The night was cool, with moonlight shining peacefully and serenely.
Occasionally, lively and noisy voices could be heard from the streets in the distance, contrasting with the tranquility of the courtyard.
As Su Yi's thoughts wandered, a knock on the door sounded.
"Is Master Su here?"
It was the voice of Zhang Yuanxing from outside the courtyard.
Su Yi got up and opened the door, only to see Zhang Yuanxing carrying a jug of wine and a roasted chicken.
Behind him was Xiong Bo, wearing a black hat, following closely.
"What's this?" Su Yi asked.
"On such a night, you and I can drink and chat here, isn't it beautiful?" Zhang Yuanxing said with a smile as he walked into the courtyard. He looked around and nodded, "Although this courtyard is a bit simple, it's peaceful."
He placed the wine jug and the roasted chicken on the stone table under the old locust tree and casually sat on a stone bench on one side, saying, "Master Su, please have a seat."
He didn't treat himself as an outsider at all.
Su Yi didn't mind either. He took two wine cups and sat down across from Zhang Yuanxing.
"This wine is brought from my home. It's called 'Pear Blossom Brew.' It's made by soaking early spring pear blossoms in Lingquan water and adding thirty-six kinds of spiritual herbs. It has been sealed for nine years. Even in my house, we only open a jar to entertain honored guests."
As he spoke, Zhang Yuanxing opened the wine jug, and a refreshing fragrance of wine immediately filled the night air.
When Zhang Yuanxing filled the two wine cups, the wine was crystal clear, with a rich and amber hue, reflecting the moonlight and emitting a faint spiritual glow.
"Come, let's toast to each other."
Zhang Yuanxing raised his cup with a self-satisfied smile on his face.
He believed that with Su Yi's discerning eyes, he would be able to recognize the extraordinary nature of this Pear Blossom Brew.
Su Yi, however, remained indifferent and said, "Mr. Zhang, I'm afraid you didn't come here just to find a drinking companion. Why don't we discuss the matter first, and we can still drink afterwards?"
Indeed, this Pear Blossom Brew could be considered a good wine in the mortal realm.
Unfortunately, compared to the immortal brews and nectars Su Yi had tasted in his previous life, it was far from impressive. How could he be moved by it?
Zhang Yuanxing was taken aback for a moment. He put down the wine cup in his hand and pondered for a moment before saying, "It's not a big deal. I just want to ask you some questions related to the Ghost Mother Ridge."
"Don't you already know?" Su Yi asked.
Zhang Yuanxing spoke frankly, "No, what I want to know is what help you provided that made both Yuan Luoxi and Cheng Wuyong respect you so much."
At that moment, Xiong Bo, who was standing not far away, also turned his gaze over. His expression was calm, but it gave off an immense pressure.
Su Yi vaguely understood Zhang Yuanxing's intention and said, "Why don't you go and ask them?"
Zhang Yuanxing's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he began to feel a hint of impatience. Nevertheless, he explained, "They would never tell me these things. If they did, I wouldn't have bothered you at this moment."
Su Yi casually replied, "It's simple. When we were at the Ghost Mother Ridge, I saved their lives and sold them a Six Yin Grass. I suppose it's because of this that they respect me."
He didn't hide anything, nor did he bother to cover up such trivial matters.
There was no need to.
However, Zhang Yuanxing was taken aback and frowned, "Su Gongzi, this joke isn't funny at all."
He obviously didn't believe it.
Yuan Luoxi had Cheng Wuyong, who was at the peak of the Gathering Qi realm. Why would she need the help of a Blood Shifter like Su Yi to save her life?
It was ridiculous.
Xiong Bo, who was not far away, suddenly spoke, "Could you please explain in detail how you saved them?"
This caught Zhang Yuanxing by surprise. He looked at Su Yi with suspicion, wanting to hear what kind of explanation he would provide.
Su Yi casually said, "Last night, the Six Extreme Yin Corpse tried to ambush our group during the rainy night. Cheng Wuyong alone was no match for it. And I happened to go to the Ghost Mother Ridge to kill this beast. So I killed it as well, indirectly saving their lives."
Zhang Yuanxing's face gradually darkened, and he suppressed the anger in his heart, saying, "Su Yi, I consider you a friend whom I can confide in. Yet, you dare to fabricate such a ridiculous lie to deceive me. It seems that you don't take me, Zhang Yuanxing, seriously."
As he spoke, a stern expression appeared between his brows.
When he saw Su Yi accompanying Yuan Luoxi outside the city earlier today, he was already displeased, thinking that Su Yi didn't know how to appreciate his goodwill and wasted his admiration for him.
But after the banquet at the Gathering Immortals Tower, the more he thought about Yuan Luoxi's respectful behavior towards Su Yi, the more uncomfortable he felt.
That's why tonight, when he came to find Su Yi, he had already accumulated a bit of anger in his heart. He had initially thought that if Su Yi cooperated obediently, he wouldn't mind being magnanimous and forgiving him once.
Who would have thought that Su Yi would blatantly lie, and the lie was full of loopholes? It was as if he was intentionally humiliating his own intelligence!
Xiong Bo also furrowed his brows and said, "Su Yi, if you're distorting the facts and deliberately misrepresenting yourself in front of my young master, then I can only say that you are truly childish and laughable!"
His voice carried a cold tone.
Obviously, he also didn't believe that Su Yi, with his cultivation at the Blood Shifter realm, could kill the Six Extreme Yin Corpse, something even a Martial Master couldn't accomplish.
It was like an ant boasting about biting a tiger, appearing extremely absurd and comical.
Su Yi sighed lightly.
To be honest, no one believed him, and it was quite frustrating.
"I have already said everything that needs to be said. If you two don't believe me, you can go and ask Yuan Luoxi and the others. I'm too lazy to explain further."
With that, he stood up and walked towards the room. "Take care, and don't bother to see me off."
It was as good as driving them away.
Crack!
Zhang Yuanxing grabbed a wine glass and smashed it forcefully on the ground, sternly saying, "Su Yi, it seems like you won't listen until you're taught a lesson!"
Su Yi abruptly turned around, his gaze turning cold as he said, "What's the matter, Zhang Gongzi? Are you planning to cause trouble in my place?"
"Cause trouble?" Zhang Yuanxing laughed in anger. He didn't bother to maintain his composure anymore and said, "I was polite to you before because I appreciated your performance in the Longmen Competition. But you keep disrespecting me repeatedly. Do you really think I, Zhang Yuanxing, have a good temper and won't confront you?"
He spoke with a cold expression, pointing his finger at Su Yi. "Let me tell you, if you don't explain clearly today, don't blame me for being impolite!"
Not far away, Xiong Bo remained indifferent as he said, "Young Master, calm down. Since Su Yi claims he has the ability to kill the Six Extreme Yin Corpse, I can try and see if he's lying or if he truly possesses such capability."
Zhang Yuanxing took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, but Xiong Bo, be careful not to kill him. I still need to ask about the situation at Ghost Mother Ridge. It's been bothering me, and if I can't unravel the truth, it will greatly trouble me."
Xiong Bo nodded and said, "Young man, there's a limit to everything. If you admit your mistake and tell the truth now, there's still time."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Su Yi's lips, and he couldn't help but laugh. His gaze was as if he was looking at a pair of fools as he said, "You both know that Yuan Luoxi and Cheng Wuyong respect me greatly, yet you dare to be unruly and overbearing in front of me. I wonder if I should say you're foolish or that you have a death wish?"
Zhang Yuanxing was stunned for a moment, unable to believe that Su Yi would dare to speak disrespectfully at such a moment.
Xiong Bo's face also darkened, and a surge of killing intent flickered in his eyes.
Even he hadn't expected that Su Yi, a small character at the Blood Shifter realm, would dare to show such disrespect to him face-to-face!
Without further hesitation, he stepped towards Su Yi.
He moved with a commanding presence, and his aura surged with a resounding roar.
Bang!
The courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.
A graceful figure rushed in angrily, her voice filled with indignation. She scolded, "Zhang Yuanxing, dare to lay a hand on him and see what happens!"
The person who entered was Yuan Luoxi.
She was dressed in military attire, her pair of charming eyes filled with unreserved anger beneath the moonlight.
Behind her, Cheng Wuyong, Fu Shan, and Nie Beihu followed closely.
Similarly, the expressions on Cheng Wuyong and the others were not pleasant.
Su Yi was taken aback. Why did they come?
Zhang Yuanxing was clearly caught off guard as well. He hesitated for a moment and couldn't help but say, "Luoxi, didn't you leave earlier this morning?"
Xiong Bo furrowed his brows, halted his steps, and forcibly suppressed the killing intent in his heart.
"If I hadn't come, how could you, Zhang Yuanxing, show off with such grandeur?" Yuan Luoxi's beautiful eyes carried a terrifying anger.
"Fu Mou didn't expect that the son of the prestigious Zhang family would have such a narrow vision," Fu Shan sneered.
Being scolded by Yuan Luoxi from the start, Zhang Yuanxing could still endure it.
But when he saw Fu Shan daring to mock him, he instantly became infuriated and shouted, "Fu Shan, who gave you the audacity to speak to me like that?!"
"I am the Lord of Guangling City. Seeing that you are about to cause trouble in my territory, can't I say a few words to you? Do you really think this place belongs to your Zhang family?"
Fu Shan's expression turned grim.
"You..."
Just as Zhang Yuanxing was about to say something, he was stopped by Xiong Bo.
"Young Master, we should leave," Xiong Bo said in a deep voice.
With just one glance, he could tell that with Yuan Luoxi present, if they dared to lay a hand on Su Yi tonight, Cheng Wuyong, Fu Shan, and the others would undoubtedly stop them without hesitation.
Just Cheng Wuyong alone was enough to hold him back, let alone adding Fu Shan, a strong expert at the late Qi Gathering realm. The consequences would be disastrous.
However, leaving like this made Zhang Yuanxing unwilling.
He took a few breaths, suppressing the frustration in his heart, and sincerely said, "Luoxi, this matter is not as you imagine..."
Yuan Luoxi interrupted him rudely, "Get lost! Who wants to hear your explanation? If you don't disappear, don't blame me for being impolite! By then, I want to see if your father will come looking for trouble for you!"
These words were not just impolite; they were trampling on Zhang Yuanxing's dignity.
His face turned red, his forehead veins bulged, and he was so angry that he almost lost control.
He never expected that Yuan Luoxi would disregard everything and tear their relationship apart for the sake of helping a useless son-in-law from the Wen family.
"Young Master, it's better to have a broader view of the situation. It's just a momentary shame. We will have a chance to reclaim it in the future!" Xiong Bo said, grabbing Zhang Yuanxing's shoulder and forcefully leading him away. They quickly disappeared.
The moonlight shone, serene and cold.
The roasted chicken on the stone table remained uneaten, and the pear flower wine was untouched. The tense confrontation dissolved into nothingness.
But Su Yi's brow slightly furrowed.
Yuan Luoxi and the others arrived at just the right time, essentially saving Zhang Yuanxing and Xiong Bo's lives...