Pushing open the wooden door, the abandoned factory building in the suburbs, where Zhang Xilin's body had been placed, was now gone; it must have been transported back to his hometown by Express Delivery Company's people for reburial, to help Zhang Chulan.
Yang Tao took out the phone that had been thrown into his pocket. As the notification sound rang, some missed calls popped up on the screen.
"Zhang Chulan… Why is this kid calling me?"
He ignored it for the moment and pressed the second missed call number. With a series of beeps, the call was quickly connected.
"It seems you believe what I said. Alright, I still need a subordinate to order around. Are you interested in coming over?"
"Where are you? I'm coming right away."
Lü Liang, of Quanxing, answered the phone with a somewhat hoarse voice. Yang Tao had told him the truth about what happened back then, which dispelled the obsession in his heart. Now, he only wanted to get revenge on the Lü family, for his sister and for himself.
"The abandoned factory building, hmm, it's the place where I let you go before. Oh, and bring some money; I want to go out and take a bath to relax later."
"Okay, I understand. Any other instructions?"
Yang Tao thought for a moment and, seeing there was nothing else he needed, smiled and said, "Nothing. Hmm… How is the Tianshi Mansion doing? And Zhang Chulan?"
"Zhang Chulan's situation has been spread as per your instructions. The people from Tianshi Mansion have already found Zhang Chulan and invited him to participate in the upcoming Grand Luotian Ritual."
"Gong Qing, the Acting Leader of Quanxing, wants me to take this opportunity to go to Longhu Mountain and use my abilities to uncover the secret that Elder Tian is protecting."
Lü Liang betrayed Gong Qing very decisively, without any hint of old sentiment, but this was truly the nature of Quanxing.
Hearing Lü Liang's words, Yang Tao chuckled and said, "Isn't that guy the Acting Leader? Haha, Gong Qing… There aren't many people in the Outcast World, it's quite interesting. Alright, you come over first. I'll wait for you here for a bit."
With that, Yang Tao hung up the phone.
'The Grand Luotian Ritual, if I sign up and win first place… will Old Celestial Master go back on his word?'
Yang Tao felt that with Old Celestial Master's method of giving his disciples laxatives, if he thought Yang Tao would threaten Zhang Chulan's position as champion, he might really do something like bury him in the middle of the night.
After waiting for about ten minutes, the sound of a car was heard outside. Yang Tao walked to the window and saw Lü Liang getting out of a Jinbei minivan.
In just a week, Lü Liang's appearance had undergone a drastic change from his previous 'sunny youth' image.
He exuded a strange sense of decadence, his face was sallow, and he had a pair of dark circles under his eyes.
Yang Tao leaped from the second-story window, landing steadily beside Lü Liang and asked, "Why did you let yourself get like this? You clearly need to relax more than I do."
Lü Liang looked at Yang Tao, a complex glint in his eyes, and said, "As you said, I have investigated everything clearly."
In the original plot, Lü Liang was captured by his clansmen. Although he explained himself in various ways, no one believed that he hadn't killed his sister.
For the family, although Lü Liang was a genius, they only needed an obedient person. So, they forced Lü Liang to confess his guilt. After being captured by his great-grandfather and his older brother Lü Gong, because he asked a single question about "Dual Cultivation Hand," his great-grandfather, Lu Ci, cut out his tongue and dismembered him into a human stick, only preserving his bloodline for procreation.
However, when he reappeared, he was completely unharmed. Not only could he master the "Dual Cultivation Hand," one of the Eight Beyonder Skills, on the basis of having mastered the "Soul-Searching Art."
It is evident that this kid's character and ability are top-notch.
"However, the people of the Lü family want to capture me now. Can you protect me?"
"Haha, I am like you, doing as I please and only doing things that interest me. As for protecting you… that depends on your performance."
With that, Yang Tao pulled open the passenger door of the white Jinbei and sat down, saying, "Let's go. First, find a bathhouse to have a good soak and rest. I'm really afraid you'll suddenly drop dead like this…"
...
In a speeding minivan.
The back seats of the minivan had been removed. Zhang Chulan, supporting the severely injured Feng Baobao, and Xu Si leaned together in the back of the van.
Zhang Chulan angrily questioned Xu Si and Xu San, who was driving, "I said, how much are you guys hiding? Tell me everything!"
"What exactly is going on with Bao'er Jie? What is her background? Also, why is she so strong? You guys must know everything, right?!"
"Most importantly, why is Bao'er Jie so fixated on me?"
"Why does she try so hard to stay by my side?"
Xu Si, also in the back of the van, looked at Feng Baobao and said seriously, "Because… she has fallen in love with you."
"Are you f*cking kidding me?!"
Xu San, who was driving, spoke calmly, "I'm sorry, some things are inconvenient to explain to you."
"But it is a fact that Express Delivery Company wants you to join us at all costs."
Ring, ring, ring...
Just then, Zhang Chulan's phone suddenly rang, interrupting Xu San's next words. He pulled out his phone and looked at the number on the screen, his expression frozen in place.
Xu Si saw Zhang Chulan standing motionless and asked, "Why don't you answer the phone?"
"Yang Tao…"
In an instant, the atmosphere inside the minivan subtly changed, leaving only the sound of the car engine and the tires rubbing against the ground.
Zhang Chulan took a deep breath and then pressed the answer button.
"Hello?"
Yang Tao's voice instantly came from the phone: "Zhang Chulan, what's up? Why did it take you so long to answer? Could it be that you are currently undergoing Feng Baobao's training?"
"No… I just got back from The World Society."
After hearing him mention The World Society, Yang Tao on the other end of the line was silent for a few seconds, then a very annoyed voice came through: "Damn, I only remembered the Grand Luotian Ritual, I forgot about The World Society. What a huge loss."
Xu Si, sitting in the back, narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering what Yang Tao's words meant. He didn't know that Yang Tao was simply speaking based on the plot, and hadn't been tracking them at all.
"Zhang Chulan, do you have time now?"
"Feng Baobao, because of my body…"
"Oh, she was severely injured by that Jia Zhengyu, right? It's fine, tell Xu San to drive her directly to me. I can heal her, and quickly! Hmm… The address is Red Romance Bathhouse. Don't say I don't take care of you; someone's paying for a bath and massage, and I immediately thought of you."
Xu San, who was driving, instantly tensed up. His psychic energy spread out, trying to locate Yang Tao. He had no idea that Yang Tao was simply speaking based on the plot and wasn't tracking them at all.
After these days of understanding the Alien, Zhang Chulan finally realized that Yang Tao was a dangerous individual to the Alien.
For him, someone who only wanted to pursue a peaceful life, he truly didn't want to get too involved with Yang Tao's matters.
However, when he lowered his head and saw the sports shoes on his feet, he inexplicably said, "Brother, please wait for me… I'll check on Bao'er Jie's condition first."
"Alright then, call me when you arrive. I'll be waiting for you inside…"
Beep, beep, beep…
A busy signal sounded from the phone.
Zhang Chulan looked up at Xu Si, whose eyes held a seriousness he had never seen before.
He really wanted to light a cigarette, but Bao'er was still severely injured. Even with her unique physical properties, her injuries might heal by seventy to eighty percent once they returned to Express Delivery Company, but she was indeed injured right now…
"Go, Zhang Chulan, I'll go with you. To be honest, I haven't been to Red Romance in a long time either. It's a good opportunity to have some fun on the company's dime…"