160: Chapter 160 Meeting, Threat

Chen Ran stopped in his tracks, his gaze calmly assessing the grey-clad person before him.

This person's aura was cold and sinister, their eyes devoid of any emotion like a viper's, and their cultivation was roughly at the Sixth Grade.

Out in the Jianghu, this level of strength would be considered quite capable, enough to secure a position as a Hall Master in some small Gang and enjoy a life of luxury.

Yet now, they were willing to serve as a mere errand-running servant, not even daring to show their Face.

It seemed the "master" behind this had a significant background.

Chen Ran's heart stirred slightly, and the scene from the Martial Arts Plaza earlier that day flashed through his mind.

He had a rough idea of who it was.

"Lead the way."

He spoke indifferently, asking not a single extra question, nor did he show any signs of panic.

A trace of surprise flashed in the grey-clad person's eyes.

He had assumed this lowly Prison Officer would be scared weak-kneed when facing his pressure.

After all, there was an insurmountable chasm between the Sixth Grade and the Seventh Grade.

Yet he hadn't expected the other party to be so calm, as if he hadn't been taken seriously at all.

However, he didn't say anything else, merely snorted coldly and turned to leave.

In his view, this kid was just putting on a brave front; once they reached the destination and he saw the real lineup, he would naturally be scared out of his wits.

Chen Ran followed behind, unhurried and steady.

The two twisted and turned, passing through several dark and deep alleyways.

The Outer City of the capital was already a mix of good and bad people, and these remote alleys rarely saw sunlight, emitting a foul odor.

The surrounding noise gradually faded away, and the entire area became extremely quiet.

Finally, the grey-clad person stopped in front of a luxuriously decorated but remotely located pavilion.

This pavilion occupied a vast area, with intricate patterns carved into its vermilion lacquered doors, and two imposing red lanterns hanging in front.

It formed a stark contrast with the dilapidated residential houses nearby, appearing completely out of place.

"Go on in. My master is waiting for you inside."

The grey-clad person pushed open the heavy wooden door and made a gesture of invitation, his tone stiff.

Chen Ran did not hesitate and stepped over the threshold.

As soon as he entered, he keenly sensed that there were no fewer than twenty pairs of eyes hidden in the surrounding shadows.

These gazes stared at him like hungry wolves, filled with undisguised scrutiny and malice.

Chen Ran swept his gaze across with his peripheral vision.

In the shadows on both sides of the hall stood over a dozen burly men dressed in short-sleeved martial arts attire.

These men all had knotted muscles, bulging veins on their arms, and temples that protruded high—clearly, they were experts in external martial arts training.

Their cultivation was mostly between the Seventh and Sixth Grade, and they carried a faint scent of blood on them.

They were clearly hardened characters who had seen blood and killed people.

This lineup, if it were any ordinary Seventh Grade Martial Artist, would likely have been scared into a cold sweat, unable to even speak clearly.

Yet Chen Ran acted as if nothing were wrong.

In his Return to Truth Realm perception, these so-called "experts" were nothing more than a group of slightly stronger ants.

If he wanted to, he could crush them all with a single finger.

He walked to the center of the hall, found a chair, and sat down with a commanding air.

He even began to examine the surrounding decorations with great interest.

Rosewood tables and chairs, precious porcelain, and priceless calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls.

"Tsk, so rich."

Chen Ran muttered to himself inwardly.

As expected of one of the Four Great Families of the capital, even a random secret property was decorated with such luxury.

He waited for a full hour.

The hall was silent, with no one speaking, only the heavy breathing of those burly men.

It was clear that the other party was deliberately leaving him hanging.

They wanted to use this oppressive environment to give him a show of force, dampen his spirit, and break his psychological defenses.

This was a trick that those Young Masters of aristocratic families loved to play.

First, intimidate with force, then apply pressure with the environment, and finally cast out bait—a combination of benevolence and might.

After such a combo, an ordinary low-level Martial Artist would have long since obediently complied.

Unfortunately, the person they met today was Chen Ran.

Chen Ran was not annoyed.

He leaned back against the chair and closed his eyes, treating it as a rest.

Anyway, he had stood at the Martial Arts Plaza all day watching those weaklings peck at each other; it was quite boring.

Now that there was a free chair to sit on, why not?

"Creak—"

Finally, the carved wooden door on the second floor was pushed open.

A series of light, slow footsteps traveled down the stairs.

Chen Ran opened his eyes and looked up.

He saw a young man dressed in a moon-white silk robe, waving a jade-boned folding fan, looking down at him from above.

This man had a fair complexion and a good appearance, but there was an inseparable sinister air between his brows.

It was none other than the Lu family's Young Master, Lu Yuzhou, who had been humiliated by Lin Wan in public at the Martial Arts Plaza earlier that day.

"Deputy Captain Chen, sorry to keep you waiting."

Lu Yuzhou wore a hypocritical smile on his Face as he slowly walked down the stairs.

Behind him, those two grey-clad guards with steady auras followed closely, never leaving his side.

Chen Ran sat in his chair, not even bothering to stand up to salute.

"Young Master Lu, you went to such great lengths to bring me here—surely it wasn't just to let me drink the northwest wind?"

Chen Ran glanced at the empty tabletop, his tone indifferent.

Not even a cup of tea was served; this hospitality was truly poor.

Lu Yuzhou walked to sit opposite Chen Ran and closed his folding fan with a 'snap.'

He didn't mind Chen Ran's rudeness; instead, he looked Chen Ran up and down a few times.

His gaze held a condescending scrutiny, as if he were looking at a commodity waiting to be priced.

"Deputy Captain Chen is a smart man, so I won't beat around the bush."

Lu Yuzhou leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a sense of condescending charity.

"Leave Lin Wan."

"As long as you agree, you can name your price."

Chen Ran raised an eyebrow, as if he had heard some funny joke.

"Young Master Lu, the way you say that, it's as if Lord Lin were an object that could be bought and sold at will."

"Besides, why should I listen to you?"

Lu Yuzhou chuckled, a flash of disdain in his eyes.

"Why?"

"Just because I am from the Lu family, one of the Four Great Families of the capital."

He extended a finger and tapped lightly on the tabletop, making a crisp sound.

"Deputy Captain Chen, I know you are a Prison Officer and hold a nominal position as a Deputy Captain at Six Doors."

"But in the end, you are just a low-level Martial Artist with no background."

"How much salary can you earn in a month? Ten taels? Or twenty taels?"

Lu Yuzhou pulled a thick stack of banknotes from his sleeve and slapped them onto the table with a 'snap.'

"Here are ten thousand taels in banknotes, valid for exchange throughout Great Wei."

"As long as you nod, this money is yours."

"With this money, you could easily buy several large mansions, take several beautiful wives and concubines, and live the rest of your life in comfort."

"Why insist on hanging yourself from a single tree?"

Ten thousand taels.

For an ordinary Seventh Grade Martial Artist, this was absolutely a huge sum of money that could not be refused.

It was enough to make people green with envy and go crazy, even to the point of killing and committing arson for this money.

But Chen Ran didn't even glance at the stack of banknotes.

He leaned back against the chair, his tone calm.

"Young Master Lu, you might have misunderstood."

"I, for one, have no interest in money."