Front doors, Suncreek Villa headquarters.

Elder Zheng Ping was looking glumly at the broad path where a throng of people were dressed in resonance artificer robes with the Suncreek Villa badge pinned prominently.

Many people were gathered around outside, watching the altercation with interest.

Whether engineered or otherwise, news of the Suncreek Villa’s internal coup was spreading fast and far across Xia City, and many powers had sent listening ears out.

"Tang Yun, Lu Xiaofeng, you two are veterans of the Suncreek Villa. Back when the House Lord sent you to develop the Suncreek Villa's branch, you colluded with Pei Hao instead. How dare you show your face here now!" Elder Zheng Ping shouted.

The two middle-aged men in front of the group shook with barely suppressed mirth.

"Hey, hey, Zheng Ping, Old Zheng, that's not a nice thing to say. Pei Hao is a disciple of the House Lord. They went missing, and Pei Hao works for House Luolan—what's wrong with them helping Pei Hao?" a mocking voice called out.

Elder Zheng Ping looked over. "Pang Qianchi, didn't the Young Lord remove you? How dare you come out." It was the former vice president of the Suncreek Villa's headquarters, who had lost to Li Luo in the running for president. He had been confined to his house.

Pang Qianchi sneered. He had spent all these long years at the Suncreek Villa gathering allies, so he was not at all worried. That was why he had dared to challenge for the post of president.

The way he saw it, the Suncreek Villa would crumble without him, and Li Luo would eventually come begging for him to help restore things.

But in the last month, the Suncreek Villa had not crumbled as he had predicted. Instead, its profits were steadily rising, and he couldn't sit still any longer.

He had invited a few former associates for a chat to understand the situation at the Suncreek Villa. But the refusals to even meet him came one after another.

Li Luo had exerted speedy and firm control over the Suncreek Villa.

Pang Qianchi knew that it was because of Li Luo's secret watersource... The purity was a great draw for many resonance artificers.

Besides, he had also increased their pay. What more could they possibly want?

Pang Qianchi couldn't let things continue as they were, so he had gathered Tang Yun and the other resonance artificers for another clash.

"Elder Zheng Ping, I might have been removed from the position, but I'm not a criminal. Am I supposed to be on house arrest or something?" Pang Qianchi snickered, gesturing at Tang Yun and the others. "I'm just here to speak out on the side of justice for these brothers. They worked so hard to develop the Suncreek Villa, but now they're being neglected. The Young Lord has a secret watersource but is unwilling to share it with the branch; that's a little cold-hearted, isn't it?"

Elder Zheng Ping spluttered, so angry that he almost laughed. This damned bunch was really trying to play both sides. Siding with Pei Hao, but still demand the Young Lord's secret watersource?

But he couldn't say this out loud without exposing the internal fracture of the Suncreek Villa. Their reputation was on the line. Besides, not all of the branch's resonance artificers were on board with Pei Hao—they were just sandwiched in between.

If they took too hard of a stance, they might push those people to the other side.

He sniffed coldly. "We can discuss the rest inside. What's the point of blocking the whole street like that?"

The man called Tang Yun was sitting at ease in front of the resonance artificers. "As long as the Young Lord is willing to give the secret watersource to the Xiling branch, we'll go."

Zheng Ping was huffing through his beard, showing how worked up he was. But there was nothing else he could do. It was up to the Young Lord and Miss Jiang.

At a stalemate, they continued the silent standoff.

More and more people were gathering around.

…….

A nearby inn.

Beside the window, Duze Beixuan was looking down with a satisfied smile. "I want to see how Li Luo gets out of this one. I've even helped him spread the word."

Beside him was the fiesty, fiery Duze Honglian. "He's got some wits, that one. I thought Hanzhi was enough to topple the Suncreek Villa, but it seems like he's shored them up once again."

Duze Beixuan frowned. "I heard that Li Luo managed to produce a secret watersource with an upper seventh-grade purity. That turned things around."

"Upper seventh-grade secret watersource..." Duze Honglian's eyes narrowed. It was a rare find. Even their illustrious Bigswamp Villa had only managed to produce one after years of constant research and upkeep.

With such a powerful tool on hand, it wouldn't be hard for the Suncreek Villa to stabilize their situation. With enough time, they could even turn things around. But their disadvantage was their lack of foundation. In terms of formula research, they were years behind the Bigswamp Villa...

"The Suncreek Villa is desperately short on resonance artificers. If they can't handle this one, let's help them air their dirty laundry. See how many resonance artificers remain there after that," Duze Honglian said snidely.

Duze Beixuan nodded with malicious pleasure. He desperately wanted to vent his frustration after losing at the ranking battle.

…….

Another seat, some distance away from the Duze siblings.

Pei Hao was sitting in a private room, sipping his tea contentedly.

He was not looking out the window, but instead examining his own reflection in the cup.

His return to Xia City this time had been quite hasty.

He had not expected Li Luo to bring such great changes in just a mere few months.

Not only had he gotten first at the Tianshu examinations, but word was that he had revealed dual resonances in the Astral Sage College...

Pei Hao felt like he had just blinked, and things were already slipping out of control.

The young lord he had written off as a cripple, now out of the wheelchair.

"Li Luo..."

He suddenly crushed the teacup in his hand, looking out at an approaching carriage.

"Seems like our duel has to be brought forward.

"Enjoy the appetizer I've sent you."