Chapter 130: What are We Afraid of? Straighten Up Your Backs!
It was clearly a sunny day, but inside Yongzhou City, a sense of oppression permeated the air, filled with tension.
In a large mansion of the Zhou Family, the scions of high-ranking families, including those of the Zhou, Dong, and Sun families, gathered together, whispering.
"Look quickly, isn't that Shen Qing? He's actually alive and returned!"
Sun Qingshu, the second young master of the Sun Family, pointed at the familiar figure on the distant city wall, his voice suddenly rising with an incredulous tremor.
At these words, everyone couldn't help but focus all their attention on the city tower in the west.
There, a tall figure stood against the wind, with a beauty by his side.
"I heard that the Family Heads personally stepped in, how could it be possible?" Dong Wan'er, the lady of the Dong Family, lightly covered her vermilion lips, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.
Suddenly, the surrounding area erupted with noise, the voices of discussion rising and falling like waves rolling in.
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"Hmph, even if he returned alive, what of it? It was mere luck. When the ancestors return, there won't be any place for him to survive."
A young man dressed in luxurious brocade snorted coldly; he was Li Muyun of the Li Family, known for his arrogance and disdain for Shen Qing.
"Shen Qing's life is really hard to end." He looked at the person beside Shen Qing and continued, "If I am not mistaken, isn't the one standing next to Shen Qing Huang Furo? Associating with someone so lowly as Shen Qing is truly shameless. She has utterly disgraced her Huangfu family."
In Li Muyun's view, they were born with noble clothing and fine food, able to summon the wind and the rain at will.
Along with never lacking cultivation resources from a young age and having some talent in martial arts cultivation, they looked down greatly upon someone of Shen Qing's background.
Just as they were deep in their discussions, they saw Shen Qing move.
Under their watchful eyes, Shen Qing took a step forward, footsteps on emptiness, supported by Rainbow Light, suspended in mid-air.
"Innate... Innate Realm!"
In the mansion, numerous young lords and ladies were completely stunned upon witnessing this scene.
Sun Qingshu, the second young master of the Sun Family, became especially dazed.
Among the peers in Yongzhou, he was most hopeful of breaking through to the Innate Realm, often being labeled as a genius.
Currently, his cultivation was at the Yu Luo Realm, and soon he would break through to the Dan Realm, with hopes of reaching the Innate Realm within ten years.
However, at this very moment, someone younger than him had broken through to the Innate Realm and appeared before them, making the so-called title of genius seem like a joke.
What pained him further was the memory from long ago when the now-deceased Dong Jing had invited Shen Qing to a banquet at Shen Ji.
At that time, he sat at the chief seat, and in their eyes, Shen Qing didn't even have the qualification to sit at the last seat.
Now, in the blink of an eye, this person who didn't even have the qualification to sit at the last seat had become an Innate Realm martial master, akin to their family's ancestor, greatly wounding his pride.
"How could this be? It's fake, it must be fake."
Sun Qingshu was greatly shaken, unwilling to believe the reality, continually denying it, deceiving himself.
"So what if he returned alive? After all, he is merely a rustic civilian, hard to shake the foundations of our families."
Li Muyun of the Li Family still maintained his arrogant stance, yet there was an unavoidable hint of trepidation regarding Shen Qing's strength in his words.
"Whizz, whizz, whizz!"
In Yongzhou City, the sound of arrows tearing through the air continued non-stop.
They watched as Shen Qing, like a god of war, continuously released arrows.
The city echoed with the anguished cries of demons, countless falling dead in response.
Standing at the corner among the group, Zhou Jishan couldn't help but draw a sharp breath, stunned speechless like the others.
He knew Shen Qing had some abilities, but never expected it had reached such a degree, unable to relate it to the matters in Taiping County in his mind.
At this moment, some of the young lords and ladies aware of the Family Heads' schemes had a sudden ominous feeling in their hearts as Shen Qing went on his killing spree, relentlessly slaying demons.
'Weren't these demons supposed to be exterminated by Father and the others? How did it fall to him? Could it be... impossible...'
A terrifying conjecture appeared in their minds.
These young lords and ladies suddenly thought of many things.
'If it truly is this way, then we have formed a mortal feud with this Shen Qing. Once he is done killing the demons in the city, then we are next!!!'
'What should we do now?'
The young lords and ladies aware of the hidden details exchanged worried glances, all understanding that with Shen Qing's return, he feared he wouldn't let them off, placing them in extreme danger.
Just then, a servant, dressed in a tidy long robe, quickly walked into the courtyard, urgent footsteps breaking everyone's thoughts, the servant looking nervous: "Young lords and ladies, the noble ladies have arrived!"
At these words, the previously noisy courtyard instantly fell silent.
The numerous young lords and ladies swiftly adjusted their attire, standing respectfully to the side.
Soon, the matriarchs of the Zhou, Wu, Zheng, and Sun families arrived together.
Many of the Thirteen Noble Families had been operating in Yongzhou for many years with deep roots, enjoying intermarriage, and having intricate relationships.
Today, in the tumultuous situation in Yongzhou City, the ancestors and Family Heads were handling major affairs, so these matriarchs brought their legitimate sons and daughters together to contribute to the grand event.
They were not those traditional women who never stepped beyond their doors and were well aware of what their families needed to do.
Upon seeing Shen Qing perfectly fine appearing in Yongzhou City and going on a killing spree, they immediately realized the precarious position of their high-ranking families.
If not handled well, the foundations accumulated by their ancestors for generations might be destroyed.
Lady Sun of the Zhou Family stepped forward with a stern face, casting a glance at the juniors in the courtyard, discerning their thoughts.
She spoke loudly to a few of the obviously pale young lords and ladies, "Why the panic, allowing yourselves to be frightened by a bunch of rustic hunters, what disgraceful behavior?"
These chastised young lords and ladies hurriedly bowed their heads, accepting the reprimand, not daring to make a sound.
They also understood that the matriarchs of their various families were each martial masters, at least at the Qi Cultivation Realm, second only to the Family Head in their families.
"Do you think that Shen would dare to do anything to us? Know that our families have been operating for so many years, even opening doors in the Capital; if he dares to act against us, we will surely show him the might of our families." Lady Sun of the Zhou Family said sternly: "So, why fear? Hold your heads high!"
Indeed.
Their dozen or so high-ranking families had been operating in the Capital for so many years, knowing numerous bigwigs, why fear this small Chief Officer?
For some reason, following the reassurance by Lady Sun of the Zhou Family, these young lords and ladies felt much more relaxed, as if filled with great confidence.
When they looked at Shen Qing again, they each became calm and composed.