Chapter 146: Accompanying the Journey

Beishan's words initially caused the old man to pause slightly, followed by a chuckle. "So you have already planned it out thoroughly. Very good, excellent!"

Catching the hint of praise in the old man's tone, Beishan felt a surge of secret delight. Unlike the old man, who had connections behind the scenes and could secure the position of a branch master the moment he arrived here, he had fought his way up to the position of vice branch master entirely on his own merits. To climb any higher, the old man's patronage was indispensable. If the old man were someday commended and recalled to the Imperial Extreme Sect to serve as an outer sect elder, he might well be promoted to the official branch master of the Extreme Medicine Branch.

Vice branch master and branch master—a difference of a single word, yet the gap between them was as vast as heaven and earth. Beishan hoped to use this matter to perform a meritorious service, prompting the old man to put in a good word for him when the time came. The Extreme Medicine Branch held a pivotal position in Lunluo City today. To completely control it would undoubtedly be a most enticing prospect. "Since the branch master has no objections, your subordinate will immediately dispatch a tenth-tier Dou Zhe and a Dou Xiu to capture that Su Yi..."

Nodding slightly, the old man raised no objection to Beishan's arrangement. In his eyes, that Su Yi possessed not an ounce of strength, rendering any grand and elaborate mobilization unnecessary. To deal with an ordinary person, even a fifth-tier Dou Zhe would be more than enough. Dispatching a tenth-tier Dou Zhe and a Dou Xiu was somewhat of an overkill, truth be told, but it was harmless if it ensured absolute foolproof success.

Yet, despite sending out more than enough manpower and agreeing to the operation, the old man felt a faint, inexplicable unease stirring in his heart for reasons unknown. The sensation came out of nowhere, completely groundless, though he eventually forced it down...

...

After leaving the Extreme Medicine Branch, Su Yi walked along the bustling avenues of Lunluo City under Qin Shou's guidance. Shops and workshops densely lined both sides of the broad street, accompanied by various loud peddling cries and shouts meant to entice customers. The endless stream of pedestrians shuttled back and forth, creating a massive flow of traffic. Many people lingered, drawn in by different storefronts. Standing amidst this busy crowd, one could directly feel wave after wave of clamor crashing against the ears.

As he walked and observed the prosperous scene and various buildings before him, Su Yi could not help a sigh of admiration. The lively and bustling atmosphere here was faintly a notch superior to the most prosperous central district of Changling City. Yet, this was clearly not the center of Lunluo City, which gave a glimpse of the city's overall strength. According to Qin Shou's introductions along the way, there were as many as six families and factions here that could rival—or even slightly surpass—the Lie and Ao families of Changling City!

Aside from these six factions, there was an even more powerful faction in Lunluo City—a family. Unlike the native factions that had grown up on this soil, this was an incoming, newly rising family. To speak of it, it had only been around for a few decades, yet it now towered above those families and factions with lineages spanning hundreds of years!

There were several reasons for its rapid rise, but the most fundamental one was that this family had produced quite a few decisive powerhouses. If a family never produced such figures, no matter how long its heritage, it would remain perpetually mediocre. At present, this newly rising family possessed two Dou Long powerhouses holding down the fort!

With two Dou Long experts, numerous Dou Luo, and descendants blessed with formidable talents, this family could indeed be considered the preeminent faction within Lunluo City. If not for the Extreme Medicine Branch's backing by the Imperial Extreme Sect, this family likely would not hold the branch in much awe even with its own strength. Moreover, according to Qin Shou, the person who had won first place in the Lunluo City Martial Arts Tournament this time was none other than the eldest son of this family's patriarch.

Gifted in talent and formidable in Dou techniques, this family was indeed extraordinary. Hearing this, Su Yi gently furrowed his brow, as the image of Yaoxin surfaced in his mind. If he remembered correctly, the family Yaoxin sought to take vengeance upon seemed to be precisely this one! And the ultimate culprit was bound to be either this eldest son, or perhaps the second or third son. After all, young masters of great families committing acts of forcibly seizing women from good households were a dime a dozen. Yet, judging by the current situation, relying solely on Yaoxin's individual strength would probably make it impossible to shake such a powerful family, right?!

Did Yaoxin used to live here? Gazing at the bustling, crowded street, Su Yi experienced a complex mix of emotions. The realization that her target was the number one family in Lunluo City inevitably stirred a lingering sense of anxiety; this family was vastly stronger than the Lie family of Changling City and certainly not easy to deal with.

"Ah, forget it. Let's hope Yaoxin doesn't act rashly for the time being..." Su Yi sighed helplessly in his heart, thinking to himself while feeling an even more urgent desire to elevate his own strength. Without strength, one would never be safe anywhere and would constantly face suppression. It had been so back in Changling City, and it was no different now upon arriving in Lunluo City.

"Su Yi, my family estate is located in the easternmost part of Lunluo City. You could consider it the suburbs. This avenue is the last bustling street along the way; as we continue eastward, the surroundings will gradually grow quiet..." Qin Shou said while leading the way in front.

"In that case, it's rather remote. Is only your Qin family living there?" Su Yi nodded upon hearing this.

"Uh... yes. Although there are a few other small families there, they are quite far from the Qin residence, so you could say we live in relative isolation..."

Qin Shou replied softly, though a trace of helpless bitterness could still be detected in his tone. With his family's current state, there was nothing he could do. Sensing this, Su Yi did not know what to say, so he simply remained silent and followed Qin Shou closely. Gradually, almost imperceptibly, the ambient noise of the surroundings grew fainter, losing its previous clamor.

Observing the decreasing number of shops, workshops, and pedestrians around him, Su Yi pondered Yaoxin's situation, his brow furrowing slightly of its own accord as he silently murmured in his heart: "The Ke family?..."

...

Continuing along the path led by Qin Shou for quite some time, Su Yi snapped out of his thoughts to discover that the surrounding scenery had undergone a dramatic transformation at some point. If the previous stretch resembled a city avenue, it now looked like a rural path. Aside from the dirt and dust occasionally kicking up from the path beneath their feet, people and shops had vanished from the surroundings. Every now and then, a few dilapidated, crumbling buildings came into view, standing desolate and empty with no telling if anyone still lived inside them.

Su Yi had seen similar scenes back in Changling City, though that area was considered something of a slum. Given the present conditions, the fact that Qin family lived in such a place meant their clan had indeed fallen on hard times. Just as Su Yi was wondering what to make of this, a slightly surprised voice suddenly drifted over.

"Hey, isn't this little brother Qin Shou?"

Qin Shou and Su Yi turned toward the voice and saw an elderly man walking toward them. Upon seeing the old man, Qin Shou smiled and stepped forward to greet him, apparently recognizing an acquaintance.

"Haha, little brother Qin Shou, it's been a while since we last met, hasn't it?"

"Uncle Liu, there's no helping it. As you know, I rarely get to return home more than a few times a year... How have you been lately?"

"Well, very well! ... Though compared to your Qin family, I suppose I'm lagging behind. With the Extreme Medicine Branch and the Imperial Extreme Sect to rely on from now on, your family's days will only get better..."

"Reliant on the Extreme Medicine Branch? Uncle Liu, what do you mean by that?" Qin Shou's expression shifted drastically upon hearing this, and he asked with utter astonishment.

Seeing Qin Shou's bewilderment, the elderly man surnamed Liu also froze for a moment. "What? Your family spent money to join the Extreme Medicine Branch, and you don't know? ... Oh, right, you haven't been home for a long time, so you probably weren't aware... Well, go back and ask, and you'll understand. Anyway, I have matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving first..."

Caught in a state of shock, Qin Shou did not attempt to detain the old man as he departed. His expression flickered uncertainly as he wondered what was going on. Standing to the side, Su Yi was slightly stunned as well. He had not expected the Qin family to have spent money to join the Extreme Medicine Branch. The "joining" spoken of here naturally carried a different connotation—more akin to purchasing a nominal affiliation. Given the Qin family's current standing, they certainly lacked the qualifications to truly join the Extreme Medicine Branch as formal members. However, by shelling out a substantial sum of wealth, securing the title of an affiliated nominal family was entirely possible.

Such practices were common even in Changling City; small families would expend wealth to attach their names to major clans, nominally becoming a part of them to receive a degree of protection. Meanwhile, those major clans reaped fame, influence, or wealth, raising little objection to such behavior. Since it required no effort to obtain benefits, why not?

Precisely because of this, the protective effect of such nominal affiliations was extremely limited. After all, if trouble truly arose, those major clans were unlikely to offer genuine assistance; at best, they would refrain from deliberately causing trouble. Even so, certain small families remained fond of this self-deceiving comfort, treating it as spending money to avert disaster. Yet, despite being a nominal arrangement akin to an empty promise, the cost was still quite exorbitant. If one offered too little, the major clans might take it as a deliberate insult.

Qin Shou's expression was currently somewhat gloomy, presumably largely because of this. In his view, spending money for such a nominal affiliation was an utterly wasteful and useless piece of nonsense. The money he had earned through arduous toil—even risking his life—was not meant to be squandered on such matters! Especially when affiliating with a massive faction like the Extreme Medicine Branch, the financial cost must be astronomical. The mere thought of it gave Qin Shou the urge to vomit blood!

A flicker of anger surfaced in his eyes as Qin Shou's fists clenched slightly, and he led Su Yi at a brisk pace toward the location of the Qin family courtyard...