Heroine, don't turn back, I'm just a farmer.

"Your Highness..." The old man with the jade flute turned to look at Li Jiuluan and smiled slightly, "As elders, we naturally have to consider Your Highness's future. This person seems to have a good foundation, much stronger than Liu Canyang."

"That's fine too..."

"Why don't you listen to me first, and explain why I say this?" the old man with the jade flute said. "Hear me out, Your Highness, and then you can consider your choice!"

"Please speak, Master Di!"

Li Jiuluan's gaze fell on the small courtyard, and she listened calmly.

She had already made up her mind that no matter what her family's elders said, she would not agree.

The old man with the jade flute slowly spoke, expressing his views. He not only discussed his speculations about the strange technique on Lu Guo's body, but also recounted his experience of learning the scholar's technique during the battle.

……

"Wow...that's impressive."

After listening, Li Jiuluan was at a loss for words.

"Your Highness, can't you see that when this kid fought that old fellow from the Boundless Demonic Sect, apart from using his own swordsmanship at the beginning, the palm techniques and other moves he used later were all the same ones that old fellow used?"

"I know Your Highness is exceptionally talented and has high aspirations..." said the old man with the jade flute, "but even Your Highness cannot do this, can you?"

"In short, even disregarding his bizarre resurrection technique, this person is a young, arrogant genius with a domineering heart."

"Most importantly, he's about the same age as you."

"Not to mention, he may have discovered the secret of the Mysterious Female."

Li Jiuluan fell silent.

Although a twenty-year-old Rong Ling is considered a genius in the martial arts world, ...

"Then I will too..."

Li Jiuluan quickly shook her head. Although she did think the man was nice, she subconsciously resisted him.

"I haven't finished speaking yet..." the old man with the jade flute said, "Doesn't Your Highness think that boy's charming and arrogant handsome temperament is very suitable for our Hengxingdao? You are a prince of Southern Tang. The royal family of Southern Tang are all handsome people. Your Highness should consider the bloodline of Southern Tang, even if not for yourself."

"..."

Li Jiuluan remained silent, glancing at Lu Guo from afar. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke, "I agree, mainly for the secret of Xuanpin."

"..." The old man with the jade flute.

"..." The few people present

"..." Danyangzi.

At the same time, Lu Guo, who was sitting on the ground meditating, suddenly received a notification:

[Li Jiuluan's favorability increased: 3/100.]

Lu Guo.

"?"

……

Danyangzi accepted the order and left, a bitter feeling creeping into his heart.

He had clearly seen from afar that the scholar in the green robe was the Right Envoy of the Wuji Demonic Sect, a master of the Foundation Establishment Realm. In a one-on-one fight, even his own Elder Di wouldn't have gained much advantage.

Yet this very person was brutally beaten to death by that young man in an almost insane way. It wasn't a sneak attack, nor was it a case of outnumbering the enemy; he was tortured to death by a series of blows and cuts, dying and coming back to life repeatedly in a bizarre manner.

And Danyangzi is now heading to the courtyard where the God of Slaughter, who just killed a Foundation Establishment Realm expert, is located.

What did His Highness say again?

She didn't say anything, and I had no idea what she meant.

Despite his thoughts, His Highness had given the order, and the elders all nodded in agreement. What could he, a mere steward, do but bite the bullet and go?

Danyangzi took a deep breath and pushed his movement technique to its limit. Before long, he returned to the small courtyard. Half of the blacksmith's courtyard wall had collapsed, and the charcoal fire inside had long since gone out. Only a few wisps of smoke rose in the moonlight. The air was filled with a burnt smell and a strong stench of blood, which mixed together and wafted into his nostrils.

The scholar in the blue robe was still embedded in the wall, in a strange posture, his face, bleeding from all seven orifices, frozen with the resentment and terror of his dying moments.

The one who called himself Lu Guo sat there meditating.

The moonlight shone on him, turning half of his body pale and blue, while the other half remained hidden in shadow. His clothes were tattered and covered in dried blood, making it impossible to tell whether it was from his enemies or himself.

Hearing footsteps, Lu Guo looked up.

Danyangzi's heart skipped a beat.

What kind of eyes were those?

It was calm to the point of indifference, as if killing a Foundation Establishment Realm expert was just a trivial matter. But beneath that calm lay something unsettling, like an undercurrent at the bottom of a deep pool, unseen but palpable.

"Anything else?" Lu asked.

Danyangzi quickly stopped ten steps away, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a very humble manner: "Danyangzi of Hengxingdao has come to pay his respects to Young Master Lu on His Highness's orders."

"Hong Kong Road?"

Lu realized that Li Jiuluan had probably been watching his fight with the scholar in blue robes nearby.

Since you're already here, why are you just standing around?

Come down and fight me.

"Hong Kong Road?"

Judging from this person's tone, he doesn't know about crosswalks?

If someone else had said this, Danyangzi would probably have already slapped them. Who in the Jianghuai region doesn't know the reputation of Hengxingdao?

That was a top-tier power in the Southern Tang Dynasty, yet Danyangzi felt it was perfectly natural for this man to speak like that—this gentleman genuinely hadn't heard of it, and wasn't pretending.

"It's normal that Young Master Lu hasn't heard of it," Danyangzi said with a smile.

"Among the Six Paths of Southern Tang, my Hengxing Path has always acted discreetly, unlike the Wuji Demonic Sect which is so flamboyant. I have come to visit tonight because I have offended you due to some misunderstandings. My lord greatly admires your courage and methods, and therefore sent me to deliver a message."

"explain."

Danyangzi swallowed hard, carefully choosing his words: "What my lord means is that since you have a grudge against the Wuji Demonic Sect, my Hengxingdao is willing to join forces with you to accomplish great things. You may ask for anything."

Lu Guo looked up and gave Danyangzi a serious look.

That gaze made Danyangzi feel as if he had been seen through from head to toe.

"Were you watching from the side the whole time?" Lu asked.

Danyangzi's heart skipped a beat again.

No matter how you respond, it's wrong. If you say you were just watching from the sidelines, that's admitting you were sitting on the sidelines and observing the fight; if you say you weren't watching, that's blatant lying, and nobody would believe you.

He could only nod reluctantly: "Yes, to be honest, we came here tonight for the Mysterious Pearl, but we unexpectedly stumbled upon your battle with the Right Envoy of the Demonic Sect. My Highness said that since you have such abilities, we can sit down and discuss the Mysterious Pearl. We have no intention of forcibly taking it from you."

Lu Guo stood up.

Danyangzi subconsciously took a half step back.

"The prince you're talking about, is he your master from the Gangster Path?"

"Exactly."

"He wants the Mysterious Pearl, but he's afraid of being at a disadvantage if he fights me, so he sent you to sound him out?"

Danyangzi's lips twitched. The words were crude but the reasoning was sound, but this was just too crude.

He could only manage a couple of dry laughs: "Young master speaks frankly. His Highness does indeed mean it, but it's not just because he's afraid of being taken advantage of. My Highness genuinely wants to befriend a hero like you."

"Make friends with me? I killed your tyrannical gangsters, and you still want to make friends with me?"

Danyangzi was taken aback: "When did you, young master, kill any of my Hengxingdao's men?"

"?" Lu Guo.