Return of the Celestial King

Mr. Ouyang couldn’t resist looking at the dragon robe, his hand slowly caressing it as if stroking a lover.

”It really has changed. Mr. Qin, I can feel that the robe is much smoother to the touch than before.”

Qin Tuo gave a wry smile. ’This Mr. Ouyang is quite the actor.’

To show his gratitude, Mr. Ouyang had his butler bring out several scrolls of calligraphy and paintings.

”Mr. Qin, as thanks for helping me cleanse the resentment, these treasures are for you!”

”Oh? Works by famous artists?”

Long Wu’s eyes instantly lit up.

It was clear that each of these pieces was priceless, and yet Mr. Ouyang was giving them away just like that!

But Qin Tuo saw right through Mr. Ouyang’s ulterior motive.

He waved his hand and smiled.

”There’s no need for such courtesy, Mr. Ouyang. It was a trivial matter.”

’The Spiritual Qi in these artworks has already been completely absorbed. They’re useless to me. It’s more valuable to have Mr. Ouyang owe me a favor.’

Mr. Ouyang chuckled sheepishly, his old face flushing as if his little scheme had been seen through.

He cleared his throat and said seriously,

”Mr. Qin, Long Wu, if you ever need any help in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask. If it’s within my power, I will not be stingy.”

Hearing this, Long Wu’s face instantly lit up with excitement.

”Great! Thank you in advance, Mr. Ouyang!”

Qin Tuo also nodded in thanks.

Mr. Ouyang sighed inwardly.

’In his position, it was best to avoid owing favors whenever possible.’

’But he never imagined Qin Tuo would see through his little ploy.’

’So he had no choice but to honor his promise.’

”Oh, by the way, you two must stay for dinner! Let me have the chef prepare a feast, and we can drink and be merry!”

Qin Tuo, however, politely declined.

”My apologies, Mr. Ouyang, but I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving now.”

At that moment, the Celestial King Order was vibrating slightly, and there seemed to be an incredibly powerful Spiritual Qi inside it.

Qin Tuo needed to go back and study it carefully.

Long Wu, standing beside him, looked as if he wanted to speak but stopped himself.

But seeing Qin Tuo refuse, he didn’t dare say anything more.

Mr. Ouyang sighed regretfully.

”Sigh, in that case, perhaps next time... Oh, that’s right!”

He suddenly remembered something, his face lighting up with excitement.

”Mr. Qin, I’m hosting an important banquet at the Lige Hotel tomorrow. Many key figures from Ming City’s political and business circles will be there. I hope you’ll both come and join the fun.”

Qin Tuo didn’t want to be too conspicuous and was about to refuse.

However, Long Wu immediately spoke up.

”Of course, Mr. Ouyang! We’ll definitely be there tomorrow!”

Qin Tuo frowned slightly, glancing at Long Wu.

Long Wu’s heart skipped a beat, and he grew nervous.

”Wonderful! I’ll be waiting to welcome you at the Lige Hotel tomorrow, haha!”

With the resentment gone, Mr. Ouyang was in high spirits, looking as if he had shed ten years.

He personally escorted the two of them out of the courtyard, showing them immense respect.

Once they were in the car, Long Wu immediately bowed his head and apologized.

”Celestial King! I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have presumed to accept the banquet invitation on your behalf.”

But Qin Tuo shook his head. He had already seen that something was weighing on Long Wu’s mind.

’Otherwise, it wasn’t in his nature to act so presumptuously.’

”Long Wu, has something happened to Huaiyi Hall? If there’s a problem, just say it.”

Long Wu’s expression was conflicted, but he finally revealed the truth.

”Celestial King, you may not be aware, but my title of Huaiyi Hall Master is just that—a title. Outside of Ming City, Huaiyi Hall’s influence throughout the Southwest Region is rapidly declining.”

Qin Tuo nodded. ’So, it seems Long Wu puts on a brave face, but he’s got his own silent struggles.’

Long Wu continued, his tone dejected.

”What’s more, Celestial King, a new power has emerged in Ming City. They’re extremely troublesome, so I was hoping to use Mr. Ouyang’s banquet to build more connections and secure Huaiyi Hall’s leading status.”

Qin Tuo was somewhat surprised.

”I always thought Huaiyi Hall was the unrivaled power in Ming City. I didn’t realize you had competition.”

Long Wu gave a bitter, helpless smile.

”Celestial King, in the past, Huaiyi Hall’s word was law. But two years ago, the Cyan Fire Gang suddenly emerged. Their leader is powerful—even I am no match for him.”

As he spoke, he shamefully rolled up his sleeve, revealing a prominent scar on his arm.

”Please look, Celestial King. This is the scar I received from the Cyan Fire Gang Leader after he defeated me.”

After speaking, he hung his head low, filled with shame and indignation.

”Oh, the Cyan Fire Gang Leader? Sounds like he’s got some skills.”

Qin Tuo knew that Long Wu’s own martial skills were already quite formidable.

’To be able to defeat Long Wu proved that the Cyan Fire Gang Leader was indeed a powerful individual.’

Long Wu raised his head, his expression turning serious again.

”Furthermore, I’ve heard that the Cyan Fire Gang has a powerful backer. Their origins are terrifying, which is why I must find more connections and resources to stand against them.”

Only then did Qin Tuo understand the predicament Long Wu was in.

He patted his chest and promised on the spot.

”Since it concerns Huaiyi Hall, it concerns me. If you have any trouble in the future, just tell me. I’ll find a way to take care of it for you.”

Hearing Qin Tuo’s commitment, Long Wu was overjoyed and nodded his head excitedly.

”Celestial King, your words are more than enough!”

His mind flashed back to the bizarre scene of the resentment being cleansed.

’Now he was absolutely certain: Qin Tuo was an otherworldly master!’

’With someone like him making a move, what’s there to fear from that blasted Cyan Fire Gang?’

”Let’s leave it at that. We’ll discuss it more tomorrow at the Lige Hotel.”

Qin Tuo waved his hand, ready to head home.

”Celestial King, allow me to drive you back!”

Long Wu personally drove Qin Tuo back to the Half Moon Bay Villa District.

When he got home, his parents weren’t there; they had probably gone out for a walk.

Qin Tuo paid it no mind, locking himself in his room. He took out the Celestial King Order and began to study it closely.

While meditating, he sent a thread of his Telekinesis into the Celestial King Order to probe its insides.

Then, his face filled with astonishment!

”Such powerful Spiritual Power...”

That was right. Inside the Celestial King Order, the resentful energy had vanished without a trace, replaced by a surging tide of Spiritual Qi.

’I get it. The Celestial King Order must automatically convert resentment into Spiritual Qi. Both are intangible forms of energy, and the Celestial King Order can forcibly transmute one into the other.’

The more Qin Tuo thought about it, the brighter his eyes shone.

’This Celestial King Order is truly an incredible treasure!’

Qin Tuo wasted no time and began to absorb this powerful Spiritual Power.

Gradually, without realizing it, Qin Tuo drifted off to sleep...