Chapter 141 – Mistaken Plucking, “Immortal Orchid”

Footsteps gradually drew closer.

Under the streetlight’s glow, three figures emerged from the shadows one after another.

Despite Sun Zhihua’s urgent warnings, Wu Xinlei and the glasses-wearing man couldn’t resist their overwhelming curiosity and glanced at the approaching trio.

The leader wore a white shirt and black trousers, with shiny black leather shoes on his feet. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

Even at night, he wore sunglasses, his face expressionless.

The other two were similarly dressed in gray-green or gray-blue short-sleeve shirts with collars, their shirt tails tucked into their pants.

One had a small black briefcase under his arm, while the other wore black sandals paired with white socks.

Under normal circumstances, Wu Xinlei and her companion wouldn’t have given these ordinary middle-aged men a second look.

But now, the slowly approaching trio loomed like towering black waves, crashing down on them.

Even the surrounding streetlight seemed to dim.

An omnipresent, terrifying sense of oppression enveloped them, quickening their heartbeats and making their breathing rapid, as if their body temperature was dropping…

The three middle-aged men walked past Wu Xinlei and her companions without incident.

The one wearing sandals paused briefly when he reached them.

“Hah—”

He spat, threw his cigarette to the ground, and stomped it out forcefully.

His gaze swept over the three of them, seemingly smiling for a moment, before silently rejoining his companions and disappearing into the darkness ahead.

Wu Xinlei and her companions stood rigidly, their expressions frozen.

Who knows how much time passed.

The stifling atmosphere finally broke.

“Huff—huff—”

The glasses-wearing man collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat, his face pale as he muttered, “These three middle-aged men… why do they feel even scarier than the monsters we saw in Xixu?”

“I… I can’t breathe…”

Wu Xinlei, her face drained of color, kept pounding on her chest.

“Take deep breaths, slowly…”

At this point, Sun Zhihua had also completely relaxed. He gently patted Wu Xinlei’s back.

His eyes, however, were fixed on the direction where the three middle-aged men had disappeared, and he spoke with a grim expression, “Those three… are incredibly strong. Even the weakest of them could easily kill me in an instant. If they had made a move on us just now, I probably wouldn’t have had a chance to escape…”

Wu Xinlei and the glasses-wearing man were shocked and horrified by his words.

They had some understanding of Sun Zhihua’s strength when serious, he was like a fierce beast in the jungle.

If even he said so, how formidable must those three be?

“Fortunately, they didn’t mean us any harm…”

Sun Zhihua exhaled deeply, a strange look flashing across his face. He murmured softly, “Judging by their direction, they likely have the same target as us…”

Wu Xinlei and the glasses-wearing man were momentarily stunned but quickly understood.

“Lu Jing?!”

“It’s Lu Yuan.”

Sun Zhihua said calmly, “The direct disciples of the crane style are all very strong, and the Poison-Handed Crane Demon is a renowned expert. These three likely don’t dare to trouble Liu Daoyuan directly, so they’re probably targeting his disciple…”

“What should we do?”

Wu Xinlei turned pale, “I’ll quickly notify Lu Jing!”

She hurriedly took out her mobile phone and anxiously dialed Lu Jing’s number.

But the call went unanswered for a long time.

“Damn!”

Wu Xinlei stomped her foot and, gritting her teeth, was about to run forward.

But Sun Zhihua grabbed her, coldly instructing, “It’s already too late to go now. You two head back to the restaurant and get help from the crane style people. I’ll follow them and see.”

“Zhihua, you…”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing. If necessary, I’ll reveal my identity as a member of the Moon Shadow Sect. They won’t dare touch me.”

“Alright!”

After watching Wu Xinlei and the glasses-wearing man hastily leave, Sun Zhihua turned around.

His gaze extended into the unknown darkness ahead.

He took a deep breath, his spine trembling slightly, as two crescent-shaped knives silently slid into his hands.

“I’ll help if I can. If I can’t… then it’s up to your luck… Joining the crane style… what a pity…”

Sun Zhihua sighed softly, shook his head, and quickly walked forward.

“…Grandfather is recovering quite well. Mom wants him to stay with us, but he insists on going back home. Dad couldn’t convince him otherwise, so he had to take him back to the countryside. When you get home, see if you can persuade him again…”

“You know how stubborn Grandfather is. How about I stay with him in the countryside for a few days?”

“That works. We can go together then…”

Lu Yuan and Lu Jing walked side by side, chatting casually.

“Achoo!” Lu Jing suddenly sneezed, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. She sniffed and said, “Why did it get so cold all of a sudden… It’s so quiet around here.”

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered, narrowing as he looked ahead.

After a few seconds, Lu Yuan spoke, “How about you wait here for a moment?”

Lu Jing was taken aback, instinctively asking, “Where are you going?”

Lu Yuan started walking forward, the streetlight casting a long shadow on the ground.

“I need to find a restroom.” He raised one hand nonchalantly, without looking back. “Give me… two minutes.”

“Be quick then.”

“Got it.”

Watching Lu Yuan’s silhouette fade into the darkness, Lu Jing stood alone, waiting. After a moment, she exclaimed softly, “Where’s my mobile phone?”

…

Yuehaitian.

Zhao Qiancheng and Zhuang Xiujie stood quietly at the entrance, watching as people and vehicles gradually dispersed, the noise dying down.

“…Tonight, most of the attendees were from the Cloud Dragon Hall and the Western Mountain Sect. Shao Jinchuan, who practices Western Mountain Camel Fist, had a martial arts contest with our teacher years ago. Our teacher injured the tendons in his right arm. Since then, whenever he exerts force, his hands tremble uncontrollably, significantly reducing his strength and reputation. He’s probably been holding onto that grudge for nearly twenty years…”

“Where is he now?”

“We treated his wounds casually and left him at the highway entrance. The people from Cloud Dragon Hall and the Western Mountain Sect will naturally come to pick him up once they get the news.”

Zhuang Xiujie paused, then hesitated, “With Teacher making such a big deal of taking in Little Senior Brother, our old enemies from the crane style are bound to come knocking again… And with Eighth Senior Brother, who Junior Brother Lin secretly let go, reappearing at this time, I’m worried…”

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Zhao Qiancheng said, his expression blank. “If Teacher isn’t afraid, why should we, his disciples, be scared?”

Zhuang Xiujie nodded and murmured in agreement.

Zhao Qiancheng stood silently for a moment, then suddenly spoke, “By the way, there’s something I need you to look into. The Leader of the Lin Clan from the North Hawk Sect, who had his eyes gouged out by Teacher because of Little Seven, is rumored to be seeking revenge with his two younger brothers. But they were absent from the banquet…”

Zhuang Xiujie frowned, “Could they have been scared off and didn’t dare make a move?”

“Unlikely,” Zhao Qiancheng shook his head. “He knows our capabilities. Given his personality, if he’s come, he definitely intends to take something back…”

Zhuang Xiujie pondered this.

Suddenly, in an unspoken moment, they exchanged a glance.

“Liu Si! Where’s Little Senior Brother?!” Zhuang Xiujie shouted, turning towards someone.

Moments later, several figures shot out like arrows from the entrance of Yuehaitian, all heading in the same direction…

…

Lu Yuan stopped walking, casually unbuttoning the top three buttons of his white shirt’s inner lining.

He calmly watched ahead.

“Click-clack, click-clack…”

The sound of hard-soled leather shoes and flat sandals shuffling on the ground grew closer.

Soon, under the soft white streetlight, three figures emerged.

Seeing Lu Yuan, one of the middle-aged men with slicked-back hair and carrying a briefcase couldn’t help but laugh.

“Seems like this kid is actually waiting for us.”

“Ha…”

Both men chuckled, except for the middle-aged man wearing sunglasses at the front, whose expression remained unchanged.

He leaned forward slightly, as if scrutinizing Lu Yuan through his sunglasses.

“Are you the new disciple of Liu Daoyuan?”

“Yes.” Lu Yuan nodded, seemingly unfazed by the palpable hostility emanating from the three men.

The middle-aged man with sunglasses, seeing Lu Yuan admit it, laughed—a laugh that was anything but pleasant. He reached up and removed his sunglasses, revealing a pair of mechanical eyes with small red indicator lights blinking intermittently.

“Liu Daoyuan gouged out my eyes, leaving me with these monstrosities… And you are his disciple…”

The middle-aged man with sunglasses sneered, his tone icy, “Shouldn’t you compensate for the loss of my eyes?”

“Teacher has many disciples. Why not go after someone else?” Lu Yuan asked calmly.

“Isn’t it obvious? They think I’m the weakest, bullying the soft and fearing the hard. Enough talk…”

Lu Yuan slowly rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt to his elbows and said calmly, “I’m in a hurry. If you’re going to make a move, do it quickly.”

“Well, well, well, even at Liu Daoyuan’s peak, he didn’t have such a big mouth…” The middle-aged man’s face turned cold as he barked, “Attack.”

In an instant, accompanied by the sound of bricks and stones shattering, the two men behind the middle-aged man vanished.

When they reappeared, they were lunging at Lu Yuan from above and below. Powerful auras emanated from both, their movements slicing through the air with a “whoosh,” like a fierce windstorm.

Lu Yuan’s expression remained unchanged as he entered a state of absolute concentration.

Taking a deep breath, his arms naturally lifted.

His exposed forearms suddenly swelled as if inflated, veins bulging, muscles rippling like mercury…

“Swish—”

He raised his hand, creating a near-illusory shadow of a punch in mid-air.

“Bang! Bang!”

The dull sound of impacts resounded one after another, and the two figures were sent flying almost simultaneously. One tumbled into the nearby shrubbery, while the other rolled more than ten meters away.

“Is this all you’ve got?” Lu Yuan’s arms dropped naturally as he coldly eyed the middle-aged man with sunglasses. “No wonder you didn’t dare to challenge others… Turns out you’re just a cowardly, incompetent waste.”

The mechanical eyes of the middle-aged man with sunglasses flashed red, and a malicious glint crossed his face. With a slight movement of his foot, the ground beneath him shattered into pieces. In the next second, he sprang into the air.

His hands formed into claws, and he descended on Lu Yuan from above like a hawk.

Lu Yuan remained composed, his right arm stretching and tensing like a fully drawn bow. He quietly activated the level 2 Ten Thousand Refined Crane Technique.

A powerful yet agile aura enveloped his fist.

[Spirit Crane Technique: Crane Shadow Float]!

“Boom!”

Lu Yuan struck out with his fist, meeting the middle-aged man’s claws head-on. With a thunderous crash, the ground beneath Lu Yuan’s feet cracked, dirt upheaved, and he staggered backward continuously.

In mid-air, the middle-aged man adjusted his posture and landed gracefully. At this moment, a layer of distinct white light shimmered around his arms, and his ferocious aura surged even higher.

“Interesting… No wonder Liu Daoyuan took you as a True Disciple,” the middle-aged man remarked with a hint of surprise on his face.

The two men who had been sent flying by Lu Yuan earlier were now slowly walking back, clutching their chests with pained expressions. The three encircled Lu Yuan, closing in step by step.

“At such a young age, your inner strength is already this formidable. If given a few more years, wouldn’t you surpass even the Poison-Handed Crane Demon?”

“Unfortunately, you won’t get that chance…”

The middle-aged man sighed, his cold aura growing ever more intense. He stepped toward Lu Yuan with measured steps, his ten fingers at his sides lightly moving, producing a metallic clinking sound as if blades were clashing.

“Whoosh—whoosh—”

Lu Yuan, with his feet deeply embedded in the ground, was forced out of the streetlamp’s light, breathing lightly. His crossed arms slowly lowered from his chest. He looked up, a faint trace of regret flashing across his face.

“Half-body power training, huh… Still falling short.”

“Swish—”

The mechanical eyes of the middle-aged man with sunglasses flashed suddenly as he lunged forward, his hands forming eagle claws aimed directly at Lu Yuan’s face.

“I’ll gouge out your eyes first!”

Lu Yuan seemed caught off guard and quickly retreated. Instinctively, he raised his hand to block, his fingers also forming into claws.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man laughed heartily, pursuing Lu Yuan while white light burst from the tips of his fingers.

“Kid, you dare use Claw Skills against me, the Northern Eagle King?”

“Bang!”

In the next second, the middle-aged man’s claws clashed with Lu Yuan’s. His malicious intent surged as he sneered, preparing to crush and tear apart Lu Yuan’s seemingly delicate fingers.

But at that moment, those fingers suddenly “swelled,” quickly breaking free from his grasp.

“Crack, crack—”

In the darkness, a series of continuous, crisp bone-cracking sounds rang out. The red glow in the middle-aged man’s mechanical eyes intensified, but he still couldn’t clearly see what was happening.

He could only vaguely make out a massive figure, nearly two meters tall, slowly rising from the shadows.

Large swathes of shadow spread out.

“Whoosh—whoosh—”

Heavy breathing, like that of a giant beast, enveloped him in an intense sense of imminent danger.

Then he heard a low, raspy voice whispering in his ear.

“Then let’s try this… with Claw Skills!”

“Mistaken Plucking… Immortal Orchid!”

“Whoosh—whoosh—”

A tremendous sound of air being torn apart, accompanied by a fierce wind that almost numbed his scalp.

In the next moment…

From the darkness beyond the reach of the streetlamp’s light, a massive claw emerged.

It tore through the air, creating clear white streaks.

Before the middle-aged man could react…

The giant claw enveloped his entire eagle claw.

“Crack, crack—”

With a series of chilling bone-cracking sounds, the middle-aged man’s hand and part of his forearm…

Were forcibly crushed into a…

Red and white bone-and-flesh “orchid”!

After a brief, deathly silence…

A heart-wrenching scream pierced the deep, dark night, echoing over the empty manor…