Unrestricted Dao Lord

"Hahaha, excellent, excellent! Men! Go and send three thousand silver to Young Hero Zhang as a congratulatory gift."

"Yes, Miss."

Gu Ying was in high spirits, not minding the cost of the three thousand silver in the slightest.

It was worth it!

As for the problems facing the Gu Family...

She wouldn’t even need to ask Zhang Su to intervene. Once the Zhen Family heard the news, they would naturally back off on their own accord.

They might even send someone to the Gu Family to apologize and make amends.

Such was the intimidating power of one of the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples!

"Oh, and Xianxian, let’s not bring up your cousin again."

Du Xianxian looked a little embarrassed.

The truth was, her cousin, Bai Jingxing, had privately asked her to come and "persuade" Gu Ying.

She had assumed Gu Ying was at the end of her rope, with nowhere left to turn.

’Who could have expected Zhang Su to appear out of nowhere?’

’To think he would storm his way into the ranks of the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples.’

’It was truly unbelievable.’

The name "Zhang Su" alone was now enough to resolve all of the Gu Family’s troubles.

"Alright, let’s not talk about that..."

Du Xianxian could only say softly.

She had already decided to write to her cousin as soon as she returned, warning him to forget any ideas he had about Gu Ying.

After all, with one of the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples backing them, the Gu Family could rest easy.

Besides, she’d heard Zhang Su was still very young. Who knew what kind of relationship he had with Gu Ying?

’It’s best not to provoke them, just in case!’

...

「Qingquan Prefecture, Su Family Estate」

Zhang Chen’s frail body was wracked with incessant coughs.

He had recently caught a chill and developed a persistent cough that showed no signs of improving.

Yet he continued to push himself, handling the Su Family’s business affairs.

Her heart aching for him, Su Zhenzhen took Zhang Chen’s hand.

She knew his illness was born of stress.

The Wei Family had been growing more and more brazen lately.

Zhang Chen was simply under too much pressure.

"Husband, you don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself. The Wei Family’s Momentum is at its peak right now, so we should just avoid a direct confrontation for the time being. Worrying yourself sick won’t change anything."

But Su Zhenzhen’s words did little to ease Zhang Chen’s mind.

He let out a long sigh. "I know. But with the business being so complex, I can’t just sit back and do nothing, can I? Since I’m in charge of the Su Family’s business now, I have to give it my all..."

Su Zhenzhen fell silent.

In truth, she knew the situation was dire and that the main branch of the family was under immense pressure.

But it wasn’t the main branch’s fault.

It wasn’t even the Su Family’s fault.

After all, the Su Family was merely a family of merchants.

Relying on Wei Yunzhou, the Wei Family was using martial prowess to constantly expand. What could the Su Family do against that?

The Inner Sect Disciple the Su Family sponsored was, in the end, an outsider.

Expecting that Inner Sect Disciple to confront Wei Yunzhou was simply impossible.

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside.

Elder Guan ran into the front hall, panting for breath, his expression one of extreme excitement.

"Young Master, good news! Great news!"

Zhang Chen and Su Zhenzhen both stared at Elder Guan in astonishment.

"Elder Guan, rest for a moment and catch your breath. Whatever it is, tell us slowly."

Su Zhenzhen was the calmer of the two.

After taking a few deep breaths, Elder Guan finally said, "We just received a message by carrier pigeon from the Guiyuan Sect! The Second Young Master challenged Luo Feng, one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples, and was victorious!"

"The Second Young Master has now claimed a place among the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples!"

BOOM.

At these words, both Zhang Chen and Su Zhenzhen stared wide-eyed, their minds reeling.

"Elder Guan, is this true?"

Zhang Chen could hardly believe it.

"Young Master, it’s absolutely true!"

Elder Guan was also incredibly excited.

"Zhenzhen, did you hear that? My brother... he really became one of the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples! Hahaha, my brother is a one-in-a-million genius!"

Zhang Chen’s face was flushed red with excitement.

Of course Su Zhenzhen had heard. She, too, was deeply moved.

Although Zhang Su had been impressive when he returned to the Su Family before, even defeating Qingquan Prefecture’s Martial Dao prodigy, Jiang Cheng, becoming one of the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples was something else entirely.

The Guiyuan Sect had over ten thousand Outer Disciples, and every single one was a local prodigy.

The Ten Great Disciples were the cream of the crop, geniuses among geniuses, practically the standard-bearers for the entire Outer Sect.

’I never imagined Zhang Su could actually become one of the Ten Great Disciples.’

"Husband, your brother is an exceptional talent. His future is boundless! The Wei Family may be on the rise now, but that might not be the case for long..."

Su Zhenzhen said with a smile.

Zhang Chen nodded in agreement.

He never, ever would have imagined that his younger brother, Zhang Su, could achieve something like this.

The very thought was incredible.

’One of the Ten Great Outer Disciples!’

He had never even dared to dream of it before.

And now, Zhang Su had done it!

"Go, send this news to the Jiang Family! Since we are allied by marriage, it’s time for them to show some real commitment. The Wei Family is being aggressive, but the Jiang Family isn’t completely powerless to resist. They need to show some backbone..."

A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Chen’s eyes.

Su Zhenzhen immediately understood what Zhang Chen meant.

"Yes. With your brother now ranked among the Guiyuan Sect’s Ten Great Outer Disciples, it’s time for the Jiang Family to show some sincerity..."

The two exchanged a smile, the heavy weight in their hearts lifting a little.

...

「Guiyuan Sect, Inner Sect, a secluded courtyard」

Wei Yunzhou was meditating with his eyes closed.

CREAK.

A disciple in Inner Sect attire slipped quietly into the room.

"Senior Brother Wei, a letter from your family just arrived from Qingquan Prefecture..."

The Inner Sect Disciple presented the letter with the utmost respect.

Wei Yunzhou slowly opened his eyes.

He reached out and took the letter.

As Wei Yunzhou opened the letter and read its contents, his brow furrowed slightly.

It was indeed a letter from home, personally penned by his father, the current Patriarch of the Wei Family.

The contents, however, were strange.

It was asking him to deal with a disciple named Zhang Su.

He was supposedly the younger brother of the man who had married into the Su Family.

Both the Su Family and the Jiang Family now had strong ties to this Zhang Su, making them the biggest obstacle to the Wei Family’s expansion.

"Junior Brother Lu Quan, do you know of a disciple in the Outer Sect named Zhang Su?"

Wei Yunzhou asked.

Lu Quan sounded surprised. "Senior Brother Wei, you’ve heard of this Zhang Su as well?"

"Hm? Why? Is this Zhang Su famous?"

Wei Yunzhou asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. Right now, he’s the most famous person in the Outer Sect."

"This Zhang Su, I hear he only joined the Outer Sect a mere year ago. He was even over the age limit and had to rely on connections to get in."

"Then, just a few days ago, he challenged Luo Feng, one of the Ten Great Outer Disciples, and actually killed him. He’s now taken Luo Feng’s place, causing a huge stir throughout the Outer Sect."

Wei Yunzhou was genuinely surprised.

He hadn’t expected this "Zhang Su" to have made such a name for himself in the Outer Sect.

"I just received a letter from my father. This Zhang Su is obstructing my family’s expansion, and my father wants me to take care of him. Junior Brother Lu, do you have any ideas?"

Wei Yunzhou stated bluntly.

Lu Quan was his trusted confidant and a fellow Inner Sect Disciple; there was no need to hide such matters from him.

"Take care of Zhang Su?"

A strange glint flashed in Lu Quan’s eyes.

He pondered for a long moment before speaking slowly. "Zhang Su killed Luo Feng through sheer, undeniable strength. His true power probably puts him in the top five of the Outer Sect."

"Senior Brother Wei, you’re an Inner Sect Disciple. The Sect has rules forbidding Inner Sect Disciples from bullying those in the Outer Sect, so it would be inconvenient for you to act personally. If we want to take care of Zhang Su, we’ll have to get another Outer Disciple to do it."

"But to be certain of overpowering him, I’m afraid only three people in the Outer Sect are capable of it..."

Wei Yunzhou knew exactly who Lu Quan’s "three people" were.

Among the Ten Great Outer Disciples, three were exceptional.

Their strength was a clear cut above the other seven.

Wei Yunzhou’s expression remained calm.

He seemed to be mulling something over.

After a long silence, Wei Yunzhou finally spoke. "Have Bai Junze do it. Tell him that if he takes care of Zhang Su, by whatever means necessary, the favor he owes me is cleared."

Lu Quan shuddered.

Bai Junze!

The Madman ranked second among the Ten Great Outer Disciples!

’Even I didn’t know Bai Junze had a connection like that with Senior Brother Wei!’

’No matter how strong Zhang Su is, he’s no match for Bai Junze!’

"Yes, Senior Brother Wei."

Lu Quan replied respectfully.

He immediately rose and headed for the Outer Sect.

Wei Yunzhou closed his eyes once more.

He didn’t give the matter another thought.

To him, such a trivial Outer Sect affair was beneath his notice.