"Oh?"
Lu Canglan raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling into a mocking smile. "Yang Cheng, what's this? You dare to act but not admit it, so you're going to let your own attendant take the blame? Is this the conduct of the so-called Crown Prince of Great Zhou?"
He was clearly intent on forcing the filth upon Yang Cheng, leaving him no way out.
Lin Shu's eyes flashed coldly as she was about to speak, but Yang Cheng lifted his hand slightly, a calm gesture telling her to step back.
Though reluctant, Lin Shu still obeyed and quietly retreated to his side.
Then, facing Lu Canglan's sharp gaze, Yang Cheng suddenly smiled—his expression calm, even playful. "You say it was my order? Then sure, let's say it was."
His open admission shocked everyone present.
"Just as you said, I'm that 'vicious.'"
Yang Cheng's voice wasn't loud, but every word was crystal clear. "Your grandson dared to insult me. The fact that I only crippled him instead of killing him—that was mercy."
His tone suddenly sharpened like a blade, his gaze sweeping across the Lu family members behind Lu Canglan. "As for your Lu family… if any of you dares to cross me again, believe it or not, I'll crush you underfoot and erase the Lu family from the Southern Region."
"You…"
Lu Canglan's pupils shrank sharply.
By rights, he should have been pleased that Yang Cheng had taken the bait. But the way Yang Cheng said those words—so cold, so dismissive—was like being slapped in the face. The humiliation burned too deep to ignore.
He had lived for over 300 years, ruled the Lu family for a full century, and in all that time, no one had ever dared to insult the Lu family so openly.
"Well said—'crush us,' is it?"
Lu Canglan's fury turned to cold laughter. The Yin God aura around him surged outward like a tidal wave, the banquet hall's beams and pillars creaking under the crushing pressure. "Yang Cheng, do you even know what you're saying?"
"I said," Yang Cheng replied evenly, one hand clasped behind his back, his posture tall and straight as a pine, "crushing the Lu family would be as easy as crushing an ant."
The hurricane of spiritual pressure poured over him, but he stood motionless. The overwhelming power that could crush an Insight God expert was, to him, nothing more than a passing breeze.
"Very good."
Lu Canglan's voice dropped to an icy tone, each syllable laced with killing intent. "Yang Cheng, if you don't kneel and apologize right now, and give the Lu family an explanation that satisfies me, I swear this—you will not leave this hall alive. So long as the Lu family exists, you will die."
Yang Cheng chuckled, the corners of his lips lifting in mocking amusement. "Enough empty talk. If you've got the guts, go ahead—touch a single finger of mine. Let's see whether it's you or the Lu family that disappears from the Southern Region tonight."
"You—" Lu Canglan's entire body trembled with rage, his chest heaving violently.
He wanted to strike. Every bone in his body screamed for it.
But reason chained his fury.
He wasn't afraid of Yang Cheng—but neither was he stupid enough to fight a madman like him without absolute certainty. The smarter move was to gather every possible ally, to crush this Great Zhou Crown Prince with overwhelming force.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Canglan forced his fury back down and suddenly sneered. "Fine. You're arrogant enough, I'll give you that. But do you really think the Lu family is your only enemy today?"
Even before his words faded, a new set of footsteps echoed from outside the banquet hall—steady and heavy, each one carrying authority.
A middle-aged man in a dark gold brocade robe slowly entered.
"It's He Rongping from the He family!" someone whispered.
"The He family? What are they doing here?"
"Idiot, haven't you heard? The He family is related to the Ouyang family by marriage. Back then, when Yang Cheng wiped out the entire Ouyang clan, the He family swore vengeance. Looks like they've been waiting for this moment."
Amid the murmuring crowd, He Rongping walked straight to stand beside Lu Canglan, his eyes cold and venomous as they locked onto Yang Cheng. "Yang Cheng, when you slaughtered the Ouyang family all those years ago, did it ever cross your mind that one day, you'd face retribution?"
Yang Cheng looked at him—and suddenly chuckled. "We cultivators—whose hands aren't stained with blood? If you really believe in 'karma,' then we should all just stop cultivating right now, find a rope, and hang ourselves."
His voice was calm, even detached, as though he were speaking about something trivial. "The Ouyang family provoked me, so I exterminated them. They brought it on themselves. If your He family wants revenge for them, then come. Saves me the trouble of visiting you later."
"Arrogant!"
He Rongping's face sank, but he didn't respond further. Instead, he stepped into Lu Canglan's formation, his stance already making his allegiance clear.
In that instant, the combined pressure of the Lu and He families surged like a tidal wave. Two Yin God experts and five Insight God cultivators stood aligned, their auras intertwining into a single oppressive force that made the air tremble.
Seated at the head of the hall, Lin Xiaotian's expression shifted between gloom and worry. He hadn't expected things to escalate this far—to the point that even the He family had joined in.
Just then, the voice of a Lin family guard rang out from the gates. "Old Master Huang Guinian and Young Master Huang Yuan of the Huang family have arrived!"
Everyone turned to look.
Old Master Huang Guinian entered slowly, leaning on a dragon-headed cane, supported by Huang Yuan.
Huang Guinian's hair and beard were pure white, his face thin and wrinkled, his presence like that of a candle flickering in the wind. Yet his eyes—though clouded with age—shone with a depth that seemed to pierce the soul.
Huang Yuan's gaze immediately sought out Yang Cheng. The look in his eyes was mocking, full of schadenfreude, as if saying, Let's see how arrogant you are now.
Huang Guinian, however, didn't even glance at Yang Cheng at first. He bowed slightly toward Lin Xiaotian at the head of the hall. "Brother Lin, I trust I haven't arrived too late?"
"Brother Huang, you're too polite," Lin Xiaotian said quickly, rising to return the gesture, though inwardly his expression turned darker.
There was no question—Huang Guinian's arrival wasn't out of courtesy. He was here for Yang Cheng.
Huang Guinian nodded faintly, then finally turned his gaze toward Yang Cheng. His voice was flat and without warmth. "So, you're Yang Cheng?"
"I am," Yang Cheng replied calmly with a slight nod.
"A talented youth indeed," Huang Guinian said slowly, his tone taking on the air of an elder giving instruction. "So young, and already possessing such strength—truly something to be proud of."
He paused, lightly tapping his cane against the floor—tok, tok—the sound echoing like the beating of a distant drum. "But I've lived a long life, and I've seen many like you—arrogant, overconfident, thinking that their talent alone can defy the heavens."
His gaze sharpened slightly. "Tell me, have you ever heard the saying 'the overly rigid breaks easily'? You burn too fiercely, boy. That violent temper of yours—have you ever thought about what kind of end it will lead you to?"
At that, Lin Shu's brows furrowed tightly. Her voice, clear and unwavering, cut through the air like a blade. "Old Master Huang, with all due respect, that's not fair. His Highness has never once provoked anyone here. It's your Lu family, your Huang family, and your He family who've done all the forcing—threats, insults, even talk of bloodshed. If we're talking about violent tempers, I'd say you all have far more of it than he does."
Her figure stood tall, her tone steady and bright, each word striking like thunder. Even the old cultivators behind Huang Guinian were momentarily taken aback.
Huang Guinian didn't get angry. Instead, he stroked his beard and gave a small smile, his eyes lingering on Lin Shu. "A fine young lady," he said softly. "Strong-willed, talented, and loyal to her master. With such a temperament, if she married into a good family, she'd surely be devoted to her husband—a rare uncut gem indeed."
Then, his tone shifted, his eyes glinting with meaning as he turned to Huang Yuan beside him. "Yuan'er, you may have your flaws—your temper, your arrogance—but if she were to marry you, our Huang family would be willing to forgive all past grudges."
The moment his words fell, many in the hall secretly nodded, thinking Old Master Huang truly magnanimous.