Chapter 47: Arrival

If looks could kill, Lan Zhao was certain he would have died thousands of times over.

The aristocrats and noble families attending the engagement ceremony may have had various motives initially, but upon witnessing these figures who appeared like gods descending from the heavens, reevaluating the Lan family’s true foundation and strength had become their mandatory task. Lan Zhao could even foresee that this unprecedented, grand ceremony would be the herald of the Lan family’s rise to power.

What a spectacle. Lan Zhao naturally knew that many of the high-level figures present had nothing to do with him; to put it bluntly, he was merely a piece of bait laid out in the open. Yet, this did not hinder his high spirits. After all, the Lan family would eventually be his, and in his eyes, this was a risk-free deal with astonishingly huge returns—it could not be more perfect.

Basking in the various gazes of envy, jealousy, and wonder, Lan Zhao took two steps forward to the woman who looked like Snow White, seemingly wanting to imitate a prince from a fairy tale by leaning down to kiss her.

Liu Yixian raised an eyebrow, dropped his shoulder to steady the stretcher, and pushed away the head Lan Zhao had thrust forward.

Lan Zhao froze, his gaze turning cold.

Liu Yixian did not bother with pleasantries. With a flip of his hand, a plain yet gleaming dagger appeared in his palm. He did not foolishly rush forward to kill Lan Zhao—not because he lacked the courage, but because it was pointless. Even if he succeeded, he would only end up dead himself. For a man who had long considered himself a dead man, what was there to fear?

But if Lan Zhao died, couldn't a "Lan Cat" or "Lan Dog" simply take his place? He knew clearly that in this play, Lan Zhao was just an insignificant supporting role; the most important person was the woman he was carrying.

With a sneer on his lips, Liu Yixian pressed the dagger against Xue Xi’s head. He had absolute confidence that before anyone could kill him, he could kill this matriarch-like figure first.

Lan Zhao was stunned again, and then, as if he had seen the funniest joke of his life, he threw his head back and laughed so hard that tears streamed down his face. He pointed at Liu Yixian and stammered, "This woman you’re willing to die to protect... are you really willing to let her go?"

Liu Yixian narrowed his eyes and pressed the dagger slightly deeper; a line of blood immediately appeared on Xue Xi’s forehead.

The god-like figures nearby frowned. Upon realizing they had no certainty of obliterating Liu Yixian in a single strike, they immediately spoke up one after another to stop him. In their eyes, Liu Yixian’s life was worth nothing, and killing him instantly was not impossible, but if this man managed to do something before he died, no one could bear the responsibility of Xue Xi’s death. After all, Chen Hongxu only had this one person close to him in this world.

Lan Zhao was burning with rage, but he dared not act recklessly. He knew that many of these people wanted to destroy his Lan family; perhaps a single glance from them would send a swarm of power-seekers rushing forward to do the deed.

As for the Lan family’s grandfather—a high-level expert on the Black List—he was a joke in front of these transcendental figures. Over the past few days, he had seen his grandfather playing the part of a big shot, standing shakily in the air next to a white-haired, rosy-cheeked Taoist. He was at least a hundred thousand miles away from the poise of these experts who stood calmly in the air with their hands behind their backs.

Turning slightly, Lan Zhao cleared the path. Liu Yixian breathed a sigh of relief, but the dagger in his hand did not move. He had indeed harbored the intention of going down with them; although it would likely result in the deaths of both Xue Xi and himself, it was better than seeing Chen Hongxu get played.

Yet, deep down, he clung to a sliver of hope, believing that Chen Hongxu could turn the tide. It wasn't that he feared death, but after hearing some of Xue Xi’s self-mutterings, he didn't want to leave the person he still owed a life to all alone.

He and Gu Jiesong carried the stretcher into the hall, each using one hand to support the unconscious Xue Xi. He barked at the remaining members of the Xue family, who were clearly wearing joyous expressions, to stay back, and then stood in a standoff, staring down the people in the hall.

Outside the hall, fireworks filled the sky. The various god-like figures, having claimed their positions, remained silent, continuing to strike poses of high-level experts and gazing into the distance, truly possessing a sense of being above the mundane world.

The doors of the hall closed slowly, and the wedding music played loudly. Who knew that inside was actually a standoff? The experts in the sky might have understood some of it, but it had nothing to do with them. After all, their only goal was to strike a pose and lure the fish in. As for these aristocratic marriages and the exponential growth of assets, it was all bullshit to them. What could be more enjoyable than the pursuit of immortality?

...

Halfway through the Wedding March, a Lamborghini sped into the venue. Everyone’s gaze was drawn to it instantly. It wasn't because the car was particularly precious—everyone present was either wealthy or noble, and there were at least dozens of such cars parked in the clubhouse today.

It was just that the car looked as if it had been driven at extreme overload for a long distance. The tires were worn smooth, the driver’s sharp drift showed signs of skidding, and the hood, faintly emitting black smoke, was a clear sign that the engine had been pushed beyond its limit, as if the car were being flown like an airplane.

Everyone frowned secretly. Nice cars were common, but people playing with their lives in nice cars were not.

"Whose kid is that? Do they not want to live?"

"Probably some nouveau riche’s son. He really thinks driving a three-million-dollar base model is a big deal."

"It’s possible. The Lan family has recruited quite a batch of people these past few years."

The crowd murmured, not associating this with the experts. After all, weren't experts supposed to come and go through the air? Did these mortals who walked on two feet really think they were returning to simplicity? Thus, their words were uninhibited, as sharp and mean as possible. Many secretly resented the Lan family for becoming so powerful so quickly while their own families were left behind.

The car door opened, and a figure was kicked out in a sorry state. The man, clutching a stick, showed no anger after falling to the ground; instead, he nodded and bowed like a dog, apologizing profusely.

The passenger door opened, and an ordinary-looking young man stepped out, staring coldly at the insolent "Foolish Fan."

Foolish Fan stuck out his tongue and straightened his posture. "I remember the side road wasn't like this when I was a kid... It’s a good thing we made it in time. I know this song; it’s only halfway through. We might still catch them before the red carpet walk finishes. If that Lan brat has touched even a hair of my sister-in-law, I’ll chop off his third leg like a noodle, pull it into strands, and make him eat it himself."

Chen Hongxu ignored Foolish Fan’s seemingly nonsensical but heartfelt thoughts. He looked up in silence, smiled shyly, and whispered, "Time to slaughter all the gods in the sky..."

The surrounding crowd gasped. This young man didn't look like much, but his tone was unusually arrogant. However, some young ladies looked at him with a glimmer of intrigue. After witnessing the servility and cowardice of all the young men in the clubhouse, Chen Hongxu’s unyielding, even disdainful attitude suddenly seemed quite masculine.

Someone recognized Foolish Fan’s identity and exclaimed, "Isn't that the top playboy, Young Master Fan?"

"It really is! How did he end up so pathetic, nodding and bowing?"

After sizing up Foolish Fan, the crowd turned their eyes back to Chen Hongxu. Everyone knew that the Fan family playboy was famous in Beijing for his arrogance—he only bullied those with status. When had anyone ever heard of this demon having to watch someone else’s expression?

With this preconceived notion, Chen Hongxu appeared increasingly unfathomable in the eyes of the onlookers.

Foolish Fan scratched his head indifferently. He tilted his chin up at the experts in the sky who had already guessed their identities, grinned, and said, "Those people up there pretending to be gods might not feel tired, but having to crane your neck to make sure they don't ambush you is exhausting. It isn't in my dictionary to look up at people. Brother Chen, go find your sister-in-law. I’ll go up and knock those pretentious ghosts down."

"Be careful." Chen Hongxu turned and walked away, leaving his back to Foolish Fan, not wanting his slightly moved expression to be seen.