PDLP Chapter 14 Journey to Beijing, The Zhao Family's Dinner
Chapter 14 Journey to Beijing, The Zhao Family's Dinner
In the Western Hills villa district of Beijing, the lights of the Zhao Family Manor shine brighter than the stars in the sky.
Inside the 200-square-meter banquet hall, a huge crystal chandelier refracted countless golden rays, illuminating every inch of the marble floor as if it were daytime, and even the air was filled with the scent of money and power. The melodious sound of a violin flowed gently, and men and women dressed in haute couture, their figures elegant, gathered in small groups, holding crystal glasses filled with champagne, chatting and laughing quietly, their expressions revealing the composure and arrogance of those in positions of power.
Zhao Tiangang held a glass of aged Romanée-Conti, the crimson liquid slowly sliding down the crystal rim. Leaning against the railing of the second-floor circular corridor, he looked down at the group of powerful figures from Beijing below, his eyes devoid of any smile, only displaying a cold indifference of absolute control—these people were merely pawns for his Zhao family to consolidate their power.
"Master of the family."
Butler Li walked lightly on the thick cashmere carpet, quickly approaching him from behind. He bowed slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke with a respectful urgency: "News has come from Jiangzhou that your 10 billion yuan bounty has been circulating in the black market for a full day. Six of the top ten assassin organizations in the black market have already accepted the job and are all heading to Jiangzhou."
Zhao Tiangang casually swirled his wine glass, a disdainful smile playing on his lips. His tone was as light as if he were discussing a trivial matter: "What happened to that little bastard named Lu Yuan?"
"There is no definite news at the moment." Old Li paused, carefully considering his words. "Panlong Mountain was sealed off by the Bureau of Strange Immortals for most of the day. Later, the military suddenly withdrew, and Master Chen Daoling of the Xuanmen led a group of disciples up the mountain."
He glanced at Zhao Tiangang's expression and added, "However, after Mr. Chen went up the mountain, he never came down again. Someone saw his female apprentice at the foot of the mountain; she was acting crazy, constantly shouting 'ghost,' and seemed to have suffered a great shock."
Zhao Tiangang brought the wine glass to his lips, took a small sip, and the rich aroma of the wine spread on his tongue, but it did not dispel the contempt in his eyes. He quickly sorted through these fragmented pieces of information in his mind, and the smile on his lips grew even stronger.
Chen Daoling, that old fox, won't do anything without a reason. Since he dared to go up the mountain, he must have coveted the feng shui of Panlong Mountain. He's probably just occupying that place for secluded cultivation and is too lazy to come down. The retreat of the Bureau of Extraordinary Immortals and the military shows that they also didn't want to cause too much trouble in Jiangzhou and chose to compromise and back down.
As for Lu Yuan?
Zhao Tiangang scoffed inwardly. He was just an arrogant young punk. Even if he knew some rudimentary kung fu and could kill a few internal energy martial artists, he was nothing but an ant in front of the real state apparatus and the grandmasters of the Xuanmen sect. He would probably have been easily crushed by Chen Daoling long ago, or secretly executed by the military.
"Withdraw the bounty." Zhao Tiangang raised his hand and handed a wine glass to Old Li behind him. His tone left no room for doubt. "The man is dead. There's no need to waste another hundred billion yuan. Send word to send someone to Jiangzhou first thing tomorrow morning to take over all of the Lu family's assets—I've been watching that riverside land for three whole years. There can't be any more mistakes."
"Yes, Master." Old Li replied respectfully, and just as he was about to turn around, a loud bang suddenly exploded!
"Bang--!!!"
The two heavy, carved mahogany doors of the banquet hall were violently slammed open from the outside. The doors crashed heavily against the walls with a deafening sound, causing the crystal chandelier on the ceiling to sway slightly.
The melodious violin music abruptly stopped, and the musicians turned pale with fright, nearly dropping their instruments. All the guests instantly ceased their conversation and turned to look at the door, their faces filled with astonishment and displeasure—to dare to be so insolent at the Zhao family's banquet was simply asking for trouble!
A black medical wheelchair was slowly pushed in through the doorway. Sitting in the wheelchair was a man whose body was wrapped in bandages, his right leg in a thick cast, his chest firmly secured by a steel plate. Even his breathing was labored and labored. Even from more than ten meters away, the pungent smell of medicine and blood could be clearly smelled into everyone's nostrils.
The person pushing the wheelchair was an adjutant dressed in a black combat uniform. He was tall and straight, with a cold expression and a chilling aura that was unique to soldiers. His eyes were scanning the entire area warily.
The moment Zhao Tiangang recognized the person, the smile on his face froze, his brows furrowed into a tight knot, and his tone was filled with undisguised surprise and sarcasm: "Director Long?"
He braced his hands on the second-floor railing, leaning slightly forward, looking down at Long Yuan in his wheelchair, his tone sarcastic: "The dignified director of the Bureau of Extraordinary Immortals, a peak War God Realm expert in China, how did you end up in such a wretched state? Did you go to fight a war in Syria, or were you utterly humiliated?"
A suppressed murmur of laughter suddenly rose from the crowd. The guests whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with mockery and disdain as they looked at Long Yuan. Who didn't know that Long Yuan was one of the strongest people in China, yet he had fallen into such a sorry state? It was a huge joke.
Long Yuan ignored the mocking laughter. He stared intently at Zhao Tiangang on the second floor, his cloudy eyes bloodshot, his throat making a bellows-like panting sound. With each word he spoke, the broken bones in his chest pulled at his nerves, sending waves of excruciating pain through him, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead.
"Zhao Tiangang." He gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse like a broken gong, yet carrying an undeniable sense of oppression, "I'm here to give you a warning."
"Transfer all of your Zhao family's direct bloodlines overseas, as far as you can."
"It would be best to leave now."
Zhao Tiangang's smile gradually faded, his eyes turning icy. He slowly descended the stairs, his tailored suit accentuating his tall, imposing figure. Every step exuded the pressure of a superior, until he stopped two meters in front of Long Yuan, looking down at him with impatience and sarcasm: "Director Long, you barged into my private banquet in the middle of the night, ruining my mood, just to spout this nonsense?"
He raised his hand, slowly adjusting his cuffs, his tone growing increasingly arrogant: "Our Zhao family has been rooted in the capital for over a hundred years, with influence and connections throughout the political and business worlds. Our power is unparalleled. You think I can run away? Long Yuan, have you lost your mind?"
Looking at Zhao Tiangang's self-righteous face, Long Yuan felt nothing but endless sorrow. These high-ranking noble families, living their entire lives in the cage of money and power, were used to measuring everything by their own rules. They had no idea that in this world, there were some forces that money, power, and family heritage could not restrain.
He took a deep breath, the sharp pain in his chest making his vision blur, but he still managed to utter three words clearly, one by one: "He's not dead."
Zhao Tiangang was taken aback, his face full of confusion: "Who?"
"Lu Yuan".
Long Yuan leaned back in his wheelchair, slowly closed his eyes, and said in a tone that was both fearful of surviving a disaster and powerless: "The 10 billion bounty you offered won't buy his life, it will only bring death to your entire Zhao family."
He slowly opened his eyes, looked at Zhao Tiangang, and his eyes were full of cold warning: "The injuries on my body were caused by him casually pointing a finger at me."
boom--!
These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the banquet hall!
The once noisy banquet hall instantly fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop. All the guests stared wide-eyed, their mouths agape, as if they could fit an egg in their mouths, looking incredulously at Long Yuan in his wheelchair—Long Yuan, a peak War God Realm expert, had actually been crippled by a mere twenty-something-year-old with a single flick of his finger?
This is simply a fantasy!
Zhao Tiangang's facial muscles twitched violently twice, and his face instantly turned pale. He instinctively felt that Long Yuan was lying, trying to create momentum for that kid surnamed Lu, and to scare him away so that he could monopolize the benefits of Jiangzhou.
"Long Yuan, have you really lost your mind?" Zhao Tiangang sneered, his tone feigning composure. "A brat in his early twenties, even if he's been practicing martial arts since birth, he'd only be a Grandmaster at best. You, a peak War God, can be crippled by a single finger from him?"
"I think it's your Bureau of Extraordinary Immortals who's trying to seize Jiangzhou's prize, and you're deliberately making up this ridiculous lie to scare me!" He took a step closer, his tone full of threat. "Long Yuan, you'd better think carefully. Spouting nonsense here will offend the entire Zhao family!"
Long Yuan opened his eyes and looked at Zhao Tiangang calmly. His gaze was like that of someone looking at a dead person, without anger or mockery, only endless indifference.
"That's all I have to say." He raised his hand, signaling his adjutant to push him away. "I came here today not to save you, nor to argue with you. I'm just afraid that if he gets carried away with killing, he'll uproot the entire capital's geomantic system. In that case, all the powerful and influential people in the capital will have to pay the price for your Zhao family's death."
The wheelchair slowly turned and moved towards the door. Long Yuan's voice, slightly hoarse, echoed clearly in the empty banquet hall, chilling to the bone: "Zhao Tiangang, wash your neck. He's already on his way."
As soon as he finished speaking, the wheelchair and the adjutant disappeared through the doorway, leaving behind only a room full of terrified guests and Zhao Tiangang, whose face was ashen and who was trembling slightly.
The banquet hall remained deathly silent. No one dared to speak, and everyone was gripped by an inexplicable fear—was the young man who could cripple the War God Realm expert Long Yuan with a single finger really coming?
......
Jiangzhou, the top of Panlong Mountain.
A gentle night breeze blew, dispersing some of the white mist on the mountaintop and revealing a clear night sky dotted with stars.
Lu Yuan stood on the second-floor terrace of the villa, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his long blue robe fluttering gently in the night breeze. His gaze fell tenderly on Lu Qingxue, who was fast asleep in the bedroom, and the sternness and coldness in his eyes instantly melted into tenderness.
The girl curled up in the blanket, her brows slightly furrowed, her small hands tightly gripping the corner of the blanket, and a hint of barely perceptible grievance on her lips. Even in her sleep, she still lacked a sense of security, as if she could be awakened by a nightmare at any moment.
Lu Yuan slowly extended his finger, a faint blue spiritual light emanating from its tip, and gently drew a calming talisman in the void. The talisman condensed and took shape, radiating a soft white light. He flicked his finger, and the calming talisman transformed into a stream of light, gently merging into Lu Qingxue's brow.
The girl's brows gradually relaxed, the grievance at the corner of her mouth quietly disappeared, her breathing became steady and long, and she slept more and more peacefully.
Looking at her peaceful sleeping face, Lu Yuan parted his thin lips slightly, his voice so gentle it could melt water, as if afraid of disturbing her sweet dreams: "Sleep well, Qingxue."
"When you wake up, those scumbags who made you live in fear and who bullied us siblings will no longer exist."
After saying that, he slowly turned around, walked to the edge of the terrace, and his eyes instantly became sharp as knives as he looked towards the due north direction—that was the capital city, the foundation of the Zhao family, and the place where he would seek revenge for a century of blood debt.
He raised his hand, his fingertips twitching slightly, and the ancient storage ring instantly lit up with a faint light. From the ring, he slowly took out a rusty iron sword, its blade covered with the marks of time, looking worn and dilapidated, as if it would break at the slightest touch.
This was the first flying sword he used during his Qi Refining stage in the cultivation world. It was made of the most ordinary black iron and could no longer withstand the infusion of his true essence at the peak of the Golden Core stage. In the cultivation world, it was already a discarded piece of junk.
But on this desolate wasteland of Earth, where spiritual energy is depleted, this sword is sufficient for transportation.
Lu Yuan casually tossed the iron sword into the air, his tone indifferent yet carrying an undeniable air of dominance: "Rise."
"Buzz—!"
The iron sword trembled violently in the air, instantly growing larger in the wind and transforming into a three-foot-long blade. The rust that had peeled off the blade fell off one by one, revealing the sword body underneath, which shimmered with a faint blue light. It exuded a chilling aura and its sharpness was fully revealed.
Lu Yuan stepped onto the sword with one foot, his figure upright, his clothes fluttering, like a banished immortal descending to earth.
"boom--!!!"
A visible white sonic boom cloud exploded on the top of Panlong Mountain, and the violent shockwave swept around, uprooting several ancient trees in the courtyard. Soil flew everywhere, creating a terrifying scene.
At the foot of the mountain, the military scouts responsible for monitoring Panlong Mountain were awakened by the sudden loud noise. They looked up at the mountaintop, their pupils contracted, and their faces were filled with terror.
In the night sky, only a long blue rainbow remained, tearing through the darkness with lightning speed, slicing across the sky with a destructive force, and hurtling towards the due north.
That direction leads to the capital.
Zhao family, your death warrant has arrived.