Lu Pan put down the scroll in his hand and asked, "Is the investigation clear?"
Ye Beijiang nodded and handed over the documents. "Boss, there are nineteen properties on the list. Seven of them are currently under the Lu family's name, and the remaining twelve are detailed in the documents!"
Lu Pan took the documents and began to read.
Upon seeing the seven properties under the Lu family's name, Lu Pan sneered. "Lu Yuansen is not foolish. These seven properties occupy the best locations, and each one generates nearly a billion in profit annually!"
"Why are these two properties under the Nalan family?" Lu Pan asked with confusion as he saw the ownership of two other properties.
Ye Wudao quickly explained, "Your subordinate investigated. These two properties were previously mortgaged to a bank, and the bank happened to be controlled by the Nalan family. After that fire, no one repaid the debt, so the bank took over these two properties."
"According to your subordinate, these two were supposed to be auctioned, but for some reason, the Nalan family privately acquired ownership."
Lu Pan did not delve deeper. He quickly finished reading the documents, memorizing the ownership of each property.
"Very good. Starting tomorrow, I will visit them one by one and take back what belongs to me."
Lu Pan closed the documents and waved to Ye Wudao, "You may go."
After Ye Wudao withdrew, Lu Pan stood up and left the study, ascending to a viewing platform in the backyard.
In the distance was the vast, boundless sea. A bronze-colored moon hung high in the sky, reflecting on the sea's surface, transforming into countless shattered reflections, breathtakingly beautiful.
Lu Pan sat cross-legged and murmured with a smile, "If Master knew I hadn't cultivated these past few days, I'd likely be scolded severely."
Since leaving the Tianzi Yamen, he had been entangled in trivial matters and had no time to calm his mind and cultivate.
At this moment, with no external interference, Lu Pan quickly entered a state of meditation.
A stream of azure energy appeared around him, giving the impression of a mysterious mist.
Within his dantian, a thumb-thick stream of azure energy swiftly moved, like a joyful little fish.
Following this, the little fish left his dantian and began to travel along the meridians throughout his body.
Rumble—
As the little fish moved, the meridians within Lu Pan's body seemed to transform into surging great rivers.
A deafening roar echoed wherever the little fish passed.
After an unknown amount of time, the little fish leaped back into the dantian.
All the azure energy in the meridians also converged in the dantian at that moment, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, grand and magnificent!
The instant all the energy converged in the dantian, the little fish's body glowed brightly with azure light, growing by more than half its previous size.
Lu Pan slowly opened his eyes, two streaks of azure light flashing and disappearing. He sighed softly, "Master said that only by breaking through to the Yunling realm does one truly enter the path of cultivation, yet for thousands of years, no one has broken through the Yunling realm..."
"Alas, Master isn't trying to fool me, is he?"
Lu Pan suddenly thought of a possibility.
After all, after the ninth grade of Huajin comes Xiantian, and Xiantian is known as a Grandmaster!
Xiantian is further divided into three realms: Ruwei, Xianwei, and Yunling.
Being able to become a Ruwei Grandmaster was already exceptional, and a Xianwei Grandmaster was even rarer!
As for a Yunling Grandmaster, in his Master's words, they were invincible in the secular world.
And Lu Pan was at the peak of Yunling ninth grade, standing at the very apex of this world as an peerless expert!
If one was already invincible, why would Master say that breaking through to Yunling was truly entering cultivation? Wasn't that fooling him?
If that were the case, wouldn't everyone in the world be like ants?
"But the ones most likely to fool me are Master Eighth and Master Third. Master has never fooled me!"
Lu Pan recollected his thoughts, his brow furrowed. "Never mind, Master said my destiny lies in the secular world, so I'll look for it."
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Lu Pan sensed something and looked towards a corner of the backyard. Two dark figures were sneakily climbing over the wall.
Judging by their figures, one fat and one thin, they were a perfect combination.
"Fatty, be careful! If we alert the people here, we won't be able to handle the consequences!" the thin one warned his accomplice who was still on the wall.
With a thud, Fatty's rear landed on the ground.
"Ouch... Don't worry, no one has lived here for years. If I hadn't accidentally heard that some important figure once lived here, Fatty wouldn't have come to this ghost place."
Fatty got up and patted his backside.
"Are we attracting thieves?" Lu Pan said with a wry smile.
"I wonder if we can find anything good. If we find something good, we'll be rich." Fatty chuckled and crept towards Lu Pan's study.
The thin one quickly followed, cautiously surveying the surroundings, feeling as if a pair of eyes were watching him.
"Fatty, why do I feel like something's not right?" The thin one grabbed Fatty's arm, unable to help himself.
Despite his plumpness, Fatty had large, piercing eyes.
"It's not that I'm saying you're too cautious," Fatty said, twitching his ears and looking at the thin one, completely oblivious to any abnormality.
With that, he pushed open the door to Lu Pan's study.
Whoosh—
The wind blew into the study, rustling the scrolls on the desk, yet not a speck of dust was visible.
Fatty's expression changed slightly. He pulled Fatty and quickly retreated.
"Withdraw!"
Fatty moved with incredible speed and agility, clearly possessing considerable martial arts skill.
"Since you've come, why the hurry to leave?"
Lu Pan appeared, blocking their path.
"Good heavens, I've seen a ghost!"
Fatty's large eyes widened as he stared at Lu Pan, clearly not expecting him to move so fast.
"Split up!"
With that, Fatty and the thin one, one to the left and one to the right, dashed out of the courtyard.
Bang bang—
With two loud thuds, Fatty and the thin one were simultaneously blocked by a massive force, landing heavily on their behinds.
"Fatty's butt must be split into eight pieces!" Fatty howled.
The thin one quickly flipped over, and in his hand, an object resembling a shining golden pair of scissors appeared.
"Rat Shadow Steps, you are from the Shuoshuo Pavilion!"
Lu Pan looked at the two and spoke calmly, directly identifying their origin.
Upon hearing this, their expressions changed. This was the first time anyone had recognized their identity.
The Shuoshuo Pavilion was also known as the number one thief sect in the world, claiming to be able to steal anything that existed.
Lu Pan never expected to be visited by someone from the Shuoshuo Pavilion one day.
"Who are you?" Fatty, dropping his previous flippant demeanor, looked at Lu Pan with wary eyes.
The Shuoshuo Pavilion operated with extreme caution, and its members relied on the Rat Shadow Steps, moving stealthily and mysteriously, rarely being identified.
"Help me retrieve something, and I'll spare your lives."
Lu Pan answered their unspoken question and directly proposed his condition.
Fatty and the thin one exchanged glances, knowing they were no match for Lu Pan.
Fatty nodded to the thin one and asked, "What do you want stolen?"
"It's very simple..." Lu Pan said with a smile.
His lips moved slightly, seemingly uttering three words.
Fatty and the thin one saw Lu Pan's lip movements, and their expressions changed drastically!!