Chapter 21: The Legendary Xiang Peng

Under Huang Wei’s eager anticipation, the doors to the private box were flung open.

Two or three dozen bodyguards, dressed in crisp black suits, wearing headsets, and sporting identical sunglasses, marched in with disciplined, professional precision. They fanned out along both sides of the room in a perfectly uniform formation, resembling an imperial honor guard from ancient times.

Once the formation was set, a middle-aged man in a gray suit, his expression cold and stern, stepped forward with a majestic, heavy gait. His graying hair was combed with meticulous care, and he carried himself like a drawn sword—sharp, domineering, and fiercely imposing. His eyes, keen as a razor, swept across the people in the room. Two lines of bodyguards followed him closely, stretching out into the hallway as if without end. A thick, chilling aura of slaughter radiated from them—a lethal presence reminiscent of soldiers who had just stepped off a blood-soaked battlefield.

Faced with such an intimidating display, Director Peng and Lin Yitong turned deathly pale. Their throats tightened, and a cold sweat instantly broke out across their skin. The legendary figure of Wushi, the formidable tycoon Xiang Peng, had actually come in person. Such an aura was simply impossible for ordinary people to withstand.

Director Peng exhaled slowly, his eyes filled with shock. He had heard whispers of this legendary figure back at the school. Xiang Peng! One of the titans of Wushi—Chairman of the Xianglong Group, head of the Xiang family, and leader of the Xianglong Gang. These three titles alone were enough to crush most people.

It was said that years ago, at the age of fifteen, Xiang Peng had come to Wushi from the countryside to work. He had washed dishes, swept streets, slept on the pavement, and worked as a low-level thug collecting protection money. He was a classic example of a self-made man who started with nothing. Later, he caught the eye of a wealthy woman—the sister of a local gang leader—and stayed by her side for several years. Perhaps due to the trauma of that experience—which allegedly left him with a deep-seated, instinctive revulsion toward women—he eventually moved on. Regardless, leveraging the woman's resources, money, and connections, Xiang Peng rose to prominence in less than seven years. Through sharp judgment, a ruthless temperament, and various calculated means, he vaulted into the upper echelons of society.

He founded the Xianglong Group and transformed his old gang of thugs into a powerful syndicate. Starting with real estate as his core, he expanded into the entertainment industry and many other sectors. Within just twenty years, he had propelled the Xianglong Group to become one of Wushi’s top conglomerates, worth hundreds of billions. Unlike the established families who relied on generations of accumulation, Xiang Peng’s rise was truly unique. Today, as one of the undisputed bosses of Wushi, he was at the height of his power. Even if his origins were somewhat tarnished, when one’s fists are hard enough, people tend to conveniently forget many things.

Seeing Xiang Peng appear, Huang Wei bent over, rubbing his hands together with a fawning, oily smile, and hurried to meet him, the wrinkles on his face bunching up to his ears.

"Oh my, President Xiang, you’ve come!" Huang Wei beamed. "I am so grateful that you took time out of your busy schedule to help. I will never forget this great kindness, Huang Wei will never forget it!"

Even Lin Yitong’s eyes lit up. She quickly sashayed over, preening herself in front of Xiang Peng. She tugged at her already low neckline, desperate to display her assets as blatantly as possible. She saw this as an opportunity; if she could catch the eye of such a titan, she would be a phoenix soaring to the branches. Huang Wei was nothing but trash compared to him.

"President Xiang~ My name is Lin Yitong. Please take care of me in the future." Lin Yitong purred, acting as coquettish as possible.

Xiang Peng frowned, shooting her a look of utter disgust. His men immediately stepped forward and shoved her violently to the ground.

*Thud.*

Lin Yitong crashed to the floor, her skirt riding up and exposing her lack of undergarments. It was a sordid sight—perhaps due to her promiscuous nature or Huang Wei’s specific demands, she was wearing practically nothing. It was truly eyesore-inducing. Yet, Lin Yitong didn't seem to care, rubbing her bruised rear end. "Ouch... President Xiang, your people are so rough!"

Xiang Peng ignored her completely, turning to Huang Wei with visible impatience. "Enough, stop the nonsense. I didn’t come here to give you face. Don’t bother with the pleasantries; it’s just a coincidence that I’m here."

He was in a foul, irritable mood today. Recently, his project on Yunwu Mountain had suffered massive losses. He had cycled through several construction crews, which had been a huge blow to his operations. He had finally hired a master to deal with the troublesome supernatural entities and disperse the wandering spirits in those wild mountains, thinking the project would finally get on track. Instead, something even more terrifying and hair-raising had happened.

The construction site collapsed. Over a dozen workers fell into a deep pit, and after dozens of hours of rescue efforts, they only recovered a dozen corpses. This incident not only drew the attention of the authorities but also saddled Xiang Peng with a massive compensation bill. If that were all, it wouldn't have been enough to break the composure of someone as seasoned as Xiang Peng. But the most shocking part was that, that very night, the bodies of the victims had vanished. The authorities even began to suspect him of destroying evidence, starting a secret investigation.

Xiang Peng was furious, thinking someone had stolen the bodies to frame him. He went to investigate and checked the surveillance footage. But what he saw on the screen made even this ruthless man, who had plenty of blood on his hands, feel his scalp tingle. It was a power far beyond his understanding.

In the footage, the dozen or so workers—some missing limbs, some covered in blood, some with their skulls smashed—had slowly stood up. Their swaying figures disappeared into the depths of the Yunwu Mountain forest under the cover of night. It was exactly like a zombie movie.

Despite his history of violence and life on the edge, this supernatural power made even Xiang Peng shudder. Given his status and position, he knew more than the average person. He didn't dare act like a reckless fool; he knew this was not a problem that could be solved with brute force. He had sent his manager, Zhou Li, to find the expert he had previously hired from the market, but she hadn’t been able to find him, and Li Moxuan hadn’t answered his phone. She had returned empty-handed.

Just as Xiang Peng was looking for a place to vent his rage, Huang Wei had called, and he happened to be nearby. It wasn't so much about helping Huang Wei as it was about Xiang Peng needing a punching bag. Driven by his anger, he had rushed over as quickly as possible. Under normal circumstances, a small fry like Huang Wei wouldn't even be qualified to speak to him.

"Just tell me, who is the person?"

Huang Wei sensed something was off with Xiang Peng, but he didn't care. He assumed the tycoon was just in a bad mood and needed someone to vent on—and Li Moxuan was the perfect target. Huang Wei’s heart bloomed with joy. Since Xiang Peng was furious, Li Moxuan was surely going to die.

Without a second thought, Huang Wei pointed at Li Moxuan. "It’s him! Li Moxuan!" A cruel smile spread across Huang Wei’s bloated face, as if he could already see Li Moxuan being beaten into a pulp.

Xiang Peng lifted his eyelids and looked at Li Moxuan. Li Moxuan was sitting in his chair, legs crossed, leisurely sipping his drink, meeting his gaze. Xiang Peng let out a disdainful scoff. "This kind of trash?"

Wait... Li Moxuan? He didn't know the person, but the name sounded familiar. Strange!

Xiang Peng nodded and waved at his men. "Take your time, I need to vent all the anger in my heart!"

Just then, a bodyguard beside him leaned over and whispered a few words in his ear.

"Hmm?" Xiang Peng furrowed his brows. "Is that true? Show me!"

The bodyguard pulled out a phone, and Xiang Peng carefully compared the image to Li Moxuan. Then, his face lit up with joy. The resentment in his heart vanished, replaced by an overwhelming sense of ecstasy.

"It really is him..." Xiang Peng tilted his head back and took a deep breath, wanting to roar with laughter. Truly, the heavens were good to him.

Seeing that Xiang Peng had stopped moving, Li Moxuan spoke before Huang Wei could urge him on. "No need to look. This wild boar is talking about me. Hurry up and do it; I’m in a hurry."

The room fell into stunned silence. How dare he speak to Xiang Peng like that? He was seeking death.

"Hahaha, Li Moxuan! Since you’re so eager to die, even a celestial being can’t save you now."

Li Moxuan smiled playfully. "Oh? Is that so?"

Just as Huang Wei was about to puff out his chest and act superior, *slap*—a crisp, sharp sound echoed through the private room.