Chapter 36: System Upgrade!!

Lu Xuan opened his eyes and looked at the panel, suddenly stunned.

That wasn't right.

Previously, only one Cultivation Technique could increase while he slept.

After the Five Animals Transformation Art reached Great Perfection, the Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade had begun to improve. The Thunderclap Hand should not have been able to increase until the Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade was completed, but...

Today, two Cultivation Techniques had increased at the same time.

Lu Xuan looked closely once more, confirming he wasn't seeing things.

The Demon-Subduing Righteous Sun Blade increased from 15% to 25%, and the Thunderclap Hand increased from 0% to 5%.

Overnight, both Cultivation Techniques had improved.

This feeling... it was like the System had upgraded.

Or rather, it was his body that had upgraded.

With the Five Animals Great Perfection, his five internal organs were as strong as a tiger's. The five internal organs are the foundation, and only when the foundation is stable can it support two Cultivation Techniques at the same time.

It was a pleasant surprise. As he grew stronger, his cultivation would only continue to improve rather than decline.

-------

After eating breakfast, Lu Xuan went to the escort agency as usual.

Lu Xuan opened the main gate and stood at the entrance, waiting for the escort warriors. The escort warriors arrived one after another, and when Ye Qingyi entered, she glanced at Lu Xuan and nodded.

Lu Xuan also nodded.

He didn't say anything.

Xiao Lin hadn't returned yet, and recovering from his injuries would still take some time. Without Xiao Lin, though it was quiet, it also felt a bit more indifferent.

He heard that the escort agency had taken on another mission today, and more than half of the escort warriors would be going on the escort mission. The others had gone to see Xiao Lin, who was recovering at home, leaving only Ye Qingyi, Old Guo.... whose leg was almost healed and the young escort runners behind.

In the courtyard, the escort warriors preparing for the mission began packing their things, while the rest continued their practice as usual.

Old Guo stood there muttering curses.

"Keep the blade steady! Keep your hands steady! Your blade techniques aren't even as good as an old lady's!"

Lu Xuan leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed, but his ears were perked.

Within a radius of a hundred feet, even the slightest movement could not escape his ears.

After noon, footsteps came from the entrance, not just one person, but several.

The footsteps were heavy, carrying a reckless and arrogant energy.

Lu Xuan opened his eyes.

They were here.

The gate of the escort agency was pushed open with a "clatter."

Five people walked in.

Leading them was a middle-aged steward dressed in luxurious clothing, his face wearing its usual arrogance. Behind him followed four servants, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, and one look told they were trained.

Lu Xuan frowned.

He had seen everyone who had come.

It was none other than the Lu Family's Steward Huang, and his status in the Lu Family was neither too high nor too low.

Upon seeing Lu Xuan, Steward Huang, who had kicked the door open, paused in his tracks, his face full of disbelief. But then he couldn't help but burst into loud laughter.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on NovelPhoenix. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Hahahaha!"

"Oh! Isn't this our Lu Family's trash young master, Lu Xuan?!"

"What? After being kicked out of the Lu Family, you actually ran here to be someone's dog?"

"How many silver pieces do you even make, trash?"

After he finished speaking, the others also burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Hahahaha!"

"Whoosh—"

A thin and narrow long blade brushed past Steward Huang's ear and embedded itself into the door plank behind him with a "clang," the hilt vibrating with a hum.

Steward Huang's laughter stopped abruptly.

He froze in place, his face as white as paper, as a strand of hair slowly drifted down from beside his ear.

In the courtyard, a woman dressed in tight-fitting martial attire, with a face like frost, was walking toward them.

The woman was extremely beautiful, but her eyes were like those of a hawk.

Those eyes made the group shiver.

Ye Qingyi.

She didn't walk fast, but every step seemed to stomp on Steward Huang's heartbeat.

"You... who are you? How dare you move against the Lu Family?"

Ye Qingyi didn't speak.

She walked to the door plank, reached out to pull out the narrow blade... the blade edge flashing in the sunlight and sheathed it back at her waist.

Then she looked at Steward Huang.

That gaze was as cold as a freshly sharpened knife, Steward Huang took a step back and shouted with false bravado.

"I'm telling you! I am from the Lu Family! The Lu Family Patriarch, Lu Tianhe..."

"Noisy."

Ye Qingyi spat out a single word.

Steward Huang's words got stuck in his throat.

In the courtyard, Old Guo walked over, leaning on his crutch to smooth things over.

"Aiyaya, Steward Huang, it's a misunderstanding! This Miss Ye is a Guest Elder of our escort agency. Her temper is a bit explosive, but she's not a bad person."

Steward Huang glanced at Old Guo, then at Ye Qingyi, and snorted.

"A Guest Elder? A mere woman..."

Ye Qingyi's hand pressed onto her hilt, Steward Huang immediately shut up.

"Ahem..."

Fang Tieshan walked out of the main hall and stood on the steps.

"Steward Huang, what business brings you to my escort agency?"

Steward Huang straightened his collar, forcing himself to maintain his posture.

"Chief Fang, I am here on the orders of the Patriarch to investigate the whereabouts of a certain person."

"Who?"

"Thunderclap Hand, Duan Lei."

Fang Tieshan's expression remained unchanged.

"Duan Lei? He did come by a few days ago, but he's already left."

"Left?" Steward Huang narrowed his eyes. "Where did he go?"

"I don't know."

Steward Huang's gaze swept across the courtyard, landing on Lu Xuan before returning to Fang Tieshan. "Chief Fang, your escort agency is sheltering someone from the Lu Family. Aren't you afraid the Patriarch will be displeased?"

Fang Tieshan looked at him. "Whom my escort agency takes in is my business. It's none of the Lu Family's concern."

Steward Huang's face darkened. "Chief Fang, you—"

"I said, Duan Lei has already left," Fang Tieshan interrupted him. "Please leave."

Steward Huang stared at Fang Tieshan for a long time, then glanced at Ye Qingyi and at the blade mark on the door plank before swallowing hard.

"Fine. If Chief Fang says he's gone, then he's gone."

He flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

After taking two steps, he stopped again and looked back at Lu Xuan in the gatehouse.

"Trash, hiding in an escort agency to be a watchdog. You've thrown away all the Lu Family's face!"

Lu Xuan was expressionless and didn't say a word.

Seeing that Lu Xuan was still like before, the type who wouldn't even let out a fart if kicked, Steward Huang gave a cold snort.

"Trash! You'd better not come out for the rest of your life."

"Get out!" Fang Tieshan shouted sternly.

Steward Huang looked back once more at the dark-faced Fang Tieshan and the female expert who was ready to draw her blade at any moment.

Deeply resentful, he led the four servants and left dejectedly, the sound of footsteps gradually faded.

Fang Tieshan stood on the steps, looking at the entrance with a deep frown.

Old Guo leaned on his crutch, approached, and whispered, "Chief, we really shouldn't have offended the Lu Family for the sake of a gatekeeper!"

Fang Tieshan glanced coldly at Old Guo.

"Old Guo, even if Lu Xuan is a gatekeeper, he is a person of the Iron Mountain Escort Agency. Don't say such things in the future."

Hearing this, Old Guo sighed, glanced at Lu Xuan, said nothing more, and left dejectedly on his crutch.

Fang Tieshan came up to Lu Xuan.

"Xuan'er."

"Uncle Fang."

"Were you scared just now?"

Lu Xuan shook his head.

Fang Tieshan patted his shoulder.

"It's fine. As long as I'm here, the Lu Family people can't touch you!"

Lu Xuan nodded.

"Thank you, Uncle Fang."

Fang Tieshan waved his hand and turned back to the main hall, while the escort warriors gradually dispersed in the courtyard. Ye Qingyi passed by the gatehouse and paused, glancing at Lu Xuan, who looked up at her exquisite and cold face.

"Thank you for standing up for me just now."

Ye Qingyi spoke softly after giving Lu Xuan a quick glance.

"No need for thanks. I didn't see any fear in your eyes."

Before Lu Xuan could react, Ye Qingyi turned and left. Lu Xuan stood at the door of the gatehouse, watching her back.

"This woman..."

He turned back into the gatehouse and sat down.

Lu Xuan indeed hadn't been afraid. He had also long expected that the Lu Family would eventually find out about him being at the escort agency. With the Lu Family's power in Azure Sun City, it was impossible to hide it.

However, as long as he didn't expose his strength too early, there shouldn't be too much trouble.

The day they learned of his strength would also be the day of the Lu Family's destruction.

For now, he still needed to improve his strength as quickly as possible.

After the commotion ended, another group of merchants came to the escort agency to discuss business. In these turbulent times, the escort agency's work was beginning to increase.

At dusk, the people of the escort agency gradually dispersed.

Ye Qingyi walked to Lu Xuan's gatehouse and paused.

"Chief Fang wants to see you."

Lu Xuan was startled.

"What's it about?"

"You'll know once you get there..."

Lu Xuan nodded.

He then walked toward the backyard hall.

After watching Lu Xuan's back for a moment, Ye Qingyi didn't leave. Instead, she sat down right where Lu Xuan usually sat and began cleaning that thin and long blade again.