“You call this a secret!?”
“In which month he doesn’t snatch a young miss up?”
“Oh wise and skilled young master, can you not heal him?”
“How could he?” Someone huffed, “What good is the young master’s wisdom, High Duke Siao always gets his way, he pampers his two sons, what can one do, I ask?”
“Truly an example of a father spoiling his children!”
“Forget it, the House of High Duke is not too bad at least, if a young miss is snatched up in there, no harm will come to her, rather she becomes a maid of the House of High Duke, many ladies out there would give anything for the two young masters to snatch them up!”
“This is bull, it was supposed to be a kidnapping, fortunately for you, it became something good instead!”
“Who would even dare to go against the High Duke’s wishes? What else can one do aside from surrendering their life!? … Plus it’s not a walk in the park for anyone to become a maid of the House of Duke, it’s very much difficult to pass as one!”
“As I said before, we should let that White Shroud Shen Dao to take care of those two young masters!”
“Hmph, it would be absolutely foolish for the White Shroud Shen Dao to make his move,” Someone huffed in disdain, “No matter how mighty White Shroud Shen Dao may be, to go against the House of Duke? That would truly be imbecilic!”
“True.”
“The House of Duke is too tyrannical, no one would even dare to go against them.”
“Perhaps not, looking at how White Shroud Shen Dao’s pattern, he fears no one, like the kind you find in the Godly Knife Faction, his skill isn’t to be trifled with either, so what if it would be an annihilation? Don’t forget that the Godly Knife Faction Master is a grandmaster!”
“If one can kill a grandmaster, then that person could rule above all!”
“Aside from the emperor, none can do anything to him!”
“Who proclaimed so?”
“Who?”
“The monks of the Temple of Tempest!”
“… True.”
The moment the Temple of Tempest was mentioned, all of them fell silent.
As impressive a grandmaster may be, it would be futile when faced against the Temple of Tempest, the mystical martial arts of Temple of Tempest were beyond fathomable, and could effortlessly take down a grandmaster.
The apprentices who betrayed the Temple of Tempest were no less than grandmasters, their downfall would be imprisonment in the temple, and punished according to their laws.
In recent years, any perished grandmasters, most of them were killed by the hands of the Temple of Tempest.
Moreover, rumors had it, that there existed an enlightened master within the Temple of Tempest.
Upon hearing about the Temple of Tempest, Chu Li furrowed his brows, and recalled the martial arts previously innovated by Fa Yuan and a few others.
If they encountered them again, he can’t guarantee that they’ll win, the foundation of the Temple of Tempest was too vast, and possessed near endless secrets of mystical martial arts, none could protect themselves from everything they could throw.
“Look, look, the second young master’s snatching up a young miss again!” Someone shouted.
“Hurray!” Many flocked to the windows, forming a crowd to look below.
Chu Li sat near the windows, around six men gathered at his side soon enough, and peeked out to catch a glimpse of below.
Chu Li stepped back, away from the window, took a seat at the other side of the table, and observed in his mind.
Lu Yu Shu was seated on his horse, his features dashing, his snow white horse majestic, his entire clothing bathed in shades of white, his eyes imbued with spirit.
The white horse galloped slowly across the wide street, in a relaxed pace.
Two elders followed closely beside Lu Yu Shu, four young guardsmen in front of him, a greenish litter at his back, four muscular porters carried it in such a stable manner, sounds of a woman sobbing can be heard from inside the litter, careful to not be heard by curious ears.
Through his Omniscient Mirror, he could clearly make out a young beauty, her acupuncture was sealed, frozen on her seat, eyes swollen red, her tears streamed endlessly, sobbing ever so softly that it was almost endearing to one’s ears if not for her predicament.
Chu Li furrowed his brows.
The grandiose Ren Public House, Lu Yu Lou who was known for his mastery in martial arts, and the tactically keen Lu Yu Rong, could allow this child who’s spoiled with riches to soil the House of Duke’s name, truly laughable!
The House of Duke’s reputation’s reach in the martial arts realm was as fearsome as the claws of an eagle, recognized by the thousands, adding this act from Lu Yu Shu, it infuriated them further, even attracting abhorrence from the public.
Chu Li raised his brow, then suddenly furrowed his brows.
He noticed amongst the crowd’s reactions, none of them shown any distaste in the matter, rather a wave of excitement washed over, as if they were envious of whoever’s in the litter.
The thought had him helplessly shaking his head, human behavior is truly hard to fathom.
“Which house’s young miss was snatched up this time around?”
“Who knows, so lucky!”
“That may not be the case, what if she doesn’t want to enter the House of Duke?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“Only this method of entering the House isn’t one to admire about.”
“No matter, it’s great so long as you can go in!”
“Fortune has smiled upon this poor girl, from now on, she will be dressed in fine silks, meat in her meals, showered with luxurious clothing and food, taking the next huge step to a better life!”
Chu Li tapped his blade, and shook his head in bittersweetness.
Lu Yu Shu swayed his horse left and right, people willingly cleared a path, eyes locked onto them as they left.
“Good sir, it’s my first time in this prefecture, may I ask what’s going on here?” Chu Li approached a young man, smiled as he asked, “This is a forced kidnapping, yet why aren’t you all angry?”
The eyes of this young man widened, seemed sincere, shook his head as he sat in front of Chu Li, and huffed, “It would be a lie to say we’re not mad.”
Chu Li nodded, now this was normal.
“But aside from this from the House of Duke, everything else was good, martial arts is forbidden in the city, the masters of the martial arts world acted accordingly as well, even the public do not fear them.” The forthright young man smiled as he said, “This alone, appeases everyone more than enough.”
Chu Li nodded, this was what Chong Ming Town’s like, so was Qing Shan Town.
The sincere young man continued, “And under the House of Duke’s iron fist, the guards and patrols are reliable, fair as they served everyone here, if not for the House of Duke’s close watch on them, no way we would be this fortunate!”
“The House of Duke have such a grand reputation?” Chu Li smiled as he asked.
The sincere young man replied, “The other Houses of Duke are no good, only the Ren Public House can pull this off!”
“Why’s that?”
“Lady Lu is beyond impressive!” The sincere young man gave a solid thumbs up, a look of admiration upon him as he exclaimed, “The young missus is so brilliant in tactics, no men could even hold a candle to her! … At first, the guards and patrols were unmoved, then the young missus sorted them out, and at last they became honest and loyal!”
“Well then…” Chu Li nodded slowly.
If it was Lu Yu Rong, he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.
With Lu Yu Rong’s brilliance in strategizing, it would be more than enough to put two old officials into compliance.
“Overall, aside from the second eldest young master in the House of Duke, the eldest young master and the young mistress are great.” The sincere young man exclaimed, “Everyone has flaws, even the House of Duke, the public could afford to tolerate as well.”
“Thank you for sharing.” Chu Li smiled as he replied.
Looking through his Omniscient Mirror, Lu Yu Shu trotted across the big street on his horse, casually as he went, an air of nobility around him, looking down upon all, completely ignoring everyone around him.
Lu Yu Shu sneered in his mind, “Laugh all you want, if I was to be afraid of being laughed at, then I wouldn’t be much of a young master of the House of Duke!”
“Hmph! A whole lot of foolish peasants they are, what do they know of my hardship!”
“Sigh…..! This is all little sister’s idea, to have me bearing it all, to carry out this sort of lowlife act, I only have my own heritage to blame, one that was not of pure royal blood.”
“Young sis always stirred trouble as she went, yet always pampered by father, everyone would act as she wished, one can only imagine how this will go down as time passes, who’s the lord of the House of Duke anyway!?”
“Hehe, big brother must be frustrated as well, he would’ve loved to marry her away much earlier, if not for the fact that she doesn’t like men, despite men, fancy only women!”
“I’m the one who snatched up all these women, yet they’re all to be sent to little sis, how unfair of God is to myself!”
After peeking in till this point, Chu Li was surprised of what he found.
The women Lu Yu Shu kidnapped were all sent to Lu Yu Rong? Lu Yu Rong fancied women?
Chu Li rubbed his forehead, a smile found its way onto his face, this was very much intriguing!
“Hold it right there!” Suddenly a voice sliced through the air, reverberated across the street.