The atmosphere in the grand hall was extremely tense.
Every member of the Lan family wore expressions of fear and unease, while most of the guests remained, seemingly wanting to witness the Lan family's downfall.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Soon, two hours had passed.
After waiting for a while, there seemed to be no movement.
A Lan family member said with a hint of joy, "Patriarch, the two hours are up... It seems that one-eyed Liang hasn't come. Have we escaped this calamity?"
Beside him, another Lan family member patted his chest, as if comforting his own heart that had been greatly frightened, "It's good he didn't come, it's good he didn't come! I said it, our Lan family is not some insignificant character to be slaughtered at will. Even if they want to swallow our Lan family, they have to weigh their own strength..."
This person's words were not yet finished.
Suddenly, a burst of wild laughter echoed from the foot of the mountain, from the Lan family's mountain gate. The rolling laughter seemed to carry the power of raging thunder, causing the grand hall itself to tremble slightly.
Everyone's expression changed in unison!
Especially the two Lan family members who had just thought they had escaped the calamity, their eyes widened in panic, their faces turning ashen.
"Damn it, the Lan family still hasn't cleared a space for me. Do they want me to exterminate their clan?"
A whistling sound approached from afar.
Just moments ago, they were at the foot of the mountain, and now they had swiftly arrived outside the grand hall.
Boom!
With a colossal impact, the thick bronze doors of the grand hall were split open.
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
Under such a tense atmosphere, they were almost scared to death.
At the entrance, a group of ferocious and menacing powerhouses appeared.
The leader was clad in golden armor and a crimson silk battle robe, but wore silver boots that were half a size larger than normal. A鬼头大刀 (guǐ tóu dà dāo - ghost-headed saber) inlaid with gold and jade hung from his waist.
One of his eyes was blind, replaced by a jade stone. He held a jade toothpick in his mouth, his face fierce, and his beard grew in a full, bushy growth on both sides.
He made no attempt to conceal his power fluctuations. An aura of late-stage Xuan Gang realm, capable of making everyone's hearts tremble, permeated the air, instantly enveloping the entire hall in his arrogant and ferocious might.
Lan Tianxiong's heart sank to the bottom.
What was destined to come had finally arrived. It seemed the Lan family could not escape this calamity.
He sighed inwardly, stood up, and cupped his fists towards the man.
"I am Lan Tianxiong, the Patriarch of the Lan family. May I ask who you are and why you have trespassed into my Lan family without reason?"
The burly man leading them sneered and remained silent.
A bald man beside him said, "Stand firm, and don't be scared stiff when you hear our boss's name! Our boss is the renowned Governor Liang, who shakes the heavens and the earth of Chu! The entire Mogan Mountain is our boss's territory..."
The bald man's words were not yet finished.
A huge palm struck his bald head again.
"Damn it, you have no memory! Call him Governor!"
The bald man rubbed his head, inwardly lamenting that this job was unbearable.
Clearly, two hours ago, his boss had personally told him not to call him Mountain Lord, but Governor.
Now, he had changed it to Governor-General.
His title changed several times a day; who could keep up with the correct address?
However, he dared not show any of this.
In the grand hall, the Lan family members and the guests watched this comical scene. Although it was amusing, no one dared to laugh.
They had heard before that this Mountain Lord Liang had a strange and unpredictable personality, and seeing him today confirmed it.
Lan Tianxiong gritted his teeth and said, "Governor Liang, may I ask why you have graced our Lan Family Fort with your presence today? What is your business?"
The bald man jumped up and said, "Damn it, aren't you asking the obvious! Was the invitation we sent two hours ago for you to wipe your backside with? Did you not read it properly, or are you playing dumb!"
"If you don't get out within two hours, then you die!"
The bald man said, word for word.
"My subordinate has already made it very clear. This Mogan Mountain is my territory. You are acting recklessly in my territory without permission, and you even dared to build a fortress. This shows you have no regard for me, Governor."
Liang Hutu glared, and the Xuan Gang realm late-stage pressure intensified by another three points. Everyone in the hall felt as if a thousand-jin heavy stone had been placed on their shoulders.
Some timid individuals were so frightened that they fell to the ground, causing Liang Hutu's subordinates to erupt in laughter.
"Governor Liang, are you really going to force our Lan family to a dead end! Don't you know that even a clay figurine has three parts of fire? Being bullied like this, anyone with a shred of courage would not sit idly by!"
Lan Tianxiong gritted his teeth.
"Nonsense. Your Lan family's few so-called experts are not even qualified to fight me to the death."
"Governor Liang, I am the President of the Weapon Forging Branch in Jiangnan City. Could you, in consideration of me and the Weapon Forging Master Association, spare the Lan family?"
Master Wang suppressed his fiery temper and spoke to Liang Hutu in a negotiating tone.
If he hadn't known he was no match for Liang Hutu, with his temper, he would have already started a fight with these bandits.
"What kind of nonsense is Master Wang? Your status might carry some weight with those noble families and powers, but to a ruffian like me, it means nothing! Stop your rambling. Today, I am determined to have this Lan Family Fort and its fire crystal vein."
Liang Hutu grinned widely, a cold sneer on his face.
Master Wang was so angered that he almost exploded!
"Everyone, you are all from Jiangnan City. Don't you have any sense of shared hatred? Don't you understand the principle of 'lips and teeth are cold'? Can you bear to stand by and watch as this group of bandits annihilates the Lan family!"
Master Wang shouted at the people from the various major powers of Jiangnan City.
The guests exchanged glances, but none showed any intention of stepping forward. Instead, some deliberately took a few steps back.
"Oh?"
Liang Hutu crossed his arms with great interest, seemingly unconcerned.
"If any of you have the guts to help the Lan family and oppose me, then step forward now. I don't mind dealing with you all as well, hahaha!!"
Liang Hutu laughed, his voice shaking the rafters, his laughter filled with arrogance.
The guests' expressions changed slightly, fearing they might get involved.
On the Tan family's side, Elder Tan Hui cast a resentful glance at Master Wang, thinking, "If you want to die with the Lan family, don't drag us along. You are close to Ling Fan, and if you want to help the Lan family, that's your business. We don't have to!"
He immediately cupped his fists towards Liang Hutu and said, "Governor Liang, please do not misunderstand. We will absolutely not be your enemy."
He then turned to Master Wang and said, "Master Wang, I advise you not to tie yourself to the Lan family's sinking ship. Can't you see the Lan family's ship is about to sink? Why throw yourself in? After all, you only have a slight acquaintance with Ling Fan. Is it worth it to go all out against a supreme expert like Governor Liang for such a small favor!"
Tan Hui said calmly.
Tan Tianyang, handsome and tall, stood beside Tan Hui, also with a look of schadenfreude.
He had wanted to woo Lan Xueyi before, but she had ignored him, and he had even been scolded by Ling Fan. This had always bothered him. Seeing Ling Fan and the Lan family in such great trouble today, he felt immense pleasure.
On the Wu family's side, Wu Tong, standing behind the Wu family elder, shot out perverse pleasure from his two venomous eyes.
"Heh heh, the Lan family was too high-profile, which is why they brought this disaster upon themselves. What does it have to do with us!"
"Exactly! We have no particular friendship with the Lan family."
"We implore Governor Liang to stop after dealing with the Lan family and not to extend his wrath to our Jiangnan City."
People from various major families in Jiangnan City continued to express their stance, one after another, distancing themselves from the Lan family.
The Lan family, who had been fawned over by everyone before, seemed to have fallen from the heavens to the earth in an instant.
Many people, with malicious intent, were kicking them while they were down.
In a short time, the Lan family was completely isolated and helpless.