Chapter 117: Wrapping Things Up, Liang Family (2)

At this moment, inside a large mansion in the most prosperous district of the county town, a group of people had gathered in the main hall.

Most of them were elderly or middle aged men, each dressed in expensive clothes. Their expressions were serious as they discussed the family’s future business arrangements.

At the head of the table sat a middle aged man with a dignified appearance, none other than the current head of the Liang Family.

"Now that we have secured a shop in Luoyun Prefecture City, we should begin expanding our business beyond the county."

He glanced at the people gathered around the table.

"We have operated here for more than a century. Our foundations are stable, and our connections with the Moonlight Pavilion have become increasingly valuable. There is no reason to remain confined to this small place."

Several elders nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, if we can establish trade routes between the prefecture city and the surrounding counties, our profits will increase considerably."

"However, expanding too quickly carries risks. We should first secure a few reliable partners before investing too much capital."

The Liang Family had prospered considerably over the past several years.

With their young master cultivating within the Moonlight Pavilion, they possessed connections that ordinary merchants could only dream of.

Their influence had grown alongside their wealth. Naturally, they intended to make full use of their advantages.

The family head listened to the suggestions, occasionally nodding as he considered their implications.

Everything appeared to be proceeding smoothly.

Then, without the slightest warning, a figure silently appeared behind him.

No one noticed the arrival at first.

It was only when one of the elders happened to glance towards the family head that he noticed the unfamiliar figure standing behind his chair.

His expression changed drastically.

"Who—?!"

Before he could finish speaking, the newcomer had already reached forward and seized the family head by the neck.

The middle aged man barely had time to react before his feet left the ground, his eyes widening as a powerful force tightened around his throat.

The entire hall fell into a suffocating silence before chaos erupted.

Several elders abruptly stood up, instinctively releasing their Blood Qi pressure.

However, when they sensed the aura emanating from the masked young man, their expressions changed greatly.

Spirit Awakening Realm!

The realization struck them like a bolt of lightning.

None of them had sensed his approach, and none could determine how he had entered the hall.

The masked cultivator held their family head in one hand as if he weighed nothing.

"Who are you?!" one elder demanded, his voice trembling despite his attempt to remain composed.

Lu Yang did not answer immediately, instead looking at the middle aged man struggling in his grasp.

"Listen carefully."

His voice was calm, almost indifferent.

"From tomorrow onward, Zheng Hui of the Zheng Family will cooperate with the Great River Escort Agency to establish and expand his businesses under my protection."

The family head’s face had already begun turning red, but Lu Yang continued without paying attention to his condition.

"If the Liang Family interferes with his business, threatens his family, or attempts to sabotage the arrangements I have made, I will wipe out the entire Liang Family."

The words fell like a huge splash in a pool of stagnant water.

For several moments, nobody spoke as the elders stared at the masked cultivator in disbelief.

They had not expected someone to enter the Liang Family’s main hall and threaten to destroy the entire family over a fallen merchant.

The visitor did not even seem to consider the current situation particularly significant, as though he was merely stating an obvious consequence.

The family head struggled to speak, but Lu Yang’s grip prevented him from producing anything more than a strained sound.

One of the younger men finally lost his composure at this point.

He was not yet thirty years old and bore a noticeable resemblance to the family head.

As the family head’s second son, he had always enjoyed considerable status within the clan.

His older brother was also a member of the Moonlight Pavilion and had attracted the attention of an inner disciple.

This connection was one of the reasons the Liang Family had grown increasingly bold in recent years.

Seeing their father humiliated before everyone, the young man could no longer restrain his anger.

"How dare you?!"

He pointed directly at Lu Yang, his fingers trembling with anger.

"My elder brother is a disciple of the Moonlight Pavilion! He is even valued by an inner disciple, a Spirit Awakening expert! If you dare harm our Liang Family, do you think you can withstand the consequences?!"

The moment those words left his mouth, several elders nearly lost their composure, closing their eyes in despair.

Fool!

They couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

What are you doing?!

The situation was already bad enough, and instead of finding a way to resolve it, this idiot was actually attempting to provoke the mysterious cultivator!

Did he think the Moonlight Pavilion’s name could intimidate everyone in the world?

Who allowed this fool to attend a clan meeting!?

The masked young man slowly turned his head, his gaze falling upon the young master.

There was no visible anger in those eyes, not even the slightest hint of hostility, but an unnerving calmness, like the bottom of an ancient well.

The moment the young man met that gaze, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine.

For an instant, he felt as if he was standing before something far more terrifying than he could imagine, like an ancient ferocious beast in human form.

His words got stuck in his throat, and his legs began to shake.

"The Moonlight Pavilion?"

Lu Yang tilted his head slightly, his voice devoid of joy or sorrow.

"Forget an inner disciple, even an elder of the Moonlight Pavilion will die if they cross me."

The young man’s face turned pale at these words.

The elders, meanwhile, felt their hearts sink.

They could not determine whether the masked cultivator was truly powerful enough to disregard the Moonlight Pavilion’s elders, who were all at the later stages of Spirit Awakening Realm.

However, they did not dare to doubt the other party, and neither did they have the means to confirm it.

Even if his words contained some exaggeration, he was unquestionably a Spirit Awakening cultivator.

The Liang Family possessed no one capable of confronting such an expert.

Their greatest source of support was the connection to their eldest son, but that relationship was hardly enough to guarantee their safety against someone of this caliber.

Besides, the family head was still being held by the neck.

If they continued provoking the visitor, they might not even survive long enough to seek help from the Moonlight Pavilion.

One of the older elders immediately stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Senior, please forgive our ignorance!"

His voice was hurried but respectful.

"We would never dare obstruct Zheng Hui’s business. Whatever arrangements senior has made, the Liang Family will not interfere!"

The remaining elders quickly followed suit.

"That is right! We would never dare offend senior!"

"Senior, calm your anger!"

Even the young master who had spoken earlier lowered his head, although his expression was still somewhat ugly.

Nobody dared to mention the Moonlight Pavilion again.

Lu Yang glanced across the hall indifferently.

He was not here to negotiate, but to make his position clear.

The Liang Family had spent years using its wealth and cultivation connections to suppress Zheng Hui.

If Lu Yang just provided the latter with capital and left everything else to chance, there was no guarantee the Liang Family would not attempt to interfere again.

After all, a business could not develop properly if its owner had to worry about threats every day.

Thus, a show of force was necessary.

Whether the Liang Family understood it was up to them.

He looked at the family head, who was still struggling in his grasp.

"Do you understand?"

The middle aged man hurriedly nodded as much as he could.

Lu Yang loosened his grip before throwing the man aside with a casual motion.

*Bang!*

The family head crashed into a reinforced wall, causing cracks to spread across its surface and dust fall from the surrounding beams as his body slid down to the floor.

He coughed violently, clutching his throat while struggling to regain his breath.

Although Lu Yang did not use his full strength, the impact was far from light.

The elders’ faces twitched, but none of them dared to express their dissatisfaction.

Lu Yang glanced at them one final time.

"Remember my words."

The next instance, his figure disappeared from the hall.

The main hall fell into complete silence.

For several moments, the Liang Family’s elders remained frozen, staring at the place where the masked cultivator had stood.

Only after confirming that he had truly left did they hurriedly rush towards their family head.

"Family Head!"

"Are the injuries severe?"

"Quickly, invite the head physician!"