The quest had been assigned to him by the system, so the threat must have been real.
 If the system had concluded that Beiluo City was about to be taken by the enemy, no matter how much his father thought things were under control, that was probably overconfidence.
 Lu Fan was frustrated. Did the opening quest have to be so high-stakes?
 Yet defending was supposed to be easier than laying a siege.
 Although the mayor of North County had his 50,000 men at the gate of Beiluo City, Lu Changkong was no ordinary defending general.
 Lu Fan turned back to Ning Zhao. âSister Ning, how many men does Beiluo City have altogether as our defensive force?â
 âYoung Master, your father will take care of this. You donât need to worry about that kind of stuff,â Ning Zhao said sincerely.
 5The Young Master was already living a tough life. He didnât need to be concerned over this trifling matter as well.
 âI was just askingâŠâ Lu Fan gave a tender smile.
 âBeiluo City has an army of twenty thousand. If we included the forces of the three major aristocratic families and a few other smaller families, we might put together about twenty-five thousand men. So it would be difficult for North Countyâs army to break into Beiluo City,â Ning Zhao answered.
 She was no ordinary maid. She had her own opinion based on her analysis of Beiluo Cityâs situation.
 âThe three major aristocratic families?â Lu Fan squinted.
 If an impregnable city ended up being taken by the enemy, external forces like an invading army werenât actually the most important threat. There was a larger chance that it would crumble from within.
 Was it possible that the three major aristocratic families had colluded with the mayor of North County?
 Lu Fanâs long slender fingers were tapping lightly on the thin blanket covering his legs.
 1Lu Fan thought for a while before voicing this question. âSister Ning, do you think the three families might betray us?â
 Ning Zhao hadnât expected that question. She raised her hand to tuck wisps of hair away from her face as her brows furrowed. âImpossible⊠The three aristocratic families would never dare to betray us.â She shook her head as she spoke.
 âAfter all, the Master is the only Grandmaster in Beiluo City. He has high prestige in this place.â
 The look in Lu Fanâs eyes indicated that he wasnât convinced. âThe Great Zhou Dynasty itself is a mess. And the emperor was revered as well, wasnât he? People in this world place their own interests above all else. Relying on something as abstract as prestige isnât enough.â
 âSister Ning, take me to the city wall.â
 1Ning Zhaoâs face paled a little. âYoung Master, itâs very dangerous up there on the wall.â
 âSister Ning, donât forget that an immortal touched the top of my head!â Lu Fan gave a faint smile.
 9He had a feeling that this made-up immortal would serve as his cover for a lot of things in the future.
 3Ning Zhao took a deep breath. She felt the vibration of the Spirit Qi in her dantian. She still appeared hesitant.
 At last, she chose to believe Lu Fan.
 After all, the Young Master was the man with the key to changing the world.
 Pushing Lu Fan in the wheelchair, Ning Zhao left Lu Manor.
 Yi Yue and Ni Yu also followed as they realized what was happening.
 3***
 1On the city wall of Beiluo CityâŠ
 Wearing ice-cold armor, his Qingfeng sword tucked into his waistband, Lu Changkong stood on the city wall with his brows furrowed and his flint-like eyes gazing ahead. His aura was striking.
 Around him, several strong generals were also standing by, holding their swords.
 Under the huge mottled stones of the city wall, dense lines of soldiers and officers formed an overwhelming siege in front of Beiluo City.
 Right in front of the gate, a strong, fierce man was shouting and cursing on his horse, holding his knife high. He was shirtless, showing off his tattoo-covered olive skin.
 2Right in front of him lay the dead bodies of a man and his horse, both chopped in half. Gurgling blood reddened the yellow sand.
 Lu Changkongâs face was dark.
 âWhatâs that guyâs name?â Lu Changkong asked his men in a cold voice. He didnât turn around.
 âCity Master, that man is Feng Shi, a general under Tantai Xuan, the mayor of North County. Heâs known for his almost unnatural power and strength.â
 Lu Changkongâs menâs faces had also fallen.
 During the pre-battle challenging, one of the major generals from Beiluo City had been unexpectedly slaughtered, along with his horse. He hadnât even had time to retreat to the city. That was a huge slap in the face.
 It was a heavy blow to Beiluo Cityâs morale as well.
 âThis man is very strong, among the best. Does anyone from our Beiluo City dare to accept his challenge now?â one of Lu Changkongâs deputies asked with a stony face.
 Lu Changkongâs sharp eyes roved over the enemy forces.
 It was as if his gaze swept through the whole army until it reached a tent, searching for someone in specific.
 âFor the opening show, he sent a top First-Tier martial arts practitioner. Whatâs Tantai Xuanâs real plan?â Lu Changkong wondered.
 Even among his men, there were only a few First-Tier practitioners.
 There were even fewer top First-Tier practitioners such as Feng Shi.
 ***
 1Under the city wallâŠ
 Feng Shi was still showcasing his tall, muscular build. His thick hair was knotted in numerous braids. His attitude was extremely arrogant and brash.
 He had ridden his horse right to the foot of the city wall, and he was still shouting curses up at the defenders. The huge knife that could slaughter a horse with one strike was tucked behind his back.
 3âLu, you old fart of Beiluo City! Do you dare come out to fight me?!â
 âLu Changkong! You are a coward! Huddling up there on the wall like a f*cking turtle? Is that all youâve got?â
 âWhat kind of trash did you send me? I cut him down with one strike! It was too easy! I didnât even get to enjoy myself!â
 âHa, ha, ha! Loser Lu, I heard that your son Lu Fan lies paralyzed in bed, but he is pretty and fresh! You might as well give him to me! My men would all like someone soft to play with!â
 5Feng Shiâs laughter was wild. The horse under him breathed out hot air.
 On the city wall, all the generals looked outraged.
 Lu Changkong had many strong fighters. They all clenched their fists tightly.
 They begged Lu Changkong to send them out to fight Feng Shi.
 Unfortunately, Lu Changkong didnât.
 As the only Grandmaster in Beiluo City, he knew his men very well.
 Feng Shi was a top First-Tier martial arts practitioner born with great strength and power. Regular First-Tier practitioners wouldnât stand a chance fighting him one-on-one.
 If he sent any of his men, they would simply die for nothing.
 He ignored their requests and cast a cold glance at Feng Shi on his horse.
 Although trash talk and pre-battle challenges were normal, the garbage that came out of this manâs mouth was simply too nasty.
 1Lu Changkong wouldnât have had a problem with it if Feng Shi was just trying to humiliate him.
 But when the man said nasty things about his son, it was much harder for Lu Changkong to bear.
 Lu Fan was Lu Changkongâs ultimate trigger.
 1Lu Changkongâs hand rested on the sword tucked into his waistband. His eyes were full of boiling rage and intent to kill. He suddenly turned around.
 All the generalsâ and officersâ hearts skipped a beat. Raw excitement glinted in their eyes.
 The city master, who was a Grandmaster, would finally fight in person!
 âYou guys guard the front gate and keep an eye on the three aristocratic families. If they dare to show a hint of betrayal, simply cut their heads off and wait for me,â Lu Changkong said to his trusted followers when he reached the gate. His expression was solemn as he gave the order.
 His men were all surprised, but they nodded seriously and accepted the order.
 In the next moment, Lu Changkong hopped on a Ferghana horse, whose hair was smooth and glowing in the sunlight.
 He spurred the horse, the reins raised high in his hands.
 The horseâs whinny was loud and clear.
 The gate opened.
 The horse ran across the black bricks, leaving the city defenders in the dust.
 Lu Changkong dashed out of Beiluo City like a spear aimed straight at its target.
 1***
 1Because of the besieging enemy, the civilians in Beiluo City had all gone back to their own houses.
 The streets were deserted, as if the city were abandoned.
 Creak⊠CreakâŠ
 The quiet squeaking of the wheelchairâs wooden wheels sounded loudly in the empty streets.
 4An enchanting woman with a mature aura and beautiful figure was pushing the wheelchair. Her delicate hands rested casually on the handles as she and her charge moved slowly toward the city wall.
 1In the wheelchair, a young man in white sat quietly. He had a thin wool blanket cast over his legs. His chin rested on one hand, while the fingers of his other hand tapped lightly on the blanket.
 His posture perfectly showcased his pride, touched with just a hint of aloofness.
 On their right, a foxy, pretty maid wearing a light yellow muslin dress followed with her head down. Her long whip swung quietly from its place at her waist.
 1On the left trotted a girl with her hair up in buns. The softness of her features made her look even young as she tried to catch up with the group to hold an umbrella for the young man.
 It was Lu Fan and his three maids.
 2The odd group looked particularly strange on the empty street.
 Suddenly, a burst of loud, wild laughter was heard from outside the city.
 Although the sound had been weakened by distance, to martial arts practitioners who had acute senses, the message was still very clear.
 âHa, ha, ha! Loser Lu, I heard that your son Lu Fan lies paralyzed in bed, but he is pretty and fresh! You might as well give him to me! My men would all like someone pretty and fresh!â
 Lu Fan couldnât hear it very well.
 But he did catch part of it and thought someone was complimenting his handsomeness.
 2He had his system, but on the stats page, it showed that his Physique Strength was only 0.5, which meant that he couldnât punch his way out of a paper bag. He would be completely incompetent in a fight.
 But Ning Zhao and Yi Yue heard every word of it.
 Ning Zhaoâs expression darkened. A cold, murderous look appeared on her pretty face.
 Yi Yue bit her lower lip. Her hand reached for the whip, and she also wore the look of a killer.
 Ni Yu looked confused. She, like Lu Fan, hadnât heard much. So she simply kept holding the umbrella as she hurried after them.
 Ning Zhao was pushing the wheelchair too quickly for Ni Yu to stay apace easily. She had to trot the whole way.
 3âSister Ning, what was the guy outside the city yelling about?â Lu Fan asked, using the hand that wasnât holding his chin to straighten the blanket.
 A wide smile instantly replaced the murderous look on Ning Zhaoâs face. âNothing, Young Master.â
 2Lu Fan rolled his eyes. Her murderous expression hadnât escaped him.
 âDonât worry. Simply tell me. Iâm your Young Master. Iâve been lying in bed for years and have long since gotten used to all kinds of rumors and malicious words. Iâve developed an extraordinarily peaceful mind. Come rain or shine, I will still keep my cool.â Lu Fan gave a faint smile.
 Ning Zhaoâs smile remained carefully in place. She didnât say anything.
 Yeah, right. Like she would believe him.
 Due to the problem with his legs, Lu Fanâs temper had always been terrible. As his maid, Ning Zhao knew this very well.
 âYi Yue, how about you tell me?â
 Lu Fan turned to Yi Yue, who was now holding the umbrella for him.
 Yi Yue hesitated. She didnât want to say anything. Yet considering that she still wanted to get Lu Fan to share the immortal encounter with her someday, she didnât dare say no. Yi Yue eventually told Lu Fan everything Feng Shi had said.
 1Before she could even finish, Lu Fan gasped as he put a hand to his chest.
 The smile on his face faded.
 âMy chest feels so tight⊠I, your Young Master, have a pain in my liver.â
 1He was so upset that even his liver hurt?
 1Ning Zhao and Yi Yue were speechless.
 Had this man really just sworn that he had a calm temper and a peaceful mind?
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