The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

"Ah Yuan, you've certainly found three good apprentices."

Lu Yu watched the youths leave, a flash of envy in his eyes.

Although his Martial Dao realm was advancing by leaps and bounds and his status had risen significantly thanks to Bai Yuan, a live-in son-in-law was ultimately still a live-in son-in-law. The Fang Family was far too powerful, so he had never planned to take on apprentices, lest they be subjected to unfair treatment.

Just then, Xiao Qiaoniang walked out, holding a sturdy, round-faced Fang Ping in her arms.

"Brother Lu, Sister Fang, quick, come in."

Lu Yu then led his wife, Fang Wan, into the small courtyard.

The moment he stepped into the main hall, he saw his old friends Yang Fangyu and Li Huan. The three exchanged glances and smiled in reminiscence.

Back then, thanks to Bai Yuan and his own efforts, Lu Yu had managed to join their little circle. They had all gone their separate ways since, and this reunion inevitably brought a wave of emotion.

The four brothers sat down. Naturally, they had much to discuss.

Yang Fangyu looked at Lu Yu and chuckled knowingly. "Xiaoyu, you didn't come all the way to Ling Province *just* to celebrate our nephew's birthday, did you?"

A bitter smile touched Lu Yu's lips. "To tell you the truth, we were forced to flee here as refugees."

At these words, both Yang Fangyu and Li Huan looked shocked.

Although Lu Yu was only a live-in son-in-law, his wife, Fang Wan, was not just a daughter of the Fang Family's main branch but also a divination prodigy.

'Could something have happened to the Fang Family?'

With Xuan Yang in turmoil, the Central Plains and Jiangnan were at the heart of the conflict. No one, sect or clan, could remain uninvolved, and the Fang Family was no exception.

Lu Yu said, "The Yan Family sent people to 'invite' Wan'Er to their home. She performed a divination for herself and saw a sign of great peril. We had no choice but to secretly flee Lu State and come to Ling Province."

Li Huan's brow furrowed. "The Yan Family?"

In all of Xuan Yang, the most influential powers in the Jiangnan region—aside from the Dragon Tiger Sect and the two great academies—were, without a doubt, the Yan Family.

And because those three major powers tended to keep to themselves, the Yan Family's control over the secular world was unrivaled. Not even the Fang Family could compare.

Yang Fangyu asked, "Not even the Fang Family could protect her?"

Lu Yu nodded. "They couldn't. In fact, on the very day we fled, we were pursued by Yan Family experts. If Wan'Er hadn't used her Divination Technique to evade them, the three of us might never have reached Ling Province."

"It was that dangerous?!"

Both Yang Fangyu and Li Huan gasped.

Although they had been sending people to investigate the Jiangnan Yan Family, they were simply too far away and hadn't gathered much intelligence.

The Yan Family had kept a very low profile ever since the great turmoil began.

Now it was clear they were plotting something major in secret.

Bai Yuan looked toward Fang Wan. "Sister-in-law, have you divined why the Yan Family is looking for you?"

He had also studied the Divination Technique, but compared to the Martial Dao, divination was far more dependent on innate talent. The number of enhancement points required was simply too high, so Bai Yuan had eventually given it up.

Precisely because he had some understanding, he knew just how formidable Fang Wan's particular school of divination was.

Fang Wan shook her head. "I tried to divine it once, but I suffered a backlash the moment the thought even formed. The matter involved must be too immense, obscuring the secrets of heaven. If I were to force a divination, the backlash would certainly kill me."

Bai Yuan's expression grew grave.

'Just how terrifying must this matter be, if even Fang Wan doesn't dare to look into it!'

'Whatever the Yan Family is planning is likely enough to change the entire political landscape of Xuan Yang.'

Fang Wan said, "If it's not too much to ask, Brother Bai, I hope you can give my husband and me shelter. I will do everything in my power to assist you."

Bai Yuan waved his hand dismissively. "Nonsense, Sister-in-law. Xiaoyu is my brother. Since we're family, there's no need for such formalities."

With his current power and resources, he truly had no reason to fear the Yan Family.

He could disregard any expert from the Yan Family aside from Grand Protector Yan Shao'an. And as for Grand Protector Yan himself, if he truly dared to make a move against Bai Yuan, Master Xu Dingchun would certainly not stand idly by.

Besides, Fang Wan's Divination Technique would indeed be of great use to him.

And just like that, Lu Yu and Fang Wan took up residence on Shenfu Mountain.

...

「Five days later.」

In a corner of Shenfu Mountain, two middle-aged men hid within the forest. With eyes like hawks and long, steady breaths, they were clearly Martial Dao experts at a single glance.

In fact, both of them were Sensing Masters.

One of them, a man with a goatee, gazed warily in the direction of the Divine Mansion Sect. "This is a real problem. That man, Bai, is a Mingxin Grandmaster. We can't afford to mess with him."

The other man, who was taller, sighed softly. "But if we leave now, it will be difficult to answer to the Patriarch."

The Patriarch they spoke of was not Yan Shao'an himself, but Yan Shao'an could depose and appoint a new Patriarch with a single word.

Indeed, these two were the Yan Family experts who had pursued their targets all the way from Lu State to Ling Province.

"Going in is too dangerous."

Conflict flickered in the goateed man's eyes.

Their position was carefully chosen. Legend had it that a Mingxin Grandmaster could see for fifty li. They were positioned exactly sixty li from the Divine Mansion Sect, giving themselves an extra ten li of buffer.

"We must capture Fang Wan. I'll go in and scout. If I don't make it back... take care of my wife and children."

The tall man gritted his teeth, having made his decision.

The goateed man raised a hand, looking as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately he remained silent.

"Alright."

Seeing the goateed man agree, the tall man was about to take a step forward.

But just then—

A figure materialized out of thin air before them.

When they got a clear look at the person before them, the pupils of both the goateed man and the tall man contracted, and the hair on their bodies stood on end.

"Lord Bai."

The goateed man forced himself to bow.

The one who had appeared before them was none other than Bai Yuan.

They never imagined that before they could even make their way to Shenfu Mountain, the very man at the center of it all would appear so abruptly before them.

Bai Yuan gave the two a cool glance. "Leave now, or die."

The goateed man looked at Bai Yuan in fear.

Even as far away as Jiangnan, he had heard too many rumors about this Bai Jiedu Envoy. A full three Mingxin Grandmasters had died at his hands—the highest count of any warrior in the world.

There might be others in Xuan Yang who were stronger than him at the Mingxin Pass, but none had killed as many.

At least, that was what was publicly known.

Furthermore, because this Bai Jiedu Envoy had once annihilated an entire sect, his image among the common people of Jiangnan had long since become that of a merciless, green-faced, fanged Asura who killed without blinking an eye.

He was terrified, of course, but the thought of the punishment awaiting him back home made him grit his teeth and speak. "Lord Bai, you and our old ancestor are acquaintances. The Yan Family only wishes to invite Miss Fang; we will not harm her. We hope Lord Bai can grant us this small convenience."

Bai Yuan simply shook his head. "Fang Wan has already cut ties with the Fang Family. She is now a Staff Officer in my Jiedu Envoy's Mansion. I suggest the two of you return home."

Hearing this, both of their expressions soured.

The tall man started to speak, but the goateed man pulled him back. "Thank you, Lord Bai. We will take our leave at once. We won't linger in Shuofang a moment longer."

With that, he dragged the still-reluctant tall man away.

The two walked a full hundred li. Only when it was deep into the night did the tall man finally speak. "How are we supposed to explain this when we get back?"

But the goateed man showed a hint of a smile. "You fool. Lord Bai was clearly giving us an out. Our mission was to retrieve a daughter of the Fang Family. But now that she's a Staff Officer for the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy, our only choice is to return and report the situation. The Patriarch will decide the next step."

The tall man's face lit up.

'He had a point.'

Since their lives were no longer on the line, the two had no desire to linger in Ling Province. Fearing that Bai Yuan might change his mind, they left Shuofang territory a few days later.

...

「In the small courtyard on Shenfu Mountain.」

Yu Hui of the Divine Mansion Army came before Bai Yuan. "Sect Leader, those two men have left Yu State."

Although Bai Yuan was no longer the Shenfu Sect Master, Yu Hui still addressed him as Sect Leader out of habit.

Bai Yuan nodded. "Good work."

Those two were Yan Family members, after all, and he didn't intend to completely burn his bridges with the Yan Family just yet.

To buy more time and to avoid implicating the Fang Family, Fang Wan had resolutely decided to cut all ties with them, renouncing her status as a Fang Family daughter.

The Yan Family was bound to treat the Fang Family and Shuofang differently, forcing them to reconsider their strategy.

This back-and-forth would buy them a considerable amount of time.

Of course, the main reason this worked was that Bai Yuan was stronger than the Head of Fang Family, and his backing was so formidable that even the Yan Family had to tread carefully. If they pushed Bai Yuan too far and he went over to the Eldest Prince or the Third Prince, the Yan Family would live to regret it.

Bai Yuan was finally, through his own power, living the imperious life of someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth.