Chapter 354: Am I the villain?

Xiuzheng Ward, Nanluo Alley, Hua family.

"Creak~"

Hua Changxi pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in. Due to the long period of no one living there or taking care of it, the Hua family courtyard had already shown signs of decay; weeds were overgrown in the courtyard, and spider webs were everywhere under the eaves and in the corners of the walls.

Seeing the courtyard where she was born become so desolate, a complex and unspeakable emotion surged in Hua Changxi's heart.

After walking around the Hua family courtyard, Hua Changxi discovered that the simple defensive formation she had set up had been destroyed. With a wave of her hand, hundreds of Fire Marrow Jades and Soul Crystals flew out together. In an instant, the Hua family courtyard was shrouded in the Twelve Zhou Tian Defensive Formation.

The Twelve Zhou Tian Defensive Formation was a fifth-grade formation she had learned from Yan Zhenzhen. Because setting up this formation required the cooperation of divine sense and spiritual power, and her strength had been limited before, she had never set it up for the Hua family courtyard.

This formation could withstand attacks from cultivators at the Spirit Platform Realm and below.

"Bang!"

Not long after the formation was set up, some cultivators wanted to rush into the Hua family courtyard, but they were bounced away by the Twelve Zhou Tian Defensive Formation.

Hua Changxi heard the commotion, her eyes sharpened, and she walked out quickly, just in time to see two Qi Sea Realm cultivators helping a Golden Core cultivator get up.

These three were sent by the Duke of Liang's Prefecture to monitor the Hua family courtyard. As long as there was any unusual movement in the Hua family courtyard, they would immediately report it to the Duke of Liang's Prefecture.

The Golden Core cultivator, Yin Xiu, was the eldest son of a concubine of the fifth branch of the Duke of Liang's Prefecture. Being assigned to guard the Hua family courtyard, he was very unwilling in his heart.

Fortunately, the Duke of Liang's Prefecture still had some prestige, and no one deliberately came to the Hua family courtyard to make trouble. For the past three years, he and the two collateral clansmen had not had a difficult life.

But today, the sun rose from the west, and someone actually broke into the Hua family courtyard.

Because Yin Xiu had been unable to break through the bottleneck of the early Golden Core stage for a long time, he had been harboring anger in his heart. As soon as he received the news that someone had broken into the Hua family courtyard, he rushed over in a hurry.

Who knew that the Hua family courtyard actually had an extra defensive formation.

Being knocked away by the formation, Yin Xiu even felt his dantian vibrating. He, who had been very angry, calmed down instantly, and cold sweat seeped out on his back.

After all, coming from a Duke's Prefecture, even if he was a concubine's son, he had some knowledge. Just from one contact, he saw that the defensive formation was not simple.

When he saw the cold and frosty Hua Changxi walking out of the Hua family courtyard, his heart fell to the bottom.

Although he didn't know Hua Changxi and had never seen her, he guessed her identity at the first moment: Hua! Chang! Xi!

A surging spiritual pressure like a tidal wave pressed over. The two Qi Sea Realm cultivators instantly fell to the ground. Yin Xiu at least remembered that he came from the Duke of Liang's Prefecture and could not disgrace the face of the Duke's Prefecture, so he still wanted to grit his teeth and hold on.

Unfortunately, under the absolute difference in realm, all efforts were useless.

After persisting for a few seconds, Yin Xiu also fell to the ground.

Hua Changxi knew that these three were just acting on orders, and she didn't want to bully the weak to show her strength. After intimidating them, she withdrew her spiritual pressure and turned to leave.

"Jiu... Jiuniang?"

Just as Hua Changxi turned around, she saw many neighbors standing at their own doors looking at her.

The person who spoke was the aunt next door to the Hua family courtyard, who had watched Hua Changxi grow up.

Hua Changxi walked towards her, but just as she took a step, she saw the aunt retreat a few steps in fear.

"..."

Hua Changxi frowned, stopped, and looked at the neighbors, surprisingly discovering that the vast majority of people looked at her with fear in their eyes.

They were afraid of her!!!

This discovery made Hua Changxi's heart shake violently.

Why was it like this?

Hua Changxi's gaze followed the line of sight of some neighbors and landed on Yin Xiu and the other two who were still lying on the ground panting heavily, and she had a realization.

However, she didn't understand.

It was clearly the Duke of Liang's Prefecture bullying the Hua family with power and sending people to monitor the Hua family courtyard. Although she used spiritual pressure to intimidate the three of them, that was also a legitimate counterattack. Why were the neighbors afraid of her? It was as if she were the villain.

Hua Changxi wanted to ask for an explanation, but swallowed the words back.

These people were just neighbors after all. To put it bluntly, they were just a group of unrelated people. Why should she care about them and affect her own behavior?

Without lingering, Hua Changxi strode away from Nanluo Alley.

It was not until Hua Changxi's figure could no longer be seen that Yin Xiu and the other two dared to help each other up.

"Quick, send a message to the Heir, saying that Hua Changxi has appeared."

Leaving Nanluo Alley, Hua Changxi went straight to the Count Dingyuan's Prefecture.

As soon as she stepped into the street where the Count's Prefecture was located, she discovered the Nascent Soul cultivator sitting cross-legged in a tea house box opposite the Count's Prefecture.

"Hmph!"

Hua Changxi was truly angered by the unscrupulousness of the Duke of Liang's Prefecture. With a wave of her hand, she used her spiritual power to roll the Nascent Soul cultivator over.

It was not until Yin Yunzhou was forcibly brought in front of Hua Changxi that he reacted: he had been attacked!

"You, what are you..."

Before he could finish his question, Yin Yunzhou guessed that the red-clothed woman in front of him was Hua Changxi. He was both surprised by Hua Changxi's sudden appearance and horrified by her terrifying strength.

He was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Not only did he not detect Hua Changxi's appearance in advance, but he also had no power to parry Hua Changxi's attack.

Yin Yunzhou suppressed the fear in his heart and said quickly: "In the capital, cultivators are not allowed to take action. Are you going to violate the rules jointly formulated by the Imperial Family and the five great holy lands?"

As if in response to his words, a team of Embroidered Uniform Guards with knives hurried over.

The leading Embroidered Uniform Guard was also a Nascent Soul cultivator. As soon as he arrived, he looked at Hua Changxi and Yin Yunzhou with sharp eyes: "We sensed spiritual power fluctuations. Are the two of you taking action?"

Hua Changxi didn't speak.

Yin Yunzhou just wanted to say that Hua Changxi had attacked him, but as soon as the words reached his lips, he felt a sharp pain in his mind. Looking up, he met Hua Changxi's half-smiling eyes.

"No... no."

After Yin Yunzhou denied it, Hua Changxi spoke: "This fellow Daoist has worked hard. Seeing him stay in the tea house so diligently without moving, I really couldn't help but want to chat with him. That's all."

The Nascent Soul Embroidered Uniform Guard came with a mission and looked directly at Yin Yunzhou: "Fellow Daoist, don't be afraid. With us here, if someone really takes action against you, we will definitely give you justice."

"Hehe~"

Before Yin Yunzhou could speak, Hua Changxi's laughter rang out.

Hua Changxi looked at the Nascent Soul Embroidered Uniform Guard with ulterior motives, with undisguised mockery on her face and contempt in her eyes: "Talking big... will twist your tongue."

The Nascent Soul Embroidered Uniform Guard was horrified. He clearly felt a killing intent flash from Hua Changxi.

She wanted to kill him, and she could kill him!

Just when the Nascent Soul Embroidered Uniform Guard didn't know what to do, Hua Changxi spoke to Yin Yunzhou: "Please lead the way, let's go to the Duke of Liang's Prefecture."

"The Duke of Liang is sending people to monitor the Hua family courtyard and sending you to block the gate of the Count Dingyuan's Prefecture. With such a big battle, I don't even know what he looks like. It's really too inappropriate."

Yin Yunzhou was stunned. Go to the Duke of Liang's Prefecture? He thought Hua Changxi would go to the Count Dingyuan's Prefecture to visit the Hua family first.

However, he was only a collateral branch of the Duke of Liang's Prefecture. If he really led Hua Changxi to the Duke of Liang's Prefecture, he was afraid he wouldn't have a good end if something happened later.

Yin Yunzhou thought that with the Embroidered Uniform Guards present, Hua Changxi shouldn't dare to really take action, so he stood still.

Hua Changxi knew that whether it was the three people in Nanluo Alley or the Nascent Soul cultivator in front of her, they were just thugs sent by the Duke of Liang's Prefecture. Even if these thugs were solved, other thugs would be sent out.

To solve the problem thoroughly, one must find the source.

Seeing Yin Yunzhou not moving, Hua Changxi threatened coldly: "What, can't your feet walk?"

Yin Yunzhou's heart jumped. Why didn't the Hua family dare to step out of the Count Dingyuan's Prefecture? Because they were afraid that the Duke of Liang's Prefecture would send people to intercept and kill them.

However, Hua Changxi could also use such means on the Duke of Liang's Prefecture; Hua Changxi could also intercept and kill people from the Duke of Liang's Prefecture.

Thinking of Hua Changxi's terrifying strength, Yin Yunzhou didn't dare to offend her to death, so he smiled apologetically: "Our Duke has also always wanted to see you." As he spoke, he walked in front first.

Seeing Yin Yunzhou really leading the way for Hua Changxi, the Embroidered Uniform Guards looked at each other.

"Pah, still a Nascent Soul cultivator, what a coward!"

Just as Hua Changxi and Yin Yunzhou walked out of the street where the Count Dingyuan's Prefecture was located, the waist of the Nascent Soul Embroidered Uniform Guard vibrated. A moment later, he said to his subordinates: "Go, let's follow."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard subordinates were a bit unhappy: "Boss, do we still have to escort them to the Duke of Liang's Prefecture?"

The Nascent Soul Embroidered Uniform Guard: "Shut up, what escorting them? We are clearly supervising them all the way for the safety of the people."

The Embroidered Uniform Guards: "..."

There was no other way, this team of Embroidered Uniform Guards could only accept their fate and follow. Just as they caught up, they saw a monk blocking the way of Hua Changxi and Yin Yunzhou.

"Changxi, it's been three years, are you okay?"

Hua Changxi looked at the warm-smiling Jing Le, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up: "I'm doing fine."

Jing Le nodded with a smile: "That's good." As he spoke, he looked at Yin Yunzhou and then at the team of Embroidered Uniform Guards who had caught up, "If you don't mind, I'd like to accompany you for a while."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "... Okay."

Just as they continued to head towards the Duke of Liang's Prefecture, the Count Dingyuan brought the Heir and Hua Minghe and others and walked quickly out of the Count's Prefecture gate.

"Didn't they say Jiuniang is back?"

"Where is she?" ===== CHAPTER 355 =====