"Is this your choice?"
Sun Rufang's expression changed slightly, his smile vanished, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Do you know you are making an enemy of God?"
"An ant like you can be crushed with a flick of his finger."
"Even your protective umbrella is nothing before him."
He thought Li Chonglou would be at least a smart person, and smart people first and foremost sought to preserve their own lives.
Moreover, he had investigated Li Chonglou and knew that his mother and wife were more important to him than anything else.
Even if he didn't think for himself, he had to think for them.
But Li Chonglou's agreement was completely beyond his expectations.
This feeling of things and people being out of his control made him inexplicably angry.
"As a lawyer, you're using the wrong words. I don't have a protective umbrella; if I did, it would be called a backing, not a protective umbrella," Li Chonglou replied without fear, word by word. "Besides, the 'God' you speak of is nothing more than a powerful demon or monster."
"From childhood, the country has taught us that all demons and monsters are paper tigers."
"Do ghosts and spirits dare to associate with me?"
"I will protect Liu Ping'er, you can try if you dare!"
As he spoke the last sentence, Li Chonglou's eyes pierced Sun Rufang's heart like sharp beams of cold light.
It made him look horrified and his face turn pale.
What kind of gaze was that?
He had seen countless important figures, majestic, dark, sinister.
But he had never seen such a gaze, as direct and radiant as sunlight.
Everyone's heart had a dark side, desires, but this Li Chonglou's eyes seemed to hold no personal ambition.
This... this was impossible.
How could a twenty-five-year-old young man appear as if he had seen through the ways of the world like an old man?
For a moment, his powerful confidence was completely shattered.
He didn't know how to respond.
"Good, remember your choice today. There is no regret medicine in this world," Sun Rufang, unable to even make a harsh threat, got up and left.
This trip from the capital to Yong'an had been in vain.
How to explain to that person upon his return was the only thing he had to face now.
As for Li Chonglou, he was doomed!
"No need to see me out," Li Chonglou said calmly, his expression unchanged.
Yet, his eyes emitted waves of cold light, firm as iron.
In making such a choice, he had used all his strength.
Protecting his loved ones was his obsession, but that did not mean he would exchange them for other people's lives.
Life was priceless.
Without Liu Ping'er, he would not have known so many things.
For both emotional and logical reasons, he absolutely could not sacrifice her. This was Li Chonglou's most basic principle as a person.
One need not fear disappointing others, but one should fear disappointing oneself.
This was what peace of mind was.
If he had agreed to Sun Rufang's conditions, he would have been tormented by himself, judged day and night, and never found peace for the rest of his life.
"Chonglou, although I don't understand what you're talking about, no matter what you choose, I support you," Ning Lang said with an open expression.
Li Chonglou smiled: "This has nothing to do with you."
He absolutely did not want to drag Ning Lang into this.
Sun Rufang's words had already made it clear that someone was protecting him, which was why he had come to negotiate.
It was obvious who that protector was, it was Fan Lei.
Even such a legendary figure could only protect him, not directly overthrow that person, which showed how immense that person's influence was.
If Ning Lang got involved, the consequences would be truly unpredictable.
After speaking, without waiting for Ning Lang to say anything further, Li Chonglou returned to his room.
Sitting on the bed, he began to meditate.
He was actually very troubled now, his mind in turmoil.
When faced with a choice, he had followed his heart, but that did not mean he could find peace.
Once a choice was made, he had to face whatever came next.
He was not worried about his own life or death.
But the lives of his family and friends made him rack his brains, and he began to analyze the cause and effect of the entire matter layer by layer, acting uncharacteristically.
How to survive this storm was the primary concern.
A figure of immense power, who held sway over the world, had become his mortal enemy.
That person's influence even surpassed Fan Lei's.
Huang Dongcheng and the deceased Li Hanlong were merely pawns under his command.
Xuan Jiu was not even in his sight.
These were the only clues he knew of so far.
But from this tip of the iceberg, it was enough to see how terrifying that colossal entity was.
To survive, he needed the power to support the sky and break through the heavens.
How to support?
How to break!
Li Chonglou's mind had never worked so fast.
Second, minute, hour, day!
The room door was tightly shut, Li Chonglou sat on the bed like an ancient, motionless statue, his eyes closed.
During this time, Ning Lang had entered, found him in this state, and retreated.
He knew that Li Chonglou must have encountered a major event, and at such a time, it was absolutely forbidden to disturb him until he emerged from his seclusion.
Even his meals were cut off.
Three full days passed in the blink of an eye.
Ning Lang's lips were chapped and pale, waiting outside the door, with a look of extreme anxiety in his eyes.
"Brother Lang, please eat and drink something... If you continue like this, your body won't be able to take it," Zheng Rui, along with a few brothers, stood beside Ning Lang and persuaded him in a low voice.
Since yesterday, Ning Lang had not eaten, drunk, or slept, sitting and waiting outside Li Chonglou's room.
No matter how they persuaded him, it was useless.
"Chonglou is blessed with great fortune; I believe this is just a trial for him. Don't collapse yourself because of this," Xiao Yun also sat aside, saying with a worried expression.
She had received word from Zheng Rui's men and had rushed over immediately.
Upon learning that Li Chonglou had gone into seclusion for three days, she had pushed aside all her affairs to wait here.
Ning Lang remained silent, staring at the room door.
What was a day without food for him, when Li Chonglou had gone three days and three nights without a drop of water or a bite of food?
If this continued, it was a dead end.
But the more he didn't eat or drink, the calmer he felt.
It seemed that in this process, he gradually began to understand what Li Chonglou inside the room was feeling and thinking.
This world was both real and illusory.
All pain and joy originated from one's own consciousness, and even the feeling of hunger and thirst could be suppressed by humanity.
The ancient ascetics who practiced fasting cultivated in this very way.
The weaker the body, the clearer the consciousness, reaching directly to the true heart.
The subconscious, normally obscured by thoughts in the mind, all began to emerge, and each one brought him joy while also leading to sudden enlightenment.
He wasn't fasting purely for Li Chonglou, but rather Li Chonglou had allowed him to experience this extraordinary journey.
Creak!
At this moment, Li Chonglou's room door was suddenly opened from the inside.
An extremely emaciated figure appeared before everyone. Li Chonglou, who was already thin, now looked like nothing but skin and bones.
His face was pale, his lips were pale, and there was almost no fat on his body.
Only bone and skin remained.
But his eyes shone with a soul-shattering intensity.
It was as if he had seen through all the mist and pierced straight into the heavens.
Seeing Xiao Yun, he stood up excitedly and gave a weak smile: "Sister Yun, sorry for making you worry."
"You scared us to death. If you hadn't come out in another hour, I would have called Lin Weiwei to Yong'an," Xiao Yun let out a long sigh of relief, her heart that had been hanging in the air finally settled.
"It wasn't that serious," Li Chonglou looked at Ning Lang and they exchanged a smile.
Then he saw the food on the table behind him, his eyes lit up: "So much delicious food, I'm starving."
Then he walked to the table and began to eat heartily.
Ning Lang laughed heartily and did not want to be outdone, and the two of them buried their heads in eating.
The others stood around, looking at the two men acting like children with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
After they had finished all the food and let out a satisfied burp,
Li Chonglou finally looked up and waved his hand: "Everyone can disperse. Old Ning and I are not dead."
Zheng Rui nodded and signaled his subordinates to leave.
In the courtyard, only Xiao Yun remained.
After everyone had left, she asked with concern: "Chonglou, did you encounter something major?"
"I am your sister, you are not allowed to hide anything from me."
This question was actually unnecessary; any discerning person could see that given Li Chonglou's personality, why else would he go into seclusion for three days without coming out?
To make himself look like neither human nor ghost.
"It was a big deal before, but now I've figured it out, and it's nothing," Li Chonglou smiled innocently. "We are all born of our parents, just one life."
"How great can these 'important figures' be? They are merely borrowing power."
"The reason power is so intoxicating is that it allows one to use the strength of others as one's own."
"It's like amplifying oneself countless times, to do as one pleases."
"But he is still a person, and all people fear death. If he dares to provoke me, I will kill him."
These words sounded like a child's, not at all like something he had comprehended through three days of deep meditation.
They were filled with childishness.
Hearing this, Xiao Yun furrowed her brows and remained silent.
On the other hand, Ning Lang seemed to understand Li Chonglou's words and clapped his hands.
Bang!
"Well said! When soldiers come, block them; when water comes, cover it with earth. Only the mediocre trouble themselves."
"If he dares to come, I will fight alongside you to defeat him!"
His words were full of heroic spirit and deep affection,
Which warmed Li Chonglou's heart.
He said: "Old Ning, Sister Yun, I have to leave. Rather than delaying for a year, it's better to take the initiative."
"Joining the army is the only way I can confront him now. I will bring Liu Ping'er with me to join the army."
"He said he has a protective umbrella, right? With Fan Da's protective umbrella, he won't see me."
"One day, when he sees me, he will face a fatal blow."
This decision was the ultimate gain he had achieved through three days of deep thought.
Joining the army!
He had once thought he would never enter the military in his life.
But no matter how he planned, he realized that without this, it would be difficult for him to gain the strength to confront that person in a short period.
Huang Dongcheng was no longer a threat; the truly terrifying one was the entity behind Sun Rufang.
Only in this way could Liu Ping'er's life be saved.
Ning Lang looked moved, his eyes wide open, unable to speak.
Xiao Yun remained silent for several minutes before nodding: "No matter what decision you make, I will support you."
"Remember, the Xiao family will always be your fallback."
"However, what are your plans for your business in Yong'an?"
The antique shop was Li Chonglou's intended means to establish a foothold in Yong'an and counter Huang Dongcheng.
But times had changed, and no one had expected things to develop so quickly.
Now, a small antique shop or the antique trade was no longer sufficient.
"With Lin Weiwei there, I'm not worried. Sister Yun, please help look after it," Li Chonglou said with a confident smile. "When I retire, you will host a welcome banquet for me!"
"Good!" Xiao Yun and Ning Lang shouted in unison.