Chapter 693: Shen, the Master Thespian, Puts On a Show Again!
The Yu family's Crown Prince, at this very moment, wore an expression of extreme distress. His fists were clenched so tightly that his nails pierced his palms, and drops of bright red blood seeped out and dripped down, yet he was completely unaware.
Yu Guanying stared intently at the scene, his eyes bloodshot, watching as the countless influential figures and titans of industry from Hangzhou and the entire Jiangnan region bowed their heads in submission at Shen Anyu's feet. His heart wasn't just aching; it was hemorrhaging. A torrent of acid churned in his gut, a bitterness so profound it threatened to suffocate him. The meticulously crafted stage, the carefully selected guests, the atmosphere of impending victory—it had all been for him. 'This should have been my moment!' he screamed internally, the thought a razor blade scraping against his soul. Every obeisance, every fearful glance directed at Shen Anyu was a fresh wound carved into his pride. He had painstakingly orchestrated this grand banquet, investing immense resources and political capital to win over Old Qin and the others. His ambition was to forge a powerful Jiangnan Alliance, a bulwark to finally challenge and crush the combined might of the Shen and An Clans. It was supposed to be his coronation, the night he announced his dominance to the world.
But now, it was all ash. The grand design had shattered into a million irreparable pieces. He had suffered a failure so absolute, so devastatingly complete, that there was no hope of recovery. He, Yu Guanying, the proud scion of Yanxia's Yu Clan, had intended to use Shen Anyu as a stepping stone, a sacrificial lamb to consecrate his rise to power. Instead, in a brutal reversal of fortune, Shen Anyu had used him as a doormat, grinding his face and the Yu Clan's reputation into the dirt to establish an authority that was now unquestionable. The sheer humiliation was a physical agony, a fire consuming him from within.
His gaze swept across the once-opulent banquet hall. Now, it was a scene of devastation, more akin to the aftermath of a localized earthquake than a high-society gathering. Crystal chandeliers lay in shattered heaps on the fine carpets, priceless antique vases were reduced to dust, and elegant tables were overturned and splintered. A fine layer of plaster dust coated everything, mingling with the coppery scent of blood that hung heavy in the air. The centerpiece of this destruction was the mangled, lifeless form of Old Qin, a grim monument to Shen Anyu's terrifying power. If even a titan like Old Qin could be annihilated so casually, what hope did anyone else have? A cold dread, primal and penetrating, gripped Yu Guanying's heart, a terror that resonated through every other soul in the room.
"He… he really won!"
Yu Guannan's luminous, star-like eyes held a universe of complex emotions as she watched Shen Anyu, who now stood as the undisputed center of gravity in the ruined hall. A constellation of powerful men orbited him, their heads bowed, their expressions a mixture of fear and awe. She bit down hard on her pale lower lip, the slight pain a grounding sensation in a world that had just been turned upside-down. The terms of their wager echoed in her mind, each word a heavy chain locking around her future. 'Am I truly going to become his concubine?' The thought was a bitter pill. She was Yu Guannan, the most prized daughter of the direct line of Yanxia's Yu Clan. She was a Martial Arts Grandmaster, a peerless talent who had walked a path of pride and glory since birth. She was a favored daughter of heaven, destined for greatness. How could her fate be reduced to this?
As if sensing her turmoil, Shen Anyu's gaze cut through the crowd and landed squarely on her. Surrounded by the sycophantic magnates, he offered a faint, almost lazy smile that was steeped in ambiguity.
"Younger Sister Nannan," he called out, his voice carrying effortlessly across the hall, "I have missed you greatly since we parted ways in the Imperial Capital years ago. For your sake, I will spare your Yu Clan this time." His eyes gleamed with a predatory light as he added, "Just remember to fulfill your promise. I, Shen Anyu, will sweep the mat and wait."
He deliberately emphasized the final phrase, "sweep the mat and wait," its classical meaning of preparing one's home for an honored guest twisted into an intimate, possessive promise that sent a flush of heat creeping up Yu Guannan's neck.
Her beautiful face turned as cold as winter frost. She remained silent, her pride warring with the obvious reality of her defeat.
"Oh, right," Shen Anyu's voice suddenly shifted, the playful warmth vanishing like a snuffed candle. His gaze swiveled, locking onto Yu Guanying with an unnerving intensity. The smile on his lips curled into something cold and sharp. "I forgot one thing."
"Yu Guanying, trying to deal with our Shen and An Clans… requires paying a price."
The moment the words left his lips, the suffocating silence returned, heavier and more menacing than before. A collective gasp was stifled in the throats of the onlookers. Yu Guanying was not Yu Guanxiong. Breaking the Second Young Master's leg was an insult, a provocation. Killing Old Qin was a display of power, as the Qin Family was ultimately a secondary force. But attacking Yu Guanying? He was the true, undisputed heir of Yanxia's Yu Clan, the Crown Prince. To harm him would be a declaration of war, a move that would undoubtedly ignite a conflict between two of the nation's most powerful super-clans and plunge the entire upper echelon of Yanxia into chaos.
Yu Guanying's expression twisted in alarm. He was a Grandmaster at his peak, a prodigy in his own right, but the gruesome image of Old Qin being erased from existence was seared into his mind. If a Heavenly Human was dispatched with a single move, what could he possibly do?
"How dare you! I am the heir of the Yu Clan—"
His desperate, blustering threat was cut short before it could fully form. Shen Anyu didn't even move from his spot. He simply flicked his index finger with dismissive ease. A nearly invisible sliver of energy, a whisper of pure Sword Qi, tore through the air with a sound like ripping silk. It crossed the distance in a fraction of a second and plunged into Yu Guanying's lower abdomen.
There was no external wound, no spray of blood. But internally, the devastation was absolute.
A mournful, soul-shattering scream erupted from Yu Guanying's throat.
The Sword Qi exploded within him like a miniature sun. He felt an agonizing tearing sensation as his Dantian, the very core of his power that he had spent over two decades meticulously cultivating, shattered into countless fragments. The vast Qi Sea connected to it, his reservoir of inner energy, instantly evaporated, leaving behind a cold, desolate void. The power that had defined his identity, his strength, his entire being—vanished.
His face became a deathly mask, drained of all color and slick with a torrent of cold sweat. His life force plummeted, his aura flickering out like a dying ember. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, unable to even support his own weight, a broken puppet with its strings cut.
"You… you crippled my martial cultivation?" Yu Guanying stared up at Shen Anyu, his eyes burning with a hatred so pure and venomous it was terrifying. His heart felt like it had been plunged into a vat of liquid nitrogen. The foundation of his pride, the fruit of twenty years of grueling labor, had been destroyed in a single, casual gesture. 'How could he dare? How could he possibly dare?!'
"If not for Nannan's face, I would have done far more than just cripple you," Shen Anyu replied, his faint, ambiguous smile returning, though it held no warmth, only a chilling promise of what could have been.
Hearing this, a wave of primal fear washed over Yu Guanying, extinguishing his rage. 'He was actually planning to kill me?' The realization was a physical blow. He immediately clamped his mouth shut, not daring to utter another syllable of defiance.
Yu Guannan let out a slow, quiet breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Her gaze on Shen Anyu grew even more complex. After a long, heavy pause, she spoke, her voice clear but strained.
"Shen Anyu, I… I will fulfill my promise."
"Then I shall sweep the mat and wait!"
Shen Anyu's smile widened, a flicker of genuine satisfaction in his eyes. He gave her a light nod, then turned. Taking the small, soft hands of He Yiyi and Ling Qingcheng on either side of him, he began to walk away. The crowd of powerful men parted before him like water, their heads bowed low as they formed a respectful path for his departure from the ruined Hilton Hotel banquet hall.
Yu Guannan watched Shen Anyu's retreating figure, his silhouette framed by the reverent throng, and found her mind a complete blank, unable to process the whirlwind of events for a long time.
"Something is wrong… very wrong."
It was then that Yu Guanying, still kneeling in a pool of his own misery, felt a flicker of something. A keen, desperate sense detected a hint of abnormality. A spark of wild joy ignited in the desolate landscape of his heart. He hissed to his sister, his voice a ragged whisper.
"Little Sister, Shen Anyu isn't that strong. Look, his face is pale, and his hands are trembling uncontrollably. After killing Old Qin, he must have suffered severe Origin Qi depletion and serious exhaustion. Perhaps he used some forbidden secret technique with crippling after-effects just to kill Old Qin. Yes, that must be it! Otherwise, Shen Anyu is only in his twenties; no matter how much of a prodigy he is, it's impossible for him to kill a Heavenly Human so easily…"
The more Yu Guanying thought, the more certain he became. Shen Anyu had to have paid an astronomical price for that single, terrifying display of power. Even if he was a monstrous talent, a Heavenly Human in his early twenties was already pushing the absolute limits of credibility. To kill another Heavenly Human was incredible enough, but to do it in one move? It defied all martial logic.
He definitely paid a huge price, perhaps burning his own life force or using a secret art that would leave him vulnerable for days. His current state, while still powerful, was not the kind of invincible strength that inspired utter despair. It was a bluff.
Yu Guannan was startled by his words. Thinking back, she too recalled that Shen Anyu had seemed slightly… off. His posture was perfect, but there was a subtle stiffness, a pallor beneath his skin that hadn't been there before. Could he really be on the verge of collapse?
"It must be so!" Yu Guanying affirmed, his voice gaining conviction. The unbearable, hollow pain from his shattered Dantian fueled his vicious resolve. His expression twisted into a malevolent snarl. "This is a golden opportunity! It's the only chance for me, for the entire Yu Clan, to turn this defeat into victory! Otherwise, once Shen Anyu recovers, the Shen-An Alliance will have three Heavenly Humans. Our Yu Clan will stand no chance!"
His eyes gleamed with a feverish light. "I've decided. I will agree to the terms of the Sakura Country's Tenin. I'll have them come here and assassinate Shen Anyu!"
Yu Guannan's expression changed abruptly. "Elder Brother, how can you do that?" she pleaded, trying to dissuade him. "To collaborate with them is—"
Before she could finish, Yu Guanying shot her a look as cold as a grave. "Yu Guannan," he snarled, his voice dripping with menace, "do you truly want to become Shen Anyu's concubine? Do you want to see the honor of our Yu Clan trampled under his feet? Or perhaps I wasn't aware you had some… private relationship with Shen Anyu already?"
"Elder Brother is right!" Yu Guanxiong, Second Young Master Yu, chimed in, his face contorted with pain and fury. "We have to kill that bastard Shen Anyu!" The agony from his grotesquely twisted leg was a constant, throbbing reminder of his humiliation. He hated Shen Anyu down to his very bones.
Yu Guannan hesitated, the words of protest dying on her lips. Seeing the towering, all-consuming hatred in her brothers' eyes, she knew it was useless. Anything she said would be seen as a betrayal. All she could do was sigh, a heavy, helpless sound lost in the wreckage of the hall.
The few remaining members of the Yu Clan were completely oblivious. They had no idea that their every move, their every whispered word, had already been perfectly relayed to Shen Anyu via a nanometer monitoring robot. Not that he cared. He was already one step ahead, having prepared a grand gift for their entire clan.
The gift of annihilation. It should be quite a surprise.
Meanwhile, on the other side. The Bugatti Veyron purred softly as it slowly drove out of the underground parking lot, leaving the silent, watchful gazes of countless influential figures and magnates behind.
Once they left everyone's sight, Ling Qingcheng looked worriedly at Shen Anyu and whispered: "Shen Anyu, are… are you alright?"
She had noticed it too. His skin was frighteningly cold to the touch, and his complexion was unnaturally pale, lacking its usual vibrant color. With her sharp intellect, Ling Qingcheng immediately leaped to the same conclusion as Yu Guanying: Had Shen Anyu paid a tremendous price just to kill Old Qin?
"I'm in a somewhat poor state," Shen Anyu said, suppressing a smile. Of course, this was fake. How could a mere Old Qin possibly injure him? He hadn't even used ten percent of his strength.
Shen, the Master Thespian, was performing again!
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