Chapter 574 - 574: Blatant Threat

"Cao Shan, aren't you the one who should be disgraced?"

Sun Zhen stood with his hands clasped behind his back and scoffed. "Let's talk about Gathering Essence Pills. I have them. Do you? And so what if I'm a servant? I've gained far more than you, the Patriarch of the Cao Family, one of the three great families of Shanghai, could ever imagine. How is that not utterly humiliating for you?"

"You!"

Cao Shan was speechless. Sun Zhen was right; he had no rebuttal!

"Again!"

He could only vent his anger on Sun Zhen, his figure twisting and darting through the air like a wild beast. He also shot a secret glance at Zheng Wuji.

Zheng Wuji understood the unspoken command, his fierce gaze instantly locking onto Jiang Xinghai!

SWOOSH!

A fissure split the air as a blast of energy swept across.

Zheng Wuji opened with his strongest attack. He had already witnessed the immense power radiating from Jiang Xinghai.

"Finally lost your patience, have you?"

Jiang Xinghai had been standing on the yacht's deck all along, his left arm around Nightingale. A smile spread across his face. "Nightingale, are you ready to record?"

"Ready when you are."

As Nightingale responded, she flew backward and took out her phone.

And this was exactly what Jiang Xinghai had been waiting for: for Zheng Wuji to make the first move!

Only then, even if he heavily injured or even killed his opponent, it would be considered self-defense.

This would not only save him a lot of trouble but also prevent his Second Senior Sister, Zhong Yunman, from taking the blame.

Zheng Wuji charged toward Jiang Xinghai like a ferocious tiger, with unparalleled speed and power.

A fierce wind howled in his wake, as if the grim reaper himself had arrived.

Zheng Wuji couldn't even be bothered to waste a single word; his intentions were self-evident.

'In a one-on-one fight, even if I'm no match for Jiang Xinghai, my father-in-law will naturally step in to help me.'

His gaze was as cold as ice as he immediately unleashed his signature move—Fierce Tiger Pounce!

The punch was like a meteor streaking across the sky, its speed breathtaking.

But Jiang Xinghai, his figure standing as firm as a mountain, simply smiled in the face of this earth-shattering punch.

Then, he gave a light wave of his hand.

Jiang Xinghai's hands traced an elegant arc through the air, as if he were playing a beautiful piece of music.

However, his power surged forth like a torrent, instantly swatting Zheng Wuji down onto the beach.

The force was so strong it seemed to make the very air tremble.

"You..."

Zheng Wuji's body carved a deep trench in the sand before he crashed onto the beach, his gaze turning vacant.

'I knew Jiang Xinghai was strong, but I never thought he'd be this strong!'

'I'm a master at the Great Perfection of the late-stage Creation Realm! A Three-star General of the Eastern Territory! I'm always the one projecting an aura of power; I've never lost a battle.'

'But today, Jiang Xinghai defeated me in a single move!'

PFFT!

A mouthful of crimson blood sprayed from his lips, and his eyes instinctively darted toward his father-in-law, Cao Shan.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

At that moment, the fierce battle between Cao Shan and Sun Zhen was at its peak. Neither could gain the upper hand; they were evenly matched.

'There's no hope of getting help from my Realm Master father-in-law.'

"General Zheng, you didn't just spill the secrets of Mirror Lake Manor, and I have to say, I admire your principles. So, I do have a bit of a good impression of you. Of course, that's limited to your sense of loyalty," Jiang Xinghai said with a faint smile, lighting a cigarette.

This was genuinely what he thought.

'Otherwise, if a distinguished Three-star General of the Eastern Territory were to divulge a top secret of the War Department just because of some temptation, a traitor like that would have his entire clan exterminated!'

But in the end, Zheng Wuji had held to his principles, regardless of whether it was for the sake of his own future.

"The day after tomorrow!"

Zheng Wuji shakily climbed up from the sand, staring intently at Jiang Xinghai. "The day after tomorrow, by evening at the latest, I'll tell you the secret of Mirror Lake Manor. In exchange, I want ten Gathering Essence Pills!"

"The day after tomorrow... We'll talk then." Jiang Xinghai's gaze shifted from Zheng Wuji to the ongoing battle between Sun Zhen and Cao Shan.

'The day after tomorrow?'

'By then, I might have already found Mirror Lake Manor on my own!'

'Of course, if I haven't, there's no harm in making a deal with Zheng Wuji.'

"So you're saying you agree to trade ten Gathering Essence Pills for the secret," Zheng Wuji said, wanting to hear the confirmation from Jiang Xinghai's own lips.

"That's right!"

Jiang Xinghai gave Zheng Wuji a glimmer of hope. "When the time comes, if you can bring me to Mirror Lake Manor."

"Bring you there? I can't do that."

Zheng Wuji stated firmly, "At most, I can tell you the location of Mirror Lake Manor. For ten pills!"

"In that case, I hope you hurry up. If I find it on my own tomorrow, you won't get a single pill," Jiang Xinghai said with a frank smile.

Zheng Wuji seemed incredibly confident, shaking his head. "Find it on your own? Haha, you're overthinking it. If just anyone could find it, it wouldn't be considered a top secret of the War Department!"

"So, Mirror Lake Manor has a deep connection with the War Department. Could I interpret that to mean Mirror Lake Manor is part of the War Department?" Jiang Xinghai guessed boldly.

"I can tell you with great solemnity, Mirror Lake Manor does not belong to the War Department. It belongs to a single..." Zheng Wuji started, but then stopped abruptly.

'But Jiang Xinghai had already guessed what Zheng Wuji was about to say. It seems to belong to a single person?'

'Or a mysterious organization!'

'But it definitely won't be Black Cloak!'

'Otherwise, his uncle, Mr. Long—Ji Xiao—whom he had never met, wouldn't still be using him to search for his parents.'

BAM!

At the same time, Sun Zhen, proving to be slightly superior, knocked Cao Shan back.

Both men were exhausted, standing in place and gasping for breath.

"Old Sun, have a Gathering Essence Pill. We've got plenty."

Jiang Xinghai's meaningful reminder brought Sun Zhen to his senses, and he immediately swallowed one without hesitation.

Cao Shan watched this scene with wide eyes, unable to stop himself from gulping.

Seeing Sun Zhen's aura suddenly intensify, Cao Shan finally felt the urge to retreat deep within his heart.

"Patriarch Cao, let's call it a day."

From the yacht, Jiang Xinghai suddenly raised an eyebrow at Cao Shan. "Tomorrow morning, I intend to set foot on all the islands under your Cao Family's jurisdiction. At that time, you can choose to welcome me or you can choose to obstruct me. But as for life or death, you'd better think it over carefully."

"Old Sun, let's go."

Before his voice had even faded, Jiang Xinghai was already leading Nightingale back into the cabin.

Sun Zhen leaped aboard, started the yacht, and departed.

Cao Shan and Zheng Wuji watched until the yacht had completely disappeared, then let out a desolate sigh.

"Jiang Xinghai... his strength is at least in the Celestial Destiny Realm. I'm no match for him," Zheng Wuji said, slumping onto the sand, looking utterly defeated.

"That old man, Sun, is remarkably strong. If the two of them had pressed the attack today, we wouldn't have survived until nightfall."

Cao Shan gazed at the endless sunset, his heart heavy with grief. "Tomorrow... are we really just going to stand by and watch them land on the islands?"

"With such a blatant threat from Jiang Xinghai... what other cards is he holding?" Zheng Wuji wondered, his face etched with worry.