Chapter 196: Destroy

"Heh, this Li Luo really has some nerve, just taking in the Material Refiners from West Ridge Prefecture like that..." As the crowd dispersed, Duze Duze Beixuan raised an eyebrow by the window of the restaurant.

"He wants to bring these Material Refiners into the Xiyang House headquarters."

Duze Duze Honglian smiled faintly and said, "Recently, under the pressure of our Duze Prefecture, their Xiyang House has been trying to recruit Material Refiners, but the results have never been good. Now that these Material Refiners from the Xiyang House West Ridge Prefecture branch have suddenly come to Daxia City, of course he'll be tempted."

"I have to say, this Li Luo has ambition, and quite some guts too."

"Over the years, the West Ridge Prefecture branch has been occupied by Manager Pei Hao and no longer provides any supply funds to Luolang House. If the Xiyang House headquarters can absorb this batch, it would at least buy them some breathing room."

Duze Duze Beixuan nodded and smiled, saying, "That Manager Pei Hao is also a man of considerable cunning. I don't believe he really came here to deliver a love-filled gift package to Li Luo."

"I don't believe it either."

Duze Duze Honglian narrowed her long, narrow eyes slightly. She stared at the main gate of Luolang House headquarters and said, "But as for what tricks Manager Pei Hao has up his sleeve, we'll just wait and watch the show. This is an internal strife within Luolang House. The more chaos they stir up, the better it is for our Duze Prefecture."

"Send people to keep a close eye on Xiyang House. If anything happens, report immediately. Our Duze Prefecture will help them spread the word nicely."

Duze Duze Beixuan nodded with a smile, his face full of anticipation.

A refined room by the window in the restaurant.

Manager Pei Hao gazed indifferently as Li Luo, Jiang Qing, and the others entered the Xiyang House headquarters in full. Although separated by some distance, he could still make out what Li Luo had said earlier.

"After gaining dual phases, he has indeed become much more confident." Manager Pei Hao smiled faintly, but his eyes were icy cold.

He recalled the days when Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan were still around. Li Luo was the very picture of glory. Whenever he went to pay respects to the two House Masters, he would carefully prepare gifts for the still-young Li Luo.

Especially in the first few years after Li Luo was born, everyone in Luolang House was overjoyed, believing that with an heir, Luolang House would surely stand tall in Daxia for a long time to come.

Li Luo back then was the center of attention in Luolang House.

The moment he was born, he had almost everything. In the future, he would even become the controller of Luolang House, while he, Manager Pei Hao, could only remain like a household servant, driven at will.

Although he had shown no thoughts at the time, the burning fire of jealousy in his heart tormented him immensely.

This Li Luo was nothing more than someone born into better circumstances than him!

Why should he be the one to become the master of Luolang House in the future? And when Li Luo was only a few years old, Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan had him betrothed to Jiang Jiang Qinge, finding him a girl that countless people would dream of in the future.

These parents truly doted on Li Luo to the extreme.

But as they say, things must turn when they reach their peak. No one expected that afterward, Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan would go to the Wang Hou battlefield, vanishing for years without a trace, and the once highly anticipated Li Luo was exposed to have a natural Empty Phase, making cultivation difficult and rendering it nearly impossible for him to shoulder the heavy responsibility of Luolang House in the future.

When he first heard this news, Manager Pei Hao, who never touched alcohol, downed three whole pots of wine that very night.

At that time, the ambition in his heart began to spread. He started gathering followers on a large scale, and Li Luo's Empty Phase was the greatest weapon he used to convince others. After all, no one was willing to have the future House Master of Luolang House be a useless person with an Empty Phase.

Everyone had to think about their own future; who didn't want to live better?

If he had been given a little more time back then, he would have truly taken control of Luolang House.

But unfortunately...

Jiang Jiang Qinge stepped in.

When she stepped onto the stage of Luolang House, she revealed a daunting capability and charm. Moreover, she possessed the most orthodox identity—she was the direct disciple of Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan. In terms of status, compared to him, a registered disciple, she was undoubtedly higher by more than a notch.

And Most Important, she also possessed the Nine Grade Light Phase, with astonishing potential, which was enough to draw many people's hearts to her.

So Jiang Jiang Qinge quickly stabilized the situation in Luolang House and began to stand as an equal against him.

Moreover, if Manager Pei Hao hadn't preemptively seized leverage over several Pavilion Masters, forcing them to stand on his side, he would likely be finding it very difficult to contend with Jiang Jiang Qinge now.

After all, Jiang Jiang Qinge's future was far too dazzling.

She might even break the Marquis-Sealing record set by Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan.

So a few months ago, Manager Pei Hao went all in, brought his people, and broke with Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo, completely cutting off any thoughts others might have of leaning toward Jiang Jiang Qinge.

However, he never expected that after that old residence incident, he would receive one piece of bad news after another.

Li Luo broke through the Empty Phase!

Not only did he regain a phase, but he also obtained first place in the Tianshu Prefecture Grand Examination, entered the Sacred Mystic Star Academy, and finally even revealed a rare dual phase!

The young House Master who had once been like a waste suddenly became dazzling.

At this moment, Manager Pei Hao suddenly felt like a clown.

If Li Luo had revealed this dual phase earlier, his ambitions would naturally have stayed hidden, but this guy... deliberately faked an Empty Phase to toy with him?

Since that's the case... then let's fight to the end!

A fierce glint flashed in Manager Pei Hao's eyes. Compared to Li Luo's dual phase and Jiang Jiang Qinge's Nine Grade Light Phase, he might indeed be somewhat inferior, but at least for now, he still held the advantage in strength.

The current Luolang House is on the verge of collapse. How could Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge alone possibly support it?

And does he really think Manager Pei Hao has no backing?

For now, it can only be said that the struggle between Manager Pei Hao, Li Luo, and Jiang Jiang Qinge has only just begun to enter the main act. As for the outcome, we'll have to wait and see.

And just as Manager Pei Hao's thoughts were churning, the lamplight in the room suddenly dimmed considerably. He raised his head and saw a crack slowly opening in the wall behind him.

So he rose, walked into the crack, and along the somewhat dim staircase behind it, after about half an incense stick's time, passed through the stone stairs and arrived in a spacious, brightly lit room.

The room was quite simple, with only a figure seated cross-legged in front of the bright floor-to-ceiling window.

The figure had its back to him, so its appearance couldn't be seen, but the line of sight through the floor-to-ceiling window happened to allow a view of the scene inside the nearby Xiyang House.

Manager Pei Hao stepped forward and bowed slightly toward that figure.

"Today's little show was your doing, wasn't it?" The figure laughed and asked.

Manager Pei Hao nodded: "Just a small appetizer sent to Li Luo."

"That Li Luo is a very different person from before now, you know."

A shadow of gloom flashed in Manager Pei Hao's eyes as he said slowly, "Although I don't know whether his Empty Phase from before was real or fake, if he thinks he can save Luolang House, he can only be dreaming."

"Moreover, my lord... the forces you possess are so powerful. If you were willing to act, Luolang House could never have held on for so many years."

The figure said indifferently, "We naturally have our own concerns. You only need to do your job well."

"Since you've come to Daxia City this time, you should be prepared."

"Our purpose is very simple. We just need you to weaken Luolang House by any means necessary. I'm waiting for your good news. As long as you can do it, everything you want, I can give to you."

"So, don't disappoint me."

Manager Pei Hao gazed at that shadowy figure, then looked through the window toward Stream Yang House, and slowly lowered his head.

"Rest assured, my lord. What I cannot obtain, even if it must be destroyed, I will absolutely never let that Li Luo enjoy."

That shadowy figure laughed and said, "Why do you seem to harbor such hatred toward Li Luo? Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan shouldn't have treated you badly, should they?"

Manager Pei Hao said calmly, "My respect and reverence for the two House Masters comes from the heart."

"Heh heh, precisely because you respected them too much, you hate Li Luo? I suppose this must be a kind of jealousy, right? Because the moment Li Luo was born, he could effortlessly receive all of their affection, and this kind of affection is something you could never obtain no matter how hard you tried." The shadowy figure spoke.

Manager Pei Hao said slowly, "Shouldn't one be jealous of that?"

"He received all of their affection the moment he was born, and even before he could understand anything, he already had a marriage engagement with an unparalleled future prodigy like Jiang Qing'e..."

That shadowy figure fell briefly silent, then smiled and sighed, "Truly enviable indeed."

"So..."

"Let us destroy him."