“Hah.” Bai Heng laughed as if hearing the most ridiculous joke in the world, his mouth curving in utter contempt.
The ringing of the ongoing call sounded from Lanting’s phone, who then tapped the speakerphone icon.
Bai Heng crossed his arms and watched him make the call, asking with a mocking sneer, “Calling him… do you even know the name of this generation’s senior disciple?”
He had originally asked this to make a fool of Lanting, but to his surprise, the other person actually answered.
“If I remember correctly, his name is Gu Hezang.”
The moment those three words dropped, the smile vanished entirely from Bai Heng’s face.
Uncertain what was running through his mind, his expression grew increasingly unsightly and his eyes turned gloomy. Yet with a single glance, Lanting caught the guilty panic and evasion buried deep within Bai Heng’s eyes.
The outer corners of Lanting’s eyebrows lifted with mild amusement just as the call connected.
“Mr. Lan, do you have news about the item I’m looking for?”
Gu Hezang’s voice rang out from the other end. The familiar cadence sounded casual, but the underlying intent was dead serious.
Lanting spared a quick glance at Bai Heng, and reading that expression, he knew something fishy was going on.
Like a fox toying with its prey, he didn’t push for a killing blow right away, steering the conversation elsewhere instead.
“What’s going on on your end?” Lanting asked indifferently.
He hadn’t answered the question, which meant there was no news yet, but Gu Hezang didn’t sound disappointed.
The sound of rushing wind came fiercely through the phone, as if someone was moving at high speed, accompanied by the intense sounds of colliding impacts. Listening closely, Gu Hezang’s breathing sounded somewhat unsteady.
Hearing Lanting’s question, the other man answered lightly, “A ghost-busting operation. If Mr. Lan is interested, you can treat it as a live broadcast.”
Lanting: “Never mind.”
The caller chuckled for a moment before returning to the main point. “Mr. Lan definitely didn’t call just to reminisce, so what do you want to ask?”
Lanting then raised his eyes slightly, casting his gaze toward Bai Heng.
With every extra word Gu Hezang spoke, Bai Heng’s complexion grew a shade darker, until it was now as black as the bottom of a pot.
The fists clenched at his sides were trembling as he exerted unconscious force, his knuckles turning stark white.
Noticing that undisguised expression of jealousy, the corners of Lanting’s lips curved as he asked Gu Hezang, “Who is the next-generation successor of Mount Mao?”
Gu Hezang’s tone lifted over the receiver. “Untalented as I am, yours truly holds that exact title.”
“Oh.” Lanting deliberately drew out the syllable with a mocking tone, successfully earning a hostile glare from Bai Heng.
“Is the name Bai Heng on the roster of Mount Mao disciples?”
Hearing Bai Heng’s name, the person on the other end paused, their tone turning solemn. “Mr. Lan ran into him?”
“Mhm,” Lanting replied. “Know him?”
“Of course I know him.” Gu Hezang ground his teeth. “That Bai Heng is dull-witted and lacks diligence in his cultivation, making him unsuited for this path. He was originally scheduled to be expelled from the sect, but who would have thought this fellow would collude with outside enemies and steal a restricted manual from Mount Mao.”
Lanting cast a surprised, up-and-down look at Bai Heng, a gaze so tangible it left Bai Heng feeling uneasy and suspicious.
“Your eyes…”
Ignoring Bai Heng, Lanting continued straight on. “Since he’s such good-for-nothing trash, does Mount Mao have no one left? You still haven’t caught him after all this time.”
Gu Hezang choked for a moment, defending his sect’s pride. “That fellow had outside help at the time. It was deeply eerie, and he vanished in an instant. He even caught a red-eye flight abroad that very night.”
“China’s airspace is restricted, so we couldn’t continue tracking him. Once he crossed overseas, the Chinese Metaphysical Association couldn’t reach him even if they wanted to.”
Gu Hezang sounded thoroughly helpless, then asked, “Why are you suddenly asking about him?”
Lanting blinked, staring unblinkingly at Bai Heng as a slow smile spread across his face. “Because he’s standing right in front of me.”
Hearing this, Gu Hezang instantly perked up. “Mr. Lan, please make sure to capture him and hand him over to Mount Mao. Mount Mao will owe you a favor.”
Lanting’s tone remained calm and carried deep implication. “My favors aren’t that easy to owe.”
“No problem, Mount Mao can afford to owe it.”
“Deal.”
The two of them conducted their transaction right in front of the subject of discussion, Bai Heng. Lanting’s words turned Bai Heng’s face bright red with fury, twisting his features into a vicious scowl that utterly ruined an otherwise decent-looking face.
Lanting instinctively closed his eyes to protect them from any sudden outbursts.
Seeing him hang up the phone, Bai Heng cast aside all caution and completely dropped any pretense of respect for Lanting, his voice laced with venom. “You were faking blindness all along!”
Lanting rested his chin in his hand. “What business is that of yours?”
Bai Heng choked. “I never expected you to know that scum Gu Hezang. Since we’ve crossed paths as enemies, don’t blame me for showing no mercy!”
Bai Heng hadn’t intended to take action himself, but since the matter involved Mount Mao grudges and the other party had already made clear their intent to capture him, he had to strike first.
“Mount Mao must be finished if they’re relying on you to deal with me. Truly ridiculous,” Bai Heng scoffed derisively.
With just a few words, Lanting nearly drove him to vomit blood. “If you look down on Mount Mao so much, why are you still running around using their name to swindle people?”
“Oh right, the identity you borrowed just happens to be the person you hate most, Gu Hezang. Hah.”
“What a pathetic clown.”
Whether it was a specific word that pushed Bai Heng over the edge, he snapped almost instantly, launching an attack toward Lanting the very next second.
With a sweep of his hand, Bai Heng rapidly formed an intricate series of complex hand seals, his movements dazzling and dizzying to watch.
His display looked intensely intimidating, creating a grand momentum that suggested terrifying power, yet the Lanting sitting opposite him showed total lack of interest.
The disdain in the youth’s eyes pierced Bai Heng’s pride. Gritting his teeth, he sped up the formation of his seals and pressed his hands downward. “Immortal Capital Fire Thunder, Mountain Thunder Fire Cloud. Wind Fire Primordial Brightness, Fire Lord Wind Thunder, summon the thunder and lightning!”
Rolls of muffled thunder echoed above the clouds, as if something was about to plunge downward. Dark clouds pressed low over the city, and visibility dropped rapidly all around.
Pedestrians on the outer streets glanced up at the weather in surprise, checking weather apps on their phones. “Rain wasn’t in the forecast, was it?”
The Lan estate courtyard remained dead quiet. While the living room saw intense activity, the rest of the family was still out.
Bai Heng sneered. “Don’t bother looking. There are only the two of us here. You can’t escape, and begging for mercy now is still your best bet.”
Lanting merely studied the thunder crackling around Bai Heng’s hands with genuine curiosity, then blinked.
Then he parted his lips, uttering only a few simple words: “Lei Zhenzi, heed my call.”
The next second, Bai Heng watched in shock as the thunder he had summoned vanished into thin air. Alarmed and bewildered, he tried forming the seals to summon it again, but failed repeatedly.
Finally, he looked toward Lanting across the room.
Lanting hadn’t even stood up. He remained seated on the sofa, leisurely nursing his already cooled milk, sipping it a bit at a time.
Putting on a tough front, Bai Heng snapped, “I possess restricted Mount Mao texts. There are over a hundred ways for me to finish you off. If you know what’s good for you…”
As the milk hit the bottom of the glass, Lanting’s patience ran out.
The crisp clink of the glass setting against the coffee table coincided with Lanting’s final words: “Strike down!”
Above the gathered storm clouds, a pitch-black, raven-like figure emerged. Standing amidst the clouds clad in dark feathers with a hooked nose, the figure brought its hands together in an instant clap.
Thunder and lightning were born between his palms.
The next second, Lei Zhenzi raised his hand silently, hurling the bolts of lightning down toward the mortal realm.
Boom!
A sudden wave of intense crisis overwhelmed Bai Heng, every alarm bell in his body screaming. At the very last split second, casting aside all dignity, he unleashed the fastest movement speed of his life to bolt from the spot.
“Urgh-ah!”
Yet he was still a fraction too slow. Under the fury of the thunder, nowhere was safe. Bai Heng let out a miserable shriek.
As the summoning concluded, Lei Zhenzi’s figure faded back into the clouds, and ambient light flooded back into the surroundings.
Bai Heng collapsed to his knees. Once the lightning struck his knees with pinpoint accuracy, his face twisted in agony, rendering him utterly incapable of standing.
Lanting watched him leisurely from across the room, smiling brightly.
“Useless trash.”
“Next up, it’s time for your paramour.”