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Chapter 782 782: 782 Ancient Moon City


"Ying'er, why don't I accompany you on this trip?"


Having made up his mind, Yun Xiao did not dilly-dally. As soon as he spoke, not only did Hu Yuqing by his side stroke his beard and smile, but Hu Ying'er also showed a face full of delight.


Originally, both Hu Ying'er and Hu Yuqing felt that Yun Xiao had already done too much for the Hu Family, and they were too embarrassed to ask for more help. They had not expected that this Big Brother Star would volunteer, which was a delightful surprise.


"Wouldn't that be too troublesome?"


Although Hu Ying'er very much wanted Big Brother Star to accompany her, she still showed some restraint. However, the anticipation in her eyes betrayed her, amusing Yun Xiao.


"It's not troublesome. Mainly, I'm interested in the Thunder Wood in the hands of the eldest son of the Yang Family, not entirely because of you!"


Yun Xiao said with a light chuckle, shaking his head. In the presence of these Hu Family members who harbored deep grudges against the Yang Family, he had nothing to hide and stated his purpose directly.


"Oh!"


For some reason, when Yun Xiao said "not entirely because of you," a trace of melancholy inexplicably surged in Hu Ying'er's heart. Perhaps subconsciously, she hoped that Big Brother Star was going to Ancient Moon City for her sake.


Once everything was discussed and agreed upon, everyone went about their tasks. The next day at dawn, two figures emerged from the back gate of the Hua residence and headed straight for the North Gate of the New Mountain City, specifically Yun Xiao and Hu Ying'er.


"Ying'er, wait a moment!"


As the two left the city and passed a small stream, Yun Xiao suddenly called out. Followed by Hu Ying'er's puzzled look, he walked towards the stream. After a period had passed, when the person reappeared, it left the young girl utterly confused.


"Big Brother Star, you... how could you..."


Seeing the young man with a completely changed appearance in front of her, if it weren't for the clothes he wore and the familiar scent, Hu Ying'er wouldn't be sure this was the same Big Brother Star who had left the city with her.


"Hehe, I had met with people from the Yang Family that day, and I can no longer use my previous appearance. It's also to ensure things go smoothly without fail!"


Yun Xiao didn't overly disguise his intentions. Knowing that Hu Ying'er's heart was pure, unlike other members of the Hu Family, he chose not to change his appearance at the Hua residence but only utilized his skills after they had left the city.


"So, was Big Brother Star's previous appearance also not your real look?"


Hu Ying'er's thoughts shifted to another aspect. Her pretty eyes constantly scanned Yun Xiao's entirely new face, finally speaking a fact.


"It's not that I intentionally wanted to deceive you all, but there are some compelling reasons. I didn't want to involve the Hu Family, that's all!"


Yun Xiao didn't explain further, but true to his word, if Xia Yong or people from the Yuyang City Spirit Fighting Branch came looking, he would absolutely be unable to resist them. If that happened, he might escape unscathed, but the Hu Family would likely face great disaster.


"I really want to see what Big Brother Star truly looks like!"


Hu Ying'er's gaze never left Yun Xiao's face, seemingly trying to see through the disguise to his real appearance beneath. Unfortunately, his skill in disguise was too superb, and no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't discern his original features.


"Hehe, you might be disappointed!"


Yun Xiao chuckled lightly, making a small joke, then saw Ying'er shake her head vigorously, her face full of disbelief.


"Big Brother Star, it's not just this face that you don't want people to know about, right?"


After shaking her head, Hu Ying'er suddenly realized another issue and fell into melancholy again, murmuring, "The name 'Star' must also be fake, right?"


"Alright, it's getting late, let's set off!"


Yun Xiao reached out and gently ruffled Hu Ying'er's head, not dwelling too much on this issue, and then took the lead walking northward.


"Hmph, one day I will find out!"


Watching the swiftly departing figure, Hu Ying'er shook off her melancholy, wrinkled her nose, and snorted softly, then quickly caught up, no longer asking about those secretive matters.


Hu Ying'er's heart was pure, but she was not foolish, especially after the family's great troubles, she had matured at an extremely rapid pace.


Everyone has their own secrets, and this Big Brother Star changing names and disguises surely had an unknown reason. Digging too deep might ruin their relationship, and Hu Ying'er still knew how to measure this well.


...


Many days without incident!


Half a month later, a large city appeared within the sight of Yun Xiao and his companion. Although Yun Xiao had never been to this city, the sudden change to a melancholic state in the young girl beside him let him know that this was the so-called Ancient Moon City.


Ancient Moon City was slightly larger in scale than the New Mountain City, but of course, it couldn't compare to Yuyang City. If looked at from the sky above, the city would appear in the shape of a crescent moon, perhaps that's where its name originated from.


The two quickly arrived outside the South Gate of Ancient Moon City. However, as they approached, they found a crowd gathered next to the city gate, continuously discussing something.


As Yun Xiao and his companion squeezed into the crowd, they exchanged a glance. It turned out that a portrait was posted on the wall at the city gate, depicting Hu Ying'er before she disguised herself.


"Wow, the eldest son of the Yang Family is really brazen, boldly abducting a civilian girl like it's nothing impressive!"


Yun Xiao looked sideways at Hu Ying'er, who now looked nothing like the image in the portrait, and let out a sigh. However, as soon as he spoke, several unusual gazes were cast towards him, containing disdain, mockery, and admiration.


It seems that after the Yang Family exterminated the Hu Family, they have become dominant in Ancient Moon City. It's rare for anyone to openly mock like Yun Xiao did outside this south gate.


Thus, everyone regarded this ordinary-looking young man and woman as naive newcomers to Ancient Moon City; such people usually don't survive long.


Yun Xiao didn't care about these gazes at all and entered the city with Hu Ying'er. By this time, Hu Ying'er truly admired Yun Xiao's Disguise Technique.


Originally, Hu Ying'er, relying on her own makeup skills, had simply amended her face a bit. There were still some traces of the former Hu family's young lady, which Yun Xiao had immediately noticed was amiss.


Thus, Yun Xiao personally made some adjustments. Although he only changed a few subtle features, even Elder Hu Yuqing of the Hu Family almost didn't recognize his own niece at first glance.


Hu Ying'er now appeared like a very ordinary little girl. Dressed in simple clothes and with a humble hairpin, no one paid attention to such an ordinary girl; not the spectators, nor the guards placed by the Yang Family at the gate. Both let them pass and enter the city freely.


The prosperity of the city is quite similar to other places, but in Ancient Moon City, Yun Xiao could see something unusual beneath the bustling surface, as if an undercurrent was stealthily surging.


In fact, besides the Yang Family and Hu Family, there were some other powerful families in Ancient Moon City, though they were just slightly weaker compared to these two.


Now, with the Yang Family wiping out the Hu Family, it seemed that they dominated alone, but the other families were also restless, hoping to benefit after the destruction of the Hu Family.


This situation was exactly the source of the undercurrents Yun Xiao had guessed about. These secondary families dared not openly confront the Yang Family, but their covert maneuvers were endless. Apparently, the Yang Family would need some time to fully control Ancient Moon City.


Of course, the Yang Family didn't take these second-tier families very seriously. Their only worry was the possibility of the Hu Family making a comeback. If the remnants of the Hu Family allied with other families, it could pose a troublesome issue for the Yang Family.


Under such circumstances, Yun Xiao and Hu Ying'er casually entered the city and rented two rooms in an inn. Nothing significant occurred that first day.


However, when the second day arrived, Yun Xiao, descending from the inn, noticed several youthful figures, all of whom seemed to have decent cultivation, including sensing a cultivator in the Qi Seeking Realm Early Stage under the age of thirty.


"Hey, the eldest son of the Yang Family has set up a challenge platform, and it sure has attracted quite a crowd!"


"It's said that people under thirty can fight in the challenge, and if they win, they can pick any treasure from the Yang Family's treasury!"


"Choosing from the Yang Family treasury is indeed tempting, but Yang Wanliu is a genius in the Qi Seeking Realm Early Stage, especially with that weapon of his, defeating him will be tough!"


"Speaking of which, what exactly is Yang Wanliu's weapon that can emit the power of thunder and lightning?"


"I heard it's called Thunder Wood. As for its origins, I'm not very clear!"


"..."


Yun Xiao casually ordered some dishes and sat in a corner, listening to the surrounding people's discussions, and gradually formed a general outline of the situation.


It seems after the Yang Family annihilated the Hu Family, to strengthen their position, they made a spectacle by letting the Yang Family's eldest son, Yang Wanliu, set up a challenge platform with rich rewards.


From the discussion among the crowd, Yun Xiao learned that the platform had been held for three days, and today was the last day. However, over the past two days, no young prodigy under thirty had defeated Yang Wanliu, making his reputation grow even louder.


There was even a suggestion that Yang Wanliu might not be much inferior to the top talents from other leading forces, indicating that the Yang Family's goals might soon be achieved.


Yun Xiao's eyes sparkled upon hearing this; sarcastically thinking that this was a fortuitous encounter, as he had originally come for the Thunder Wood. Now, it seemed that obtaining it might not be as troublesome as expected.