Chapter 103: The Whereabouts of Senior Sister Yao

In the city of Dongji, a crisp sound echoed, followed by the sight of the young master of the Lu family flying backward. The onlookers erupted in a cacophony of incredulous gasps.

"Who is this guy? To think he’d dare meddle in the Lu family’s business!"

"Did he just say his name is 'Red Scarf'? Who has the surname 'Red'? Never heard of it!"

"Must be some greenhorn from the sticks. After offending the Lu family in Dongji City, does he think he can walk out alive?"

"He has a death wish. Truly, he has a death wish!"

As the crowd clamored in shock, their gazes toward Wang Ran turned faintly pitying. Dongji City was dominated by two formidable powers: the Lu family and the Yao family. With the Yao family currently in crisis, it was clear to everyone that the Lu family would soon swallow them whole, establishing themselves as the undisputed masters of the city. At a time when the Lu family was at the peak of its influence, offending one of their young masters was nothing short of a fool inviting his own demise.

Even the youth from the Yao family was stunned, his gaze flickering between the unconscious Lu scion nearby and the smiling Wang Ran before him, his expression one of utter bewilderment.

"Little brother, don’t be afraid. I’m here to help," Wang Ran said with a warm smile, trying his best to appear gentle.

The boy suddenly drew a sharp breath and cried out in alarm, "Big brother, you must run! If you wait any longer, you won't be able to leave Dongji City!"

"Run? Why would I run?" Wang Ran asked, scratching his head in apparent confusion.

Anxious, the boy pleaded, "I am grateful that you stepped in to save me, but the man you struck is a scion of the Lu family. Their influence in Dongji City is immense. Please, flee while you can! Once they find out, they will surely seek revenge, and I don’t want to be the reason you are implicated!"

Wang Ran paused for a moment, then touched his nose with a faint, amused smile. "Rest assured, since I dared to strike him, I have no fear of the Lu family." To put the boy at ease, he tried to project an air of strength.

Hearing this, the boy visibly relaxed. He looked up, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Then, big brother, where are you from? Could it be that you hail from a Nascent Soul family?"

In his view, only someone from a family backed by a Nascent Soul expert would dare to defy the Lu family. To his surprise, the man before him shook his head and said with a light chuckle, "I am a rogue cultivator."

The boy froze again. A rogue cultivator daring to offend the Lu family? He was dazed, but Wang Ran didn't give him time to ponder. He pulled the boy to his feet, wove through the bustling crowd, and led him toward a nearby teahouse after reaching the main street.

The streets were too crowded and eyes were everywhere, which made it difficult for Wang Ran to gather information about the Yao family. He was impatient to know if this Dongji Yao family was, in fact, the family of Senior Sister Yao.

Once inside the teahouse, they were greeted by a waiter. Wang Ran requested a secluded corner, ordered a few simple dishes, and the two sat down to talk.

"Little brother, what exactly is the dispute between your Yao family and the Lu family? Rest assured, if there is anything I can do to help, I certainly will," Wang Ran asked, pouring a cup of tea.

The Yao youth was initially reserved, but at Wang Ran's words, he became indignant. Clenching his fists, he said, "I won't be embarrassed to tell you, big brother. Our Yao family was once a major power in this city, equal to the Lu family. We had a good relationship and traded often. Who could have known the Lu family were such hypocritical, treacherous scoundrels?"

"When our family head passed away from illness a few days ago, the Lu family immediately turned on us, showing their fangs. They not only seized our assets but also coveted our ancestral home!" The boy’s face burned with anger as he took a heavy gulp of tea.

Wang Ran frowned. Thinking of the Yao family's predicament, he asked, "I heard passersby say that your family has an eldest daughter training at the Weiwo Sect. With such a major sect as your backing, why fear the Lu family?"

The boy fell silent for a moment, his expression turning bitter. "It is true, I have a cousin training at the Weiwo Sect. She is not only the apple of our family’s eye but also a supreme prodigy of the sect. She is already a Gold Core cultivator despite being only in the bloom of her youth, and her future is limitless."

"However, as a major sect of the current age, every move the Weiwo Sect makes is scrutinized by millions of cultivators across Yunzhou. Thus, there is an unspoken rule in the cultivation world: the sect is not permitted to interfere in the disputes of worldly families. Therefore, the Weiwo Sect cannot intervene."

Wang Ran nodded. It was true; for a sect as powerful as the Weiwo Sect, interfering in the affairs of small families would inevitably invite criticism. Yet, Wang Ran believed that if they truly asked for help, their master, Feng Yazi, would surely act. It was more likely that his proud senior sister was unwilling to ask the sect for help, fearing the loss of face.

"Wait," Wang Ran hesitated. "If your cousin is a Gold Core cultivator, how could the Lu family dare to bully you? The Lu family is merely a Gold Core clan themselves, aren't they?"

The boy sighed again, his silent eyes burning with a rage even more intense than before. "That is because there is a traitor in our family. My cousin was caught off guard by a scheme and had her cultivation sealed. And that traitor is none other than the current... Yao family matriarch!"

"When my uncle was alive, she remained hidden, appearing loyal. In reality, she had long been having an affair with the head of the Lu family. After my uncle died, she revealed her true colors. She used trickery to gain my cousin's trust, sealed her powers, and handed over the vast Yao family assets to her lover. She even... she even intended to force Senior Sister Yao to marry the eldest son of the Lu family!"

"Our family has existed for hundreds of years, and I never imagined we would fall to such a venomous woman! I hate her!" The boy’s eyes were bloodshot as he pounded the table.

He did not notice that the person sitting across from him was even more furious. Wang Ran sat perfectly still, not saying a word, but a keen observer would have noticed the terrifying spiritual power gathering in his hands beneath the table. A murderous intent, far deeper than what he had shown toward the Hongyuan Sect, burned in his eyes.

Senior Sister Yao was one of the few people he considered family within the sect—his own senior sister with whom he had shared a dwelling! When he had first entered the inner sect, his strength was meager. It was Senior Sister Yao’s patient guidance that had helped him stabilize his newly formed Foundation Establishment, laying a solid foundation for his future cultivation. To him, she was no less important than Zhao Xiaobai or his junior sister. How could he not be enraged?

A dragon has its reverse scales; touch them, and you die.

Wang Ran rose to his feet, his voice chillingly cold as he spat out each word:

"Where is Senior Sister Yao?"