Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1707 The True Colors Revealed
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An elderly man with white hair and beard, thin yet steady as a pine tree, accompanied by an equally profound old servant, slowly entered, leaning on an ebony cane wrapped in thick cloth patterns.

His cloudy eyes swept over Li Manqing and Zhang Tianhua, and when they landed on his son, they showed a hint of understanding. Finally, he sat down steadily in the main seat.

It was none other than the true pillar of the Bao family—the patriarch, Bao Nansong!

Li and Zhang rose to greet him, and Bao Yongzhi quickly stepped forward: "Father!"

Bao Nansong took his seat in the main position, his ebony cane lightly tapping the ground, producing a steady echo.

His cloudy yet sharp eyes stared directly at Zhang Tianhua: "I am Bao Nansong. Mr. Zhang, representing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, has placed such a huge order. For the Bao family, this is both a once-in-a-century opportunity and an unprecedented test."

He cut to the heart of the matter, "However, with a million-dollar sum and a three-month deadline, it would require the entire clan to mobilize and suspend all other large orders before we could even make a fuss. This necessitates..."

His gaze swept over the scroll: "At least 50% deposit is required in advance. Furthermore, your sect must guarantee a sufficient and timely supply of core soul power crystals to ensure the high-level soul-guided looms can operate day and night. This is the basis for fulfilling the contract!"

Facing the imposing old man, Zhang Tianhua's expression became even more solemn: "Patriarch Bao is a man of few words! The deposit is substantial, and the process needs coordination. The supply of crystals is negotiable, but it has to be 50%..."

He began a tense negotiation with Bao Nansong, meticulously discussing everything from the deposit ratio and details of crystal supply to more precise project timelines, quality inspection standards, logistics and warehousing coordination, and even the profit-sharing model for long-term cooperation. Every aspect was carefully weighed.

The female accountant and the Bao family's accountant behind him immediately began calculating at high speed, and the only sounds in the hall were the arguing and the rapid movement of the abacus beads.

More than half an hour passed in this incredibly tense tug-of-war, and the final terms had not yet been agreed upon.

Just as Bao Nansong insisted on a certain quality acceptance clause, and Zhang Tianhua was about to respond—

At this critical juncture, a sudden change occurred!

A deep, thunderous roar suddenly came from the outer perimeter of the Bao residence, causing dust to fall from the beams of the halls and rooms.

Immediately afterwards, a dense and intense collision of soul power, like a surging tide, swept in from afar, without any concealment.

The commotion was no small-scale conflict; it was clearly an energy shockwave caused by a fierce battle between Soul Saints or even Soul Douluo level experts.

The expressions on everyone's faces in the hall changed drastically!

Zhang Tianhua abruptly stood up, his face so dark it was almost dripping with water. His previous composure vanished, replaced by shock, anger, and a hint of panic—who was it? How dare they attack the Bao family while the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was discussing important matters?! Was it aimed at him? Or did they want to ruin this million-dollar order that was about to be finalized?!
Bao Nansong's cloudy old eyes suddenly flashed with a terrifying light.

He moved faster than Zhang Tianhua, slamming the dragon-headed cane he was holding down heavily.

With a "crack," the heavy bluestone floor tiles shattered.

A powerful and refined yellowish-brown aura rapidly spread out from him.

"Protect the clan! Defend against the enemy!"

Bao Nansong's shout was like an ancient horn, deep and powerful like a mountain, instantly penetrating the entire manor.

Layer upon layer of thick, tough, and mysterious ancient runes, earthen-yellow cloth-like light armor instantly materialized, protecting his body layer upon layer.

This is the defensive form of the "Baoyi" martial spirit pushed to its limit—the ancient silk covering the body.

At the same time, his left hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Zhang Tianhua's arm, who was unsteady due to the huge change beside him—it was both protection and a kind of ambiguous control.

Deep within Baofu Manor, a piercing alarm from a soul-guided device suddenly went off, its sharp sound shattering the hustle and bustle of the workshop.

Bao Yongzhi's face turned ashen. He quickly roared at a guard outside the door, "Go immediately! Activate all defensive fortifications! Order the Guard Hall to be on high alert! All non-combatants to immediately take cover!"

After shouting, he turned and rushed out, his body quickly covered in a cloth armor shimmering with spiritual energy patterns, his aura instantly rising to the peak of the Soul Saint level. The million-dollar order he had just been haggling over was now completely forgotten.

Instead, there was a deafening roar of buildings collapsing, and the air in the manor was instantly filled with the strong smell of gunpowder, chaotic flow of soul energy, and a pungent stench of blood.

A formidable foe has arrived at our doorstep! Who is their target?!

………………

The air in the hall was already tense and on the verge of bursting due to the sudden attack.

Just then, the two elderly guards, one tall and one burly, who were protecting Zhang Tianhua, suddenly burst forth with intense soul light. With their auras fully unleashed, they were clearly two high-level Soul Saints.

Their eyes were fixed on Bao Nansong's withered claw that was tightly gripping Zhang Tianhua's wrist.

Zhang Tianhua's face was ashen, and he said coldly, "Patriarch Bao, what do you mean by this? Why are you holding me hostage like this? Do you really think we are accomplices of the attackers?"

Bao Nansong's withered hand remained motionless, his thin face bearing a forced smile: "Why is Steward Zhang so angry? I only want to ask one truthful question—did you bring this trouble upon yourself?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Zhang Tianhua's eyes: "Patriarch Bao is joking. If someone really wanted to harm me, they could have done it anywhere along the way from the sect. Why wait until they entered your Bao family's gates to stir up trouble? Isn't that redundant?"

Bao Nansong snorted coldly: "That's not necessarily true!"

Zhang Tianhua tried to break free of the wrist with a slight effort but failed. Instead, he became even more calm and analyzed the situation: "Furthermore, Patriarch Bao might as well listen carefully to the commotion outside."

"These fighting roars clearly came from all directions at the same time, not from one or two points of attack. Such a large-scale attack is clearly aimed at completely wiping out the foundation of the Bao family!"

"Are you really unaware of this situation, this targeting? Isn't the root of this trouble within your Bao family?"

Bao Nansong's eyes changed slightly, and he retorted firmly, "My Bao family has been engaged in dyeing and weaving for generations. Even if there is some competition among our peers, it is just a minor dispute in the business world!"

"In this vast world of Soul Masters, when has anyone ever incurred such a blood feud, worth deploying such a force and forging such a powerful enemy?!"

"The Bao family conducts business with integrity and has no enemies like this!"

“Heh,” Zhang Tianhua chuckled briefly, his voice tinged with cold disappointment, “Even now, Patriarch Bao still doesn’t trust me, Zhang Tianhua, nor the sincerity of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.”

Bao Nansong's grip remained firm: "Please forgive me, Steward Zhang, but before we figure out the root of this trouble, I have no choice but to ask you to stay at the Bao residence for a while!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianhua's gentle and refined demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by a cold smile: "Patriarch Bao... are you so confident that you can control me?"

The words have not yet been spoken!

Lightning flash!

Zhang Tianhua's right wrist, which was tightly gripped by Bao Nansong, suddenly flipped and twisted, the movement so fast that it left only a blur.

A sudden burst of subtle yet sharp energy reversed the situation in an instant.

Despite his surprise, Bao Nansong remained calm. A flash of earthy yellow light appeared on his wrist, which was possessed by the "Baoyi" spirit. It also contained an extremely strong reverse torque that pulled him backward sharply, causing the muscles in both of their wrists to tense up like steel cables.

However, Zhang Tianhua's flick of the wrist was so strange and cunning that he slipped away from Bao Nansong's grasp like a slippery fish.

Just as Zhang Tianhua's wrist was freed, Bao Nansong's right palm, accompanied by a muffled whooshing sound, slammed into Zhang Tianhua's chest with a forceful palm wind!

Zhang Tianhua's pupils contracted slightly, and his left index and middle fingers instantly came together, a sharp glint appearing at the tip of his finger. Without any fancy moves, he pierced straight into the Laogong point of Bao Nansong's palm as it was pushed out.

(End of this chapter)