Chapter 3765 — See You Out
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
The problem was that it was not the height of a second-story fall that had truly brought him down, but the formidable true qi of four experts deliberately wrapped around him. Even if they had not struck to kill, the impact alone was enough to leave him in a sorry state for some time.
Had it been a mid-stage Foundation Establishment expert like his disciple Yu Jiang, the outcome would have been far worse than a few bruises—most likely he would have bled from all seven orifices on the spot and died.
Under the gazes of the onlookers ringing him—some curious, some gloating—Nan Tianyong came to his senses, and his fury boiled over. Though he dared not storm the gate, he jabbed a finger at the second-floor window and prepared to curse them out.
But before he could open his mouth, four powerful auras from above locked onto him once more, killing intent flickering in and out of perception. If he showed the slightest disrespect now, those four retained experts seemed ready at any moment to strike him dead.
Merchants prized harmony and the pursuit of wealth, and Nan Tianyong was utterly certain Hong Zhong would not kill him today. But those four retained experts were a different matter altogether.
Hong Zhong was a businessman; those four were not. They were retainers whose sole duty was to settle matters when the moment demanded, and the Hong Clan Merchant Association held little sway over them.
What was more, experts had the pride of experts. If a clown like Nan Tianyong kept testing the limits of their tolerance, killing him would be no harder than slaughtering a chicken. This was a privilege universally acknowledged by the cultivation world, and even if Chongtian Pavilion investigated afterward, it would be useless.
Faced with the cold, grim killing intent of those four retained experts, Nan Tianyong promptly and wisely swallowed the curses at the tip of his tongue. He was reckless, but not truly a fool. If he had been an utter idiot, then no matter what backing or support he had behind him, he could never have reached the position he held today.
Hong Zhong stood at the window, taking in every bit of Nan Tianyong's aggrieved expression, and said mildly, "See you out."
The voice was not loud, but like a great hammer it struck every person present in the chest, word by word. Nan Tianyong, bearing the brunt of it, nearly sprayed out another mouthful of blood, his face unbelievably ugly.
Yet ugly as his face was, Nan Tianyong's heart was filled with utter shock. Because Hong Zhong had always been so mild and agreeable, he had assumed all along that the old man was nothing but a running dog and lackey of the Hong Clan Merchant Association. Never had he imagined that this man was a more terrifying existence than all four of those retained experts combined!
With the strength Hong Zhong had just displayed, killing him would have been as simple as crushing an ant. And to think he had earlier provoked and bellowed at the man without a care for his own life—looking back now, he broke out in a cold sweat. Just now he had been, as the saying goes, the old man of longevity tying a noose: tired of living!
Faced with such a vast gulf, even Nan Tianyong, long accustomed to arrogance and bullying, could only bow his head and admit defeat for the moment, slinking off shamefaced with his hands over his face, drawing a chorus of laughter from the onlookers. Some passersby who knew Hong Zhong gave him a thumbs-up, and a roaring cheer went up.
Hong Zhong watched it all with a faint smile, then courteously cupped his hands toward the crowd below in thanks.
However, a few customers acquainted with Hong Zhong still found a chance to remind him, "Manager Hong, this Nan Tianhai may be a good-for-nothing, but he has two elder brothers whose strength far surpasses his. They are just as domineering and unreasonable, and on the North Island they are quite famous—infamous, of course. You would do well to guard against them in the days to come."