The Original Three Great Empires in Chaos

"Achoo!"

Chen Xuan suddenly sneezed.

"Damn it, who's been talking about me? It's the middle of the night—can't a man even listen to some music?" Chen Xuan muttered, rubbing his nose.

The maid attending him shuddered in fright, nearly dropping the wine jug.

"No need to be nervous. It has nothing to do with you." Chen Xuan waved a hand, putting her at ease.

Muttering to himself, he sat up straight and poured himself another cup of wine, then tipped back his head and drained it in one go.

"True enough." He smacked his lips.

"I'm so charming, it's only natural that someone would be thinking about me.

It's just a pity I can't take much of this osmanthus wine with me.

The moment the wind blows on the way back to the residence, the wine aroma will be gone."

He swayed to his feet, took the outer robe from the maid's hands, and draped it over his shoulders.

"Alright, we'll call it a night." He waved to the Boat Master. "Clean this place up. This old man should be leaving too."

The Boat Master promptly bowed. "Take care, sir."

Humming a little tune, Chen Xuan left the pleasure boat. As he stepped ashore, the night breeze cleared his head somewhat.

He looked up at the moon in the sky, then down toward the south of the city.

Tomorrow, I'll go to the Zhang Family. It's about time this old beggar's act came to an end.

That little girl will probably curse me once she finds out. Fine, let her curse me. It was all my fault anyway.

When he returned to the residence, the osmanthus flowers were in full bloom.

Chen Xuan pushed open the door. He had only just sat beneath the tree when familiar footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate.

"Come in." He did not even raise his head.

Lu Yun pushed the door open and entered, holding a stack of documents. Respect was written across his face, along with barely restrained delight.

"Elder Xuan, you're back."

Chen Xuan grunted and took a sip of the cold tea on the table. "What is it in the middle of the night?"

Lu Yun stepped forward and presented the stack of documents with both hands.

"The matter you instructed me to investigate has been cleared up.

These are all the records on the Zhang Family and the Zhao Family.

The Zhang Family is clean, with no serious offenses.

As for the Zhao Family, both the people and the evidence of their crimes have been dealt with."

Chen Xuan accepted the documents and flipped through them beneath the moonlight.

He did not turn the pages quickly, but he read every one. There truly was nothing to criticize about the Zhang Family.

For generations, they had lived honestly. Their family head, Zhang Yuanshan, was a Seven-Ring soul sage, and most members of the clan ran legitimate businesses in the city.

The only conspicuous one was that little girl who had already reached Two-Ring at the age of nine.

As for the Zhao Family, Lu Yun had written everything in clear detail. Three Soul Douluo, and their family head, Zhang Zhaokun, was Eight-Ring.

They had set their sights on the Zhang Family's ancestral property years ago and had caused them no small amount of trouble behind the scenes, though the Zhang Family itself had never noticed.

After Chen Xuan finished reading, he set the documents down on the stone table.

"Not bad." He nodded. "You moved faster than I expected."

Lu Yun smiled. "How could this junior dare delay something you ordered, sir?"

Chen Xuan rose to his feet and straightened his robes. "Fine. Since everything has been investigated, I'll make a trip there myself."

Lu Yun hurriedly stopped him. "Elder Xuan, there's no need to trouble yourself. The Zhao Family has already been dealt with."

Chen Xuan paused and turned back to look at him. "Dealt with?"

"Yes," Lu Yun said.

"The Zhao Family's main figures have already been captured, and the three Soul Douluo were killed on the spot.

The rest had their soul power crippled and were handed over to the City Patrol Bureau. Their crimes have all been confirmed.

If you go over tonight, I'm afraid there won't even be anyone left to speak to."

After hearing that, Chen Xuan deliberately darkened his expression.

"Honestly. Why did you have to make a move? You're making it look like I'm some local tyrant."

He snorted. "What, Lu Yun? Your wings have grown hard enough that you dare make decisions for me now?"

Lu Yun remained all smiles, not panicking in the slightest.

After following Chen Xuan for so many days, he had long figured out the old senior's temperament.

The harsher Chen Xuan scolded, the happier he was inside. If he had truly been dissatisfied, he would not have nodded while reading those documents earlier.

"Elder Xuan, don't be angry. How could something so trivial require you to get blood on your hands?"

Lu Yun smiled ingratiatingly. "Didn't you come out to relax? Seeing too much blood is bad luck."

Chen Xuan glared at him. "Quit grinning at me like an idiot. Come on, get outside.

I'll give you some training and see whether you still dare act so smug."

As he spoke, he swept aside his outer robe and strode toward the open space in the courtyard.

Lu Yun's eyes lit up at first. He then forcibly suppressed his excitement and followed with feigned apprehension.

"Elder Xuan, please go easy on me.

This junior's body can't take too many punches from you."

"Enough nonsense." Chen Xuan stood in the courtyard, moonlight falling over him as the night breeze stirred his grizzled hair.

He raised one hand and casually crooked a finger.

"Use your strongest abilities and attack me. Let this old man see how capable a Titled Douluo like you really is."

Lu Yun took a deep breath, then abruptly straightened. He clasped his fists, his expression incomparably solemn, and announced loudly.

"Ninety-First Level agility-attack Titled Douluo, Lu Yun, martial soul Wind Spirit Crane, requests Elder Xuan's guidance!"

Chen Xuan stared at his overly serious expression. He was briefly stunned before letting out a derisive laugh.

"You little brat, I'm just giving you a few pointers. What the hell are you putting on this act for?"

But Lu Yun kept a straight face. "No. For Elder Xuan to personally step in and instruct me is this junior's greatest fortune. It must be formal!"

Chen Xuan laughed at that. "Alright, brat, stop trying that on me.

Hurry up and attack. Keep dragging this out, and I'll pluck every feather off you."

Only then did Lu Yun chuckle and drop the act.

He brought his palms together, and his martial soul instantly possessed him.

A phantom Wind Spirit Crane, entirely azure in color, emerged behind him. Its wings spread wide, and countless wind blades screamed through the air as they slashed toward Chen Xuan from every direction.

Chen Xuan did not move his feet. He merely raised his right hand, palm outward, and gave a light push.

The wind blades seemed to strike an invisible wall, shattering with a rapid series of crackles.

"Again," Chen Xuan said flatly.

Lu Yun gave a low shout and shot into motion. With a beat of the Wind Spirit Crane's wings, his body drew a string of afterimages through the air.

He no longer attacked head-on. Instead, he circled Chen Xuan at high speed, occasionally firing several wind spikes from tricky angles.

Chen Xuan still did not move. With just one finger, he casually flicked in front of himself, knocking every wind spike away.

"Your speed is decent, but your strength is far too lacking.

The Wind Spirit Crane is for agility attacks, not for scratching people.

Don't think about holding back. With that little skill of yours, you could exhaust yourself to death and still never hurt me."

Hearing that, Lu Yun stopped concealing his strength.

His fourth soul ring suddenly lit up, and the phantom Wind Spirit Crane behind him nearly overlapped with his body.

His entire body transformed into an azure gale as he dived down from above Chen Xuan. His palms came together, and an incomparably solid wind blade cleaved toward Chen Xuan's face.

Chen Xuan finally moved.

He merely shifted to one side, letting the wind blade graze past his ear.

The wind blade struck the ground, splitting the bluestone floor with a crack a foot deep.

Before Lu Yun had time to feel pleased with himself, Chen Xuan had already appeared beside him. One hand landed on his shoulder and pressed lightly.

Boom.

Lu Yun was slammed straight into the ground.

Dust flew everywhere. He got a mouthful of dirt, yet he still grinned.