Chapter 149: Surrounded
In the Pine Wave Pavilion of the Chen Clan's newly constructed Sunshine Garden, Clan Leader Chen Zimo was sitting on a chair behind his desk. His appearance certainly showed his age; he was indeed well past his prime, but he still possessed the undeniable aura of a fifth-state martial artist.
"How many shares have we purchased?" he asked.
"Roughly ten thousand so far, but it's still not enough," Chen Yuebai replied. "According to my estimates, we'll need to purchase at least thirty thousand shares, then sell them all for cheap to completely crush their stock price.
"In conjunction with the rumors that we've been spreading, that should be enough to destroy their business."
Chen Zimo nodded in satisfaction. Clearly, he was very fond of his capable grandson.
Both his eldest and second-eldest sons were incompetent fools unsuitable to become his heir, but this grandson of his had displayed remarkable martial arts aptitude since he was young.
On top of that, he had an impressive intellect; he had figured out how the shares released by the Azure Sun Trade Association worked, and he had even identified some holes in the system that could be exploited.
"I've been looking into these things the past few days, and I've figured out that they're nothing more than a way to tie people together by creating a common interest," Chen Yuebai said, reporting his analysis. "Right now, it appears that many people are siding with the Azure Sun Trade Association, but if we can crash the stock price, then everyone will immediately turn on them.
"We won't even have to do anything; the investors will tear Chu Qiguang to shreds for us."
Of course, Chen Yuebai was still oblivious to the fact that Chu Qiguang had already put measures in place to prevent this type of stock price manipulation.
"Chu Qiguang is too talented a martial artist, and what's even more damning is how young he is," Chen Zimo remarked, sighing. "Even if we bring down the Azure Sun Trade Association, he'll still have countless opportunities to start again.
"If he manages to become a wujinshi and receive the support of Wu Siqi, then he'll pose an even more potent threat to our clan."
"What should we do then, Grandpa?" Chen Yuebai asked.
Chen Zimo was silent for a moment. Then he coldly declared, "He must die!"
Just then, the gates of the Pine Wave Pavilion were kicked open, and Chu Qiguang walked in with a smile. "What a coincidence! I was just thinking the same thing about you!"
"Chu Qiguang?"
Chen Zimo immediately stood up with a wary face.
"Relax!" Chu Qiguang chuckled. "I'm here on my own."
Chen Zimo wasn't convinced. He launched himself forward like a speeding arrow, and in the blink of an eye, he was already behind Chu Qiguang.
Even then, no one sprang out of hiding to intercept him, leaving him both perplexed and ecstatic.
Is he a fool? Why is he here alone? Could it be that even the heavens are on my side?
As Chen Zimo reached out for Chu Qiguang’s neck, he remained quite cautious; his attention remained focused on his surroundings, and he looked around for any reinforcements Chu Qiguang could have brought with him
However, he quickly realized that the biggest threat in the room was standing right before him. The floor shattered beneath Chu Qiguang's feet as waves of intense heat erupted from him. All of a sudden, a blazing furnace seemed to have materialized in the room.
Chen Zimo's face revealed astonishment. This level of heat... can only be released by a fifth-state martial artist! He has already reached the fifth state despite being just fifteen years of age? How was that even possible?!
Chen Zimo was briefly distracted by his thoughts, but by the time he snapped back to his senses, Chu Qiguang's fist was already upon him.
As soon as Chu Qiguang's fist made contact with Chen Zimo's hand, the latter instantly felt a burst of sharp pain shooting up his entire arm, indicating a bone fracture.
Chen Zimo became even more astonished. How could this be? His strength and power are beyond the average fifth-state martial artist!
Against Chu Qiguang, Chen Zimo forcibly suppressed his astonishment and unease as he threw a punch in retaliation while simultaneously letting loose a thunderous roar.
Their fists clashed with an almighty thump, and the two combatants crashed through the wall and into the courtyard outside, where they were immediately surrounded by around a dozen guards.
Chen Zimo sighed in relief. He had intentionally roared to raise the alarm. Now that they had surrounded Chu Qiguang, Chen Zimo had the former right where he wanted him to be.
"Capture him! Make sure not to kill him!" he ordered as a hint of greed surfaced in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Chen Yuebai looked dumbstruck at the sight before him. Chu Qiguang has already reached the fifth state? At just fifteen? He's a freak!
At the same time, a wave of intense envy and resentment welled up in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to see Chu Qiguang get beaten to death.
Hence, it also came as quite a relief for him to see Chu Qiguang surrounded by his grandfather and their clan's guards.
However, his relief quickly turned to shock and dismay, as Chu Qiguang was somehow able to redirect all of the attacks thrown at him, remaining completely unharmed even though he was surrounded and outnumbered.
Just as Qiao Zhi had explained, the Undying Seal was particularly effective when facing multiple opponents. Given how the battle was unfolding, it felt more like Chu Qiguang had surrounded all of his assailants rather than the other way around.
The longer the battle went on, the deeper Chen Zimo’s astonishment became. Unbeknownst to everyone, a fist-sized black hole was gradually opening up in Chu Qiguang's chest.
