253: Chapter 253 Revenge

Early this morning, before the light of day had even broken, the Yun Family had already arranged personnel on several roads leading to the Yun Family grounds to maintain traffic order.

Too many Great Families were coming, including quite a few ordinary Martial Artists from minor, unranked families.

Although ordinary Martial Artists would usually choose to give way to those from the Great Families, with so many people arriving, it was inevitable that there would be a mix of the good and the bad. Some individual scions of Great Families were extremely arrogant; if they bullied people too harshly, and given that Martial Artists are full of hot blood, it was not impossible for one to suddenly snap.

Seeing blood at a banquet was never a good thing.

If the Yun Family mediated, the probability of such an incident occurring could naturally be reduced to a minimum.

Soon, it was the hour of the snake. The Yun Family grounds welcomed their first batch of guests. These guests were basically all in-law Great Families, and since they were quite far from Changming Street and could not time their arrival exactly for the meal, they had arrived early.

Those guests closer to the Yun Family grounds were also arriving one after another.

In about an hour, the number of arrivals reached its Peak. The several roads leading to the Yun Family grounds became extremely crowded.

Many bystanders watching the excitement were also whispering and discussing. The scene was incredibly noisy.

"It really is lively. Changming Street hasn't been this lively in a long time. I wonder which Family is holding a banquet."

"With this kind of pomp and Aura, besides the Yun Family, which other Great Family in this Changming Street could pull it off? Look at those arriving guests; every one of them is from a Great Family. Look at that carriage in the front, the one with the cherry blossom emblem is the Ma Family, and that one with the fish pattern is the Jing Family. In just half an hour, I've seen over a dozen families."

"And that's just in half an hour, so many have already come. By the time the banquet starts, there must be dozens of families coming."

"I heard that these Great Families only came to Changming because they were invited to attend the Yun Family's Grandmaster banquet."

"I didn't expect it to be a Grandmaster banquet. Wasn't it said that the Yun Family Patriarch failed his Breakthrough to Grandmaster a few years ago and damaged his Foundation? How could he still make a Breakthrough?"

"Who knows? Perhaps a few years ago, the Yun Family intentionally released false information. The minds of these Great Family heads are very deep; how could common folks like us possibly guess them?"

"Brother, watch your tongue. If the Yun Family guards hear these words, there's no telling what kind of trouble we might be in."

Inside the Pei Clan's detached courtyard, Pei Qingyun glanced at the sky and stood up from his recliner. The time was approaching noon.

In his past life, when Pei Qingyun attended other people's banquets, he preferred to arrive right on time. He couldn't help it; the banquets were just too boring. To this day, he still retained this habit.

Outside the door, Pei Tianlin had been waiting for a long time. He had complained about this countless times behind the scenes. Every time the Old Ancestor attended, he had to be the last one to arrive. So much for keeping a low profile. He, Pei Tianlin, had read quite a few storybooks; he wasn't some bumpkin. In the storybooks, the big boss usually makes an appearance last. The Old Ancestor doing this gave off that exact vibe. This completely went against the Family's rules of conduct. However, his status was low and his words carried little weight, so he didn't dare to speak up.

"Tianlin, let's head to the Yun Family," Pei Qingyun said.

"Yes, Old Ancestor." Pei Tianlin breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, "Finally, we can leave."

However, what Pei Qingyun did not know was that although he had not yet arrived, the guests attending the banquet had already made him a topic of discussion.

At the Yun Family banquet, the people sitting at the main table were all Grandmaster-level Martial Artists. Yet, a seat was reserved at the main table, and its position was even more central than that of the Yun Family's Old Ancestor. How could this not make people wonder?

Perhaps it was because the time of Pei Qingyun's arrival was approaching the start of the banquet, but along the way, the Dragon Scale Horse carriage traveled without obstruction. In less than half an hour, the Dragon Scale Horse reached the Yun Family grounds, its speed twenty percent faster than usual.

"We have arrived." As soon as Pei Qingyun stepped off the carriage, Patriarch Yun Donglai came up to greet him. With a face full of smiles, he warmly greeted him, "Grandmaster Qingyun, please come inside. It is my greatest honor that you could come to attend this Junior's Grandmaster banquet."

Patriarch Yun Donglai's personal welcome undoubtedly maximized the prestige. Inside the hall, many people cast curious glances, frequently looking towards the door, wanting to catch a glimpse of his true appearance.

Pei Qingyun's expression was calm, and he was completely indifferent. "There is no need for such formalities between our two families. Since you have already advanced to Grandmaster, you don't need to refer to yourself as a Junior in front of me in the future."

"Although this Junior has advanced to Grandmaster, it is merely a first glimpse into the gate of the Dao of Martial Arts. How could this Junior, with such meager cultivation, address Grandmaster Qingyun as an equal? The Dao of Martial Arts is like the sea; this Junior knows that I must forge ahead with determination," Patriarch Yun Donglai quickly declined.

Seeing this, Pei Qingyun did not dwell on the matter any further. As for how much of Patriarch Yun Donglai's words were true or false, or perhaps entirely flattery, it didn't matter anymore. At least, the words were very pleasant for him to hear.

"I have kept Patriarch Yun waiting for a long time, so I shall not delay the guests' time any further," Pei Qingyun said.

After saying this, Pei Qingyun followed Patriarch Yun Donglai's footsteps and strode towards the empty seat at the main table. Since he was the last person to arrive, he naturally became the focus of the entire venue. However, these gazes were quickly drawn to Patriarch Yun Donglai, who stood at the front of the stage to offer congratulations to all the guests.

"It is my, Yun Donglai's, good fortune that everyone could come to attend my Grandmaster banquet. Without further ado, I wish everyone progress in their martial arts and prosperity in their martial Luck."

As his voice fell, the banquet officially entered the dining phase. This banquet went very smoothly; there were no cliché voices of doubt. There was no questioning on the spot whether Patriarch Yun Donglai had truly made a Breakthrough, nor were there any so-called challenges.

Grandmasters were all Old Ancestor-level figures, and those who came upon invitation were all Grandmasters who were on good terms with the Yun Family. Even if it were a hostile force of the Yun Family, it would be impossible for them to send their own Old Ancestor to challenge the Yun Family at this time. Because that wouldn't be a 1v1 challenge, but could instead evolve into being mobbed. By then, it wouldn't be about slapping the host's face, but rather their own Old Ancestor would very likely be beaten to death on the spot.

The banquet lasted for about an hour. Besides eating, the Yun Family had also prepared entertainment programs after the meal. Those in-law Great Families who had traveled from afar naturally stayed to enjoy them, while most of the local Great Families left early. Pei Qingyun was one of those who left early.

As soon as they returned to the Pei Clan's detached courtyard, Pei Tianlin's mouth instantly transformed into a parrot, chattering non-stop.

"Old Ancestor, you don't know. During the meal time at the banquet, many Great Families came to me to strike up a relationship, and the first thing they did was inquire about the situation of our Pei Clan. If you hadn't said to go back, I would have been annoyed to death by them."

"I saw that you seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit at the time. Now that we're back, you're putting on an act," Pei Qingyun curled his lips and said with a look of disdain.

Pei Tianlin looked innocent, "Old Ancestor, you misunderstood. How was I enjoying it? I had to wine and dine in order to maintain the Family's dignity."

"Could it be that I have wronged you? You brat are a meritorious official of my Pei Clan," Pei Qingyun said.

"Not at all, not at all..." Pei Tianlin scratched his head, putting on an embarrassed look.

Pei Qingyun said irritably, "I praised you a couple of times, and you really let it go to your head. Go back and write a five-hundred-word statement of repentance; I want to review it personally."

Pei Tianlin clutched his chest with both hands, putting on a heartbroken expression, "Don't... don't, Old Ancestor. You know, I've never been able to read books since I was young. If you make me write a five-hundred-word statement of repentance, you might as well kill me. I know I was wrong; please show mercy and let me off."

"Get lost," Pei Qingyun roared.

"Alright then," Pei Tianlin replied, and in a flash, he disappeared without a trace.

"This brat..." A helpless expression appeared on Pei Qingyun's face. He was nearly forty years old, yet in front of him, he was still like a child. But then again, he was already over eighty.

This time attending the Yun Family banquet, Pei Qingyun basically didn't do anything, but the Pei Clan's reputation still got out. The dozens of Great Families present were all interested in the Pei Clan. It can be foreseen that after this matter, the Pei Clan's reputation will no longer be limited to Changming Street, but will enter the view of more Great Families.

But there is no doubt that for the Pei Clan, this is a matter where the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. Through the attribute panel, Pei Qingyun noticed that the upper limit of the Family's available family luck had increased by about ten points.

[Name: Pei Qingyun] [Lifespan: 37 years 7 months] [Cultivation: Six Bowels Realm Late Stage (8300 / 40000)] [Cultivation Technique: Evergreen Art middle volume Perfection (Mystic Grade Peak), Blazing Sun Fire Art Perfection (Mystic Grade Peak), Yellow Grade Cultivation Technique hidden] [Bloodline: Second Wood Fourth Order Middle Stage (500 / 10000) Blazing Fire Third Order High Stage (1500 / 2000) ...] [family luck: 3 (1710) (Note: family luck can be restored, can naturally restore 85.5 points per day.] [Skill: Analysis Technique]

This shortened the time for him to Cultivate to the Meridian Opening Realm by about three days. If it ferments further in the future, the upper limit of the Family's available family luck will continue to grow. Of course, this shortened time will not be too much, but even a mosquito's leg is meat. With the total amount of family luck reaching this point, expecting it to double like it did in the beginning is already a luxury.

"Tomorrow, the Yun Family's next batch of blood origin grass will arrive. Just before I leave, I can refine another batch of five viscera origin-returning pill," Pei Qingyun thought to himself, "This time, I can refine at least twenty-five pills, which is barely enough."

If other third-rate families heard this, they would probably be so angry they would vomit blood. Like the Yun Family, they could only get twenty pills in a year. Yet Pei Qingyun had doubled that in less than half a year.

At the same time, the Yun Family banquet was also about to come to an end. Except for those in-law Great Families who had not yet left, all other forces had already departed.

Longnan Prefecture City. Inside the Evil Suppression Bureau, Wang Hengshan held the letter in his hands with a worried look on his face, his whole person seeming to have aged a few years.

Since he received the intelligence from Patriarch Yun Donglai over a month ago, he had secretly launched a comprehensive investigation into the Blood Demon Sect. The major Great Families near the Linghai region had basically become the targets of the Evil Suppression Bureau's investigation.

At first, progress was quite smooth. The Evil Suppression Bureau also ferreted out a few blood slaves from among them. Through interrogation, the Evil Suppression Bureau confirmed that these few blood slaves were all people of Bao Er and He Jiu, which indirectly verified the authenticity of Patriarch Yun Donglai's intelligence.

However, when they tried to go further, the clues were broken. Bao Er and He Jiu had long since died at the hands of Pei Qingyun. It was naturally impossible for the Evil Suppression Bureau to find out the whereabouts of Bao Er and He Jiu through these few blood slaves. This caused the investigation to fall into a stalemate for a time.

In Wang Hengshan's view, as long as Blood Demon Sect Inner Sect Disciples like Bao Er and He Jiu were not eliminated, it would be impossible to cut off the blood slaves at the source. Originally, that would have been fine. As long as there were no large-scale casualties in Longnan Prefecture, a stalemate could only be said to be neither a merit nor a fault.

But just half a month ago, this situation changed. In the southern region of Linghai, not only did new blood slaves appear, but the Evil-Suppressing Guards also encountered attacks multiple times while executing missions. And the attackers were Martial Artists from the Blood Demon Sect.

This made Wang Hengshan feel incredibly angry. Retaliation! This was naked retaliation from the Blood Demon Sect. Evil sects have always been vengeful, but that is built upon the premise of suffering heavy losses. Under normal circumstances, they would not directly slap the face of and provoke the Evil Suppression Bureau, but would choose to avoid it instead.

After all, they were already in a weak position within the territory of the Great Jing Dynasty, so why provoke the imperial court's primary violent organization, the Evil Suppression Bureau, on their own initiative? As for being investigated by the Evil Suppression Bureau, that was only an Evil Suppression Bureau squad. Even if they were really found out, it would only mean losing a few blood slaves.

Conversely, provoking the Evil Suppression Bureau—if it attracted a siege by the Evil Suppression Bureau's army, it wouldn't be as simple as a few blood slaves dying; even their strongholds could be completely uprooted. Moreover, the territory of the Great Jing Dynasty is so vast, where could they not find blood food? Why treat the Evil-Suppressing Guards as prey?

One must know, his Evil Suppression Bureau had only killed a few blood slaves, not Blood Demon Sect Inner Sect Disciples. This left Wang Hengshan somewhat puzzled. Had the person in charge of the Blood Demon Sect in the Longnan Prefecture region gone mad?

"Which Blood Demon Sect Inner Sect Disciple is attacking our bureau's Evil-Suppressing Guards? Is it Bao Er or He Jiu, or are they both doing it together?" Wang Hengshan thought.

However, just as he was deep in thought, a hurried figure rushed in. The person who came was one of his subordinates, an Evil-Suppressing Guard.

"Commander, there is news... there is news, the intelligence is all here." The Evil-Suppressing Guard offered it with both hands, quickly handing over the letter containing the intelligence.

Wang Hengshan's eyes narrowed, and he quickly opened the letter in his hands. Lines of text danced before his eyes, as if they had life. In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he had finished browsing the letter.

The content of the letter shocked him greatly, like heavy hammers smashing fiercely onto his forehead. He had been bitterly chasing after Bao Er and He Jiu, who had long gone missing over a month ago.

And in these past half a month, the attacks suffered by the Evil-Suppressing Guards were all caused by the blood slaves under an Inner Sect Disciple of the Blood Demon Sect named Du San.

If he, Wang Hengshan, had received the credit, it would be one thing. But the disappearance of Bao Er and He Jiu had nothing to do with his Longnan Prefecture Evil Suppression Bureau. He didn't get the credit, but he got a share of the retaliation. What kind of situation was this!

Suddenly, Wang Hengshan seemed to think of something, and his expression changed. The disappearance of Bao Er and He Jiu was defaulted to death by the Blood Demon Sect, and their deaths were counted against the Evil Suppression Bureau. But he knew very clearly that the Evil Suppression Bureau had not killed the two of them, yet they had been made to take the blame for nothing. There was undoubtedly something fishy about this. Then, who on earth killed the two of them? Bao Er and He Jiu, both of these men were in the Late Stage of the Six Viscera Realm, stronger than ordinary Late Stage Grandmasters.