Chapter 252: Selling Heads for Profit

The night was as dark as ink.

Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks echoed outside the courtyard.

"Uncle Su, have you returned?" came the anxious voice of Zheng Muyao.

Seeing Su Yi about to get up, Shen Jiulong quickly went to open the door.

Before long, Zheng Muyao, dressed in a black gown with a stunning figure, walked over with Shen Jiulong.

The delicate face of the young girl was filled with exhaustion and weariness.

Upon seeing Su Yi, tears welled up in Zheng Muyao's large eyes, and she exclaimed with excitement, "Uncle Su, please save my father!"

She was about to kneel down, but Shen Jiulong promptly stopped her and said gently, "Young lady, calm down first. Let's have a proper conversation."

"What happened?" Su Yi asked.

Zheng Muyao took a few deep breaths to stabilize her turbulent emotions before explaining, "Two days ago, people from the Su family of Yujing City visited our Zheng family and demanded that we change our stance, severing our ties with you, Uncle Su. Otherwise, they threatened to annihilate our Zheng family."

"My father refused to comply and was captured by my great-uncle and other elders. They imprisoned him in the underground dungeon of our clan and even stripped him of his position as clan leader."

"In the name of the Zheng family, they declared you, Uncle Su, as their enemy..."

Upon hearing this, Su Yi pondered for a moment and asked, "So you mean your father has only been stripped of his position as clan leader and his life is not in danger?"

With a pitiful expression, Zheng Muyao replied, "Exactly, but I'm worried that other members of the clan might harbor ill intentions and harm my father in secret."

Su Yi thought for a moment and said, "Rest assured, everything will be fine after tomorrow. Those who are currently trying to seize the position of your Zheng family clan leader are nothing more than a group of jumping clowns. Once your father is freed, we can settle everything together."

Zheng Muyao was taken aback and asked, "Uncle Su, are you sure my father will be okay?"

Shen Jiulong smiled and said, "Since Young Master Su says so, he must have full confidence. Young lady, for your father, this is actually an opportunity to eliminate dissidents and rectify the clan. You may not understand it now, but you will understand after tomorrow."

Chen Zheng nodded and added, "Indeed, the livelier the grasshopper jumps, the more miserable its death will be."

As local overlords who held power in their respective domains, they instantly grasped the meaning behind Su Yi's words.

However, all of this depended on one premise: Su Yi had to be able to defeat the forces sent by the Su family of Yujing City in this storm.

Regarding this, neither Chen Zheng nor Shen Jiulong were worried.

Even before stepping into the Martial Sage realm, Su Yi was able to effortlessly kill Qin Changshan, a Martial Sage Fifth Layer expert, and even beheaded the old devil Hua Liuye with a single sword.

What about now?

"Uncle Su, thank you so much!" Zheng Muyao's face was filled with gratitude. "After my father is rescued, I... I will definitely repay you."

The young girl, who was previously panicking like a little deer, had now calmed down considerably.

However, her eyes were red, and her delicate melon seed face looked weary and pale.

Su Yi stood up from his rattan chair, walked over, and gently wiped away the tears from the girl's face. He said, "Your father is also suffering because of me, Su Yi. I won't stand idly by. Now, you should calm down, tidy up your emotions, and wait for news at home."

Zheng Muyao nodded firmly, "Okay!"

Her heart trembled slightly. She hadn't expected that Su Yi would take the initiative to wipe her tears and speak softly to comfort her. It made her feel warm all over.

It was like a little deer finding the most solid support in the midst of confusion and panic.

"Uncle Su."

After thinking for a moment, Zheng Muyao leaned her head against her hand and spoke softly, "Can I stay here to wait for news?"

Su Yi nodded in agreement.

There was a trace of killing intent surging within him.

Starting from when Chen Zheng, the Marquis of Martial Spirit, was threatened to sever ties with him, to the present, when Chen Jinlong was implicated, the Tianyuan Academy was intimidated, and the clan leader of the Zheng family, Zheng Tianhe, was imprisoned.

This series of events clearly showed that the Su family of Yujing City was targeting people associated with him, Su Yi, in order to force him to submit.

For Su Yi, such actions were undoubtedly continuously testing and provoking his bottom line!

...

The next morning.

Just as the sky was beginning to brighten, in the Governor's Mansion.

Xiahou Ling sat at the head, with a majestic presence.

He wore a dark blue robe. Although he was almost forty years old, his appearance was handsome and his temperament outstanding, like a vigorous blue pine, exceptionally remarkable.

"When Young Master San arrives, don't go too far. The Lord said to only let Young Master San wake up," Xiahou Ling calmly spoke.

As one of the nine external kings of Da Zhou and the Marquis of Fire Dome, Xiahou Ling himself was also a renowned Precelestial Martial Master.

Although he had not reached the ranks of the "Ten Precelestial Martial Masters," his combat power and foundation were enough to firmly stand at the pinnacle of Da Zhou's martial practitioners!

"I have always been puzzled. What does it mean to truly wake up?"

On the side, Tianyong Marquis, Le Qing, crossed his legs, smiling mischievously as he asked, "What if he insists on pretending to be asleep? We won't be able to wake him up."

Xiahou Ling's expression remained indifferent as he said, "If he can't be awakened, we will forcibly wake him up. He will feel the pain and insignificance of himself, and naturally become aware of how laughable and pathetic his cultivation is in front of our Su family."

Le Qing grinned, "In the end, we still have to take action. Of course, it would be better if our Young Master San can awaken on his own without us having to do anything."

Xiahou Ling looked at Yushan Marquis Pei Wenshan, who was sitting on the other side, and asked, "Is everything prepared?"

Pei Wenshan nodded and said, "This time, Young Master San should be able to truly understand how terrifying the power of the Su family is."

Inside the main hall of the mansion, apart from the three of them, there were many influential figures.

There were the newly appointed clan heads of the five top-tier families in Gunzhou, as well as numerous capable subordinates who were affiliated with the Marquis of Fire Dome, Tianyong Marquis, and Yushan Marquis.

Each one of them was a formidable character who had made a name for themselves in their respective areas, and even the weakest among them had the cultivation of a Grandmaster.

At this moment, they all sat solemnly, not daring to speak.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of drumbeats suddenly resounded outside the Governor's Mansion, causing everyone in the hall to be invigorated, their gazes all looking towards the entrance.

Not long after, under the gaze of the crowd, Su Yi, Shen Jiulong, and Chen Zheng walked over from a distance.

When they saw Su Yi, many people showed a trace of surprise, recalling that Su Yi had participated in the tea gathering at Xishan with the Sixth Prince, Zhou Zhili, in the past.

"Marquis Yunguang and Marquis Martial Spirit have come together. Could it be that they are still unaware of the dangerous situation today?"

Some influential figures were filled with doubt.

The identities of these two Marquises were extremely extraordinary, and their cultivation was extremely powerful.

However, it was apparent that their strength was still not enough to match the power of the Su family in Yujing City.

Unfortunately, they accompanied Su Yi to come together, which, in the eyes of the others, was like jumping into a fire pit, extremely unwise.

Xiahou Ling furrowed his brows and immediately looked at Chen Zheng, saying, "Didn't you receive the letter I sent you?"

Chen Zheng replied, "I received it and read it. Then I tore the letter apart."

"Tore it apart?"

Xiahou Ling sat up straight, glanced at Su Yi, then at Chen Zheng, and said, "Based on our past friendship, I tried to advise you, but by doing this, are you planning to completely sever ties with me, Xiahou Ling? Or... are you planning to become enemies with the Su family of Yujing City?"

By the end of his words, his voice carried a strong dissatisfaction.

Chen Zheng remained expressionless and said, "I, Chen Zheng, only know that if it weren't for Young Master Su, I would have died in the Bloody Thistle Demon Mountain. From now on, my life belongs to Young Master Su."

Everyone in the hall couldn't help but be astonished.

"What a pity," Xiahou Ling sighed. "Even if you, Chen Zheng, have come today, it's no different from a mantis trying to stop a chariot. If this news spreads, it will only be a laughingstock."

However, Chen Zheng suddenly laughed and swept his gaze across the influential figures present. He said, "In my opinion, all the people present here are nothing more than those who sell their lives for personal gain in front of Young Master Su."

What does it mean to sell one's life for personal gain?

Kneeling in the market, with a grass straw sticking out of one's back, selling one's own life!

This undoubtedly showed the greatest contempt towards the influential figures present.

To the extent that everyone, including Xiahou Ling, was stunned for a moment, and then burst into laughter, as if they had heard the biggest joke, laughing out loud.

Tianyong Marquis laughed so much that he nearly bent over, tears almost streaming from his eyes. He said, "The esteemed Marquis of Martial Spirit can actually tell jokes like this. Then tell me, how much is my life worth if I sell it for personal gain, according to you, Le Qing?"

"Worthless," was Su Yi's answer.

Dressed in a green robe, standing on the hall, he looked around calmly and said, "There's no need for further bickering. Whoever wants me, Su Yi, to bow down, can come at me without holding back."

The atmosphere in the room immediately became more tense.

All eyes turned to Su Yi, with furrowed brows and astonishment. It seemed that they were all puzzled. They were already in such a situation, yet this seventeen-year-old young man, Su Yi, seemed completely unaware of any sense of reverence.

Xiahou Ling deeply looked at Su Yi and said, "Since Young Master San is so eager to wake up, how can we not fulfill your wish?"

As he spoke, he looked at Le Qing and said, "It's up to you now."

Le Qing stood up with a playful smile, took out a sealed letter from his sleeve, and threw it to Shen Jiusong across the space, saying:

"Marquis Yun Guang, this is a letter from your son, Shen Shu. After reading it, you can consider whether you want to get involved."

His eyes and tone were full of teasing.

Shen Jiusong's heart trembled. Yesterday evening, Su Yi had warned him that since the power of the Su family in Yujing City had been mobilized, it was highly likely that they would also be prepared with means targeted at him.

He hadn't expected it, but it had actually come true!

Shen Shu was his only son. He had been sent to the Phoenix Qi Academy in Yujing City to cultivate since childhood. At the age of nineteen this year, he was in the prime of his life and exceptionally intelligent.

But now, this son in whom he had invested all his hopes was likely being targeted by the power of the Su family.

It was not an exaggeration to say that this was equivalent to grasping Shen Jiusong's vital point, hitting him in his biggest weak spot!

As a result, his heart was tightly clenched, and his expression changed constantly.

Witnessing Shen Jiusong's change in expression, everyone present couldn't help but shake their heads inwardly.

So what if he was a Marquis of one of the vassal states?

In the face of the power of the Su family in Yujing City, he was simply unable to withstand a single blow!