noffsinger Chapter 37 The Rule of Making an Example of Someone Else
Chapter 37 The Rule of Making an Example of Someone Else
The stench of blood, like poisoned needles, pierced his nostrils. Zhao Tiancheng stood frozen at the foot of the steps of Yunding Villa, his legs trembling like leaves, his stomach churning, and he almost vomited up his internal organs several times.
The three corpses on the ground were still warm, and bloodstains on the bluestone slab seeped down the cracks between the bricks. The most shocking thing was the pile of rotten flesh next to it—that was the outer elder of the Blood Fiend Sect. Just ten minutes ago, he had been making threats in front of him, but now he couldn't even be pieced together into a complete human form.
Five minutes.
Lu Yuan's voice still echoed in his ears, calm and undisturbed, yet more chilling than the coldest ice. Zhao Tiancheng scrambled to his feet, oblivious to the bloodstains on his trousers, and rushed to the car like a madman, yanking open the trunk.
He ripped open two black canvas bags containing golf clubs, his knuckles white as he gripped a folded shovel. The mass of rotten flesh was the hardest to deal with; it was stuck to the ground, mixed with mud and bone fragments, and the stench was overwhelming. Zhao Tiancheng gritted his teeth, covered his mouth tightly, and trembled as he shoveled down.
"Damn... Mr. Lu's methods are truly ruthless!" He cursed inwardly, but felt no dissatisfaction, only a deep-seated fear.
What was the Blood Fiend Sect's influence in the Jiangnan underworld? Those few outer sect elders usually swaggered around the streets, and even the big shots of Jiangnan City had to treat them with respect, offering them cigarettes. But today, right here in Cloud Peak Manor, they were slaughtered by Lu Yuan like chickens and dogs, wiped out with a wave of his hand, without even a chance to resist.
If this got out, the entire Jiangnan underworld would be in an uproar, and the Blood Fiend Sect would grind him to dust! But Zhao Tiancheng dared not complain at all—he had taken the job, which meant he had handed his life over to Lu Yuan. Let alone impersonating three corpses, even if he were to impersonate the Heavenly King himself, he would still have to clean the place spotless, leaving not a trace of blood.
He deftly stuffed the body into a canvas bag, tied the opening tightly, and put it in the trunk. Then he connected a water hose, and high-pressure water jets washed over the ground. The dark red bloodstains in the brick grout were the hardest to clean. He squatted down and scrubbed them with a brush, not even noticing his fingers being cut, until the ground was spotless and without a trace. Only then did he collapse onto the ground, his whole body soaked in sweat.
Taking a breath, Zhao Tiancheng tiptoed to the villa door, touched the door panel with his fingertips, then quickly withdrew them. He repeated this twice before daring to knock lightly three times.
"Enter."
The voice coming from inside the door was still calm, but it made Zhao Tiancheng tense up. He quickly pushed the door open, lowered his head, pressed his hands tightly against the seams of his pants, bent over like a shrimp, and stood more obediently than a kindergarten student, not daring to breathe loudly.
The villa's living room was brightly lit, with a luxurious crystal chandelier reflecting dazzling light. On a million-dollar Italian leather sofa, Lu Qingxue sat cross-legged, holding a cup of hot milk in her hands. Her face was still a little pale, but her eyes curiously surveyed the surrounding decor. Her fingertips trembled slightly, clearly indicating that she had not yet recovered from the shock she had just experienced.
Lu Yuan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his figure as straight as a pine tree. He played with a few dusty stones in his hands, his fingertips tracing the surface of the stones. His expression was indifferent, as if he had not just killed three people with his own hands, but had merely crushed a few ants.
"Mr. Lu, it's been handled... it's been cleaned up completely, leaving no trace whatsoever." Zhao Tiancheng's voice was extremely low, almost blending into the air.
"Um."
Lu Yuan didn't turn around. With a flick of his wrist, the seemingly ordinary stones instantly turned into several afterimages. They were so fast that they were just streaks of light. With a few "whoosh" sounds, they accurately smashed into the four corners of the villa and sank directly into the hard marble floor. They didn't even leave a trace or a dent, as if they had never existed.
Zhao Tiancheng's eyelids twitched violently, and his heart almost jumped out of his throat! He had practiced external martial arts for more than ten years, and his eyesight was far beyond that of ordinary people. The speed at which that stone flew was several times faster than a bullet. If it had hit a person, it would have definitely gone straight through their chest and created a bloody hole!
The moment the stone hit the ground, a soft "hum" sounded, as if an ancient array had been activated, making Zhao Tiancheng's ears go numb.
The next second, the air in the entire villa changed!
The air, which had been dry and stuffy from the air conditioning, instantly became warm and sweet. Taking a breath felt like cool spring water flowing down my throat and into my lungs. All the fatigue and tension in my body instantly disappeared, and even the nausea I felt when shoveling the corpse was gone. Every pore opened up, and my whole body felt warm and cozy, like I was soaking in a hot spring.
Zhao Tiancheng subconsciously looked down, his gaze falling on the money tree in the entryway that was about to die—the withered yellow leaves were falling off at a visible speed, and on the dry, almost broken branches, several tender green buds had forced their way out, and in the blink of an eye, they had unfolded into small leaves, full of vitality, as if they had been injected with the power of new life.
"This, this is..." Zhao Tiancheng was so shocked his jaw almost dropped to the ground, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg, he even forgot to breathe, his eyes filled with disbelief and astonishment. "Mr. Lu, what, what kind of supernatural power is this?"
Lu Yuan turned around, dusted off his hands, and said casually, as if saying, "The weather's nice today," "I just casually set up a spirit-gathering array."
He glanced at the money tree, his tone tinged with impatience: "The feng shui of this place is terrible, the spiritual energy is chaotic and disordered. It's barely passable as a place to live, even after some filtering."
Little did Zhao Tiancheng know that in the cultivation world, this was nothing more than a flawed spirit-gathering array set up with the lowest-grade spirit stones, not even worthy of being used as a doghouse for outer disciples. But on Earth, where spiritual energy had been depleted for thousands of years, this was already a legendary blessed land, sought after by countless reclusive masters who would spend their entire lives searching for it. Even just staying there for a day could allow one to break through bottlenecks and undergo a complete transformation!
His legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. Only one thought remained in his mind: This Mr. Lu is no ordinary person; he is a deity! A true deity!
"Zhao Tiancheng".
Lu Yuan's voice rang out, and Zhao Tiancheng instantly snapped back to reality, straightening his back and barely daring to breathe. Lu Yuan walked to the sofa, naturally took the empty cup from Lu Qingxue's hand, placed it on the coffee table, and gently touched his sister's head with his fingertips. His gaze softened slightly, but when he turned to look at Zhao Tiancheng, his eyes returned to their cold indifference.
"Investigate two things. First, list all of the Ye family's businesses in Jiangnan City, whether they are publicly listed companies or operating in the gray areas. Second, find out the Blood Fiend Sect's hideout and its details."
Zhao Tiancheng felt a chill run down his spine, and the hairs on his body stood on end! He knew better than anyone that this man's words meant he was about to take the initiative—the Blood Fiend Sect and the Ye family of the capital, two of the top forces in Jiangnan and even the whole country, were like lambs to the slaughter in Mr. Lu's eyes!
"Yes, Mr. Lu!" he hurriedly replied, swallowing hard, his voice trembling. "The Blood Fiend Sect is easy to deal with. Their headquarters are in an abandoned steel mill on the outskirts of the city. They have hundreds of thugs under their command, all of them ruthless characters, and they are usually heavily guarded..."
He paused, a troubled look on his face, and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead: "But the Ye family of Beijing... they have too many businesses in Jiangnan, deeply entrenched. They control three listed companies alone, and have numerous real estate and entertainment businesses. Their network of connections behind the scenes is frighteningly complex. Moreover..."
"And what?" Lu Yuan's tone turned colder, and an invisible pressure instantly descended, making Zhao Tiancheng feel as if a boulder was pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to even breathe.
"And I just received intelligence that the Jiangnan branch of the Extraordinary Immortal Bureau has blocked off several roads at the foot of Cloud Peak Manor!" Zhao Tiancheng wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, speaking rapidly. "They've set up a cordon, claiming it's an anti-terrorism drill, but I saw armored vehicles arrive with my own eyes, along with quite a few experts in special uniforms. It looks like they're coming for us!"
"Armored vehicles?" Upon hearing these three words, Lu Qingxue's face turned deathly pale. She nearly dropped the cup in her hand, gripping the edge of the sofa tightly with both hands until her knuckles turned white. Her voice trembled with tears, "Brother... are they here to arrest us? Should we run away quickly?"
Lu Yuan turned to look at his younger sister, the coldness in his eyes instantly vanishing, replaced by tenderness. He raised his hand and gently pinched her tense cheek, his tone carrying a mixture of doting affection and undeniable authority: "Arrest us? They? They're not worthy!"
After speaking, he walked back to the French windows and looked down at the foot of the mountain, where red and blue police lights were faintly flashing and the piercing sound of sirens could be heard, breaking the tranquility of the night.
A cold smile curved Lu Yuan's lips, a hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes, and his tone was calm, yet carried a world-destroying aura: "I originally wanted them to live one more night and have a peaceful sleep."
"Since they're in such a hurry to be reborn, I'll grant their wish."
As soon as he finished speaking, the temperature in the living room seemed to drop by more than ten degrees. Zhao Tiancheng felt cold all over, and even his teeth started to chatter. He had only one thought in his mind: The people from the Bureau of Strange Immortals are finished!
……
Beijing, 10,000 meters above the ground.
A jet-black Gulfstream private jet sped through thick clouds, the roar of its engine shut out of the cabin, which was eerily quiet yet exuded a sense of oppression.
The cabin had been converted into a luxurious lounge, with expensive wool carpets and top-of-the-line leather sofas. In the very center, there was a simple futon where the Ye family patriarch sat cross-legged, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and powerful.
With each breath he took, the air in the cabin would distort, and invisible spiritual energy would circulate around him, forming a faint halo—a sign of unfathomable cultivation, enough to crush all reclusive masters even on Earth where spiritual energy was depleted.
Ye Tiannan sat on the sofa next to him, holding a glass of 82 Lafite. The rich aroma of the red wine filled the cabin, but he didn't take a single sip. His brows were tightly furrowed, his face was pale, and his eyes were full of anxiety and unease.
The figure who shattered the command center from afar and casually killed a Blood Fiend Sect elder, along with that terrifying handprint, were like a poisonous thorn, firmly embedded in his nerves, impossible to shake off. He had seen ruthless people, but he had never seen such a terrifying being!
"Tiannan, your heart is in turmoil."
The Ye family patriarch suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse and dry, yet it resonated in the cabin like the clash of metal, carrying an undeniable authority that instantly suppressed Ye Tiannan's anxiety.
Ye Tiannan shuddered, quickly put down his wine cup, stood up, bowed deeply, and said in a respectful yet flustered tone, "Ancestor, I... I'm worried that the people from the Jiangnan branch won't be able to stop him. That kid's methods are too strange; he can injure people from a distance, and even the elders of the Blood Fiend Sect were no match for him. I'm afraid those people from the branch..."
"It's normal that we couldn't stop him." The Ye family patriarch slowly opened his eyes, and a greedy glint suddenly flashed in his cloudy eyes, like a hungry wolf spotting its prey. "To be able to injure someone from a distance is no ordinary skill. That kid must possess an ancient artifact!"
He paused, his withered fingers tapping lightly on his knees, a hint of fanaticism in his voice: "Earth's spiritual energy has been depleted for thousands of years. A spiritual artifact of this level should have long since become scrap metal. The fact that he can activate a spiritual artifact means he not only possesses magical treasures, but also extraordinary treasures that can provide spiritual energy—those are the real treasures. With them, I can break through my limitations and achieve immortality!"
Ye Tiannan was overjoyed and quickly began to flatter him: "Ancestor is wise! You see things very clearly! Those useless people from the Immortal Bureau, let them die. As long as we can hold that kid back and prevent him from escaping with the treasure, it's worth it even if many people die!"
In the eyes of the Ye family patriarch, those so-called experts from the Bureau of Extraordinary Immortals were nothing more than cannon fodder used to pave the way. Even if a few people died or were injured, or even if the entire Jiangnan branch was wiped out, it would be worth it as long as they could obtain that extraordinary treasure and spiritual weapon.
The Ye family patriarch did not respond. He closed his eyes again, and the spiritual energy around him began to circulate once more. His expression was calm, as if victory was assured.
Ye Tiannan dared not say anything more and stood respectfully to the side, but he was already overjoyed in his heart. As long as the ancestor arrived in Jiangnan, no matter how great the kid's abilities were, he would not be able to escape the palm of the hand. At that time, that treasure would belong to the Ye family, and he could also rise to prominence!
Silence returned to the cabin, with only the roar of the engines echoing in the night sky like a death knell.
It's less than an hour's flight from Jiangnan City.
The Bureau of Strange Immortals has sealed off the mountain, the Ye family patriarch has personally arrived, and the Blood Fiend Sect is eyeing them covetously. A vast and impenetrable net has been cast against Lu Yuan.
But none of them knew that what they had laid out was not a net to capture immortals, but a death warrant—they had provoked an immortal venerable who had descended from the cultivation world, an existence that could destroy heaven and earth and flatten mountains and rivers at will.
The nights in Jiangnan are destined to be anything but peaceful.
(Thank you all for your support. I'll try to add an extra chapter today.)