Actually, the others at the Yuwen Mansion were of little consequence. From the moment Zou Feng captured Yuwen Zheng, the upper hand was his.
In short, as long as he held Yuwen Zheng hostage, Yuwen Boxi would have to obediently comply with any demand, provided it was within his power to do so.
Of course, Yuwen Boxi wasnât a fool. The others could be released for now, but not Bian Yixia.
Anyone could see that he had to keep Bian Yixia as a bargaining chip for Yuwen Zheng...
As for Fu Zhouchen, he naturally had a corresponding Communication Magical Artifact to inform Yuwen Boxi.
This device, called a Communication Jade Talisman, was clearly another tool exclusive to the circles of High Grade Martial Artists.
The Communication Jade Talisman could only display a few characters at a time. The holder of the other half of the Jade Talisman would instantly see the message, as long as the distance between them wasnât too great.
Under Zou Fengâs watchful eye, Fu Zhouchen sent several consecutive messages, finally managing to inform Yuwen Boxi of the situation in the briefest possible sentences.
Upon receiving these messages in Yuan Guang County Town, Yuwen Boxi silently put down the Communication Jade Talisman. He didnât fly into a rage.
His reaction was one of utter bewilderment.
He was even in a state of disbelief.
Yuwen Boxi racked his brain, but he couldnât comprehend how things had escalated to such an absurd state.
His bewildered and baffled reaction was actually quite normal. After all, Zou Fengâs series of actions had completely shattered Yuwen Boxiâs worldview.
This whole affair had started simply enough: a minor gang in the county town had the audacity to set up Yuwen Boxiâs son, then destroyed all the evidence in an attempt to get away with it.
But at the time, Yuwen Boxi was locked in a fierce battle with rebel forces, so he could only suppress his rage and dispatch a capable subordinate to investigate in secret.
Now that his hands were free, it was naturally time for blood to be paid with blood.
He couldnât care less if his own son had been courting death and pushed these people into a corner. He just wanted to find everyone involved and offer up hundreds of heads in tribute to Yuwen Shuo.
It would also serve as a deterrent to the worthless rabble who thought the dawn of a chaotic age meant the Yuwen Family was someone they could mess with.
Initially, everything had gone smoothly. Aside from the master of the Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall and the General Leader of the Hongxing Gang, nearly everyone they needed to capture had been caught.
Although two of the masterminds were still at large, Yuwen Boxi had heard that the General Leader and the hall master were both men who valued loyalty and camaraderie. In that case, what came next would be simple.
He just had to schedule the executions for a date that wasnât too soon or too far off. He was certain this Jianghu rabble would get hot-headed and recklessly try to storm the execution grounds.
At that moment, he would emerge from his hiding place, descend like a thunderbolt, and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.
And yet, the situation now was...
Zhang Yinxiu, Marshal of the Cheetah Camp, had been killed by persons unknown while seeking medical aid, and the campâs morale had inevitably become unstable.
Then, less than two days later, his own residence was completely taken over.
And the ones who did it were the very Jianghu rabble he had always disdained the most.
Before, Yuwen Boxi had never given Zou Feng a second thought.
âWhat is this General Leader of the Hongxing Gang? How is that any different from children playing house?â
âEven though he managed to trap and kill my son and his personal guards, he must be in the Gang Qi Realm. But a Gang Qi Realm achieved through some unorthodox Evil Skill? He could drop dead at any moment or suffer a catastrophic health failure. Heâs nothing to worry about.â
In his youth, when Yuwen Boxi led squads to exterminate Jianghu bandits, he had killed dozens of such Gang Qi Realm cultivators who used Evil Skills.
Relying on the Emperorâs Shocking Heaven Fist, a Cultivation Skill bestowed upon him by the Great Yan Royal Family, dealing with these unorthodox Gang Qi Realm cultivators was a trivial affair.
Back then, these so-called Jianghu masters with their grand-sounding titles would piss their pants in fear at the mere mention of his name.
And now, here was another one of those Jianghu scoundrels he completely disdained, yet this one was making Yuwen Boxiâs heart pound with an uncontrollable dread.
It wasnât that he feared Zou Feng himself. Rather, he was terrified that his most promising son, Yuwen Zhengâthe one who carried all the hopes of the Yuwen Raceâwould die at the hands of this Jianghu scoundrel.
At this thought, Yuwen Boxi finally lost control and stomped his foot violently.
The entire hall trembled violently, and half the roof caved in.
A series of roars like those of dragons and tigers nearly deafened his nearby subordinates.
"You pack of failures!"
"Useless trash!!"
He was cursing his subordinates in Jiangnan Prefecture City, as well as the so-called masters who should have provided timely aid.
This damn bunch of so-called experts spent all day hyping each other up as if they were gods, their nicknames growing more outrageous by the day.
âAnd what was the result? This?â
âLetting some minor General Leader from Yuan Guang County run rampant in Jiangnan Prefecture City?â
âAnd that so-called Lingnan Saint Hand? Hyped up to be some kind of miracle doctor, yet he canât even handle a bit of poisonous mist?â
Yuwen Boxi cursed endlessly, wishing he could just slaughter all this "useless trash" on the spot.
He shouldnât have lost his composure like this, but with the familyâs hope, Yuwen Zheng, on the line, it was a miracle he hadnât already gone mad with anxiety.
Of course, he had no intention of agreeing to Zou Fengâs demands.
He wished he could immediately order all the captured members of the Hongxing Gang and the Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall to be executed by a thousand cuts.
But Yuwen Boxi didnât dare.
If he did, Zou Feng would have no reason not to kill the hostage immediately.
And all of their worthless lives combined werenât worth a single one of Yuwen Zhengâs fingers.
This son of his was not just the familyâs hope for bringing glory to their ancestors; he was destined to be a pillar of the Great Yan Dynasty, a man who would undoubtedly leave a bold and brilliant mark on the annals of history.