C550 No Enemy to be Reckoned with

After the empire changed hands, Yu Yuan's fame spread far and wide, a name familiar to every scion of the great families.

Before his departure from the empire, the stir he caused in Darkmoon City was nothing short of spectacular.

Su Kui and Su Kang, the esteemed elders of the Su family, had both borne witness to his deeds.

Su Yin had even met his end at Yu Yuan's own hand.

So, it was baffling that any member of the Su family would dare to challenge him after Su Xiangtian had revealed his association with Yuan Lianyao, accusing him of being impolite.

Yu Yuan shook his head gently and narrowed his eyes, turning his gaze to the impetuous Su family member standing behind Su Xiangtian.

A young man in his twenties, he was in the middle stage of the Yellow Court, tall and strikingly handsome with a distinctive green and black triangular mark on his forehead—a mark that was acquired, not innate.

"Su Che! Show some respect!"

Su Xiangtian's voice cut through the air, a stern command for the young man to hold his tongue.

"Explain yourself—who's being rude?" Yuan Lianyao's lips curled into a smile, her gaze shifting to the youth named Su Che, her eyes swirling with a lethal glint. "Even your grandfather, Su Kui, wouldn't dare such insolence in my presence. You, an untested lamb, presume to challenge a lion and tiger? Where do you find such audacity?"

Chastised, Su Che's face flushed a mottled mix of colors as he hung his head, not daring to meet her gaze.

For some reason, Su Che appeared unusually meek in Yuan Lianyao's presence, a stark contrast to his demeanor towards Yu Yuan.

Observing this, Yu Yuan let out a soft laugh, then suddenly drew Yuan Lianyao close, wrapping an arm around the waist of the empire's most captivating beauty and pulling her to his side.

He wore a mischievous grin as he fixed his eyes on Su Che.

Su Che, with his head bowed, suddenly bristled with anger. His face turned beet red as he pointed at Yu Yuan and exclaimed indignantly, "Release her! How dare you treat City Lord Yuan with such disrespect!"

In that moment, Su Che resembled a combative porcupine, his quills raised in defiance.

The dark green mark between his eyebrows silently released tendrils of greenish-black smoke, making his face suddenly appear fierce and menacing.

"I'm being rude, what are you going to do about it?" Yu Yuan laughed heartily.

He had it all figured out.

This young man from the Su family was none other than an admirer of Yuan Lianyao. He had probably been smitten with this "blazing red lotus" for more than just a day or two.

He was well aware of who he was and that he was out of his league, yet he still had the audacity to be insolent. It must have been jealousy driving him to lose his senses.

The beauty by his side was renowned throughout the empire, a fact he was well aware of.

Yet, he hadn't anticipated that this member of the Su family would lack such discernment.

In the current state of the empire, the Su family was on an inevitable decline. Su Che was the least of his concerns; even Su Xiangtian didn't intimidate him.

"Yu Yuan, don't get too cocky. You think that..." Su Che began to protest.

Su Xiangtian's face turned ice-cold as he commanded, "Silence!"

Su Che, about to continue his tirade, felt a shiver run through him and instantly fell silent.

"My apologies, I have failed in my discipline," Su Xiangtian said with a slight bow, offering an apology to Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao. "Su Che, stop making a spectacle of yourself. Come with me this instant!"

With that, he strode away.

Su Che cast a longing glance at Yuan Lianyao, feeling a pang in his heart.

Three years earlier, as a young boy, he had caught his first glimpse of Yuan Lianyao in Silvermoon City. Just hearing her speak to someone else had sparked an admiration that consumed his every thought.

Despite Yuan Lianyao's less than stellar reputation in the empire, he had sought the truth from his grandfather, Su Kui, and learned that the slander against her was born of envy—not reality.

Because of this, he had visited Darkmoon City numerous times, silently observing Yuan Lianyao in the places she frequented.

Regrettably, Yuan Lianyao had never truly noticed him.

Now, the woman of his dreams was in the embrace of the Su family's enemy, the young lord of the Yu family.

The goddess he longed for was not only unangered but also showed a shyness and a barely concealed delight he had never seen before.

His heart was in agony.

He cursed his own lack of power. If only he were the head of the Su family, he might not have been able to restrain himself from confronting Yu Yuan.

"Yu Yuan!"

"Red Devil Sect! Yuan Lianyao!"

As Su Xiangtian led Su Che away from the area, the gazes of wandering cultivators throughout the city converged upon them, their faces etched with astonishment.

Su Xiangtian had whispered their names earlier, barely audible.

Yu Yuan and Yuan Lianyao had approached because they recognized him and took notice.

The rest were indifferent.

But when Su Che, in a fit of anger, bellowed "Yu Yuan," his voice boomed, capturing the interest of the more observant onlookers.

Beside Yu Yuan stood a woman in a striking red gown, stunning and alluring; her identity was clear to all.

"Aren't you going to let go?"

As eyes turned their way, Yuan Lianyao gave him a playful scowl. "Is this to irritate that boy? How childish can you be?"

"I have no fondness for anyone from the Su family, except for Su Yan," Yu Yuan replied with a chuckle, releasing his hold.

"Little Su Yan looks up to you. Do you think it's proper to embrace me so warmly in front of her father?" Yuan Lianyao asked with a smile.

"It doesn't bother me. As long as it feels right," Yu Yuan responded nonchalantly.

"Aren't you worried about gossip with all these eyes on us?" she pressed.

"What's there to worry about? Haven't there always been whispers and rumors behind my back, whether it's at Crack Archipelago or Rosy Island?" Yu Yuan scanned the crowd, locking eyes with several onlookers. "The only thing that matters is if you're not bothered."

"I have nothing to fear. My reputation in the empire is already tarnished; the label of being promiscuous is well-known. What more could I possibly worry about?" Yuan Lianyao spoke with an edge of nervousness, her gaze fixed on Yu Yuan, seeking his reaction.

"Disregard the filth," Yu Yuan said earnestly, his eyes clear. "I've never given such thoughts any credence, nor do I believe the rumors."

At his words, Yuan Lianyao's smile bloomed like a divine flower. She looped her arm through his, "Let's take a stroll and enjoy ourselves."

Even Old Cash, who had deliberately kept his distance, could see that this radiant red lotus was brimming with happiness.

Old Cash understood that she was indifferent to the opinions and judgments of others; her only concern was Yu Yuan's perspective, and she hoped earnestly that he would trust her.

Her elation was boundless, fueled by Yu Yuan's response, which had left her thoroughly pleased.

"The mark on the young man's forehead rings a bell for me," Old Cash murmured, "it seems to be the handiwork of a formidable independent cultivator. That cultivator was once a prominent figure in the Absence Relic, a peer of mine, and we even had our run-ins back in the day."

"He departed the Relic much earlier than I did. After nearly a century in hiding, his whereabouts remained a mystery, and he never resurfaced. But the emergence of that mark on the young man's forehead suggests he's likely returned."

Yuan Lianyao was taken aback. "Su Che was brought here by Su Xiangtian. Could there be a connection?"

Following the empire's shift in power, the Yan family rose to royal status, backed by the Devil Palace.

The Zhao family of Darkmoon City and the Zhan family, to which Zhan Tianxiang belonged, were inextricably linked to the Demon Palace.

Consequently, the Devil Moon Empire's allegiances now tilted towards the Quietus Continent.

Su Yan's induction into the Taiyuan Sect by Su Xiangtian not only made her a disciple but also tied the Su family to the sect's fate.

Yet, the empire's vast turmoil, particularly the downfall of the Lee family, had drastically altered the political landscape.

Families with strong ties to the seven lower sects of the Heavenly Source Continent were inevitably marginalized by the Yan family.

Su Xiangtian, it seemed, would need to forge a new path to ensure his family's resurgence.

Su Che, having caught the eye of a rogue cultivator of Old Cash's former stature and becoming his sole disciple, might prove to be a significant boon for the Su family's future prospects.

His arrival in the Absence Relic and this city likely had a purpose—to rendezvous with the enigmatic cultivator who had secretly returned.

"A mere independent cultivator," Yu Yuan guffawed. "No matter his strength, if he's from the Absence Relic and wishes to return, he poses no real threat."

Old Cash nodded in agreement. "Exactly."

For a solitary practitioner like him to gain a foothold in today's Absence Relic, securing Yu Zhu's consent was an essential first step.

Yu Zhu, having pledged allegiance to the Demon Palace, had solidified her position in the Absence Relic with the organization's support. Her unique status there was even recognized by the three major upper sects of the Heavenly Source Continent.

With Yu Zhu presiding over the Absence Relic, who would be bold enough to challenge her?

If the rogue cultivator was aware of the connection between Yu Yuan and Yu Zhu, surely he wouldn't foolishly provoke Yu Yuan over a mere disciple?

"Yu Yuan..."

A chilling elder stood on a balcony of a building, dozens of meters away. With a swift gesture, he reached out and yanked something toward him.

A gaunt, sinister man, frozen solid within a massive block of ice, was dragged forth.

This icy prisoner was none other than Lim Hanyu, Yu Yuan's father-in-law by name.

The patriarch of the Lim family, who had repeatedly ventured to Darkmoon City with ill intentions towards Yu Yuan and the Yu family, was now ironically encased in ice and held captive.

Inside his frigid cell, Lim Hanyu's expression was vacant, his eyes hollow as if resigned to a silent demise.

The frosty elder, as if worried Yu Yuan might miss the spectacle, flicked beams of ice from his fingertips, striking the ice block and causing it to resonate with a metallic ring.

At last, Yu Yuan was roused.

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