Located in the middle section of the southern Lei Volcano Range, Youlong Town.
Like the other five mountain strongholds, Youlong Town possessed a history of several hundred years. Because it sat in the central expanse of the range, it was even more prosperous than Dihu Town or Bairi Town.
In the heart of the town sat a massive manor covering over ten square li. This was the soul of Youlong Town-the headquarters of Youlong Stronghold.
Aside from the luxurious assembly hall facing due north and the plaza before it, dozens of detached courtyards flanked both sides of the square.
The courtyards on the western side served as living quarters for ordinary Youlong Stronghold disciples.
Those on the eastern side housed the higher-ups.
At this moment.
In the backyard of a courtyard known as the Dawu Courtyard on the eastern side of the plaza, a red-robed young girl with her hair tied in a bun sat idly by a stone table, her pretty face entirely expressionless.
Two maidservants stood quietly behind her, uttering not a single word.
Right then, a thin, pale-faced young man in green emerged from the eastern side room. He paused on the corridor to cast a distant glance at the girl in the courtyard, smoothed away his gloomy expression, forced a smile, and walked over quickly, calling out from afar, "Xiaoman."
"Greetings, Young Master!" The two maidservants hastily bowed.
The red-robed girl acted as though she had heard nothing, ignoring him completely.
At this, a fierce glint flashed in Zhang Yu's eyes. He turned on the two maidservants and rebuked them harshly, "How did I instruct you? Why is Xiaoman unhappy?"
At those words, the two maidservants turned pale as paper and dropped abruptly to their knees. "Young Master, spare us! Young Master, spare us!"
"Spare you? Hmph!" Zhang Yu let out a sinister chuckle and raised a hand.
"Enough!"
Suddenly, the red-robed girl sprang to her feet. "This has nothing to do with them."
Only then did Zhang Yu lower his hand. "Get lost!"
"Yes, yes!" Granted a reprieve, the two maidservants gathered their skirts and bolted from the inner courtyard.
"Xiaoman, cheer up. I've done everything you asked for. We will have a proper, formal wedding... I will never wrong you."
Lei Xiaoman remained expressionless. "I know. You may leave. Before the wedding, I wish to be alone."
Zhang Yu's gaze flickered. He smiled and said, "Very well. As long as you obey, I'll grant whatever you wish." With that, he actually turned and left without looking back.
Reaching the exit of the backyard, he paused to glance back at Lei Xiaoman, who had seated herself once more at the stone table. He withdrew his gaze and spoke in a chilling tone to the two guards stationed outside.
"Guard Xiaoman well. If any mishap occurs, neither of you will keep your heads."
"Understood!"
Struck by a sudden, piercing chill, the two burly men lowered their heads in haste.
Once Zhang Yu departed, Lei Xiaoman finally failed to hold back her tears, breaking into quiet sobs. "Father... I was wrong. Where are you? Xiaoman misses you so much..."
Zhang Yu had deceived her, claiming the outside world was a hundredfold more entertaining than Dihu Town, with wild blossoms covering the mountains and fish leaping in the rivers. Never had she imagined that upon leaving Dihu Town, she would see no flowers at all, but instead find herself placed under house arrest while he plotted against her virtue.
Had she not also reached the third level of Qi Refining by then, she likely would have already met a tragic fate.
What surprised her, however, was that after her initial resistance, Zhang Yu had restrained himself, reverting to the refined gentleman she remembered from their first meeting.
Yet the occasional wisps of gloomy aura he let slip filled Lei Xiaoman with the sensation of sinking into an ice cave-a feeling that only grew heavier with each passing day.
He felt less like a living person.
"Six days left, Father. If you still do not come, you will never see me again..."
Lei Xiaoman had no way of knowing whether her father had received her message. At this moment, how she wished all of this was nothing more than a nightmare.
Meanwhile.
"Whoa, steady!"
About one li outside the western gate of Youlong Town, a large black horse exhaling plumes of white steam was reined in so sharply by its rider that its front hooves lifted off the ground.
"We've finally arrived. My backside feels nearly shaken apart!" The youth flipped down from the saddle and rubbed himself.
The newcomer was none other than Lu Li, who had journeyed day and night for nearly four days.
After dismounting, he looked around, led the large black horse to a concealed spot, and secured it with a length of rope before heading toward Youlong Town.
He still had use for the mount and could not simply turn it loose.
Along West Street, Lu Li surveyed his surroundings without haste. Having rushed here abruptly with little prior knowledge of Youlong Town, he needed to proceed with caution.
After walking the streets a few times to familiarize himself with the layout, he stepped into a tavern.
The establishment was called Youlong Tavern; the name alone made it clear this was an official enterprise.
This time, Lu Li bypassed the second floor and instead found a lively spot on the ground level, ordering a pot of wine and a few small dishes.
He had no intention of drinking; it was merely a facade.
Even on the ground floor, prices were steep. Those seated here were either traveling merchants or cultivators; ordinary commoners had no business inside Youlong Tavern.
"Heh, that delicate beauty over at Cuihua Pavilion really is something. Fellow Daoist, care to drop by for a round later?"
"Hahaha... still going? Look how thin you've gotten. You'd better spend some time nourishing your foundation first..."
As soon as Lu Li sat down, gossip drifted over from a nearby table. He thought to himself that this was indeed an ideal spot for gathering intelligence. Before he could listen further, however, his attention was drawn to another table upfront.
"I heard that fellow Li Er struck a windfall yesterday and actually stumbled upon a Storage Bag..."
"Really? Who told you that?"
"Who else? He was bragging about it himself. But... I haven't seen him around today. Wonder where he went off to squander his fortune."
"Hmph! Squandering... I happened to spot his corpse at the foot of the mountain when I headed up this morning..." someone at an adjacent table sneered.
"You don't say! That's absolute bottom-of-the-barrel luck for eight lifetimes!"
"He wasn't unlucky; he brought it on himself. He didn't even understand the rule about not flashing wealth-what kind of Rogue Cultivator is he?" a voice mocked from further away.
"Hahaha... Brother Wang speaks the truth. Let's share a cup across tables!"
"Cheers!"
The patrons on the ground floor were uninhibited, freely drinking across separate tables as they chatted.
"Little brother, may I sit here?"
As Lu Li quietly snacked on peanuts, a mature voice sounded before his table.
He looked up to see a weathered middle-aged man in rough cloth garments, carrying a simple saber and sporting a heavy stubble.
Lu Li smiled. "By all means."
The middle-aged man nodded, seated himself, ordered a pot of wine and a few dishes of his own, and began to eat in silence.
The boisterous atmosphere did not miss a beat on his account, laughter continuing to rise and fall, though Lu Li's table remained notably quiet.
After eating for a moment, the cloth-clad man raised his eyes to Lu Li. "You have no taste for wine, little brother. Why order it?"
Lu Li raised a brow, glanced at the earthenware jar, and smiled. "I am waiting for someone who wishes to drink."
"Someone who wishes to drink?"
"Indeed. If you desire it, you are welcome to take it."