A sudden, suffocating sensation washed over Dugu Zongheng; even the air around him seemed to cease flowing. Jun Zhantian, standing opposite him, radiated an immense pressure at that moment!

He had never imagined that Jun Zhantian would show such an expression—such a grim countenance—over a mere good-for-nothing grandson. Unable to suppress his fury, he let out a sharp snort, his eyes blazing wide, and his aura erupted, barely managing to counter the imposing might of Jun Zhantian, refusing to yield an inch. "Such a worthless trash, and you actually treasure him like a jewel? Damn it! Even if I deigned to teach him, that would be a blessing earned over eight lifetimes by your ancestor!" He spat out a mouthful of saliva in disdain.

Jun Zhantian stared at him with chilling intensity. "Dugu Zongheng, pray tell, in what manner has my grandson offended you to warrant your personal attention? Give me a straight answer!"

Dugu Wudi scoffed, his leopard eyes snapping open. "If he had merely offended this old man, what does it matter? I am magnanimous; at worst, I’d treat him like a fart—a little easing of the bowels and he's gone! But he shouldn't have, shouldn't have dared to provoke our little Yi girl!" He leaned in. "Let me tell you, Jun Zhantian, it's only because nothing has happened yet. If something untoward had already occurred, you likely wouldn't even find your grandson's corpse!"

"If Mo Xie has lost a single hair, Dugu Zongheng, I guarantee your Dugu Clan will regret it for generations!" Jun Zhantian gazed at him darkly for a long moment before finally speaking slowly.

"If anything happens to my little Yi, Jun Zhantian, I guarantee your Jun Clan will regret it even more deeply than mine!" Dugu Zongheng stared back at Jun Zhantian, his tone sharp and defiant.

The two patriarchs of the military families stood like fighting cocks outside the Imperial City, their eyes wide and bulging, clearly on the verge of striking. The personal guards of both clans sweated profusely, running around in frantic circles, utterly helpless.

If these two actually came to blows, even the Emperor himself might not command enough respect to stop them!

Just then—

"I wondered why this area felt so off. Turns out you two old geezers are just messing around," Old Master Tang Wanli's voice boomed out in hearty laughter. "I say, Elder Jun, Old Dugu, aren't you two embarrassed? Together, you must be pushing one-fifty or sixty, right? People about to enter coffins, look at the state of you two! Aren't you afraid your juniors will laugh at you?" Old Master Tang adopted an air of profound seniority. "Compared to me, you two truly lack proper decorum, lack it severely."

The two men locked in confrontation simultaneously hissed "Pah!" and the thick clouds of vaporized tension dissipated instantly.

Jun Zhantian let out a cold snort, glanced briefly at Tang Wanli and Dugu Zongheng, his face expressionless, uttered not a word, and turned to leave.

"It’s too late for you to go back now," Dugu Zongheng grunted twice. "My seven boys are already on their way to the Jun residence. Elder Jun, you might as well pick up some medicinal salves on the way back to treat your grandson’s injuries." Dugu Zongheng let out a hearty laugh, though in his heart, a pang of regret surfaced.

Who could have foreseen that Jun Zhantian would place such high value on his grandson, whom he had long since written off as both decadent and now crippled? If his seven boys had been too rough and actually harmed the boy, what then?

Those seven boys had always treated the Dugu Xiaoyi girl like their own treasure. Upon hearing the news, they had all let out furious howls and rushed out in a swarm. Shortly after, Dugu Zongheng himself received word that Li Shang had an accident and rushed to the Imperial Palace. Although his instruction before leaving was merely to capture Jun Moye, ensuring his capture wouldn't be easy, even before that...

Jun Zhantian paused mid-stride, suddenly leaping into the air. Forgoing his horse entirely, he channeled his entire profound energy. Blue light surged, and in a flash, he vanished, leaving behind a furious roar echoing in the sky: "Dugu Zongheng, this isn't over between us! You just wait and see the regret!"

Elder Jun was truly enraged. A man who always referred to himself as "this old man" had just exploded with profanity, calling himself "this old man!"

"Old Dugu, what did you do now to anger Elder Jun so much? Must you be so confrontational?" Old Master Tang Wanli asked, utterly perplexed by the spectacle.

Dugu Zongheng, brimming with anger, rolled his eyes upon hearing the question and snapped, "Go mind your own business! None of your concern!"

With a swoosh, he mounted his horse and galloped away.

That single sentence nearly choked Tang Wanli; after a long moment, he spat out a heavy breath, his fingers trembling with rage. "The... the old scoundrel! If it hadn't been for me just now, you two would already be fighting. I try to mediate out of goodwill, and he... he actually... I’m infuriated!" Realizing neither man had appreciated his effort, Old Master Tang's white beard trembled violently, his aged face flushed as if slapped. "If I ever run into a situation like this again, and I stick my neck out, then I'm no man!"

Then, summoning his true Qi, he roared toward the distance: "I am a turtle's son and a bastard's whelp!" The sound thundered like a clap of thunder, traveling far away.

The patriarchs of the other major families, not having gone far, all staggered slightly. Was that Old Man Tang Wanli's voice? What’s wrong with him? Why is he shouting like that—as if proclaiming to the world that he is a bastard son of a turtle? Did he get kicked in the head by a donkey?!

Such huge gossip—it would be a crime not to go see what happened! This opportunity wouldn't come again!

The elders conferred briefly and then hurried off toward the Tang residence, each trying to outpace the others. The sluggish air that usually hung over the court had completely vanished. It was estimated that even several robust young men couldn't match their current speed.

If His Majesty the Emperor had witnessed this scene, he probably would have coughed up blood!

Unaware of the impending disaster, Jun Moye was at the Jun residence, directing several strong, middle-aged servants in carrying large water vats to collect the pale yellow, clear liquor dripping from his self-made distillation apparatus. As vat after vat slowly filled, Jun Moye rubbed his nose, inhaling the intensely rich aroma—or perhaps, the scent of fermented mash. He was delighted internally.

Strong liquor was never something Jun Moye particularly enjoyed. His true goal in creating this was purely to convert it into vast sums of silver. Based on his understanding of this world's drinking culture, his dream of earning one thousand taels of silver for a small jar would soon become a reality! Of course, it wasn't only about money; it was also about... showing these bumpkins what real liquor was!

The liquor of Zhonghua!

If it wasn't approved by this Young Master, it was garbage. Only what this Young Master sanctioned qualified as fine wine!

One thousand silver taels per small jar!

Even if the entire family were executed, the price would not drop! Damn it, they can’t even brew decent liquor, yet they dare to live? Why don't they just slit their own throats? Aren't they ashamed to be alive?!

Actually, Jun Moye's real plan was: after selling this first batch, he would stop completely! From then on, he would only brew ten or twenty jars monthly for his own family’s consumption. As for others? Hmph, even if His Majesty the Emperor wanted some, Young Master Jun would stiffen his neck and say, "No, there isn't any. What are you going to do about it?!"

First, hook them on the craving, and then—creak—cut them off! I’m done brewing! Let them all go back to drinking that trash, make it impossible for them to swallow!

Jun Moye eagerly anticipated the expressions on the faces of these wealthy nobles when that time came: it would surely be magnificent. A truly pleasant sight to behold, ha ha ha ha...

He waited for that wonderful sight!

Jun Moye hummed a little tune. At this moment, his expression couldn't be called the "Evil Lord"; it should be dubbed the "Evil God." It had to be admitted that anyone capable of conceiving such a malicious scheme was thoroughly wicked to the bone.

A loud BOOM suddenly echoed from the main gate, interrupting the wicked fantasies in Jun Moye's mind and startling him. This is the Jun residence. Could there really be people daring to cause trouble in broad daylight?

This is too novel!

His guess couldn't have been more accurate. Screams erupted from the front gate, and soon after, heavy footsteps marched menacingly toward his courtyard. With a bang, the door to his small yard instantly shattered into fragments, and a voice roared, "Jun Moye, you brat, get out here for us!"

Why does this scene feel so much like the Triads coming to settle a score? At this moment, Jun Moye almost believed he had transmigrated back to his previous world.

A series of heavy thuds sounded. Jun Moye peered out to see seven burly men, built like bears, towering like iron pagodas, swaggering in with menacing faces, practically covering half a zhang in a single stride.

Saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda... Are these seven men thicker than a seven-story pagoda? Pagodas are towers in legends...

Jun Moye made a swift decision, issuing rapid-fire instructions: "You, go tell Third Uncle not to come over. I will handle this; I can definitely manage it. Ke'er, go tell Eldest Sister-in-law she doesn't need to come either!"

Jun Moye's only current worry was that Jun Wuyi might rush over, which would be disastrous.

Although Jun Wuyi's strength had indeed advanced to the Heavenly Profound Realm, the Heavenly Profound True Essence within his body was extremely unstable and not fully integrated for his use. If he were to exert force prematurely without a period of stabilization, any accidental rupture of his meridians due to uncontrolled Qi would be utterly irreversible...

As for Ping Qinghan, she was a woman, and consequently, her experience was limited; her presence would be of no help whatsoever. Jun Moye could tell at a glance that the strongest of the seven men before him was likely the limit of Qinghan's ability to manage, and even then, she would probably lose.

Grandfather was at the palace, and none of the household servants could stand up to these seven rowdy devils. Furthermore, there was an unspoken understanding among the great families: they generally did not interfere in matters concerning the younger generation, letting them sort things out themselves.

It seemed he would have to face them alone, one against seven.

Jun Moye certainly knew who they were. The Dugu family's "Heroic Braves who Charge Forward" were notorious figures in Tianxiang City, far more famous than Jun Moye. Although they weren't friends on the same social level, he saw them often enough.

What troubled Jun Moye now wasn't the question of whether these seven bear-like giants would abuse him, but rather: if I happen to kill or cripple these seven fellows, how will the Dugu family react? Will they go mad? And can the Jun family withstand the fallout?