Chapter 45: Can

If it were only the company itself, the Wang family’s decades of connections and foundations, especially their contributions during the War of Resistance, would suffice.

With a hard heart, they could cut off flesh and bleed out enough to get through this.

But the company’s back represents the will of the state!!

Not even the entire Wang family, nor even the whole Supernatural World united, could stand against the will of the state—it would be reduced to ashes.

Such things have been commonplace throughout history.

Even in ancient times of cold weapons, the East’s multiple Buddhist persecutions and the West’s witch hunts nearly severed the transmission of the Supernatural World; now, doing the same is far easier.

The Wang family’s Divine Painting can turn falsehood into truth—so what? They might withstand a few bullets, but what about the Dongfeng?

If the state’s will turns against them, just a few Dongfeng strikes, and every thousand-year clan, every one of the Four Great Houses, will vanish into smoke.

At this moment, Wang Ai wished he could go back to yesterday and strangle himself alive for suggesting the match between Wang Bing and Luo Fu.

Wang Ai knew his grandson well—arrogant to the core, he always coveted anything valuable in the Supernatural World.

What if, during his clash with Luo Fu, he gained the upper hand and demanded Luo Fu’s inheritance?

Even if he didn’t, if Luo Fu died at Wang Bing’s hands, the Wang family would become the target of the entire Supernatural World.

If Wang Bing lost, there’d still be room to maneuver—but if he won, the entire Wang family would be doomed.

The more he thought, the more terror gripped him.

Wang Ai, disregarding all propriety, stood up and leapt down onto the training ground.

In the stands, Feng Zhenghao saw this and couldn’t help but smile a mysterious, enigmatic smile—but at the same time, he was genuinely startled.

After all, just yesterday, Lu Jin had specifically sought out Feng Zhenghao to arrange a match between Feng Shaya and Luo Fu, and back then, no one knew Luo Fu carried such a massive hidden danger.

Feng Zhenghao had always held great hope for Luo Fu—the rising star bearing the San Yi Men banner, backed by the Lu family and the Celestial Master’s Mansion—and had even openly declared he’d personally arrange a union between Feng Shaya and Luo Fu.

Now, thinking back, Feng Zhenghao felt the same urge as Wang Ai.

Such a terrifying trouble as Luo Fu—even at the risk of offending the Lu family, even of driving them to total enmity—must not be touched in the slightest.

Even the Eight Marvelous Techniques caused such devastating consequences, their poison lingering for over seventy years; Luo Fu’s secrets were beyond comparison.

Though the Tianxia Association seemed to be growing rapidly, appearing as if blooming flowers and blazing oil, in truth, its growth model was utterly illusory.

The Supernaturals within the Tianxia Association faced no real constraints; their relationship was merely cooperative—the Tianxia Association offered benefits to hire them to band together for mutual protection.

But when true annihilation came, hardly any Supernaturals would stand with the Tianxia Association.

After clarifying his thoughts, Feng Zhenghao urgently instructed his daughter: no matter what, she must have no contact whatsoever with Luo Fu—not even as a friend.

Though Feng Shaya often appeared like a daddy’s girl, in truth, years of suppressed resentment had bred within her a deep resistance to Feng Zhenghao.

The future “Five Hundred in One Night” incident was precisely the breaking point of that resistance.

To have ordered her yesterday to befriend Luo Fu, even to pursue him actively, and then to reverse course the very next day, was the final spark igniting Feng Shaya’s rebellion against Feng Zhenghao.

On the surface, Feng Shaya still looked submissive and obedient, but in truth, she had developed intense curiosity toward Luo Fu—the man who had caused her father’s attitude to shift so drastically in such a short time.

She was even eager to pursue a brief romance with him.

At the exact moment Wang Ai leapt into the training ground, Lu Jin, unaware of the situation, instinctively believed Wang Ai had truly lost all dignity and intended to bully the younger.

Lu Jin, already prepared, arrived at the training ground almost simultaneously with Wang Ai.

“Wang Ai, Itachi old bastard—I knew it!! Itachi want to interfere in the match? First get past me!” Before the words were fully out, Lu Jin activated Nisheng Sanzhong and lunged at Wang Ai.

Wang Ai had no interest in getting entangled with Lu Jin now.

The instant he leapt into the training ground, he realized he had lost his mind.

“Lu Jin, calm down! I withdraw on behalf of my grandson—this match is yours, teacher and disciple! I only wish to take Bing away!” To Wang Ai, his family’s survival mattered far more than face.

But Wang Ai’s surrender was not accepted by the referee, Long Hu, nor even by the participant, Wang Bing.

“Grandfather, what are Itachi saying? How could I possibly lose to this brat?” Wang Bing snarled: “Grandfather, I’ll extract his secrets from this kid for Itachi!!”

Wang Ai’s face turned black.

Wang Ai was undeniably tempted by the rumored Immortal secret hidden within Luo Fu.

But he knew perfectly well: such things could be done, but never spoken of.

Just as years ago, when Wang Ai had forced Feng Tianyang to reveal Ju Ling Qian Jiang, he had never exposed it.

Luo Fu’s secret was even more so.

Whether or not it was truly the path to Immortality, it was unquestionably far more terrifying than the Eight Marvelous Techniques.

Even if the Wang family somehow seized it, it must never be revealed.

Wang Bing’s sudden outburst meant that, regardless of whether the Wang family gained any secret from Luo Fu, everyone would now know the Wang family had been scheming for Luo Fu’s secrets from the start.

“Excellent!!” Lu Jin roared in fury: “Whatever secrets my disciple holds belong to him alone—even I, his master, dare not covet them! And your Wang family dares to be so shameless? The elder is shameless, and the younger is even more so!!”

Before the words ended, Lu Jin struck.

In midair, he traced repeatedly—dozens of Five Thunder Talismans materialized, stacking one upon another; the next instant, thunder shook the heavens.

“Lu Jin, are Itachi mad? I already said I withdraw on Bing’s behalf—Itachi’ve won! I only want to take him away!” Wang Ai prepared his defenses while shouting in rage.

In the stands, Lu Ci smiled silently.

Though Lu Ci and Wang Ai often colluded, as two of the Four Great Houses, how could the Wang and Lu families have never had any conflict?

Seeing Wang Ai suffer in silence, unable to speak, Lu Ci had no intention of intervening.

Wang Ai knew the uproar that would erupt if news of Luo Fu’s Immortal secret spread—Lu Ci was no fool either!!

Under everyone’s eyes, whoever touched Luo Fu would be doomed.

(End of Chapter)