Chapter 97: Chapter 96: A Visit from the Sakura People
Everyone at the scene was stunned. Someone opened the door to call for help, while another person frantically called the police.
Wang Runheng subconsciously reached into the inner pocket of his clothes and found that the Paper Talisman from before had already turned into a wisp of ash.
"Baka!" Yoshiyama Yuuki was shocked, furious, and terrified all at once. He turned to grab Wang Runheng, but was forcefully held back by Wang Runheng’s two assistants.
"Wang Runheng!" Yoshiyama Yuuki shrieked. "Do you know who he is? How dare you attack him?"
Without a second thought, Yoshiyama Yuuki immediately concluded that Wang Runheng was responsible. This showed that he was indeed a capable business leader.
Faced with the situation, Wang Runheng was a little scared himself, but Yoshiyama Yuuki’s roar actually calmed him down. "Yoshiyama, don’t you dare make false accusations. This is Port City, not the land of Sakura Paste. Everyone saw this man suddenly fall backward on his own. What does that have to do with me?"
Wang Runheng pointed to the security camera in the corner of the conference room. "I have surveillance footage that captured everything. I have reason to suspect your man deliberately caused a scene and injured himself in this room to frame me!"
’Are you kidding me?’ The man’s injuries looked serious; he might not even survive. There was no way Wang Runheng would admit to it, nor would he ever expose Gu Zhao.
’For one, there’s no proof for this kind of mystical stuff. For another, judging by what just happened, Gu Zhao is far more powerful than the Sakura People who tried to ambush me. I’d have to be out of my mind to rat him out. Do I have a death wish?’
Hearing Wang Runheng’s words, Yoshiyama Yuuki’s mouth twisted in anger. "If it wasn’t you, who else could it be? You deliberately met with me just to attack Mr. Tsuchimikado!"
Wang Runheng retorted, "I don’t even know him. Why would I attack him?"
"Because he..." At this, Yoshiyama Yuuki faltered.
’How could he explain it? That he had tried to curse the other party first, only to be counter-attacked when he came to gloat and force them to kneel in submission?’
"Baka!"
"Yap, yap, yap all you want, it’s useless. Let’s wait for the authorities!"
...
The next morning, just as Gu Zhao and the others were preparing to cross the harbor to Causeway Bay to see if they could meet its "kingpin," they heard that Wang Runheng had arrived again.
"It’s a miracle! The Protective Talisman you gave me worked a miracle!"
Wang Runheng managed to maintain some composure, only revealing his excitement once they were in a quiet room with just the same few people from yesterday. His gaze toward Gu Zhao was a mixture of shock, fear, and awe.
"What happened?" Yunyang asked curiously. "Did you find the culprit? Did he expose himself?"
As far as he knew, a Spirit Talisman was a Talisman infused with Spiritual Qi and Magical Power that could expel malicious energy. If someone cast a spell, the Spirit Talisman would react while dispelling the evil, which would in turn help identify the attacker and serve as proof.
But Wang Runheng just swallowed hard and said cautiously, "He was critically injured. I heard he just got out of the ICU."
Taoist Xiu Xin’s eyes widened, Taoist Yi Hong was taken aback, and Yunyang jumped in surprise.
"What happened?" Taoist Yi Hong asked in a grave voice.
This was a society ruled by law; inflicting serious injury on someone was no small matter.
Seeing Taoist Yi Hong’s solemn expression, Wang Runheng’s eyes flickered, and he quickly waved his hands. "No, no, it wasn’t the Talisman’s power! It was Yoshiyama Yuuki who hired someone to frame and blackmail me!"
"I already told the authorities yesterday, and I have the surveillance video to prove it. Yoshiyama didn’t even argue back; he just said his employee had a sudden medical emergency and that it had nothing to do with me!"
Taoist Yi Hong was stunned for a moment. He looked from Wang Runheng to Gu Zhao, and though he still had his doubts, he nodded with a smile. "Of course. A Daoist’s Magical Power is only for saving people. How could it possibly be used to harm someone?"
"Exactly, exactly," Yunyang chuckled upon hearing this, but then added, "For someone who uses an Evil Technique to harm others, he’s lucky he didn’t die."
At this, he asked curiously, "What happened? How is there surveillance video?"
Wang Runheng took out his phone. "I have a copy right here. Would you gentlemen like to see it?"
Yunyang looked at Taoist Yi Hong, who in turn looked at Gu Zhao. Gu Zhao wore an innocent expression, while Taoist Xiu Xin, who had been trying to remain inconspicuous, looked on with anticipation, not daring to speak.
Taoist Yi Hong smiled. "Let’s have a look, then."
Wang Runheng immediately unlocked his phone, opened the video, and handed it to them.
Taoist Yi Hong held the phone while the other three gathered around to watch.
The camera was mounted in a corner of the conference room, so the video was shot from a high angle. At the start, Wang Runheng and his people were already waiting in the room. Then, a middle-aged man entered with a group of five or six people of various ages, shook hands with Wang Runheng, and sat down.
The two began to talk. Then, on the surveillance footage, an elderly man could be seen with his hands under the table, apparently performing some sort of action.
But in the next instant, he was thrown backward as if struck by a heavy hammer, flipping his chair over. He didn’t just spit up blood; he slid a full three meters back, only stopping when he slammed into the conference room’s glass wall.
Immediately after, the entire room descended into chaos. The middle-aged man leading the other group first checked on the old man, then tried to attack Wang Runheng but was held back. The video ended there.
It wasn’t until the phone screen went black that Taoist Yi Hong couldn’t help but rub his eyes, still trying to process what he’d seen.
Yunyang looked at Gu Zhao and blurted out in his thick local dialect, "Holy cow! What kind of Spirit Talisman did you give him?"
"A Celestial Spirit Talisman. It counter-attacks in response to malicious energy," Gu Zhao said. "He’s lucky his Magical Power wasn’t very strong, or the Three Lights Gang Qi would have killed him outright."
Taoist Xiu Xin and Wang Runheng: 〣(ºΔº)〣
Taoist Yi Hong and Yunyang: (⊙_⊙)?
"But that blow should have shattered his Dantian and damaged his Sea of Consciousness," Gu Zhao judged from the video. "His cultivation is probably ruined. Unless he can restore his Dantian, he’ll never be able to practice again in this lifetime."
Taoist Yi Hong was a bit dazed. Although he had determined back in Yandu that Gu Zhao was powerful, he hadn’t expected him to be *this* powerful. The scene in the video looked like something straight out of a movie.
Yunyang glanced from the phone to Gu Zhao. He didn’t want to look foolish in front of an outsider, but still gave a thumbs-up. "Impressive!"
The way Taoist Xiu Xin looked at the three of them was no longer just the awe of yesterday; it was now tinged with the kind of worship one would reserve for an Immortal.
"Ahem!" Taoist Yi Hong cleared his throat twice and said to Gu Zhao, "Don’t talk nonsense. He threw himself backward. What does it have to do with you?"
"Mhm, mhm, mhm!" Gu Zhao nodded repeatedly while Yunyang snickered to himself.
Wang Runheng held out both hands and respectfully took back his phone from Taoist Yi Hong. "The police department’s preliminary conclusion accepts Yoshiyama’s story of a sudden medical episode. It has nothing to do with me."
Just then, a knock came at the door of the quiet room. The Welcoming Daoist’s voice sounded from outside. "Master?"
Taoist Xiu Xin frowned slightly and called out, "What is it?"
"A group of Sakura People are outside the Immortal Pavilion. They claim to be friends of Mr. Wang and wish to see you, Master. They also want to pay a visit to the esteemed masters from the Taoist Sect who are currently your guests," the Welcoming Daoist said from the other side of the door.
"What?" Wang Runheng’s face changed abruptly. "They followed me!"
A grin spread across Yunyang’s face as he started rolling up his sleeves. "They’ve got some nerve. Should we make a move?"
Taoist Yi Hong placed a hand on Yunyang’s shoulder. "Don’t be impulsive. They wouldn’t dare to start a fight."
Taoist Xiu Xin couldn’t help but look at the others, especially Gu Zhao. "Should we see them?"
But before Gu Zhao could speak, Taoist Yi Hong stepped forward. "Of course we’ll see them. This is Port City. This is Celestial Xia. They are the ones in the wrong, yet they dare to come to our door. How could we possibly refuse to see a guest?"
Then he turned to Gu Zhao. "You stay quiet. I’ll handle them."
