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Chapter 275 A Hundred Years of Waiting, A Vicious Scheme

Gangnam District, Taiping Mountain.

This is the most prestigious residential area in Dongdu City, a place of exceptional value and a gathering place for celebrities.

Located in the bustling city center, yet offering mountain and sea views and incredibly fresh air, this superior environment is truly rare.

Especially the hillside mansions on Victoria Peak, which are basically priced starting at hundreds of millions, and are often in short supply.

Because most of the residents here are top-tier wealthy families and long-established clans, they are not short of money at all.

Newly minted millionaires can only acquire such mansions when the original owner goes bankrupt and the assets are restructured for sale.

It can be said that owning a property here is considered by many ordinary citizens to be a step into the true elite class.

The Xiao family mansion is situated in a prime location near the summit of Victoria Peak.

The clear, cloudless weather made for an excellent view of the distance.

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

He had his head down, seemingly looking down at the bustling central business district below and the busy international port in the distance.

Her shoulder-length hair cascaded down like molten gold, the ends curling slightly as it swept across the shoulders of her impeccably tailored white suit.

The sunlight slanted in, as if gilding the outline of his body.

The bookshelves behind me were filled with books, all of which were silent.

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

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

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

The soles of the shoes made a slight sound as they stepped on the wooden floor, breaking the tranquility of the room.

The entire study is constructed entirely of wood, from the desk to the bookshelves and the bay window on the balcony, all made of red willow wood, exuding a rich European classical design.

However, the furnishings inside are full of Eastern mysticism.

A gilded Buddha statue sits cross-legged on a display shelf, and handwritten scrolls of scriptures gleam with an old, worn color under the wall lamp.

The bronze incense burner was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood, and wisps of smoke curled around the lid, which was decorated with mandala patterns.

Religious collectibles of all kinds are everywhere.

It seems the owner of this place is very interested in Eastern mystical culture.

The old man looked up at the blond man standing by the window, and his lips moved slightly.

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

"You don't need to explain, I heard everything."

The blond man had his back turned, and his voice was deep and powerful.

Although he looked like a foreigner, he spoke fluent and fluent Xia Guo dialect.

The old man paused for a moment, his face paled, and he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

The man standing with his back to the camera was actually a guest who had arrived unexpectedly.

But he was the true owner of the Xiao family mansion, Xiao Linye.

At this moment, Xiao Linye abandoned his usual domineering demeanor in the business world, standing respectfully to the side with his hands tightly pressed against his trouser legs and his head bowed.

Having just learned the shocking news from his subordinates that the Golden Bamba Bottle had been smashed, he immediately rushed to the rooftop study, which was off-limits to outsiders, to confess the matter.

Looking at the man's back, his eyes betrayed his unease.

"The scenery here is beautiful."

The blond man, who had his back turned, suddenly spoke again, his tone as calm as if he were having a conversation:

"On that stormy night more than a decade ago, I stood in front of this window and couldn't even see the lighthouse in the harbor. It seems much better now."

Xiao Linye's expression turned solemn, and he held his breath, not daring to respond.

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

"Linye, do you blame me?"

After a while, the blond man suddenly asked a question.

“Master, if it weren’t for your help, I would have died in the war back then, and I wouldn’t have the reputation and status I have today.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Linye's expression changed instantly. He hurriedly bowed and replied cautiously:
"All these material possessions were bestowed upon this old servant by you. I am merely your loyal dog, and my lifelong wish is to stay by your side forever!"

I was filled with trepidation and gratitude, and tears welled up in my eyes.

"Well."

The blond man gave a noncommittal reply and lightly tapped the windowsill with his fingertips.

As he turned his head slightly, the bright sunlight outside the window swept across the edges of his face, but it seemed unable to get close enough to illuminate his features clearly.

The interior lighting was suppressed by his back view, making it appear dim, oppressive, and heavy as a mountain.

They simply stood there, without saying or making any move.

Xiao Linye was captivated by it, and felt his breathing become somewhat tight.

beep--

The distant, drawn-out sound of a ship's horn broke the almost frozen atmosphere.

After a moment of silence, the blond man slowly spoke again:
"Be patient. There is a saying in your Xia Kingdom: 'Those who achieve great things must not be impatient.' Before long, the world in Xia Kingdom will change, and then you will naturally get what you want."

"Yes, thank you, Master."

Xiao Linye, who was feeling uneasy, couldn't help but secretly breathe a sigh of relief, and a hint of joy appeared on his tense face.

The blond man paused, then said coldly:

"The Golden Bomba Bottle is dispensable to me, and I'm too lazy to pursue the mess that's been simmering in the Lu family's affairs."

"However, this is a one-time exception, especially since the task I assigned you is of utmost importance. If any mistakes are made because of your own personal matters, don't blame me for not showing any mercy."

"Please rest assured, Master."

Xiao Linye felt a chill run down his spine and immediately assured them with absolute certainty:
"This old servant will do his utmost! Every task you assign me will be treated as a top priority, and I will not dare to slack off in the slightest!"

"You just understand."

The blond man did not pursue the matter further.

Seeing that the other person seemed to be in a good mood today, talking much more than usual, Xiao Linye considered for a moment, then bowed and asked softly:
"Master, should we continue our cooperation with them?"

"There's no rush now."

The blond man shook his head, chuckled, and said smugly:
"My main purpose in coming to Dongdu this time is not to negotiate cooperation, nor for the plans you proposed."

"It's because I deeply feel that the opportunity I've been waiting for for over a hundred years has finally landed in this city..."

His tone grew louder and louder, as if he was gradually becoming excited and could hardly control his emotions.

As a result, the aura within his body leaked out, cutting through the air and buzzing, like a sword blade suspended in mid-air.

“Apart from Xia Kingdom, I have searched through the secret files of every country in the world over the years, looking for all the famous cultivators and martial arts masters, but to no avail.”

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

The blond man muttered to himself, then suddenly turned around, his crimson-gold pupils locking onto Xiao Linye.

The latter felt his blood freeze instantly, as if his soul had been pierced by the gaze of an ancient ferocious beast.

Even more strangely, the man's outline was always shrouded in a hazy halo, and no matter how hard he concentrated, he could not see the other person's true face.

"Your next task is to closely monitor all developments regarding Xishan, as well as the information on recently emerging ability users, and report to me regularly." Upon hearing this, Xiao Linye immediately perked up and respectfully agreed.

The blond man nodded slightly.

"I feel at ease with you handling things for me in Dongdu, so let's leave it at that for now."

After saying that, he turned to look out the window, raised his hand, and lightly touched the air with his fingertips.

It was as if there was an invisible barrier in front of us.

Suddenly, ripples spread through the air like water. Amidst the buzzing vibrations, tiny rays of light gathered like stars, outlining a vertical streak of light in front of him.

The light trail first contracted like a pupil, then expanded into a dazzling, shimmering doorway.

Inside the door, a bizarre scene of swirling nebulae could be vaguely seen, and he suddenly opened a spatial rift.

The blond man slowly stepped into the portal, and the moment his feet brushed against the crack, his entire body radiated a dazzling, gilded light.

As the spatial rift slowly closed like an eyelid, his figure shattered into countless points of light.

Like gold dust scattered by the wind, it left a faint trace in the air before disappearing without a trace in an instant.

The curtains on the windowsill were lifted by a sudden gust of wind, then gently fell back down, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

Looking at the closed gap in the space, the study has been restored to its original state.

Xiao Linye immediately relaxed, only then realizing that his back was already covered in cold sweat.

The oppressive feeling emanating from those crimson-gold pupils seemed to linger faintly in the room.

He took a deep breath, calmed himself down, then turned and left, locking the door tightly behind him.

In the lobby on the first floor, two people sat on the sofa, waiting anxiously.

Upon seeing him come downstairs, I immediately got up.

The young man strode forward and spoke urgently:
"Grandpa, how is that guest? What did he say?"

"It's alright, they've already left."

Xiao Linye answered in a deep voice, without saying anything more.

The young man felt relieved upon hearing this, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and did not pursue the matter further.

Although he didn't know who the mysterious person his grandfather had suddenly become furious about and then rushed to see as if he had seen a ghost was, he still didn't know.

However, he knew the importance of that person to the Xiao family and understood that this matter needed to be kept absolutely secret.

Even though he was Xiao Chengliang, the second young master of the Xiao family, he had only heard of him by name and had never seen his face.

Another man wearing a baseball cap, head bowed, mumbled:

"Homeowner..."

He was reprimanded when he was giving the message, and he still seems somewhat apprehensive.

"never mind!"

Xiao Linye waved his hand, his tone tinged with a hint of frustrated resentment:
"These things are indeed unpredictable. Who would have thought that someone could resist the temptation and smash the golden jar..."

He paused, as if swallowing back more insults.

He then glanced at the clansmen who were standing blankly to the side.

"Be more careful in the future, and don't let this happen again! If you make this mistake again, you'll be sent to guard the ancestral graves in the Western Hills!"

"Thank you for your leniency, Master. I will remember this lesson from now on."

The man wearing a baseball cap quickly responded.

When he raised his head, a hideous scar ran diagonally from behind his ear to his jaw, standing out prominently under the light.

Xiao Linye sat down on the sofa.

Upon seeing this, the servant immediately brought over a tea tray, and the celadon teacups made a slight sound when placed on the sandalwood tea table.

He stared at the floating Longjing tea leaves in the cup, seemingly unwilling to accept it, and suddenly let out a cold laugh:
"Roger is such a useless piece of trash. I deliberately leaked the information to him, but someone else beat me to it."

Sitting next to him, Xiao Chengliang frowned slightly, and finally couldn't help but speak, his expression showing a hint of confusion:

"Grandpa, as far as I know, isn't the Golden Bamba Bottle a relic of a saint? Even if we don't need it, we shouldn't give it to our mortal enemy, the Lu family. Wouldn't it be better to use it to win over some smaller families?"

Although he was not involved in the matter, he happened to witness something amiss, which aroused his suspicions. He couldn't let it go until he found out the truth.

Xiao Linye stared at his grandson, his dark eyes shifting slightly.

After a moment of silence, he waved to dismiss the servants around him, as well as the man in the baseball cap.

Once only the grandfather and grandson remained in the room, he lightly tapped the tea table with his fingertips, spoke in a deep voice, and his expression suddenly became serious:

"That's right, the Golden Bamba Bottle is indeed a sacred relic left behind by the first Dharma King of the Black Sect, and it is a priceless treasure for the Extraordinary."

But there's a secret hidden inside—

He paused, his gaze suddenly becoming profound:
"It was no accident that it was buried in the underground palace of Xishan. It was used to suppress the ghouls that were in the 'corpse demon chaos' during the Yu Dynasty. Over the course of nearly two thousand years, it absorbed a large amount of blood essence and had long since developed an unusual spirituality."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chengliang subconsciously leaned forward, his face filled with curiosity:

"What is the connection between this secret and the Lu family?"

"Hmph, all the things the Lu family did in secret were to save their increasingly declining secret realm."

Xiao Linye's fingertips traced the rim of the cup, a sinister smile curving his lips.
"The Golden Bamba Bottle's ability to absorb and purify essence and blood perfectly matches their needs."

"So I deliberately had Xiao Ming hand the bottle over to the antique dealer to lure the Lu family into the trap. Then I disguised myself as an extraordinary person and infiltrated the treasure-hunting team, while actually setting up a restriction among them."

He looked out the window, his tone growing increasingly cold:

"Once the Lu family completes the transfer to the secret realm, and before the Ancestral Spirit Tree is fully formed, I will have Xiao Ming activate the restriction to completely release the suppressed spirituality of the Golden Benba Bottle and seize the Lu family's Ancestral Spirit Tree. At that time, the entire secret realm will be transformed into a Shura field for refining flesh and blood."

"In this way, we can not only deal a heavy blow to the Lu family and seize their assets, but also recover the Golden Benba Bottle afterward, use the spiritual power refined inside to strengthen ourselves and cultivate our Xiao family members."

"such a pity!"

Xiao Linye suddenly gripped the teacup tightly, making a crisp "crack" sound.

The celadon teacup shattered into dust in my palm, and the scalding tea spilled all over the floor.

A hint of ruthlessness and resentment flashed in his eyes:

"Some random brat popped up out of nowhere and broke the golden jar beforehand, ruining my near-perfect plan. Otherwise..."

A suppressed growl escaped his throat, his gaze fixed on the shards of the teacup, as if they were the flesh and blood of that old codger from the Lu family.

Xiao Chengliang felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously swallowed.

If this "usurpation" plan succeeds, countless people will die in the secret realm, and even Xiao Ming, who is on a mission, will become a pawn.

Suddenly, he felt that the old man in front of him seemed a little unfamiliar.

This feeling of unfamiliarity lasted only a moment. Then he realized that the other party was his own grandfather, the head of the Xiao family!

With such a powerful and shrewd patriarch to rely on, wouldn't a member of the Xiao family be able to enjoy the wealth, luxury, fine wine, and beautiful women that the family brings with peace of mind?

So he put on a fawning smile and said obsequiously:

“Grandpa, how about I help you search for this bastard’s whereabouts? I’m very familiar with the police, and some of my brothers have become chiefs.”

Xiao Linye shook his head decisively and sneered:
"No need, I have my own ways of dealing with that bastard. He's probably already frantically trying to figure out something..."

Inside the luxurious mansion in Gangnam District, someone is plotting something.

At the same time, a guy who had just finished eating and drinking suddenly sneezed.

Fang Cheng rubbed the tip of his nose, a sense of suspicion rising in his heart, wondering who was so concerned about him.

Is it his uncle? Or his mother? Or perhaps Zhou Xiumei?
(End of this chapter)