Chapter 131: Reaching an Agreement Against Xiao Kaitian

"Young Master Bian, Young Master Su, please, take a seat," Xiao Zhenglü said, doing his best to project an air of grand ambition. He sat in the head seat, playing the part of a hospitable host. "This is an office, so there is no need for excessive formality."

Bian Cheng wore a faint smile, his thumb absently turning the jade thumb ring he wore. He appeared calm and composed. The other participant, Su Jingyao, looked rather sour, and the reason for his grim expression was none other than Xiao Kai-tian.

"We are all acquaintances here," Xiao Zhenglü said, pulling out a pack of 95 Supreme cigarettes to offer around. Bian Cheng accepted one, but Su Jingyao declined; it was a long-standing habit of his to never smoke cigarettes offered by others. Xiao Zhenglü’s expression stiffened momentarily before he smoothed it over.

"I will get straight to the point. The reason I invited you both here is regarding my troublesome nephew. First and foremost, I wish to offer you both an apology on his behalf."

A cold sneer flickered in Bian Cheng’s mind. He had already gauged Xiao Zhenglü’s true worth—all thunder and no rain, lacking any real backbone. He was clearly trying to overstep his authority.

Su Jingyao remained cold and detached, lifting his teacup to take a sip. "Mr. Xiao, you joke. There is no need for apologies. One can only say Xiao Kai-tian is the more skilled of the two; my Su family did not lose unjustly this time."

Xiao Zhenglü’s face stiffened again, unsure how much of Su Jingyao’s words were sincere. "Regardless, he is still a rash youth. If he causes any more trouble, it will be difficult for me to clean up the mess."

Su Jingyao gave a dismissive wave and didn't respond further. His stance was clear: he would no longer participate in this affair. It was ridiculous; the last incident had left the Su family a laughingstock, and having been burned once, he had no desire to get caught up in the trouble again.

Bian Cheng was different. The Bian family held a grudge against Xiao Kai-tian. Although the matter of his brother’s paralysis had been "resolved," that was only because Xiao Zheng-li had been there to intervene. Now that things had changed, that debt of blood still needed to be settled. "Mr. Xiao, I won't go into the details of the conflict between my family and Xiao Kai-tian. Just tell us, what is your plan?"

"Hantang is a society governed by law; we cannot act recklessly," Xiao Zhenglü said, clearly having had a plan in mind for some time. "My Xiao clan’s martial foundation is not strong, but we do have some capital. Young Master Bian, you have close ties with the Changbai Martial Arts Bureau, don't you? Could you perhaps mediate through them?"

It was a setup where he provided the money and the Bian family provided the muscle. Bian Cheng stroked his jade ring. "I do have a bit of influence there, but Xiao Kai-tian is not a martial artist. If we send martial practitioners after him, wouldn't that violate the regulations?"

"Xiao Kai-tian *is* a martial practitioner," Xiao Zhenglü said, gritting his teeth as he played his trump card. "I have been in contact with people in the martial arts world recently. There is news that they are considering whether to admit him into their system. Once he is in, we can issue a formal challenge against him directly."

"Xiao Kai-tian is a martial practitioner?" Bian Cheng was stunned, and Su Jingyao’s eyes flickered with surprise. "Is this information certain?"

"It is all but guaranteed. Young Master Bian, Young Master Su, now you see the threat Xiao Kai-tian poses, don't you?" Xiao Zhenglü was quite pleased with his ace in the hole and felt his spirits lift as he watched the two men’s astonishment.

If Xiao Kai-tian were a martial practitioner, the situation would be entirely different. The martial world had its own set of rules, often beyond the reach of national law. If he joined the martial arts system, even if he were to kill someone in the future, they would be left powerless to do anything but watch.

Such a man, who held a grudge against them, could certainly not be left alive.

"In that case, my Su family will also contribute. We have some connections with the Yinshan Martial Arts Hall," Su Jingyao said, changing his tune.

"I will handle the communication with the Changbai Martial Arts Bureau. As long as Xiao Kai-tian enters the martial system," Bian Cheng said, spinning his jade ring, "he is a dead man."

"Then I leave it to you two. As for the funding, my Xiao clan will cover it entirely." Xiao Zhenglü reached out his hand, satisfied.

This was the second time the three had formed an alliance against Xiao Kai-tian. Unlike the previous attempt, all three now realized that Xiao Kai-tian’s status as a martial practitioner posed a unique threat that had to be eliminated.

Xiao Kai-tian was aware of the crises surrounding him, but he had to come to Shangjing. The future of the Qingtang Tianxia project depended entirely on whether this trip went smoothly.

Huang Ming had arranged for Xiao Kai-tian to stay at the Shangjing Vision Hotel, located in the city center right next to the famous Shangjing Grand Theater, a venue that had hosted many traditional theatrical performances.

"Let’s have a brief informal chat tonight. We will arrange a formal meeting within the next two days. I hope you understand, Mr. Xiao," Huang Ming said with a friendly smile after showing him to his room.

Xiao Kai-tian understood. To put it bluntly, he was just an entrepreneur. If it weren't for the technology in his hands that interested the national military, he wouldn't even have had the chance to meet them. He trusted Huang Ming’s arrangements.

"I will need to rely on Director Huang to facilitate things," Xiao Kai-tian said, offering a rare compliment. Huang Ming didn't mind; he understood the weight of the technology Xiao Kai-tian held.

"Then I won't disturb your rest. If you have time, would you like me to take you around Shangjing?" He knew this was a polite formality, but it had to be said.

As expected, Xiao Kai-tian declined. He had no interest in such things. "I won't trouble Director Huang. If I have time, I will walk around myself. I won't get lost."

His words made Huang Ming laugh. After a few more polite exchanges, Huang Ming took his leave.

Xiao Kai-tian took out his phone and refreshed the Hantang news headlines. The topics concerning Chen Jingming’s film and the teaser trailer were still trending, though the intensity had faded somewhat.

This was the trend he hoped to see. Such topics eventually had to die down; if they remained at the top for too long, the public would develop a contrarian reaction. Furthermore, his project involved many complex issues, which was the very reason the military wanted to meet in person.

Just as Xiao Kai-tian was scrolling through his screen, a call came in from an unknown number. Few people in Hantang knew his number. Who could this be? With a sense of curiosity, he pressed the answer button.

"Brother Kai-tian," a female voice came through the receiver. "It's Gu Zixi. Do you remember me?"

Gu Zixi. Of course, Xiao Kai-tian remembered her; he had a very deep impression of the girl. "Yes, I remember."

"I heard you came to Shangjing. How long will you be staying? Do you have any time..." Gu Zixi’s voice trembled slightly with nervousness. "I was wondering, if it's possible, I would like to see you. Can I?"

"How did you know I was in Shangjing?" Xiao Kai-tian felt a slight sense of suspicion.

"My sister told me. Please, just one meeting," she pleaded.

Gu Luoyan? Xiao Kai-tian recalled seeing Gu Luoyan on the plane that morning. His expression turned cold. Why would Gu Luoyan tell Gu Zixi about his whereabouts?

"Brother Kai-tian, I..."

"Very well," Xiao Kai-tian said. He still held a decent impression of Gu Zixi, and there was clearly something going on behind the scenes. The information he had requested from his investigators hadn't arrived yet, so he might as well probe the situation himself. "Where should we meet?"

"That's great! But I can't stay away from the Gu residence for too long. How about you come near my house? I'll text you the time and location."

Interesting. That sentence contained quite a bit of information. Xiao Kai-tian narrowed his eyes. "Very well."