The entire Dongning City was on edge, with troops being mobilized and investigations underway. At this moment, Hongyu and her younger brother had fled to their lord's home.
Zhou Manor.
Zhou He sat in the main seat, his face ashen, while Young Master Zhou Qian also looked pale.
"Miss Liu told us to flee, so we fled for our lives," Hongyu said, pulling her brother Tiesheng. "Many people died, including some from the Black Wolf Gang. We were terrified as we fled, so we came here first to inform the lord."
"You did the right thing! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known this little brat had caused such a disaster," Zhou He said coldly, glaring at his son. "You've got quite the nerve, asking Young Master Meng Chuan for help without even informing me of such a big matter?"
Zhou Qian trembled slightly. "I didn't expect it to turn out this way, I truly didn't. Hongyu, is Senior Brother Meng still alive?"
"I don't know," Hongyu shook her head repeatedly. "He and that young master from Yuyang Palace were already gravely injured when we fled. I don't know what happened to them after we left."
"Let's hope they're unharmed," Zhou He said indifferently. "Otherwise, our Zhou family is finished, with no hope left."
"Father…" Zhou Qian said anxiously.
"Now it's a matter of luck. Otherwise, whether it's the Black Wolf Gang, the Bai family, or the Meng family, if any of them decide to come after us, we're done for," Zhou He stood up and said, "Zhou Qian, you're coming with me to Meng's Mansion right now!"
"Alright," Zhou Qian replied, still in a daze.
"And you two," Zhou He instructed Hongyu and her brother, "If officials come to inquire about today's events, you'll do as I say…"
"Yes," Hongyu and her brother obediently listened.
...
Zhou He, accompanied by his son and bearing lavish gifts, hastened to Meng's Mansion. On the way, they saw troops being mobilized.
"Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang, what's happened?" Zhou He immediately asked a familiar leader among the troops.
"Members of the Heavenly Demon Sect have emerged, and Young Master Meng Chuan of the Meng family was gravely injured. The entire city is now being searched," the leader said briefly. "Alright, I can't talk more, I have to go."
"Brother Zhang, you're busy, go ahead," Zhou He smiled.
"Father?" Zhou Qian whispered beside him.
"Young Master Meng Chuan is alive, that's good news. So the culprit was from the Heavenly Demon Sect?" Zhou He pondered. "Let's hurry to Meng's Mansion."
Meng's Mansion.
Meng Chuan leaned against the bed, his face pale but his spirits good.
"Meng Chuan, when you encounter an enemy you cannot resist, put your own safety first," Lady Meng said, sitting beside him with a cane. "It was noble of you to save Yan Jin, but if you had sacrificed yourself in the process… it wouldn't have been worth it. You must understand, you are the hope of the entire Meng clan. You cannot afford to lose, and neither can our Meng clan."
"Great Aunt, the strong members of the Heavenly Demon Sect have powerful physiques, but their movement techniques aren't particularly fast. I thought I could escape after saving Yan Jin, but who would have thought that a broken nail from that Heavenly Demon Sect member could have such immense power? With just one strike, I was severely injured," Meng Chuan said with shame.
"You've only faced a few opponents, and this one is far stronger than you. He can afford to fail ten times because none of you can hurt him. But if you fail even once, you're finished. When facing such a formidable enemy, you shouldn't rely on luck," Madam Meng shook her head. "Moreover, the members of the Heavenly Demon Sect are traitors to humanity. They practice techniques created by the demon race. Their fighting style resembles that of demons, and they can even cultivate their bodies into weapons! In the future, you must be cautious. If you encounter anyone from the Heavenly Demon Sect, avoid them immediately and stay as far away as possible. Unless you are absolutely certain you can kill them."
"Yes," Meng Chuan obediently replied.
At that moment, Meng Dajiang walked in from outside.
"Father, how's the situation?" Meng Chuan asked urgently.
"The Heavenly Demon Sect member escaped too quickly. We're currently interrogating the members of the Black Wolf Gang," Meng Dajiang said.
"What about the innocent women from the Xianshi Court?" Meng Chuan pressed.
"During the earlier battle, five members of the Black Wolf Gang were killed and three were injured. Six women from the Xianshi Court died, and two were injured. Oh, and we found thirty-eight women imprisoned in the backyard. Chuan'er, you've saved quite a few people," Meng Dajiang said. "There's an underground hall in the Xianshi Court where many female remains were found. The Heavenly Demon Sect members must have been there for a long time, practicing demonic techniques."
Meng Chuan fell silent, feeling deep sorrow for the women who had been killed, and his hatred for the Heavenly Demon Sect grew stronger.
"Master," a servant's voice came from outside. "Zhou He has brought his son, Zhou Qian, and they're here to apologize."
"Apologize?" Meng Dajiang was puzzled. "I'll go see."
...
Great Aunt stayed for a while longer before leaving.
Meng Chuan rested in bed. The demonic energy within him had already been easily expelled by Great Aunt. For a Divine Lord, expelling such a small amount of demonic energy was a trivial matter. However, the injuries to his muscles and bones would take several days to heal. This was only possible because of his strong Divine Lord Physique. An ordinary person would likely need months to recover.
"Chuan'er," Meng Dajiang pushed the door open and entered. "It turns out that the child who came to ask for your help was sent by a young man named Zhou Qian."
"Zhou Qian?" Meng Chuan was puzzled. "I know him. He's a disciple at our Jinghu Taoist Academy. I even gave him some pointers on his swordsmanship today."
Meng Dajiang said, "Hongyu is his personal maid, and they share a close bond. He originally wanted to go and save her himself, but his father, Zhou He, stopped him. So, he secretly sent the child, Tiesheng, to the tavern to seek your help, which led to everything that followed. Who would have thought that all of this stemmed from your fellow disciple at the Taoist Academy? To dare put my son through such a trial, he cannot be let off lightly."
"Father," Meng Chuan said quickly, "I know Zhou Qian quite well. He's quite talented and doesn't have any ill intentions toward me. In his eyes, this was a trivial matter for me. Dealing with the Black Wolf Gang was indeed simple. Running into the Heavenly Demon Sect was just bad luck. We can't blame Zhou Qian for that."
"You," Meng Dajiang shook his head.
He was truly shaken by what happened today!
If it hadn't been for the old servant consuming the Divine Blood Pill to fend off the Heavenly Demon Sect's expert, both his son and Qiyue might have lost their lives. How could Meng Dajiang not be furious with the Zhou family?
"Every grievance has its root, and every debt has its debtor," Meng Chuan persuaded. "That's the principle you taught me, Father."
"Alright, alright, I can let them off, but I can't let them off lightly. After all, he used you and didn't even tell you," Meng Dajiang nodded. "Zhou He brought a treasure, a 'Thousand-Year Ginseng,' worth ten thousand taels. I'll accept it, and we'll consider the matter closed. But that little Zhou Qian still needs to be punished a bit."
Earlier, when Zhou He knelt down to apologize, Meng Dajiang hadn't even bothered to accept it. The Zhou family's entire assets amounted to only tens of thousands of taels, and their liquid silver was even less.
The Thousand-Year Ginseng was something Zhou He had managed to acquire by chance, originally intended for his son's cultivation in the Transfiguration Realm.
Now it was being used as an apology. Zhou He was still worried it might not be enough.
...
"What should I do, what should I do?" Zhou He knelt there, a gift box in front of him, sweat pouring down his face. Beside him, Zhou Qian looked at his father with guilt. "Father, it's all my fault."
"It's too late for that now. Even this apology gift isn't being accepted. It's clear that Elder Meng is still furious with our Zhou family," Zhou He said.
At that moment, Meng Dajiang walked in from outside the hall.
"Elder Meng," Zhou He knelt and begged, "I failed to teach my son properly. You can punish him however you see fit. Our Zhou family will bear no resentment. Please spare our Zhou family this once."
"Since my son has spoken up for you," Meng Dajiang said indifferently, "you may leave the gift. Take your son back and give him a hundred lashes, each one drawing blood. Let him lie in bed and contemplate his actions."
"Yes, yes," Zhou He said with relief. "Even if Elder Meng hadn't said it, I would have punished him severely. Zhou Qian, thank Elder Meng for his magnanimity in sparing your life."
"Thank you, Elder Meng," Zhou Qian also knelt and kowtowed.
"Leave now."
Meng Dajiang frowned and waved his hand.
Zhou He forced a nervous smile and hastily left with Zhou Qian.
Only after they had stepped out of Meng's Mansion did Zhou He finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Father, is our Zhou family safe now?" Zhou Qian asked.
"It should be. He ordered you to be whipped, but he left it to our Zhou family to execute. It's clear he doesn't want your life," Zhou He said coldly. "You owe your gratitude to Senior Brother Meng. If it weren't for his intercession, his father would never have let this go so easily."