Chapter 625 Emperor Qing Out of Seclusion
The Mount Red Leaf was located in the middle of the Jinyun Mountains in the southern suburbs of Shang Jing City. The mountain peak was a blessed place with rich spiritual Qi.
As for Mount Red Leaf, it was a special place for Emperor Qing to cultivate in seclusion. He had been living there since the time he obtained treasures abroad.
He didn’t tell anyone about the seclusion, but everybody knew that this particular seclusion was extremely important to him.
The next time he showed up, he would be in the Divine Realm!
Emperor Qing was the first one among all to have reached that realm, earlier than Devil Incarnate Ye Longyuan, Little Roc s.h.i.+ Fenghou, Zhang Hanyang, and Mu Xue the female demon who had a strong background.
If he managed to take one step ahead, he would always have the priority for everything.
Emperor Qing’s era would last. Jiang Yanlan had high expectations of Zhang Hanyang, and she didn’t want any risky confrontations to arise between the two.
She wouldn’t be worried too much if Zhang Hanyang was just trying to challenge Emperor Qing. However, should either of them die in the challenge, the Wu Dao World in this country would suffer a great loss.
There were plenty of martial artists in the Hua nation, but few of them were as powerful as Emperor Qing and Zhang Hanyang. The world needed them to defend it from the invasion of sects from other worldlets. The National Security Agency was influential enough, but it was still weaker than those big sects.
Jiang Yanlan’s words surprised many people.
They didn’t expect Emperor Qing to get involved in today’s incident, which would make it the top-level duel in Shang Jing City!
“Who on earth is the man sitting there?”
“Grand Master Zhang… is he really Zhang Hanyang?”
Many people were too frightened to believe that. Fear had clung to their backbones.
If he was really the Zhang Hanyang they knew from the past, he must have made some formidable progress.
They gazed into the man’s eyes, trembling in fear.
Qiao Fei and Lin Jie found hope again. They stared at Zhang Han eagerly, hoping to read fear on that face.
To their surprise, their old acquaintance Zhang Han smiled lightly and said peacefully, “You want me to surmount Mountain Red Leaf?”
Jiang Yanlan seemed upset when she heard that. She sighed and said, “Why didn’t you contact me? You’re driving me crazy!”
“Hey, gorgeous, just be patient!” Instructor Liu said. He called her “gorgeous” because he didn’t know how powerful she was.
He thought she was just an ordinary civil servant, and he had no idea that she had already reached the peak of Grand Master Realm. He laughed and said, “Mr. Zhang can even kill a man in the Divine Realm. Even if Emperor Qing made a breakthrough, he wouldn’t dare to come here.”
“Hmm?” Jiang Yanlan hesitated upon hearing that.
No one had called her that ever since she joined the Vermilion Bird Detachment. She was currently the captain of the detachment, and Instructor Liu’s tone was too disrespectful.
“What do you know?”
Jiang Yanlan scolded him and pressed forward with her right hand. An invisible airwave palm went straight toward Instructor Liu.
“Uh?” Instructor Liu was startled.
Feeling the overwhelming power, he screamed, “Mr. Zhang! Help!”
But Zhang Han ignored him.
He wasn’t abandoning him. Jiang Yanlan’s attack wasn’t very powerful, and she had controlled it in a subtle way. Instructor Liu was slapped ten meters away after he tried his best to block the attack. Then he fell into a flowerpot.
“Ouch!”
Instructor Liu stood up, hands covering his b.u.t.t. He exclaimed, “The gorgeous girl is way more powerful than me!”
“Humph! I can still teach you a lesson even if you have him as your backer,” said Jiang Yanlan. She was glaring at Instructor Liu.
“Yes, you’re right, you’re always right.”
Instructor Liu patted his b.u.t.t and laughed embarra.s.sedly. He knew his boss wouldn’t help him, even if the woman beat him again.
Obviously, they were acquaintances.
“You…” Jiang Yanlan raised her right hand and was going to hit him again.
But she took back her hand and looked at Zhang Han. Then she said in a sulking tone, “Then I’ll leave you alone.”
She quickly took a seat on the sofa and picked up a gla.s.s of red wine.
Qiao Fei and Lin Jie were desperate upon seeing this.
Their waist had already been turned into stone, which made them feel utterly depressed and desperate. They even felt that their minds had been slowed down.
Right at this moment…
A group of people flooded in through the door.
There were about 16 or 17 people. Half of them were from the Qiao Clan, and the others were from the Lin Clan.
The Lin Clan was still trying to find backers when they were told by the Qiao Clan that the opponent was Zhang Hanyang.
The Lin family all of a sudden felt hopeless and didn’t know what to do. They later heard that the Qiao Clan flew a helicopter to Mount Red Leaf, so they gathered a few people and visited the Qiao Clan.
The Qiao Clan would’ve been as panicked as the Lin Clan if they didn’t have Emperor Qing as their backer.
At the same time, the news began to spread.
The Zhang Clan and the Liu Clan had been keeping an eye on Zhang Han. Therefore, they were the first to know what happened.
The core members of their family were gathering. There were 15 or 16 of them from the Zhang Clan and 5 or 6 of them from the Liu Clan.
They kept receiving news from ‘the frontline’.
“Zhang Han went to the Han Tai Club for the appointment.”
“Qiao Zhan has gone to the Dongfang Hotel. He hasn’t come out yet.”
“Zhang Han went to the private room. What the h.e.l.l? He killed Dong Hu so soon! I’m scared! Should I flee?”
“Oh my G.o.d, he poisoned Qiao Fei and Lin Jie.”
“Some officials arrived. I don’t why they showed up, but they were ushered out of the room. I can’t believe this! Zhang Han is a general! Ning Hu is here! He’s a high-level official of the National Security Agency! He knelt down and begged for mercy. Then he left in embarra.s.sment!”
“The Captain of the Vermilion Bird Detachment, Jiang Yanlan, is there! She couldn’t stop Zhang Han, either. She’s now sitting next to him and drinking wine. d.a.m.n, Qiao Fei’s and Lin Jie’s bodies are going to turn into stone!
The shocking news kept coming in; the people from the Zhang Clan had a troubled mood because of them.
At the moment, they wished Zhang Han would lose, because otherwise, the Zhang Clan would have to pay millions in compensation to the other two clans.
They were also regretful because the tough guy used to be one of them. If Zhang Han were still in the clan, they would have had the chance to be the most influential clan among all in Shang Jing.
They knew they couldn’t always get what they wanted. They had never thought that the once useless playboy would become this fierce one day.
“I feel as if we lifted a rock only to drop it on our own feet, and Zhang Han is definitely a hard rock.” Zhang Nan sighed. “Today is the second day and tomorrow is the last day. We should get the money ready no matter how.”
Other people were all moved and they exclaimed, “Do we really have to give away 10 billion yuan?”
“I don’t want to do that! Will he destroy our family if we don’t give him the money?” asked someone in an angry tone.
Most of them were calm, and they gave others the final answer, “Yes, he will.”
It was not easy to raise ten billion yuan without preparation. The Zhang Clan was still sitting on the fence.
As for the Liu Clan, they were present just to enjoy the big show.
Whether they would fight or not had nothing to do with the Liu Clan. They were pure onlookers.
The news spread slowly, and many people were stunned upon hearing it.
Zhang Hanyang was back!
The news spread fast like a storm.
The Qiao and Lin clans felt much pressure because their people were in that private room.
Their patriarchs and important members weren’t there to rescue the two because it was Merciless Zhang the one they would be facing.
They only sent representatives to speak on their behalf.
Qiao Yongming, head of the representatives from the Qiao Clan, saw Qiao Fei and Lin Jie. The parts below the two’s necks had already been turned into stone, and they were about to lose consciousness.
Although he had seen enough tricks from different martial artists, he was still startled when he saw this. He was inwardly horrified, but he showed a calm front.
Qiao Yongming took a deep breath and glanced at his family members who didn’t dare to say anything. He looked at Zhang Han and said in a deep voice, “Mr. Zhang, we respect you very much. Perhaps one of our kids has offended you, and our clan would be glad to punish him for you. So would you please stop turning him into stone?”
“So? How will you punish him for me? How about giving me a divine weapon as an apology?” Zhang Han said with a faint smile.
A divine weapon?
Qiao Yongming’s face froze. He was angry and answered, “You’re going way out of line… my clan and my people are not pushovers…”
They had heard the story more or less. They knew Qiao Zhan had gone to the Dongfang Hotel where Zi Yan was staying in, and Qiao Zhan had never come out ever since. He must have died there. They clearly knew who could kill Qiao Zhan that easily.
He was there to solve the problem. They hadn’t even blamed Zhang Han for Qiao Zhan’s death, and they begged Zhang Han to let go of Qiao Fei. They had been humble enough even for their clan’s proud nature.
Qiao Yongming had two plans for this.
Plan A: they wouldn’t offer any treasures because Emperor Qing would come to rescue. Plan B: they would threaten Zhang Han that Emperor Qing was coming out of seclusion.
But before Qiao Yongming finished speaking…
Bam!
A m.u.f.fled sound came from his position. Other people could only see a flash. Later, the man standing there turned into a light mist and faded away.
“Hiss!”
Everyone present gasped. They were all pale because they were too frightened.
Then they all looked at Zhang Han’s indifferent face.
He said as he walked toward the gate, “The Qiao Clan? Who do you think you are to put on airs like that?”
Zhao Feng and Instructor Liu were following him closely.
Jiang Yanlan sighed helplessly.
The Qiao Clan was well aware of Zhang Hanyang’s temper. They didn’t really have to do that.
Qiao Yongming looked like such a fool to her. He was there because the Qiao Clan had contacted Emperor Qing. Qiao Yongming should’ve just told Zhang Han about that.
The man should’ve either surrendered or just told Zhang Hanyang the truth. The guy was really stupid to put on airs like that.
As she thought about that, she stood up and tried to catch up with Zhang Han. Then she gave a hint to those from the Qiao Clan and the Lin Clan.
Just cut the c.r.a.p!
Those people suddenly stopped talking, because Zhan Han was standing in front of them, glancing at them calmly.
They could barely breathe under that pressure.
Fortunately, Zhang Han didn’t do anything to them. He pa.s.sed by them and walked towards the gate.
“Phew…”
The crowd breathed a sigh of relief. They didn’t notice that as Zhang Han pa.s.sed by, Qiao Fei and Lin Jie had been completely turned into stone statues.
Their eyes were all on Zhang Han as he walked out of the door.
“Wait!”
A man from the Qiao Clan yelled out with courage. He was soaked in cold sweat.
“I’m here to bring Emperor Qing’s message to you, that if you don’t stop now, he’ll have a fight with you in the north of Jinyun Mountains at noon tomorrow.”
Boom!
Zhang Han stopped and turned around. He looked at the other people and answered, “OK.
“If I remember it right, the Qiao Clan is in the east of Mount Five Flowers in the west district of the city, and the Lin Clan is in the west of Mount Five Flowers, right?
“I will go to Mount Five Flowers at noon tomorrow. Tell your backer Emperor Qing to wait for me there. I will destroy both clans of yours if he’s absent or late.”
Zhang Han then turned away calmly, leaving all those people staring at his back.
They had not expected things to turn out like this.
“They were just two rich playboys!”
Jiang Yanlan said coldly to those people from the two clans. She was so angry when she heard the news.
She just couldn’t understand why it was so hard for the two clans to give up Qiao Fei and Lin Jie. She wondered why they had to cause trouble time and again.
Since Emperor Qing would end his seclusion, she wanted to ask those people if that was really what they wanted.
“G.o.d knows what will happen when the two of them fight.” Jiang Yanlan said and left the place hastily.
“Phew…”
The people left in the room felt a as if a huge burn had been taken off their shoulders. That experience had been like a visit to the gates of h.e.l.l.
They also noticed the two that had been completely turned into stone.
Qiao Fei and Lin Jie stood there like two statues.
The campus girl from Lin Hai City was terrified. She felt her whole world had fallen apart.
“What’s going on?”
Ma Liang was also dumbfounded.
“Childe Lin was one of the Four Young Masters in Shang Jing, how could he be killed this easily? Who on earth is that man? Grand Master Zhang? Mr. Zhang? He’s ruthless!”
Those who knew Zhang Han before were even more shocked.
“Is he still the Zhang Han we used to know?”
“No!”
“He’s a devil!”
It was beyond everyone’s expectation that so many things would happen in that evening’s party. n.o.body knew that Qiao Fei and Lin Jie, the famous young masters in Shang Jing, would end just like this.
A few people even had heard Qiao Fei and Lin Jie saying what they would do to those pretty girls that night when the party began.
It turned out they would never have the chance…
“What should we do?”
Someone from the Lin Clan asked with a trembling voice.
“Carry them back,” A man from the Qiao Clan answered.
“That’s the least we can do,” somebody replied.
Many people sighed and half of them gathered around the two statues.
Four of them were from the Qiao Clan while the other four were from the Lin Clan. They were going to carry the two back home, hoping that there were ways to save them.
“Come and help me, all of you.”
As they approached, the expression of the two stone statues made them feel frightened.
But they had to move the two statues. One person from the Lin Clan touched Lin Jie’s arms…
Cras.h.!.+
The two bodies collapsed into ashes which later ended making contact with the skin of those carriers.
As a result…
“Ah, ah, ah! My hand, what’s wrong with my hand?”
“My legs!”
The eight people near the two statues were turned into statues at an unbelievable speed.
Many people were startled.
“Run! Run!”
Jiang Yanlan had already gone downstairs, but she seemed to have heard the scream in the room upstairs. She raised her head and yelled, “One second, Zhang Hanyang!”
She walked quickly to Zhang Han and the other two people. They were a dozen meters ahead of her.
“h.e.l.lo!” Instructor Liu hid on the other side of Zhang Han and greeted Jiang Yanlan. “Gorgeous, you should stop throwing yourself at my boss. He already has a family. I’m the only single man here. why don’t you…”
“Get lost!”
Jiang Yanlan seemed angry and was about to teach him a lesson, but she stopped when she saw Zhang Han’s profile.
She was a peak Grand Master, and she knew she would never be able to beat Zhang Han, but at least she could run away from him. That was also part of her ability.
A powerhouse like her wouldn’t allow a Grand Master at the early stage to keep playing around with her.
“You are just flaunting the power borrowed from him! People like you wouldn’t be able to survive three days in Shang Jing! I’m telling you! You’ll be dead in one.. or less than one day!” Said Jiang Yanlan with her finger pointing at Instructor Liu.
Instructor Liu smiled awkwardly and stopped talking. He was trying to get close to Jiang Yanlan because he thought she was fun. But then he stopped because he didn’t want to be beaten.
The scene made Zhang Han laugh. He looked at Jiang Yanlan and asked, “What else do you want to say?”
“Do you really have to fight with Emperor Qing?” Jiang Yanlan asked. “You are both cherished talents of the martial arts world. We’ve done some research and found that you love Mengmeng very much. So it is very unlikely that you’ll live in the worldlets in the future. Emperor Qing will stay in Shang Jing almost forever. Both of you will be able to take charge of your own fields one day, and you’ll definitely advance into the Divine Realm. The National Security Agency is still in a disadvantaged position when it comes to facing the worldlets. As the representative of the National Security Agency, I don’t want you two to fight to the death.”
“Then you should go and ask Emperor Qing. I’ll be in Mount Five Flowers on time tomorrow,” Zhang Han said and got in the back seat of the car.
Zhao Feng was in the driver’s seat, while Instructor Liu sat next to him.
Jiang Yanlan didn’t want to speak further. Her face turned calm and watched the car leave.
She was trying to talk the two out of this, and if the two insisted, she had no choice but to let them be.
However, as the car was leaving, Instructor Liu yelled out, “Gorgeous! Don’t just stand there and watch us leave! Just go back! It’s cold outside!”
“I…”
Jiang Yanlan seemed to be sulking again. Her hands pressed forward and sent two transparent palms to slap the Rolls-Royce from both sides.
However, the energy was soon dissipated when the two energy palms approached the car.
Jiang Yanlan didn’t dispel the attack; it had been shattered by Zhang Han.
“Zhang Hanyang, my supervisor will be back tomorrow. If you insist on your fight, you should know that he has a really bad temper!” Jiang Yanlan reminded Zhang Han using telepathy. Then she snorted and got into her Volkswagen Beetle.
She hopped in and drove to Mount Red Leaf in the southern suburbs.
There was a small manor on the mountain. Deep in the manor, there was a stone cabin in which Emperor Qing secluded himself for cultivation.
More than 30 people were sitting in front of the stone cabin at the moment.
Most of them were from the Lin Clan and the Qiao Clan, including their patriarchs.
They sat on a few rows of small stools which were 20 meters away from the stone cabin. There was a table and a chair in front of the stone house. A thin and weak man in his fifties was sitting there and drinking tea.
“Master w.a.n.g, where is Emperor Qing?”
A woman quickly rushed over. As she approached, other people saw her face. It was Jiang Yanlan.
Master w.a.n.g knew why she was there as soon as he saw her.
He smiled and said slowly, “Captain Jiang, Young Master just made a breakthrough the day before yesterday. He will end his seclusion and go to Mount Five Flowers to meet Zhang Hanyang at noon tomorrow!”