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Tingyang County, Yong'an City.
The sowhat mottled city walls were adorned with patches of lush greenery.
It couldn't compare to the grand solemnity of Qingzhou City, but the bustling crowd was lively enough.
A carriage, blending in among the myriad of people, slowly entered the city and stopped in front of the most bustling courtyard.
The Deng Family had been entrenched in Yong'an City for hundreds of years, and no one had ever dared to provoke them.
Within this courtyard lived the city's sole expert of the Condensation Elixir Realm, whose exalted status protected the entire city from the invasion of demons and monsters.
At this mont, however, the young master of the Deng Family was a rare sight waiting at the entrance, showing not the slightest impatience on his face.
The reason for this was the girl standing beside him, as tall and elegant as a bamboo.
"Miss Rou, I have already prepared the east-facing courtyard for your uncle, along with a feast to wash away the dust of the journey. Is there anything else that should be prepared in advance?"
Deng Mingxu's face brimd with a smiling expression, the picture of grace and elegance.
Upon hearing this, Lin Rou, with a hint of shyness, responded ekly, "Young Master Deng, there's no need to go through such trouble. It'll be fine for my uncle and to stay in the sa courtyard."
Looking at that strand of pink on her fair cheeks, a sense of itch stirred in Deng Mingxu's heart. He listened to her words and nodded as if he suddenly understood sothing.
Say uncle, it likely ans the guard sent by the family because they can't rest easy about Miss Rou, right?
Soon, the arriving carriage ca to a halt, and a broad-shouldered figure stepped out first.
Catching sight of the down-to-earth visage of the middle-aged man and noticing his coarse hemp attire, Deng Mingxu beca even more certain of his guess.
He did not expose the truth but instead greeted them warmly, "I am Deng Mingxu, at your service, uncle."
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Jiang Chengyun waved his hands carelessly, "I don't recall ever eting you."
"You jest," Deng Mingxu's smile beca sowhat stiff before he heard so stirring from inside the carriage and hurriedly turned around, "It seems there is another uncle here."
Before the words were fully out, a dashing young man dressed in black robes stepped down from the carriage and politely nodded at him.
"Is this, is this gentleman also an uncle?"
Deng Mingxu unwittingly opened his mouth wide, staring at the other's handso face, and turned back in astonishnt to look at Lin Rou, "Also... also in the sa courtyard?"
Lin Rou herself seed to be taken aback as well.
Fortunately, Jiang Chengyun was already making big strides toward the front gate, "This is my family's young... one of my juniors, quickly prepare hot water; the journey was almost enough to jolt us dead."
Hearing the middle-aged man almost let sothing slip, Deng Mingxu instantly realized, and politely welcod everyone into the Deng household.
He even personally showed them to their quarters and instructed two servants to heat up water. Then, with a smile, he said, "Tonight, I have prepared so liquor. I hope the uncles will honor us with their presence."
Seeing Jiang Chengyun nod, a wave of joy surged in Deng Mingxu's heart.
It was true that the Deng Family was a distinguished clan not to be trifled with in Yong'an City, but their reliance was on the family elder, who had had a fortuitous encounter and luckily broken through to the Condensation Elixir Realm.
Now that the family patriarch was of advanced age, the decline of the Deng Family was almost a foregone conclusion. Although they would not suffer too greatly, maintaining their current esteed status was nearly impossible.
Unexpectedly, Deng Mingxu had encountered a young lady from the great clans of Yushan Prefecture.
Even though Miss Lin Rou concealed it well, her air of nobility was imdiately apparent to Deng Mingxu, who went to great lengths and finally managed to strike up a conversation.
Clearly, this was a young lady inexperienced in worldly affairs, her thoughts reserved. At the slightest display of interest on his part, Miss Rou seed flustered and even invited over her future uncle-in-law, clearly as a test of his character.
Thinking of the black-robed youth's valiant appearance, Deng Mingxu suddenly felt inadequate by comparison. Nervous, he also ticulously recalled his previous faux pas, wishing he could give himself a slap in the face.
"Feel free to catch up, I'll take my leave."
He bowed respectfully and planned to go change into another set of clothes, certainly not wishing to fall too far behind the uncle-in-law.
After Deng Mingxu left the courtyard.
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"Phew."
Lin Rou quietly rolled her eyes and walked inside to sit down.
Seeing Jiang Chengyun and the unfamiliar young man enter and casually close the door behind them, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs: "Big Brother Jiang, you owe a favor, rember to pay it back next ti."
"Or you could pay it back right now."
Jiang Chengyun took out a strand of a Jade Liquid Middle Stage demon's aura, casually tossed it over, and Lin Rou, giggling, caught it and put it into her small bronze bell.
Having said that, he turned to Shen Yi: "In the future, if you find it too troubleso to return a favor when you ask soone to do sothing, you can also use this as a token of thanks."
"A newbie?"
Hearing this, Lin Rou looked over curiously.
Even such basic things need to be taught, what's he doing in Yong'an City?
"Right."
Shen Yi nodded slightly, not wasting any opportunity to learn: "What's next?"
"What else can we do, after finally getting the fool from the Deng Family hooked, using his ancestor as bait to lure demons," Lin Rou stretched lazily.
Jiang Chengyun twisted his wrist and also took a seat: "If it were like the last hunt, we couldn't let go of this only Condensation Elixir Realm practitioner. Otherwise, we wouldn't have chosen Yong'an City. To ensure the news doesn't leak and prevent this Condensation Realm practitioner from fleeing, I asked her to pave the way here first."
"As the targets of the demon, his services shall also beco my assistance in the na of self-preservation."
Shen Yi listened in silence, taking all this experience to heart.
Sure enough, once outside, the tactics of the people of the Imperial Court are indeed decisive.
If we inford Patriarch Deng in advance to let him prepare, the chances of casualties would greatly decrease, but inevitably, it would create many unforeseen complications in the whole affair.
To ensure the rit is secured, the Patriarch must die here in Yong'an City, even if it ans his death.
This is probably the difference between monster hunters and the Demon-suppression Bureau.
"How many monster hunters have co to the city?" Jiang Chengyun looked to the side.
"About thirty or so, most of them are here to pick up the leftovers," Lin Rou propped her chin with one hand, while her other hand's fingertips said: "So coincidentally saved a rich young master's life and then beca sworn brothers with him, so deliver vegetables to the kitchens of noble families, and there's one dressed up as a courtesan, had her eyes on Deng Mingxu, but I cut her off, hehe."
"In front of such young masters, who could resist the allure of an innocent noble daughter playing cute over a saucy flirt?"
In just a few words, almost all of Yong'an City's na-worthy powers seem to have been hooked by monster hunters.
The most alluring, undoubtedly, is the Deng Family.
But those daring enough to set their sights on that piece of fat must at least possess the cultivation of the Condensation Realm.
Jiang Chengyun quickly guessed: "Xiao Qiangwei?"
"She's gone back to Qingzhou City; if she causes trouble, Big Brother Jiang, you have to stand up for ," Lin Rou blinked pitifully then quickly moved past the topic and looked at the young man beside her.
She twisted the aura she had just received around her index finger.
"Little brother, after this is over, are you interested in joining your sister in slaying a demon?"
"We'll talk about it later."
Shen Yi regulated his breathing, maintaining an indifferent deanor as he withdrew his gaze.
Compared to a Jade Liquid Middle Stage demon, he was more interested in the several tiger demons that would soon be arriving in Yong'an City.
"Oh, playing the cool guy," Lin Rou said, sowhat surprised.
"I'd advise you not to involve him," Jiang Chengyun said as he closed his eyes to rest. The demon he planned to slay, Shen Yi had no ability to snatch, but for the girl's demon, if he really took him along, it might not be hers anymore.
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