Chapter Forty: Revenge

Lu Qingyun was not being forced; rather, he had made this decision for his own sake. He needed to understand that place more deeply and thoroughly to avoid being caught off guard when the time came.

The City Lord set down his wine jar, his brows furrowed as if he were harboring some unspeakable secret. After a moment of reflection, he said indifferently, "They were once our opposing organization. They have always possessed formidable strength, and the destruction of the Sacred Land was their conspiracy. But these are all our suspicions; we cannot provide a definitive answer yet. After all, until those two things are found, I cannot be so certain..."

The City Lord revealed almost everything he knew. Having not personally experienced the events of that time, there were many things he himself could not fully grasp. After so many years, it was already no small feat that they had managed to uncover any clues at all.

Lu Qingyun nodded slowly, feeling the sincerity of the City Lord. He said with great seriousness, "I never imagined there would be so many secrets behind this. Since that is the case, I have nothing more to say. I will do my best to see this through."

Lu Qingyun naturally could not give a definitive promise. The events to come would be far more troublesome than he had imagined. Deep down, he even felt a desire to retreat; if he had not left his family, how could all these troubles have arisen? Thinking about it now made him feel quite frustrated, but since things had reached this point, how could he possibly back down?

Lu Qingyun had always been this kind of person: the worse the situation, the more drawn to it he became. High risk always brought high rewards; smooth sailing might be safe, but the gains would be negligible. The reason he chose to train outside was, of course, because his family's strength was lacking; after all, the Lu family was not a prestigious clan, nor did they possess overwhelming power. His decision to go to Wind-Cloud Gorge was precisely because of the potential for great rewards; otherwise, why take such risks?

The current situation was much the same, only that this time he was dealing with people, not mindless spirit beasts. Moreover, the strength of those people was unknown, and it was unclear whether he could complete his mission.

Lu Qingyun thought about returning to get some rest, knowing full well the mission he shouldered was one an ordinary person could never compare to. Just as he was about to step out of the grand hall, the City Lord called out from behind him, "It is common knowledge that the Zhao family wants to deal with you, and everyone knows you are working for me. I will not intervene in their dealings with you. As for the Chu family, they will not move against you for the time being. When you return, I hope you will settle things with them in your own way!"

Hearing this, Lu Qingyun understood the City Lord’s intent. Perhaps his ability to handle the Zhao family would be the final test. If he could not resolve the trouble caused by the Zhao family, he likely wouldn't even have the strength to fight once he reached Han-Hai City.

Lu Qingyun nodded earnestly and said slowly, "Since it is my business, I will naturally resolve it myself. Whether I succeed or not depends on fate. If I cannot solve it, it is my own problem, and I will never blame anyone else. If they don’t come looking for me, I will go looking for them. Why should I endure their endless harassment?"

Lu Qingyun had already decided to settle scores with them before he left. Even if the Zhao family possessed many experts, he would never cower. He had made that very clear to them back in the forest, and he hadn't mentioned any of that to the City Lord since returning. Now that they were still pestering him, Lu Qingyun had reached the limit of his patience.

The City Lord nodded slowly. This time, he didn't offer any protective armor; instead, he tossed a bottle of pills toward him. "Take these. In a crisis, they might save your life!"

After catching it, Lu Qingyun didn't even open it before tossing it back to the City Lord. He smiled and said, "Since you have decided not to interfere in this matter, then don't meddle at all. You want me to survive so I can work for you, but if I don't survive, isn't that just my fate? I will resolve this in my own way. If I can't, then so be it."

With that, Lu Qingyun left. The City Lord did not know what he would do next, but he was filled with interest in his actions.

***

After he left, a young man in black robes with a head of white hair appeared before the City Lord. The young man said respectfully, "City Lord, what are your orders?"

Lu Qingyun might not have known who this young man was, but in Bi-Xiao City, his existence was known to all. He was the City Lord's confidant, and his strength was unfathomable. His name was Yexiao; the name alone hinted that he was the younger brother of Yejin, and the relationship between them was naturally very subtle. After all, the City Lord and Yejin had once shared a unique bond, yet Yexiao was still working for him now.

The City Lord spoke slowly, "You know how important the work he is doing for us is. I do not want him to be in mortal danger. With his strength alone, he likely cannot handle the Zhao family. Watch over him for me. If his life is in danger, as long as he still has a breath left, bring him back..."

A strange glimmer flashed in Yexiao's eyes, but it vanished quickly. Before he could even agree, the City Lord continued, "I know what you are thinking. Why compare yourself to him? He is merely working for us now. Once it is over, he will have nothing more to do with us. If we can truly restore the Sacred Land, it contains countless treasures and all manner of ancient techniques—all of which will then be mine!"

At this, the City Lord became instantly excited. This was his lifelong aspiration, a matter passed down through generations. If he could accomplish it, the significance would be immense. To live in this world, no matter what kind of world it is, one must have a goal; if one can achieve that goal, that is the meaning of life.

Yexiao looked at his excitement and simply nodded slowly. "I will ensure his safety."

After Yexiao left, the City Lord gazed into the distance, his eyes still brimming with excitement.

Lu Qingyun did not return to rest with the others. Thinking that this matter had to be resolved sooner or later, he decided to finish it now. Although he was only at the ninth stage of the Body Refining Realm, he wanted to take the risk. Things could only be judged as possible or impossible after one had tried. Before acting, one should not be too certain of success, but neither should one be too quick to accept failure. A person must be full of self-confidence; if one denies oneself, nothing can ever be accomplished.

However, on his way to the Zhao family, Lu Qingyun wondered why the system had no reaction to him embarking on such a major undertaking. He tried to communicate with the system again, but the result was the same—the system remained silent. Lu Qingyun shook his head helplessly; the system had always been this way, offering no extra feedback. Most importantly, the rewards given recently felt as if the system was just trifling with him.

Lu Qingyun's goal was very clear. Just as he was about to reach the Zhao estate, Meng Li suddenly appeared before him. Her expression was very grim as she said, "What are you doing? Are you going to go against the Zhao family by yourself? Do you know the consequences? What if they kill you?"

Lu Qingyun smiled faintly and said, "Being killed by them isn't necessarily a bad thing. Once dead, everything is settled, and I won't have to deal with all these messy affairs anymore. This has nothing to do with you; you should go get some rest. If I return tomorrow morning, I'll take you all to Han-Hai City. If I don't..."

Lu Qingyun paused. After all, no one wanted to face death head-on.

Meng Li spoke quickly, "How can you be so irresponsible? Didn't you say there was someone waiting for you in your family? If you die, wouldn't that girl have waited for nothing? I always thought you were a responsible person with integrity. Are you really going to face this little setback in such a way?"

It was obvious that Meng Li was making excuses; she was clearly concerned for Lu Qingyun from the bottom of her heart, yet she projected her worry onto someone else. Lu Qingyun knew exactly what she meant. He did not refute her, but he felt that while he possessed this body, was he truly the Lu Qingyun of this world? Although he had Lu Qingyun's memories, he was no longer who he once was.

Though he wanted to honor the promises made, some things were simply indescribable. Lu Qingyun just smiled faintly at Meng Li, who looked on the verge of tears. "Heh, do you think I will definitely be in danger this time? Why can't you wish me well? I could have stayed here and trained, perhaps gaining many opportunities, but all of that was ruined by the Zhao family. How could I let them off?"

After saying this, Lu Qingyun turned and left. His mind was made up; this had to be done. If he hadn't bumped into Zhao Tuo riding his horse recklessly at the city gate when he first arrived, there would have been no conflict. The Zhao family's relentless pursuit had escalated the situation, leading to the City Lord's involvement and all the drama that followed. Everything stemmed from the Zhao family, and Lu Qingyun had to settle accounts with them. If the Zhao family hadn't kept pestering him, he might have let it go. But since they were still looking for trouble, he had to put an end to it.

Meng Li watched his retreating figure, her eyes full of reluctance. She didn't know what kind of feelings she had for him, but she felt that this parting might well be forever, and the pain in her heart was indescribable.

As Lu Qingyun walked down the street, he drew the attention of many, as his presence had long since attracted notice, and some had already deduced that he was going to seek revenge on the Zhao family. Lu Qingyun heard their whispers but didn't care. Even if it wasn't a slaughter, he would make the Zhao family pay a heavy price.

He soon arrived at the gates of the Zhao estate. Looking at the imposing entrance, his eyes were filled with killing intent. A group of guards stood at the gate, and upon seeing him, they roared, "We heard you might come here; we didn't think you'd actually dare! To be so brazen as to challenge the Zhao family—you certainly have some nerve. Do you really think you can escape with your meager cultivation?"

Although Bi-Xiao City was large, it was filled with the Zhao family's reach. Given their influence and numerous eyes, word had already been sent out when Lu Qingyun left the City Lord's mansion. The Zhao family clearly didn't take him seriously, having sent only a dozen guards. Aside from the leader, the others were not worth mentioning.

Lu Qingyun didn't even draw his Qingyun Sword. He merely swept his gaze over them and said coldly, "This has nothing to do with you. I advise you to leave while you can. Isn't it pathetic to be slaughtered just for being a dog?"

The guards at the gate, accustomed to the Zhao family's arrogance and bullying, laughed loudly. "Hahaha, I don't know where he gets his confidence. Coming here to die and still spouting such nonsense—how ridiculous!"

"Exactly, there are all kinds of people in this world. He is a sworn enemy of the Zhao family; whoever kills him will be a hero of the clan!"

Hearing their words, Lu Qingyun knew they were beyond reasoning. Nothing he said would matter, so he chose to strike first. He instantly unleashed his Lotus Movement Technique, weaving through them. In a short time, he had fully mastered the technique. Seeing his dazzling movements, the guards broke into a cold sweat.

Before they could even react, Lu Qingyun appeared beside each of them. He struck quickly and accurately against their chests. In the blink of an eye, all the guards were sent flying.

Lu Qingyun roared, "Zhao Tuo, are you not coming out yet?"