Dandy and Villain

Nangong Wenyang had been incredibly irritable these past few days. Ever since Chen Fengyang accepted the City-Sealing Seal, Nangong Shenhe had strictly forbidden him from provoking the Chen Clan, especially Chen Xiao.

Back in the city, Nangong Wenyang used to rally the wastrels from various minor and mid-sized families to engage in daily, spirited rivalries with the "Four Great Talents" led by Chen Xiao. With Nangong Wenyue backing him, he might not have always achieved a grand victory, but he never failed to humiliate the other side.

However, in these last few days, the Chen Clan's status as the city-ruling family had been solidified, and Chen Xiao's backing had grown formidable. Yet, at this very moment, his father had forbidden him from causing trouble for the Chen Clan and had even placed him under house arrest.

Fortunately, three days ago, after several powerful cultivators fought within Moon-Gazing City, something seemed to have occurred within the Nangong Family. Nangong Shenhe was left frazzled and overwhelmed, Nangong Wenyue suffered a setback in his cultivation, and the likes of Nangong Wenxing and Nangong Wenxue had inexplicably gone into seclusion.

There was simply no one left to pay any mind to a wastrel like Nangong Wenyang.

However, Nangong Shenhe was Nangong Shenhe after all. How could he not be aware of the changes occurring in Moon-Gazing City? Furthermore, he knew Nangong Wenyang's temperament all too well—arrogant and self-righteous. If he were ever to leave the house, he would undoubtedly offend everyone in the city.

Nangong Shenhe had directly dispatched a Division Spirit Realm family deacon to keep a close watch on Nangong Wenyang, forbidding him from stepping out to stir up trouble.

Nangong Wenyang was merely an insignificant scion of the Nangong Family; naturally, he had no right to know the family's secrets. As far as he was concerned, the Nangong Family was just another prominent clan in Moon-Gazing City.

At this moment, Nangong Wenyang was staring, dumbstruck, at the deacon responsible for monitoring him. He saw a large hole torn through the man's dantian, and his Nascent Soul was nowhere to be found. The deacon's eyes were wide open, blood seeped from his seven orifices, and the Storage Ring on his finger had vanished into thin air.

"Uncle?"

Nangong Wenyang gingerly nudged the man's body.

Thud.

The Division Spirit Realm deacon's body collapsed to the ground without a hint of resistance, his life force already extinguished.

Thud!

Now it was Nangong Wenyang's turn to collapse to the floor.

Bizarre—it was all too bizarre. In the time it took him to turn around, this family deacon had... died so inexplicably?

What on earth was happening?

Trembling with fear, Nangong Wenyang scrambled up from the floor and headed out of his room, intending to report the matter to his father. But as he stepped out of his small courtyard, he saw a servant running over in a panic.

"Young Master, Young Master, it's bad!"

This servant was the very lackey who usually followed Nangong Wenyang to wreak havoc on the commoners in the city. Although Nangong Wenyang was under house arrest, this servant had continued to throw his weight around in the city every day, using Nangong Wenyang's name.

"Wh-what is it?"

Nangong Wenyang forced himself to suppress the terror in his heart and asked.

"That Chen Xiao, along with Bei Yu Xian, Li Changqi, and Canghai Chengkong, have gone to the Heavenly Abode to eat and drink for free again! And this time, they've booked the entire Heavenly Abode, claiming they want to treat everyone in the city."

The servant stuttered as he recounted everything that had happened at the Heavenly Abode to Nangong Wenyang, adding a fair amount of exaggeration for good measure.

"Scoundrels!"

Nangong Wenyang felt a surge of rage erupt in his gut. The death of the family deacon was instantly cast to the back of his mind.

"Gather the family guards! Follow this young master to the Heavenly Abode!"

Nangong Wenyang knew his father was not at the estate, and the man watching him was dead. If he didn't go out to show off his power now, when would he?

The Chen Clan? Others might fear you, but I, Nangong Wenyang, do not! Wenyue can beat you, and I, Nangong Wenyang, can beat you just the same!

The servant was overjoyed. Upon receiving Nangong Wenyang's order, he immediately rounded up the remaining house guards—over fifty cultivators at the Golden Core Realm or higher—and marched them in a grand, imposing procession toward the Heavenly Abode.

Because of the events from three days ago, Nangong Shenhe was currently too frazzled to pay any attention to his son, having merely left a Division Spirit Realm deacon to watch him.

He never expected that this deacon would be killed, and that the Nangong estate would be left in such a state: those who were injured were in seclusion, and Nangong Shenhe had taken the family's elite disciples and elders to Mingyu Mountain to set up defenses.

Thus, for the time being, everything in the Nangong Family was decided by Young Master Nangong Wenyang. Moreover, the core members and hidden powerhouses who knew the true foundation of the Nangong Family had either been taken away by Nangong Shenhe or had gone into hiding. Those left behind were merely peripheral members who usually just put on a show in the city.

Now, hearing that Chen Xiao was actually causing trouble at the Heavenly Abode, they were instantly incensed. The Heavenly Abode was a primary source of income for the Nangong Family in the city; if Chen Xiao messed it up, wouldn't the family's interests suffer greatly?

At once, they rolled up their sleeves and followed Nangong Wenyang in a grand, aggressive swarm to the Heavenly Abode.

"Young Master, you've come?"

The head manager of the Heavenly Abode felt his heart sink when he saw Nangong Wenyang arrive. This manager was a man who knew how to read the room; he was well aware of who had been coming into the city lately.

That was why, even though he was annoyed that Chen Xiao had come to "treat guests," he hadn't acted out or even reported it to the family, fearing it would stir up trouble.

But now that Young Master Nangong Wenyang had arrived, things were different.

Rage surged in Nangong Wenyang's heart. He recalled the tragic death of the deacon back at the estate. Could it be that Chen Xiao had acted in the shadows?

That's it, it must be. Chen Fengyang got the City-Sealing Seal, and Chen Xiao, thinking he has a powerful backer, is taking advantage of the Nangong Family's internal defenses being thin to retaliate... Hmph, thinking he's being clever and unnoticed? Does he take me, Nangong Wenyang, for a fool?

Nangong Wenyang's expression grew increasingly ferocious.

"Chen Xiao, you piece of trash, get out here!"

"First you kill a deacon of my Nangong Family, and now you bring a bunch of good-for-nothing wastrels here to freeload? Do you think my Nangong Family is easy to bully?"

"..."

Nangong Wenyang's voice echoed throughout the entire Heavenly Abode. Instantly, the cultivators who had been whispering among themselves fell silent.

Cold gazes, filled with biting killing intent, turned toward Nangong Wenyang.

Nangong Wenyang's remark about "good-for-nothing wastrels freeloading" had undoubtedly offended everyone present in the Heavenly Abode.

However, many of them narrowed their eyes slightly.

A deacon of the Nangong Family had died?

Such an occurrence would normally be a trivial matter, but happening during such a sensitive period, it could not help but invite suspicion.

Originally, everyone knew of Nangong Xiangyan's identity, yet they had never linked him to the Nangong Family of Moon-Gazing City.

After all, Nangong Xiangyan hailed from the Nangong Clan, a great family in the Glazed Heaven known as the Southern Overlord, whereas this Moon-Gazing City was nothing more than a backwater. Furthermore, this Nangong Family had been developing in Moon-Gazing City for several hundred years.

But now, given that Nangong Xiangyan had previously clashed with a cultivator of the Mahayana Realm, and now this Nangong Family had suffered an inexplicable death...

The situation seemed somewhat delicate.

"Yo, Brother Nangong, what is the matter? What has stirred such anger in you, old friend? Calm your temper. Come, come, come—Brother Beiyu and the others have emerged from seclusion today, and I am hosting a banquet here to celebrate. Why don't you come up and drink three cups with us?"

At this moment, Chen Xiao's voice drifted down from the upper floor.

"Chen Xiao, you are bold! Taking advantage of my father being away, you actually sent someone to assassinate a deacon of my family. Today, this young master shall settle this debt with you! Men, attack!"

Upon hearing Chen Xiao's voice, Nangong Wenyang's expression turned ferocious.

"Young Master, it's bad!"

Suddenly, a cultivator dressed as a servant of the Nangong Family stumbled in from outside the door.