Jun Moxie had already seen that the man throwing the bamboo pole was intending, first, to kill him, but also had a secondary purpose: if the throw failed to inflict harm, the pole could be used to anchor himself and gain leverage; this was evident in his posture upon landing. Though the descent was fierce, he landed with both feet down, whereas most masters in such a situation would descend headfirst, which would have resulted in a speed at least double what the man was currently achieving!

This observation revealed one crucial thing: this Official Liu, this high-and-mighty pinnacle master of the Gold Rank, he… could not swim!

This was the essence of what Jun Moxie analyzed in that split second. Thus, he immediately chose to pull the bamboo fence askew. Once the pole was moved, the man would have nothing to brace against upon landing, and drowning would ensure he could never catch up!

However, Jun Moxie hadn't accounted for the bamboo pole being incredibly tough, nor the deep mud at the bottom of the lake; it was impossible to pull free or break. Seeing the man about to land, he had no choice but to let go and flee, swimming naked in desperation.

His stark body resembled a large white fish trailing a speck of dark water weed...

The official, Master Liu, had planned meticulously. This eavesdropper, only capable of running away, clearly wasn't a formidable opponent; he could handle this easily. Even though he couldn't swim, with the bamboo pole for leverage, he could attack or retreat. If all else failed, a simple flip would return him to the boat. Therefore, he dropped without hesitation immediately after throwing the pole. A jet of water shot towards him, and Master Liu flicked his sleeve, sweeping it aside effortlessly. This test easily confirmed the opponent’s lack of high skill, putting his mind further at ease as he fell. But as he neared the water surface, his eyes swept around, and the tip of the bamboo pole, which had just been in his sight, had completely vanished!

Alarm immediately struck him. Mid-air, his upward momentum spent and no new force generated, he plunged into the water with a wet thwack, like a moth flying into a flame. Before he could even recover from the shock of hitting the water, he saw two large, pale buttocks swaying in the distance, gliding toward the deeper parts—and a surge of profound anger rose within him!

Just then, he felt a strange current ahead, and with a whum, a long bamboo pole, propelled by a surging rush of water, violently rebounded back toward him!

Had he known how to swim, he could have dodged in time, but being unskilled and already panicking in the deep water, his focus was scattered. How could he guard against this? With a sharp smack, delivered hard and precisely, the middle section of the pole brutally struck him right between the legs. Before a soul-shattering, muffled cry could escape, his body instinctively buckled, and then the tip of the pole crashed down onto his forehead with a loud boom!

With a sharp shriek, Master Liu was smashed into a backward somersault. Under the immense force, he shot out of the water trailing a dazzling spray of blood, flying toward the pleasure barge like a dried salted fish—perfectly straight. The last impression remaining in his mind was those swaying, pale buttocks right before his eyes... they really were so white!

A second, slender figure gracefully flew out from the pleasure barge, a streak of brilliant silver light. It was Miss Yue'er, who deftly caught Master Liu’s body mid-flight and flew back toward the deck, revealing that she had been tethered by a rope around her waist...

Back on the boat, Miss Yue'er gazed into the distance with a complex expression. The eavesdropper was completely gone. Ahead, several dozen zhang away, lay a dense thicket of reeds. In the pitch black of this night, after this delay, even if someone desperately wanted to pursue, it would be impossible now...

Master Liu, moments before so imposing, now lay unconscious at her feet, barely clinging to life...

Over in the secluded area dense with reeds, Jun Moxie scrambled ashore, still shaken. He took advantage of the darkness and fled naked, immensely grateful in his heart: if not for this injury pushing his Kai Tian Zao Hua Gong to the next level, he might truly have been finished here! That was a close call.

With a bang, he knocked down a patron leaving a brothel, completely satisfied and unsteady on his legs. Jun Moxie swiftly stripped the man’s clothes, hastily pulling them on, and vanished into the night.

On the ground lay a naked, fat body sprawled on its back in a star shape, with a limp, ugly little thing dangling like a small earthworm beside its groin.

The eight guards of the Jun family searched the world like madmen for their young master. They deeply understood the gravity of this situation. If Old Master Jun learned of this, the crime of failing to protect him would be impossible to evade; if anything untoward had happened to the young master... the eight men dared not think further.

It wasn't until the night deepened that the eight returned, exhausted. Just as they reached the main gate, they saw a person walking hurriedly from the other side, who bore a strong resemblance to their young master.

Why "resembled" their young master? Because the figure was draped in an extremely ill-fitting outer robe and looked utterly wretched. Young Master Jun, though a complete prodigal wastrel, generally maintained a decent appearance and paid close attention to his grooming; he would never be as slovenly as the man before them! Perhaps it was just a coincidence of appearance?

But as the eight guards scrutinized the figure closely, they cried out in surprise and delight, overjoyed! This scruffy traveler who looked so much like their young master, yet perhaps wasn't, was indeed the very Young Master Jun!

"What's wrong with you eight? Were you all stunned by that dog-shit guard of Ling Meng that afternoon? Hmph, I called you several times and got no response." Young Master Jun hurried along, shaking his head and preempting any questions. Adopting a disappointed expression, he huffed, "It was just an initial stage expert of the Heaven Profound Realm! How could that scare you into freezing up like that? Seeing you all standing there blankly irritates me, so I just left on my own!"

Huh? Ah?!

The eight suddenly remembered that after Ye Guhan's roar of rage, they had indeed been momentarily stunned. Could it be that in that instant, the young master had called them and they hadn't reacted, causing him to leave in a huff? They stared dumbfounded at Jun Moxie, their minds a swirl of confusion.

They failed to ask the obvious questions: If he left on his own, why was he returning with them now? They had been searching the entire Xiangcheng city for him for a long time—where had he been during that period? Furthermore, what was with this overly large, vulgar outer robe that only nouveau riche would wear? And why did his hair look damp?

"Stop gawking and hurry up and get me that Scripture-Burning Lotus," Jun Moxie commanded, already stepping quickly through the main gate without looking back. The guards snapped out of their daze, mechanically quickening their pace to follow the mysterious young master inside. Almost all of them wondered why their young master’s steps were so quick today—was he possessed?

If he wasn't quick, how could he be? Young Master Jun’s robe felt cold and empty beneath; he needed to change clothes immediately. If anyone discovered that he had first swam naked, then run naked, and finally stripped another man for clothes, the reputation of the great assassin Jun would be utterly ruined in Misty Spirit Lake...

The gate of the Jun Residence slammed shut behind them!

The night was deep, the moon high in the sky. Jun Wu Yi sat calmly in his light chair, pouring and drinking quietly, patiently awaiting his nephew's return. The soft moonlight dappled his firm face, creating moving shadows, his eyes holding a deep, tranquil stillness.

Hope, longing, expectation, or perhaps... despair!

The courtyard gate creaked open, and Jun Moxie, now dressed in his own clothes, walked in with a cheerful smile.

Jun Wu Yi slowly turned his wheelchair, observing Jun Moxie with composure and calm. Only after scrutinizing him and finding no issues did he breathe a sigh of relief. "I heard you caused quite a stir at the Sheng... Bao Hall this afternoon?"

"Yes, I did!" Jun Moxie answered frankly. "Sheng Bao Hall was too arrogant!" He suddenly paused, sensing something amiss. Why did his Third Uncle pause when mentioning Sheng Bao Hall? And the tone seemed off, too.

Jun Wu Yi lowered his eyelids, silent for a long moment, then slowly said, "Do you know that upon receiving this news, I broke out in a cold sweat? While your grandfather appears unconcerned, I know he is also feeling apprehensive! Moxie, I know you possess great courage, but... unless absolutely necessary, unless it is a matter of life and death, you must never conflict with Sheng Bao Hall. Sheng... Bao Hall... our Jun family cannot afford to provoke them, at least not yet. Do you understand?!" He spoke this last part very slowly, almost word by word—it was hard to imagine such yielding language coming from a man of iron like him!

Jun Moxie was momentarily stunned, then slowly sat down before him. "Third Uncle, that doesn't sound like you. Is this Sheng Bao Hall truly that terrifying?! Even you are afraid of them!"

Jun Wu Yi turned his head away to conceal the look in his eyes, his voice chillingly indifferent. "If it were just me alone, I could certainly afford to offend Sheng Bao Hall! Even something a hundred times more powerful than them—what does it matter? Life is but a single day, grass in spring; at worst, it is just death! You are the same, Moxie. I know you are exceptionally bold, fearing neither heaven nor earth—and for that, your Third Uncle is very pleased. But I always feel that your sense of identification with the family is not quite strong enough. Therefore, I ask you to agree with me! Always remember, no matter when, that you are a scion of a noble house! Behind you lies a sprawling, deep-rooted family—the Jun Clan!"

"The family, in the vast majority of cases, will be your greatest support, but sometimes, it will also be your greatest constraint!" Jun Wu Yi raised his head, his gaze sharp, yet seeming to hold countless unspoken meanings. "As long as the family still has hope, we... must never give up! This is the honor of a noble scion, and also the sorrow of a noble scion, and above all, it is a responsibility!"

Jun Moxie remained silent for a long time, then broke into a smile. "I understand!"

"It is good that you understand," Jun Wu Yi smiled gently. "I have waited up all night just for this matter. Now that you understand, have a drink with me."

"Drink? Not yet, I'm afraid Uncle won't be able to touch alcohol for the next ten days to half a month. Because I must congratulate Third Uncle—the five necessary medicinal herbs are now all gathered." Jun Moxie smiled. "And the Diagnostic Golden Needles were prepared more than half a month ago! Third Uncle, in ten more days, this thing you are sitting on can be dismantled and used as kindling, and the day we burn it will also be the day we can lift the dietary restrictions!"