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nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

nEven Li Hongjun, who had elected to root for Song Shijie initially, sported a different expression right there and then.

nSong Shijie’s methods were simply too brutish and straightforward.

nTo put it simply, those were not the rules of commerce, but the rules practiced in the world of cultivators—a world where the law of the jungle reigned supreme without a doubt.

nThe one with the bigger stick was the righteous one.

nNot only were the winning side was allowed to strip the losing ones of all their wealth, but the winning ones could even kill the losers if they so fancied.

nThat had crossed the very bottom line of those who were in the game of politics and business, and it was clear that they had not been able to accept all those new rules in place.

nSong Shijie paid no heed to what they wanted. He wanted a Min Province that submitted to him—a Min Province that was of use to him.

nHe had other plans, and as such, he needed the powers found within the province to serve as his backing.

nEven though the competition within the Holy Dragon Corporation remained as intense as ever, he still deemed that he stood no chance against the others, if he were not to have Min Province to back him.

nThat would have served as his backing and his insurance.

n“I don’t know who’s the one calling the shots in Min Province, but I sure as hell know that you’re definitely not that guy,” a cold voice said of a sudden.

nEveryone traced where that voice came from and saw a young man wiping his mouth before standing up and walking into the crowd.

nEveryone present was rather stunned. It seemed as if none of them had ever seen that young man before, yet they were somehow able to tell that they saw him somewhere before. However, none of them were able to recall if Chu Yunfan was seen in the banquet.

n“It’s Mr. Lu!”

nLing Huang’s eyes lit up right away. He did not catch sight of Lu Xuan earlier, but he knew from how Lu Xuan did things that the young man would have definitely not let it slide just like that. Lu Xuan would have shown up.

nLing Fei, on the other hand, had seen Lu Xuan around.

nHe breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he saw Lu Xuan. He had seen what Lu Xuan was capable of with his very own eyes. He saw how Lu Xuan killed National Guardians from the Soul-snatcher Sect’s expeditionary forces without breaking a sweat. If there were to be anyone present who had the most confidence in Lu Xuan, it had to be Ling Huang.

nThat was the very reason he was able to muster the courage and confidence to stand against Song Shijie. However, he did not anticipate that Song Shijie had no intention of playing the game by the rules of commerce at all.

nSong Shijie opted to kill anyone who stood in his way, which meant that no other rules would have mattered.

nThe banquet of that night was more than just a swearing-in event, declaring the Holy Dragon Corporations to enter Min Province; it was also a trap filled with treachery and murder.

nAnyone who did not agree with the proposal were to be dealt with.

nIt was a battle that would have quelled any resistance from the forces of the province.

n“Mr. Lu!” Some of the remaining ones present shouted when they saw Lu Xuan.

nThat someone was none other than Chen Nian. He served as the Chen Clan’s representative to meet up with Song Shijie.

nHowever, he had been given no authority to agree with anything on behalf of the clan. He thought of discussing with the elders back home and had totally not expected to be forced to pick a side right there and then.

nThere was even a possibility of being cut down by Song Shijie on the spot if he were to disagree.

nLu Xuan emerged in the nick of time, just when he was thinking if he should kneel now or later.

nThere was also a representative from the Seven invincible Sect, who was just as elated as Chen Nian. Other than business and political representatives, the Chen Clan and the Seven Invincible Sect, which had been reigning supreme all over the province, were invited to the banquet as well.

nSong Shijie intended to make those two forces serve him, and Lu Xuan’s emergence had no doubt given them other options.

n“Lu Xuan, why are you standing out?” Lin Miaoyi asked frantically.

nThere was no denying just how perilous things were at the moment.

nSong Shijie was a brutal person who would not hesitate to cross any line to get what he wanted. He set his sights at subduing all of Min Province, and he would kill anyone who got in his way.

nShe was only spared from outright retaliation, only because she was a representative of the Taichu Group.

nThe Taichu Group was every bit as powerful or even more powerful than the Holy Dragon Corporation. As such, she definitely had what it took to protect herself, yet she deemed that Lu Xuan would have ended up killed right away.

n“Well, I was invited here. I did say that someone sent me a rather special invitation letter, telling me to show up. Am I right?”

nLu Xuan wore a faint grin and turned his gaze at Song Shijie.

nHe knew of Song Shijie’s true motives—the man wanted him to show up just to make it easy to have him dealt with.

n“Why do you bother showing up? Don’t you realize how dangerous things are!”

nLin Miaoyi was feeling anxious and frustrated. She thought that Lu Xuan was over his head.

nThe world of cultivators was one where the strong preyed on the weak, and any disagreement would be settled with a fight to the death. Despite being completely different from how things were done among the common folks, that was actually a fairly normal way of doing things for cultivators.

nLu Xuan simply grinned and said, “Relax. I know what you’re worried about, but I don’t think I’m gonna die here just yet.”

n“Lu Xuan, we finally meet.” Song Shijie walked over and grinned somewhat.

nLin Miaoyi said nothing else. She finally realized, at the moment, that she did not know what was going on instead.

nHe recalled how the likes of Ling Huang and Chen Nian addressed Lu Xuan.

nMr. Lu!

nAn expression of disbelief was seen on her pretty face right there and then, as the answer she came to was utterly unbelievable.

nThat Mr. Lu was none other than the Mr. Lu, who was the talk of the town as of late, and the one who was lauded as the number of Min Province.

nThe hype with that Mr. Lu was such that even she, who had been training in isolation, had heard of him. It was said that he was one of the pinnacle fighters to be had, whose powers were otherworldly.

nNot only did he quashed schemes of the Flying Dragon Sect from overseas to invade Min Province, but it was also said that he played a key role in the retrieval of the Heirloom Seal of the Realm.

nHis name was spoken of for quite some time, and not a day went by without his name being brought up.

nHowever, no matter how many times he had heard of the name, there was no way he would have linked someone of such fearsome reputation with that plain-looking young man who did not seem to be good in anything, right before her eyes.

nSimply put, her impression of Mr. Lu was so deep-rooted that she would not have thought Lu Xuan to be him at all.

nIn his mind, Lu Xuan was but the son of a good friend of his mother, one who did not practice any form of martial arts at all. There was no way she would have thought him to be that legendary Mr. Lu.

nNow that she came to think of it, she thought she had been utterly stupid.

nIf Lu Xuan were to truly be Mr. Lu, his powers definitely were way above hers, and it would have been difficult for her not to know just how formidable Lu Xuan was.

nHowever, she felt frustrated at that very moment, nonetheless, wondering why had he not told her his true identity. She looked utterly flustered and appeared like a clown as a result.

nLu Xuan was entirely oblivious to the storm whipping all over Lin Miaoyi’s mind. He simply took a look at Song Shijie and said, “Weren’t you trying to force me out? I’d make you regret wanting to meet me up close and personal.”

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