Started out getting scumbags, but then invested in the invincible Empress.

Chapter 163 Going crazy

"To...Leping?"

Shen Ming paused slightly in scattering fish food, his tone casual yet indifferent as he said, "I have no dealings with him whatsoever. What does he want with me?"

"Young Master, the Great Yu Imperial Treasure Pavilion held a grand auction today, inviting many important figures from the Imperial City to attend. They told the Pavilion Master that they were willing to offer a low-grade Earth-rank spiritual artifact and requested that Young Master make an appearance."

The servant presented a beautifully crafted sword with both hands.

"He's certainly playing a clever game, using me as his backer..."

A cold sneer flashed across Shen Ming's lips as he tossed all the fish food out of his hand and glanced sideways at the sword in the servant's hand.

Immediately, he ordered expressionlessly, "Tell him I'm busy."

"Yes, I will pass on the message immediately."

The servant quickly agreed and hurried away.

"You think you can persuade me with just a mere low-grade Earth-rank spiritual weapon? Heh..."

Shen Ming stood with his hands behind his back by the pond, a hint of arrogance and disdain flashing across his face.

A low-grade Earth-rank spiritual weapon might be considered a rare treasure by many families in the imperial city.

But for him, the heir of the first family of the Great Yu Dynasty, it was nothing special.

Not to mention, besides being a member of the Duke's Mansion, he is also a true disciple of the Xuantian Sect, the overlord of Yongning Prefecture. How could he be driven by a low-grade earth-level spiritual artifact?

"Master——"

Suddenly, the servant turned back again.

Upon hearing the voice, Shen Ming frowned slightly and said without turning his head, "Didn't I tell you? I don't have time to go!"

"Young Master, it is..."

Just as the servant was about to explain, a cheerful voice rang out, "Ming'er, why are you angry so soon after you get back?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Ming turned around and looked at him, his tone slightly surprised, "Second Uncle, what brings you here?"

The visitor was a portly middle-aged man with a large belly and a gentle smile that always graced his lips, making him easy to approach.

Shen Langping, the second master of the Shen family, is a general of the current dynasty and a very famous figure in the capital.

He may look kind, but his hands are stained with endless blood. In terms of strength and methods, he is in no way inferior to Marquis Meng Zhenhu of Zhennan.

"It's been two years since we last met, so we're planning to catch up properly today..."

Shen Langping patted his shoulder with a smile, then took out a pot of wine and two wine cups from his storage ring. "Come on, let's have a good drink together today!"

After three rounds of drinking.

After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Ming gently put down his wine glass, his eyes flashing slightly as he said, "Second Uncle, I'm afraid your visit wasn't just to have a drink with me, was it?"

"Well........"

Shen Langping looked embarrassed, then smiled wryly and said, "As expected, I can't hide it from you, Ming'er. Actually... I came here to see Le Ping."

"Second Uncle, are you here as a mediator?"

Shen Ming narrowed his eyes, emanating an invisible aura. "You should know that with my current status, he, a mere branch pavilion master, is not qualified for me to support him."

As the most outstanding genius of the Xuantian Sect, he is first-class in both status and strength. How could he be willing to be a mere foil for others?

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat cold and quiet.

"Good lad, your strength has improved so quickly. I'm only one step away from the mid-stage Martial King, and I'm already feeling a bit of pressure..."

Sitting opposite him, Shen Langping's expression stiffened slightly, and he was secretly amazed.

Even though he had fought on the battlefield for many years and was covered in bloodthirsty energy, he was still finding it hard to withstand the aura emanating from his nephew.

"Ming'er is only twenty-five years old, yet he has such cultivation at such a young age... Haha, the Shen family has a worthy successor!"

Just as Shen Langping was immersed in his fantasy of his family's continued prosperity, he heard Shen Ming's order to leave.

"Second Uncle, if there's nothing else, please go back."

"No, please..."

Shen Langping snapped out of his daze, forced a smile, and said, "Xiang Leping and I have been old friends for many years. He once helped me a lot. It's only right and proper for our Shen family to show our appreciation, isn't it?"

As he spoke, he appealed to her emotions and reason, and then hummed:

"Even if we don't care about the monk, we should care about the Buddha. Tomorrow, your second uncle has never treated you badly. I've helped you take the blame so many times when you were little. You have to help me with this."

Half an hour later, Shen Ming, having grown tired of being nagged, reluctantly agreed, "Fine, stop reading, I'll do it, okay?"

"Then you'd better hurry, there's less than half an hour before the auction starts."

Having received a satisfactory reply, Shen Langping left with a hearty laugh.

"Ugh--"

Shen Ming sighed softly, then strode out of the courtyard.

The servant boy tactfully followed, asking with concern, "Young master, where are you going?"

"Nonsense, it's naturally that Imperial Treasure Pavilion."

........

at the same time.

In front of the Imperial Treasure Pavilion.

A thousand armored soldiers in black armor stood solemnly, completely surrounding the street. Their imposing presence and imposing manner made the common people only dare to watch from afar, not daring to breathe loudly.

At the front of the army, several important figures were present, including Miao Mingda, Minister of War; Meng Zhenhu, Marquis of Zhennan; and Wang Xu, the head of the Wang family.

Besides them, Meng Yan, Miao Lun, and other injured disciples were also among them, all displaying arrogant and excited expressions, shouting loudly:

"Hand over that bastard Li Wudao immediately, or don't blame us major families for retaliating!"

Not long after the words fell.

Several guards from the Imperial Treasure Pavilion stepped forward, their hearts pounding as they surveyed the menacing figure before them.

"Gentlemen, what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? Are you deaf? Didn't you hear me tell you to hand over that bastard Li Wudao?"

Meng Yan gritted his teeth and said that after being humiliated and defeated several times, he hated the other party to the core. Even being torn to pieces would not be enough to vent his anger.

"You have fifteen minutes to hand over the little beast who injured my Wang family's son, or my Wang family will never rest in peace!"

Wang Xu's chilling voice resounded throughout the venue, making many people afraid to look up.

"The Miao family is the same. If they don't show up within a quarter of an hour, my thousand armored soldiers will break down the gates of the Imperial Treasure Pavilion!"

A cold glint flashed in Miao Mingda's eyes.

Immediately afterwards, Meng Zhenhu toyed with a jade walnut in his hand and said quietly, "This Marquis... also means the same thing."

Although his tone was the calmest, it sent chills down everyone's spines, as if they were being watched by a ferocious beast lurking in the darkness.

The guards of the Imperial Treasure Pavilion had never seen such a scene before, and they were all quite frightened. They stood there helplessly, not knowing what to do.

You must know that these are all important figures who can shake the capital with a stomp of their feet, yet today they have gathered here for a young man, their murderous aura soaring to the heavens, which is truly terrifying.

.........

Soon, the news reached Li Wudao, Du Peng, and others.

"Sir, what should we do?"

One of the guards looked worried and felt uneasy.

"What's the panic? With the Pavilion Master and Miss Murong here, they can't cause any trouble."

Despite saying that, Du Peng was also uneasy and not entirely confident.

"Damn, what did this guy do to offend both the Marquis of Zhennan and the Wang family?!"

Upon learning of the situation, the Second Prince Li Sheng felt a sharp tremor in his heart.

These are all key figures, whom even the Second Prince treats with great respect and dares not easily offend. Yet this young man surnamed Li before him...

Sigh, that was so reckless!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had brute force but no brains; he was just a reckless brute and not worth wasting resources on cultivating.

"Your Highness—"

At this moment, a servant stepped forward carrying several pieces of broken stone, his face somewhat grim, and said, "The stone that this kid gave us didn't yield anything; it's just... scrap."

As he said this, he glared at Li Wudao hatefully, "Pah, I knew this kid wasn't so kind. He actually dared to give His Highness a piece of trash. He simply doesn't respect His Highness at all."

"What, scrap?!"

Li Sheng examined the pile of rubble in the guard's hand, his expression shifting. He said, "This stone looks smooth and full on the surface, with a lingering energy. How come nothing can be extracted from it...?"

"Wait, did he know from the very beginning that this stone was empty?!"

Thinking of this astonishing conjecture, he felt a surge of horror and certainty.

Indeed, the way Li Wudao casually tossed him that stone was as if he were throwing away trash.

Thinking of this, his expression became one of surprise and uncertainty.

As the saying goes, one can see the big picture from small details.

With his years of experience gambling on stones, he couldn't detect anything unusual, yet this young man did it so easily. The other party's background was probably not as simple as he thought!

If that's the case, why would this young man easily antagonize these major families in the capital?

There may be other hidden reasons involved; whether to help or abandon remains to be seen and requires further investigation.

In that instant, Li Sheng's attitude subtly changed again.

"Don't worry, Young Master Li. I can't guarantee your safety outside, but inside the pavilion, I doubt they would dare to cause any trouble."

Du Peng patted his chest and looked at Li Wudao with great confidence.

Unexpectedly, no sooner had he finished speaking than a guard walked forward in a panic.

"Manager Du, something terrible has happened!"

"The Minister of War, the Marquis of Zhennan, and the Wang family head have led their men and forced their way in. We simply couldn't stop them!"