162: Chapter 162 Fang Hansu Wants to Become a Concubine?

He tried to capture some useful information from their conversation.

But after walking half the length of the street, all he heard was domestic trivia and business transactions; not a single word mentioned the Fang Family.

He withdrew his gaze and quickened his pace.

After walking for a while longer, he stopped in front of an inn.

The four large characters 'Yuelai Inn' hung on the lintel; the ink was somewhat faded, but the storefront was fairly clean.

The first floor of the inn was a tavern. Several square tables were scattered about, and a few patrons sat there drinking and chatting, their voices noisy.

Ye Yun stepped inside.

The shopkeeper was a thin man in his fifties with a small mustache and eyes that gleamed with shrewdness.

Seeing Ye Yun enter, he quickly forced a smile.

"Guest, are you here for a meal or to stay the night?"

Ye Yun fished a piece of broken silver from his sleeve and tossed it onto the counter.

"A premium room."

The shopkeeper took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and his smile deepened.

"Right away! Waiter, take this guest to Heaven Room Number Three!"

A young attendant of about twelve or thirteen years old responded and ran over, bowing as he made a gesture of invitation toward Ye Yun.

"Guest, please follow me upstairs."

Ye Yun followed the attendant to the second floor.

The hallway was covered with an old carpet that felt soft underfoot, and several scrolls of calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls.

Though they weren't valuable, they lent an air of elegance.

The attendant pushed open a door, revealing a room of modest size.

There was a wooden bed, a table, two chairs, and an unknown plant sitting on the windowsill.

The bedding on the bed looked freshly changed and was folded neatly.

Ye Yun swept a glance over it and nodded.

"Fine, you may go."

The attendant acknowledged him and withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Ye Yun did not stay in the room for long; he turned and went back downstairs.

He found a seat by the window and ordered a pot of wine and a few side dishes.

The wine was ordinary Yellow Wine; it was a bit astringent on the palate, but fairly mellow.

The side dishes were peanuts, Braised Beef, and Cucumber Salad. The portions were small and the flavor was average.

Ye Yun drank slowly, but his ears were constantly pricked, capturing the conversations of those around him.

Two middle-aged men sat at the neighboring table, one in a green robe and the other in a gray one.

With a few dishes and a pot of wine before them, they were speaking in low voices.

"Have you heard? About the Fang Family."

The man in the green robe lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of lamentation.

The man in the gray robe took a sip of wine and nodded.

"Who hasn't heard? All one hundred and thirty-seven members of the Fang Family were gone overnight, leaving only that Miss Fang."

"Tsk tsk, that Miss Fang is truly unfortunate. Her whole Family was wiped out, and now she has to marry that playboy Young Master Wu as a concubine."

The man in the green robe shook his head and sighed.

"Exactly. I heard she's to be wed tomorrow, and as the tenth concubine at that."

The man in the gray robe chuckled twice, his voice dropping even lower.

"That Miss Fang was certainly born with a beautiful face. It's a pity; falling into Young Master Wu's hands, I'm afraid..."

He didn't finish his sentence, merely shaking his head and draining his cup in one gulp.

Ye Yun's hand holding the wine cup paused slightly, a cold glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.

The Fang Family had been exterminated, leaving only Fang Hansu alone.

She was to marry the Wu Family's young master tomorrow as his tenth concubine.

These two pieces of news were like two blades, stabbing ruthlessly into his heart.

[Young Master Wu? Tenth concubine?]

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Ye Yun's mouth, the chill in his eyes growing more intense.

[A person I haven't even touched yet, and you dare to move against her?]

He raised his cup, drained it, and slammed it heavily onto the table.

[Young Master Wu, you have already found your path to death.]

[Pray that Fang Hansu is still pure. Otherwise, I don't mind making the entire Wu Family disappear from Qingzhou City.]

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging killing intent in his heart, and his gaze swept over the patrons who were chatting.

They were still talking about the Wu Family, their words filled with awe and flattery, as if the Wu Family was already the heaven of Qingzhou City.

Ye Yun did not interrupt them; he just listened quietly, committing these pieces of information to memory one by one.

After a moment, he stood up, walked over to a table where a large man was drinking alone, and sat down.

The man was burly with a face full of rough features and reeked of alcohol, gulping down his wine in large mouthfuls.

He wore a gray short-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing two thick arms tattooed with a fierce tiger.

Two pots of wine and a plate of peanuts sat on the table, more than half consumed.

Seeing Ye Yun sit down, the man looked up, his gaze somewhat unfriendly.

"Kid, who are you?"

His voice was coarse and carried a hint of drunkenness, his tone very impolite.

Ye Yun didn't mind his attitude; he fished a piece of broken silver from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward the man.

"Let me buy you a drink."

The man's eyes lit up at the sight of the silver, and his unfriendly expression vanished instantly, replaced by a face full of smiles.

He quickly tucked the silver into his robe, then called for the waiter to add two pots of good wine and several more side dishes.

"Oh, little brother, you're too kind, too kind."

Ye Yun poured him a cup of wine, poured one for himself, raised his cup, and clinked it against the man's.

"Big brother, I'm from out of town and not very familiar with Qingzhou City. I heard you all talking about the Wu Family just now; they seem quite powerful?"

The man took a sip of wine, wiped his mouth, and chuckled.

"Little brother, you say that as if they're just 'powerful.' In Qingzhou City right now, the Wu Family is the heaven!"

Ye Yun raised an eyebrow, feigning curiosity.

"Oh? How so?"

The man lowered his voice and leaned in closer.

"Previously, there were Three Great Families in Qingzhou City: the Fang Family, the Lin Family, and the Wu Family. The Fang Family was the strongest, the Lin Family second, and the Wu Family was last."

He paused and took another gulp of wine.

"But just a few days ago, the Fang Family was wiped out overnight—one hundred and thirty-seven people, not one left! Many from the Lin Family have fled, and I heard the rest are so scared they don't even dare to step out their doors."

"Now in Qingzhou City, who else dares to challenge the Wu Family?"

Ye Yun nodded and poured him another cup of wine.

"Then just how strong is the Wu Family's power?"

The man took the cup, drained it, let out a boozy burp, and then said leisurely,

"The head of the Wu Family is called Wu Zhen, a Great Martial Master at the Peak level. In Qingzhou City, he's someone who can walk as he pleases."

He paused, his voice dropping even lower.

"However, the most formidable person in the Wu Family isn't Wu Zhen, but his father, the old Family head."

"That old man is said to have already broken through to the Martial Spirit Realm, but he's been in secluded cultivation for years and rarely shows his face."

"If he comes out, who in the entire Qingzhou City would be his match?"

A sharp light flashed in Ye Yun's eyes.

Wu Zhen at the Great Martial Master Peak, and an old Family head suspected to be in the Martial Spirit Realm.

With such strength, they could indeed walk as they pleased in Qingzhou City.

Unfortunately, in his eyes, it was not enough.

Great Martial Master Peak? He was currently at the Great Martial Master Ninth Level; although he was one minor stage behind,

with his combat power, killing an enemy above his level was not a problem.

As for the Martial Spirit Realm...

A cold sneer curled at the corner of Ye Yun's mouth.