Chapter 611: Farewell, Manager Pei Hao

The Five-Killer-grade "Three-Turn Dragon Breath Refining Sha Art" was in hand, but Li Luo had no time to cultivate it now, because there was something more important today: going to Spring Lake Tower to attend Manager Pei Hao's banquet.

A banquet bodes no good.

But Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge still planned to go, after all, this Manager Pei Hao actually dared to hold a banquet at Spring Lake Tower outside the Luo Lan Mansion headquarters — this was clearly a provocation, and if they didn't go, it would be no small blow to the reputation and prestige of the Luo Lan Mansion headquarters.

Furthermore, Manager Pei Hao had also invited the two neutral hall masters, Lu Qing and Lu Guan, which clearly carried the intention of winning them over; Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge absolutely could not sit by and let this happen.

These hall masters were old-timers of the Luo Lan Mansion, with extremely long-standing seniority; they controlled a portion of the Luo Lan Mansion's power and could be considered the real-power high-level figures within the Luo Lan Mansion. In the past, when Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan were still around, these hall masters naturally obeyed obediently and dared not harbor the slightest disloyalty. But now that the two had been missing for many years, although Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge had done their utmost to salvage the situation, when it came to prestige, they naturally could not compare to Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan, so these hall masters inevitably began to harbor some other thoughts.

Toward these neutral hall masters, Li Luo actually didn't have much goodwill in his heart, because although they hadn't openly sided with Manager Pei Hao, this kind of attempt to carve out territory and act independently also stirred some anger in him.

YY Novel

But this anger still had to be suppressed for now, after all, his strength was not yet enough. Once he Enter the Marquis Realm in the future and fully took control of the Luo Lan Mansion, these old scores would naturally be settled one by one.

After Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge finished their morning meal, they went to the front hall, where Grand Elder Yuan Qing and Hall Master Lei Zhang had already arrived.

"Young Mansion Master, Young Lady, the forces of the Luo Lan Mansion headquarters have all been assembled, and the perimeter around Spring Lake Tower has been fully fortified. Once we receive the signal, we will strike in directly!" Lei Zhang reported.

Li Luo nodded. Since Manager Pei Hao dared to show himself, he naturally had to be well prepared. The best outcome would be to deal with him directly at Spring Lake Tower, sparing the need for any more tricks at the Mansion Sacrifice.

"Young Mansion Master, Young Lady, this Manager Pei Hao is cautious and cunning. He has been lurking in Daxia City for many days, and now that he dares to show himself and provoke us, he must have something to rely on. We cannot afford to be careless." Yuan Qing said after some thought.

Jiang Jiang Qinge nodded and said, "Elder Yuan, rest assured, we will be careful."

Yuan Qing heard this and said no more.

Afterward, the group made preparations once more, and when the time was about right, they set out from the mansion in full array.

Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge walked out of the Luo Lan Mansion headquarters and at a glance saw the luxurious tower at the end of the street — that was Spring Lake Tower, just one street away from the Luo Lan Mansion headquarters.

"Quite a lot of spies have come."

Li Luo's gaze swept the surroundings of the street. He could sense some faint, elusive gazes directed at the headquarters. Clearly, the matter of Manager Pei Hao's invitation had already spread throughout Daxia City these past few days, and now all the various factions were watching this side.

After all, this banquet could probably be considered a tentative clash between the two factions within the Luo Lan Mansion before the Mansion Sacrifice.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's expression was cold and aloof; she paid no attention at all to those probing gazes, and together with Li Luo, she crossed the street and soon arrived outside Spring Lake Tower.

The tower's doors were wide open, the interior was cold and empty, no figures to be seen. Clearly, the entire tower had been booked out by Manager Pei Hao, and others knew that today's place was no good ground, so no one came here to join the excitement.

Yuan Qing, Lei Zhang, and a group of elite guards from the Luo Lan Mansion headquarters, led by Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge, poured directly into the tower. The first floor was empty, so Li Luo and the others ascended the stairs.

When they reached the top floor, the view was broad, overlooking the nearby streets. And it was here that many figures were seated, their gazes all fixed on Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge as they came up the stairs.

Li Luo's gaze swept the place. In the central position, Manager Pei Hao wore a faint smile; the small golden sword hanging at his ear shimmered, and his slightly sunken eyes carried a sharp, cold, fierce aura.

Beside Manager Pei Hao was the grand elder named Elder Mo Chen.

Below them in order were three familiar figures — precisely the three hall masters of the Luo Lan Mansion who had thrown in their lot with Manager Pei Hao.

And further down sat a man and a woman. At this moment, the two of them looked at Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge coming up the stairs with slightly unnatural expressions, and these two were precisely the hall masters Lu Qing and Lu Guan, who had always maintained neutrality.

The atmosphere in the hall, with the arrival of Li Luo and the others, instantly grew taut, with undercurrents surging.

"Hehe, the Young Mansion Master and Young Lady Jiang truly have remarkable courage — knowing full well it's a Hongmen Banquet, you still dare to come." Manager Pei Hao said with a smile.

"I just want to see what backing you've gotten from the master behind you, you who've been hiding like a rat for so long, that you dare to show yourself?" Li Luo stared at Manager Pei Hao and smiled faintly.

Manager Pei Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. He stared at Li Luo; he still remembered that nearly a year ago, when he saw Li Luo in that old residence, the latter was nothing but an Empty-Phase waste in his eyes. But now, for some reason, from Li Luo's body, he had begun to sense a slightly uncomfortable aura.

Or perhaps, a faint trace of threat.

This made a shadow of gloom flash through Manager Pei Hao's heart, because over this past year, he had heard too much about Li Luo — especially the recent news that Li Luo had won the title of the strongest student of the One-Star Academy of the Outer Shenzhou... This title was not merely an empty honor; it was also a synonym for strength and potential.

Although Manager Pei Hao had never entered the Holy Mystic Star Academy, he also understood very well the strength and foundation of these holy academies on the Outer Shenzhou.

To be able to stand out from so many outstanding peers across the entire Outer Shenzhou and claim the top — this was enough to prove Li Luo's current strength.

After resolving the issue of the empty phase, the talent Li Luo displayed was something one could not help but envy and resent.

In the past, he could still comfort himself by saying that no matter how good Li Luo's birth was, he was still just an Empty-Phase waste. But now, even that comfort was gone. The talent Li Luo displayed and his astonishing cultivation speed were already fully worthy of the identity of the Young Mansion Master of the Luo Lan Mansion.

Now, Li Luo's prestige within the Luo Lan Mansion was also growing ever more like the sun at high noon.

"Can one person really take all these good things?" Manager Pei Hao's heart surged with gloomy killing intent and jealous fire. His five fingers couldn't help but slowly clench tight. Why was it that this Li Luo, from the moment he was born, could obtain everything, while he, who had poured out every effort, couldn't compare to even the slightest bit of what Li Luo had gained?

He had held such deep respect for Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan. He had gone through fire and water for the Luo Lan Mansion, all for the sake of earning their recognition. Yet everything he, Manager Pei Hao, had done, in their eyes, probably couldn't even compare to a single hair of Li Luo's.

On the back of Manager Pei Hao's hand, veins pulsed.

He knew he was jealous of Li Luo — immensely jealous — and it was precisely this extreme jealousy that had brought him to where he stood today.

But he did not regret it.

Since you treat the Luo Lan Mansion, which I cherish so dearly, with such disdain, then don't blame me for destroying it!