Chapter 142: Enemies Knocking on the Door

June was a brilliant month, with the fierce heat of summer reigning supreme, especially past the middle when every single day grew hotter than the last. Many people preferred to stay indoors where the cool air conditioning provided refuge, but the wealthy had far more sophisticated ways to escape the heat.

"Madam, the little princess is simply too adorable! She has completely inherited your beauty, and her temperament is so sweet. When she grows up, the line of suitors will probably stretch all the way to America!"

"Indeed! Just how exceptional must a person be to be worthy of our Yumen's little princess?"

"The little princess has such incredible charm. Just now, my little rascal and Old Zhu's boy were actually arguing over who got to build a sandcastle with her."

"Haha!"

"Dragons beget dragons, and phoenixes beget phoenixes!"

Beside a gorgeous, expansive swimming pool, a group of glamorous young women in their thirties surrounded a celestial-looking beauty, showering her with compliments. Their words, whether blatant or subtle, were dripping with flattery and obsequiousness.

This was a suburban resort villa belonging to the prestigious Gu family of Lincheng. The woman who was the center of all this attention was naturally Song Wanshu. Because of the sweltering weather, the young mistress of the Gu family had extended an invitation for her and a group of elite socialites to bring their children for some leisure and entertainment. Song Wanshu, who had not spent much quality time with her daughter lately, hesitated briefly before accepting. Knowing that Song Wanshu would be attending, the other high-society matrons had eagerly rushed to join.

There was a specialized term for this phenomenon: "Mrs. Diplomacy." With Yumen currently at the height of its power and several major prestigious families relying on it for their livelihood, they naturally went out of their way to cater to the wife and the only daughter of Yumen's master.

Of course, it could not be said that their praises were entirely false. Both Song Wanshu and Jiang Xixi possessed looks that were one in a million, and thanks to Jiang An's immortal cultivation modifications, their skin was flawless and translucent, exuding an ethereal temperament that inevitably stirred the deepest envy among these young wives.

The moment Xixi arrived, she fell in love with the place. Playing in the water and building sandcastles with so many children her own age made her happier than words could describe. Before long, she became the undisputed leader of the kids, with both little girls and boys swirling around her in a frenzy, drawing a chorus of unanimous praise from the matrons.

As for the pet tiger that was usually by the little one's side, it had fallen into a deep sleep over the past few days because it was digesting the life essence of the massive black tiger far too slowly, and thus had not been brought along.

Having practiced immortal cultivation for several months now, Song Wanshu was even more breathtakingly stunning. Dressed in a long gown, she reclined gracefully on a lounger, every flutter of her eyelashes and every smile radiating a captivating charm. She knew that the flattery and adulation of these matrons were propped up by her husband's formidable prestige, so she took their words with a grain of salt. A career woman at heart, she handled these people with effortless ease, making sure none of the matrons felt slighted.

"Madam, shall we open another bottle of red wine?"

Seeing that Song Wanshu's glass was empty, Mrs. Gu smiled. Without waiting for a reply, she snapped her fingers at a nearby female attendant, signaling her to bring more drinks.

Song Wanshu smiled silently, her thoughts drifting to Jiang An. She knew he had gone to Tianfu Province, but had no idea when he would return, leaving her to simply hope that everything went smoothly.

"Mommy! Xixi knows how to swim now!"

A crisp, childish voice rang out. Xixi, wearing a pink little swimsuit with a cartoon floatie around her waist, came running over all wet, eager to show off.

Song Wanshu sat up from her lounger, pinched her daughter's cheek, and was just about to offer praise when suddenly, a tall figure flashed by the poolside, startling the socialites into silence.

"Madam, all the guards on watch outside have lost contact! The situation is critical, this subordinate will protect the madam and the little princess as we evacuate!"

The speaker was a middle-aged man, robust and tall, standing there like a small mound. A prominent scar across his face added an extra layer of fierce ruggedness to his demeanor. He was none other than Cheng Yang, formerly one of the Three Heroes of the Divine Saber Sect.

Song Wanshu knew that Cheng Yang had already attained the level of a Grandmaster. For something to make him take matters this seriously, it was undoubtedly a grave crisis. Keeping her composure, she said, "Very well, I leave it in your hands, Grandmaster Cheng!"

"You are too kind, Madam. This is merely my duty." Cheng Yang flashed a grin, then stepped in front of Song Wanshu and Xixi, preparing to escort them away first.

Seeing this development, the socialites naturally panicked, frantically calling their children over and scrambling to leave together.

"Where do you all think you're going?"

At that moment, a sinister and eerie voice suddenly rang out. As everyone turned their heads to look, they saw that atop the roof at the far end of the pool, someone had appeared, draped entirely in a vibrant, multicolored robe that obscured their appearance. Coiled around this figure was a venomous yellow king cobra. With its flattened hood and menacing jaws, the snake flicked its forked tongue, its cold gaze chilling everyone to the bone.

This horrifying sight terrified the pampered socialites into a series of piercing screams, some even collapsing to the ground with weak legs, though their maternal instincts still made them instinctively cover their children's eyes.

Cheng Yang, a veteran of mercenary work, was widely traveled. Catching a glimpse of the hands protruding from the stranger's robes—their backs covered in dark green patterns—his heart skipped a beat. He lowered his voice and said, "Madam, this person is most likely a Thai sorcerer specializing in black arts! Their various toxic hexes are impossible to guard against. We must be extremely careful. Notify Saber Lord immediately!"

Though quite frightened herself, Song Wanshu possessed extraordinary mental fortitude. She nodded silently, then pressed a special button hidden on her watch while sheltering behind Cheng Yang.

"Who goes there? State your business!" Cheng Yang demanded in a loud voice, following the unwritten rules of the martial world.

"What kind of piece of shit are you to ask for my name? Call your master out here instead. Don't think that just because you've advanced to a Grandmaster you're someone special. Crushing you to death would be as easy as squashing an ant for this old man!" the intruder replied coldly, his tone dripping with utter disdain.

Certain that this person had come seeking vengeance and that their primary targets were the Madam and the little princess, Cheng Yang took a firm step forward and declared without yielding an inch, "Boastful nonsense! Before Your Excellency attempts anything, you had better think twice. My master is not someone to be trifled with, and I am no coward. If you have the ability, bring it on!"

Song Wanshu was doing her utmost to soothe the terrified women and children while slowly retreating step by step, attempting to shelter them inside the building.

"Very well. Since the Jiang boy has chosen to hide, and yet has a subordinate fiercely loyal to him, I shall grant you a swift death before taking Jiang's wife and child away."

With those words, the intruder lifted his hood, revealing his true visage. He appeared to be a lean old man in his sixties, his graying hair braided into a small queue at the back of his head. His face was likewise covered in dense, dark green patterns, and his small eyes radiated fierce viciousness.

Cheng Yang's eyes narrowed as his fighting spirit surged. Having just broken through to the Grandmaster realm, he was feeling confident and eager to test his mettle. While sorcery curses were notoriously difficult for ordinary people to defend against, a Grandmaster had his own methods of counteraction. After all, these malevolent and evil entities feared nothing more than righteous, yang energy. As the old saying went, mortals feared ghosts, but ghosts likewise feared mortals. A martial arts Grandmaster possessed upright, internal vital energy and a rushing, horse-like torrent of blood qi—any of which naturally countered sorcery. It remained to be seen who would suppress whom. If not for the fact that the cultivation technique given to him by the Prince, the *Hunyuan Vajra Art*, had yet to be truly mastered, his confidence would have been even higher.

Moreover, as a bodyguard who had protected Dao Mo for years, Cheng Yang's mind was infinitely more meticulous than his rough exterior suggested. He knew his absolute priority was to protect the mistress. He could not indulge in reckless heroics, nor could he fall for any diversionary tactics. Therefore, he spread his arms and slowly retreated, shepherding the women and children into the interior while guarding the entrance himself, intending to hold the line until reinforcements arrived.

For reasons unknown, the sorcerer ignored Cheng Yang's defensive maneuvers, simply standing with his arms crossed and sneering continuously.

"Are you ready? If so, prepare to meet your doom!"

The sorcerer chuckled condescendingly from his vantage point and extended a hand, unleashing his first attack!

As the dark green runes on his body flared brightly, they suddenly seemed to come alive, transferring themselves onto the king cobra. In the blink of an eye, the snake shot forward, expanding exponentially in mid-air. By the time it hit the ground, it had transformed into a terrifying monster nearly ten meters long and as thick as a water barrel. The yellow scales and dark green runes on its body shimmered in tandem, appearing impenetrably tough. With a casual flick of its massive tail, a row of loungers was instantly pulverized, leaving a deep gouge scored into the wall.

Following that, the king cobra opened its jaws and spewed a torrent of green venom toward Cheng Yang, blanketing the space several meters around him.

Seeing this, Cheng Yang unleashed a ferocious punch, the force of his fist dispersing the venom, before drawing the pair of pistols that had accompanied him for years and opening fire decisively.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

His marksmanship was preternaturally precise, every single bullet striking the king cobra's colossal body, only to ricochet away with a shower of sparks. The snake's scales were truly as hard as iron!

However, the pain brought by the bullets enraged the king cobra. Hissing furiously, it whipped its tail around in a ferocious arc to strike Cheng Yang. Gathering his focus, Cheng Yang lunged forward to close the distance.

For a moment, the two engaged in a fierce battle, appearing evenly matched. Yet inside, Cheng Yang grew increasingly anxious and inwardly desperate, as the enemy's strength vastly exceeded his expectations!

Among the overseas Chinese in Thailand, there was a saying describing sorcerers: "The three treasures of sorcery are the five poisons, curses, and aging." These referred to the sorcerer's three primary methods: first, raising various venomous creatures; second, executing malevolent curses; and third, channeling secret spirit-summoning arts—each technique more formidable than the last. The fact that this sorcerer could fight a Grandmaster to a standstill using merely a single raised king cobra indicated that he was likely a Grand Master Sorcerer, an existence comparable to the third realm of martial arts!

"Damn it!"

Mid-fight with the king cobra, Cheng Yang suddenly noticed that the enemy on the roof had vanished. Cursing in anger with a fierce oath, he threw everything he had into a devastating blow that forced the massive serpent back, then frantically dashed toward the interior of the house. Protection remained his absolute first duty.