Chapter 25: Small Interest

Inside the gatehouse, Lu Xuan looked at Shen Yuyan, whose eyes were slightly red, and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Shen Yuyan didn't speak. She simply placed the bundle on the table, sat down on a chair, and lowered her head.

Lu Xuan squatted down in front of her and looked at her face. "Who bullied you?"

Shen Yuyan shook her head, but Lu Xuan noticed the red mark on her arm. It had clearly been pinched, and his expression immediately changed.

"Who?"

"...Shen Wanqing and Shen Wanrong."

Shen Yuyan's voice was very soft. "And people from the Lu Family. They were following me, trying to find you through me. I led them to Shen Wanqing, and she chased the Lu Family people away. Then..."

Shen Yuyan slowly recounted everything that had happened.

After listening, Lu Xuan remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "Does it hurt?"

Shen Yuyan shook her head.

Lu Xuan reached out and gently touched the red mark on her arm. Shen Yuyan flinched instinctively, but then stopped herself.

"Husband, I'm fine."

"Mm."

Lu Xuan stood up and walked to the door, looking out at the escort warriors practicing their blades in the courtyard.

Shen Wanqing.

Shen Wanrong.

Lu Hao.

He silently repeated these three names in his heart, committing them to memory.

Then Lu Xuan turned around and looked at Shen Yuyan.

"It's alright. He won't do anything to me, so don't worry."

Shen Yuyan nodded.

After comforting her, Lu Xuan sent her home before returning to the escort agency to continue sweeping the courtyard.

This time, when he returned, the way everyone looked at Lu Xuan was somewhat different from before.

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Evening.

The people from the escort agency left one after another, and Xiao Lin also greeted Lu Xuan before heading home.

Lu Xuan closed the escort agency's door and returned home.

Unexpectedly, Shen Yuyan wasn't cooking in the kitchen. Instead, she was sitting quietly in the courtyard, seemingly waiting for him.

"Husband."

"Why are you sitting in the courtyard?"

Shen Yuyan looked up at Lu Xuan, biting her lip as if she were making a very difficult decision.

"What? Is something wrong?"

Lu Xuan immediately noticed that something was different.

"Husband, there's something... I want to tell you."

Lu Xuan nodded, gently took Shen Yuyan's hand, and sat opposite her.

"Mm, tell me. I'm listening."

"Actually... I've been hiding something from you."

Shen Yuyan lowered her head guiltily.

"Yuyan, you and I are already husband and wife, destined to spend our lives together. You can trust me."

Shen Yuyan nodded and slowly began to speak.

"Actually... before Grandmother died, she did give me something. She told me that no matter who asked, I should say I didn't know and hadn't seen it."

Lu Xuan was startled.

"What thing?"

Shen Yuyan took a Yin-Yang jade pendant from her chest and placed it on the table. The jade was warm and smooth, with two interlocking halves carved into its surface, one dark and one light, forming the Yin-Yang symbol. On the back were two unfamiliar ancient characters.

"Grandmother said... she got this when she was young while traveling outside, and told me to keep it safe and not let anyone else know."

Lu Xuan picked up the jade pendant and flipped it over to examine it.

"Is this what Shen Wanqing and Shen Wanrong were looking for?"

"Mm." Shen Yuyan nodded. "They searched the entire Shen residence but couldn't find it. But they know Grandmother gave it to me."

Lu Xuan returned the jade pendant to her.

"Keep it safe. Don't let anyone see it."

Shen Yuyan clutched the jade pendant in her hand and looked at him hesitantly.

"Husband, you're not blaming me?"

"Blame you for what?"

"Blame me for not telling you."

Lu Xuan shook his head, "Everyone has secrets they don't want to tell. Tell me when you're ready."

Shen Yuyan's eyes reddened, "Husband, thank you."

Lu Xuan reached out and stroked her head, "Foolish talk. Go make dinner, I'm hungry."

Shen Yuyan wiped her eyes and stood up, but she did not immediately go to cook. Instead, she hesitated for a moment before taking out a small cloth bag from her chest, carefully wrapped layer upon layer.

Lu Xuan watched as she opened it layer by layer.

Inside was a pellet the size of a soybean, grayish-brown and emitting a faint herbal scent, "What is this?"

Shen Yuyan held the pellet between her fingertips and gently squeezed it, phssh....

The moment the pellet shattered, a puff of white smoke drifted from between her fingers.

Lu Xuan smelled a pungent odor, and his eyes immediately felt slightly irritated.

Shen Yuyan quickly released the powder and wrapped it back into the cloth, "I made this myself."

Her voice was very soft.

"After it's crushed, the smoke will blind the eyes. No matter how powerful a person is, if they are exposed to this smoke, they won't be able to open their eyes for at least few minutes."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Lu Xuan looked at her.

"When did you learn this?"

Shen Yuyan lowered her head.

"When I was little... I had red spots on my face, and no one cared for me, so I tried herbs myself, wanting to cure my face."

She paused, "I tried for many years. My face wasn't cured, but I learned to identify herbs, what grass can stop bleeding, what grass can relieve pain, what grass... can make people unable to open their eyes."

She tucked the cloth bag into Lu Xuan's hand, "Husband, take this. In case... in case you encounter danger, it might be useful."

Lu Xuan looked at the cloth bag in his hand, then at her.

"You've truly endured so much all these years."

Shen Yuyan bit her lip and said nothing, but turned and walked into the kitchen to cook.

Having told Lu Xuan all her secrets, a great burden seemed to have been lifted from her heart, Lu Xuan remained standing in the courtyard, looking at the blinding powder in his hand, lost in thought.

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After dinner, the two rested early.

After some.... little exercise, Shen Yuyan fell into a deep sleep again, and Lu Xuan slowly opened his eyes after a brief nap.

[Ding! Sleep Cultivation complete.]

[Five Animals Transformation Art progress: 99%.]

[Deer Form: Great Perfection. Tiger Form: Great Perfection. Bear Form: Great Perfection. Crane Form: Great Perfection. Ape Form: 99%.]

[Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade progress: 0%.]

[Current Realm: Martial Artist Realm: Level Three.]

Martial Artist Realm, Level Three, looking at the panel in his mind...

Level Three.

It was enough, Lu Xuan got up and left the room.

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Around five, in the morning.

Just before dawn, Azure Sun City was deep in sleep.

Lu Xuan flashed out of the courtyard, Five Animals Transformation Art: Crane Form.

Light as a crane, his toes touched the top of the wall, silent and imperceptible, while his entire body was like a leaf drifting in the night wind.

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Phoenix Pavilion.

Lu Xuan landed on the rooftop and lifted a tile.

Below was an elegant room. The candlelight was almost out, and on the bed, Lu Hao was embracing a woman, both sound asleep.

Lu Xuan descended silently and flashed into the room, he pressed a finger to the woman's nape, with a muffled groan, she slumped onto the bed, still asleep.

Lu Hao heard the movement and groggily opened his eyes, before he could see clearly, a hand reached out.

Phsssh....

A pellet was crushed before his eyes.

White smoke billowed out, carrying a faint herbal scent, Lu Hao's eyes stung as if pricked by needles. Tears gushed out, and he couldn't see anything.

"AH—! MY EYES—!"

He screamed and rolled off the bed, covering his face with his hands as he crawled frantically across the floor.

"WHO?! WHO?! WHO IS IT—!"

Lu Xuan watched the howling man coldly, the screams were piercing, but to Lu Xuan, they were the most beautiful sound in the world, "Bastard, I'll kill you!"

A foot stomped on his mouth, forcing the sound back in.

Lu Hao lay on the ground, unable to see, his mouth covered, and could only make muffled sounds. Fear poured over him like ice water from head to toe.

"Mmph— mmph mmph—"

Lu Xuan looked down at him, his gaze calm, then lifted his foot and stomped on his knee.

CRACK....

The sound of bone breaking was particularly harsh in the silent night.

Lu Hao's body suddenly arched, his mouth covered as his screams turned into muffled groans, while tears, snot, and blood mixed together and smeared across his face.

Lu Xuan released his foot.

"AH—! MY LEG—! MY LEG—!"

Lu Hao rolled across the ground, howling like a dog with a broken spine.

"WHO— WHO ARE YOU—!"

"HUO TIANBA— IS THAT YOU—?!"

"I'LL KILL YOU— KILL YOUR WHOLE FAMILY—!"

Lu Xuan did not answer, instead he lifted his foot and stomped on the other leg too.

CRACK—

Lu Hao's howling turned into hoarse cries.

"AH—! NO— NO—!"

"PLEASE— SPARE ME— SPARE ME—!"

He began to beg for mercy, tears, snot, and blood mixing together and smearing his face while his eyes continued burning with pain.

Lu Xuan looked down at him, this person had extracted his heart vein.

This person had driven him out of the Lu Family.

This person had sent people to follow Shen Yuyan.

He had endured for over ten years, today, he would collect some interest first.

Lu Xuan took out a tattered cloth from his robe... the flag of Flying Cloud Fortress... and stuffed it into Lu Hao's hand before turning and disappearing into the night.

Lu Hao lay in a pool of blood, both legs broken and his entire body trembling uncontrollably, he clutched the tattered cloth and hoarsely shouted, "Huo Tianba— Huo Tianba— I'll kill you— I'll kill you—!"