Chapter 638: An Unexpected Clash

House House Jinque.

In the courtyard of the residence, performers were singing opera, and the master of the house, Si Qing, was sitting in a chair listening with great interest.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from behind.

"Father, the Luo Lan Mansion's mansion sacrifice has already begun. I'm afraid the other mansions are about to make a move against them. Aren't we going to help?" The arrivals were Si Si Tianming and Si Si Qiuying. At this moment, both siblings wore a hint of anxiety on their faces.

"That's right, Father. Once the Extreme Flame Mansion, Duze Mansion and the others truly crush Luo Lan Mansion, I'm afraid they'll turn their sights on our House House Jinque next!" Si Si Qiuying said hurriedly.

Having his opera-listening interrupted, Si Qing was somewhat displeased. Listening to the siblings' words, he said, "The relationships between the mansions are complicated; they can't be explained so simply. Although my House House Jinque is on decent terms with Luo Lan Mansion, has it really reached the point where we would step out and fight head-on with the other mansions for them?"

He looked at Si Si Tianming and said, "You've pursued Jiang Qing'e for years without any progress. Clearly, she doesn't think much of you."

"If you truly won her over, and Jiang Qing'e became a person of my House House Jinque, do you think I still wouldn't help her?"

Si Si Tianming said helplessly, "Qing'e has the bearing of a goddess. I truly am not worthy of her."

"Naive."

Si Qing shook his head. He raised his gaze and looked toward another direction of Daxia City. His deep, unreadable eyes left no one knowing what he was thinking. Finally, he waved his hand and said, "You two may withdraw first. As for what choice to make, I have my own plans. These matters are not something you can meddle in. And don't leave House House Jinque today."

Hearing this, Si Si Tianming and Si Si Qiuying could only comply, then departed with worried hearts.

Watching the two figures leave, the shadow of a nearby tree branch fell across Si Qing's face, and his eyes flickered slightly at this moment.

"Li Taixuan..."

Duze Mansion.

Duze Yan stood atop a tower, his gaze fixed on the brightly lit Daxia City.

"Father, Luo Lan Mansion has finally run into terrible luck this time. When do we make our move? I really want to see, once Luo Lan Mansion is destroyed, whether that kid Li Luo can still act so arrogant in the academy?!" Duze Duze Beixuan said with some excitement.

Beside him, Duze Duze Honglian pressed her red lips tightly together. Her gaze was somewhat complicated, hesitant to speak.

Duze Yan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger.

Duze Duze Beixuan continued, "Father, Luo Lan Mansion is our Duze Mansion's mortal enemy. We absolutely cannot let this opportunity slip. Once our Duze Mansion swallows Luo Lan Mansion, our strength and reputation will surely rise to another level!"

"Father, you've been waiting for this day for a very long time, haven't you!"

Duze Yan looked at Duze Duze Honglian and said, "Duze Honglian, what do you think?"

Duze Duze Honglian hesitated for a moment, then finally shook her head and said, "I don't know."

Duze Duze Beixuan shot Duze Duze Honglian a dissatisfied look and said, "Sister, that Jiang Qing'e has suppressed you for so many years. Now is the best chance to crush her spirit."

"Shut up." Duze Duze Honglian snapped impatiently.

Duze Yan, however, waved his hand at this moment and said, "Tonight, none of you are to leave Duze Mansion. The entire mansion is on lockdown. Leave the rest to me. Some things, after all these years, it's time there was a resolution."

As his voice fell, he took a single step, and his figure had already vanished.

Seeing this, Duze Duze Beixuan said excitedly, "Father is really going to make a move. Luo Lan Mansion doesn't even have a single Marquis Realm expert. I'd like to see how Li Luo escapes this time!"

Duze Duze Honglian said nothing and turned to leave.

A street not far from Luo Lan Mansion's headquarters.

Tonight, the area where Luo Lan Mansion's headquarters was located had clearly been cordoned off in advance. All the shops were closed, the street was completely empty, not a single person in sight.

Si Qing's figure appeared on this street.

He walked slowly, then suddenly his footsteps paused. His gaze fell on the stone steps of a shop to the front right, where a figure sat holding a wine pot.

A look of surprise flashed in Si Qing's eyes. He also walked over and laughed, "Master of Duze Mansion, what a coincidence."

That figure was none other than the master of Duze Mansion, Duze Yan.

Si Qing came to sit beside the stone steps, but his gaze remained locked on Duze Yan.

Duze Yan took out a wine bowl, filled one for Si Qing as well, and said, "The appearance of Master Si Qing here strikes one as a little strange. Isn't your House House Jinque on the best terms with Luo Lan Mansion? At a time like this, could you be thinking of going to Luo Lan Mansion's headquarters?"

Si Qing smiled slightly and said, "Between the mansions, can one simply speak of whose terms are the best?"

Duze Yan lifted the wine bowl and took a large gulp, his gaze sweeping over Si Qing as he said, "It seems Master Si Qing also has an interest in Luo Lan Mansion. I imagine this might come as quite a surprise to those two youngsters at Luo Lan Mansion. After all, they may have always thought House House Jinque was still something of a friend to Luo Lan Mansion."

"These past years, House House Jinque has been walking the path of getting close to Luo Lan Mansion. Now Master Si Qing feels this path has lost its appeal, so he's simply decided to switch paths?"

Si Qing laughed and said, "Master of Duze Mansion, please don't mock me. Speaking of which, our purposes are much the same. I think no one can be blamed. If blame there is, blame the fact that the things Li Taixuan left behind are simply too tempting. After all, I ask you, which Marquis Realm expert would not feel greed upon seeing a treasure capable of illuminating the path to the King Realm?"

"Master of Duze Mansion, since we've met here, why not go together?"

Duze Yan drained his wine in one gulp and nodded.

Si Qing laughed. But just as his laughter began, a sound like thunder seemed to ring out through the air. Immediately after, the temperature of the area rose sharply. An iron fist wreathed in fire and lightning was seen directly shattering the void, and in an utterly domineering and ferocious manner, it came crashing toward Si Qing.

Golden light swept through Si Qing's body, transforming behind him into a golden finch light-shadow. The golden finch's wings sliced down, wrapped in an indescribable sharpness, and collided head-on with that fire-and-lightning iron fist.

Boom!

An extraordinarily terrifying resonant force shockwave swept outward, yet for some unknown reason, it did not shatter the street or the houses. Only the void continuously twisted, revealing just how terrifying the force of that collision truly was.

Behind the golden light, the smile on Si Qing's face slowly faded. He said, "Master of Duze Mansion, why attack me?"

Duze Yan's face was cold and silent.

"Could it be that you want to swallow Luo Lan Mansion's treasure all by yourself?" Si Qing's voice also gradually turned icy.

Duze Yan said indifferently, "If I told you my purpose was to prevent you from making a move against Luo Lan Mansion, I wonder if you would believe it?"

Si Qing was stunned for a moment, then looked at Duze Yan with mockery: "Master of Duze Mansion, have you lost your mind? Your Duze Mansion and Luo Lan Mansion are mortal enemies! And now you're telling me you want to protect Luo Lan Mansion?! Then all these years your Duze Mansion has been fighting Luo Lan Mansion—was that just an act?"

Duze Yan said expressionlessly, "It wasn't an act. We were truly fighting."

"Then have you gone mad now?" Si Qing felt the other party was being somewhat unreasonable. You've been fighting Luo Lan Mansion to a standstill, and now that I'm about to move against Luo Lan Mansion, you f***ing come to block me? Are you insane?!

"Not mad."

Duze Yan's face was somewhat shadowed. He stared coldly at Si Qing and said, "I merely made a promise to Li Taixuan back then."

Anger surged in Si Qing's eyes as he said, "You had an agreement with Li Taixuan? Weren't you the one who hated him the most back then? He'd run over and beat you up whenever he felt like it. In all of Daxia, is there a Marquis Realm expert who has been beaten more than you?! Are you f***ing telling me now that Li Taixuan beat some affection into you?"

Si Qing, noble as the master of a mansion, had now resorted to profanity. One could see just how unbelievable Duze Yan's words were in his eyes.

"You do talk a lot of nonsense. Do you know what that agreement was at the very beginning? It was me saying that as long as Li Taixuan could defeat me twenty times, I would grant him one condition." Duze Yan said coldly.

Si Qing was left speechless. So all those times Duze Yan was defeated by Li Taixuan back then were actually because this fellow had made the promise himself?!

"Duze Yan, do you really think that by blocking me here, you can protect Luo Lan Prefecture? Who's the one pushing this from behind—you know better than I do." Si Qing said.

Duze Yan stepped forward, and the void behind him collapsed, as if a world of fire and thunder was taking shape, within which a massive Marquis Bestowal Platform flickered in and out of view.

"The rest is none of my concern. I'm only fulfilling my promise to Li Taixuan. As long as I do my part, whether Luo Lan Prefecture ends up protected or not has nothing to do with me."