Long Xiao and Gui Tian Qiu Er discussed the Sabre Tower for a while. Afterward, Gui Tian Qiu Er inquired about his subordinates, asking why they were all being held by the security department.
Long Xiao looked at Gui Tian Qiu Er with ill intent and said, "You can't blame me for this. Your men did things detrimental to Huaxia, so the security department naturally had to apprehend them."
"My subordinates, doing things detrimental to Huaxia? How is that possible? We are all businessmen. We come to Huaxia to do business, for the prosperity of Huaxia's economy..."
Before Gui Tian Qiu Er could finish, Long Xiao interrupted, "Stop, don't say another word. You are a businessman, that's true, but what your men did was not something a businessman would do. They came to my Xinglin Caotang to block the entrance and cause trouble, and they even tried to steal my medicinal formulas."
"Impossible, how could my men do such a thing?"
"Why is it impossible? What can't your men do?"
Gui Tian Qiu Er knew in his heart that his men were capable of anything.
However, he had arranged for them to cause trouble at Xinglin Caotang, hoping to find an opportunity to destroy it. How did it escalate into stealing medicinal formulas?
"My men are legitimate businessmen; they wouldn't do anything illegal."
"Whether they did or not, that's for the security department to decide. Anything we say is just talk."
Gui Tian Qiu Er knew that Long Xiao's words held weight.
If it were the police who arrested them, he might have been able to use his subordinates' foreign status to get them released. But it was the security department. They didn't care about foreign status; if someone broke the law, they'd arrest anyone, even a celestial being.
"Long Xiao, can we discuss this? Please don't make things difficult for my men..."
Long Xiao interrupted Gui Tian Qiu Er again, "Why don't you understand? I have no say in this matter now. If you want your men back, go to the security department."
Seeing that pleading with Long Xiao was futile, Gui Tian Qiu Er left Xinglin Caotang with his head hanging low.
Long Xiao's immediate concern wasn't how to deal with the Sabre Tower. He wanted to find the people who created the feng shui formation for the Sabre Tower. Those individuals were too powerful, and they operated in an organized manner. His narrow escape would surely not go unnoticed by them.
If they found Xinglin Caotang, not only would he be in danger, but everyone else in Xinglin Caotang would suffer along with him.
Long Xiao called Ye Xiao, explained the situation, and asked her to send someone to investigate these people and their organization.
This brush with death made Long Xiao realize that there were always stronger individuals out there, and his own strength was insufficient.
He found a room, sat down, closed his eyes, and opened the "Long Cang" to practice a cultivation technique.
The "Long Cang" contained many different cultivation methods, but he could only access the beginner-level techniques for any of them.
The beginner level of "Long Yuan" was almost mastered, but his strength prevented him from accessing the intermediate techniques, so he couldn't continue his cultivation.
Long Xiao practiced for a while with no effect and reluctantly gave up.
To improve his strength quickly, Long Xiao decided to seek out "Bing Sui." Finding "Bing Sui" would greatly enhance his water qi, undoubtedly increasing his power.
With his mind made up, Long Xiao began to study the location of "Bing Sui" on the map.
The map indicated that "Bing Sui" was likely located on a cliff by the river. How to enter the cave would have to be figured out on-site.
Upon learning that Long Xiao was going to retrieve "Bing Sui," Xiao Ming was also excited. Xiao Ming had a strong desire to become powerful.
After some simple preparations, Long Xiao and Xiao Ming set off. They took a high-speed train to western Sichuan and then a bus to the riverbank.
After they left Donghai, a group of foreigners of various complexions also boarded high-speed trains heading to western Sichuan.
Upon arriving in a large city in western Sichuan, Long Xiao and Xiao Ming found accommodation and hired a guide to show them around the city for a day.
As they began exploring the city, Long Xiao noticed that several foreigners kept appearing around them.
They spent the entire day sightseeing, but these foreigners made no move; they merely followed.
In the evening, while staying at a hotel, Long Xiao recounted what he had observed to Xiao Ming.
Xiao Ming stood behind the curtain and looked outside the hotel. Soon, he spotted a dark figure squatting at the corner of a wall.
"Brother Long, you were right. There's a dark-skinned brother squatting outside, watching the hotel."
Although Long Xiao had offended many foreigners recently, most of them were Japanese. Only the organization known as 'Shanzhong Laoren' had foreigners of various complexions.
"It might be assassins from 'Shanzhong Laoren.' Let them follow," Long Xiao said casually, leaning back on the sofa.
Although many assassins from 'Shanzhong Laoren' had appeared this time, their strength posed no threat to Long Xiao and Xiao Ming.
After nightfall, the two went to bed early, conserving their energy for the next day's search for the cave by the river.
After midnight, the city's bustle subsided, and it became completely quiet.
Outside the restaurant where Long Xiao and Xiao Ming were staying, shadows emerged from the darkness, surrounding the hotel.
As Long Xiao woke up and dispersed his qi, he detected the approaching assassins.
Their faint energy signatures did not impede their movements. They were completely unaware that they had already been detected.
Long Xiao counted them: thirty-three in total. It appeared an entire unit had been dispatched.
As the assassins approached the hotel, each pulled out a dark, spherical object from their person. From their appearance, these objects resembled grenades.
Long Xiao mused that these fellows were quite ruthless; if they couldn't win with blades, they'd resort to grenades this time.
A tall, burly Caucasian man signaled to all the assassins, and they hurled the spherical objects they held.
A sound of shattering glass followed as all the spheres were thrown into the hotel.
Long Xiao quickly intensified his qi. Once he controlled these spheres, they flew back out of the building.
"Not good, it's an ambush!" the tall Caucasian man shouted.
All the assassins scattered and fled. A few who were too slow to react were blown to pieces amidst several deafening explosions.
The force of the explosions was immense, shattering all the hotel's windows and causing cracks in the walls.
Hearing the explosions, Xiao Ming jumped up, looked around, and exclaimed, "Brother Long, those assassins made their move!"
Long Xiao sat up in bed and said, "Don't worry, you won't get hurt."
Shortly afterward, the sound of police sirens filled the air. Long Xiao and Xiao Ming lay back in bed and resumed their sleep with peace of mind.
After a short period of sleep, the hotel room door was knocked open by police officers. Several officers stood at the doorway, asked Xiao Ming and Long Xiao a few questions, and then left.
"Brother Long, are you planning to let the remaining assassins go?" Xiao Ming asked.
Long Xiao shook his head and replied, "The rule of 'Shanzhong Laoren' is 'no surrender, no respite.' When we have the time, we will completely eradicate 'Shanzhong Laoren'."