Chapter 3

I like to use my brain; I like to solve problems with wisdom. However, when I can solve something with strength, I never use my brain.

— Yun Yang's Words.

……………………………………………………

"Brotherhood is not about drinking, but about standing up for each other!" Yun Yang recited, raising his cup to the sky and drinking the deep red wine. His eyes were dark and profound.

He wore a deep purple robe, sitting lazily in a chair under the wisteria trellis in the courtyard. His gaze seemed to be on the wisteria that covered half the yard, but it also seemed to penetrate the space of this world, landing in another dimension.

His features were like a meticulously carved jade, with delicate eyebrows that were neither curved nor straight, deep and dark eyes like two bottomless pools, not very clear double eyelids, a straight and slightly upturned nose, and small, neither thin nor thick lips. When he was silent, he looked like a rose about to bloom.

His face was like a flawless piece of fine jade, with his black hair casually tied up, strands falling on both sides of his face and behind his head. With the gentle breeze, there was a sense of transcending the mundane world, a sense of loneliness that had been left behind.

His entire face exuded a feminine beauty.

Even more so, it could be said that nine out of ten women in this world would not have such exquisite features.

But, such beautiful features on his face gave a cold and stern feeling. Like a cold deity above the clouds, indifferent to all the joys and sorrows of the human world.

Although his body was somewhat thin and his face slightly pale, it added a unique charm of melancholy.

Yun Yang seemed to like this phrase very much and couldn't help but repeat it: "Brotherhood is not about drinking, but about standing up for each other!" After saying this, he raised his cup to the void again, as if inviting someone, and drank it all in one go.

A deep sadness appeared on his face, and a profound pain flashed in his eyes.

At this moment, his eyes suddenly became as sharp as a blade.

This sharpness flashed by; but the few wisteria flowers in front of him suddenly trembled and fell, withering before they even hit the ground.

After the sharpness, Yun Yang's eyes instantly became somewhat dim. He didn't know when his cultivation would recover. There were too many things waiting for him to do, but his cultivation was completely gone.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

"Master." An old man stood respectfully behind him.

Yun Yang didn't turn around and said, "Old Mei, what is it?"

The old man stood straight; every time he stood behind his master, he always felt a deep respect from the heart. Although his master was still injured and had lost his cultivation, he was now as weak as a breeze could blow him over, but he gave a sense of inviolability to anyone.

This feeling was very strange, seemingly without reason, but it was real.

"There are two things," Old Mei said succinctly. "The first thing is that the military suddenly took action, sweeping through the home of the Left Censor Wu Wenyuan and several other officials. It is said that the old marshal Qiu Jianhan personally ordered the elite military forces to act, and Wu Wenyuan's entire family was captured, with Wu Wenyuan thrown into the imperial prison."

Yun Yang didn't speak, just listened.

This wasn't strange. It was just the fall of a high-ranking official. In the Yutang Empire, such things were not worth Old Mei reporting specifically. He knew there must be more.

And Old Mei would certainly say it.

"Wu Wenyuan is someone we have been watching for half a year. So, when the family was searched, I arranged for it, and indeed found a hidden room in Wu Wenyuan's secret chamber. After the searchers left, I personally went and took the things from the hidden room."

The military captured a high-ranking official; Old Mei could enter, find the secret in the hidden room under everyone's watchful eyes, and take the things out in the most heavily guarded place.

But Yun Yang was not surprised at all.

Old Mei said, "Inside were a token, a jade pendant, a pill, and a beast core."

Yun Yang frowned.

Old Mei quickly said, "The token has seven characters: 'A year's plan starts in spring!' The jade pendant is engraved with: 'The tenth day of the first month.' The pill is the Life-Extending Pill from the Pill King Hall; the beast core is the core of a sixth-level mystic beast, the Green-Headed Eagle."

"Um, Wu Wenyuan's crime is... treason; involving the Nine Respects Battle at Tianxuan Cliff." Old Mei finished.

Yun Yang didn't speak, but Old Mei clearly saw his body tremble when he heard the words "Tianxuan Cliff."

Old Mei felt the temperature around him drop, a coldness emanating from his heart spreading throughout the small courtyard.

Countless wisteria flowers suddenly fell without wind, the entire courtyard like a rain of flowers.

After a long time, Yun Yang said, "Bring Wu Wenyuan here. I will personally interrogate him!"

How could Wu Wenyuan, who was now in the imperial prison, be brought here?

But Old Mei answered without hesitation, "Yes." Then he said, "Master, it is said that the military will use Wu Wenyuan's and other rebels' heads to honor the Nine Respects."

Hearing the words "Nine Respects," Yun Yang's face turned pale, as if he had been stabbed in the heart, and he said, "I know what to do."

Old Mei said, "Yes."

"What is the second thing?" Yun Yang asked.

"It is... we are out of money." Old Mei was somewhat embarrassed. "We still have a few ten thousand taels of silver, but it can only last until tomorrow night."

Yun Yang nodded and said, "I know."

"Lunch is ready."

"I know."

Old Mei had already left.

A cold and stern look slowly appeared on Yun Yang's face: "Year! A year's plan starts in spring! The tenth day of the first month... you are finally going to show yourselves, aren't you?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

But if someone saw his smile at this moment, they would certainly be frightened.

This faint smile seemed to contain a sea of blood and corpses, like the gates of hell opening, and a thousand ghosts emerging!

...

At the dining table.

There was a mountain of mystic beast meat, with a fragrant aroma. However, the amount was a bit too much.

A rough estimate would be about forty to fifty pounds.

Yun Yang sighed and started eating.

Old Mei coughed and turned his face away.

Every day at this time, it was the moment he least wanted to see: his master, who was always elegant and noble like a painting, eating such a large amount of meat alone!

Although his master's eating manner was not unpleasant, on the contrary, it was full of elegance. But... fifty-six pounds of mystic beast meat!

What kind of appetite is this?

Since his master returned a year ago, injured and scarred, his appetite had suddenly become terrifying.

It was astonishing.

A meal must be filled with mystic beast meat full of spiritual energy, and at least several dozen pounds. A meal of mystic beast meat cost eight thousand taels of silver!

At this rate, it really couldn't last.

Not to mention other large expenses.

What happened to his master?

Just as he was thinking, he heard his master say, "Send invitations to Ma, Liu, Zhang, Qin, and Ling. Tonight, I will host a banquet at Baiyun Tower."

Old Mei's mouth twitched and he said, "Yes."

Behind him, Yun Yang finished the last piece of mystic beast meat, then threw the Life-Extending Pill from the Pill King Hall into his mouth. After thinking for a moment, he also threw the core of a seventh-level mystic beast into his mouth.

Just these two items were worth a fortune.

"Seven-tenths full."

Yun Yang said.

Old Mei's old face twitched violently.

...

A piece of invitation.

It made the young masters of seven families in their courtyards howl in anger!

"I won't go!"

"I have no money!"

"Whoever goes is a bastard!"

"This bastard is inviting guests again, my God... what can I do!"

"Heaven and earth, please strike him with lightning... he's a vampire... every time I have money, he invites guests..."

"Dad, give me some money, Yun Yang is inviting guests again..."

"...Damn!"

...

As night fell, Yun Yang went out.

Old Mei followed him, step by step.

In the twilight, Yun Yang's robe seemed black, seemed dark blue; as he moved, there was a faint coldness and distance, yet a deep blue mystery, with a hint of elegant and noble purple flashing in the shadows.

He walked down the street, elegant and graceful.

He walked very slowly, his internal injuries making him unable to use any strength, each step causing his internal organs to feel like they were burning. But his face was a faint smile.

It seemed that this bone-deep pain could make him remember something, remember something. That way, he could feel better.

Old Mei followed behind him, looking at his master's back, feeling a sense of distance and loneliness that did not belong to this mundane world.

Baiyun Tower.

The most luxurious restaurant in the capital of the Yutang Empire, Tian Tang City.

But now, the people in the restaurant were somewhat surprised.

The main hall was crowded with seven young masters, each dressed in fine clothes. These seven were regulars at Baiyun Tower, each time they came, they were full of confidence and looked down on everyone.

But now...

Each of the seven young masters had a face full of resentment, as if they had lost a parent, sighing and groaning. Some were still cursing and complaining; all were full of dissatisfaction...

What's going on?

Just as they were wondering.

A figure appeared at the door, already standing there.

The lights were just coming on, shining on the person's face, making everyone's eyes suddenly brighten!

The light shone on his half-profile, giving a feeling of "such a person, rare in the world."

Several waitresses lowered their heads, their beautiful eyes shining, feeling their hearts flutter and their faces turning red.

This young master... is... so... handsome! If I could...

The figure at the door was slowly walking in, his deep purple robe, almost black-blue, exuding a sense of nobility and fantasy.

"Ha ha, all my good friends are here, truly giving me face." Yun Yang smiled elegantly. "Please, please enter the private room. We haven't seen each other for a long time, let's have a good drink this time."

One of the young masters gritted his teeth and said, "Young Master Yun, we won't drink the wine. Just say it, how much do you want this time?"

Yun Yang smiled elegantly, tilted his head slightly, and said kindly, "Why... Young Master Ma isn't giving me face? Not even a cup of wine?"

Young Master Ma's face turned pale, and he quickly said, "No, I didn't say that. Who wouldn't give Young Master Yun face? Ha ha..."

As he spoke, he gave the others a look.

"Right, right, Young Master Yun's face is as big as the sky, this cup of wine must be drunk." The young masters nodded, their faces showing extremely forced smiles, their laughter sounding like a duck with its neck pinched, dry and suffocating.

Yun Yang smiled gently, "Since that's the case, please."

"Please!"

"Please!"

The young masters responded enthusiastically, walking upstairs in a very harmonious manner. As soon as they turned, their faces were already twisted, as if they were about to cry...

Oh my God.

This time, we actually have to drink wine. We didn't have such good treatment before...

But this cup of wine, how much does it cost...

Everyone sat down, with Old Mei standing behind Yun Yang, silent and expressionless.

"Once upon a time, there was a rabbit who got drunk and actually raped a bear..." Yun Yang said a joke lightly, which wasn't funny, but the seven young masters all laughed as if it was the funniest joke in the world, rolling around