"What does the City Lord mean?"

Su Xuan was truly bewildered. How have I caught the City Lord's attention again? And what on earth have I unintentionally done to make all these people try to curry favor with me?

"Young Master Lu, it's getting late," Yuan Dafeng said, looking up at the sky. "Do you have time to meet with the City Lord? He is eagerly awaiting your arrival."

"Um..." Su Xuan pondered for a moment. "Can it wait for another day?"

"The City Lord is very sincere," Yuan Dafeng said.

"Later tonight, then," Su Xuan replied. "I've just taken over the Ge Family's properties, and I have some important matters to attend to."

"Of course," Yuan Dafeng said. "I will await your esteemed arrival at the entrance of the City Lord's Mansion."

With that, Yuan Dafeng bid Su Xuan farewell and departed. As he left, he cast another envious glance at Su Xuan's white horse.

Su Xuan stood alone in the courtyard, stroking his chin, deep in thought.

A short while later, Su Shishi reappeared. "Young Master Lu, I've brought her." As promised, she had brought Tang Fu's daughter.

"Greetings, Young Master Lu." Tang Shu, Tang Fu's daughter, must have been coached by Su Shishi, for she immediately bowed deeply upon seeing Su Xuan.

"There's no need for formalities."

Su Xuan looked Tang Shu over and found her to be quite pretty, especially her delicate and refined hands, which made one want to hold them. Clothes made by such hands must be of excellent quality.

"Young Master Lu, is my father doing well?" Tang Shu asked anxiously, clearly worried about his safety.

As soon as she asked, Su Shishi's gaze fell upon Su Xuan's face, as if she too were waiting for his answer. If Su Xuan gave an affirmative reply, it would certainly link him to that Golden Crocodile Young Master.

"He's doing very well," Su Xuan said. Since everyone assumed he was connected to himself, he might as well play along. Besides, he had no intention of using the identity of Lu Dachun for long. Maintaining the transformation continuously drained his cultivation, making it very difficult to uphold the disguise.

Phew!

Hearing this, Tang Shu couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Young Master Lu! And thank you, Master Su!" she said, bowing to Su Xuan in gratitude once more.

"Young Master Lu, would you be able to attend our Su Family's banquet now?" Su Shishi asked, seizing the opportunity. "When I returned home just now, my father scolded me for being inefficient!"

"Unfortunately, I truly can't make it tonight," Su Xuan said with a shrug. "Commander Yuan just came by. He said the City Lord wishes to meet with me."

"Ah?" Su Shishi was taken aback but quickly recovered. "Of course, an invitation from the City Lord cannot be declined. In that case, Young Master Lu, you must promise to attend our banquet tomorrow!"

Su Shishi then took her leave, looking somewhat rushed.

"Little Tang, what is the relationship between the Su Family and the City Lord's Mansion?" Su Xuan asked Tang Shu as soon as Su Shishi was gone.

"Not good," Tang Shu answered readily. "The Su Family operates the Moon Profound Stone mines, but the City Lord's Mansion wants to bring all mines within its jurisdiction under its control, so they are at odds."

"Oh, I see." Su Xuan nodded, no longer concerned with such matters. He leaned in and whispered to Tang Shu, "You know where your father is hiding, don't you?"

Tang Shu glanced at Su Xuan's face, hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have a rough idea."

Su Xuan didn't mind her vague answer. He placed a profound banknote into her soft, seemingly boneless hand. "It's too late today. Tomorrow morning, go buy a mount and bring your father back."

"Young Master Lu… thank you so much!" Tang Shu saw the profound banknote was for twenty thousand. Although it wasn't enough to buy a superior mount, it was more than enough for a regular one. She immediately bowed her thanks again, but then her face fell. "Actually, even if I bring my father back, we have nowhere to live in Hua Shui City…"

"What happened?" Su Xuan asked.

"The last time I went to see my father in the death-row prison, I sold our small, old house to bribe the right people," Tang Shu said quietly, her voice full of self-reproach.

"Your father said you were only able to see him thanks to Ge Yuzhe's help. Why did you have to sell the house?" Su Xuan asked.

"Ge Yuzhe was the one who told me to sell it…" Tang Shu's voice became even quieter.

"It doesn't matter now." Su Xuan instantly understood. Ge Yuzhe must have scammed Tang Shu out of her money. He waved his hand dismissively. "The Ge Family belongs to me now, and there's no one else here. You can bring your father to live here and serve as my steward."

THUD!

Tang Shu suddenly dropped to her knees. She had initially harbored a trace of apprehension toward him, but now that he had spoken so generously, any mistrust she might have had was completely washed away, replaced by overwhelming gratitude.

"Little Tang, you're familiar with the Ge Family estate. Please prepare two rooms," Su Xuan said as he helped her up. "I have to go to the City Lord's Mansion now. I'll see you later."

Su Xuan walked toward his white horse.

"Farewell, Young Master!"

Tang Shu watched as Su Xuan mounted the white horse, which then spread its wings and flew into the sky. When he was out of sight, she lowered her gaze, looking over the Ge Family's residence with a mixture of hatred and joy in her eyes.

"Young Master Lu, over here!"

When Su Xuan located the City Lord's Mansion from the air and landed gracefully, Yuan Dafeng, who had been waiting at the entrance for some time, immediately came forward to greet him. It was his first time seeing Su Xuan fly on the white horse, and his eyes were filled with even greater envy.

It wasn't just Yuan Dafeng. The guards at the gate of the City Lord's Mansion were also green with envy, wishing they were Su Xuan. Riding such an impressive mount would surely double their success with the ladies!

"My apologies for keeping Commander Yuan waiting." Su Xuan let the white horse rest by itself and cupped his fists toward Yuan Dafeng in salute.

"Not at all, not at all. I've only been waiting a little while," Yuan Dafeng said warmly, acting as if they were old friends. "Come, I'll take you to see the City Lord. He's even brought out the vintage wine he's been treasuring for decades! Haha, I wonder if I'll get a chance to have a sip."

Chatting, the two entered the City Lord's Mansion. Soon, in a tall, elegant pavilion in the northwest corner of the mansion, they met the City Lord, Ning Zhendao.

"Young Master Lu, you are truly a paragon of talent, a dragon among men!"

Upon seeing Su Xuan, Ning Zhendao rose to greet him, so hastily that he didn't even put on his shoes.

"City Lord Ning, you flatter me."

After exchanging pleasantries, Su Xuan sat down on a heated bed-stove as Ning Zhendao directed. The bed-stove was warm; firewood was clearly burning inside. A low table sat on it, holding several plates of refreshing side dishes and a few jugs of wine.

Yuan Dafeng glanced at the jugs of wine, pursed his lips, and quietly excused himself.

"Young Master Lu, I hope you won't find these simple dishes lacking," Ning Zhendao said while pouring wine for Su Xuan. "The truth is, my chef's wife is giving birth tonight, so he isn't here. I made these few dishes myself."

"In that case, I must certainly eat my fill," Su Xuan joked.

"I've heard that Young Master Lu comes from…" Ning Zhendao gazed intently at Su Xuan's face and spoke solemnly, "Tailwind Immortal Mountain?"

Su Xuan blinked. Is this where the problem lies?

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