Chapter 5

Xiao Nu, whose full name is Jiang Xiaonu.

According to the Great Elder, she was an abandoned infant bought by his mother when he was one year old to serve as a maid. Although she was nominally a maid, Jiang Yi and Jiang Xiaonu grew up together like siblings. After the Great Elder went missing, the two relied on each other even more. Over the years, if it weren't for Jiang Xiaonu's constant encouragement, he wouldn't know if he could have held on!

A dragon has a reverse scale, and touching it means certain death!

Jiang Yi also has a reverse scale, and that is... Jiang Xiaonu!

So when he heard about Jiang Xiaonu's incident, Jiang Yi immediately flew into a rage, his face twisted as he rushed to the front courtyard. The fierce aura he emitted frightened the young girl who had come to report the news.

Before he even reached her, Jiang Yi roared, "What happened to Xiaonu? Chun Ya, what happened to my Xiaonu?"

The young girl reporting the news, Chun Ya, was known to Jiang Yi. She was the daughter of an old Jiang family servant who lived next door. She and Xiaonu were close and often went out to work together.

Chun Ya was taken aback and quickly explained with a sob, "Young Master Jiang Yi, Xiaonu was beaten at the Fengyue Tower. The manager said she damaged a famous painting and demanded she pay compensation, or they would beat her to death. Please find someone to rescue her..."

"Fengyue Tower!"

Jiang Yi's eyes turned cold. He knew this Fengyue Tower, the largest brothel in the eastern city where the Jiang family resided. He had once followed Xiaonu and knew that she went to the Fengyue Tower to wash clothes and linens in the back courtyard, earning a meager income.

"Find someone?"

Jiang Yi shook his head. After the Great Elder went missing, no one in the Jiang family cared for him. Who would help him? Besides, if such a disgraceful matter were known by the family, Xiaonu would likely be beaten to death by the Punishment Hall rather than the people at the Fengyue Tower...

"Chun Ya, go back first. Remember, don't tell anyone about this!"

Jiang Yi's eyes showed a hint of ruthlessness. After instructing Chun Ya, he sprinted away. Time was pressing, and he didn't have time to think much. He had to go alone, even if it meant being beaten to death, he had to save Jiang Xiaonu.

Chun Ya saw Jiang Yi rush out like a gust of wind, his body radiating a killing aura. She quickly called out in fear, "Young Master Jiang Yi, don't be impulsive! The guards at the Fengyue Tower are very powerful..."

However, just as she rushed out, she saw Jiang Yi's figure already disappear dozens of feet away, turning into a bend and vanishing from sight.

Chun Ya rubbed her eyes and muttered in surprise, "Hmm? How can Young Master Jiang Yi be so fast? Isn't he at the first level of the Foundry Realm? This speed is at least at the second or third level of the Foundry Realm..."

...

Jiang Yi's speed indeed increased by two to three times. In his urgency, he used a thread of black essence energy in his left leg, making his speed as swift as the wind. In just a dozen breaths, he rushed from the family's west gate to the main street outside. Fortunately, he didn't encounter any Jiang family members on the way, or it would have raised suspicions...

Unfortunately!

After running for dozens of feet, his speed suddenly slowed down. The black essence energy had been depleted. He tried to mobilize another thread of black essence energy to speed up but quickly realized the problem.

He had only practiced for a little over an hour, and he had only refined five threads of black essence energy. He had already used one, and if a conflict arose at the Fengyue Tower, what would he use to protect himself?

"Xiaonu, you must hold on!"

He could only frantically circulate blue essence energy, gritting his teeth and charging towards the Fengyue Tower. On the way, he almost collided with a few people due to his speed.

Fortunately, the Fengyue Tower and the Jiang family compound were both in the eastern city. Jiang Yi only spent half an incense stick's time to reach the Fengyue Tower on Dongyun Street. His eyes locked onto a grand and magnificent pavilion, and he sprinted towards it.

"Sir, come in and play! Our girls at the Fengyue Tower are the most caring!"

"Yes, sir, come in quickly. Our girl Huoyan has recently learned a new technique called 'Blowing the Flute and Playing the Moon,' which is very comfortable..."

Before he even got close, the voices of two pimps outside the Fengyue Tower could be heard faintly. It was already near dusk, and the Fengyue Tower had opened for business.

Jiang Yi had spent two hours counting expenses on West Mountain and a few hours at home studying black essence energy, completely immersed in its wondrous abilities and forgetting the time. Otherwise, he would have been suspicious about Xiaonu being so late in returning...

Thinking of this, he felt even more guilty. Without detouring to the back courtyard, he rushed into the Fengyue Tower like a gust of wind, planning to directly cross the inner hall and enter the back courtyard.

The two pimps outside were busy luring customers and didn't notice Jiang Yi, allowing him to rush into the inner hall. Inside, an old madam saw a customer and swayed her hips, smiling seductively, "Oh, young man, what's the rush? Our girls..."

Jiang Yi had no patience for the madam's nonsense. He sniffed, enduring the nauseating scent of cosmetics, and scanned the area. Seeing a door leading directly to the back courtyard, he sprinted towards it.

"Bang!"

The door was slightly ajar, and Jiang Yi used his shoulder to push it open, rushing into the back courtyard. His eyes scanned the area like a knife.

"Where is Xiaonu?"

The back courtyard was spacious, and a few old women were washing clothes in wooden basins, but there was no sign of Xiaonu. However, he noticed their expressions were clearly off, their faces showing fear as they kept glancing at a house in the corner of the courtyard.

"Stop hitting me, sir, stop hitting me... Even if you beat me to death, I won't sign the indenture... Sir, stop hitting me, I'll find a way to pay the compensation..."

Suddenly—

A faint cry and plea for mercy came from the house in the corner of the courtyard. Jiang Yi's body trembled, and he immediately shouted, "It's Xiaonu!"

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Yi's body shot towards the house. The door was closed, and he kicked it with all his might. With essence energy infused in his foot, the door shattered and fell apart.

Jiang Yi rushed in, his eyes scanning the room. What he saw almost made him lose his mind.

The room was small, and inside, a burly man was beating a frail young girl. The girl was curled up on the ground, trembling and crying, pleading for mercy, but the man continued to punch and kick her.

"Boom!"

Seeing Xiaonu in such a state, Jiang Yi's mind exploded. He lost all control and charged towards the burly man, essence energy surging into his fist, and he punched the man's chest.

"What is this?"

Jiang Yi's sudden entry naturally startled the burly man. He instinctively flinched but then sneered at Jiang Yi's punch, "First level of the Foundry Realm, and you dare to cause trouble here? You're asking for death!"

Anyone who dared to cause trouble at the Fengyue Tower, he would deal with first, regardless of who they were. To him, a first-level Foundry Realm was nothing.

The young girl on the ground, about 14 or 15 years old, woke up in shock. Seeing Jiang Yi charge in, her face was completely terrified, and she shouted, "Young Master, you're no match for him, don't worry about me, run!"

"Hmm?"

Jiang Xiaonu's shout reminded Jiang Yi. He immediately gathered a thread of black essence energy, merging it with the blue essence energy in his fist.

"Boom!"

"Crack!"

The essence energy had just merged when the two fists collided. Jiang Yi's body shook, and he took three or four steps back, but he was fine!

The other man, however, flew back like a broken sack, crashing into the wall and rolling down, clutching his broken arm and screaming in pain...

"Um..."

Jiang Xiaonu blinked, looking at her young master with a puzzled expression. Is this her young master? How did he become so powerful...

"Xiaonu, let's go!"

Jiang Yi wasn't confused. If the Fengyue Tower could be the largest brothel in the eastern city, it must have the support of a powerful force. When he rushed in, he had seen several guards in the corner of the inner hall. If they surrounded him, it would be troublesome...

He bent down, picked up Xiaonu, and rushed out of the house, planning to escape from the back courtyard. As long as they returned to the Jiang family, the people from the Fengyue Tower wouldn't dare to cause trouble, considering the Jiang family was one of the five major families in Tianyu City.

However—

Just as Jiang Yi carried Xiaonu to the door, four figures shot out from the front of the back courtyard, instantly surrounding the house. A manager-like man followed, screaming from a distance, "Hmph! Daring to cause trouble at the Fengyue Tower, you little brat, are you asking for death? Beat him!"

The old women washing clothes were all terrified, running around in panic, looking at Jiang Yi as if he were already dead. Xiaonu was also trembling in fear.

"Three at the second level of the Foundry Realm, one at the third level!"

Based on the speed of the guards, Jiang Yi roughly estimated their strength, feeling a wave of panic. How could he deal with so many guards, especially one at the third level of the Foundry Realm?

Fortunately, years of suppression had forged a mental resilience far beyond his peers. He forced himself to calm down, scanned the area with a cold eye, and locked onto the manager, shouting, "Wait! I didn't intend to cause trouble at the Fengyue Tower. If you don't beat my maid, I won't act! Even if this matter reaches the city lord's office, I'm not afraid! If you want to act, go ahead, and see if I will be afraid?"

In response to Jiang Yi's words, four figures shot towards him, and several punches came flying through the air.

Jiang Yi's face turned cold. He gritted his teeth, slid his feet, and gracefully retreated into the room, placing Xiaonu on the ground. He again used a thread of black essence energy, merging it with the blue essence energy in his fist, and punched a second-level Foundry Realm warrior who had rushed in.

"Phantom Fist!"

With Xiaonu behind him, Jiang Yi used his best high-level martial technique to prevent the guards from rushing in. This was the only advanced martial technique he had learned in the Jiang family.

His fist instantly created three afterimages, making it seem as if his fist had split into three, each one appearing very real, striking the guard's left shoulder, right shoulder, and forehead.

"Hmm?"

The guard rushed in and saw three fist images, instinctively blocking with both hands. However, Jiang Yi's real fist struck his left shoulder.

Bang!

Without any surprise, the second-level Foundry Realm guard grunted and flew back, crashing into another guard behind him.

"Hmph! A trivial skill."

A cold sneer echoed as the two guards flew back, clearing the path. The third-level Foundry Realm warrior rushed in as a blur, raising his hand and striking Jiang Yi's chest with a palm!

The difference between a second-level and a third-level Foundry Realm warrior was significant!

The guard's speed was so fast that Jiang Yi couldn't react, and his strength was much greater, evident from the fierce wind his palm created.

Despite reacting as quickly as possible, twisting his body to the side, and using the "Stone-Crushing Hand" to push against the guard's palm, Jiang Yi's hands were easily pushed aside, and the palm struck his chest.

The combat power of a third-level Foundry Realm was far beyond his current capabilities...

Bang!

His body was thrown back, crashing into the wall, and he pushed Xiaonu to the ground.

Feeling his hands numb and a tearing pain in his left chest, seeing the guard's palm turn into a blur and strike again, Jiang Yi bitterly thought, "It's over. I fear that today, both Xiaonu and I won't be able to leave the Fengyue Tower..."