Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

Five days before the official start of the Luotian Grand Ceremony, the temperature on the back of Longhu Mountain is already two degrees higher than at the foot of the mountain.

The sun hung overhead, scorching the bluestone slabs and intensifying the pine scent in the air, making it smell like a large pot of overcooked pine needle tea.

Zhuge Qi sat by the window on the second floor of Guanyun Hall, holding a glass of ice-cold water in his hand, his gaze fixed on the mountain path outside the window.

The mountain path winds its way from the mountain gate all the way to the mountainside, with the ancient trees on both sides intertwining their branches and casting shadows of varying depths on the ground.

When the wind blows, the shadows sway, like countless waving hands.

Dou Le sat opposite him, a list spread out in front of him, his brows furrowed so deeply they looked like they could trap a fly.

His sparse hair was particularly bristling in the wind today, making him look like a pufferfish that had been poked, struggling to digest some difficult-to-digest news.

"The Wang family's convoy has already arrived in Yingtan city. The Lü family checked into a hotel at the foot of the mountain yesterday. The Lu family members haven't arrived yet, but we've sent word that they'll be up the mountain this afternoon." Dou Le paused after each sentence, as if each piece of information was a screw that needed to be tightened by his own hands. "The three families arrived around the same time."

"That old fox Wang Ai has a very sharp eye. This time, his son Wang Bing and several of his family's retainers came. On the surface, they were accompanying Wang Bing to broaden his horizons, but in reality, everyone knows that he was there to gauge the political climate for Wang Ai."

Zhuge Qi nodded. "What about the Lü family?"

"Lu Ci came in person." Dou Le lowered his voice unconsciously when he mentioned the name. "He brought eight people, all of them top experts from the Lu family. You've dealt with him before, so you should know him better than I do."

Zhuge Qi smiled but did not reply.

He certainly knew Lü Ci, that old man with meticulously styled hair and eyes as sharp as a wolf. He still remembered very clearly the scene of him leading people from the Lü family to Tianjin overnight to pick up Lü Liang.

That old man was truly protective of his own, truly domineering, but also truly astute in assessing situations; he was not someone who would be easily used as a pawn.

"Where is the Lu family?"

"The Lu family has always kept a low profile, and there weren't many people who came this time. They said they brought four disciples with them, which wasn't too ostentatious. However, he came to support the Old Celestial Master, so it should be fine."

Zhuge Qi didn't say anything, but picked up his cup and finished the last sip of cold water. Then he stood up, walked to the window, put his hand on the windowsill, and looked outside.

It seems that there may be some problems.

The Lu family was preparing to bring the Tongtian Talisman into existence.

From this angle, you can see the parking lot outside the mountain gate. Several black minivans are slowly driving up the mountain road, their bodies reflecting a gleaming light in the sunlight.

"The Wang family has arrived," he said.

Dou Le also stood up, quickly walked to the window and glanced out, then immediately turned around. "I have to go down the mountain to greet you. You—would you like to come over here too—"

"I'll go with you." Zhuge Qi patted Dou Le on the shoulder. "After all, I'm here to assist you. It's only right that we show our faces when guests come."

After he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the door, his steps steady and his back straight.

Dou Le paused for a moment behind him, then quickly followed.

The two descended the second floor of Guanyun Hall, passed through a moon gate, and walked along the stone steps towards the mountain gate.

The afternoon sun was already slightly setting in the west, and the light filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a patchwork of fine golden spots on the road.

Zhuge Qi walked to the edge of the square in front of the mountain gate and stopped. He stood there in a position that was "neither too forward nor too impolite".

Three black minivans were already parked in the parking lot outside the mountain gate.

The car door opened, and two burly men in gray short-sleeved shirts got out. They looked around, and then one of them nodded into the car.

Then a young man climbed out of the car.

The man was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a well-designed white linen shirt with the cuffs rolled up to the middle of his forearms, revealing half of his arm, which was in excellent condition but looked like it hadn't done any heavy work.

His features were not bad-looking; in fact, one could even say he was somewhat handsome. However, there was a subtle, almost imperceptible air of arrogance about him, stemming from a refined upbringing.

After getting out of the car, he didn't rush forward. Instead, he first straightened his shirt collar before looking up at the direction of the mountain gate.

"That young master from the Wang family?" Dou Le leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

Zhuge Qi nodded slightly, his gaze never leaving the young man.

He mentally reviewed the Wang family's information: Wang Bing, Wang Ai's only grandson, the most favored among the younger generation of the Wang family. It was said that within the Wang family, he was being raised as the future successor. His cultivation level was not bad, but he was more famous for his temper and ostentatious manner.

Several more people came down from behind Wang Bing: an old man who looked like a steward, three expressionless middle-aged men, one of whom walked with his upper body completely still, only his two legs taking turns stepping, clearly a master of stance training who had reached the pinnacle of skill.

Finally, a man carrying a long, rectangular cloth bag came down. The shape of the bag caught Zhuge Qi's eye; it resembled the outline of a sword case.

At the other end of the parking lot outside the mountain gate, another silver-gray SUV turned in.

The car wasn't going fast, but the parking spot was chosen perfectly, right next to the Wang family's convoy. It wasn't too close, which would seem like a deliberate comparison, nor too far away, which would seem like it was standing alone.

The car door opened, and the first thing to step out was a pair of feet wearing black cloth shoes, followed by dark gray trousers and a moon-white jacket.

Finally, the face of an elderly man in his seventies or eighties was revealed. His hair was neatly combed, and he stood there with his hands behind his back, his gaze calmly sweeping over the mountain gate.

Several young people, both men and women, followed behind him, walking in unison.

However, Lü Liang was not among them.

When Zhuge Qi realized this, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

After getting out of the car, Lü Ci didn't rush inside, but instead turned his head to look in Wang Bing's direction.

His gaze lingered on Wang Bing for about half a second before shifting away, as if he had seen some insignificant decoration.

Wang Bing clearly saw Lü Ci as well. His face, which had been carrying a hint of arrogance, stiffened slightly for a moment. Then, he tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing a polite smile, and bowed slightly in Lü Ci's direction.

Lü Ci did not return the gift.

He put his hands down from behind his back, and walked towards the mountain gate, his steps neither fast nor slow, each step firm and steady.

The eight members of the Lü family behind him immediately followed, their steps remarkably synchronized, so that even the sound of their footsteps almost overlapped.

When Zhuge Qi saw this, the corners of his mouth curved slightly. The curve was so small that Dou Le, who was standing next to him, didn't even notice it.

When Lü Ci reached the mountain gate, he suddenly stopped.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze passing over Dou Le and landing on Zhuge Qi, who was two steps behind him.

At that moment, a complex look flashed in his old eyes: vigilance, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible apprehension.

Clearly, this is the last person he wants to see right now.