Chapter 58

The President of the Blue Cloud City Hunters' Guild is an elderly man with white hair and beard, wearing a loose black robe.

Despite his apparent age, his eyes are sharp and full of vigor, exuding a natural authority.

Zhuang Nantian and the Blue Cloud Hall Master quickly stood up and bowed respectfully, then left the room to avoid the meeting.

Luo Xiu also stood up and said respectfully, "Junior Luo Xiu, paying respects to the President."

"I am Ye Xiangdou!"

The President's voice was not the least bit aged, but rather deep and powerful.

His gaze fell on Luo Xiu, and he said calmly, "I already know about your situation."

"I can help you rescue your family from the Martial Hall, but it involves many complications, so have you prepared what I need?" Ye Xiangdou said directly.

Luo Xiu did not say much and simply took out a martial arts manual and placed it on the table.

"A sixth-grade intermediate internal cultivation technique, the Blue Essence Technique."

In truth, Luo Xiu was a bit uncertain. What if the President took the technique and did nothing?

Ultimately, it was because his own strength was not strong enough; otherwise, why would he have to entrust his fate to others?

At this moment, Luo Xiu had an unprecedented desire for great power!

Ye Xiangdou's gaze seemed to pierce through the heart. He picked up the Blue Essence Technique and flipped through it, saying, "Young man, don't worry. Since the Hunters' Guild accepts such tasks, our reputation is most important. I will naturally help you once I take your offering."

"Junior naturally trusts the senior," Luo Xiu said.

Ye Xiangdou nodded and then put down the Blue Essence Technique, saying, "It is indeed a sixth-grade intermediate technique. Besides rescuing your family, what else do you need me to do?"

At this point, Ye Xiangdou stared at Luo Xiu and said, "Apart from matters related to the task, I will not intervene in other affairs."

The Hunters' Guild values its reputation, but it also has rules. Accepting various tasks inevitably offends many powerful individuals and forces, so the guild's experts have a defined scope when undertaking tasks.

For example, if Luo Xiu's task was to hire someone to kill important figures from major sects, the Hunters' Guild would not accept it. Otherwise, even if the guild were powerful, it would not be able to survive in this world.

"If someone wants to kill me, I hope the senior can protect my family and me!" Luo Xiu stated his first request.

"This can be done," Ye Xiangdou nodded in agreement.

"After rescuing my family, I also hope the senior can escort us out of Yunlong County," Luo Xiu added.

Ye Xiangdou frowned, "I cannot agree to this. If it's just you, you can use the teleportation array to directly teleport to other county branches of the Hunters' Guild, but the minimum requirement for using the teleportation array is to be at the Qi Sea realm."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu's expression changed slightly.

He knew very well that even if he rescued his parents and sister, if they could not leave Yunlong County, they would still be within the reach of the Free and Easy Sect. Both Lu Feichen and Zhang Luliang could easily kill him.

"However, I can promise to protect them within Blue Cloud City under the name of the Hunters' Guild, but this is not part of the task, and you will need to pay additional compensation."

After a moment of thought, Ye Xiangdou said, "To protect your family for one year, you need to pay one thousand low-grade essence stones."

Luo Xiu was taken aback; one thousand low-grade essence stones were equivalent to the value of a middle-grade human-class battle weapon.

But to Luo Xiu, the safety of his parents and sister was priceless. No matter how expensive it was, he had to agree.

"I need the senior to protect my family for ten years!" Luo Xiu said.

Ten years would be ten thousand low-grade essence stones. When Luo Xiu said this, even Ye Xiangdou, a martial arts grandmaster, was somewhat moved, as he himself only had a little over three thousand low-grade essence stones.

However, he did not have any greedy thoughts. There are countless martial artists in the world; some are profit-driven and unscrupulous, while others are righteous and earn their wealth through proper means.

Lu Feichen belonged to the former, while Ye Xiangdou undoubtedly belonged to the latter.

Meeting people like the Blue Cloud Hall Master, Zhuang Nantian, and Ye Xiangdou, Luo Xiu could be considered very lucky. Otherwise, with his wealth as a mere Qi Sea martial artist, if he encountered the first type of person, he would surely be left with nothing.

"Senior, I don't have that many essence stones. Can I use treasures of equal value as collateral?" Luo Xiu asked.

Ten thousand low-grade essence stones were equivalent to one hundred middle-grade essence stones. Luo Xiu had them, but essence stones could aid cultivation, so he naturally wanted to keep them for his future needs.

"Sure," Ye Xiangdou agreed immediately. As long as the value was equal, whether it was essence stones or other treasures, it was acceptable.

Luo Xiu took out a battle sword from his storage ring and placed it on the table, saying, "This is a low-grade earth-class battle sword, worth more than ten thousand low-grade essence stones!"

Ye Xiangdou nodded. Based on what Luo Xiu had taken out, he guessed that this fourteen-year-old boy had probably had good luck and obtained the wealth left by a martial arts grandmaster. Moreover, a martial arts grandmaster who possessed a low-grade earth-class battle weapon was certainly not an ordinary grandmaster.

After all, Ye Xiangdou himself was a martial arts grandmaster, but he only used a supreme-grade human-class battle weapon, and a low-grade earth-class battle weapon was too expensive for him.

As for the treasure vault left by a Martial King, Ye Xiangdou did not think along those lines. After all, Martial Kings were extremely rare in Yunlong County.

After reaching an agreement with Ye Xiangdou, the old and young man walked out of the room.

Zhuang Nantian and the Blue Cloud Hall Master were waiting outside the door. Seeing the President walking behind Luo Xiu like a bodyguard, they exchanged glances and knew that the President had agreed to help Luo Xiu.

Back in the Hunters' Hall, Luo Xiu did not wear his hood this time.

The beautiful receptionist, Jiang Shanshan, saw him and seemed to recall what had happened a few months ago, her face turning slightly shy.

However, when she noticed the white-bearded old man behind Luo Xiu, her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

"Heavens, isn't that the President?" Jiang Shanshan's eyes were filled with disbelief.

She had once had the honor of meeting the President, so she could recognize him at a glance. However, the many hunters in the hall had never seen the President's true appearance, so they did not know the identity of the white-bearded old man.

"The President is actually walking behind Luo Xiu. Who is this young man?"

At this moment, Jiang Shanshan suddenly felt that this black-clothed youth was shrouded in a mysterious aura.

"Luo Xiu!"

At this moment, a man in brocade clothing walked into the Hunters' Hall, his gaze sweeping over the crowd and landing on Luo Xiu like a searchlight.

Luo Xiu also looked in the direction of the voice, his brows slightly furrowed. He did not recognize the man in brocade clothing, but he looked somewhat similar to the former head of the Zhang family, Zhang Shaoyong.

"Are you from the Zhang family?" Luo Xiu asked.

The man in brocade clothing smiled and walked over, "Yes, I am the current head of the Zhang family, Zhang Shaohai!"

"To be honest, although my elder brother died because of you, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have become the head of the family."

Zhang Shaohai walked close to Luo Xiu and whispered, "To be honest, the order to capture your parents and sister was not given by my elder brother, but by me!"

"It was you?" Luo Xiu's eyes flashed with a fierce light.

Clearly, Zhang Shaohai was also a person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. To become the head of the family, he had even framed his elder brother to death.

Initially, Luo Xiu did not intend to kill Zhang Shaoyong, but when he heard that the Zhang family had ordered the capture of his parents and sister, he naturally assumed it was Zhang Shaoyong who had sent the order. In his anger, he had the Martial Hall Master execute him.

If not for this, he would not have offended the old ancestor of the Zhang family, and thus faced numerous dangers.

"Since I could make Zhang Shaoyong die, are you not afraid that I will kill you too?" Luo Xiu said coldly.

Zhang Shaohai laughed heartily, "You are already on the brink of death, yet you still dare to boast?"

He dared to say these things because he was confident.

"Don't think that hiding in the Hunters' Guild will keep you safe. If you don't come out, I will have your parents and sister brought here and killed. Let's see if you come out then!" Zhang Shaohai said with a fierce expression.

Upon hearing this, Luo Xiu's eyes narrowed, and his chest surged with killing intent.

A cold and fierce smile appeared on his face, "You want me to come out? Fine, I'll come out!"

Without waiting for a response, Luo Xiu strode towards the entrance of the Hunters' Guild, with Ye Xiangdou, the martial arts grandmaster, following behind him expressionlessly.

Luo Xiu's action surprised Zhang Shaohai, but he soon smiled coldly, "Young people are impulsive. A little provocation, and they rush out to their deaths."

Outside the Hunters' Hall, a squad of blue-armored guards stood majestically, each holding a sword or a saber, exuding a killing aura.

A crowd had gathered nearby, discussing why these blue-armored guards were here and who could make a squad of thirty blue-armored guards mobilize.

Suddenly, Luo Xiu walked out of the Hunters' Guild branch.

"Blue-armored guards, arrest Luo Xiu! If he resists, kill him without mercy!" Zhang Shaohai's voice, filled with killing intent, echoed.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The sound of swords and sabers being drawn filled the air as the thirty blue-armored guards released their auras and surrounded Luo Xiu from all sides.

Zhang Shaohai personally guarded the entrance of the Hunters' Guild, cutting off Luo Xiu's escape route to prevent him from retreating into the guild.

Luo Xiu was not concerned. With Ye Xiangdou, the martial arts grandmaster, behind him, if Zhang Shaohai tried to attack from behind, it would be suicide.

A fierce killing intent surged in front of the Hunters' Guild.

Each blue-armored guard was at the Qi Sea realm, but their cultivation was below the fifth level of Qi Sea, except for the captain, who was at the sixth level of Qi Sea.

A blue-armored guard rushed at Luo Xiu with a long saber, a cold and fierce smile on his face.

However, just as he reached Luo Xiu, a black sword light flashed before his eyes. Before he could react, his head was severed and flew into the air, landing far away.

Blood spurted like a fountain, and Luo Xiu held a black battle sword, dripping with blood.

Ye Xiangdou, standing behind Luo Xiu, narrowed his eyes. As a martial arts grandmaster, his eyes were sharp, and he could see that Luo Xiu's sword technique was extremely fast and precise, and his strikes were decisive and ruthless, instantly killing a Qi Sea martial artist of the same level.

While such skills were not extraordinary for a martial arts grandmaster, for a fourteen-year-old Qi Sea third-level martial artist, it was far beyond the realm of ordinary geniuses.

After killing the blue-armored guard with one strike, Luo Xiu did not stop. His chest was filled with surging killing intent, and he was eager to unleash it all.

Each time he swung his sword, blood spurted, and a body fell to the ground.

These blue-armored guards, whose cultivation did not exceed the seventh level of Qi Sea, could not withstand his single strike.

His sword was too fast, like a flash of lightning. Unless one had extremely sharp combat instincts, ordinary martial artists had no chance to dodge.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three blue-armored guards retreated to a distance, drawing their longbows and firing arrows at Luo Xiu's head.

"Die!"

The other blue-armored guards also attacked, leaving Luo Xiu no place to dodge.

"Flash Sword!"

Luo Xiu shouted, using a technique from the Aurora Sword Technique. A black sword light flashed, cutting through the three incoming arrows.

Then, his figure twisted, and the attacks of the blue-armored guards fell on mere afterimages.

"Death Sword!"

A cold