"Lord Asura, this is a trap. You mustn't go," Xuanwu pleaded as he saw the flicker of interest on Lord Asura's face.
"No, I have to go," Xiao Longyang took a deep breath. He had his reasons. He looked at the Asura Hall members behind him and issued an order. "You all leave here first, find a safe, deserted place to wait for me. Tend to Suzaku's injuries first. Don't go to the hospital. The hospitals here are untrustworthy."
"We obey the Asura's command." Xuanwu had no choice but to lead the group and depart from the Lin family.
"From this moment on, the Lin family and I are strangers." Xiao Longyang looked at Lin Suyun and the old Mrs. Lin with complex emotions.
"It's best if we are strangers," the old Mrs. Lin snorted coldly. Having provoked the Zhao family, Xiao Longyang didn't have much time left to live.
"We are no longer connected. Our contract is now void." Lin Suyun and Xiao Longyang did not have a marriage certificate; they were in a contractual marriage. After Lin Suyun publicly tore up the contract, the collateral branches of the Lin family realized they had been deceived for three years. However, in the current situation, it was not the time for them to speak out. They could only swallow their frustration. The Zhao family was not someone they could afford to provoke. This old woman was truly something; if she had said earlier that Lin Suyun was Zhao Yunhai's cousin, they wouldn't have gone through all that trouble.
"Very good." Xiao Longyang's gaze was ice-cold. He was utterly disappointed in Lin Suyun, and from now on, they were like strangers.
After seeing Asura leave, the guests also bid farewell to the old Mrs. Lin one after another. The events that had just transpired were enough for them to digest for half a day.
"Should we go to brother-in-law's place now?" Yang Yan, the principal in charge of the group apart from Yang Hui, asked after leaving the Yang family.
"Let's return to the family first. This is not something our current strength can interfere with. The family's support should arrive soon. The family will not allow Young Master Zhao to be harmed, or our Yang clan will cease to exist." Yang Yan also understood the seriousness of the situation and quickly shut his mouth, driving home.
"Grandma, can I really not go to cousin's side?" Lin Suyun wanted to find her cousin, as the matter had originated from the Lin family, but the old Mrs. Lin stopped her.
"Your cousin is deep in thought. You going there would only be a hindrance. The Lin family has also been preserved because of your cousin. No one from the collateral branches dares to cause trouble anymore, and those outside who are eyeing our Lin family with ill intent will retract their claws." The old Mrs. Lin was shrewd; having lived a long life, she saw things clearly.
"Alright." Lin Suyun could only wait at home for her cousin's good news.
...
Luoyang was vast, but there was one place that offered a panoramic view of the city: Mount Taiping, the protective barrier to the north of Luoyang. Mount Taiping was lush and verdant, like clouds, and a popular spot for cooling off in the summer.
On a cliff facing east on Mount Taiping, Zhao Yunhai stood with his hands behind his back. The sun had long set, the autumn wind was refreshing, and the night was gradually falling. Zhao Yunhai gazed at the distant bustling metropolis and said faintly, "Countless people yearn for the bustling city, pursuing wealth and glory, yet they don't realize that those who have experienced wealth and glory yearn for a life of leisure like carefree cranes."
"I only want to know the truth of what happened back then. Enough talk." Xiao Longyang stood beside him, staring at him with an unfriendly expression.
"Heh heh... Impatience is not a good habit," Zhao Yunhai said with a smile, slowly raising his hand and turning it slightly in the air. A beam of projected light shot over from a distance. It was a projection of an upcoming dazzling fireworks display, stable like a cinema screen.
"Get everything ready. If anyone messes up at the critical moment, I'll send them abroad." Si Jinyan, not far below the cliff, had just sprayed mosquito repellent and repeatedly warned his subordinates not to cause any problems. Upon hearing that they might be sent abroad, his subordinates became even more diligent. Where else could be a place for people to stay but abroad? Wasn't Kyushu fragrant? Going abroad would be suffering.
"Xiao Hui, do you want to see a dazzling fireworks display?" Zhao Yunhai embraced Yang Hui, who was by his side, and looked down at her with tender eyes.
"Yes." Yang Hui nodded heavily, leaning against Zhao Yunhai and starting to take pictures with her phone. She felt this moment was very romantic, and it would have been even better without Xiao Longyang, an outsider. Zhao Yunhai naturally treated Yang Hui differently from other women; he was not stingy with his tenderness. A sensible woman like Yang Hui truly suited his taste.
"Don't waste..." Xiao Longyang didn't have much patience and was about to say don't waste time when Zhao Yunhai interrupted him with a shushing gesture. "Don't be impatient. If you want to know the truth, you need patience. My woman wants to see fireworks, so please shut your mouth and don't disturb us."
Xiao Longyang's chest heaved, and his eyes glinted dangerously. His patience had limits. Zhao Yunhai was showing off their affection right in front of him. Seeing the four Grandmasters staring at him, Xiao Longyang suppressed his anger and sneered, "Heh heh—I didn't expect such a philanderer to still have women who like him. Truly surprising."
Yang Hui couldn't pretend she didn't hear that and retorted, "I know my man myself. I don't need others to remind me. I'll give you a piece of advice: those who are alive suffer the most. The dead find instant liberation."
Xiao Longyang frowned, not understanding her meaning, but he assumed she was mocking him and sneered, "A woman obsessed with vanity and power, is that all? And you give me advice?" In his heart, this legitimate daughter of the Yang family was just a commoner. He preferred women who pursued free and beautiful love. The legitimate daughter of the Yang family had a beautiful appearance but not a free and beautiful heart.
"I'll give you a piece of advice too. Do you think he will truly treat you well? Once the novelty wears off, you'll just be another one of his exes."
"The Asura doesn't need to worry about that," Yang Hui buried her head in Zhao Yunhai's embrace. His embrace felt so warm. At this moment, she was the happiest woman. The future depended on her own efforts and management, not on hearsay or losing her sense of self.
Zhao Yunhai glanced at Xiao Longyang and chuckled. "Concerned about other people's romantic lives? Asura, you truly are idle. Then, enjoy the fireworks with me." Zhao Yunhai snapped his fingers, and the blank projection came to life. The screen showed the outer perimeter of Mount Taiping, filmed from high to low. Black vehicles were parked on the roads below, and outside stood members of the Asura Hall. Xuanwu and Suzaku, who had just woken up, were talking by a car.
"Suzaku, your injuries need immediate treatment. Otherwise, even if you recover, there will be hidden dangers later."
"Xuanwu, Lord Asura is here. I want to wait for him here. Xuanwu, do you know how I've spent these three years?"
Seeing this, Zhao Yunhai teased, "Asura's relationships seem quite complicated. A woman has waited for you for three years. Do you care?"
"Hmph," Xiao Longyang snorted dismissively but his gaze was fixed on Suzaku in the screen. How could he not care? But with his brothers' revenge unavenged, how could he possibly talk about love? Could it be that Zhao Yunhai was broadcasting this scene to attack Suzaku and the others? Thinking of this, Xiao Longyang quickly turned to Zhao Yunhai, "Zhao Yunhai, stop it. I can agree to three of your requests. Let them go..."
Before he could finish speaking, the screen was filled with fireworks. The casualties of those standing at the center of such an explosion were unimaginable. Even standing where Zhao Yunhai was, he could hear the booming explosions from afar.
"Zhao Yunhai, I will kill you." Xiao Longyang was stunned by this sight, his heart aching. In the next second, his face contorted, his mind filled with images of his brothers and Suzaku laughing. The Grandmaster unleashed his full power, the air crackling with his every move as internal energy erupted.
"Attack." The four Grandmasters were not just for show. They had long been prepared for Xiao Longyang. The moment he attacked, all four of them struck.
"Is it beautiful?"
"Fireworks are fleeting; it's a moment of beauty. I hope you remember, you are the only woman who has witnessed this fleeting fireworks display." Zhao Yunhai held Yang Hui, lowering his chin to her head, and said softly.
"It's so beautiful." Yang Hui squinted, leaning into his embrace, her eyes reflecting the fireworks. Her appreciation of beauty was the romantic beauty of watching this explosion with Zhao Yunhai. As for the people who died in the explosion, it was none of her business. She only cared about every word he said. He said that at this moment, she was the only one! It was wonderful!