Lu Qingqing was on her fours, barking like a dog. Her light blue dress was tugged in a mess by her.
Lu Yingying sat red-eyes in front of the firewood hut with a swollen tummy. She seemed to have just cried, but was cajoled into teary laughter at the sight of Lu Qingqing.
"Ever since finding out that that scholar from Yang family married a wife, Yingying has been washing her face with tears." Outside the firewood hut courtyard, Lu Yiyi peered in through the gap in the doorway with Lu Sheng, sighing.
"I’m afraid Yingying will go mad if she continues like this. She has always been rather immature and naïve. Finally she finds a confidante whom she thought she could entrust the rest of her life with. But who’d have thought…" Lu Yiyi was pursuing her studies in another city as well and had come home on vacation. But after learning of Lu Yingying’s situation, she volunteered to come and comfort her.
Lu Sheng peered at Lu Yingying’s belly through the gap.
"How long has she been carrying the child?"
"Over six months," Lu Yingying replied.
Lu Sheng did some calculations. Although he and Chen Yunxi had a promise to wait a year, he fulfilled their promise and they got engaged after half a year.
He compared the time—it had been half a year indeed.
"I’ll handle this matter." Lu Sheng’s face looked ugly.
"What do you intend to do, Brother Sheng? It’s no use just going to their family…" Lu Yiyi said helplessly.
"You don’t need to worry about this matter," Lu Sheng said plainly, turned around and left.
Quickly, his subordinates in Crimson Whale Sect located that Yang Family from which the scholar who impregnated Lu Yingying came. That afternoon, the detailed report was already lying on Lu Sheng’s desk in his study.
He briefly looked through it. The Yang Family was basically a middle-class family in the city with three generations of imperial provincial examination scholars. Because they were exempted from the tax, they had accumulated a large plot of land and became wealthy. Additionally, they grew in influence because of the connections they built in Mountain-Edge City. The only peculiar thing about the family was the scholar himself.
But that was about it.
Because such a family was a touch removed from the upper circles, they were kept from certain sensitive information. At the same time, however, they looked down on families of the lower class. In other words, they were too well-to-do for the lower class yet too inadequate for the upper class.
In his bedroom in Lu Manor, Lu Sheng wrote a memo for Jade Lotus and sent it using a pigeon.
Given his present status and identity, naturally such matters did not require him to act in person.
Very quickly, by the time it was evening and Lu Sheng was out sightseeing with the younger ones in the family, the reply came from the sect.
Yang Family’s old master had spat out blood in anger, preferring death to submission. He said that he would see if the rule of law still existed in Mountain-Edge City and if it would allow villains to roam unchecked.
"He prefers death to submission?" Lu Sheng sneered coldly as he rolled up the memo into a ball. "Three generations of imperial provincial examination graduates indeed. He’s got backbone. But if backbone were of any use, what’s the use of martial arts in this world?"
"That’s after all the family of Young Miss Yingying’s husband… so we didn’t dare to handle it carelessly. Lord Jade Lotus is still waiting for Sect Master’s reply," a sect disciple close to him whispered.
"What reply does he need? If they don’t submit, then whack! Whack till they do! Meaningless backbone is just foolishness!" Lu Sheng laughed coldly. "Looks like even my words have lost their weight in Mountain-Edge City…"
"Sect Master, and if he still refuses to submit?" the disciple asked carefully. "Your subordinate has heard of this Yang Family. They’re famous for their stubbornness. They’re under the illusion that they’re incorruptible, righteous and unyielding…"
"Wouldn’t they submit after a few deaths?" Lu Sheng sneered. "If it still doesn’t do, kill them all. There’re so many small families in Mountain-Edge City. It doesn’t matter whether his Yang Family exists or not."
The disciple’s heart skipped a beat as he hurriedly received his orders.
***
"BAM!!"
The gates to the Yang Family were kicked open violently. Several housemen who rushed up to stop the intruders faltered after seeing their clothes.
Shang Qinglong was tall and muscular. His top was bare and two giant iron hammers were tied to his waist. He walked smugly into the manor. Jade Lotus had chosen him because he was highly experienced in such matters.
"You! You you you you!!" Yang Family’s old master was already eighty-two years old.
It was really not easy for one to live to his age in these times. At the sight of the Crimson Whale Sect disciples filing into the courtyard, old master was at a loss of words, trembling in anger.
"What are you doing!? Is this a revolt?!" Quickly, some middle-aged men dashed out from within the manor. Several of them were dressed in the clothing of imperial provincial examination graduates. Looking righteous and incorruptible, they shouted loudly at the Crimson Whale Sect’s disciples.
"Hand over that Yang Yundu. Or else don’t blame me for not reminding you. Whoever started this mess has to take responsibility for it," Shang Qinglong said lazily as he picked at his teeth with a toothpick.
"File a report! Report this to the authorities!! Let Lieutenant Qing come and take a look at who dares to barge into a civilian house under broad daylight!!" an authoritative-looking middle-aged man with the look of an official strode forward and rebuked sternly, unfaltering before the armed Crimson Whale Sect disciples.
"File a report?" Shang Qinglong chuckled. "Who in this Mountain-Edge City dares to manage our Crimson Whale Sect’s affairs? Why don’t you go and find out what happened to all those who messed with our Crimson Whale Sect?"
He waved his hands impatiently.
"Alright, alright. Hurry up and give us your answer. How’re you going to handle this matter? Yang Yundu from your Yang Family has impregnated a lady in the prime of her life. And now how dare he take another wife?!"
"Scoundrel!!" Old master Yang’s hands were shaking in rage as he pointed a finger at Shang Qinglong. "Had that vixen not seduced our Yundu, how would this ever happen! That woman has damaged his name and character. How dare she come accusing the victim now!!?"
"In other words, you don’t intend to comply?" Shang Qinglong’s face instantly turned dark.
"Comply? How do you want us to comply?" The middle-aged man stopped Old Master Yang and stepped forward, his face dark as well.
"Basically, complying means making Yang Yundu divorce his wife and take Young Miss Lu Yingying as his legitimate wife officially. Then put up a notice to admit your Yang Family’s mistake publicly…" Shang Qinglong chuckled.
"Impossible!! You’ve gone too far!!" that middle-aged man roared.
"Looks like you want to play this the hard way. You’ve got some backbone! I like it!" Shang Qinglong rubbed his hands. Suddenly, his face turned stern as he yelled, "Whack them! Whack them hard! I’ll take responsibility if they die!!"
A few mere graduates of the imperial provincial examination dared to play it rough with their boss. They were truly courting death.
Instantly, the company of Crimson Whale Sect disciples pounced on them. They might not have been able to hold their own against the supernatural, but they were more than a match for ordinary mortals; even the sword-wielding housemen could not last more than a round against them.
In no time at all, all of Yang Family’s men were lying on the ground, bundled.
Some who resisted vigorously were whacked till they were covered in blood, and were hanging onto their last breath. Others who were wiser weren’t injured much; they were merely kneeling on the ground with their hands tied up together.
"Pui!" Shang Qinglong walked up to Old Master Yang and spat at the ground before him.
"Why don’t you go and find out what kind of background our Crimson Whale Sect has? How dare you ruin Lu Manor’s Young Miss? You really think you’ve got nine lives?"
"You you you you!!!" Old Master Yang was advanced in years. Unable to contain the agitation, he finally collapsed on the ground, unconscious.
"Dad!"
"Grandpa!!"
The younger generation of the Yang Family was rather filial. Even in their bound up state, they tried to support their old master in shock.
Shang Qinglong’s interest waned. He had his men arrest and pull out Yang Yundu and his wife who had been hiding for a long time in Yang Manor’s underground cellar.
At the sight of Yang Yundu himself, Shang Qinglong’s eyebrows arched.
"No wonder you could seduce Young Miss Yingying. So turns out you’ve really got a dandy face. Even I, your father, here am charmed."
Yang Yundu had an exquisite face like that of a lady’s. Even when he was nabbed and pulled out of the cellar, he was not in a state of panic. Rather, he looked more helpless and sad.
"Are you Yingying’s friends? I’ve let Yingying down." He cupped his fists at Shang Qinglong and sighed. "It’s a pity I cannot disobey my father’s orders…"
Because of his unique identity, the sect disciple who had nabbed him did not bind him up directly. He was, after all, merely an ordinary scholar. What fight could he put up?
"Young Master Yang. Divorce, or not divorce? Give us your answer so I can go back and answer my superiors." Shang Qinglong remained polite to him. What if he gave in? Then he would become Sect Master’s relative. So he’d rather not make an enemy out of him yet.
Yang Yundu looked at his family, all bound up with ropes. Some of them had been hit so badly that they were hanging onto their dear lives. Any delay and they might really be in danger of dying.
Realizing that all these had happened because of him, tears flowed down his cheeks immediately and his spirits sank.
"Alright, alright, stop acting. Yang Yundu, we know what you were like in the past. When it comes to putting up disguises, you’re second to none. Don’t think that we can’t find out those crappy things you’ve done in the past," Shang Qinglong said rather impatiently. "If it was others you’ve ruined, we couldn’t care less. But now, it’s our Young Miss Yingying you’ve ruined. Heheh… you’d better accept your fate. Don’t make us use force."
"What are you talking about? Why don’t I understand what you mean?" A trace of venom flashed across Yang Yundu’s eyes.
"Pretending to be a refined gentlemanly young master to con girls of their trust in order to obtain their virgin blood. Heheh… Yang Yundu, at what level is your Commanding Nine Provinces Fist now?" Shang Qinglong scorned.
"You!!?" At those words, Yang Yundu’s face as filled with shock and horror. That was his greatest secret—how could this man know about it!?
Ignoring the looks of shock and disbelief on his family members’ faces, he stepped forward all of a sudden. "How did you know!?"
"That’s why I said that it doesn’t matter if you were a flower culler. When you fall into my hands, I, Shang Qinglong of Crimson Whale Sect, will make you tend the flowers in Lu Manor!"
"You wish!" Seeing that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, Yang Yundu leapt and flew towards the tall wall at astonishing speed.
"Hit!"
Laughing heartily, Shang Qinglong leapt into the air like him and struck his palm out towards his back at an even faster speed.
Almost at the exact same time, a figure leapt up from outside the wall; it was a short old man with white hair and beard.
One in front and one behind, the two of them struck at the same time, aiming for Yang Yundu’s front and back.
"BAM!!"
Yang Yundu flipped sideways, extending his arms, one forward and one backward, to block the duo’s attacks. Then, like a swallow, he flipped around again and leapt away.
"PUU!!"
Just then, several large nets shot into the sky, blotting out the skies above him and catching him. Several dozens of crossbowmen aimed at him from outside the nets.
Now, Yang Yundu no longer dared to budge.
He had only just stepped into Intent Proficiency and did not want all his years’ of secret effort to be destroyed in a single day.
"Good lad. Fortunately, your father here has made every preparation you can think of!" Shang Qinglong landed on the ground and scolded, "This lad almost got away."
Yang Yundu landed on the ground, crestfallen. Entangled in the nets, he was immobilized.
Shang Qinglong could not help walking over to give him a kick. "This net has been woven with a thousand strands of oiled rope. Even a shark would be fished out of the waters with it. You want to break free?? Take him away!"
The company of men bound Yang Yundu up all tight and escorted him towards Lu Manor as the Yang Family men watched on helplessly, at a complete loss of what to do.