Eagle Bo Kong was so enraged he stood there, stunned, silent for a long moment. Finally, through gritted teeth, his eyes blazing with malice, he demanded, "You mean you want this old man to be your lackey for a year??!!

Dream on, you little bastard! Are you having nightmares?

You really dare to say anything!" "No, no, absolutely not a lackey. You misunderstood me," Jun Mo Xie shook his head repeatedly.

"You only need to live here; you don't have to do anything. I have only one request!" "What request?

Spit it out!" Eagle Bo Kong’s chest heaved; he was struggling to suppress the urge to beat the boy’s backside into eight pieces. "In the event that the Jun family encounters some major danger—uh, for example, the danger of annihilation;" Jun Mo Xie’s expression turned serious.

"I hope you can guarantee that a year from now, the Jun family will still exist in this world! That’s all.

Such danger is only a possibility now, or perhaps nothing will happen over the year. Or maybe it will happen several times in that year; I don't know.

But, just for one year." "You need time to cultivate, to comprehend the Eagle Form Art! You need space!

You need sparring partners! And the necessary living resources." Jun Mo Xie’s face grew solemn.

"I can provide all of these. I only want to use your name to guarantee the Jun family’s safety for one year, nothing more!" Eagle Bo Kong retracted the anger from his face and pondered with a frown.

"If you agree, for the next year, you will be a retainer of my Jun family; your status in the Jun family will even surpass my grandfather's! Including me, no one here, at Haoshu Reading Net, can command you.

You do whatever you wish. If no crisis appears after a year, you can just dust off your pants and leave, and my Jun family will be indebted to you!

A tremendous favor!" Jun Mo Xie continued his smooth persuasion: "Moreover, during this year, my Master will also visit often." This last sentence was the most significant bargaining chip for Eagle Bo Kong! The provision of time, space, opponents, and living necessities were not difficult matters; however, encountering such an unparalleled master was a matter of fate, hard to come by!

Even meeting one in a lifetime was a massive stroke of luck. "Fine!

Your Master and I hit it off immediately. Just for that!" Eagle Bo Kong looked at Jun Mo Xie with sharp eyes.

"I agree!" "Wonderful!" Jun Mo Xie broke into a broad smile. "To formalize our agreement, how about we go enjoy ourselves at Spirit Mist Lake tonight?" "Get lost!" With a bang, the Young Master Jun began theatrically flailing as he performed an aerial stunt.

From the very beginning, Jun Mo Xie had been calculating this move. After discovering Eagle Bo Kong’s blunder near Maple Forest, Jun Mo Xie felt that a great pie was about to fall right onto his head.

Though he had successfully tricked the King of Mysterious Beasts into causing trouble for the Blood Soul Manor for two days, the Blood Soul Manor was powerful, its foundations unknown, and the outcome uncertain. Even if he managed to cripple or kill Li Jue Tian’s son, matters like marriage could still be settled by marrying his spirit tablet.

Therefore, Jun Mo Xie had to be cautious and ensure foolproof measures. The other point was that even if the Blood Soul Manor problem was resolved, the three Grand Profound Experts from Frost Snow Silver City had already arrived in Tianxiang City.

Given their rivalry with Xiao Han and Jun Wu Yi over affection, how could they let such a golden opportunity pass? They would inevitably sow discord between the Jun family and Sheng Bao Hall.

If a storm erupted during this time, even if the Jun family couldn't be annihilated, they would certainly be severely humiliated. Grandfather was a high official of the nation and already advanced in years; if he were truly insulted, how could he bear it!

Jun Mo Xie judged others by his own heart and had already considered this step. In truth, what worried him most was still Frost Snow Silver City, not the Blood Soul Manor.

After all, the Silver City people were currently right next door to the Jun family, practically a single step away, yet the Jun family currently possessed absolutely no ability to deal with Profound Experts. So, he needed to devise a coping mechanism first, to prevent being overwhelmed later.

His original intention was to reveal himself as the great master Jun Da, treat Hai Chen Feng until he was half-recovered, and then demonstrate a few moves before Eagle Bo Kong to pique his curiosity, then proceed slowly. It had to be said that if he appeared as that hidden supreme master, his standing before Eagle Bo Kong would naturally be much greater than as Jun Mo Xie.

But man proposes, and fate disposes; plans never change as fast as reality. At that critical juncture, he had to undergo his own breakthrough.

Helplessly, he had to settle for the second-best option. When he burrowed underground, he had already simulated everything happening now in his mind.

He believed there was still a very high probability of success! Now, Jun Mo Xie’s established goal had basically been achieved.

Furthermore, with Eagle Bo Kong at home, when the time came to collect those few medicinal herbs to enhance the Old Master’s strength, would the Great Sovereign Eagle truly stand idly by? Wouldn't that mean the Old Master would have the protection of a Supreme Guardian as well?

So, the moment he witnessed the Maple Forest Battle, Jun Mo Xie had already planned to eliminate all existing hidden dangers in one fell swoop, and the facts proved that his plan was entirely feasible. And it had achieved complete success...

From this moment on, the Jun family’s crisis had been completely resolved by Jun Mo Xie. And the coming year would be a year of rapid development for the Jun family!

This was precisely the ultimate goal that Jun Mo Xie had painstakingly calculated and planned for, from acquiring the Profound Pill until this arrangement! Now, he had finally truly set down the great stone weighing on his heart!

While Jun Mo Xie had used all his wits and tricks to achieve his goal, sharing in his joy, the Sheng Bao Hall was shrouded in gloom and misery. "What is happening?!" The Three Grand Elders, Mu Xue Tong, and Xiao Han were gathered, discussing various matters.

With the three Elders present, Mu Xue Tong and Xiao Han dared not act presumptuously and appeared quite subdued. Especially Xiao Han—though he acted haughty and domineering at the Jun family residence, even more arrogant than a docked-tail dog—before the Three Elders now, he was quieter than the most obedient baby.

These five were the highest-ranking individuals in Frost Snow Silver City within Tianxiang Nation’s capital, at Sheng Bao Hall. Ordinary people certainly did not qualify to sit with them.

Seeing the Little Princess rush in holding Xiao Feng Wu as if flying, the weakest of these five was a Heaven Profound expert. With one glance, they knew Xiao Feng Wu’s injuries were not light, perhaps even life-threatening, how could they not be alarmed!

The Little Princess had incited Xiao Feng Wu to sneak out to play; they were naturally aware of this. However, after the result of who possessed the Profound Pill was determined, experts from all regions lost their desire to linger and departed one after another.

Tianxiang City had largely returned to its usual tranquility, so they were happy to let the two little ones run around, lest they cause a ruckus demanding stories and annoy them. Besides, with Tianxiang City restored to its former state, with their Golden Profound cultivation, they were top-tier experts in the city.

Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't suffer a loss, so these five pretended not to see, letting them fool around. As for Xiao Han, he was even delighted by his nephew getting closer to the Little Princess Han Yan Meng.

But they never expected that after just a short while out, they would return in such a wretched state. Xiao Feng Wu had been violently beaten, suffering internal injuries that were quite severe.

If it were just the injuries, it wouldn't be so bad. Xiao Feng Wu’s clothes were not merely tattered; if not for a few scraps of ragged cloth covering his lower body to preserve modesty, he would have been completely naked, his springtime exposed!

Young Master Xiao was also considered an upper-class figure in Silver City, protected by his personal Snow Silkworm Armor. What enmity could warrant having even his undergarments stripped off?!

Han Yan Meng, upon seeing the five people, realized they were her kin. All her negative emotions—grievance and fear—erupted at once.

She threw herself into the Third Elder's arms, stomping her feet and weeping, tears streaming down her face. This delicate, pampered little girl, who had experienced only smooth sailing in her life, was truly terrified today.

The Third Elder gently patted her back, comforting her softly, but his eyes were blazing with fury! Who dared to bully our Silver City Little Princess?!

Even the Old City Lord, Frost Snow Supreme Han Feng Xue, treasured this youngest granddaughter beyond measure, afraid to drop her when holding her, cherishing her deeply! To think that upon first setting foot in the mortal world, arriving in Tianxiang City, she would encounter such a thing!

Seeing the clear slap mark on the Little Princess’s face, and her current tearful, pear-blossom-in-the-rain appearance, the Three Grand Elders felt both heartache and sorrow, their anger escalating beyond measure. After examining Xiao Feng Wu's injuries, all five frowned simultaneously.

"It's all physical force strikes! The force is concentrated, the technique is fast—this must be an External Arts master!

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an External Arts master reach this level!" The Ninth Elder said while channeling his True Qi into Xiao Feng Wu’s body to heal him, his brow furrowed. The other four showed surprise.

Only the Little Princess was still sobbing, her vision blurred by tears, but not understanding the meaning of the statement, she still choked out, "What is a physical... force strike?" "It means an attack method that uses pure physical strength without employing True Qi!" The Third Elder examined it closely, his face grave.

"Looking at these injuries, if that person had used True Qi, even if Feng Wu had nine lives, he would have lost them long ago. This suggests that although the person’s method was vicious, he still held back somewhat." All five of them frowned.

The only possibility for someone to injure the Golden Profound-level Xiao Feng Wu to this extent using only his own power without activating his True Qi was that his martial arts skill far surpassed Xiao Feng Wu's, placing his strength at least at the Jade Profound or Earth Profound level. Although masters at the Jade Profound or Earth Profound level couldn't normally draw their notice, the mere fact that this person dared to take the Snow Silkworm Armor—almost the symbol of Frost Snow Silver City—after injuring someone, proved this person was far from simple!

But regardless, this debt of hatred must be repaid! "Little Princess, don't worry.

Catch your breath, and tell us slowly, what exactly happened before," Mu Xue Tong said.