Chapter 457: Did I Let You Leave?

Bai Xiaoxia's wedding is to be held in two ceremonies: a Chinese ceremony, which is today, and another in a few days in England, organized by the Royal family as a Western ceremony.

However, Yu Lin does not intend to attend that one.

When the wedding procedures finish and the lively banquet ends, it is already eight p. m.

The guests either depart for other matters, stay for a small gathering with familiar friends, or simply stay at the hotel, preparing to join the next day's continued celebrations.

As the bustle fades, the management area behind the hotel remains brightly lit.

A composed, sharp‑eyed middle‑aged man—Chen Bo, the senior steward of the Bai Family—stood before six impeccably dressed, clearly well‑trained men and women, and spoke gravely:

"You six are to inventory all the gifts Young Master received today, categorize them, prepare detailed electronic and paper spreadsheets, and deliver them to me after verification."

"I will then submit them to the Young Master for review; speed is not required, but accuracy is essential—no deviation at all. Understood?"

The six instantly stood at attention and replied in unison, "Yes, Steward Chen!"

Steward Chen gave a slight nod, turned, and said, "Follow me."

He led the six through a quiet corridor to a suite temporarily used as a vault for valuable gifts.

At the doorway stood two broad‑shouldered, solid‑built men with a heavy aura, evidently cultivators of considerable strength serving as guards.

Seeing Steward Chen, the two bowed and said, "Steward Chen."

"Hmm," Steward Chen replied.

"I have brought them to inventory the gifts; open the door."

"Understood," the two guards turned, each pulling out a special authorization card and swiping it over the sensor by the door.

A soft "ding" sounded, and the heavy alloy door slid inward.

Steward Chen did not proceed immediately. "Remember, do only what you are to do; do not entertain thoughts of actions you should not take."

"You are well aware of the Bai Family's rules,"

The six felt a chill and hurriedly assured, "We would never dare! Rest assured, Elder Chen!"

Steward Chen then stepped aside, "Enter."

The six entered in single file.

When the last person entered, the door silently closed and locked itself.

Steward Chen took out his phone and sent a brief message to Bai Xiaoxia: "Young Master, personnel have been assigned to begin inventorying the gifts."

He soon received Bai Xiaoxia's reply: "Thank you for your effort, Chen Bo."

"Thank you for your concern, Young Master," after sending the reply, Steward Chen put away his phone and, together with the two guards, turned his attention to the surveillance screen embedded above the door.

The screen clearly displayed the room's interior: the six were split into two groups, methodically unwrapping packages and recording them.

However, what Steward Chen and the guards did not know was that from the moment the door sealed, the "live feed" they saw was no longer the actual scene!

Inside the room, the lights remained bright.

But at the instant the door locked, three of the six suddenly sharpened their gazes, murderous intent flashing.

They exchanged an extremely brief yet unmistakable look, then subtly nodded.

Their movements were as swift as ghosts!

The three simultaneously reached for the ties around their necks—ordinary silk ties instantly stiffened, their edges flashing with a metallic sheen, transforming into three slender, razor‑sharp flexible blades!

"Sss!" "Sss!" "Sss!"

The sound of the blades slicing through air was faint yet lethal.

The other three, focused on inventorying the gifts, had no time to react; a thin red line appeared in their throats, and before shock or bewilderment could fully surface, their life force drained rapidly and their bodies collapsed limp.

There were no screams, hardly any sounds of struggle.

The technique was impeccably clean.

The leader, of unremarkable appearance but a fierce gaze, swiftly retracted the blood‑stained tie blade and whispered, "Search."

"We must obtain that item today. Time is limited; the external surveillance interference won't last long."

"Understood!" the other two replied immediately, their voices low.

They ignored the bodies on the floor, like trained hounds, and began efficiently and swiftly sifting through the mountain of valuable gifts piled in the room.

Their objective was clear, their movements precise; they brushed past most jewels, antiques, and artifacts, indicating prior knowledge of the target.

Finally, when they reached an inconspicuous gift box near the interior side, the three almost simultaneously halted.

The box bore no special markings, but its size and weight seemed to match their intel.

The leader inhaled deeply and carefully opened the box.

Inside, deep‑red velvet lined the interior, and atop that soft fabric lay a single object—

It was a gun barrel.

About a foot long, its design was simple, the whole exuding a dull metallic hue—not gold or silver—but possessing a weighty feel.

Most striking was that the barrel's sharp tip and the blood groove near the joint were stained with fresh, still‑wet crimson… blood!

The blood seemed freshly applied, emitting an indescribable aura that blended the holy with the ominous.

The three stared at the barrel, their breathing involuntarily quickening, eyes flashing with a mingling of zeal and greed.

The leader's voice trembled uncontrollably as he whispered its name:

"Whosoever wields it, all within a hundred‑twenty feet shall submit… Possessing it can command the fate of the world, yet anyone who loses it dies instantly… Longinus' Gun!"

The leader, without waiting for the other two to examine the barrel, a flash of steel in his eyes, snapped the lid shut with a "pop."

He spread the five fingers of his right hand, palm upward, his lips moving rapidly as he chanted a string of obscure, tongue‑twisting syllables.

A hexagram Magic Array sprouted from the void, swiftly spiraling above his palm and solidifying.

At the array's center a flash of light summoned a hefty tome, its cover wrapped in unknown black leather with dark‑silver metal edging, which materialized and settled firmly in his hand.

He swiftly flipped open the book; the pages turned automatically, stopping at a certain page.

On the left side of that page were densely packed twisted ancient characters, while the right side depicted a diagram of a Magic Array.

He raised his head, speaking extremely fast, he ordered his two companions: "Now! Cooperate with me, perform directed teleportation! Stand at my left and right wing nodes, chant the incantation in unison!"

"We must leave quickly, otherwise if that Saint discovers us, you know the consequences!"

"Yes!" The two hesitated not, immediately took their places, one on the left, one on the right, forming an equilateral triangle with the leader who held a book and a box.

The three began to chant loudly in unison; their voices resonated, synchronizing with the text on the pages and the light of the magic array beneath their feet.

"Hum——"

The energy fluctuations intensified; a magic array about two meters in diameter fully appeared on the carpet beneath their feet, its patterns flowing, exuding a strong sense of spatial distortion.

Their figures in the light began to blur and turn transparent, as if about to merge into another dimension.

Teleportation, it was about to be completed!

At this critical moment, when their silhouettes had almost faded to invisibility—

A calm voice suddenly sounded:

"Did I let you go?"