Chapter Thirty-Four: The Eldest Young Master of the Sun Family

Nearly four hundred strong horses carried them swiftly away, and Dragon Overlord's band of thieves moved at remarkable speed. In just about an hour, they were already approaching Wuye Town. Riding atop his horse, Lei Yan remained silent, his brow furrowed amid the jolting ride, his mind haunted by a single question: "Why would the Infant Sealing Array appear among the Sun family's caravan?"

"Second Brother, pass down the order: bypass Wuye Town and head for Sunset Mountain!" Cui Ba commanded in a deep voice as they neared Wuye Town. He knew well that if this matter threatened the very survival of Dragon Overlord, then entering Wuye Town was absolutely forbidden. With so many men, they could never avoid attracting attention.

After two hours of hard riding, Dragon Overlord's men finally reached Sunset Mountain. Sunset Mountain was a jagged peak, its serrated ridges resembling the fangs of a wild beast; from below, the rising sun seemed caught between those teeth, unable to ascend, and so the locals had named it Sunset Mountain.

Hundreds of men climbed halfway up the mountain, setting up simple tents, while Cui Ba and the other leaders gathered inside one.

"Lei, what exactly is this thing?" Cui Ba's heart was a tumult of curiosity, tension, and fear.

Lei Yan gazed at the faintly glowing spirit stones inside the chest and spoke slowly, "The Infant Sealing Array—a formation designed specifically to seal Nascent Souls."

"Infant Sealing Array? Nascent Souls?" Cui Ba racked his brain for any relevant information, but cultivators were mysterious enough to him, let alone Nascent Souls. He could only shake his head helplessly, indicating his ignorance. Not only Cui Ba, but the other leaders were equally bewildered.

Lei Yan organized his words and explained, "These things must belong to cultivators."

"What?" Both Cui Ba and Cold Second Brother's faces changed, speaking in near unison. Lei Yan's voice wasn't loud, but to the ears of Cui Ba and Cold Second Brother, it thundered like an explosion. Though neither understood cultivators in depth, they had heard enough of their power—strength beyond martial artists, capable of moving mountains and filling seas with a wave of their hand. Among the leaders, only Cui Ba and Cold Second Brother had even heard of cultivators; Lu Kai and the others were clueless, staring at their anxious counterparts in confusion.

"That's right. This Infant Sealing Array contains a sealed cultivator, and not just any cultivator, but one at the Nascent Soul stage! Such a cultivator would be considered a master even in the cultivation world," Lei Yan said with a bitter smile.

Lei Yan's words sent Cui Ba's heart plunging into despair. He could barely imagine the fury if a cultivator learned of this incident. His body swayed, nearly collapsing, but Cold Second Brother caught him just in time. Cold Second Brother, too, was deeply unsettled. Since joining the bandit trade, he'd never known fear, but now his palms were slick with sweat. "Cui Ba, maybe we should abandon this cargo immediately and return to Dragon Overlord's territory to hide!"

Cui Ba was exhausted in both body and mind. He was about to agree, when Lei Yan interrupted, "You don't truly understand how little cultivators value the lives of others. Even if we return the goods, we won't escape death. And I believe Dragon Overlord's territory cannot remain hidden from a cultivator's pursuit; returning will only bring disaster to everyone."

Cui Ba's face was grim, at a loss for what to do. He asked in a low voice, "Then what should we do now?"

"Wait!" Lei Yan answered decisively. As he spoke, his mind was busy considering, "With a cultivator's power, they wouldn't need to go to such lengths to conceal the Infant Sealing Array within the Sun family's caravan. I suspect the Nascent Soul within this array cannot be exposed, and only a mundane caravan could hide it from other cultivators. We can only hope that the employer is unable to search personally. As long as they entrust the search to worldly forces, we still have a slim chance."

Lei Yan paused. "Godfather, we must wait for one week. If, after a week, we're still alive, it will prove that the cultivator who hired the Sun family cannot search personally. Then we'll return immediately to Dragon Overlord's territory. I believe mere worldly forces can't uncover our hidden lair."

Cold Second Brother's eyes brightened at Lei Yan's words, a spark of hope rekindled in his heart. He laughed dryly, "Yes, yes! Why would a cultivator's precious item be entrusted to the Sun family, especially something so important?"

Cui Ba nodded at Cold Second Brother. "Second Brother, pass the order: remain here for a week. Everyone must stay in their tents and wait."

"Understood!" Cold Second Brother replied, vanishing from the tent in a flash.

"If the cultivator truly cannot show himself, what secret is hidden within this Infant Sealing Array?" Lei Yan sank into contemplation once more. In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly, regretting that he hadn't mastered 'A Brief Guide to Formations'—otherwise, he might have been able to break the array and question the Nascent Soul within.

******

Eight Directions Town was the liveliest place in all of Qingzhou. All traffic from north and south passed through here, concentrating nearly fifty percent of Qingzhou's wealth. Banks, taverns, shops, inns, gambling dens, and brothels lined its main streets, and people from every walk of life treated the thoroughfare as their playground.

Phoenix Pavilion was the Sun family's intelligence hub in Eight Directions Town, as well as its most famous brothel. The women within were as beautiful as fairies—some mature, some shy, some rough, some gentle—there was someone for every taste. Normally, the place was packed and boisterous, but today it was eerily quiet. The doors were shut tight, every floor occupied by men in black brocade, and the women hid in their rooms, too frightened to emerge.

On the top floor, in a private room, two men in blue robes paced anxiously, their nerves taut.

They had barely sat down when a fierce wind swept in through the window, and in its wake, a yellow figure materialized before them. The yellow-robed man's face was indistinct, his form almost ethereal.

Both stewards dared not show disrespect, immediately kneeling. "Sun Lu and Sun Shou greet the honored envoy!"

"Where is your chief steward? Has the cargo arrived?" the yellow-robed man asked coldly.

"Well..." Sun Lu faltered, a bead of cold sweat sliding down his brow. After a long hesitation, he forced himself to reply, "The chief steward was killed, and the cargo lost on the Eight Directions road."

"What?" The yellow-robed man's expression changed—had the Infant Sealing Array been stolen? Furious, he waved his right hand, sending Sun Lu crashing into the wall as if struck by a heavy blow.

"Is the Sun family courting annihilation?" The yellow-robed man made no effort to hide his murderous intent.

Both stewards trembled uncontrollably, but Sun Shou mustered his courage. "Honored envoy, please restrain your anger. We will recover the cargo as quickly as possible. The eldest young master will take charge—none who deserve death will be spared!"

"Very well." The yellow-robed man thought for a moment, finally suppressing his wrath. "You have one month. If the cargo isn't found within a month, the Sun family will vanish from this world." With those words, he disappeared as suddenly as he had arrived.

As soon as he left, Sun Lu and Sun Shou collapsed, drained of all strength. After a moment, Sun Lu recovered enough to speak. "Third Brother, hurry and fetch the eldest young master."

"Understood." Sun Shou nodded weakly and stood, resignation heavy in his heart. If he succeeded, there'd be no reward, but if he failed, the Sun family would cease to exist. The thought made cold sweat pour down his brow, and he hurried up the stairs and out.

About an hour later, a group of riders entered Eight Directions Town. At their head was a handsome young man in white brocade, his delicate features sharp, his eyes so piercing few dared meet them.

Sun Lu waited respectfully outside Phoenix Pavilion, and when he saw the white-robed youth ride up, he hurried forward. "Young master, you've arrived!" His tone was deferential—he dared not show the slightest disrespect, for Sun Jin Cai, the eldest young master, was famed for his ruthless competence. Sun Lu stepped up, took the reins, and helped the young man dismount.

"Inside," Sun Jin Cai said curtly, entering Phoenix Pavilion. His face was grim; the family steward murdered, the cargo stolen—his fury was palpable. He had rushed here upon hearing the news.

Inside, a banquet was already prepared, but Sun Jin Cai sat at the table with no appetite, his gaze cold as he fixed it on the two stewards. "Contact the leader of Golden Might immediately. I want to know who dared touch the Sun family's cargo!"

(ps: Two chapters resume today, one in the morning, one at night. Thank you all for your support!)