Nine Nether Dragon Emperor

"Young Master, may I ask who you are looking for?"

The elder stepped forward, shielding Jiang Yun behind him, and amiably asked Ning Xuan. At the same time, he stared intently at Ning Xuan's hand.

After more than a decade of effort, the Life-bound Sword is just one step away from completely fusing with Jiang Yun! This is the precise reason he hasn't been allowed to go out and gain experience. If this youth destroys the Life-bound Sword, not only will more than ten years of work be for naught, but Jiang Yun's life will be in danger!

"That's not important. Comparatively speaking, I find this sword to be truly extraordinary," Ning Xuan said, deftly steering the conversation back to the weapon.

The corner of the elder's mouth twitched. He immediately sent a sound transmission to Jiang Hua. "Who's on duty in the Inner City today?!"

"Jiang Tao. He went to find…" Jiang Hua was about to speak ill of Jiang Tao, but on second thought, he decided to tell the truth. Although Grandfather Fu isn't a member of the Jiang Family, he's a venerable figure who has served three generations! Moreover, I'm deeply implicated in this matter with the Life-bound Sword. If I'm not completely honest now, he could easily kill me with a single palm strike.

"So you're a friend of Young Lady Chan's. My apologies for the discourtesy. I hope you won't take it to heart, Young Master." The elder immediately cupped his fists toward Ning Xuan, his attitude becoming even more affable.

"Huh? Grandfather Fu, no way… Is he really Little… Sister Chan's friend?"

Strictly speaking, while Jiang Yun and Jiang Chan were born on the same day, Jiang Yun was slightly older. But at home, Jiang Yun feared neither heaven nor earth; he only feared Jiang Chan. Even though he knew Jiang Chan wasn't present, he didn't dare say the name 'Little Chan' out loud. He still glanced around nervously, afraid she might suddenly appear.

Upon hearing this, Ning Xuan's heart sank. I was just planning on using this Life-bound Sword to fleece them. If this kid is on good terms with Jiang Chan, it's going to be difficult to make a move.

Ning Xuan was about to deny any connection, but just then, a joyous voice cried out.

"Ning Xuan! It's really you!"

Ning Xuan turned his head, and his whole demeanor soured. Lady Qin and Lady Jin, whom he had briefly met in Tian Shu, had both appeared. Arriving on the city wall, they were surprised to see the elder and Jiang Yun. "Oh, Uncle Fu and Little Yun are here too."

Jiang Yun obediently greeted the two women.

The elder also breathed a long sigh of relief. "You know him?" he immediately asked them.

The two women smiled and recounted Ning Xuan's heroic deeds in Tian Shu.

Shangguan Qingrou's face was a whirlwind of emotions: shock, admiration, excitement, and insecurity. So Big Brother Ning and Jiang Chan are just casual acquaintances! This is my chance! But… Big Brother Ning is so outstanding. Can I really hope to be with someone like him? Shangguan Qingrou began to feel a mix of hope and apprehension.

At that moment, Lady Qin suddenly scolded Jiang Hua, "Jiang Hua, you have some nerve!"

THUD!

Without even trying to argue, Jiang Hua dropped to his knees and begged for mercy. "I didn't know…"

No sooner had he spoken than Shangguan Qingrou's voice rang out. "He just tried to make an improper advance on me!" This bastard actually tried to kill my Big Brother Ning! He deserves to die!

Jiang Hua's face turned green. Just as he was about to continue pleading for mercy, a True Element Giant Hand suddenly materialized and slapped down toward his head!

SMACK!

With a muffled thud, Jiang Hua collapsed, dead.

Ning Xuan raised an eyebrow. The one who had acted was the man Jiang Yun called Grandfather Fu. His control over True Yuan was so astonishing that Jiang Hua's body was left completely intact.

"Little Yun, hurry up and apologize to your Big Brother Ning," the elder's voice reminded him again.

Realizing he had been used, Jiang Yun didn't hesitate for a moment and offered a respectful apology.

Ning Xuan felt his opportunity slipping away. There goes my chance to fleece them.

However, seeing the lingering trace of blood on the corner of Jiang Yun's mouth, Ning Xuan immediately thought of another approach. In the next moment, he tossed the short sword back to Jiang Yun.

"Since the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything can be settled," he said magnanimously. "To be honest, I was planning on asking you for tens of billions of Divine Crystals."

Jiang Yun, who had just caught his Life-bound Sword, and the others all felt their faces twitch.

Jiang Yun immediately asked, "Big Brother Ning, what kind of family do you come from? How can you casually talk about tens of billions of Divine Crystals?" Even a powerhouse like his Jiang Family couldn't possibly possess that many.

"My family? We're quite poor, actually. But the Star Domain is vast, and there are many kind people out there," Ning Xuan said with a smile.

"Who would give away tens of billions of Divine Crystals just like that?" Jiang Yun asked, his curiosity piqued.

Hearing this, Shangguan Qingrou, who had been feeling anxious, suddenly relaxed. He's that curious about tens of billions of Divine Crystals? It seems the Jiang Family isn't as impressive as I thought.

She glanced at Ning Xuan and then added with a smile, "The Kong Family would. Before we came, the Kong Family gave Big Brother Ning twenty billion Divine Crystals!"

"What?!"

This time, it wasn't just Jiang Yun; even Grandfather Fu was dumbfounded. The Kong Family was wealthy, but twenty billion Divine Crystals would undoubtedly shake their very foundations!

This man extorted twenty billion Divine Crystals from the Kong Family—and succeeded! That's just outrageous! At the same time, a wave of relief washed over him. Thank goodness Lady Qin and Lady Jin arrived when they did. Otherwise, this kid really might have made an exorbitant demand and tried to extort us for tens of billions! Whether he succeeded or not, if word got out, my lifetime of prestige would be ruined!

While feeling grateful to the two women, the elder's opinion of Ning Xuan also improved significantly.

"I will report this matter to my superiors and ensure you receive a satisfactory resolution. Little Yun, you two are about the same age. I'm just an old geezer, so I won't be a third wheel here." After giving Jiang Yun a meaningful look, he vanished from sight.

Jiang Yun was naive, not stupid. He immediately understood Grandfather Fu's intention.

Lady Qin and Lady Jin exchanged a look. One of them spoke to Jiang Yun, "Little Yun, you should show Big Brother Ning around."

The other looked at Ning Xuan. "Jiang Chan has gone out to train. Da Bao and your friend, You Ruo, insisted on going, so they all went together. Judging by the time, they should be back in a few days at most."

"Leave Big Brother Ning to me! You two go on and handle your business!" Jiang Yun said, looking thrilled. The two women had just told him about some of Ning Xuan's deeds, but they had only skimmed the surface. Now, he couldn't wait for them to leave so he could ask for all the details. The world outside is so exciting!

The two women had witnessed Ning Xuan's power, and since they were in the Jiang Family's territory, there was no possibility of danger. They nodded and departed.

As soon as they were gone, Jiang Yun excitedly led Ning Xuan and Shangguan Qingrou toward the Outer City. "Big Brother Ning, Sister Shangguan, I know a teahouse with especially delicious tea!"

Hearing this, Ning Xuan and Shangguan Qingrou exchanged a knowing smile. They could see right through the boy's intentions.

This, however, was exactly what Ning Xuan wanted. The Inner City is full of Jiang Family members, all of them undoubtedly far stronger than those in the Outer City. I have to be wary of eavesdroppers. But the Outer City will be different. I'm confident no one there will be able to overhear our conversation.