Chapter 831: Winds and Clouds Surge

Invincible—oh, no, that's wrong, the weak-bodied Jia Baoyu collapsed.

And he still has to lie down for a few days.

It's like this: at first, Jia Baoyu directly saw the water-made Lin Daiyu and Baochai turn into fierce people, his heart ached, and he fainted.

Nothing serious, he'll wake up soon.

But Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai certainly couldn't just let this "Second Master Bao" lie unconscious, so one of them lifted him onto the table and directly infused true qi, intending to soothe and heal his wounds.

Most ordinary true qi cultivated from martial arts in the world does have a certain soothing and healing effect.

Except for the Great Strength Monkey King Fist.

Lin and Xue didn't know this; the martial arts practiced by the Thirteen Defenders are all based on the Monkey King Fist (even Wang Xifeng changed hers), same root and source, so mutually circulating qi to heal wounds is naturally no problem.

But for outsiders, it's different.

The true qi is overbearing to the extreme; ordinary body-tempering martial artists may not necessarily withstand it.

Let alone Jia Baoyu, this fake-entry martial artist fed to him.

After a slight infusion, Jia Baoyu vomited blood again and suffered internal injuries on the spot.

The two immediately summoned the mansion's physician; the news spread, Grandmother Jia was both anxious and angry, and summoned Lin and Xue to punish them with kneeling.

Lin and Xue naturally held Grandmother Jia in the utmost reverence; without a word, they knelt down.

What's the big deal?

Not to mention just kneeling like this; even if a large stone were placed on them, they could kneel for three days and three nights without swaying.

As a result, Sun Wukong was unhappy; my old grandson's monkey and monkey grandson, how could they just kneel so casually?

He ran over to argue with Grandmother Jia.

The two argued for a short while, full of vigor, and Lin and Xue outside, who were kneeling in punishment, heard it and found it quite amusing.

How come these two masters are acting like little children?

In short, they argued very lively.

Someone went to inquire about the daily idle person lying around, now the Jia family's greatest authority, the one who truly calls the shots, Marquis Xuan Guo Jia Rong.

Upon hearing, Marquis Xuan Guo immediately set out.

Everyone thought Marquis Xuan Guo would go over and settle everything with one palm, suppressing the two arguing people.

But unexpectedly, he stood there, joined the Jia family's Flower-Fruit Mountain Defenders in eavesdropping by the wall corner, and even laughed heartily.

Perhaps he laughed too loudly, startling Grandmother Jia and the master "Sun the Great King" inside; they unanimously condemned the outside Marquis Xuan Guo as unvirtuous.

The commotion caused chickens to fly and dogs to jump, nearly tearing apart the hall.

When the Jia family women returned, the Jia household was again bustling, a "peaceful and tranquil" day.

The unlucky one is just Jia Baoyu.

Oh, and there's also Ao Yulie muttering about the eldest senior brother and master always doing things like burning the lute and boiling the crane.

The perfectly fine Grand View Garden has been turned into Flower-Fruit Mountain; fortunately, the mountain pavilions and towers remain, so it's not a true wilderness.

It has a somewhat mountain summer retreat feeling.

Speaking of construction difficulty, the actual Flower-Fruit Mountain is much harder to build than the Grand View Garden; without a strong martial artist's intervention, it simply couldn't be built.

It just looks truly ugly from the outside.

It doesn't match current aesthetics, and being utterly unprecedented, it became a "laughingstock."

Moreover, the perfectly fine Twelve Beauties of Jinling (partially) became the Thirteen Defenders, leaving Ao Yulie speechless.

It's not that he thinks the current Lin, Xue, etc., are bad.

Ao Yulie himself is not Jia Baoyu; in fact, he greatly admires the current spirited and vigorous Jia family women.

The main reason is that the time period of the authentic Twelve Beauties of Jinling is too short, leaving Ao Yulie unsatisfied.

Originally he thought, the authentic Twelve Beauties would naturally take at least half a year, after which they would become the spirited and vigorous "Jia family female generals."

Double happiness.

Unexpectedly, the eldest senior brother's efficiency is so high that after entering this world for only two months, he has basically completed the transformation.

Ao Yulie is somewhat worried; if this continues, the Thirteen Defenders might truly become monkey and monkey grandchildren.

Also, "Thirteen Defenders"—who came up with that name? It's really unpleasant to the ear.

Had I known this earlier, I would have gone out with him at the time, at least to come up with some pleasant names, like Sailor Warriors or something.

In the naming domain, if Sun Wukong and Tang Luo are negative, then Ao Yulie can at most manage one-two-three.

The Jia family women returned to the imperial city.

The imperial city is indeed not as peaceful as before.

On the first day, the tear-free death god Lin Daiyu beat up Li Lin of the Li family.

On the second day, the smiling-face Yama Xue Baochai stepped forward to teach a lesson to several bullying and domineering rich idols, beating them even more severely than Li Lin.

According to the accounts of the onlookers, at that time, dressed in plain attire, without makeup, with a faint smile on her face, Xue Baochai acted while gently and amiably asking: "Do you still dare or not?"

That appearance finally made people understand why she is called the "Smiling-Face Yama."

And finally understood why she could suppress the tear-free death god Lin Daiyu and become the leader of the Jia family Flower-Fruit Mountain Thirteen Defenders.

On the third and fourth days, it was the heroic rakshasa Qingwen and other previously unknown maids of the Jia family who took action.

With their actual strength, they even crushed those who had guidance from famous masters, diligently studied martial arts, and lacked nothing—those noble clan youths.

In the vast imperial city, the Jia family women's female warriors do not yield to men; "one family dominates."

It let many people watch a lively spectacle for a while, just regrettable that they didn't see the icy ice fairy Qin Keqing.

As for the Jia family women's appearance, no need to say more.

Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai appeared, drawing countless young masters and misses to bow and scrape.

Among them, Qin Keqing uniquely earned the title of "Immortal Maiden"; without much thought, one could imagine this woman's appearance must be of what peerless beauty.

It's just a pity that she ultimately became a married woman, and moreover, the wife of Duke Xuan.

Rumors have already begun to circulate.

Duke Xuan is only a step away from Grandmaster; he might become Great Qian's youngest Grandmaster.

Otherwise, why would Emperor Kaiyuan have directly bestowed the title of Duke, and continuously showered favors on the Jia clan — even laughing it off when the other party seized a mountain, not caring in the slightest?

Against such a fierce figure, those who dare to stroke the tiger's whiskers are few and far between.

Let alone those harboring thoughts of catching a glimpse of his wife's peerless beauty — isn't that courting death?

The Jia clan's younger generation, the commotion caused by their daily brawling is not small.

Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai are one thing; at least they barely count as Jia clan young ladies.

The Dowager dotes on both of them, ranking only after that Jia Baoyu — useless in both letters and martial arts, rumored to have been frightened into a faint by a returning Jia clan girl.

They contend in martial dao with others; others can't beat them, and if they fight, they get beaten.

No major trouble arises; as long as there are no lingering aftereffects, it's fine.

But what about your Jia clan's maids?

Don't they understand the order of superior and inferior?

Coming up with a "Grand Protector" to rival the young ladies in fame — do they really take themselves for young ladies?

Great Qian's heaven, earth, sovereign, parent, teacher; principle and law are orderly — how can a few maids be allowed to overturn superiors and inferiors, and thus destroy it?

For a time, voices condemning the Jia clan rose in an unending stream.

Several nobles even went to the door in person, demanding justice for their own children — although their bullying sons were struck by Xue Baochai, and had nothing to do with the maids.

But my children I will naturally discipline myself; where does it become the Jia clan girls' place to discipline on my behalf?

Now the Jia clan has stirred up public indignation; naturally they must seize this chance to demand an explanation from the Jia clan and win back some face.

At the same time, probe the Jia clan's intentions.

The situation now is not as before; the capital's aristocratic families' structure is basically stable, and the Jia clan's rise will inevitably damage the interests of other noble houses.

Aside from the Li clan sitting firm as Mount Tai, the other noble houses are certainly uneasy and vigilant.

Probing is absolutely necessary.

In response, the Jia clan's explanation was to hang those people upside down outside the Jia clan's high walls for public viewing.

At the same time, Duke Xuan Jia Rong sent word: "What are you things? You're worthy of making my Jia clan give an explanation?"

Once these words spread, naturally no one dared jump out again to speak of Jia clan girls overturning superiors and inferiors.

A joke — didn't you see Duke Zhen, a martial dao Grandmaster, Li Lindao didn't make a peep when his son was injured by Lin Daiyu — oh wait, that's wrong, the other party did have a reaction.

But that reaction was the unscrupulous old father laughing heartily, teasing his son for being beaten by a woman again.

When it spread, it left people speechless; Li Lin stayed home for a full half-month, afraid of further embarrassment.

And that "again" refers to Li Lindao's daughter, Li Lin's older sister, Li Qi.

Great Qian's "female idol".

As early as two years ago she left the capital for the border, led troops in battle, and even won a small-scale national war of over a thousand men against Great Yin.

She is fundamentally not on the same level as the capital's aristocratic scions.

Although her talent in martial dao is inferior to her younger brother's, it's said Li Lin was beaten by this sister of his from childhood to adulthood.

Now that Li Lindao has suddenly brought up the old matter, everyone suddenly realizes Li Qi will be returning soon!

After establishing such great merit, plus being a woman, Emperor Kaiyuan will certainly bestow exceptional favor; upon return she will inevitably be enfeoffed as a Marquis!

So Li Lindao intends to push his own daughter out to fight a duel against the Jia clan girls.

Indeed more suitable than his own son who has already lost once.

As for both sides' "parents," they naturally sit steady on the fishing terrace, watching the "juniors" contend; they would never truly let go.

The Son of Heaven also won't watch the Li and Jia clans truly fight to the death, breeding enmity.

Keeping it at the juniors stirring things up, a state of mutual discord, is most perfect.

After the Jia clan's Thirteen Grand Protectors became the capital's tyrant for a period, the "Li Qi" in everyone's mouth finally arrived "as expected by all."

Everyone is anticipating it.

What's better to watch than contending in martial dao?

Naturally, a group of flower-like, jade-like girls contending in martial dao.

Li Qi's looks are not much inferior to the Jia clan's Thirteen Grand Protectors.

Back then she was also the dream lover of many young masters and young ladies.

Sure enough, after Li Qi returned, Emperor Kaiyuan directly bestowed the title "Nine Phoenix Marquis," adding grace and favor.

But the "great female battle" everyone anticipated still won't happen for a while.

At this time, the Jia clan.

The Dowager held her beloved Jia Baoyu, glaring furiously at Tang Luo.

Tang Luo's gaze swept over, landing on Jia Baoyu; Jia Baoyu's body gave a shudder.

His gaze moved away, then landed on Jia Baoyu again; Jia Baoyu shuddered once more, just like Old Wu the Second next door.

The Dowager was so angry she slapped the table: "Enough! I called you here to see if Baoyu has any serious injury!"

"Am I not looking?" Tang Luo said lazily.

Jia Baoyu's injury naturally wasn't serious; after recuperating for a while he recovered.

Only pity he often shed tears, weeping for his "departed" sisters, gradually becoming a kidney-deficient young master.

The Dowager recalled Tang Luo's "An immortal patted my crown, tied my hair and granted longevity," and asked him to come examine her precious grandson.

"Rest assured, it's nothing serious, just a bit deficient in constitution, like Daiyu used to be. Let go of him, let him spend some time with Wukong, guaranteed to return you a healthy, mighty Jia Baoyu who can uproot a weeping willow with one hand." Tang Luo said.

Little Sister Lin no longer needs to uproot weeping willows; a palm or a fist, and weeping willows can be turned into a pile of splintered wood for firewood.

It would be fine to replace him with Jia Baoyu; Tang Luo has no ill feeling toward Jia Baoyu.

If the other party is willing to practice, I don't mind lending a hand.

As a result, when Jia Baoyu heard this, he trembled even more violently; Jia Mu saw it and felt heartbroken, immediately letting him leave.

She figured it out: that day, "Jia Rong" left too deep an impression on Jia Baoyu, almost becoming a heart ailment.

Originally, if he were playing with his sisters, he could gradually get over it.

But now...

Thinking of this, Jia Mu glared at Tang Luo again and changed the subject: "Now that the outside is so chaotic, what do you want to do?"

Being just an old woman who only wants to maintain the status quo, she certainly dislikes the current state of the Jia family—"mighty in all directions yet surrounded on all sides by enemies."

She can't even sleep well.

She worries that one day they'll be ganged up on and attacked.

"Naturally, to achieve merit and establish a career." Tang Luo said, "Martial arts are killing techniques! Look at the times—it's the day to go to the battlefield and slay enemies! The Jia family's achievements lie outside, not inside; only those petty, scheming, cowardly fools would think the Jia family would fight them over some trifling gains."

Journey to the West's Great Sage Equal to Heaven teams up with the Thirteen Guardians of the Red Chamber to battle the famous generals of the Three Kingdoms, clashing with the 108 demon stars of Water Margin!