Upon hearing these words...
Wang Ziyu narrowed his eyes.
A touch of vicissitude and indifference, completely incongruous with his appearance, manifested on his face.
At this moment, he finally revealed the demeanor befitting a direct descendant of Taie.
"If that is the case, why didn't you say so from the beginning?"
Lu Changfeng gave a bitter smile.
If he had spoken plainly, who knew if a direct descendant of Taie would be willing to be embroiled in such matters of Karma?
The Lu family appeared glorious, but in reality, they were walking a tightrope over a cliff.
He, Lu Changfeng, had grand ambitions; every step he took had to be cautious, as if treading on thin ice.
Explaining it now...
Firstly, it served as a preamble to test the other party's bottom line and attitude.
Secondly... it could be considered a gesture of sincerity, a way to garner some goodwill in this transaction.
Seeing that Lu Changfeng remained silent and only wore that bitter smile,
Wang Ziyu also understood the other's intentions.
He was indeed the most outstanding Qilin of the Lu family's current generation; his mind was truly profound.
However.
Even though he knew it was intentional, it was somewhat easier to accept now.
If the other party had been blunt from the start, he might truly have been unwilling to get involved in the Lu family's affairs and would have simply walked away.
But now... since he was already in the game and the other party had laid their cards on the table,
The fig leaf had been torn away, and they could speak with total honesty.
Of course.
The most important reason wasn't that.
Why would his Master have him follow Jiang Yuechu just to see the world? It wasn't that simple.
The deeper reason was nothing more than valuing the young girl's talent.
It is easy to add flowers to a brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow.
He was meant to forge a good affinity with her before she fully matured.
If her talent were poor, there would be no need to associate with her.
If she had already soared to the heavens, why would she care about him?
Only at a time like this.
The Great Tang was swaying in the wind and rain; though the girl was strong, she was a lone tree unable to support the forest.
Since he had decided to befriend her... then he... would give this girl a hand.
Thinking of this,
His expression turned indifferent as he said slowly, "I want you to personally accompany us and help us transition to the Incense Path."
Hmm?
Lu Changfeng was somewhat surprised.
He looked up, eyeing the child before him with a strange gaze.
"Fellow Daoist, you are a direct descendant of Taie, a brilliant student of the Xuanzhen Grotto-Heaven; you are on a proper, smooth path toward the Great Dao."
"Why switch to the Incense Path? Wouldn't that be cutting off your own future?"
Furthermore, if he wanted to switch paths, would Taie ever agree?
If word got out...
That the Lu family had helped him become an Incense Cultivator,
Immortal Master Thirteen Wu would likely come killing with his sword and level the Lu family's Qifeng Ridge.
Wang Ziyu shook his head and didn't hide it, pointing a finger toward the door. "It is not that I want it, but the territory that girl is in requires it."
"That woman?"
Lu Changfeng was momentarily stunned.
Then he reacted, his pupils shrinking slightly.
"Taie... does this woman... truly have such weight?"
He knew Jiang Yuechu was extraordinary—to have such cultivation at her age and to have a direct descendant of Taie willing to follow her... but he hadn't expected her to be *this* extraordinary.
Even after he had offered such conditions, the other party actually chose to ask for the Lu family's help for that woman?
Wang Ziyu said meaningfully, "Her weight is even greater than you imagine."
"Young Lord Lu, having one more friend is always better than having one more enemy, even if Taie, as a top-tier Dao Lineage, doesn't care much about such things..."
"But if it's... a friend who might stand at the mountain's peak in the future."
"..."
Hearing this,
Lu Changfeng asked no more questions.
He only calculated silently in his heart.
If even a figure like Thirteen Wu was willing to place a bet on her,
Could the Lu family... also... The night grew deep.
On Qifeng Ridge, the red maples were like fire, their shadows flickering as they were swept by the mountain wind.
Outside the suspended pavilion,
Jiang Yuechu leaned against the vermilion railing, her arms crossed and her eyes slightly closed.
Although she had verbally sold that old kid out completely,
She couldn't actually ignore him.
If Lu Changfeng really was a reckless person with ill intentions,
Or if he truly met with some mishap,
She would burst through the door at the first moment.
She would first decapitate that man named Lu, then turn Qifeng Ridge upside down.
However,
The banquet had been set for half an hour now,
Yet there was no movement at all inside.
Running Ox, squatting on the ground, finally couldn't hold back.
The dark fellow shifted his buttocks and leaned toward the girl, his dark face full of conflict. "This... something seems wrong, doesn't it?"
Jiang Yuechu didn't open her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
Running Ox swallowed hard and said strangely, "If that Lu guy really made a move, with the little Daoist's personality, shouldn't he be smashing cups and bowls and crying for his parents? Even if he were restrained, there should at least be some noise, right?"
The corner of Jiang Yuechu's mouth curled slightly, but her eyes remained closed.
"Then in your view, what is the situation?"
Hearing this, Running Ox suddenly got excited.
He straightened up, paced a couple of steps on the plank path, and put on the air of an expert, shaking his head. "In my opinion, this is looking grim!"
"Think about it. That Lu family Young Lord has a fair, greasy face and looks like he's suffering from a lack of nourishment but still loves that 'particular taste.' And the little Daoist? He's got red lips, white teeth, and tender skin—practically a fresh meat bun out of the steamer."
"If a meat bun hits a dog, can there be any good outcome?"
At this point, the black ox slapped his thigh hard, his eyes wide as he said with great seriousness:
"Could it be that the guy named Lu used some soul-bewitching method, or drugged the wine? Taking the little Daoist off guard and knocking him out cold?"
"Right now, he's probably already been stripped bare, washed clean, and laid out on the couch..."
The dark fellow's words became more and more outrageous as he spoke with increasing vigor.
His dark face even showed a mix of horror and lewdness, and his two not-yet-fully-human ox ears flapped vigorously.
"Do you think we should rush in and save him? If we're late, I'm afraid the little Daoist... his chastity will be lost, and he won't be able to show his face in the future!"
Jiang Yuechu looked at this black ox who was talking nonsense.
She couldn't help but kick him. "Can't they just be enjoying themselves as host and guest? Does it have to be those filthy things in your ox brain?"
Running Ox took the kick and didn't dare dodge, just shrinking his neck and saying sheepishly, "I'm just worried about the little Daoist's safety... That pretty boy Lu doesn't look like a simple character. The little Daoist is so tender, I'm afraid he can't take it."
Before he could finish his sentence,
Jiang Yuechu's slightly closed eyes snapped open.
In her clear eyes, a piercing crimson light was reflected.
In the horizon,
Rumble—
A dull thunder rolled across the firmament.
The ink-black night sky was suddenly torn apart.
Surging crimson light streaked across, carrying a world-shaking malevolent Aura, and crashed brutally into the territory of Qifeng Ridge.
There was no deceleration whatsoever.
Nor was there the slightest bit of etiquette.
In the blink of an eye, it was above everyone's heads.
Immediately after,
A massive explosion shook the mountain forest.
It crashed heavily onto the peak of Qifeng Ridge.
"What manner of Prodigy dares to trespass upon my Lu family's Qifeng Ridge!"
A roar erupted.
Dozens of light streaks flew up from the foot of the ridge; they were all elites of the Lu family dressed in green robes.
Several Elders with deep Auras stood solemnly in mid-air, surrounding the intruder.
The Southern Dipper Six Stars Formation hummed into operation, starlight cascading down as they faced a great enemy.
Inside the deep crater,
Heat waves rolled, and crimson tongues of fire licked the charred earth and stone.
A burly figure slowly stepped out from the thick smoke and intense fire.
When they saw the figure's true appearance, the Lu family cultivators, who had been aggressive just a moment ago, suddenly had their pupils shrink.
What kind of ferocious image was this?
A hideous wolf's head with saw-like fangs, and a pair of golden eyes that shot out cold starlight.
The top of its head was bald, with a crimson mane, and its ears were large and fanned out, listening in all directions.
It wore Golden Chain-Link Armor that shone brilliantly, and a Linglong belt tied around its waist with colorful Qi floating about.
On its feet were a pair of green-trimmed war boots, its Aura like a surging rainbow.
It was unarmed, yet its entire body was wreathed in flames, like a fire dragon coiling around it.
What a sight of a Devil King!
What an enlightened demon immortal!
"It's... it's the Demon Emperor Crimson Heaven!!"
An elderly Lu family Elder cried out in terror.
Facing the crowd's terror,
The Demon Emperor narrowed his golden pupils.
The corners of his mouth slowly pulled back, revealing a row of sharp white teeth:
"Since you behold this Emperor..."
"Why do you not bow?!"