Collecting a Debt (Part 1)

"Your Highness, I would like to give the Earth Fire Condensed Lotus you bestowed upon me yesterday to Duke Fu's Mansion. I ask for your permission."

After hearing Yuan Tiangang's explanation, Chu Xuanao wore a strange expression. There was such a thing?

Last night, Yuan Tiangang had secretly explored Tiandu City, covering nearly the entire city. At Duke Fu's Mansion, he had discovered something interesting.

Falling into the Marshal's hands could be considered your good fortune.

"Duke Protector, Ling Family, I have already given you the item. Make your own arrangements."

"It's time to pay my fourth brother a visit."

Walking out of the room, Chu Xuanao said to Xiao Dezi:

"Xiao Dezi, go call Er Niu. Bring a small squad of guards."

Er Niu's real name was Niu Zhan, the commander of the guards in his residence. He was at the late Transcendent Realm.

As for why he was called Er Niu, it was because the cultivation technique he practiced was called Qi Like a Bull. In battle, his true qi could condense into the phantom of a bull, making him a genuine bull warrior.

Since his surname was also Niu, Chu Xuanao simply called him Er Niu.

"Niu Zhan greets Your Highness."

Looking at the honest-looking, burly man before him and the eighteen-man guard squad behind him, Chu Xuanao nodded in satisfaction.

He then turned to Zhu Wushi and Ghost Servant. Zhu Wushi had arrived early in the morning, while Ghost Servant served as his personal guard.

With a wave of Chu Xuanao's hand, Zhu Wushi and Ghost Servant instantly made their move. Cries of agony rang out in the courtyard.

In less than three seconds, the two withdrew. The guard squad that had stood tall moments ago was now clutching their stomachs and legs, bruised and battered, rolling on the ground and wailing.

"Er Niu, come here. You are not allowed to use true qi to recover from your injuries. This is our appearance for today.

"Come with me later in this state. After we return, each of you can collect ten taels of silver and a bottle of Hundred Herb Pills from the accounts office."

Er Niu was already bruised black and blue. He forced himself upright and walked toward Chu Xuanao.

The guards, meanwhile, all looked delighted. Ten taels was half of their monthly pay, and Hundred Herb Pills could help low-level martial artists like them improve their cultivation.

They had struck it rich. These injuries barely even counted as injuries; they could recover in less than a quarter-hour with true qi.

Your Highness, why not hit us harder? Please don't hold back!

"Come, Er Niu. Hold out your hand."

Chu Xuanao immediately drew the saber from Er Niu's waist and cut a wound across his hand. Blood flowed out, and Xiao Dezi hurriedly used white silk to soak it up.

Only after the silk had absorbed enough blood did Xiao Dezi stop and give him a simple bandage.

"Er Niu, this is Trauma Ointment. Take it and use it."

Seeing the medicine bottle Chu Xuanao handed over, Er Niu was overwhelmed with excitement and quickly accepted it. "Thank you for Your Highness's gift."

It was no wonder Er Niu reacted so strongly. Not only was this Trauma Ointment exclusively supplied to the imperial family and effective even on the injuries of experts in the Three Realms of Earth, far superior to the miscellaneous goods on the market, but it was also not circulated outside at all. It was priceless and unavailable.

Even the jade bottle containing the medicine had been carved from Azure-Eyed Jade. That bottle alone was worth three years of Er Niu's salary.

"Qiuyue, come wrap me up."

Qiuyue took the blood-stained white silk and wrapped it several times around Chu Xuanao's head, hands, and feet. Chu Xuanao then lay down on a small bed nearby, becoming an injured patient.

Seeing Chu Xuanao's baffling actions, Er Niu could not help asking, "Your Highness, what are you doing?"

"Collecting a debt."

"Collecting a debt? Your Highness, who would dare come to Prince An's Mansion to collect a debt?"

Hearing Chu Xuanao's answer, Er Niu cried out in shock. Did someone really have the nerve to come to a prince's mansion to collect a debt?

"Forget it. I doubt I could explain it to that brain of yours. Just do as you're told."

"Xiao Dezi, invite my Maternal Grandfather over. Bring Menban and Sledgehammer too. Call everyone."

In this world, getting money was not easy. He had to bring enough manpower. There was no need to say more about his Maternal Grandfather.

Menban and Sledgehammer were the only two Ascension Realm experts who had previously been in his residence.

Menban's name was Yue Shan, and he was in the middle Ascension Realm. As for why he was called Menban, it was because he was a swordsman.

Well, he wielded a sword over three meters long and more than a meter wide. When he smacked people with it, it was like smacking cucumbers.

He was known as Yue Shan of the Heavy Sword.

There was no helping it. This man who dreamed of roaming the world with a sword had found ordinary swords too light and awkward to use. After he began following Chu Xuanao, Chu Xuanao had someone forge him a so-called sword and named it the Mount Tai Sword.

Sledgehammer's name was Wang Da, though he could also be called Wang Dachui. He was in the Early Ascension Realm. Needless to say, his name made his weapon obvious. It was no ordinary hammer, but a sledgehammer with a hammerhead the size of a person.

One blow could turn you into Chaoshan beef balls.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Looking at the two muscular giants nearly three meters tall before him, one holding a sword in one hand and the other swinging a hammer one-handed—

Chu Xuanao felt an overwhelming sense of security, second only to what Yuan Tiangang gave him. It could not be helped; that visible visual impact was something no one else possessed.

Just standing there, the two of them radiated immense visual intimidation.

These were the Xu Chu and Dian Wei Chu Xuanao had carefully selected for himself!

"Xiao Ao, what is this?"

Bai Yi looked at Chu Xuanao lying there, utterly confused.

He was an Ascension Realm expert after all. Even without using his divine sense, he could tell that his grandson was perfectly fine. Why had he made himself look like this?

"Maternal Grandfather, someone tried to assassinate me last night. Naturally, I have to demand justice."

Hearing Chu Xuanao's words, Er Niu looked bewildered. He was the guard commander of Prince An's Mansion. How did he not know about a nighttime assassination attempt?

But His Highness had said it himself: watch more, do more, talk less. Er Niu remained silent.

"An assassination attempt? Who was it?"

Bai Yi frowned slightly. He had been in Prince An's Mansion the entire time. Who could have come to assassinate him?

Following the direction of Chu Xuanao's finger, he saw two wooden boxes large enough to hold watermelons placed on the stone table.

Bai Yi swept them with his divine sense, his expression turning strange. He had naturally heard about Weihu Mountain earlier today. Connecting it with his grandson's style of doing things, Bai Yi already had the answer.

His fourth grandson was going to bleed heavily after falling into this grandson's hands!

"Alright, everyone's here. Set out for Prince An's Mansion."

Chu Xuanao lay motionless on the small bed. Beside him, Ghost Servant's sleeve wrapped around one corner of the bed, true qi attached to it. As the sleeve rose, Ghost Servant steadily lifted the small bed high into the air as though flying a kite.

Yet Chu Xuanao felt no shaking at all. Outside the courtyard, a carriage was already waiting. Ghost Servant placed Chu Xuanao inside, where he continued enjoying Qiuyue Shuangxue's service.

Xiao Dezi picked up the gift Chu Xuanao had prepared for his fourth brother and hurried after them.

The group made its way grandly toward Prince An's Mansion.

Everyone they encountered along the way was full of question marks. Naturally, this district was home to high-ranking officials and nobles.

Menban and Sledgehammer were especially conspicuous. Everyone knew that whenever the Sixth Prince went to Flower Gazing Pavilion, he brought them along.

The two had practically become standard companions. Their appearance meant the Sixth Prince had arrived.

It went without saying who was seated in the carriage: the Sixth Prince, Chu Xuanao.

Yet the surrounding guards were all bruised and battered, as though they had been beaten. Was there anyone in Tiandu City who dared provoke this man?

The people on the street looked at the four riders at the front of the procession with fear in their eyes.

Four Ascension Realm experts were clearing the way, their auras fully displayed without the slightest attempt at concealment.

Some covert gazes instead turned toward Ghost Servant, who drove the carriage. His sleeves hung empty, but his armless sleeves were wrapped around the reins, fluttering in the wind.

He appeared to have no cultivation at all, but could a cripple with no cultivation possibly drive a carriage for a prince?

Quite a few people scrutinized Zhu Wushi. The events at Weihu Mountain yesterday had caused quite a stir, and word had naturally spread of the middle Ascension Realm expert in the Sixth Prince's residence who had fought two opponents alone.

The group advanced aggressively. The Sixth Prince's display today did not look like he was heading to Flower Gazing Pavilion for amusement!

Cultivation realms: Four Realms of Humanity (Houtian, Xiantian, Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster), Three Realms of Earth (Transcendent, Dharma Manifestation, Ascension), Two Realms of Heaven (Celestial Phenomenon, Celestial Human), God Ascension Realm.