Chapter 2141: Entering the Hall

There's no such thing as a free lunch. What exactly is the Nether Emperor plotting?

Lu Zhenxian stepped forward, intending to offer to hold the Nether Emperor's horse as a gesture of goodwill. He suddenly remembered that the Black King Horse had sharp, steel-like teeth and didn't allow strangers to approach. Awkwardly, he tucked his sleeves and loudly announced to the crowd, "This is the Lord of Flashing Gold, the Reincarnated Dragon God, the Nether Emperor, who led the Dragon God Army to drive out the Ya people for us and seize the holy land of the Collin tribe!"

The Nether Emperor remained motionless, only his Black King Horse snorting impatiently beneath him.

Lu Zhensheng composed himself. In front of such a crowd, the savior of Bailie could not be treated lightly. He bowed deeply to the Nether Emperor and respectfully declared, "Nether Emperor, your assistance to Bailie, resolving our urgent crisis, is a kindness as vast as the heavens. The Lu clan is eternally grateful!"

"No need for formalities," the Nether Emperor's low voice echoed in everyone's mind. "It was merely my duty."

This statement left everyone quite puzzled. What "duty"? What connection did Bailie have to him?

But he said no more. To avoid an awkward silence, Lu Zhensheng continued, "Now that the south is settled, your esteemed return to Bailie is for...?"

This was everyone's question.

"Lu Zhenxian invited me, so I came," the Nether Emperor said with a hint of mockery. "What, am I not welcome?"

"Your imperial presence honors the humble Lu clan; how could we possibly be remiss?"

Lu Feiyan, who had been standing silently by her brother, suddenly interjected, "Emperor, a banquet has been prepared at the residence to welcome you."

These words were originally spoken by Lu Zhensheng to the Lu father and son, and those in the know found them ill-intentioned. But with the Nether Emperor's personal arrival, things became interesting.

With so many eyes watching, Lu Zhensheng could find no reason to refuse. He could only smile with fervent enthusiasm and say, "Emperor, please!"

He had just said that the Nether Emperor's kindness to Bailie was "as vast as the heavens." Was it not natural for the Lu residence to host their benefactor for a meal now?

The Nether Emperor did not decline. He dismounted the Black King Horse and strode confidently into the Lu residence.

He exuded a formidable aura, and those in front of him parted to make way.

Dozens of black-armored guards followed him inside. Lu Zhenxian and Lu Qingbang, siblings, also followed closely behind the Emperor, entering the residence together.

Lu Zhensheng and Commander Wu exchanged glances, both seeing the worry in the other's eyes.

The Nether Emperor's intentions were clearly unfriendly; they didn't know what play he was enacting now.

At this point, the two were helpless. They could only take things as they came and followed him inside.

Through generations of management by the Lu family, the Lu residence, though not vast, boasted elegant architecture and exquisite gardens. Giant trees hundreds of years old were ubiquitous, and there was even a tree fern nearly sixty feet tall and seven hundred years old, its leaves still perpetually green.

It should be noted that a tree fern is a type of fern.

Such tall ferns are rarely seen today.

The banquet was held in the pavilion directly beneath the tree fern. The sunlight was perfect that day, filtering through the tender green leaves and casting shimmering golden flecks across the ground.

"A tree spirit?" the Nether Emperor asked, tapping the trunk and sensing the surging vitality within.

"Precisely," Lu Zhensheng explained. "This old tree fern signed a contract with Bailie, serving as its 'feng shui tree,' akin to the local mountains and rivers."

Everyone took their seats according to rank. The place of honor was naturally reserved for the Nether Emperor. Lu Zhensheng sat to his left, while Commander Wu and Commander Huang sat close beside him, ready to protect him.

They sensed a strong ill will emanating from the Nether Emperor.

Almost all members of the Lu family were present today.

Lu Zhensheng had originally gathered all the clan members, fearing that the family of Lu Old Six would return with malicious intent and hoping it would make them hesitate to act. Little did he know, the grand "boss" of the Cangyan Kingdom had arrived in person. The result was a scene where all the elder Lu family members were compelled to attend, while the rest of the clan crowded outside the garden, peering in curiously.

The moment he took his seat, the Clang Dragon Armor receded, and the Nether Emperor transformed into a human emperor.

He had long eyebrows and star-like eyes, exceptionally handsome.

No one expected the Lord of Flashing Gold, whose fame echoed through the nine heavens, to be so young. A commotion arose among the Lu family members outside the garden.

Normally, Lu Zhensheng would have reprimanded them, but he was not in the mood today.

He quickly introduced the Lu family members at the table to the Nether Emperor: "These are the elders of my Lu clan: this is my second uncle, Lu Lianqing; this is my fourth uncle, Lu Lianyun..."

As he introduced each one, that person bowed to the Nether Emperor.

He Lingchuan listened patiently, then said, "The Bailie Lu family is a three-thousand-year-old aristocratic clan. I had thought the Lu family would have a larger population."

Everyone felt awkward upon hearing this.

Perhaps due to the mutual influence of land spirit and human vitality, Bailie had not developed well in recent decades, and the Lu family's population had not prospered either.

He Lingchuan had seen aristocratic families in Beijia that were three or four hundred years old; with their main and collateral branches combined, they numbered several thousand people.

In contrast, the Lu family's population, combining several generations, was no more than a hundred.

They truly could not be called a "prosperous clan."

Lu Zhensheng sighed. "In ancient times, my Lu clan also produced many immortals. Unfortunately, spiritual energy has declined since then, and we prosper and suffer alongside the heavens and earth."

The Soul-Snatching Mirror in He Lingchuan's arms let out a sharp laugh. "To claim to share prosperity and decline with the heavens and earth—what gall! Even the ancient dragon race wouldn't dare boast like that!"

Dishes were served one after another, but He Lingchuan did not touch his chopsticks. If he didn't move, no one dared to.

"The Lu family was born of destiny?" he asked slowly. "I've heard a saying that the key to the Lu family's thousand-year longevity lies with 'fated individuals'?"

Several clan elders nodded. Lu Zhenxian added, "Whenever the family declines, a 'Lord of Revival' emerges who can lead the Lu family out of its slump."

This "Lord" referred to the family head.

"Oh?" The Nether Emperor seemed intrigued. "Who was the most recent Lord of Revival?"

"The widely recognized one was sixty years ago, Lu Dingxun," Lu Zhenxian responded. "At that time, the Lu family was heavily in debt and on the verge of collapse. This Lu Dingxun, Lord Lu Seven, was a rare business genius. He started his fortune with the colored salt pearls that appeared that summer, and led the Lu family to prosperity and strength."

"Colored salt pearls?"

"There's a large salt lake in northern Bailie that produces a special type of colorful clam. When mature, they're as big as a bear's paw. These clams can produce pearls, but in very small quantities. Other types of clam shells might yield seven or eight, or even a dozen, small pearls per clam, but the salt lake clams only produce one, which is prized for its large size and round shape," Lu Zhenxian continued. "The colorful salt lake clams were originally an important resource for Bailie, generating profit from their pearls every year. But sixty years ago, for some unknown reason, all the large clams in the lake began to die off, and the pearls collected were sparse."

"At that time, the Lu family was very anxious but helpless, and could only seek solutions everywhere. Lu Dingxun discovered that the colorful clams were affected by the red tide outbreaks in the salt lake during those two years, so he introduced a type of colorful shrimp to clear the algae. A few years later, the salt lake began to produce large pink and pure black pearls, which were very expensive."