Chapter 91: A Heartfelt Appeal – 52K Subscribers Requested

"Without the Demon-Restraining Stone Chamber, how could you possibly achieve it?"

Colonel Zhao gave no response, merely standing silently, evidently not believing Wang Wu's words.

"I said I won't kill her," Wang Wu said irritably, looking at the other side:

"I'm only at the True Realm Initial Stage. Since you're so much stronger than me, can't you just watch from beside me? If you think it's wrong, just step in and stop me. Could I possibly be faster than you?"

Colonel Zhao recalled Wang Wu's speed that day on the county city's wall, and his posture grew more resolute.

"Luoxue, restrain him."

Si Tu Jin, behind him, said.

"What? Can't let go?"

"Yes..."

In an instant, Wang Wu noticed the person before him freeze rigidly. Turning his head back, he saw the female attendant beside Si Tu Jin clutching a magical seal.

Nodding toward Si Tu Jin, Wang Wu walked in.

Zhuang Lan Xue remained inside, motionless, showing no reaction to anything outside.

Wang Wu approached, grabbed her collar, and tossed her toward the front of the cell. As her body left its original spot, a strange odor suddenly assaulted the air.

It wasn't waste, but blood—deep crimson blood.

Yet evidently, the few people outside did not detect the scent.

Seeing the blood on the ground darkening to black, Wang Wu became even more certain that the woman was undergoing demonization.

And the speed was extremely rapid.

Without hesitation, Wang Wu placed her in the center of the cell. Then he slipped his finger into his mouth, bit it open, and blood appeared at the fingertip, sprinkling outward.

The blood droplets shot from Wang Wu's fingertip, turning from red to gold upon landing, and instantly merged into the ground.

Immediately, golden patterns surfaced on the ground, forming a circle 1.8 meters in diameter, enclosing Zhuang Lan Xue within.

After a short while, the patterns vanished and everything returned to normal.

"What is this?"

Outside the cell, Si Tu Jin, having watched Wang Wu's entire procedure, asked curiously.

"Vajra Subduing Demon Formation," Wang Wu said as he stepped out of the cell. "She can't leave now, but you may come and go freely. And even if she demonizes, it won't affect those nearby."

"Such a subtle power exists?" Si Tu Jin's eyes showed surprise. "Brother Wang's sect truly is extraordinary."

"You're overpraising me," Wang Wu bowed slightly to Si Tu Jin. "This matter is settled; I trust the Demon-Subduing Army can handle the rest easily."

"Based on your estimate, Brother Wang, how much time does Zhuang Lan Xue have before demon transformation?" Si Tu Jin asked.

"Within three days."

Having said that, Wang Wu headed toward the stairs and quickly vanished from everyone's sight.

"Remove it."

After Wang Wu left, Si Tu Jin withdrew his gaze and ordered the attendant beside him.

Colonel Zhao, still standing at the cell door, suddenly relaxed his posture, turned quickly, and found Zhuang Lan Xue still crouching inside, only having changed position.

Where she had been, a pool of deep crimson blood remained, but after staring at it for a while, Colonel Zhao saw nothing amiss.

"If you could see anything, you wouldn't have blocked him at the start," Si Tu Jin's teasing voice sounded from behind. Colonel Zhao turned to her, paused silently, then spoke:

"Colonel Si Tu, my Demon-Subduing Army should be..."

Si Tu Jin let out a disdainful snort, then vanished on the spot. The remaining Luoxue glanced at Colonel Zhao, then flickered away and disappeared.

"Brother," a Demon-Subduing soldier said, patting Colonel Zhao's right shoulder, "that woman's lineage is extraordinary; she's long been accustomed to acting recklessly. Talking to her won't help."

"Yeah, yeah," another Demon-Subduing soldier said, clinging to Colonel Zhao's left arm, "Come on, let's go to Yichun Pavilion for a drink today, my treat!"

Outside the cell, He Dong Xian military camp.

"Go and inform them: evacuate the prisoners and clerks from the dungeon, and also relocate everyone in this area to other places temporarily."

Inside the big tent, Si Tu Jin examined the map of He Dong Xian, circled several locations, and instructed the County Officer beside her.

"Ah, this..." the County Officer hesitated, glanced furtively at Si Tu Jin, his hair standing on end, and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, yes!"

"Request aid from Yu Jian, have them send a Demon-Subduing cultivator down," she then ordered the deputy officer beside her.

"Understood."

The deputy officer nodded, turned and headed toward the tent's exit.

After the arrangements, Si Tu Jin continued to study the map, rubbing her chin, lost in thought.

"Extreme Heaven Vajra Sect, Extreme Heaven Vajra Sect..."

Recalling the sect name Wang Wu had mentioned before, she had thought it was something he made up, but now it seemed not so.

Noon, Wang Clan.

"Lan'er, wh-why!! Why cancel the engagement, Lan'er!!"

In the Wang Clan garden, Song Yu, with an anxious face, looked at Wang Lan and asked.

His emotions were so intense that he stammered, "Th-That Zhuang Lan Xue's matter, her matter, has nothing to do with me! Lan'er!!"

"All of that was her own decision; I didn't even know!! The authorities should, should have told you as well!!"

"But Xiao Xue gave her body to you..." Wang Lan stared at her quietly.

"But that was, that was in an alley, she forced me..." Song Yu began to explain, but Wang Lan cut him off:

"I'm not talking about that, but about before."

"Xiao Xue's virginity shouldn't be from that incident, right? She gave herself to you long ago, a drunken indiscretion, right?"

Without giving Song Yu a chance to speak, Wang Lan continued, "You said you'd take responsibility, but taking responsibility means ignoring and not asking, just continuing to be your good senior brother?"

"Since you promised responsibility, at least keep your word," Wang Lan said, looking at Song Yu. "Does Great Zhou also follow Xia Kingdom's rule that a man may marry only one wife?"

Speaking of this, Wang Lan sighed, "But the cancellation of the marriage contract isn't actually because of this."

She lifted her hand, gently brushing the scar on her neck, "The regret is mine, the fault is also mine, because I never had feelings for you. Agreeing to the marriage contract was only because I thought …"

"That Wang Wu—does that Wang Wu actually have feelings for you!!!!"

Seeing the expression on Wang Lan's face, Song Yu could no longer endure and roared, "That Wang Wu, there are a bunch of women around him, does he even have any feelings for you!???"

"And him—does he even consider you worthy? You're just a daughter of a wealthy household in a county!!!"

"Yes." Wang Lan nodded lightly, "But I'm willing, even if it's just like a moth flying into flame."

"Young Master Song."

Song Yu's face flushed red then white, his body tightening as the impulse in his heart surged to the extreme at that moment, but the arrival of a voice abruptly cut that strong impulse off.

On a faux rock in the garden, Li Yuan grinned and said to the Song Yu below, "I've long heard of the great name of the Azure Profound Sect; meeting you today, your sect's disciple truly has extraordinary temperament, huh? I am Li Yuan of the Azure Duckweed Sect."

The Azure Duckweed Sect, one of the top sects in Southern Province, is the sect that once eclipsed the former number‑one Southern Province sect, the Upper Profound Sect.

Although Li Yuan is merely an ordinary disciple of the Azure Duckweed Sect, it is clear that a small sect like the Azure Profound Sect cannot pull such a stunt.

"Miss Wang, may I ask if we could temporarily avoid this? After all, topics among cultivators sometimes involve matters unsuitable to reveal to mortals …"

Li Yuan smiled and said to Wang Lan in the garden.

"Alright, then I won't trouble the two of you further." Wang Lan bowed to Li Yuan and swiftly left the garden.

"Hehe." Li Yuan looked at the pale‑faced Song Yu and said, "Fellow cultivator, everyone says they don't like you, and when you can't get it you try to force it—this is not the behavior of a gentleman, is it?"

Li Yuan came to He Dong Xian today because his sect assigned him a task; since he had a good impression of the Wang Clan, he planned to assign this job to them.

This isn't a layered outsourcing; it's between friends… uh, fine, it's outsourcing.

But anyway, both sides can benefit, why not? The Wang Clan would certainly be willing.

"Wang, Young Hero Wang …"

Afternoon, at Wang Lan's residence. Wang Wu sat at the edge of Wang Lan's bed, his hand resting on her neck, slowly channeling Yin‑qi into her. At that moment, Wang Lan called out to Wang Wu.

Seeing Wang Lan's flushed face, Wang Wu asked, "What's wrong?"

"I—I have already, already canceled the marriage contract with Song Yu."

"Oh," Wang Wu replied, producing the porcelain bottle that Si Tu Jin had given him, biting off its stopper, thumb and forefinger pinching the bottle, and pouring out a dark‑red pill.

One couldn't tell what this thing was; the woman hadn't mentioned its effect, only that it's one pill a day.

He smelled it before putting it to his nose; it was quite fragrant.

He didn't eat it, as it wasn't needed. Retracting his hand from Wang Lan's neck, he took the pill and handed it to the edge of her mouth.

"One pill, the effect should be good."

"This, this …" Wang Lan was stunned, then shook her head, "This is, this is a gift from General Si Tu to the young hero …"

"Don't you like me?" Wang Wu asked.

His sudden question left Wang Lan instantly stunned, the flush on her face intensifying rapidly. Seeing her completely dazed, Wang Wu directly shoved the pill into her mouth.

"Is that so?" he said with a smile.

His finger gently pressed the pill into Wang Lan's mouth, the fingertip unintentionally brushing her tongue; after confirming the pill was in, Wang Wu withdrew his finger.

"But I already have several women, so this would be unfair to you …" Wang Wu lowered his head, speaking as he capped the stopper back onto the porcelain bottle.

When he looked up again, Wang Lan was already sitting up on the bed. She stared straight at Wang Wu, her gaze misted with moisture, both hands gripping her robe and gently pulling it aside.

Wang Lan had a fine figure, with perfect muscle lines. Her hands bore old calluses from years of wielding a sword. Apart from the palms and thenar, her soles also had some—these were the bodily marks of a warrior.

This is a number in Wang Lan's life that is greater than zero, less than the second smallest, not less than one, and not greater than one.

One hour later

"Wu Lang …"

Wang Lan clung tightly to the man beside her, feeling an unreality. She feared it was a dream, fearing that the next second she would wake up.

"Hm?"

Only when that haunting voice sounded beside her did her fear gradually fade, replaced by an intense sweetness.

But immediately, that sweetness, under the influence of many thoughts, turned into inferiority.

"My hand—did it maybe rub you?" Wang Lan looked up at Wang Wu, asking softly. Then, shyly lowering her head, she added, "And my … my feet … still smell bad …"

Wang Wu said nothing, just quietly stared at her, then bowed his head.

Outside the door, a maid listened to the lady inside's intermittent, tearful murmurs, her face flushed red. After standing there for nearly half an hour, she finally regained herself and gently knocked on the door.

At the same time, a high‑pitched scream came from inside.

"Little Miss!?"

The blushing personal maid called softly.

"Ah, ah! Wh‑what's wrong?"

After a while, a slightly panicked voice came from inside, belonging to Wang Lan.

"The master has asked you and Young Hero Wang to go eat together. If you don't wish to go, I'll report back to the master right away …"

"We'll be out right away."

Wang Wu's voice followed.

A dozen minutes later, the Wang Clan banquet.

The banquet actually had few attendees: only the family head Wang Yin, several of the family's children, and the honored guests Wang Wu and Li Yuan, oh right, and Song Yu.

The Wang family's dinner was served à la carte; I don't know if this is a trend among the wealthy in this world, but each person had a small table, though some tables seated more than one.

For example, Wang Yin shared a table with his eldest son, Li Yuan with Song Yu, the second son with Fourth Miss, and Wang Wu with Wang Lan.

The rest each had a table to themselves.

Li Yuan glanced at the people beside him, then at Wang Wu and Wang Lan sitting opposite them, almost laughing but holding it in.

Just looking at Wang Lan's expression now and her overtly intimate gesture toward Wang Wu, one could immediately tell what's going on.

He glanced again at Song Yu and saw that the fellow's hands under his body were about to be squeezed until they bled.

"Hahaha…"

Li Yuan mocked out loud in his heart.

He knew about Song Yu; although he had just arrived today, the fellow sect members in He Dong Xian had already told him everything.

At the banquet, Wang Yin watched his daughter, happy that her feelings were reciprocated, yet also somewhat worried.

After all, the gap between the two families' backgrounds was truly huge.

If the other party didn't intend to marry her or take her back, that would be fine, and Wang Yin would be willing. Of course, if the child she bore after pregnancy were also unwanted by the other side, that would be even better.

After all, an illegitimate child of a great clan could never compare to a child the Wang Clan treats as its own, and as for an unmarried pregnant woman, such a matter counts for nothing in Great Zhou.

The daughter got pregnant, and then her father ran away and disappeared. For a rich family, this is actually a good thing—it means another child, making the household more flourishing.

For ordinary families it's the same; one more child means one more future laborer.

Of course, for the woman who gave birth it's still painful, after all she met an ungrateful man.

If it's as a lover, that's certainly better than being a concubine, for a wealthy household like his.

Although Great Zhou has no concubines, only wives, and legally a wife's status is equal, the reality is…

Great Zhou's social atmosphere is relatively more open among the surrounding nations, with only Chu State being more open.

And Southern Province, as the former land of the Yin‑Shang, has even more liberal customs among the Yin descendants.

Raising the daughter at home is certainly far better than sending her there; as for the legally unrecognized "legitimate wife" matter, Wang Yin would not even dream of it.

Of course, if the other side only intends to have fun and then run, that's also Wang Yin's worry.

But now there's nothing to be done; the incident has already occurred, so we can only hope Wang Wu is a decent man. From previous interactions, Wang Wu seems to be a good person.

As for the rest of the family, they are only pleased about this. Wang Wu is far more vigorous than Song Yu; even if it's just as a lover, the benefits are certainly many.

During the dinner, Wang Wu kept his head down eating, occasionally interacting with Wang Lan beside him. As for Wang Yin, he kept chatting with Li Yuan about a commission Li Yuan had entrusted to him.

It was undoubtedly a big order, and the other party was sincere, offering a tempting reward.

However, Wang Yin was somewhat hesitant, mainly because the Winter Solstice was near, and only a few days remained before Minor Cold.

"How about it, Brother Yin?" Li Yuan raised his cup toward Wang Yin.

"This…"

"But it's almost Minor Cold; delivering goods to Yuanqing Lake might be dangerous on the road," Wang Wu, of course, also heard their earlier conversation and asked curiously.

"If we take the official road, a swift pace should allow a return within seven days," Li Yuan nodded, "There is some risk, but the sect's reward is high."

"How much?" Wang Wu asked.

"Fifteen gold," Li Yuan gestured.

The fifteen gold was indeed a reward from the sect, but it also covered the sect's expenses for hiring horses and men. After all, the cargo is large, a substantial shipment, and must pass through several towns to collect goods.

Starting from He Dong Xian, the route passes through Sanhe County, Yuchuan County, Tianbin County, and finally reaches Yuanqing Lake, covering roughly six hundred kilometers.

"I greatly appreciate Li Xian's high regard for the Wang family," Wang Yin said at that moment, "But such a large order is probably still too much for my Wang Clan Trading Firm to take on."

That was, of course, a polite refusal; if it weren't winter, Wang Yin would certainly have taken the order. But under the current circumstances, he still refuses to take the risk.

"Ah…" Li Yuan was not surprised, nodded, "No problem, no problem."

He naturally understood Wang Yin's considerations, felt no resentment, and would likely have made the same choice.

Although the reward is good, if any mishap occurs, the entire merchant convoy could be ruined.

Upon hearing the fifteen gold figure, Wang Wu felt a bit tempted, intending to ask further for details. But at that moment, he abruptly turned his head, looked toward the hall's exit, his gaze piercing the tightly shut doors and into some part of the city.

"Wh‑what's wrong? W—Wang Young Hero?"

Wang Lan, whose eyes had never left Wang Wu, noticed the change in the companion's expression and asked.

"Damn it, why did it go wrong so quickly?" Wang Wu looked toward the door, his expression solemn as he muttered.

"I have something to attend to; you eat first," Wang Wu stood up, glanced at Wang Lan, nodded to her, and his figure vanished instantly within the hall.

(End of Chapter)