"Senior Yang." Upon seeing Yang Zhenkun suddenly appear before him, Ling Xiao's body trembled involuntarily. His previously imposing aura immediately subsided, and he cupped his hands in a fist salute to Yang Zhenkun.
"Hmph!" Yang Zhenkun snorted coldly as he looked at Ling Xiao, who had suddenly become respectful, and then turned his gaze to Nangong Honglie.
“Senior Yang, this junior did not…” Nangong Honglie broke out in a cold sweat when Yang Zhenkun stared at him. Just now, he seemed to have reprimanded the other man’s granddaughter.
"The Nangong family has some nerve, and they're quite arrogant, daring to lay a hand on my precious granddaughter," Yang Zhenkun said angrily.
"Senior Yang, I was wrong. I really didn't know she was your granddaughter. Please forgive me." Nangong Honglie was no longer as arrogant as before. He looked like a wilted eggplant.
"Forgive? If you hadn't come, would you have forgiven my granddaughter?" Yang Zhenkun's eyes narrowed, and a chilling aura swept towards Nangong Honglie. Nangong Honglie felt this aura and his spine went cold, his body trembling. However, he dared not say a word. His Nangong family had been declining in recent years, and his father, the King Realm expert, had been severely injured in a battle a few years ago and had not yet recovered. He was even facing the risk of dying at any time. Once he died, his Nangong family would be without a King Realm expert to protect them, and their status would plummet to rock bottom.
"Senior Yang, please forgive me this time for my father's sake! I will never dare to do it again." Nangong Honglie immediately admitted defeat.
Upon hearing Nangong Honglie's words, Yang Zhenkun frowned. He wasn't afraid of Nangong Honglie's father, Nangong Bo, but rather of the immense contributions Nangong Bo had made to China in the past. Even now, on the verge of death, he was a seed of trouble left behind during China's battles with other powers.
"Alas!" Yang Zhenkun sighed. "Alright, considering Nangong Bo's past sacrifices for the country, let's drop this matter. But Nangong Honglie, let me give you a piece of advice: don't go down the wrong path, or all the honor your father earned through his life will be lost because of you."
"This junior will keep in mind Senior Yang's teachings." Upon hearing Yang Zhenkun's words, Nangong Honglie quickly cupped his hands in a fist salute and said.
"Don't get involved with those messy organizations." After thinking for a while, Yang Zhenkun still gave this advice. He wasn't doing it because of Nangong Honglie, but because of Nangong Bo. In recent years, because Nangong Bo was on the verge of death, the Nangong family was afraid of losing their family status, so they had been getting very close to the GZ Alliance.
Although China had previously refrained from taking action against the GZ Alliance, only offering minor suppression, it seems to have recently changed its approach. The four guardians have repeatedly attacked the GZ Alliance, even forcing some of its leaders out of China. While it appears that China doesn't intend to take full action domestically, this is actually a warning shot, giving certain families a chance. If they repent and change their ways, they will continue to exist; if they continue to act willfully, they will be eradicated. The reason for this is that too many families and sects within the GZ Alliance are involved.
"This junior understands." Nangong Honglie's pupils contracted; he certainly knew what Yang Zhenkun was talking about.
"Alright, and you all, get out of here before I get angry," Yang Zhenkun said rudely to the group.
Upon hearing Yang Zhenkun's words, everyone left, but Ling Xiao did not. He looked grim and hesitated.
"What? Is there something else?" Yang Zhenkun frowned as he looked at Ling Xiao.
“Senior Yang, I respect you, but some things cannot be turned upside down. That kid, relying on his skills, extorted money, took advantage of people’s misfortunes, and even seriously injured and insulted his compatriots. His behavior is extremely heinous. If he is not punished, it will be difficult to convince the public.” Ling Xiao said through gritted teeth.
As soon as Ling Xiao spoke, those who were about to leave stopped in their tracks. They were already reluctant to leave, but now that someone was willing to stand up for them, what was there to be afraid of? After all, no matter how powerful Yang Zhenkun was, he couldn't possibly attack all of them.
"What did you say?" Upon hearing Ling Xiao's words, Yang Zhenkun's previously relaxed expression immediately darkened. Although Yang Zhenkun did not know the specific details of the matter, he had heard his granddaughter give a general account.
Gu Yu was the one who made great contributions during the Dragon Tribe crisis and was the savior of most people. Although he felt that Gu Yu had done some things that were a bit extreme, Ling Juefeng was extremely grateful to Gu Yu for being able to stand here now, after all, it was a life-saving grace.
But these people were repaying kindness with enmity. He thought his appearance would intimidate them, but he never expected that Ling Xiao would still be so persistent. After all, he had left Ling Xiao with a fig leaf.
“This junior said that this boy must be severely punished.” Ling Xiao raised his head this time, his gaze no longer avoiding Yang Zhenkun’s eyes. “Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the public. Am I right?”
Ling Xiao looked at the others and asked.
“Yes, Senior Yang, this kid is of bad character. He even broke my son’s hand in an attempt to take advantage of the situation,” Nangong Yang said first.
“Senior Yang, you may not know this, but this kid is using his ability to protect everyone to extort money and take advantage of people’s misfortunes. His behavior is utterly despicable. If he is not punished, it will be difficult to convince the public,” someone else said.
……………………
Then everyone spoke up, all trying to smear Gu Yu.
"Good! Very good." Yang Zhenkun looked at these people who had returned, his eyes burning with anger. "A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude, and a favor should be remembered for a thousand years. Not only do you not remember the kindness of others, but you also repay kindness with enmity. This is simply outrageous and beastly behavior. Today, I will teach you ungrateful beasts a lesson."
After Yang Zhenkun finished speaking, a chilling aura instantly enveloped everyone around him; he was truly enraged today.
As everyone sensed Yang Zhenkun's aura, their expressions turned grim.
“Senior Yang, I know your cultivation is extraordinary and I am no match for you. However, if you use your seniority and cultivation to protect such a despicable person, we will not accept it.” Ling Xiao puffed out his chest and said, “Moreover, you have not been born for many years, and your granddaughter is still young. She may very well be deceived by this vile person. Our China must not let such a villain go unpunished. Please forgive me, Senior.”
"Heh..." Hearing Ling Xiao's words, Yang Zhenkun sneered, "Do you think I'm blind and deliberately protecting him?"
"This junior dares not." Ling Xiao hurriedly cupped his hands. Although he said he dared not, that was exactly what he meant. "Senior, have you ever heard that if one person says someone is guilty, it may be an injustice, but what if it's ten thousand people?"
"What a silver tongue you have, Ling Xiao. You've made me re-evaluate your Tianshan Sect," Yang Zhenkun said through gritted teeth. If he were to protect Gu Yu now based on his seniority and cultivation, he would be protecting a traitor, or to put it more bluntly, an accomplice.
Although these people were afraid of him, they became bolder with Ling Xiao leading the way. If Yang Zhenkun were to suppress them now, it would seem inappropriate for him to do so. For a moment, Yang Zhenkun did not know what to do.
"Whoever speaks ill of Young Hero Gu, I, Lu Rong, will be the first to disagree." Just then, an old man walked over with several people. He looked at the crowd around him with disdain on his face.
"Master." A young man stepped out from behind Lu Rong, greeted Gu Yu, and then introduced him, "This is my second grandfather, the deputy head of the Lu family."
"Oh! Hello, senior." Gu Yu greeted him politely. Lu Rong's arrival at this time must be to stand up for him.
"Young Master Gu is a chivalrous and righteous man, a true hero of his time, indeed possessing extraordinary qualities." Lu Rong immediately showered Gu Yu with praise, making Gu Yu somewhat embarrassed. He was far from possessing extraordinary qualities; in fact, he was quite disheveled.
"Thank you for your kind words, senior."
"Young Master Gu, thanks to you, otherwise I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to see my grand-nephew now. I thank you very much." Ku Rong said, bowing to Gu Yu with his hands clasped.
"Senior, I am unworthy of such praise. I was merely fulfilling my duty. Besides, Lu Yun is my friend, so it was only right that I did this," Gu Yu hurriedly replied politely.
“Young Master Gu, please don’t be so polite. No matter what, you saved my nephew’s life. My Lu family has no way to repay such a debt of gratitude. If you ever need our help in the future, my Lu family will do our utmost to help you.” Lu Rong said, and the next second his gaze fell on Ling Xiao and the other group of people who demanded that Gu Yu be punished. “You ungrateful bastards, who repay kindness with enmity, are shameless and are not even as good as animals.”
"Lu Rong, watch your words. Think before you speak. Don't bring trouble upon your Lu family that you shouldn't have," Ling Xiao said coldly upon hearing Lu Rong's words.
"My Lu family has been passed down for over a thousand years. We are not afraid of trouble, and we despise ingratitude. If your Tianshan Sect has the ability, you can come and cause trouble for my Lu family. There is no need to threaten us here." Lu Rong said with great confidence. Compared with the Tianshan Sect, his Lu family was indeed weaker. His Lu family only had one King Realm expert, which was his brother Lu Yao. However, the Tianshan Sect had five King Realm experts and one Quasi-Emperor. Most importantly, it was unknown whether Ling Xiao's great-grandfather, Ling Tianhe, was still alive. If he was alive, he was very likely already an Emperor Realm expert.
This is why Ling Xiao dared to challenge Yang Zhenkun. In terms of foundation, his Tianshan Sect is no less than the four great families of Shengjing, and it even has the potential to become the number one sect in China. After all, the Dao Sect, which is known as the number one sect in China, is only so because it has a royal realm expert.
"It seems your Lu family has had it too easy these past few years." Ling Xiao's eyes turned cold. He didn't expect Lu Rong to dare to challenge him. You should know that most of the major families have known that the Lu family has not been doing well in the southwest and has been suppressed by the Jiang family all along.
“Ling Xiao, our Jade Maiden Sect is also willing to testify that Young Hero Gu is innocent.” At this moment, a middle-aged woman stepped out from behind Lu Rong and said.
"Master, this is Zhang Cui, the Grand Elder of my Jade Maiden Sect, and also my Martial Aunt," Li Zhiran introduced to Gu Yu.
"Greetings, senior," Gu Yu said, clasping his hands in greeting.
“Yes, Young Hero Gu, thank you for saving Zhi Ran. Our Jade Maiden Sect is also unable to repay you. If Young Hero Gu ever needs our Jade Maiden Sect's help in the future, our Jade Maiden Sect will certainly do our utmost to help.” Zhang Cui said to Gu Yu.
"Very well, it seems you're determined to protect him?" Ling Xiao's face was extremely ugly at this moment. If it were only Yang Zhenkun, it would be fine, since he couldn't bully the younger ones. But Lu Rong and Zhang Cui were different. Although Lu Rong seemed to be of a higher generation than him, he wasn't much older than him.
Moreover, these two people are no weaker than him in cultivation; they are both at the Marquis level.
“That’s not quite right. It was you who repaid kindness with enmity and forgave him, framing Young Master Gu here. We were just speaking up for Young Master Gu,” Zhang Cui said.
"It seems this matter is unlikely to end well today," Ling Xiao asked with a cold gaze.
“If you insist on punishing Young Hero Gu, then this matter cannot be resolved peacefully today,” Lu Rong said.
"Very good, very good." Ling Xiao gritted his teeth! Just as he was about to leave, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
"Grandfather." Upon seeing the visitor, Ling Xiao was overjoyed. The visitor was none other than Ling Yuan, the sect leader of the Tianshan Sect, who possessed the cultivation of a quasi-Emperor.
"This boy must not be allowed to live today." Ling Yuan's first words upon arrival were directed at Gu Yu, his tone full of domineering authority, brooking no argument.
Upon seeing Ling Yuan's arrival, Zhang Cui and Lu Rong's expressions changed. In this world today, the Emperor Realm represents the pinnacle of combat power, and the Quasi-Emperor already possesses combat power comparable to the Emperor Realm, undoubtedly also being at the pinnacle of combat power.
They really couldn't afford to offend a quasi-Emperor level expert. If they could, the Lu family wouldn't have been constantly suppressed by the Jiang family and struggled to make progress.
"Hehe..." Yang Zhenkun looked at Ling Yuan and sneered, "Today I will stand right here and see if you have the ability."
Yang Zhenkun's attack on Ling Xiao and his group was an act of bullying the weak. Over the years, all families and sects have had an unwritten rule: the strong cannot bully the weak. Most families and sects openly abide by this rule. After all, if they don't openly comply, it's like the old man on my side killing the young man on your side, and the old man on your side killing the young man on mine. Wouldn't that create chaos? Of course, some people still break the rules behind the scenes, but as long as they don't leave any evidence, they can only suffer in silence.
This is also why Ling Xiao's words earlier left Yang Zhenkun somewhat helpless. He, Yang Zhenkun, has nothing to fear, but if these rules are broken, his Yang family has younger generations to worry about.
However, things are different now that Ling Yuan has stepped in. Although Yang Zhenkun is older than Ling Yuan in terms of seniority and age, they are basically a match in terms of cultivation and status. One is the sect leader of the Tianshan Sect, and the other is the head of the Yang family. It is not considered to break the rules.
“Old Master Yang, let me give you a piece of advice: protecting villains will not do your Yang family a good reputation if word gets out,” Ling Yuan said, looking at Yang Zhenkun.
"I didn't see the villain you mentioned, but I did see a young hero, a man of great righteousness who saved people from danger," Yang Zhenkun said.
"It seems that Old Master Yang is determined to protect him to the end?" Ling Yuan's pupils shrank, and a sharp aura was released from his body. The aura of a quasi-Emperor already contained a part of the majesty of an Emperor. "Let me see today whether Old Master Yang, who is said to be so powerful that even Emperors cannot break his defenses, can withstand the attack of me, a quasi-Emperor."
"Then give it a try." Yang Zhenkun took a step forward, and a similarly cold aura emanated from him, colliding with Ling Yuan's aura, causing the surrounding crowd to retreat.
"What are you doing?" Shi Polu walked over at this moment, his face full of anger. However, he did not walk too close. After all, Ling Yuan and Yang Zhenkun's cultivation levels were what they were. It wasn't that he didn't want to get closer, but he couldn't withstand the aura of these two.
“This is the Dragon Division. It’s not your place to run wild here. If you insist on ignoring me, I will have to report to my superiors and complain to Minister Long,” Shi Polu said. He couldn’t really control the situation on his own, so he had to bring up Long Aotian and his superiors.
"Minister Shi, I, Ling, only want that brat to be punished today." Ling Yuan and Yang Zhenkun did not conceal their auras upon hearing Shi Polu's words.
Upon hearing Ling Yuan's words, Shi Polu frowned. In fact, he already knew about what had happened here. He thought that with Old Master Yang in charge, nothing would happen. He never expected that Ling Yuan would come, and that his attitude would be extremely tough, even wanting to fight. That's why he came out.
"I cannot agree to this. Gu Yu is, after all, a member of my Dragon Clan, and he made great contributions during this crisis. How can you punish him as you please?"
"Minister Shi, what great achievement has this kid made? I'd like to hear it." Ling Yuan asked, "Could it be that he relied on an array, set up a formation, then took advantage of the chaos to rob and humiliate his compatriots, even going so far as to crush their arms, and that counts as a meritorious deed?"
"Hmph! Nonsense. Gu Yu set up an array to protect my Dragon Clan's elite from the torment of the Blood Mechanism's pull and also withstood the Three Demons' attack. Otherwise, many talented students would have been reduced to ashes long ago. He even broke the Blood Mechanism's pull and severed the Three Demons' arms, which gave the outsiders a chance to break the array and rescue the Dragon Clan. Wouldn't you say that's a great achievement?" Shi Polu said.
"Hehe..." Hearing Shi Polu's words, Ling Yuan laughed, "Minister Shi, don't talk nonsense to protect him. The people here are not stupid. He did set up an array to free some students from the suffering of blood traction, but I heard that he took the opportunity to collect source stones. Some people even refused. He used the array to carry out cruel methods. Nangong Yang of the Nangong family is the evidence. He even forced those without source stones to write IOUs with an interest of one mid-grade source stone per day. There are many witnesses to this. Don't you think such a person should be severely punished?"
“That’s right, Sect Leader Ling is right.” A group of people echoed, especially Nangong Honglie, who shouted the loudest because among so many people present, only his son had his arm crushed.
"As for Minister Shi's claim of breaking the Blood Mechanism's pull and severing Sanmei's arm, that's utter nonsense," Ling Yuan continued. "Let alone a mere kid like him, even I wouldn't dare say I could break the Blood Mechanism's pull and sever Sanmei's arm."
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