https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-110-The-Deng-Family-of-Yong-an-City/12553952/
Chapter 111: Using Myself as Bait
Chapter 111: Using Myself as Bait
As night fell, the Deng family compound gradually came to life with bustling activity.
Jugs of fine wine were carried into the main hall, and countless delicious dishes were placed on the round tables.
Lin Rou took her seat accompanied by Deng Mingxu, while Jiang Chengyun sat boldly beside them.
The two glanced at each other quietly.
Shen Yi was unfamiliar with the customs of aristocratic families, so he maintained his aloof persona and excused himself from attending, citing a feigned illness, thereby further emphasizing the prestige of the Lin family of Yushan County.
"What a pity," Deng Mingxu said with a sigh as he adjusted the exquisite cyan robe he had carefully selected for the occasion. However, he also breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Compared to the innate aura exuded by Young Master Lin, despite his efforts to be polite, there was still an underlying vibe of keeping people at a distance, clearly indicating that he looked down on the Deng family.
Just standing there in casual attire made others feel a chill in their hearts, while no matter how Deng Mingxu dressed up, he still seemed shabby in comparison.
Fortunately, there was his grandfather to help maintain the family's prestige.
As long as his grandfather was around, the Deng family would remain a second-rate force in Qingzhou.
With this thought in mind, Deng Mingxu unconsciously looked towards the seat of honor, only to find that his grandfather was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he spotted his father approaching with a flamboyantly dressed woman in red.
The woman had a fox-like allure, and if not for the air of promiscuity about her, she would have easily outshone all the other beauties present.
The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed.
As if recalling something, Deng Mingxu grit his teeth in frustration. Why did his father have to be so embarrassing!
He was hosting a banquet for Lin Rou, and his father had brought a courtesan! Lin Rou and Jiang Chengyun also had slight changes in their expressions. The former lowered her head in embarrassment, while the latter narrowed his eyes, a cold glint appearing in them.
If you can't hook the young ones, go for the older ones.
They've made up their minds to compete with me.
"..."
Xiao Qiangwei slowly took her seat, casually throwing a challenging glance at the two of them.
Lin Rou shrunk her neck slightly.
"It seems like our dear guest is feeling cold. Quick, bring a fox fur coat for her! No, wait, not fox fur. It's too tacky. Bring a mink coat instead."
Deng Mingxu pointed at the mulberry tree while scolding the locust tree, clearly stating his stance.
"Thank you," Lin Rou whispered, but she felt a chill down her spine...
The little drama soon passed, and when everyone was seated, they noticed a missing presence besides Shen Yi. The absence of the figure who should have been occupying the seat of honor.
Jiang Chengyun and Xiao Qiangwei simultaneously raised their eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.
...
Compared to the bustling main hall, the small courtyard was relatively quiet.
Shen Yi sat alone in the courtyard, with a cup of water and a plate of sauce meat in front of him.
On his interface, numerous martial arts techniques flashed before his eyes.
He quietly calculated the extent of his current strength.
The few martial arts techniques he had obtained from the General, even when facing a semi-condensed Golden Core monk like the Abbot of the Golden Gate, could still exert some power.
The Bodhi Golden Body Treasure at the Great Perfection Realm also provided decent protection.
The main reliance, however, was the Heavenly Demon Yanluo Outer Elixir.
Based on Shen Yi's observations along the way, the level of danger he sensed from Jiang Chengyun was roughly similar to that of the Flood Dragon, who had disguised himself as Zhang Hengzhou.
Both of them had probably reached the "Qi Condensation" realm, and if they took one more step forward, they would achieve the so-called "Golden Core Formation," enabling them to solidify their core and nurture their spirits.
If the Heavenly Demon Outer Pill was considered his cultivation foundation, then after taking the Spirit Congealing Pill, his cultivation would reach the late stage of Qi Condensation, and his combat strength would increase by at least 30%.
Then Shen Yi and these two individuals would be considered martial artists of the same realm, but in reality, they were not. After all, Jiang Chengyun undoubtedly possessed numerous Golden Core martial arts techniques, while the Flood Dragon had demonic talents and a formidable body.
If they were to engage in a real fight, he might be crushed.
Using these two as a benchmark, as long as their opponents were one level weaker, he should be able to hold his ground.
It was a pity that without a reference point, it was unreliable to simply compare through empty speculation.
"..."
Shen Yi picked up a piece of sauce meat, gently placed it in his mouth, and then turned his head to look towards the courtyard entrance.
An old man in loose white clothing stumbled into the courtyard, placing the wine jar in his hand on the table before belching, "You have meat but no wine, and I have wine but no meat. Why don't we join forces?"
"Just an old man who's about to kick the bucket, living in this courtyard," Deng Jianyuan replied with a chuckle, a slight flush on his thin cheeks.
Perhaps worried that Shen Yi might read too much into it, he quickly added, "I'm too old; it's my time to go."
Hearing this obvious attempt to deflect, Shen Yi smiled faintly and shifted to the side, gesturing for the old man to join him. "Please, have a seat. You can skip the wine."
It was only natural for someone who had lived so many years, especially as the local kingpin, to have sensed something.
"Are you from Yushan County? I've never been there myself," Deng Jianyuan said, pouring himself another cup without offering any to Shen Yi. "Never had the chance when I was younger, and now that I'm old, I don't dare go. Too many people have their eyes on me; they'd panic if I left."
"I see," Shen Yi said.
The old man suddenly hugged the wine jar and turned to stare at Shen Yi. "Do you think I'll ever get the chance to go there?"
"..." Shen Yi fell silent for a moment, feeling that if the old man ever acted on this thought, Jiang Chengyun would probably be the first to restrain him.
Fortunately, Deng Jianyuan didn't seem to expect an answer. He waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind, I don't want to go anyway. Yong'an City is just fine. It would be nice if things could stay this way forever."
After that, the old man seemed to relax, becoming more like an ordinary, frail elder. He began to reminisce, "When I was your age, I was too lazy to practice martial arts properly. I only learned enough to get by, thinking it was too troublesome to strive for greatness. I relied on luck..."
Shen Yi didn't think the old man was being humble.
After all, that was the reality for most second-rate forces. Either they got lucky and stumbled upon an opportunity, or they took a shortcut, achieving greatness only during their ancestors' time. Once that ancestor passed away, it was nearly impossible for the family to produce another Core Formation realm expert, and they would eventually decline into a third-rate force.
"Alright, thank you for listening to an old man's ramblings. I rarely find someone I can talk to these days. Young people like you with such patience are hard to come by." Deng Jianyuan shook the wine jar and burped, a smile on his face. He then got up, taking the last piece of sauce meat as he left.
Once again, Shen Yi was alone in the courtyard, with only a cup of water and an empty dish...
Staring at the empty dish, Shen Yi fell into deep thought.
Well, at least now he had a reference point. It seemed that not all Golden Core realm experts were as powerful as he had initially thought. The sense of crisis this old man gave him was only about 40-50% stronger than that of the abbot of the Golden Gate.
Even calling it a "rudimentary Elixir Pill" was a stretch.
Lacking in techniques and killer moves, this was the reality for most martial artists. As for the Demon-Subduing Sect, with their Qi Condensation techniques and corresponding martial arts, not to mention the Temple of Warriors for further enhancement, their systematic approach to cultivating Qi Condensation realm experts was simply unimaginable to the rest of the martial world.
Not long after, Jiang Chengyun returned with Lin Rou. His expression was somewhat unpleasant.
"..."
With her hands behind her back, Lin Rou gently advised, "Don't worry, Jiang. If you're really concerned that their old ancestor discovered something, then if worse comes to worst... you can always teach him a lesson first."
Jiang Chengyun didn't refute her, his expression indifferent. "I'm worried about Xiao Qiangwei."
They had gone to such great lengths to prepare for these three tiger cubs, each with a high probability of breaking through to the Golden Core realm, and he didn't want to part with even one of them if he could help it.
After some small talk, they each returned to their rooms to rest.
The next morning, at the break of dawn, a crowd of Deng family members gathered at the entrance of the courtyard, surrounding their old ancestor.
He was dressed elegantly, and his thin face carried the dignity and authority of Yong'an City's strongest. His silver hair was neatly combed, and his bearing was extraordinary, a far cry from the desolation of the previous night.
...
(End of Chapter)
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