Chapter 31: A Sudden Whim

What is the current state of opposition in Dongsu City? Wu Shu was concerned about this, but what mattered most to him right now was the condition of his younger brother, Wu Zhen. Having no intention of bringing it up himself, Wu Shu was eager to know how Zhao Fenxing had handled the situation when his brother was injured.

Zhao Fenxing continued, "Six days ago, in the dead of night, several unidentified high-level demons arrived at Jutuzhen. Their primary target was me. To ensure Wu Zhen would not be implicated, I lured them away alone. If Elder Yao had not intervened personally, it would have been nearly impossible for me to escape that predicament."

Elder Yao? The fact that a powerful expert was lurking in the shadows to protect Zhao Fenxing did not surprise Wu Shu. After all, Zhao Fenxing hailed from the Zhao family, one of the four great clans of the Eastern Earth Empire’s capital, Dongtu City, where experts were as numerous as the clouds.

Zhao Fenxing went on, "After escaping, I spent two days recovering before coming to Dongsu City. By then, Wu Zhen was already bedridden with serious injuries."

The demons were truly rampant, daring to openly launch such a vicious attack on Zhao Fenxing. It was a stroke of extreme good fortune that she had emerged unscathed. Wu Shu knew clearly that if Zhao Fenxing had truly perished in Jutuzhen, regardless of who the perpetrator was, the Kun Kingdom would undoubtedly face the wrath of the Zhao family.

Of course, Wu Shu also understood that without a meticulous secret investigation, it would be difficult to determine the true identity of the mastermind behind the attack on Zhao Fenxing. The internal power struggles of great families were always complex, and the darkness of the human heart was often enough to defy ordinary comprehension.

Wu Shu asked calmly, "Who was targeting you this time? Do you have any suspicions?"

Zhao Fenxing shook her head. "The attackers were all high-level demons; it is difficult to determine who was pulling the strings behind them."

Hearing this, Wu Shu could not help but sneer. "Miss Zhao, I don't think there is any need for you to be evasive with me. The attackers' purpose was clear, and they even seemed to know the strength of the hidden guards around you. If you view this incident merely as the demons trying to eliminate a rising human talent, you had best leave my Wu residence tonight."

What Wu Shu said was the truth, but it deeply annoyed Zhao Fenxing.

"What?" Zhao Fenxing said with displeasure. "Now that you’ve reached the peak of the ninth stage of Body Refining, you’ve started to look down on me?"

This young lady, Zhao Fenxing, was truly bold. If outsiders were to hear her say this, few would doubt that the relationship between Wu Shu and her had long since surpassed that of ordinary acquaintances.

Ever since he had awakened, Wu Shu had been puzzled by the high regard Zhao Fenxing held for him.

Not wanting to entangle himself further with the woman, Wu Shu asked again, "How is Wu Zhen’s condition now?"

Regarding Wu Zhen's injuries, after learning the news, Zhao Fenxing—escorted by Elder Yao—had appeared before Wu Zhen without the knowledge of the rest of the Wu family.

After a simple examination of his injuries, she realized they were not life-threatening, which had put her mind at ease.

After a moment of thought, Zhao Fenxing said, "As for Wu Zhen, he has regained consciousness and is no longer in any major danger. As for how you intend to handle this matter moving forward, I believe that is for you to decide."

The last time Wu Zhen was injured, it was because of Sun Chengwu, the young master of the Sun family. Zhao Fenxing leaving the decision to Wu Shu suggested that she knew this time, the injuries were not caused by an outsider. Combined with the fact that seven days ago was the day of the family tournament, it was certain that Wu Zhen had been severely wounded during the matches.

The first person who came to mind as being capable of inflicting such damage on his brother was Wu Wen, the second son of his uncle Wu Xiang.

Wu Shu asked, "Was it Wu Wen who dealt the heavy blow?"

Zhao Fenxing simply shook her head and replied, "Not entirely."

Since Zhao Fenxing did not want to discuss it further, Wu Shu knew he would have to speak with his brother directly. Now that Wu Zhen was out of danger, he was more curious about how much Zhao Fenxing knew regarding the complex situation in Dongsu City.

Wu Shu tentatively said, "If there is nothing else, let us leave it at this for today."

Without haste, Zhao Fenxing refilled Wu Shu's cup with tea before speaking slowly. "In the past few days, Elder Yao has sent me quite a bit of news. The rumors spreading among various factions that you perished in the Giant Elephant Mountain Range have kept me deeply worried."

Taking a symbolic sip of tea, and seeing that Wu Shu had no intention of speaking, Zhao Fenxing continued, "Now that you have returned safely, I believe all the factions lurking in Dongsu City know you are still alive. I am very curious: how did you manage to offend the Kun royal family, the demons, and the various major factions of Dongsu City all in just a few days?"

Taken aback by the question, Wu Shu realized she was right. He wasn't even sure how he had managed to offend so many people in the mountain range in such a short time.

What he found strange was that the demons were natural enemies of humanity, so his killing them should have been expected. As for why Zhao Zhenlu would view him as a thorn in his side, was it simply because Wu Shu did not act according to the way Zhao Zhenlu interacted with the demons? And Wu Shu could never believe that Li Jianfeng would view him as an enemy.

As for being hated by the major factions of Dongsu City, Wu Shu believed that the only ones who truly hated him were the Sun family. Although Sun Chengwu died at the hands of Li Jianfeng, the root cause was that Sun Chengwu had severely injured Wu Zhen first.

Furthermore, while the Sun family was a strong clan in Dongsu City, they were nothing but a ninth-rate family in the eyes of the Kun royal family. Even without the incident involving his brother, the Sun family would have eventually targeted him to soothe their own wounded pride. After all, with the Wu family in decline, the Sun family had long been displeased with them and would use this opportunity to vent their anger and suppress the Wu family legitimately.

As the saying goes, one should always pick the softest persimmon; the Sun family understood that logic perfectly well.

Touching upon the events in the Giant Elephant Mountain Range, Wu Shu gave a concise summary. "I went to the mountain range only to cultivate. I never expected it to be so treacherous; beyond the war beasts, there were demons, the enemies of humanity."

Zhao Fenxing nodded for him to continue. Wu Shu added, "To save my own life, I resorted to every possible trick, only narrowly escaping the hands of powerful demons several times. After encountering a demonic ancestor-level expert, I truly thought my life would end in those mountains. But to my surprise, whenever I reached the brink of death, a rainbow light would descend from the sky to save me."

A rainbow light descending from the heavens? What level of expert was protecting Wu Shu from behind? Was it that even heaven did not want Wu Shu to die in the mountains?

Listening to his words, Zhao Fenxing fell into deep thought.

Wu Shu continued, "In this last group of demons, there was an ancestor-level expert whose strength was terrifying—even the heavenly rainbow light could do nothing against him. Just as I felt total despair, a man in white appeared before me. He fought the demonic ancestor for three thousand rounds before finally killing him with a half-move advantage. After it was over, just as I was about to step forward to thank him, he flicked his sleeves and departed, leaving only these words: 'Kid, work hard. I hold high hopes for you; I look forward to seeing you again soon.'"

Zhao Fenxing found the tale bizarre. If what Wu Shu said was true, his luck was truly extraordinary. It was as if heaven itself refused to let him die, and a mysterious expert had come to his aid. His fortune was simply heaven-defying.

After listening, Zhao Fenxing pondered for a long time before saying, "I choose to believe you."

When she had asked about the mountains, Wu Shu had considered telling the truth, but he felt that if the full truth were revealed, it would bring endless, unexpected trouble. He knew that if the demons learned the truth, they would never stop trying to assassinate him.

Thus, he had improvised and fabricated a story. He knew that after hearing this, Zhao Fenxing would surely find ways to leak the version of events he had provided.

Sometimes, one doesn't fear thieves knowing; one fears them coveting. By dispelling certain rumors this way, if anyone still tried to target him, he would know exactly who to list as his enemies.

Evening had arrived unnoticed. At the peak of Wangyue Mountain outside Dongsu City, Li Jianfeng stood looking down toward the direction of the city. Before long, an old man appeared behind him and bowed. "Sixth Prince, Wu Shu has returned to the Wu residence. The demons will likely attempt a probe tonight. The First Prince's men will surely take action as well."

In the Giant Elephant Mountain Range, Li Jianfeng had fought side-by-side with Wu Shu. Every time he recalled how Wu Shu, despite being only at the third stage of Body Refining, could defeat high-level demons, or how he had stood alone against a demonic ancestor in the Hall of the War God, he was filled with curiosity. He wondered what other unknown secrets were hidden within this unremarkable city of Dongsu.

Maintaining his previous resolution, Li Jianfeng said firmly, "Teacher, give the order: everything proceeds as planned."

Considering Li Jianfeng’s determination to protect Wu Shu at all costs, the old man hesitated before saying, "If we expose too much strength tonight, we will face great challenges in the imperial capital later."

Li Jianfeng replied calmly, "Teacher, I have never held the challenges from the capital in high regard. The infighting between my older brothers cannot influence the rise or fall of the Kun Kingdom. Perhaps one day, the capital will be drenched in blood over the throne, but I believe that if I win this gamble on Wu Shu, the Kun Kingdom will surely become a great empire in the near future."

As for why Li Jianfeng was so determined to believe in Wu Shu, many might think his actions were bordering on madness, but he was relying purely on his intuition. After all, some things were not seen with one's own eyes.