As soon as he entered the main hall, Jun Mo Xie suddenly felt the subtle sensation of Yang Zirong stepping into Tiger Mountain!

On the main seat directly ahead, Dugu Zongheng was draped in a tiger-skin cloak, enthroned there, leaning slightly forward, looking down at him with eyes as sharp as a peregrine falcon—the very image of the mountain bandit leader, needing only a slight adjustment to his hairstyle to pass without any disguise.

General Dugu Wudi glared with ox-like eyes, his hand gripping his sword hilt, standing imposing and menacingly before Old Master Dugu, his expression one of severe scrutiny, as if inspecting a spy. Though his face was unblemished by pockmarks, his demeanor was exactly that of the chief of the Eight Great Vajras—the Great Pockmark.

Lined up on both sides were seven burly men, each broad as a bear, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, all looking eager to clash. It was the Eight Great Vajras in attendance! This scene was perhaps too vivid, too much like a mountain stronghold; weren't they afraid of being sued for infringement?

If Dugu Zongheng had chosen this moment to utter, "The king covers the earth tiger?" then Jun Mo Xie would have reflexively retorted, "The pagoda suppresses the river demon!" As for what followed—the "Maha Maha," the inability to show one's face at noon, turning red and then yellow—that would have flowed out with practiced ease.

However, no matter how much it resembled a mock-up, there was certainly no way a line like "The king covers the earth tiger" would be uttered!

And indeed, there was a long silence. The atmosphere was incredibly heavy, with all eyes in the vast hall fixed with stern malice upon the face of Young Master Jun Mo Xie. Tang Dajian, Tang Yuan, the fat man behind him, was already trembling at the knees, his lips pale and his face ashen, looking barely able to stand.

After a long pause, Dugu Zongheng roared: "Halt! Jun Mo Xie?"

Still immersed in reminiscing about the handsome, resourceful Yang Zirong, Young Master Jun almost instinctively flipped open his right lapel, blurting out the conditioned response: "The pagoda suppresses..." Ah, greetings to Elder Master Dugu.

"The pagoda suppresses? What place is that?" The nine burly men of the Dugu family, young and old, were simultaneously bewildered: "You brat Jun, what kind of nonsense are you spouting about a pagoda town in my Dugu family? What in the world are you talking about?"

"Uh, that pagoda town, what I meant was..." Jun Mo Xie's eyes darted around: What I meant was that the moment I entered this hall, I clearly felt your venerable person's vast, mountain-like aura. It was like a sky-scraping pagoda that instantly subdued me. Yes, yes, that's what I meant.

Dugu Zongheng’s old face brightened instantly. He cracked his mouth open as if to smile, then restrained himself, maintaining a solemn expression while seething internally: "Oh? Am I truly that mighty?"

"Indeed, indeed, your venerable person is exceptionally mighty, truly the height of majesty," Jun Mo Xie gave a thumbs-up.

"A good lad after all, quite discerning," Dugu Zongheng laughed heartily, his steel-needle-like stubble quivering: "And your tongue is quite sweet."

Jun Mo Xie’s face darkened slightly.

"Jun Mo Xie, don't think you can get away with a few sweet words and idle banter! Look at the trouble you've caused!" General Dugu Wudi saw his Elder Master smile and the atmosphere shifting, so he hurriedly barked out with a dark face, issuing a reminder to the Old Master. The matter wasn't over; this boy couldn't just pass so easily.

"Oh, cough, cough..." Dugu Zongheng coughed twice and sat up straight.

"How am I engaging in idle banter? Isn't the Elder Master sufficiently mighty? What good deed of mine have you remembered, sir? Haha, Uncle Dugu, you are too kind. I have always done good deeds without leaving my name; I am constantly doing good deeds. It’s not hard to do one good deed, but difficult to persist in doing good deeds throughout one's entire life!" Like me," Jun Mo Xie said earnestly. As he spoke, he paced back and forth and finally found a chair, plopping down onto it.

The seat was directly opposite Dugu Wudi.

Dugu Wudi's nose was practically crooked with rage. Anyone who dared say that the Dugu family, young or old, were ruthless scoundrels would have to answer to him; this fellow here was the true Grandmaster of the Ruthless Scoundrels!

Our two esteemed gentlemen spent half the day exerting themselves here, and this fellow hasn't been phased at all. Not only did he sit down so boldly, but he actually declared, brazenly and shamelessly, that he was "persistently doing good deeds every day"? Didn't he feel embarrassed saying that? Such words suited an elder like myself far better...

"Who gave you permission to sit down? Get up, I say!" General Dugu was furious. My future father-in-law hasn't even invited you to sit, yet you brazenly settle down so comfortably? Has the sky been turned upside down?

"Oh, cough, cough... I've been pondering this entire journey here about what matter the Elder Master summoned me for. Then I finally remembered," Jun Mo Xie said. "Perhaps the Dugu family has come into some wealth recently and is preparing to repay that small sum they owed me these past few months?"

Jun Mo Xie promptly crossed his legs with a thwack: "So I rushed over here. Alas, in this day and age... even the landlord runs short of grain. Moreover, it's been quite some time; this debt really shouldn't be delayed any longer. The New Year is approaching, the perfect time to collect debts. In reality, it's not much money—just ninety million taels, less than a hundred million even."

Saying this, Jun Mo Xie snapped his fingers. He pointed toward the maidservant by the hall door: "You there by the door... Could you please fetch a cup of tea? Oh, slip of the tongue, two cups, to be precise. For my brother here too; look how hot it is, he's sweating," he gestured. "We must replenish our fluids quickly."

The maidservant couldn't help but want to laugh and quickly suppressed it.

What kind of talk was that? Hot weather? It's almost the twelfth lunar month!

Besides, what kind of eyes did this young master have? This 'fat brother' of his was clearly terrified; she could tell.

Hearing Jun Mo Xie suddenly switch the topic so sharply, descending straight into debt collection, General Dugu Wudi was dumbfounded. 'Small sum'? Seventy million silver taels was a small sum? He truly spoke without feeling the strain! Looking around the entire Tianxiang Empire, how many people could produce such a 'small sum'?!

However, General Dugu also saw it clearly. This boy was clearly issuing a threat: If you continue to treat me with such disdain, then you had better repay the ninety million silver first before we talk. I have an inerasable identity—that of a creditor, and a major creditor who could bankrupt the Dugu family at any time.

Panting heavily a few times, Dugu Wudi finally roared: "Men! Bring tea! Bring the finest tea! And move a chair over for Young Master Tang!" After a moment's thought, he added another line: "The biggest one! One that can hold him!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of the Dugu brothers, including Dugu Chong, became strange, struggling to suppress the urge to laugh.

"Yes, that fat fellow; today, your humble old man invited the Third Young Master Jun Mo Xie. Why are you here, boy?" Dugu Zongheng seemed to notice Tang Yuan only then, glaring as he spoke. The implication was clear: I didn't invite you, so why are you here?

Jun Mo Xie had to admire it; this old rogue's words were certainly direct, only short of issuing an explicit eviction notice.

Tang Yuan thought to himself, Do you think I wanted to come here? If the Third Young Master hadn't coerced me with money, I wouldn't bother coming. But since Elder Master Dugu asked, and the Young Master just secured a prize, I absolutely cannot back down now. With that, he puffed out his chest. Although some fear still lingered in his heart, he managed to steady his composure and boldly stated: "This junior is as close as a sworn brother to the Third Young Master. Having not seen him for days, we happened to meet today. Since the Third Young Master was favored by the Elder Master's summons, this junior, though unqualified, was worried the Third Young Master might be lonely on the road, so I took the liberty of visiting the Elder Master along the way to pay my respects."

The fatty was truly loyal, and his words were firm. He didn't mention that Jun Mo Xie had dragged him along. He could also tell that the Dugu family likely had some business with Jun Mo Xie, and if he said anything inappropriate, it might disadvantage the Third Young Master, so he chose to bear the burden himself.

"I see. Loyal indeed," Dugu Zongheng nodded. "Based on those words alone, sit!"

Tang Yuan offered his thanks and settled himself onto the extra-large chair that had just been brought over. The initial tension had entirely vanished.

The quality of the chair was indeed good; it actually held up, though it groaned slightly. Elder Master Dugu Zongheng stared intently, scrutinizing Jun Mo Xie and Tang Yuan from head to toe. After a long pause, he sighed and stated, "The two most notorious dandy sons of the capital city turn out to be genuine men! This is truly unexpected!"

Saying this, he glanced at his seven grandsons. Seeing each of them shrink back and act timidly whenever their eyes met his, he couldn't help but feel deeply disappointed.

For Dugu Zongheng to praise someone as a "genuine man" meant the evaluation of Jun Mo Xie and Tang Yuan was exceptionally high, as his own seven grandsons had yet to earn such an accolade.

It must be remembered that this entire meeting had been deliberately staged. The Elder Master had intentionally created such a solemn and dignified atmosphere, complemented by the imposing presence of a room full of battle-hardened generals and commanders. Any ordinary person arriving might have already been suffocated by the oppressive weight. If it were the fat man from four months ago, he might have wet himself from fright!

But after Jun Mo Xie arrived, not only was his demeanor composed, but he joked, cursed, and acted as usual. This level of mental fortitude was not something an ordinary young dandy possessed. While Tang Yuan was somewhat constrained at first, he gradually relaxed. Although it was undeniable that Jun Mo Xie's influence played a part, the fact that Tang Yuan could return to normal in such an atmosphere already demonstrated considerable capability!

However, if the Elder Master assumed his grandsons were inferior to these two based on this alone, it would be somewhat arbitrary. His own grandsons, including General Dugu Wudi, had been conditioned by him over the years to the point where they feared him like mice facing a cat; how could they possibly feel at ease?

But if this band of ruthless scoundrels were visiting any other household, as long as the Elder Master wasn't present, they wouldn't be the least bit timid. Recall that time when the Jun family was still a prestigious force—did those seven brothers not still smash up Jun Mo Xie's small courtyard?

Following the sound of tinkling jade pendants and delicate footsteps, a troop of ladies advanced from the rear chambers. Leading them was an elderly woman with a ruddy complexion and a slightly plump figure, exuding grace and dignity all over. She leaned on a dragon-head cane, supported by two women in their thirties, as she walked out.