In the end times, many children bring more blessings. I pick up a goddess every day.

In a private room on the second floor of Qingyun Inn, the guard captain was bound to a chair by spiritual energy, trembling violently. Cold sweat streamed down his face, soaking his chest. Liu Yang sat in a grand chair opposite him, toying with a low-grade spirit stone between his fingers. His gaze was calmly fixed on Liu Yang, yet the guard captain felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast, and he dared not even breathe loudly.

Su Qingyao stood aside, watching the guard captain's disheveled appearance, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She felt that this man had only himself to blame—the arrogance he displayed when he was being difficult at the city gate was nowhere to be seen—and she was also curious about what Liu Yang wanted to get out of him.

“Speak,” Liu Yang’s voice broke the silence, carrying an undeniable air of authority, “Why are the city gate guards spying on us? Who ordered you to do this?”

The guard captain swallowed hard, his eyes darting around. "Fellow Daoist... it was my fault for being blind and making things difficult for you at the city gate. As for the surveillance... it was my own idea, and it has nothing to do with anyone else!"

"Oh?" Liu Yang raised an eyebrow, and the spirit stone at his fingertips suddenly floated up and flew toward the guard captain's shoulder. "I don't have the patience to waste words with you. If you don't tell the truth, this spirit stone will be embedded in your bones."

The spirit stone stopped an inch in front of the guard captain's shoulder, its icy spiritual energy sending a chill down his spine. He knew Liu Yang wasn't joking, and immediately cried out, "I'll talk! I'll talk! It was the Zhao family who told us to keep watch! Three days ago, the second elder of the Zhao family, Zhao Kun, came to the city gate in person and said that if anyone saw a cultivator dressed in black with a woman entering the city, they should immediately send someone to keep an eye on him and report his whereabouts to the Zhao family!"

"Why is the Zhao family watching me?" Liu Yang pressed, his eyes growing colder. He had just arrived in Qingyang City and had never had any dealings with the Zhao family before. Why would they have set up surveillance on him in advance?

"I don't know!" The guard captain quickly shook his head. "Elder Zhao only said to keep an eye on you, but didn't say why! However... I heard that the Zhao family is looking for someone recently, saying that the person stole something from the Zhao family, but I don't know the specifics!"

Liu Yang twitched his fingertips slightly, and the spirit stone fell back into his palm. He stared at the guard captain for a moment, making sure the man wasn't lying, before saying to Su Qingyao, "Knock him out and throw him outside the city. Remember, don't let anyone find out he's connected to us."

Su Qingyao nodded, raised her hand, and struck the guard captain on the back of the neck with a burst of spiritual energy. The captain immediately closed his eyes and slumped into a chair. She hoisted the guard captain onto her shoulder and quickly walked out of the private room—now was not the time to break ties with the Zhao family. Keeping the guard captain alive might still confuse the Zhao family's judgment.

When Su Qingyao returned, Liu Yang was standing by the window, looking down at the street. She walked over and whispered, "Master, it's all taken care of. The Zhao family was monitoring you beforehand... could it be that someone leaked your whereabouts?"

“Possibly.” Liu Yang turned around, his eyes deep. “Su Qingyao, you said before that you came from the far north. Is it possible that you were targeted by the Zhao family on your way to Qingyang City?”

Su Qingyao's expression changed, and she quickly shook her head: "Impossible! I've been very careful since I left the far north, and I haven't noticed anyone following me! Besides, I have no grudge against the Zhao family, so why would they be watching me?"

Liu Yang didn't press further, but simply said, "Regardless of who leaked our whereabouts, since the Zhao family has already set their sights on us, we need to be more cautious in our next actions. Let's go to the restaurant now and see if we can hear more about the Zhao family."

The two left Qingyun Inn and walked south along the main street. Before long, they saw a restaurant called "Zui Xian Lou" (Drunken Immortal Pavilion). The signboard outside the building was embroidered with images of spirit wine, and there was a constant stream of cultivators coming and going. It was clearly a famous and popular place in Qingyang City.

As soon as you enter the restaurant, a rich aroma of wine wafts over you, mingled with the fragrance of spiritual food. The main hall is filled with cultivators, sitting in small groups around tables, loudly discussing their cultivation experiences and strange tales from various places, occasionally exchanging a few words in debate, creating a lively and extraordinary atmosphere.

Liu Yang and Su Qingyao found a corner to sit down and ordered some spiritual food and a pot of low-grade spiritual wine. They had just taken a sip of wine when they overheard two cultivators at the next table talking in hushed tones, their conversation revolving around the Zhao family.

"Have you heard? The Zhao family sent more people to Luoxia Mountain yesterday, even sending Foundation Establishment cultivators. I wonder what they're up to." A slightly overweight cultivator lowered his voice, his eyes darting around, clearly afraid of being overheard.

Another tall, thin cultivator curled his lip: "What else could it be? It must be for the Ice Thunder Token! I heard from my relative who works as a handyman in the Zhao family that three days ago, the formation in the Zhao family's forbidden area suddenly changed. The family head, Zhao Shan, went to the forbidden area in person and ordered that the guards be strengthened after he returned. Even the family members are not allowed to get close to the forbidden area."

"The Ice and Lightning Token?" The fat cultivator's eyes lit up. "Is that the legendary key that can open ancient secret realms? Does the Zhao family really have the Ice and Lightning Token?"

"Who knows?" The tall, thin cultivator took a sip of wine. "But I've heard that the Li family hasn't been behaving themselves lately. They've sealed off their herb garden, claiming they're cultivating new spiritual herbs. I think they might be eyeing the Zhao family's forbidden area, hoping to seize the Ice Thunder Token!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" the fat cultivator quickly stopped him. "The Li family and the Zhao family have never gotten along. If they really fight, we junior cultivators will be in trouble! Besides, there's the Wang family too. Although the Wang family keeps a low profile, they are not weak. If the three families fight, Qingyang City will be in chaos!"

Liu Yang and Su Qingyao exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. They hadn't expected to hear such important news so soon after entering the restaurant—the Zhao family's forbidden area formation was malfunctioning, the Li family had sealed off the medicine garden to keep an eye on the Zhao family, and the Wang family might also be involved.

Just then, an arrogant voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the conversation at the next table: "Get out of my way, all of you! I want this table!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in a brocade robe leading several guards toward a table in the center of the hall. The young man had an arrogant face and a contemptuous look in his eyes. He was none other than Li Hao, the third young master of the Li family, who had been taught a lesson by Liu Yang at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion earlier.

Although the cultivators in the hall were dissatisfied, none of them dared to voice their opposition—the Li family wielded immense power in Qingyang City, and no one was willing to offend them for the sake of a table.

Li Hao dismissed the cultivators at the table and was about to sit down when his gaze suddenly swept across the corner and he saw Su Qingyao. His eyes lit up immediately, and ignoring the guards' attempts to stop him, he walked straight towards Liu Yang and Su Qingyao's table.

"Fairy, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you here!" Li Hao's face was plastered with a greasy smile, completely forgetting the lesson he had been taught by Liu Yang at the Treasure Pavilion. "Would the fairy do me the honor of having a drink with me? I promise that as long as the fairy accompanies me, I can find you any spiritual materials and medicine you desire!"

Su Qingyao frowned and leaned closer to Liu Yang. She hadn't expected Li Hao to be so reckless as to dare provoke them.

Liu Yang put down his wine glass, looked up at Li Hao, and said coldly, "I'll say it again, get out."

Li Hao shuddered at Liu Yang's gaze, then, remembering something, became arrogant again: "Who do you think you are? How dare you speak to me like that! Let me tell you, I've already told my father about you. My father said that as long as you apologize and give me the fairy, this matter will be over! Otherwise, my father will not let you off the hook!"

"Oh?" Liu Yang raised an eyebrow, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Is this how your father, Li Hong, taught you to be a person?"

"How dare you address my father by his given name?" Li Hao, enraged, pointed at Liu Yang and said, "Guards! Cripple this brat and take the fairy back with you!"

Several guards immediately drew their long swords and rushed towards Liu Yang. These guards were all at the late stage of Qi Refining, several levels stronger than the guards at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion.

The cultivators in the hall held their breath, some even showing gloating expressions—they had long disliked Li Hao's arrogance but dared not make a move. Now that someone dared to oppose Li Hao, they naturally wanted to watch the show.

Liu Yang remained seated, but with a wave of his hand, an invisible spiritual force transformed into a shockwave that instantly sent several guards flying, crashing into the wall, spitting blood, and falling unconscious.

Li Hao turned pale with fright, took several steps back, and pointed at Liu Yang, saying, "You...you dare to hit someone from the Li family? My father will not let you get away with this!"

"Shut up." Liu Yang frowned slightly, raised his hand and released a burst of spiritual energy, directly sealing Li Hao's mouth and freezing him in place. Then, he stood up, walked up to Li Hao, and said in a calm tone, "I'll give you one more chance. If you dare to provoke me again or disrespect her, I will cripple your cultivation and turn you into a cripple."

After saying that, he released Li Hao from the restraints. Li Hao was so frightened that he ran out of the restaurant in a panic, forgetting to take his guards with him.

The hall was silent. The cultivators looked at Liu Yang with awe. He could easily defeat the Li family guards and even dare to threaten Li Hao. This man's strength was definitely not simple!

Liu Yang ignored the stares of the crowd, sat back down, and continued drinking. Su Qingyao looked at him, her awe growing stronger: Liu Yang's strength was even greater than she had imagined. It seemed that following him might truly lead to the treasures within the Ice and Fire Prison.

Just then, the fat cultivator at the next table suddenly leaned over and whispered, "Fellow Daoist, you just offended Li Hao. You'd better be careful! The Li family has a huge influence in Qingyang City, and Li Hong is even at the late Foundation Establishment stage. If you offend the Li family, it will be difficult for you to gain a foothold in Qingyang City in the future!"

Liu Yang glanced at the fat cultivator and asked, "Do you know what Li Hong has been up to lately?"

The fat cultivator paused for a moment, then said, "I heard that Li Hong has been in seclusion in his manor recently, seemingly preparing for something important. However, since Li Hao returned yesterday, the Li manor has strengthened its security, and even entering and leaving is strictly checked. I wonder what happened."

Liu Yang nodded and then asked, "What about the Wang family? Has the Wang family made any unusual moves recently?"

"The Wang family is still the same as always, keeping a very low profile," the fat cultivator said. "However, I heard that Wang Xiong recently sent people to Luoxia Mountain, seemingly to make contact with the Zhao family. Nobody knows the specifics of what it's about."

Liu Yang nodded thoughtfully and handed the fat cultivator a low-grade spirit stone: "Thank you for informing me."

The plump cultivator accepted the spirit stones with a beaming smile: "Fellow Daoist, you're too kind! If you ever want to know anything else, just come find me. My name is Fatty Zhang, and I have some connections in this Drunken Immortal Pavilion!"

After Fatty Zhang left, Su Qingyao looked at Liu Yang and said, "Master, Li Hong is in seclusion, and the Wang family has made contact with the Zhao family. It seems the relationship between the three major families is becoming increasingly complicated. What should we do next?"

Liu Yang put down his wine glass, his eyes deep: "Let's go back to the inn first. After Li Hao goes back, Li Hong will definitely send people to investigate our background. We can take this opportunity to see what Li Hong is up to."

The two paid their bill and left the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Just as they turned the corner, they saw two cultivators dressed in light blue outfits loitering not far away, their eyes occasionally glancing at them—clearly, they were people sent by the Li family to keep watch.

Liu Yang smirked coldly: "It seems Li Hong is quite swift. Su Qingyao, let's go and meet these people from the Li family."

Su Qingyao nodded and followed Liu Yang toward the two cultivators. She knew a new conflict was about to begin.

Seeing Liu Yang and Su Qingyao walking straight towards them, the clad-clad warrior instinctively took a half-step back, his hand discreetly resting on the sword at his waist. One had eyes as cold as a knife, the other an aura as serene as the moon; their mere presence exuded an invisible pressure, making their hearts tighten.

"People from the Li family?" Liu Yang stopped in front of the two men, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority. "Who gave you permission to spy on me?"

The cultivator on the left feigned composure and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "Fellow Daoist, you misunderstand. We were just passing by and had no intention of offending you." As he said this, his eyes unconsciously drifted toward Su Qingyao, clearly not paying attention to Liu Yang's problem.

Liu Yang twitched his fingertips, and a surge of spiritual energy instantly wrapped around the cultivator's wrist, causing the man's face to change drastically in pain: "I have no interest in listening to nonsense. If you don't tell the truth, I don't mind crippling your cultivation."

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" the cultivator hurriedly begged for mercy. "It was Patriarch Li Hong who sent us! He said... we were to keep an eye on your movements, and if you make any unusual moves, we were to report back immediately!"

“Both.” Liu Yang turned around and walked towards the north of the city. “Li Hong went into seclusion to prepare for important matters, and he also let Li Hao cause trouble outside. Now he’s probably worried that we will join forces with the Zhao family to deal with the Li family. As for keeping an eye on Luoxia Mountain, he’s probably afraid that we will find the entrance to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Prison first.”

Su Qingyao followed behind, her steps hesitant: "Should we go to the Zhao family now? The Zhao family's forbidden area is in Luoxia Mountain. If we go directly there, won't we alert them?"

"Let's go check out the area around the Zhao residence first," Liu Yang's voice came. "I need to know the Zhao family's guard arrangements and what they've been doing in the forbidden area lately." With his late-stage cultivation level and the token at his waist engraved with the character "Zhao," he scanned the passersby with a wary gaze, clearly a patrol sent by the Zhao family.

Reaching a crossroads, a tall, vermilion gate suddenly appeared ahead. Above the gate hung a golden plaque with the words "Zhao Mansion." Four early Foundation Establishment cultivators stood at the gate, their auras refined, far surpassing the guards they had encountered before. Hidden formations were set up on both sides of the gate, their spiritual energy fluctuations subtle yet persistent, clearly high-level defensive arrays.

"What a formidable force." Su Qingyao lowered her voice, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. "Although the Zhao family is usually heavily guarded, they would never send a Foundation Establishment cultivator to guard the gate. It seems they are really on guard against something."

Liu Yang remained silent, only releasing his spiritual sense to discreetly probe the interior of the Zhao residence. His spiritual sense had barely crossed the gate when it was blocked by a powerful force; clearly, the Zhao family's protective array had taken effect. He frowned, increasing the intensity of his spiritual sense, barely managing to penetrate the edge of the array and see the scene inside the residence—

The Zhao residence was filled with pavilions and towers arranged in a pleasing, yet sparsely populated with servants. Instead, guards wielding magical artifacts patrolled along fixed routes. Even more strangely, the western section of the residence was separated by an invisible barrier, its surface swirling with spiritual energy—clearly a multi-layered array—that even his spiritual sense couldn't penetrate.

“The west side should be the direction leading to the forbidden area.” Su Qingyao followed Liu Yang’s gaze and said softly, “I’ve heard people say before that the Zhao family’s forbidden area is in a secret room on the west side of the mansion, and there is a passage under the secret room that leads directly to Luoxia Mountain, but I don’t know the exact location.”