Chapter 1304: Chaos

"What's going on? Why are you in such a hurry?" Sang Hong asked with a frown.

"A large number of people from small and medium-sized clans are storming the Duke's Mansion, clamoring to see the Duke of Cloudcounty. Some merchant guilds are also demanding early redemption of their commercial drafts. The guards at the Duke's Mansion explained that the Duke is in secluded cultivation, but these people won't listen. Someone must be leading them, as a group of them are directly forcing their way in, and for some reason, the guards can't stop them," the subordinate quickly replied.

Sang Hong said in a deep voice, "That's to be expected. So many major incidents have happened in Cloudcounty recently, yet the Duke hasn't appeared. Many people have sought an audience before, but he never responded. A lot of people suspect he's already dead. Now, the Duke's Mansion is disorganized, and it's normal for the guards to not put in their full effort."

Zuan's heart skipped a beat. It seemed his prolonged absence had already aroused suspicion.

After dismissing his subordinate, Sang Hong told Zuan, "Whatever happens at the Duke's Mansion is none of our concern. Maintaining stability in Cloudcounty is Xu Yu's responsibility; let him worry about it. You don't need to get involved."

Zuan gave a wry smile. He couldn't just ignore it, because he was currently the Duke of Cloudcounty.

Yu Yanluo had no intention of completely abandoning their foundation in Cloudcounty, and neither did he. All of this required the identity of the Duke of Cloudcounty.

He quickly excused himself. "Uncle, I'm going back to rest now."

"Rest well and recover from your injuries," Sang Hong instructed. "When you're ready to leave, let me know. Don't disappear without a word like you did before."

Zuan felt a little ashamed. "Alright, sorry to make you worry, Uncle."

Seeing that Zuan had now been promoted to Earl, not only in title but also in cultivation, surpassing his own, and yet still respectfully performed the nephew's bow to him, Sang Hong nodded inwardly. He hadn't misjudged the man; Qian'er wouldn't suffer if she followed him.

And as for Zheng Dan... *sigh*, he wondered if they had become pregnant.

Anyway, after Zuan returned to his room, he originally planned to find Pei You to activate the Cute Girl Transformation Device. However, Pei You was nowhere to be found, likely having gone with Gao Ying to the Jadeite Pavilion to "comfort" fallen women.

He really values women over friends. What about the welcoming banquet he promised me?

So he had no choice but to go find Xiao Jianren, deciding to revert to his 'Gold Badge Eleven' disguise first.

Upon seeing him, Xiao Jianren was both surprised and delighted. "Lord Eleven, you're finally back! I thought something might have happened to you."

Zuan said indifferently, "What could possibly happen to me?"

Xiao Jianren thought about it: indeed, every Gold Badge Embroidered Envoy possessed extraordinary abilities. He had been unnecessarily worried.

However, he immediately remembered something else and quickly said, "Lord Eleven, someone impersonated you earlier, and it was a woman. Should your subordinate investigate who dared to pose as a Gold Badge Embroidered Envoy?"

Zuan replied, "That was my person. I sent her ahead. Otherwise, where do you think she would have found those gold badge uniforms and waist tokens?"

Xiao Jianren had been puzzled before because, except for the person herself, everything else about the impersonator was correct, and he wondered where that woman got those items. Hearing Zuan's explanation, he breathed a long sigh of relief. "That's good."

At the same time, he was curious about the true relationship between that woman and Lord Eleven, that she was even allowed to wear the Gold Badge Embroidered Envoy uniform.

Furthermore, the Great Commander Zhuye hadn't pursued the matter, clearly indicating he was also aware.

At this thought, his gossipy soul burned brightly.

Zuan thought, "Perfect." He didn't even need to change disguises later. He simply left, made a loop, and then rushed back, this time using the Cute Girl Voice Changer.

Xiao Jianren assumed it was Gold Badge Eleven's female stand-in and immediately served her meticulously, trying various indirect ways to inquire about their relationship.

Zuan said directly, "After becoming a Gold Badge Embroidered Envoy, the organization assigns a female stand-in. Besides assisting with work, she also takes care of daily life and even warms the bed."

"What?!" Hearing this, Xiao Jianren's somewhat dim eyes suddenly gleamed with hope. He had been quite content with being a Silver Badge Embroidered Envoy. Although a Gold Badge was dangerous and came with great responsibility, even many perils, it couldn't compare to the leisure of immersing himself in books in the archives.

But the organization actually provided women to Gold Badge Embroidered Envoys!

These weren't just any women; they were female Embroidered Envoys, skilled in various abilities, not only comrades but also the closest of lovers. Thinking of this, his breathing quickened, and he felt that his monotonous life had suddenly found new purpose.

Seeing his expression, Zuan thought, "Old Xiao is truly an honest man. He believes that?"

When he finally became a Gold Badge Embroidered Envoy after enduring countless hardships and went to Zhuye Chixin to request a female companion, that scene would surely be amusing.

Seeing that he had successfully deceived Xiao Jianren, Zuan found a random excuse and excused himself.

Then, using his 'Thousand Faces' ability, he transformed into Jian Yan'you and quickly headed towards the Duke's Mansion.

The entire Duke's Mansion was in chaos. Many scions from various clans and merchant guilds were already directly moving the Duke's valuable furniture, either to settle debts or to compensate for their families' recent losses.

Even some of the Duke's Mansion's own guards, servants, and maids were moving things.

Since Jian Taiding had died and the previous steward was also gone, the only ones left in charge of the vast Duke's Mansion were the concubines Liu Ji, Chu Ji, and Zhang Ji. They tried to stop the looting, but at this point, who would listen to them?

Some even coveted their beauty. Furthermore, as the Duke's concubines, they were usually unapproachable. The thrill of their status emboldened these individuals, who sought to take advantage of the chaos to grope them.

The three women were both ashamed and enraged. As they evaded the advances, they had no time to stabilize the chaotic situation in the Duke's Mansion.

In their desperation, they had no choice but to run towards the place where the Duke was supposedly in secluded cultivation recovering from his injuries.

The pursuers pressed closer, laughing loudly when they saw the women's chosen direction. "When even his official wife, Yu Yanluo, was in trouble, Jian Yan'you stood by idly. Why would he care about you, his concubines?"

"So many things have happened these past few days. If that Jian fellow weren't dead, he would have appeared long ago to calm everyone down. His absence now, with things this chaotic, proves he's truly dead."

"You few, have some sense and remarry! Big brother here doesn't mind that you're not virgins."

"What do you know, you fool? It's precisely these married women who know how to serve men best!"

...

The crowd erupted in laughter, their words growing increasingly vulgar as they relentlessly harassed the three women.

Their faces flushed crimson with anger, but the other side outnumbered them and included many skilled individuals. The mansion's defense system was completely in disarray, making it impossible to effectively stop them. The women were utterly helpless.

Zhang Ji was alright; she didn't know the truth and still believed the Duke was in secluded cultivation inside.

Chu Ji and Liu Ji, however, felt a chill in their hearts, for they knew the Duke was truly dead, and the person who had impersonated him had also sent Lady Yu away. They were now, in fact, abandoned.

Just a few months ago, they had lived lives of boundless splendor, but now they had fallen from the clouds into the dust. The fundamental reason was that their protector was gone.

In this world where the strong prevail, beautiful women were like duckweed: without support, their fates were often tragic.

At this point, the men were no longer content with verbal harassment and rushed forward to grab the women they fancied.

There were only three women, but so many factions present. Naturally, it was a case of first come, first served.

Watching those lustful hands approach, the three women screamed. Just then, the stone door nearby exploded open with a thunderous roar, sending countless shards of rock flying. Those with weaker cultivation in the courtyard were instantly pierced with several bloody holes, while those with stronger cultivation barely managed to protect themselves.

However, a figure then flew out. The leading experts from those clans had no time to react. The newcomer lightly struck them with a palm, and they instantly collapsed as if drained of all strength, dying on the spot.

"A Grandmaster!"

Feeling the immense pressure, the people from the other clans retreated in terror. As the dust settled, everyone finally saw the figure clearly: it was none other than Jian Yan'you, the Duke of Cloudcounty!

"How dare you cause trouble in my ducal mansion?" The newcomer was naturally Zuan, who hadn't expected the situation to escalate so drastically.

It seemed both Sang Hong and Xu Yu were eager for something to happen at the Duke's Mansion, so they had silently condoned these actions.

"Have mercy, Your Grace! We knew nothing; we were just following orders!" The entire group was terrified. Jian Yan'you wasn't dead, and he even seemed to have fully recovered from his injuries. Who in Cloudcounty could possibly be his match?

One by one, they shifted the blame to the deceased.

"Your Grace!"

Many scattered guards in the mansion rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing him, their eyes filled with excitement. Those who had managed to resist until now were clearly truly loyal individuals.

"Duke, *sniffle, sniffle*~" Just as Zuan was about to speak, Zhang Ji excitedly threw herself into his arms, her voice full of aggrieved sobs.

Chu Ji and Liu Ji were also very excited and joyful, but knowing that the person was not the true Duke, they couldn't act as naturally as Zhang Ji. They simply instinctively moved closer to him.

With a soft, fragrant woman in his arms, Zuan felt a bit awkward. He hadn't returned intending to take advantage of anyone, and he hadn't expected Zhang Ji to be so emotional.

Just then, a flurry of footsteps approached. Xu Yu appeared, leading a group of subordinates. His face was pale, clearly still recovering from the intense frustration he had experienced earlier.

"Prefect Xu, you've arrived just in time. These people openly stormed the Duke's Mansion. I'll leave it to you to determine their punishment," Zuan said coldly. He had no energy to deal with this mess; let Xu Yu handle the unpopular task.

As expected, Xu Yu's eyelids twitched. He clearly understood that enforcing the law would likely offend a large number of local clan forces in Cloudcity.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw the fallen experts from various clans and sensed the Grandmaster aura emanating from "Jian Yan'you." His expression immediately changed. "It is truly my dereliction of duty that Your Grace has been disturbed this time. I will handle the rest of this matter and ensure Your Grace receives a satisfactory resolution."

"I hope so," Zuan replied, then bothered with him no further. He simply turned and left with the women. After this incident, he realized that their cultivation levels were low and they would struggle to maintain order here. He needed to help them improve their cultivation.

---

Finally done with work. Regular updates should resume tomorrow.