Lu Changsheng and Su Muyue were enjoying poetry and moonlight, chatting pleasantly.
But their peace was soon broken.
"Young master, Miss Muyue is occupied today. Please come again another day," said a guard, stepping in to block the path of the newcomer.
The man looked up and spotted the two in the pavilion.
He sneered.
"Occupied? You mean she's entertaining this pretty boy?"
"Please mind your words, young master," the guard advised seriously, recognizing Lu Changsheng. His tone grew cautious.
The newcomer was a burly man in his early twenties, with a proud expression and a dismissive attitude.
"I'm just trying to help," he said, feigning concern. "Don't you know these pretty boys are all sweet talk and no substance?"
"Young master, you don't want to mess with him," the guard said sincerely.
But the youth laughed.
"I'm Shi Feng, a personal disciple of the Xuantian Sect. Why would I fear a pretty boy like him?"
The Xuantian Sect was one of the three great sects in Cangzhou, on equal footing with the Cangyun Sect. Even in this city, they had no fear.
Ignoring the warning, Shi Feng strode forward.
Lu Changsheng glanced at him once, then returned to sipping his wine—completely unbothered.
Su Muyue was surprised.
Most young men would be hot-headed in such a situation, yet he remained composed.
"He just insulted you. You're not angry?" she asked.
Lu Changsheng replied calmly:
"Envy is a common human emotion. It's simply a fact that I'm better looking than him. Why be angry? It's not like I can stop people from being jealous."
Su Muyue was momentarily speechless.
Shi Feng reached the table and was momentarily stunned by Su Muyue's beauty.
"Apologies, young master," she said politely.
"Lu Gongzi arrived first today. I have no time to entertain others."
But Shi Feng sneered.
"Then make him leave. If he won't go, I'll throw him out myself."
Su Muyue frowned at his arrogance.
Lu Changsheng finally looked up.
"Young man, it's not good to be too arrogant. It doesn't end well."
Bang!
Shi Feng slammed the table. Wine spilled across the surface. His cultivation at the sixth level of Spirit Gathering flared.
Su Muyue, however, wasn't worried—only curious how Lu Changsheng would respond.
After all, in all the time she'd known him, she'd never seen him make a move.
Lu Changsheng asked casually:
"Was that supposed to scare me?"
"Scare? I'll flip the whole table!" Shi Feng said, raising his hand and flipping it over.
Plates shattered. Wine splashed.
Shi Feng looked smug.
"I know who you are, Lu Changsheng. So what?"
Lu Changsheng stood slowly.
"Oh? You know me?"
"So what?"
"Then do you know what a local tyrant is?"
"Huh?" Shi Feng frowned, confused.
"You planning to call your senior brother to back you up?"
Lu Changsheng smiled:
"For someone like you, I don't need my senior brother to deal with you."
Shi Feng laughed, just as streaks of light shot through the sky.
Several figures descended, sword-riding cultivators.
"Senior Brother Changsheng!" they called out in unison, saluting him.
Though clearly older than Lu Changsheng, they still addressed him respectfully.
Shi Feng turned to Su Muyue, confused.
She too was curious.
But Lu Changsheng simply raised a hand and pointed at Shi Feng.
"He flipped the table and insulted our sect. Said we weren't worth respecting."
"What?!" the new arrivals' faces darkened instantly.
Shi Feng scoffed.
"So what? You people wouldn't dare touch me!"
SMACK!
One disciple stepped forward and slapped him across the face.
A loud crack echoed. Shi Feng's face swelled up instantly.
"I'm a personal disciple of Xuantian Sect! You can't—"
BANG!
Before he could finish, the previously flipped table was picked up and smashed down on him.
The once-polite disciples turned ferocious. They pounced on Shi Feng.
He cried out and tried to resist, but he was quickly pinned. The group was all Spirit Gathering Level 6 or 7—he was completely overpowered.
Even the people Shi Feng brought with him were beaten down.
Lu Changsheng, meanwhile, stood off to the side, smiling calmly.
He knew exactly how things worked around here.
Cangyun City was beneath the Cangyun Sect.
Elders and disciples took shifts patrolling it. They were always watching.
When Shi Feng flipped the table, the patrolling elder would've already been informed.
Normally, minor scuffles were ignored.
But this involved Lu Changsheng.
And everyone knew Lu Changsheng was Zhou Qingyu's little junior brother. Even if they didn't respect Lu, they had to respect Zhou Qingyu.
Besides, Lu was well-liked. He helped people, answered questions by asking his senior brother, and never made enemies.
Shi Feng thought he could provoke Lu for fun and get away with a simple fight.
But Lu didn't fight fair—he called in backup, and then slapped the "disrespecting Cangyun Sect" label on him.
Now the poor fool was being pounded into the dirt.
"Lu Changsheng, you—!" Shi Feng shouted.
Lu Changsheng waved dismissively.
"Stuff something in his mouth and keep hitting. Let's show them the glory of Cangyun Sect!"
The others gladly obeyed.
Su Muyue was dumbfounded.
She'd been curious how he would handle things—but she hadn't expected this.
Calm in the face of insult, totally shameless, and utterly unscrupulous. He didn't fight—he called a gang to beat someone up.
So this is the "glory of Cangyun Sect"?
Lu Changsheng didn't care either way.
As long as no one died, it wasn't a problem.
However, his gaze shifted subtly to the distance.
From the moment Shi Feng arrived, Lu Changsheng had used his spiritual sense to scan the area—and discovered multiple people secretly observing them.
Not just anyone—Core Formation realm cultivators.
According to Cangyun rules, any Core Formation cultivator entering sect territory must report in. Otherwise, they'd be treated as enemies and killed without mercy.
But no such report had come in recent days.
Lu Changsheng's eyes narrowed.
Once Shi Feng was dragged out, he made his farewells to Su Muyue and left quietly…
Only to instantly vanish from the city.
Moments later, he reappeared near the hidden Core Formation cultivators.
"One at Core Formation Level 4… two at Level 3… What are you planning?"
Lu Changsheng watched silently from afar, his expression unreadable.
He wouldn't allow anyone to threaten his sect.
The cultivation world is perilous. If the sect falls, where would he go? Who would protect him?