Wang Hong had been resting at the Qingxu Sect for several days before he left for Azure Void City.
It had been nearly five years since his last visit, and he was eager to see how the two powers he had established in Azure Void City had developed.
Wang Hong wandered leisurely through Azure Void City, walking and observing along the way, occasionally buying some street snacks to eat as he strolled.
Although these snacks couldn't compare to the Spirit Meals he made himself, each had its unique appeal, and there was a certain mood in such casual eating.
As he meandered to Zhao's Pill Shop, he noticed a crowd gathered outside the Elixir Pavillion, pointing and discussing animatedly.
Wang Hong tossed the duck tongue he was eating onto the ground and made his way into the crowd.
"Excuse me! What's the..."
A burly onlooker was about to react angrily but swallowed his words upon realizing Wang Hong was a Foundation Building cultivator.
Wang Hong, uninterested in the man, pushed his way to the front of the crowd.
While fighting was prohibited in Azure Void City, there were no rules against exerting one's pressure or sitting outside someone's shop.
Wang Hong moved out of the crowd and approached the shop. As he was about to pass the Foundation Building cultivator, the latter gave Wang Hong a cold look.
"Fellow Daoist, are you planning to cross paths with my Gao Family?"
Wang Hong glanced sideways at him and said slowly, "What Gao Family? Never heard of it."
He then turned to the onlookers and asked, "Has anyone here heard of a Gao Family in Azure Void City?"
The crowd remained silent, not wanting to get involved, even though many knew of them.
"See! So many people here, and not one has heard of this Gao Family. Obscure families shouldn't be flaunting themselves."
"You're seeking death! I challenge you!" the Foundation Building cultivator, enraged, challenged Wang Hong.
At this moment, Zhao Ning, hearing Wang Hong's voice, came out from the shop. Seeing Wang Hong about to accept, he tugged at Wang Hong's sleeve.
Understanding Zhao Ning's gesture, Wang Hong said to the cultivator, "Who are you to challenge me? Guard the door well, and maybe you'll be rewarded with a bone."
Saying this, Wang Hong turned and walked inside.
Wang Hong's remarks caused a burst of laughter among the onlookers. They would have enjoyed a street fight even more.
The Foundation Building cultivator at the door was furious.
With a loud "bang!", the chair under him shattered.
"How stinky! Unbearably stinky!"
Wang Hong, just stepping inside, heard the noise and covered his nose, pretending to be disgusted.
This scene again caused laughter among the onlooking cultivators, which only subsided after a stern look from the Foundation Building cultivator at the door.
Fuming with rage, the cultivator silently vowed to take revenge on Wang Hong if given the chance.
After entering the shop, Wang Hong ignored the outside commotion and went into a secret chamber with Zhao Ning.
"East Master, we've been humiliated and bullied right to our doorstep. Please decide how to handle this."
After entering the secret chamber, they immediately knelt down.
"Get up and tell me everything about this matter in detail," Wang Hong said, helping Zhao Ning to his feet.
"The cause of the issue is this..."
Zhao Ning narrated the entire sequence of events.
It turned out that the Gao Family, possessing some influence in Azure Void City, owned several properties there. They had two mid-stage Foundation Building cultivators and four early-stage Foundation Building cultivators, totaling six.
A year ago, for some reason, they set their sights on Wang Hong's two shops. They sent a Foundation Building cultivator with a ridiculously low offer to buy shares in the shops and demanded involvement in their management, wanting access to all internal affairs. This was akin to a robbery, even worse, as they aimed to infiltrate and eventually take over the shops.
Zhao Ning and Skinny Monkey flatly refused their proposal. The Gao Family, undeterred, repeatedly tried to coerce and tempt them unsuccessfully, then issued a challenge to the shops.
Knowing the strength of the Gao Family, Wang Hong's side wasn't prepared for a battle. However, seeing no response to their challenge, the Gao Family sent people to disrupt the businesses of the two shops.
Wang Hong's subordinate, Luo Zhongjie, led a team to retaliate against one of the Gao Family's shops in the same manner. However, they were outsmarted. Using various means, the Gao Family seriously injured Luo Zhongjie with a collapsing shelf and another subordinate was injured by a falling ceiling.
Eventually, He Yuan accepted the challenge. After years of training, he had reached the second level of the Foundation Building realm. But upon entering the arena, he realized his opponent was a fifth-level Foundation Building cultivator. He Yuan was quickly defeated and left severely injured, his possessions taken, and his bones and organs shattered. He was lucky to escape with his life.
The Ma Brothers, not skilled in combat and naturally timid, were dissuaded from accepting the challenge. They were secretly relieved and politely dropped the matter.
The Gao Family continued to send Foundation Building cultivators to sit outside the shops, disrupting normal business operations. They also tried to negotiate separately with Zhao Ning and Skinny Monkey, hoping for a compromise.
They thought about contacting Zhang Chunfeng for help. However, after discussing, they concluded that since Zhang Chunfeng was only at the early stage of Foundation Building, he wouldn't be much help and might end up injured. Thus, they didn't inform Zhang Chunfeng.
Wang Hong hadn't expected that within five years of his absence, someone would start targeting his properties. He was unsure if it was solely for the businesses or for other reasons. But this time, he had to retaliate, not just for self-preservation, but also to deter others from targeting him again.
Additionally, the incident highlighted the urgent need to strengthen his subordinates' capabilities in Azure Void City. After all, a power cannot be sustained by just one or two individuals.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]