Chapter 74

Bringing food and drink to the office, Fang Xu warmly greeted the two Golden Scale Guards at the door.

"Kid, are you feeling better?" one of the Golden Scale Guards asked, eyeing Fang Xu curiously.

That day, Fang Xu's miserable state, with his qi and blood almost drained, was something he had personally witnessed.

"Thanks to the Young Master's blessing, I managed to save my life." Fang Xu smiled, raising the food and drink in his hand, and said, "That day I still need to thank all the brothers; today I specially bought some food and drink to reward you all."

That Golden Scale Guard glanced at the food and drink in his hand, a rare smile appearing, and said, "No wonder the Young Master likes you; you'll get things done."

"My two brothers are on duty; go inside and find the other brothers to drink with, just leave some for us later."

"Alright! You two have worked hard!" Fang Xu grabbed the food and drink and went straight into the office.

Making friends is the same no matter who you befriend!

Entering the office, he met several patrolling Golden Scale Guards on the way, and Fang Xu, unusually, warmly greeted them all.

Although these Golden Scale Guards' attitudes were very cold, making him feel like he was putting a hot face on a cold butt, he endured it just to fill his friend list!

Li Xun and his father Li Xingchao brought a total of two hundred Golden Scale Guards to Maple Forest Town this time; one hundred of the elite were taken by Li Xingchao to the Tilan Mountain Relics, and of the remaining hundred Golden Scale Guards, over forty died in the previous ambush, leaving not many left in the office.

Arriving at the Golden Scale Guards' quarters, Fang Xu found only seven or eight people there; the rest, presumably off duty, had gone to town to play.

It happened to be lunchtime; Fang Xu brought the expensive food and drink he had bought, gave a warm greeting, and soon he was drinking with the seven or eight people in the room.

After the wine went down, the friend list deep in his sea of consciousness jumped straight from (4/10) to (10/10)!

After adding the six new names, their life values coincidentally matched exactly, all at 58%.

Seeing this, Fang Xu couldn't help but recall the local tyrants of Maple Forest Town from before.

When the Blood Food Shop opened, I had added those five people as "friends," and at that time their life values after their names were all the same; as a result, the Wu family summoned the Ascension Society, and the five were all slain by Mu Xuan and his two companions on the same day.

Now, the life values after the names of these six Golden Scale Guards are the same again—does that mean they too will die on the same day?

How pitiful……

Feeling some pity, he glanced at the few people happily eating and drinking; Fang Xu slightly cupped his fists and smiled, saying, "Brothers, go ahead and drink; I haven't yet gone to pay respects to the Young Master."

"Don't tell the Young Master we're drinking!" one of the Golden Scale Guards hurriedly warned.

Fang Xu slightly cupped his fists: "Rest assured, I understand."

Leaving the Golden Scale Guards' quarters, Fang Xu came to the front courtyard and saw Li Xun discussing something with Xu Liang; both of their faces looked somewhat grim.

"Greetings to the Young Master." Upon approaching, Fang Xu slightly cupped his fists.

Li Xun turned his head, looking at the still somewhat emaciated him, and exclaimed in surprise, "Your qi and blood loss is so severe, yet you not only survived but even broke through to Martial Apprentice Third Level?"

Fang Xu quickly cupped his fists: "It's all thanks to the pill the Young Master gave me."

He hadn't taken the fourth-grade Blood Qi Pill, but now he had no choice but to lie, crediting everything to the fourth-grade Blood Qi Pill.

You little brat, you've got a big life; you'll surely achieve something someday. Li Xun said lightly, then shifted tone: "Do you know where that blockhead from the Yun family lives?"

Blockhead?

Fang Xu stared, then suddenly realized Li Xun was referring to Yun Qing.

It should be the inn in town. Fang Xu said with clasped hands.

He was curious; finding Yun Qing shouldn't be hard for Li Xun, so why ask me?

Go tell him to come to the government office tonight and say that Aunt Yun Jin has returned.

Yun Jin?

Is she the Yun family member who followed Li Xingchao and his son to Maple Forest Town that day?

Yes. Fang Xu didn't dare ask further, accepted the errand, and left the government office directly.

After making the rounds of several inns in town, he hadn't found a trace of Yun Qing; his thoughts stirred, and he guessed Yun Qing must have run back to his own home again.

Hurrying home, Fang Xu indeed found Yun Qing outside the gate, looking sullen.

Young Master Yun.

He called out from afar, and Yun Qing flashed forward, asking, "Where is Miss Chu?"

Fang Xu stared for a moment, then suddenly recalled that Lu Qingluo had said this morning that he and Chu Mu should move to the Hall of Reaching Far.

He should have gone to the Hall of Reaching Far; Young Master Yun, wait a moment—I'll gather a few things and then go with you.

Entering the small courtyard, he simply packed some clothes; with Yun Qing present, Fang Xu did not bring the stone tablets of the Divine Extension Canon and the Flame Spirit True Explanation, planning to retrieve them later when no one was around at night.

On the way to the Hall of Reaching Far, Fang Xu said, "Young Master Yun, I just went to see the prince; he entrusted me to give you a message: go to the government office tonight and say that Aunt Yun Jin has returned."

Did Aunt Yun Jin return from the Ti Lan Mountain relic? Upon hearing this, Yun Qing's face lit up with joy, and he hurriedly told Fang Xu, "I won't go to the Hall of Reaching Far; tell Miss Chu I came to see her."

Watching the hurried Yun Qing, Fang Xu helplessly shook his head and walked to the Hall of Reaching Far alone.

Night, Maple Forest Town government office.

Li Xun looked at his father before him, who had lost an arm, his face filled with icy frost.

Your Highness, is the relic really that dangerous? Xu Liang asked, frowning.

Upon coming to Maple Forest Town, he had already divined a hexagram; the omens were auspicious, though there was danger, it posed no great hindrance and would bring a small gain.

But now, how did it come to this?

Li Xingchao nodded with a solemn expression, inevitably recalling what their party had encountered in the relic.

Over a hundred Golden Scale Guards, all at the Warrior level or above, were almost wiped out; besides the two Golden Scale Guard centurions who had reached Warrior perfection and Yun Jin, the dozen or so who managed to return alive all bore injuries.

Your Highness, forgive me; this old official is incapable! Xu Liang hastily bowed.

Li Xingchao waved his hand: "No need for such apologies, Master Diviner; it's my ill fortune—this hand shouldn't have been lost, but my foot slipped inexplicably, and that mechanism swept it away."

He knew Xu Liang's divination ability well; over the years, there had rarely been a mistake.

Aunt, Your Highness, did you see my sister in the relic? Yun Qing anxiously interjected from the side.

Upon hearing this, Li Xingchao and Yun Jin's faces drastically changed.

Waner went into the relic!? Li Xingchao's face sank as he looked toward Li Xun and questioned.

Under his father's stern gaze, Li Xun drooped his head and clasped his hands: "I, the son, have been negligent; I failed to watch over Sister Waner well, letting her… let her run off to the relic…"

"You..." Li Xingchao glared at his own son with some anger, then sighed helplessly.

Using Yun Wan and Li Xun's marriage to win over the Yun family is his next step; now, in the Yu State's seven prefectures, three have clearly declared their support for him, having won over the Yun family, his side will occupy an absolute advantage.

But now, Yun Wan has gone to the Ti Lan Mountain ruins, her life or death unknown; if this plan fails, it will come to nothing.

"Your Highness, I think the matter of the ruins can no longer be kept secret; why not simply ask Your Highness to issue an order, opening the ruins to all forces of the Yu State, with the imperial clan and the Yun family in control; if any force truly gains benefits from the ruins, we can also take a share."

Yun Jin spoke slowly.

The news of the ruins has already leaked out; it is believed that soon forces will pressure the imperial clan and the Yun family.

Moreover, the ruins are too dangerous inside; sending in some cannon fodder to probe the path, losing only insignificant things, the final benefits will also be divided among these major powers.

Yun Jin's proposal also has a private motive.

His niece entered the ruins; relying solely on the Yun family's strength, it would be difficult to go deep into the ruins to rescue her; but if the ruins are opened, the Yun family can issue a bounty, letting many adventurers come to help find Yun Wan.

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(End of chapter)