Chapter 1074: I Disagree

Hearing him mention it, Yu Yanluo's expression darkened. She said softly, "I did wrong by Yanyou in this matter, but I only did it to uncover the truth behind his death. I told the whole story directly to Lady Liu and Lady Chu, and after they learned of it, they were willing to avenge their husband..."

"Heh, that sounds good," Jian Taiding interrupted directly. "Are you trying to say this is all because of me? Lady Liu and Lady Chu are your people, of course they'll agree with whatever you say. What about Lady Zhang? She was kept in the dark the whole time, thinking she was serving her husband, dedicating herself fully every day, only to find her purity defiled by some wild man you, his wife, were involved with."

"Lady Zhang has been radiant these past few days; I suppose your wild man has been quite 'attentive' to her, hasn't he?"

Yu Yanluo's face flushed crimson. "Stop calling him a wild man. He and I are innocent; everything I've done was merely to uncover the truth and avenge Yanyou."

Although she was gentle by nature, she was, after all, the head of a powerful clan. Having witnessed countless unsavory schemes, she wouldn't allow her composure to be broken by such remarks.

"Oh, so you're quite fond of that wild man, aren't you? You're defending him after just a few words?" Jian Taiding asked with a grimace. "Who exactly is that wild man?!"

Fury value from Jian Taiding: 444,444,444…

Hidden nearby, Zu An couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. The fury value system truly collected spiritual energy; even without a direct confrontation, it could still be gathered if the distance was close enough.

Yu Yanluo calmly replied, "You'll find out soon enough."

"Soon enough?" Jian Taiding paused, then quickly smiled. "It doesn't matter. Once I've dealt with you, that fellow will be nothing to fear."

"Deal with me?" Yu Yanluo's expression was somewhat odd.

"Exactly. I was too good to you before, and you didn't appreciate it. Since that's the case, don't blame me for using force," Jian Taiding said, a hint of pleasure on his face as if contemplating something delightful. "I've decided to take you first, then slowly cultivate feelings. After all, love grows with time, hahaha. My elder brother is good in every way, but he's too indecisive. He worshipped you like a goddess, and in the end, he got nothing."

Yu Yanluo scoffed, "Are you so sure you'll win?"

Jian Taiding's expression grew serious. "The outside world believes Sister-in-law isn't a cultivator and is completely powerless, but I don't think so. To manage a family as vast as the Yu clan, and to manipulate so many men in the world, only proves that Sister-in-law is unfathomable. And today, I intend to test just how unfathomable Sister-in-law truly is!"

With that, he flashed forward, charging towards Yu Yanluo. However, due to his severe injuries, his speed was clearly much slower than at his peak.

Yu Yanluo lightly tapped her foot, gracefully floating sideways.

Jian Taiding stopped. "Sister-in-law, why aren't you pretending anymore? So you are a cultivator, hahaha. The women I like are always the best."

"Stop calling me 'Sister-in-law'; it makes me sick..." Yu Yanluo snapped lightly, when suddenly, a fierce gust of wind attacked from the side.

Uncle Ming had made his move!

Jian Taiding's extensive conversation and premature attack were all designed to cover Uncle Ming's surprise assault.

Uncle Ming, with his eighth-grade cultivation, was already quite powerful, and such an unexpected strike was impossible to guard against. The burst of killing intent he unleashed in that instant even surpassed that of many ninth-grade cultivators.

The strangeness of his technique was that as soon as his opponent retreated, an endless stream of lethal moves would follow, increasing the power of his attacks progressively.

If the opponent didn't retreat, his long-charged attack, exploding suddenly, would be enough to cause many masters of higher cultivation to regret.

Furthermore, Jian Taiding was waiting in reserve. As soon as Yu Yanluo sustained an injury, no matter how deeply hidden her strength, she would be at their mercy today.

Yet, Yu Yanluo neither dodged nor chose to confront the attack head-on. Instead, she waved her cloud-like sleeve, and a painting scroll unfurled before her.

Uncle Ming was startled, wondering if this thin scroll could possibly act as a shield.

He knew there had to be something unusual about it, but he was supremely confident in his attack. With his battle intent and momentum at their peak, there was no reason for him to avoid it.

He roared, his momentum surging once more. Unsure of her hidden capabilities, he dared not hold back. However, he also knew she undoubtedly possessed some strength, and his attack would at most gravely injure her, with little chance of killing her.

And then... there was no 'then'.

His chilling momentum vanished instantly, and he himself disappeared without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.

Jian Taiding was stunned. One moment he was about to tell Uncle Ming to hold back, to make sure not to actually kill his sister-in-law, and the next, Uncle Ming was gone.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" he asked, staring in alarm at the stunning woman.

Yu Yanluo looked back at him. "You two cooperate so closely; this clearly isn't the first time, is it? Did you also conspire to harm your elder brother this way before?"

"Uncle Ming's move just now seemed like an assassination technique from the Shadow Pavilion. Is he a member of the Shadow Pavilion?"

Zu An was secretly alarmed. The Shadow Pavilion again? What exactly did this mysterious organization do? They seemed to be everywhere. Every glimpse of them was enough to strike fear into one's heart.

Jian Taiding recovered his senses. "Was that 'Sleeve of the Universe' just now? No, you haven't reached that level yet. You unfolded a painting scroll; it must have been a secret art that created a world within the painting, trapping Uncle Ming inside. Hmm, could you be related to the Sacrificial Wine's mysterious sixth disciple, the Painter?"

As a Grandmaster who also commanded the Governor's Mansion, his insight was naturally extraordinary.

Yu Yanluo did not answer him. Instead, she looked at him and said, "Will you surrender, or do you want to fight? You are severely injured; you are no match for me."

Jian Taiding laughed. "Your cultivation truly surprises me, but I saw clearly in that instant. Although your world within the painting is indeed miraculous, your actual cultivation is only around the eighth-grade. While I am injured, I am not someone a mere eighth-grade cultivator can handle."

With that, he held his long sword and directly lunged towards her.

Yu Yanluo remained calm, interposing a painting scroll in front of her.

Learning from Uncle Ming's example, Jian Taiding wouldn't foolishly charge straight ahead. His body flickered, and he had already shifted his position.

Yu Yanluo quickly repositioned the scroll, but unfortunately, her speed was still slightly inferior to his, always missing by a hair's breadth.

Feeling a bit frustrated, she took out a paintbrush and began drawing in mid-air. In just a few strokes, she outlined a cage.

However, at the last moment, Jian Taiding still managed to dodge it.

"You're not a Grandmaster; you don't understand how powerful a Grandmaster's divine sense is. You can't lock onto me at all, so naturally, you can't pull me into your world within the painting." Jian Taiding looked at the wound on his chest, which was faintly bleeding again from the strenuous activity. "However, in my current condition, it won't be easy to take you down either."

"Fine, I was hesitant before, but now I have no choice but to use it."

After speaking, he pulled out a pill and swallowed it. Immediately, his complexion became visibly flushed.

"What is that?" Yu Yanluo asked, a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"This pill is called Vigorous Sea Dog Pill. Even the most severe injuries can be recovered from in a short time," Jian Taiding said, spreading his arms and taking a deep, satisfied breath. "It's back, I can feel everything returning."

Yu Yanluo frowned. "Is that the fierce medicine that comes at the cost of being unable to glimpse the next cultivation realm?"

The pill was indeed miraculous, able to heal injuries in a very short time, but the cost was immense: it essentially sealed off one's path to further cultivation. Therefore, it was typically only used in life-or-death situations.

"I know my own potential. Breaking through to Grandmaster is already my limit; I certainly won't be able to reach Great Grandmaster in the future. Rather than clinging to a vague future, it's better to seize the present," Jian Taiding said, his gaze on Yu Yanluo growing fervent. "Sister-in-law, today I must have you. This place is deep in the Great Snow Mountains, with no outsiders to disturb us, perfect for a wedding chamber. And since Big Brother is here, he can be our witness."

In front of his elder brother... The thought made him even more excited.

"Shameless!" Yu Yanluo trembled with rage. She swiftly wielded her paintbrush, intending to subdue him before his strength fully recovered.

Jian Taiding, however, was in no hurry. He casually dodged while smiling. "Sister-in-law, you've been far too overconfident this time. Although your abilities are remarkable, you didn't expect me to possess this rare pill, did you?"

"Sister-in-law, stop struggling. The Great Snow Mountains are sparsely populated; no one will come to rescue you, even if you scream yourself hoarse. Instead of playing hard to get, wouldn't it be more beautiful if we shared a harmonious embrace?"

As he spoke, he was about to pull out his flute to play a tune, but the painful lesson from last time stopped him.

"Hmph!" Yu Yanluo spat. She no longer bothered with him, focusing intently on her attack.

"Sister-in-law, why bother? Today, when I say I'm going to have you, not even the King of Heaven himself can stop me!" Jian Taiding's breathing quickened. He couldn't wait for his strength to fully recover before lunging at her.

But the next second, an abrupt warning flared in his mind, and he hastily dodged sideways. Unfortunately, the opponent's speed was too great; although his divine soul had warned him in advance, his strength had not returned to its peak, and he was still half a step too slow.

*Thud!* Struck hard in the back, Jian Taiding spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed weakly onto the ground, looking in horror at the person behind him.

"You say you'll 'have' her just like that?" Zu An looked at him indifferently. "I disagree!"