The Ferocious God in the Celestial Master's Mansion

Wang Ai stared at Zhang Yulei's departing figure, veins bulging on his plump face. His usually squinty eyes were now wide open, churning with uncontrollable resentment. How many years had it been? Since he had secured his position as the head of the Wang family and joined the ranks of the Ten Elders, wielding immense power in the world of supernatural beings, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? To be attacked at his doorstep, to have his guardian stone lion shattered with a single blow, to be utterly humiliated in front of the entire clan—if word got out, Wang Ai's reputation in the world of supernatural beings would be completely ruined, and the Wang family's prestige would plummet.

"Zhang Yulei..." he gritted his teeth, his knuckles turning white from the force, "If this humiliation is not avenged, I, Wang Ai, swear I will not be a man!"

Wang Zhong cautiously approached: "Master, should we... send someone to follow them?"

"Follow?" Wang Ai sneered, her eyes filled with malice. "You want to follow a monster that can smash a stone lion with a single slap? Don't you want to die fast enough?"

Wang Zhong was speechless and awkwardly retreated to the side.

Wang Ai took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Zhang Yulei's strength far exceeded his expectations; a head-on confrontation would be tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock. But to just let it go like that? Absolutely not! His eyes darted around, and he thought of another person—Lü Ci.

That old man is eccentric and has a violent temper, like a mad dog. Anyone who crosses him will either die or be severely injured. Back when he threatened Zhang Chulan at Longhu Mountain, he and Lü Ci were working together. Since Zhang Yulei is coming to cause him trouble over this matter, there's no reason for him to let Lü Ci off the hook!

Thinking of this, a calculating glint flashed in Wang Ai's eyes. She quickly took out her phone, found the name "Lü Ci" in her contacts, and pressed the dial button with slightly trembling fingers.

The phone was answered after three rings, and Lu Ci's signature, slightly impatient, hoarse voice came through the receiver: "Wang Ai? What is it?"

"Brother Lü, something's happened!" Wang Ai deliberately made his voice sound panicked and angry.

"Something happened? What happened?" Lü Ci's voice suddenly rose several decibels. "Was your Wang family ancestral grave dug up, or did your precious grandson Wang Bing wake up?"

"It's much more serious than that!" Wang Ai wasn't angry that Lü Ci was teasing her by mentioning her grandson, Wang Bing. She simply emphasized her words, pausing deliberately to whet Lü Ci's appetite, "Just now... Zhang Yulei came to our door!"

"Zhang Yulei?" Lü Ci paused, clearly not understanding. "Which Zhang Yulei?"

"Who else could it be? It's Zhang Yulei, the one who secluded himself on Longhu Mountain for seventy years, and who slaughtered most of the Quanxing sect members as soon as he emerged!" Wang Ai's voice was filled with barely suppressed anger. "He said that what we did to Zhang Chulan on Longhu Mountain displeased him greatly, so he stormed into my Wang family's gate, smashed our guardian stone lion with a single slap, and even said... that if we dared to touch anyone from Longhu Mountain again, he would make my Wang family disappear completely!"

He embellished the scene, especially emphasizing Zhang Yulei's arrogance and disdain for the two of them: "That old man said that it's none of our business to tell people what to do with the people of Longhu Mountain. When the two of us teamed up to interrogate Zhang Chulan, we were slapping the Heavenly Master's Mansion in the face! He also said... that Brother Lü, you have a fiery temper and might need even more of a lesson than I do. He's going to 'visit' the Lü family next!"

These words were half true and half false. The first half was true, but the second half was a deliberately fabricated provocation by Wang Ai. He knew Lü Ci too well. This man was extremely proud and concerned about his reputation. He couldn't stand being provoked, especially by someone coming to his door to humiliate him.

Sure enough, a sharp "crack" came from the receiver, as if something had been smashed, followed by Lü Ci's furious roar: "Damn it! Who does Zhang Yulei think he is?! How dare he talk to me like that?! If he were Zhang Zhiwei, I'd give him some leeway, but this old coffin-head who's been hiding in the mountains for seventy years dares to come and act wild in front of me?!"

Hearing Lü Ci's roar, Wang Ai's lips curled into a barely perceptible cold smile, but her tone grew increasingly aggrieved: "Brother Lü, calm down! That old man's strength is indeed unfathomable. Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be exaggerating. What do you think we should do..."

"Us?" Lü Ci sneered. "If you, Wang Ai, are scared, then stay hidden in your turtle shell and don't come out! I'm not afraid of him! If he dares to come to the Lü family, I'll make sure he comes in upright and leaves horizontally!"

"Brother Lü is truly awe-inspiring!" Wang Ai quickly flattered, "However... that old geezer just left me; he might really be on his way to the Lü family. Brother, you must be extra careful!"

"I don't need your reminder!" Lu Ci roared. "I'll go gather men right now and see just how capable Zhang Yulei really is!"

After saying that, he hung up the phone with a "click".

Hearing the busy tone from the receiver, Wang Ai's aggrieved expression vanished instantly, replaced by a sinister look. He put away his phone and said to Wang Zhong, "Pass down the order: closely monitor the Lü family's movements, and report back immediately if there's any news!"

"Yes, sir!" Wang Zhong replied hastily.

Wang Ai squinted, gazing into the distance, thinking to himself: Zhang Yulei, that mad dog Lü Ci is much more troublesome than me. I want to see who comes out on top when you two fight! It would be best if you both were severely injured, that would be truly satisfying!

However, Wang Ai's plan was destined to fail.

Zhang Yulei, after leaving the Wang family, didn't head towards the Lü family at all. He knew exactly what kind of person Lü Ci was—a complete madman, incredibly strong and violent. A direct confrontation with him would be a complete waste of time and energy. Besides, his purpose in going to see Wang Ai was to teach her a lesson and avenge Zhang Chulan. As for Lü Ci… there would be plenty of opportunities to settle things later.

He was standing on a hillside, gazing in the direction of the Wang family mansion, his brows furrowed.

When he was in close contact with Wang Ai just now, he clearly felt that Wang Ai was surrounded by an extremely subtle and cold aura. That aura was different from ordinary evil magic. It carried a nauseating sense of deathly stillness, like the wailing of countless wronged souls, or the aftershocks of some forbidden ritual.

"This feeling..." Zhang Yulei murmured to himself, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes, "It's somewhat similar to those Japanese devils who played with demons and shikigami decades ago, but it's much colder and more dangerous than those..."

During the War of Resistance against Japan, he had gone down the mountain with his master to gain experience and had fought against those Japanese sorcerers who used evil magic. He was deeply impressed by the sinister aura of those who manipulated souls. The aura emanating from Wang Ai was several times stronger than the evil magic aura of those Japanese devils, and it was clearly not a simple ghost-controlling technique.

An idea popped into his mind—to bind spirits and command generals.

He remembered that the story mentioned that the Spirit Binding Technique was created by Feng Tianyang, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves. Later, Feng Tianyang was captured by the Wang family and handed over this extraordinary skill under torture. However, the most core method, "Spirit Taming," was not passed on to his own descendants, but instead to the Wang family. This in itself was strange.

"Spiritual subjugation," as the name suggests, involves subduing spirits and converting their power for one's own use. However, improper cultivation, or the use of unorthodox methods to forcibly enhance one's abilities...

"Soul refining..." Zhang Yulei uttered these four words in a low voice, his eyes instantly turning cold.

The so-called "living soul refining" involves forcibly extracting the soul of a living person from their body using secret methods to refine their spiritual body or directly absorb their power. This method is extremely insidious and contrary to natural law, and has long been strictly prohibited by all major sects in the world of supernatural beings. But will the Wang family, in their pursuit of the power of spirit binding and commanding, perhaps...

"The Wang family, Wang Ai..." A murderous glint flashed in Zhang Yulei's eyes. "You'd better not touch these forbidden things, or don't blame me for being ruthless."

He wasn't a saint, but he would never tolerate such evil arts that trample on life running rampant in the world. If the Wang family was really practicing soul-sacrifice, he would have come knocking on their door even without Zhang Chulan's incident.

Meanwhile, at a port of China Overseas.

A speedboat was cutting through the waves, speeding towards Tianjin.

Inside the cabin, Zhang Chulan, Wang Ye, Zhuge Qing, and Feng Baobao sat together, the atmosphere not exactly relaxed.

"Are you sure you want to send Xiaotaoyuan?" Wang Ye frowned, somewhat uneasy. "Those three rascals seem unreliable. Will they really scare Wang Ai and Chen Jinkui?"

"Don't worry, Lao Wang." Zhang Chulan patted his chest and assured him, "Xiao Taoyuan is notorious in Tianjin's circle of supernatural beings for being reckless and daring to do anything. To deal with an old fox like Wang Ai, we need to use a madman like him whose temper they can't figure out."

Zhuge Qing nodded in agreement: "Zhang Chulan is right. Wang Ai and Chen Jinkui are both people who care about their reputation and their family's honor. Although Xiaotaoyuan's methods are low-class, they hit their weak points right at the right time."

"Moreover, we have a trump card." Zhang Chulan chuckled and looked at Feng Baobao, who was wiping a kitchen knife beside him. "With Baobao here, even if Xiaotaoyuan messes up, we can cover for her."

Feng Baobao raised her head and blinked: "All I know how to do is bury people."

"That's enough!" Zhang Chulan quickly waved his hand. "I'm relieved to hear you say that."

Wang Ye looked at the two of them and shook his head helplessly. He now completely understood why Zhuge Qing had recommended Zhang Chulan—this kid's thought process was indeed different from ordinary people; he could always come up with some unconventional methods.

The speedboat soon arrived at Tianjinwei Wharf.

Following the previously agreed address, the four arrived at a dilapidated warehouse. As soon as they entered, they saw three young men wearing floral shirts and sporting punk hairstyles playing cards around a table, swearing and cursing.

"Yes, K!"

"I can't afford it!"

"Hahaha! A royal flush! Pay up, pay up!"

These were the three lively characters from Xiaotaoyuan in Tianjin: Liu Fang, Zhang Cai, and Guan Ling'er.

Hearing the noise, the three looked up and saw Zhang Chulan and the others, especially Feng Baobao. They were startled and quickly stood up, their faces plastered with fawning smiles.

"Brother Zhang... Brother Zhang! What brings you here?" Guan Ling'er rubbed her hands together, her tone somewhat ingratiating.

Zhang Chulan didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "I need your help with a business deal. Once it's done, you'll get your money back."

"Business?" Zhang Cai's eyes lit up. "Brother Zhang, just say the word! I'll go through fire and water for you!"

Zhang Chulan glanced at Wang Ye, signaling him to speak.

Wang Ye cleared his throat and briefly recounted the situation involving Wang Ai and Chen Jinkui. He concluded by saying, "What we need you to do is to warn them to stop sending people to harass my family. Zhang Chulan will tell you the specifics."

Zhang Chulan took over the conversation, lowered his voice, and told the three members of Xiaotaoyuan about his plan in detail.

After hearing the plan, the three from Xiaotaoyuan looked at each other, their faces showing some hesitation.

"Brother Zhang, this...this is Wang Ai and Chen Jinkui, the top ten figures. If we do this, will we..." Liu Fang was a little scared.

"Scared?" Zhang Chulan raised an eyebrow. "If you're scared, then forget it. I'll find someone else to earn this money."

"No, no, no!" Jia Zhengyu hurriedly waved his hands, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "Brother Zhang has already spoken, how can we back down? It's just scare people, right? We're good at this!"

He glanced at Feng Baobao, who was expressionless beside him, and thought to himself: Anyway, with this big shot around, even if something happens, he can protect us.

"That's more like it." Zhang Chulan nodded in satisfaction, took out a wad of cash from his bag and threw it on the table. "This is the deposit. There will be this much more after everything is done."

Seeing the cash on the table, the three from Xiaotaoyuan's eyes widened, and they nodded hurriedly, "No problem! Brother Zhang, just wait for the good news!"

Zhang Chulan patted Jia Zhengyu on the shoulder: "Remember, make a big fuss, let everyone know that messing with Wang Ye's family will end badly! But don't actually hurt anyone, especially Wang Ai's grandson and Chen Jinkui's granddaughter, just scare them a little."

"Understood!" the three replied in unison.

After explaining the situation, Zhang Chulan and the other three left the warehouse.

Standing on the dock, watching the sunset sink into the sea, Wang Ye took a deep breath: "Hopefully... it will be useful."

Zhang Chulan patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, it will definitely work. To deal with this kind of old scoundrel, you have to use some unconventional methods."

Zhuge Qing gazed in the direction of Tianjin, lost in thought: "I hope so."

"Let's give it a try first, no matter what," Zhang Chulan said. "If it doesn't work, we'll think of something else."