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In an instant, Kiyomi Tsuki felt as if he had greedily eaten a whole jar of fermented plums, and his heart felt sour and extremely uncomfortable.

Next, Lu Qingcheng introduced the newly appointed lord, supervisors, and deacons to his mother. Madam Lu's reaction was astonishing. She listened quietly to her son's introductions and accepted the greetings from the newly appointed lord, supervisors, and deacons. Her calm and composed demeanor was as if nothing had happened, as if she had returned exactly as she had left.

Kiyoshi Tsuki was secretly amazed. How strange! Why was Madam Lu so composed? Her son's coup d'état directly threatened her position. Why was she neither angry nor upset, and showed no sign of tension or worry?

Finally, Lu Qingcheng finished her introduction. Madam Lu's sharp gaze swept across the hall, as if trying to scrutinize every face standing below. The tense atmosphere in the hall was like a taut bowstring, ready to snap at any moment.

After a long silence, Madam Lu parted her red lips slightly, "Isn't there another one named Qing Jianyue? Why doesn't my son invite him out to meet us?"

"I was just about to introduce you to Mother." Lu Qingcheng stepped slightly to the side and said, "Jianyue, go and pay your respects to Madam."

"Yes, Lord."

Kiyomi Tsuki walked out calmly with the white fox and knelt on one knee.

"Your subordinate pays his respects to Madam."

"Lift your head up and let me see."

Qing Jianyue raised her head and looked up. When her clear eyes met Madam Lu's gaze, Qing Jianyue felt a chill run down her spine. She thought to herself: What a powerful woman! No wonder she has dominated Lu Family Fortress for twenty years. She is indeed no ordinary person.

Madam Lu sized up Qing Jianyue and the golden-eyed white fox crouching beside him, secretly astonished. This man and fox, so clever and mischievous, no wonder they attracted Qingcheng's attention. Facing me, they remained completely calm and composed, entirely different from the rumors. And this appearance? Hmph, so that's how it is.

“Mother, Jian Yue was hired by me at great expense. Although he is only a minor guard, his status is by no means lower than that of the lords present.” Lu Qingcheng’s voice was very beautiful, and her deep and powerful voice was full of firmness and majesty.

Kiyomi Tsuki was shocked and immediately lowered her head, thinking: I never expected him to praise me so highly. But if this happens, won't I become the target of everyone's criticism? Why would he do this?

Madam Lu smiled coldly, "Qing Jianyue, I heard that you helped my son wipe out the Sky Eagle Sect this time and made great contributions. I really should thank you properly. Tell me yourself, what do you want me to reward you with?"

Qing Jianyue hurriedly smiled and said, "Madam is too kind. I have indeed made a small contribution, but compared with the Grand Enforcer, the Grand Lord, the Second Lord, the Third Lord, and Supervisor Bai, it is nothing. Besides, the Lord has already rewarded me. If I were to accept another reward, wouldn't that be unfair?"

Madam Lu snorted, "You're really being modest. Get up and speak."

"Madam Xie."

Kiyotsuki lightly pressed her left hand against the floor tile, her right hand resting on her leg, the ring on her finger flashing with a blinding light. Straightening up, Kiyotsuki looked at Madam Lu again, only to see Madam Lu's face filled with venomous hatred. In that instant, Kiyotsuki felt as if a sharp blade had pierced her chest. Madam Lu's phoenix eyes flashed with a fierce light, and she suddenly laughed. The clear laughter, like the vibration of a bell, was extremely beautiful and melodious, yet chillingly cold. Kiyotsuki paled in horror, her hair standing on end.

Everyone in the hall was utterly astonished. What happened?

The laughter stopped abruptly, and Madam Lu shouted sternly, "Xu Lan, kill Qing Jianyue."

This was something no one could have predicted; Madam Lu would suddenly order Qing Jianyue's execution. Even more unbelievable, the instant Madam Lu's command fell, Xu Lan opened his eyes, his killing intent as sharp as an arrow released from a bow. And in that instant, the Qinghong Sword was drawn.

Kiyomi Tsuki suffocated.

It was too fast, so fast that words could hardly describe it. The instant his eyes received that gleam, death drew near. He had no chance to dodge, let alone retaliate. He could only stare helplessly as the gleaming sword hurtled towards him, his mind almost completely blank.

Just as he felt the sword tip pierce his clothes, about to break through his skin and penetrate his flesh, it suddenly stopped for some unknown reason. Kiyomi Tsuki didn't even have a chance to react; an arm tightened around his slender waist, and a powerful force pulled him away from danger. Then, he was pulled into a warm, broad, and firm embrace. Kiyomi Tsuki knew that in his twenty-four years of a life filled with hardship and suffering, he had once again narrowly escaped death. He finally regained his breathing, panting heavily.

The fierce howl of the white fox, Lin Feng's booming roar, the clanging of weapons, and the rapid pounding of a heart all rushed into his ears at once. Only then did he realize that the person who had saved him, the person who was holding him tightly, was Qingfeng.

"Qingfeng." Qingjianyue called out, her voice becoming dry and unpleasant.

Qingfeng's handsome face was now as white as a sheet, devoid of any color. His lips trembled with anger and terror. "Are you injured?"

Kiyoshi shook his head. No, he wasn't injured. He couldn't understand why the sword had suddenly stopped just as it pierced his clothes. He pushed Qingfeng away and straightened up. He looked over, but he wasn't seeing Lin Feng and Xu Lan's thrilling battle; he was seeing Lu Qingcheng.

Lu Qingcheng stood beside his mother in a strange posture. He held a cup lid in his left hand, but his right hand was empty, trembling violently, whether from anger or some other reason. His face was deathly pale, even paler than Qingfeng's, almost transparent like jade. His eyes were filled with horror, fear, and worry.

Later, Qing Jianyue learned from Zhang Zhichun that just as Xu Lan was about to stab him with his sword, Lu Qingcheng, because she was too far away, had no choice but to throw her teacup at Xu Lan. In the instant Xu Lan dodged the teacup, Qingfeng saved him, and Lin Feng was also able to intercept Xu Lan in time to deliver the final blow.

In an instant, Kiyomi Tsuki's heart began to pound wildly, and her whole body felt like it was on fire, and something felt wrong.

Qingfeng watched intently as Lin Feng and Xu Lan fought. It was breathtaking! Xu Lan's sword was incredibly fast; even a master like Lin Feng was struggling. The more Qingfeng watched, the more alarmed she became, thinking to herself: "Where did that wicked woman find such formidable skills? She'll be a real headache and a major problem if she becomes a formidable opponent."

The fight didn't last long. Before anyone could react, Xu Lan abruptly withdrew from the fray, calmly sheathing her sword with an air of composure. Lin Feng, on the other hand, was breathing rapidly, his forehead dripping with sweat. Most shockingly, a sword wound ripped across his chest; his clothes were torn, but the skin remained unharmed.

Lin Feng was shocked. "Your swordsmanship is exceptionally outstanding, truly rare. Why would you aid and abet evil, becoming an assassin?"

Xu Lan said coldly, "What I did was no different from what you did, except that we were each serving our own masters."

"Not so." Bai Yiting walked out with a refined and elegant demeanor. "We are assisting the Fortress Lord in doing something of great significance to the world and its people. Why don't you come and join us in this great undertaking, Brother Xu?"

Xu Lan sneered, "Manager Bai is indeed formidable, killing without bloodshed, striking without leaving a trace." After speaking, he stepped back in front of Madam Lu, "Please forgive me, Madam. My skills are insufficient, and I failed to kill Qing Jianyue. If Madam insists on Qing Jianyue's life, I will fulfill your order even at the cost of my life."

“Mother, as I have already said, Jian Yue was hired by me at great expense. Although he is only a minor guard, his status is by no means lower than that of the lords present here.”

Lu Qingcheng looked like a raging, fiery lion, poised to pounce. Clearly, if Xu Lan dared to make another move, he would mercilessly draw his sword and kill him.

Madam Lu stared at her son in shock, her red lips trembling slightly, her face extremely pale.

"You... how dare you speak to me like that? This androgynous transvestite, Kiyomi Tsuki, if I don't kill him, am I supposed to keep him around to seduce you and ruin your reputation?"

It felt like a giant hammer had struck from the sky; Kiyomi saw stars, and even heard two sparrows chirping in his ears. No, not sparrows, but white foxes.

Lu Qingcheng was furious. "Nonsense! Jianyue is someone I hired at great expense. His wisdom is equivalent to an army. If anyone dares to insult him again, I will not forgive them."

Madam Lu trembled with anger, "Is this how you speak to your mother?"

Cai Bo'an hurriedly came out and advised, "Madam, please calm down. Since Jian Yue came to this fortress, he has made countless contributions to the fortress lord. His wisdom is just as the fortress lord said, it is equivalent to an army. If we lose a talent like Jian Yue because of a misunderstanding, it will not only be a loss for the fortress lord, but also a loss for you, Madam, and a misfortune for our Lu Family Fortress. Please think it over, Madam."

Before he could finish speaking, Qing Jian Yue leaped over like a giant frog, startling the white fox so much that it jumped far away. Pointing to its own straight, full nose, Qing Jian Yue cried out, "What part of me, from head to toe, is alluring or resembles a transvestite?"

Cai Bo'an turned around in surprise.

Qing Jianyue looked furious and suddenly pointed at Qingfeng, "Why don't you scold Qingfeng? When Qingfeng is dressed as a woman, she is stunningly beautiful, even more beautiful than Miss Xu. If you're going to scold someone, you should scold her for being a transvestite!"

The expressions on everyone's faces in the hall instantly became extremely strange.