Chapter 52: Chapter 51: How Can We Let Those Who Gather Firewood for the Masses Freeze to Death in the Wind and Snow?

Inside the Dragon and Phoenix Tower.

“Big Brother,” the boy said, deliberately raising his voice. “Since you’re here to inspect East Sea City, will you start by investigating the head of the Inspectorate, or the president of East Sea University? Or will you go straight for the mayor?”

As he spoke, he shot a contemptuous glance at Lu Xuan’s group at the next table.

A brief silence fell over the second floor. Many people had heard him and were now sneaking glances in their direction.

The young man’s brow furrowed. He immediately guessed his little brother’s intentions and shot him a harsh glare.

“Do you love showing off this much? Can’t even food shut your mouth?”

The boy pouted.

“I just can’t stand people bragging right in front of an Inspector!”

Meanwhile, at the next table.

Yan Jiangxue craned her neck curiously and whispered a question.

“Xiaolu, what’s an Inspector? It sounds so impressive… Do you know?”

Lu Xuan shook his head honestly, looking confused.

“I don’t really know much about the Federation’s ranking system either. Uncle Yan should know, right?”

Hearing this, Yan Jiangxue turned her curious gaze to her father, but he just shrugged nonchalantly.

“I’m not very clear on it. It’s not a level I interact with, and I don’t go out of my way to memorize minor matters or ranks.”

He was telling the truth. As the chairman of Longque Technology, he usually met with Federation Councillors. To be more precise, he was the one ’granting an audience’ to them. Why would he bother with specific positions further down the ladder?

He didn’t have the time for it.

But the young boy at the next table wouldn’t have it. His face flushed red as he stubbornly craned his neck and yelled,

“Stop talking so big! ’Minor ranks’… Just how high-ranking are you? The Provincial Governor? Or the Governor?”

The Provincial Governor was the highest administrative official of a province, while the Governor was its highest military authority.

One for civil affairs, the other for military.

The boy was fiercely protective, and his voice was loud. His shouting drew the attention of even more people. The young man frowned, about to scold him, but was stopped by the gentle-looking woman beside him.

“Our little brother is just sticking up for you.”

The young man’s expression softened slightly, but he still stood up and cupped his hands in apology toward Yan Huang.

“My younger brother is insensible. Please forgive him if he has caused any offense, sir.”

Yan Huang gave a faint nod. He wasn’t about to argue with a boy about his own daughter’s age. He simply glanced at them once and paid them no further mind.

The young man didn’t seem to mind. After sitting back down, he chided his brother a few more times. The boy only looked indignant, glaring at Lu Xuan’s group resentfully before dropping the matter.

Just then, the waiter brought the final dish to their table.

“Xiaolu, Xiaolu!” Yan Jiangxue grew excited. “This dish is called Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow! It’s the Dragon and Phoenix Tower’s specialty, made with the liver of a Black Feathered Snake and the bone marrow of a Red-feathered Chicken. It’s the absolute best!”

She was practically drooling as she spoke.

“The unique, rich tenderness of the Black Feathered Snake’s liver, paired with the soft, delicate texture of the chicken marrow… It’s to die for! Quick, try some!”

With that, Yan Jiangxue placed a large helping of the ’Dragon Liver and Phoenix Marrow’ into Lu Xuan’s bowl.

Beside them, Yan Huang felt a pang of jealousy but also remarked with a sigh,

“This is indeed the Dragon and Phoenix Tower’s specialty. The recipe has been passed down for over a thousand years. When I was a child, this was the dish I craved the most.”

Lu Xuan took a bite. As the exquisite flavor exploded on his tongue, his eyes lit up. He asked,

“Uncle Yan, did you grow up in East Sea City?”

“Yes, this is my hometown… which is why I had Jiang Xue come here for high school.”

The three of them ate and chatted idly. Perhaps it was because he was with his daughter, but Yan Huang put on no airs at all. He was quite talkative, in fact, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of East Sea City’s local customs and culture.

Even after talking for a long time, he seemed to have more to say. Finally, he added with some regret,

“Actually, I once tried to develop East Sea City into the largest metropolis on the East Continent. But I had to shelve that idea later because we discovered that there were too many large tombs and ruins underneath the city, filled with all sorts of magical arrays and restrictions, making large-scale development impossible.”

After a pause, Yan Huang sighed.

“And this is my hometown, after all. Forcibly breaking the arrays could lead to the complete destruction of East Sea City. So, for all these years, we’ve only been slowly wearing them down and cautiously excavating the ancient sites.”

The eavesdropping boy at the next table pouted again. ’Those three really don’t make any sense,’ he thought. ’They just say whatever comes to mind!’

’If there were really that many large tombs and ruins under East Sea City, the six Super Conglomerates would have already dug the place clean!’

Lu Xuan, however, grew thoughtful. He remembered the cemetery in the shantytown. According to Uncle Wu, a massive ruin lay beneath it, and the Supreme Foundation Establishment Chapter had leaked out from there.

’If… if the dream world truly is the Ancient Times—whether it’s the actual past on the timeline, a reflection, or a projection…’

’…does that mean a successor of the Taishang Lineage once lived in this area for a long time, leaving behind a massive ruin? Or could it be…’

’…the great tomb of a Taishang successor?’

At this thought, a wave of sadness washed over him. He was also of the Taishang Lineage. If it was the latter, it was very likely that one of his senior or junior brothers was buried here…

’Even Immortal Gods don’t have true Longevity.’

Just as a hundred thoughts raced through Lu Xuan’s mind, a commotion suddenly erupted from downstairs.

Yan Huang frowned and set his chopsticks down. The next moment, the sound of urgent footsteps echoed, and everyone instinctively looked over to see four or five hooded figures rushing up the stairs.

Their faces were obscured by their hoods, impossible to see clearly, but every one of them radiated a malevolent, murderous aura.

“There they are!”

The lead hooded man pointed a finger.

“Take them all. Remember, don’t kill them yet!”

He was pointing directly at the four people sitting at the table next to Lu Xuan’s.

“Who do you think you’re grabbing?” The boy from the next table slammed his hand on the table in anger. “Do you have any idea who my brother is?”

But the five hooded men didn’t waste any words on him. They each shook their bodies, and a vast, almost tangible aura of vital energy and blood erupted from them!

The face of the previously composed young man changed drastically.

“Five-organ Grandmasters??”

These five men were all Perfection Grandmasters who had reached the eighth stage of the Jade Tower, having developed their five organs to the absolute limit!

The vital energies of the five hooded men intertwined, kicking up a gale that ravaged the entire second floor of the Dragon and Phoenix Tower. Countless customers screamed and fled in all directions. In the span of just a few breaths, the once-crowded floor was completely empty.

On the second floor, besides the hooded men and the young man’s group of four, only Lu Xuan’s party remained.

Yan Jiangxue was doing her best to shield the table full of food from the gale. Lu Xuan frowned in concentration, while Yan Huang slowly sipped his tea, seemingly too lazy to bother with the sudden turn of events.

“Do you have any idea what a grave crime it is to attack an Inspector!”

The young man stood up, his face filled with rage.

“Excellent. I have only just arrived in East Sea, and already several Perfection Grandmasters have come for me. It seems some people in East Sea City have guilty consciences!”

The lead hooded man sneered. His gaze swept over and landed on Lu Xuan’s group of three, sitting calmly to the side. He frowned.

’Hm? There are still people who haven’t run? Are they idiots?’

’No, there can’t be that many idiots in the world… Are they just skilled and therefore bold?’

At the table, Lu Xuan was frowning at his phone, apparently searching for something online. Yan Jiangxue tilted her head and asked curiously,

“Dad, aren’t you going to do something?”

“Why get involved? They aren’t bothering us. My dear, whether it’s a good deed or a bad one, you can’t possibly meddle in every affair in this world…”

The hooded man thought for a moment and decided to ignore the three of them. Causing unnecessary complications was a bad idea; a swift victory was what mattered.

Immediately, he turned his attention back to the young man.

“It seems Inspector Wang is unwilling to come with us… In that case, we won’t be so polite!”

「Downtown, the Administration Building.」

“Sir, they’ve begun their operation. There shouldn’t be any surprises… but if something unexpected does happen, what are your orders?”

The old man rolled a pair of walnuts in his palm and said nonchalantly,

“This Inspector arrived without reporting in. No one higher up knows he’s in East Sea City. If an ’accident’ really happens, have the Inspectorate cordon off the area and claim an Evil Cult is causing trouble.”

He paused, then continued.

“Then, tell Sakata Heavy Industries to make a move and kill all the witnesses. There shouldn’t be many. With the pretext of suppressing an Evil Cult, it won’t attract the attention of the Death Tower or the higher-ups.”

“Yes, sir.”

「Dragon and Phoenix Tower.」

The five Perfection Grandmasters advanced, their five terrifying auras locking onto the young man surnamed Wang. Although he himself was also a Perfection Grandmaster, one person was no match for five.

Under the pressure of their auras, his breathing grew labored, and he subconsciously retreated several steps.

The six of them clashed. Amidst rolling waves of energy, it took only a moment for the young man, Wang, to be severely wounded. He dropped to one knee, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

“Brother!” the boy cried out, his voice choked with sobs.

A shockwave rolled over, knocking some of the dishes off the table.

Lu Xuan stared at the description of an Inspector on the webpage, his frown deepening.

[Inspector: Responsible for inspecting the various cities of the Federation, supervising officials, and investigating cases of corruption, bribery, abuse of power, etc.]

He looked up at Yan Huang and asked softly,

“Uncle Yan, I want to get involved.”

Yan Huang frowned.

“Why?”

“Inspectors are responsible for inspecting the various cities. They investigate corrupt officials. They do things that benefit the common people.”

“But can you handle it?” Yan Huang took a careful look at Lu Xuan. For some reason, the state of his physical body was blurry and chaotic, making it impossible to discern his specific Cultivation level.

The Primordial Body, even a sliver of it, could not be fathomed by a True Immortal.

Yan Huang then said,

“I’m just an ordinary citizen; I wouldn’t dare get involved. Those are five Perfection Grandmasters. Besides, didn’t that kid with them mock us just now? What is this, returning kindness for malice?”

“What does that have to do with the young man? Besides, I just want to ask whether their conflict is a personal grudge or because of his position as an ’Inspector.’ If it’s the latter, then I can’t just stand by and do nothing. How can we let those who gather firewood for the people freeze to death in the snow?”

Yan Huang was somewhat moved, but he still thought Lu Xuan’s ideas were too naive.

’There’s so much injustice in the world; how could anyone possibly handle it all?’

’Can’t you just focus on the ground beneath your own feet?’

After thinking for a moment, he asked again,

“Xiaolu, you should be a Bone Marrow Refining Martial Master, right? That’s certainly impressive for your age, but how can you be so confident?”

“My Cultivation level is indeed lower than theirs, but I’m still confident.” Lu Xuan had been observing the fight for a while. Although he was only a Three-organ Grandmaster, he could feel that the five of them couldn’t beat him.

The middle-aged man lowered his gaze. ’Where does this kid’s confidence come from?’

An idea struck him. He decided to test Lu Xuan’s true capabilities and said,

“Alright, then. I’ll make my position clear. If you can’t beat them, as long as you’re not about to die, I won’t lift a finger…”

“I’ll help! I’ll help!”

The girl, who had been silent all this time, suddenly looked up, her eyes curving into crescents and her smile blooming like a flower.

She brandished a small fist.

“Xiaolu, Xiaolu, I’m actually really strong too! Let’s beat them up together, okay?”

Yan Huang suddenly had the urge to flip the table.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep