Chapter 108: Uninvited Guest

In the courtyard of the Tang family household, a young man in flowing white with handsome features and an extraordinary aura had now become the center of attention.

"Young Master Donghuang, Lady Zixi, please." The Tang family chief, Tang Liunian, bowed courteously as he led the two of them to the eastern side of the courtyard where the grand banquet table was. As everybody watched on, Tang Liunian invited the young man to the main seat at the table.

That was a seat that even the three elders from the top tycoon families of the city had never sat at before. Seeing this, many of those from the grand families or tycoon families could not help but gasp, "Even the Chu royal family would not receive such treatment."

At that same time, at another round table in the western side of the courtyard, a plump, middle-aged man in a gown smiled at another man at the table and said, "Chief Yang, your family has really produced a phoenix..."

This man, who was known as the Yang family chief, was none other than Yang Yunji, the uncle of Yang Zixi.

Despite his laughing demeanor, this plump man was gloating. The Yang family had indeed produced a phoenix. But that phoenix had been kicked out of the household by Yang Yunji!

With that, the rest of the people at the table also looked at Yang Yunji as if they were mocking his misfortune. With all of them being inferior grand families, they naturally did not wish for someone else to suddenly rise in prominence.

Despite his efforts to control himself, Yang Yunji's expression was dark. Breathing in deeply, he ignored the plump man's words, but his gaze could not help but land on the main table in the eastern side.

A young lady, as beautiful as a piece of art, sat beside the young man. Even the tycoon family chief, Tang Liunian, whom he had to treat so respectfully, was courteous towards her.

"If I had not kicked her out of the family, if she was still part of the Yang family..." Thinking of this, Yang Yunji sighed heavily. In that instant, he seemed to age by decades.

Months ago, for his own benefit, for the family's benefit, he had unintentionally killed his own brother and chased this niece out of the family. Afterwards, the young man had barged into the Shi family and injured the old Shi family chief, Shi Ji, and killed the current chief, Shi Hao. Then, he had realized his folly. Later, out of anger over Shi Hao's death, the Shi family had chosen to no longer work with the Yang family, causing the family to return to their original state. Then, he was even more regretful. He had sacrificed so much in order to gain the support of the Shi family, but in the end, it was all for nothing!

...

"Head Elder, is he the young man that Jiapei had mentioned previously, Zhou Donghuang?" the Ren family chief, Ren Tianhang, asked quietly.

Back then, his daughter had said before that this young man had broken into the Shi family and had not only defeated the Shi old family chief but also killed the chief, Shi Hao. He had not believed it then. After all, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old could not possibly have such power, even if he were a disciple of the Valley of Medicine Masters. But now, seeing the scene that had unfolded before him, and remembering what his daughter had said earlier, he realized that she may have been speaking the truth.

"It is him," the Ren family head elder, Ren Qiong, finally recovered from his shock and smiled bitterly. "Before he left our household, I had met him before. Now that I think of it, at that time First Lady had reminded me that I would regret chasing them away... Back then, I did not heed her words, but now, it seems that she was serious."

Now, Ren Qiong was indeed regretting his decision. If he had not chased the two of them out of the Ren household, even if the young man had not joined the Ren family, but he would be of immense to the family.

"That girl also reminded me of the same thing, but I ignored her." Ren Tianhang shook his head sadly. He was certain that many people would be fighting to get into the young man's good books after today. As the chief of a middle grand family, he could not compare to the rest of them.

...

"Now, we can be sure that the benefactor that the Tang family hosted this banquet for is none other than Zhou Donghuang." Shi Yan, the second elder of the Shi family, said seriously to the first young master, Shi Yu. "Looks like he really is a level-nine adept!"

Although Zhou Donghuang had defeated his father, the former Shi family chief, Shi Ji, they could not confirm whether Zhou Donghuang was a level-nine adept or a top level-eight adept. But now, seeing that Zhou Donghuang was the benefactor who had saved the three members of the Tang family from a level-nine grizzly bear, Shi Yan was certain that Zhou Donghuang was a level-nine adept.

"Level-nine adept..." Shi Yu was bitter. Although the family could not avenge his father, knowing that he was a level-nine adept, he felt even more hopeless.

"Who is this man?"

"Someone from a small town, how could he reach such a level at such a young age?" Shi Yu's eyes were filled with doubt. "When the men I sent to Yunfeng prefecture return, we'll find out if he was really born there... if he really has no background, he must have some hidden secret to be able to achieve this at such an age! Maybe... he received some special treasure that gave him such strength. Adepts at the connate stage should not have the ability to keep such treasures... but the legends say that magnificent practitioners who have reached the primordial core stage may be able to keep such treasures!" Shi Yu's eyes glinted. "Of course, even if he had such a treasure, I, or even the Shi family, would not be able to take it from him. We can only make use of the treasure to serve our purpose! Since we can't steal it, why not we make it known to everyone that he has such a treasure? The Chu royal household or even the imperial family would surely be interested in the treasure!" Shi Yu's eyes glinted fervently.

Shi Yu had never forgotten his father's death, so he had sent someone a few months ago to check on the young man's background in Yunfeng prefecture.

...

At the eastern main table of the Tang family courtyard.

"Elders, this Young Master Donghuang is my benefactor who saved me from the grizzly bear about ten days ago in the Lost Forest," introduced Tang Liunian as Zhou Donghuang sat down at the table with the three other elders. His eyes glinted as he added, "Young Master Donghuang killed a full-grown grizzly bear himself with just one strike!"

His words earlier were enough to surprise the three elders. After all, working together with the three others to scare off the grizzly bear, and killing the bear were two entirely different affairs. However, Tang Liunian's last sentence shocked the three elders entirely as they looked at each other incredulously.

Killing a full-grown grizzly bear with just one strike?

Just this young man alone?

Tang Liunian took the chance to introduce the three elders to the young man:

Third Elder of the Ouyang family, Ouyang Zhen.

Second Elder of the Liu family, Liu Xuyang.

Fourth Elder of the Lv family, Lv Zhongan.

The Ouyang family, Liu family and Lv family were the three most powerful families beneath the Chu royal household. The three elders were all level-nine adepts similar to Tang Liunian.

"Chief Tang, are you speaking the truth?" Ouyang Zhen asked seriously. The other two men looked at the young man as if they doubted Tang Liunian's story.

"Young Master!" Suddenly, an anxious voice rang from the entrance of the courtyard, loud enough that it could be heard over all the chatter.

"Fu?" Hearing the familiar voice, Zhou Donghuang, who had been sitting calmly at the table, stood up instantly. Fu would not have rushed here if it was not a serious matter, nor would he be so flustered.

"Young Master Donghuang." As Zhou Donghuang turned to Fu, he realized that there was another man beside him. It was none other than Lu Qinghu, the chief of the preeminent Lu family from Yunfeng prefecture. But now, Lu Qinghu was not only in shambles but injured all over his body.

"What happened?!" Zhou Donghuang's expression changed immediately. Four months ago, he had gotten Fu to send a messenger on a ferghana horse to inform Lu Qinghu to personally escort his mother, Lin Lan and his sister Yun Lu to the Chu royal city. But now, seeing Lu Qinghu severely injured, he could not help but feel a sense of worry.

Thud!

Lu Qinghu fell to his knees as he cried remorsefully, "Young Master Donghuang, I was useless, I could not take good care of Madam Lin Lan and Lady Yun Lu... they've been abducted!"