Chapter 33: Alliance of the Lu and Gu Families

Azure Cloud Kingdom. Capital City - Lu Residence.

Today marked a joyous occasion for Lu Xiu, the young master of the Lu family, as he married Gu Ziyin, the legitimate daughter of the Gu family—one of the three major families in the kingdom. As top-tier aristocrats of the Azure Cloud Kingdom, the wedding ceremony was naturally grand and solemn. Even the royal family dispatched a prince of considerable status to attend.

With this union, the Lu and Gu families shattered the existing order. From then on, they were tied together by fate. Both families were powerful, and the alliance disrupted the established balance.

However, how could the royal family and the Jiang family, another influential family, simply stand by?

As expected, during the wedding ceremony, two assassins infiltrated and attempted to murder Gu Ziyin. Although they managed to stab her in the chest, the strong warriors from both families quickly responded and killed the assassins on the spot. However, Gu Ziyin slipped into a coma due to her injuries.

"Worthless! All of them are worthless!" The patriarch of the Gu family angrily hurled his teacup to the ground, his rage uncontainable.

"Please calm down, Patriarch Gu! The Lu family will definitely give the Gu family an explanation for this matter," the head of the Lu family hurriedly tried to appease the furious patriarch.

"How can I calm down? My daughter is lying in there! She's not your son!" The Gu family patriarch wasn't mincing words; he confronted the Lu family head directly.

He had initially disagreed with this marriage, but it was an order from the ancestral family, and it also served the family's interests. Even though he was the patriarch, he had no choice.

So what if the Lu family was ranked first among the three families? He could ally with others if needed. The Lu family wasn't the only option.

"Yes, yes, of course. Great Elder, did you find out anything?" The Lu family head looked towards their elder.

"Patriarch, these individuals appear to be death soldiers. There's barely any useful information. However…" The Great Elder hesitated, glancing at the Lu family head with some uncertainty.

"Speak up! The Gu family patriarch isn't a stranger," the Lu family head knew what the elder was hesitant about and urged him to continue.

"These two men are not familiar to anyone. Their cultivation levels are both at the Early Heavenly Martial Realm, showing considerable strength. Additionally, I discovered a dragon mark on their backs," the elder said with a serious tone.

The dragon mark was a secret weapon cultivated in secret by the royal family of Azure Cloud Kingdom, exclusively for serving the emperor. This was not a well-kept secret.

"Are you saying that the royal family is involved?" The Lu family head looked at the elder and then subtly glanced at the Gu family patriarch.

"If anything were to happen to the young mistress, the Lu and Gu families would undoubtedly become enemies. The royal family and the Jiang family would benefit from this situation," the elder explained on the side.

The elder exchanged a glance with the Lu family head. Their coordinated words were intended to let the Gu family patriarch know what was going on.

Upon some thought, the Gu family patriarch felt that something wasn't right. But the dragon mark was related to the secret guards of Azure Cloud Kingdom's royal family. Even if it wasn't them, it was still connected.

"I will discuss this matter with our family's ancestors and see what their thoughts are," the Gu family patriarch was astute and would naturally not blindly believe their words.

As for Gu Ziyin, he wasn't overly worried. She was just a daughter, and her life was dispensable. However, since she wasn't in any immediate danger, and she still held value—having acquired some valuable spiritual herbs from the Kyushu Chamber of Commerce—he didn't panic. At the end of the day, he was probably only overreacting to extract more from the Lu family.

At the Golden Pavilion…

"Is everything in order?" A woman's voice emanated from behind the curtains, carrying a mixture of allure and coldness.

"Madam, everything is ready," a plump shopkeeper, his face wearing an ingratiating smile, replied.

Hearing this, the woman behind the curtains revealed herself. She wore a bright red robe, resembling a garment that had been stained with blood.

If Su Heng were present, he would certainly recognize her. She was none other than Princess Changning, right?

However, there was a significant difference between today's Princess Changning and the one from before. Today, there was a crimson cinnabar mark on her forehead, making her appear particularly enchanting.

"These wastes from the Blood Refining Sect dare to force me to act personally," Princess Changning sneered disdainfully at the groveling innkeeper.

Without further ado, she teleported directly in front of the innkeeper, placing her hand on his head. Activating her power, she directly absorbed the innkeeper's blood energy into her own body.

The innkeeper toppled backward, his skin shriveling up as if he were a mummified corpse worn by the elements.

Princess Changning felt no discomfort, instead licking her lips with a trace of reminiscence. Furthermore, judging by her teleportation ability just now, her strength was at least at the Profound Origin Realm.

The matter with Gu Ziyi was naturally related to her, and also connected to the Lu family. It was unknown that the Lu family had already submitted to the Blood Demon Clan.

Both of those individuals were assassins. They were tools she had acquired years ago, who would naturally not suspect her involvement. Moreover, they would leave evidence regarding the royal family, achieving her objectives halfway.

As for her goals?

Naturally, she wanted turmoil in the Azure Cloud Kingdom. How could there be fresh blood without chaos? How else could she satisfy the needs of the Blood Demon Family?

Princess Changning smiled wickedly, her eyes tinged with madness, a stark contrast from the person she appeared to be that day.

Azure Cloud Kingdom Palace.

"Damn it!" The monarch of Azure Cloud Kingdom tossed the memorials on his dragon case aside.

This incident was clearly a setup and framing. If the royal family wanted to act, they had a hundred ways to do so. Why would they use such a conspicuous method? Wasn't this leaving themselves open to being targeted?

Moreover, the crucial point was that those two individuals were indeed assassins from the Shadow Guards, but he hadn't given any relevant orders.

In this case, someone had infiltrated the Shadow Guards. But who could it be?

The Lu family and the Gu family?

Unlikely. The Shadow Guards served the emperor alone, and even members of the royal family couldn't command them. It was highly probable that someone else from the royal family was involved.

Thinking this through, the Monarch of Azure Cloud Kingdom gradually calmed down. This person's position within the royal family was not low at all! Otherwise, how could they manage to win over the Shadow Guards?

However, the most crucial matter now was to find a solution.

"Has any news arrived from the Lord's Mansion?" The Monarch of Azure Cloud Kingdom turned to the eunuch at his side and asked.

"Your Majesty, we've heard that the health of the Patriarch from the Lord's Mansion is deteriorating by the day. It's feared they won't be able to spare manpower for us!" The elderly eunuch stepped forward and reported to the Monarch of Azure Cloud Kingdom.

Upon hearing this, the Monarch of Azure Cloud Kingdom let out a sigh.

"It's just an excuse. As the Lord of the region, he's a peak-level master with numerous experts at his command. How could they possibly not be able to spare any manpower? It's his own condition that's poor, not the condition of his subordinates. For the main branch, we peripheral branches are forever dispensable."

Contemplating this, the Monarch of Azure Cloud Kingdom couldn't help but grow more furious.

It seemed the Lord's Mansion wouldn't be of any help in this matter.