"Young master, this young man is no ordinary person. I can't see through him, but the attendant at his side is an expert."
After Li Xinge and his party had gone some distance, the guard beside Zhang Qin Hu said gravely.
"How does he compare to you?"
Zhang Qin Hu asked.
"If I fought him, I would undoubtedly lose within ten moves."
The guard looked somewhat ashamed.
Zhang Qin Hu raised an eyebrow, surprised. He knew his guard's abilities well.
If the guard said he would lose within ten moves, then Young Master Li's attendant was at least at the Body Realm Great Accomplishment level.
With such cultivation, he could be considered an expert even among the forces backing Zhang Qin Hu.
A young master surnamed Li, yet Ascending Dragon Prefecture had no great Li clan.
Just who was this Young Master Li?
Zhang Qin Hu immediately grew intrigued.
The guard beside him read his expression and quickly said, "Young master, shall I follow them and find out who they are?"
Zhang Qin Hu shook his head.
Since the other party didn't want to reveal his origins, there was no need to go out of his way and offend him.
Though Zhang Qin Hu had powerful backing, he had no desire to make enemies for no reason.
Besides.
A delicate young beauty was waiting for him to enjoy her company.
"Come on. Take the beauty with us, and let's head home!"
"Patriarch, Zhang Qin Hu is from the Prefecture City Zhang Clan. His father is Zhang Xingyi, Commander of Military Affairs for Ascending Dragon Prefecture."
Li Yanzhao explained Zhang Qin Hu's background to Li Xinge.
"What an illustrious family."
Li Xinge exclaimed.
He had known from the start that Zhang Qin Hu had an extraordinary background, but he hadn't expected it to be so illustrious.
As the title suggested, the Commander of Military Affairs controlled all the forces in a prefecture.
His status was second only to the Prefect and Prefectural Assistant, making him the undisputed third-most powerful figure in Ascending Dragon Prefecture.
And behind him stood the Prefecture City Zhang Clan, one of the Five Great Families of Ascending Dragon Prefecture. A terrifying clan, with a Qi and Blood Realm Great Perfection expert presiding over it.
It was fair to say that if Li Xinge chose to antagonize Zhang Qin Hu today,
the Li Family would cease to exist by tomorrow.
This was no joke.
A great clan like the Prefecture City Zhang Clan could crush the Li Family with a mere twitch of its finger.
"Patriarch, I think the Second Young Master Zhang wants to befriend you. If we can befriend the Prefecture City Zhang Clan through him, our Li Family's dominance over Baihe County will be within reach."
Li Yanzhao spoke with excitement.
Li Xinge glanced at him and said calmly, "I know what I'm doing. Befriending the Prefecture City Zhang Clan is a long-term matter. For now, our priority is securing the Qi and Blood Pill and helping the Grand Elder advance to the Qi and Blood Realm. After all, strength is what matters."
Li Yanzhao knew he had gotten ahead of himself and gave an awkward smile.
The party found an inn and rested for a while, waiting for the auction to begin the next day.
In the southwestern corner of the prefectural city.
The renowned clan grounds of the Prefecture City Zhang Clan stood there.
Pavilions and towers stretched out in an unbroken expanse.
Majestic stone lions stood on either side, silently proclaiming the clan's prominence.
In Zhang Qin Hu's courtyard.
Wen Xi looked at the fat, big-eared Second Young Master Zhang beside her. A trace of undisguised disgust flickered in her eyes, but thinking of his terrifying family background, she had no choice but to force a smile.
"What, does it upset you that you've lost your virtue to me?"
Zhang Qin Hu looked at the delicate beauty beside him, patted her pert bottom, and said with a laugh.
"To be allowed to serve you, young master, is this concubine's honor."
Though she loathed him with all her heart, she still spoke with a seductive smile.
Zhang Qin Hu burst out laughing.
"You weren't saying that at Green Willow Tower. I liked you better when you were defiant."
"Young master, I know I was wrong. From now on, I belong to you. I hope you'll be gentle with me."
Watching a beauty who had always treated him coldly submit to him, Zhang Qin Hu wasn't as pleased as he had imagined he would be.
But he casually replied, "Don't worry. Stay with me, and from now on you'll have endless riches and honor."
"Thank you, young master."
A smile bloomed on Wen Xi's charming face.
But then, the aching sensation on her scalp brought back those unpleasant memories, and her expression instantly darkened.
Her eyes shifted, and a plan took shape.
Wen Xi spoke in a sweet voice. "Then could you promise me one thing first, young master?"
"What is it?"
"I want Li Xinge dead!"
Wen Xi spoke with venomous hatred.
She hated Li Xinge more than Zhang Qin Hu.
If he hadn't stood by and watched when she needed help, how would she have lost her virtue to this fat pig?
"Young master, he knew I was the woman you'd taken a fancy to, yet he treated me so roughly. He clearly doesn't take you seriously!"
Thinking of the disdainful look Li Xinge had given her, Wen Xi ground her teeth in fury.
She was a great beauty who had thrown herself at him, yet he had cast her aside like a worn-out shoe.
Even if she had only wanted to use him as a shield to ward off the fat pig's advances, being chosen by her should have been his honor.
At her words, Zhang Qin Hu's face turned cold.
Wen Xi didn't notice at all, and continued to vent the hatred in her heart.
Suddenly, Zhang Qin Hu cut her off. "Wen Xi, do you know? I really do like your face. It's so beautiful."
The somewhat inexplicable remark made Wen Xi's heart tighten.
A sudden, ominous premonition rose within her.
"I know everything you're thinking."
"For the past six months, you've kept me at arm's length, neither accepting nor rejecting me, all while enjoying everything I've given you."
"I know you look down on me. You want to marry into some wealthy clan and become its matriarch. But how could you know whether a wealthy clan would want a lowly songstress like you?"
"Truthfully, I didn't care about any of that. I liked your face, so I could endure it. I could even become the laughingstock of my clan."
"But you should never have tried to drive a wedge between us and make the Zhang Family pick a fight for no reason."
"You're not worth it."
After finishing, Zhang Qin Hu got dressed.
Watching him, Wen Xi panicked completely.
She hurriedly clung to Zhang Qin Hu, her face crumpling with humiliation as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Young master, I know I was wrong. Forgive me. I'll never do it again. I'll be your canary and behave from now on."
"If you'd said that before, I would've been happy. But unfortunately, it's too late now."
Zhang Qin Hu shook his head, his face full of scorn.
"It's not too late, it's not too late..."
Zhang Qin Hu ignored her.
Instead, he turned toward the door. "Someone!"
The door opened.
Several of his trusted men came in.
"Young master, what are your orders?"
Zhang Qin Hu glanced at the colorless Wen Xi on the bed and said coldly, "She's yours. Take her outside and line up. Everyone gets a turn, one at a time!"
The trusted men looked at the alluring beauty and hesitated.
They knew how much their young master had doted on this woman until now.
But then they saw his expression grow colder and colder.
None of them dared hesitate any longer.
They stepped forward, ready to drag her away.
Seeing this, how could Wen Xi not understand what was about to happen?
Her eyes brimmed with disbelief.
She couldn't imagine that the man who had once treated her with the utmost tenderness and indulged her every whim could do this to her.
In that moment,
she finally understood that this fat man, round as a groundhog,
held her life and death in his hands at all times.
Everything she had done before had been like dancing on the edge between life and death.
"Young master, I know I was wrong. I really do. I'll never do it again. Please spare me. Please!"
Wen Xi came to her senses and fell to her knees, kowtowing frantically as she begged for mercy.
But nothing could move Zhang Qin Hu.
Her cries for mercy grew fainter and fainter.
A faint voice drifted from inside the room. "When you're done, get rid of her. Make sure there are no loose ends."
Before you continue