Going to Demand Someone, Falsifying the Su Family Identity?

Ruoxi's expression was somewhat cold. Ignoring Li Qingqing's words, she said flatly, "Ever since you abandoned me at the Su Family's doorstep, we've had nothing to do with each other. Don't come looking for me again."

She had been abandoned at the Su Family's doorstep when she was very young, not even two years old at the time.

If not for the kindness of one of the Su Family's stewards, she might already have died.

After saying that, Ruoxi turned around and was about to leave.

Seeing this, Li Qingqing's face filled with pleading. "Little Sister, Father and Mother didn't want to do that either. Back then, our family couldn't even afford food, and that year was especially cold. You were too young and simply wouldn't have survived."

"That was why Father and Mother had no choice but to send you to the Su Family. Please, I beg you, help us."

As she spoke, Li Qingqing dropped to her knees in front of Ruoxi, nearly kowtowing.

Ruoxi stopped walking. She drew a deep breath, her face full of reluctance.

She actually knew what the family's circumstances had been like back then. They had truly been in dire straits.

When she was still young, her family would occasionally come visit her. During festivals, they would also come ask whether she wanted to return home and celebrate with them.

But Ruoxi harbored a deep resentment toward that family. Why had they thrown her into the Su Family? There were three older sisters at home—why had they chosen to give up on her?

Even though Ruoxi spoke harshly, she did not want anything to happen to her family. Otherwise, she would feel guilty for the rest of her life.

Ruoxi turned her head and said in a somewhat cold tone:

"Tell me. What happened?"

Seeing Ruoxi stop, Li Qingqing's face filled with gratitude. She hurriedly said:

"Two days ago, the Fangtooth Gang abducted Ying-jie and Xiu-jie, and even beat Father and Mother. Fortunately, they didn't suffer any serious injuries. But the Fangtooth Gang wants Ying-jie and Xiu-jie to go to the Crimson Courtyard to work as courtesans. Now, only you can save them."

Li Qingqing's voice was thick with sobs, and her face was filled with despair and helplessness.

The Fang Tooth Sect was a renowned power in Bright Moon City, with two Nascent Soul Realm experts. Aside from the Su Family, it was considered one of the city's foremost factions.

They were merely an ordinary mortal family. How could they stand against a powerful cultivation force like the Fang Tooth Sect?

Han Xi's eyes narrowed, and the next moment her face was filled with fury.

"Where are Ying-jie and Xiu-jie now?"

Those two were her biological sisters. Although she had only seen them two or three times in all her years, blood was thicker than water. Upon hearing that her relatives had been abducted to work as courtesans, she was still consumed by an inexplicable fury.

"They're both at the Crimson Courtyard. Two days have already passed. I don't know what condition they're in."

Li Qingqing hurriedly rose and led the way, tears streaming down her face.

Soon, they arrived before a bustling multi-story building. Red flags fluttered above it, while a group of coquettish women enthusiastically solicited customers.

The Crimson Courtyard.

Han Xi stepped forward, and a young woman at the entrance immediately greeted her with a smile. "Oh my, a little beauty has come too. But this is a place for men, not women."

Many of the women at the Crimson Courtyard could not help laughing.

Han Xi's expression darkened. "I'm from the Su Family. Bring your steward out!"

The Su Family!

The woman was startled. She carefully sized up Han Xi, then said suspiciously:

"Please wait a moment."

Although she did not quite believe that Han Xi was from the Su Family, she decided to report it to avoid making a mistake.

The main reason was that the Su Family's prestige was currently too great, so they had no choice but to treat the matter with utmost caution.

Moreover, Han Xi looked as though she had come to cause trouble. In Bright Moon City, there were not many forces bold enough to take the initiative to provoke the Fang Tooth Sect.

Soon, five people emerged from the Crimson Courtyard. When the middle-aged man at their head saw Ruoxi, his brows immediately drew together.

"I'm Hu Huan, vice leader of the Fangtooth Gang. May I ask who you are?"

"The Su Family."

Ruoxi took out a token. It was an identification symbol possessed by everyone in the Su Family.

Ruoxi had once been merely a servant, so her token had been made of ordinary wood. Later, because of Su Chen, she had received much more attention, and her token had been replaced with the silver token reserved for stewards.

A silver token!

Hu Huan's expression trembled. Anyone who could obtain such an identity token was at least a cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation stage.

Although he was suspicious of Ruoxi's age and cultivation, he still stepped forward and smiled, cupping his hands. "So you're a Su Family steward. I failed to recognize you earlier. Please forgive me."

"May I ask whether there's something you need at my Crimson Courtyard, Steward?"

Hu Huan sounded respectful, but his eyes kept sizing up Ruoxi.

When had the Su Family gained such a young female steward? Why had he never heard of her before?

Hu Huan's mind was filled with questions, but no one in Bright Moon City dared to falsify the Su Family's identity. Thus, he could only remain half-convinced.

Ruoxi said coldly, "I came to ask Leader Hu to hand over two people."

"Hand over two people?"

Hu Huan was completely baffled. What was going on?

Gao Qiu, who stood beside Hu Huan, suddenly looked toward Li Qingqing. His expression froze slightly, then his eyes abruptly narrowed. He immediately whispered a few words into Hu Huan's ear.

"Vice Leader, that girl beside her is..."

Upon hearing this, Hu Huan narrowed his eyes. He looked toward Li Qingqing, then back at Ruoxi, and immediately shouted:

"You actually dared to falsify the Su Family's identity! Men, seize the two of them!"

The few people beside him immediately rushed forward, preparing to surround the two women.

Ruoxi swept them with a furious glare. "What are you trying to do? Aren't you afraid of offending the Su Family?"

"Offending the Su Family?"

Gao Qiu let out a cold laugh, his tone filled with utter contempt. "You think too highly of yourselves. Have you gotten addicted to pretending to be from the Su Family?"

"And Li Qingqing, in order to save your sister, you actually dared to use the Su Family's name to act. If the Su Family finds out, your entire family will die."

"Want to save your sister? Simple. Bring me a thousand Spirit Stones. As long as you repay the Spirit Stones, I'll naturally let you take your sister back."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingqing's eyes filled with hatred. She roared, "Gao Qiu, my sister only borrowed fifty taels from you to pay for our parents' medical treatment, yet you're demanding a thousand Spirit Stones from her! Where are we supposed to get that many Spirit Stones?"

There were still many mortals living around Bright Moon City. Their currency remained mundane objects such as silver and gold.

These people made up the majority of the population surrounding Bright Moon City. Nearly seventy percent were mortals.

One Spirit Stone could be exchanged for roughly five hundred taels of silver. From this, it was easy to see just how many times Gao Qiu and the others had multiplied the debt.

It could be called usury beyond all reason.

The women inside the Crimson Courtyard showed traces of sadness in their eyes when they heard Li Qingqing's words.

The women who came here had almost all suffered persecution at the hands of the Fangtooth Gang. They had been forced to become courtesans and please men.

The area where the Crimson Courtyard stood had quite a large flow of people. When they saw the argument unfolding, many immediately gathered around.

"The Fangtooth Gang is way too shameless. They turned fifty taels of silver into a thousand Spirit Stones."

"Isn't that their usual method? I heard long ago that all the women in the Crimson Courtyard were forced into it by them."

"What a pity. Those two don't look very old either."

"Isn't she holding a Su Family steward's token? The Fangtooth Gang isn't afraid of death, daring to offend the Su Family?"

"The Su Family, my ass. Have you ever seen such a young steward? She's only at the Qi Condensation Stage."

"The situation is probably this: that woman's sister was abducted into the Crimson Courtyard to work as a courtesan. She must have gone mad trying to save her and forged the Su Family's identity to come rescue her."

"Are they that stupid? If you're going to forge an identity, at least find someone whose strength matches it. Having a Qi Condensation cultivator pretend to be a Su Family steward is absurd."

After hearing Li Qingqing's words, Gao Qiu sneered. "If you couldn't repay the debt, why did you borrow it in the first place?"

"Or are you saying I forced you to borrow the silver back then? Repaying a debt is only right and proper. Since you have no Spirit Stones to repay me, isn't it perfectly reasonable for me to bring you to the Crimson Courtyard to work off the debt?"