47: Chapter 47 The Feast at Hongmen: The True Colors Revealed

The gold-embossed invitation was presented to Gu Yan by Steward Gu Zhong with trembling hands.

"Old Ancestor... this... this is clearly a Feast at Hongmen! You... you absolutely must not go!" Steward Gu Zhong's voice carried a hint of sobbing.

Shen Qingxue, standing to the side, was pale, her eyes filled with worry: "That's right, Husband. Town Mayor Zhao Hong is a person of deep schemes. Now that we have cut off his financial path, he must be desperate. Going there is surely entering a dragon's pool and a tiger's den!"

Inside the study, the atmosphere was heavy.

Gu Yan took the invitation, his fingers gently stroking the high-quality paper, but there was not a trace of tension on his face.

He unfolded the invitation, looking at the sweeping, earnest handwriting, and couldn't help but chuckle.

"An apology? Discussing the future?"

"This Town Mayor Zhao Hong can be considered a person who knows how to bend and stretch. It's just a pity..."

His eyes slowly became sharp.

"He chose the wrong opponent."

Gu Yan knew that this battle was unavoidable.

The situation between Town Mayor Zhao Hong and him was already a life-or-death struggle.

The commercial victory was only temporary. As long as Town Mayor Zhao Hong, this Level 8 Qi Refining expert, was still around, the Gu Family would never have peace.

Hide?

There is no hiding from it.

Rather than passively waiting for the opponent to accumulate strength and launch a thunderous strike, it would be better to... take the initiative and settle this grudge once and for all!

"Husband, you..." Shen Qingxue looked at Gu Yan's expression, and her ominous premonition grew stronger.

"Qingxue," Gu Yan turned around, held her slightly cold hands, and said gently, "Rest assured, I have my own measure."

"I must make this trip."

"Pass down the order: from this moment on, the Gu Family mansion is under full lockdown! Activate the protective Formation, and all servants and guards must not let go of their blades!"

"Before I return, no one is allowed to step half a step outside the mansion gates!"

His voice carried unquestionable majesty.

Shen Qingxue knew that further persuasion was useless, so she could only agree with tears in her eyes.

...

Meanwhile, at the Town Mayors Office.

It had already turned into a heavily guarded... fortress of death.

Town Mayor Zhao Hong had completely lost his mind.

Over the past half month, he had watched as his commercial Empire, which he had managed for decades, crumbled under the dimension-reduction strike of the Gu Family's "Top Grade Medicinal Pill".

The daily losses flowed like water, causing him heart-wrenching pain.

What he couldn't endure even more was Gu Yan's rising reputation and his own declining authority!

He knew that if this continued, within three months, he, the Town Mayor, would completely become a vassal of Gu Yan, or even... be replaced!

Jealousy and greed had already burned away his sanity.

He bet everything the Town Mayors Office had accumulated over generations!

He sold off all the valuable antiques and paintings in the mansion, and even spared no expense to use the huge sum he had prepared to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, hiring three notorious Late Stage Loose Cultivators from the surrounding regions through black market channels!

Of these three, the one with the lowest cultivation was at the Peak of Qi Refining Stage 7!

The strongest one was at the same Realm as him, having reached Level 8 Qi Refining!

Not only that, he also brought out his final trump card.

Deep beneath the Town Mayors Office was hidden a Formation that his Zhao family ancestor had spent a huge fortune to have a real Formation Master set up...

A Low Grade Yellow-tier Trapping and Killing Formation — [Earth Web Formation]!

Once this Formation was activated, it could draw upon the Qi of the earth veins to form an independent force field space. Within the range of the Formation, the strength of all Qi Refinement Stage Cultivators would be greatly suppressed!

And the person controlling the Formation could use its power to multiply their own strength!

For today's battle, he had already activated the Formation in advance!

The current Town Mayors Office was already a net spread wide, with murderous intent lurking everywhere!

Countless elite guards holding poison-tipped crossbows were lying in ambush in every corner of the mansion.

The three Loose Cultivator experts hired at great expense were already hidden in the dark, like three most lethal venomous snakes, quietly waiting for the prey to arrive.

Town Mayor Zhao Hong sat alone in the main seat of the central hall, which was about to become a banquet hall.

He did not look at the delicacies, nor did he smell the fragrance of the fine wines.

In his hand, he held a piece of white silk cloth, wiping the bronze wine cup before him, which would soon be used to "smash the cup as a signal", over and over again.

His movements were meticulous, filled with a certain solemn, ritualistic sense of the eve of a decisive battle.

His eyes were gloomy to the extreme.

"Gu Yan..."

"Tonight, is your... death date!"

...

Night, the curtain fell.

Wangjiang Tower had been booked entirely by the Town Mayors Office.

Inside the building, the lights were bright, as bright as day.

Outside the building, there was a post every three steps and a sentry every five, heavily guarded; not even a fly could fly in.

Gu Yan's carriage slowly stopped in front of Wangjiang Tower.

He did not bring any guards.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and he, dressed in a black long robe, was the first to step down.

Following behind him was Liu Ruyan, dressed in a fiery red long dress, with an enchanting figure and stunning beauty.

She had applied light makeup tonight, and those soul-stirring peach blossom eyes were shimmering with captivating brilliance.

She intimately linked her arm with Gu Yan's, her whole being exuding an astonishing charm that would make any man cast a sidelong glance.

"Old Immortal Gu has arrived—!"

The usher at the entrance of the building shouted at the top of his lungs.

Gu Yan, with Liu Ruyan in tow, walked calmly, step by step, up to the second floor of Wangjiang Tower under the gaze of countless eyes, some filled with awe, some with amazement, some with jealousy, and some harboring murderous intent.

The banquet, officially begins!