Urban Seduction: Housewives Club

Chapter 562: The Emergence of a Great Master

Ye Fei suddenly chuckled, ”This guy has some clever tricks up his sleeve.”

”What do you mean?” Gu Shishi, standing behind him, asked urgently. After Zhuge Kongfangʼs earlier pitiful display, the image of him as a great hero in her heart had completely crumbled. However, given their long-standing relationship, she still cared about him—at least until it was confirmed whether he was the one who had massacred her family.

Ye Fei smiled slightly. ”He must be regretting capturing my senior sister, but itʼs too late now. The person who just saved her is obviously from the Heavenly Demon Sect. This gives him a chance to reposition himself. I bet heʼll soon act like heʼs just an outsider in this situation.”

Sure enough, before Ye Feiʼs words had fully settled, Zhuge Kongfang, who had been waiting for a response to his earlier call, spoke up again. ”Since this esteemed master doesnʼt wish to reveal themselves, please refrain from interfering with the duel!”

Even more shamelessly than Ye Fei had anticipated, Zhuge Kongfang framed the life-and-death struggle between the two women as a mere sparring match, making his earlier capture of Jiang Manjun seem even less significant.

This time, Zhuge Kongfangʼs words finally elicited a response. From the opposite edge of the valley, a figure suddenly leaped out, crossing more than twenty meters in the air before landing gracefully on the stage.

The figure moved so quickly that it wasnʼt until they stopped that the crowd could see it was a stunningly beautiful woman whose charm and maturity far surpassed Jiang Manjunʼs.

The crowd gasped in recognition—this was none other than Zhu Yuyan, the acting leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. No one had expected her to be hiding among them, and no one had recognized her until now.

Seeing her mother appear, Jiang Manjunʼs face darkened instead of lighting up with joy. She coldly said, ”Why did you come out?”

Zhu Yuyan sighed softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. ”I know you donʼt want to see me right now, and I didnʼt plan to reveal myself. But if I hadnʼt, you, foolish girl, would have been killed!”

”Iʼd rather die than have you interfere!” Jiang Manjun snapped back.

A pained look flashed in Zhu Yuyanʼs eyes, and her voice turned pleading. ”Manjun, canʼt you just listen to my explanation?”

Jiang Manjunʼs eyes burned with anger, but perhaps because of the public setting, she only snorted and didnʼt respond.

Seeing the mother and daughter conversing as if no one else was present, Zhuge Kongfang felt his pride wounded. He stepped forward and said, ”So, itʼs Leader Zhu. I didnʼt expect you to attend the martial arts conference.”

Zhu Yuyan turned to face him, her demeanor instantly shifting. Gone was the softness she had shown her daughter; her eyes were now icy cold. ”You dared to capture my daughter. I havenʼt even begun to settle that score with you yet.”

”And how do you plan to settle it?” Zhuge Kongfang asked with a faint smile. He had once fought a Heavenly Demon Sect elder and hadnʼt lost. Moreover, he had heard that the sectʼs four wives and several elders were all of similar strength, so he wasnʼt afraid of Zhu Yuyan.

As for the sectʼs retaliation, he wasnʼt worried now either. Zhu Yuyanʼs presence was a different matter entirely—killing her would truly cement his fame. He was confident he could rally the crowd to join him, spreading the sectʼs vengeance across everyone involved rather than focusing it solely on him.

”By taking your worthless life!” Perhaps venting the frustration caused by her daughterʼs rejection, Zhu Yuyan wasted no more words. With a sharp cry, she lunged at Zhuge Kongfang, her palm striking out with lethal intent.

Zhuge Kongfang secretly rejoiced. After his earlier blunder, his reputation had taken a hit. If he could now hold his own against the Heavenly Demon Sectʼs leader—or even defeat her—his standing among the crowd would surely recover. He met Zhu Yuyanʼs attack head-on without fear.

Initially, Zhuge Kongfang believed that Zhu Yuyanʼs distraction over her daughter would give him an advantage. However, within ten moves, his expression changed drastically. He realized that Zhu Yuyan was far stronger than he had anticipated.

By the tenth move, he was already completely on the defensive, unable to counterattack. He wanted to call for help from the crowd, but Zhu Yuyanʼs relentless assault left him no room to do so.

Finally, with a sharp cry from Zhu Yuyan, Zhuge Kongfang was unable to dodge her next strike. Her palm slammed into his chest, sending him flying off the stage with a spray of blood. He barely managed to avoid falling off the platform entirely.

Even then, Zhu Yuyan wasnʼt done. She swiftly closed the distance, preparing to deliver a fatal blow. But before her foot could connect, she was suddenly forced to retreat, her expression turning grave as she stared intently at the Shaolin contingent below.

”Amitabha. As the saying goes, ʼForgiveness is a virtue.ʼ It would be best if the lady refrained from further bloodshed.”

Just as the crowd was wondering what had happened, a seemingly ordinary, bald monk stood up beside the Shaolin leader. Without any visible effort, he floated gracefully onto the stage.

Zhu Yuyan didnʼt underestimate the monk because of his unremarkable appearance. Instead, she grew even more cautious, adopting a defensive stance. Her face paled as she muttered, ”A Great Master?!”

”Good eyes, lady,” the monk chuckled. ”This old monk has only recently broken through the shackles of the innate realm. I didnʼt expect you to notice so quickly.”

The crowd erupted in shock. A Great Master—a legendary figure! As expected of Shaolin, the long-standing leader of the martial world. This monk, who appeared to be in his fifties or sixties, had already reached such heights!

Realizing the monkʼs presence meant she couldnʼt kill Zhuge Kongfang, Zhu Yuyan said, ”Since the master has spoken, Iʼll spare his life today. Manjun, letʼs go!” She grabbed Jiang Manjunʼs hand and prepared to leave.

Although Jiang Manjun was still deeply hurt and even wished for death, she didnʼt want to drag her mother down with her. She followed without protest.

However, the monk suddenly called out, ”Ladies, wait a moment!”

”What else does the master have to say?” Zhu Yuyan turned back, her expression guarded.

”Nothing of great importance,” the monk smiled. ”But this old monk sees a heavy aura of hostility around you. Iʼd like to invite you to Shaolin to chant sutras and recite Buddhaʼs name, to dispel this negativity.”

Zhu Yuyanʼs face darkened. ”Are you saying you want to capture us?”

”The ladyʼs use of the word ʼcaptureʼ is inappropriate,” the monk replied with a smile. ”This old monk merely wishes to invite you.”

”And if we refuse?” Zhu Yuyan asked coldly. She had initially thought the monk was a true enlightened being, but now she saw through him.

As expected, the monkʼs tone shifted slightly, though his smile remained. ”If thatʼs the case, this old monk will have to insist. With your martial prowess, if this hostility isnʼt resolved, it could lead to more bloodshed.”

”So thatʼs how it is!” Zhu Yuyan sneered. ”Then why donʼt you resolve their hostility as well? Where were you when they tried to kill my daughter?”

”That was a conflict between good and evil. This old monk didnʼt wish to interfere,” the monk replied shamelessly.

Hearing this, the so-called righteous crowd immediately understood where the monk stood. They were invigorated by the prospect of fighting alongside a Great Master, and they began shouting, ”Capture the demonesses!” They had initially wanted to say ”kill,” but fearing the monk might take them to Shaolin as well, they opted for ”capture” instead.

Meanwhile, the Taoist priest and Nun Mieyin had their plans. They were determined to provoke a conflict between the monk and Ye Feiʼs group, seeing it as the perfect opportunity to settle their scores. After all, no matter how strong Ye Fei and his companions were, they couldnʼt possibly match a Great Master.

Looking at the clamoring crowd, Zhu Yuyanʼs face mirrored Jiang Manjunʼs earlier disdain. She sneered, ”It seems today will be the day you, monk, make a name for yourself.” Having seen through the monkʼs true nature, she no longer addressed him with respect.

”Fame is but a fleeting cloud to this old monk,” the monk replied, his smile unwavering but his tone increasingly aggressive. ”Lady, letʼs not waste more words. Please accompany me to Shaolin.”

”Fine. Today, I, Zhu Yuyan, admit defeat!” With that, she suddenly struck Jiang Manjunʼs waist, sending her flying out of the crowd. Zhu Yuyan then launched herself at the monk, shouting, ”Manjun, run! Gather our forces and come to Shaolin to rescue me!”

Jiang Manjun, landing outside the crowd, was stunned by her motherʼs actions. The resentment she had felt toward her mother vanished in an instant, replaced by overwhelming gratitude.

Though she wanted to go back and help her mother, Jiang Manjun knew that even with her added strength, they stood no chance against a Great Master. It was better to follow her motherʼs orders and return with reinforcements. After all, the monk didnʼt seem intent on killing anyone—at least not yet.

However, just as Jiang Manjun was about to leave, she felt a shadow fall over her. The monk had somehow appeared in front of her, blocking her path.