In the beginning, he was ranked alongside An Shigeng as a spoiled brat.

It was built here three years ago, but the Zhang family doesn't have much power to guard it. At most, there's a five-story, eight-zhang-high restaurant, but no strong force to protect it.

Even now, they are nothing more than Zhao Longxiang, a guard commander, and a tomb raider from Ghost Street who is preparing to go to the ends of the earth!

When it comes to adventure, especially the search for 'divine tombs', the Celestial Official of the Tomb Raiders is undoubtedly an expert.

"Young master, the Zhang family only has one business in Sanghai City: Guanhailou."

Moreover, apart from the head chef, Paoding, transferred from Jiangnan, and the guards from the Zhang family's trading company, the manager and staff at Guanhailou were all recruited locally, with clean backgrounds and no other identities.

"So, besides the original owner of the Mirage Tower, the only people from the Zhang family who went to the Mirage Tower this time were a team of merchant guards and the Celestial Officials from the Tomb Raiders' Guild?"

"That should be true!"

However, Zhang Han did not think that the word 'only' could be used to describe it.

With a master at the pinnacle of skill, a grandmaster, and possibly even hidden Blood Droplets, the Zhang family, though small in number, is the most powerful force.

Moreover, besides the mirage, there were four escort ships from the Zhang family's fleet, plus imperial armor.

"Zhao Longxiang greets Young Master Fusu!"

Inside the Guanhai Tower, Zhao Longxiang strode in with the stride of a dragon and the gait of a tiger.

Even Zhang Han couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. On the surface, Zhao Longxiang was a master of the ultimate technique, but the cultivation method he practiced was the Dragon Elephant Prajna Skill, which Zhang Xiaoshan had modified, and he had already reached the tenth level.

The combined power of ten dragons and ten elephants is enough to make even the most skilled martial artist dare to confront it head-on.

Moreover, Zhao Longxiang is a Shaolin disciple, qualified to practice the Vajra Indestructible Divine Skill, and his strength is definitely not as simple as it appears on the surface.

It could be said that if the timing hadn't been wrong, Zhao Longxiang would have already chosen to cultivate the Wedding Dress Divine Skill.

Therefore, Zhang Han, who cultivated a special eye-brightening technique, immediately saw that Zhao Longxiang's aura was like that of a dragon and elephant, arrogant and domineering, and his strength was definitely above his own.

Moreover, many of the guards from the Zhang family's business guild were at the peak of their physical cultivation, or at least at the minor stage of it.

Chapter 698 The Powerful Zhang Family Guards: A Storm is Brewing

"It's Commander Zhao! We meet again!"

Fusu's eyes lit up when he looked at the imposing Zhao Longxiang before him.

Standing eight and a half feet tall, with a majestic and domineering presence, if he were to join the army, he would undoubtedly become a fierce general who would be the bravest in the entire army.

It should be known that the Zhang family is full of experts, and Zhao Longxiang's ability to serve as the commander of the merchant guild's guards is definitely not simple.

"It is an honor for Longxiang that Young Master Fusu still remembers Longxiang!"

Zhao Longxiang's expression was solemn, and his tone was neither humble nor arrogant.

At the same time, he nodded and cupped his hands in greeting as he looked at Zhang Han.

After all, a master at the Great Perfection of the Innate Realm is not a lowly figure in the empire. According to the Zhang family's intelligence, it should be Zhang Han, the commander of the Shadow Guard.

Moreover, he was one of the few young generals in the empire.

"Young Master Fusu must be tired from your journey, please come in and take a seat!"

"Thank you for your help, Commander Zhao."

Although Zhao Longxiang was not the manager of Guanhailou, he was a high-ranking member of the Zhang family.

Moreover, the head chef of Guanhailou Restaurant, Paoding, is only a chef trained by the Zhang family on the surface, and even the manager is just a talent that the Zhang family found in Sanghai City.

Therefore, the only person here who can truly be considered a member of the Zhang family is Zhao Longxiang.

The others weren't even considered part of the official staff; their relationship with the Zhang family was at most that of employer and employee.

"By the way, I heard that Young Master Zhang brought a veteran of Ghost Street with him this time. I wonder..."

"Is Young Master Fusu referring to Lei Laowu?"

Please forgive me, young master. "Heavenly Official of Tomb Raiders" is just a nicer name in the martial arts world. In essence, he is still a tomb raider.

Furthermore, Lei Laowu carries many secrets and karmic burdens, making his whereabouts unpredictable. Unless summoned by the young master, even Long Xiang cannot contact him.

"Is it?"

Fusu was a little disappointed. Although he looked down on tomb raiders, the tomb raider was an exception.

A top-tier tomb raider capable of stealing the Dragon Balls and destroying the Later Jin Dragon Vein, the reputation of the Tomb Raider was once a sensation in 607, with both praise and criticism.

Therefore, it is perfectly normal for Lei Laowu to hide his whereabouts.

Similarly, Lei Laowu has been able to survive until now because he is cautious and prudent, and his martial arts skills are not weak.

Otherwise, they would have died countless times already.

"Young master, please take a seat!"

Neither Zhang Han nor Zhang Longxiang were qualified to sit in front of Fusu, so they stood facing each other.

"Commander Zhao has been here for quite some time now, do you have any recommendations?"

"Let's make some pork rib rolls!"

This dish was a famous recipe that Chef Ding improved upon after discussing it with his wife; its flavor is now considered perfect.

"Steamed pork ribs? Okay, one order of steamed pork ribs, and these other dishes as well."

"Young Master Fusu, please wait a moment!"

Zhao Longxiang went to arrange the meals, since the Imperial Prince Fusu was coming to dine, and there absolutely could not be any safety issues.

After arranging the preparation of the dishes, he had four bodyguards, all at the peak of the Transcendental Realm, supervise and escort the food to prevent it from being poisoned along the way.

"What does Commander Zhang Han think?"

"Unfathomable. This Commander Zhao's realm has reached the pinnacle of mastery, and his abundant blood and qi are definitely among the top experts."

The ten guards who were close to the young master were all top experts at the peak or great completion of the Horizontal Refinement realm. Even the guards around him were at least at the peak of the Lesser Completion of the Horizontal Refinement realm, which was no less than second-rate experts in the martial arts world.

This explanation might not be clear to you, young master, but let's convert it to the level of an expert at the Imperial Realm:

The guards protecting the young master are all of the strength of ten thousand men in the army; and the ordinary guards around him are all no less capable than the elite Shadow Guards, and are also rare talents in the army.

"What a fine Zhang family!"

Upon hearing Zhang Han's introduction, even Fusu was shocked by the strength of the Zhang family's guards.

The fact that there were ten highly skilled soldiers at the level of commanders of ten thousand men, and that the guards were no less capable than the elite Shadow Guards, speaks volumes.

Moreover, this is not even the most elite force of the Zhang family.

With flying darts, blood spikes, and even the legendary twelve zodiac assassins, it's no wonder that even the Dragon Emperor didn't directly turn against the Zhang family.

"It's clear that the Zhang family attaches great importance to this trip, having mobilized most of the elite guards from their business guild. They must be hiding some secret that the empire is unaware of."

"That's normal. The relationship between the Zhang family and the empire is delicate."

The Zhang family's actions, which did not circumvent the Empire's authority, were already considered aboveboard, especially since the Empire had prepared numerous contingency plans.

While Fusu and Zhang Han were discussing, Zhao Longxiang had already returned to the private room.

They also brought a lot of good things and had them delivered to the kitchen.

Dried goods such as abalone, matsutake mushrooms, king crab, and spiny lobster are sealed and stored, while seafood is frozen.

These were all left by Huang Rong for the two little ones. After all, there is time to rest while studying, and since they don't like eating communal meals, the two little ones can come here often to improve their diet.

As for the preparation, Paoding's culinary skills are naturally beyond question.

"Young Master Fusu, these are some sweet treats that Madam left for the young master. I hope you won't find them offensive."

"This is... cheese?"

Dairy products were not uncommon foods in the royal family.

Even something as simple as shaved ice, similar to ice cream, is a versatile and effective way to beat the summer heat.

The shaved ice that looked like a dairy product filled Fusu with curiosity, and Zhao Longxiang immediately explained:

"This is ice cream, made with milk and fruit sauce personally prepared by the lady, with the addition of nutritious pectin, honey, and other ingredients. It is stored in the ice room and can be refrigerated for several months!"

This includes rose-flavored candied fruit, homemade beef jerky, a fruit platter...

The snacks and desserts were just as luxurious as those in the palace, and they were only meant to be snacks for the two little ones.

After taking a few bites, Fusu felt even more strongly the extravagance of the Zhang family.

I never expected that just a few small snacks could be so delicious, and the ingredients are anything but simple.

If Zhang Xiaoshan were here, Fusu might ask for some money.

But now Zhao Longxiang has made it clear that these are the two little ones' snacks, and he is not so shameless as to snatch them away.

Moreover, as the main dishes were served one by one, the chef made no attempt to hide anything, making it a veritable feast.

The dish of fire-rolled spare ribs, in particular, tasted even better than what they had eaten in the palace. For a moment, even Fusu couldn't help but marvel at it.

It should be noted that the imperial kitchen has at least a dozen top chefs, each with their own unique skills.

But if you take any of them out individually, they would all be just as sumptuous as this feast.

Moreover, the final dish, Fire Roll Ribs, ultimately reached the level of a legendary dish, rivaling the signature dishes of top chefs.

Prince Fusu returned satisfied and also designated the food from Guanhailou Restaurant as the catering service for his residence.

···

Three days passed in the blink of an eye!

The news that Prince Fusu had come to the Confucian Xiaoshengxianzhuang had spread throughout the entire Sanghai City.

All parties are observing the attitudes of various factions towards Fusu.

If Prince Fusu is only here for the sake of the empire's plans, then naturally it has nothing to do with them. Moreover, the first in line to the throne is not someone they can easily offend.

Prince Fusu's trip to Xiaoshengxianzhuang was undoubtedly the best test.

Originally, Fusu wouldn't have been in such a hurry to go to Xiaoshengxianzhuang, but because the two young masters of the Zhang family were studying there, he had developed an interest in Xiaoshengxianzhuang early on.

Moreover, this time, it was not Meng Tian who escorted Fusu, but Zhang Han, who knew a lot about Zhang Liang's dirty secrets.

This prematurely triggered the existing conflict between the empire and Confucianism.

"Everyone, we're here!"

The carriage suddenly stopped; they had arrived at Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

The gathering included Yin-Yang School masters Xinghun and Chu Nangong, renowned master Gongsun Linglong, Zhang family's Lei Laowu and Zhao Longxiang, and Luo Wang's Zhao Gao and Liu Jiannu, making it a veritable gathering of experts.

Especially for those who were academics, the appearance of Lei Laowu felt extremely strange.

The title "Heavenly Official of Tomb Raiders" sounds impressive, but in reality, he's just a notorious and despicable figure in the world of tomb raiding.

I never expected that a tomb raider could appear here so openly.

However, Luo Wang knew how terrifying Lei Laowu was, especially since Lei Laowu was backed by the Golden-Faced Buddha, one of the top experts!

Zhao Longxiang was the guard commander of the Zhang family business, a master of the highest level, so no one said anything about him occupying a position.

Finally, Prince Fusu arrived late, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, he slowly alighted from the carriage:

"I've met the young master!"

"Confucian scholar Fu Nian (Yan Lu, Zhang Liang) greets Your Excellency!"

The three bowed deeply, each sensing that a storm was brewing.

After all, the people Fusu brought were not easy to deal with; they were clearly up to no good.

"Everyone, please get up!"

Fusu looked at the three Confucian sages and nodded.

After all, to become the head of Xiaoshengxianzhuang and the leader of Confucianism, one must be an exceptionally talented individual.

Fu Nian was an unparalleled master and one of the top ten swordsmen.

Although his status might have given him an advantage, there is no doubt that Fu Nian is one of the top swordsmen.

Moreover, the other two are also extremely accomplished masters, and are very well hidden.

"Where is Xun Qing?"

Given Prince Fusu's status, addressing him as "Minister Xun" would not be an exaggeration at all.