The streets outside quickly returned to calm.
After all, it was the Leisure Quarter, where many wealthy individuals resided. A small street brawl like this would not disturb the noble guests who frequented the area. The victim was taken away, along with several witnesses. A group of martial warriors, accompanied by a band of "ghosts from the underworld," dispersed throughout the streets, pretending to apprehend the escaped suspect. Meanwhile, the suspect had already returned to the Drunken Immortal Inn.
In the backyard of the inn, behind a large withered fig tree, Lu Xian stood with disheveled hair, draped in a white cloak and wearing a blank mask on his face. He resembled a ghost as he silently stood under the tree.
The commotion on the street did not alarm the inn's guests, especially the scholars and students studying at the Lu Clan's school on the top floor. The sounds of Lu Jun singing "Unrobed Robe" could still be faintly heard. This song roughly described a story of "deceitful officials in the court" and "gentlemen with hidden talents facing neglect, forced to abandon their official positions."
"This song is quite fitting for his current state," Lu Xian chuckled lightly.
Lu Jun was once an outstanding member of the Lu Clan and had even held an important position in the government as a county official. However, during his tenure, there was a major oversight in the public treasury, and he was ultimately forced to resign in disgrace. Now, he could only scrape by at the Lu Clan's school.
"He was once a respectable man," Lu Xian muttered to himself, hands tucked into his sleeves. "What benefits did the Bai family offer you, causing you to disregard the relationship between teacher and student and bully a helpless fellow clansman in the school?"
Behind Lu Xian, a low and deep voice, resembling the panting of a fierce tiger, resounded. "Brother Xian, he has visited the restroom three times just now. But this year, every time he goes, he has two young servants accompanying him. It won't be as easy to make him stumble and fall like before."
Lu Xian shook his head vigorously, his hair dancing in the cold wind. "In the past three years, we had to consider this and that, so his legs were accidentally injured from falling or slipping. This year is different. I want his legs to be deliberately and unmistakably broken."
"When they come down, have someone collide with them head-on and publicly break his legs. Make sure to announce loudly to the surrounding people that he suffered this beating because he engaged in some shameful act that he cannot afford to let others know," Lu Xian instructed.
The low voice behind him curiously asked, "Should we specify what shameful act he committed?"
Lu Xian kicked behind him without turning around. "You fool, why make it so clear? We want it to be vague and mysterious, so others can speculate on their own."
"He has ruined my reputation for four years; it's time to settle the score."
Under the mask, Lu Xian smiled brightly.
In the shadow behind Lu Xian, the person laughed softly a few times, revealing a towering figure, like a small mountain, huddled in the corner.
The wind blew in gusts.
Inside the Drunken Immortal Inn, the scent of alcohol and meat wafted in the air. In every building of its seven floors, numerous charcoal braziers were lit.
As the cold wind blew through the inn and reached the backyard, it became slightly warm. Lu Xian and the person behind him stood silently in a dark corner, quietly enjoying the breeze.
Suddenly, a faint, obscure, bone-chilling presence mingled in the wind that blew in their faces. Vaguely, Lu Xian heard a bone-piercing laughter.
Lu Xian shivered and looked up at the Drunken Immortal Inn, where a pair of black and white eyes emitted a faint blue aura.
"Whoosh!"
A small whirlwind rose beside Lu Xian, swirling up patches of snow. The towering figure behind Lu Xian also shivered and muttered anxiously, "Brother Xian, something is wrong. My hair is standing on end. It feels the same as when I encountered the Mountain Chimera King at the age of ten. Back then, over a hundred people accompanying my father died!"
"Retreat!" Lu Xian waved his hand forcefully. "Today, he is lucky. We will settle the score another day."
Lu Xian hurriedly rushed towards the back door of the Drunken Immortal Inn.
He faintly heard Lu Xian muttering, "After all, his legs are attached to his body, and he can't escape."
The gigantic figure behind him followed closely, moving silently like a shadow.
Several figures darted out from various corners of the courtyard, silently slipping out through the back door into the alley behind the Drunken Immortal Inn.
The wind blew, and from behind the big tree where Lu Xian was hiding just now, a melodious yet mournful female voice sounded.
"Husband, we... huh?"
The red lanterns hanging high in the Drunken Immortal Inn swayed, casting a dim light into the backyard. Below the tree, a flash of red embroidered shoes darted past.
The enchanting voice sighed softly, "One husband left, but there are still so many husbands. I'll be careful and choose slowly. Husband, shall we form a bond and have some fun?"
Lu Xian, wrapped in a white cloak, with disheveled hair and wearing a warm hat that covered most of his face, had circled around the back of the Drunken Immortal Inn to return to the street where someone had intentionally bumped into him earlier.
The bustling crowd and bright lights made it impossible to tell that he had just experienced the intrusive cold air that seeped into every pore, causing him intense internal pain.
Lu Xian took a deep breath, exhaling a cloud of visible breath. He muttered to himself in disbelief, glancing at the Drunken Immortal Inn. "What the hell was that? That was not something normal. This..."
Before Lu Xian could finish his self-talk, a furious roar erupted from the rooftop of the Qionghua Pavilion, one of the thirty-six towering buildings in Gaoying.
"Who dares to cause trouble with sinister intentions!"
A loud bang followed, as a large portion of the Qionghua Pavilion's top floor exploded. Countless bricks and tiles fell from the heights, and a few burly men, dressed in black armor on their upper bodies with fish scale half-armor around their waists and swords hanging from their sides, surrounded two figures as they leaped down from above.
Lu Xian's eyes caught a glimpse of the two figures being supported. One was none other than Bai Qiong, while the other wore a light red robe with a rhino horn belt. Lu Xian recognized him too!
This man was He Jun, the chief magistrate of the Anle Quarter, the highest-ranking administrative officer in the area and the official responsible for the nearly one million people living in the hundred-mile-long Anle Quarter!
For the past three years, thieves had repeatedly infiltrated the residence of Marquis Tianen, stealing a significant amount of wealth from Lady Hu's private vault. As a result, Lady Hu had disrupted the peace in the Anle Quarter's magistrate's office. He Jun had visited the Marquis's mansion multiple times with his subordinates, humbly apologizing for the disturbance.
The commotion Lady Hu caused at the Anle Quarter's magistrate's office had become a well-known story in the district over the past years. Lu Xian and other young members of the Lu Clan even specifically gathered at the entrance to witness the spectacle!
"Bai Qiong!"
"He Jun!"
"The victim seeking justice, the witnesses who courageously stood up, and the timely arrival of the imperial inspector and the street guards!"
Lu Xian's face twitched as he stared intently at He Jun. Something was off about his complexion.
Approaching forty years old, He Jun usually had a well-maintained appearance, with smooth skin that shone like a ripe peach. However, at this moment, his skin appeared shriveled as if he had been exposed to the sun all day. Countless fine wrinkles covered his forehead.
His once rosy lips turned a shade of green, his eye sockets sunken, dark circles formed beneath his eyes, and his body trembled. Supported by two sturdy men, he appeared like someone worn out from excessive indulgence in wine and women, his body weakened.
What caught Lu Xian's sharp eyes was a detail that ordinary people on the street would not notice. The front part of He Jun's red robe was wet, and water droplets dripped from it as he was carried down from the high building, creating puddles on the ground.
Lu Xian stopped in his tracks and slowly began retreating, moving away from Bai Qiong and He Jun. Inside the Qionghua Pavilion, men and women screamed in shock. A man in luxurious attire was escorted by guards as he hurriedly fled from the main entrance.
On the rooftop, a refined man dressed in a white robe, holding a folding fan, shouted angrily. The sound of his roaring thundered like a tempest as he reflexively attacked, continuously retreating across the rooftop.
His opponent remained hidden within the collapsing room, not revealing his face.
The refined man's face turned red, and white steam rose from the top of his head, rising to a height of more than three meters.
"The vigor of his blood and energy indicates at least the cultivation of the Twelfth Layer of Meridian Expansion," Lu Xian murmured. "This person is quite skilled, probably on the level of one of the house's officers at the Marquis of Lai's residence. Whom is he fighting against?"
The cold wind blew.
Lu Xian glanced at Bai Qiong and He Jun once again. Both of them appeared dehydrated, just like how intense exposure to the sun dehydrates an eggplant. However, Bai Qiong's condition was even worse than He Jun's.
Lu Xian clearly saw that Bai Qiong's clothes were torn, and there was a small, faint green handprint on the left side of his chest. The handprint appeared greenish-black, as if branded by a red-hot iron, sinking into his flesh about a centimeter deep.
Bai Qiong had already passed out, continuously spewing out greenish-black blood from his mouth. His injuries were obviously more severe than He Jun's.
Lu Xian shook his head slightly, picking up his pace to retreat. In the cold wind, a soft laughter floated towards him. "Darling..."
The enchanting laughter seemed to be heard only by Lu Xian.
Lu Xian's complexion changed.
On the rooftop of the Qionghua Pavilion, the refined man who had been roaring suddenly let out a scream. Unable to see who or what attacked him, he spat out a mouthful of blood, then fell head-first from the rooftop, crashing to the ground.
"Crack!"
The sound of the man's neck breaking could be clearly heard by people on half of the street.
(End of Chapter 6)