Yun Yun: I Came to Watch a Show, and Became Its Star?

"Don't even think about it!" Lu Tong Xuan slammed the table and rose to his feet, glaring at Lu Tong Zhou.

"As the eldest son of the Lu Clan head, you chose to marry into the city lord's steward's family, making Father so angry he coughed up blood."

"For the sake of our late mother, Father let you retain your position as a Lu Clan elder, but you only grew worse."

"And now you've actually joined forces with the Mo Clan to offer your nephew's wife up to curry favor with that old bastard Mo Cheng."

"Do you even know what your surname is?"

Lu Tong Zhou's expression shifted several times before he gave a cold laugh. "Second Brother, do you know what I hate most?"

"What I hate most is that self-righteous, holier-than-thou look of yours."

"All our lives, I was the elder brother, so why did Father value you more?"

"Why did you get to marry Xi'er? I just couldn't accept it."

"I'm going to take back everything that belongs to me and prove Father was wrong."

Lu Tong Xuan's pupils contracted at those words. He stared at Lu Tong Zhou for a moment, then understanding dawned.

"So that's how it is. To think you harbored such thoughts."

At that moment, all the questions in Lu Tong Xuan's heart were answered.

He and Lu Tong Zhou had always gotten along well growing up.

Though he was more talented, received more attention from their father and the clan elders, and enjoyed more of the clan's cultivation resources, Lu Tong Zhou had always treated him well.

But not long after he married Zhang Xi'er, Lu Tong Zhou did something that made the entire Lu Clan lose face: the dignified eldest son of the clan head married into the city lord's steward's family.

At the time, the clan elders had been more inclined to make Lu Tong Xuan the young clan head, but they had yet to make a decision. Lu Tong Xuan himself had no interest in the position and would rather wait until he grew stronger before traveling with Zhang Xi'er.

Lu Tong Zhou's marriage made the Lu Clan elders feel they had lost all face. The old clan head was so angry he coughed up blood and wanted to beat Lu Tong Zhou half to death.

Only after the city lord's steward asked the city lord to intercede was the matter dropped.

The position of clan head could not be given to a man who had married into another family, so Lu Tong Xuan naturally became the young clan head and eventually succeeded as clan head.

Lu Tong Xuan had never thought there was much conflict between him and his own elder brother, but now he understood: Lu Tong Zhou had designs on Zhang Xi'er, whom he had rescued and brought back to the clan.

"Back then, I was supposed to patrol that sand mine, and I should have been the one to rescue Zhang Xi'er!" Lu Tong Zhou said through a Dou Qi voice transmission, his voice venomous. "You insisted on going there and stole the marriage fate meant for me."

"I asked the old bastard for Xi'er's hand and offered to withdraw from the contest for young clan head and leave it to you, but he actually cursed me for having no sense of responsibility. He said he'd never considered me for the position and told a disgrace like me to go die outside if I had the guts."

"Since that was how it was, I married the steward's daughter who was pursuing me. I wanted to make him lose all face."

Lu Tong Zhou revealed the secret he had buried in his heart for years.

"Ridiculous. You really are ridiculous." Lu Tong Xuan looked at Lu Tong Zhou's face and found it utterly unfamiliar.

"Back then, you were the one who said you'd been cultivating hard for a long time and wanted to drink with a few friends, so you asked me to go to the sand mine in your place."

"I never wanted the position of young clan head, and Father knew it long ago. He only ever considered you, which is why your words made him angry."

"As for Xi'er, she and I had known each other for a long time. She came looking for me after she was injured and happened to collapse at the sand mine. Yet you thought I only met her because I went there."

"From beginning to end, you were self-righteous, fooling yourself and others."

Lu Tong Xuan did not use a voice transmission. He spoke the truth of those years aloud, his voice icy with utter disillusionment.

Shock flashed in Lu Tong Zhou's eyes. Could everything back then have been a misunderstanding?

"Don't try to fool me!" Lu Tong Zhou slammed the table and sprang to his feet. "No matter how silver your tongue, you can't change the situation now. Cooperate obediently, or else..."

Boom!

Before Lu Tong Zhou could finish, a terrifying presence enveloped the entire council hall.

Everyone felt as though they were facing a heavenly lightning tribulation, as insignificant as ants.

The next moment, lightning appeared beside Lu Tong Xuan and swiftly took the form of a person.

"Or else?"

The man turned to look at Lu Tong Zhou and moved a finger.

Bang!

Lu Tong Zhou was forced to his knees before Lu Tong Xuan. Even forming his Dou Qi Armor at once could not resist it.

"What will you do?"

Pfft!

Lu Tong Zhou spat out a mouthful of blood.

He struggled to lift his head and stared at Lu Yuan in absolute horror.

"It's you! You, you were crippled by poison. How could you... be so... strong?!"

Lu Yuan did not answer. His gaze swept over the people behind him.

There were two Dou Ling, one from the Mo Clan and the other from the city lord's residence.

Bang!

Neither of them could withstand the pressure of a Peak Nine-Star Dou Wang combined with Late Mortal Realm soul power, and both fell to their knees.

"Yuan'er!" Lu Tong Xuan finally came to his senses, surprise and disbelief on his face. "Qing Qing said you'd already been cured of the poison. How are you so powerful now?"

"Father, I was merely fortunate enough to obtain some inheritances." Lu Yuan turned and smiled at Lu Tong Xuan. "I'm a Peak Nine-Star Dou Wang now. I could even contend for a place among the top five of the Ten Great Experts of the Jia Ma Empire."

Hiss!

The Dou Ling from the city lord's residence, who had been about to shout, promptly shut his mouth.

A Nine-Star Dou Wang was far stronger than his own city lord, a Three-Star Dou Wang.

The Imperial Family had decreed that the city lord's residence commanded the army and was responsible for keeping watch in ordinary times, but could not directly interfere in disputes between local clans.

The Salt City lord had not merely interfered but taken part directly. If the Imperial Family learned of it, he would be lucky not to be severely punished first.

Although the Imperial Family had tacitly allowed the Misty Cloud Sect to manage the Northeastern Province, it was still nominally under the empire's jurisdiction.

Even the Misty Cloud Sect would not offend a Peak Nine-Star Dou Wang so young.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Lu Tong Zhou's eyes were full of venom. "You little bastard, what gives you the right to regain your talent and become so strong?"

Lu Yuan had no interest in wasting words on this biological uncle of his. He simply shot him a glance laden with soul pressure.

The power of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python's snake soul could do more than enhance his cultivation; it could also strengthen his soul power and pressure.

"Pfft!" Lu Tong Zhou spat out another mouthful of blood and passed out.

Lu Yuan looked at the Mo Clan elder and the man from the city lord's residence.

"Sir!" The Dou Ling from the city lord's residence saluted from his knees. "I was only following orders. Please spare my life. I'm willing to serve as your pawn and testify to the Imperial Family on the Lu Clan's behalf about the city lord's residence's crimes."

Lu Yuan looked at Lu Tong Xuan, who nodded his approval.

Lu Yuan then looked at the Mo Clan's Dou Ling. The old fellow gave a vicious smile. "Lu Clan boy, to have such cultivation at your age is indeed extraordinary. My Mo Clan was blind before. Let me leave, and I'll persuade the great elder to treat this as though nothing happened."

"Don't forget, my Mo Clan represents the Misty Cloud Sect in the Northeastern Province, and our great elder is an outer sect deacon of the Misty Cloud Sect."

"If you attack me or the Mo Clan, you'll be slapping the Misty Cloud Sect in the face. When that happens..."

"When that happens?" Lu Yuan sneered. "At worst, the Misty Cloud Sect will fight us to the death. Is that worth fearing?"

Yun Yun: "..."

I, the Misty Cloud Sect Master, am right here.

Just yesterday you were asking me to fulfill my duties as your Dao companion, and now you're deliberately trying to scare me, is that it?