Luis had a hunch that confronting the God Killer Shen Jue would not be resolved in just a day or a night, even with the hidden preparations made by the Qianyuan Sword Sect.
The fact that this man had managed to remain hidden for four hundred years was proof of his cunning and despicable nature.
Without absolute certainty, Luis would never confront him personally, nor would he risk his family. After all, the target was a Golden Core Cultivator.
A Few Hours Later
Luis's escape light descended outside Lingzhou City.
As he approached the city gates, a cultivator from the Yang family, who had been waiting there, imdiately recognized him.
The man appeared middle-aged, with a handso face and a deanor that was quite pleasing to the eye.
"Are you Luis Hartmann from the Hartmann family, Fellow Daoist?" the man asked.
"And you are?"
Luis didn't recognize the man at first but noted from his attire that he was likely from the Yang family.
The middle-aged cultivator cupped his hands and smiled politely. "Fellow Daoist, please don't misunderstand. This is our first eting. I've been waiting here on the orders of our clan leader."
"Oh? An order from Patriarch Yang?"
Luis's curiosity was piqued.
"That's correct, Fellow Daoist. Please, follow ."
The man gestured invitingly.
Luis nodded. "Lead the way, Fellow Daoist."
This was Lingzhou City, a relatively safe place. Besides, with his skill and confidence, Luis wasn't worried about anyone impersonating a Yang family cultivator to harm him.
One Stick of Incense Later
The two escape lights stopped outside the Yang family's estate.
This was Luis's first visit to their territory, and as he stood there, he couldn't help but form so guesses about why the Yang family wanted to et him.
Most likely, they had taken notice of him—a rising powerhouse in Guang'an Prefecture—and were looking to invest in him early or establish ties with the Hartmann family.
The reason why prominent families manage to maintain their standing for generations isn't just due to their heritage. Invisible personal connections are another critical factor in ensuring their legacy endures.
For example, Luis and Zhou Mubai shared a life-and-death bond. If the Zhou family were ever in trouble and Zhou Mubai sought Luis's help, could he simply turn his back?
Obviously not.
This was precisely what the Yang family was aiming for at the mont.
Although it might be a little late to invest in Luis now, it was still better than doing nothing, right?
With Yang Linyuan's intelligence, how could he not understand this principle?
Shortly After
Luis found himself standing before the head of the Yang family by Linghu Lake.
What surprised him, however, was that in addition to the white-haired Yang Linyuan, a middle-aged man was also present, engaged in a close conversation with him.
Beside the two n stood a strikingly beautiful woman, her deanor suggesting she was more than just a maid.
Luis imdiately recognized her as Yang Gongwan, the talented cultivator of the Yang family.
"Uncle Oliver!"
From a distance, Luis called out.
Hearing the voice, Oliver turned his head, glanced at Luis, and smiled. Turning back to Yang Linyuan, he said, "Brother Yang, I was just speaking of my nephew, and here he is."
"Hahaha!"
Yang Linyuan laughed heartily, stood up, and bowed slightly toward Luis. "Fellow Daoist, how are you?"
"Thank you for your concern, Senior Yang. I am doing well," Luis replied calmly.
"Since the young master of the Hartmann family is here, Wan'er, why don't you apologize?"
As he spoke, Yang Linyuan gave Yang Gongwan a aningful glance.
At this, Yang Gongwan bit her lip lightly before bowing her head. "Wan'er acted improperly a few days ago, attempting to sow discord between the Hartmann and Wu families. It was a truly shaful act. I beg for your forgiveness, Fellow Daoist Luis."
She raised her gaze, her eyes brimming with a pitiful expression as she looked at Luis.
Luis, montarily confused, turned to Uncle Oliver for clarification. Oliver t his gaze and explained the situation through spiritual consciousness.
Finally, the context beca clear to Luis.
From Yang Gongwan's perspective, it was understandable why she wanted to sow discord between the Hartmann and Wu families.
Lingzhou City was dominated by the Yang family, but the supply of magical instrunts was primarily controlled by the Wu family. This effectively gave the Wu family a stranglehold on one of the city's vital lifelines.
Naturally, this made the Yang family uneasy. They were desperate to find a new force to counterbalance the Wu family's monopoly over Lingzhou City's magic weapon market.
The Hartmann family was the ideal candidate for this role.
By creating conflict between the Hartmann and Wu families, Yang Gongwan aid to prevent any potential alliance that might lead to a joint monopoly over the market.
However, from Luis's perspective
Yang Gongwan's actions appeared childish and shortsighted.
Both the Hartmann and Wu families were renowned for their weapon-refining expertise. The absence of major conflict between the two was primarily due to their specialization in different market segnts.
The Hartmann family focused on the low-end magic weapon market, while the Wu family catered to custors seeking high-quality first-grade and second-grade magic weapons.
Additionally, the Wu family's custor base consisted largely of other influential families, while the Hartmann family served broader, less elite clientele.
Still, as the Hartmann family's weapon-refining skills improved and their number of refiners grew, a clash with the Wu family seed inevitable.
The only way to avoid such a conflict would be for both families to expand their markets beyond Guang'an Prefecture.
Expanding outside Guang'an Prefecture, however, required more than just exceptional products—it demanded an impeccable family reputation.
Without such standing, entering another family's territory could lead to suppression or outright hostility.
Currently, only the Zhou family in Guang'an Prefecture possessed the influence and resources necessary to expand their business across the entire Cangzhou region.
Even the Yang family, the second-largest family in Guang'an Prefecture, had limited their business to monopolizing shipping within the prefecture, unable to expand into other regions.
"It's just a small matter. Since you have apologized sincerely, don't worry about it," Luis said calmly.
Hearing this, Yang Linyuan chuckled and added, "Yes, grudges can often be resolved through open dialogue. However, my Yang family was at fault, and a simple apology would be insufficient."
He turned to Yang Gongwan and said, "Wan'er, bring out the gift."
"Oh," Yang Gongwan responded playfully. Without hesitation, she retrieved a sword case from her storage bag.
She opened the sword case in full view of everyone.
A surge of sword energy erupted into the air, dazzling those present. As the energy gradually subsided, a radiant flying sword with overflowing spiritual light erged.
"A Level 3 flying sword!"
Luis's eyes widened in shock. Turning to Yang Linyuan, he clasped his hands respectfully and said, "Senior Yang, forgive my bluntness, but this apology is far too valuable. I cannot accept such a treasure without rit."
"Well," Yang Linyuan sighed deeply, shaking his head. "It seems the Hartmann family is still unwilling to forgive my Wan'er."
"This..."
Luis hesitated. Rejecting the gift felt almost impossible now.
This was a third-level flying sword—a top-quality one at that! If sold at auction, it would fetch no less than a million spirit stones.
That the Yang family would offer such a treasure as an apology was staggering.
For comparison, even Zhou Mubai's renowned flying sword was rely a third-grade upper-tier weapon.
Luis's thoughts raced. He knew that while the value of this sword was imnse, it wasn't just about the money. Such treasures were exceedingly rare and required imnse luck to obtain, even if one could afford them.
Though tempted, Luis struggled to make a decision, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
Seeing Luis remain silent, Yang Linyuan quickly recognized his hesitation.
Cupping his hands respectfully, he spoke with a solemn tone, "Fellow Daoist Luis, please don't worry. Our Yang family is offering this gift for two reasons. First, Wan'er acted recklessly a few days ago, and we owe you an apology. Second, we genuinely wish to establish a good relationship with the Hartmann family. There are no ulterior motives."
"Just to establish a good relationship?" Luis asked, his tone skeptical.
Yang Linyuan nodded firmly. "That's all."
He had said all he could. If Luis refused again, he truly wouldn't know how to proceed.
After all, the last thing he wanted was to be subjected to another threat from that imposing Oliver standing nearby.
Luis glanced at the sword case, which Yang Gongwan now held out respectfully with both hands. His gaze lingered as he reached for the third-grade, top-tier flying sword, its spiritual light radiating magnificently. For a mont, he studied it carefully, awestruck.
Although he wasn't a sword practitioner, Luis had a deep appreciation for swords, particularly after watching Zhou Mubai's fights.
This flying sword was undoubtedly the finest he had ever laid eyes on.
When compared to the two flying swords crafted within his barony, the difference was as vast as heaven and earth.
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