Duke Fu's Mansion

After leaving Prince An's Mansion, Chu Xuanao hurriedly had Qiuyue remove the blood-soaked cloth from his body. Being wrapped up like that was far too uncomfortable.

Chu Xuanao was all smiles now. He had gotten up early and earned five thousand taels of gold for nothing, equivalent to fifty thousand taels of silver.

Yes, although individual martial power in this world could break through the heavens, there were no spirit stones or anything like that from the novels of his previous life.

Even with rare medicinal herbs and supreme treasures used for alchemy, such precious items were traded for other goods.

Ordinary currency was still real gold and silver.

Of course, for top-tier heavenly treasures like the Earth Fire Condensed Lotus, money alone was not enough. You had to look at fists and Father Zhang Erhe.

Cultivation basically depended on personal talent, comprehension, hard work, and the technical skill of being born into the right family.

Those four women were worth that much?

Even Chu Xuanao had not expected it. According to his initial estimate, even if he pestered them relentlessly today, he would at most get ten thousand taels of silver.

And he could not ask too much. Otherwise, if his fourth brother hardened his heart and decided he did not want them, the goods would be stuck in Chu Xuanao's hands.

He had not expected his fourth brother to open with ten thousand taels. At that moment, he knew this deal would be a big one.

Sure enough, everyone said his fourth brother was rich, and it was true. He had made quite a haul from the Divine Kingdom!

He had even prepared for a fight. The five Ascension Realm experts had not been brought along for nothing. He knew his fourth brother only had five Ascension Realm experts left in his residence.

Yuan Tiangang's scanner version had personally verified it. Without exaggeration, if Chu Xuanao wanted to know how many hairs his fourth brother had, he could find out.

As for that Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert, did he dare make a move?

Once one reached the Celestial Realm, the nature of things changed.

This was Dagan, Dagan's imperial capital, Tiandu City, and he was a prince of Dagan.

A Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert from the Divine Kingdom attacking a prince of Dagan in Dagan's imperial capital?

Had he lived long enough?

Was he directly stomping on the face of the Dagan Imperial Clan?

What did that mean? It was like those little Japanese devils going to Nanjing on December 13, the annual Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, boasting about how awesome the Japanese invaders had been back then and even daring to bully the flowers of our motherland in the streets. Ask them if they dared.

(Brothers, remember this! The Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre falls on December 13 every year.)

He would need dog guts to dare!

Even if he truly had enough of living and dared to attack, so what?

Yuan Tiangang was right beside him and had never gone far.

If that man really dared to strike, Yuan Tiangang could crush him to death without even using his hands.

He only wanted to fish; he was not actually a fish.

When the time came to strike, he would definitely unleash a thunderous blow.

He simply would not indulge that damned habit of yours!

Before the system came, I was timid and submissive. After the system came, I was still timid and submissive? Then what the hell was the point of the system coming?

When it came to manpower, he was confident that even ten fourth brothers could not compare to him.

After turning back to glance once more at Prince An's Mansion, Chu Xuanao got into the carriage.

Fourth Brother, no rush. There was still plenty of time!

After returning to his mansion, Chu Xuanao took one thousand taels of gold from his fourth brother's enthusiastic donation and handed it to Zhu Wushi. Weihu Mountain had suffered losses as well. Those beneath him had followed him, and they could not be shortchanged. He then took out another fifty taels of gold and gave them to Er Niu.

"Take it and have a good meal with the brothers. As for the rewards I mentioned before, go claim them from the accounts yourselves."

Served by Qiuyue Shuangxue, Chu Xuanao bathed once again and washed the bloodstains from his body.

Meanwhile, Yuan Tiangang went to find Zhu Wushi.

"Rest assured, Hall Master. Duke Fu's Mansion and Dragon Guard Manor happen to have a spy there. I will send word at once."

Dagan's Four Great Dukes held positions above the feudal lords in the imperial court, standing at its very pinnacle.

They were like great trees, their roots intertwined and their connections incomparably complex.

It could be said that every force in Dagan had some sort of connection to them.

Duke Fu's Mansion had been passed down for over a thousand years. The current Duke Protector was named Ling Feng, and his cultivation was at the Late Ascension Realm.

Within Duke Fu's Mansion, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a somewhat gloomy aura was walking toward a courtyard ahead.

Neither palms nor fingers could be seen on his hands. Both hands were encased in iron, with sharp, fierce tips extending from them. He wore a pair of iron claws.

When he reached the courtyard entrance, he was stopped by the guards outside.

"Commander Flying Eagle, what business do you have here? Why have you come?"

"Flying Eagle has an urgent matter to report to the Duke. Please announce me."

The middle-aged man calling himself Flying Eagle did not mind the guards stopping him.

Although these guards respectfully addressed him as Commander, he knew his own standing. He was merely an ordinary guard commander in Duke Fu's Mansion, and there were quite a few people like him here.

Those qualified to stand guard outside this courtyard were at least personal guards of Duke Fu's Mansion.

In fact, if he had not been on duty at the previous checkpoint today, he would have been stopped at the checkpoint before that.

"Commander Flying Eagle, could you tell us what has happened? Then we can report it properly."

"Please forgive me, brothers. It truly is an urgent matter, but I cannot tell you. Please report it."

The personal guards exchanged glances, and one of them entered the courtyard.

Two people were seated at a stone table in the courtyard, talking. One was a formidable middle-aged man seated upright in the place of honor before the main hall, his bearing naturally imposing even without anger. He was Duke Protector Ling Feng.

Seated to his left was a handsome young man with a carefree temperament, Ling Feng's son, Ling Chen. He was the heir of Duke Fu's Mansion and the future successor who would take over the entire estate.

When they saw the guard enter, both men stopped talking.

"Reporting to the Duke, Flying Eagle, one of the mansion's guard commanders, requests an audience. He claims to have an urgent matter to report."

Upon hearing the personal guard's words, the black-robed elder standing behind Duke Protector Ling Feng spoke.

"Patriarch, Flying Eagle has served in the mansion for nearly twenty years. His cultivation is at the late Transcendent Realm, and he is one of the mansion's twelve junior commanders. He has always been steady and conscientious, and his character is decent.

He is devoted to martial cultivation and has no other ambitions. Though his aptitude is somewhat lacking, he understands the importance of things. He must have encountered something to come here."

The elder addressed Duke Protector Ling Feng as Patriarch rather than Duke. Clearly, he was not an outsider, but a member of the Ling Family's main branch.

Duke Fu's Mansion had been passed down for over a thousand years. It had long since grown from the few people who first established it into a great aristocratic family standing at the pinnacle of Dagan.

Hearing the elder's words, Duke Protector Ling Feng nodded slightly.

"Let him in!"

The guard nodded and withdrew. A moment later, Flying Eagle entered.

"Flying Eagle pays respects to Duke Protector."

"Rise. Flying Eagle, what urgent matter requires you to report directly to me?"

Normally, even if something happened within the mansion, a junior commander would not directly report it to Duke Protector. There were senior commanders above him.

Even if there was a matter to report, it should have been reported to the commanders first, not directly to him.

But Flying Eagle did not speak. Instead, he covertly glanced at the surrounding maids and several guards. His meaning was already obvious.

Seeing Flying Eagle's actions, Duke Protector Ling Feng frowned slightly, while the elder behind Ling Feng had a change in his eyes as well.

Duke Protector Ling Feng looked at Flying Eagle, then at the people around them.

"You may all leave."

At the Duke's command, the guards and maids in the courtyard slowly withdrew.

Only Flying Eagle, Duke Protector Ling Feng, Ling Feng's son Ling Chen, and the elder behind Ling Feng remained in the courtyard.

"Speak. There are no outsiders now."

Only then did Flying Eagle take a letter from his sleeve and hand it toward Duke Protector Ling Feng.

"My lord has sent a letter to the Duke. Please read it, Duke Protector."

Hearing Flying Eagle's words, Duke Protector Ling Feng's brows drew together. His eyes narrowed as he stared intently at Flying Eagle.

Even Ling Chen, the heir of Duke Fu's Mansion, who had been resting an elbow on the stone table, propping up his head with his hand and looking bored, straightened up. He stared at Flying Eagle with scrutiny and killing intent in his eyes.

No one liked having a spy at their side, much less discovering one only when the spy stepped forward himself. A successful spy was even more repulsive and hateful.

The elder behind Duke Protector Ling Feng, however, wore an extremely wonderful expression.

First came a flash of astonishment and disbelief.

I just told the Patriarch that you were a good man!

No, brother, what the hell are you doing?