Chapter 59 - 57: His Excellency the President Has Gone Mad, He Wants to Establish a New Imperial System
Hearing this, Lu Yun suddenly understood a few things.
No wonder Sun Niangu looked much younger than him, yet was already a Grandmaster of Huajin. His power was profound, not far from the Mid-stage Grandmaster of Huajin Realm!
’It all made sense now. The bastard was juicing!’
’I’m so angry I’m shaking!’
’Based on the information Sun Niangu revealed, doesn’t that mean the Daxia New Country is hiding countless unknown experts? There might even be legendary figures who have surpassed the Grandmaster of Huajin Realm.’
However, before Lu Yun could ask, Sun Niangu brought the topic up himself.
"Brother Lu, to be able to break through to Huajin at the age of sixty in this era of thin Spiritual Qi is truly astonishing."
"That’s why I’m willing to share these secrets with you. But you must understand, there are always bigger fish in the sea."
"The Grandmaster of Huajin is not our final destination. Hidden within the lands of the Daxia New Country are many secluded families and ancient sects with long histories and unfathomable foundations!"
"To be honest with you, Brother Lu, my Sun Family is one of them."
With the warning delivered, Sun Niangu finally showed his true colors, revealing the real purpose of his visit to the Lu Family.
"Brother Lu, that old fool Chu Baoshen was a former Imperial Guard. When the Imperial City fell and the world was plunged into chaos, there’s no way he escaped empty-handed."
"He must have a batch of precious treasures that he took from the Imperial Palace’s inner treasury!"
At this, Sun Niangu waved his hand, putting on a "magnanimous" air. "Of course, I have no interest in ordinary gold, silver, jewels, or antique calligraphy and paintings."
"Even if there are some relics from the Zulong Dynasty mixed in, we can discuss that later. We can even negotiate how to divide them."
"But right now, my superiors are in urgent need of one very specific item."
"It is the one that the Grand Ancestor Emperor of the Yin Dynasty took from the ruins of Emperor Zulong’s Imperial Palace. He wore it when he ascended the throne, founded the dynasty, and proclaimed it to the world."
"That Dragon Robe!"
"I wonder, Brother Lu... have you seen this item?"
However, Lu Yun’s expression didn’t flicker in the slightest, as if Sun Niangu were talking about something that had nothing to do with him and that he had never heard of before.
He slowly shook his head, a helpless look on his face. "Advisor Sun, I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Chu Baoshen? I did meet him a few times in my younger years, but we were merely passing acquaintances. We were never close."
"It’s no use trying to force me. I, Lu Yun, have always acted with integrity. I’m just a law-abiding businessman. Advisor Sun, I’m afraid you have the wrong person."
Watching Lu Yun’s stubborn, completely denial-filled performance, Sun Niangu’s expression gradually darkened.
He had spent so much time carefully laying the groundwork, revealing secrets, and flaunting his power and background, only to have Lu Yun deny him so flatly and flawlessly when he finally revealed his true objective!
He shot up from his chair, his voice turning ice-cold.
"Brother Lu! That Dragon Robe is of the utmost importance to us! We know your relationship with Chu Baoshen is not a simple one!"
"Whether you admit it or not, Brother Lu, the orders from above are very clear. You have only two paths to choose from."
"First, hand over all the Imperial Palace Treasure that Chu Baoshen gave you, and we can compensate you in other ways."
"Second, you can choose to oppose our Daxia New Country, to oppose His Excellency the President!"
"At that point, Brother Lu, you won’t just be facing me, Sun Niangu, or the Department of Antiquities. You’ll be facing the entire army."
"I think that even as a Grandmaster of Huajin, you should understand what that means!"
Yet, Lu Yun remained unmoved. He looked up at the menacing Sun Niangu and repeated, "Advisor Sun, I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"I don’t have a Dragon Robe. I am just a legal businessman in Yun Port City who pays his taxes and minds his own business."
"If His Excellency the President and your Department of Antiquities insist on fabricating charges against a law-abiding businessman without any evidence, then I, Lu, will have no choice but to face them."
Seeing Lu Yun’s impenetrable and unyielding demeanor, Sun Niangu’s confidence wavered for the first time.
’Could it be... the intelligence I received was wrong? Did Chu Baoshen not give the Imperial Palace Treasure to Lu Yun?’
’Or perhaps, the Dragon Robe wasn’t with Chu Baoshen, but with one of the other fugitives from the palace?’
After a moment of confrontation, Sun Niangu took a deep breath. He knew he probably wouldn’t get anything out of him today.
Lu Yun was the local powerhouse of Yun Port City, with deep roots. Now that he was also a Grandmaster of Huajin, it would be difficult to make him submit without concrete evidence.
"Fine!"
Sun Niangu flicked his sleeve, his tone returning to calm. "In any case, I’ve delivered my message. Whether you listen or not, and what you choose to do, that is your own business, Brother Lu."
He turned to leave, but paused at the entrance to the hall. Turning his head back toward the still-seated Lu Yun, he left him with a final, meaningful sentence: "Brother Lu, you’d better weigh your options carefully!"
"In this chaotic mortal world, it’s already hard enough to stand one’s ground. Don’t make a misstep. One wrong move and you’ll fall into an abyss of eternal damnation."
"Besides, our dear His Excellency the President... he’s on the verge of madness lately! He’s dead set on establishing some kind of new emperor system!"
"He’s sparing no expense to collect symbolic items that can prove his Mandate of Heaven!"
"That Dragon Robe from the Zulong Dynasty... is of extraordinary significance to him!"
With that, Sun Niangu didn’t linger and strode out of the Lu Family’s main hall.
Lu Yun remained seated, unmoving. He softly repeated a few words: "His Excellency the President... new emperor system... Dragon Robe..."
’Brother Chu, you old dog. The thing you sent me really is a hot potato.’
’And what kind of Realm lies beyond Huajin? Just how miraculous is the Elixir of Immortality?’
Lu Yun didn’t fully believe what Sun Niangu had said; he simply remained silent. Who knew if he was just making it all up?
History is sometimes like a little girl, dressed up however anyone pleases!
Meanwhile, with a pained expression, Wang Weijing carefully took something out of a special silk pouch he kept close to his chest.
It was a Crystal Stone, about the size of a pebble. It was a warm yellow color all over, and as translucent as the finest amber.
Inside the Crystal Stone, a faint, indescribable halo of light seemed to be slowly flowing. Even more peculiar, naturally etched onto one of its smooth surfaces were two ancient, grand words.
Overlord Chu!
Wang Weijing looked at the Crystal Stone in his hand, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He knew its origin all too well.
Three years ago, Wang Weijing’s men had forcibly taken this unremarkable yellow stone from a degenerate gambler as "debt collection." The man had lost everything, even gambling away his ancestral Jade Pendant.
At first, the gambler had just thought it was a pretty pebble. Later, when pressed, he blurted out that it was a burial object he had "swiped" from an "unknown rich man’s ancient tomb," and had kept it because he thought it was rare.
When Wang Weijing heard this, he was intrigued. He even personally led his men to find that nameless ancient tomb, located in the desolate wilderness. It had already been looted and didn’t even have a tombstone.
Afterward, Wang Weijing ordered his men to dig three feet deep around the tomb, practically turning the whole area upside down, but they found nothing.
Aside from some long-decayed coffin fragments and scattered pottery shards, they found nothing of value.
It seemed to be just an ordinary, old tomb of a wealthy person.
The origin of the Immortality Crystal was something Wang Weijing had learned from his master, who had passed away many years ago. Hailing from some declining minor sect, his master knew all sorts of miscellaneous martial world rumors and ancient legends, and had once mentioned it by chance before he died.
He said there was a wondrous object in the world called the "Immortality Crystal." It was rumored to be a key token for finding the legendary "Elixir of Immortality," and might contain a map sealed within it.
However, this knowledge was followed by a deep sense of powerlessness.
Because to open the "Immortality Crystal" and see the map inside, one needed the unique Qi of a Grandmaster of Huajin to slowly permeate it.
A Grandmaster of Huajin!
There were only three publicly known in all of Yun Port City! Oh, no, wait. That old fellow from the Lu Family just broke through, so now there are four.