275: Chapter 275 A Hundred Years of Waiting, A Vicious Scheme

Jiangnan District, Taiping Mountain.

This is a top-tier luxury residential area in Dongdu City, with a prime location and a gathering of celebrities.

Located in the bustling city center, yet able to overlook the mountains and sea while enjoying incomparably fresh air, such a superior environment is truly rare.

Especially the mid-level luxury mansions on Taiping Mountain, which basically start at hundreds of millions and are priceless and hard to find.

Because most of those who live here are top-tier wealthy families and old-established clans, they simply do not lack money.

Newly-minted tycoons who want to acquire such a luxury mansion can only seize the Opportunity when an original owner goes bankrupt and their property is put up for sale during reorganization, thereby joining their ranks.

It can be said that owning a property here is considered by many ordinary citizens as stepping into the true privileged class.

The Xiao Family mansion is nestled in a prime location near the top of Taiping Mountain.

The cloudless weather made the view from a distance extremely good.

A man in white stood with his hands behind his back in front of the floor-to-ceiling bay window of the study.

He lowered his head, seeming to overlook the endless stream of traffic in the central business district down the mountain, as well as the busy international port in the distance.

His shoulder-length hair cascaded down like molten gold, the tips slightly curled, brushing against the shoulders of his crisp white suit.

The sunlight slanted in, as if setting his body's outline with a layer of golden border.

On the bookshelf behind him, the densely packed books were all silent.

Only his shadow was drawn long and narrow, like a sharp sword yet to be unsheathed.

With a "creak", the study door was suddenly pushed open.

An elderly man with gray hair and a solemn expression walked in slowly.

The soles of his shoes stepped on the wooden floor, making a slight sound that broke the indoor tranquility.

The entire study adopts a wooden structure, from the desk to the bookshelf and the bay window of the balcony, all made of red willow wood, with a strong European classical design.

However, the furnishings inside were full of a mysterious Eastern aura.

A gilded Buddha statue sat cross-legged on the antique shelf, and hand-copied scripture scrolls reflected an old paper color under the wall lamp.

Aloeswood drifted in the bronze censer, and wisps of light smoke intertwined with the mandala-patterned censer lid.

Various religious collectibles were everywhere in sight.

It seemed that the master here was very interested in mysterious Eastern culture.

The old man raised his eyes to look at the blonde man standing in front of the window, his lips moving.

Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted by the other party.

"You don't need to explain, I've heard it all."

The blonde man had his back turned, his voice low and powerful.

Although he looked like a foreigner, he spoke fluent and authentic Xia language.

The old man was stunned for a moment, his face turned a bit paler, and the words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

The man standing with his back turned was actually a suddenly visiting guest.

And he was the true master of the Xiao Family mansion, Xiao Linye.

At this moment, Xiao Linye changed his usual majestic posture of dominating the business world, his hands closely pressed against his trouser legs, lowering his head and standing respectfully to the side.

Having just learned the startling news from his subordinates that the golden bumpa bottle had been shattered by someone, he hurriedly rushed to this top-floor study where outsiders were forbidden to enter, wanting to confess the matter.

Looking at the man's back, his eyes could not conceal a sense of apprehension.

"The scenery here is not bad."

The blonde man with his back turned suddenly spoke again, his tone as calm as if chatting:

"On that torrential rain night more than a decade ago, I stood in front of this window and couldn't even see the lighthouse of the port, but now it seems to have improved a lot."

Xiao Linye's expression was solemn, holding his breath and not daring to answer.

His gaze inadvertently fell on the other's suit cuff, where a mandala flower was embroidered with gold thread.

"Linye, do you blame me?"

After a long while, the blonde man suddenly asked a question.

"Master, if it weren't for you making a move to save me, this old servant would have died in the war years ago. How could I have today's reputation and status."

Hearing this, Xiao Linye's expression changed instantly, and he hurriedly bent his waist, answering cautiously:

"These external Possessions were all bestowed upon this old servant by you. I am just your guard dog for wealth, and my lifelong wish is to be able to follow by your side forever!"

Amidst panic and awe, there was a bit of tearful gratitude.

"Hmm."

The blonde man responded noncommittally, his fingertips gently tapping the windowsill.

When he slightly turned his head, the brilliant sunlight outside the window swept across the edge of his facial contour, but it seemed as if it couldn't get close, completely unable to illuminate his features clearly.

The indoor lighting was suppressed by his back, appearing dim, oppressive, and as heavy as a mountain.

Just standing like this, without any words or actions.

Xiao Linye's mind was captured by it, feeling that his breathing was somewhat tight.

Toot—

A long siren from the distant port faintly came, breaking the near-solidified atmosphere.

After a moment of silence, the blonde man slowly said again:

"Patiently wait. You people of Xia have a saying: Those who accomplish great things must not be impatient. It won't be long before the sky of the Xia Country will change, and by then, what you want will naturally be yours."

"Yes, thank you Master."

Xiao Linye, who was in anxiety, couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, his tense facial expression revealing a trace of joy.

The blonde man paused his tone, and then said coldly:

"The golden bumpa bottle is dispensable to me, and I can't be bothered to pursue the mess of the Lu Family."

"However, let this be an exception. Especially the task I entrusted to you is of the utmost importance. If there are any mistakes due to your own personal affairs, don't blame me for not showing old feelings."

"Please rest assured, Master."

Xiao Linye's heart was startled, and he immediately guaranteed with a hundred percent attitude:

"This old servant will definitely do my utmost! Every task you assign will be treated as top priority, and I will never dare to slack off by half a point!"

"It is good that you understand."

The blonde man did not continue to pursue accountability.

Seeing that the other party seemed to be in a very good mood today and his words were several times more than usual, Xiao Linye considered for a moment, then bowed his body and softly asked:

"Master, should our cooperation with that side continue to be carried out?"

"It's not urgent right now."

The blonde man shook his head, sneered, and said proudly:

"My personal arrival in Dongdu this time is not mainly for negotiating cooperation matters, nor is it for those plans you proposed."

"Instead, it is because I deeply feel that the Opportunity I have painstakingly waited for over a hundred years has fallen right into this city..."

His tone became higher and higher, as if gradually becoming excited, and he was somewhat unable to control his emotional excitement.

So much that the Qi within his body leaked out, cutting through the air and humming, like the blade of a sword suspended in the air.

"Except for in the Xia Country, over the years I have searched through the secret archives of every country in the world, finding all well-known practitioners and martial arts Grandmasters, yet I found nothing."

"Just when I was almost feeling despair, it suddenly seemed to appear right in front of me..."

The blonde man muttered to himself, suddenly turning around, his scarlet-gold pupils locking onto Xiao Linye.

Causing the latter to feel his blood freeze instantly, as if his Soul was pierced by the gaze of an ancient Vicious Beast.

What's even more eerie is that the man's outline was always shrouded in a hazy halo, no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't see the other's true face clearly.

"Next, your task is to closely monitor all movements regarding Xishan, and the information of the newly emerging ability users recently must also be reported to me regularly."

Hearing this, Xiao Linye immediately perked up and hurriedly agreed respectfully.

The blonde man slightly nodded:

"Having you handle things for me in Dongdu, I am very relieved. Let's leave it at that for now."

After speaking, he turned to look out the window, raised his hand, and his fingertips gently touched the air.

As if an invisible barrier existed ahead.

The air suddenly rippled like water waves, and amidst the humming and trembling, fine light gathered like stars, outlining a vertical light mark in front of him.

The light mark first contracted like a pupil, and then stretched into a brilliantly colored door.

Inside the door, a bizarre scene of churning nebulae was faintly visible. He had shockingly opened a spatial rift.

The blonde man slowly stepped into the light door. The moment his soles swept across the rift, his entire body emitted a dazzling, gilded radiance.

As the spatial rift slowly closed like eyelids, his figure shattered into tens of thousands of light spots.

Like gold dust blown away by the wind, leaving a faint trace of Qi in the air, disappearing without a trace in a flash.

The curtains on the windowsill were lifted by an inexplicable airflow and fell softly again, as if everything just now was merely an illusion.

Looking at the closed spatial rift and the study room restored to its original state.

Xiao Linye's body suddenly relaxed, and only then did he realize that his back was already drenched in cold sweat.

The sense of oppression swept by those scarlet-gold pupils seemed to faintly linger in the room.

He took a deep breath, calmed his mind, then turned and left, locking the door tightly.

In the first-floor lobby, two people were sitting on the sofa, waiting anxiously.

Seeing him coming downstairs, they immediately stood up.

The young man hurried forward and spoke eagerly:

"Grandfather, how is that guest, what did he say?"

"It's fine, he has already left."

Xiao Linye answered in a deep voice, without saying much.

Hearing this, the young man's heart relaxed, as if unloading a heavy burden, and he didn't continue to ask.

Although he didn't know who the mysterious person was that his grandfather suddenly flew into a rage over and then rushed to meet like seeing a ghost.

He knew well the importance of that person to the Xiao Family, and understood even more that this matter required absolute secrecy.

Even as the Second Young Master of the Xiao Family, Xiao Chengliang, he had only heard of his name and had never seen his true face.

Another man wearing a baseball cap lowered his head and muttered:

"Family Head..."

Having been scolded when reporting the news just now, he still looked somewhat panicked and awed at this moment.

"Forget it!"

Xiao Linye waved his hand, his tone carrying a bit of gnashing teeth annoyance:

"This kind of thing is indeed unpredictable. Who would have thought that someone could actually resist the temptation and directly smash the golden bumpa bottle..."

He paused, as if swallowing more scolding words back into his stomach.

Then he glanced at the clansman standing blankly aside.

"Keep your wits about you in the future, let this be an exception! If there are any more such mistakes, go to Xishan to guard the ancestral tombs!"

"Thank you Family Head for your leniency, this subordinate will definitely remember the lesson in the future."

The man wearing the baseball cap hurriedly responded.

When he raised his head, a ferocious scar ran diagonally from behind his ear to his jaw, appearing particularly striking under the light.

Xiao Linye sat down on the sofa.

Seeing this, the servant immediately brought over a tea tray. When the celadon teacup was placed on the sandalwood tea table, it made a slight sound.

Staring at the floating Longjing tea leaves in the cup, seemingly unwilling, he suddenly sneered:

"Roger is truly trash. I deliberately leaked the intelligence to him, yet someone still beat him to it."

Xiao Chengliang, sitting nearby, furrowed his brow slightly and finally couldn't help but speak, his expression carrying a bit of confusion:

"Grandfather, as far as I know, isn't the golden bumpa bottle a Saints Relic? Even if we can't use it, we shouldn't have given it to our mortal enemy, the Lu Family. Wouldn't it be better to use it to win over some smaller families?"

Although he did not participate in this matter, he happened to catch a glimpse of the clues, and suspicions arose in his mind. He couldn't let it go without figuring it out.

Xiao Linye stared at his grandson, his pitch-black pupils turning slightly.

After a moment of silence, he waved his hand to dismiss the surrounding servants and the man wearing the baseball cap.

When only the grandfather and grandson were left in the room, he gently tapped his fingertips on the tea table, speaking in a deep voice, his expression suddenly turning serious:

"That's right, the golden bumpa bottle is indeed a missionary sacred artifact left behind by the first-generation Dharma King of the Black Sect, which can be called a priceless treasure for extraordinary beings."

"But hidden inside is an unknown secret—"

He paused, his gaze suddenly turning profound:

"It was no accident that it was buried in the Xishan underground palace back then; rather, it was used to suppress those Ghouls from the 'Corpse Ghost Rebellion' of the Yu Dynasty. For nearly two thousand years, it absorbed a massive amount of essence blood and had long developed abnormal spirituality."

Hearing this, Xiao Chengliang subconsciously leaned forward, his face full of curiosity:

"What does this secret have to do with the Lu Family?"

"Hmph, those things the Lu Family does in secret are all to save their increasingly declining Secret Realm."

Xiao Linye rubbed the rim of the cup with his fingertips, the corners of his mouth curving into a sinister arc:

"The golden bumpa bottle's ability to absorb and purify essence blood perfectly matches their needs."

"So I intentionally let Xiao Ming hand the bottle over to the antique dealer, attracting the Lu Family to take the bait, and then disguised as an extraordinary being, mixed into the treasure-snatching team, while actually laying a Restriction within it."

He raised his eyes to look out the window, his tone growing increasingly icy:

"When the Lu Family completes the Secret Realm transfer and the Ancestral Spirit Tree has not yet fully formed, I will let Xiao Ming activate the Restriction, completely releasing the suppressed spirituality of the golden bumpa bottle to carry out Possession on the Lu Family's Ancestral Spirit Tree. By then, the entire Secret Realm will turn into a Shura field for refining flesh and blood."

"In this way, it can not only inflict heavy damage on the Lu Family and seize their properties while taking the Opportunity, but also recover the golden bumpa bottle afterwards, using the spiritual power refined inside to strengthen ourselves and cultivate our Xiao Family disciples."

"What a pity!"

Xiao Linye suddenly clenched the teacup, with a crisp "crack".

The celadon teacup shattered into dust in his palm, and the scalding tea immediately flowed all over the floor.

A trace of ruthlessness and unwillingness flashed in his eyes:

"I don't know where some brat popped out from, actually shattering the golden bumpa bottle in advance and aborting this near-perfect plan of mine, otherwise..."

A suppressed low roar overflowed from his throat, his gaze staring fixedly at the teacup fragments, as if this was the flesh and blood of that old immortal from the Lu Family.

Xiao Chengliang listened with a chilling spine, subconsciously swallowing a mouthful of saliva.

If this usurpation plan was successfully implemented, who knows how many people would die in the Secret Realm, and even Xiao Ming, who executed the task, would become an abandoned pawn.

Suddenly, he felt that the old man in front of him was somewhat unfamiliar.

This sense of unfamiliarity lasted only for an instant. On second thought, the other party was his own biological grandfather, the helmsman of the Xiao Family!

Having such a powerful and scheming Family Head to rely on, as a Xiao Family disciple, wouldn't he be able to peaceably enjoy the glory, wealth, fine wine, and beauties brought by the Family.

Thus, a flattering smile piled up on his face, and he ingratiatingly said:

"Grandfather, how about I help you search for the whereabouts of this bastard? I'm very familiar with the police, and a few of my brothers have become bureau chiefs."

Xiao Linye shook his head decisively and sneered:

"No need. I have my own way to deal with that bastard. Maybe he is already tearing his hair out with anxiety over something right now..."

Someone in the luxury mansion of Jiangnan District was scheming intently.

At the same time, a certain fellow who had eaten and drunk his fill suddenly sneezed.

Fang Cheng rubbed the tip of his nose, suspicion rising in his heart, wondering who was missing him so much.

Is it the uncle? Or mom? Or could it be Zhou Xiumei?