Chapter 61: The Ma Family in Crisis

Zhang Ziqiang and the alluring woman saw, in the pristine white bathtub, a middle-aged man with a protruding belly sitting there. He hadn't even removed his clothes and was soaking in the tub like that, his gaze vacant, as if he were a marionette.

In the dead of night, the sudden appearance of someone in their bathroom startled both Zhang Ziqiang and the woman.

“Master Zhang, is he a man… or a ghost?” The woman hugged her ample bosom, trying to cover herself, her voice trembling with fear.

Zhang Ziqiang came to his senses and recognized the flamboyantly dressed man as Xu Kun.

The shock had thoroughly extinguished his appetite for pleasure; he drove the woman out and casually wrapped himself in a bath towel. Frowning at Xu Kun, he spoke coldly, “What are you doing here?”

“Chen Xian sent me to tell you: if you want to deal with him, find some real experts. Stop sending those amateurs!” Xu Kun stared blankly at the young man, speaking woodenly.

Zhang Ziqiang listened, studying the dazed Xu Kun, his expression shifting uncertainly for a long while before he finally sighed, “It seems… this Chen Xian is no ordinary man.”

…

At that moment, Chen Xian had already returned to the Splendid Community, inside his row house, practicing the Supreme Chaos Technique, refining the last living pig.

Once the process was complete, his eyelashes quivered and he opened his eyes, shaking his head with a sigh.

“Cultivating by refining livestock is far too slow in increasing spiritual energy. I must find a way to set up a small gathering array or locate an alchemical cauldron to concoct pills. Only then can my cultivation progress more rapidly!”

With these thoughts, Chen Xian stood up and pushed open the window, gazing toward the city center of H City, a faint smile curving his lips.

Zhang Ziqiang should have already received my ‘return gift.’

He mused silently, then closed his eyes again. After a short while, he opened them once more.

Xu Kun was the one he had arranged to appear in Zhang Ziqiang’s presidential suite bathroom—a warning to the other party.

After all, Zhang Ziqiang was Zhang Xin’s elder brother. If matters could be resolved peacefully, that would be best.

But, if Zhang Ziqiang failed to appreciate the situation, Chen Xian wouldn’t hesitate to teach him a lesson.

…

Time slipped by, and it was soon the next morning. After a simple wash, Chen Xian headed out to H City’s flower and bird market, intending to check the antique section for any alchemical cauldrons.

He spent half the day searching, but returned empty-handed; there was no such specialized equipment to be found.

With nothing to occupy him during the day, he refrained from cultivating, instead sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, quietly reviewing the Alchemy Manual, Mortal Grade in his mind, studying its methods of pill refinement.

As dusk fell, his phone suddenly rang.

Chen Xian glanced at it—the call was from Ma Tian, patriarch of the Ma family in M City.

“Hello, Ma Tian, what’s the matter?” He answered the call.

“Master Chen, terrible news!” Ma Tian’s voice was fraught with anxiety.

Chen Xian’s brow furrowed slightly. “What’s happened?”

“Our real estate sites, entertainment venues, and factories have all been sabotaged…” Ma Tian, in a rush, poured out the details.

“Wait for me at Ma Group’s tower in M City. I’ll come at once,” Chen Xian responded decisively.

He had grasped the situation.

The Xiong family, another martial clan in M City, had recently recruited a mysterious expert. Upon learning of the Ma family patriarch’s death, they began aggressively suppressing all Ma family industries.

As the saying goes, two tigers cannot share one mountain—Ma and Xiong, the two martial families of M City, had always had their disputes, but never with such intensity.

From Ma Tian’s words, Chen Xian now understood that disputes among martial clans must follow the rules of the martial world—what one might call the ‘jianghu’ code, distilled into one phrase: whoever has the stronger fist prevails!

Reporting to authorities or filing lawsuits was useless; such actions would only invite scorn from martial practitioners.

This was common knowledge among martial artists in the Hualong Federation.

Moreover, several members of parliament came from martial clans, naturally upholding martial world rules, and so the government refrained from intervening in conflicts among practitioners.

If martial clans used abnormal means to pressure enterprises outside the martial world, then the government would step in and use legal force to punish them.

…

Chen Xian controlled eighty percent of Ma family shares, making him the largest stakeholder. Now, with the family in crisis, it was only natural for him to act.

After ending the call, he prepared to leave immediately.

Meow~~~

The enchanting cat, munching on snacks while overseeing the training of three other felines, saw her master rushing out and piped up in her childish voice:

“Master, where are you going?”

“Little Mei, I’m heading to the Ma family in M City.” Chen Xian replied, his eyes flashing. “You come with me.”

Little Mei nodded her tiny head, glared at the three stray cats, meowed several times like a boss lecturing her underlings.

“Take good care of the house, and don’t neglect your training. Xiao Yi is doing well and can already sense spiritual energy. Xiao Er and Xiao San need to work harder.”

Meow! Meow! Meow!

The three strays meowed in response, as if saying: Don’t worry, boss, we understand!

Hearing that Xiao Yi could already sense spiritual energy, Chen Xian was pleasantly surprised.

“Little Mei, is it true that Xiao Yi can sense spiritual energy?” he asked for confirmation.

The enchanting cat nodded. “Of course! I would never accept useless cats as my underlings. Xiao Yi, Xiao Er, and Xiao San all have potential for cultivation—they just qualify to be my little brothers!”

Chen Xian, reassured, felt delighted. In the future, these cats would surely be useful.

He then booked a ride and set off for M City, bringing Little Mei along.

…

That night, thick clouds blanketed the sky, obscuring stars and moon, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

It was already the dead of night; the streets were deserted, with only streetlamps standing like faithful sentinels, casting orange light. The north wind howled, leaves from the roadside trees rustling down, adding to the bleakness.

Yet Ma Group Tower was ablaze with lights. At the first-floor entrance, numerous security guards and robust young men stood watch, eyes vigilant.

On the top floor, in a lavish conference room, people filled every seat around the table except the main one.

Ma Tian and Ma He sat on either side of the primary position; both were Chen Xian’s appointed agents in the Ma family.

Everyone’s expressions were grim.

“Patriarch, when will Master Chen arrive?”

“According to reports, the Xiong family’s people are marching over en masse. Their mysterious leader is said to be formidable—without Master Chen, we can’t hold them off!”

“….”

Many core Ma family members cast anxious looks at Ma Tian.

Ma Tian’s voice was steady: “Rest assured, Master Chen is already on the way.”

No sooner had he spoken than a frantic voice crackled through the intercom on the table:

“Patriarch, the Xiong family is here!”