"Yu Duchuan, give me back my disciple!"
"Do you think you can just hole up in your mansion and play dead to get away with this?"
"You have the gall to hold the Mountain God’s Token? Hand it over!"
The main gate of the City Lord’s Mansion was brutally kicked open.
Numerous Immortal Descendants of the Yu Family streamed in, cornering the haggard young man in the main hall.
The death of a single disciple, even one at the Core Formation Stage, was not enough to make this group of adult Immortal Descendants so volatile.
But this was an excellent opportunity for them to try and eliminate a powerful competitor.
"Useless!"
Now that they had stormed his very doors, Yu Duchuan finally abandoned all hope.
His eyes were bloodshot. With his back to the crowd, he violently swept his sleeve, overturning the sand table and roaring, "A pack of swine!"
As the golden sand scattered, he heaved for breath, the arms hidden in his sleeves trembling faintly.
’What a load of bullshit. The Demon-slaying Bureau, hyped up to be so incredible, is full of fucking morons.’
’They couldn’t catch Moon-Devouring, couldn’t even apprehend Duan Yue, and now they’ve dragged me into this mess.’
"HAAH! HAAH! HAAH!"
His eyes filled with ferocity as he slowly turned to face them.
As his gaze swept over them, a few of his peers faltered. "We’re telling you, don’t stand there making veiled accusations. You have to answer to the Demon-slaying Bureau, and you have to answer to us, too."
"And what is it you want me to answer for?"
Yu Duchuan seemed to be addressing the crowd, but his eyes were fixed on the entrance.
A young woman with an exquisite, flawless face was peeking in, craning her neck. She should have carried herself with an air of exceptional grace.
But this somewhat mischievous posture also held a hint of ethereal charm.
He took in the sight but found nothing cute about it.
In fact, he felt the urge to tear her limb from limb.
’Has this woman, barely an adult, come here so eagerly to seize power, taking advantage of the trouble I’m in with the Demon-slaying Bureau?’
"What are you looking at!"
Yu Sheng shot him a glare.
’If the Steward hadn’t said an elder ordered her to be here, she couldn’t have been bothered to come to this damn place.’
"Hand over the Mountain God’s Token, now!" The others erupted into a clamor again, their verbal assault relentless.
"..."
Yu Duchuan remained silent, as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
His face, however, was growing deathly pale, and his hands trembled with increasing violence.
’How dare these people humiliate me in front of my own disciples.’
But he was powerless to do anything about it.
’There was no one left to command. Surely he couldn’t be expected to go into the mountains and slay demons himself?’
An unknown amount of time passed.
Finally, a figure strode in, putting an end to the farce.
"All of you, leave for now. I will handle this." The middle-aged man walked calmly to the head of the table and sat down.
"Uncle Qiheng." Not daring to disobey an elder, the other Immortal Descendants hurriedly bowed.
They were secretly delighted. Since he had personally intervened, he was surely here to reclaim the Mountain God’s Token.
Yu Qiheng then looked up and said, "Yu Sheng, you will stay. Wait for me outside for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."
The moment he finished speaking, the other Immortal Descendants could barely suppress their smirks.
’Well, well. It’s not just the Mountain God’s Token; this time, he’ll likely lose the City Lord’s Mansion too.’
Sure enough, Yu Duchuan, who had managed to feign composure until now, felt his lips begin to tremble upon hearing those words.
His worst fear had come to pass.
’In the struggles among the Yu Clan Descendants, the slightest weakness meant falling into an abyss from which there was no return.’
’And this was Yu Sheng, a greedy-as-hell bitch trying to bite off more than she could chew.’
’This woman must have been plotting how to crush me for a long time.’
"Oh, alright then."
For once, Yu Sheng was quite obedient.
’She knew how to prioritize.’
’This old man held Lin Shu’s future in his hands. Whether Lin Shu could be promoted to Mountain Master Disciple depended entirely on his whim.’
’I’ll just put up with it for now. Once I’m out of Yongzhou Pass... pfft! As if I’d give you the time of day!’
Once everyone had withdrawn.
Yu Qiheng looked up, his expression calm. With a flick of his finger, he set up a Sound-Insulating Array and asked coolly, "Why are you trembling?"
"Uncle Qiheng, I know I was wrong. Please... don’t..."
With a THUD, Yu Duchuan fell to his knees before him, crying and pleading hoarsely.
Seeing him in such a state, a fleeting smile touched Yu Qiheng’s lips.
’My life has been one of smooth sailing.’
’In my youth, I was a renowned Celestial Pride of the Yu Family. Later, I was assigned to Yongzhou Pass, where I took charge of the Mountain God Mirror and made a great name for myself thanks to the Cloud Dragon Demon Monarch.’
’What demon in all of Yongzhou doesn’t tremble in terror at the mere mention of my name?’
’Recently, my Magical Power has increased again, making it comparable to the Mid-stage Golden Core.’
’Perhaps I’ll have the chance to return to Yongzhou proper, seek the secrets of the Nascent Soul, and earn a seat at the table with the ancestor-level members of the clan.’
’My only regret is that, after so many years with my dear Xin, we have yet to produce an heir.’
’As a result, my own branch of the family is too small, and my position has never been truly secure.’
He had deliberately summoned Yu Sheng today for the sole purpose of provoking Yu Duchuan.
"Give me the Mountain God’s Token."
"As for this City Lord’s Mansion... your reputation has suffered recently. You should lay low for a while. Coincidentally, Yu Sheng has come of age and has not yet been assigned a residence. Let her live here for the time being."
"Regarding the Demon-slaying Bureau—you were the one directing them, after all. As for how to answer to the Qi Family... go home and ask your parents."
Yu Qiheng languidly extended his hand.
Those three short statements plunged Yu Duchuan into an icy despair, and he collapsed limply to the floor.
"Give me one more chance, Uncle Qiheng... Please, just one more chance..." he wailed, his mouth agape as tears and snot streamed down his face.
’His parents had more than one son.’
’If things went as Yu Qiheng dictated, everything he had built up over the years would be destroyed in an instant.’
’Making a comeback would be nigh impossible. His future would be completely ruined.’
"Heh."
Yu Qiheng chuckled. "Duchuan, I already hold you in high regard, and you know it. But I am in charge of Yongzhou Pass, and I must be impartial. You can’t seriously expect me to indulge you as if I were your own father, can you?"

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