Pervert

Xu Yang shook his head. "Uncle, do you know the Liu Family in the Inner City?"

Zhou Shunchang nodded. "Of course. The Liu Family ranks among the top families in Qingyuan. The Huang Family isn't even in the same league."

Xu Yang smiled. "The Liu Family wanted to marry one of their daughters to me before. They even offered fifteen taels of silver a month for cultivation resources, but I turned them down."

Zhou Shunchang froze. So the Huang Family really had been playing a clever game. His nephew had caught the eye of the Liu Family in the Inner City, and they'd offered such generous terms.

A moment later, his eyes widened. "You little rascal! How could you refuse something like that without discussing it with me?"

"They wanted me to marry into their family!"

Xu Yang grinned. Zhou Shunchang's expression eased a little. Marrying into another family was out of the question.

"The Huang Family isn't asking you to marry into theirs," he said. "And they don't want a betrothal gift or anything like that."

Xu Yang still shook his head. "I'll be honest with you. I have no plans to get married right now. If I wanted to marry, the Liu Family would probably still be willing to give me a daughter, though they'd offer less. Please turn down the Huang Family for me, Uncle."

Zhou Shunchang was starting to get a headache. If he was pushing Xu Yang to marry, it was because he wanted him to wed a girl from the better-off Liu Family. The Huang Family was clearly trying to get something for nothing and tie his nephew down.

But he was also a member of the Huang Family, so it wouldn't be easy to reject them outright.

"It's fine. Just mention the Liu Family to them and say I'm still considering it. They'll understand."

Xu Yang said, "If they still won't give up, I'll meet them. Then I can find some excuse to turn them down."

He didn't want to put his uncle in a difficult position. After all, this was an order from the head family.

"That may be our only option!" Zhou Shunchang nodded.

Xu Yang stayed and chatted with Zhou Shunchang a little longer, then got up to leave.

In the blink of an eye, another seven days passed.

At the Liu Family's residence, he still spent every day in the Retainer Courtyard. He didn't know whether the Liu Family didn't trust him or simply had no use for him, but they'd never once taken him out with them.

Of course, the same went for Wu Yongfeng and the others.

Every day, they went to the Liu Family's residence, practiced their martial arts, ate, and returned to Wei Yuan Hall.

That day, news came from the Outer Courtyard: Qian Jiaxing had failed to break through.

By the time Xu Yang hurried over, Qian Jiaxing had already left. He didn't get to see him looking lost and devastated.

Two days later, Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong succeeded in Qi Gathering one after the other and entered the Inner Courtyard.

Of the ten people the Huang Family had selected from their group, four had ultimately succeeded in Qi Gathering and become martial artists.

Both had succeeded after three months, just like Wu Yongfeng. Though they'd entered the Inner Courtyard, hardly anyone paid them any attention, so they had no choice but to stick with Xu Yang again.

With Wu Yongfeng, the four of them made a small group. They practiced and exchanged pointers together, without needing to curry favor with anyone.

That same day, Xu Yang's Comprehension reached 30, and his cultivation progress picked up considerably.

"Why the long face?"

When Xu Yang returned home at dusk, he found that Xu Qing wasn't writing. Instead, the little girl sat there looking troubled.

"That annoying fellow from the Yang Clan became a martial artist. Xu Laoer and Zhang Cuiting brought him over to show off today. He was so smug I wanted to stomp on his face." The little girl curled her lip.

"I didn't expect him to succeed in Qi Gathering!"

Xu Yang looked a little surprised.

Qi Gathering really did involve an element of luck.

At Wei Yuan Hall, he came into contact with people like that every day.

Of everyone he'd met, Yang Jun was probably the most useless. Even Zhou Yang was better than him: he had a firm Daoist heart and worked hard. And compared to people like Qian Jiaxing, Yang Jun couldn't hold a candle to him.

Yet somehow, Yang Jun had still succeeded in Qi Gathering, seemingly even after the three-month cutoff.

"Xu Laoer's good days should be numbered," Xu Yang said with a smile.

Xu Qing was still a little confused, but only a few days later, Xu Laoer showed up with a bruised and swollen face, wailing that Yang Jun had beaten him and thrown him out. He hoped Xu Yang and Xu Qing would take him in.

Xu Yang had only one word for him: "Get lost."

"A-Yang, I may be a useless father, but I'm still your dad. How can you just abandon me?"

Xu Laoer stood outside the door, too intimidated by Xu Yang's aura to come in.

"We've already severed ties. Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me. Didn't you say you'd benefit from Yang Jun becoming a martial artist? Why aren't you enjoying the benefits?"

Xu Laoer flushed red. He hadn't expected Yang Jun to endure it for years, then become a martial artist and immediately find an excuse to throw him out.

"Get lost. If you dare come bother us again, Yang Jun won't be the only one to beat you. I will too. You're my father, so I can't bring myself to lay a hand on you. But if I ask the Tri-Union Gang, I'm sure they'll be happy to do it."

Remembering how Xu Yang had calmly ordered Li Sanhe to cut off a man's arm that day, Xu Laoer didn't dare argue any further. He could only go beg his elder brother to take him in.

"Even if he's a terrible person, he's still our father. Are we really not going to help him?" The little girl couldn't help feeling sorry for him.

"Don't worry. He's a grown man with two hands and two feet. He won't starve."

Xu Yang shook his head.

Xu Laoer had never done a decent thing. Xu Yang had no reason to forgive him. As for whether people would call him unfilial, he didn't care in the slightest.

By morning, he'd already forgotten all about Xu Laoer and headed to the Liu Family's residence early.

As soon as he reached the Retainer Courtyard, he saw Zhang Bo standing there with a solemn expression, a saber unusually hanging at his waist.

"What happened?" Xu Yang quietly asked another attendant, Wang Yun.

Wang Yun lowered his voice. "A lecher called Jade Butterfly has appeared in the city. He specializes in preying on young ladies from wealthy families. Several families' daughters have already been reported as victims, and who knows how many cases haven't come to light. There are more than a dozen young ladies at the Liu Mansion alone, of all ages..."

Xu Yang was startled. "One of the young ladies here was attacked?"

He'd heard Qiu Wenjie mention a flower thief before, but he hadn't expected there to really be one.

Wang Yun shot him a look. "No, but with someone like that around, the young ladies in the family are in danger. From now on, an attendant will have to accompany them whenever they leave the residence. Our good days are over."

A little while later, everyone had arrived, and Zhang Bo began giving instructions. "Stay alert. The head family has supported us all this time; now it's time to prove our worth. Don't disgrace the Retainer Courtyard.

"Don't practice today. Rest up and be ready for orders at any moment.

"When you accompany the young ladies outside, don't give any scoundrel a chance to take advantage. Do a good job, and the head family won't be stingy with rewards."

Hearing there might be a reward, Wang Yun—who'd just been saying their good days were over—rubbed his hands together eagerly.

Working for a wealthy family, the monthly stipend was small change. The real money came from earning merit.

He even hoped Jade Butterfly would show up at the Liu Family's residence so he could capture him in one stroke and win both fame and fortune.

"Anyone bold enough to target the daughters of wealthy families won't be a nobody. If someone like that catches us out, we won't even know how we died."

Xu Yang had no intention of earning merit. Jade Butterfly had committed all these crimes and still hadn't been caught, which meant he must have some serious skills. As someone who'd only just entered Qi Gathering, Xu Yang knew he wasn't capable of preying on the daughters of so many wealthy families.

"Brother Zhang Bo, what tricks does Jade Butterfly use? How old is he? Tell us so we can be prepared," an attendant named Bao Gang said.

Zhang Bo replied, "They say he's skilled with poison and has peerless lightness skills. If you encounter him, hold your breath immediately."

As they were talking, a woman dressed as a maid approached. "Attendant Zhang, Fifth Miss is going to the Plain Maiden Hall. Sorry for the trouble, but could you arrange for an attendant to escort her?"

"Of course. Please wait a moment!"

Zhang Bo nodded and scanned everyone's faces. In the end, his gaze landed on Xu Yang. "Xu Yang, you'll escort Fifth Miss."