Chapter 599 - 595: I’ll Take Care of You First

Inside a spacious and luxuriously decorated private room.

A huge, completely transparent waterbed glowed with a faint blue light.

On the waterbed lay four dazzling, graceful women. They struck various provocative, almost criminally tempting poses.

They were crooking their fingers at Xishang Ling, who had just entered, calling out things like, "Young Master, you're back!" "We've been waiting for you for so long!" and "Hurry over, Young Master!"

But Hong Yu and his two companions had walked right in, completely unprepared.

The scene in the private room was now utter chaos.

The four maids were scantily clad, their fair skin glowing with a gentle luster. It looked so soft it might break at a touch. Their curvaceous figures, in particular, delivered an extreme visual impact.

Their proud peaks bobbed up and down with the rocking of the waterbed.

It was a blinding sight!

"GULP!"

Zhao Hu was young and full of vigor, after all. He couldn't help but swallow loudly, breaking the silence.

Hong Yu slapped a hand over his face. "Good heavens, what is this situation?"

Xishang Ling's handsome face was beet red.

He chuckled awkwardly. "Ah, uh, well..." In the end, Xishang Ling could only shoot a fierce glare at the four women. "Get dressed and get out! This young master has friends over!"

"Ah? Yes, Young Master!"

"Young Master, we will take our leave!"

The four women were surprisingly poised and graceful. They quickly dressed and withdrew.

Xishang Ling rubbed his nose in embarrassment and explained with a wry smile, "So, uh, I just had them help me clean the room."

Hong Yu eyed him sideways. "..."

Zhao Hu's face was flushed red. He lowered his head, not daring to speak. "..."

Zhao Feng'Er shot Xishang Ling a nasty glare. The young girl was frank and outspoken. With a look of contempt, she said, "You were clearly up to no good, and you call it cleaning the room! Brother Xishang, you have no shame!"

"Feng'Er..."

Zhao Hu's expression changed, and he quickly clapped a hand over Zhao Feng'Er's mouth.

He wasn't like the innocently blunt Zhao Feng'Er. Judging by Xishang Ling's clothes and the fact that he lived on the top floor of the Four Kings Hall, his status was clearly not low.

Plus, he bore the surname Xishang—the surname of the Direct Lineage of the Xishang Tribe, one of the Four Great Tribes of Nanshan Collection. This was someone who could decide the fate of him and his sister with a single word!

Zhao Hu quickly said, "Young Master Xishang, my sister is young and speaks without thinking. Please don't be angry!"

Xishang Ling froze. He was indeed a bit frustrated by what Zhao Feng'Er had said.

But this guy had always been free-spirited and disliked conforming to conventions. Otherwise, he never would have managed to steal that piece of the Dao Mark Ancient Tree from his family's treasury.

Everyone was usually so respectful to him. Suddenly having a little sister like Zhao Feng'Er who spoke her mind was something he found novel and fun. Shaking his head with a smile, he said, "What's with all this 'Young Master' stuff? I hate that title. Since you're all friends of Mr. Beichen, you can just call me Brother Ling from now on!"

In a way, Xishang Ling was also giving Hong Yu some face.

As he spoke, he fumbled in his robes and pulled out a Jade Pendant, giving it to Zhao Feng'Er. He bent down, smiled, and ruffled her hair. "Feng'Er, this Jade Pendant is a little trinket my mother gave me. Wearing it can really lift your spirits. I'll give it to you now, how about that?"

"Hmm? Can I really have this?"

Zhao Feng'Er's bright eyes widened. She was clearly tempted but didn't dare to accept.

Xishang Ling puffed out his chest. "Of course! Here, let your Brother Ling help you put it on!"

He then carefully placed the Jade Pendant around Zhao Feng'Er's neck.

The Zhao siblings were immensely grateful.

Zhao Feng'Er even jumped for joy and planted a kiss on Xishang Ling's cheek. Smiling like an Elf, she said, "Brother Ling, you're the best! Thank you!"

"Haha, what a good girl, Feng'Er. If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just tell them Brother Ling's name!" Xishang Ling puffed out his chest, looking all high and mighty.

Zhao Feng'Er nodded, though she didn't really grasp the significance.

Hong Yu, however, was different.

He squinted, examining the Jade Pendant. It was a top-grade Purple Jade Pendant, and it even contained five types of Spirit Array Runes. In other words, the pendant was a Fifth-Grade Primordial Weapon.

For Xishang Ling to give it to Zhao Feng'Er so generously... his magnanimity and bearing made Hong Yu nod to himself in approval.

But this only made him more confused. Xishang Ling's status was clearly high, so why would he take out the piece of the Dao Mark Ancient Tree to sell? And it seemed like he was trying to find someone with it.

However, Hong Yu, who was accustomed to taking the initiative, didn't ask.

Zhao Hu was a bit older and more perceptive. Seeing Xishang Ling glance at Hong Yu from time to time as if he wanted to say something but was hesitating, he took the initiative to speak up. "Brother Ling, Big Brother Beichen, I've never been here before. I'd like to take my sister for a walk around!"

Xishang Ling's eyes lit up. He nodded. "Alright, I'll arrange for someone to show you around!" He looked at Zhao Feng'Er, genuinely fond of the little girl. "Feng'Er, why don't you go look around with your brother first? Later, Brother Ling will take you out for a big feast, okay?"

"Okay, okay! I want a big feast!"

Zhao Feng'Er smiled like an Elf.

Zhao Hu helplessly dragged his sister away.

"That kid is pretty sharp!"

Xishang Ling murmured, watching Zhao Hu's retreating back.

Hong Yu nodded. "He is sharp. It's just that his circumstances are a bit pitiful."

"Oh? Is he a resident of Nanshan Collection?" Xishang Ling asked.

Hong Yu nodded.

Xishang Ling then said, "In that case, you can rest assured. With me, Xishang Ling, here in Nanshan Collection, I'll look after them. I'll make sure nothing happens to them!"

"Then I thank you!"

Hong Yu smiled, then said, "Young Master Ling, you went to all the trouble of using the Dao Mark Ancient Tree as a test and then sought me out personally. You're not just doing this for fun, are you?"

Xishang Ling gave a wry chuckle. Now that it was just the two of them, he naturally wouldn't hide anything. He got straight to the point. "To be honest with you, Mr. Beichen, that piece of the Dao Mark Ancient Tree is a great treasure of my tribe. I stole it from my parents. Of course, I'm not saying this to ask for it back. I just wanted to use it to find someone who could help my Xishang Tribe!"

Hong Yu said nothing, quietly waiting for Xishang Ling to continue.

Xishang Ling invited Hong Yu to sit down, then continued, "I'm sure you've heard of my Xishang Tribe, Mr. Beichen. The Xishang Tribe owns a quarter of this Four Kings Hall. Throughout the entire Nanshan Collection, my Xishang Tribe has significant influence."

He poured Hong Yu a cup of high-grade Spirit Tea.

After a moment of contemplation, he went on, "Among the Four Great Tribes of Nanshan Collection, the Peacock Tribe is considered the most revered. After them, it's my Xishang Tribe, the Lion Tribe, and the Great Ape Tribe. We, the Xishang Tribe, have always followed the Peacock Tribe, and the Four Great Tribes have coexisted peacefully. But in recent years, the talented geniuses of the younger generation from both my Xishang Tribe and the Peacock Tribe have been dying under mysterious circumstances, and even..."

As Xishang Ling explained, Hong Yu gradually came to understand the full story.

It turned out...

The Four Great Tribes of Nanshan Collection held a competition once every hundred years. This competition involved three aspects: Alchemy Dao, Artifact Dao, and Martial Force.

The results would rank the Four Great Tribes and determine who held dominance over Nanshan Collection for the next century.

The Peacock Tribe had always been the most respected, and the Xishang Tribe was their staunchest ally, holding down the other two major tribes.

But starting ten years ago, the young experts that the Peacock and Xishang Tribes were nurturing for this centennial competition began to either mysteriously disappear or die off. This left the two tribes without strong successors, allowing the Lion Tribe and the Great Ape Tribe to gradually catch up.

Three years ago, even some of the mid-level powerhouses from the two tribes began to fall one after another.

But the two tribes couldn't find the cause.

It wasn't until a year ago, when the strongest expert of the Xishang Tribe—Xishang Ling's father, the Xishang King—began to show some strange symptoms, that the two tribes finally realized they had been secretly poisoned all along!

"For the past three years, my father's condition has been deteriorating. His mind is often confused. If the Peacock King hadn't been forcefully suppressing it for him, I'm afraid my father would have perished along with those seniors and my brothers and sisters."

Xishang Ling's expression turned somber. He then gave a bitter smile. "I only hate that even though I, Xishang Ling, am the Young Master of my tribe, I'm not suited for cultivation. I'm not even proficient in the Alchemy Dao or Artifact Dao. My only skills are in wining, dining, and business. It's precisely because of this that I've managed to survive. But with the centennial competition approaching, time is short. I didn't dare to openly search for a high-level Spiritual Craftsman, so I could only resort to this desperate measure. Please, Mr. Beichen, don't blame me!"

Hong Yu fell silent.

He had been watching Xishang Ling the entire time, his Spiritual Power enveloping him.

He sensed that Xishang Ling's cultivation was indeed not high; he only had combat power comparable to the Primordial Core Realm and wasn't even a War General.

More importantly, Xishang Ling's Spiritual Fluctuation was completely normal from start to finish. He definitely wasn't lying.

Hong Yu already believed him.

It was just...

'If I get involved, I'm afraid I'll be caught up in a web of power and conspiracy. What are the pros and cons?'

"Mr. Beichen, as long as you're willing to help my Xishang Tribe, whether you succeed or not, you will be an honored guest and benefactor to both the Xishang Tribe and the Peacock Tribe," Xishang Ling said solemnly.

Hong Yu hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What makes you so sure I can help you?"

"Yes!"

Xishang Ling nodded and said, "My mother was also a Spiritual Craftsman. She once said that the strange poison afflicting my father and the others doesn't erode the physical body. Instead, it's a bizarre poison that corrodes one's Martial Dao and interferes with their Heart Spirit. Ordinary experts can't detect this kind of poison at all. Only a Spiritual Craftsman who is extremely perceptive about the path of the Martial Dao could discover it, and possibly resolve it."

"That piece of the Dao Mark Ancient Tree has traces of the Martial Dao on it, but ordinary Spiritual Craftsmen and Martial Artists can't detect them. Only a Celestial Pride Son who has achieved Mastery in both the ways of a Martial Artist and a Spiritual Craftsman could sense its uniqueness. So..."

Xishang Ling didn't say any more.

But his meaning was already crystal clear.

Hong Yu was silent for a while before slowly rising to his feet. "I can try to help you, but I can't guarantee success!"

Xishang Ling was overjoyed. "Success or not, you are an honored guest of my Xishang Tribe!"

"Good!"

Hong Yu nodded, but then his gaze turned icy, and a cold smile appeared on his face. "However, before I go to the Xishang Tribe, I have to take care of you first!"

"What?"

Xishang Ling's expression changed. He stumbled backward in panic, only to see Hong Yu's palm morph into a claw, striking toward his heart. An aura of death enveloped him. Xishang Ling's eyes filled with confusion and despair...

'Why? Why is he trying to kill me?'ℴ