Hunter 131: A Bit of Madness 

This is a very interesting situation. Unlike popular groups such as Express Delivery Company, Quanxing, and Biyou Village, the Lu family is extremely xenophobic—more so than any other group of Outcast

Encountering a contractor here is quite unexpected. Judging by the relaxed demeanor of the person they met earlier, it's clear they aren't intruders like Lin Jiu and his companions.

"Are you a member of the Lu family?"

Lin Jiu silently took out his weapon, [Dawn Shadow], and asked the contractor.

"No, no, I'm not part of the Lu family yet. My name is Ao Tian, and I'm just a prospective son-in-law. Please don't misunderstand—I don't have much to do with the Lu family!"

Ao Tian was stunned to see contractor brave enough to invade the Lu family. Such people are either total fools or incredibly powerful.

Seeing that Lin Jiu was accompanied by Ma Xianhong and Lu Liang, it was clear that they were the latter. Ao Tian quickly decided to cooperate.

"You've got some nerve."

Lin Jiu didn't expect to meet a contractor trying to become the Lu family's son-in-law, and almost succeeding in such a short time. Ao Tian's boldness, combined with his impressive name, made him seem even more audacious than Zhang Chulan.

"I'm not strong enough to compete with the big shots, so I just want to find a haven to live in peace," Ao Tian explained, making it clear that he lacked the strength to do anything else, which led him to this desperate plan.

"Maybe we should just knock this guy out," Ma Xianhong suggested, unimpressed with the self-proclaimed son-in-law among contractors.

"Don't do that! I can be your scout!"

Ao Tian quickly offered to switch sides.

Lu Liang couldn't help but twitch at this. This Lu family's would-be son-in-law was even more of a turncoat than he was.

"No need for that."

Lin Jiu, while Ma Xianhong and Ao Tian were talking, quietly wrote something on a piece of paper and folded it. He handed it to Ao Tian.

"All the Lu family's Outcast are searching for us right now. In a few minutes, they'll likely find us. You can take the credit for discovering the intruders. And as for this note, if we start fighting and we're winning, follow the instructions on it... Oh, and give me your contact information," Lin Jiu said, noting down Ao Tian's number.

Ao Tian's eyes lit up. The credit for discovering the intruders wasn't huge, but it was significant enough to earn some of Lu Ci's trust. More importantly, he might even trigger a small quest.

However, Ao Tian knew that benefits weren't so easily gained. He took the note and read it, his pupils contracting. Casually, he slipped the note into his storage space.

"Thank you, boss!"

Ao Tian knew he was likely about to become an informant within the Lu family.

After walking a short distance away, Ao Tian suddenly took out a small knife and stabbed himself, clutching the wound as he ran back toward the village.

"…"

The three of them watched the scene unfold. Lin Jiu wasn't surprised. Ao Tian looked like a coward, but the fact that he'd infiltrated the Lu family, the most difficult to join, and nearly became a son-in-law meant he was far from simple.

Ma Xianhong felt a bit awkward. He now realized that this coward was quite ruthless, and he began to question his judgment. He decided that once they returned to the village, he would thoroughly investigate the background of any outsiders.

Tonight, the moon was especially bright, giving them a wide view. It wasn't long before they saw a group of people surrounding them. The torches they carried made them hard to miss.

The Lu family's Outcast first leaped from all directions, landing lightly on the ground around them.

Lin Jiu thought to himself, "These people are a bit too dramatic!"

Perhaps Lu Ci felt the same way or maybe he was just too old for such theatrics. He and his group approached Lin Jiu and the others more slowly from the front.

They could see Ao Tian, now bandaged up, following Lu Ci, a smile on his face.

In Ao Tian's mind, no matter which side came out on top, he would benefit. If Lin Jiu's side prevailed, he would be a good informant and find a way to gain both hands. If the Lu family proved stronger, his credit for finding the intruders would secure his place in the family.

Noticing the smile on Ao Tian's face, Lin Jiu chuckled inwardly. He knew he had to keep an eye on such a shameless contractor. If they found themselves at a disadvantage, he'd leave the recording for Lu Ci as they retreated.

"You little traitor, how dare you come back! And you even conspired with outsiders to invade our Lu family!"

Before Lu Ci could speak, Lu Xiao started berating Lu Liang.

"Brother, you should look on the bright side. We couldn't find this little brat, but he's delivered himself right to our doorstep!"

Lu Ci's third daughter, Lu Ping, told Lu Xiao.

Lu Liang's father didn't appear because he lacked the talent to cultivate Qi and wasn't well-regarded. Naturally, he wasn't here. But his eldest son, Lu Liang's older brother, Lu Gong, was here, glaring at Lu Liang with intense hatred.

"I've already said I didn't kill anyone! Believe it or not, it's up to you. But today's main event isn't about me!"

Lu Liang shrugged and addressed the Lu family.

"You little…"

Lu Ci raised his hand to stop the others from continuing. He glanced at Lu Liang before shifting his focus to Lin Jiu and Ma Xianhong. Lu Ci slowly said, "Has our Lu family been too low-key, so people think they can mess with us? Associating with this little bastard, you two must be those evil practitioners from Quanxing…"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm Ma Xianhong of the New Sect!"

Ma Xianhong revealed his identity immediately, too quickly for Lin Jiu to stop him. He was an honest man, after all!

"The Sect Leader of Reincarnation Sect... Red."

Lin Jiu, realizing there was no point in hiding anything, decided to come clean. After all, his followers were ordinary people, and Lu Ci wouldn't dare lay a hand on them.

"Hmph! Another bunch of heretics! Once we capture you, we'll extract your souls and see for ourselves!"

Lu Xiao sneered, stepping forward toward Lin Jiu and Ma Xianhong.

"Hmm?"

Ma Xianhong's body became encased in a golden shield—his protective artifact, the Three Treasure Beads, had been triggered. However, he couldn't identify the source of the attack.

"Oh? A weapon crafter? That's rare!"

Lu Ci recognized the Three Treasure Beads hanging around Ma Xianhong's neck and immediately identified his profession.

Lin Jiu warned, "The Lu family's Soul Seizing Technique is hard to guard against, as it can channel its force through the ground. If it contacts your body, it can damage your internal organs. Unless you have the same level of cultivation as the Celestial Master, it's best to avoid direct contact with their power."

"Impressive, young man! You know quite a bit!"

Lu Xiao was surprised that Lin Jiu had uncovered the secrets of the Lyu family's Soul Seizing Technique. Still, he didn't take the two young men seriously.

"With their attitude, we won't be able to get what we need without a fight. Let's go all out, as we discussed earlier."

Lin Jiu patted Ma Xianhong's shoulder.

"Don't you worry about biting your tongue when you talk?"

Lu Ping chuckled.

But Lin Jiu ignored her and charged straight at Lu Ci, holding [Dawn Shadow].

"You think you can challenge the family head?"

Lu Zhong, who was standing nearby, stepped forward to intercept Lin Jiu.

Suddenly, several red beads flew out, forming a barrier that trapped only Lin Jiu and Lu Ci, separating them from everyone else.

"Nicely done!"

Lu Ci clapped his hands in appreciation as he watched Ma Xianhong drive back Lu Xiao with a bell and deploy the red beads to trap him in the barrier.

"To deploy so many artifacts at once, you're no ordinary weapon crafter! Your surname is Ma... Could it be that you're related to Ma Ben, the creator of Mysterious Mechanism Converts All Art, one of the Eight Mysterious Techniques?"