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Chapter 509 The Overbearing Nature of the Dragon-Transforming Family (10,000 words)

Both the emperor and the Dragon King of the Grand Canal encouraged the young members of the royal family to "exchange more ideas" with the cultivators who had practiced the Dragon Transformation Technique.

Princess Ruicheng was also puzzled: Why would His Majesty push for such a thing?

But everything she had came from the emperor's favor, which is why Mr. Cao said that Murong Zunlong "could not refuse directly."

But Xu Yuan couldn't escape even though he wanted to leave.

A sly glint appeared in His Highness's eyes as he sighed softly, "Alas, I originally intended to cooperate with the Chief Lawyer and properly manage the Jiaozhi shipping route for a few years, but now I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Xu Yuan stopped in his tracks and turned around to see—the prince's eyes were misty, revealing the weakness, helplessness, and grievance unique to women.

Your Highness is already the most beautiful man in the Northern Capital.

With her noble status, she exudes such a pitiful and endearing aura.

It's truly irresistible.

Mr. Cao lowered his head and remained silent, but he was filled with admiration: Your Highness, you've got it all figured out!

Unfortunately, His Highness encountered Lord Xu.

Xu Yuan wasn't aroused in any way by any protective instincts.

Lord Xu held a remarkably simple truth in his heart:

Your Highness is far more noble than I am; why would I need to protect you?

Xu Yuan only noticed the content of His Highness's words: "Those business deals we discussed before..."

His Highness secretly curled his lip, thinking to himself, "You really are a goose farmer!"
You're as dumb as your goose!

"Alas, I'm afraid it will have to be... put on hold for now." The princess said with a sigh, "The Murong family are all very domineering and will not allow me to have any further dealings with others."

Xu Yuan smacked his lips.

This is not possible.

Why has Lord Xu been following His Highness so closely lately?

Firstly, of course, it was because His Highness had specifically asked for his name, so he had no choice but to follow.

But His Highness soon discovered that Lord Xu was also a stubborn mule.

Although he was ordered to "accompany and protect" her, it really was just "accompanying and protecting" her.

She couldn't even see Xu Yuan's smiling face.

His Highness is also very clever and quickly discovered Lord Xu's weakness.

This is the second reason why Lord Xu has been so attentive to His Highness these past few days.

His Highness plans to transport rice from Jiaozhi to Zhengzhou.

If all goes well, it will not only bring rice from Jiaozhi, but also rice from the surrounding Siam and Burma.

This is a very big deal.

Despite the low price, the quantity is enormous, and the annual transaction volume is extremely stable.

Ordinary people don't have the ability to get involved.

The term "ordinary people" refers to those below the second rank in the imperial court.

The fishing season in Zhengzhou has already started.

It is said that the biggest driving force behind this "opening of the sea" was the Dragon King of the Grand Canal!

In the Jiangnan region of Zhengzhou, a land of fish and rice, many fertile fields are no longer used for growing grains, but instead for planting mulberry trees and raising silkworms.

Every year, the Ming Dynasty had to purchase large quantities of grain from different regions.

Zhengzhou currently has four major grain merchants.

It is extremely difficult to break into this market.

But for His Highness, it was not a difficult task.

His Highness has been discussing with Xu Yuan these past few days that the matter of harvesting grain at the foot of the foot will be entrusted to you.

Xu Yuan was overjoyed—because the previous two times Lord Xu had made deals without any initial investment, and the "commercial law" resolutely refused to acknowledge them.

However, when His Highness discussed this with Xu Yuan, the "Business Law" slowly began to move.

Seemingly gathering strength, Xu Yuan was very certain that once things were settled, his "business law" would at least be upgraded to the fifth tier!
As long as this business and the business with the Vice Minister are maintained every year, the "business law" can continue to improve steadily!
You hardly need to do anything extra; commercial law will keep up with your progress.

Now that His Highness says the deal can't go through, Xu Yuan absolutely cannot agree.

Xu Yuan still frowned, his logic very straightforward: "Can a mere Murong Zunlong restrain Your Highness?"

You haven't married Murong Zunlong yet.

His Highness knew this guy wasn't easily fooled, so he started making up a reason in his mind: "You don't understand."

"I am not young anymore. In recent years, many people in the royal family have been secretly talking about it. It is time for me to get married."

"These women of the royal family would choose to marry into families with a long tradition of the 'Dragon Transformation Method'."

"And Murong Zunlong was the one with the highest popularity."

"But for some reason, Murong Zunlong did not enter Beidu before."

"But now that he has suddenly come to Jiaozhi, it is a desperate battle with his back to the river."

"If he cannot succeed with me, and then pursues other princesses or noblewomen, that would be 'setting aside for second best,' and how could anyone else agree to that?"

"Murong Zunlong is a very steady person. He wouldn't do something like this unless he was at least 70% sure."

"Therefore... I suspect that he must have the support of some powerful entity behind him."

His Highness stared intently at Xu Yuan: "Do you... understand now?"

What kind of person could guarantee Murong Zunlong that he would succeed in pursuing Princess Ruicheng?

There are only two like this in the world.

The Emperor and the Dragon King of the Grand Canal!

Could Princess Ruicheng refuse? Obviously not.

Xu Yuan frowned, as if it were indeed true.

He was lost in thought, completely unaware that as His Highness spoke, her and Mr. Cao's expressions also became serious.

Your Highness hadn't thought about it that deeply before.

He tried to deceive Xu Yuan by making up excuses, but the more he analyzed it, the more he realized... that's really how it is!

His Highness himself felt uneasy.

Then she realized:

Oh no, we really need Xu Yuan's help this time!
Xu Yuan asked hesitantly, "Why does His Majesty... want a woman from the imperial family to marry into a family that practices the 'Dragon Transformation Technique'?"

Xu Yuan always felt that the Old Dragon King's release of the "Dragon Transformation Technique" was an attempt to undermine the royal family.

Instead of resisting, the emperor is fueling the flames?
This is unreasonable.

His Highness shook his head: "I do not know."

She couldn't give an answer, and this question puzzled many within the royal family as well.

Xu Yuan clearly sensed that the once vibrant "business law" was slowly becoming quiet.

So he gritted his teeth and asked, "What does Your Highness need me to do?"

Princess Ruicheng: "Find a way to make Murong Zunlong give up on his own."

Xu Yuan's brows remained furrowed, and he dared not make any guarantees, after all, there might really be those two standing behind Murong Zunlong.

"I will do my best."

……

Murong Zunlong stayed at the best inn in Luocheng, called "Tianrenju".

Families practicing the "Dragon Transformation Method" are all incredibly wealthy, comparable to those of entire nations.

Each of these families was a behemoth in the local area.

Murong Zunlong sent an invitation, inviting him to visit the next day.

At this moment, he had just seen off the river supervisor of the Luocheng Canal Office.

The Mountain and River Division was suppressed by the Purification Division in Luo City to the point of being unable to raise its head.

The Grand Canal Administration, however, was not like that.

As long as there is a canal, the canal administration will not be suppressed by anyone.

Murong Zunlong is thirty-three years old.

At this age in the Ming Dynasty, one should already have a large family with many children.

However, cultivators have long lifespans, so it's normal that they haven't gotten married yet.

He was tall and handsome.

I just spoke with the supervisor of Luocheng River, and they expressed their support for him.

After they returned, a person came out from behind; it was Song Weiming.

When Song Weiming left Beidu, he heard on the way that Murong Zunlong was heading to Jiaozhi.

At that time, he did not know what Murong Zunlong was going to do.

However, a few days ago, he discovered that Xu Yuan might have already refined "Pregnancy and Rebirth" and was also protected by Princess Ruicheng. Suddenly, Song Wei had a flash of inspiration and thought of Murong Zunlong.

He immediately found Murong Zunlong on the way.

First, we need to take down Xu Yuan's protective umbrella!

Song Weiming said, "I didn't lie to you, did I? Xu Yuan has been pestering Your Highness these past few days."

Murong Zunlong remained silent with a sullen face.

The inquiry I just made with the Luocheng River Supervisor confirmed what Song Weiming had said.

However, Murong Zunlong did not consider Xu Yuan a rival.

"When I visit Your Highness tomorrow, I will suggest that you send Xu Yuan back."

He felt this was only natural.

Now that I've come, Princess Ruicheng should understand my intentions.

From now on, you should drive away all those "wandering bees and butterflies" around you and devote yourself wholeheartedly to yourself.

His confidence stems from the support he has behind him.

This confidence also stems from the family's tradition of practicing the "Dragon Transformation Technique".

Since the Ming Dynasty lasted until now, the number of Grandmasters has expanded to an extremely exaggerated level.

Now, there is a shortage of people practicing the "Dragon Transformation Technique".

Murong Zunlong considers himself the "number one" of this generation.

Marrying the first princess of the Ming Dynasty would be a true match.

As for why he didn't go to Beidu before, it was because Murong Zunlong hadn't yet advanced to the fourth rank.

When he was thirty years old and promoted to the fifth rank, a divine dragon appeared in his dream and promised him a "great opportunity" if he promoted to the fourth rank.

Not long ago, he secretly advanced to the fourth rank, and that very night a divine dragon appeared in his dream, guiding him to Jiaozhi.

Song Weiming remained silent.

Based on his observations over this period of time, Princess Ruicheng was not a "rule-abiding" person.

Once Murong Zunlong runs into a wall tomorrow, he will come to me to discuss it.

……

Although Murong Zunlong spoke casually, he did not truly underestimate his opponent.

In the afternoon, he went out to "visit friends".

He used his connections in Luocheng to find out everything about Xu Yuan.

Everything he knows about Xu Yuan so far comes from what Song Weiming told him.

By evening, he had completely figured out Xu Yuan's strength.

"He has cultivated both life cultivation and alchemy. His alchemy skills are already at the fourth level, and his life cultivation strength is unknown."

"But he once killed Bai Huahun, so he was at least on par with Bai Huahun, a sixth-rate person."

"Bian Lüke can be my help."

Compared to fourth-rate alchemists, Murong Zunlong was more wary of sixth-rate life cultivators.

Despite being a fourth-rate practitioner, Murong Zunlong was very confident in his "Dragon Transformation Technique".

We will never lose to other fourth-rate companies.

Murong Zunlong instructed his subordinates: "Think of a way to lure Xu Yuan out."

I'll talk to him first.

Murong Zunlong wanted to deal with Xu Yuan before meeting Princess Ruicheng.

Tomorrow, Princess Ruicheng will be informed again—to outsiders, this would mean that Princess Ruicheng obediently listened to them and drove Xu Yuan away.

Murong Zunlong added, "Think of a way to make Xu Yuan realize his own position."

"Yes." The subordinate accepted the order and left.

As for how to make Xu Yuan realize his own position before luring him out... his subordinates did something rather outrageous.

The families who practice the "Dragon Transformation Method" are always domineering in their dealings, only seeking to achieve their goals.

Murong Zunlong is highly valued at home, and the men he brought with him this time were all elite troops.

When Xiang Qinghuai returned home after finishing his shift in the evening, he immediately sensed something was wrong as soon as he stepped through the front door.

Looking back, I saw a calligraphy scroll hanging behind the main gate, with four large characters written on it:

Only in, no out!

Xiang Qinghuai's expression changed slightly. As he walked further in, he saw that all his family members had been gathered in the main room.

The house was guarded both inside and out by a group of people dressed in blue.

The leader was an elderly man in his fifties.

He bowed slightly to Xiang Qinghuai and said, "I am Jia Yuan, from the Murong family."

Xiang Qinghuai's face darkened: "What does this mean? Has the Murong family disregarded the laws of the court and arbitrarily disposed of the families of court officials?"

Jia Yuan smiled slightly: "We haven't harmed your family. We just have a small favor to ask you for."

Xiang Qinghuai remained silent, his face ashen.

This matter will definitely not end well!
When did the Department of Purification become so arrogant and disrespectful?!

"Please write a letter, sir, to invite Master Xu over for a chat."

As Jia Yuan raised his hand, his subordinates handed him paper and pen.

Jia Yuan was a fourth-rate scholar.

As soon as Xiang Qinghuai stepped into the house, he was already confined by that calligraphy copybook.

Xiang Qinghuai sneered: "You want to scheme against Xu Yuan? Hehehe, you've got some nerve."

Jia Yuan didn't take it seriously; they had done similar things many times in Zhengzhou.

I don't think anything unexpected will happen when we arrive in Jiaozhi.

The families who practice the "Dragon Transformation Method" firmly believe that they have special privileges.

Xiang Qinghuai sneered again: "Fine, I'll write it."

He took the pen and paper, quickly wrote a short message, then tossed the pen aside and went to comfort the children.

"It's alright, your Uncle Xu will be here soon. Your Uncle Xu hates these lawbreakers the most, and he will definitely put them all in jail!"

"Tch—" Jia Yuan sneered from the side.

A subordinate in blue robes quickly took the letter and left.

……

Princess Ruicheng arrived in Luocheng and stayed at the post station.

Xu Yuan is here too.

The man in blue asked the guards to call Xu Yuan out and presented him with the letter.

Xu Yuan glanced at it and was filled with confusion.

Xiang Qinghuai made it very clear in his letter: My whole family has been detained, and they want you to come here.

Xu Yuan was somewhat incredulous. How could they openly imprison a patrol inspector from the Exorcism Division and his entire family within Luo City?!
Have you guys really eaten the gall of a bear and the gall of a leopard?

Unable to believe it, Xu Yuan asked, "You really arrested Xiang Qinghuai and his entire family?"

The man in blue smiled arrogantly: "Please, Lord Xu."

Xu Yuan's face turned cold, and he cursed, "You have audacity!"

The animal sinew rope flew out with a whoosh and bound the man tightly in the blink of an eye.

The man in blue remained calm and did not resist: "I am just a seventh-rate person, of course I am no match for Lord Xu. But I still want to advise Lord Xu not to be too arrogant!"

Xu Yuan laughed in anger. "You are so audacious, yet you dare to call me arrogant?"
"Lang Xiaoba!" Xu Yuan called out, and Lang Xiaoba immediately stepped forward: "My lord, your subordinate is here."

Xu Yuan tossed the letter to him: "Go and report to the commander! I'll go ahead first and see who the Murong family is, daring to deal with court officials on their own!"

"Yes!" Lang Xiaoba went immediately.

Xu Yuan pulled on the animal sinew rope, dragging the man in blue—he was really dragging him.

Then he mounted his horse and galloped towards Xiang Qinghuai's home.

The man in blue then dragged the horse from behind.

At first, he gritted his teeth and persevered.

But he couldn't hold on for long. The streets in Luo City were paved with bluestone slabs, which quickly wore him down, leaving him covered in wounds and with his skin torn and bleeding.

"Ah—" he screamed in agony, cursing, "Xu Yuan, the more arrogant you are now, the more you'll regret it in the future!"

Xu Yuan glanced back coldly: "I'll say the same to you!"

Then he lashed the horse's rump hard with the whip.

The horse suddenly accelerated, and there happened to be a bump in the road. The man in blue was thrown into the air like a kite, and then crashed heavily to the ground from a height of more than ten feet. His screams were like those of a pig being slaughtered.

They sped all the way to Xiang Qinghuai's house, and the man in blue behind them had fallen silent.

Xu Yuan dismounted and strode inside without hesitation.

The moment they entered, like Xiang Qinghuai, they felt a kind of restriction descending upon them.

Xu Yuan suddenly turned around and saw the calligraphy scroll that read "Only In, No Out." He immediately let out a cold laugh and spat out a ball of fire.

boom!
The calligraphy copybook was instantly burned to ashes!

In front of the main hall, Jia Yuan sat upright in a grand chair.

He was sipping his tea leisurely, striking a pose.

This tea was found by his subordinates in Xiang Qinghuai's study; it was a fine tea that Xiang Qinghuai had privately collected.

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves outside, Jia Yi pretended to pick up a teacup, but just as he brought it to his lips, Xu Yuan burned his calligraphy copybook. Jia Yuan's hand trembled, and the tea in the cup spilled all over his clothes.

His beard and front of his shirt were soaked, making him look quite disheveled.

"Madman!" Jia Yuan sneered, throwing down his teacup, which shattered with a bang.

"If you don't eat the toast, you will be punished with alcohol!"

Jia Yuan suddenly stood up, grabbed his hand, and a large pen appeared in his hand in mid-air.

Around him, light and shadow flickered, as if invisible sheets of paper were unfolding, ready for Jia Yuan to write on at any time.

Xu Yuan had already barged in, and first glanced at Xiang Qinghuai: "Is he alright?"

Xiang Qinghuai smiled and patted his youngest son's head: "It's alright."

Xu Yuan nodded and said to Jia Yuan, "Who is this madman? Surrender at once!"

Jia Yuan sneered: "Do you know who we are?"

Xu Yuan cursed angrily, "I don't care who you are—"

Flames rose from all directions, more than a dozen flames, like divine dragons, rushing towards Jia Yuan and the others.

"A remote, uncivilized child!" Jia Yuan roared, raising his hand to write in the air—

Suddenly, a sword pellet leaped out from the sea of ​​fire.

Jia Yuan didn't take it seriously and still sneered: "A trivial skill!"

He quickly wrote the character "困" (trapped), intending to trap Xu Yuan's sword pellet.

But suddenly he realized that he couldn't finish writing the character "困" (kùn, meaning trapped/trapped)!

His calligraphy copybook was only fourth-rate, but he himself has inexplicably fallen to fifth-rate!

Meanwhile, a fierce fire was surging within Xu Yuan's abdomen.

"Ah..." Jia Yuan exclaimed in surprise and quickly retreated.

But he was still burned by the flames, and in an instant his beard and eyebrows were all on fire!
As he retreated, he pulled a calligraphy booklet from his pocket and slapped it onto his face.

The calligraphy copybook was his past work, and it was of fourth-rate quality.

With a soft "poof," the flames on his body finally went out.

However, most of his beard, eyebrows, and even hair were burned away!
His clothes were tattered and full of holes burned by the fire!

How embarrassing, how embarrassing!

His men fared even worse, instantly engulfed by the sea of ​​fire.

Suddenly, a series of screams came from the sea of ​​fire.

"Old Jia, save me..." Old Jia is now in dire straits himself.

Xu Yuan had already rushed up, abandoning the sword pellet and throwing a punch straight at his head.

"Fighting Techniques," Black Tiger Gouges Out the Heart!

Xu Yuan raised his head slightly and punched Jia Yuan on the head.

Xu Yuan held back his strength in that punch; otherwise, Jia Yuan's head would have exploded.

Boom!
The fist slammed straight into Jia Yuan's forehead, instantly filling his mind with a cacophony of sounds, as if a magic hall had been opened!

I saw stars before my eyes.

A large lump visibly swelled up on his forehead.

Having been arrogant and domineering in Zhengzhou, Jia Yuan raised his hand defiantly and began to write calligraphy again.

No matter why I suddenly dropped to the fifth rank, and no matter whether you, Xu Yuan, are actually the fourth rank, there is absolutely no way you can make me surrender and wait to die!

I will fight with you!

The sword pellet flew over and sliced ​​off his arm with a hiss!

"what!"

Jia Yuan screamed again, blood gushing from the cut—while Xu Yuan very considerately quenched the fire in his abdomen.

The fire snake licked its wound.

The burnt wound stopped the bleeding.

Wen Xiu is physically weak; if he continues to bleed like this, he might die on the spot...

Xu Yuan hadn't taught him enough of a lesson yet; he was still planning to beat him until his head was a pig's head.

However, Wenxiu was indeed physically weak. After his arm was severed, the wound was burned by the fire in his abdomen, and Jia Yuan let out a half-groove before his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

Xu Yuan: ?
What a waste...

There's even less interest in Jia Yuan's subordinates.

Although they were all elite soldiers of the Murong family, with an average level far exceeding that of the Champa garrison, they were still only sixth or seventh-rate.

Fire erupted in Xu Yuan's abdomen, and everyone screamed and jumped around like monkeys as they were burned.

With a thought, Xu Yuan transformed the sword pellet into hundreds of sword threads, which passed through the nostrils of each person, stringing the eleven people together!
Xu Yuan opened his mouth and inhaled, and the fire in his abdomen returned little by little.

Xiang Qinghuai was filled with relief; he had made a worthwhile friend!

"Ah Yuan, thank you so much!"

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "You should settle your sister-in-law and the child first. Besides, these people... came here specifically for me."

Xu Yuan was still puzzled: "Are the Murong family all idiots? Why would they directly target the inspectors of the Exorcism Division?"

Just then, Jia Yuan, who was lying on the ground, slowly woke up. Hearing Xu Yuan's words, he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't talk about inspectors. Even if it's Ma Tianshou, our Murong family can kill him if we want to!"

Xu Yuan's eyes lit up.

I was just about to give you a good beating, but you just passed out.

"Now that you're awake..." Xu Yuan strode forward, raised his fist the size of a sandbag, and punched Jia Yuan in the left eye.

The eye swelled up quickly.

Jia Yuan's head lolled to the side, and he fainted again!
Xu Yuan jumped up and down in anger, cursing, "This piece of trash is really weak!"

Xiang Qinghuai agreed wholeheartedly: "Wenxiu, he's too weak to even kill a chicken."

A commotion arose outside. Although old, Ma Tianshou roared with a strong voice, "Murong Zunlong, our Exorcism Division and your Dragon Transformation Clan have never interfered with each other. Are you taking advantage of my old age and failing health by attacking my people...?"

The eldest brother was so angry that his hair and beard stood on end, and his eyes were as big as copper bells. He rushed in and said, "Oh, it's all taken care of."

He scoffed and asked, "Where is the leader?"

The leader collapsed at Xu Yuan's feet.

Xu Yuan kicked it: "This is it."

The old man walked over and accidentally stepped on Jia Yuan's hand—the one that hadn't been cut off.

The old man pressed down hard with his foot, crushing three of Jia Yuan's fingers.

"Ouch—" The pain woke Jia Yuan up again.

He sat up abruptly—and saw a fist come flying like a meteor, slamming heavily into his other eye.

Boom!
"Uh!"

Jia Yuan fainted again.

Xu Yuan shook his fist and said disdainfully, "Wenxiu's body is just too weak."

The old man laughed heartily.

Upon closer inspection, everyone else had been strung together by Xu Yuan like cattle.

No one dared to move.

Their skill level was not up to par with Xu Yuan's, but they were all seventh- or sixth-rate, and their knowledge was sufficient.

The sword-like aura emanating from the thing piercing their nostrils was so intense that they couldn't open their eyes.

Seeing how ruthlessly Xu treated Old Jia, I knew that if I made the slightest move, that sword thread would surely flash through my nostril and into my brain!
Ma Tianshou asked Xiang Qinghuai, "Were any family members injured?"

“No,” Xiang Qinghuai shook his head and said, “Only a few servants were beaten when they resisted.”

Ma Tianshou nodded and beckoned to Xu Yuan and Xiang Qinghuai: "Let's go inside and talk."

Xiang Qinghuai then found a quiet room. He wanted to make tea for the old man, but the old man waved his hand, a hint of helplessness on his face: "Do you know why I crushed that fellow's fingers?"

Xu Yuan shook his head.

"It seems this matter can only end here," Ma Tianshou said sullenly.

Xiang Qinghuai and Xu Yuan are both young, but they are not naive.

The two of them didn't shout or make a fuss; they both waited quietly for the old man to finish speaking.

Ma Tianshou sighed: "Four years ago, someone from the Fu family went missing in Gedong County. Twenty-five members of the Fu family surrounded the county government office and hung the county magistrate from the roof beam of the main hall, forcing them to hand over the missing person."

Three years ago, the Wu family had a business conflict with the Yang family, a prominent family in Changshui Prefecture.

The four members of the Wu family stormed into the Changshui Prefecture government office and, in front of the prefect, beat up the vice-prefect Yang Zhiqi.

The Wu family believed that the Yang family dared to challenge them because Yang Zhiqi was backing them up.

But they later learned that the prefect Yang Zhiqi was not a member of the Yang family at all.

Two years ago, the Murong family was fighting with a fifth-rank official who was about to take office for the last remaining courtyard at the Xingtong Prefecture post station.

They beat the entire family of the fifth-rank official severely, stripped them naked, and threw them onto the street in front of the post station!

"Six months ago, just outside Hue, three of the Shu family's sons, who were traveling, ran over two pedestrians on horseback."

One of the two was a centurion in the exorcism squad of Hue.

The old man shook his head: "These things all ended up being left unresolved."

The members of the Hualong family were not punished in any way; at most, they only had to pay some money in compensation.

Xiang Qinghuai gave a wry smile and said, "A privilege of the Dragon Transformation Family?"

Ma Tianshou nodded: "There are some things that everyone understands but no one says out loud."

The "Dragon Clan"... is actually all under the control of the Grand Canal Dragon King.

Xu Yuan recalled Fu Shuanghui, Fu Chongjiu, and the domineering nature of the Crown Princess, and understood a bit about it.

Two hundred years ago, your Ming Dynasty was able to continue its reign thanks to the old Dragon King.

Although the Zhu family still sits on the throne, the old Dragon King is clearly a "retired emperor"!
The laws of the Ming Dynasty had to be "accommodated" when they came to the people of the Old Dragon King.

Xiang Qinghuai's face was ashen, but he suppressed his resentment and said, "Commander... there's no need to make things difficult. Anyway, we didn't really suffer any losses..."

Ma Tianshou snorted: "However, although I know what the final result will be, how can I let them get away so easily after they have harmed my people?"

Xu Yuan's eyes lit up: "Should we lock these guys up first?"

Ma Tianshou stroked his beard and laughed: "Of course!"

Regardless of whether your Murong family can ultimately rescue these people, since they have committed a crime, they should suffer some consequences.

"Great!" Xu Yuan praised, giving a thumbs up: "Only an elder like you has such pride!"

Xu Yuan then reminded Xiang Qinghuai, "Take your sister-in-law and the children and stay at the yamen for now, to avoid Murong Zunlong's retaliation."

Ma Tianshou nodded in agreement: "That is indeed the case."

"it is good."

Immediately, Xiang Qinghuai and his family packed a few things and followed the prisoner escort team back to the Jiaozhi South Office of the Exorcism Bureau.

Jia Yuan and the others were immediately thrown into prison.

Xu Yuan personally took charge, ordering some of the "interrogation experts" in the Southern Bureau to interrogate these people relentlessly, asking them: "Tell me, who ordered you to kill officials and rebel?"

Jia Yuangang had just woken up when he was shocked by the enormous crime he was accused of.

But the old man quickly calmed down and said with a sneer, "Don't try to fabricate charges against us. Before long, you'll all have to obediently send us all out."

A skilled interrogator clasped his hands and reported to Lord Xu, "Sir, the suspects are cunning. If we don't use torture, they might not confess honestly."

Xu Yuan waved his hand: "Use torture!"

"Yes!"

Inside the dark and gloomy prison, screams of agony from the Murong family members immediately rang out.

……

After having dinner at "Tianrenju", Murong Zunlong waited for a while but Jia Yuan still hadn't returned, so he frowned.

Jia Yuan had been with him for a long time, and he always trusted Jia Yuan with his work.

"Send someone to check on Uncle Yuan's situation."

"Yes."

Night had fallen, and evil spirits were rampant throughout the city.

The people sent out cannot be weak.

Then a lowly servant named Murong You left Tianrenju and rushed to Xiang Qinghuai's house.

When they arrived, the gate was tightly closed.

A trail of blood was left on the road in front of the door.

This was left behind by Xu Yuan dragging the man in blue.

Several small evil spirits were licking the bloodstains on the ground.

Upon seeing Murong You appear, they all bared their fangs at him.

They were frightened by a single glance from Murong You and scattered in all directions.

Murong You glanced at the gate again; it was locked. He then climbed over the wall to the side and entered. In the courtyard in front of the main hall, there were clear signs of a struggle.

Murong You understood immediately, and sneered, "This mere Luo City is truly a place where shallow waters breed many turtles!"

After he returned, he told Murong Zunlong about the situation.

Murong Zunlong said calmly, "Let's rest first. Tomorrow, come with me to the Southern Office of Jiaozhi to demand the people."

"Yes."

Both of them felt it was only natural.

The practice of forming dragon-related families has become commonplace.

So neither of them could have imagined that the Southern Administration of Jiaozhi would be so audacious as to torture their people.

As a result, Jia Yuan and others were tortured for an entire night in the prison of the Southern Garrison of Jiaozhi.

Xu Yuan only watched for a short while before going to sleep.

He would never stay up all night with someone.

……

On the second day, the following activities are prohibited: bathing, disassembly, moving, and tailoring.

Xu Yuan had just woken up when Lang Xiaoba rushed in excitedly: "My lord, Murong Zunlong is here! He's in the front hall. You didn't see it, but the way he was talking to the old master, anyone who didn't know better would think he was an imperial envoy!"

Xu Yuan quickly washed up and followed Lang Xiaoba ahead.

In the main hall, Murong Zunlong sat in the guest seat to the left of the old master, his expression already very dissatisfied: "...Does the old master really want to make a big fuss about this? This is just a misunderstanding. If the higher-ups give the order to force the old master to release the person, it won't look good for your reputation!"

Ma Tianshou snorted coldly: "These people attacked the family members of my Purification Division's patrol inspectors. My Purification Division has never had the habit of swallowing our anger when someone bullies us."

Which is more important, my pride or the dignity of the Exorcism Bureau?

Murong Zunlong chuckled: "The Exorcism Bureau doesn't have this custom? A year ago, I beat up a member of the Exorcism Bureau in Guizhou Province named..."

He seemed to have forgotten his name.

Murong You immediately reminded him from the side: "Jiang Huaiyu."

"Yes, that's the person. He seems to be a fairly high-ranking official. I've never seen anyone in the Exorcism Department so distraught as the old man."

Ma Tianshou's face turned ashen.

He had certainly heard of Jiang Huaiyu; he was the chief lawyer of Huangping Prefecture in Guizhou Province.

Ma Tianshou also knew about this.

Jiang Huaiyu and Murong Zunlong got into a fight in a brothel over a courtesan.

Jiang Huaiyu was only a sixth-rate person, so of course he was no match for Murong Zunlong and suffered a considerable loss.

Yesterday, the old man spoke with Xu Yuan and Xiang Qinghuai about the domineering nature of the Hualong family, but deliberately didn't mention this matter.

Because the older generation felt ashamed.

“You don’t need to say so much,” the old man said without backing down, “It simply won’t work here!”

Murong Zunlong snorted coldly and stood up to leave: "In that case, sir, you can expect a reprimand from your superiors."

Xu Yuan happened to walk in.

Murong Zunlong had never met Xu Yuan before, but he instinctively felt that this person was Xu Yuan.

He stopped and stared at Xu Yuan, who was also looking at him.

"Xu Yuan?"

"It's me, your grandfather!"

Murong You flew into a rage, stepped forward, and slapped Xu Yuan across the face: "You have a foul mouth, slap me!"

Ma Tianshou narrowed his eyes, knowing that Xu Yuan was deliberately causing trouble.

But I don't understand why Xu Yuan would do this.

laugh!
A small sword pierced right through Murong You's palm!

Murong You was a fifth-rate martial artist, but his entire body had been cultivated to have an "iron wall".

However, even a third-rate sword pellet could pierce through a palm as easily as a windowpane.

"Ouch—" Murong You screamed in pain, clutching his arm and staggering backward.

In an instant, the small sword transformed into hundreds of sword threads, which burrowed into the wound and followed Murong You's meridians and blood vessels!
A bright moon appeared in Murong Zunlong's hand!
brush--

The bright moon flew out like a wheel, severing Murong You's arm.

The sword threads then emerged from the severed arm and reformed into a sword pellet in the void.

Xu Yuan did not retrieve the sword pellet, but instead confronted the bright moon from afar.

Murong Zunlong said coldly, "What a vicious method!"

Xu Yuan seized on Murong You's crime: "He is a commoner who dared to lay a hand on a court official. Shouldn't I teach him a little lesson?"
"You're really ruthless to your own people! I only wanted to give him a light punishment, but you went and cut off his arm!"

Even if they really do end up arguing in the future, if Murong You attacks Xu Yuan first and Xu Yuan pierces his palm, Xu Yuan will still be in the right.

As for your claim that my sword pellet turned into sword threads... I was just trying to scare him, I didn't mean to actually use the sword threads to drill into his brain.

What does it have to do with me, Murong Zunlong, that you made a misjudgment?

Murong Zunlong stared at Xu Yuan.

His gaze gradually turned cold.

A moment later, the bright moon disappeared, hanging high behind his head.

He slowly clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xu Yuan and said, "I would like to ask Lord Xu for a lesson. I wonder if Lord Xu dares to accept the challenge?"

Murong Zunlong had previously instructed Jia Yuan to make Xu Yuan realize his own position.

Then talk to Xu Yuan again.

This will make Xu Yuan back down.

But after this exchange, he realized that Xu Yuan was arrogant and would never obediently submit.

Two of his generals, Jia Yuan, were imprisoned by the Exorcism Bureau, and Murong You had lost an arm.

If he doesn't do something soon, his subordinates will become disloyal.

Moreover, Murong Zunlong had arranged to visit Princess Ruicheng today.

He needs to deal with Xu Yuan before he meets the princess.

Then let's just put aside all the scheming and have a head-on confrontation with Xu Yuan.

Defeat this guy, then thoroughly humiliate him, and all the problems will be solved.

Just as Ma Tianshou was about to step in to dissuade him, Xu Yuan smiled and said, "Alright, I also want to see just how capable this arrogant young master from the Hualong family really is!"

“This…” Ma Tianshou shook his head helplessly.

The moment Xu Yuan saw Murong Zunlong, he clearly felt Pi Long's thirst!

This is one path to cultivate the "Dragon Transformation Method"!
After observing him secretly, Xu Yuan was basically certain that Murong Zunlong did not have such feelings for him.

After pondering for a moment, he guessed that it was because his "dragon" was superior to Murong Zunlong's.

Although both are fourth-rate, Xu Yuan's skin dragon originated from a pig dragon that had truly cultivated to the point of almost transforming into a dragon.

In terms of "bloodline", Xu Yuan's is naturally purer.

In addition, Murong Zunlong wanted to defeat Xu Yuan and drive him away from Princess Ruicheng; Xu Yuan had the same idea.

If this fellow manages to entangle His Highness, his future in "business law" will be bleak.

This is a struggle over the path of cultivation, and Xu Yuan will never back down.

Xu Yuan pointed behind him: "Let's go to the training ground."

The southern headquarters of Jiaozhi also had a drill ground for the officers to practice on a daily basis.

The training ground was quite large and had all the necessary facilities.

The two stood still in the training ground, and Murong Zunlong's bright moon hung behind his head.

Xu Yuan could already tell that this was a high-quality craftsmanship piece.

But without a direct confrontation, it's difficult to judge its true level.

"Please!" Murong Zunlong raised his hand.

Xu Yuan nodded and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Please!"

The bright moon flashed and arrived in front of Xu Yuan in an incredibly fast time.

But with a clang, it crashed into a large net woven from sword threads.

The bright moon kept jumping in the net, and Xu Yuan instantly sensed it: a fourth-rate craftsman's work.

Suddenly, Xu Yuan's vision blurred, and Murong Zunlong was already close by. His whole body twisted like a dragon, and his head appeared strangely on Xu Yuan's left side. He opened his mouth and spat out a bead burning with flames!
It's like a dragon pearl being played with in the mouth of a real dragon!
boom!
When the Dragon Balls appeared, they shone with immense light.

Xu Yuan withdrew.

He did not reveal the movement techniques of the "Dragon Transformation Technique," but instead used the "Battle General Technique" to deal with the situation.

At the same time, two fingers of his hand guided the sword thread, and half of it separated and quickly withdrew, becoming entangled with the dragon ball.

Flames erupted from the Dragon Balls—

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow: It's actually Dragon Mouth Fire!

Xu Yuan felt reassured.

Murong Zunlong was completely suppressed by himself.

Mingyue is only a fourth-rate swordsman and is no match for his sword pellet.

The flames on the Dragon Balls are Dragon Mouth Flames, and he himself also possesses Dragon Mouth Flames, so he knows the characteristics of this flame very well.

Murong Zunlong let out a dragon roar, and his entire body was covered in dragon scales.

The pale golden dragon scales shimmered in the morning sun as he charged straight at Xu Yuan, relying on their powerful protection.

At the same time, it opened its mouth and spewed out a large cloud of mist, and a ferocious dragon claw suddenly emerged from the mist, heading straight for Xu Yuan's face.

Xu Yuan flicked it with his finger.

The imposing Murong Zunlong suddenly stopped, his skill level plummeting to fifth-rate!

Xu Yuan exhaled a mouthful of fire, completely dispelling the clouds and mist—under the cover of the clouds and mist, Murong Zunlong had transformed into a half-human, half-dragon form, with a thick dragon tail growing out of his back, which was ten feet long!
A rope made of animal sinew wrapped around the dragon's tail, and Xu Yuan suddenly exerted his strength, lifting Murong Zunlong more than ten feet into the air.

He then threw a punch into the sky.

His entire body seemed to be propelled by his fist, and a ball of light condensed in front of his fist!
"The Art of Fighting Generals" Sky-Piercing Cannon!

Boom!
The punch landed squarely on Murong Zunlong, instantly shattering his dragon scales and sending them flying in all directions.

Xu Yuan flipped over and landed, but Murong Zunlong lost his balance.

He twisted his body, and the rope on his tail was pulled and tugged, causing him to fall heavily to the ground.

boom--

Dust rose in the air on the training ground.

(End of this chapter)