219: Chapter 219 A True Feast at Hongmen or... The Tang Family's Sincerity?

After returning to the hotel, Lu Cheng initiated a communication call to Mei Wushuang.

On the light screen, Mei Wushuang appeared to still be in her office, with an entire wall of mechanical data behind her, and several documents regarding the High Seas ruins and the Qin Family floating in mid-air.

She looked up at Lu Cheng.

"The Tang Family?"

Lu Cheng nodded.

"Tang Zhiwei invited me to visit Bashu, saying that the Tang Family wants to show me their sincerity."

Mei Wushuang did not answer immediately.

Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the desk.

After a few seconds, she said:

"You may go."

"The Education Bureau, the Military District, and the Martial Arts Association are all keeping an eye on you."

"Letting you interact with more aristocratic families at this time is also beneficial for our side."

"The Qian Family was just the beginning."

"Established families like the Tang Family have a deeper Legacy and a complex power structure."

"If they are willing to lean towards us, many things will become more convenient later on. Every beginning is hard... Once there is the first family, the subsequent ones will not be a problem."

Hearing this, Lu Cheng nodded.

"Understood, leave the rest to me..."

Mei Wushuang added:

"However, the waters at the Tang Family run deep."

"Since the Qin Family has already allowed Tang Zhiwei to approach you, they won't react to this matter with indifference."

"You can go, but don't trust anyone too much."

Lu Cheng nodded.

"Understood."

"I will be careful."

Mei Wushuang gave an affirmative hum.

"Go ahead."

"I will make arrangements."

Just as Lu Cheng was about to ask what arrangements, the communication was cut off.

On the other side.

Navigator Academy.

After hanging up the communication, Mei Wushuang dialed another number directly.

"Shen Guhong."

A few seconds later, Shen Guhong's voice sounded.

"Hmm."

Mei Wushuang said:

"Go to Bashu."

"Follow Lu Cheng in secret."

"Do not reveal yourself."

There was a moment of silence from Shen Guhong's end.

"The Tang Family?"

"Hmm."

Mei Wushuang's gaze fell on the Qin Family's data.

Shen Guhong said softly:

"Understood."

The next afternoon.

Magic City Airport.

Lu Cheng and Tang Zhiwei boarded a spaceship heading to Bashu.

Snow Spirit lay on Lu Cheng's shoulder, its tail swinging lazily.

It was still somewhat wary of Tang Zhiwei, but Tang Zhiwei smiled calmly.

The flying shuttle pierced through the clouds.

The mountains of Bashu gradually appeared in the distance.

Unlike the modern prosperity of Magic City and the Imperial Capital, the cities of Bashu were hidden among the mountains and rivers.

The mountains stretched endlessly, entwined with clouds and mist.

Tall buildings rose from the valleys and beside the rivers, with many ancient stilt houses mixed with modern Source Power architecture, carrying a unique sense of Gu and the atmosphere of human life.

When the spaceship landed, Lu Cheng had just stepped out of the cabin door when his footsteps paused slightly.

A faint sense of crisis welled up in his heart.

This trip to the Tang Family was far more troublesome than it appeared on the surface.

Lu Cheng looked up at the mountain city in the distance.

Who could it be...

Tang Zhiwei?

The Tang Family head?

Or the Qin Family?

Tang Zhiwei noticed his hesitation and asked softly:

"What is it?"

Lu Cheng smiled.

"The feng shui in Bashu is quite unique."

Tang Zhiwei did not know what Lu Cheng was talking about and said:

"Let's go."

"People from the Tang Family are already waiting outside."

Outside the airport.

A row of black Source Power cars was parked on the side of the road.

Standing beside the cars were several middle-aged men wearing dark Tang suits.

The leader was a man who looked like a butler; his hair was silver-white, but his back was straight.

Seeing Tang Zhiwei, he bowed slightly.

"Young Miss."

Then he looked at Lu Cheng.

"Mr. Lu, the Family Head has been waiting for a long time."

His attitude was very respectful.

Lu Cheng got into the stretched Bentley, where there were also two attendants serving...

The motorcade left the airport and drove deep into the mountain city. The closer they got to the Tang Family, the more ancient the buildings became.

Blue stone roads.

Black tiles and white walls.

Pavilions hanging on the mountainside.

And one after another, mechanism towers hidden in the mist.

The Tang Family held an extremely high status in Bashu. Excluding the simple factor of money, such a top-tier aristocratic family was far more powerful than the Qian Family.

The Tang Family's black wooden gate was carved with Thousand-Mechanism patterns, and mechanical beasts stood on both sides in front of the gate.

Maids and butlers lined up in two rows, bowing to welcome them.

Inside the courtyard, bamboo shadows swayed, there were water pavilions and corridors, and a faint scent of medicine drifted in the air.

But beneath this facade of decency, there was a sense of oppression that made everyone feel endangered.

Several young members of the Tang Family stood in the distance, their eyes filled with dissatisfaction and resentment.

Lu Cheng saw this, and he roughly understood the situation.

The Qin Family's oppression was just an external cause; it seemed the Tang Family was not stable internally either.

Tang Zhiwei led Lu Cheng through the front courtyard.

"My father is waiting for you in the main hall."

As soon as she finished speaking, a cold sneer suddenly came from the side.

"Third Sister..."

"Is this the backer you invited back?"

Lu Cheng stopped his footsteps.

The speaker was a young man in his early twenties, wearing a dark green-black Tang suit, with delicate yet sinister features, and several hidden weapon cases hanging from his waist.

He was followed by several young Tang Family members.

Tang Zhiwei frowned slightly.

"Tang Jing."

"Move aside."

The young man named Tang Jing didn't even look at her; his gaze fell on Lu Cheng.

"I heard that Mr. Lu was very prominent in the exchange competition."

"But this is the Tang Family."

"The Tang Family has its own rules."

Lu Cheng looked at Tang Zhiwei.

"Who is this?"

Tang Zhiwei's tone became colder.

"Someone from my Third Uncle's side."

Lu Cheng nodded.

"A child in the family who isn't very obedient?"

Tang Jing's expression darkened.

"What did you say?"

Lu Cheng couldn't be bothered to say more.

The shadow behind him swayed slightly.

The next second.

Three Shadow Clones stood up from the ground.

Tang Jing's pupils shrank, and he immediately raised his hand.

Several black hidden needles flew out from his sleeves.

But the Shadow Clones were faster than he imagined.

One shadow moved along the ground, avoiding the needles.

The second cut in from the side, punching Tang Jing on the shoulder.

The third one flashed directly behind him, clutching his neck with its palm and pressing his Face down to the ground.

Bang!

Tang Jing was pressed onto the blue stone floor.

Several Tang Family members were just about to move.

Lu Cheng swept his gaze over them.

A dozen more Shadow Clones emerged from the ground, standing silently beside them.

Each shadow did not speak.

But that sense of oppression was enough.

Lu Cheng looked down at Tang Jing.

"Are you done explaining the rules?"

Tang Jing gritted his teeth, his Face flushed red.

"You..."

The Shadow Clone's palm applied slight pressure.

Tang Jing's entire Face was pressed against the ground.

His voice became instantly muffled.

Lu Cheng looked at Tang Zhiwei.

"Let's go."

Tang Zhiwei looked at Tang Jing on the ground, then at the Shadow Clones behind Lu Cheng, a flash of surprise in her eyes.

A Source Skill obtained only last night.

Can it be used to this extent today?

She suddenly felt that the chips the Tang Family was betting on Lu Cheng might be even heavier than she had imagined.

The two hadn't walked many steps.

Above the Tang Family mansion, a dull, heavy pressure suddenly descended.

Boom.

The bamboo forest bent.

The water surface rippled violently.

The maids and butlers in the courtyard all changed expressions drastically.

Tang Zhiwei looked up abruptly.

A figure slowly descended from the sky.

It was a middle-aged man wearing a dark gray robe.

His Face was cold and hard, with a thin scar between his brows.

He stood in mid-air, with nothing supporting his feet.

War King Realm!

Tang Zhiwei's expression changed.

"Qin Wanyue."

A War King of the Qin Family.

Qin Wanyue's gaze swept over Tang Jing on the ground and landed on Lu Cheng; he had, of course, learned from the Tang Family members that Lu Cheng would come today.

So he planned to catch a turtle in a jar... If it was here, there would be no other external aid to save him.

No matter how strong Lu Cheng was... he was only in the Meridian Opening Realm...

Let alone winning, there was no record in this world of anyone in the Meridian Opening Realm escaping from a War King Realm expert.

"Lu Cheng."

"Did you get the Qin Family's permission to come to the Tang Family?"

Lu Cheng smiled.

"Do I need to report to you about whose house I'm going to for a meal?"

Qin Wanyue's eyes were cold.

"You killed a direct descendant of my Qin Family; today I will take you back to the Qin Family for questioning."

Tang Zhiwei said angrily:

"This is the Tang Family!"

Qin Wanyue glanced at her indifferently.

"Does the Tang Family still have the qualifications to stop me now?"

When these words fell, the entire front courtyard became terrifyingly quiet. Many members of the Tang Family looked ugly, but no one dared to speak.

The Tang Family was, after all, a top-tier aristocratic family... Were they really this afraid of the Qin Family?

Or was this invitation also planned together by the Qin and Tang Families?

Lu Cheng's shadow swayed again.

Fifty Shadow Clones appeared simultaneously.

Qin Wanyue looked at those shadows, a flash of contempt in his eyes.

"With this, you dare to attack a War King?"

Lu Cheng did not answer.

Fifty Shadow Clones moved at the same time.

Some rushed out from the front.

Some dived into the shadows.

Some circled behind Qin Wanyue.

A few Clones intentionally exposed flaws, preparing to trick him into attacking.

A chill flashed in Lu Cheng's eyes.

He originally wanted to test the Shadow Clones' coordination with the Danger Investment passive.

As long as one Shadow Clone could land that miraculous effect, even a War King might not feel comfortable.

But the gap between a War King and the Hua Hai Realm was too great.

Qin Wanyue just raised his hand and pressed down.

Boom!

The air was shattered as if by an invisible giant hand.

Most of the fifty Shadow Clones exploded instantly.

The remaining few, having just emerged from the shadows, were shaken into black mist by the Source Power around Qin Wanyue.

The Source Power flowed back into Lu Cheng's body.

Lu Cheng frowned slightly.

The Shadow Clones didn't even have a chance to fight back.

Qin Wanyue took a step forward.

"Have you made enough trouble?"

He raised his hand and grabbed at Lu Cheng.

The War King's pressure descended upon him.

Tang Zhiwei's Face turned pale.

"Lu Cheng!"

Dragon scales instantly appeared on Lu Cheng's body.

Holy Dragon Armament.

Flame Demon Transformation.

The Ascension effect triggered in combat state.

[All stats increased by 35%]

Boom!

Golden-white dragon scales covered half his body, and black-red flames surged from his shoulders and back.

Lu Cheng raised his fist to meet Qin Wanyue's palm head-on.

Bang!

The ground of the front courtyard cracked inch by inch.

The surrounding ponds exploded, and the bamboo forest was pressed toward the ground by the airwaves.

Lu Cheng retreated seven steps.

Every step left a deep pit in the blue stone ground.

But he did not fall.

Qin Wanyue's expression finally changed.

Someone in the Meridian Opening Realm, taking a palm from a War King head-on and still standing?

His voice was low.

"You really cannot be left alive."

Qin Wanyue attacked again.

This time, a phantom of a gray mountain appeared behind him.

The Source Power was like a giant boulder pressing down from the sky, sealing all of Lu Cheng's escape routes.

The moon-like silver radiance lit up in Lu Cheng's eyes as he forcibly captured the flow of that Source Power.

He could only barely avoid his vital points.

Boom!

Lu Cheng was sent flying backward, shattering a stone pavilion.

Dust rose everywhere.

Snow Spirit leaped from Lu Cheng's shoulder, its two tails igniting with ice-fire star flames, blocking in front of him and baring its teeth at Qin Wanyue.

"Ying!"

Qin Wanyue snorted coldly.

"A Spirit Fox?"

He raised a finger.

A streak of gray Source Power pierced directly at Snow Spirit.

Lu Cheng's eyes turned cold.

The kusanagi sword appeared in his hand.

A light of boundary-breaking flashed, cutting the Source Power apart.

He stood up from the ruins; his body hadn't suffered much damage, but to beat this guy, he would probably have to pay some price...

"Is that all a War King has?"

Lu Cheng mocked, knowing that trash talk was quite important during a fight.

Qin Wanyue's expression sank completely.

"Stubborn mouth."

He raised his hand, and the air in the entire front courtyard solidified.

However, just at this moment.

A very soft voice came from the direction of the main hall.

"Qin Wanyue."

"Taking action in my Tang Family."

"Did you ask me?"

The moment the voice fell, Qin Wanyue's expression changed abruptly.

He didn't expect this old fellow to dare to attack him?

Did the Tang Family not want to live anymore?

But this old fellow's strength was indeed good... He really wasn't his match...

He wanted to retreat.

It was already too late.

Swish.

A silver light as thin as an ox hair shot out from the main hall.

Qin Wanyue raised his hand to block, and the Source artifact in his sleeve burst with light.

But that silver light actually passed through the Source artifact's defense and tapped lightly on his wrist.

Just a tap.

Qin Wanyue's entire arm turned black instantly.

Immediately after, the second, third, and fourth silver lights appeared in succession.

Each one landed precisely on the key nodes of his Source Power circulation.

The Jianjing point.

The heart.

The waist and abdomen.

The side of the knee.

Qin Wanyue roared, his War King Source Power erupting, trying to forcefully dispel the poison.

But a purple-black array pattern suddenly lit up on the ground.

In the front courtyard pond, wisps of colorless medicinal aura rose quietly.

Those medicinal auras had long been mixed into the air.

By the time Qin Wanyue realized it, it had already entered his body.

His Source Power circulation slowed down instantly.

"Tang Xingyuan!"

Qin Wanyue roared.

At the entrance of the main hall, a middle-aged man walked out slowly.

He wore a black long gown, his features were gentle, his Face slightly pale, and he was toying with a small silver mechanism in his hand.

Tang Zhiwei saw him and said in a low voice:

"Father."

The Tang Family Head.

Tang Xingyuan.

He did not look as overbearing as Qin Wanyue, even carrying a touch of illness.

But the moment he walked out, everyone in the Tang Family front courtyard lowered their heads.

Tang Xingyuan raised his hand.

Click.

The silver mechanism clicked softly.

Countless tiny hidden weapons shot out from all directions.

Each one carried a different toxicity.

Qin Wanyue wanted to rush out, but discovered that purple-black poison patterns had already crawled out from the shadows beneath his feet, wrapping around his legs like chains.

His Face finally revealed shock and anger.

"The Tang Family dares to attack the Qin Family?"

Tang Xingyuan's expression was calm.

"You trespassed into the Tang Family mansion and attacked our honored guest."

"I have already given the Qin Family Face by sparing your life."

As the words fell.

The last hidden weapon flew out.

Pfft.

It sank into the back of Qin Wanyue's neck.

Qin Wanyue's body stiffened, and the War King's pressure instantly collapsed.

His whole body fell from mid-air, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Several Tang Family guards immediately stepped forward and sealed him with black chains.

The chains were engraved with poison patterns and Source Arrays, specifically used to seal high-level Martial Artists.

Qin Wanyue still wanted to struggle.

Tang Xingyuan looked down at him.

"Move again."

"And the poison will enter your heart meridian."

Qin Wanyue's Face turned livid, and he finally dared not move again.

The front courtyard was deathly silent.

The Tang Family members, who had just been too afraid to speak under the Qin Family's pressure, all had complex expressions.

Tang Xingyuan did not look at them.

He walked to Lu Cheng.

He first looked at the kusanagi sword in Lu Cheng's hand, then at the dragon scales and flames on his body that had not yet fully receded.

A flash of appreciation passed through his eyes.

"Lu Cheng."

"I apologize for the fright you've had in the Tang Family."

"However... a War King as the Tang Family's sincerity... I wonder what you think?"