Lingnan, Nine Dragons Club Banquet Hall.
Shan Hu's declaration, "pledge allegiance to me," exploded like a clap of thunder in the opulent banquet hall. The air instantly froze, and everyone held their breath, stiff as statues.
Su Zhentian's eyes were like torches, fixed on the young man before him. He had navigated the business world for decades and encountered countless arrogant individuals, but Shan Hu was the first to dare utter such words in his presence.
"Young man, you are very arrogant," Su Zhentian's tone was measured, but his eyes were filled with killing intent. "My Su family has been established in Lingnan for many years, relying not on luck, but on strength. Don't you think it's excessive to utter such rebellious words in front of all my friends in the Lingnan business community?"
The surrounding guests began to murmur. Some felt anger, others confusion, but most felt fear. The invisible force that had shattered the wine glass moments ago made them realize this youth was no ordinary person.
However, Shan Hu's expression remained calm, as if Su Zhentian's threat was nothing more than a passing breeze.
"Strength?" Shan Hu chuckled, slowly shaking his head. "Your understanding of strength is too shallow."
He stopped wasting words.
He raised his hand and casually waved it toward a wall decorated with antique porcelain behind Su Zhentian.
Boom—!
A faint, hard-to-see cyan stream of air shot out like an arrow, hitting the wall.
There was no loud noise, nor were there fragments flying everywhere. After the cyan light passed, the thick, solid wall began to silently crack open down the middle in a perfectly straight line.
The fissure was several inches deep, its cut as smooth as a mirror, as if sliced vertically by an invisible laser sword. The antique porcelain hanging on the wall remained completely undamaged on either side of the crack.
The martial artists present gasped collectively. They knew how much precision and restrained power control were required to achieve this level of destruction. This had already surpassed their understanding of "martial arts."
Su Zhentian's pupils contracted sharply; his expression finally changed. He could sense that if that blow had been directed at him, his vaunted body-strengthening martial arts would not have lasted even a second.
"This... this is..." Su Zhentian's voice was hoarse, a word he had never dared to speak surfacing in his mind—immortal techniques.
Shan Hu retracted his hand and said plainly, "Secular martial arts are merely parlor tricks for physical fitness. They are worthless in the face of true power. I can grant your Su family boundless wealth, or I can wipe your Su family out overnight."
He walked over to an empty table and sat down casually, his aura instantly overshadowing everyone.
"What I require is all of your Su family's financial resources, intelligence network, and logistical pipelines. I am giving your Su family an opportunity—to allow your martial artists to embark on the true path of cultivation. Su Zhentian, are you willing to pledge allegiance to me?"
Su Zhentian was, after all, a formidable figure. He quickly suppressed the fear in his heart. He understood that the young man before him was offering him a choice, but also a path to the heavens for the Su family. Secular wealth would eventually run out, but power was eternal.
He took a deep breath and adjusted his slightly dishevelled collar.
Under the gaze of every top gentry representative in Lingnan, Su Zhentian did not hesitate to kneel on one knee, lowering his proud head.
"The Su family's Su Zhentian is willing to pledge allegiance to you, Sir! The entire Su family is at your command!"
The core members of the Su family and Su Zhentian's trusted aides, though still deeply shocked, followed suit upon seeing their Patriarch's decision, dropping to one knee.
"We are willing to pledge allegiance to you, Sir!"
The banquet hall fell into a deadly silence, only the low, firm voices of the Su family members echoing. The other guests exchanged terrified glances, immense waves rising in their hearts. They realized that from tonight forward, the heavens of Lingnan were about to change.
Shan Hu smiled contentedly.
He looked at Su Zhentian, his tone peaceful yet carrying an unquestionable command:
"Very good. Rise, Su Zhentian. From now on, you are my 'Lingnan Steward.' Your first task is to prepare a residence for me within three days. I need it to be quiet, secluded, and it must be on Dragon-Tiger Mountain."
Su Zhentian stood up, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Sir. I will complete this matter within one day."
"Furthermore," Shan Hu's gaze swept across the banquet hall, "from this moment on, anyone who makes an enemy of the Su family will be making an enemy of me. Have you all heard clearly?"
Though his voice was soft, it carried a potent coercion that made all the guests tremble in fear, causing them to nod profusely in agreement, afraid of being a step too slow.
Shan Hu stood up, not looking at anyone else, and walked straight out of the Nine Dragons Club.
He arrived mysteriously and departed decisively. He left behind only a mythical figure and a Lingnan business landscape that had been completely reshaped.
Su Zhentian watched the direction in which Shan Hu disappeared, his eyes devoid of any lingering resentment, filled only with endless fanaticism and reverence. He knew the Su family had boarded a truly 'immortal vessel.'