Chapter 63: Blind to Pearls

The moment the Dragon family appeared here, they immediately attracted the attention of countless people.

Although Vast Sea City possessed a vast number of prominent families and sects, a strict hierarchy existed among them.

The Dragon family was the most ancient clan in the northern territories of Vast Sea City, and it could even be said that the greater part of the northern region belonged to them.

Furthermore, the Dragon family wielded terrifying power, and rumors held that they possessed an ancient legacy.

Backed by these two factors, the status of the Dragon family had always remained remarkably unshakable.

In addition, the younger generation of the Dragon family were exceptionally talented. The person who had just appeared was one of their most brilliant rising stars, Long Ze!

Though he currently appeared to be in his early thirties, many gazes directed toward him were filled with a sense of pure adoration and awe.

People desperately wanted to discuss him with those beside them, yet they dared not utter a single word, unsure of what to say for fear that their remarks might offend a member of the Dragon family.

A slight misstep could cost them their lives, while a severe offense could bring ruin to their entire clan over a careless comment.

Most frightening of all was that anyone maintaining any connection whatsoever with those who uttered dangerous words would be slaughtered without exception—down to the very last dog and beast.

Yet, the Dragon family was not a clan that committed heinous atrocities. They had performed many good deeds, frequently punishing the wicked, eliminating evildoers, and aiding the impoverished.

Consequently, within Vast Sea City, many people held a mixture of awe and dread toward them, for their methods were undeniably terrifying.

Lu Qingyun had been completely unaware of the Dragon family's background, and Meng Tianhai had not mentioned beforehand that he would be able to summon such a towering figure.

The head of the Cui family glared at them in fury, yet his eyes were fraught with dread.

Tang Heming, too, did not dare to act rashly at this moment, and could only slowly speak:

"Since the young master of the Dragon family has personally stepped forward, I have nothing more to say. Even if the Dragon family were to demolish my grand ship, it would still be my utmost honor."

"I was attempting to stop the conflict the entire time; only the Cui family head refused to let the matter rest. Since there is nothing more to be done here, I shall take my leave, as I still have to organize my men to clean the grand ship."

With those words, Tang Heming turned and left. Elder Hong and the others also departed with their subordinates, while the old man in the black robe returned to the grand ship to resume his vigil.

After all, even if large-scale cleaning operations were to be carried out there, the safety of the vessel still had to be safeguarded.

At that moment, several people stepped forward to address the Cui family head:

"Family Head Cui, given the current situation, there is truly nothing more we can do to help. No matter what, none of us dare to offend the Dragon family..."

"We are truly sorry. When your esteemed family requires our assistance again next time, we shall gladly step forward. But under the current circumstances, we simply dare not continue..."

"Family Head Cui, farewell!"

Some of these individuals had come to assist simply to curry favor with the Cui family, but compared to the Cui family, offending the Dragon family was a fate they feared infinitely more.

The power of the Dragon family was simply too overwhelming; the Cui family was entirely insignificant by comparison.

Meng Tianhai spoke earnestly to Long Ze:

"I have already explained the entire sequence of events to you. Everything that happened was the doing of the Cui family—it was entirely orchestrated by them from start to finish!"

"If the Cui family had not stirred up trouble, none of these twists and turns would have ever occurred. Our voyage was proceeding smoothly until those unexpected disasters were deliberately manufactured."

"Furthermore, Lu Qingyun saved everyone on board the grand ship; every single person owes him their life. If not for him, everyone would have perished in the jaws of the Sea Emperor Beast..."

Hearing this, Long Ze furrowed his brow, clearly unconvinced.

As a favored son of the heavens, his presence here was solely the result of obeying his elders' commands.

Had his seniors not ordered him to intervene, someone of his arrogant disposition would never have deigned to involve himself in such trivial matters.

After all, meddling in the affairs of total strangers was, to him, practically an insult.

Yet, there was no alternative; someone of his standing had to carefully cultivate his public persona.

He needed to project an image of absolute filial piety and obedience to authority. As long as it was an order from his elders, he would execute it flawlessly.

Moreover, he had to execute it in a way that left everyone completely satisfied, for only then would his inner vanity be appeased.

It was the only way he could derive a shred of pride, for he was a man born proud.

Possessing such formidable talent, he had long since been hailed as a genius by everyone around him.

If he could couple that with an image of supreme loftiness and exceptional moral character, he would undoubtedly garner even greater praise—qualities that a man like him held in the highest regard.

Having heard Meng Tianhai's account of the situation, Long Ze clearly remained skeptical, though he concealed it well.

He simply took a step forward and addressed the Cui family head:

"This young friend of mine is an honored guest of the Dragon family. If it is possible, I must ask the Cui family head to show mercy and hand him over to us first."

"As for the enmity between you, our family head has instructed that, out of consideration for the Dragon family's face, you should let this matter rest. After all, did you not suffer any actual deaths?"

While the words sounded innocuous enough on the surface, they left a profoundly chilling and deeply uncomfortable sensation in the hearts of those who heard them.

Though Long Ze appeared refined and cultured, he exuded an overwhelming majesty that left people too intimidated to act rashly.

Should anyone dare to defy his will, he would strike without hesitation. Despite wearing a plain, earthy-yellow robe that looked remarkably unassuming, the aura radiating from his entire being inspired sheer terror.

Long Ze's expression was cold and stern, his handsome features carrying a potent, intimidating deterrence.

Lu Qingyun could clearly sense the profound hostility in the fellow's gaze, which was laced with utter disdain.

According to Lu Qingyun's usual temperament, he cared not a whit what actions this person might take, nor did he give any regard to his background or status.

Had it been up to him, he would have rejected the man outright, refusing any form of assistance.

Accepting help from such an individual was far worse than receiving no help at all.

However, since Meng Tianhai had already lowered himself to beg this family for intervention, a refusal now would cause Meng Tianhai immense embarrassment and might unnecessarily provoke the wrath of the Dragon family.

From the look in Long Ze's eyes, Lu Qingyun could already discern the overarching atmosphere within the Dragon family.

They appeared immaculate on the surface, but beneath the facade lay deep rot.

They were undeniably the epitome of hypocritical villains who repaid every slight; anyone who offended them would inevitably suffer retribution.

To possess such a massive family clan yet display such petty narrow-mindedness made accepting their aid leave a deeply foul taste in Lu Qingyun's mouth.

Everyone present stared intently at the Cui family head. The situation had far transcended a mere matter of saving face—if he dared to defy the will of the Dragon family, what kind of punishment would the Cui family face?

And under the watchful eyes of this massive crowd, what would be the consequence if the Cui family head dared to refuse?

The Cui family head's brows locked tightly together, and with an extremely unsightly expression, he forced out the words:

"Very well! Today, I shall grant this face to the Dragon family!"

"Let's move out!"

Even though he felt an overwhelming surge of fury and grievance, he had no other choice; leaving was the only option, lest the consequences become utterly unthinkable.

Before departing, however, he cast a venomous glare in Lu Qingyun's direction, though he dared not utter a single threat.

Following the departure of the Cui family head, the other factions chose to retreat as well. Even the onlookers did not dare to linger any longer.

They dispersed back into the marketplace, leaving the area, once packed shoulder to shoulder, entirely deserted except for Lu Qingyun and his companions.

Suppressing his deep displeasure, Lu Qingyun stepped forward and said gravely:

"My thanks."

Long Ze offered no acknowledgment whatsoever. Instead, he simply instructed Meng Tianhai:

"The matter is resolved. I shall leave behind a member of the Dragon family to accompany you. If anyone dares to trouble you further, he has a means of contacting me."

"If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave..."

Before Meng Tianhai could respond, Long Ze took a stride forward, utilizing an intricate and mystical movement technique to vanish from the scene.

The remaining members of the Dragon family followed in his wake, leaving behind only a slightly lame old man.

The elderly retainer spoke up calmly from the side:

"Our Third Young Master is always like this—coming and going in a rush, with no ill intentions intended..."

"Right, this old servant is called Long Zhong."

He did not speak overly much, yet his demeanor carried a genuine courtesy—one that did not feel fabricated.

Lu Qingyun slowly stated:

"Regardless of the circumstances, I must still thank the Dragon family. Had you not stepped in, my life would have been in grave peril today. If the opportunity arises, I hope to visit the Dragon family to pay my respects."

"Although I am not from a prominent clan, you saved my life, and I must express my gratitude in person. The Dragon family has already aided us greatly; you may now return as well."

Lu Qingyun knew full well that the Cui family would undoubtedly resort to underhanded tactics again. Leaving behind a single servant, no matter how powerful, would likely prove insufficient against professional assassins.

While the old man possessed a method to summon the Dragon family, Vast Sea City was vast; by the time reinforcements arrived, Lu Qingyun might already be cold in his grave.

Rather than keeping someone whose presence would only draw unwanted attention and complicate matters, it was far better to send him away.

Long Zhong looked toward Meng Tianhai, knowing that he was only present due to his connections with the Dragon family; otherwise, he would never have bothered to intervene.

Meng Tianhai said earnestly to Lu Qingyun:

"His presence will undoubtedly spare us a great deal of trouble. No matter what, he represents the Dragon family, and those who wish to target you will exercise restraint."

"If we send him away, we will inevitably be targeted once more..."

Lu Qingyun replied with absolute solemnity:

"I am deeply grateful that you managed to secure the intervention of such a powerful family to preserve my life. Regardless of their attitude, I am alive, and I am thankful."

"However, I believe keeping such a person around will only draw undue notice. While sending him away may bring some trouble, I trust that we are fully capable of resolving it ourselves."

Lu Qingyun's expression brooked no argument; he was not negotiating, but rather stating a firm decision.

He had his reasons, driven in part by a lingering resentment.

He felt deeply aggrieved by the arrogant condescension Long Ze had displayed.

He had indeed accepted their help, but the look of utter contempt in Long Ze's eyes was something he would never forget.

Lu Qingyun was not yet twenty years old; when he reached Long Ze's age, he firmly believed his own strength would soar far beyond this level!

Sensing the underlying resolve in his words, Meng Tianhai sighed softly and spoke:

"Long Zhong, thank you for your trouble. You may return now..."

Long Zhong nodded silently, uttered not a single word, and turned to leave.

He did not even spare Lu Qingyun a parting glance, evidently holding him in equal contempt.

In his eyes, he served only members of the Dragon family—each one an unprecedented genius. Lu Qingyun was merely an insignificant nobody, utterly unworthy of his continued service.

Observing their attitude, Lu Qingyun fully understood their mindset. As soon as Long Zhong had departed, Meng Li walked over and indignantly remarked:

"Those blind fools aren't worth paying attention to! They look down on others because of their status, utterly unaware of what they are missing!"

"So what if they have talent? Can they possibly compare to you? They merely rely on their family's formidable power. Back in the day, didn't they have to beg my grandfather to forge divine artifacts for them? What is there for them to be so arrogant about?"

Fatty Wang chimed in with an equally ugly expression:

"Those bastards are all cut from the same cloth, entirely useless on their own! Without their family backing them, what are they? If they were placed in our situation, they might not even survive!"

More cautious than the others, Xu Feng frowned and cautioned:

"Enough..."

"There are bound to be more of their people lingering about. Everyone around here desperately wants to curry favor with the Dragon family. If these remarks reach their ears, we will bring endless trouble upon ourselves!"

Xu Feng was far from a coward; having served as the senior grand disciple of a major sect, he possessed extensive practical experience in handling complex affairs.

He always exercised caution and weighed potential consequences thoroughly.

Nodding slowly in agreement with this prudent advice, Lu Qingyun stated:

"Everyone has drifted on that ship for so long; the feeling of solid ground beneath our feet is truly wonderful. I suggest we find a place to rest first."

"Regardless of how things ultimately play out, completing our mission remains our primary objective. Let's leave this place; we have already attracted far too much attention."

The others nodded in agreement. Being intimately familiar with the city, Meng Li led the way toward a nearby inn.

Little did they know, countless pairs of hidden eyes were already locking onto them in the shadows...