Hearing that Cao Hong's master was coming for revenge, Luo Xiu's heart remained undisturbed.

He said to Guan Changyun, "If he comes, I will cut him down."

His simple response silenced Guan Changyun. Initially, Guan had been somewhat worried because he knew that Zhou Jingong was very strong. But after having just witnessed the strength Luo Xiu revealed, he was now more concerned for Zhou Jingong.

Luo Xiu asked, "You'd betray your sect just like that?"

Guan Changyun smiled and said slowly, "I was always the worst one in the sect. In that place, no one ever gave me a second glance. I had long been abandoned by them."

For a moment, he couldn't help but recall many heartbreaking memories.

"Besides, I despise blades, so my beliefs conflicted with the sect's philosophy."

Curious, Luo Xiu asked, "Why do you despise blades?"

As if narrating someone else's story, Guan Changyun said slowly, "When I was fourteen, I hid in a wardrobe and watched with my own eyes as evil men used blades to murder my family..."

"My sister, who had just turned four; my mother, who was sick in bed; and my father, who fought desperately to protect us."

Clenching his fists, he stared at Luo Xiu and said, "To this day, I still remember their despairing eyes as they lay in a pool of blood."

"From that day on, I swore to become a powerful swordsman and kill every last one of those blade-wielding beasts."

"But fate played a cruel joke on me, and I ended up taking a blademaster as my master."

After listening to his story, Luo Xiu fell silent for a long while before changing the subject. "What was that you said about the Hua Country Xuan Ranking?"

Hearing this, Guan Changyun looked somewhat surprised, his expression seeming to ask, You don't even know about this?

Luo Xiu touched his nose and gave an embarrassed smile.

Guan Changyun then patiently explained, "The Martial Way Ranking of Hua Country is divided into four lists: the Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Yellow Rankings."

"Apart from the Heaven and Earth Rankings, the Xuan and Yellow Rankings each list only fifty people."

Luo Xiu asked, "So who or what organization decides these rankings?"

Guan Changyun said, "They are determined by the Martial Association General Association. During each Wu Tian Grand Ceremony, members of the Martial Association observe in secret and ultimately select fifty outstanding young martial artists for the Yellow Ranking."

"As for the Xuan Ranking, those are the true masters. Their strength must at least reach the Grandmaster level."

"To get onto the Xuan Ranking, one needs to challenge a master on the list. If you win, you take their spot, and their rank drops by one."

"However, to my knowledge, the masters on the Xuan Ranking haven't changed in decades. Instead, it's a group of young people who squabble endlessly over the Yellow Ranking."

Luo Xiu then asked, "What about the Heaven and Earth Rankings?"

Guan Changyun replied, "The Earth Ranking is for the dead. In short, only those who have passed away can be ranked on it. There's no limit to the number of names on the Earth Ranking, which can run into the hundreds or even thousands."

"As for the Heaven Ranking, I don't know much myself. I only know that it has ten spots, meaning just ten people are on the list."

"And these ten people, without exception, are pillars of the nation, truly peerless powerhouses. Very few people know their identities. They might only appear when the nation faces a major crisis or when a great upheaval occurs in the martial world."

「Sea City, South District.」

In a luxurious villa, Duan Feibai sat on a sofa, looking at Xiang Laoer and Tao Laosi seated opposite him. "I was wondering why you two invited me here. Is there something you wish to discuss?"

As the saying goes, even a mighty dragon can't subdue a local snake. Sea City was not Duan Feibai's territory, after all, so when facing these two Dragon Heads of Sea City, he did his best to appear courteous.

Tao Laosi chuckled and lit a cigar.

"Young Master Duan, you're a straightforward man, so I'll get right to the point... I want to deal with Luo Xiu!"

Duan Feibai watched Tao Laosi with a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes, waiting for him to continue.

At this point, Xiang Laoer spoke up. "It's a pity, but the help we requested from the provincial capital has been delayed and won't be able to get to Sea City anytime soon. Therefore, we can only be so bold as to ask for your help, Young Master Duan."

The thought of Luo Xiu's face made Duan Feibai suddenly feel very annoyed, but he didn't let any of it show. Since these two Dragon Heads wanted to deal with Luo Xiu, he was more than happy to lend a hand.

"How exactly do you plan to deal with him?"

Tao Laosi said with a grin, "It's like this. Through our observations these past few days, we've confirmed that Luo Xiu and Lin Xiyue are making preparations to open a pharmaceutical company. We want to make sure they can't get it off the ground."

Hearing this, a look of disdain crossed Duan Feibai's eyes. "When did you underworld figures become so timid? If you want to deal with Luo Xiu, why not just hire someone to take him out?"

Xiang Laoer shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile, "We can't, Young Master Duan. First, Luo Xiu's personal strength is formidable. Our men are no match for him, and the expert from the provincial capital has yet to arrive."

"Second, the Wu Tian Grand Ceremony is about to take place, so all of Henghai Province is on high alert. Our superiors have repeatedly instructed us to keep a low profile."

"If we give the Governor any ammunition against us at a time like this, not only will we be finished, but our superiors will be as well."

"Besides, once Luo Xiu gets that pharmaceutical company up and running, it will also threaten our interests."

"I see," Duan Feibai nodded in understanding. He then picked up a teacup from the table and asked, "So, how do you plan to stop him?"

Xiang Laoer responded, "We also own a few pharmaceutical companies."

Duan Feibai smirked. "I've heard about those. The kind that can't see the light of day."

"Heh heh, that's not important. What's important is that we intend to control the entire supply of medicinal herbs on the market in Henghai Province. We'll make sure that when the time comes, Luo Xiu won't be able to buy a single goji berry."

"Then, when he gets desperate, we'll sell to him at an exorbitant price, draining him dry and leading him by the nose."

Duan Feibai asked, "So what do you need me to do?"

Xiang Laoer replied, "To control the entire medicinal herb market of Henghai Province in a short period of time, and to do so without anyone knowing, only the Duan Consortium is capable of that."

"Also, we're currently short on funds, so we were hoping to borrow some money from you, Young Master Duan. Once we've made money off Luo Xiu, we'll pay you back in full."

After pondering for a moment, Duan Feibai said, "That will be difficult on short notice. Even the Duan Consortium can't control the entire medicinal herb market of Henghai Province in the timeframe you're requesting."

Tao Laosi asked with a smile, "But aren't you close with Du Gang, Young Master Duan?"

"He's a disciple of He Dang Gui and holds a high position in the Medical Association. With him pulling the strings, combined with the power of your Duan Consortium, it shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Duan Feibai suddenly burst out laughing. "Interesting. I'm rather curious to see just how far you can push Luo Xiu."

"Hahaha, then, Young Master Duan, here's to a successful collaboration!"

...

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