Chapter 26: I Can’t Hold Back Anymore

She too was part of the system, so she understood well—at her husband’s current position, the higher-ups would not criticize him lightly. But if they did, it would be no trivial matter. Now, with a cabinet heavyweight openly expressing dissatisfaction, the issue had become gravely serious.

“What exactly happened?” Mu Weizhen asked anxiously.

Yun Shengguo spoke slowly. “That Lu Ming is likely a figure with connections high and wide, not someone we can afford to provoke. Let us drop the matter.”

“Impossible,” Mu Weizhen replied, refusing to believe it. In her eyes, he was merely the owner of a grocery store—what means could he possibly possess to make the Yun family swallow such humiliation?

Yun Shengguo sighed. “Let’s handle it this way. If necessary, we’ll have to apologize to him.”

“What?” Mu Weizhen stared at her husband in disbelief. As a regional chief, for him to apologize to a mere grocery store owner—a swindler who had cheated the Yun family of its heirloom—what had the world come to?

“Enough. This is how it will be.” Yun Shengguo finished, pressing his fevered forehead, and withdrew to his bedroom.

Mu Weizhen sat quietly in the living room for a long time, saying nothing.

…

At seven o’clock the next morning, the entire Huang clan mobilized and arrived at South Lake, taking over the whole scenic area. This had been arranged ahead of time with the owner—they had spent a fortune to reserve the site for a day.

Once they had control, the Huang family politely refused all tourists, allowing only their fellows from the martial world to enter and watch the coming duel. Although no one knew who Huang Zhen’s opponent was, the fact that he would face an innate master led everyone to assume his adversary must also be of the innate realm.

After all, an innate expert would not challenge an external martial artist in such a grand and public manner—that would invite ridicule.

As more people arrived, the Huang clan provided an abundance of delicacies and fruits, placing them throughout for their peers to enjoy. They even set aside a patch of open ground by the lake for a ring, where martial artists could compete and socialize.

Several core members of the Huang family watched Huang Zhen in the Langya Pavilion, glanced at the growing crowd of martial artists, and felt their hearts swell with pride.

Though Huang Zhen had killed Huang Zhanyi and succeeded as head of the family, which was a transgression, his strength spoke for itself. He was already at the level of a half-step grandmaster—ordinary innate experts were no match for him.

This was Huang Zhen’s chance to shine, a golden opportunity for the Huang clan to rise; they were determined to seize it, leaving no room for unexpected incidents.

At this moment, they were simply waiting for Lu Ming to arrive and meet his end, so Huang Zhen could step over his corpse and dazzle the martial world, propelling the Huang family to a new height as a first-rate family.

As for Lu Ming’s abilities, in the face of Huang Zhen’s half-step grandmaster, everyone in the Huang clan had dismissed them entirely. No matter how formidable Lu Ming was, could he possibly be a grandmaster? There were only a handful of grandmasters in all of China, each a renowned figure, and Lu Ming’s name was not among them.

So long as he wasn’t a grandmaster, everyone in the Huang family believed no one could be Huang Zhen’s equal. What’s more, Huang Zhen carried the clan’s treasured heirloom, making their victory a certainty.

Those who had gathered clustered around the lakeshore, watching Huang Zhen seated in the Langya Pavilion, eager to witness the poise of this twenty-year-old innate master.

Huang Zhen sat with eyes closed, upright and serene, as if he had merged with the lake itself, his demeanor calm and profound.

“Indeed, he’s worthy of the innate realm—such bearing,” an elder remarked in admiration.

“Calm as a maiden, steadfast as a mountain. So young and already so composed. He’s destined for grandmastery,” another echoed enviously.

Many young people, around twenty themselves, gazed at Huang Zhen as if he were an idol. He was already an innate expert, a step away from grandmaster, while they remained external martial artists—at best, internal martial artists, uncertain if they would ever attain the innate realm.

Why such gulf between people?

In a quiet corner, Futu stood with Huang Qi, Huang Jiu, and Huang Shiba, silently watching the Huang clan. If Mr. Lu failed in the duel, Futu was resolved to fight to the death. He knew that if Mr. Lu fell, the Huang clan would not spare him; rather than wait for them to hunt him, he would take them by surprise. Even if he could not kill Huang Zhen, he would take as many Huang clansmen as possible, avenging Lord Huang.

Meanwhile, at the grocery store, Lu Ming, after breakfast, slept until past six in the afternoon. Awakened by hunger, he yawned, washed his face hastily, and was about to head out for a meal when his phone rang.

It was Huo Yutong calling. He answered instantly.

“Lu Ming, could you come to the Sacred Court Hotel?” Her voice was weak and anxious.

“What’s wrong?”

“A friend brought me to a dinner party. I just had two sips of a drink and started feeling dizzy. I’m in the restroom…” Before Huo Yutong could finish, the line went silent.

Lu Ming called out a couple of times, but there was no response. He pocketed the phone and rushed out of the grocery store, driving straight to the Sacred Court Hotel.

He arrived in just over ten minutes, but the hotel had more than ten floors, and he had no idea where to begin searching. So, he slipped into a corner, extended his spiritual sense to envelop the entire hotel, and began his search.

Soon, he sensed a familiar presence. Lu Ming hurried to the elevator, arriving at a room on the ninth floor, and kicked the door open.

Bang! The door flew inward.

It was a presidential suite. Lu Ming strode in to find a short, fat man in his sixties, naked and leering, advancing toward the bed.

On the large bed in the center, Huo Yutong lay disheveled, her face flushed red, beads of sweat dotting her brow, clutching at the sheets, softly moaning.

The man was startled by Lu Ming’s abrupt arrival, staring dumbly, momentarily speechless.

Without hesitating, Lu Ming stepped forward and kicked him across the room, leaving a spiritual mark on his body.

He then scooped up Huo Yutong and departed.

She had clearly been drugged. He needed to wake her up first; as for the fat man, Lu Ming had already marked him and would deal with him later.

As he turned to leave, the short, fat man finally recovered and, panting, called out, “Boy, do you know who I am? You dare strike me?”

Lu Ming turned and responded, “Do I need to check the time before hitting you? Clean yourself up and wait—I’ll settle accounts with you soon.”

The man wiped blood from his mouth, snarling, “Good, I’ll be waiting. We’re not done yet.”

Lu Ming sniffed and left.

Watching Lu Ming carry Huo Yutong away, the man was furious, his prey slipping through his fingers.

“Damn it, you dare lay hands on Ren Zhiyuan and spoil my fun? I’ll ruin you, make you watch as I take her—if I don’t, I’m not Ren.”

…

Back at the grocery store, Lu Ming carried Huo Yutong from the car, intending to lay her on the sofa and dispel the drug’s effects.

To his surprise, Huo Yutong clung to him like an octopus, her limbs wrapped tightly around him, writhing restlessly.

“Damn, this won’t do.”

Before long, Lu Ming felt his body responding.

Seeing this was untenable, he carried Huo Yutong upstairs.

With great difficulty, he pried her arms and legs loose and placed her on the bed, but she began tearing at her clothes.

Her attire, already in disarray, was soon reduced to rags, leaving them both exposed.

Lu Ming stared wide-eyed as Huo Yutong shredded her clothing, then her undergarments.

Moments later, all her garments lay torn and discarded, her entire body revealed to Lu Ming.

She grasped the sheets, pressing her thighs together and rubbing them, her moans filling the air. The scene was so enticing that Lu Ming felt his own desires stirring.

Suppressing his urges, he fetched a basin of cold water and poured it over Huo Yutong’s head.

Her hair and upper body were instantly drenched.

But instead of calming her, the water made Huo Yutong, now dripping with beads, even more alluring.

“Damn, what kind of drug is this? So potent.”

Lu Ming was astonished.

Ordinary aphrodisiacs would have been neutralized by cold water. This drug was clearly powerful; that damned fat man had come well prepared.

Lu Ming muttered as he approached Huo Yutong, helped her up, and prepared to use his powers to expel the drug.

But as soon as he lifted her, she clung to him again, her naked body rubbing against his, her lips trailing kisses across his face and neck.

It was a sweltering summer day; Lu Ming wore only a T-shirt and shorts, while Huo Yutong was completely unclothed.

Thin clothing offered no shield against youthful heat—after a few moments’ friction, Lu Ming felt his body responding once more.

“Is this some trial of my endurance?”

Cradling her soft, fragrant form, Lu Ming felt his self-control slipping.

Huo Yutong twisted restlessly, her girlish scent filling his nostrils, her moans assailing his ears.

Her moist lips pressed against his face and neck, Lu Ming’s breathing grew heavy.

“I can’t hold on any longer!” he suddenly roared.