"Jian Jiu..."
"What vicious methods!"
Flender's eyes, behind his square spectacles, were bloodshot as he lamented,
"Competition among peers!"
"Why go to such lengths! Why go to such lengths!"
"Ma Hongjun... how old is he? Even if he made a mistake, he could have corrected it!"
"How could Jian Jiu... be so ruthless!"
Ma Hongjun was crippled.
His Evil Fire Phoenix was entangled with evil desires.
That evil fire was a curse; only an almost impossible Spirit purification could remove it.
Now, having been forcefully castrated, with no fire qi to draw upon, he was utterly ruined.
Flender's voice was hoarse.
"What about Qin Ming and Zhao Wuji?"
When Qin Ming sent his messenger,
Ma Hongjun had just been crippled, and Zhao Wuji had not yet sought revenge on Jian Jiu.
Therefore, Flender and Yu Xiaogang were unaware of the subsequent events.
Liu Erlong whispered,
"Zhao Wuji learned Jian Jiu's identity from Qin Ming."
"The night before last, in the rain, he attacked Jian Jiu, but... he and Qin Ming were captured by Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, Jian Jiu's closest friend."
"What?!"
Flender was furious and shocked.
Yu Xiaogang's brows furrowed even tighter.
Liu Erlong said gravely,
"I used all my connections."
"But I couldn't even get an audience with Crown Prince Xue Qinghe."
"Qin Ming and Zhao Wuji... I'm afraid their fates are grim."
Flender's anger receded, and his expression gradually froze.
Zhao Wuji had been with him for over a decade.
He often complained about Flender's stinginess, saying that a dignified Spirit Saint's monthly stipend wasn't even enough for entertainment.
Yet, despite his complaints, Zhao Wuji had never betrayed him or Shrek Academy.
Yu Xiaogang sighed and said,
"Ma Hongjun was brought to Heaven Dou City by Zhao Wuji."
"Perhaps for Zhao Wuji, avenging Ma Hongjun was his duty as a teacher..."
Liu Erlong interrupted,
"Jian Jiu is not dead."
"Although no one told me directly, Shanxiang Workshop held a grand banquet today."
"Jian Jiu's friends... the younger generations of the Ye Family and the Dugu Family, as well as Crown Prince Xue Qinghe, along with several members of the Royal Fight Team, were all present."
"It seems Jian Jiu should be unharmed."
Flender suddenly stood up, saying in disbelief,
"You mean!"
"Zhao Wuji failed to assassinate a junior?!"
The Master immediately shook his head, stating definitively,
"Impossible!"
"Based on my judgment and estimation!"
"There is no young junior so powerful in the Douluo Continent today!"
Liu Erlong irritably tossed her flame-like red hair.
"Don't disbelieve me."
"Jian Jiu's reputation is extremely well-known in Heaven Dou City and the surrounding towns."
"His strength cannot be measured by ordinary geniuses."
Flender and Yu Xiaogang were about to press further—
"Ah!!!"
A painful wail erupted from the bed.
Ma Hongjun was curled up like a shrimp, and evil fire mixed with blood splattered from the wound in his groin.
Once all his evil fire was discharged, his Spirit would be crippled.
"Hongjun!"
Flender and Yu Xiaogang rushed to the bedside.
Watching Ma Hongjun in such agony, both were helpless.
Liu Erlong turned her back and said,
"We can discuss Qin Ming and Zhao Wuji later."
"The immediate priority now is how to treat Ma Hongjun."
Flender's breathing suddenly grew heavy.
"Ma Hongjun can still be saved?"
Before Liu Erlong could speak,
A glint flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes.
"To my knowledge, there are three places in Heaven Dou City that can save Ma Hongjun."
"The Ye Family's Nine Heart Begonia goes without saying. Poison Douluo Dugu Bo is also in Heaven Dou City; his poison arts are unparalleled, and perhaps he can find an alternative solution."
"Then there's the Imperial Family. The Imperial physicians are all healing-type Spirit Masters, and they have many healing spirit herbs, so there should be hope."
Liu Erlong looked at Yu Xiaogang admiringly and nodded.
"That's what I was going to say."
"It's just..."
"Jian Jiu has connections with all three of these families, and I'm worried..."
Flender suddenly clenched his fists, gritting his teeth and saying,
"No matter how talented Jian Jiu is, at most he's only befriended the juniors of these three families."
"I, Flender, you, Liu Erlong, and the Master, our Golden Triangle, have some standing in the Spirit Master world."
"Moreover, Ma Hongjun was crippled first, and Jian Jiu is completely unharmed."
"I don't believe..."
"These three families would disregard our pleas for the sake of a junior like Jian Jiu."
Yu Xiaogang nodded in agreement.
Liu Erlong immediately said,
"Then we will carry Ma Hongjun with us."
"Firstly, the treatment will be more timely."
"Secondly, carrying him to seek treatment shows our sincerity."
"Good!" x2
Without further ado,
The Golden Triangle carried the bloody bed, rushing towards the Ye Family mansion under the strange gazes of passersby on the street.
Arriving at the Ye Family,
They saw the magnificent yet elegant gate.
The three of them felt a surge of hope, as if they saw Ma Hongjun's recovery.
Flender tidied his appearance and politely cupped his hands to the doorman:
"Please inform the family head."
"Flender, Dean of Shrek Academy, Liu Erlong, Dean of Lan Ba Academy, and Master Yu Xiaogang, have an urgent matter to discuss with the Ye Family Head."
Seeing the extraordinary demeanor of the first two, the doorman dared not be negligent.
"Two... three esteemed guests, please wait a moment."
Watching the doorman hurry inside,
Flender's tense expression relaxed slightly, his voice filled with hope.
"It should work."
"The Ye Family's Nine Heart Begonia is the continent's number one healing Spirit. As far as I know, the Ye Family Head widely recruits talented individuals and especially enjoys befriending powerful experts."
"There should be no problem with the three of us seeking an audience together."
A smile appeared on Yu Xiaogang's stiff face.
Liu Erlong nodded hesitantly.
A moment later,
Two doormen strolled out, but their faces no longer held the previous respect, replaced instead by an air of indifference.
"Please go back, esteemed guests."
"The family head says she is not here."
The air suddenly solidified.
Flender anxiously stepped forward.
"Please, inform her again. We truly have a matter of life and death!"
"We've long heard that the Ye Family Head has a compassionate heart. There's a dying young man who needs her treatment..."
The doorman impatiently waved his hand.
"The family head already said she's not here."
"Please leave quickly."
Seeing the gate about to close,
Yu Xiaogang walked out with a cold face.
The stern and confident demeanor, stemming from the theoretical Master, actually intimidated the two doormen.
Then he spoke in a calm tone, yet with profound meaning:
"As far as I know, only two Nine Heart Begonia Spirits can exist in the world today."
"Furthermore, the Ye Family wishes to contend with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda for the title of the continent's number one support Spirit..."
His words stopped there.
Yu Xiaogang's gaze was piercing, fixed on the two doormen.
He was confident.
This statement, directly addressing the Ye Family's core interests and ambitions,
Would be enough to make the Ye Family people shudder and welcome him into the mansion, treating him as an honored guest.
However—
"Scram, scram, scram!"
The two doormen, enraged and embarrassed, pushed Yu Xiaogang down the Ye Family steps.
What nonsense was he babbling about!
What Nine Heart Begonia, what Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, what title of the continent's number one support Spirit!
What did that have to do with them, lowly doormen who earned a few copper coins a month just for guarding the gate?
And seeing Yu Xiaogang suffer such humiliation,
Flames ignited in Liu Erlong's fiery red hair, and a hot, violent aura surged forth.
The doormen, far from being afraid, actually found it amusing.
"Oh ho, coming to the Ye Family looking for trouble?"
A whistle.
Immediately, more than a dozen Ye Family guard Spirit Masters with powerful auras poured out from inside the gate.
Just then,
Two maids walked out from inside the gate, chatting and laughing.
"The apricot blossom crisps from across the street are fresh out of the oven."
"The family head is urging us; she says if we're late, we won't get the first batch."
"Hurry, hurry."
Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong watched this scene with ashen faces.
At this point,
How could they not understand?
The Ye Family had not only rejected them but had done so in such a flippant manner, clearly stating their position and choice.
Jian Jiu... in the Ye Family's heart,
Was worth far more than their Golden Triangle.
"The mountains may not turn, but the waters will."
Yu Xiaogang gritted his teeth, his voice low,
"The Ye Family has shut people out like this."
"I hope that one day, we will still see the Nine Heart Begonia ascend to the position of the continent's number one support Spirit."
"Let's go."
Facts proved
The three of them had thought too simply.
After suffering such a humiliating rejection at the Ye Family,
They rushed non-stop to the Dugu Family mansion.
The result—
Was even more direct and colder than the Ye Family.
Forget about seeing Poison Douluo himself.
After the doorman went to report, what emerged again was not the doorman, but a group of guards armed with sticks.
At this moment,
The three of them carried the bloody bed,
Walking down the widest street in Heaven Dou City.
Dusk was falling, and the streetlights were just coming on.
The bustling market seemed separated by an invisible barrier, unable to penetrate the suffocating atmosphere around them.
Only Ma Hongjun's painful groans, faint as a gossamer thread, sounded particularly harsh in the deadly silence.
"There's still the Imperial Family..."
Flender's eyes were bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth, unwilling to give up.
"I don't believe that Jian Jiu can also be acquainted with everyone in the Imperial Family!"
Yu Xiaogang said with a grim expression,
"That's right, even if Jian Jiu is friends with the Crown Prince, we can directly request an audience with Emperor Xue Ye."
Liu Erlong opened her mouth, but ultimately pursed her lips and said nothing.
The three remained silent, carrying Ma Hongjun, their heavy footsteps hurrying along the wide street.
As they reached the middle of the main street,
A tempting aroma of food drifted on the wind.
The three, who had been rushing for most of the day, subconsciously followed the scent.
They saw a five-story restaurant with carved beams and painted pillars, brightly lit, standing by the river.
On the gilded plaque, three bold, elegant characters—Shanxiang Workshop—shone brightly under the lights.
Just then,
A clear, unrestrained burst of laughter
Emanated clearly from the bustling entrance of the restaurant.
Flender, Yu Xiaogang, and Liu Erlong's gazes slowly froze... A group of young men and women, dressed in silk and jade, with extraordinary temperaments, like stars surrounding the moon, clustered around a white-clad youth, laughing and chatting as they walked out of the restaurant.
Just as the group was about to descend the steps and merge into the dimly lit night,
The white-clad youth suddenly turned his head, and with a casual gesture, plucked a gold coin from the arms of the young man beside him, who was wearing a goose-yellow brocade robe.
A lazy smile played on his face, and he flicked his fingertips.
The gold coin
Traced an arc under the lamplight.
It landed precisely in the hand of the smiling, bowing waiter who was seeing them off... A large chapter update, it's late, so sorry, dear readers~~
Told a dear reader it would be 9:30, but I've been agonizing over words for ages...