The caller addressed him directly by his name and spoke in a tone so icy that it was clear he had come prepared.
"I've sent the address and photo to your phone."
"I am giving you just one hour. If you aren't here in an hour, I can't guarantee whether the person in the photo will still be alive."
Beep, beep, beep.
Without a moment's hesitation, the other person hung up the phone.
Zhang Lingtian opened the text message, and the instant he saw that photograph, a towering fury surged straight to his head.
In the photo, an elderly man was kneeling on the ground with his hands bound, covered in blood.
That face was one Zhang Lingtian would never forget.
That old man was none other than the Old Dean who had once treated him the best.
He never expected that the Old Dean would still be alive. For him, this came as a pleasant surprise.
Yet those people actually dared to treat the Old Dean like this; he would never let them off.
"What is it, Junior Brother?" Jiang Wanyue walked up to him, looking at Zhang Lingtian with concern.
"Senior Sister, the matter here is settled. I have to go take care of something."
With that, he got straight into his sports car and sped away into the distance.
Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, inside a concealed stone chamber.
A young man in his early twenties sat cross-legged on a woven meditation mat.
He was tall and lean, with a face like a wintry pool. His fair skin radiated a chilly aura.
His brows slanted sharply upward, and his narrow, deep-set eyes had pupils dark as ink, as though they could swallow all the surrounding light.
His nose was high and straight, his facial lines harsh and rigid, and his thin lips pressed tightly together without a trace of a smile. His entire person exuded an aloof, forbidding, and gloomy chill.
He slowly opened his tightly closed eyes and muttered to himself, "Has it failed?"
"This is already the third time. When on earth will I, Xiang Yingtian, break through to the realm of a Great Grandmaster?" A flash of displeasure crossed his face, tinged with irritation.
Then, as if recalling something, he let out a cold snort. "Hmph, if I hadn't let that woman escape back then, I, Xiang Yingtian, would have become a Great Grandmaster long ago."
"Heh, hehe... A woman possessing the Extreme Yin Qi, I, Xiang Yingtian, am determined to have her." Madness surged across his face.
"Those good-for-nothings in the Xiang Family still haven't found that woman after all these years. They're utterly useless."
With that, he rose to his feet and slowly walked out of the stone chamber.
Suddenly, a man in his thirties hurried forward, crying out, "Eldest Young Master, you've finally come out of seclusion! Something has happened at home!"
From this person's words, it was easy to tell he was a servant of the Xiang Family.
Xiang Yingtian's face showed impatience as he spoke in a deep voice, "What has happened?"
Over the years, those people in the Xiang Family had frequently used his name to throw their weight around outside.
Yet the tasks he had assigned the Xiang Family had still not been accomplished.
To him, so-called family affection was absolute bullshit; pursuing the peak of martial arts was his only goal.
"Eldest Young Master, that woman has appeared, and she brought a lover back with her. She and that lover killed the Second Young Master and the Master!" the servant cried out.
"Bang."
The next second, Xiang Yingtian struck the servant down with a single palm blow, killing him instantly.
"Useless trash, all you know how to do is wail. So noisy," Xiang Yingtian muttered angrily, not forgetting to curse.
Given his temperament, he detested useless scum who only knew how to cry and make a fuss.
After a long while, he finally calmed his emotions, gazed into the direction of Jinling, and said with a chilling smirk, "Heh, Jiang Wanyue, you've finally returned."
"I let you escape six years ago, but this time you won't slip out of the palm of my hand, Xiang Yingtian."
With that, he headed straight down the mountain.
The Capital.
A mysterious man and God of War Xuanwu sat facing each other.
A chessboard was set out between them.
"News just came back—your disciple failed." The mysterious man picked up a black piece and placed it right on the center star point.
Hearing this, God of War Xuanwu showed not the slightest surprise, his expression calm.
He slowly picked up a white piece and dropped it into a corner of the board.
"Don't be impatient. This is merely the beginning; the good show is only just starting," God of War Xuanwu said calmly.
"Not impatient? Do you have any idea how much risk we are taking by doing this?" The mysterious man's face turned cold.
"Risk? I recall that last time it was you who begged me to make a move. Now you're starting to talk to me about risk?" God of War Xuanwu raised an eyebrow slightly and retorted.
"Hmph, is that the attitude you use when talking to me?" The mysterious man let out a cold snort and suddenly stood up.
"Don't say you're only a God of War; even your Military Department's Grand Marshal wouldn't dare speak to me like that."
Hearing this, God of War Xuanwu did not retort; he merely picked up another piece from the box and placed it onto the chessboard.
"I said, this is just the beginning. With my arrangements, that kid will definitely not survive." God of War Xuanwu was brimming with confidence.
Hearing these words from God of War Xuanwu, the mysterious man sat back down, though his expression remained somewhat icy.
"In that case, I'll trust you one more time. Let's hope you don't disappoint me this time." With that, the mysterious man stood right up.
"You should know what that item signifies. Getting it sooner is better for both of you and me." As he reached the door, the mysterious man turned back to offer a reminder.
God of War Xuanwu watched the mysterious man's departing back, his eyes narrowing as he fell into deep thought.
"To think that brat from back then has actually attained such strength now."
"Only, why should I, Xuanwu, split it evenly with you?" God of War Xuanwu wore a chilling expression.
"Once I obtain that item, never mind you, even this Daxia is a place I, Xuanwu, can walk across unhindered." God of War Xuanwu's expression grew increasingly frantic.
......
Jinling.
The sports car sped all the way, quickly arriving at the address provided by the other party.
This was a sprawling estate located in the suburbs of Jinling, covering a massive area of land.
Being able to own such an estate showed that its owner possessed formidable strength and financial resources.
"Who goes there? This is a private estate; outsiders are prohibited from entering."
As Zhang Lingtian drove right up to the gates, he was intercepted by the guards.
His expression turned cold. Anxious for the Old Dean, he had no time to waste talking nonsense with these people, so he simply struck the guards down with two palm blows, killing them on the spot.
Inside the main courtyard.
A middle-aged man in a black suit with a slicked-back hairstyle watched the scene on the monitor, instructing his subordinate beside him, "Old Er, our honored guest has arrived. Go out and welcome him."
"Understood, Boss." The man addressed as Old Er respectfully acknowledged the order and left the room.
"Are things prepared?" After Old Er departed, the boss asked the person behind him.
"Everything is ready. This is a lethal poison originating from Miaojiang—colorless and odorless. I've already mixed it into the wine. The moment that kid drinks it, his life will be forfeit on the spot."
"Heh, well done," the boss sneered.
"Although we have that old fool as a hostage, we still need to play it safe." With that, the boss stood right up and walked outside.