104: Chapter 104 A gentle, intellectual, and dignified lady! Young Master Zhou~

To others, two days were merely a mundane forty-eight hours, but for Zhou Liangan and Su Wanyun, it felt like a long journey that spanned an entire cultivation stage.

Over these two days, thanks to Zhou Liangan's efforts, Su Wanyun's Realm naturally improved significantly.

On the morning of the third day, as the first ray of sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the practice room, the Spiritual Qi around Su Wanyun suddenly condensed. Her previously clogged Meridians instantly cleared, and her Aura in the Yinling Realm climbed steadily, finally resting firmly at the Peak of the Spirit Guiding Realm.

She slowly opened her eyes, a flash of surprise and satisfaction in them, "Liangan, I... I've really broken through to the Peak of the Spirit Guiding Realm!"

Zhou Liangan breathed a sigh of relief, a gentle smile appearing on his face, "Mom's talent is exceptional; such a Breakthrough is only natural."

No sooner had Zhou Liangan finished speaking than the phone in his pocket rang abruptly, the ringtone sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet villa.

Zhou Liangan took out his phone to see an unfamiliar Beijing number on the screen. He frowned, picked up the call, and a hoarse yet vigorous voice came from the receiver, "Is this Fellow Daoist Zhou? I am He Yuanzhong from the Spiritual Energy Department; we met briefly in Jiangcheng before."

Zhou Liangan understood in his heart, but his expression remained calm, "Elder He, you are indeed a man of your word. I presume you have reached a decision this time, haven't you?"

He Yuanzhong chuckled on the other end of the line, his tone carrying a hint of probing, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, I truly admire your strength and courage. However, some things are hard to explain over the phone. I would like to invite you to Beijing so we can discuss it in person."

Upon hearing this, the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth curled into a knowing arc.

He knew exactly what He Yuanzhong was planning—the so-called "detailed discussion" was nothing more than a pretext.

The Spiritual Energy Department had been entrenched in Beijing for many years, with connections to major clans and official powers behind it. He Yuanzhong wanted to invite him to Beijing to have him reveal his strength before the high-ranking officials. On one hand, it was to test his bottom line; on the other, it was to see the attitude of those old foxes—whether to woo him, suppress him, or just watch and wait.

Old ghosts are cunning, old people are shrewd; this saying was indeed true.

Having lived for so many years, He Yuanzhong had long since become a shrewd old fox. Not wanting to offend him directly but still wanting to figure out his true capabilities, he had come up with this compromise.

Zhou Liangan sneered inwardly, but replied calmly on the surface: "Very well, I will set off for Beijing shortly."

Zhou Liangan knew clearly that to break the existing power structure, he first had to intimidate those perched at the center of power.

Blindly avoiding them would only make them push further. Only by demonstrating sufficient strength could he force them to take him seriously and gain leverage for negotiations.

Hanging up the phone, Zhou Liangan turned to look at Su Wanyun and told her about his trip to Beijing.

Su Wanyun had been immersed in the joy of her Breakthrough, but upon hearing this, the smile on her face instantly vanished, and her beautiful eyes were filled with worry.

She stared fixedly at Zhou Liangan, her pearly teeth gently biting her thin lips, her fingertips unconsciously clutching the corner of her clothes, "Liangan, Beijing is not Jiangcheng. The waters in the Spiritual Energy Department are too deep, and the powers involved behind the scenes are intricate and complex. You must be careful this time; don't act impulsively."

Seeing Su Wanyun's worried appearance, Zhou Liangan felt a warmth in his heart. He reached out to ruffle her hair and comforted her with a smile: "Don't worry, Mom. I'm not that hot-headed kid I used to be. I have a sense of propriety and will take good care of myself."

Su Wanyun still couldn't set her heart at ease. She reached out with her slender, snow-white hand and gently stroked Zhou Liangan's forehead, her fingertips brushing across his firm brow bone. Her tone was filled with deep reluctance, "You, no matter how old you grow, will always be a child that needs worrying about in front of Mom. No matter how dangerous the outside world is, always remember that home is your retreat. No matter what happens, you can always come back; Mom will always be here waiting for you."

A warm current surged through Zhou Liangan's heart. He nodded heavily, his voice slightly hoarse, "I understand, Mom. I will definitely return safely."

Without further sentimental words, Zhou Liangan left his villa.

Zhou Liangan did not choose to drive to the airport, nor did he book a flight—for him now, ordinary means of transport could no longer keep up with his speed.

The Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps was an unparalleled movement technique passed down from ancient times; it could not only be used for maneuvering and dodging in battle but could also cover ten thousand miles in a day, shrinking the earth into inches.

From Jiangcheng to Beijing, the straight-line distance was over a thousand kilometers. If he flew, it would take at least two hours, plus the time for traveling to and from the airport and security checks, making it at least half a day of hassle.

But if he used the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps, he could cross most of the Dragon Kingdom and arrive in Beijing in just ten minutes.

Zhou Liangan stood on the open ground outside the villa and took a deep breath. Spiritual Qi surged around him, his footwork shifted, and his figure shot out like an arrow from a bowstring.

His figure left trails of afterimages in the air; the wind whistled past his ears, and the ground beneath his feet retreated rapidly. Mountains, rivers, cities, and buildings all became fleeting scenery.

In just ten minutes, Zhou Liangan landed steadily at the entrance of a hidden courtyard in Beijing.

The courtyard was located in the heart of Beijing, yet it was a quiet spot amidst the noise. High walls stood around it, and there were no signs at the entrance, making it clear at a glance that this was a secret stronghold of the Spiritual Energy Department.

As soon as he stood still, the courtyard gate slowly opened, and He Yuanzhong stepped out quickly to greet him.

The moment he saw Zhou Liangan, He Yuanzhong's pupils constricted sharply, the smile on his face froze, and he stood there completely stunned.

He had clearly called Zhou Liangan only an hour ago. Even if Zhou Liangan had left immediately, it would have been impossible to arrive so quickly by plane. Yet, the young man before him had clearly just arrived, with even a hint of the outdoor breeze still on him.

"You... how did you get here so fast?" He Yuanzhong's voice was filled with incredulous shock.

He had lived for more than half his life and had seen countless cultivation experts, yet he had never seen anyone capable of traveling from Jiangcheng to Beijing in such a short time. Such speed was simply unheard of.

Zhou Liangan swept a glance at He Yuanzhong with a light smile, his tone indifferent, "Fellow Daoist He, I am here; it is time we had a proper talk."

Zhou Liangan's tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable Aura, as if he had already made this place his home turf.

He Yuanzhong snapped out of his daze, forced a reluctant smile, and his wariness of Zhou Liangan deepened, "Young Master Zhou is indeed possessed of Divine Abilities; this old man is impressed. I just didn't expect Young Master Zhou to arrive so quickly; the few friends I invited haven't arrived yet."

The "friends" He Yuanzhong spoke of were naturally the high-level officials of the Spiritual Energy Department and representatives of the major clans behind them.

Zhou Liangan casually swept his gaze over He Yuanzhong, a hint of coldness gradually rising in his eyes, "Tell them to hurry up; this Young Master's patience has always been limited."

Zhou Liangan was not polite in the slightest. Since He Yuanzhong wanted him to display his strength in front of everyone, he would first suppress the other party with his Aura.

Seeing the domineering Aura radiating from Zhou Liangan, He Yuanzhong felt a chill in his heart and quickly accompanied it with a smile, "Rest assured, Young Master Zhou, I will contact them immediately; they won't delay too long."

"Then be quick about it." Zhou Liangan said in an indifferent tone, turning to walk into the courtyard.

The interior of the courtyard was furnished in an antique style, with pavilions, towers, rockeries, and flowing water all present. The Spiritual Qi was also much denser than outside; it was clearly a place of cultivation that had been meticulously arranged.

He casually found a stone stool to sit on and closed his eyes to rest, but the Aura around him remained taut, vigilant of everything around him.

He Yuanzhong did not dare to neglect him and immediately took out his phone to contact those people, his tone carrying a hint of urgency.

Within ten minutes, Zhou Liangan felt a powerful Aura approaching from outside the courtyard. The Aura was majestic and heavy, pressing down like a mountain, carrying an unquestionable majesty. It was clearly an expert with extremely high cultivation.

Zhou Liangan slowly opened his eyes, a flash of coldness in them, but he remained sitting on the stone stool, motionless.

He could feel that the owner of this Aura was definitely above the Huagang Realm, likely having reached the Ningshen Realm, and was much stronger than He Yuanzhong. It was likely a true high-level figure of the Spiritual Energy Department.

A moment later, this formidable Aura moved from afar to near, finally stopping at the courtyard entrance.

Zhou Liangan's heart stirred, and he immediately activated the soul-locking jade he carried with him.

This formidable Aura seemed to sense the anomaly of the soul-locking jade; the originally surging Aura suddenly retracted, receding like the tide.

Immediately after, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and a young man wearing a black Zhongshan suit walked in.

The young man looked to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome face and a steady temperament. No Spiritual Qi fluctuations radiated from his body, yet Zhou Liangan could clearly feel that a terrifying power was contained within him, like a sleeping Dragon, ready to erupt at any moment.

The young man stood before Zhou Liangan, scrutinizing him carefully. There was a hint of playfulness in his eyes. After scanning him up and down, he spoke slowly, "Not too bad. To reach the Peak of the second stage of the Gang Transformation Realm at such a young age, you can be considered top-tier among the younger generation of the Dragon Kingdom."

Zhou Liangan looked at the young man before him, secretly vigilant in his heart.

He could feel that the young man's cultivation was unfathomable, but Zhou Liangan also had trump cards to deal with this person.

Zhou Liangan remained calm, secretly exchanging for a trial card of the Saint-Tier Mystic Spirit Shield from the System.

With the soul-locking jade, plus this one-day trial card for the Saint-Tier Mystic Spirit Shield, dealing with this person shouldn't be too difficult.

The young man seemed to have noticed Zhou Liangan's subtle movements. He tilted his head, sweeping a smile that wasn't quite a smile over him, the playfulness on his face deepening, "You don't have to be so vigilant against me; I don't have any malice toward you. I was just entrusted by someone to come and have a few words with you."

Zhou Liangan raised his eyes to look at the young man, his tone calm, "Are you the head of the Spiritual Energy Department?"

In Zhou Liangan's view, to have such an Aura and cultivation, and to appear in a stronghold of the Spiritual Energy Department, he must be the highest person in charge of the Spiritual Energy Department.

The young man shook his head, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "That is not the case. I am merely a messenger, entrusted by those above to come and have a talk with you."

Zhou Liangan's gaze swept over the young man, a strange look appearing in his eyes, "Speak, what do you want to talk to me about?"

He wanted to see what kind of tricks these people were trying to play.

The young man walked slowly to the opposite side of the stone table, sat down, poured himself a cup of tea, and tapped the rim of the cup gently with his fingertips. He spoke slowly, "Zhou Liangan, you are a smart person. Let me be direct—do not overreach. The cultivation world of the Dragon Kingdom has its own rules; it is not a place where you can do whatever you want."

Zhou Liangan chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of mockery, "You are not here to chat with me; you are here to warn me."

The young man set down his teacup, his gaze becoming serious. "You should have heard of the Tianmen Organization, right? That organization has always been operating underground, colluding with forces from the outer Realms to wreak havoc in the Dragon Kingdom. The official authorities have focused most of their energy on suppressing the Tianmen Organization."

"So?" Zhou Liangan furrowed his brows slightly. He naturally knew of the Tianmen Organization; it was an evil organization entrenched in the shadows of the Dragon Kingdom, ruthless and committing every conceivable crime. Many of the previous incidents in Jiangcheng had been related to the Tianmen Organization.

"Therefore, the official authorities cannot spare much energy to deal with you right now." The young man's tone gradually turned cold. "But this does not mean the official authorities will tolerate you. If you insist on being an enemy of the official authorities and insist on breaking the existing rules, they will certainly not tolerate you. When that time comes, no matter how strong your power is, you will not escape death, and your end will only be more miserable than those in the Tianmen Organization."

A cold glint instantly appeared in Zhou Liangan's eyes, and the killing intent around his body permeated without reservation, making the temperature of the entire courtyard seem to drop by several degrees.

He looked at the young man, his tone icy. "I understand now. The official authorities cannot spare the manpower to deal with me, so they sent you to intimidate me. But it seems you haven't thought through one problem—your so-called rules are merely to maintain your power."

The young man looked displeased, his Aura surging slightly. "The foundation of the official authorities is far more powerful than you imagine. This world has never been as simple as you think. Your growth speed is too fast; you broke through from an ordinary person to the Huagang Realm in a short time, but you do not have a mental state that matches it. Growing in power too quickly while having an unstable mental state is not a good thing for you; on the contrary, it will become your death warrant."

Hearing this, Zhou Liangan just smiled and shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of certainty. "You want to say that the official authorities also shoulder the heavy responsibility of resisting people from the outer Realms, so they don't have time to tangle with me. Am I right?"

Hearing this, the young man's expression changed abruptly, and a trace of shock flashed in his eyes. "How do you know about the people from the outer Realms?"

Forces from the outer Realms had coveted the Dragon Kingdom for a long time; this matter was a top secret of the Dragon Kingdom's cultivation world, known only to a few high-ranking officials and the heads of top aristocratic families. That Zhou Liangan, a young man who had only just risen to prominence, could know about this really surprised him.

"With your talent, being able to reach this step today, you are qualified to know the secrets of this world." The young man pondered for a moment and spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of gravity. "That's right, people from the outer Realms have long set their sights on the Dragon Kingdom; they are eyeing it covetously and could invade at any time. The reason we want to maintain the existing structure and the reason we want to suppress the Tianmen Organization is all to consolidate the power of the Dragon Kingdom to resist the threat from the outer Realms."

"Since you are clear about this matter, why must you kill your own people? Why must you break the existing balance? Everything you have done only causes pain to those who care and joy to those who hate, allowing people from the outer Realms to reap the benefits." As the young man spoke, he stared fixedly at Zhou Liangan, his eyes filled with cold chill, as if looking at a stubborn sinner.

Zhou Liangan, however, seemed to have heard a huge joke and couldn't help but laugh, his laughter filled with mockery. "Resisting the outer Realms? For the sake of the common people? That sounds high-sounding. If you were truly for the Dragon Kingdom and the common people, why wouldn't you abdicate and let the worthy take over? Why would you drive the Dragon-Locking Nails into the Dragon Vein, locking up the Dragon Kingdom's Luck and suppressing the cultivation of all Cultivators in the world?"

His voice gradually turned cold, and the killing intent in his eyes grew even stronger. "The Dragon Vein is the foundation of the Dragon Kingdom. As long as the Dragon-Locking Nails are not removed, the Cultivators of the Dragon Kingdom will forever only be able to linger at low Realms, and the emergence of talents will just be empty words. You keep saying it is for the common people, but in reality, everything you do is merely to control the world and to maintain the power in your hands! As for the people from the outer Realms, currently, only some scattered alien signals have been detected, and the real invasion hasn't even started yet. Don't you find it ridiculous to use this as an excuse?"

Hearing this, the young man's face instantly became extremely gloomy, his gaze sweeping sinisterly over Zhou Liangan. "It seems you are determined to remain stubborn! The matter of the Dragon-Locking Nails is a rule passed down from ancient times; how can you just pull them out whenever you want? Such treasonous behavior will sooner or later bring down divine retribution!"

"Divine retribution?" Zhou Liangan sneered and stood up, the Spiritual Qi around his body erupting, and the Aura of the Peak of the second stage of the Huagang Realm released without reservation. "I, Zhou Liangan, only seek to have a clear conscience in my actions. I will definitely pull out the Dragon-Locking Nails, and I will definitely change the rules of this world! It seems that a battle between us is inevitable today!"

A trace of hesitation flashed in the young man's eyes.

He had originally thought that with his cultivation, intimidating a young man in the Huagang Realm would be an easy task.

But at this moment, facing Zhou Liangan, he clearly felt an invisible sense of oppression.

The youth before him clearly only had the cultivation of the Peak of the second stage of the Huagang Realm, but his Aura was like a waking Dragon—domineering, sharp, and seemingly able to devour everything.

He even had a feeling that if they really fought, he might not necessarily gain an advantage.

After pondering for a long time, the young man spoke slowly, his tone carrying a hint of imperceptible concession. "Zhou Liangan, you are a Genius; there is no need to go to the point of mutual destruction. Perhaps you can control this world in a more peaceful way."

Zhou Liangan understood in his heart, knowing that the young man had softened his stance and that the people above had given him instructions to concede.

He half-squinted his eyes, looking at the young man with a smile that was not quite a smile. "Oh? What kind of peaceful way do you think I can use to control the world?"

A strange look appeared in the young man's eyes, and after pondering for a moment, he said slowly: "You do not need to destroy the existing power structure; the major aristocratic families and the Spiritual Energy Department will continue to perform their respective duties. We can elect you to become the Co-Master of the Human Race, leading all cultivation forces in the Dragon Kingdom. How about that?"

Hearing this, Zhou Liangan couldn't help but laugh wildly, his laughter full of disdain. "Co-Master of the Human Race? In the end, it's just wanting to give me an empty title to hollow out my power. Do you think I would agree to such terms?"

Zhou Liangan deliberately used the royal "I" to demonstrate his determination and dominance.

The anger on the young man's face could no longer be suppressed, and his Aura erupted completely.

The Aura of the Peak of the Huagang Realm swept through the entire courtyard like a tsunami; the surrounding rockeries, flowers, and plants were instantly blown askew by the strong wind, and the Spiritual Qi in the air became chaotic.

He Yuanzhong, who was to the side, turned pale, cold sweat streaming down.

But Zhou Liangan remained standing in place, calm and composed, as if completely unaffected.

His Saint-Tier Mystic Spirit Shield quietly activated, an invisible light shield enveloping him, resisting the pressure of the young man's Aura.

The young man naturally noticed the extraordinary aspect of Zhou Liangan, his inner wariness deepening, and a trace of gravity flashed in his eyes.

He knew that he could not intimidate Zhou Liangan today, and continuing to tangle would only put himself in a passive position.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and said coldly: "I have already discussed everything that needed to be discussed with you today. I was merely entrusted by others to come and talk with you; since you do not agree, then I will say no more."

Having said that, the young man stood up indignantly, flicked his sleeves, turned around, and walked towards the outside of the courtyard without the slightest reluctance.

He knew very well that staying any longer would only be asking for humiliation.

Watching the young man's departing back, a playful smile curled at the corners of Zhou Liangan's mouth.

In this confrontation, he had initially intimidated the people from the Spiritual Energy Department, letting them know that he was not a soft persimmon that could be easily manipulated.

He turned his head slowly, looking at He Yuanzhong not far away, and a cold, icy glint instantly appeared in his eyes.

He Yuanzhong's attitude just now was clearly one of wait-and-see; he didn't want to offend the official authorities, yet he wanted to curry favor with him. Zhou Liangan loathed such two-faced people the most.

Feeling the cold and sharp killing intent on Zhou Liangan, He Yuanzhong shivered, immediately piling a fawning smile on his face, and hurried over to Zhou Liangan, his tone respectful and carrying a bit of panic. "Young Master Zhou, that big shot just now was sent directly from above. It is not easy for my He family to establish a foothold in the capital, so I really had no way to refuse. I hope Young Master Zhou will be lenient."

Zhou Liangan's face gradually darkened, his tone icy. "I, personally, dislike listening to nonsense the most."

The smile on He Yuanzhong's face froze, and he hurriedly reined in his superfluous words, knowing that Zhou Liangan was forcing him to state his position.

He knew clearly in his heart that if he could not clearly take a side today, Zhou Liangan would definitely not let him off.

Since even that big shot had been intimidated by Zhou Liangan, perhaps he could also place a small bet on Zhou Liangan.

He Yuanzhong gritted his teeth, bowed deeply to Zhou Liangan, and said firmly. "Young Master Zhou is right; I was abrupt before. I hereby state that the entire He family is willing to follow Young Master Zhou's lead, and from now on, we will obey Young Master Zhou's orders alone!"

Zhou Liangan's expression softened slightly.

The He family was also an old established aristocratic family in the capital and had considerable influence in the Spiritual Energy Department. With the He family's support, his actions in the capital would be much more convenient.

Seeing Zhou Liangan's expression soften, He Yuanzhong breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly added: "Young Master Zhou, you must be tired after your journey. I have a granddaughter named He Miaoyan who has been cultivating since she was young and can be considered a talent with potential. I will have her come out to pay her respects to Young Master Zhou, so you can get to know each other."

Having said that, He Yuanzhong shouted towards the direction of the inner courtyard: "Miaoyan, come out and meet Young Master Zhou."

As soon as his voice fell, a sound of light footsteps came from the archway of the inner courtyard.

Immediately after, a young girl wearing a black off-the-shoulder, tight-fitting, waist-cinching, slit fishtail dress walked out.

The young girl looked to be only around twenty years old, her appearance carrying a certain gentleness typical of a young lady from a prestigious family; her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite, her nose bridge high, her lips pink and tender, and her skin as white as jade.

Her figure was hot and tall, the tight fishtail dress outlining her curves in a delicate and graceful way; her waist was slender enough to be held in one hand, her hips were round and pert, and especially her pair of long, straight, slender legs were faintly visible through the high slit of the skirt. As she walked, she swayed with grace, her beauty so stunning that it was indescribable...

PS: The image is of He Miaoyan.