou Prefecture, in charge of all the troops in the prefecture.
The Patriarch’s grandfather had once served as the Imperial Secretary of the Celestial Qi Kingdom, a position of immense power.
The Patriarch’s father had been the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War for the Celestial Qi Kingdom.
Compared to his father and grandfather, his position as a prefectural Commander was a clear sign of the family’s decline.
The Patriarch of the Chen Family had three sons. The eldest, Chen Qirui, had passed the imperial examination six years ago and now held a position in the Ministry of Revenue. The second son was Chen Qi’an—the one Lü Yingliang had mentioned was engaged to Lü Yunxiu—who was this year’s imperially appointed Champion Scholar. The third son, Chen Qifu, was only thirteen but was also exceptionally intelligent.
In other words, the Chen Family was, without a doubt, a family of high-ranking officials in the Celestial Qi Kingdom.
For the Lü Family to marry into the Chen Family was considered marrying up.
After all, the Lü Family was merely a family of merchants.
「Three days later.」 The Chen Family’s Champion Scholar returned home in glory, and the pomp and circumstance far outstripped that of the Lü Family’s celebration two days prior.
After all, Cultivation was something far too remote and unattainable for the common people.
But the story of someone becoming the Champion Scholar was something the common folk loved to hear about.
Chu Fan squeezed into the crowd of onlookers, watching Chen Qi’an ride a tall horse, dressed in the reddish-brown robes of a court official. He was a truly handsome and distinguished young man.
As soon as Chen Qi’an returned, many people in Yunzhou City came to offer their congratulations. A constant stream of dignitaries passed through the Chen Family’s gates, but the Lü Family was conspicuously absent.
Because on this very day, the Young Sect Leader of the Red Blood Mansion, accompanied by eight Guards, had "discreetly" arrived in Yunzhou City and entered the Lü Family estate.
The moment Yan Ji saw Lü Yunxiu, his mind started to wander.
At eighteen, Lü Yunxiu was a flower just beginning to bloom. Not only was she beautiful and stunning, but perhaps due to her long association with Chen Qi’an, she also possessed a scholarly air.
This was a unique quality that most female Cultivators lacked.
Moreover, the women Yan Ji had previously engaged in Yin Yang Cultivation with were all fawning over him because of his status. Lü Yunxiu’s touch of dignity and shy modesty was, for Yan Ji, a completely different kind of reward.
Yan Ji himself was a handsome young man. With his Heartbeat Realm Cultivation and having undergone Purification of Essence and Marrow several times, his skin was as smooth as jade. Combined with his vast experience with women, he was devastatingly charming to ordinary girls.
Coupled with her father’s urging, Lü Yunxiu was finally swayed.
’No matter how illustrious the status of a Champion Scholar’s wife, how could it compare to the increased lifespan and eternal youth that came with Cultivation?’
In a hall in the Lü Family’s rear courtyard, only Lü Yingliang, Yan Ji, and Zou Tinggui were seated.
Yan Ji said, "Patriarch Lü, if Yunxiu is with me, I can’t guarantee anything else, but I can promise that no one in the Red Blood Mansion will dare to bully her. Cultivation resources will definitely be prioritized for her. When she completes her training, or after I become the Sect Leader of the Red Blood Mansion, she will at the very least be a Steward Elder. It’s not even impossible for her to become an Elder. Furthermore, when we leave Yunzhou, I will leave four of my Guards at your disposal, Patriarch Lü."
No matter how grand a promise Yan Ji made, nothing was more tangible than his offer to leave behind four Guards.
With these four Guards, the Lü Family could do as they pleased in Yunzhou City. They wouldn’t even have to fear offending the Inspector’s Mansion.
Although the Young Sect Leader wouldn’t make Lü Yunxiu his official wife, the look in Yan Ji’s eyes when he first saw her had told Lü Yingliang everything he needed to know.
The Red Blood Mansion on one side, the Chen Family on the other—what was there for Lü Yingliang to hesitate about?
As night fell, the Chen Family’s celebratory banquet ended and tranquility returned. Chen Qi’an, the Champion Scholar who had returned home in glory, had inevitably drunk too much.
He was lying in bed, having a dream, when he startled awake to see Chu Fan standing before his bed. He broke out in a cold sweat, the effects of the alcohol vanishing in an instant.
Terrified, he tried to shout but found that no sound would come out.
Chu Fan smiled at him. "You don’t need to shout. I’m actually here to save you."
With that, he flicked a finger, sending a current of Qi Power into Chen Qi’an’s chest. Chen Qi’an found he could speak again.
"Who are you? Do you have any idea what crime it is to trespass in an official’s Mansion at night?"
"You don’t need to threaten me with the laws of the mortal world. They don’t apply to me. Besides, I’m here to save you."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qi’an laughed mockingly.
When he had finished laughing, Chu Fan spoke. "Since your ancestors’ time, your Chen Family has commanded troops for the Celestial Qi Kingdom. You must know about the existence of Cultivation Sects, right? Think about it. So many people came to congratulate your family today, but did anyone from the Lü Family show up? Just ask your father, and you’ll find out what the Lü Family has been up to lately."
Chen Qi’an trembled at his words.
"You were able to become the Champion Scholar, which means you’re no pedant; you must have some extraordinary qualities. Many things become clear once you understand the key. In three days at the latest, the Lü Family will surely come to your door to break off the engagement."
"Impossible! Yunxiu and I have been sweethearts since childhood. How could she possibly agree to break off the engagement?" Chen Qi’an said hastily.
Chu Fan just smiled and shook his head. He sat down on a nearby stool, poured a bowl of tea from the pot on the table, and took a sip.
"That’s because you know nothing about Cultivation. What if Lü Yunxiu had the chance to join a Cultivation Sect? Once her Cultivation is successful, her lifespan would be at least double that of a normal person, and she would remain eternally youthful. Do you think she wouldn’t be tempted? And what if the one who took a liking to her was the Young Sect Leader of that Cultivation Sect? How do you think she would choose?"
Hearing this, Chen Qi’an’s entire body trembled uncontrollably.
"So what if the engagement is broken? The worst that can happen is I find another beautiful woman. With my reputation, finding a virtuous wife..."
Chu Fan’s cold laughter cut him off. "I didn’t expect the Champion Scholar to be so naive. You think of people in far too simple terms. To the Young Sect Leader of a Cultivation Sect, what is the Champion Scholar of the Celestial Qi Kingdom but an ant? How could he allow his woman to have once been the childhood sweetheart of an ant? The only way for him to feel at ease is for you to die."
"Can Cultivators just kill people wantonly without any regard for right or wrong?" Chen Qi’an demanded furiously.
"Forget about Cultivation Sects. Even right here in Yunzhou City, there are good people and bad people. Besides, how can the laws of the Celestial Qi Kingdom possibly restrain a Cultivator?"
"Then who exactly are you? Why are you helping me? And how are you going to help me?"
"I simply can’t stand the Lü Family’s greed and disloyalty, can’t stand the Red Blood Mansion’s plundering, and can’t stand what these people are doing. Plus, I have a personal grudge against the Red Blood Mansion. As for how I’ll help you, I’ll act as your Guard for a while and follow you. When the time comes for me to act, I will."
"But wouldn’t that implicate our Chen Family? How could our Chen Family possibly withstand the retaliation of a Cultivation Sect?" Chen Qi’an’s words went straight to the heart of the matter.
"So, the Champion Scholar would rather die himself than implicate the Chen Family?"