บท 124: Chapter 124: Terrifying Connections
A sneaky-eyed person stepped out from the group of the Yongning County crowd and sniffed at them.
After a round of inspection, his gaze finally settled on Lu An.
He returned to the crowd and said to the leading elder of the Zhuang family:
"Uncle, his aura matches the one left at the scene, it should be him."
The elder nodded, a cold light flashing in his eyes as he asked in a chilling tone:
"Have you seen any disciples of the Zhuang family in Wanren City?"
Lu An's heart stirred. He glanced at the sneaky-eyed man and realized that someone with extraordinary abilities had detected his presence from the scene after killing Young Master Zhuang.
He had specifically dealt with the scene that day, but it seemed some traces were still found.
Since he was discovered, there was no point in denying it. He might as well admit it straightforwardly.
"Disciples of the Zhuang family?"
He looked contemplative and then seemed to recall something, feigning sudden realization.
"Oh, I did encounter one."
"This person coveted my Dao companion and tried to lure me to a remote place to ambush me. Unfortunately, he was not strong enough and was eventually killed by me."
The elder glanced at his disciples behind him, his expression darkening.
What Lu An said mostly matched his investigation.
Including the owner of Wanbao Pavilion, who had testified for them.
Moreover, Young Master Zhuang was known for his love of beauty and had often misbehaved, relying on the Zhuang family's status.
They knew this very well, but despite any faults, the Zhuang family was still the Zhuang family. Even if they were at fault, outsiders could not freely impose punishment.
Moreover, Lu An had killed one of their own, which had already touched their bottom line.
The elder stepped forward, releasing his late-stage Core Formation cultivation aura, forcing Lu An to stagger back several steps.
"I don't care what grievances you have. For killing, you must pay with your life. I'm here to take yours."
Spectators gathered around, eager to watch the commotion. Martial conflicts were not uncommon in Wu'an City, and a public fight, especially involving the Zhuang family, was something they wouldn't miss.
The people from Yongning County faced a dilemma. Although Lu An had shown significant prowess in the city, he had offended the Zhuang family.
They hesitated, unsure whether to help.
The Beastmaster clan elder, who led the group, stepped back, indicating that he had no stake in this matter.
Seeing this, his disciples followed suit.
Even Kong Qing, who had previously been friendly with Lu An, only hesitated for a moment before retreating behind the elder.
Lu An was not surprised by this and did not think they had done anything wrong. He had already mentally separated himself from them.
In contrast, the members of the Four Halls, despite their own hesitation, all stood by Lu An without moving.
The Hall Master stepped forward, taking on the full brunt of the elder's late-stage Core Formation pressure.
"Friend Zhuang, with the Water Sky Conference about to begin, your actions here at the palace gates are somewhat inappropriate."
Her status was vastly different from the Zhuang family's, so she could only use the Water Sky Conference to pressure him.
To her surprise, the elder didn't care at all and instead laughed heartily.
"Our Qi Kingdom has always valued martial prowess. Even if the Emperor knew about this, he would not blame us."
"However, friend, are you truly willing to get involved in this mess?"
The Hall Master showed no sign of hesitation, standing firmly in front of Lu An.
The Master of Talismans had specifically instructed her to take good care of Lu An during the Water Sky Conference. She could not disappoint that person.
Regardless of her admiration for him, she had to fulfill the Grand Hall Master's orders from a position of duty.
Seeing her stubbornness, the elder's face showed a hint of cold amusement.
"Hmph, if you refuse to drink the wine of peace, then I'll teach you a lesson in my own way!"
With that, he gathered his True Qi and was about to strike.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the distance, and in no time, landed between the two parties.
The crowd recognized the person and showed excitement.
"Lord Situ Shang, why is he here?"
"Not sure. Could it be that the Prime Minister's family is also involved in this matter?"
"I think he's here to support the Zhuang family. The Grand Marshal and the Prime Minister are officials of the same court. It makes sense that he would back the Zhuang family."
People debated and speculated about Situ Shang's intentions. Even the Zhuang family elder paused, eager to see what Situ Shang's purpose was.
Although the elder was from the Zhuang family, his status was not comparable to the young and promising Situ Shang.
However, to his surprise, after Situ Shang landed, he didn't look at the elder at all and instead walked towards the people from Yongning County.
"Brother Lu, you're here to participate in the Water Sky Conference too? Come, I'll take you into the city."
Hearing this, the Zhuang family elder was momentarily stunned, then lowered his cupped hands, frozen in place.
This person was actually familiar with Situ Shang, making the situation difficult to handle.
However, even with Situ Shang's intervention, it was impossible for the Zhuang family to back down easily.
The Zhuang family could not afford to lose face.
As the elder was about to speak, Situ Shang preempted him:
"I am aware of the situation. The deceased was just an ordinary disciple. Since he was at fault first, Elder Zhuang, how about you give me some face and let this matter go?"
The elder didn't want to make an enemy of Situ Shang, and after a respectful bow, he said:
"Lord Situ, the disciple we lost was not an ordinary one; he was of the direct line."
"If we let this matter go, it would be a huge loss of face for the Zhuang family. I hope you won't make things difficult for us."
Situ Shang frowned and was about to speak further when a voice interrupted from the side.
"The Zhuang family's face wasn't earned this way. It was won by our ancestors fighting countless enemies, with Zhuang's sons bravely advancing to Shuang City, earning the respect of the world."
"Now, how did it come to this, with such bullying and oppression from your side?"
The elder immediately flew into a rage. Who dared to defame them so?
But when he saw the person's face, his anger dissipated instantly.
"Master Zhuang Shitong, this Lu An…"
Zhuang Shitong waved his hand, cutting off the elder's words.
"Lu An is my friend."
The elder's heart trembled, and he dared not say another word.
Zhuang Shitong was of a different status from them. They were merely Zhuang family members staying in Wanren City, showing signs of moving to the collateral branches.
Zhuang Shitong, however, was among those who went to the capital with the ancestor. His status was far beyond theirs.
Seeing that the elder no longer spoke, Zhuang Shitong continued:
"If it weren't for Lu An, I wouldn't have known that the Wanren City Zhuang family had fallen to such a state."
"In my opinion, Lu An's actions were still too lenient. If it were me, I would have skinned them alive and stripped their bones."
At this point, he paused slightly before continuing with a tone as cold as frost.
"I see you are used to showing off your power. After the Water Sky Conference ends, I will report this to the ancestor and have the people of the Zhuang family from Wanren City sent to Shuang City for some training."
"To prevent you from tarnishing the Zhuang family's reputation while we fight for our lives outside."
Upon hearing the name Shuang City, the elder shivered, but he dared not object and could only curse inwardly.
Who would have thought that a minor character like Lu An would lead to so many complications?
What he didn't know was that his shock was far from over.
As Zhuang Shitong was scolding him, two more figures flew in from the distance and landed beside Lu An.
The disciples of the National Master, Ji Xidong.
The character of the Great Qi, Gui Jing.
The crowd, upon recognizing these two, especially Gui Jing, immediately put away their excitement and started greeting them.
"Greetings to King Huai!"
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