'This kid... he's far stronger than I ever expected!'
"The Seven-Turn Foundation Establishment Pill... how could it have such a miraculous effect? He must have taken a Spirit Medicine even more potent than a Seven-Turn Foundation Establishment Pill!"
"Otherwise, there's no way he could have reached this realm and gained this level of strength in just a few short months!"
"If this kid is allowed to keep developing like this, he might actually dig up what happened all those years ago. If that happens... the Wei Family will be in danger!"
Wei Yun muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in his room. His brow suddenly furrowed as he felt a stabbing pain between his eyes. He couldn't help but curse, "Damn little bastard. I don't know what kind of demonic Cultivation Technique he uses, but it actually managed to injure my Primordial Spirit..."
'Then again, maybe I'm overthinking it. Back then, even powerful figures like Xu Dingsheng and Xu Ji had to accept their losses in that matter... He's just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid. What can he possibly do?' As he thought this, Wei Yun gradually calmed down.
He decided he had to visit the Prime Minister's Mansion again in the next few days. There were some things he had to remind his elder brother about. Although all the evidence from back then was gone, his brother had a habit of imitating the handwriting of high-ranking court officials.
Over the years, he had used this skill to secretly sow a great deal of discord.
If these things were ever discovered, the Wei Family would instantly become a public enemy, without the Military Merit Group even needing to lift a finger.
With these thoughts in mind, Wei Yun drowsily fell asleep.
Just then, a faint yellow shadow appeared in Wei Yun's room. It glanced at the snoring Wei Yun on the bed, then vanished like a phantom.
'So poor! He's absolutely broke, AHHHHH! Why did Uncle Meow Meow ever believe that damn, cunning, treacherous... human, Xu Luo? This guy is so poor, what did he want Uncle Meow Meow to steal?'
Uncle Meow Meow complained furiously in its mind as it rummaged through Wei Yun's room.
Wei Yun, a dignified Ninth Rank Peak Great Sword Master, would never have imagined that someone could sneak into his residence so stealthily and brazenly steal his belongings!
In the end, Uncle Meow Meow couldn't find anything of value in Wei Yun's room.
Finally, Miaomiao's gaze fell upon a bronze statue on Wei Yun's bedside table.
The statue depicted a majestic lion. It looked quite impressive, but it didn't emit any Spiritual Power fluctuations.
Clearly, it was just an ordinary sculpture.
Operating on the principle that a thief never leaves empty-handed, Uncle Meow Meow reluctantly stored the statue away. 'Looks like Uncle Meow Meow is going to lose the bet to that cunning, treacherous human, Xu Luo, this time...' it thought.
This bronze statue was the most valuable thing Master Mao had found in Wei Yun's room, but it was as ordinary as could be.
Xu Luo held the bronze statue, not knowing whether to laugh or cry as he looked at Miaomiao. "I'm serious, Miaomiao. This thing is all you found in Wei Yun's room? Didn't he have a Storage Ring or anything like that on him?"
"Damn it, that guy is completely broke! Do you know what broke is? He's even poorer than you, you idiot! There wasn't a single valuable thing in his entire house, AHHHHHHHHH! Just this stupid bronze statue on his bedside table! Master Mao has never stolen something so worthless in his life, AHHHHHHHH!"
It would have been better not to mention it. The moment the topic came up, Uncle Meow Meow became utterly furious, feeling that this operation was a stain on its professional career...
"A bronze statue..." Xu Luo mumbled, fiddling with the statue in his hand. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something. His eyes lit up and he whispered, "I feel like... I've seen something similar somewhere before... Where was it? Let me think... I think it was... Fengyue Building! Yes, that's it, Fengyue Building!"
Xu Luo finally remembered. He had seen this kind of decoration in the Emperor's Second Room at Fengyue Building!
Bronze sculptures weren't particularly valuable. Although the craftsmanship was exquisite and lifelike, he hadn't paid it much mind back then.
"Could it be that Wei Yun... or the Wei Family... has some kind of connection to Fengyue Building?"
Xu Luo whispered, recalling the assassins who had tried to kill him the night he was ennobled as a marquis, and the two untraceable Military Heavy Crossbows.
Then he thought about how Wei Yun had once held a key position in the military's intelligence department...
Xu Luo's eyes gradually grew profound.
'In this world, besides the state, the only power capable of manufacturing Military Heavy Crossbows... is probably a faction with unfathomable resources like Fengyue Building, right? Or maybe... those crossbows weren't from this kingdom at all...'
As a critical instrument of the state, the manufacturing process for Military Heavy Crossbows was not held exclusively by the Cangqiong Kingdom. The neighboring Da Han Empireāthe homeland of Hao Liancheng, who had benefited from the Wansong Town incident all those years ago, and a nation constantly in conflict with Cangqiongāalso possessed the ability to manufacture them!
'So... back then, the Wei brothersāone in the imperial court, one in military intelligenceācolluded with General Hao Liancheng of the Da Han Empire, using Fengyue Building as an intermediary to set a shocking trap.'
'They led to the deaths of that elite unit of Death Warriors, the Vanguard Officer General Wu Dayong... and those thousands of battle-hardened soldiers...'
The light in Xu Luo's eyes grew colder and colder. He suddenly turned to the sulking Uncle Meow Meow and said, "Miaomiao, I need you to do me a favor."
Miaomiao rolled its eyes. "Not helping!"
"If you help me with this, then from now on, I'll let you absorb Star Power for the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, at regular intervals, with no strings attached!" Xu Luo said.
"Really? You treacherous, cunning human, you're not thinking of some new trick to scam Uncle Meow Meow, are you?"
"How am I treacherous and cunning? I'm such a kind and innocent person. When have I ever scammed you?" Xu Luo said with a look of innocence.
"Hmph. Fine, what do you want to do?"
"I need you to..." Xu Luo leaned in and whispered into Miaomiao's ear.
"A calligraphy copybook? That ghost-scrawled gibberish you humans make? What do you want that for?" Uncle Meow Meow couldn't comprehend the strange thoughts of humans.
"Their house isn't like the place you went to tonight. They have plenty of rare treasures! You just have to do me this one favor on the side, and then you can enjoy my Star Power for free from now on..." Xu Luo tempted.
"Deal!" Uncle Meow Meow was afraid Xu Luo would go back on his word. For it, aside from the faint but powerful aura within True Martial Academy that it found a little frightening, Master Mao could come and go as it pleased anywhere in the Imperial Capital.
Seeing that Miaomiao had finally agreed, Xu Luo breathed a sigh of relief. "Then go quickly and come back soon. I'll be waiting for your good news!"
Miaomiao vanished from Xu Luo's dorm room in the blink of an eye. It wasn't until after it had left True Martial Academy that Uncle Meow Meow suddenly realized something: 'That guy Xu Luo said he'd let Master Mao absorb Star Power in the future, but he didn't say for how long! He just said 'at regular intervals'...'
'Damn it, I've been tricked by that damn human again! AHHHHHH, how long is a 'regular interval'?!' Master Mao was very frustrated and angry. It decided to vent all its fury on tonight's target.
...
When she learned that Xu Luo had come to Fengyue Building alone, Phoenix was lounging lazily on a soft couch. Her elegant brows furrowed slightly as she murmured, "This Seven-Colored Marquis... he's been the talk of the Imperial Capital recently, and now he's entered True Martial Academy. Why on earth has he come to my place?"
Phoenix was indeed very interested in Xu Luo, but she didn't want to interfere with his growth. She was very curious to see just how far this young man could go once he broke free from his shackles.
Centennial Star Festival. A star fell from the sky. The drum-beating youth fainted.
The world mocked him, giving him all sorts of nicknames. Yet the young man strove to better himself, and in complete silence, he achieved a shocking reversal!
These events, linked together, made Phoenix extremely interested in the second young master of the Xu Family.
His subsequent series of stunning performances, in particular, had all been under Phoenix's watchful eye.
Right up to today, Xu Luo's domineering and mighty punch at True Martial Academy had only made Phoenix's interest in him grow even greater.
Phoenix didn't know why, but from the very beginning, she had felt that the Xu Family's second young master was anything but simple. Perhaps... it was just a woman's intuition.
In her subconscious, it was as if a voice was constantly reminding her: 'Get close to Xu Luo!'
That's right. The first time Phoenix saw Xu Luo, she felt that the young man was very approachable.
It made it so that a woman like Phoenix, who kept everyone a thousand miles away at her core, felt no aversion whatsoever when facing Xu Luo.
"Where is Mr. Shui?" Phoenix mused for a moment before asking the Maid by her side in a low voice.
Mr. Shui was the ordinary-looking middle-aged man who often appeared at Fengyue Building, and also the disguised young girlāCrystal!
Only Phoenix, in the entire Fengyue Building, knew her true identity.
"Mr. Shui hasn't come by these past few days," the Maid replied.
"Oh. In a little while, bring Xu Luo to see me. Remember, no one is to see you, and you are not to speak of this to anyone. Do you understand?" Phoenix's voice was quiet and flat.
However, the Maid before her trembled slightly and said softly, "Rest assured, Master. This servant knows what to do."
"Mm, go on," Phoenix said, narrowing her eyes and waving her hand.
Xu Luo had come to Fengyue Building alone today with the main goal of confirming whether the bronze statue Miaomiao had stolen from Wei Yun had any connection to Fengyue Building.
He never expected that Phoenix would actually want to see him, and... in her private boudoir, no less...
"This... isn't very appropriate, is it?" Xu Luo said, frowning slightly at the pretty Maid before him.
"Young Master Xu, my master has invited you sincerely. If you don't go, this servant... will be punished..." The Maid's voice was light and gentle, and the expression on her small face was pitiful.
"Oh? She punishes you?" Xu Luo asked casually. "Are you very afraid of her?"
The Maid's body trembled slightly. She said softly, "My master is very good, but if we servants do something wrong, it's only right that we are punished..."
"Alright, I'll go." Xu Luo could see that this Maid seemed terrified of Phoenix. He was afraid if he asked a couple more questions, she would burst into tears.
In truth, Xu Luo also wanted to meet Phoenix. He had never figured out why the master of Fengyue Building had shown him such considerable goodwill back when he was still being ridiculed by everyone.
He didn't really believe she wanted something from him.
Even though he had now completely shed his weak constitution and possessed considerable strength, compared to the powerful and deeply-rooted Fengyue Building, there was really nothing Phoenix would need to ask of him.
'Trying to curry favor with the Xu Family? That's even more ridiculous... If Fengyue Building always operated like that, it would have been flattened by the Royal Family long ago...'
Therefore, Xu Luo really wanted to figure out the reason behind all of Phoenix's kindness toward him.