Just as I thought the day was done, here's another chapter! And another one coming! Last hour for double ticket points—where are those monthly tickets?

Jun Moxie stood tall, a cold sneer fixed on his face as he stared fixedly at Dugu Wudi. "Forget your Dugu Clan; even if the Heavenly King himself showed up, it wouldn't matter! I can't afford to lose this face, nor will I allow it!"

Dugu Wudi moved his lips a few times, clearly distressed. "Surely there's room for compromise? Besides, Young Master Tang didn't exactly..."

"Please, Uncle, say no more. You and my Third Uncle share a bond of life and death. I ask you only one thing: if my Third Uncle, Jun Wuyi, were accompanying you outside, and someone deliberately plotted to throw him into a cesspit, what would you do?" Jun Moxie asked coldly.

"Damn it! Who would dare? I'd wipe out their entire family!" Dugu Wudi roared in fury. "Who dares touch my Third Brother?"

"Then why are you advising me to let this go?" Jun Moxie looked at him with slight surprise. Though his expression remained cold and handsome, a flicker of satisfaction warmed his heart; the Great General Dugu was indeed a man worth knowing.

Dugu Wudi was struck dumb, unable to utter a single word of plea.

To put oneself in another's shoes—how could heaven and earth deny the fairness of that? All hearts are alike!

Jun Moxie's eyes, sharp as blades, fixed on Huang Shuliu. "What's more, if he did this, he must have his reasons! Don't you want to know those reasons?"

"No! It wasn't me! Why do you all insist it was me? Tang Yuan fell into the cesspit by accident; what does that have to do with me? Why must you pin this crime on me?" Huang Shuliu suddenly jumped up, spittle flying. He knew that whether it was the Dugu family, the Jun family, or even the Tang family, his Huang family could never afford to offend them. If this accusation stuck, he was finished, and the entire Huang family faced imminent destruction.

Jun Moxie suddenly reached out and pressed down on his skull. His movement wasn't fast; Huang Shuliu clearly saw the hand coming and even intended to use his full strength to evade it, but he simply couldn't. He watched helplessly as Jun Moxie's right hand settled on the crown of his head. An overwhelming, irresistible force flooded him, rendering him unable to move even a muscle. Immediately, it felt as if his entire body was beyond his control—even closing his eyes was impossible. Jun Moxie's voice echoed in his ears: "Keep your eyes wide open and look at me!"

Huang Shuliu involuntarily widened his eyes. Before him appeared a pair of eyes that slowly transformed into two bottomless abysses. Suddenly, a subtle sensation of his head feeling light and his feet heavy, coupled with mental fog, washed over him, making everything feel increasingly dreamlike. Huang Shuliu desperately tried to struggle free, but he suddenly found that this pair of voids, like deep pools, had shifted again to become a vast, boundless cosmos.

The most brilliant, the most dazzling starry sky!

Stars glittered, and he was flying aimlessly in this boundless, rootless expanse, without target or direction.

Just then, an exceptionally gentle voice, layered with the kindest and most amicable tone, resonated faintly. The voice seemed blurry and distant, like the sweetest lullaby, capable of making his entire being—mind and body—relax completely, dropping all defenses. Hearing this voice was as safe and comforting as lying in his mother's arms during childhood.

On Huang Shuliu's face, the expression of hysterical disbelief slowly melted away, replaced by one of fondness, longing, and a comforting, broad relief.

"What is your name?" It was still that gentle voice, like a spring breeze brushing willow tips, like floral fragrance drifting into a dream, akin to a mother's murmur, a relative's solace.

"Huang Shuliu," Huang Shuliu replied, a relaxed, comforted, and assured smile spreading across his face.

"Last night, what..." Jun Moxie asked with such soft gentleness. Beside him, everyone from the Dugu Clan looked utterly horrified. Such a terrifying, esoteric art capable of controlling a person's very mind truly existed! It could compel someone to reveal their deepest secrets willingly! Unfathomable, unbelievable!

"Last night, last night..." Huang Shuliu's comfortable smile suddenly contorted into something vicious and pained. "Last night, I was at the Dugu Clan... I heard they were entertaining their new son-in-law, cough."

"Oh? What does that have to do with you? So, how did you proceed?"

Huang Shuliu's expression grew increasingly tormented. "The Dugu Clan's new son-in-law was supposed to be me, only me! I have waited for Xiao Yi for six full years, six whole years! Now she has finally grown into a woman, yet she is blind to character, falling for a dissolute playboy, a trashy rake with a notorious reputation! How could I possibly accept this! Furthermore, our Huang family is not a powerful clan by any means. In recent years, we have been frequently oppressed; if it weren't for the prestige of being related to the Dugu Clan, we might have been wiped out long ago. If my good fortune with Xiao Yi had materialized, our Huang family could rest easy from now on. Relying only on my aunt couldn't draw us much closer to the Dugu family, but if I became the Dugu family's son-in-law... that would be completely different." He actually chuckled with smug satisfaction at this point.

The surrounding crowd was speechless.

Waited for six years; Dugu Xiao Yi was only sixteen and a half this year. That meant Dugu Xiao Yi was... at age ten.

That's awfully young!

"Earlier, I heard the Dugu Clan rejected the royal family's proposal, so I immediately rushed over... preparing to propose marriage to the Dugu Clan. Anyway, they weren't very pleased with that rake named Jun. In any case, I, Huang Shuliu, am considered a rising talent. Our two families are already related. As long as my aunt could persuade my uncle with a few sweet words, things would have looked very promising... Unexpectedly, not only was I flatly refused, but they actually entertained the new son-in-law right in front of me..."

The onlookers murmured, understanding dawned. Just then, Dugu Zongheng also received news and rushed over breathlessly, arriving just in time to hear the young man say those words. His face instantly turned purple with rage, and he was about to strike with his palm!

Jun Moxie gently waved a hand, signaling them not to act rashly lest they disturb the process.

"Oh... entertaining the new son-in-law... how did you carry out your plan?" Jun Moxie's voice grew softer and softer.

"How did I do it? What else could I do? Ha ha, I simply couldn't stand it. From far away, I could hear them drinking and yelling, keeping me awake. So, I secretly came over to take a look. I wanted to see what this so-called new son-in-law of the Dugu Clan looked like. At the door, I saw a large fatty staggering out... He grabbed me and said, 'Take me to the latrine.' What did this fatty take me for? A servant boy? This fatty was so drunk he couldn't even keep his eyes open—what blind luck! Did he mistake me for someone else?"

"I asked who he was. This fatty then declared, 'I am Jun... Jun... Jun...' That made me even angrier. So this was the new son-in-law! I thought the Dugu Clan had found some remarkable son-in-law, but it turned out to be such an incredibly fat thing! Compared to me, he wasn't even close. Damn it, if I can bear this, what can't I bear!"

"So you..."

"So, I led him to the privy. After rounding a corner, it suddenly occurred to me: what if I help this new son-in-law into the main latrine pit and push this fellow in? ... Perhaps he'd choke to death. Even if he was lucky enough not to drown, he would become a total laughingstock. Given the temperament of the Dugu family, how could they possibly accept him as their son-in-law then? Wouldn't that make my own value shine even brighter? Heh heh heh..." He let out two vicious laughs, his face twisted hideously.

Everyone sighed. A typical petty and malicious heart.

"Seeing no one around, I supported this detestable fat man toward the large latrine pit. Damn his ancestors, this dead fatty was so heavy, he almost crushed me. Finally, we reached it, and I could hold on no longer. Ironically, this fatty, still dizzy, spat all over me and even said thank you! I kicked him down with one foot. It’s a pity he didn’t drown after all that effort, the damned fatty."

The crowd finally understood the entire sequence of events.

"This matter would have gone unnoticed, but as I was leaving, several guards came heading toward the latrine. Seeing I couldn't hide in time, I simply shouted at the top of my lungs, 'Quick, help! Young Master Jun has fallen into the pit!'"

At this point, a look of vexation crossed his face. "Only after the people arrived did I realize that this fatty wasn't actually Jun Moxie... Turns out I got the wrong person. But even though that fatty wasn't Jun Moxie, his background wasn't insignificant either—he was the son of the Minister of Revenue! I absolutely couldn't afford to offend him either. If this incident were known, not only I, but the entire Huang family would face annihilation..." All my careful planning came to nothing, and I ended up attracting huge trouble!

Jun Moxie clapped his hand, knocking Huang Shuliu unconscious. He stood up, shook his head, and smiled. "The Dugu Clan truly harbors hidden talents; they even have such a promising young cousin... We two brothers were drinking inside the Dugu residence and were ambushed. I wonder if this counts as attempted murder? This matter is truly... beyond belief..."

Dugu Zongheng and his son and grandson all flushed scarlet simultaneously! Having such a thing happen under the roof of the Dugu Clan made them feel utterly ashamed! Jun Moxie's voice was not loud, but it was like a red-hot knife, piercing their very vitals!

Though the young master's tone was calm, his words were razor-sharp, sticking strictly to the truth without any exaggeration. This was undoubtedly a profound humiliation! Such an absurd event happening within the Dugu Clan, a family that placed immense value on reputation, was tantamount to an unspeakable disgrace! Their own guest, pushed into a latrine by their own relative—even calling it attempted murder would not be an overstatement...

Moreover, this guest was the grandson of the Marquis of Tianxiang, Tang Wanli, the son of the Minister of Revenue, the future head of the Tang Family, and the newly promoted financial magnate of the capital! If this tale ever got out, the Dugu family would be utterly disgraced across the entire Profound Profound Continent forever! Who would dare visit the Dugu family for drinks after that?

"Guards! Drag this wretch out and hack him into meat paste to feed the dogs!" Dugu Zongheng roared in furious command. "Immediately send a formal letter to the Huang family; I demand an explanation! If this matter is not resolved to my satisfaction, I will mobilize troops at once, with iron armor and sharp blades, trampling over the Golden East City! I will leave no chicken or dog alive in the Huang family, causing their utter ruin in a single morning! To play tricks within my own home—who do they think they are playing games with?"