Lady Xu's face turned quite unsightly, but confronting Zhou Mengjie, who wielded formidable martial prowess, was something she could not contend with. Thus, faced with Zhou Mengjie, the only thing she could do was retreat.

"Hmph, you arrogant girl, you'll have your days of glory! In another month or so, Xiaotian will return, then let's see if you can continue being so overbearing!" Lady Xu thought secretly. She then waved her large sleeve, not even bothering to glance at the cat-fox's corpse, and stormed off.

Meanwhile, Zhu Bufan, under the complex gazes of envy, jealousy, and more from the crowd, was pulled away by Zhou Mengjie.

Held by Zhou Mengjie, Zhu Bufan felt like he was gripping a piece of warm jade, incredibly comfortable. Unable to resist, Zhu Bufan quietly squeezed a little.

Feeling the change in his palm, Zhou Mengjie's expression tightened instantly, and a flash of disdain appeared in her eyes before it vanished.

Although Zhou Mengjie's expression changed quickly, it did not escape Zhu Bufan's notice. At this sight, the last shred of hope in Zhu Bufan's heart evaporated and disappeared like a soap bubble...

With a whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, under Zhou Mengjie's guidance, Zhu Bufan arrived at a small courtyard named the Phoenix Nest Inn. Seeing the plaque hanging above the gate, with delicate yet bold writing, Zhu Bufan couldn't help but feel a hint of apprehension.

"Phoenix Nest Inn! My aunt truly has quite the audacity! To compare herself to a phoenix!" Zhu Bufan, feeling startled, gained a trace of respect for this distant aunt.

Entering the courtyard, the layout inside also caught Zhu Bufan by surprise. The entire yard was divided into several sections, each planted with purple bamboo, wintersweet, chrysanthemums, and crabapple blossoms, while the rest was left entirely empty. In the very center stood a tree that five people could just barely encircle, beneath which lay a dark round stone table with four stone stools. Facing this was a row of exquisite lodgings, and to Zhu Bufan, there was only one word to describe it: simple.

Once inside the courtyard, four maids with identical stern expressions greeted him, and, in a daze, Zhu Bufan almost mistook illusions for reality.

"Are they... quadruplets?" Zhu Bufan asked curiously.

"That's right, these are my guards: Purple Bamboo, Wintersweet, Qiu Jie, and Hai Tang. You can distinguish them from the embroidery on their clothing!" Zhou Mengjie said with a smile.

Directing his gaze from their faces to their attire, sure enough, each of their outfits bore the designs of purple bamboo, wintersweet, chrysanthemums, and crabapple blossoms, making recognition quite easy.

Once Purple Bamboo, Wintersweet, Qiu Jie, and Hai Tang had set down refreshments and tea on the stone table, Zhou Mengjie finally sat directly opposite Zhu Bufan.

"I know you have many questions in your heart, but some things I can't tell you. You'll have to find the answers by yourself. The only thing I can tell you is that we are on the same boat, and my existence is only beneficial for you, with no harm!" Zhou Mengjie calmly remarked.

However, upon hearing this, Zhu Bufan lost his usual composure, stopping and staring at Zhou Mengjie in shock.

Seeing Zhu Bufan's current expression, Zhou Mengjie smiled slightly and waved to place a small stack of papers in front of Zhu Bufan.

Under Zhou Mengjie's indication, Zhu Bufan picked up those papers, and with a glance, he understood what was recorded on them.

The content on these papers turned out to be the detailed moments of his many years living in Nanli City, documenting even the things he'd forgotten himself.

However, Zhu Bufan did not concern himself with the front pages and instead glanced directly at the last record, which, upon realizing it only documented his surface activities, let him breathe a little easier.

"I know you're quite a character, managing to endure in secret for over ten years. But this is useless because what you're about to face is beyond your imagination. So, being enduring isn't enough; you must possess sufficient strength!" Zhou Mengjie said in a deep voice. "And I can help you enhance that strength!" As she said this, Zhou Mengjie waved her large hand, and suddenly three white jade-carved bottles appeared on the stone table. "These are three bottles of Yuan Yang Pill, and I believe before they are emptied, your cultivation could surely reach the next level, breaking through to the Seventh Rank."

"Then what do you need me to do?" Zhu Bufan, of course, knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch, and Zhou Mengjie had obviously stated the mutual utilization between them.

"Well, you're quite perceptive!" Zhou Mengjie expressed satisfaction with Zhu Bufan's performance. "I don't need you to do anything; just focus on keeping yourself alive at all costs!"

"What?" Zhu Bufan reacted with surprise, questioning in shock.

"Haha, to me, a mere early-stage Ninth Rank Martial Artist like you is of no use. The only thing that can be utilized is your identity. You should know that from ancient times, whether between warring nations or common disputes, he who holds the advantage has the opponent's leverage. Or, if you wish to stir conflict, there needs to be a reason everyone believes in, and you are... my final reason!" Zhou Mengjie swept Zhu Bufan a dismissive glance, chuckling lightly.

But, Zhu Bufan was even more shocked. He hadn't expected Zhou Mengjie to be so forthright, and realized that to Zhou Mengjie, he was precisely a chess piece, one that could be used to further her strategies at any time.

Though Zhu Bufan had long mentally prepared himself to be a pawn, the bluntness of Zhou Mengjie's words still brought undeniable humiliation to his heart.

"Alright, within the Zhou Clan, unless you actively seek death, you need not worry about your life. However, whether you remain unharmed or end up crippled with missing limbs is not something I can assure!" Zhou Mengjie said with a profound tone while looking at Zhu Bufan. "That's enough, Qiu Jie, take him away!"

"Yes, Miss!" The maid embroidered with chrysanthemum, obliged and led the way.

And Zhu Bufan immediately stood, bowing respectfully to this distant aunt before following Qiu Jie out.

Shortly after the two left the courtyard, Zheng Changde emerged from a refined pavilion, standing respectfully to the side.

"Sit down," Zhou Mengjie said indifferently, sipping the tea.

"Alright, Miss, weren't your words a bit too direct earlier? You didn't give Zhu Bufan any room for reprieve. Aren't you afraid he might harbor resentment?" Zheng Changde asked worriedly.

"Room for reprieve? Why should I give him a reprieve lane? A mere Ninth Rank Martial Artist, even you could easily crush him with a single palm!" Zhou Mengjie replied disdainfully. "Actually, you still don't understand his nature. This kid, though not incredibly powerful, knows what's beneficial for him. You notice from the information that for a mere servant called Aunt Rong, he was willing to risk his life. He's truly a spirited youth. Now, for the sake of his biological mother, he would never approach my brother, even at the cost of his own life!" Zhou Mengjie's eyes glimmered with a mastery of the situation. "Besides, he's nothing more than a dispensable chess piece, left to irritate that arrogant sister-in-law of mine. Isn't it amusing for us to watch the drama? Furthermore, the elixirs I gave him, though meant to boost his self-protection ability, ultimately he's still my nephew... Let's see where his fate leads... As for the Zhou Family... controlling it is my goal..." As she spoke, an astonishing aura suddenly erupted from Zhou Mengjie. Sitting beside her, Zheng Changde did not have the slightest reaction time, nor any capability to resist it, as he was instantly sent flying.

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