Chapter 92 - 90: Annihilate Root and Branch

Chapter 92: Chapter 90: Annihilate Root and Branch

The rumble of wheels over the gravel road faded to silence.

Three black cars pulled to a stop on the dirt clearing at the entrance of Jinshan Village.

A car door opened, and Lu Jing’an stepped out.

His black leather shoes landed on the loose dirt, kicking up a fine cloud of dust.

He wore a crisp, dark gray Zhongshan suit, covered by a thin woolen overcoat in a matching shade.

Its collar was turned up, accentuating the sharp line of his jaw.

Chen Xuan and Black Bear followed him out, while the other Guards spread out with practiced discipline.

They formed a loose fan, securing the perimeter, their hands resting on the holsters at their waists.

Their gazes, like falcons’, scanned the chaotic locale.

Chen Xuan and Black Bear flanked him, staying half a step behind.

Chen Xuan’s expression was placid, but his sharp eyes swept over several potential hiding spots.

Black Bear stood like an iron tower, his powerful arms hanging loosely at his sides.

But his knuckles were slightly curled, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Lu Jing’an didn’t use his Cause and Effect Following Sound ability to probe the area.

Too many people in Jinshan Village were watching and whispering about him. The auras of Martial Artists and Cultivators mingled into a chaotic brew.

Forcing a probe would not only be draining but would also risk alerting his true enemies.

The Crimson Gold Copper was the prize he had to secure on this trip.

Lu Jing’an walked straight toward Smiling Tiger, who had been waiting for some time.

Smiling Tiger, dressed in a silk jacket, was all smiles, his eyes narrowed to thin slits.

Seeing Lu Jing’an approach, he hurried forward a few steps, his fat jiggling with his every move. "Director Lu! What an honor. Please forgive my poor hospitality."

"Where is he?" Lu Jing’an asked, getting straight to the point. His voice was quiet.

"Right here, right here! He’s been waiting,"

Smiling Tiger’s grin widened as he shot a look at one of his men.

"Quick, go and fetch our man."

The subordinate grunted in acknowledgment and trotted off.

Lu Jing’an added, "Remember to have him bring his ’heirloom.’"

"Of course, of course. I’ll make sure of it," Smiling Tiger said, nodding profusely.

Once the subordinate was out of earshot, he rubbed his hands together and asked tentatively,

"Director Lu, the arena is ready.

Will you be entering the ring yourself, or will you have one of your men fight in your stead?"

"I’ll fight him myself," Lu Jing’an replied casually, his gaze sweeping over the crude stone stage in the distance.

’This was all part of the plan.’

At these words, the trembling fat on Smiling Tiger’s face froze for an instant.

Though he immediately forced another smile, it seemed a bit hollow.

"Director Lu, you are a master of both strategy and combat! A true dragon among men.

How could a mere roving bandit be a match for you?

Even without you lifting a finger, your men would be more than enough to deal with him."

The warning was almost painfully obvious.

Lu Jing’an naturally understood his concern, but he was also well aware of the trump card the Li Family was likely to play.

Chen Xuan might know about the existence of Fate Cultivators, but it was knowledge beyond the reach of someone at Smiling Tiger’s level.

’In this battle, I have to be the one to fight.’

Before long, the subordinate returned, leading a man from the distance.

Lu Jing’an looked up and saw a man with a lean, powerful build.

His expression was grim, and he carried a Copper Rod.

Under the dim light of the sky, the rod glowed with a deep, crimson-gold hue.

Its shaft was so polished it could almost serve as a mirror.

’It didn’t look like an antique heirloom in the slightest.’

A faint, cold smile touched Lu Jing’an’s lips as he spoke to Smiling Tiger beside him:

"I’m guessing his ’Heirloom’ tradition starts with him, doesn’t it?"

Smiling Tiger could only offer a dry laugh, not daring to reply.

The man stopped a good twenty paces away, refusing to get any closer, clearly wary of a sudden attack from Chen Xuan and the others.

An invisible wall stood between them, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Soon, the arena, a platform built of rough-hewn stone blocks, was cleared.

The crowd of onlookers fell back to form a circle, all craning their necks to see.

Their eyes glinted with a mixture of greed, curiosity, and cruelty.

An old man in a tattered long gown climbed onto the stage. In a hoarse voice, he hastily recited a few platitudes about "life and death being fated," then scurried off as if fleeing for his life.

Lu Jing’an walked slowly onto the stage and came to a stop.

He began by unhurriedly unfastening the single, gold-plated button on his right cuff.

He rolled the cuff up twice, revealing a forearm that was fair-skinned but clearly defined with muscle.

His movements were composed, as if he were attending a casual meeting rather than a fight to the death.

He looked at his opponent, who stood with muscles tensed, gripping the Copper Rod tightly. His voice was calm, without a ripple of emotion:

"Now that you’re on this stage, I presume you’re ready to die.

But did the Li Family happen to mention that even if you die, they can’t protect your family?"

His opponent’s pupils contracted slightly, but he snarled, "As long as you die, that’s enough!"

"Hah."

Lu Jing’an chuckled, but his eyes were glacial.

"You think you can kill me just because the Li Family’s Fate Cultivator altered your destiny?

You won’t be walking away from here today. And neither will anyone from the Li Family.

After I’m done with you, I’ll pay the Li Family a personal visit to collect them.

And what do you think will happen then? Do you think the Li Family will fight to protect your wife and children?

Or will they obediently tie them up and deliver them to my doorstep?"

The words were like poisoned barbs, finding the weakest point in the man’s mental Defense with pinpoint Precision.

The man’s eyes flickered wildly. The veins on the back of the hand gripping the Copper Rod bulged, and for a split second, his aura fell into disarray.

However, in that very instant, a profound, esoteric, yet immense power descended from the void without warning.

It slammed into the man’s body!

The aura around him exploded outward, climbing higher and higher. His robes billowed as if in a gale, snapping in the still air.

The last trace of hesitation—of humanity—faded from his eyes.

In its place was a ferocity and madness born of overwhelming power, yet mixed with inhuman agony.

The very tips of his hair began to turn gray, the change visible to the naked eye.

"I—WANT—YOU—DEAD!!"

The roar, forced from between clenched teeth, sounded like the death howl of a wild beast.