Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Li family household.
As one of the preeminent families in Yunfeng county, the Li family had yet to recover from the loss of Second Young Master Li Pingyun.
“Is it confirmed?” Li family chief, Li Jingyu, asked as he looked at the Li family elder before him.
“Chief, it’s been confirmed… it’s true,” the Li family elder smiled sadly.
“I knew it. No wonder Lu Qinghu and Fang Tianyi didn’t avenge their son. They even went all the way to Qingshan town to be at Zhou Donghuang’s beck at call… Zhou Donghuang is actually so powerful?” Li Jingyu’s eyes glinted. “Looks like the death of the former Ma family chief, Ma Tianba probably had something to do with him as well.”
“Chief, Zhou Donghuang appears to be a level-five adept… our Li family cannot afford to offend him,” said the Li family elder.
“We have never done anything to him before, and especially not now… we’ll wait for my eldest daughter to return from Guangling prefecture first. If there is really nothing we can do, I don’t want to avenge my son either, in case we fail and even end up losing our whole family.” Though Li Jingyu said this calmly, his fists were clenched so tightly that they had started bleeding. It was clear that he was furious!
For now, he could only plant his hopes on his eldest daughter who had married the junior governor of the intermediate-level Guangling prefecture. Although she was just a concubine, she was the most loved amongst the many wives and concubines of the junior governor.
“In my letter to her, I told her to come back with the junior governor of Guangling prefecture… who knows if she’ll be coming back alone this time, or with him. If the junior governor comes back with her, perhaps we can avenge my son!”
Guangling county was an intermediate-level prefecture. The Wu family, the household that controlled Guangling prefecture, was a grand family with many level-six adepts. Wherever his son-in-law went, he would be accompanied by at least two level-five adepts.
…
At this time, on the other side of the Li family household.
“Impossible… Impossible… Zhou Donghuang is a martial invalid, how could he possibly become a level-five adept? Furthermore, he… he’s only seventeen years old!” Li Rui shook her head continuously as she refused to believe this was true. But the more she asked, the more hopeless she felt.
Now, even though she said that she did not believe it, deep within her heart, she still knew that it was true. She just could not be resigned to the fact. Back then, outside the main door of the Qingyun guild in Ningping county, her mother Li Yun had told her, “Rui’er, you’re wrong. Zhou Donghuang is a dragon amongst men. You will regret giving him up.”
Li Rui was regretting it now. She had always wanted to find a man of high status so that she too could enjoy the prestige, but now, she had given up on her best chance. That Zhou Donghuang whom she had looked down upon was truly a dragon amongst men, as her mother had said.
…
The Hong family was also one of the preeminent families in the capital of Yunfeng county. By then, someone in the Hong family had also heard the news that was spreading outside like wildfire.
“Zhou Donghuang killed a level-four adept, Lin Tianzheng, the head elder of the Lin family?” A young lady with a slim figure clad in a pale yellow shirt had an incredulous expression on her youthful face. “How could that useless piece of trash have such power?” Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
“Uncle Hong, is that true?” The young lady turned to the man who had told her the news, a middle-aged man dressed in a flowing green gown and a stern look on his face.
The man was none other than Hong Wei, chief of the preeminent Hong family.
“Dandan, it’s true.” Hong Wei nodded his head solemnly. “I sent someone to find out. Zhou Donghuang had indeed killed Lin Tianzheng. That day, Lin Tianzheng even used the Lin family fist motion technique, ‘Crazy Python Punch, but after one round with Zhou Donghuang, his whole body flew backward and his arm was broken. The power that Zhou Donghuang showed that day is hardly inferior to a level-five adept.” Although this was not the first time he had known about this, Hong Wei’s face was still full of shock.
The young lady was none other than Chen Dandan, Lin Lan’s adopted daughter and step-sister of Zhou Donghuang when he was younger. Because she had betrayed Lin Lan and released the Lin family medicine formulas to the Hong family, she had totally broken off contact with Lin Lan and Zhou Donghuang. After leaving Qingshan town, she had come to the preeminent Hong family.
“I had grown up with that trash… I know all about him. How could he possibly have such power?” Chen Dandan still could not believe it, but she had no choice but to trust the words of Hong Wei, the chief of the Hong family.
“Dandan, even if he is talented, if he cannot enter the Valley of Medicine Masters, he will not be able to transcend near perfection of the gathered qi,” said Hong Wei with a smile. “And now, Yun Feng is already in the Valley of Medicine Masters, and you are on your way there. With the help of Medicine Master Zong Er, the two of you will sooner or later be able to reach god tier. From gathered qi to god tier, that’s such a huge jump that they are not even in the same league… Zhou Donghuang will never be able to compete with you then.”
The Valley of Medicine Masters was a sect that ruled over the country of Yunyang, and even the imperial court had to give them offerings regularly. Beneath the Valley of Medicine Masters, there were sixteen countries, like Yunyang country, also named the “Sixteen Countries of the East Valley.”
Within the country of Yunyang, adepts with near perfection of the gathered qi could be considered titans. But in the Valley of Medicine Masters, there were adepts who had even reached god tier, and there were quite a number of them.
“But if… he really is so talented, once the Valley of Medicine Masters hears of it, won’t they definitely want to have him?” Chen Dandan frowned worriedly.
“Haha…” Hong Wei laughed. “Dandan, you don’t have to worry about this at all. In the Valley of Medicine Masters, the person in charge of receiving people from Yunyang is you and Yunfei’s teacher, the second elder, Chen Tianhe. As long as Zhou Donghuang does not get past him, he will never be able to enter the Valley of Medicine Masters. After you go there and become Elder Chen’s disciple, as long as you and Yunfei become good friends with the other disciples there… you can even ask them to help you kill Zhou Donghuang. I believe those arrogant disciples of the Valley of Medicine Masters also do not wish to see a lad from a small town rising above them someday?” As he said this, a murderous glint flashed in Hong Wei’s eyes.
Hearing this, Chen Dandan immediately lit up. “You’re right! We can kill him before he advances further. Zhou Donghuang, you are destined to be trampled beneath my feet… don’t ever think of redeeming yourself!” Chen Dandan laughed to herself quietly.
Leaving Chen Dandan’s courtyard, Hong Wei’s eyes glimmered as he smiled. “Who would have thought that a preeminent family like us would one day have relations with the Valley of Medicine Masters. As long as Yunfei and Dandan get together, eventually, our Hong family will be closely linked to the second elder of the Valley of Medicine Masters. By then, don’t bother with the grand and tycoon families… as long as we wish, the Hong family will be able to take over the imperial court and become the new rulers of the Country of Yunyang!”
Chen Dandan was the illegitimate daughter of Chen Tianhe, Second Elder of the Valley of Medicine Masters. Even Chen Dandan herself was unaware of this. Back then, Hong Wei had found out by pure coincidence that Chen Tianhe was looking for his illegitimate daughter and had tried looking for him. Eventually, he had found out that Chen Tianhe’s illegitimate daughter was in Qingshan town beneath Yunfeng county and had been adopted by Lin Lan, the guild master of the Magnolia guild under the Lin family. After that, everything fell into place easily.
He had asked his daughter to chase Chen Dandan, and after they had gotten together, his son had easily pledged his allegiance to Chen Dandan’s birth father. He had become a high ranking disciple of the Valley of Medicine Masters under the tutelage of Second Elder Chen Tianhe.
In a few days, he would be sending Chen Dandan to the Valley of Medicine Masters to meet her birth father.
…
The Lu family household.
“Young Master Donghuang.” Lu Yuan, the first young master of the Lu family, who had been crippled by Zhou Donghuang previously, walked briskly into the courtyard where Zhou Donghuang was staying temporarily.
“You look like you’re recovering well,” said Zhou Donghuang with a smile. He took a glance at Lu Yuan’s leg, the one he had joined back together, as he sat at the stone table sipping tea in the sun.
“All thanks to your treatment,” said Lu Yuan gratefully. He continued, “Young Master Donghuang, I came to inform you… Zhao San of the Zhao governor’s household has come to the Lu family household. Just now, as I walked past the hall, I overheard my dad talking to him. He seems to be here for you.”
“Zhao San?” Zhou Donghuang frowned, then nodded slightly.
“Young Master Donghuang, although he had sold Yunxuan Restaurant to you, Zhao San is no good person… back then, Fang Tianyi, Ma Jin and I had heard from his mouth that he would not protect you, so that’s why they had tried to take Yunxuan Restaurant from you.” Lu Yuan reminded him as if he was afraid that Zhou Donghuang would become too close to Zhao San and realize he had been betrayed.
But how could Zhou Donghuang not have known anything that he had just said? From his thousands of years of experience, he had experienced all kinds of trouble. He had already guessed what Lu Yuan was telling him.
“Young Master Donghuang.” Just then, Lu Qinghu called from outside the courtyard.
“Young Master Donghuang, Zhao San from the Zhao governor’s household wishes to meet you!” After Lu Qinghu’s voice, another strong voice called from outside. From the voice, it was none other than the former owner of Yunxuan Restaurant in Qingshan town, Zhao San.
