Chapter Fourteen: The Unexpected Sun Yang

Jiang Yan’s brow furrowed. Though the Sun family’s young master was detestable, there was no denying that his own dog had bitten their servant. If Jiang Yan were in a good mood, he might have simply paid a few taels of silver as compensation for the medical expenses. However, this young man’s arrogance was intolerable and made Jiang Yan uneasy.

The golden-eyed eagle, with its plump body, had already waddled up the steps. Seeing Sun Yang blocking its path, it instinctively stretched out its broad wings...

In the next instant, Sun Yang traced a perfect arc through the air and, with a loud smack, landed far away atop the wall of the Ning family’s mansion.

The golden-eyed eagle was a first-rank spirit beast, naturally possessed of great strength. As a flying beast that knew nothing of fighting, most of its power was concentrated in its wings. When it took flight in the spirit beast garden, even the gusts from its flapping blew Yun Ying and the Skyhowl Dog head over heels. In front of the eagle, the frail Sun Yang was as light as a feather.

“Though you were the one who harassed my junior sister first, and though my spirit beast bit your servant, I’ll pay you ten taels of silver for the medical expenses,” Jiang Yan said, his anger much diminished after seeing Sun Yang sent flying by the eagle. He gestured to Mr. Ning to hand over ten taels to the Sun family; he had no choice, as he himself carried only spirit stones, not silver.

With a pained expression, Mr. Ning took out ten taels of silver and tossed them to the leering servant, scolding, “You lot who can’t see what’s in front of you, take the silver and get lost! Is this the place for your antics? How dare you cause trouble at my doorstep!”

Right now, Mr. Ning was seething inside. The Sun family scoundrels had forced Young Master Jiang to make concessions and had made him, Mr. Ning, pay their medical expenses—ten taels of silver! The pain was almost physical.

Young Master Jiang was an immortal from the mountain. What would he need silver for? The ten taels he had just handed over were as good as cast into the wind. Worse, if Young Master Jiang took offense and decided to replace him as the rural magistrate out of spite, where would he go to complain? The more he thought about it, the more his anger toward the Sun family grew.

“You brat! That filthy bird of yours packs quite a punch. You let it hit me? You’re tough, eh? Just wait and see how I deal with you, you little bastard...” Sitting atop the Ning family wall, Sun Yang cursed ceaselessly.

The leering servant took the silver from Mr. Ning, then disdainfully tossed it to the ground and spat. “Ning Er, you think you can fob our young master off like a beggar? Hmph! Not even a hundred taels would be enough, let alone ten. Even if the King of Heaven himself came, it wouldn’t do. Unless an immortal from Mount Hua comes down to plead for that brat, don’t even think about it...”

A hint of delight flashed across Mr. Ning’s chubby face, and he was about to say something when a cry of alarm rose from the crowd.

“Sun Tianpeng is here!”

A shout came from outside the crowd, and the once-mirthful townsfolk immediately fell silent.

Though the Sun family had only moved to town half a year ago, the young master Sun Yang had already committed numerous misdeeds. At night, he would knock on widows’ doors; by day, he harassed respectable women. After his son’s transgressions, Sun Tianpeng would make things worse—smashing the doors of widows who dared scold Sun Yang, and beating up the husbands or fathers of women who tried to resist. The misdeeds of father and son had cast a shadow over the townsfolk, so at the mention of Sun Tianpeng’s name, no one dared laugh.

“Father, Father! Someone set a dog on our servant, and that filthy bird hit me with its wing! You must avenge me!” Sun Yang, energized by his father’s arrival, called out loudly from atop the wall.

Sun Tianpeng strode in, his face thunderous. Someone had dared bully his son—clearly, they were tired of living! If he didn’t show these paupers a lesson, they would think he could be pushed around.

Since moving to Qingyang Town half a year ago, Sun Tianpeng had schemed tirelessly to become the rural magistrate, but all his efforts had failed. Recently, he’d finally learned from the prefecture that if he wanted the post, all he needed was a letter from the immortal sect on Mount Hua. Now, his mind was full of how to curry favor with that sect.

At that very moment, as he sat in his tavern brooding over how to approach the immortals, a servant rushed in, reporting that a little girl had set her dog on their servant and terrified Sun Yang.

Someone had frightened his son—unforgivable! Furious, Sun Tianpeng stormed out.

From afar, he heard the townsfolk laughing, the servant wailing, and his son screaming. Rage boiled within him. How dare these paupers gang up on his son! He would make them pay.

With a menacing air, Sun Tianpeng walked into the crowd, which parted before him. Under the fearful, resentful gazes of the townsfolk, he swaggered in, shouting, “Who’s the bastard that dared lay a hand on me—”

But he fell silent when he saw in the distance the young man holding a little girl—wasn’t that a disciple of the immortal sect from the mountain? Was this the one who, along with Magistrate Ning, had bullied his son? Could it be that his precious boy had provoked him?

Though the Sun family had only lived in Qingyang Town for half a year and Sun Tianpeng had not become magistrate, he knew well that the town paid tribute only to the immortal sect on Mount Hua, not taxes to the court. He also recognized at least one disciple from that sect.

Immediately, Sun Tianpeng’s face shifted to a fawning, ingratiating smile. Ignoring his son on the wall, he hurried over to Jiang Yan, bowed deeply, and said, “Young Master Jiang, I didn’t know you were here. If my voice was too loud just now and disturbed you, I beg your pardon. It was my fault.”

On the wall, Sun Yang’s jaw dropped in disbelief. Had his father lost his mind, groveling to that bastard?

Sun Tianpeng then spotted the little girl in Jiang Yan’s arms and beamed, “Young Master Jiang, not to flatter you, but the girl in your arms is truly beautiful. Oh, she’s been crying—who upset her? Little lady, if anyone dared offend you, just say the word and I’ll break their legs for you. How dare anyone provoke a disciple of the immortals!”

Inside, Sun Tianpeng was ecstatic. He had been worrying about how to connect with the immortal sect, and now here was Young Master Jiang, a disciple of the sect, right before him. It was as if a pillow had been delivered the moment he needed to sleep! He was so focused on currying favor with Jiang Yan that he had forgotten he was supposed to be seeking justice for his son.

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Yan’s previously gloomy face. It seemed the real instigator had arrived, though Jiang Yan did not recognize Sun Tianpeng. He turned to Mr. Ning and asked, “Sir, this townsman is...?”

Mr. Ning was about to introduce Sun Tianpeng, but the latter spoke up first. “Young Master Jiang, I am the patriarch of the Sun family here in Qingyang Town. We only moved here half a year ago. It’s no wonder you don’t know me.”

“Sun family?” Jiang Yan’s lips curled into a cold smile. “Sun Tianpeng, is it? Your son is quite brazen, even daring to set his sights on my junior sister. He truly knows no fear.”

“Knows no fear?” Beads of sweat broke out on Sun Tianpeng’s brow. Had his precious son really offended a disciple of the immortal sect? Was the little girl’s tear-streaked face his son’s doing? Thinking of his son’s usual conduct, sweat began to pour down Sun Tianpeng’s face.

Fear overwhelmed him. His son had provoked a disciple of the immortals—what a terrifying prospect! Sun Tianpeng remembered clearly the day they had moved to Qingyang Town: bandits had raided the town, only for Young Master Jiang, on an errand from the mountain, to slaughter every last one of them single-handedly. The blood of the bandits had stained the streets red, yet Jiang Yan had walked away spotless and unruffled, as calm as if nothing had happened.

With a thud, Sun Tianpeng knelt before Jiang Yan. “Young Master Jiang, please spare us! I have only this one son. He’s young and ignorant. If he has offended you, I promise to discipline him thoroughly. Please, be magnanimous and do not hold it against him.”

Sun Yang’s face stretched long with shock as he stared at his father kneeling before Jiang Yan, his mouth agape...