Chapter 23: Colluding Together

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Volume One: Entering a New World

Volume One: Entering a New World

Zuan had been observing the carriage in the center for a while. The moment he first saw it, he was struck by its grandeur and luxurious feel.

“Is that a Rolls-Royce?” Even though their appearances were completely different, the word still popped into Zuan’s mind.

No matter the world, aesthetics are generally similar. Every inch of the carriage’s paintwork seemed like a work of art, and every line embodied the master’s painstaking effort. Even the four magnificent horses pulling it were identical in physique and coat color, extraordinarily divine.

Faint blue light shimmered on the wheels, carriage body, and even the horses’ hooves, clearly indicating intricate magic formations. These allowed the carriage to glide over any terrain as if on flat ground, ensuring not the slightest bump for its occupants.

Zuan had once ridden in the Chu family’s carriage, but it paled in comparison to the one before him in every aspect.

Just then, a pleasant female voice came from within the carriage: “Go? Where can I go?” The voice naturally carried a hint of lazy tenderness, melting one’s heart upon hearing it.

However, her tone at that moment seemed full of bewilderment.

“There’s such a beautiful voice in the world?” Ji Xiaoxi, listening from afar, was stunned and couldn’t help but murmur to herself. Zuan, on the other hand, was rather unimpressed. The advanced state of the internet in his previous world, especially the flourishing of voice actors, had exposed him to countless pleasant voices. But a good voice didn't necessarily mean a good appearance; he knew how many male otaku had been utterly deceived by this misconception.

The group of black-clad men below were also momentarily dazed at first, but soon burst into wild laughter. “Lady Yu is indeed inside! Brothers, push harder! We might even get a taste of the former capital’s most beautiful woman!”

Hearing his words, the black-clad men roared with excitement, clearly growing more agitated.

The white-clad guards’ eyes were all bloodshot, but they were outnumbered. Even with a burst of their full power, it was difficult to withstand the surging attacks from all directions.

“Ah, so it’s her!” Ji Xiaoxi exclaimed.

Zuan asked, intrigued, “What? You know the person in the carriage?”

Ji Xiaoxi shook her head. “It’s not that I know her personally, but I know *of* her. The Yu family from Cloudview deals in elemental stones and and is renowned as one of the world’s richest families. And Lady Yu Yanluo, the mistress of the Yu family, was said to have outshone all other beauties when she first arrived in the capital. She’s famously beautiful, and countless men still pine for her.”

As she spoke, her face flushed, feeling a bit embarrassed to mention how her own father proclaimed himself Lady Yu Yanluo’s number one fan.

After hearing this, Zuan was puzzled. “From what you’ve said, her family should be very powerful. Why can’t they even fend off these bandits?”

Ji Xiaoxi immediately corrected him. “Black Wind Mountain is not just any bandit group; they’re incredibly formidable. Even the Duke—”

Before she could finish, Zuan interrupted, “No matter how formidable, aren’t they still just bandits? The Yu family is a nationally renowned wealthy clan, and as you said, their mistress is unbelievably beautiful. By rights, she should attract the covetous gaze of powerful forces from all sides. With the level of guards they’re displaying now, how has she survived until now without being seized by a strong individual as a plaything?”

“Uh…” Ji Xiaoxi was clearly unaccustomed to his use of words like “plaything.” After a moment’s thought, she said, “Perhaps it’s because her husband’s family is that of the Duke of Cloudview. But recently, the Duke of Cloudview seems to have died in an accident, causing some internal family turmoil, which might have affected her personal guard strength.”

“More internal squabbles among large families.” Zuan nodded empathetically. He had only been in the Chu family for two days and had already encountered countless assassination attempts. Someone like Yu Yanluo must have faced far more complicated situations than him.

“Is the leader down there the great bandit Chen Xuan you just mentioned?” Zuan pointed to the black-clad leader.

Ji Xiaoxi shook her head. “It shouldn’t be him. You see, Chen Xuan is at least a Rank Six expert, possibly even Rank Seven. None of these people below are even Rank Five.”

“By the way, I’ve always wanted to ask you something: How do you usually distinguish an enemy’s rank?” Zuan thought to himself, “This isn’t like a game where everyone has a level indicator above their head.” This was his biggest headache; he knew too little about the common knowledge of this world. If he encountered a crisis, not knowing the enemy’s strength would put him at a significant disadvantage.

After all, not everyone is Plum Blossom Twelve, foolish enough to openly state their rank.

“You don’t even know that?” Ji Xiaoxi was a little surprised but patiently explained, “Rank One senses the world’s elemental energy. Rank Two has tough skin and can resist ordinary sword attacks. Rank Three can project elemental energy up to three feet from their body, forming armor or protective shields to defend against attacks. Rank Four can unleash internal energy for long-range attacks. Rank Five awakens elemental abilities, with each attack carrying a special elemental property. Rank Six forms an elemental protective membrane, resisting and being immune to elemental attacks. Rank Seven automatically recovers from injuries; against lower-ranked enemies, the damage they inflict is less than the amount recovered. Rank Eight can communicate with the power of heaven and earth, wielding vastly greater strength than before. I’m not very clear about ranks above that, only that they seem to be able to fly and such.”

“None of the people below can perform elemental attacks, so clearly there’s no one above Rank Five among them. The leader should be Bao Gang, the third-in-command of Black Wind Mountain.”

“I see!” After hearing her explanation, Zuan observed the battle below again. He was no longer bewildered as before and could now make a preliminary assessment of everyone’s strength.

Most of these black-clad men were Rank Two, a few were Rank Three, and the leader was Rank Four.

Connecting this to what he had learned previously: a Rank Four could be a city lord in a small city, and a Rank Three could be a county magistrate or sheriff in a small town. Indeed, these were no ordinary bandits.

The leader of the Yu family guards was also Rank Four, and the remaining few were all Rank Three. Clearly, those of lower ranks wouldn’t have survived until now. Unfortunately, they were at a numerical disadvantage and ultimately faced defeat.

“Who’s there?” The black-clad leader suddenly turned his head. It turned out that their conversation had become a little too loud, and he had detected them.

“You should leave quickly,” Ji Xiaoxi said, startled, to Zuan. She had come here to rescue people, and Zuan had accompanied her. She didn’t want him to be in danger because of her.

Unfortunately, the medicinal powder she carried had almost run out while they were in the mountains, so she wasn’t sure if it would be enough to deal with this group.

“What about you?” Zuan was a little surprised. Was this young girl planning to stay behind and hold off the enemies by herself?

“Don’t worry, I can protect myself, and my father is Ji Dengtu. They probably wouldn’t dare touch me,” Ji Xiaoxi said quickly.

Zuan shook his head. “They dare to target the world-renowned Yu family. What’s a daughter of a local divine physician to them?”

Ji Xiaoxi hesitated, wanting to say that her father was actually very formidable, but before she could, Zuan quickly told her, “Hide well, don’t come out.”

With that, he leaped out directly. “Halt! In broad daylight, under a clear sky, how dare you people commit violence in the streets!”

Ji Xiaoxi’s mouth gaped open. Was he insane? Running out like that was no different from seeking death, especially while provoking them.

As expected, the black-clad men cursed loudly. “Where did this brat come from, daring to meddle in Black Wind Mountain’s affairs!”

Zuan was startled. “You’re from Black Wind Mountain?”

“Of course. And you, sir?” Bao Gang, the black-clad leader, watched him warily. Someone had suddenly appeared, and he couldn’t gauge their background, so he decided to play it safe first.

With the sudden appearance of an unknown individual, both the black-clad men and the Yu family temporarily ceased fighting.

Zuan cupped his hands. “Well met. I am Cheng Shoupin, known in the martial world as ‘A Promise of a Thousand Gold, Sealed Lips.’ That would be me.”

Ji Xiaoxi, hidden in the bushes, blinked. “Who is Cheng Shoupin?”

The black-clad men also exchanged glances, seemingly having never heard of such a person. However, given the situation, someone who could face them alone without a change in expression was likely no ordinary individual.

Seeing both sides engaged in conversation, the Yu family guards grew anxious. Their leader shouted, “Sir Hero, we are from the Yu family of Cloudview. If you can lend a hand, the Yu family will certainly reward you handsomely afterwards!”

Bao Gang’s expression changed. He gestured to his subordinates to circle around behind this Cheng Shoupin. After all, their raid on the Yu family’s convoy couldn’t afford the slightest leak.

“Handsome reward?” Zuan asked. “How handsome?”

The Yu family guard was taken aback. This person wasn’t playing by the usual rules. Shouldn’t he be saying something about upholding justice without expecting anything in return? But since the question was asked, he immediately replied, “While our Yu family doesn’t claim to be as wealthy as a nation, we can provide gold and silver, treasures, divine weapons, elemental stones, and even titles and ranks. Whatever you desire, our Yu family can fulfill.”

Zuan nodded. “That’s good, but I’m more inclined towards beauty. I’ve heard your esteemed lady was once the capital’s foremost beauty. May I have her?”

Among the black-clad men, Bao Gang had initially worried that this unknown individual might intervene to help the Yu family. But upon hearing Zuan’s words, he was dumbfounded, almost cheering him on. Seeing the person approach their side, he signaled his subordinates not to circle around but simply to remain on guard.

The Yu family guard’s face fell. “Sir, please do not jest.”

Zuan shrugged. “I’m not joking. If your esteemed lady is willing to spend a night with me, I’ll help you deal with these Black Wind Mountain bandits.”

Ji Xiaoxi’s face flushed. This guy was clearly... yet he was pretending to be a lecher.

She knew Zuan’s true nature, but the Yu family didn’t. The guards glared at him furiously.

Rage value from Yu Bin: 99!Rage value from Yu Jun: 99!Rage value from Yu Meng: 99!

Seeing the rage values pouring in from the backend, Zuan felt that this system was perfectly suited for him. Earning rage values was simply effortless. The only pity was getting this keyboard too late; if he’d had it a few years earlier, with his skill on forums, he probably would have accumulated enough rage to ascend.

However, to his surprise, Lady Yu hadn’t provided any rage value at all. Was she completely unconcerned?

Ignoring the guards’ murderous glares, Zuan turned to Bao Gang and said, “I have long admired the reputation of Black Wind Mountain, regretting only that I never had the chance to join. Today happens to be an opportunity. I wonder, Big Brother, if you’d be willing to take me in? I don’t need anything for myself; just let me have a share of Lady Yu once she’s captured.”

Rage value from Yu Bin: 99!Rage value from Yu Jun: 99!Rage value from Yu Meng: 99!

Happy Children’s Day to everyone today! May you always have a young heart.

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