Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Upgrading Mo Yuan

The air was thick with tension.

Su Yu sat upright in the host’s seat, his gaze turning cold. Like a savage ape roused from its slumber, he fixed his eyes on the three men opposite him and spoke in a low voice:

"Butler Huyan, didn’t Patriarch Yang tell you? Yang Zhen... is my woman."

HUMMM!

Before his words had even faded, an invisible pressure instantly filled the air.

It was an aura Su Yu had comprehended after breaking through to the Flesh Refining Realm, a combination of his Five Senses Divine and his saber intent. It could exert immense pressure on his foes. He had seen a similar aura emanate from Master Qin many times before, so he knew it wasn’t just his imagination.

Huyan bo felt the hair on his skin stand on end, as if he’d been targeted by a ravenous beast. The two guards behind him turned deathly pale. They instinctively reached for their blades, only to find their limbs frozen stiff, paralyzed by the sheer force of Su Yu’s presence.

’What a powerful aura!’

’This Su Yu carries such a dense, bloodthirsty aura. This is something only a true expert who has actually killed can possess.’

A chill went through Huyan bo, and any disdain he felt for Su Yu’s youth vanished instantly. He hunched his back slightly, reining in his arrogance. After all, the strong deserved respect, no matter where one found them.

He himself was a master at the peak of the Skin Tempering Realm Perfection. And while his Qi and Blood had waned over the years, his strength was still far beyond that of any ordinary Martial Artist. ’For Su Yu to have defeated Sun Yan and Ding Mianyue, he’s truly no ordinary person!’

"Master Su, please calm yourself."

Huyan bo lifted his teacup and took a sip before his expression shifted into a seemingly sincere smile.

"I have, of course, heard the rumors. However... as far as I know, Miss Yang is merely the steward of your estate. You are not formally wed, nor is there a marriage contract to prove otherwise."

He set down his teacup, his tone growing heavy with implication. "You are a smart man, Master Su. You should know that in this world, women... well, they all have a price. The Huyan Family respects you as a young prodigy, which is why we have come today with the utmost sincerity."

With a slight wave of his hand, one of the guards stepped forward. He produced a cold jade box from within his robes and respectfully placed it on the table.

CLICK.

Huyan bo’s withered fingers flicked open the lid.

In that instant, a bone-chilling cold spilled out from the box, causing the temperature in the hall to plummet.

Nestled inside was a lotus, as white as jade. It had only three leaves, each one looking as if it were sculpted from the purest ice and snow. It emitted a faint white glow and a crisp, invigoratingly cold fragrance.

"A Three-Leaf Snow Lotus!"

Huyan bo’s voice was laced with smugness. "This is a Lower Grade Xuan-grade Treasure Medicine. It grows atop the Great Snow Mountains north of Liangzhou and blooms only once every sixty years. For a Martial Artist, it is an unparalleled panacea for cleansing the marrow and breaking through bottlenecks! It’s worth a fortune—so rare that money can’t buy it!"

"If you were to possess this treasure medicine, Master Su, it would be of immense help when you face the bottleneck of the Flesh Refining Realm!"

Su Yu’s gaze sharpened.

’A Xuan-grade Treasure Medicine!’

’The Huyan Family really is a behemoth to casually offer a treasure of this caliber.’

Seeing Su Yu’s silence, Huyan bo assumed he was tempted. He stroked his beard and sweetened the pot. "In addition to this treasure medicine, you will also gain the deepest friendship of the Huyan Family! Your master, Hall Master Qin, has long been an acquaintance of our Patriarch, and your junior brother, Chen Fan, is about to become an honored son-in-law of our family. If you help us bring this union to pass, our families will be closer than ever. In the future, with the Huyan Family as your ally in Black Stone City, who would dare to show you disrespect?"

"Furthermore, once the Yang Family’s daughter marries our young master, Hu Yanxin, the Huyan Family is willing to cede an additional ten percent of the Yang Family’s future profits to you, Master Su!"

Bribery, alliance-building, and even a veiled threat.

After such a combination of tactics, any ordinary young Martial Artist would have likely handed the woman over for the sake of their future.

However, Su Yu’s wariness only intensified.

’They’re willing to pay such a high price?’

’The more they offer, the greater their true objective must be!’

’Is it for the Yang Family’s business, or for Yang Zhen herself? It could even be both!’

’But no matter what, I can’t possibly agree!’

"Butler Huyan."

Su Yu slowly raised his head. His expression was calm, yet it radiated an unshakeable resolve.

"You’ve misunderstood. In my heart, Yang Zhen is already my woman."

"As for this treasure medicine... please take it back."

At these words, the smile on Huyan bo’s face froze. The hand holding his teacup paused, and his eyes instantly turned cold.

"Master Su."

Huyan bo’s voice was hoarse and tinged with a sinister chill. "When the Huyan Family does something, we see it through. Are you certain you won’t reconsider? Is it really worth it to refuse the friendship of the Huyan Family—and even risk offending us—all for a woman?"

"If you feel this is not enough, just give the word. The Huyan Family has several unmarried young ladies, all of them top-tier in both beauty and talent. You may take your pick!"

This was now a blatant threat.

Su Yu didn’t even raise an eyelid. He stood up and coldly bit out four words:

"Li Da, show them out!"

"Good! Very good!"

Huyan bo laughed, his fury boiling over. He shot to his feet and gave Su Yu a long, hard look. "If that’s how it is, then I won’t disturb you any longer. I only hope you don’t come to regret today’s decision!"

With that, he snatched up the brocade box, flicked his sleeves, and departed, his back radiating a grim, murderous intent.

...

「On the Huyan Mansion’s carriage.」

"That damned brat! Utterly shameless!"

Huyan bo’s face was livid, his eyes dark with fury.

He hadn’t expected Su Yu to be so completely impervious to persuasion.

’Does he already know that Yang Zhen is a Spirit Body?’

’Impossible!’

’The nature of a Spirit Body is an extreme secret. If not for the Patriarch’s secret arts, no one would be able to detect it. And Yang Zhen doesn’t seem like a foolish woman; she would never tell anyone about her unique condition!’

’Besides, even if Su Yu did know, there would be no reason to take such a huge risk and oppose the Huyan Family. The benefits I offered were more than enough!’

’Could it be that there’s something special about Yang Zhen’s Spirit Body?’

No matter how he thought about it, Huyan bo couldn’t figure it out.

"Hmph! Since he won’t take the soft approach, he can’t blame us for getting rough."

A vicious glint flashed in Huyan bo’s eyes. "He chose the hard way. The Patriarch is determined to have Yang Zhen! As for you, Su Yu... you’re blocking the Huyan Family’s path, and that only leads to a dead end!"

"I must return and report to the Patriarch at once!"

...

「The Su Mansion storeroom.」

After seeing the members of the Huyan Family off, Su Yu didn’t relax. Instead, his brow was tightly furrowed.

’The Huyan Family’s attitude is too aggressive. They won’t let this go. It’s possible they really have detected Yang Zhen’s Spirit Body!’

A sense of urgency rose in Su Yu. ’The monsters and malcontents of this world just keep crawling out of the woodwork. I have to get stronger, faster!’

He walked deeper into the storeroom and took a heavy porcelain bottle from a hidden compartment. It contained the precious material he had obtained from the Black Rock Iron-Backed Crocodile’s nest.

Black Water Heavy Silver!

It was the greatest prize from his last trip to the Nine Islands region of the Black Water River—a Profound Tier material!

’Time to upgrade Mo Yuan!’

A flash of determination crossed Su Yu’s eyes. He was about to push the door open when he suddenly turned back. From a curio shelf, he picked up a small porcelain bottle that had sat there for a long time.

Leaving the storeroom, Su Yu found Li Da. "Li Da, go inform the Yang Family that for this month’s allowance, they are to send over an additional treasure medicine."

"Yes, Sir."

With the arrangements made, Su Yu took his things, boarded a carriage, and headed straight for the north side of the city.