Under One Person: The Seeker of the Dao in the Lü Family

Chapter 331 The Ignited Bomb, the Abandoned

With the elders as witnesses, Zhang Lingyu stood behind the old Celestial Master again, flanked by Zhang Qianhe, serving as his guard.

"Congratulations, Celestial Master! Your disciple has awakened. In the future, there will truly be another piece of [Spiritual Jade] on Mount Longhu."

"Yes, having seen through the illusions of the world and experienced the refinement and polishing of worldly life, the name 'Lingyu' is more fitting."

"Hahaha......"

The elders congratulated the old master, then their gazes fell upon Zhang Chulan and his group, who were standing still, awaiting the young man's choice.

"Master!"

Seeing the encirclement surrounding them, Zhang Chulan called out in Zhang Zhiwei's direction, but this time, the usually kind and amiable old Taoist priest did not respond to the address.

The old Taoist priest stood still, his perpetually squinting eyes fixed on Zhang Chulan, waiting for his reply.

No matter how sincere the call of "Master" was, the old master did not respond.

"Thump!"

When the elders on the field saw Zhang Chulan hesitate to express his opinion, they did not get angry or take action directly. They simply stepped forward silently.

Although there was no prior discussion, the elders' steps were perfectly synchronized, their footsteps echoing like the ringing of bells and drums, stirring Zhang Chulan's already impatient thoughts.

Xu Si did not step forward. He simply stood behind Zhang Chulan, blocking Feng Baobao, and silently watched the ferocious old men around them.

"Seniors, this Feng Baobao is a fool. If you have any questions, please ask them first, so that I can help you achieve your goals."

Seeing everyone's silent reaction, cold sweat beaded on Zhang Chulan's forehead. At this moment, he truly understood what it meant to underestimate the elderly. These seniors were clearly thugs disguised as old people.

"Thump!"

The sound of hurried footsteps followed, and in just two short steps, it seemed as if they had already covered several meters. The encirclement that had initially been faintly visible was now fully revealed, and its undisguised pressure was closing in on Zhang Chulan and the other two.

But these elders still left a gap, a gap leading to the old Celestial Master. The gap was very narrow, so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time.

The old Celestial Master stood on the opposite side of the opening. He broke the silence with his voice, which reached Zhang Chulan's ears precisely.

"Chu Lan, do you understand now?"

Seemingly not expecting a reply from Zhang Chulan, the old Celestial Master continued, "I am Tiantong Daoren from Longhu Mountain, the sixty-fifth Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion. I may or may not be your grandmaster."

"Because I am still the mentor and advisor to many people."

"Back then, your grandfather, Zhang Huaiyi, ah, the door was wide open but he didn't come back. Was it because we didn't let him come back?"

"No, it's because he doesn't want to come back."

The old master's words stopped the old men who were about to take their third step. As if he were about to completely expose the fig leaf of the past and present, he spoke words that sounded somewhat heartless to Zhang Chulan.

"I know that you don't really trust me or Longhu Mountain, and you even harbor some resentment in your heart."

"You complain about why your grandfather was hunted down, why Longhu Mountain didn't do its utmost, and why you hid your identity and lived as an ordinary person for over a decade?"

"These aren't exactly hatred, but they are still a rift between you and the Celestial Master's Mansion."

"Master, I didn't..."

"Alright, that's only human nature, what's so unbearable about it?"

The old celestial master ignored him and continued, "I'm not saying all this today because I want you to admit it, because you're just like your grandfather—a thieving man with a wicked heart and the behavior of a rat."

"The demons and thieves have taken root in your heart, or rather, you yourself are the embodiment of those demons. You have schemed too much, and you have forgotten who you are and what you crave in your heart."

"I'm speaking frankly with you today only in the hope that you can extricate yourself from your complicated schemes, step into the sunlight, and wash away the dark and treacherous heart that has seeped into your bones."

After waiting for a while, the old master saw that Zhang Chulan kept his head down and did not make a statement, so he shook his head and sighed.

"Master, Zhang Chulan is an employee of my North China Company."

Xu Si glanced at Zhang Chulan, who was silent beside him, and felt a little impatient. He took half a step forward, but did not stand completely in front of Zhang Chulan.

"Manager Xu, do you think you're a very important official?"

The old celestial master suddenly chuckled, and then a powerful aura rose from behind the old Taoist priest.

The oppressive aura emanating from this one person alone surpassed that of the old cultivators surrounding them, and the old Celestial Master merely raised his voice, neither mobilizing his power nor using his Qi to take action.

This exceptional figure simply stood there, motionless, yet he already dominated the entire scene.

"I'm really getting old. Even my cultivation of inner strength has declined considerably. I'm not easily angered these days."

The old master glanced at Xu Si indifferently and immediately pushed the company manager who had stepped forward back down.

"I haven't settled accounts with your North China Company for what happened back then!"

"My junior brother's descendant, whom I treated with utmost respect, was lured into the company through deception, coercion, and bribery, and now you expect me to clean up this mess with a grand Taoist ritual!"

"Manager Xu, your North China branch is really impressive!"

At this moment, the kind and amiable old Taoist priest suddenly became somewhat unreasonable, which Xu Si, who had been accustomed to the peace of the supernatural world for decades, could not handle.

After bullying thugs and hooligans for so long, they come to think that the so-called dragons and snakes of the supernatural world are nothing more than that.

He picked up his phone and tried to call one of his employees, but as soon as the call connected, Zhao Fangxu's voice came from the other end.

"Xu Si, stop fooling around!"

"Uncle Zhao!"

However, Zhao Fangxu did not respond to Xu Si's address. The phone that Xu Si was holding suddenly turned on speakerphone, followed by Zhao Fangxu's words that sounded like he was entrusting his son to someone.

"Esteemed seniors, please spare this child's life. I can then face my deceased brothers with a clear conscience."

The call was abruptly ended, giving the bewildered Xu Si no time to react.

On the other end of the phone, Zhao Fangxu was still wearing the same loose training clothes, but his expression was already very serious.

"Rather than letting your Xu family, this bomb, explode in public, it's better to let Feng Baobao be exposed in front of the Old Master and Lü Qian, so as to minimize the impact."

"Given the elusive and unknown path to immortality, the real existence of immortals on earth, and overwhelming military power, anyone would know which to choose."

"I'm sorry, Xu Xiang, I didn't want this to happen either, but your son and the successor you found are far less meticulous than you were back then."